SolarWorld is following its groupwide conversion to high-power PERC technology with adoption of even higher-efficiency cells featuring five bus bars. By moving from three to five bus bars, the primary electrical contacts that stripe photovoltaic cells, SolarWorld can manufacture cells and modules in which electrons travel shorter distances from grid lines to bus bars and thus enable more to reach the bus bars. According to Solar World, the advance lifts module power by 2 percentage points.
The milestone is a yet another step along the SolarWorld's path to manufacture what it claims to be the industry’s first 300-watt, p-type, standard 60-cell modules at production volumes.
"SolarWorld is constantly driving solar technology advances into the future,” said Mukesh Dulani, president of SolarWorld Americas, Inc., based in Hillsboro. “Our customers count on us to push the leading edge of high-standard mainstream solar technology. We never stand pat on our record of high quality, reliability and efficiency.”
The company’s
factory in Hillsboro, Ore., began producing cells featuring five bus bars early this spring. Production of these cells for certain products will ramp up this summer.