Silfab Solar has been awarded a $20 million innovation award by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to additional its objective of changing into a nationwide chief in US-produced, next-generation photo voltaic cells. The venture goals to develop back-contact N-type cells with an effectivity of 26 p.c or larger. These improvements shall be produced in a 300-MW pilot line at Silfab’s new South Carolina facility, together with main N-type cell manufacturing. The initiative will facilitate the speedy scaling of cost-effective, back-contact cell know-how into high-volume manufacturing of Silfab’s subsequent line of premium PV photo voltaic modules.
In addition to this award, DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) chosen Silfab for a separate $500,000 venture to develop high-efficiency building-integrated PV (BIPV) modules. These photo voltaic spandrels, with opaque glass appropriate for non-transparent glass surfaces between the flooring of business and high-rise buildings, shall be on show at Silfab’s West Coast plant in Washington. The venture focuses on integrating customized module manufacturing with building practices for glass-walled facades.
“Silfab Solar is main the way in which within the US integration of progressive photo voltaic cells and modules by investing in analysis and growth that permits us to ship probably the most superior, highly effective, and dependable PV photo voltaic for business, residential, and shortly, BIPV clients,” mentioned Paolo Maccario, President and CEO of Silfab. “The DOE awards are a testomony to Silfab’s dedication to innovation and the power of our engineering crew to ship vital advances in photo voltaic applied sciences.”
Silfab was chosen as one of many few beneficiaries of the SETO Silicon Solar Manufacturing and Dual-use Photovoltaics Incubator Funding Program. This program helps initiatives that goal to cut back the price of photo voltaic whereas creating next-generation photo voltaic applied sciences and growing American photo voltaic manufacturing and job creation.
Over the previous a number of years, Silfab has devoted strategic sources to managing the speedy, sustainable development and enlargement of its US operations. The firm’s latest manufacturing facility in South Carolina will quickly add 1 gigawatt of American-made cell manufacturing and an extra 1.3 gigawatt of module manufacturing.
As a part of the federal authorities’s SETO program to supply neighborhood advantages, Silfab Solar has launched workforce growth initiatives and faculty outreach packages to encourage younger folks to think about careers in renewable vitality, and different efforts.
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