Solar Frontier’s Atsugi Research Center developed the Record Breaking Solar Cell
Solar
Frontier has announced that, in joint research with Japan’s New Energy and Industrial
Technology Development Organization (NEDO), that they have achieved a world
record-breaking energy conversion efficiency of 19.7% for cadmium-free,
thin-film solar cells measuring approx. 0.5 cm2.
This was measured by the
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).
This New Cell has surpassed the 18.6% efficiency which was recorded over 10 years back.
“This
new achievement in energy conversion efficiency indicates the high
level of Solar Frontier’s technology and the high potential of CIS
technology,” said Satoru Kuriyagawa, Chief Technology Officer, Solar
Frontier.
“The CIS thin-film modules currently available from Solar
Frontier have gained a reputation for high performance in actual power
generation, as they are not easily affected by shadows or high
temperatures. Now, even higher real-world performance can be expected by
applying this new basic technology. We will continue working to further
enhance our technological capabilities with the aim of setting a world
record for thin-film solar cells overall.”
This
world record was achieved using cells cut from a 30cm x 30cm substrate,
rather than specifically-developed small area cells, demonstrating high
potential for further increases. Moreover, the formation method
utilized by Solar Frontier to achieve the result is the same method it
uses for mass-production, a process of sputtering followed by
selenization. Solar Frontier has chosen this method over co-evaporation
due to greater efficiencies in mass production and aims to surpass the
current record of 20.3% efficiency set with the co-evaporation method.
Currently,
the CIS thin-film solar modules produced at Kunitomi have a conversion
efficiency that exceeds 13%, and the amount of electricity generated (kWh) per installed capacity (kW) exceeds that of other solar
modules.
