Manufacturer and distributor of thin-film solar laminates, United Solar declared that it has achieved16.3% cell efficiency for thin-film silicon solar technology.
The cell efficiency, obtained by the company, is a new world-record and has bettered the company’s previous achievement of 15.4% efficiency. The company achieved the 16.3% efficiency for a small area measuring 0.25 cm2 by utilizing a triple-junction structure that features the newly patented nano-crystalline silicon technology.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will test and confirm the efficiency of the solar cells. NREL has also confirmed that United Solar’s nano-crystalline technology has attained an initial conversion efficiency of 12% in a large area of 400 cm2 encapsulated cell, which is again a world-record in the field of thin-film solar technology.
Interim President of Energy Conversion Devices, a parent company of United Solar, Jay Knoll stated that this achievement would act as a stepping stone for the company’s involvement in advancing its core technology by working on conversion efficiency. He added that the company’s patented nano-crystalline silicon technology has the ability to increase the conversion efficiency from 15.4% to 16.3%, thereby resulting in advancement of thin-film silicon technology.
Dr. Subhendu Guha, United Solar’s Chairman, is presenting the cell efficiency results at the Thin-Film Technological Advancements session, which is being held at the Intersolar North America Conference in San Francisco, California.
Source: http://www.energyconversiondevices.com/