JDSU purchases QuantaSol technology to boost CPV efficiency

As the market for concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) heats up, more companies are entering into it and working to advance their technology quickly. For instance, JDSU (NASDAQ: JDSU) acquired multiple quantum well technology patents from QuantaSol to increase the efficiency of JDSU’s triple-junction CPV cells. 

JDSU is a manufacturer of communications and optical technologies, including lasers and testing technologies. It also has a unique Photonic Power Module, which transmits electricity over optical fibers. The company entered the CPV market recently. 

“We actually launched a CPV cell in September 2010,” said JDSU spokesperson Noël Bilodeau. 

The company’s entrance into the CPV market comes as it starts to grow, according to Jan-Gustav Werthen, JDSU’s senior director of photovoltaics. 

“CPV really only started to take off this calendar year,” he said. “It’s expected to grow this year and next year. We’re ready to meet that with our standard cell. The incorporation of this technology should allow us a good roadmap to efficiencies over 40 percent.” 

“We have long used quantum wells in our laser structure,” Werthen said. “We believe quantum wells have a place in making CPV solar cells.” 

The company will use the quantum wells to increase the efficiency of their multi-junction CPV cells, according to Werthen. 

“It’s a very unique and applicable way to tune the band gap of the top and middle cells,” he said. “It allows you to balance all the subcells better with the spectrum. Nature doesn't give us all the materials [to do so easily]. 

Incorporating quantum wells in the middle cells, will allow it to be more optimized, and in the top cells, too.” 

While the company already offers its CPV cells as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer), the cells that will use quantum wells won’t come to market immediately. 

“I don’t think we will be ready to demonstrate the first level of incorporation for about a year,” Werthen said. “What QuantaSol was able to demonstrate was that the technology was viable.” 

“Overall, we are definitely in this business to become a major player. That’s our goal,” Werthen said. “I believe this is technology that is helping us to make a quantum leap. There’s a long roadmap ahead of us where this technology keeps improving.”