Date: 22 October 2008
Delivered by the Arizona State University Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory (ASU-PTL), the IEC 61646 certification confirms Global Solar’s modules adhere to the commission’s stringent requirements for functional and mechanical capabilities for long-term operation and open-air environments.
“The IEC module certification process is a series of rigorous tests, that simulate what can happen over time to an installed module. The company’s CIGS solar modules have been subjected to the IEC battery of tests and passed the first time. This gives further testament to CIGS as a leading technology in the thin-film photovoltaic market. At our request, the ASU-PTL subjected Global Solar’s CIGS modules to these tests, which are designed to emulate the real lifetime environment of a solar module,” said Dr. Jeff Britt, CTO of Global Solar Energy.
The IEC sets international standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. IEC 61646 “Thin-film terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules – Design qualification and type approval” is a test standard used worldwide by the solar industry in order to verify that new solar modules and the encapsulation materials and manufacturers of solar modules meet a minimum set of functional and mechanical requirements to prove confidence for claim of long-term (+20 year) modules performance integrity.
Global Solar Energy currently produces PowerFlex Solar Strings, which provide a pre-connected format to its CIGS cells that make it easy for product designers and module manufactures to quickly and easily benefit from the low-cost, highly-efficient and flexible nature of CIGS. Global Solar Energy’s CIGS cells are produced on a bendable substrate, providing manufacturers with flexible solar material that is adaptable in shape and size, opening the door for new and innovative designs in the growing building integration markets.
“This certification of our solar product is a huge win for the CIGS industry and a testament to the high caliber of this company’s thin-film material and manufacturing processes,” said Mike Gering, CEO of Global Solar Energy.
Global Solar is exhibiting at Solar Power International in San Diego, California, with product demonstrations available at the company’s booth #1339.
About CIGS Thin-Film Technology
Global Solar has developed a proprietary process for manufacturing thin-film CIGS photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules. Global Solar is the only company reliably producing CIGS that can be encapsulated in traditional glass modules or in a flexible substrate. CIGS creates more electricity from the same amount of sunlight than do other thin-film PV technologies and therefore has a higher “conversion efficiency” leading to lower cost. CIGS conversion efficiency is also extremely stable over time, meaning its performance continues unabated for many years.
About Global Solar Energy
Global Solar Energy is a solar industry leader that manufactures highly-efficient thin-film solar cells for glass module or flexible material products. Global Solar is the only Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CIGS) manufacturer in full-scale production on a flexible substrate and has achieved 10 percent average solar cell efficiency. Its thin-film CIGS strings are not dependent on silicon and instead use highly-available raw materials that are easily integrated into a wide range of applications for use in commercial, residential, utility-scale and government products. For more information, please visit www.globalsolar.com.
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