Thin-film producer Global Solar reaches photovoltaic milestones (AZ)

[jpak]

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/309506

Tucson-based Global Solar Energy, Inc. has set a benchmark of 15.45 percent efficiency for the thin-film photovoltaic material it produces at plants in Tucson and Germany, according to the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo.

More importantly, said Tim Teich, vice president of sales and marketing for Global Solar Energy, Inc., the firm is now consistently manufacturing a product with an efficiency of 11.7 percent — an achievement that makes it competitive with traditional silicon panels.
Silicon panels generally convert 15 to 16 percent of the sunlight striking them into electricity, said Teich.

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To date, thin-film has been used in portable niche products or enclosed in glass cases much like conventional solar panels. In the near future, said Teich, the product's flexibility will be fully exploited and incorporated into building materials, allowing the entire expanse of a building's roof to generate electricity.

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