23 May 2012

Solar Junction wins 5MW CPV cell order from system maker SolFocus

Solar Junction of San Jose, CA, USA, a manufacturer of III-V multi-junction solar cells based on proprietary adjustable-spectrum lattice-matched (A-SLAM) materials for concentrated photovoltaics (CPV), has announced an agreement with CPV system maker SolFocus Inc of Mountain View, CA, USA for a 5MW order.

“Our multi-junction solar cell technology provides the pathway to higher efficiency, leading to higher performance for CPV system end users,” says Solar Junction’s CEO Jim Weldon.

Solar Junction says that it continues to develop high-efficiency solar cells to enhance the competitiveness of CPV. An optimized cell directly correlates to module performance enhancements, and a higher-efficiency cell drives LCOE (levelized cost of energy) towards grid parity, adds the firm.

“This order evidences SolFocusʼ confidence in Solar Junction and its cell technology, as the companies work to make CPV cost-competitive and sustainable with quality products,” says SolFocus’ president & chief operating officer Bob Legendre.

In March, SolFocus announced a 50MW project in Baja California, Mexico. The 50MW project is the first tranche of a planned 450MW capacity for the facility. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2012.

Solar Junctionʼs announcement follows a SUNPATH award from the US Department of Energy (DOE) as part of a $21.5m program to increase its CPV cell manufacturing capacity. SUNPATH (Scaling Up Nascent PV At Home) is part of the DOEʼs SunShot Program, which aims to increase PV manufacturing in the US through investments in technologies that are sustainable with competitive cost and high performance. SunShot investments are designed to help achieve $1/Watt by 2020.

In February, Solar Junction announced a $19.2m investment round, as well as an exclusive manufacturing agreement with epiwafer foundry and substrate maker IQE plc of Cardiff, Wales, UK. The firm says that, coupled with the SUNPATH award, it is on a path to high-volume manufacturing of its A-SLAM cell.

Tags: Solar Junction SolFocus CPV

Visit: www.sj-solar.com

Visit: www.solfocus.com