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Semprius GaAs based commercial cell hits 35.5 percent efficiency

The roadmap to even higher efficiencies has also been revealed with an R&D demonstration module exhibiting 37.1 percent efficiency
Semprius has set a new record for mass-produced photovoltaic module efficiency, reaching 35.5 percent at Concentrator Standard Test Conditions (CSTC), as confirmed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Germany.

This efficiency result significantly exceeds Semprius’ previous record of 33.9 percent, announced in January 2012.

The record module was produced on the production line at Semprius’ new manufacturing facility, located in Henderson, North Carolina. The module incorporates standard production techniques and materials, including state-of-the-art epitaxial wafers provided by Solar Junction, an important Semprius partner.



Semprius 35.5 percent High Concentration Photovoltaic Solar Module

At over 35 percent, Semprius modules are the highest efficiency of any commercially available product in the PV industry - two to three times more efficient than conventional photovoltaic modules and significantly higher than other commercially available HCPV modules.

“We are particularly pleased that we were able to produce this new record on our pilot production line just months after opening the facility,” says Joe Carr, Chief Executive Officer at Semprius. “This is a testament not only to our R&D and manufacturing teams, but also to our production process which is robust and scalable. We are now focused on continuing to ramp up production capacities to deliver increasing volumes of these high-performance, high-efficiency modules globally.”

In addition to producing a 35.5 percent commercial module on its production line, Semprius also recently built an R&D demonstration module that achieved an efficiency of 37.1 percent at CSTC.

“Our R&D team continues to raise the bar for solar module efficiency as it executes against our product roadmap,” comments Scott Burroughs, vice president of Technology at Semprius. “We have an extensive program of efficiency improvements and cost reductions over the next several years that will allow us to continue to improve performance and drive down the cost of solar energy.”

Over the past 18 months, Semprius has deployed its modules with strategic customers in eight countries around the world.

Semprius’ technology is ideally suited for the world’s sunniest regions, where its superior high-temperature performance and affordable dual axis tracking enable high energy production yields throughout the day. In sunny locations like the US Southwest, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Chile, Semprius-based systems can deliver up to 30 percent more energy than equivalent, conventional fixed-tilt photovoltaic systems.

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