Award-winning Advances in Solar Power

Two New Technologies developed by the U.S. Department of Energy have the potential to transform solar power.

February/March 2009
By Aly Van Dyke 
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Both the Inverted Metamorphic Multi-junction solar cell and Hybrid CIGS (thin-film photo-voltaics that use layers of copper indium gallium diselenide), developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), have the potential to transform the way solar cells are created and used in commercial markets.

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The Inverted Metamorphic Multi-junction solar cell recently set a new world record with an energy conversion rate of more than 40 percent. The new cells are lighter and easier to produce than previous designs, and may be flexible enough to turn almost any building into its own power source. NREL also developed a new process for making Hybrid CIGS so that the cells can be integrated directly into building materials such as metal and glass. CIGS aren’t as efficient as conventional crystalline silicon cells, but can be manufactured faster and at a fraction of the cost.

Both new technologies received Research and Development Magazine’s 100 Award for the most significant developments in technology and innovations of the year, bringing NREL’s total 100 Award count to 42.

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