The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has certified that Stion has reached 14.1% efficiency in the production process of its thin film circuits measuring 65 x 165 cm.
The thin film circuit, which has been integrated monolithically is based on Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) and is the first to reach this level of efficiency at the production stage.
According to Rommel Noufi, the lead researcher at NREL, this achievement reflects on the strict quality controls and consistency provided by Stion’s technology. This also establishes that technologies based on CIGS have the potential to improve and adhere to the Department of Energy’s SunShot initiative aimed at reducing the costs of solar energy systems.
Stion uses readymade high-standard equipment and exclusively owned materials to produce large volumes of thin film circuits through a consistent system. The company also reduces the material cost and enables an organized production process as it uses monolithic integration for its circuits instead of the individual assembly of cells into one module.
Stion has received certifications for its IEC 61646 and UL 1703 and has already commenced shipping of the products from its manufacturing facility in San Jose, California. The company plans to commence its first large scale production facility situated in Hattiesburg by the end of 2011 with the output of 100 MW in the first phase.
Source: http://www.stion.com/