SANYO HIT SOLAR CELL

The important takeaway on this story, if you're not an engineer, is that solar cells are getting better virtually every day. If solar energy is only cost-competitive now with subsidies and incentives, just wait a minute.

SANYO Develops HIT Solar Cells With World’s Highest Energy Conversion Efficiency of 22%
June 20, 2007 (Press Release via RenewableEnergyAccess)

WHO
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (SANYO)
a solar cell (click to enlarge)

WHAT
SANYO broke its own world record for highest energy conversion efficiency in practical size (100 cm2 or more) crystalline silicon-type solar cells: 22% (was 21.8%).

WHEN
Announcement of new efficiency achievement June 20.

WHERE
SANYO’s goal is reaching market parity by 2010.
grin and do it. plug into the sun.

WHY
- SANYO’s photovoltaic (PV) cell is named HIT (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin layer). It is a single thin crystalline silicon wafer surrounded by ultra-thin amorphous silicon layers.
- The new cell also lowers cost and reduces silicon use.
- SANYO’s goal: investment of over 40 billion yen, increase in production capacity to over 600MW
- Details of the new cell’s chemistry available by clicking to the original article.

QUOTES
“SANYO is pushing forward with the expansion of its solar business, based on its Brand Vision ‘Think GAIA', and aims to realize a clean energy society.”