06-10-2010 Mainz/Munich

New solar cell concepts demonstrate the power of innovation of SCHOTT Solar

• Polycrystalline silicon solar cell for top efficiency of 18.2 percent
• Quality strategy the product of high performance, durability and innovation

Today, SCHOTT Solar AG introduced new solar cell concepts that reinforce the company’s claim to technological leadership at the industry trade fair Intersolar. In specific terms, this is a polycrystalline silicon solar cell in the industrial format of 243 cm² of cell surface that exhibits top efficiency of 18.2 percent that has been confirmed independently.

The new cell generation is able to achieve this level of efficiency, which is extremely high for a polycrystalline cell, due to the fact that yield in the blue and infrared region of the light spectrum has been improved. The cell was designed with the help of manufacturing technologies that are also capable of being used later on in industrial manufacturing. With respect to its appearance, the cell really looks no different than a normal cell.

To demonstrate the high performance of its latest development, SCHOTT Solar installed 60 cells into a high-performance module (1632 x 985 mm) with output greater than or equal to 254 watts peak, using conventional circuit technology. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE confirmed all of the values for the cells and modules independently following the measurements that it performed at the beginning of June.

"Our quality strategy is based on a variety of different aspects: high performance, durability and innovation," says the Chairman of the Board of Management and CEO, Dr. Martin Heming. As he puts it: "We will be demonstrating this high performance with our new generation of polycrystalline silicon cells that exhibit efficiency of over 18 percent. We achieve durability by using a high-quality module technology that is capable of standing up to the elements for much longer than 30 years with double glass modules. On the innovation side, we are constantly working on our cell and module concepts, on back side contacts, for example."

SCHOTT Solar will be releasing more information on its new cell concepts at the EUPVSEC in Valencia in September.

SCHOTT Solar AG
Lars Waldmann
tel. +49 (0)6131 - 66 14001
fax +49 (0)6131 - 66 14003
lars.waldmann@schottsolar.com
www.schottsolar.com

Fink & Fuchs Public Relations AG
Alexandra Mainka
tel. +49 (0)611 - 74131 86
fax +49 (0)611 - 74131 30
alexandra.mainka@ffpr.de
www.ffpress.net