Construction has been completed on Tokai University’s solar car equipped with Sharp solar cells boasting the highest level of conversion efficiency in the world. The Tokai Challenger solar car is equipped with Sharp compound solar cells developed for outer space applications. The cells have an output of 1.8 kW and a cell conversion efficiency of 30%, the highest level in the world. Sharp is the only manufacturer whose solar cells are approved for use by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
A team from Tokai University will use this solar car in the Global Green Challenge, one of the world’s largest solar car races, to be held from October 24 to 31, 2009. Sharp will continue pushing forward with R&D on compound solar cells, in addition to crystalline and thin-film solar cells, which are currently sharp’s main solar power products.