19 May 2016

Midsummer surpasses China's 13% CIGS module efficiency requirement for government support of solar installations

Midsummer AB of Järfälla, near Stockholm, Sweden – a provider of turnkey production lines for manufacturing flexible, lightweight copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar cells – says that, after China's National Energy Bureau in June 2015 raised the minimum requirement for CIGS thin-film module solar energy conversion efficiency from 11% to 13%, it has recently surpassed this by increasing its module efficiency to above 13% (corresponding to 14.3% aperture-area efficiency), meeting the requirements of the Chinese authorities for receiving government support for solar installations in China. The tests were carried out and verified this March by the certified Japanese independent testing laboratory Chemitox Inc.

The Chinese government's new guidelines for CIGS modules are that the conversion efficiency must exceed 13% in order for qualification to its 'elite program', which gives access to large government subsidies, priority in government contracts, bank loans or any public/private projects. "It is very important to gain entry to China's 'elite program' in order to enjoy all the benefits and subsidies by the Chinese government," notes Midsummer's CEO Sven Lindström.

With the production system from Midsummer the solar cells are manufactured individually and then strung together into modules (just like crystalline solar cells). This way, lightweight flexible modules can easily be made in any size and shape.

The dry, all-vacuum process has less stringent requirements for cleanrooms. Also, avoiding cadmium in the manufacturing process is desirable for the sake of the production staff, and makes it easier to commence low-cost manufacturing of CIGS solar cells.

Tags: CIGS Thin-film PV

Visit: www.midsummer.se