Solar Cells Info

Hitachi America Ltd. signs Cooperation Agreement with Prism Solar Technologies, Inc. for marketing of Hitachi’s bifacial photovoltaic cells
Tarrytown, New York – November 17, 2006
source:
http://www.prismsolar.com/news.html

Hitachi America Ltd. (Hitachi) has signed a Cooperation Agreement with Prism Solar Technologies, Inc. (PST).  Under the agreement PST will market Hitachi’s proprietary bifacial photovoltaic (PV) cells and manufacture modules for sale under the Hitachi brand name in the US to key clients and customers groups.

Hitachi manufacturers a unique “bifacial” PV cell as well as several bifacial module styles. This project represents an expansion into new markets for Hitachi’s solar products. Both companies have similar views of what needs to happen in technology and the marketplace to keep PV a growing and sustainable business sector.While most of the PV module manufacturers use monofacial PV cells in their modules, Hitachi has developed a unique high-efficiency cell that can produce power from both the back and front sides of the PV cell.  The amount of power produced from the back-side is dependant on the amount and method of getting sunlight onto the back of the solar cell or module.  Until recently, options to accomplish this have been limited to using mirrors or reflectors.  New optics and technologies being developed separately by the two companies are providing exciting opportunities to gain improved power production from solar cells.

“Hitachi’s bifacial cells are a very creative method of increasing energy production from (PV) solar cells”, says Prism Solar’s CEO Rick Lewandowski.  “I’m amazed that more companies haven’t developed new approaches to leverage every single gram of silicon in the industry” Lewandowski went on to say.  “It takes a company with creative vision to develop new approaches in optimizing silicon usage, and we at Prism Solar are very excited about working with Hitachi on this”.