ABOUT US
KOPEL's parent company, Kyoshin Electric Co., Ltd., was founded in 1948 in Kyoto, Japan.
Since its founding, we have specialized in developing customized products that thoroughly incorporate customer requirements.
KOPEL is our original brand specifically focused on solar cell inspection equipment.
Nicolaus Copernicus, the namesake of our brand, captured phenomena objectively without being bound by common sense and reached the truth of the heliocentric theory.
KOPEL inherits this same spirit, facing customer needs head-on while providing innovative technologies and products to the world that are not bound by conventional ideas.
As a Pioneer Providing Innovative Technology in Solar Cells
In the field of solar cells, intense development competition to improve conversion efficiency continues.
New cell structures are being created one after another through researchers' sophisticated ideas, and high-precision measurement technology is required to evaluate them correctly.
Based on precision analog measurement technology cultivated over many years, KOPEL began developing probing technology for solar cells in 2004.
Since then, for over 20 years, we have continued R&D of solar cell IV inspection systems, advancing our products alongside technological evolution.
From cell probing to module evaluation, we provide optimal solutions for any challenge through customization technology.
HISTORY
| April 1948 | Founded Kyoshin Electric Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| 1952 | Developed Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) inspection equipment |
| 1965 | Developed high-voltage power supplies for electrostatic precipitators in highway tunnels |
| 2002 | Developed and mass-produced high-speed aging drive devices for plasma panels |
| 2004 | Developed probe bars for solar cell IV measurement |
| 2007 | Developed IV testers for solar cells |
| 2010 | Joined the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) PV Cell/Module Measurement Technology R&D Consortium |
| 2013 | Developed IV inspection systems for high-efficiency solar cells |
| 2020 | Developed FSS probe bars for BBL cells |
| 2022 | Developed FSS 4 precision 4-terminal probe bars for BBL cells |
| 2023 | Developed 2-channel FSS 4 Double for BBL half-cut cells |
PHILOSOPHY
KOPEL's Philosophy
KOPEL first entered the solar cell field in 2004.
It started when we received concerns from domestic manufacturers such as "cells are cracking" and "measurement results are unstable."
We value "Sangenshugi" (The Three Realities) — visiting the actual site, looking at the actual objects, and correctly understanding what is happening.
By looking closely at challenges together with our customers and repeatedly prototyping, we sought the optimal solution.
In that process, we created a tool with a new concept called the "probe bar," which didn't even have a name at the time.
By having a structure where the bar itself conducts electricity, measurement reproducibility was significantly improved, and the issue of cell cracking was also resolved. This idea has been passed down to the current latest FSS 4 probe bar.
And at the root of KOPEL's manufacturing is the spirit of Copernicus, the namesake of our brand.
"An attitude of looking at the truth without being bound by common sense" — such an inquisitive spirit is the driving force of our technological development.
Valuing the site. And opening up the future with a new perspective like Copernicus.
Cherishing these two principles, KOPEL will continue to create optimal solutions together with our customers.