ErSol Solar Energy AG, a big German solar manufacturer, will supply monocrystalline silicon cells to Silicon Valley Solar Inc., an American solar firm, for the development of Sol-X2 internal flat-plate concentrator solar photovoltaic modules.
ErSol has agreed to supply cells with efficiencies ranging between 16.26 % and 17.47 %, which represent really high levels, in an effort to launch the new internal flat-plate concentration technology. The German firm will provide enough cells to support SV Solar's initial mass production ramp, which is typically one of the most difficult phases of this type of project.
"Since Sol-X is essentially a 'multiplier' of the solar cell used, ErSol's high efficiency E6M+ cells provide a real advantage to achieve high module efficiency," said Christoph Goeltner, VicePresident of Engineering for Silicon Valley Solar in a press release.
The solar cells, accounting for up to 75 percent of solar module cost, were defined as the "limiting factor" on solar PV production chain due to the shortage of silicion, SV Solar said. This is expected to ease in the coming months, however it still remains an issue in some areas of the world.
The new Sol-X2 uses a proprietary internal concentrator allowing the modules to be dimensionally equivalent to standard flat plate modules and the technology does not require a complex tracking mechanism. The flat form-factor of these modules makes traditional installation easier.
"We believe this is an intelligent approach to leveraging the existing supply of silicon to meet demand in a cost effective way." said Mr Claus Beneking, CEO of ErSol.
This announcement is definitely good news for the industry, as it represents one step further in achieving higher efficiencies and therefore leverage the energy playing field by making solar PV energy, little by little, competitive with traditional sources of energy.
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