nVizix - Technology, Products, Markets
- Technology derived from proven detectors widely used in medicine and in accelerator physics research
- Projected efficiency: 40-55% (theoretical 87%)
- Partner with OEMs to integrate cells/panels into products
- Markets include:
- Consumer electronics,
- Mobile devices,
- Wearable electronics home solar panels,
- Commercial solar panels/farms,
- Utilities solar farms,
- Automotive and public transportation
Large and Growing Market + nVizix Advantage ⇒ High Market Share + New Markets
Solar Cell Technology: Current State
- Silicon PN junction type: max efficiency 20-25% (theoretical 32%)
- Requires crystalline Silicon, limited by size and cost of Silicon wafers and their processing
- Thin Film type:
- Amorphous Silicon: 10%
- Thin Film CIGS (Copper-Indium-Gallium di-Selenide): 11.4%
- Thin Film Cadmium Telluride: 12%
Current Technology/Products: Low Efficiency ⇒ Large Area Required
Standard Silicon Solar Cell/Panel
- Typical Commercial Silicon Example:
Hebei Zhongming Energy & Technology Co., Ltd. - Uninstalled Panel: $1.27 USD/Watt
- Cell Efficiency: 17%
- Panel Efficiency: 14%
- Individual cells assembled into arrays → Tiling Inefficiency
- Fundamental price limitations → Price of Silicon, wafering, fabrication
- "Return On Energy" (ROE) is 4 years → nVizix: ROE is 6 months
- Installation Area Required Per Watt → > 2x more area than nVizix
Today’s panels: Low Efficiency, High Cost, Large Area, Long Return-On-Energy (ROE)
nVizix Technology – Patent Pending
- Derived from devices used in medicine, night-vision, and R&D instruments
- Low cost ultra-thin film emits electrons
- nVizix invention: Electrons collected for power rather than detection/imaging
- nVizix invention: High efficiency and high electron harvesting yield
- Leverages low cost manufacturing developed for flat panel displays
- nVizix invention solar efficiency: 40% to 55% (theoretical: 87%)
nVizix: High Efficiency, Low Cost, Compact Area, Short Return-On-Energy (ROE)
nVizix – Intrinsic Advantages
- nVizix microcells respond to a wider range of wavelengths than silicon and other semiconductor-based solar cells
- In particular, a higher responsivity to infrared contributes to the higher efficiency as well as utility in special environments with limited visible light input
- nVizix microcells are intrinsically radiation-hard, increasing their lifetime in platforms that are subject to a greater level of radiation (such as in space)
- A boost in responsivity is realized in nVizix microcells due to local heating (thermionic emission) stimulating additional electrical currents
nVizix microcells have wider spectral response and are radiation hard
nVizix – Performance Metrics
Current technology:
- Theoretical Silicon single junction efficiency: 32%
- Practical silicon cell efficiency: max 20-25%
- Typical low cost thin-film (CIGS, amorphous Si, CdTe) efficiency: 10-12%
nVizix:
- Theoretical efficiency: 87%
- Practical efficiency: 40-55%
- Based on mature technology with proven lifetime > 20 years
- Radiation hard technology
When area is at a premium, like an existing roof, or the back of an iPad® or iPhone®—Efficiency Rules!
nVizix Technology is Low Cost
- Materials for the nVizix Microcell: $11-12/m2
- Compare to crystalline Silicon >$400/m2
- Time of solar exposure to recoup energy used for nVizix cell manufacture: ~6-8 months (Return On Energy – ROE)
- Compare to 4+ years ROE for Silicon
- Tooling for nVizix panels: similar or identical to flat panel display (FPD) factory equipment
nVizix Technology Advantages:
- Large substrate selection ⇒ lower cost and no area limitation
- Very high cell fill-factor on panels
nVizix Cells/Panels Use Standard Tooling
nVizix Technology Advantages:
- Fabrication adapted from existing large flat panel display (FPD) technology ⇒ Standard tooling, integrated fabrication, large volume production
- nVizix panels are much less complex than FPDs – far fewer steps, simpler process sequence, standard fabrication + N/MEMS tooling
nVizix - The Better Choice
Existing Competition:
- Crystalline Silicon
- Expensive
- CIGS, Amorphous Si, CdTe
- Low efficiency
- Short lifetime
nVizix:
- Higher performance: 2x Efficiency
- More Power / Less Area
- Lower costs
- Greater applicability
- Proven long life + Radiation hard
- Efficiency - New applications: Portable power for mobile devices and systems