Feb 19 2015
Akrion Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of Akrion Systems, has joined the US Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC) and will provide advanced texturing and etching processes developed for solar cells from crystalline silicon wafers for the consortium. Joseph McManus, Akrion Systems Vice President of Sales and Marketing said, “We are looking forward to participating in this key program.
The goals of this initiative are in line with ours. All of our solar development work has focused on advanced silicon-based cells such as those utilizing HIT, pPERC, and nPERL processes. The work will develop processes and technologies to boost cell efficiency and reduce the cost of manufacturing. We believe that the success of this project will enhance solar’s competitive position in the future energy market worldwide.”
Dr. Winston V. Schoenfeld, Director of c-Si programs at PVMC said, “With the recent advancements in c-Si cell architectures, cleaning and texturization steps have become increasingly more important. Akrion brings more than 20 years of experience in developing wet processing solutions, uniquely positioning the consortium to deliver high-impact manufacturing solutions in these areas. We are excited that Akrion recognizes the value that participation in our collaborative projects will deliver and look forward to their active involvement."
Chief operating and technology officer of PVMC, Dr. Pradeep Haldar, said, “We are pleased to welcome Akrion Systems to the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium, further fueling New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s vision for powering tomorrow’s innovations today by developing the most efficient and advanced PV technologies. We are thrilled that a growing number of companies with expertise in photovoltaic R&D are looking to partner with the consortium and build upon leading-edge solar energy research, resources, and capabilities to catalyze sustainable, clean energy-based solutions to meet the world’s complex energy needs.”
PVMC has the stated goal to “increase performance, speed the implementation of PV technologies, and to reduce the cost of photovoltaic solar energy by 75% in this decade.” The PVMC, based in New York State at SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, is part of the US Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative and boasts more than 50 participating members and partners. In addition to spurring next-generation photovoltaic research, development, and commercialization, PVMC is also developing standards and roadmaps to unify industry efforts in the US to further facilitate the development of high-efficiency cells.