The demonstrator, part the Kuwaiti government's Shagaya Renewable Energy Project (SREP), is slated to be switched on in June 2016.

“CIS modules are particularly well-suited for tough conditions such as in the desert in Kuwait [because they] are less affected by high temperatures, as indicated by their lower temperature coefficient," says Solar Frontier Europe managing director Wolfgang Lange.

"When all of the real-world performance advantages of CIS are combined, the result is higher energy yield – or kilowatt-hours per kilowatt-peak – compared to crystalline silicon."