News Article
Stion`s CIGS solar modules better than ever
The company's latest solar modules demonstrated no degradation in their first year
In April 2012, Stion installed a 60 kW demonstration array in Hattiesburg, Mississippi comprised of some of the very first CIGS modules produced at the company's high-volume factory in Mississippi.
After 1 year of field production in the hot and humid Mississippi delta, Stion’s modules showed zero degradation in power output. A random sample of modules was removed from the array and tested; they performed at or above the STC (an irradiance of 1000 W/m², an air mass of 1.5 and a module temperature of 25°C) flash test result that was recorded at time of production.
This may be a surprise to those in the solar industry that expect at least 1 to2 percent loss in power in just the first year with silicon-based modules.
This stable performance confirms that Stion’s modules match the stability seen in CIGS modules that have been stable for nearly 8 years in a test array at the National Renewable Energy Lab.
Stion’s CIGS modules have a dual glass / glass construction providing significantly improved moisture resistance and lifetime durability over the traditional polymer based backsheets used in traditional PV modules.
The firm's modules are resistant to potential induced degradation, light-induced degradation, and provide a durable solution engineered to survive in harsh environments and out-perform in non-ideal situations.
Stion COO Marty Finkbeiner says, “We at Stion are excited to offer a product line with improved laboratory performance and industry-leading technology that out-performs other technologies from day 1 to day 10,000.”
