The Kunitomi plant, which opened in April, began exporting 150-watt (W) copper-­indium-selenium­ (CIS) modules last month.

Solar Frontier claims the modules have a 12.2% effici­ency — higher than First Solar’s ­cadmium- telluride­ panels — and the company plans to improve that.

In testing, it set a CIS record with a 17.2%-efficient 30sq-cm sub-module, and it says it will roll those ­pro­cess improvements into its production lines en route to building a 14%-efficient­ 170W module in 2014.

Chief