Sanyo Develops Flexible Solar Cell That’s Thinner Than Human Hair

After announcing the company’s plan to become Japan’s largest solar manufacturer and one of the top players in the domestic solar industry, Sanyo claimed that it has developed a new type of flexible solar cell that is thinner than a human hair.

According to the company, it will benefit greatly from a new feed-in tariff program by the Japanese government introduced this month for green energy firms. Another factor for Sanyo’s self-confidence should be the speed with which it innovates.

Their new solar cell measures just 58 micrometers in thickness, about one-fourth of most solar cells currently out there. It is made using two types of silicon, being designed to optimize the conversion efficiency that should reach 22%.

Company officials claim that the cells could be used for a variety of purposes (on uneven surfaces), being as flexible as paper. Unlike other solar cells available on the market today, Sanyo’s new prototype will cost 25% less. The company plans to commercialize the solar cells by 2020, having the chance to revolutionize the solar industry.

[Source: CrunchGear]

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By Mike
on November 27th, 2009

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flexible solar cell, Japan's largest solar manufacturer, sanyo, solar cells, solar energy, solar industry, Solar Power, Thin-film photovoltaic

This entry was posted on November 27, 2009, 2:00 pm and is filed under Solar Power. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.