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Winchester, UK - The world's largest photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturer, Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., says the company is routinely utilizing its Pluto technology to produce PV cells with conversion efficiencies of approximately 19 percent on mono-crystalline PV cells and 17 percent on multi-crystalline PV cells.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Germany has completed a third party verification of a number of Pluto PV cells and the test results showed that a mono-crystalline Pluto PV cell had a conversion efficiency of 18.8 percent and a multi-crystalline Pluto PV cell exhibited a conversion efficiency of 17.2 percent. Both PV cells were produced on Suntech's 34 MW Pluto production line utilizing solar grade silicon wafers.
The patent-pending Pluto technology is based on the PERL technology, developed by the University of NSW in Australia, which has achieved a world record efficiency of 25 percent in the laboratory. Pluto should improve power output by approximately 12 percent above conventional screen-printed PV cells. Novel texturing technology, with lower reflectivity, ensures more sunlight can be absorbed throughout the day even without direct solar radiation, and thinner metal lines on the top surface reduces shading loss. Suntech's Pluto technology can be applied to a variety of grades of silicon to suit multiple applications and product types.
Dr. Stuart Wenham, Suntech's Chief Technology Officer said, "We are consistently achieving around 19 percent conversion efficiency on Pluto mono-crystalline PV cells and around 17 percent on Pluto multi-crystalline PV cells in large scale production, compared to 16.5 percent and 15.5 percent respectively using conventional screen-printed technology."
Suntech says it is aiming to achieve 20 percent conversion efficiency on mono-crystalline PV cells and 18 percent on multi-crystalline PV cells within the next two years. Suntech currently has a fully operational 34 MW Pluto PV cell line and targets to have a total of 100 MW installed Pluto capacity within the next two months. Suntech expects to receive industry certification for Pluto PV modules in the second quarter of 2009 and targets to ship more than 50 MW of Pluto modules in 2009.
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