Tokyo, June 19, 2007----SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (SANYO) announced today that it has broken its own record for the world's highest energy conversion efficiency in practical size (100 cm² or more) crystalline silicon-type solar cells, achieving a efficiency of 22% (until now 21.8%) at a research level for its proprietary HIT solar photovoltaic cells.

SANYO is pushing forward with the expansion of its solar business, based on its Brand Vision 'Think GAIA', and aims to realize a clean energy society. SANYO announced the "Next Generation Program for HIT Solar Cells" ^*4 last year, with its goal of becoming a top-level business in the global solar industry by FY2010.

The increase in the solar cell conversion efficiency this time is accompanied by significant advances in lowering the production cost of the photovoltaic system and the reduction in the use of raw materials such as silicon.

This achievement by SANYO represents the first time that a photovoltaic manufacturer has broken through the 22% mark in conversion efficiency at the research-level for practical-sized solar cells, and further cements the leadership of SANYO's HIT solar cell which is renowned for its high conversion efficiency.
For now on SANYO will continue to advance its efforts into applying this research-level achievement into mass production, and promote further research into energy efficiency, as well as reductions in cost and materials.

*1 HIT (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin layer) solar cell is composed of a single thin crystalline silicon wafer surrounded by ultra-thin amorphous silicon layers. This product provides industry-leading performance and value using state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques.
*2 As of June 19, 2007 (according to in-house surveys)
*3 Evaluation results provided by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), an energy conversion efficiency public certification body
*4 A business expansion strategy to more than triple the solar photovoltaic cell business by FY2010 compared to 2005 levels, through active investment and diversification, most importantly:
1. An investment of a total of over 40 billion yen and an increase in production capacity to over 600MW by FY2010
2. The aim to increase the energy conversion efficiency of mass-produced HIT solar cells to over 22% by FY2010

The structure of the HIT solar cell is such that it has a feature that can reduce recombination loss^*5 of the electrical element (charged carrier) ^*6 by surrounding the energy generation layer of single thin crystalline silicon (c-Si) with high quality ultra-thin amorphous silicon (a-Si) layers. This time SANYO developed two special technologies, one for cleaning the c-Si surface and the other for protecting the c-Si surface from damage during construction of the a-Si layer. The result was an increase in the open circuit voltage (Voc) ^*7 from 0.718V to 0.722V.

Sunlight that hits the solar cell surface is guided in through the texture of the micron order^*8 on the surface of the cell. This time, the size and the shape of the texture was optimized and the short circuit current (Isc) ^*9 was improved from 38.37mA/cm² to 38.64mA/cm².

Diagram of the elemental technology

*5 Recombination loss occurs when the negative electron and positive hole (carriers) that are produced within the solar cell combine and disappear, causing a loss in the electrical current produced by the cell and hence a decrease in the overall output of the solar cell.
*6 Charged carriers are electrical particles, consisting of electrons (negative charge) and electron holes (positive charge).
*7 Open circuit voltage (Voc) is the maximum voltage produced by the solar cell.
*8 The texture, which is of micron order size, is a technology that gives the surface an uneven composition, thereby ensuring the maximum amount of incoming light enters the solar cell and the least amount is lost through reflection.
*9 The short circuit current (Isc) is the maximum current that can be produced by the solar cell.

Open circuit voltage (Voc)	0.722V
Short circuit current (Isc)	3.872A (38.64mA/cm2)
Fill factor (FF)*10	78.8%
Cell energy conversion efficiency	22.0%
Cell size	100.2cm2

*10 The fill factor is the total output divided by the product of Voc and Isc (Voc x Isc)

Global Communications Department
Corporate Communications Headquarters
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.

Tel: +81-3-6414-8615 Fax: +81-3-6414-8720
E-mail: i_press.1014390@sanyo.co.jp
URL: http://www.sanyo.com