IBM's green push not limited to data centres

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 17 June 2008 03:24

IT Industry - Strategy

IBM is continuing its green campaign with moves into solar panel technology, water management, and extensions to its Project Big Green aimed at data centre efficiency.

The company has announced it is working with Tokyo Ohka Kogyo (TOK) on solar panel production technology and establishing a Centre of Excellence for Water Management in Dublin.

The solar project is a joint development of processes, materials, and equipment suitable for the production of thin-film CIGS (Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenide) solar cell modules.

This technology has the potential to make solar power more competitive. Manufacturing processes developed by IBM Research could result in solar cell efficiencies of 15 percent or better, compared with the current range of 6 to 12 percent.

"Our goal is to develop more efficient photovoltaic structures that would reduce the cost, minimize the complexity, and improve the flexibility of producing solar electric power," said Tze-Chiang Chen, IBM vice president of science and technology, IBM Research.

Thin-film solar cells are potentially cheaper than silicon-wafer cells, and could be produced on a flexible backing for ease of installation.

What about the water? See page 2.