05 November 2012
Solar module breaks efficiency record
Photovoltaic solar power manufacturer Amonix has broken the solar module efficiency record, becoming the first company to convert more than a third of direct sunlight into electricity.
In May this year, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) confirmed an outdoor operating efficiency rating of 33.5% for an Amonix module, breaking the previous 30.3% record also held by the Californian firm.
Over several days of on-sun testing conducted by NREL, the module efficiency peaked at 34.2% - the highest efficiency ever reported under real world operating conditions for a solar PV module.
"This is a huge milestone for Amonix and the CPV industry," said Vahan Garboushian, Amonix founder and cto. "We have consistently proven that CPV offers the highest efficiencies of all solar technologies in the right operating conditions with plenty of headroom. "Amonix is focused on driving CPV costs down and breaking efficiency records in the near future."
Sarah Kurtz, reliability group manager at NREL, added: "An achievement of >33.3% efficiency for a commercial module is an important milestone - the Department of Energy once targeted this goal 'one third of a sun' for a major initiative. It is exciting to see this goal accomplished, especially in light of the opportunities for further efficiency improvements and the expectation of low costs associated with large scale manufacturing."
Author
Laura Hopperton
Supporting Information
Websites
http://amonix.com/
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