First Ever Tandem Junction Thin-Film Plant Online

Photo credit: pv-tech.org

The assembly line is up and running as product volume begins to pour out of the world’s first tandem junction solar production line in Germany. The achievement comes via partnership between Sunfilm AG and Applied Materials Inc. Their SunFab Thin Film line has passed all tests and production is a go for their solar photovoltaic modules.

These tandem junction panels use roughly one-fiftieth the amount of silicon per watt of electricity produced, vastly reducing the cost per panel and therefore the cost per installed watt of a solar electric system. The tandem solar cells are imprinted onto thin but large substrates up to 5.7 square meters (~61 sq.ft.) in size.

Tandem and multi-junction solar cells enable higher conversion efficiencies due to their ability to absorb light across a wider spectrum than conventional, single-junction cells. SunFilm’s solar cells begin with 8 percent efficiency that, spread over the large module, allow for competitive panel efficiency at a fraction of the cost in silicon. This new production line will vastly increase SunFilm’s reach in the solar photovoltaic industry and may be the start of big changes to come in the solar industry as a whole. This first production line combined with a second slated to go online later this year will give the company over 120 MW-peak annual capacity.

Posted on May 11th in Solar News by Dan.