Milpitas, CA--JDSU (NASDAQ: JDSU and TSX: JDU) today announced availability of concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) cells for electrical power generation. The company is working with leading solar-system integrators that will use its multijunction CPV cells in solar modules installed at power-generation facilities worldwide.
The total area of solar cells in a concentrator-based photovoltaic system is much smaller than in a nonconcentrating system, making CPVs a cost-effective technology that is emerging as one of the leading solutions for solar power generation. According to the "CPV Industry Report 2010," CPV system installations in the US will reach $70 million in 2010 and are expected to grow to more than $3 billion by 2015. The CPV market is initially being driven by use in power plants at college campuses, shopping centers, and industrial buildings that generate power in the 500 kW to 10 MW range, compared to residential roof-top housing market installations that use about 5 kW per home.
"Initial demonstrations of CPV technology have proven successful and now larger projects are starting to ramp," said Greg Sheppard, chief research officer at analyst firm iSuppli. "CPV installations will represent 100 megawatts in 2011 and we expect that number to grow to one gigawatt by 2015. CPV will have a particular advantage in sunny regions, such as in the desert, over other solar technologies."
Multijunction cells
JDSU CPV cells are optimized to capture different parts of the sun's spectrum in multiple junctions, resulting in conversion efficiencies approaching 40 percent. The CPV cells are specifically designed to capture concentrated sunlight at 500 to 1,000 times its original power.
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