Thin Film Innovation Award First Solar
Thin Film Module Technology
SINCE the company’s inception in 1999 First Solar has demonstrated thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) innovation. Developed in the United States, First Solar now has the only thin-film module technology that is proven more efficient and less costly than conventional crystalline silicon (C-Si Photovoltaic) PV modules. First Solar has dedicated research and development toward exponential innovation with multiple records for research cell efficiency increasing from 16.5% to today’s record 20.4% and improving module efficiencies year over year.
First Solar currently holds the world record in CdTe research module 17% and research cell efficiency 20.4% using organic and acquired technology. First Solar has demonstrated repeated successful innovation cycles converting these historical technology developments by effectively scaling the advancements into more than 8GW of high volume production. First Solar’s thin-film technology addresses the global issue of identifying an efficient cost effect and sustainable alternative energy source that competes with traditional energy sources today.
Reel Solar
1.5m² CdTe Solar Modules
COMPARED to conventional CdTe modules, RSI modules are almost three times the size, leading to greater power per module and therefore lower manufacturing & installation costs.
Modules will be produced at less than 40 cents per Watt in 2015, with a path to less than 25 cents per Watt. RSI provides the option to use conventional solar glass or tempered glass with or without frames. Excellent high temperature and low light performance leading to superior kWh/kWp production. Panel size and output similar to 60 or 72 cell silicon modules, leading to similar balance of system and installation costs. RSI modules are two-thirds the cost for the same module size and energy output as compared to crystalline silicon modules. Industry standard CdTe module architecture with metal back contact, giving proven reliability.
Semprius
Four-Junction, Four-Terminal Stacked Solar Cell
SEMPRIUS, is a manufacturer of high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) solar modules. The company recently announced it has manufactured the first four-junction, four-terminal stacked solar cell using its proprietary micro transfer printing process. In this effort, Semprius worked in collaboration with Professor John Rogers and his team at the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and researchers at Solar Junction, a leading III-V high- efficiency solar cell manufacturer and important Semprius partner. The results of this project will be published this week in the journal Nature Materials.
The new stacked solar cell is comprised of a three-junction microcell that is stacked on top of a single-junction germanium microcell using Semprius’ high-speed micro transfer printing process, which enables the simultaneous
SOLARION AG SOL Flex
SOLARION AG are the innovators behind SOL45Flex and SOL90Flex: modules in which cells are encapsulated in a flexible solar film package. The company aims to meet the market demand for lightweight and flexible modules. Solarion use copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) technology in the production of the modules in which the cells are embedded in a flexible solar film composite.
The SOL Flex combines the features of the innovative roll-to-roll deposited CIGS thin-film technology with the market requirements for lightweight, flexible solar modules. The flex modules can be offered with a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing, simplifying installation and reducing installation costs due to the elimination of a mounting structure. These products thus offer the possibility of installation on a variety of roofing surfaces without the need for roof penetration.
Issue IV 2014 I
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formation of thousands of stacked microcells with very high yields. Initial trials yielded solar cells with measured efficiencies up to 43.9 percent. This process is capable of achieving solar cell efficiencies greater than 50 percent in the near future. A key achievement of this project was the development of a new interfacial material that is placed between the top and bottom cell to minimize optical losses within the stack and thereby optimize overall conversion efficiency. In addition, the new stacked cell has four terminals, rather than the standard two. This reduces the spectral dependence of the solar cell and increases the solar cell’s energy yield under normal operation in the field.
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