Yingli, Amtech partner in next-gen solar efficiency research

China's Yingli Green Energy (NYSE:YGE), Amtech Systems (Nasdaq:ASYS) and the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands are putting triple power into a research collaboration announced today to develop next-generation high efficiency solar cells.

The joint project is intended to help develop and implement high efficiency N-type solar cells, codenamed “Panda” by the three, at Yingli’s pilot production line in Baoding, China.

Yingli is a vertically integrated photovoltaic manufacturer, while Tempe, Ariz.-based Amtech supplies production and automation systems for solar cell manufacturers on a global level.

“Panda aims at significantly raising the efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells and at commercializing the new technology quickly on our production lines,” said Yingli’s CEO Liansheng Miao in a news release.

Designed at the Netherlands research center, the Panda cell is expected to use solar diffusion technology and dry phosphosilicate glass removal expertise of Tempress Systems, a solar subsidiary of Amtech, as well as Yingli’s cell process technology.

Construction of the pilot production line is not expected to be a major capital expense. Only moderate changes to existing production lines are to be needed, the companies said.

In March, Yingli partnered with the Longjitaihe Industry Group to make multicrystalline silicon solar cells. Longjitaihe invested RMB 4.2 billion ($627 million) in the joint venture (see Yingli, Longjitaih partner on new 600MW solar cell maker).

Yingli also signed a deal to supply 15 megawatts of PV modules to Germany's Goldbeck Solar in January. Under the contract, Goldbeck could purchase an additional 58 megawatts of panels in 2009 (see Yingli signs 15 MW solar module deal with German installer).