World's most efficient solar cells ready for use in the UK

A manufacturer of what is believed to be the world's most efficient solar units announced on February 1 that the cells have achieved MCS accreditation and are now ready for use in the UK.

SANYO Component Europe GmbH (SANYO) produces the HIT series of photovoltaic cells, including the N 220SE10 which, to date, has the world's highest energy conversion efficiency rate of 21.6 percent.

On February 1 the company announced that the HIT cells had passed MCS accreditation. MCS accreditation is bestowed upon companies by the independent Microgeneration Certification Scheme, which certifies small scale or 'mircogeneration' technologies that are used to produce heat of electricity from renewable resources.  

Though the HIT Series of cells are already commercially available throughout mainland Europe, MCS accreditation is required before products can be released into the UK market.

For consumers the MCS accreditation essentially means that consumers can use the HIT cells under the Feed In Tariff (FIT) scheme - a Europe-wide financial incentive rewarding those who install power generating renewable energy devices connected to the grid.

This is of benefit to consumers as the high efficiency rate allows more power to be generated using fewer cells and also means that less roof space is required to generate solar power- which increases the opportunities for renewable energy generation for those where space is an issue.  The 'N' series of HIT modules will be commercially available from March 2011.

Other renewable energy companies from around the world will be showcasing the latest in renewable and energy efficient technologies at a series of upcoming exhibitions including), EXPO Solar in Goyang, South Korea (February 16-18), the Renewable Energy Expo in Lyon, France (February15-18) and Eco Build in London (March 1-3).  

Eco Build attracts over 1,300 exhibitors and 41,000 visitors from around the globe and is used by companies as a launchpad for their new products. At Eco Build 2011 numerous photovoltaic companies including Emmvee, the Ideal Group and Mitsubishi plan to launch their latest innovations in the field of solar power.