Solarmer Energy, Inc. has recently achieved a new world record of 8.13% for their organic photovoltaic (OPV) cell efficiency, certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Solarmer, a leading developer of polymer-based OPV technology, has now broken the efficiency record for the fourth consecutive time, all in last two years. In 2009 alone, Solarmer produced three certified world records – 6.8%, 7.6% and 7.9%.

This new world record is made possible through the efforts of the R&D team, led by Dr. Jianhui Hou, director of research, who developed new poly

mers for higher efficiency. Dr. Yue Wu, managing director, is very pleased with the result. "The team has done it again. This is an important milestone for our company, and it gives us confidence that we are on the right path to OPV commercialization."

"Going beyond 8% - a psychological barrier for the OPV industry, is an important step forward for both Solarmer and the solar energy industry," said Woolas Hsieh, president of the company. "This confirms OPV technology is on the right course to become a cost effective and competitive technology. We are very proud to be the first company to surpass this 8% barrier. We would like to expand our partnership with other companies, who have expertise in production technology, packaging, and other areas, to bring OPVs to the market. Our next target is to reach 10% efficiency by the end of 2011."

Dr. Gang Li, vice president of engineering, will be attending this year's SPIE Conference on August 1st in San Diego, California, to announce this recent achievement.