News

25 February 2010

 

CIGS firm Global Solar first to exceed 13% thin-film efficiency on flexible substrate

Global Solar Energy Inc of Tucson, AZ, USA, which makes copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) cells for both glass modules and flexible substrates, says that the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has confirmed 13.2% aperture area efficiency for a module made by Global Solar Energy applying its production-line thin-film solar material.

Global Solar Energy claims it is the first manufacturer to exceed 13% using thin-film material on a flexible substrate. The new benchmark advances the thin-film photovoltaic market, reckons Global Solar Energy, which claims to be the only manufacturer of CIGS cells on a flexible substrate in full-scale production.

“Global Solar Energy is the first company to exceed the 13% efficiency target using thin films on a flexible stainless-steel substrate, and joins a small number of PV companies who have met this high efficiency milestone for large thin-film power modules,” says Dr Ryne P. Raffaelle, director of NREL’s National Center for Photovoltaics. “This result is remarkable, given that the module was made using standard production equipment and manufacturing processes,” he adds.

Global Solar Energy has been selling CIGS thin-film products on a flexible substrate for more than six years for a variety of applications, from portable solar chargers to traditional glass modules and next-generation building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products.

“This achievement elevates us into the ranks of the few thin-film companies to surpass this efficiency and is the culmination of a year of steady and rapid improvement in efficiency and yield at our production plants in both Arizona and Germany,” comments CEO Dr Jeff Britt.

See related item:

Global Solar’s CIGS production material reaches 15.45% efficiency

Search: Global Solar Energy CIGS

Visit: www.globalsolar.com

Visit: www.nrel.gov