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Record 19 percent efficiency achieved with low-cost solar cells

Record 19 percent efficiency achieved with low-cost solar cells
An example of one of the solar cells made from silicon ink that achieved the record-breaking 19 percent conversion efficiency
An example of one of the solar cells made from silicon ink that achieved the record-breaking 19 percent conversion efficiency
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The silicon ink used to make the solar cells
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The silicon ink used to make the solar cells
An example of one of the solar cells made from silicon ink that achieved the record-breaking 19 percent conversion efficiency
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An example of one of the solar cells made from silicon ink that achieved the record-breaking 19 percent conversion efficiency

California-based manufacturer of low-cost solar materials, Innovalight, has achieved record of 19 percent conversion efficiency for its silicon ink-based solar cells.

The conversion efficiency of a solar cell is the proportion of sunlight energy that a cell converts to electrical energy. Although conversion efficiency of greater than 40% has been achieved in the lab using multi-junction solar cells, the the average conversion rate for mass produced cells usually hovers around the 15 percent mark. The trick is to strike a balance between manufacturing costs and efficiency.

Innovalight's impressive record has been independently tested by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Germany.

The silicon ink-based technology is compatible with existing production systems. Innovalight's proprietary Cougar platform gives crystalline silicon solar cell manufacturers the ability to improve solar cell performance, reduce cost and boost output capacity by adding another basic step to already installed manufacturing lines, which this year will process collectively around 4 billion crystalline wafers into solar cells.

“We continue to push toward our goal of delivering over 20 percent conversion efficiency to our customers,” said Dr Homer Antoniadis, chief technology officer at Innovalight. “Our patented solar cell process with silicon ink is simple and optimized for use with silicon wafers and widely adopted industry printing tools,” he added.

Currently, Innovalight is working with several solar cell manufacturing companies and is ramping up silicon ink production.

In February, the company was awarded a key patent by the US patent and trademark office for the manufacturing of crystalline wafer solar cells with silicon ink. Innovalight has filed for over 60 patents for silicon ink and high efficiency solar cells using silicon ink processes.

Dr Antoniadis will present these results at the 2010 SNEC 4th International Photovoltaic Power Generation Exhibition and Conference which will take place this May in China.

9 comments
9 comments
Facebook User
This will surely contribute in making earth a greener place to live in. Thanks for the update. By the way, if you\'re looking for the best website design for your online business, then you\'re search is over. Good luck!
Terry Hope
this is great news!!! please post a link here when the general public can buy these ?? http://www.thekpv.com
Dr.A.Jagadeesh
Achieving 19 percent solar cell efficiency in silicon ink-based solar cells is great. While advanced solar cell materials like Gal;lium arsenide,Gallium Phosphide,Tandem,Organic polymer have high efficiencies, their cost is prohibitive.
Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India
BoilingOil
Great news!
However, there are so many groups nowadays making advances in solar energy conversion, all working on different approaches from different angles (just look at all the articles covering this topic). Would be smart for them to get together and see how they can combine their findings and come up with a truly amazing product.
Ronald Cooper
A high yield process of manufacture would help the high efficiency team, however, that is not their focus. If they could all share technology, the world would advance with them. especially small or third world countries who yearn to be self sufficient. But filing 60 patents on \"Ink\" shows they are closely guarding their secret technology from others.
Mr Stiffy
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.....
When I can buy meter square panels giving 500W for $100, at the local hardware shop - I\'ll be interested.
Until then - Blah, blah, blah, blah.... blah...
Conversion efficiencies.....
Cost of production...........
Grand new advances.........
TogetherinParis
Electric dipoles of a polar fluid line up in an electric field, and you can assure that dipoles are not in line by a damped driven oscillation and timing drying to non-peak oscillations. (This is what the EKG does in the body, it \'shocks\' the blood to take gases (and bpg) out of circulation.) Nicholson
John in Brisbane
great! So how long before every roof tile and piece of corrugated iron comes coated in this stuff? Like they should have been 20 years ago?
Ed
I just checked several online sources and *NO ONE* sells a solar panel that reaches even 15% efficiency! And here is the kicker! The Maximum efficiency of 15% is only achievable when the sun is perpendicular to the panel! So unless you have a rotating solar array, you\'re SOL on the efficiency part! Over the course of an 8-10 hour sunlight day, this 15% drops down to something like 6% in the aggregate.