China Sunergy Co., Ltd. ("China Sunergy" or "the Company"), a specialized solar cell and module manufacturer, today announced that its new generation of high-efficient mono-crystalline solar cells have reached 20.26% conversion efficiency in the pilot research and development ("R&D") line, and have received certification recently from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE ("Fraunhofer ISE"), the largest solar energy research institute in Europe.
The new generation of high-efficient mono-crystalline solar cells combines the Company's Waratah and QSAR cell technology in a new design structure that enables it to achieve high conversion efficiency using normal wafers. The new conversion efficiency record of 20.26% was confirmed by Fraunhofer ISE as the leading level among all photovoltaic enterprises in China and has surpassed the benchmark of 20% mono-crystalline cells conversion efficiency set by the eight development guidelines issued by the State Council for China's photovoltaic industry in July 2013.
The high-efficient mono-crystalline solar cells offer outstanding cost advantage and space reduction, making them ideal for rooftop applications. China Sunergy has installed high-efficient mono-crystalline solar cell production lines with the capacity of 70MW, and a corresponding module production line with the capacity of 15MW in its newly completed R&D center. The company plans to start commercial mass production by the end of this year.
Dr. Jianhua Zhao, Chief Technology Officer of China Sunergy, said, "As one of the key members for China's 863 program in developing and commercializing high-efficient and low-cost crystalline silicon solar cells, we are committed to developing cutting-edge and strategic solar technologies. We are proud of our record achievement, and aim to promptly deploy this new breakthrough for large-scale commercial application. Our success validates the hard work and diligence of our dedicated R&D team, and we remain determined to further advance the state of the art and to foster healthy and sustainable development for solar energy."