First Solar says world record 17.3 percent efficient Thin film solar cell

[txlibdem]

First Solar says it has achieved a world record out of its thin film technology, and on Tuesday the company boasted a 17.3 percent efficient thin film solar cell.

The Arizona company has been hailed as the lowest-cost solar panel manufacturer in the industry for some years now. Producing panels more cheaply than others is the key advantage for First Solar, especially when its solar panels aren’t as efficient as most others in the market. During the first quarter of this year, the company produced panels with 11.7 percent efficiency at $0.75 per watt.

SunPower and fellow silicon solar panel makers are eager to improve their products’ efficiencies as well, particularly given that silicon solar panel prices have fallen more than half in the past two years. In the last six weeks alone, the prices have fallen by 15 percent, according to IMS Research. The average price was close to $1.80 per watt in the first quarter of this year, and it’s reached below $1.40 per watt, IMS said.

Demonstrating that it can push the limits of efficiencies in cells made by its production equipment is important for First Solar to compete for many more years to come. Solar cell records are meant to show an achievable target, but they don’t convey how long it might take for the manufacturer to reach that efficiency at scale. Those records also refer to the best their holders can produce at a given time, not necessary what they can manufacture consistently in high volumes.

First Solar said it expects to boost the efficiency of its market-ready solar panels from 11.7 percent now to 13.5-14.5 percent by the end of 2014.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/26/idUS291731277020110726

And, First Solar has other benefits over crystaline and multi-crystaline solar panels:

In general, solar cells become less efficient at converting solar energy into electricity as their cell temperatures increase. At First Solar, however, the efficiency of CdTe, the semiconductor used, is less susceptible to cell temperature variations than traditional semiconductors. — CdTe also converts low and diffuse light to electricity more efficiently than conventional cells. Together, this means First Solar modules produce more electricity on hot days, under cloudy weather and across a larger percent of normal daylight.

http://www.firstsolar.com/en/technology.php

[joshcryer]

1. Are they selling them at $0.75 per watt or is that their cost to manufacture?

[txlibdem]

2. Per their website

they are only selling to corporations and utilities. They aren't even selling to distributors or wholesalers. So I guess the individual home owner is out of luck.

As for what price they're selling them for... no info that I could find on that. That isn't surprising if they're not doing retail sales.

Does anyone on DU work for a big company looking to add solar... if so then shoot them an RFQ and we might have the answer.