Semprius Among 11 Solar Projects Funded by U.S.

President Obama and Energy Secretary Moniz announced at the Clean Energy Summit $24 million in innovation funding for 11 new solar technologies, as part of ARPA-E’s newest program, MOSAIC. Short for Micro-scale Optimized Solar-cell Arrays with Integrated Concentration, MOSAIC projects seek to develop a new class of cost-effective, high-performance solar energy modules.
 
Semprius, Inc., Durham, NC, received $2,857,608 for its projct, “Micro-Scale Ultra-High Efficiency CPV/Diffuse Hybrid Arrays Using Transfer Printing.”
 
MOSAIC aims to develop new solar modules with the high performance of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technologies, but at a cost and profile similar to commonly used flat-plate PV. Although CPV is much more efficient than flat-plate PV, CPV has not been widely adopted due to its high cost, large size and expensive solar tracking systems. MOSAIC project teams will address these limitations by designing micro-scale CPV systems that can be integrated into flat-plate solar panels.
 
Semprius and its partners will design a CPV module that integrates two types of solar cells in order to efficiently capture diffuse and direct sunlight. The team will create six-junction PV cells that exceed the efficiency of even the highest performing PV cells on the market today. Arrays of these six-junction PV cells will convert direct sunlight to electricity, while low-cost single-junction solar cells will efficiently convert diffuse sunlight. Semprius will use its expertise in cost-effective micro-transfer printing to fabricate and assemble the six-junction microcells. By integrating cells that capture diffuse sunlight, Semprius’ innovation could expand the use of high-efficiency CPV in regions with low direct sunlight.