Solar Power World

• Tweet

• Tweet

CdTe thin film is the most affordable solar technology in the industry. Even as GE builds the new high efficiency panels, research is underway to push that efficiency even higher. Part of the automated production process is seen above.

Global demand for photovoltaics is expected to grow by 75 GW over the next five years, with utility-scale solar power plants making up a significant part of that growth, and GE is well positioned to capitalize on this trend. The company has developed a full-size, thin film solar panel that has been independently certified as the most efficient ever publicly reported.

The record-setting panel was produced on the PrimeStar 30-MW manufacturing line in Arvada, Colo. It was measured by NREL at a 12.8% aperture area efficiency. This panel surpasses all previously published records for thin film, which is the most affordable solar technology in the industry. Continually increasing solar panel efficiency is a key component of GE’€™s goal to offer advanced solar products while reducing the total cost of electricity for utilities and consumers. In fact, a 1% increase in efficiency is equal to an approximate 10% decrease in system cost.

GE intends to manufacture the solar panels at a new U.S. factory they say will be larger than any existing solar panel factory currently in the country. When complete, the factory will highlight an expected $600 million plus investment made by GE in solar and will be complemented by the recently announced acquisition of power conversion company Converteam. In addition, GE has acquired PrimeStar Solar, Inc., a thin-film solar technology company.

GE plans to build an advanced technology thin film solar panel factory in the United States that, at capacity, will produce enough panels per year to power 80,000 homes annually. The 400-MW facility will be larger than any U.S. solar panel manufacturing plant in operation today and will employ 400 people. Multiple locations are being considered for the new facility, with the final location to be announced shortly.

GE also announced more than 100 MW of new commercial agreements for solar thin film products, including panels, inverters, and total solar power plants. Their largest solar agreement to date is with NextEra Energy for 60 MW of thin film solar panels. Likewaire, the company has signed a 20-MW agreement with Invenergy for the supply of thin film solar panels and GE Brilliance inverters. Invenergy, a Chicago-based clean energy generation company, will install the solar products at a project site in Illinois. Invenergy recently executed a power purchase agreement for the project, which upon completion will be one of the largest solar installations in the state.

GE www.gepower.com