Boeing's new high-concentration PV solar system

Boeing formed a partnership with SES for the commercialization of the XR700 technology to concentrates sunlight a factor of 700 onto triple-junction solar cells

Boeing is close to commercializing the new XR700 high concentration photovoltaic system which it began developing in 2007, supported by the Solar Energy Technologies Program of the U.S. Department of Energy.

The development phase of this new technology has still not been completed, and over the next two years it will include the development of a 100 kW prototype in Northridge (California).

Its commercial distribution is expected to begin by 2012, and to this end the aerospace company has formed a partnership with Stirling Energy Systems (SES), a company specializing in an innovative modular concentrating solar power technology (the SunCatcher solar dish engine system), already commercialized for isolated small plants and before the end of the year the first major industrial projects are scheduled to start .

SES will lead the commercialization process of the XR700, while Tessera Solar - a subsidiary of SES, also controlled by the Irish Group NTR – will be in charge of the final industrial development, construction and facility management phase.

The XR700 technology uses a non-optical system to concentrate sunlight by a factor of approximately 700 onto highly efficient triple-junction solar cells developed by Spectrolab. To be noted that this company (a subsidiary of Boeing) achieved in 2009 the world record for concentrator solar cell efficiency (41.6%).

Boeing has already built a facility in Detroit to manufacture the new cells, with a 2 MW per year capacity, to be used at the Northridge prototype plant, whose construction works will begin during the next few weeks. It is expected to become operational by September.


(April 2010)