ipvea_news_5_eupvsec_online

SOLAR TRADE

SHOW CALENDAR

2009/10

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

877 2,824

7,591

843

2,7985,189

14,080

1,326

6,723 6,295

21,717

2,044

13,065

7,050

30,569

2,428

16,757

8,375

34,104

2,949

20,567

10,000

36,849

2007

2008 2009e

2010e 2011e

2012e

announced capacity thin f ilm 877

2,798 6,723

13,065 16,757

20,567

announced capacity crystalline 7,591

14,080 21,717

30,569 34,104

36,849

production forecast thin f ilm 368

843 1,326

2,044 2,428

2,949

production forecast crystalline 2,824

5,189 6,295

7,050 8,375

10,000

LATEST PV MARKET FORECASTBY EuPD RESEARCH

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION - THE WORLDWIDE VOICE FOR THE PV EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

ALSO INSIDE…INDUSTRY BUZZObama Makes Solar Visit; Oerlikon Solar Tops Supplier List; Latest Partnership Deals Involving IPVEA Members

INSIDE IPVEAIPVEA Endorses US Show – Solar Power International; Member Survey Confirms Association Mission, Agenda; Technology Committee Assembling ‘Roadmap’

TECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGHSCutting-edge advancements in PV efficiency / output

and more…

NEWPRODUCTSLATEST EQUIPMENT FROMIPVEA MEMBERS

BRITISH MARKET SPOTLIGHTAS THE RECESSION HITS, LOW- COST ORGANIC SOLAR CELLS SHINE. BY PLASTIC ELECTRONICS

WHO’S MAKING WHATBREAKDOWN OF TYPE OF CELL / MODULE TECHNOLOGY SUPPLIERS

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION - THE WORLDWIDE VOICE FOR THE PV EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009

PVNEWS

IPVEA PHOTOVOLTAIC PRODUCTION WORKSHOP

AT EU PVSEC

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009

NEWSLETTER ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009 INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

PAGE 3 IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009

ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

WELCOMEDear IPVEA Members and Industry Colleagues,

Welcome to the summer edition of the IPVEA Newsletter. Thank you again to our members for participating in the recent IPVEA member’s survey. In regards to how members felt about their Association and its communications products, it was clear that all of you are happy with your association.

Many interesting ideas also came out of the survey as well as good indicators of what events to support in 2010. This data will be further discussed within the Executive Board and the conclusions will soon be available in the “Members Only” section of the IPVEA website, and via our Member e-mail updates.

Wishing you all a great summer!

Bryan Ekus, Managing Director International Photovoltaic Equipment Association

Like to have your say? The IPVEA would love to hear your news, please e-mail [email protected]

NEWSLETTER Produced by IPVEA www.ipvea.com

EUROPE ADDRESSIPVEA, P.O. Box 1610, D-63406 Hanau, GermanyMobile: +1 49 1577 682 7926

US ADDRESSIPVEA, P.O. Box 771507 Orlando, Florida 32877, USATel: +1 407 856 9100Fax: +1 407 856 9500Mobile: +1 407 733 1901

Editor in Chief: Bryan [email protected]

Managing Editor: Larry [email protected]

Design: Doubletake Design [email protected]

Cover image courtesy of Manz Automation AG

Have you any interesting images for use in the newsletter? Please send to [email protected]

COVE

R IM

AGE

INDUSTRY BUZZ 03Obama Makes Solar Visit; Oerlikon Solar Tops Supplier List

BUZZ LITE 04Latest Partnership Deals Involving IPVEA Members

PRODUCT BRIEFS 06ACI-EcoTek; Dek Solar; TeamTechnik; Innolas; Reis, Rofin; Stangl, Dr. Schenk, KUKA Systems, LPKF

TECH BREAKTHROUGHS 09Oerlikon Solar Announces Thin Film Efficiency/Power Output Record; Pasan Develops Solar Panel Tester for Satellite; and Swiss Mountain Restaurant Solar Station

MEMBER CHART OF WHO’S MAKING WHAT 12Breakdown of Type of Cell/Module Technology Suppliers

INDUSTRY CALENDAR 14Upcoming solar trade shows around the world through April 2010

UK MARKET SPOTLIGHT 18Feature Article: As Recession Bites Manufacturing, Low-Cost Organic Cells Shine, Reports Plastic Electronics

INSIDE IPVEA 20IPVEA Endorses US Show – Solar Power International; Member Survey Confirms Association Mission, Agenda;

Technology Committee Assembling ‘Roadmap’

MARKET DATA 22EuPD Forecast: Thin Film Will Account for 23% of Global PV Market by 2010

INDUSTRY BUZZ

PRESIDENT VISITS MILITARY BASE’S PV ARRAY, LARGEST INSTALLATION IN THE USUS President Barack Obama made good on his campaign promise of pushing solar energy as part of his agenda, as he visited Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada May 27 to view the nation’s largest photovoltaic array.

“Right now, we’re standing near the largest solar electric plant of its kind in the entire Western Hemisphere,” President Obama said following a tour of Nellis’ 14-megawatt solar photovoltaic array. “More than 72,000 solar panels built on part of an old landfill provide 25 percent of the electricity for the 12,000 people who live and work here at Nellis. That’s the equivalent of powering about 13,200 homes during the day. It’s a project that will save the U.S. Air Force, which is the largest consumer of energy in the federal government, nearly $1 million a year.”

“This base serves as a shining example of what’s possible when we harness the power of clean, renewable energy to build a new, firmer foundation for economic growth,” the president continued as he addressed a crowd of more than 450 airmen, civilians and community leaders.

Obama touted Nellis as a solar program that can serve as a model for cities and states across America. “We’ll invest in the development and deployment of solar technology wherever it can thrive and we’ll find the best ways to integrate solar power into our electric grid,” he added.

OERLIKON SOLAR TOPS VLSI LIST OF SOLAR TURNKEY LINE SUPPLIERSBy Tom Cheyney, Courtesy of Photovoltaics International www.pv-tech.org

Oerlikon Solar maintained a comfortable lead in 2008 among solar turnkey manufacturing line providers in rankings released by VLSI Research.

Centrotherm took over the second-place slot from Roth & Rau, which

dropped to the sixth position, while Gebr. Schmid GmbH, Ulvac , and

Applied Materials rounded out the top five.

Oerlikon Solar saw its turnkey business revenues nearly triple year over year, going from (US)$250 million in 2007 to $580 million last year, according to the survey. Andrew Thomas, a VLSI Research analyst, explained that the company “was first to market with a large-scale turnkey solution for silicon thin-film-on-glass technology, and they definitely benefited in 2008 from the first-mover advantage.”

He pointed out that Oerlikon Solar continues to announce new contracts and expects the company to profit further as existing customers seek to upgrade to its tandem-junction a-Si technology and to expand manufacturing capacity in the future, despite challenging economic conditions.

The research firm attributes Centrotherm’s purchase of GP Solar as a contributing factor to the PV turnkey supplier’s move up the rankings list. The acquisition allowed the company to build up a formidable product range and provide turnkey solutions for both module and cell lines, helping drive its revenues in the space from $66 million in 2007 to $174 million in 2008.

Schmid finished third with sales of $140 million in 2008 for its cell and module lines, the market research firm said.

Applied Materials entered the turnkey market for the first time in 2008 with its SunFab silicon thin-film-on-glass line, finishing fifth in the rankings while garnering $106 million during the year. Other thin-film PV processes are now a part of its turnkey offerings spectrum as well. Centrotherm has added a CIGS-on-glass platform to its product suite, while Roth & Rau will soon offer a CdTe line to its customers.

Roth & Rau’s turnkey revenues from its silicon wafer-based cell manufacturing lines rose from $78 million to $101 million, according to VLSI Research’s data.

Turnkey PV manufacturing lines are a particularly attractive way for companies with little or no experience in the PV industry to enter the market, says VLSI Research, and the relative ease of financing before 2009 has fueled rapid growth in the sector.

Other turnkey silicon and thin-film PV cell and module production line suppliers include Spire, GT Solar, 3S Swiss Solar, Kuka, OTB Solar, Amelio Solar, and Ulvac.

www.vlsiresearch.com

President Barack Obama, Col. Dave Belote, 99th Air Base Wing commander, and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., tour the Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., photovoltaic array here, May 27. As the largest solar energy field in the Western Hemisphere, the PVA has over 72,000 solar panels which save the base approximately $1 million a year in energy costs. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nadine Y. Barclay).


ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009 INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION


INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009 ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009 ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009

BUZZ LITE!BUZZ LITE!EU PV TECH PLATFORM IN VIENNA CONVENED IN JUNEThe EU Photovoltaic (PV) Technology Platform held its Fourth General Assembly on 19 June 2009, in Vienna, Austria. The event provided an overview of the current PV sector, including EU and national policies, market development, an update on research and technology and also a review of PV in developing countries.

Representatives of the EU Institutions as well as the Austrian Federal Ministries delivered speeches at the conference, which attracted more than 200 attendees. Participants included individuals from the research institutions and CEOs from Europe’s leading PV companies, as well as members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Austrian Federal Ministries.

TARGRAY, PEAK SIGN LONG-TERM EXCLUSIVE DEALTargray Technology International announced that it has signed a long-term partnership agreement with Peak Sun Materials for the exclusive supply of the highest quality Phosphorus Oxychloride (POCl3) to the solar industry. POCl3 is a high-purity liquid Phosphorus used as an N-Type dopant for silicon wafers. Under the terms of the agreement, Targray is now the exclusive supplier of Peak Sun’s POCl3 to the North American, European, Indian and Australian solar markets.

“Peak Sun is not only committed to manufacturing the best POCl3; the Five-Star grade has even lower levels of trace elements than the standard grade,” states Jack Bardakjian, Targray product manager. “For manufacturers, this means better bin distribution, improved minority carrier lifetimes which contribute to higher efficiencies and a lower manufacturing cost per watt.”

www.peaksunsilicon.com

www.targray.com.

SEMILAB ACQUIRES AMS & QC SOLUTIONSMetrology company Semilab has acquired Advanced Metrology Systems (AMS) and QC Solutions. The two Massachusetts, US-based metrology companies enhance Semilab’s family of scalable, flexible solutions to help semiconductor and solar researchers and manufacturers characterize materials to reduce costs and increase yields, Semilab says.

“With these acquisitions, we are expanding our ability to provide a full set of metrology solutions to support basic material characterization in everything from R&D settings to fully automated production lines,” states Dr. Tibor Pavelka, one of the founders and president and CEO of Semilab. “Semilab receives the benefit of their technologies and intellectual property, and we can combine product lines to better meet the needs of our customers.”

AMS offers extendable, scalable metrology platforms and solutions for fast and detailed characterization of three-dimensional etched structures, including high-aspect-ratio contacts and trenches, metal film thickness on product wafers; and high-speed online mapping of low-k material properties.

QC Solutions offers patented, non-contact, non-destructive systems for the fast, accurate and repeatable measurement of the electrical properties of epitaxial and implanted silicon wafers. QC Solutions will also become part of Semilab AMS.

www.semilab.hu

MN GOVERNOR VISITS VEECO CELL FACILITY Tim Pawlenty, US Governor of Minnesota, visited Veeco’s St. Paul facility on May 8.

Veeco is a leading manufacturer of equipment for the solar industry. The Governor was interested in learning about Veeco’s recent business growth as a key Minnesota employer focused on green energy technology. Veeco’s St. Paul workforce grew by 22% to 85 last year along with a 40% growth in the business’ revenues. The growth is expected to continue as renewable energy technologies take hold.

Governor Pawlenty toured Veeco’s 115,000 square foot facility, learning about the company’s technology and equipment that enable manufacture of thin film solar cells. Pawlenty met with company

management and employees to discuss the benefits of Veeco’s equipment and the products that are made by Veeco’s customers. Veeco’s products are critical “building blocks” used to the manufacture CIGS (copper, indium, gallium, selenium) based solar cells in mass production, producing low cost, high efficiency solar panels. Veeco sells its equipment to many of the world’s leading manufacturers of CIGS solar cells.

www.veeco.com

SPIRE ADDS RUDOLPH ANALYZERS TO LINESSpire Corporation, a global solar company providing turnkey solar factories and capital equipment to manufacture photovoltaic (PV) modules worldwide, and Rudolph Technologies, Inc., a leader in process characterization solutions for semiconductor and photovoltaic manufacturing, announced recently they have reached an agreement to include Rudolph’s Discover Solar yield analysis and process management software as part of Spire’s turnkey manufacturing product lines.

“Rudolph’s Discover Solar Software provides all the process information to our solar cell production lines. It will allow our customers to bring new lines up to profitable yields and volumes even faster than they can now,” said Dr. Avishai Kepten, Vice President of Solar Cell Lines of Spire Corporation. “Customers will be able to achieve higher average cell efficiencies and reduce manufacturing costs. Discover Solar software will give our customers a competitive edge.”

“We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with Spire,” said Mike Plisinski, Vice President and General Manager of Rudolph’s Data Analysis business. “Discover Solar Software is the first yield management tool specifically designed to help PV manufacturers to maximize the efficiency of their cell devices, as well as optimize their production processes.”

www.spirecorp.com www.rudolphtech.com

Gunter Ziegenbalg, Managing Director Signet Solar and Michael Dobler, Managing Director of Dr. Schenk at the 4th Photovoltaic Technology Show in Munich in early March.

Governor Pawlenty addresses Veeco management and employees.

DR. SCHENK INTEGRATED IN SIGNET’S SUNFAB LINE Metrology solutions from Dr. Schenk GmbH will be integrated into the Applied SunFab Thin Film Line for PV modules of Signet Solar.

With the start of mass production, Germany-based Signet Solar is the worldwide first manufacturer of thin film solar modules who will benefit from the reliable Schenk quality and process control systems in a SunFab line.

Although having started as customer no. 5 of the new Applied SunFab Line, Signet had been the first to successfully turn the ramp up into high volume manufacturing of large-area modules. This success is based on Signet’s superior know-how and strategy. Now, the next step has to be taken in order to stay ahead of the competition.

“The mass production identifies problems that can only be overcome by integrating additional inline metrology. We do not want to run the line in blind flight, therefore we decided to monitor the process, to further improve it and to control the quality of our modules with the solutions of the market leader Dr. Schenk,” says Gunter Ziegenbalg, managing director of Signet Solar.

www.drschenk.com www.signetsolar.com

SPIRE, GLORIA SOLAR TO DISSOLVE JOINT VENTURESpire Corporation, a global solar company providing turnkey solar factories and capital equipment to manufacture photovoltaic (PV) modules worldwide, and Gloria Solar Co., Ltd., of Tainan, Taiwan, a leader in PV module manufacturing, announced today that they have reached an agreement to liquidate their Joint Venture, Gloria Spire Solar, LLC, which performed PV systems integration within the US.

Over the past several months, with the pause in the market for PV systems, Spire and Gloria reassessed their strategies for their respective solar product lines and reached the decision that the best course of action was to dissolve GSS. The companies agreed to an allocation of the remaining assets of GSS including cash, after all liabilities have been paid. Each company will also receive a share of project leads. Spire Solar Systems will continue to support the current customer base.

Spire will re-establish this business as “Spire Solar Systems,” which will continue to provide PV

systems integration for the US market. Spire Solar Systems will be located at Spire’s headquarters in Bedford, Massachusetts. To maintain continuity with the existing client base, it will be staffed by several key employees from GSS and will operate under Stephen Hogan, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Spire Corporation, as acting CEO of Spire Solar Systems.

“This new direction will free Spire to develop new opportunities emerging rapidly in the US systems market, stimulated by the federal funding,” said Roger G. Little, Chairman and CEO of Spire Corporation. “Also, Spire Solar Systems can provide an outlet for modules manufactured by our turnkey module line customers. Additionally we can provide systems design, training, and integration services to these customers. This approach supports our overall strategy of encouraging distributed local module manufacturing.”

www.spirecorp.com www.gloriaspire.com

3S DELIVERS FIRST TURNKEY INDIAN PRODUCTION LINE3S Swiss Solar Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of 3S Industries AG, delivered its first semi-automatic production line, 25MW to Emmvee Photovoltaics, of Gangangar, Bangalore, four months after it was ordered.

3S reported that three more Indian companies have currently placed orders for a turnkey production line for solar modules or are about to sign a contract.

Emmvee has now begun manufacturing highly efficient modules made of crystalline and metallurgic solar cells in for the global market, and has already ordered the machines necessary to expand the line to 50MW.

The new line at Emmvee comprises an automatic string soldering station from Somont, a laminating line from 3S Swiss Solar Systems and a module tester from Pasan.

www.3-s.ch

DR. SCHENK PICKS JAPANESE PARTNER FOR SALES & SERVICEDr. Schenk GmbH, a leader in thin film metrology, is now intensifying its efforts to win the Japanese market by assigning Mediken Inc. to strengthen the brand’s presence in Japan and support the company with local sales and service functions.

Mediken Inc. distributes measurement equipment and offers services to the manufacturers of semiconductor, flat panel, optical media and recently thin film PV products.

The cooperation between the two firms was officially announced at PV Japan 2009 (June 24- 26, Makuhari, Chiba) where Mediken Inc. and Dr. Schenk GmbH presented metrology solutions for the solar industry side by side.

www.drschenk.com www.mediken.jp

Yuichi Hyakusoku (President & CEO of Mediken Inc.) and Michael Dobler Managing Director (Dr. Schenk) at the PV Japan 2009.

Email your news items to [email protected]


INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION



PRODUCT BRIEFS Product briefs are presented in conjunction with Photovoltaics International PRODUCT BRIEFS

ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009 ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009

www.rofin.comwww.innolas-systems.com www.stangl.de

INNOLAS SYSTEMS GMBHILS TT

The ILS TT models are laser tools that have been especially developed for the photovoltaic industry for processing monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon solar cells.

PROBLEMThroughput and productivity of solar cell manufacturing is constantly increasing. At the same time the cell thickness in general continues to decrease. Process tools thus have to combine highest process speed with a minimum of impact on the material being processed.

SOLUTION Leading-edge processing methods such as laser structuring, laser scribing and laser drilling all have an appreciable effect on the quality and productivity of crystalline silicon solar cell manufacture. Laser processing increases the efficiency of the finished solar cells. Another particular quality of laser processing is that it employs a contact-free process. This means that laser processing helps avoid wafer breakage and damage to the wafer surface

APPLICATIONS Laser edge isolation, laser-fired contacts, microvia hole drilling, SiN / SiO2 ablation, downsizing, surface modification and laser surface structuring of crystalline solar cells.

ROFINPOWERLINE SL PV SERIES

Rofin especially developed new laser beam sources for photovoltaic applications with its PowerLine SL PV series for use in automation and production systems.

PROBLEMThe laser scribing processes used in that area place very high demands on the beam quality, especially on the symmetry within two Rayleigh ranges. In addition, a very high pulse-to-pulse stability is required at high frequencies.

SOLUTIONSpecially designed for these requirements, the new PowerLine SL PV lasers optimally cover current and future demands in the production of modern PV thin-film systems. The laser beam sources are available in wavelengths of 532 nm (PowerLine SL 3 SHG PV) and 1064 nm (PowerLine SL 20 PV). With the integration of a motor-controlled beam expansion unit in the laser head, the output beam can be used directly. The new temperature management system of the PowerLine SL PV series provides for excellent long-term stability in regard to high performance: self-actuating thermal monitoring, stabilization of all relevant optical components with Peltier elements and heat dissipation with an air- or water-cooled cooling plate. The pump diode and the RF generator are located in the compact laser head. This simplifies integration and makes great distances between the location of use and the supply unit possible as required.

APPLICATIONSWith the PowerLine SL PV series, stable production processes with high throughput rates and excellent processing quality can be implemented. The new beam sources reduce operating costs and guarantee high availability.

STANGL LINEA INLINE WET PROCESS

STANGL Semiconductor Equipment AG (STANGL), producer of qualified wet process equipment, introduces its new LINEA Inline wet process equipment for PV Si cells. LINEA is a horizontally working inline wet process platform for cleaning and etching of crystalline solar wafers.

PROBLEMThere aren’t many providers of wet-chemical machines for both crystalline silicon and thin-film solar technology.

SOLUTIONStangl´s LINEA inline etching system can be configured up to max. 1,700 or 3,400 wafers per hour (156mm), which equals a production capacity of 30 and 60 MW. LINEA completes the portfolio of Stangl’s integrated wet process solutions for solar cell manufacturing lines. The LINEA design is based on a newly developed sophisticated transport system and a special chemical flow system to process the wafers horizontally with a very low breakage rate (<0.1%) and a high etching uniformity. Combined with Stangl’s machines, Singulus has been marketing its own solar coating machine with wet-chemical and vacuum coating processes for a production line for crystalline silicon solar cells.

APPLICATIONSStangl’s new system LINEA follows the trend towards handling solar wafers down to 150 μm. Not only the highly integrated design and a high throughput, but also the high availability and low breakage rate make LINEA attractive for solar cell manufacturers worldwide. Furthermore, LINEA is characterized by its high flexibility concerning wafer type, size and thickness as well as its reduced chemical consumption.

ACI-ECOTEC GMBH & CO. KGECOSPLIT

The ecoSplit wet wafer separator has proven to be an economical, fast and reliable solution for separating pre-cleaned, raw wet solar wafers from the wire saw, for inline or batch processing.

PROBLEMSolar wafers from pre-cleaned wet stacks from the wire saw need to be separated for the subsequent cleaning processes. Wet wafers are held together by fluid retention making them very difficult to manually separate without breakage. The market cost per wafer is dropping and thinner wafers are more fragile causing higher breakages through manual handling. Consequently manufacturers need to compensate through the higher production yields of automation.

SOLUTION The ecoSplit offers an automated separation solution for both multi and mono-crystalline wafers. Wafers are gently teased apart mechanically without stress or damage, whilst a spray system ensures wafers are kept wet throughout the process and during transportation. An automatic rejection lane for wafers out of thickness tolerance ensures a high up-time and the system has been tested successfully with wafers to <150μm. The ecoSplit is a separation system that offers a short ROI by providing a totally safe, proven, and fast method of separating wafers.

APPLICATIONSThe system is flexible to fit customer needs and is offered in two basic configurations. For Inline processing, the ecoSplit-I offers maximum throughput over numerous output lanes to feed the Inline cleaner directly. Whilst ‘batch’ ecoSplit-C offers loading of separated wafers direct to the wafer carrier.

AVAILABILITY12 Weeks for a standard product; for customized solutions, allow 16 - 24 weeks.

DEK SOLARPVP1200 SCREEN PRINTER

The PVP1200 is a breakthrough modular screen printing platform designed to deliver the high yields and throughput rates required by the solar processing sector for high-accuracy manufacture of quality c-Si cells.

PROBLEMWith the high demand for raw silicon, producers are sawing the material into thinner slices to achieve more substrates per silicon ingot. Silicon substrates of 150 microns thickness are now common and these are very brittle – leading to issues of breakages, which, in turn, cause wastage and reduced yield.

SOLUTIONThe PVP1200 answers the industry’s demand for meticulous handling characteristics from the process line with handling and support mechanisms suitable for wafer thicknesses from 1mm down to 120 micron. The handling characteristics of the PVP1200 are paramount in minimizing breakages during metallization to maximize yield and cost-of-ownership. The substrate transport mechanisms never grip the fragile cell by its edges, nor exert more force on the cell than its own mass, even during flipping, buffering and unloading into cassettes. DEK also provides high-speed machine vision capabilities to ensure perfect alignment from the very first wafer.

APPLICATIONSIn addition, while other metallization systems are typically very large, the PVP1200’s small size means the printing process operates at approximately waist height, which offers clear visibility and easy print area access to operators through the domed and hinged Plexiglas top covers.

Achieving 6-sigma process capability at a resolution of ±12.5 microns, the PVP1200 commands the very best performance and industry specifications from one of the most compact footprints available today.

TEAMTECHNIK MASCHINEN UND ANLAGEN GMBHSTRINGER TT900 / TT1200

With the stringer technology, teamtechnik has specialized in contact-free soldering processes with laser or IR light.

PROBLEM Different combinations of materials (cells/ribbons/flux) need different soldering parameters. Thinner cells are more sensitive for soldering.

SOLUTION The laser beam can generate energy without contact, achieving the optimum amount depending on where it’s positioned on the cell. To avoid damages or cell breakage, the laser soldering works in a closed loop (controlled) technology and brings in the energy in any possible position.

To avoid damages or cell breakage, the laser soldering works in a closed loop (uncontrolled) technology and brings in the energy in any possible position. All parameters can be chosen individually: Power / Temperature / Time/ Position/ Speed/ Repeat movement of beam, etc.

Soldering requires precision, and can be adjusted within the process, according to the needs to achieve a perfect soldering result, providing a low breakage rate, non-contract soldering, high peel-force that’s sensitive to thin cells (160 mm).

A special hold-down device functions as a positioning tool, guaranteeing an absolutely exact position of the connectors on the solar cell. The hold-down-device sequences as an auxiliary tool through the entire machine and soldering process, while it fixes the solar cell exactly to the connector.

APPLICATIONS The STRINGER TT900/TT1200 soldering is very precise, and can be adjusted within the process according to the needs to achieve a perfect soldering result. Low breakage rate, non-contract soldering, high peel-force, sensitive to thin cells (160 mm).

www.deksolar.com www.teamtechnik.comwww.aci-ecotec.com




TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 MEETING ROOM B3.3, HAMBURG MESSE

ADMISSION: FREE OF CHARGE WITH ADVANCED REGISTRATION AT WWW.IPVEA.COM

SILICON OR THIN FILM TECHNOLOGY: This is an IPVEA member led workshop on thin film

and silicon cell production.

Morning Session - Silicon Photovoltaics: Starting at 10:00 amSlot 1: From Silicon Raw Material to Wafer including Silicon Raw Material, Blocks, Crystalline Material, including sawing, cleaning etc.

Coffee BreakSlot 2: Silicon Cell Production, including all Front End & Back End stepsSlot 3: Silicon Module Manufacturing

Afternoon Session - Thin film: Starting at 13:00 pmSlot 4: PV Market Report, VLSISlot 5: Why Thin Film PV – Targets and advantagesSlot 6: CIS/CIGS Thin Film PV Cell ProductionSlot 7: Amorph Thin Film PV Cell Production- from Front end to Back End, incl. Glass handling


PRODUCT BRIEFS Product briefs are presented in conjunction with Photovoltaics International

REIS SOLAR SYSTEMS LASER SOLDERING

Reis Robotics, the system supplier for photovoltaic module lines, has implemented a newly developed laser soldering procedure for practical use with several customers.

PROBLEMPhotovoltaics manufacturers are increasingly anxious to fully exploit the automation potential of their production in order to deal with the increasing demands for lower prices.

SOLUTIONA newly developed laser soldering method ensures further increases in quality, shortened cycle times and reductions in manual rework. An integral process controller monitors and documents the production process. In doing this, it is possible to concentrate the heat input such that soldering can be done directly on the EVA foil. With direct soldering on the foil, unnecessary multiple handling of the strings during the pre-process is avoided. The integrated process monitors the soldering of each joint individually and the data from this can be transferred and saved in a database for later documentation and quality control. Furthermore, faulty solder joints are reported directly via a monitor at a subsequent work station so that a worker recognizes these immediately and can manually resolder.

APPLICATIONSThe laser soldering system achieves almost half of the total cycle time compared to conventional methods. The high flexibility of the system furthermore allows various module sizes due to fast setting. Features also include high traction forces > 10 N, determined acc. to DIN EN 50461:2006

DR. SCHENKSOLARMEASURE

The Electrical Insulation Tester is a measurement solution for thin film solar modules. It performs an electrical insulation test between the solar cells after scribing. The system detects shorts and minimum resistance between neighboring cells.

PROBLEMIn thin film PV modules the electric current is flowing between the solar cells which are defined during laser scribing processes on the conductive layer (e.g. TCO or molybdenum). A discontinuity of these scribes will cause short circuits and minimum resistance between neighboring cells. Both situations can result in a loss of cell performance and by this in an overall reduction of the performance of the solar module.

SOLUTIONDr. Schenk offers all-in-one quality assurance and process control systems for the solar panel production. The surface inspection systems SolarInspect can now be combined with beneficial measurement tasks in just one solution for higher yield.

With the Electrical Insulation Tester from the product line SolarMeasure, shorts and minimum resistance between cells can reliably be detected. Modules with reduced performance quality can thus be rejected from further processing. At the same time, the system helps to draw conclusions, where parameters of the scribing process need adjustment.

APPLICATIONSDr. Schenk’s Electrical Insulation Tester is applicable to thin film solar modules with a wide range of dimension and thickness and is installed in-line after the P1 scribing. The Electrical Insulation Tester from Dr. Schenk is the ideal endorsement to surface inspection. The system is available as add-on to Dr. Schenk inspection systems SolarInspect or as stand-alone product.

LPKF SOLARQUIPMENTPRECISE LASER SCRIBING OF THIN FILM SOLAR MODULES

Production of thin film solar modules requires a precise laser scribing method to achieve the monolithic series interconnection in a cost efficient way. The efficiency of the solar panels directly depends on the accuracy of the scribing process. By realizing innovative solutions the LPKF SolarQuipment Allegro® Laser systems combine both, high precision and throughput.

PROBLEMScribing insulating channels on thin film solar panels has to be very exact. The smaller the dead area, the higher the module output. If there is any thermal or plastic distorsion in the glass substrate, the resulting solar panel becomes even less efficient.

SOLUTIONLPKF Allegro® laser systems can achieve the most precise results. Air bearings stand for low maintenance, long term stability and axis precision. The Dynamic Design technology always moves the dynamically most reasonable component: the compact laser working head and not the sensitive glass substrate. Automatic alignment of scribing against existing structures and an integrated compensation of glass waviness ensures the required accuracy. A variety of laser sources is available to machine different thin film technologies.

APPLICATIONSLaser scribing of thin film solar panels based on CdTe, aSi, aSi/μSi, CIGS technology with an extremely high throughput at highest precision.

PLATFORMLPKF Allegro® series, modular and taylored to customer requirements.

www.reisrobotics.de www.drschenk.com www.SolarQuipment.de


PRODUCT BRIEFS


www.kuka-systems.com

KUKA SYSTEMSKS UTG 156.1

KUKA Systems’ Energy Team has designed a new generation of wafer gripping solutions which is based on KUKA’s top selling KR Sixx & Scara Robots

PROBLEMThe PV industry is striving for thinner wafers and high efficiency photovoltaic cells in addition to the need for higher automation and reliability.

SOLUTIONHigh Speed Ultra Thin GripperThis extremely thin and robust solution made of carbon fibre allows high speed gripping and precise positioning at one time. Integrated multiple vacuum chan-nels ensure firmly gripping of the wafers for fast movement and soft holding for accurate positioning.

By using carbon fibre, a gripper thickness of 3 mm is made possible. Hence single wafers or cells can be picked from carriers from any position.

Touchless Gripping and TransportKUKA relies on the solution of German Zimmermann & Schilp combining ultra-sound with vacuum technology: An ultrasonic cushion ensures non-contact gripping and avoids wafer warp and vibration while fast and accurate pick and place operations are carried out.

By touching the cell from only one side the edge contact is minimized during the whole transport. It features low energy consumption as well as a high through-put: cycle time is less than one second per wafer.

APPLICATIONBoth solutions are designed for robustness and reliability which are basic re-quirements for the needs of high automation. Due to a very low demand of compressed and cleaned air the systems have a large advantage compared to other solutions based on the Bernoulli technology. Due to the non-contact grip-ping the need of repair or spare parts is limited to a minimum as suction cups or cushions are no longer in direct touch with the cells or wafers. Hence costs for spare parts and services remain at a low level.

If you are interested in participating in the program please contact Bryan Ekus at: [email protected]

IPVEA PHOTOVOLTAIC PRODUCTION WORKSHOP

AT EU PVSEC

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009 PAGE 11 IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATIONINTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009 ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009

TECH BREAKTHROUGHS

THIN-FILM SILICON EFFICIENCY/OUTPUT RECORD SETOerlikon Solar announced in late May that it has achieved a new record efficiency level for commercial thin film silicon PV modules. Recent test results from Oerlikon Solar’s pilot production line in Switzerland show that full-size Micromorph modules (1.4 m2) have 151 Watts initial power, or 11% initial power conversion efficiency.

According to Oerlikon Solar, this result sets a new industry record for production thin film silicon modules.

Oerlikon Solar was able to consistently reproduce modules with similar record results, demonstrating a stable and scalable process.

“This achievement clearly demonstrates Oerlikon Solar’s technical leadership and is another key milestone on our path to grid parity,” stated Jeannine Sargent, CEO of Oerlikon Solar. Oerlikon Solar has previously announced an ambitious production cost target of USD 0.70 per Watt peak and is on track to achieve this target by end of 2010. Increased module efficiency and power are key contributors to this goal.

The excellent performance of the record modules demonstrates the advantage of Oerlikon Solar’s end to end manufacturing solution. Oerlikon Solar’s advanced PV technologies and process integration know-how result in an optimized manufacturing solution that is able to achieve higher conversion efficiencies and lower cost of ownership. An example of this technology optimization is Oerlikon Solar’s integration of a proprietary process to deposit high-quality transparent conducting oxide (TCO) on the front and back surfaces of the active thin film silicon junction. This TCO is engineered to optimize the performance of the Micromorph technology by improving light transmittance and light scattering, resulting in maximum efficiency and electricity output.

“We successfully implemented several modifications of key processes of our end-to-end production line, leading to the increase in initial power output and efficiency,” emphasized Dr. Juerg Henz, Head of Thin Film Engineering and Operations at

Oerlikon Solar. “We are confident that our ability to repeatedly achieve record results can be transferred into mass production soon.”

Oerlikon Solar’s IEC-certified Micromorph technology significantly boosts solar cell efficiency by adding a second microcrystalline absorber to the amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer. This layer converts the energy of the red and near-infrared spectrum, facilitating efficiency increases of up to 50 percent. The Micromorph technology also bolsters overall module power, enabling a growing number of PV module manufacturers around the globe to produce cost-effective high-performance thin film silicon solar modules.

www.oerlikon.com

PASAN DEVELOPS SOLAR PANEL SATELLITE TESTERThe Pasan company, a 100% subsidiary of 3S Industries AG, has developed a special solar panel tester for Thales Alenia Space, the leading developer of satellites and components for space technology.

The new device simulates the characteristics of the sun in space very accurately. This guarantees that only the most productive panels are put into operation to supply the satellites with energy, thus ensuring the longevity of the satellites. Terrestrial customers also benefit from the newly developed advanced technology, since expertise from the project is employed directly in the development of new products – in particular in the area of thin-film technology.

With the new technology from Pasan, Thales Alenia Space tests the productivity of solar panels, which are designed to supply satellites in space with the energy they require. Highly accurate tests guarantee long-term, smooth operation of the expensive satellites, which have an average life of between ten and fifteen years. With efficiency levels of around 40%, the solar panels in space have to have a significantly higher output than conventional panels. Even small reductions in the output of the panels can prevent the satellites from functioning properly long-term, which can lead to large losses for the operators.

Thales Alenia Space usually tests the output of reference panels with the help of a balloon at a height of about 10,000 m. With Pasan’s new tester Thales now can simulate the sun’s spectrum in space very accurately. This means that whole series of panels can be tested very reliably on the ground. In its satellites Thales Alenia Space uses solar panels with so-called triple solar cells, which are composed of three cells from different semi-conductors stacked one on top of the other. Testing the special high-performance solar cells in conditions similar to those in space requires a tester, which is above average in terms of both homogenity and spectrum. This is where Pasan has developed a new, unique solution that can also be used for conventional thin-film applications. This way many other customers can benefit from this high-tech development project.

The newly developed tester flashes light onto up to 20 m² panels with an intensity which is 1.4 times greater than light on Earth. “We are proud of the fact that we could successfully develop this space application and deliver it to Thales Alenia Space for the beginning of our anniversary year 2009,” says Andreas von Känel, Pasan’s CEO. “The knowledge we have gained lives on in our devices for conventional applications,” says von Känel.

www.3-s.ch

SIXTRON’S SUNBOX WINS BEST PROCESS CELL AWARDDuring a ceremony held at Intersolar 2009 in Munich, Germany, the Sixtron SunBox, an efficient silane-free system for applying anti-reflective coatings, was awarded the Cell Award for Best Process Technology in Crystalline Silicon Cell Manufacturing.

The Cell Awards are judged by a consortium of the solar industry’s leading companies and research organizations, including Q-Cells, Suntech Power and Fraunhofer ISE, and recognise products with the most potential to lower the cost of solar technology.

“Our panel of judges from across the solar industry knows all too well how difficult it is

TECH BREAKTHROUGHSto expand manufacturing operations when burdened with silane safety infrastructure and procedures,” said David Owen, managing director of Photovoltaics International. “Sixtron’s technology is alleviating this liability, and we believe it will become an important part of solar’s journey toward grid parity.”

The SunBox is an on-site gas generation system that uses a solid polymer source material to safely and effectively deposit anti-reflective and passivation layers on crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. The SunBox system is plug & play compatible with industry standard plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) equipment on both new and existing manufacturing lines.

Prior to the introduction of the SunBox, anti-reflective coatings and passivation layers have primarily been deposited using silane. This pyrophoric gas, which requires costly safety and handling procedures, multiplies manufacturers’ financial and operational risks.

“The SunBox delivers process improvement to solar cell manufacturers while at the same time reducing both capital expenses and operating costs,” said Zbigniew Barwicz, CEO of Sixtron.

The SunBox coating system is sold directly to solar cell and equipment manufacturers by Sixtron, and is currently being evaluated by leading equipment providers for inclusion into existing and future turnkey offerings.

Sixtron is a private company focused on developing scalable and cost-effective industrial coating systems that avoid the costs and hazards associated with shipping silane gas and handling it on-site at PV fabs. The proprietary Sixtron SunBox system delivers gas using industry standard PECVD equipment to deposit anti-reflective and backside passivation coatings on crystalline silicon solar cells. The company has worked closely throughout its product development with leading research organizations such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO and the University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaic

Research and Education (UCEP) in Atlanta, GA. Sixtron has raised over $12 million since inception from Ventures West Capital, Inovia Capital and Cycle Capital.

www.sixtron.com

LAYER THICKNESS MEASUREMENT AT INTERSOLARVitronic and tec5 demonstrated at this year’s Intersolar May 27-29 in Munich their joint state-of-the-art inline spectroscopy technology solution for layer thickness measurement in solar cell production. By cooperating in this area and bringing together the core competences of the two companies, a new generation of colour inspection was born – not just reflection and colour measurement at coated wafers, but everything from service to integration in the production line.

Vitronic and tec5 have been working together since 2008 in the area of wafer inspection. As a result, they created an inline solution for reflection and colour measurement of the blue reflex coating. The spectroscopy technology records the physical aspects of the reflex coating. On this basis, the layer thickness and the potential efficiency are calculated.

Just by using fast diode array technology inspection within the production cycle is possible. Application specific software visualizes the measurement result of every wafer in real time. This data is taken using nine measuring points. The user interface shows the user not only the physical values but also the particular colour values and the associated layer thickness. Thereby the wafers can be effortlessly sorted by colour. All measurement results are saved and allow the tracking of every wafer.

The data can also be used for statistical analyses. In addition to the complete integration into the system controller, an SEGS/GEM compliant transmission of all measurement data is ensured.

tec5 manufactures high-quality, state-of-the-art products for detector array based optical spectroscopy from single OEM Components like Operating Electronics up to complete UV/VIS/NIR Spectrometer Systems for a wide range of applications. tec5 was established in 1993 and is based in Oberursel. A team of engineers, physicists, technicians and application experts make up a highly qualified and experienced staff.

Vitronic in Wiesbaden has been delivering standard products with client-specific extendable modules up to individual special solutions since 1984.

Vitronic develops, manufactures and markets these products in-house. Therefore, the clients receive complete turnkey-ready systems from a single manufacturer – from the hardware to the software. Vitronic delivers image-processing systems for the following branches: automobile and automotive supply industry, photovoltaic systems, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, and packaging, among others.

www.vitronic.com

VEECO INTRODUCES ‘FASTLINE’ COATINGVeeco Instruments Inc. announced the introduction of its FastLine platform of Glass Coating Systems, leveraging Veeco’s proven PV-Series Thermal Deposition Sources. Veeco’s new FastLine platform is designed for high throughput, low cost of ownership production of CIGS (copper, indium, gallium and selenium) solar cells.

Piero Sferlazzo, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Veeco’s Solar Equipment business, commented, “Veeco is now the only equipment company offering integrated production-scale solutions for CIGS manufacturing on glass using thermal evaporation sources for the CIGS/absorber layer. Customers can now choose Veeco to provide

comprehensive, fully integrated equipment to manufacture CIGS solar cells, whether they choose to use our FastLine systems for glass or our FastFlex systems for flexible substrates.”

Thermal evaporation, as compared to other deposition methods, produces the highest efficiency thin film solar cells and has the lowest materials costs with high material utilization driving down the manufacturing cost per watt.

Veeco’s FastLine systems can handle up to thirty 1.1m x 1.4m glass panels/hour. The modular architecture of the system allows customers to scale their output according to their needs.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has claimed a world record for CIGS thin-film solar cell conversion efficiency of 19.9 percent. The conversion efficiency for CIGS is now close to that of multi-crystalline silicon-based solar cells, according to NREL. This achievement was hailed as an important milestone because the efficiency of thin film solar cells is now achieving its goal of matching silicon in performance.

www.veeco.com

Bates Marshall, Sixtron’s VP of Sales and Marketing, accepts the award for the Best Process Technology - c-Si Cell Manufacturing Lines from ersol President Holger van Hebel at the Cell Award 2009 event in Munich.





CELL / MODULE TECHNOLOGY CELL / MODULE EQUIPMENT TYPE SILICONMATERIALPROVIDER OTHER

IPVEA MEMBER COMPANY Wafer Si Thin FilmNon-Si

Thin FilmIII-V Other Turnkey Automation Thermal Deposition Etch Test Module Other

Wafer & Ingot Equipment

3S Swiss Solar Systems AG X X X X X X X X X XABB Group X X X X X X XACI Ecotec GmbH & Co. KG X X X X XAnwell Solar Technologies Limited X X X X X X X X X XBekaert Advanced Coatings N.V. X X X XBosch Rexroth AG X X X X X X XCelerity, Inc. XDEK International GmbH X X X XDiamond Wire Technology, LLC XDr. Schenk GmbH X X X X Xdr. schwab GmbH X X XE+H Metrology GmbH XEBARA Precision Machinery Europe GmbH X X X X X X X XFerrotec Corporation X X X X XGfE Metalle und Materialien GmbH XHeateflex Corporation X X X X XHermann Otto GmbH XHoneywell Analytics XInnolas GmbH X X X XJonas & Redmann Photovoltaics Production Solutions GmbH X X X

KITEC microelectric technologie GmbH X XKomax Solar X X X X X X X XKUKA Systems GmbH X X X X X X X X X X XLPKF SolarQuipment GmbH X X XLSW Maschinenfabrik GmbHM+W Zander FE GmbH X X XManz Automation AG X X X X X X X XMaschinenbau GEROLD GmbH & Co. KG X X X X X XMeier Solar Solutions GmbH X X XMeyer Burger Technology AG XNewport Corporation X X X X X X X X X XOerlikon Leybold Vacuum GmbH XOerlikon Solar Ltd., Trubbach X X X X X X XOTB Group X X X XPall GmbH X X XPasan SA X X X X X XReis GmbH & Co. KG X X X X X XRENA Sondermaschinen GmbH X X X X X X X XRobert Burkle GmbH X X X XRofin Baasel Lasertech X X X XRoth & Rau AG X X X X X X XSchaeffler KG XSchiller Automation GmbH X X X X X XSemilab Co. Ltd. XSingulus Technologies AG X X X X XSixtron Advanced Materials Inc. X X X XSolar Line Saxony (SLS) X XSoleras Ltd. X X XSomont GmbH X X X X XSpire Corporation X X X X X X X X XSTANGL Semiconductor Equipment AG X X X X XStein Automation GmbH & Co. KG X X XSynova S.A. X X X X X X X XTargray Technology International X X X X Xteamtechnik GmbH X X X X XTecnofimes SRL XTrumpf Laser GmbH + Co. KG X X X XVeeco Instruments, Inc. X X X X X X X X X X XVITRONIC Dr.-Ing. Stein X X X X X X X X X XVON ARDENNE Anlagentechnik GmbH X X X X

Source Information provided by VLSI Research

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009 PAGE 15 IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009


OERLIKON SOLAR’S THIN-FILM MODULE WINS CELL AWARD Oerlikon Solar won a 2009 CELL AWARD, presented at the Intersolar 2009 Conference in Munich for its KAI 1200 PECVD system as “the best technical product for thin film manufacturing.” “We are very proud of this achievement and recognition of Oerlikon Solar’s technology leadership and production worthy equipment” said Jeannine Sargent, CEO of Oerlikon Solar.

“The award reflects our intensive research and development in thin film PV. Oerlikon Solar is committed to continue its technology leadership in executing its industry leading roadmap to make solar power economically viable.” Oerlikon Solar is currently servicing 10 established customers in operation or ramp up worldwide representing 600 MWp of yearly production capacity, enough to power 480,000 households.

Oerlikon Solar’s KAI 1200 PECVD technology (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) is a machine used to deposit the silicon absorber layers that are at the heart of Oerlikon Solar’s Micromorph thin film silicon PV technology. The deposition of these layers is one of the most critical steps in the production of thin film, and the quality of this manufacturing step determines to a large extent the overall efficiency and performance of thin film PV modules. In addition to producing high quality absorber layers, the

KAI 1200 is designed to significantly improve the speed of manufacturing, reducing the process cycle time by over 30 percent. The improvements resulting from the KAI 1200 are a major factor in reducing the total cost of manufacturing on the path to grid parity.

The KAI 1200 PECVD was derived from another semiconductor manufacturing application, the production of thin film transistor (TFT) displays. Modifying and optimizing this proven PECVD technology for the production of thin film silicon PV required mastering some significant technical challenges, in particular increasing the frequency of the plasma source to improve deposition speed, while ensuring that the “standing wave effect” associated with higher plasma source frequency did not cause a loss of uniformity and sub-optimal module efficiency.

Oerlikon Solar engineers successfully developed a process for using a plasma source RF excitation frequency of 40 MHz, several times higher than the industry norm of 13.56 MHz. Based on its research in partnership with the IMT in Neuchatel, Switzerland and the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland,

Oerlikon invented a dielectric lens compensation that eliminates the standing wave effect.

“The 40 MHz VHF technology incorporated into our patented Plasma Box has considerably increased deposition rates and improved the absorber layer quality, resulting in record efficiency levels for Oerlikon Solar’s thin film silicon technology,” stated Dr. Juerg Henz, Head of Thin Film Engineering and Operations. Where typical deposition rates of one to two Ångstroms were reported previously, the KAI 1200 allowed Oerlikon Solar to double the deposition rate on its 1.4m2 solar panels at best-in-class layer quality.

Amorphous single-junction modules have shown an initial aperture efficiency of 9.6 percent, Micromorph cells are already beyond 13 percent.

From the first concepts in early 2000, Oerlikon Solar successfully implemented this new plasma source into mass production. Since then over 900,000 thin film silicon solar modules have been produced applying Oerlikon Solar’s patented Plasma Box 40 MHz technology.

www.oerlikon.com

EUROPE’S HIGHEST SOLAR STATION POWERING RESTAURANTRestaurant Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, sitting high on the Swiss mountain “Klein Matterhorn,” is powered by solar modules supplied by 3S Swiss Solar Systems, supplying electricity at an altitude of just under 4000 metres. The high-precision laminating technology from Lyss guarantees that the solar modules will have a long useful life under extreme weather conditions.

Never before has a building-integrated photovoltaic installation of this kind been commissioned at a comparable altitude in Europe. With an installed output of 22 kilowatts, as much electricity can be generated on the Klein Matterhorn as the annual approximate consumption of 12 family homes. That is powered by 108 solar panels from 3S Swiss Solar Systems, all of them integrated on a surface area of about 200 m2 in the façade of the building. “The realisation of a solar installation in this high-alpine location is a pioneering project,” says Patrick Hofer-Noser, the CEO of Swiss Solar Systems.

The planning, production and installation of this unique solar power station was fraught with challenges. At an altitude of 3840 metres, there is permafrost and usually a strong wind. On the other hand, the sunshine, which is twice as strong at that

alpine level, is optimal for a solar installation. The clean air of the mountains, the reflection from the snow and the dominant low temperatures all have a positive effect on the performance of solar modules. In view of the extreme weather conditions, the photovoltaic installation required a supplier of high-power panels with a long-life guarantee.

3S developed and produced special, extremely weatherproof solar modules for the façade of the restaurant on the peak. With the laminators from 3S Swiss Solar Systems, which can achieve unique temperature homogeneity, the glass modules with unusually thick glass of 18mm (almost five times

the thickness of traditional modules) were able to be manufactured under optimal laminating conditions. High-efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells from the ersol company were used in the process. Through the aesthetically appealing integration of the solar panels into the façade, the result on the Klein Matterhorn is a perfect synthesis of a robust, weatherproof building shell and efficient, environmentally friendly generation of electricity.

The restaurant offers seating for 120 and overnight accommodation for 40 guests. It is owned by the Zermatt Mountain Railways.. The pioneering photovoltaic project from Peak Architects (Zurich/Zermatt), the façade planning firm of Burri Müller Partner in Burgdorf and MLG Metal and Planning AG in Bern was implemented together with the power stations of the Canton of Bern.

TECH BREAKTHROUGHS

Email any technology breakthroughs (with images) to

[email protected]

MARKET DATA

Editor’s note: The following article was provided by EuPD Research

The booming market segment of thin film solar panels gives a promising outlook for producers and machinery suppliers. The forecasts for this segment are positive, but the competition is constantly becoming more intense as more and more providers from other industries move into the market.

Thin film solar panels are continuously on the rise. According to EuPD Research, the leading market researcher in the field of renewable energies, the share of the total volume of global PV production output from thin film had been around 14 percent in 2008 and is expected to increase to at least 23 percent by 2012 in comparison to crystalline cells. Currently, the most mature thin film technology with the highest production is cadmium telluride (CdTe), notably due to the successful mass-production from First Solar Inc. Because of the slow progress from players in the European a-Si and tandem fields and the rather cautious expansion plans of the Asian manufacturers, EuPD Research expects CdTe to remain the most common thin film technology in the coming years.

However, a-Si and tandem will catch-up in 2012, as some 65 percent of the market entrants have begun investing in this technology, putting the pressure on CdTe producers. The technology with the lowest production output, CIS/CIGS will remain active, but active only in attractive market segments. Thin film panels have established themselves as a tremendously cost competitive alternative, offering a lower price per watt than silicon wafer-based panels.

In the recently issued “PV Thin Film Industry Guidebook 2009,” the market experts of EuPD Research estimate that in 2012 nearly 3GW of thin film modules will be sold. Compared to 2008 in which 843MW of thin film modules were sold,

reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of at least 28.5 percent. This is a promising outlook for all thin film producers as well as their equipment and raw material suppliers.

Within the supply industry the competition is intensifying as more competitors enter the market. The machinery supply industry is beginning to move in offering specialized equipment for the production process, and the solar boom is attracting more and more machinery suppliers, from other industries as well. In general, the highly integrated production process of the PV thin film modules makes the industry very suitable for integrated solutions as provided by the leading turnkey providers. As a result, the general concentration at the a-Si and tandem supply side is actually very high, stemming from the strong role of turnkey machinery suppliers such as Oerlikon, Applied Materials and Ulvac.

“Global PV Production: Crystalline vs. Thin Film,” Source: EuPD Research 2009.

www.eupd-research.com

IPVEA Members Only – EuPD Research grants 10 % Discount

Besides a discount on the “PV Thin Film Industry Guidebook 2009” our partners from EuPD Research grant a 10 % discount on selected products to all IPVEA members. For further details and product information please check the members section on our website www.IPVEA.com

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

877 2,824

7,591

843

2,7985,189

14,080

1,326

6,7236,295

21,717

2,044

13,065

7,050

30,569

2,428

16,757

8,375

34,104

2,949

20,567

10,000

36,849

2007 2008 2009e 2010e 2011e 2012e

announced capacity thin f ilm 877 2,798 6,723 13,065 16,757 20,567

announced capacity crystalline 7,591 14,080 21,717 30,569 34,104 36,849

production forecast thin f ilm 368 843 1,326 2,044 2,428 2,949

production forecast crystalline 2,824 5,189 6,295 7,050 8,375 10,000

THIN FILM FORECAST: 23% OF GLOBAL PV MARKET BY 2012

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009





JULY 200925 - 27 SolWest Renewable Energy Fair 2008 John Day, Oregon, USA www.solwest.org

28 - 30 PHOTON’s Photovoltaic Technology Show 2009 Asia Shenzhen, China www.photon-expo.com

28 PHOTON’s 8th Solar Silicon Conference Shenzhen, China www.photon-expo.com

29 PHOTON’s 5th PV Investors Conference Shenzhen, China www.photon-expo.com

30 PHOTON’s 5th PV Production Equipment Conference Shenzhen, China www.photon-expo.com

AUGUST 20093 Managing Photovoltaic Projects Berlin, Germany www.renac.de

10 -12 Conference & Exhibition: 3rd Renewable Energy India 2009 Expo New Delhi, India www.renewableenergyindiaexpo.com

16 -20 XVIII International Materials Research Congress Cancún, Mexico www.anes.org/ises2000/mil2000.htm

23 - 5 Sep International Summer University on Energy: Renewable I Falera, Switzerland www.helmholtz-berlin.de

SEPTEMBER 20092 - 3 Conference: Cisbat 2009 Lausanne, Switzerland www.cisbat.epfl.ch

3 - 6 Soltec Hameln, Germany www.rainer-timpe.de

4 - 6 Chengdu Solar Energy Fair & Chengdu New Energy Forum Chengdu, China www.sc-pv.com

9 - 10 Solar Economics Forum USA Washington, USA www.greenpowerconferences.com

15 - 17 Solar Convention Las Vegas 2009 Las Vegas, USA www.solarconventionlasvegas.com

16 - 18 Conference & Exhibition: Clean Energy Expo Singapore 2009 Singapore www.cleanenergyexpochina.com

21 PV Engineering Training: Off-Grid Applications Berlin, Germany www.renac.de

21 - 22 Conference: 11th Renewable Energy Finance Forum London, England www.euromoneyenergy.com

21 - 25 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference & Ex. (EU PVSEC) Hamburg, Germany www.photovoltaic-conference.com

21 - 22 Conference: 11th Renewable Energy Finance Forum – London London, England www.euromoneyenergy.com

29 - 30 Conference: 2nd Renewable Energy Finance Forum West San Francisco, USA www.euromoneyenergy.com

29 - 2 Conference: Solar09 Townsville, Australia www.anzses.org

30 - 2 Oct 3rd International Conference on Solar Air-Conditioning Palermo, Italy www.otti.de

30 - 2 Oct PV Rome Mediterranean Rome, Italy www.zeroemission.eu

OCTOBER 20091 - 2 Solarpraxis Conference de la Industria Solar Espana Madrid, Spain www.solarpraxis.de/conferences

1 - 2 6th European Conference on Green Power Marketing 2009 Geneva, Switzerland www.greenpowermarketing.org

5 - 10 XXXIII Semana Nacional de Energía Solar Guadalajara, México www.anes.org

7 - 9 Forum & Exhibition PV Taiwan 2009 Taipei, Taiwan www.pvtaiwan.com

8 - 11 Trade fair: R.energy Istanbul, Turkey www.renergy.com.tr

11 - 14 ISES Solar World Congress 2009 Johannesburg, S.A. www.ises.org

12 PV Engineering Training: Grid Connected Applications Berlin, Germany www.renac.de

15 - 16 Conference: Organic Photovoltaics Summit USA 2009 Boston, USA www.opvtoday.com/usa

22 - 25 4th International Exhibition Energy-Photovoltaic ‘09 Athens, Greece www.leaderexpo.gr

26 Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) An Overview Berlin, Germany www.renac.de

27 - 29 Conference & Exhibition: Solar Power 2009 Anaheim, CA, USA www.solarpowerconference.com

28 - 31 Trade fair: Ecomondo Rimini, Italy www.ecomondo.com

28 - 31 Trade fair: Saienergia Bologna, Italy www.saienergia.bolognafiere.it/en

NOVEMBER 20093 - 5 Conference & exhibition: RENEXPO® Eastern Europe Kiev, Ukraine www.renexpo-kiev.com

9 - 11 Conference: Solarcon India Hyderabad, India www.solarconindia.org

9 - 13 19th International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conf. & Ex. Jeju, South Korea www.pvsec19.kr

11 - 12 2nd International Congress Bauhaus.Solar 2009 Erfurt, Germany www.bauhaus-solar.de

11 - 13 31st Japan Home & Building Show Tokyo, Japan www.jma.or.jp/JHBS/en/index.html

12 - 15 EXPO GreenGenia 2009 Lugano, Switzerland www.greengenia.com

16 - 17 3rd European Renewable Energy Policy Conference Brussels, Belgium www.erec.org

19 - 20 10th Forum Solarpraxis Berlin, Germany www.solarpraxis.de/conferences

25 - 27 PVTech Milan Milan, Italy www.zeroemission.eu

25 - 27 Conference & Exhibition: Egetica Expo Energetica Valencia, Spain www.expoenergetica.com

25 - 28 Trade fair: EnerSolar+ Milan, Italy www.enersolarplus.com

DECEMBER 20092 - 3 Conference: Photovoltaics Beyond Conventional Silicon San Jose, USA www.idtechex.com/photovoltaicsusa09

7 Understanding Photovoltaics: Technical Training for Non-Technicians Berlin, Germany www.renac.de

9 - 12 Energaia International Renewable Energies Exhibition Montpellier, France www.energaia-expo.com

11 - 14 Trade fair: Global Energy 2009 Bangalore, India www.global-energy2009.com

JANUARY 201014 - 16 Trade fair: Intersolution Gent, Belgium www.intersolution.be

18 - 21 Conference & Exhibition: World Future Energy Summit 2010 Abu Dhabi, UAE www.worldfutureenergysummit.com

20 - 21 6th Annual Clean-Tech Investor Summit Palm Springs, USA www.cleantechsummit.com

FEBRUARY 20102 - 4 PHOTON’s Photovoltaic Technology Show 2010 USA San Francisco, USA www.photon-expo.com

3 - 5 Trade fair: SOLARCON Korea 2010 Seoul, Korea www.semi.org

4 - 7 Bioenergy Expo Verona, Italy www.bioenergyweb.it

8 - 9 Conference: 6th User Forum on Thin-Film Photovoltaics Würzburg, Germany www.otti.de

11 - 12 Solarpraxis Conference dell’ Industria Solare Italia 2010 Rome, Italy www.solarpraxis.de/conferences

11 - 12 Conferenza dell’Industria Solare (CIS-IT 2010) Rome, Italy www.solarpraxis.de

16 - 20 Trade fair: Solar Energy 2010 Berlin, Germany www.messen-profair.de

23 - 25 Renewable Energy World North America Conference & Exposition Austin, Texas USA www.renewableenergyworld-events.com

MARCH 20103 - 5 Conference & Exhibition: 25th Photovoltaic Symposium Bad Staffelstein, www.otti.de Germany

3 - 5 Conference: World Sustainable Energy Days 2010 Wels, Austria www.wsed.at

3 - 5 PV EXPO 2010; 3rd International Photovoltaic Power Generation Expo Tokyo, Japan www.pvexpo.jp

11 - 14 Trade fair: Günes Enerjisi’10 Istanbul, Turkey www.gunesenerji.com

17 - 19 Trade fair: ENEREXPO Vietnam 2010 Hanoi, Vietnam www.enerexpo.com

30 - April 1 2010 5th AsiaSolar PV Industry Exhibition & Forum Shanghai, China www.asiasolarexpo.com

APRIL 20107 - 9 International Green Energy Expo Korea 2010 Daegu, Korea www.energyexpo.co.kr

27 - 29 PHOTON’s Photovoltaic Technology Show 2010 Europe Stuttgart, Germany www.photon-expo.com

29 - 30 5th European PV-Hybrid & Mini-Grid Conference Tarragona/Barcelona www.otti.de

MAY 20105 - 7 SNEC (2010) PV Power Expo Shanghai, China www.snec.org.cn

24 - 26 Conference: PV America Tampa, Florida, USA events.jspargo.com/seia09/public/enter.aspx

INDUSTRY CALENDAR Visit www.ipvea.net/ipvea-news/industry-calendar.html for updates

SAVE THE DATE: Annual IPVEA Members meeting. At EU PVSEC, Tuesday, September 22nd, Hamburg, Germany (at 08.30am). Meeting room B3.3.

SAVE THE DATE: IPVEA Photovoltaic Production Workshop Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009, Meeting Room B3.3, More details on page 9





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IPVEA MEMBERS - HALL 53S Swiss Solar Systems AG B5 / 40

ACI-ecotec GmbH & CO. KG B5 / 15

DEK Solar GmbH B5 / 73

dr. schwab GmbH B5 / 44

E+H Metrology GmbH B5 / 75

EBARA Precision Machinery B5 / 30

Ferrotec Corporation GmbH B5 / 4

GfE Metalle und Materialien GmbH B5 / 2

Hermann Otto GmbH B5 / 50

Honeywell Specialty Materials B5 / 5

Jonas & Redmann Photovoltaics B5 / 39 Production Solutions GmbH

Innolas GmbH B5 / 38

M+W Zander FE GmbH B5 / 66

Manz Automation AG B5 / 31

Meier Solar Solutions GmbH B5 / 34

Meyer Burger Technology AG B5 / 56

Newport Spectra-Physics GmbH B5 / 17

Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum GmbH B5 / 26

Oerlikon Solar Ltd., Trubbach B5 / 20

OTB Solar B5 / 14

Pall GmbH B5 / 48

Pasan SA B5 / 40

Reis GmbH & Co. KG B5 / 34

RENA GmbH B5 / 67a

Roth & Rau AG B5 / 32

Schiller Automation GmbH B5 / 41

Semilab Co. Ltd. B5 / 60

Singulus Technologies AG B5 / 46

Soleras Ltd. B5 / 28

Somont GmbH B5 / 40

Spire Corporation B5 / 51

STANGL Semiconductor Equipment AG B5 / 46

Stein Automation GmbH & Co. KG B5 / 62

Synova S.A. B5 / 57

teamtechnik GmbH B5 / 21

VITRONIC Dr.-Ing. Stein B5 / 68

VON ARDENNE Anlagentechnik GmbH B5 / 16

IPVEA MEMBERS - HALLS B2G, B3U, B4G, B6, B7ABB Automation GmbH B7 / 79

Anwell Solar Technologies Ltd B3U / 13

Bekaert Advanced Coatings NV B2G / 42

Dr. Schenk GmbH B6 / 6

GEROLD GmbH & Co. KG B4G / 66

Heateflex Corporation B4G / 3

KITEC microelectric technologie GmbH B2G / 50

Komax Solar B6 / 54

LPKF SolarQuipment GmbH B4G / 73

Robert Bürkle GmbH B3U / 6

Rofin Baasel Lasertech B4G / 59

Targray Technology International B6 / 21

Trumpf Laser GmbH & Co. B4G / 21

Veeco Instruments, Inc. B2G / 79

For up-to-date information please visit www.photovoltaic-conference.com




INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009 ISSUE 4 - SUMMER 2009

transistors, displays and lighting markets was also noted. However, to ensure that the £5 million (E5.4) million of public money for the projects would fund a technology with the best chance of commercial success, the Advanced PV Accelerator ran as an open competition, following a workshop in February 2007. ‘We didn’t stipulate what the PV technology had to be’, says Trezona.

Fifteen bids were submitted, describing different ideas, approaches and technologies for making flexible, light, low-cost organic solar cells. One consortium included Imperial College, which, after Cambridge University, has carried out the most extensive academic research into plastic electronic materials synthesis in the UK. Another included the steel maker Corus which has long term interests in producing OPVs for the construction industry.

The bids were narrowed to five by an international panel of independent experts, and in October 2007 the Carbon Trust chose Friend’s consortium, comprising Cambridge University and local company The Technology Partnership (TTP), as the preferred bidder to deliver the Advanced PV Accelerator. Ultimately, the project must result in solar cells capable of delivering more than a gigawatt of electricity-generating capacity and savings of more than 1 million tonnes of CO2 a year. ‘It was clear the technology could have a broad range of OPV applications. The panel was also convinced the technology had a strong chance of resulting in a very low-cost solar cell. We also wanted to reassure ourselves that the work is distinctive in the UK – the IP is all here,’ adds Trezona.

According to Friend: ‘The challenge ultimately with solar cells is that they have to be cheap. If they’re not cheap to make then they probably don’t save much carbon. That’s the problem with silicon. If you look at what might be the cheapest way of producing them, to make solar cells using relatively low temperature processes on flexible substrates would appear to be the best we can do. So it’s important to go there. The problem is that what might be ultimately needed isn’t necessarily what is attractive in the market place in the near term.’

But this is changing. By 2016 the UK government wants all new build houses and apartments to be carbon neutral, under the Code for Sustainable Homes, which could stimulate demand for roofs integrated with lightweight, low-cost solar panels that supply a portion of each household’s electricity needs.

The accelerator will happen in two phases. The first started in October 2008 and will receive between £1.5–2 million of the total £5 million public funds set aside for the project. The money will fund R&D activity by a team drawn from in and around Friend’s group at the Cavendish Laboratory and local companies.

‘The competencies that we want to achieve are those we wouldn’t merely be able to within university as part of research, such as manufacturing and process. Aspects that wouldn’t naturally fit within a physics department are things that we want to take forward’, says Friend. The second stage could start within 18 months depending on the R&D progress.

By the end of the second stage of the initiative a prototype line will be built for making small volumes of solar cells which will be a low process temperature R2R manufacturing technology.

Solar cells on steelFollowing its bid for funding under the Carbon Trust’s Advanced PV Accelerator, Corus, part of global steelmaker Tata, went on to pursue an alternative strategy to accelerate the production and market for low-cost solar cells. With a £10 million investment, which includes a substantial portion from the Welsh

government, Corus has converted one of its old disused buildings in Shotton, north Wales, into a factory.

The plant will make solar cells on steel for the construction industry, which Rod Rice, business development manager, PVs, at the subsidiary Corus Colours, believes has strong long-term prospects, post-recession: ‘In the UK alone there is an enormous area of roof space that could be functionalised with solar cells if we are to meet various renewable energy and lower carbon emission obligations.’

The project, which started in May 2008, uses dye solar cell technology from Dyesol. The Australian cleantech firm has a license to commercialise professor Michael Graetzel’s work in solar cells at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Dye, or Graetzel, cells are semiconductors made from nanoparticles of titanium dioxide coated in a thin dye. These solar cells can withstand the rigours of construction. They can be engineered into flexible sheets and are mechanically robust.

The project aims to produce solar cells on steel for select clients in 2010 and for product testing to happen by mid-2009. ‘We partnered with Dyesol because the technology is closer to market than anything else in this field’, Rice claims.

The refurbished Shotton factory will house a line. ‘It will include large elements of R2R production, known to Corus Colours through its coating business, but lots of new steps too.’ At full capacity the line will be able to make millions of square metres of solar cells on steel a year.

Apart from challenges in scaling up the dye cell technology, Corus will also need to re-examine its existing supply chain to accommodate the solar cells. ‘In a traditional supply chain we sell our coated steel to a profiler, or panel maker. They will make the steel into profiled sheets, for use as roof tiles or cladding panels. These are sold to a building contractor, engaged in a project by a client or architect. Solar is a bit more complex. For instance, how are the solar panels going to be connected to the electricity supply in the building?’ Rice and his team are looking at the silicon PV industry for some answers and he will also be monitoring the progress of Dyesol’s other commercialisation partners.

In the UK, projects — in Wales and in Cambridge, southern England — are developing low-cost organic photovoltaics (OPVs) for new markets, including construction.

In 2001 the UK government set up a private enterprise with the sole aim of funding projects and early stage research that will eventually yield profitable renewable energy systems and innovations – what it calls low carbon technologies – that will reduce greenhouse emissions. The Carbon Trust is grant-funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and Invest Northern Ireland.

Initially the agency operated as a consultancy and invested in lots of small applied research projects developing low carbon technologies.

However, according to Dr Robert Trezona, head of R&D, it was decided a more proactive approach was needed. ‘Through our existing knowledge we identified several interesting R&D areas that had the potential to be commercial technologies in future with a big part to play in transforming the UK into a low carbon economy. OPVs was one and became the test case for our directed research initiatives. The project, called the Advanced PV Accelerator, was announced in early 2007. Since then the Carbon Trust has also launched separate ‘accelerators’ for bioenergy and for fuel cells. According to Trezona: ‘The idea is that R&D funded under these accelerators progresses to the point where it becomes of commercial interest to companies, much more quickly than if we left it to the market.’

Polymer potentialTrezona’s colleagues were already aware that low-cost sources of solar energy could be developed from polymer semiconductors, based on research by professors Richard Friend and Henning Sirringhaus at Cambridge University’s Cavendish Laboratory. According to Friend: ‘I’d been contemplating trying to do something in solar cells for a long time. The challenge is being able to see that you can get somewhere which is interesting enough in terms of the end product without needing some sort of miracle in science to get there.’

Friend’s and Sirringhaus’s track record in founding two home-grown start-ups – Plastic Logic and Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) – to commercialise polymer semiconductors in

FORGING AHEADAS RECESSION BITES UK MANUFACTURING, LOW-COST ORGANIC SOLAR CELLS SHINE WITH POTENTIAL

A market based on using less carbon is emerging, following industrialised countries’ pledges under the Kyoto Protocol to cut

greenhouse gas emissions, a significant cause of global warming. In Europe, binding targets for 2020 aim to cut these emissions by 20% and ensure 20% of the continent’s energy mix consists of renewable sources. A 2007 paper published on the EU portal, Europa, titled Towards a Low Carbon Future: European Strategic Energy Technology Plan, states new generations of technologies, that are both low-carbon and cost-effective, have to be developed to reach these goals.

Plastic Electronics is the only printed magazine covering business and marketing strategies for organic and printed electronics. The magazine is published six times a year by IntertechPira. To enquire about a subscription email [email protected]@pira-international.comhttp://www.plusplasticelectronics.com/





IPVEA PARTNERS WITH SEPA & SEIA ON SOLAR POWER INTERNATIONALIPVEA has joined forces with Solar Power International 2009, which is scheduled for October 27-29, 2009 in Anaheim, California, the leading US trade show of its kind, and will help plan the 2010 event.

Solar Power International (SPI), previously called Solar Power Conference and Expo, was created in 2004 when the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) joined together in partnership to fill an obvious void: the US was missing a business-to-business solar conference and expo.

The 2009 sixth annual event, for which IPVEA will serve as a Platinum Non Profit Partner, will feature keynote addresses, 200-plus speakers, more than 65 breakout sessions and dozens of optional workshops. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke at the 2008 SPI.

There will be two key areas of collaboration between IPVEA and SPI.

“Solar Power International is the definitive event for global solar companies doing business in North America. It is our top priority to provide a comprehensive yet accessible program, which serves the needs of an increasingly diverse audience,” said Julia Hamm, conference chair and executive director of SEPA. “As always, proceeds from Solar Power International are used by SEPA and SEIA to support their year round activities to strengthen the U.S. solar market, differentiating it further from many other events.”

“The event’s growth has mirrored that of the solar energy industry,” said Rhone Resch, president of SEIA. “Despite a challenging economic climate, we have gained significant momentum in the U.S., especially with the recent eight-year extension of the solar investment tax credit. Also, hopes are that a new administration with a commitment to renewable energy and the environment will enact policies that stimulate domestic solar manufacturing and installation, creating hundreds of thousands of permanent green jobs while increasing our energy independence and security.”

IPVEA will participate on the 2010 SPI Planning Committee, a group of 80 industry experts, which show management works with each year to determine conference session topics during the months of January through April.

The group meets once in person in January to review the previous year’s content and brainstorm about ideas for the following year, with follow-up conference calls to finalise session topics.

SPI aims to provide a single event where industry could come together with potential customers, policymakers, investors, and other parties necessary for continued rapid growth. It didn’t take long for the event to establish itself as the premiere solar event in the US, growing from 1,100 attendees to over 22,500 in just five years.

Approximately 650 companies will exhibit in Anaheim, CA, at SPI 2009, including cell and module manufacturers, inverter and other component manufacturers, material and equipment manufacturers, installers, integrators, and investors.

SEPA, SEIA originally planned to hold the 6th annual SPI in San Jose, California. However, due to the unprecedented growth and anticipated increase in demand due to the extension of the federal investment tax credit in the U.S., a larger venue was required to meet the needs of the event exhibitors and attendees

Solar Power International 2010 will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on October 12-14, 2010.

SPI attracts a wide range of participants both from inside and outside the solar industry. Forty percent of registered attendees hold CEO, president or other executive management positions, while 79 percent of registered attendees recommend or make final decisions about their company’s purchase of products.

The attendees come from all segments of the solar value chain including manufacturers, integrators and installers, large and small customers, architects and builders, and policymakers.

www.SolarPowerInternational.com

IPVEA TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE: FIRST SURVEY AIMS TO BUILD INDUSTRY ‘TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP’The IPVEA Technology Committee is in the process of receiving responses to its first survey, querying association members, academic researchers and non-IPVEA member companies working in solar about their developmental activities.

“One of the missions of IPVEA and the committee is to share information and connect people,” explains committee chairman Bill Duncan, who works as director of product management at Komax Systems York (PA, USA). The answers to the questionnaire, which has been emailed in two waves, “will help us understand globally who’s doing what and will help direct companies to find others engaged in similar technology development” Duncan adds.

The first wave of questionnaires went out the second week of May, and the second round was distributed the fourth week of May, making the total number surveyed almost 400 organizations. Based on the responses, the Committee will determine the best format for publication of the data.

INSIDE IPVEA

California Governor Schwarzenegger (aka “The Terminator”) in the mini photo speak-ing at Solar Power International 2008.

Bill Duncan

NORTH AmeRicA’s

LARgesTB2B sOLAR eveNT

OcTOBeR 27-29ANAHeimcALiFORNiA

SEPA-073 IPVEA_fullpg.indd 1 7/22/09 4:34:59 PM





ABOUT IPVEAFounded in May 2008, the International Photovoltaic Equipment Association (IPVEA) is an independent, non-profit organization of manufacturers and suppliers of photovoltaic (PV) fabrication equipment and related raw materials used in PV ingot, wafer, cell (crystalline and thin-film), and panel manufacturing. The association’s member companies represent the wide spectrum of equipment and materials including that related to crystal growth, diffusion furnaces, glavanics, laminators, laser systems, materials handling, metallization, printing, process integration, solar simulators, substrate handling, testing, vacuum systems, waste gas abatement, wet chemical systems, and related materials and professional services.

The overall mission of the association is to provide members with a forum for information, discussion and exchange of ideas, as well as ways to develop business opportunities and strategic partnerships. The association is the unified voice of the manufacturing segment of the PV industry. As such, the association evaluates and recommends exhibitions, conferences, sales channels and methods of communications that can be effective for its member companies.

The association will pursue its long term-goals in a number of ways, including supporting events that provide the best opportunities for member companies with booth discounts and association branding/sponsorship. Part of this will be to reduce the number of key trade shows for members in particular and the industry in general.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident: Hans-Juergen Stangl, (Stangl Semiconductor)Vice President: Albert Vontz (Kuka Systems)Vice President: Sven Jarby (Oerlikon)Treasurer: Steffen Guenther (Reis Robotics)Assistant Treasurer: Richard Grundmüller (InnoLas GmbH)Secretary: Andreas Schöni (3S Swiss Solar Systems)Board Member: Manfred Schroeder (Ebara Precision Machinery)Board Member: Stefan Schiller (Schiller Automation)

ADVISORY BOARDMr. Peter Pauli, Meyer BurgerMr. Antonio Schmidt, Manz AutomationMr. Ed Hurley, Spire CorpMr. Russell Yau, Anwell Precision TechnologyManaging Director: Bryan Ekus [email protected]

EUROPE ADDRESS:IPVEA, International Photovoltaic Equipment Association P.O. Box 1610, D-63406 Hanau, GermanyMobile: +1 49 1577 682 7926

US ADDRESS:IPVEA, International Photovoltaic Equipment Association P.O. Box 771507, Orlando, Florida 32877, USATel: +1 407 856 9100Fax: +1 407 856 9500Mobile: +1 407 733 1901

Keep up to date with the all the latest industry news and information and get more exposure for your business: www.ipvea.com

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE IPVEA NEWSLETTERPlease let us know of your colleagues who you would like to receive the IPVEA newsletter. Email their names, titles, company name, phone number and email addresses to: [email protected] Indicate preferred method of distribution: Emailed PDF or Physically printed

HOW TO GET YOUR COMPANY’S PRODUCT FEATUREDTo have your company’s product considered for the next issue of the quarterly IPVEA newsletter, please email no more than 250 words about your newly debuted piece of equipment and high-resolution images (JPEG or TIFF file preferred, separately) to [email protected]

Please also use the following standardized format:

COMPANY NAME

PRODUCT NAME

The first sentence provides an introduction to what the product is

PROBLEM stating what manufacturing quagmire prompted its development (about two sentences)

SOLUTION stating how the product meets solving the problem and describe the piece of equipment’s features (about two or three sentences)

APPLICATIONS stating what manufacturing situation or process might the product be used

CONTACT company website URL

Submissions that do no adhere to these guidelines may not be used.

INSIDE IPVEAThe Committee is cognizant that some activities companies are working on are considered internally to be proprietary. Respondents may choose to not divulge details about forthcoming processes or products. “We’ve always been sensitive to confidentiality from day one,” he adds. Any data collected will not be used for any individual member company benefit. Results will be released to IPVEA members in aggregate or as general trends that might emerge.

“We believe that ultimately this forum for sharing can foster partnerships. For example, partnerships can come in the form of research groups locating funding or manufacturers finding specific technology development help.”

“We’re seeing a lot of articles [in the trade press] about UMG cells (upgraded metallurgical silicon). Many OEMs are wondering if UMG could become the de facto standard instead of standard Siemens process silicon, and whether people are going to make the shift. Initially this looked to be the case, however, silicon prices are dropping as the supply increases, therefore making a shift to UMG is less beneficial,” Duncan observes, of the constantly changing market dynamics.

IPVEA believes a “technological roadmap” will emerge once this data is examined, but Duncan notes that the organization is not in business to make forecasts, and will leave such tasks to the experienced R&D think tanks already tracking the PV marketplace.

Duncan works at Komax Systems York, a division focused on crystalline PV. Komax has a separate division focused on thin film products. The IPVEA Technology Committee consists of representatives from six member companies, and three more firms recently indicated interest in joining Duncan’s group. (Interested parties may contact him at [email protected]).

“We are always looking for more committee membership from a broad spectrum of the industry.” One of the committee’s tasks is to identify relevant industry events. “We’re being careful that we don’t compete with the established seminars and trade shows,” Duncan notes. If a particular topic arises from the research that is not being dealt with elsewhere, it’s possible “We’ll organize a forum ourselves,” he adds.

IPVEA MEMBER SURVEY: WE’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK The recent IPVEA survey of members clearly suggests that the Association and its communications products are meeting needs, and that the respondents are generally happy with our relatively new trade group.

Many interesting ideas also came out of the survey, including which trade shows IPVEA should support in 2010. For those results indicating specific events that members feel should be supported, please log onto the “Members Only” section of the website at www.ipvea.com

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]

Bryan Ekus, Managing DirectorInternational Photovoltaics Equipment Association

Disclaimer: IPVEA International Photovoltaic Equipment Association uses its best efforts to ensure that all the information in this newsletter and on its website is kept up-to-date. Any warranty to the correctness and actuality cannot be assumed. IPVEA International Photovoltaic Equipment Association reserves the right to make changes or additions to the information made available at any time without notice. Copyright: The content of the IPVEA International Photovoltaic Equipment Association website is protected by copyright. No information, data, texts, parts of texts or images may be copied or used in any way without the prior permission of IPVEA International Photovoltaic Equipment Association.

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International Photovoltaic Equipment Association

The association’s member companies represent the wide spectrum of equipment and materials including that related to crystal growth, diffusion furnaces, glavanics, laminators, laser systems, materials handling, metallization, printing, process integration, solar simulators, substrate handling, testing, thin film solar panels, vacuum systems, waste gas abatement, wet chemical systems, and related materials and professional services.

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