Sharp ST and Enel are partnering to produce 30%+ efficient solar PV panels in Italy

Enel Green Power (EGP), Sharp and ST Micro have signed an agreement for the manufacture of triple-junction thin-film photovoltaic panels in Catania, Italy, which is expected to have initial production capacity of 160 MW per year and is targeted to grow to 480 MW over the next years.

Sharp, EGP and ST Microelectronics will first establish a joint venture company for solar cell production and then start the production of thin-film solar cells from the beginning of 2011, by utilizing the existing facility of ST Microelectronics in Catania Province, Sicily Region, Italy.

In addition to financing from the banks, this project will be funded by investments from each company of approximately 70 million euros each. The thin-film solar cells produced in this plant will be marketed mainly in Europe and the Mediterranean area through the sales networks of Sharp and EGP.

For the power production business, Sharp and EGP will establish a joint venture company, ES Solar Farms (ESSF) to build solar farms. The two companies will establish power generation plants with a total power generation capacity of more than 500MW by the end of December 2016. ESSF will use the thin-film solar cells produced by the joint venture plant, and extend its power business to Mediterranean countries including Italy, France, Spain and Greece.

Sharp has recently developed solar cell with 35.8% of high conversion efficiency using triple-junction compound solar cells.

Sharp uses now an in-forming InGaAs layer with high crystallinity by using its technology for forming layers to reduce wasted current.

Triple-junction thin-film photovoltaic panels are suitable for medium and large-scale photovoltaic power generation. Compared to ordinary silicon solar panels, the triple-junction thin-film photovoltaic modules are able to maintain a high level of energy conversion efficiency even in hot climates.

For more details on these companies visit www.enelgreenpower.com, sharp-world.com/index.html, www.st.com