Enel Green Power has inaugurated the new production line at its 3SUN factory in Sicily, Italy, to manufacture bifacial photovoltaic panels.
The panels are based on hetero-junction technology that combines amorphous and crystalline silicon, the company said.
It added that the inauguration completes the technological conversion project for 3SUN’s 2.0 factory.
The project was launched in the second quarter of 2018 and was broken down into three stages.
The aim is to make Enel Green Power’s ‘La fabbrica del sole’ or ‘sun factory’ in Catania capable of running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, turning out about 1400 panels a day or 200MW a year.
The company said the bifacial photovoltaic panels have an efficiency of more than 20% and a nominal power of 400W, with the bifacial feature allowing solar radiation to be captured also from the rear surface.
Enel added that the new panels are durable enough to last more than 35 years, with a high performance even in extreme weather conditions.
The company said its goal is to be able to overcome the theoretical limit of silicon efficiency in the next five years, thanks to constant technological innovation, and to achieve more than 28% of efficiency.
Enel Green Power chief executive Antonio Cammisecra said: “The start-up of this new production line is a significant milestone and one that has been strongly supported by Enel Green Power.
“We have believed and invested in this highly innovative project, highlighting Italian industrial excellence on the global scene, especially in a competitive sector such as solar energy.
“We will continue with our commitment to research and develop this technology as we strive to further improve its performance, sustainability and competitiveness, with the confidence that we are a global technological outpost of the photovoltaic sector.”
3SUN head Antonello Irace said: “We are the first company in the world to produce photovoltaic panels based on the innovative bifacial hetero-junction technology, on an industrial scale.
“We hope to be a driving force for the entire industry and, by promoting innovation in photovoltaic technology, we want to turn solar energy into a pragmatic solution of clean energy wherever the sun shines.”
The investment was financed in part by Horizon 2020 European research and innovation programmes, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Region of Sicily and by incentives for Smart Factory 4.0 development.