Amonix Incorporated was founded in 1989 with the goal of developing utility scale photovoltaic systems that provide consumers with cost effective, clean renewable energy.
In the early 1990’s, Amonix developed a back junction point contact solar cell with 25.5% average efficiency, a world record for sunlight–to–electricity conversion efficiency for a terrestrial high-concentration solar cell. This ground-breaking accomplishment earned Amonix the coveted R&D Magazine award for “one of the world’s 100 most technologically significant new products of 1994.”
Amonix’s success with improving solar cells efficiencies paved the way for the development of the company’s high concentration photovoltaic system (HCPV). Historically, HCPV systems were unable to achieve commercialization because their silicon solar cells made them expensive and the bulky, module construction of their mechanical structures made them difficult to manufacture, transport and install. Amonix overcame these obstacles with a unique patented technology that eliminates the box-like modules and integrates inexpensive concentrating Fresnel lens parquets, solar cell receiver plates, and a 2-axis sun-tracking structure into one assembly, greatly reducing manufacturing and installation.
Amonix's current generation of its HCPV system is a commercially viable product that generates reliable, efficient, low cost solar energy.
Amonix Solar Cell Development History
From Silicon to Multijunction Solar Cells
The PV energy industry has long sought to overcome the efficiency limits of silicon solar cells, which become very inefficient when exposed to concentrated sunlight’s extreme conditions. In 1989, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the research arm for several hundred domestic utility companies, approached Amonix to solve the solar cell stabilization problem. Using the company’s extensive semiconductor background, Amonix successfully stabilized a silicon solar cell under concentration. Further efforts led to the development of Amonix’s back-junction point-contact silicon solar cell, which became the cornerstone of Amonix’s HCPV systems for many years. In 2005 Amonix produced the world’s most efficient silicon solar cell (27.6% efficiency under concentration), and manufactured it in a commercial environment - an industry first.
After years of silicon solar cell successes and many generations of Amonix HCPV systems deployed in real world utility environments with nearly 13 MW installed worldwide, Amonix has successfully transitioned to using multijunction solar cells. Exceeding 37% efficiency, multijunction solar cells are the industry’s highest efficiency and were initially developed for use in space. Amonix began testing multijunction solar cells on-sun in 2000 when it received research contracts to adapt multijunction cells for terrestrial use with concentrating photovoltaic systems. By replacing silicon solar cells with multijunction cells, Amonix’s HCPV systems can achieve maximum energy output. Amonix’s long legacy of solar cell development and manufacturing has enabled the company to optimize multijunction solar cell performance in its HCPV systems.
The adaptation of multijunction solar cells to the Amonix HCPV product continues the company’s tradition of lowering the cost of solar generated electricity. The Amonix 7700 HCPV product is the seventh generation of Amonix’s HCPV product and the first to incorporate multijunction solar cells. The 7700 also incorporates major design improvements and refinements to reduce cost. By using multijunction solar cells in combination with seven MegaModules®, the system produces more power which defrays the cost of the balance of system (BOS) including support structure, tracking system, controller electronics, inverter and wiring. The Amonix 7700 also produces the highest efficiency with demonstrated module efficiency of 30% and system efficiency of over 25% (AC, post-inverter). The graphic above traces the evolution of Amonix’s HCPV products which have become larger and more powerful over time and therefore offered lower cost.