SunPower achieves world-record solar cell efficiency

SAN JOSE, USA: SunPower Corp., a manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, announced that it has produced a full-scale, five inch prototype solar cell with an efficiency of 23.4 percent. This is a world-record for a large area solar cell.

SunPower has reported improvements of its cell efficiency in the laboratory and in mass production since its first all-back contact solar cell prototype in 2003.

"This is a step function increase from our 22 percent efficient Gen 2 technology, which has been in mass production since last year," said Tom Werner, CEO of SunPower Corp. "Credit for this achievement goes to our world- class research and development team led by Dick Swanson and Bill Mulligan, as well as to our talented engineering group."

"We are pleased to have demonstrated early success with our Gen 3 technology," said Bill Mulligan, vice president of technology and development at SunPower Corporation. "This record efficiency solar cell, which is expected to be commercially available in approximately two years, extends SunPower's leadership position and is a key component of our plan to reduce system cost by 50 percent by the year 2012."