Sol3g secures Triple Junction Solar Cells from Azur Space

Almost 8 million III-V Triple Junction Solar Cells!

On July 25, 2007, Sol3g, S.L. and AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH entered into a supply agreement for 44,000 wafers of III-V Triple Junction solar cells over the next three (3) years. The 44,000 wafers represent the equivalent of about 8 million cells or 30MWp (MegaWatt-peak) of HCPV (High Concentration PhotoVoltaic) solar modules. Each wafer is 10cm (centimeters) in diameter with 178 cells per wafer.

Please see Sol3g and Azur Space sign a contract for the supply of triple-junction concentration cells for the official press release.

Sol3g states this supply agreement will cover their HCPV solar module production for the next three years. Since Sol3g is now ramping 5MWp per year of annual production capacity, this agreement confirms Sol3g’s plans to more than double this production capacity over the next three years.

This photo supplied by Sol3g shows Dr. Klaus-Dieter Rasch (left), Managing Director of Azur Space, and Ricard Pardell (right), Managing Director of Sol3g, sealing the deal with a ceremonial handshake.

At first, solar cells designed for space applications are being supplied with 32% efficiency at 380 suns. Azur is in the process of optimizing the solar cell device structure for operation in terrestrial applications with Air Mass 1.5 Direct (AM1.5D) solar spectral irradiance. With these optimizations, Azur expects to increase the average production solar cell efficiency to 35% in 2007 and 37% in 2008 both at 380 suns.

Sol3g joins SolFocus (SolFocus deal with Boeing (Spectrolab) ) and Solar Systems Pty Ltd (Solar Systems and Boeing enter Agreement) in announcing significant supply deals for III-V Triple Junction Solar Cells for HCPV solar applications although both of these deals were with efficiency leader Spectrolab, a Boeing company. Concentrix Solar has yet to announce a supply deal with long time partner Azur Space.

In related news, SolFocus has moved out of the PARC palace and located their new headquarters offices in Mountain View, California USA.