Swedish Firm Claims Photovoltaic Breakthrough

Sol Voltaics AB, a Swedish firm, claims that it has successfully aligned and oriented nanowires in a thin film. This, the company said, could lead to photovoltaic modules that reach efficiency levels of 27 percent or more, which is about 50 percent more than current modules.

Commentary in the press release says that while nanowires show promise in solar energy uses, they are difficult to align “due to their high aspect ratios and material characteristics.” Sol Voltaics’ claimed achievement could be a step toward production of highly efficient solar films for tandem solar photovoltaic modules. Last year, the company said that it had achieved a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 15.3 percent.

Last October, SolarCity announced what it said is the world’s most efficient rooftop solar panel. The claimed efficiency is 22 percent.