Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Amonix Claims Solar Efficiency Record

Seal Beach-based concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) solar power systems manufacturer Amonix claimed Tuesday that the firm has broken a record in the efficiency of converting sunlight into energy. Amonix said testing by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that the firm's systems had an outdoor operating efficiency rating of 33.5%. That beats an earlier record by Amonix of 30.3 percent, the firm said. Amonix said the testing is the highest efficiency ever reported under real-world, operating conditions for a solar PV module. The use of concentrating photovoltaic solar power systems improves the efficiency of solar cells, due to more sunlight reaching those cells; typical non-concentrating solar panels range from 18 to 24 percent, and research (non production) cells have demonstrated much higher efficiency.