International Solar Electric Technology
Encyclopedia
International Solar Electric Technology, or ISET, is a company heavily invested in copper indium gallium selenide
(CIGS) photovoltaics
. ISET's research
over two decades has been largely funded by grants from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
. Members helped found or worked in many of the more well known CIGS companies, such as Nanosolar
, Solopower
, Showa, and Honda Soltec. Despite a lack of venture capital, ISET plans to launch a thin film, produced in a new Chatsworth plant with hundreds of megawatts per year capacity after the pilot plant is proven. The company believes they will be able to at first achieve 10% efficient modules sold for $0.65 cents per watt, then 15% efficient for $0.50 per watt, and potentially ultimately as low as $0.40 per watt (a tenth of current prices).
Copper indium gallium selenide
Copper indium gallium selenide is a I-III-VI2 semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. The material is a solid solution of copper indium selenide and copper gallium selenide...
(CIGS) photovoltaics
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics 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...
. ISET's research
over two decades has been largely funded by grants from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory , located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility; it is funded through...
. Members helped found or worked in many of the more well known CIGS companies, such as Nanosolar
Nanosolar
Nanosolar is a developer of solar power technology. Based in San Jose, CA, Nanosolar has developed and commercialized a low-cost printable solar cell manufacturing process. The company started selling panels mid-December 2007, and plans to sell them at around $1 per watt...
, Solopower
SoloPower
SoloPower is a solar energy company developing and manufacturing Copper indium gallium selenide Thin-film flexible Photo-voltaic Solar Panels...
, Showa, and Honda Soltec. Despite a lack of venture capital, ISET plans to launch a thin film, produced in a new Chatsworth plant with hundreds of megawatts per year capacity after the pilot plant is proven. The company believes they will be able to at first achieve 10% efficient modules sold for $0.65 cents per watt, then 15% efficient for $0.50 per watt, and potentially ultimately as low as $0.40 per watt (a tenth of current prices).