Suntech Power is currently pursuing thin film technology, a low cost PVtechnology that involves depositing several thin layers of silicon or more complex materials on a substrate such as glass to make a PV cell.
This high efficiency PVtechnology allows Suntech to achieve conversion efficiency rates in the range of 18% to 19% on PV cells manufactured with monocrystalline silicon wafers and 16.5% to 17.5% on PV cells manufactured with multicrystalline silicon wafers.
Critically, First Solar executive vice-president T K Kallenbach insists the company will not have to share its cutting-edge PVtechnology with domestic competitors, as many Western renewables players seeking to enter the vast Chinese market have been forced to do .
Solar CIS, which stands for copper, indium and selenium, are solar photovoltaic (PV) modules that leverage the latest developments in thin-film technology.