CIGSSe 5 Micron Thick Metal Solar Panels

This came out in February of 2006


A few days ago an article appeared in the Cape Argus of South Africa, proclaiming a breakthrough in solar power technology.

We could not find a great deal of correlating reports, so will simply relay what what we found from just a few sources.

Apparently the technology resulted from over 10 years of research, led by Professor Vivian Alberts of the University of Johannesburg.

• He and his team seem to have developed a flexible, thin, metal alloy that is “photo-responsive”. This alloy is said to result in panels with are only 5 micron thick (compared to a human hair at 20 microns, and silicon photovoltaic cells at 350 microns.) \
• Earlier reports (in 2004) indicated the alloy was copper-indium(gallium)-diselenide (CIGS), with another article inferring the panels would have a useful life of about 20 years, with the energy in fabricating them recovered within the first 1-2 years of operation.
• And that the materials used could all be later recycled to make fresh cells.
• It is said that a standard family home would need around 30m/sq (“(about the size of a living room”) of CIGS solar panels to meet all its electricity demands.
  

Unspecified new storage devices (batteries of some sort) and converters have been created alongside these new cells to store the collected energy.

• It is suggested these new panels can generate electricity even during winter, not requiring direct sunlight to function.
• Seemingly German investors are behind establishing European plants, which will be producing 1,000 such panels per day, with local South African factories to also be contemplated.
• Much Thanks to TH Tipster Conrad Z. for pointing us to the piece in the ::Cape Argus.

Our innovative, powerful thin-film solar modules converts solar energy directly into electricity.

They are based on the raw copper, indium, gallium, sulfur and selenium - in short CIGSSe.

They are independent of expensive silicon, and thus an optimal solution for a sustainable and affordable energy supply.

The whole Article From Treehugger.com

Published: 24 Aug 07 - 0:00

After more than 13 years of hard work, Professor Vivian Alberts will see the start of production of his innovative solar panel in Germany, in September.

The solar panel he devised is thinner and cheaper (up to 50%) than those produced anywhere else in the world.Following Alberts’ research breakthrough, his employer, the University of Johannesburg (UJ), formed the company Photovoltaic Technology Intel-lectual Property (PTIP) for purposes of commercialisa- tion of the photovoltaic technology.

PTIP in August 2005 entered into a licence agreement with Germany’s IFE Thin Film Technology. Following restructuring, IFE became

Johanna Solar Technology (JST),
the universal successor of IFE.JST has seven shareholders, including South Africa’s State-owned Central Energy Fund, as well as private-sector investors Richmont-Venfin and Anglo Coal.

• JST completed a €72-million production facility, in Brandenburg, near Berlin, in March this year.
• “The first products will be on the market during the last quarter of 2007,” says Alberts from Germany, where he is acting as a technical consultant to JST, ensuring the successful transfer of the technology from the pilot production facility at UJ, to the commercial plant in Germany.
• To enable entry into the right markets, JST has signed a strategic sales and distribution agreement with solar-module manufacturer Aleo
• for the worldwide distribution of its products. Aleo has a 19% interest in JST.
• JST has the legal right to issue sublicences anywhere in the world, excluding Africa and offshore islands.
• JST is currently negotiating sublicence agreements with at least three international groups. The first sublicence will be awarded later this.

.. more to follow