Silevo isn’t the only company to produce high-efficiency solar cells. A version made by Panasonic is just as efficient, and SunPower makes ones that are significantly more so (see “Record-Breaking Solar Cell Points the Way the Cheaper Solar Power”]. But Silevo claims it could make its panels as cheaply as conventional ones if it can scale up from its current production capacity of 32 megawatts to the factory Musk has planned, which is expected to produce 1,000 megawatts or more.
At first, we will examine the efficiency of solar panels produced by different manufacturers, then we will discuss the meaning of solar panel efficiency, and finally we'll do some thinking about the future of R&D in the Chinese solar industry.
Busting The Myth About Chinese Solar Panels - SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR) | Seeking Alpha