NREL certifies an aperture area efficiency of 19.64%
PVTIME -AVANCIS has set a new international standard with its CIGS thin film technology. With an externally certified power conversion efficiency of 19.64%, the German company establishes a new world record for an encapsulated CIGS thin-film module with integrated serial connection of size 30cm x 30cm (aperture area of 671 cm²). The top result was independently certified by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL, USA). With this achievement, AVANCIS excels the previous world record of 19.16% for CIGS modules of this size.
‘This achievement is a big improvement step and an important milestone on the path to efficiency levels of CIGS modules beyond 20%’, says Dr Jörg Palm, CTO at AVANCIS. ‘The increase in efficiency is based on an improved uniformity of the CIS formation process, the perfect matching of the properties of the individual functional layers and the reduction of reflection losses. This success continues the long history of champion efficiencies at AVANCIS’
The 30 x 30 cm² champion module was developed in the AVANCIS research and development center in Munich and is based on a Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 absorber, a Na-based post-deposition treatment of the absorber and a Cd-free, sputtered ZnOS buffer. All key processes are compatible with the series production of large-area CIGS modules. AVANCIS hereby underlines its position as a leading technology provider and manufacturer of high-quality CIGS thin-film solar modules.
