Surpassing the conventional 16.5 percent efficiency for multicrystalline PV modules, ReneSolas Virtus modules are able to convert photons to electrons at efficiencies above 18 percent significantly accelerating the rate of return for new utility, commercial and residential solar installations. These new product technologies set a new industry standard for cost and energy effective solar power generation and are commercially available in both Europe and the United States.
Competition in todays solar industry is fierce and installers are increasingly forced to choose between higher efficiency monocrystalline modules and lower-cost multicrystalline technology, said Jijun Shi, president of ReneSola Europe. But one basic rule still applies: Any and every improvement to cost-per-watt is very significant. Our advanced quasi-mono wafer technology gives Virtus module installers a third option versus competitive products by delivering conversion efficiencies approaching monocrystalline modules but at a much more competitive cost.
ReneSola is committed to investing aggressively to improve the performance of its Virtus wafers, rapidly expand manufacturing capacity to streamline production costs and further maximize the competitive cost advantage of Virtus modules downstream, said Xianshou Li, chief executive officer of ReneSola. Virtus products will represent half of the two gigawatts total wafer capacity that we plan to have in place by the end of 2012.
ReneSolas quasi-mono wafer technology has combined the high quality of mono and low cost of multicrystalline silicon PV technology. It enables production of high-efficiency monocrystalline wafers through a more cost-efficient casting process similar to the one used to grow multicrystalline silicon ingots.
Moreover, unlike the pulling process of CZ monocrystalline silicon crystal which creates round-cornered silicon ingots, ReneSolas quasi-mono technology produces perfectly square ingots that maximize the effective light-to-electricity conversion area in solar modules and boosts their overall energy output. Lastly, the light-induced degradation of ReneSolas Virtus cells is 66 percent lower than that of conventional monocrystalline cells, increasing the actual power output of solar modules under illumination.
ReneSola launched its first generation of Virtus wafers last year to compete with conventional multicrystalline silicon wafers, enabling fabrication of solar cells with efficiencies exceeding 17.5 percent in average, and finished modules with power output of above 255 watts (W). With the unveiling of its new V-grade wafers at Intersolar Europe 2012, the companys solar cells have achieved average conversion efficiencies of 18.2 percent.
The target of ReneSolas new V-grade wafer technology is to realize high-efficiency PV modules with maximum power output above 255 W, which will make them suitable for utility, commercial or residential installations.
For more information about Virtus V-grade wafers and PV modules, please visit ReneSola at Intersolar Europe, Booth A4.166.
