Dow Corning and Crystal Solar have said they plan to develop a business relationship to supply high-performance, silicon-based materials for photovoltaic cells and modules.
The two companies also intend to assess options for developing high-performance building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solutions for building and construction, focusing on both commercial and residential applications.
Dow Corning can provide access to high-quality trichlorosilane, specialized silicon-based materials, and supply chain consultancy to support a breakthrough manufacturing approach developed by Crystal Solar to produce monocrystalline ultra-thin silicon epi-wafers, the companies say.
According to Crystal Solar, its Epitaxial technology allows for high-efficiency solar panels at lower costs with advanced functionality to competing approaches.
The companies say the solar panels will cost below $0.50/W in production.
