Solyndra rival, Nanosolar, today announced the completion of a 640MW panel-assembly factory in Berlin and in the process unwrapped many hitherto unknown details about it's technology including most notably that it's panels have an efficiency as high as 16.4%!!! This figure rivals crystal solar cell power eficiencies which are much, much more costly to manufacture.
Nanosolar is claiming two new world records:
1) the most efficient printed solar cell of any kind
2) the most efficient solar cell on low-cost printed on low cost aluminum foil
Additionally, Nanosolar has secured $4.1Bil in panel purchases from the world's largest utility power producers. Of more interest to the technology geeks is nanosolar's BIG REVEAL of their technology on an unprecendented basis including two white papers, videos and plenty of photographs.
In a statement released to his blog, Nanosolar CEO Martin Roscheisen offered the following observation:
"Our lab and production teams have managed to make more progress on efficiency than we had planned on in any of our business plans. Recall that we print CIGS onto inexpensive metal foil, that is, something that some have been skeptical can work while others have been wondering whether it can deliver cells better than 6% efficient (the highest published efficiency for CIGS — not even printed — on our type of low-cost metal foil). So we are pleased to announce that our low-cost printed-CIGS-on-metal-foil cell stack and process produces quite efficient cells: Earlier this year, NREL independently verified several of our cell foils to be as efficient as 16.4%."
Nanosolar also released a Utility Panel White Paper. They also released a Nanosolar Cell White Paper.
Solar panel industry observer, Russ Browne, today shared this reaction to the news, "The effiecncy level is monumental in that it rivals effiency of the much more coslty and difficult to make silicon panels. Very good for the world indeed."
Nanosolar made these announcements today with an updated website touting "profitable solar."
Update #1: Reuters Interview with Martin Roscheisen.
Update #2: Greentech Article. PV-Tech.org article.
Update #3: Great Wired Article.
4 comments:
If only the layperson (AKA ME) Could buy some... :(
Yep, wake me when you buy this for home installations. Otherwise YAWN!!!!!!!!!!
Nanosolar did not answer the big question. Have they achieved their promise to be cost competitive with coal?
Great announcement. Looks like First Solar tried to trump Nanosolars announcement with the China deal announcements on September 7th and 8th...a little TOO coincidental. Especially since Nanosolar had posted "look for news to come on September 9th."
Nanosolar's white paper claims current capacity 6 times that of First Solar....so with the $4 billion in orders it looks to me like Nanosolar wins this arm wrestling match.
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