Technical Milestones
1964
Silicon space solar cell reached 8 % efficiency at AMO
1969
The first German solar-powered satellite “AZUR” was launched into orbit.
1974
First multi-crystalline Si solar cell with 10 % efficiency at AM 1.5 (in cooperation with Wacker Chemitronic-Telefunken)
1983
First fully automated terrestrial production line in screen printing technology
1986
High efficiency Si solar cell reached 18 % efficiency at AMO
1990
Ultrathin (5 µm) GaAs solar cell reached 20 % efficiency at AMO
2001
First European triple-junction (TJ) GaAs space solar cell with 25 % efficiency at AMO
2004
First CPV solar cell with more than 32% efficiency at AM1.5d
2005
Triple-junction GaAs solar cell achieved 27 % efficiency at AMO (4x8cm²).
2006
Triple-junction GaAs solar cell reached 28.5 % efficiency at AMO (8x8cm²).
2007
Triple-junction CPV solar cell with 35 % efficiency at AM1.5d
2008
Triple-junction GaAs solar cell with 30% efficiency at AMO
2009
World Record lattice-mismatch CPV GaAs triple-junction cell with 41.1% efficiency at AM1.5d (in cooperation with ISE)
2011
Large-scale production of CPV solar cells with average efficiency of almost 40 % at AM1.5d
2011
Dr. Klaus-Dieter Rasch, AZUR SPACE’s managing director was nominated for the German Future Award 2011
2012
Triple-junction solar cell with 35 % efficiency at AM1.5 for terrestrial one sun applications in
large-scale production
Spectrum Explanations
AMO (Air Mass Zero) = standardized sun light spectrum outside the earth atmosphere.
AM1.5 (Air Mass 1.5) = standardized sun light spectrum, applied for terrestrial PV applications. It is also called AM1.5G as G stands for global and includes direct and diffuse radiation.
AM1.5d (Air Mass 1.5d) = standardized sun light spectrum, applied for terrestrial CPV applications. D stands for direct and includes direct radiation only.
