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Global Solar Energy is First CIGS Manufacturer to Achieve Consistent Full-Scale Production of 10 Percent Average Solar Cell Efficiency on Flexible/Lightweight Substrate

Posted on: Monday, 28 January 2008, 09:01 CST

Global Solar Energy (GSE), the premier manufacturer of Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CIGS) thin-film solar products, today announced it is the first in the CIGS thin-film market to achieve an average of 10 percent solar cell efficiency on a flexible/lightweight substrate over several production runs. GSE reached the milestone in December 2007, capping off a record year in which the company also manufactured and shipped 4 MW (megawatts) of photovoltaic material powering commercial, government, military and consumer products worldwide.

"In 2007, we saw a range of economic and environmental factors converge to create a substantial market opportunity for renewable-energy technologies across all facets of the economy," said Mike Gering, CEO of Global Solar Energy. "Government, commercial and consumer demand for renewable-energy products and building materials are growing at a fast pace, thereby putting pressure on CIGS producers and other types of solar manufacturers to deliver high-efficiency products that are flexible/lightweight and lower cost per watt installed. We are proud to have reached such an important efficiency milestone--one on which we intend to improve to help meet the renewable-energy demands of our customers, partners and distributors worldwide in 2008."

GSE began production of its CIGS thin-film solar cells on a flexible substrate in 2004, delivering an efficient product which was integrated into military and consumer products. Today, the company remains the leading CIGS flexible/lightweight thin-film manufacturer in full-scale production with stable manufacturing processes. As a result, the company produces high-efficiency solar cell technology that can be used in traditional rigid glass panels, as well as flexible applications that require more durability. Such applications extend over a broad range to include; energy, utility, building construction and design, government, military and consumer products.

"A number of CIGS thin film companies have exceeded 10 percent efficiency in the lab or in individual cells, but achieving 10 percent average solar cell efficiency over the course of several sustained, continuous production runs is a significant achievement," said Dr. Jeffrey Britt, Ph.D., vice president of technology. "This is the culmination of three full years of being in production and evolving our proprietary production techniques to continuously improve the efficiency and output of our production."

About CIGS Thin-Film Technology

Global Solar has developed a proprietary process for manufacturing thin-film CIGS photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules. Unlike traditional solar panels that are rigid, heavy and fragile, Global Solar's thin-film solar modules are lightweight, flexible and durable. While other companies produce CIGS on glass, Global Solar is the only company reliably producing CIGS that can be encapsulated in glass or 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 very stable over time, meaning its performance continues unabated for many years.

About Global Solar Energy

Global Solar Energy (GSE) is the leading manufacturer of Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CIGS) thin-film solar products. GSE is the only CIGS thin-film manufacturer in full-scale production with stable manufacturing processes on a flexible substrate. The company's thin-film PV products are integrated into a wide range of applications, including everything from small-scale military and consumer chargers for laptops and batteries, to large solar fields. For more information, please visit www.globalsolar.com.

Source: Business Wire

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