<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/concrete-proof-sundrive-marks-major-milestone-in-path-to-bring-low-cost-solar-cells-to-market/>
"Australian solar innovator SunDrive has passed a major milestone on the road
to commercialising its homegrown copper-based PV technology, after
demonstrating that more than 99 per cent of the solar cells produced at its
pilot facility in Sydney can meet and beat commercial standards.
In a post on LinkedIn on Tuesday, SunDrive said it had hit a copper plating
production yield of more than 99% at its pilot plant in Sydney, with those
cells being turned into modules.
“What started as a lab concept has now reached production yields exceeding 99%
– a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication,” the post says.
The “huge milestone” is not just a company goal – it checks off one of the key
criteria of the $11 million federal government grant awarded to SunDrive late
last year by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena).
SunDrive, spun out of the University of New South Wales and backed by high
profile investors including Mike Cannon-Brookes, is developing a technology
that uses copper for PV cell metallisation, instead of silver.
This novel approach aims to further cut the costs of making solar panels, given
that copper is around one hundred times cheaper and one thousand times more
abundant than silver. The company says it could deliver an installed cost of
solar that is 20-30% cheaper than other high-efficiency cells.
Last week’s milestone, achieved at SunDrive’s R&D facility in the Sydney suburb
of Kurnell, is an important step forward – not least of all because it
demonstrates to Arena that the company is on the right track."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
