TSMC Solar Ltd of Taichung, Taiwan, which was founded in May 2009 as a subsidiary of the world’s biggest silicon wafer foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Inc (TSMC), has agreed for specialty PV distributor Centrosolar America Inc of Scottsdale, AZ, USA to be the exclusive provider of its copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar modules in residential and commercial solar markets across North America, including the USA, Canada, Mexico, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. TSMC Solar and Centrosolar America may also collaborate on utility-scale projects.
TSMC Solar says that, as well as being cost competitive with silicon-based solar modules, its CIGS modules yield more kWh per Watt installed over the life of the system due to a lower temperature coefficient, increased power rating due to the ‘light soaking effect’ once exposed to light, and less power loss in shaded conditions due to the CIGS cell configuration. Such high-performance attributes are especially important in high-temperature regions, such as the Sun Belt in the USA and in Mexico and the Caribbean, says the firm. Also, the sleek, all-black appearance of the CIGS modules is reckoned to be aesthetically pleasing to homeowners.
“Our robust network of installers and distributors today delivers the most cutting-edge, turn-key solutions on the market and is ideally positioned to bring TSMC Solar’s new high-performance CIGS technology to homeowners and commercial projects on a broad scale,” claims Centrosolar America’s managing director Ram Akella.
As a subsidiary of TSMC (an NYSE-listed, publicly traded company with a market capitalization exceeding $90bn), TSMC Solar reckons that it brings unparalleled financial stability and ‘bankability’ to integrators, owners and investors.
“This partnership with TSMC Solar means expanded opportunities in serving the larger-scale commercial and utility-scale markets and new ways to provide our installers with the latest technology, products and service for their customers,” says Akella. “It means more choices in solar for the end-users and it challenges the mainstream industry to take solar to the next level,” he adds.
“With its great relationships with installers and widely recognized excellence in customer service, Centrosolar America is a natural fit for us as we bring our high-performance CIGS solar technology to North American markets,” comments Steve McKenery, VP & general manager of TSMC Solar North America.
