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Chinese module manufacturer Suntech Power Holdings said earlier this week that it has achieved a new world record conversion efficiency of 15.6% on a commercial-grade multi-crystalline silicon PV module. This conversion efficiency surpasses the previous record of 15.5% set by Sandia National Labs 15 years ago.
The previous record was based on an aperture area, or frameless module. In contrast, Suntech's new world record efficiency includes the framed area, without which the company says it could achieve a conversion efficiency of well over 16%.
The Suntech multi-crystalline module conversion efficiency was independently tested by Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Germany.
Suntech's multi-crystalline silicon module is powered by Pluto PV cells using solar-grade silicon with each PV cell having a conversion efficiency well over 17%. The previous record was based on an aperture area, or frameless module. In contrast, Suntech's new world record efficiency includes the framed area, without which the company says it could achieve a conversion efficiency of more than 16%.
The world record conversion efficiency was accepted by the scientific journal Progress in Photovoltaics (PIP), which offers a forum for reporting advances in the PV industry.
Suntech has initiated commercial shipments of Pluto powered modules and currently expects to ship 10 MW to 15 MW of Pluto products in 2009.
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