Silfab Solar has been selected for an innovation award by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to continue its development of back-contact N-type cells demonstrating efficiencies of at least 26%. 

The company is developing the cells on a 300 MW pilot line, which is set to operate alongside Silfab’s main N-type cell manufacturing at its South Carolina facility. The project is expected to enable scale-up of back-contact cell technology into high-volume manufacturing of the company’s PV modules.

The DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) also selected Silfab for a separate innovation award to further develop high efficiency building-integrated PV (BIPV) modules in the form of solar spandrels, which have opaque glass meant to be suited for glazed surfaces. 

“Silfab Solar is leading the way in U.S. integration of innovative solar cells and modules by investing in the research and development that allows us to deliver the most advanced, powerful and reliable PV solar for commercial, residential and soon, BIPV customers,” says Paolo Maccario, Silfab president and CEO. 

“The DOE awards are a testament to Silfab’s commitment to innovation and to the strength of our engineering team to deliver significant advancements in solar technologies.”