INPESolar cells for the China-Brazil satellite: 26% energy efficiency rateINPE
The solar energy generator for the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS-4), responsible for capturing sunlight and converting it into electricity, and essential to the operation of all the satellite’s systems and subsystems, was shipped to China in May 2014.“The technology used to manufacture the triple junction solar cells produces an energy efficiency rate of 26%,” says Antônio Carlos de Oliveira Pereira Junior, CBERS program coordinator. This means that much more energy can be generated by the same area covered by the solar cells. The generator, which covers more than 16 square meters, weighs only 55 kilograms and was manufactured by Cenic and Orbital, two companies based in the city of São José dos Campos. “Cenic built the generator’s structure and Orbital handled the electrical aspects that involve mounting the solar cells onto the panel,” says Pereira. The CBERS-4 is scheduled for launch in December 2014.
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