Solar cell energy efficiency development earns Queen's Award
A Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category has been awarded to DuPont for its continuous development of DuPont Solamet photovoltaic metallisation paste - a key component in increasing the energy efficiency of solar cells.
The company has advanced the technology over a number of years, contributing to increasing the effectiveness of photovoltaic solar cell technology.
Ian Hudson, president – DuPont EMEA, said: "Addressing energy needs is a global concern. The generation of renewable energy will be the fastest growing sector in the energy market for the next 20 years, and materials for photovoltaic applications are a critical success factor for sustainable growth. We can apply the power of our market driven science to offer products and technologies that can transform the sun's potential into clean energy, contributing to decreasing dependence on fossil fuels."
According to DuPont, the company's advances in the field of front- and back-side metallisation contacts have resulted in significant efficiency gains for solar cell technology. In 1998, the efficiency of a crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cell was approximately 10%. Today, cells operate at close to 16% for multi-crystalline wafers, and at greater than 18% for monocrystalline wafers; a rise in efficiency that DuPont says is partly due to the performance offered by its metallisations.
Craig Oliver, director, EMEA, DuPont Microcircuit Materials, added: "DuPont is honoured to receive this prestigious award that recognises the company's innovations to advance efficient and reliable generation of solar energy. Sustainable growth of the photovoltaic industry depends on technological advances continuing to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic devices, and ultimately reducing the cost per watt of solar power."
