The world's largest solar power module manufacturer, UK-based Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., says the company is routinely utilising its Pluto technology to produce solar power modules with conversion efficiencies of approximately 19% with monocrystalline solar cells and 17% with polycrystalline solar cells.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Germany has completed a third-party verification of a number of Pluto solar cells, and the test results show a conversion efficiency of 18.8% for a monocrystalline Pluto solar cell and 17.2% for a polycrystalline Pluto solar cell. Both solar cells were produced on Suntech's 34-MW Pluto production line utilizing solar-grade silicon wafers.
The patent-pending Pluto technology is based on the PERL technology developed by the University of NSW in Australia, which has achieved a world-record efficiency of 25% in the laboratory. Pluto should improve power output by approximately 12% above conventional screen-printed solar cells. Novel texturing technology with lower reflectivity allows more sunlight to be absorbed throughout the day, even without direct solar radiation, and thinner metal lines on the top surface reduce shading loss. Suntech's Pluto technology can be applied to a variety of grades of silicon to suit various applications and product types.
Suntech says it is aiming to achieve 20% conversion efficiency with monocrystalline solar cells and 18% with polycrystalline solar cells within the next two years. Suntech currently has a fully operational 34-MW Pluto solar cell line and intends to have a total of 100 MW installed Pluto capacity within the next two months. Suntech expects to receive industry certification for Pluto solar modules in the second quarter of 2009 and aims to ship more than 50 MW of Pluto modules in 2009.
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