Solar-Panel Giant Poised to Get Even Bigger - Technology

One of the world's fastest growing solar panel manufacturers, Tokyo-based Solar Frontier, could soon have more to increase production with the help of his oil-financed parent company, Showa Shell Sekiyu.

In 2007 Solar Frontier built its first factory, which had the capacity to make 20 megawatts of solar cells per year. Saudi Aramco owns 15 percent of Showa Shell, Shell owns 35 percent. Solar Frontier has seen significant demand for its solar modules: for example, earlier this year, the company announced that it provides solar panels for a large (up to 150 MW) solar power plant in California.

Solar Frontier CIGS solar cells based on a thin film of semiconductor material made from copper, indium, gallium and selenium. Display

Solar Frontier, with nearly one gig watt of solar panel production capacity is the notable exception. The companies are direct competitors, other CIGS companies, but also silicon solar panel manufacturers and First Solar, the thin-film solar modules based on cadmium telluride makes.  

Taken together these companies, most of the world's solar panels. Solar Frontier declined to name specific cost figures, but it says the costs are competitive with low-cost Chinese solar panel manufacturer with conventional silicon technology. The company says this allows customers to earn more revenue from solar panel installations, as they could with other solar collectors.

 
The innovations fell manufacturing costs and allow the company to the world record for CIGS solar panels to achieve efficiency.

Typical solar cells come from his factory are 13 percent more efficient, lower than that of silicon solar cells, but higher than plates of one of his most direct rival, First Solar, the thin-film solar cells made from cadmium and tellurium makes. First Solar panels are usually about 12.4 percent more efficient. The company says it will soon increase panel efficiency to 14 percent, making it competitive with many silicon solar cells.
 

Decades of development for solar modules is typical, it took so long to large-scale production of silicon thin film solar panels and modules First, the two technologies that are acceptable to reach for almost all solar panel production in the world.
"Solar Frontier never had a problem with money.