ISC Konstanz and MegaCell Srl have signed an agreement for the licensing of ISC's bifacial BiSoN solar cell technology to MegaCell srl. The italian manufacturing lines will have a yearly capacity of 80 MWp for bifacial BiSoN solar cells featuring over 30% more energy yield (kWh/kWp).

Technological alliance of ISC Konstanz and Centrotherm will further enhance efficiency and reduce manufacturing cost of BiSoN technology.

Konstanz (Germany)/Padova (Italy), 09/11/2014 - The German R&D institute ISC Konstanz and the Italian MegaCell Srl have signed an agreement for the licensing of ISC's bifacial BiSoN solar cell technology to MegaCell. In addition to the right of commercially manufacturing the BiSoN cell, as well as the BiSoN modules, on its production line in Carmignano di Brenta (Padova-Italy), the agreement also gives to MegaCell the opportunity to provide this technology - as a sublicence - to other interested cell producers. Furthermore, a technology transfer agreement has been signed, guaranteeing extensive support by specialists of ISC Konstanz to MegaCell during the transfer and ramp-up of the BiSoN technology in Carmignano di Brenta.

With this signing and the recently announced acquisition of the former Helios Technology cell production lines, the way is now paved for MegaCell to quickly proceed with the industrial implementation of the new bifacial cell "BiSoN" (Bifacial Solar Cell on N-Type), a high efficiency (already over 20% today) monocrystalline silicon N-type cell at competitive cost. BiSoN production requires several patent-protected process steps regarding e.g. surface passivation and diffusion process for the formation of the emitter and the back surface field.
The revolutionary BiSoN solar cell is showing its complete potential when integrated into a bifacial module: with only 60 cells, this module can feature an "equivalent power" of 350 W (same yearly energy production as a 350W monofacial module would achieve). This corresponds to an energy yield that is 30+% higher if compared to a standard 60 cells module (250 – 265W) installed with fixed tilt. If the bifacial BiSoN module is mounted on a single axis tracker, the gain is even 50+%.
During the next 4 months the revamping and upgrading of the manufacturing lines will be accomplished, in order to start producing BiSoN bifacial high efficiency cells by January 2015. The annual capacity of MegaCell will be 80 MWp with an expected revenue of cells and modules of 50 Million Euro.

This manufacturing initiative will receive a further boost thanks to the technological alliance between the Centrotherm photovoltaics and ISC Konstanz for the joint development of innovative diffusion processes that will contribute to a further increase of the solar cell efficiencies while further reducing their manufacturing cost. MegaCell will, already from the beginning, take benefit of the results of this partnership .

As part of the development of the next generation of BiSoN cell technology, which will be based on ion-implantation and allow cell efficiencies of up to 21.5%, ISC Konstanz acquired patents from the former BOSCH Solar Energy, which will be exploited jointly by ISC Konstanz and MegaCell srl.

"I am glad to continue the longstanding collaboration with the team of ISC Konstanz: the combination of the long-term experience of our technical team with the excellence of ISC Konstanz in R&D on photovoltaics, especially N-type silicon solar cells, will guarantee the success of MegaCell Srl", says Franco Traverso. "Thanks to BiSoN, the cost per kWh (LCOE) for PV generated electricity will


experience a significant reduction, giving in this way the PV industry the opportunity to compete with electrical power generation by fossil fuels".

"The agreement with MegaCell Srl is an important milestone in our efforts to spread photovoltaics and to industrially implement the results of our research activities. In addition we see it as a recognition of your philosophy of focusing our R&D activities strongly on industrially applicable technologies" states Dr. Eckard Wefringhaus, member of the Executive Committee of ISC Konstanz.
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About MegaCell Srl - The company has been recently created by Franco Traverso. Traverso is considered the pioneer of Italian photovoltaic cells, for his work both in 1981, when he started Helios Technology Spa (sold in 2008), and in 2007, when he started Silfab Spa, soon followed by Silfab Ontario Inc., a photovoltaic module manufacturing plant (150 MW/y) based in Canada. MegaCell Srl is focusing on the manufacturing of high-efficiency monocrystalline N-type solar cells and - in particular - on exploiting the strongly enhanced energy yield thanks to their bifaciality.
Via Postumia 9B - 35010 Carmignano di Brenta PD (Italy) -Tel +39 049 9430926 - Fax +39 049 9431990 - info@megacell.it - www.megacell.it
About the International Solar Energy Research Centre Konstanz (ISC) e.V. - The International Solar Energy Research Centre Konstanz e.V., shortly ISC Konstanz, researches and develops crystalline silicon solar-cells. 17 founding members, mostly physicists, founded the ISC Konstanz in 2005 as a non-profit organization aiming at making solar cells more efficient and reduce production costs to further promote PV technologies. Currently ISC Konstanz conducts 20 different R&D projects. Significant goal is the development and testing of innovative solar cells concepts. Additionally, ISC Konstanz is active in the field of photovoltaics, e.g. the development aid of countries without enlarged or instable electricity grids like in Cameroon or India.
Rudolf-Diesel-Str.15 - 78467 Konstanz (Germany) - Tel +49-7531-36 18 3-0 - Fax +49-7531-36 18 3-11 - sekretariat@isc-konstanz.de - www.isc-konstanz.de