SolarCity has announced that it has developed what it claims is the world’s most efficient rooftop solar panel. The panel’s efficiency passes the 22 percent mark, and the company says, generates more power per square foot and harvests more energy than any panel on the market.
SolarCity will produce small quantities this month at its 100 MW pilot facility. In the long run, most of the solar panels will be manufactured at its 1 GW facility in Buffalo, N.Y. Daily production runs there are expected to reach 9,000 to 10,000 panels.
The panels achieved an efficiency level of 22.04 percent as measured by the Renewable Energy Test Center, a third party certification organization. SolarCity says the efficiency gain is 30 percent to 40 percent compared to current panels of similar size.
Earlier this week, SolarCity announced a program aimed at making it easier for housing developments to deploy solar power. The program, which is in partnership with Everyday Energy, will use funds from the California Public Utilities Commission’s Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) and the New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP).
