From pv magazine Germany
German thin-film solar module manufacturer Avancis claims to have achieved a new world record efficiency for a completely encapsulated copper, indium, gallium, and selenium (CIGS) module with an integrated series connection measuring 30×30 cm.
The 19.64% efficiency was certified for a panel with an aperture area of 671 cm2 by the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). The previous record for a CIGS module of this size was 19.16%.
Avancis CTO, Jörg Palm, said the increase in efficiency is due to the improved homogeneity of the CIS formation process, the optimal coordination of the properties of the individual functional layers, and a reduction in reflection losses.
The panel, which was developed by Avancis in its German research center in Munich, is based on a CIGS absorber, a sodium-based post-treatment of the absorber, and a cadmium-free sputtered zinc oxysulphide buffer. All essential processes are compatible with the commercial production of large-area CIGS modules, emphasized the German manufacturer.
Avancis has been part of the Chinese state-owned company CNBM since 2014, one of the world's largest groups in the field of glass and building materials production with over 300,000 employees. Avancis' head office is located in Torgau, in the German region Saxony, with additional locations in Munich and in Ochang, South Korea.
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