ISET has focused over 25 years of technology development on cost-effective methods of producing photovoltaics (PV) modules that will make solar electricity generation more affordable to achieve grid parity. ISETs non-vacuum ink-based production method for printing solar cells on glass offers substantial cost advantages over competing high-vacuum technologies, due to efficient use of semiconductor materials and low-cost capital equipment.
Dr. Vijay K. Kapur, ISETs CEO and president, hailed the success of the pilot line as a critical step in transferring our unique technology from the lab to large scale production without requiring heavy capital investment. He added: We feel confident that by demonstrating high quality and performance through this intermediate step, we have significantly reduced the possibility for costly delays in implementing our capacity ramp. We have also identified valuable methods of improving performance, yield, throughput, and materials utilization.
ISETs pilot line produces monolithically integrated CIGS modules on glass substrates with an area of 1ft2. Recent production runs have achieved 11 percent cell average conversion efficiency. Additionally, ISETs R&D team has fabricated laboratory devices with better than 14 percent efficiency. Kapur noted that research efforts were on track to reach 16 percent in the near term.
ISET has established its pilot production line in a facility that can accommodate an expansion to an annual capacity of 30 megawatts while generating over 100 additional jobs, and providing competitively-priced PV products to local and international markets.
