Crystal Solar Receives $3 Million Energy Department Grant to Develop High Efficiency Solar Cells Using Epitaxially Grown Kerfless Wafers

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Crystal Solar, a pioneer in the direct growth of mono-crystalline Silicon epitaxial wafers for solar today announced that it has been awarded a $3 million cooperative agreement by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative to develop high efficiency epitaxial solar cells and demonstrate commercial level yield at its pilot production facility in Santa Clara, California.

Crystal Solar's breakthrough manufacturing technology called Direct Gas to Wafer™ enables direct conversion of Trichlorosilane (TCS) gas to mono crystalline silicon wafers by high throughput epitaxial growth. By skipping the polysilicon, ingoting and the wire-sawing steps altogether, this approach not only results in lowest cost/watt for the wafers but also significantly reduces the capital required to set up a manufacturing plant. Furthermore, this process enables the growth of high quality p-n junctions in-situ which reduces cell making steps while increasing the efficiency.

"Crystal Solar's epitaxial process has already demonstrated world record efficiencies for mono crystalline passivated emitter and rear contact cells (PERC), representing for the first time a kerfless wafer technology exceeding the performance of the incumbent," said T.S. Ravi, chief executive officer of Crystal Solar.  "We appreciate this recognition and grant from the Energy Department and we expect that this will greatly help accelerate the transition to market for such wafers."

About Crystal Solar Inc:

Crystal Solar (www.xtalsolar.com) is a pioneer in the manufacturing of direct mono crystalline wafers using high throughput epitaxy.  Funded by elite strategic and venture capital investors, Crystal is currently qualifying the wafers manufactured in its pilot line in Santa Clara, CA with multiple cell manufacturers.  Over the years, Crystal Solar has been awarded numerous DOE grants and its patented high throughput epitaxial reactor won the prestigious R&D 100 award in 2014.

About the SunShot Initiative

The U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative is a collaborative national effort that aggressively drives innovation to make solar energy fully cost-competitive with traditional energy sources before the end of the decade. Through SunShot, the Energy Department supports efforts by private companies, universities, and national laboratories to drive down the cost of solar electricity to $0.06 per kilowatt-hour. Learn more at energy.gov/sunshot.

For more information please contact:

Crystal Solar: T.S. Ravi, President and CEO, T: +1 (408) 490-1359, [email protected]

SOURCE Crystal Solar

Related Links

http://www.xtalsolar.com