Mass production of the innovative PLUTO solar cell technology

Following 6 years of intensive R&D at Suntech Power, the world record holding PERL cell design from The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has been successfully commercialized with product sales of the PLUTO technology to commence in mid 2009. This innovative new technology is having a major impact on production activities and plans for Suntech Power, the world's largest silicon solar cell manufacturer, with more than 100MW production capacity already installed, increasing to 300MW by the end of 2009. GW levels of PLUTO production capacity are planned by the end of 2011. Successful commercialization has required the simplification or elimination of all the expensive and sophisticated processes and materials from the record PERL cells, while simultaneously achieving high device efficiencies, production yields and throughput. A simplified version of the PLUTO technology can be easily retrofitted onto existing screen-printing production lines, with similar costs per unit area to conventional screen printed solar cells but with a 10-15% performance advantage over the latter fabricated on juxtaposed production lines using essentially the same equipment, wafers and materials.