News: Photovoltaics
6 September 2023
5N Plus’ AZUR triple-junction solar cells powering largest long-duration energy storage project
Specialty semiconductor and performance materials producer 5N Plus Inc of Montreal, Québec, Canada says that, through its subsidiary AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH, it supplied the triple-junction solar cells utilized to help deliver the world’s largest and highest-efficiency next-generation long-duration solar energy storage project, now officially declared open.
RayGen’s flagship power plant in Carwarp, Victoria, Australia was officially inaugurated and declared open on 31 August, delivering 4MW solar and 2.8MW/50MWh storage capacity, making it the world’s largest and lowest-cost next-generation long-duration energy storage projects, it is reckoned.
AZUR’s high-efficiency solar cells are key components of Australian solar-and-storage company RayGen’s proprietary solar technology. Sunlight, concentrated by tracking mirrors onto RayGen’s solar receiver, is converted by an array of RayGen solar modules, tiled with AZUR cells, into electricity and by-product heat. The heat offers synergy with RayGen’s water-based electro-thermal energy storage.
“AZUR’s high-efficiency, high-performance solar cells enable RayGen to provide energy on a large scale, both consistently and on short-notice, with minimal environmental impact,” says 5N Plus’ president & CEO Gervais Jacques. “We look forward to continuing to support RayGen as they pursue additional utility-scale projects critical to the energy transition.”
