New thin-film solar modules from Sharp

Sharp is introducing two new thin-film solar modules with high temperature characteristics for commercial/industrial applications.

The new model NA-902WP is intended for industrial/commercial use in Japan, while the NA-901WP is targeted elsewhere.

The NA-901WP and NA-902WP are high-output models, delivering 90 watts of power. The amorphous/microcrystalline thin-film tandem cell design, which uses stacked layers of amorphous silicon and microcrystalline silicon, achieves a conversion efficiency of 8.5%.

The new cells have the ability to form the silicon raw materials into a layer only about 2 µm onto a glass substrate, roughly 1/100th as thick as conventional polycrystalline solar cells. The amount of silicon used is reduced, and the process is applicable to manufacturing cells with large surface areas.

Sharp's thin-film solar modules are covered with tempered glass for increased strength and minimum reflected surface glare. The external surface appearance is an attractive black.

In 2005, Sharp produced 428 MW of cells, serving almost 25% of the worldwide market for PV at the time.