About the Company
Suniva manufactures and markets its high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells (the ARTisun® series) and offers high-power density solar modules containing Suniva's core cell technology.
From its inception, Suniva has been focused on delivering the highest power possible to our customers using low-cost manufacturing techniques. We are convinced that this is by far the best way to reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) generated by solar photovoltaics (PV) over time. This is needed to move solar PV truly in to the mainstream in most world markets, eventually without subsides or incentives being needed - in other words to make solar PV even more "sensible" for everyone who needs power and has access to sunshine.
Our mission is to utilize our U.S.-based technology to make our solar PV products the "sensible" choice for creating clean, earth-friendly power generation to address global energy needs.
Our world-class team has decades of PV industry experience, a unique development approach and innovative proprietary processes that enable us to deliver leading edge solar cell performance (the heart of the PV module is the cell) while cutting the cost of the PV value chain.
Suniva is producing world-class technology, including record-setting 20%+ efficiencies in the lab, and the world's lowest cost, highest cell conversion efficiency commercially available in full scale production, currently at up to 18.8%. Suniva is the only high-efficiency silicon cell manufacturer in America, with exports of more than 90% of its production to Europe and Asia in 2009. The company's primary goal is to drive mass adoption of high-efficiency PV technology, for its significant economic, social and environmental benefits in the U.S. and around the world.
Click here to download a company brochure in pdf format. Visit our Products tab (above) for more information on the ARTisun® series.
Watch: Inside Suniva or View photos: Flickr
Origins
Suniva evolved from the work of Professor Ajeet Rohatgi of the Georgia Institute of Technology's University Center of Excellence in Photovoltaics (UCEP). A DoE Center of Excellence since 1992, UCEP has distinguished itself as the premier site for silicon PV research in the U.S. Bringing together a unique approach of uniting cell modeling, device design, process optimization and materials analysis and characterization, UCEP has consistently proven to be a valuable resource to government and industrial partners. Through this competency, the Center has evolved from a purely academic research environment to a hands-on industry resource focused on practical solutions for commercial processing of PV materials and devices. This led to the formation of Suniva, which holds exclusive rights to over 40 granted and pending patents (from 20 patent families) from Dr. Rohatgi, as well as UCEP and Suniva's own R&D team.
The Suniva in-house R&D team, with its deep knowledge and experience in PV manufacturing process research, collaborates closely with UCEP on cell performance optimization, material research and characterization, process optimization and next generation equipment research. Suniva is an excellent example of how a successful public/private partnership can create and commercialize world-class technology.
