Being one of world’s leading solar panel producers, Sanyo recently developed a solar module that has an energy-efficiency of 20.7 percent. According to the company, this solar module dubbed HIT-N230 become the world’s most efficient.
Sanyo achieved this efficiency by making tabs thinner and by increasing the number of tabs from 2 to 3. Then, these tabs were combined with AG coated glass, which allows them to reduce reflection by trapping and scattering of the light. The company’s N series HIT modules, including the N225 (225W), along with the latest N230 (230W) will be launched on the European market at the beginning of 2011.
Now let’s talk about this giant company. Sanyo has 5 factories around the world: 3 are in Japan and 2 are abroad. They produce the HD and N series hetero-junction solar cells with intrinsic thin-layer (HIT) solar modules. Unlike the N series, HD series are much bigger, being developed only in Hungary and then sold across Europe from there.
The major production facility of the N series HIT solar modules is located in Japan, at Shiga factory, while the Shimane Sanyo Electric Co facility is one of the two production sites for the N series HIT solar cells. The Nishikihoma factory serves both for the production of solar modules and solar cells. The last factory (Monterrey) is located in Mexico. The solar modules made in Japan are only sold in the domestic market.
[Source: AkihabaraNews]
Do you know if and/or when these panels will be released in the US for solar installation companies to use? I hope that it will be soon, because I want to install the highest efficiency solar panels possible, and while it’s great that they will be released in Europe, I want to also have the chance to have them here in Eastern USA.