By Renewable Energy Focus Staff

According to Centrotherm Photovoltaics, there is market potential of over €1 billion (£873m) until the end of next year for the two solar upgrade technologies: selective emitter and centaurus rear side. The company predicts that around 800 of the approximately 1,000 solar cell production lines worldwide could be upgraded.

Centrotherm is aiming to take advantage of this and is currently improving the performance of existing lines in China, Taiwan and India through selective emitter technology. The first plants will produce solar cells with the centaurus rear side technology by the end of 2011.

According to Centrotherm, selective emitter technology can increase the efficiency of mono-crystalline solar cells up to 0.4% to reach an efficiency level of well over 18%. If centaurus rear side technology is also used, efficiency can even reach the 19% range, says the company.

Centrotherm has also confirmed its forecast for the 2011 financial year with revenue expected to reach €710m.

Dr Peter Fath, CTO of Centrotherm Photovoltaics, says: “Manufacturers who achieve high efficiency levels have made good use of their production facilities’ capacities. Monocrystalline solar cells with over 18% efficiency and multi-crystalline solar cells with over 16.5% efficiency are selling well on the end customer market. Solar cells with significantly poorer values only sell reasonably well and achieve much lower prices.”