Solar Cells Info

New Screen Printing and Silicon Growth Processes Result in More Efficient and Cost Effective Cells and Modules

Press Release from BP Solar
October 16, 2006, San Jose, CA

BP Solar today unveiled its new Mono2 prototype module at the opening of the Solar Power 2006 Conference and Exhibition. The new product combines BP Solar’s recently announced silicon growth process with a new screen printing process, called Nuline(TM), to improve solar cell and overall module efficiency. Mono2 products will offer the efficiency and appearance of mono-crystalline products at a production cost similar to multi-crystalline products.

“BP Solar scientists have developed these process improvements to further close the gap between conventional mono-crystalline wafers and cast multi-crystalline wafers,” said Eric Daniels, vice president of technology for BP Solar. “They are key to achieving our goal of making solar power as affordable as conventional electricity.”

The Mono2 casting process significantly increases cell efficiency over traditional multi-crystalline-based solar cells. BP Solar’s Nuline screen printing process is an innovative technique of printing conductors onto the cells allowing the cells to produce in excess of two percent more power than those printed with conventional processes. These two new technologies combined result in an overall cell and module efficiency increase of roughly eight percent versus their conventionally manufactured counterparts.

“BP Solar scientists have developed these process improvements to further close the gap between conventional mono-crystalline wafers and cast multi-crystalline wafers,” said Eric Daniels, vice president of technology for BP Solar. “They are key to achieving our goal of making solar power as affordable as conventional electricity.”

BP Solar plans to begin production of Mono2 products by mid-2007 at its Frederick, MD manufacturing facility.