MiaSolé Achieves Flexible Substrate Thin-Film Solar Cell Efficiency of 20.56 Percent

Latest Efficiency Gains in Flexible and Lightweight Substrates Sets New Milestones

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - illiNews -- MiaSolé, the leading manufacturer of lightweight, flexible, thin-film photovoltaic solar panels announced that the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has independently confirmed a 20.56 percent cell efficiency for a thin-film device (0.86cm²) deposited on a stainless steel foil. This is a new internal record for MiaSolé that shows their dedication to continuously advance copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film solar technology.

The films deposited for this cell were produced directly from the MiaSolé Roll Coater production line in Santa Clara, CA using an advanced process that incorporates multiple breakthroughs for delivering select alkali elements as well as precise compositional control of the Ag-alloyed CIGS absorber. The processes that enabled this high-efficiency device are directly transferable to high volume manufacturing.

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"Our innovative continuous deposition system enables us to rewrite the process development playbook. By experimenting at the manufacturing scale, we can bring high-efficiency thin-film solar cells into production at a faster rate," said Dr. Neil Mackie Senior Director of Process Development at MiaSolé. "Seamless integration of manufacturing methods into advanced process development is already enabling the next generation of high efficiency and high-reliability thin-film solar products from MiaSolé."

MiaSolé's proprietary technology enables high throughput manufacturing with high-performance cells to create lightweight, flexible solar modules for unlimited applications in the building, transportation, and portable solar markets.

About NREL

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

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About MiaSolé

MiaSolé is a producer of lightweight, flexible, shatterproof and powerful solar cells and cell manufacturing equipment. The innovative solar cell is based on the highest efficiency thin-film technology available today, and its flexible cell architecture makes it ideal for a wide variety of solutions ranging from commercial roofing solar modules to flexible mobile energy devices. MiaSolé's turnkey CIGS equipment lines, CIGS process equipment technology, proprietary CIG target manufacturing, R&D product development support, and spare parts allow customers to produce their own high-efficiency cells and solar products. Founded in 2004, MiaSolé has evolved into the world leader in thin-film solar module efficiency. For more information on MiaSolé, please visit www.miasole.com.