Japan’s Solar Frontier has set a new world record for thin film CIS (Copper, Indium, Selenium) solar cells produced with methods used in mass production. The previous record stood for a decade.
The conversion efficiency of 19.7% for the 0.5 cm2 cell, produced at the company’s Atsugi Research Center, was measured by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).
The accomplishment was achieved with cells cut from a larger substrate that were developed using “sputtering” followed by selenization. While higher efficiencies for CIS have been recorded, those have been attained using a co-evaporation method; which presents challenges with regard to mass solar cell production.
Solar Frontier now aims to surpass the current record of 20.3% efficiency set with the co-evaporation method.
“The CIS thin-film modules currently available from Solar Frontier have gained a reputation for high performance in actual power generation, as they are not easily affected by shadows or high temperatures,” says Satoru Kuriyagawa, Solar Frontier’s Chief Technology Officer.
“Now, even higher real-world performance can be expected by applying this new basic technology. We will continue working to further enhance our technological capabilities with the aim of setting a world record for thin-film solar cells overall.”
Currently, Solar Frontier CIS thin-film solar panels produced by the company’s Kunitomi plant have a module conversion efficiency that exceeds 13% – making Solar Frontier the leader in thin film efficiency for commercially available panels.
As well as offering the highest conversion efficiency of any mass-produced thin-film module, Solar Frontier panels do not contain cadmium telluride, a compound of concern in terms of potential environmental and human health impacts.
The world’s largest CIS thin-film module based solar farm commenced operations in Bochow, Brandenburg, Germany last year. The facility consists of approximately 205,000 Solar Frontier panels.
Solar Frontier is headquartered in Tokyo; with offices in Europe, the U.S.A., and the Middle East.
