1366 Technologies today announced a new performance record for its Direct Wafer® technology with the achievement of 19.9% cell efficiency through 1366's ongoing technical partnership with Hanwha Q CELLS. The result, which was independently confirmed by the Fraunhofer ISE CalLab, clearly demonstrates the rapid efficiency gains that are possible with 1366's kerfless, drop-in 156 mm multicrystalline wafers and Hanwha Q CELLS Q.ANTUM passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) cell process.
"Our efficiency is improving at a rate that's nearly double that of the rest of the industry. Late last year, we exceeded the cell efficiency of the high-performance multi (HPM) reference group in a head-to-head comparison, and we continue to make progress. This latest milestone demonstrates the rapid gains still possible with our Direct Wafer process because our technology is not limited by the inherent weaknesses of ingot-based wafer manufacturing," said Frank van Mierlo, CEO, 1366 Technologies.
1366's technical roadmap now shows a clear path to cell efficiencies significantly higher than sawn HPM, making Direct Wafer products superior for both their cost and technical advantages. These higher efficiencies are possible because of the intrinsic benefits of 1366's manufacturing process.