CS Industry Awards 2012 Most Innovative Device Award
High efficiency SJ3 Product
Solar Junction is a developer of high efficiency multi-junction solar cells for the Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) market. Using its proprietary Adjustable Spectrum Lattice Matched (A-SLAM) technology, Solar Junction continues to make
technological strides to help reduce CPV module costs.
The A-SLAM technology is based on its dilute nitride material innovation, which provides a platform for bandgap tunability over the solar spectrum to maximize the absorbed sunlight within CPV modules. This technology enables Solar Junction to reach solar cell efficiencies beyond 50 percent within a lattice-matched material. This will also lead to higher reliability for its cells.
Solar Junction’s proprietary technology enables the company to reach the highest efficiencies. In April 2011, it became the world record holder for cell efficiency with a 43.5 percent verified by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy. Solar Junction is ramping its multi-junction solar cell technology, with a production median efficiency of 42 percent, to high-volume to fulfill customer orders.
Recent fundraising and partnerships are enabling Solar Junction to meet manufacturing needs, as well as continue technology advances enabling a reduction in CPV module costs down to $1/W.
In February 2012, Solar Junction closed its largest financing round to date with $19.2 million.
Investments from New Enterprise Associated (NEA),
Advanced Technology Ventures (ATV),
Draper Fisher Jurvetson and IQE will help Solar Junction
scale its manufacturing.
Additionally, an exclusive manufacturing contract agreement was made with IQE to scale up to 50 Megawatts of multi-junction solar cells by the end of the year. Both parties will require additional process equipment to be secured and qualified at each party’s site, IQE in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Solar Junction at its headquarters in San Jose, California.
Also, Solar Junction is a recipient of a SUNPATH, Scaling Up Nascent PV at Home, award from the DOE as part of a $21.5 million program. SUNPATH is part of the SunShot program and aims to increase PV manufacturing in the U.S. Solar Junction is targeting a median cell efficiency of 42 percent on 150mm substrates with the $5.4 million it will receive from this program. All SunShot investments are designed to help achieve $1/W by 2020 in the U.S. by investing in technologies that are sustainable with competitive cost and high performance. Founded in 2007, Solar Junction is
© 2012 Angel Business Communications. Permission required.
dedicated to providing the industry’s highest efficiency solar cells to enable CPV as a cost effective energy solution. In a two month span last year, Solar Junction began hitting high efficiencies and secured the world record efficiency on a production size cell of 43.5 percent.
The company continues technical advancements with its proprietary A-SLAM technology and is on a path to exceed 50 percent within the decade with its sustainable efficiency roadmap.
Richard Stevenson, Editor, comments:
“Dilute nitrides have always held promise. Until now massive commercial success has failed to followed, but that will change with Solar Junction's revolutionary multi-junction solar cells.”
April / May 2012
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