Bandwidth joins terrestrial solar bandwagon
Spire Corporation says that its Bandwidth Semiconductor subsidiary is now offering GaAs-based solar cells for use in terrestrial power applications.
Like Emcore, which has already secured some substantial orders in this area, Spire senses a major opportunity beginning to arise in the terrestrial solar market as the shortage of polycrystalline silicon - used in more conventional installations - continues.
"With the demand for solar electricity and shortage of polycrystalline silicon, concentrator solar technology has an opportunity to become significant in the marketplace," said Spire CEO Roger Little.
Bandwidth, which will produce the concentrator cells using MOCVD equipment, is also focused on custom device production of a wide range of III-V devices, while Spire already sells a wide range of manufacturing equipment for solar power applications.
Until recently, the high cost of III-V solar power meant that it had been limited to use in satellite applications, but the relatively high price of polycrystalline silicon and advances made in concentrator cell conversion efficiencies has seen that change.
Emcore is gearing up to produce cells that will generate up to 40 MW of power through contracts with both the US government and commercial customers. Demand for the technology is coming from across the globe.
In silicon-based photovoltaics, sunlight is directed onto large-area cells and converted into electrical power. However, in modules that are based on III-V technology, a small chip with up to three p-n junctions is used to convert solar energy that is focused onto the cell area via an optical concentrator system (see related feature articles).
Because only a small area of III-V material is required, the overall system cost can be reduced compared with the large volumes of silicon that are needed in conventional photovoltaics.
