21 June 2012 Stion sets aperture efficiency record of 14.8%for monolithic CIGS PV module in production
Stion Corp of San Jose,CA,USA,which makes nanostructure-based CIGSSe(copper indium gallium sulphur-diselenide)thin-film photovoltaic panels,says that the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL)has verified 14.8%aperture efficiency(13.4%module efficiency)for fully certified commercial modules(65cm x 165cm)produced at its first mass-production facility in Hattiesburg,MS(opened this year).
This 145W module has the highest efficiency verified by NREL for a monolithically integrated CIGS module manufactured on a commercial production line,and exceeds the 140W module produced by Stion on its San Jose pilot line last August.
"We plan to continue driving our technical roadmap while maintaining our focus on capital costs and product costs,"says president&CEO Chet Farris.Stion made the first commercial shipment from its 100MW production line in Hattiesburg in March.
"Achieving 14.8%efficiency using a large-area production process indicates that Stion is continuing to make significant innovations in CIGS technology that are reproducible and scalable,"comments Rommel Noufi,the lead researcher for thin-film solar cells at NREL."It speaks to the continued importance of US-made thin-film modules in helping meet the Department of Energy's SunShot goals."The SunShot program aims to increase PV manufacturing in the US through investments in technologies that are sustainable with competitive cost and high performance.SunShot investments are designed to help achieve$1/Watt by 2020.
Stion says that its unique approach to CIGS leverages proprietary materials and device expertise along with a robust,high-volume manufacturing process based on readily available,standardized equipment.Using a monolithically integrated circuit design instead of assembling individual cells into a module enables a lower bill of materials and more streamlined manufacturing process,the firm adds.
