Mass Production of PV Modules with 18% Total-Area Efficiency and High Energy Delivery Per Peak Watt

This paper describes photovoltaic modules in high- volume production with world-record efficiency. SunPower Corporation has achieved a total-area efficiency of 18% by using proprietary back-contact silicon cells and new module design features. The modules have been certified under IEC61215 edition 2 and UL1703, are free of hazardous materials, and have aesthetic characteristics which facilitate customer adoption. High energy production per rated watt is reported and modeled on the basis of fundamental module properties