SolarCity to begin production of >22% efficient PV modules this month

SolarCity to begin production of >22% efficient PV modules this month

SolarCity likes to be number one. The company already has by far the largest share of the U.S. residential solar market. It was also the first to securitize portfolios of rooftop solar assets. Not satisfied, it then went on to start work on the largest PV module factory in the Western Hemisphere at 1 GW of annual production.

 

Today, SolarCity announced that it will begin producing its first PV modules “in small quantities” at a 100 MW pilot facility, and is again claiming a superlative: That these will be the most efficient rooftop PV modules in production. The company reports a 22.04% module-level efficiency, as measured by third-party testing provider Renewable Energy Test Center.

 

This is above the 21.5% which SunPower reports for its X-series modules, however pv magazine was not able to verify efficiencies for Panasonic's multi-junction HIT modules by press time. Higher efficiencies have been achieved under lab conditions and for technologies that concentrate sunlight, however these are typically not used for rooftop applications.

 

SolarCity claims that the module performs better than other technologies under high temperatures, and that it is able to reduce manufacturing costs due to its proprietary processes. The company got into PV manufacturing with its purchase of Silevo, and it is unclear if these processes were acquired or developed after the acquisition.

 

By moving into high-efficiency PV manufacturing, SolarCity will be competing with SunPower, one of the few companies to make a successful business out of producing high-efficiency PV. Like SunPower, SolarCity plans to produce these modules not only for the rooftop market, but also for utility-scale projects.

 

SolarCity notes that while the new modules are being produced at its pilot plant, that it expects to produce modules with similar efficiency at its factory under construction in Buffalo, New York. This will be the largest PV module factory in the Western Hemisphere when complete.

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