CaliSolar
Encyclopedia
Calisolar, Inc. is a vertically integrated manufacturer of solar silicon and multicrystalline (also known as polycrystalline) solar cells. Calisolar is a privately held company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with cell processing facilities in Sunnyvale; silicon purification facilities in Vaughan, Ontario
, Canada; and R&D facilities in Berlin, Germany. Customers are located in all major solar markets around the world. Calisolar was founded in 2006 and acquired 6N Silicon in 2010.
, Inc. Calisolar also claims to have trade secrets and patents on processes related to silicon purification, crystallization, wafering, and cell processing that enable it to produce cells with efficiencies above 16 percent while using what Calisolar claims is lower-cost silicon than used for the more conventional Siemens purification method. Calisolar purifies silicon, casts the silicon into ingots, cuts the ingots into bricks using diamond saws, cuts the bricks into wafers using wire saws, and converts the wafers into solar cells through a series of steps to form the photovoltaic junction. The solar cells produced by Calisolar are shipped globally to manufacturers who assemble the cells into conventional aluminum-framed, glass-encapsulated solar modules (also known as solar panels) for use in installations for grid-tied electricity
Vaughan, Ontario
Vaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
, Canada; and R&D facilities in Berlin, Germany. Customers are located in all major solar markets around the world. Calisolar was founded in 2006 and acquired 6N Silicon in 2010.
Technology
Calisolar uses its own unique silicon purification process, which it obtained with the acquisition of 6N Silicon, Inc. Calisolar also claims to have trade secrets and patents on processes related to silicon purification, crystallization, wafering, and cell processing that enable it to produce cells with efficiencies above 16 percent while using what Calisolar claims is lower-cost silicon than used for the more conventional Siemens purification method. Calisolar purifies silicon, casts the silicon into ingots, cuts the ingots into bricks using diamond saws, cuts the bricks into wafers using wire saws, and converts the wafers into solar cells through a series of steps to form the photovoltaic junction. The solar cells produced by Calisolar are shipped globally to manufacturers who assemble the cells into conventional aluminum-framed, glass-encapsulated solar modules (also known as solar panels) for use in installations for grid-tied electricity
Company History
Founded in 2006, Calisolar began commercial solar cell shipments and acquired 6N Silicon, Inc. in 2010. During that same year, the company opened a new cell manufacturing facility in Sunnyvale, California, completed its first >1MW installation, and obtained IEC and UL certification for industry-standard solar modules manufactured using Calisolar cells.See also
- Solar energy
- Photovoltaics companies
- PhotovoltaicsPhotovoltaicsPhotovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...