A U.S. company, Solarmer, is developing plastic solar cells for portable electronic devices. Technology for the project was invented at the University of Chicago.  A commercial-grade prototype will be ready later this year, said the vice president of IP development and strategic alliances at Solarmer.

The prototype measures eight square inches (50 square centimeters) and is expected to achieve 8 percent efficiency with a lifetime of at least three years.  New materials with higher efficiencies are considered a key in the industry. Plastic solar cells are behind in terms of the efficiency … for now.

The invention is a new semiconductor material called PTB1. The material converts sunlight into electricity. The active layer of PTB1 is a mere 100 nanometers thick. The width is approximately 1,000 atoms. Synthesizing the material even in very small amounts is a time-consuming, multi-step process.

The University of Chicago licensed the patent rights to the technology to Solarmer last year in September.

Solarmer will sponsor research at the university. The advantage of this technology – simple, says the pair.

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Nippon Oil Corp,also know as Eneos and Sanyo Electric Co Ltd have a joint venture – 50:50 to produce amorphous Si thin-film solar cells and marketing power generation systems. Panasonic, which recently bought Sanyo has not put up any money yet.

Sanyo will develop manufacturing technologies for thin-film solar cells as well as the production of cells and modules. Eneos will make large-scale power generation systems using the modules. Eneos is also responsible for distribution and sale as well as provide material technologies for gases (eg, hydrogen gas) required in the cell production.

“The establishment of the new company is part of our efforts to become a comprehensive energy provider based on solar cells, fuel cells and rechargeable batteries, which are like the ‘three musketeers of batteries,’” Eneos President Shinji Nishio said.

Sanyo Eneos Solar have a target of 80MW per year sales with an energy conversion efficiency of 10% by 2010. Full-scale mass-production and an annual production of 1GW with conversion efficiency of 12% or higher by 2015. 2GW/year production by 2020.

The power generation systems are expected to be installed mainly in the Middle East.

Sanyo says it can make up for the slow start through superior technology and reliability.

“The solar cell business is a long-term project with its focus on 2020 or even 2050,” he said. “We are not at all concerned about a short-term depression. For manufacturers that have the lead in the thin-film solar cell production (by purchasing the production equipment in whole), the conversion efficiency will probably peak at about 7%.”

“In contrast, we will promote the research and development concurrently with the production and will constantly improve our technologies to achieve an efficiency of 10%, 12% and higher,” he said.

Business is good in the solar energy industry and will be so for a long time to come. Wonder if those report

The world’s economy may be taking a hit, but solar-cell-related business is still on the up and Japanese companies know this well. Four such companies are increasing the output of their contribution to the solar-cell industry.

Mitsui Chemicals produces a sealant film to prevent solar cells from cracking. The firm will raise its annual production of the film from 9,000 tons to 20,000 tons.

Bridgestone, which together with Mitsui Chemicals, owns 30% of the global market for the film will triple its output capacity at one of its plants.

Toray Industries “will increase output of PET plastic film used in solar panel backsheets that prevent electronics components from weathering.” Toray has a majority of the global share. The company will raise its monthly output from 400 tons to 1,000 tons.

Teijin will invest ¥500 million to double production capacity of the PET plastic film to 600 tons a month.

Good business, bad business, these Japanese companies know where to make money and make the world a better place. We salute them all!

Source: Nikkei (sub needed) and Image copyright reiner.kraft

Ah, this is something Japan knows how to do, and do well. Research.

Sharp Corp. Sanyo Electric Co. and 15 other companies has joined forces with Gifu University to conduct research on nanocrystalline silicon, a promising material for highly energy-efficient thin-film solar cells.

The consortium will

1. explore the nanocrystalline silicon as the next-generation photovoltaic material = solar cell. Japan is a leader in solar cells and wants to pull far ahead.
2. analyze the properties of nanocrystalline silicon
3. collect the kinds of basic data needed to develop solar cell materials
4. use a scanning probe microscopes to observe electron movements in the silicon when the material is exposed to light
5. study unknown phenomena taking place on the surface of the silicon thin film
6. create a device to use for quick, objective evaluations during the product development process.

In the end, cheaper and more efficiently made and higher quality products, if Japan does what Japan does best.

Image courtesy of brixton