Solar Junction of San Jose, CA, USA, which makes III-V multi-junction solar cells for concentrated photovoltaics (CPV), is in contract negotiation along with epiwafer foundry and substrate maker IQE plc of Cardiff, Wales, UK for the development of next-generation satellite solar cells for the European Space Agency (ESA).
“Solar Junction and IQE have been working closely for the past year as strategic manufacturing partners of the world’s most efficient multi-junction solar cells,” says Solar Junction’s CEO Jim Weldon. “Our dilute nitride technology and high-efficiency roadmap is a proven and sustainable pathway for present and future space and terrestrial applications,” he adds. “Winning this contract proves that we're on-track.”
Founded in 2007 with investors including New Enterprise Associates, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Advanced Technology Ventures, Solar Junction says that its proprietary adjustable-spectrum lattice-matched (A-SLAM) architecture provides material bandgap tunability, which enables it to more optimally partition the solar spectrum for maximum solar energy absorption efficiency by CPV modules. Last October, Solar Junction raised its own world record for the energy conversion efficiency of a commercial-ready production solar cell, from 43.5% at a concentration of 418 suns (achieved in April 2011) to 44% at 942 suns.
A-SLAM also maintains the crystal lattice matching, which has been the foundation of semiconductor and multi-junction solar cell reliability for decades, says Solar Junction.
In February 2012, IQE signed a strategic investment agreement and exclusive epiwafer supply agreement, enabling Solar Junction to scale up manufacturing significantly. Now, as a commercial-ready manufacturer of what are claimed to be the industry's highest-efficiency solar cells and receivers for CPV systems, Solar Junction reckons that it is the only firm in the solar industry to offer a complete design, test, develop, deploy, and service platform, which includes testing, production and a complete software suite.
