Boeing enters solar-power market with high-efficiency cells

Boeing Co., the world's largest aerospace company, plans to deliver its first commercial scale high-efficiency solar-power cells for earth-based electricity production in January.

The concentrating solar photovoltaic cells, developed by Boeing's Spectrolab subsidiary for satellites and the international space station, can convert as much as 39.2 percent of sunlight into electricity, Chicago-based Boeing said today in a statement.

Spectrolab, which says its solar panels supply power for 60 percent of the satellites orbiting earth, plans to boost output of the higher-efficiency cells for land-based production. Efficiency may average 40 percent next year as improvements are made during production, Boeing said.

SunPower Corp., based in San Jose, California, in comparison says its 22 percent efficiency cells produce more power per square inch than all panels in commercial production.