Efficient Solar Power

A front view of Hyundai Heavy Industries’ solar cell production plant.
A front view of Hyundai Heavy Industries’ solar cell production plant.

 

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. (HHI) announced on Oct. 1 that it would increase the production of high-efficiency solar cells in a bid to take preemptive action against changes in the solar market.

HHI currently produces two types of single-crystal solar cells – regular cells and high-efficiency passivated emitter, rear locally-diffused (PERL) solar cells. However, the company is planning to change its regular solar cell production lines to PERL cell production lines. To do so, HHI will install additional facilities, which are required to produce PERL solar cells, into the existing regular solar cell production lines. Once the change is completed, HHI will produce PERL solar cells with an annual capacity of more than 200 MW.

A PERL solar cell is a high-efficiency product that has 1 percentage point higher efficiency on average than conventional solar cells because it includes thin film technology that reduces surface flaws on the back side. A solar module consists of many solar cells, and a solar module consisted of PERL solar cells can generate 5 percent more power than a regular module in the same area.

HHI has been developing and accumulating the source technology of PERL solar cells from 2010 in order to target the high efficiency solar cell market. The next-generation product, which is currently under development, has a recorded 21.4 percent efficiency. The figure is more than 1 percentage point higher than major PERL solar cells now on the market.

Copyright © BusinessKorea. Prohibited from unauthorized reproduction and redistribution