Innovation - Sunplugged Photovoltaics

Innovations behind

Substrate

Sunplugged´s hybrid glass/metal substrate has significant advantages for flexible photovoltaics. It allows to apply integrated interconnection concepts

CIGS

CIGS stands for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 and this material is one of main thin-film PV technologies. It It is well suited for the integrated photovoltaics.

Monoscribe

Our registered technology, Monoscribe Interconnection, comprises scribing of solar cell with short-pulse laser (in one process step) and printing of dielectric layer and conductive circuits.

Substrate

Sunplugged´s hybrid glass/metal substrate has significant advantages for flexible photovoltaics. It allows to apply integrated interconnection concepts (monolithical or printed interconnection). It can be processed at high temperatures in a robust way. That means no issues like wrinklings, microcracks etc are occuring when used in a rugged industrial environment.

Reliable benefits & distinctive characteristics

CIGS

CIGS stands for Cu(InGa)Se2) and this material is one of main thin-film PV technologies. CIGS It is well suited for the integrated photovoltaics. CIGS strengths are excellent performance under cloudy or hazy conditions, low power losses under partial shadowing, and an appealing appearance.

CIGS solar cell materials on flexible substrates increasing of cell efficiency in non-optimal insulation application, reduction of the environmental impact and the used material quantity and the introduction of new non-toxic materials. The material enables high energy yields due and the possiblity for cost-effective roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing. Current Solar cell efficiencies in the R2R pilot line are close to 14 %. Our goal is to achieve >16% solar cell efficiencies by 2022.

At the end only the generated energy matters

CIGS solar cells guarantee a superior low-sun-angle, low-light and indirect irradiation performances as well as improved behavior under warm conditions. The ability to apply integrated interconnection techniques offers a high tolerance to shading. This combination of properties in CIGS technology that makes so appealing for integrated PV. It offers the best possible solution for generating the highest possible energy yields under situations.

Monoscribe

We make tiny microgrooves in the endless solar cell material. This permits exposure to the rear contact of the solar cell which is covered by light absorption material and to separate the solar cell in subcells and make into these micro-grooves the serial interconnection, that usually are higly hand-labour intensive. Our registered technology, Monoscribe Interconnection, comprises scribing of solar cell with short-pulse laser (in one process step) and printing of dielectric layer and conductive circuits.

The optical and electrical characteristics of the different thin-film layers allow a selective ablation and cutting by a short-pulse laser. First the module design is applied by laser processes. It means the generation of microgrooves for integrated cell interconnection, edge deletion and fiducials for further processing. Secondly, the cell interconnection (including a dielectric barrier) is printed into the microgrooves. This approach enables the production of bespoke solar modules digitally controlled via a software interface.

Developments on the module level:

Selective ablation of the films (laser scribing), a high-precision, large scale printing technology enabling exact printing of interconnection layers into the laser scribed micro grooves and encapsulation with adhesive glued high barrier foils as well as the characterisation of processes & materials for novel modules.