JV to Speed Development of Full Spectrum Solar Cells

RSL Energy is commercializing next-generation technology using full spectrum solutions that can potentially achieve practical efficiencies above 48% in both single junction and multi-junction devices. RSL Energy has patent licenses from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Cornell University for semiconductor devices that use a larger fraction of the solar spectrum compared to existing products.

RSL Energy will commercialize Berkeley Lab's multi-band technology, which incorporates a new semiconductor material that can achieve the efficiencies of a triple junction device with the manufacturing cost and simplicity of a single junction device. RSL Energy is also commercializing the InGaN (Indium Gallium Nitride) multi-junction technology of Cornell and Berkeley Lab, which is expected to provide thermal and radiation properties necessary for the next generation concentrator based photovoltaics (CPV) used in distributed energy power generation.

RSL Energy will perform R&D and product development during 2007 and expects to have its first prototypes for field testing in 2008 in the CPV distributed energy, flat panel, space and architectural applications.

"We are pleased to take part in the development and commercialization of full spectrum solar cells, which has been attracting much attention worldwide as the next-generation technology," said Masami Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Sumitomo Chemical. "Sumitomo plans to use its U.S. subsidiary, Sumika Electronic Materials Inc. ... to participate directly in the development of InGaN, thus achieving the prompt commercialization of the innovative technology."