The largest producer of solar panels in the world, Suntech Power Holdings, has recently reported more information regarding its latest Pluto technology. This new technology has made substantial progress in improving the conversion efficiencies of solar cell technology
Although there have been a number of improvements in technology in the industry overall, none of the others are yet ready for commercial distribution. Although the Fraunhofer Institute achieved a solar cell efficiency of over forty percent, it, also, is far from ready for mass production.
Already in the process of mass production, Suntech’s Pluto technology has employed solar panels with efficiencies of 19% in monocrystalline technology and 17% in polycrystalline panels. Other current technology currently has efficiencies of 18% and 14% respectively.
This latest, patent-pending technology is set on PERL technology which was developed at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Special texturing technology has allowed a higher amount of sunlight to be absorbed even without direct sunlight.
The technology can be employed on varying grades of silicon depending on the type of application the products will be used for.
Suntech is continuing its research and the development of its latest technologies and they have reported that they expect to make some great achievements in the next two years, increasing percentage conversion efficiencies to 20% for monocrystalline cells and 18% for polycrystalline cells.
The company currently owns a solar cell production line of almost thirty-five megawatts but expects to increase this over the next two months to over a hundred.
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Finn. Your site is the best I have found during my long but interesting task of unravelling the solar system market. Have eventually settled on monocrystalline Suntech panels(STP250S) with a conversion efficiency of 15.2%. From what you say, these panels will be tomorrow’s dinosaurs, but we thought, with electricity prices on the rise, it is probably a good moment to get started. Plus the extra incentive of the Vic Govts DISINCENTIVE via reduced FIT’s means we have to be done and dusted before the end of this month, with panels on the roof and paperwork submitted. A hard task. The inverter is a Sunnyboy 5000. Do you envisage that inverters of this quality will need to be replaced regularly???? Hope not, as they are about $3300. The other disappointment is that the electricity retailers put their tariffs up when you change to solar. Not good.
Thanks for your site, it is very thorough and informative.Hope to have your comments when you get a moment.
Thanks for the kind words. Suntech are a great brand. And SMA are probably the most reliable inverter out there. The Sunnyboy should last 20 years.
If your electricity supplier puts up your tariff then – please defect to another one! It is a very competitive electricity market and you should be able to get a deal as good or beter than your pre-solar tariffs!
Hope That Helps,
Finn