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ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

International Photovoltaic Equipment AssociationThe worldwide voice for the PV equipment manufacturing industry

NEWSLETTER

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

NEWSLETTER ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009 INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

PAGE 3 IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATIONISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

WELCOMEDear IPVEA Members and Industry Colleagues,

In the spite of the credit crunch, the need for alternative energy is still an important initiative to sustain our needs for the future. This feeling is also supported by the outpouring of research and industry papers for the 24th EU PVSEC. It is important to remember that the industry is still very young and opportunities will be created from the challenges that are ahead. Following this lead and your feedback, we have taken the opportunity to reformat the IPVEA newsletter to help raise the awareness of the industry and most importantly our members. We hope that you like the new design and we look forward your continued support.

All the best, Bryan Ekus Managing Director International PV Equipment Association – IPVEA

NEWLETTER 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]

INDUSTRY BUZZ P.03TAIWAN OLYMPICS/THIN FILM MARKET PROJECTIONS

BUZZ LITE P.06CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR THE NEW ‘CELL AWARDS’

FACTORY OUTPUT P.07CONSTRUCTION IN NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, ASIA

IPVEA MEMBER LIST P.12LISTED BY CELL/MODULES TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

INSIDE IPVEA P.14

INDUSTRY CALENDAR P.16WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOLAR FOR THE NEXT YEAR

TECH BREAKTHROUGHS P.18FRAUNHOFER EFFICIENCY RECORD, SOLAR PLANE

Q&A P.20INTERVIEW WITH UNITED SOLAR OVONIC’S SUBHENDA GUHA

PRODUCT BRIEFS P.22

INDUSTRY BUZZ

TAIWAN: 2009 OLYMPICS STADIUM WILL BE COUNTRY’S LARGEST PV INSTALLATIONConstruction work recently began for the new main stadium for the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The new sports arena is also Taiwan’s largest photovoltaic installation to date – fi tted with solar modules manufactured by the Taiwanese company Lucky Power Technology Co., Ltd. using technology from 3S Swiss Solar Systems AG, of Lyss, Switzerland. The stadium will be the world’s biggest sports facility powered with its own solar electricity.

The Japanese architect Toyo Ito planned the ultra-modern stadium in accordance with the ecological requirements of a “Green Building,” and it consists of 8,844 solar panels on a surface area of 14,155m2 on its roof. The solar roof, which emulates the form of a fl owing river, can, depending on the strength of the sunshine, cover 75% of the energy needs of the stadium, which can hold 55,000 spectators.

On days when no competitions are taking place, the electricity generated is fed into the grid. The new stadium is the main venue for the competitions of the World Games 2009. International athletes from more than 90 nations will be competing against each other next June under the roof that double as a solar power station.

The Taiwanese module producer Lucky Power Technology Co., Ltd. which supplied the special modules for the huge construction project is a longstanding customer of 3S.

The solar modules for the stadium in Kaohsiung were manufactured on a production line comprised of a fully automatic stringer from the Somont company, a manual lay-up station and a fully automatic laminating line from 3S Swiss Solar Systems AG as well as a fully automatic module tester from Pasan.

www.3-s.ch, www.luckypowertech.com

THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL MARKET PROJECTED AT $4.6 BILLION BY 2011NanoMarkets, a U.S. analyst fi rm, projects the thin-fi lm photovoltaics (TFPV) markets to be lean in 2009 and 2010 but projects revenues of $4.6 billion in 2011 that will grow to just over $14 billion in 2015.

According to NanoMarkets, several factors are combining to make the near-term prospects for TFPV less rosy than had once been hoped. The global economic situation is having wide ranging impact on the thin-fi lm solar business.

The recession in the construction industry will dampen demand for solar panels in 2009 and 2010, depressed oil prices will make it harder to make the case for solar and other forms of alternative energies and competition for capital will limit funding for R&D. Furthermore, the shortage of crystalline silicon that was one of the initial drivers for TFPV has been resolved. Add in the capacity that is coming on line to meet expected demand and the market certainly has factors to overcome.

Nonetheless, NanoMarkets does not believe that the thin-fi lm solar business will evaporate. The unique combination of fl exibility, low weight and low cost promised by TFPV will enable the technology to continue to penetrate the solar market as a whole. First Solar has already demonstrated how commercially successful its thin-fi lm CdTe cell technology can be and NanoMarkets also expects to see a major ramp up in CIGS solar panels in the early 2011 timeframe. Indeed, as CIGS begins to fulfi ll its mission of combining high effi ciencies with all the advantages of TFPV, NanoMarkets expects fi rms that are now focused on other materials platforms to switch to CIGS.

NanoMarkets’ report, Thin Film Photovoltaics Markets: 2008 and Beyond (Revised Edition), quantifi es the opportunities for PV based on amorphous and other forms of thin-fi lm silicon, CdTe, CIS/CIGS, GaAs as well as novel thin-fi lm materials such as nanomaterials. Applications for TFPV discussed in this report include electric utilities, commercial and industrial buildings, residential buildings, and military and emergency applications.

The fi rm has published numerous reports related to organic, thin fi lm and printable electronics materials and applications and maintains a blog at www.nanotopblog.com that comments on industry trends and events.

www.nanomarkets.net

MEMORABLE QUOTE: “The most likely niches for companies coming public will be parts makers such as suppliers of wind-turbine parts and utilities that have renewable-energy units that can be carved out into an IPO,” says Jim Rossman, head of U.S. equity capital markets at Macquarie Capital.

— Wall Street Journal, Jan. 26, 2009

Cover image: ‘The Laser MicroJet®’ courtesy of IPVEAMember, Synovawww.synova.ch

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

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

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

PAGE 4 IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009 PAGE 5 IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

HIGH DEMAND EXPECTED FOR SEPT. EUROPEAN SHOW WIP Renewable Energies (WIP), Munich, reports very high demand for the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (September 21-25) and Exhibition (September 21-24), which will be held in Hamburg this year. The total exhibition area now booked already exceeds the area of the previous exhibition, which took place in Valencia, Spain, in September 2008.

Last year 715 exhibitors from 37 countries participated in the 23rd EU PVSEC in Valencia. That exhibition occupied a total area of 50,000 sq m. It attracted 30,000 visitors from 106 countries.

In view of the high demand, the area available for the 24th EU PVSEC in Hamburg has been increased to 65.000 sqm. Peter Helm, Managing Director of WIP, remarked: “The high level of advance bookings nine months before the actual event demonstrates that even in the current fi nancial and economic crisis, photovoltaics is regarded as an industry of the future with high growth potential. This unique combination of the world’s leading PV Solar conference, with over 900 specialist papers, and an international PV Solar exhibition, which represents the whole industrial PV solar value chain, strikes a chord with this young industry that is characterised by numerous technical innovations.”

In 2009, the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference will again be spread over fi ve days – from September 21-25, 2009 – with a wide variety of interesting papers being presented. This year’s call for papers was very successful with 1,580 abstracts. This number marks a record high in the EU PVSEC’s history and represents a 20% rise compared to the number of papers submitted for Valencia last year. These impressive statistics also reconfi rms that EU PVSEC continues to be the most important industry event in the PV solar sector.

The submitted papers cover all areas of the photovoltaics supply chain. Included topics are fundamental research, development, production, process technology, equipment engineering, and system applications. The international interest in the EU PVSEC is also evident in the soaring number of countries where the submitted papers originated: All European countries, North and South America, Asia and Africa, as well as Australia have contributed. This international exchange on such a high professional level also

authenticates the EU PVSEC’s status as the world’s leading PV solar event for a specialist audience.

Prof. Wim Sinke, Conference Chairman of the 24th EU PVSEC says, “It is absolutely impressive to see how the global photovoltaic R&D community responded to the Call for Papers. More than 1,500 abstracts were received from 72 countries. This

number is much higher than that of the previous EU PVSEC in Valencia, showing that we are able to continue the trend of strong growth. I also fi nd it really encouraging that solar energy stays high on the agenda, in spite of the very diffi cult times this world is going through. Photovoltaics is a key to our sustainable energy future and this Conference and Exhibition is at the heart of the global developments in this area; in science, technology, industry and applications. It is my great pleasure to chair this leading platform for PV solar energy.”

Helm commented, “We are impressed by the number of papers received and by the considerable growth in all technical categories compared to last year. The 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition will again be the most important platform for solar PV scientists and researchers, as well as for the PV industry.”

An international scientifi c committee comprising of 135 experts in their respected fi elds is evaluating the submitted papers. In mid-March, after the committee’s fi nal selections, the conference program for the EU PVSEC will be announced.

For the past 32 years, the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition has showcased new products and technical innovations from all areas of photovoltaics and from all over the world.

Since 2004 the EU PVSEC takes place every year. Over fi ve days of conference and four days of exhibition, new products and technical innovations from all areas of photovoltaics and from all over the world are on show.

The conference is expected to attract some 4,000 participants, and the accompanying industry exhibition around 40,000 visitors. About 800 exhibitors will be presenting.

The EU PVSEC, which is held at different venues throughout Europe each year, ranks as the world’s

leading event in photovoltaics. It is supported by the European Commission, UNESCO’s Natural Science Sector, the World Council for Renewable

Energy (WCRE), the International Photovoltaic Equipment Association (IPVEA) and organized in close cooperation with the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA).

WIP, founded in 1968, plans, develops and monitors the realisation and operation of systems and installations in the fi elds of Renewable Energies and environmental engineering. Since 1986 WIP has been organiser of the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference & Exhibition (EU PVSEC), which takes place once a year in Europe.

www.photovoltaic-conference.com

INDUSTRY BUZZ

S U P P O R T E D

S U P P O R T E D

Don’t forget to visit ipvea.com to view a full list of industry events.

Prof. Wim Sinke,Conference Chairman




BUZZ LITE!CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR 1ST INTL. SOLAR TECH AWARDSThe solar photovoltaic industry continues to grow despite the current economic crisis. The International Solar Technology Awards (ISTA) represent an opportunity for industry recognition and a catalyst for new business opportunities and higher visibility within the industry.

IPVEA is among the organisations supporting the ISTA Cell Awards, which aims to recognise the photovoltaic industry’s key people, companies and technologies.

Eight awards will be handed out during a special ceremony at Intersolar 2009 in Munich on May 28 at the SMET Advanced Manufacturing Technology Conference. Entries are now open to all companies involved in the solar manufacturing supply chain

from raw materials through to module production. Award entries will receive a full-page microsite in the online exhibition opening at the end of March

2009 and will stay online until January 2010. This microsite will include links to submitting companies’ websites and a certifi cate for up to fi ve individuals or companies associated with the project.

The cost to enter the awards is €200 for a company’s fi rst entry and

€150 for all entries thereafter. All money is used to administer the awards judging process, cater the award ceremony and pay for the production of physical awards.

To enter the awards or fi nd out more visit the www.cellaward.com

INNOLAS SPINS OFF 3 BUSINESS UNITSInnoLas GmbH, Krailling/Germany, has reorganised its business units. The new structure became effective Jan. 1, 2009 and comprises the three independent companies InnoLas Systems GmbH, InnoLas Semiconductor GmbH and InnoLas Laser GmbH.

Richard Grundmüller is the manager of InnoLas

Systems, which develops and produces laser systems for micro material processing with a focus on the production of solar cells. InnoLas Semiconductor specialises in laser systems for wafer marking and is headed by manager Andreas Behr.

Reinhard Kelnberge is the manager of InnoLas Laser which develops and produces laser sources for scientifi c measuring applications and, in the future, also for material processing.

The reorganisation was undertaken by the three managers to give legal and organisational expression to a sustained internal process during which each of the three business sectors had become increasingly stronger and more independent. At the same time, the three companies are supposed to display their clear-cut performance profi les even more conspicuously in the respective target markets.

Each of the companies functions as an independent enterprise with its own sales, development, production and service division. Only with regard to the international customer service centres in the U.S. (InnoLas Inc.) and in South East Asia (InnoLas South East Asia), do they rely on the same resources. Their respective real estate at the headquarters in Krailling has been the property of InnoLas Holding GmbH since 2006.

www.presse-schwitzgebel.de

PEOPLE NEWS: DIAMOND WIRE TECHNOLOGY NAMES BARRY CAPOOT CFODiamond Wire Technology (DWT), the Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA)-based manufacturer of diamond wire and diamond wire saws, has named Barry Capoot its chief fi nancial offi cer. In his new role, he will be responsible for the oversight of fi nancial management, strategic planning, and contracts administration.

“We are pleased that Barry has joined DWT. He is a seasoned professional with an extensive background in fi nance and accounting,” said Brenan. He will play a major role in our growth and I have every confi dence that he will be an excellent CFO.”

Capoot brings over 15 years of experience in fi nance and administration to DWT. Having most recently served as managing director for Green Manning & Bunch, a middle-market investment bank, he was responsible for executing mergers and acquisitions, as well as fi nancing transactions.

Prior to joining Green Manning & Bunch, he worked for the Bank of America in the Structured Finance Group where he provided capital to middle market companies in leveraged buyout transactions. Before that, he worked for Ernst & Young as a CPA for their audit practice.

Diamond Wire Technology is the originator and market leader in diamond wire cutting, with over 40 years experience. In addition to making diamond wire from 140 micron to 380 micron in diameter, Diamond Wire Technology maintains a line of diamond wire saws.

www.diamondwiretech.com

MEIER VAKUUMTECHNIK CHANGES NAME TO MEIER SOLAR SOLUTIONSMeier Vakuumtechnik GmbH, a leading provider of laminators for encapsulating solar modules, will in future operate under the new name of Meier Solar Solutions.

“The renaming of our company as Meier Solar Solutions is mainly a response to the planned internationalisation of our business,” stated Hans-Gerd Stevens, Managing Director of Meier Solar Solutions. “In summer 2008 we welcomed aboard the fi nancial investor Granville Baird as a partner so that in future we will be able to react even more fl exibly and quickly to market opportunities. Granville Baird will continue to accompany us on our path of expansion.”

Meier separately announced its “Stack and Laminations” conference 14–15 May 2009 in Bocholt, Germany, at which company executives will make presentations about current technological developments in the solar industry.

Meier Solar Solutions GmbH, a global market leader in laminators for encapsulating solar modules, was founded in 1999 as part of the Meier Group. The company offers a comprehensive range of solutions for encapsulating solar modules within fully automated manufacturing processes.

The company, with plants in Bocholt and Rossla, currently employs around 140 staff, and turnover for 2008 is expected to be within the region of 50 million euros.

www.meier-solar-solutions.com

S U P P O R T E D

FACTORY OUTPUT

NORTH AMERICA

USA: NEW JERSEY UTILITY PROPOSES 5-YEAR $773 MILLION SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTPublic Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) in February asked New Jersey regulators to approve a $773-million proposal to bring the benefi ts of solar power directly to communities and customers throughout its service territory.

The 120-Megawatt program, dubbed “Solar 4 All,” designed to bring solar panels into every town and neighborhood in PSE&G’s service territory in the state, and includes the largest pole-attached solar installation in the country.

PSE&G, the state’s oldest and largest utility serving three-quarters of New Jersey’s population, will invest in, own and operate the grid-connected solar energy systems and will collaborate with experienced solar developers, installers and manufacturers to develop projects. The initiative will create environmental benefi ts to New Jersey by providing carbon-free solar generation to all utility customers.

“We designed our program to ensure that everyone has access to the benefi ts of solar energy,” said Ralph LaRossa, president and COO of PSE&G. “By partnering with solar developers, we will bring solar projects online more quickly and cost effectively. We will also make solar energy available to every neighborhood in our service area.”

LaRossa said the program will encourage growth for the solar industry by providing fi nancing and capital to build solar capacity. The initiative will expand New Jersey’s solar infrastructure and will satisfy nearly 7% of the state’s renewable portfolio standards requirements through 2020.

The 120 megawatts of solar capacity will eliminate 1.7 million tons of CO2 emissions, which is the equivalent of removing nearly 310,000 cars from the road for one year.

PSE&G’s Solar 4 All Program includes four segments:

1. Neighborhood Solar (40 megawatts) - $264 million investment PSE&G will contract with solar developers selected from a competitive bidding process to design, manufacture and procure solar devices for nearly 200,000 utility poles and street lights in neighborhoods throughout PSE&G’s service territory.

2. Local Government Solar (43 megawatts) - $273 million investment Working with solar developers, PSE&G will offer every municipality and public school district in its electric service territory the opportunity to install solar systems on their property. Solar developers will install roof-mounted systems on public schools as well as on municipal and county-owned buildings. An additional incentive will be offered to municipalities in Urban Enterprise Zones by providing more installed capacity. PSE&G will own and operate the systems. Local governments will receive a credit on their utility bill equal to the amount of energy generated by the system, thereby reducing costs and helping every taxpayer in towns served by PSE&G.

3. All schools participating in the program will be provided with educational materials about solar energy.

4. Centralized Solar (35 megawatts) – $221 million investment PSE&G will contract for the design and manufacture of 25 megawatts of ground- or roof-mounted solar systems on land or buildings it owns.

Systems on utility-owned properties will be installed by PSE&G’s skilled workforce or contractors. In addition, the company will work

with developers to install 10 megawatts of larger solar energy farms on brownfi elds, non-profi t-owned real estate, and underdeveloped real estate to convert them to productive sites for renewable generation. These sites will use contractors for the installations.

HMFA/Affordable Housing Solar (2 megawatts) - $15 million investment PSE&G will invest up to $15 million in roof-mounted solar systems to provide electricity at New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA)-fi nanced or other affordable housing communities.

More information: www.pseg.com/solar/

USA: FIRST SOLAR COMPLETES 10MW THIN FILM PLANT FOR SEMPRAFirst Solar, Inc. in late December announced the completion of its fi rst 10 megawatt (MW) ground-mounted photovoltaic power plant for Sempra Generation near Boulder City, Nevada.

According to First Solar, this project is the largest thin fi lm solar power plant in North America. The company served as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for this PV power plant and will provide monitoring and maintenance services for the plant over its lifetime. This project was constructed in less than six months.

The project was developed by Sempra Generation, which will own and operate the PV power plant. First Solar constructed the 10 MW PV power plant adjacent to Sempra’s existing 480 MW El Dorado Energy power plant about 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas. The solar modules deployed in this ground-mount project were produced at First Solar’s manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, Ohio.

First Solar is a leading supplier of thin fi lm PV modules, utilizing unique semiconductor technology.

From raw material sourcing through end-of-life collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on creating cost-effective renewable energy solutions that protect and enhance the environment.

“The build out of this 10MW solar power plant from start to fi nish in less than six months marks the successful completion of our fi rst utility scale EPC project,” said John Carrington, First

Email your news items to [email protected]




FACTORY OUTPUTSolar executive vice president marketing and business development. “We applaud Sempra’s commitment to expand their renewable energy portfolio—investing in clean energy infrastructure while creating green jobs and addressing climate change and energy independence.”

“This is a signifi cant step in the development and deployment of renewable solar power,” said Michael W. Allman, president and CEO of Sempra Generation. “It refl ects the commitment by Sempra Generation and western U.S. utilities to meet the challenges posed by climate change with reliable, renewable energy.”

First Solar, Inc. manufactures solar modules with an advanced thin fi lm semiconductor technology and provides comprehensive PV solutions that signifi cantly reduce solar electricity costs. By enabling clean, renewable electricity at competitive prices, First Solar provides an economic and environmentally responsible alternative to existing peaking fossil-fuel electric generation.

First Solar PV power plants operate with no water, air emissions or waste stream. First Solar set the benchmark for environmentally responsible product life cycle management by introducing the industry’s fi rst comprehensive collection and recycling program for solar modules. From raw material sourcing through end-of-life collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on creating cost-effective renewable energy solutions that protect and enhance the environment.

www.fi rstsolar.com

EUROPE

GERMANY: M+W ZANDER TO DESIGN & BUILD THIN-FILM SOLAR MODULE FACTORYThe engineering company M+W Zander has been awarded the general contract for the design and construction of a solar module factory for an affi liate of Q-Cells AG. The new manufacturing facility located in Thalheim, Germany, dubbed “Solar Valley,” will have a production capacity of 90 Megawatt (MWp) and will be used to produce solar modules based on a thinfi lm technology.

This type of technology is characterized by a very high degree of effi ciency. The factory complex includes the production building, storage facilities, central utility building and offi ce building. The fi rst modules will be ready for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2009.

M+W Zander offers customers worldwide the overall lifecycle services for high-tech

production plants and infrastructural facilities, including any complementary services and modernization engineering. The clientele includes leading enterprises in the fi elds of electronics, photovoltaics, pharmaceuticals and chemicals industries, automotive and information technology as well as research institutions and universities. M+W Zander is a leader in providing solutions to several markets including semiconductors, photovoltaics, and pharmaceuticals. The Stuttgart-based holding company, MWZ Beteiligungs GmbH controls the worldwide activities of the group.

www.mw-zander.com

ITALY: FERRARI FACILITY POWERED BY PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM The new photovoltaic system installed on the roof of Ferrari’s Engine Mechanical Machining facility, was offi cially unveiled in January. The installation comes as part of the Ferrari’s ongoing environmental sustainability and renewable resources investment program.

The photovoltaic panels will reduce the amount

of power Ferrari takes from the national grid by over 210,000 kWh annually. 1075 185 watt solar modules from Mitsubishi Electric make up the 198.8 watt peak system.

The system is the work of EnerRay, a Maccaferri Group company.

Ferrari’s plan to reduce the environmental impact of its production activities also includes the installation of a trigeneration plant which will be operational by the middle of this year.

The new plant will cover virtually all of the company’s electricity requirements, which will in turn cut its CO2 emissions in 2009 by 25-30% compared to the present levels.Ferrari’s commitment to environmental sustainability dates all the way back to 2001 when it was awarded ISO 14001 certifi cation; the Prancing Horse also obtained Integrated Environmental Authorization in 2007.

Over the last few years, Ferrari has also made

numerous investments to increase the size and number of green areas both inside and outside its various industrial pavilions.

The complex now boasts around 165,000 square metres of green areas with more than 200 trees planted there in the last six months alone.

The environmental protection investments are also part of the overall Formula Uomo programme launched in the early 1990s by President Luca di Montezemolo to put the individual workers, their needs and skills at the centre of the Company’s activities.

www.enerray.it

MIDDLE EAST

UAE: SUNTECH PANELS TO POWER LATEST MIDEAST SOLAR PV PROJECT

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) modules, announced in January it has supplied 5MW of

Suntech solar panels for a 10MW solar electricity system to power Masdar City, the world’s fi rst carbon neutral city being built in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The panels will form part of the largest solar plant in the Middle East and is being built and designed by leading Abu Dhabi based solar power system integrator, Enviromena Power Systems “Enviromena”.

“Masdar City is a revolutionary concept that will greatly infl uence the future of global urban development,” said Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech’s chairman and CEO. “Solar energy systems are the ideal solution for Masdar City as electricity generated will coincide with peak energy usage during the middle of the day.”

The 10MW system is expected to generate over 17 million kilowatt-hours per year and reduce carbon emissions by over 15,000 metric tons annually.

With a total investment of approximately $15 billion, Masdar City will take eight years to build and be home to 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. The city, which will cover 6.5 square kilometers, will be primarily powered by solar energy and employ a broad range of innovative energy effi cient technologies including electric travel pods, waste and water recycling, natural ventilation and shading. Masdar City’s 10MW solar

farm will provide power for the construction and eventual operations of parts of Masdar City.

Suntech designs and delivers commercial and utility scale solar power systems through its wholly owned subsidiaries Suntech Energy Solutions and Suntech Energy Engineering and will own and operate projects greater than 10 megawatts in the U.S. through Gemini Solar Development Company, a joint venture with MMA Renewable Ventures.

www.suntech-power.comwww.masdaruae.com

INDIA: MOSER BAER TO BEGIN PRODUCING THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULESMoser Baer announced in late January that its photovoltaic subsidiary is ready for production of thin fi lm photovoltaic modules at its manufacturing plant in Greater Noida.

This follows fi nal acceptance test (FAT) certifi cation of Moser Baer Photovoltaic’s SunFab Thin Film Line supplied by Applied Materials, Inc., the California-based nanomanufacturing technology solutions provider. The certifi cation verifi es that the SunFab line has met all manufacturing, module effi ciency and yield specifi cations.

This is a major milestone for both Moser Baer and Applied Materials representing the start of production of thin fi lm modules by Moser Baer, which was Applied’s fi rst SunFab customer. The 40MW capacity line is the largest thin fi lm solar line in India. This single junction SunFab line has demonstrated the highest production capacity to date for manufacturing the world’s largest (2.2m x 2.6m) solar modules.

Commenting on the development, Deepak Puri, the chairman and managing director of Moser Baer, said: “Moser Baer is pursuing a differentiated strategy in the high growth photovoltaic business and launching production of the SunFab thin fi lm solar module line is of great signifi cance in our effort to bring the solar energy dream to fruition. The thin fi lm line will help us signifi cantly scale up our manufacturing capacity and supply thin fi lm solar modules to our customers. The close relationship we have with Applied has enabled us to quickly ramp up our Greater Noida facility.”

Mike Splinter, Applied Materials’ CEO, said: “We are very pleased to have achieved this key customer sign-off for our thin fi lm production line, the fi rst SunFab line in India. We are especially grateful to Moser Baer, our fi rst SunFab customer, for its commitment to our approach in driving

down the cost of solar electricity using 5.7m2 substrates.”

The Applied SunFab Thin Film Line is a fully-integrated PV module production line that delivers leading-edge solar manufacturing capability using advanced engineering, process equipment, automation and other key supporting technologies. PV modules produced by Applied’s SunFab line have been certifi ed by the International

Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), verifying that they meet stringent performance and safety specifi cations under challenging environmental conditions.

www.moserbaer.comwww.appliedmaterials.com

ASIA

CHINA: CTDG TO BUILD 30MW ON-GRID SOLAR STATION IN QAIDAM BASINChina Technology Development Group Corp. (CTDG), a provider of solar energy products and solutions in China focusing on a-Si thin fi lm technology, announced in early January that it and Qinghai New Energy Group Co., Ltd. (QNE) have signed an agreement with local government of Qinghai Haixi Mongolian-Tibetan Autonomous Region to build a 30MW on-grid solar power station in Qaidam Basin of northwestern China.

The signing ceremony was held at Xining, the capital city of Qinghai Province, and many important government leaders attending the event, including Luo Yulin, who is both vice governor of Qinghai Province and the mayor of Xining.

Under the agreement, CTDC and QNE will design, construct and manage the solar power station. The local government of Haixi Region will provide strong support to CTDC and QNE, such as helping them obtain various local and central government-backed incentives and providing land.

The installed power-generating capacity of the fi rst phase of Qaidam solar power station came to 30 MW and the total long-term objective of the project came up to 1GW.

The Qaidam solar power station, the fi rst of its kind in China to integrate crystalline silicon and thin-fi lm solar modules, will be the largest on-grid solar power station in China after full completion.

CTDC and QNE will begin construction of the project in 2009 with initial investment of US$150 million.

With ample sunshine, vast desert landmass and

broad power grids, Qaidam Basin is generally regarded as one of the optimal locations in

China to build a large scale on-grid solar power plant. In 2005, Chinese government approved to establish Qinghai’s Qaidam as a special Economic Experimental Zone to develop circular economy and renewable energy projects. Qaidam Circular Economic Experimental Zone is the biggest circular economic experimental zone in China, covering an area of 256,000 square kilometers.

“The ambitious plan to build such a large scale solar power plant is a signifi cant step for Qinghai Province to develop and deploy solar energy by taking full advantage of our abundance in solar and desert resources of Qaidam Basin,” said Yulin. “It also refl ects the commitment by our government to meet the challenges posed by climate change with reliable and renewable energy.”

“With the recognition and commitment of the Chinese government to developing renewable energy technology, we expect that the domestic solar energy and application market will expand rapidly in the near future,” said Alan Li, chairman and CEO of CTDC. “The signing of the Qaidam solar power plant project is another great milestone for CTDC.”

CTDC is a provider of solar energy products and solutions in China focusing on a-Si thin-fi lm technology. CTDC’s ultimate principal shareholder is China Merchants Group (http://www.cmhk.com), one of the biggest state-owned conglomerates in China.

QNE, one of the earliest solar PV technology research organizations in China, was established in 1983.

www.chinactdc.comwww.qssolar.com

TAIWAN: GREEN ENERGY LAUNCHES A-SI THIN-FILM SOLAR PV LINEGreen Energy Technology (GET) is the fi rst company in Taiwan to employ Applied Materials’ SunFab amorphous-silicon thin-fi lm PV module turnkey manufacturing line technology to achieve volume production status.

The Taiwanese fi rm said it will reach an annualized capacity of 30 MW on its Generation 8.5 large-area glass line in the fi rst quarter of 2009, and then ramp to 50 MW by the fourth quarter.

GET also said it tested and pre-mass produced more than 600 TFPV modules from mid-November through December, with conversion effi ciencies

FACTORY OUTPUT




reaching 7% and yields meeting qualifi cation levels. The company is producing commercial modules and plans to start shipping to contracted customers in the 1Q 2009.

“Integrating fast and successfully [our] TFT-LCD experience with CPT (Chunghwa Picture Tube) has demonstrated GET professions in solar technology,” said W.S. Lin, chairman of GET and CPT. “The group will support GET to keep its leading position in [the] worldwide solar industry.”

“We are planning to get TUV certifi cation in Q1 2009 for quarter-size module (1.1 X 1.3 meter) and full size (2.2 X 2.6 meter) certifi cation in Q3 2009,” said Hur-Lon Lin, president of GET. “We will keep expanding [our] worldwide marketing network from Europe to U.S. and developing countries. The horizontal integration we are going [through] now [will] make us able to expand [our] service scale from crystalline wafer to thin-fi lm module and further system design. We will push ourselves [to] keep developing high-level technology to fulfi ll market demands continuously.”

GET announced in September yearly contracts worth �39.86 million with three German and Spanish solar systems companies. The deals call for the shipment of commercial products by GET in 2009.

TAIWAN: LINDE TO SUPPLY TURNKEY GAS SUPPLY SYSTEM TO AURIA SOLARBOC Lien Hwa (BOCLH), Taiwan’s leading electronic gases supplier, announced in late December that it has been selected to supply Auria Solar in Taiwan, with a wide range of bulk and specialty gases used in the manufacturing process of solar cells.

BOCLH is a joint venture between The Linde Group, a leading global gases and engineering group, and Taiwan’s Lien Hwa Corp., offering gases, gas supply systems and services for numerous applications in semiconductor, solar cell, and TFT-LCD production.

Under the long-term agreement, BOCLH will provide Auria with turnkey installation of the gas supply systems together with ongoing delivery of the gases essential to making thin fi lm solar cells. These include large volumes of silane and chamber cleaning gases.

“Gases are a critical component in thin fi lm cell manufacture, and our partnership with Auria reinforces Linde’s mission to develop and apply advanced gas technologies that help manufacturers move towards lower cost energy”

said Alex Tong, president of BOCLH.

The Auria plant broke ground in February and is just commencing production of thin-fi lm solar cell modules. The plant will have an initial capacity to produce thin-fi lm solar panels with a power output of 60 Megawatts peak (MWp), incorporating multi-layer cell technology for increased effi ciency.

Auria Solar was founded in October 2007, and its investors include E-Ton Solar, Lite-On Technology Corp, Hermes-Epitek Corp. and MiTAC-SYNNEX Group. E-Ton and photovoltaic parts maker Lite-On will be the largest shareholders with 23.9 & each in the company.

www.linde.com

KOREA: ROTH & RAU TO SUPPLY TWO 60MWP PRODUCTION LINES TO MILLINETRoth & Rau AG has received a major order to supply two turnkey production lines worth EUR 26.0 million. The lines, which have production capacities of 60 MWp each, are due to be supplied to the Korean solar cell manufacturer Millinet Solar from June 2009 (fi rst line) and November 2009 (second line).

The Millinet project will be the fi rst project to be handled by Roth & Rau together with its new cooperation partner, Manz Automation AG.

‘The cooperation with Manz will enable Roth & Rau customers to benefi t from an optimally coordinated, cost-effective equipment and technology package.

Roth & Rau said it achieved a further substantial increase in new orders in 2008. Orders amounted to EUR 269.2 million in total and thus improved by 10.1% compared with the previous year (2007: EUR 244.6 million).

The German company, based in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, said its fi rst major order in the new year shows that companies are continuing to invest in the development and expansion of production capacities in 2009 as well and that turnkey projects are in especially great demand.

“Against this background, we are optimistic with regard to demand in the medium term,” said Dr. Dietmar Roth, CEO of Roth & Rau AG. “We nevertheless expect to see more subdued developments in the order situation in the fi rst half of 2009, as some solar cell manufacturers will postpone their investment projects. We expect to see a recovery in this respect at the earliest in the second half of 2009.”

Roth & Rau is one of the world’s leading suppliers of plasma process systems for the photovoltaics industry. Developed by Roth & Rau, these products are manufactured and distributed worldwide through the company’s photovoltaic and plasma and ion beam technology divisions.

Roth & Rau’s photovoltaic division focuses on providing antirefl ective coating facilities as well as fully automated manufacturing lines (turnkey production lines) for the production of crystalline silicon solar cells. Another focus is on the production of equipment for the coating of thin fi lm solar modules.

Customers served by this division include, in particular, companies in the semiconductor and automotive industries, R&D departments in various industries including photovoltaics as well as research institutes and universities.

www.roth-rau.de

JAPAN TO PROVIDE 1Q SOLAR SUBSIDIES OF 9 BILLION YENIn the fi rst quarter of 2009, Japan will provide solar panel development subsidies up to 9 billion yen (US$99.6 million), reported Reuters in late December.

The move to bring back such subsidies was announced by the country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s fi fth-biggest emitter.

Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions hit a record high last March.

The government halted solar subsidies in March 2006. METI said the government would possibly provide additional subsidies later in the fi scal year to foster use of solar panel equipment in homes.

To meet its long-term goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 60-80% from current levels by 2050, the government aims to have more than 70% percent of newly built houses equipped with solar panels by 2020.

METI said the government would offer a subsidy of 70,000 yen per kilowatt of equipment to be installed next year, and forecast that about 35,000 applications would be fi led between Jan. 13 and March 31.

Government budget proposals for the fi scal year starting April 1 also include 20 billion yen worth of solar subsidies that could be offered, METI offi cials said.

FACTORY OUTPUTReuters reported that Tokyo’s 2006 decision to scrap solar subsidies helped Germany’s Q-Cells AG overtake Japan’s Sharp Corp. as the No.1 supplier of solar cells, while China’s Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. edged out Japan’s Kyocera Corp. for third place in the market.

JAPAN: KANEKA TO BOOST SOLAR CELL PRODUCTION BY ANOTHER 80 MWKaneka Corp., of Osaka, announced it will increase thin-fi lm solar cell production capacity by 80 megawatts (MW) to bring it up to 150 MW for the commencement of operations in the summer of 2010.

These thin-fi lm solar cells utilize hybrid technology with a conversion effi ciency of 12%. The new equipment will be installed at the company’s wholly owned subsidiary Kaneka Solartech Corp., of Toyooka City, Hyogo. The amount of the capital investment is expected to come to more than 10 billion yen.

Commercial production of thin-fi lm solar cells which utilize hybrid technology featuring the world’s highest level of conversion effi ciency (12%) began at Kaneka Solartech in April, 2008, and shipments are increasing incrementally. Kaneka is currently engaged in process innovations which have resulted in various improvements, including a substantial reduction

in the cost of equipment achieved through independent development, a substantial increase in productivity on the manufacturing line achieved through the use of proprietary thin-fi lm solar cell technology, a reduction in the cost of materials used and enlargement of the panels. With respect to manufacturing costs, the goal is to bring about signifi cant cost reductions so that a cost of 100 yen per watt can be achieved at an early point in time. The full 80 MW of the upgrade will be used to produce hybrid-type cells with a conversion effi ciency of 12%, and the company will continue to further expand production capacity at the demonstration plant on a commercial scale.

The company has also decided to look into the following to further expand the scale of the business:

Further accelerate current cost reduction efforts and maintain a top position in the global market in terms of both quality and cost in order to secure a competitive advantage in the global power market of the future. It will be necessary to reduce costs through technological innovations for Kaneka’s solar cell operations to survive and grow in the market. Preparations have begun for the establishment of a new Thin Film Laboratory with the goal of continuing to establish new solar cell technologies. This will allow Kaneka to engage in R&D on next-generation, high-effi ciency hybrid cells and development of organic thin-fi lm solar cells through the application of organic EL research technology for the achievement of high conversion effi ciency.

This expansion of facilities will allow Kaneka to seek new production bases with the technologies established at this demonstration plant by fully utilizing the premises of Kaneka Solartech. Kaneka believe that the dominant production bases are those that are closest to their markets. Kaneka will carefully watch market trends and will look into establishing production bases in the optimal locations, including overseas. Kaneka will begin by looking into establishing a production base in Europe. The scale Kaneka are looking at is 200 MW, and Kaneka will gradually increase production capacity to 1 GW by around 2015.

The solar cell business currently has four market segments: large-scale utility installation, free land installation, commercial roof-top installation and residential roof-top installation. Kaneka’s target market in Europe and the United States will be large-scale utility installations used for supplying electricity. In Japan, the focus will be on installations at new residences.

The company will not only seek to go it alone in its future sales strategy but will also consider alliances with suitable partners.

www.kaneka.co.jp

FACTORY OUTPUT

DEVELOPMENTS IN PV MODULE PRICING Source: www.pvxchange.de

Producer: All (sum)Technology: CdS/CdTe (sum)Time period: Week 42/2008 - 12/2009Number of offers: 170Total Volume: 29.382,713 kWp

Producer: All (sum)Technology: mono-S1 (sum)Time period: Week 43/2008 - 12/2009Number of offers: 136Total Volume: 30.366,315 kWp

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009 PAGE 13 IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009PAGE 12 IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009 PAGE 13 IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATIONISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

IPVEA MEMBER LIST (SOURCE INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY VLSI RESEARCH) WWW.VLSIRESEARCH.COM

CELL / MODULE TECHNOLOGY CELL / MODULE EQUIPMENT TYPE SILICON

IPVEA MEMBER COMPANY Wafer Si Thin FilmNon-Si

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

Wafer & Ingot Equipment

(AMB) Bernhard Brain X3S Swiss Solar Systems X X X X X X X XAnwell X X XBekaert Group X X XBosch Rexroth X XCelerity, Inc.Centrotherm GmbH + Co. KG X X X X X X X X XDEK Printing Machines, Ltd. X X XDiamond Wire Technology, LLC XDr. Schenk GmbH X X X Xdr. schwab GmbH X X XEBARA Corporation XFerrotec Corporation XGfe Matalle und Materialien GmbHHeatefl ex X X X XHoneywell Analytics Xib vogt GmbH X XInnolas GmbH X X X XJonas & Redmann X X XKITEC microelectronic technologie GmbH XKomax Systems York X X X XKUKA Systems X X XLPKF SolarQuipment GmbH X X XLSW Maschinenfabrik GmbHM+W Zander FE GmbH X XManz Automation AG X X X X X X X XMaschinenbau GEROLD X XMeier Solar X XMeyer Burger Technology AG XNewport Corporation X X X X X X X X X XOC Oerlikon Balzers AG X X X X X X XOTB Group X X XOtto- Chemie X XPall GmbH X XPasan SA X XReis GmbH & Co. KG X XRENA Sondermaschinen GmbH X X X X X X X XROFIN-SINAR Technologies, Inc. X X X XRoth & Rau AG X X X X X X XSCHAEFFLER KG XSchiller Automation GmbH X X X X X XSemilab Semi. Physics Laboratory XSingulus Technologies AG X X XSixtron Advanced Materials Inc.Solar Line Saxony (SLS) X XSoleras Ltd X X X X XSomont GmbH X XSpire Corporation X X X X X X X X XSTANGL Semiconductor Equipment AG X X X X XSynova X X X X X XTargray Technology International Inc. X XTeamtechnik X X X X X XTecnofi mes SRLTrumpf X X XVeeco Instruments, Inc. X X X X X X XVITRONIC Dr.-Ing. Stein X XVon Ardenne Anlagentechnik X X X X




INSIDE IPVEA INSIDE IPVEA

LINKEDIN.COM MANUFACTURING FORUM PROVIDES OPERATIONS INFORMATION EXCHANGEIPVEA recently participated in the Photovoltaic Manufacturing and Supplier Network within the popular B2B LinkedIn.com website. Our aim is to provide another forum for information exchange that will be benefi cially mutual for members’ operations, as we look to accelerate effi ciency and productivity in the PV supply chain.

Members are welcomed to pose questions to the group. Anticipated topics of discussion will cover: crystal growth; diffusion furnaces; galvanics; laminators; laser systems; material handling; printing; process integration; solar simulators; substrate handling; testing; vacuum systems; waste gas abatement; wet chemical systems, and related materials and professional services.

What follows is a recent response from Cris DeWitt to a query from IPVEA managing director Bryan Ekus about what can be done to provent bottlenecks.

Cris DeWitt wrote: My team, partnered with thought leaders from Harvard Business School, works globally in manufacturing semiconductor, solar, and now entering into medical device manufacturing, to stop the bleeding within the factory operational costs.

A US example: using tools of process and economic modeling, implemented throughput and cycle time improvements which yielded 64.4% reduction in scrap in <6 months, 67.3% cycle time reduction in <7 months, and 73% manufacturing cost reduction (per wafer-out cost) in 3 quarters.

Bottlenecks (logjams) are a lagging indicator of other problems. Identifi cation of a real problem (as opposed to a problem that just exposes itself in the form of a down tool or stack of WIP) is really the key. Most factories traditionally silo their remediation efforts into functional areas of the factory instead of understanding the process fl ow and the massive variability therein. My claim is that if you understand the process fl ow and it’s inherent variabilities in enough detail, you can implement the actions that lead to a cadence in the line. With cadence, you minimize or eliminate the “logjams.”

So, to directly answer your question, in traditional fabs, the logjams are created by unexpectedness wherever it occurs. Unexpected (corrective) maintenance has the most detrimental impact to a line. A close second is the variability in the skills/knowledge of the engineers/technicians performing maintenance (including, if not especially, vendor maintenance).

Hope this helps, CD.

IPVEA MANAGING DIRECTOR BRYAN EKUS ON WHETHER PV IS ‘RECESSION-PROOF’?The IPVEA Newsletter queried Bryan Ekus, the organization’s managing director, on what the toll the global economic downturn has taken on the PV industry, or is it “recession-proof”?

Ekus: “I don’t think we can say that any business is recession-proof. I do speak to quite a few members, and our members are quite active, although being very cautiously optimistic about the future because things can change. Of course, there have been some postponements of orders, and even an occasional cancellation of orders. But in general the members are very optimistic that the orders will continue to come in, contrary to what you might read in the trade press. It takes time to put these orders together. I think the industry is doing better than other industries. Right now things seem to be moving forward, which is very positive.”

ABOUT IPVEAFounded in May 2008, the International Photovoltaic Equipment Association (IPVEA) is an independent, non-profi t organization of manufacturers and suppliers of photovoltaic (PV) fabrication equipment and related raw materials used in PV ingot, wafer, cell (crystalline and thin-fi lm), 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 unifi ed 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. 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.

Information obtained from: Bassel, Bekaert, Berger Lichttechnik, Bosch Rexoth, BTU, Caerus Systems, Celerity, Diamond Wire, Dr. Schenck, Ebara, Enviorchemie, G&N, Gfe, Grenzebach, ICOS, Innola, Jonas & Redman, Kitec, Komax, Kuka Ssytems, Leybold Optics, LPFK Solarquipment, Mayer Burger, Newport, Oerlikon, Pall, Pasan, Pfeiffer Vacuum, Rena, Semco Engineering, Semilab, Singulus/Stragl, Soleras, Somont, Spire, Synova, Vitronic, Von Ardenne, Wagner & Co., Xerocoat, Zygo

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5

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15

20

25

30

35

WFES

Abu Dhabi

PVSEC18

KolkataIndia

Solarcon

SeoulKorea

PV Expo

TokyoJapan

Photon EuropeMunich

Germany

SNEC PVPower ExpoShanghai

China

PhotonAsia

ShenzhenChina

IntersolarEuropeMunich

Germany

IntersolarSemi WestSFO, USA

RenewableEnergy

New DelhiIndia

24th EU PVSECHamburgGermany

PV TaiwanTaipei

Taiwan, ROC

Solar Power 09Anaheim

USA*

IPVEA Members Other Key Players *Combination event - PV & Semiconductor

*

EXHIBITION NEWSIPVEA recently conducted a survey regarding which shows IPVEA members were exhibiting at:

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident: Hans-Juergen Stangl, (Stangl Semiconductor)Vice President: Albert Vontz (Kuka Systems)Vice President: Sven Jarby (Oerlikon)Managing Director: Bryan Ekus 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. Gopal Shankar, ib-vogtMr. Ed Hurley, Spire CorpMr. Russell Yau, Anwell Precision Technology

Managing Director: Bryan [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

Be sure to sign up at www.ipvea.com for our e-mailed monthly solar industry news updates, and also send to [email protected] the e-mail addresses of colleagues who would like to also receive the quarterly newsletter and monthly updates.




INDUSTRY CALENDARMARCH 0926 Feb- 1 Mar Solar Energy & Technologies Fair Istanbul, Turkey www.gunesenerji.com3 PHOTON’s 7th Solar Silicon Conference Munich, Germany www.photon-expo.com3-4 Clean Tech Innovation & Growth San Jose, USA www.ianano.org3-5 Trade fair: Renewtech India 2009 Pune, India www.renewtechindia.com4-5 Conference on Renewable Energies 2009 Berlin, Germany www.jahreskonferenz.de4-6 Conference & Exhibition: 24th Photovoltaic SymposiumBad Staffelstein, Germany www.otti.de4 PHOTON’s 4th PV Production Equipment Conf. – Part I c-Si Munich, Germany www.photon-expo.com4-6 PHOTON’s Photovoltaic Technology Show 2009 Europe Munich, Germany www.photon-expo.com5 PHOTON’s 4th PV Production Equipment Conf. – Part 2 Thin fi lm Munich, Germany www.photon-expo.com5 PHOTON’s 4th PV Investors Conference Munich, Germany www.photon-expo.com5-7 Trade fair: Energethica 2009 Genoa, Italy www.energethica.it6 PHOTON’s 2nd PV Utility Conference Munich, Germany www.photon-expo.com9-10 2nd International Workshop on Concentrating Photovoltaic: Darmstadt, Germany www.concentrating-pv.org Optical Design and Grid Connection10 2nd Energy Effi ciency Symposium Los Angeles, USA www.ahksanfrancisco.com17-18 4th Annual European Energy Policy Conference 2009 Brussels, Belgium www.epsilonevents.com17-19 Conference: RIO 9 - World Climate & Energy Event Rio, Brazil www.rio9.com18-20 Solar, Wind & Earth Energy Trade Fair 2009 (SWEET 2009) Gwangju, Korea www.sweet.or.kr19-20 Annual General Meeting & 4th Workshop on Frankfurt, Germany www.epia.org Market Potential and Production Capacity19 Seminar: Solar In Building Design & Construction Dubai, UAE www.scheuten.ae22-24 Conf. & Ex.: 2nd Latin America Meeting on Energy Economics Santiago, Chile www.elaee.org

APRIL 20093-6 2nd Int. Exhibition: ECOTEC - Environmental Technologies Athens, Greece www.ecotec-exhibition.gr6-8 5th Int. Congress & Exhibition on Energy & Renewable Energy Sources Sofi a, Bulgaria www.viaexpo.com7-8 3rd International Conference on Solar Photovoltaic Investments Frankfurt, Germany www.epia.org7-8 Conference: Photovoltaics Beyond Conventional Silicon Europe Dresden, Germany www.idtechex.com8-10 International Green Energy Expo Korea 2009 Daegu, Korea www.energyexpo.co.kr13-17 Conference: 2009 MRS Spring Meeting San Francisco, USA www.mrs.org13-15 6th Newgrace International Solar Energy & PV Exhibition Shanghai, China www.ch-solar.com14-15 Conference: Surviving the Shakeout: Phoenix, Arizona, USA www.greentechmedia.com Greentech Media’s 2009 Solar Industry Summit16-18 Conference & Exhibition: 3rd Renexpo Central Europe 2009 Budapest, Hungary www.renexpo-budapest.com20-24 Conference & Exhibition: Power & Electricity World Africa Johannesburg, S.A. www.terrapinn.com/2009/powerza/21-25 3rd Int.Exhibition on Renewable Energies & Environment in Africa Dakar, Senegal www.sinergie-afrique.com21-24 PV Tech Expo China Shanghai, China www.nepconchina.com22-24 3rd International Conference on the Industrialization of DSC Nara, Japan www.dyesol.com/conference27-29 Conference: Organic Photovoltaics 2009 Philadelphia, USA www.organicphotovoltaics2009.com29-30 2nd Renewable Energy Finance Forum – Latin America Rio de Janeiro, Brazil www.euromoneyenergy.com

MAY 20093-7 Conference & Exhibition: Clean Technology 2009 Houston, Texas, USA www.csievents.org/Cleantech2009/6-7 Italian PV Summit. Seizing the opportunities of a record – setting market Verona, Italy www.italianpvsummit.com6-7 Conference & Exhibition: Gulf Solar Expo™ Dubai, UAE www.greenpowerconferences.com6-8 SNEC PV Power Expo 2009 Shanghai, China www.snec.org.cn7-9 10th Solarexpo: Int.ernational Exhibition & Conference Verona, Italy www.solarexpo.com on Renewable Energy & Distributed Generation8-10 Trade fair & conference: Denex, Enbio, Bausan Kassel, Germany www.energie-server.de11-12 Conference & Exhibition: Glass Performance Days (GPD) China Shanghai, China www.gpd.fi 11-13 Conference: 4th Renewable Energy Finance Forum – China Beijing, China www.euromoneyenergy.com12-16 Conference & Exhibition: Solar 2009 Buffalo, New York, USA www.ases.org12-14 Genera 2009 – Energy & Environment International Trade Fair Madrid, Spain www.genera.ifema.es19-21 2009 International Renewable Energy Fair Pozna�, Poland greenpower.mtp.pl/en

MAY 200919-21 XIX CONGRESSO AIV (Palazzo del Duca) Senigallia, Italy www.aiv.it/senigallia/index.asp 25-26 Conference: Small PV Applications Ulm, Germany www.otti.de25-26 5th PV Industry Forum 2009 Munich, Germany www.pvindustry.de26 PHOTON’s 8th Solar Silicon Conference Shenzhen, China www.photon-expo.com27-29 PHOTON’s Photovoltaic Technology Show 2009 Asia Shenzhen, China www.photon-expo.com27-29 Trade fair: Intersolar 2009 Munich, Germany www.intersolar.de27 PHOTON’s 5th PV Production Equipment Conference Shenzhen, China www.photon-expo.com27-29 5th SMET Advanced Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology Conf. Munich, Germany www.solarpraxis.de28 Off-grid Power Conference Munich, Germany www.off-grid-conference.org28 PHOTON’s 5th PV Investors Conference Shenzhen, China www.photon-expo.com29 PHOTON’s 3rd PV Glass Conference Shenzhen, China www.photon-expo.com

JUNE 20091-3 Conference: Photovoltaics Summit 2009 San Francisco, USA www.photovoltaicssummit.com7-12 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference Philadelphia, USA www.34pvsc.org10-12 Trade fair: R.energy Buenos Aires, Argentina www.r-energy.info10-12 Exhibition: Solar Taiwan 2009 Taipei, Taiwan www.optotaiwan.com12-15 Conference & Exhibition: Glass Performance Days (GPD) 2009 Tampere, Finland www.gpd.fi 15 Seminar: Solar Energy – A Window to the Future Penang, Malaysia www.ptm.org.my23-24 Conference: 6th Annual Renewable Energy Finance Forum - Wall Street New York, USA www.acore.org23-25 Large-area, Organic and Printed Electronics Convention (LOPE-C 2009) Frankfurt, Germany www.lope-c.com23-25 Energy and Sustainability 2009 Bologna, Italy www.wessex.ac.uk24-26 Trade fair: PVJapan 2009 Makuhari, Japan www.pvjapan.org/PVJAPAN-EN/index.htm

JULY 20098-10 Trade fair: EP Shanghai 2009 / Electrical Shanghai 2009 Shanghai, China www.2456.com/ep8-10 Conference & Exhibition: Clean Energy Expo China 2009 Beijing, China www.cleanenergyexpochina.com9-10 Conference: 4th Annual Investing in Solar San Diego, California, USA www.frallc.com14-16 Exhibition & Conference: Intersolar North America San Francisco, USA www.intersolar.us

AUGUST 200910-12 Conference & Exhibition: 3rd Renewable Energy India 2009 Expo New Delhi, India www.renewableenergyindiaexpo.com

SEPTEMBER 200915-16 Conference: Photovoltaics Beyond Conventional Silicon Denver, Colorado, USA www.idtechex.com15-17 Solar Convention Las Vegas 2009 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA www.solarconventionlasvegas.com16-18 Conference & Exhibition: Clean Energy Expo Singapore 2009 Singapore www.cleanenergyexpochina.com21-25 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conf. & Exhibition (EU PVSEC) Hamburg, Germany www.photovoltaic-conference.com21-22 Conference: 11th Renewable Energy Finance Forum – London London, England www.euromoneyenergy.com30 - Oct 2 3rd International Conference on Solar Air-Conditioning Palermo, Italy www.otti.de30 - Oct 2 PV Rome Mediterranean Rome, Italy [email protected]

OCTOBER 20097-9 Forum & Exhibition PV Taiwan 2009 Taipei, Taiwan www.pvtaiwan.com11-14 ISES Solar World Congress 2009 Johannesburg, S.A. www.ises.org22-25 4th International Exhibition Energy-Photovoltaic ‘09 Athens, Greece www.leaderexpo.gr27-29 Conference & Exhibition: Solar Power 2009 Anaheim, California, USA www.solarpowerconference.com

NOVEMBER 200925-27 Egética – Expoenergética BRYAN CHECK Valencia, Spain www.feriavalencia.com26-17 3rd European Renewable Energy Policy Conference Brussels, Belgium www.erec.org25-28 Trade fair: EnerSolar+ Milan, Italy www.enersolarplus.com25-27 PVTech Milan Milan, Italy www.zeroemission.eu

FEBRUARY 201016-20, 2010 Trade fair: Solar Energy 2010 Berlin, Germany www.messen-profair.de




TECH BREAKTHROUGHS

GERMANY: FRAUNHOFER SOLAR CELLS ATTAIN WORLD RECORD EFFICIENCY RATESResearchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg reported in mid-January that they reached a record 41.1% effi ciency in converting sunlight into electricity. The achievement bodes well for the future use of solar power.

The sunlight was concentrated 454-times onto a 5 mm² multi-junction solar cell composed of GaInP/GaInAs/ Ge (gallium indium phosphide, gallium indium arsenide on a germanium substrate).

“We’re more than happy with this breakthrough” says Frank Dimroth, director of the ISE working group on Epitaxy and Solar Cells. “The entire team always believed in our concept of the metamorphic triple-junction solar cell and our success was made possible because of many years of committed work.”

The ISE has been developing the metamorphic multi-junction solar cells made of III-IV semiconductor compounds since 1999.

The materials used in these cells are especially conducive to the conversion of sunlight into electricity. They must be combined in a special way, however, using what’s called metamorphic growth, making them distinct from traditional solar cells.

The ISE team was able to overcome the obstacles associated with this unique solar cell design by isolating its defects in a part of the solar cell that is not electrically active, freeing the active cell regions, enabling the record effi ciency result.

The effi ciency levels were maintained even at higher sunlight concentrations of 880, making the multi-junction solar cells especially well suited for solar power stations in countries with direct solar radiation.

Fraunhofer plans to work with the Azur Space Company in Heilbronn and the Freiburg-based Concentrix Solar GmbH to realize the technology as quickly as possible.

“We want to make photovoltaics competitive with conventional methods of electricity production as soon as possible. With our new effi ciency results, we have moved a big step further towards achieving this goal,” says Fraunhofer ISE Department Head Andreas Bett.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) have supported this research over the past 15 years. Grants were also made available to doctoral students from the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt.

www.fraunhofer.de/EN/www.bmbf.de/en/index.phpwww.bmu.de/english/aktuell/4152.php

ADVANCE SOLAR TOUTS TWO BREAKTHROUGH PROCESSESAdvanced Solar Photonics (ASP), a U.S. developer of laser equipment for solar panel processing, thin-fi lm solar cells, and commercial solar products, recently unveiled a non-contact method that splits glass and other non-metallic brittle materials.

Zero Width Laser Cutting Technology (ZWLCT) on the molecular level with tremendous speed, no material loss, and no chips or other debris associated with conventional scribe and break technology.

Precisely cutting glass and other substrates has always been a vexing problem for the solar industry, notes ASP, of Lake Mary, Florida. For years now, there have been two major cutting methods: mechanical scribing or sawing and laser cutting. The explosive rise of the photovoltaic industry has put new demands on these existing cutting technologies. ASP utilizes ZWLCT in its Fantom G8, a thin-fi lm laser scribing system.

“Zero Width Laser Cutting Technology can be used for precise glass separation at production speeds not previously possible and with edge characteristics not attainable by any other process to date. The processed glass is four to fi ve times mechanically stronger and has defect free edges without additional edge processing, said Edgardo Rodriguez, Vice President of sales for Advanced Solar Photonics. “Using this patented method aids the glass in withstanding extreme day/night temperature changes in the harsh desert environments by maintaining the integrity of the glass, thus strengthening it and ensuring long term stability.”

ZWLCT produces the maximum MicroCrack depth in the subsurface layer of the glass and not thermal-fracturing of the glass. After performing this application, the human eye is unable to see any change in the properties of the glass; however, when applying a small amount of pressure, the glass will split along the scribe line. Following the split, the glass has no particular damage and the highest edge quality which one can safely run their fi nger over requiring no further processing making grinding and cleaning lines unnecessary.

TECH BREAKTHROUGHSSeparately, ASP also recently debuted its “Laser Edge” glass processed using a non-contact method which splits glass and other non-metallic brittle materials on the molecular level with tremendous speed, no material loss, and no chips or other debris associated with conventional scribe and break technology.

Precisely cutting glass and other substrates has always been a vexing problem for the solar industry. Conventional methods, such as using a diamond cutter are less cost effective and require additional processing, such as grinding and cleaning, whereas lasers are rapidly moving to the forefront. As the solar industry moves toward larger glass substrates and thinner materials, the precision and accuracy needed is not able to be achieved mechanically therefore new and improved laser scribing technologies such as ASP’s “Laser Edge” glass, which ensures no micro cracks and increases yield, are literally on the cutting edge of photovoltaics.

Cutting glass using the patented, ZWLCT increases the strength and longevity of the glass by creating a controlled micro crack on the molecular level. This micro crack, or scribe line, separates the molecules inside the glass and a breaking machine is used to force the glass to split along the scribe lines with no material loss, no chips or debris as can be associated with conventional scribe and break processes. The end result is “Laser Edge” glass.

ZWLCT can be used for precise glass separation at production speeds not previously possible and with edge characteristics not attainable by any other process to date. The processed glass is four to fi ve times mechanically stronger and has defect free edges without additional edge processing, said Edgardo Rodriguez, vice president of sales for Advanced Solar Photonics. “Using this patented method aids the glass in withstanding extreme day/night temperature changes in the harsh desert environments by maintaining the integrity of the glass, thus strengthening it and ensuring long term stability.”

Satellites launched by the government have utilized ASP’s ZWLCT to produce “Laser Edge” glass to ensure that drastic changes in temperature do not cause the glass to fracture and break. In solar panels, Laser Edge glass has increased the life of the panels and maintained the integrity of the glass in extreme temperature environments. In both of these applications, ASP’s Fantom Series can be utilized to process glass panels ranging from G3 to G8 with “Laser Edge” glass.

www.advancedsolarphotonics.com

SOLAR-POWERED PLANE TO BE FLOWN BY ITS DEVELOPERS: TWO 3S EXECUTIVESDevelopment of solar cars has been long known, but engineers from all fi elds of discipline are also now working together on the fi rst prototype of a solar airplane.

3S Industries AG president Bertrand Piccard and CEO André Borschberg plan to fl y night and day with no fuel and zero polluting emissions.

Important know-how for the solar propulsion system is being supplied by 3S Industries AG’s solar module experts who have developed technology for the airplane’s solar cells. From that technology, a new product has emerged for other applications useful to the manufacturers of solar modules.

The prototype plane will be powered solely by solar energy — enough to generate an equivalent amount of power to illuminate a shop window.

“We are building a type of airplane in which everything is new, from the aerodynamics, through the structure and production methods all the way to the propulsion and fl ight performance,” says Borschberg. “Various research initiatives and partnerships are helping us to work out the necessary, innovative solutions,” says the trained engineer, pilot and management expert.

The Solar Impulse team’s search for completely new solutions affects, among other things, optimisation of the solar panel which converts the radiation energy of the sun into electrical energy for mechanical propulsion of the airplane.

For this purpose, 12,000 photovoltaic cells of mono-crystalline silicon are used, serving as energy generators and simultaneously building the surface of the wings. According to 3S, the highly sensitive cells and their connections to each other may not break, even under extreme pressure such as when the airplane fl ies through turbulence. Finding a solution for the connection of those cells has been handled by experts from 3S Swiss Solar Systems AG and Somont, both of which are member companies of the 3S Industries Group.

“Together with the engineers from Solar Impulse,” says Patrick Hofer-Noser, CEO of 3S Industries AG, “we have succeeded in creating a connection technology which fulfi ls the most extreme demands in terms of temperature pressures, radiation energy and mechanical pressure.”

Following successful tests, the people at the 3S location in Lyss, Switzerland, have now begun with series connection of the cells for Solar Impulse. The series-orientated, manual processing of the ultra-thin solar cells takes place on a soldering table which was specially developed by Somont. That company of 3S Industries AG is specialised in soldering technology for the connection of cells and has outstanding competence in the handling of sensitive solar cells.

With the newly developed soldering table, module manufacturers will be able to save costs in future. For the fi rst time, the soldering table enables a reproduceable soldering process for the exchange of defective cells from automatic production.

www.3-s.ch

Email any technology breakthroughs (with images) to [email protected]





INTERVIEW WITH UNITED SOLAR OVONIC CHAIRMAN SUBHENDU GUHA

United Solar Ovonic (USO), a subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD), is a

leader in building integrated and commercial rooftop photovoltaics, one of the fastest growing

segments of the solar power industry. The company manufactures and sells thin-fi lm solar laminates that convert sunlight to energy using

proprietary technology. Distributed globally under the Uni-Solar brand, the company’s products are lightweight, durable, fl exible,

and can be integrated directly with building materials.

USO’s clients are architects, designers, engineers and building owners who want to

add value to their projects by installing a solar electric generating system.

The IPVEA Newsletter recently spoke with Subhendu Guha, who holds the dual titles of

Senior Vice President, ECD; and Chairman, United Solar Ovonic LLC.

Images L-R: Volkswagen plant rooftop

(Building No. 55), Wolfsburg, Germany, 2.4 Megawatts.

United Solar Ovonic Deposition Machine


IPVEA: Please review the history of United Solar Ovonic. When did United Solar Ovonic become a subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (EDC)?

Dr. Guha: United Solar Ovonic was founded in 1990 as a joint venture between ECD and Canon. Canon’s share was bought later on by Bekaert and fi nally by ECD in 2003. Since 2003, USO is a 100% owned subsidiary of ECD.

IPVEA: How did that change your business?

Dr. Guha: ECD built on the foundation set by Canon and Bekaert, and paved the way for further commercialization.

IPVEA: What percentage of United Solar Ovonic’s current revenues refl ect EDC’s overall revenues?

Dr. Guha: More than 95%.

IPVEA: Your company serves both the residential/consumer and industrial markets. Do you approach them differently, or is thin fi lm production pretty much the same for both?

Dr. Guha: Today, most of our products are for commercial roofs. We are working with Certainteed to develop products for the residential market in the U.S.

IPVEA: What’s the percentage of business industrial vs. consumer/residential?

Dr. Guha: More than 95% for business industrial.

IPVEA: How is business? United Solar Ovonic is located in a fairly economically depressed area of the U.S. (i.e., auto industry woes, etc.)?

Dr. Guha: We just announced our results for Oct-Dec 2008. There has been substantial growth in revenue and profi tability. Revenue for the half-year ending Dec 31 2008 increased by 92% as compared to the previous period last year.

IPVEA: To what do you attribute ECD’s latest fi nancial report for the fi rst quarter of fi scal 2009 doubling revenue?

Dr. Guha: Our strategy has been to address the rooftop market taking advantage of our unique fl exible products. This is a new concept and it took some time for the customers to understand the value proposition. There is wide-scale market acceptance now.

IPVEA: President Obama is a big proponent of renewable energy. How does your company plan to take advantage of this new US policy?

Dr. Guha: We expect that his administration will promote widespread application of PV on federal buildings and will also provide incentives for manufacturing and deployment of PV. This will be good for PV manufacturers.

IPVEA: What’s the non-U.S. picture like for United Solar Ovonic

Dr. Guha: Today, U.S. has less than 10% of the world market. 80% of our products are exported.

IPVEA: What is your background? When did you join the company?

Dr. Guha: I have a Ph.D in Electronics. I joined ECD in 1982. I have been involved in R&D, manufacturing and operations. I received the World Technology Award in 2005 and PVSEC 2009 award recently.

IPVEA: Does United Solar Ovonic have a “wish list” of sorts that would help it improve with manufacturing effi ciency that perhaps IPVEA’s member resources might be able to provide? What would those challenges be in both the long term and short term?

Dr. Guha: United Solar would like to reach grid parity by 2012. This would need reduction in material cost, improvement of productivity and increase in light-to-electricity conversion effi ciency. We have a robust roadmap to attain this goal, and will be happy to work with IPVEA members.

Q&A UNI-SOLAR OVONIC TECHNOLOGY AND MANUFACTURING PROCESS

United Solar Ovonic has been a pioneer in the development and manufacturing of thin fi lm amorphous silicon PV products. Over the last twenty years, the production capacity has increased from 500 kW to 25 MW per year. In order to obtain high effi ciency with good stability, we have pioneered the triple junction cell structure (Fig. 1) where cells of different bandgaps are stacked together. The top cell, which captures the blue photons, uses a-Si alloy with an optical gap of ~1.8 eV for the intrinsic (i) layer. The i layer for the middle cell is an amorphous silicongermanium (a-SiGe) alloy with about 10-15% Ge. The optical gap is ~1.6 eV, which is ideally suited for absorbing the green photons. The bottom cell captures the red and infrared photons and uses an i layer of a-SiGe alloy with about 40-50% Ge, corresponding to an optical gap of ~1.4 eV. Light that is not absorbed in the cells gets refl ected from the silver/zinc oxide (Ag/ZnO) back refl ector, which is usually textured to facilitate light trapping. The cells are interconnected by the heavily doped layers that form tunnel junctions between adjacent cells.

We have developed a roll-to-roll automated process for manufacturing solar cells on stainless steel. Rolls of stainless steel, a mile and a half (2500 m) long, 14 in (36 cm) wide, and 5 mil (125 µm) thick, move in a continuous manner in four machines to complete the solar cell fabrication. The machines are (Fig. 2): 1) The wash machine that washes the web one roll at a time; 2) the back refl ector machine that deposits the back refl ector by sputtering Al and ZnO on the three rolls of washed webs at a time; 3) the triple junction amorphous silicon alloy

processor that deposit the nine layers of a-Si and a-SiGe alloy layers on six rolls of back refl ector coated stainless steels at a time; and 4) the anti-refl ection coating machine that deposits indium tin oxide (ITO) on top of the three rolls of stainless steel at a time.

Both the transport of the web and the process parameters are computer-controlled ensuring reliable and low-cost operation. We use Al back refl ector in manufacturing rather than Ag to reduce cost. The coated web is next processed to make a variety of lightweight, fl exible and rugged products. The module assembly operation consists of the following steps (Fig. 3). The fi nished roll of the coated web is fi rst cut into 23.9 cm x 36 cm slabs using a semiautomated press; coupons are also cut during the same operation at

preset intervals along the length of the web.

These coupons are processed off-line for QA/QC evaluation. The slabs are then processed to defi ne cell size, passivated to remove shunts and shorts, and tested to ascertain quality. Grid wires and contact pads are next applied, and the slabs are cut into predetermined cell sizes for the various product requirements. The cells are next interconnected and the cellblock laminated to provide protection against outside atmosphere. Depending on the application, frames and junction boxes are added, and the fi nished modules undergo a hi-pot test and performance measurement under global AM1.5 illumination before they are shipped out.

A schematic diagram of our triple-junction cell processor is shown in Fig. 4. The machine is approximately 90 m long and 3 m tall. There is a vertical central cathode and three webs are transported on each side of the cathode parallel to it at 2 feet (30 cm) a minute. Deposition of nine miles (14.5 km) of solar cells can thus be completed in about 72 hours!

The plant is producing a variety of products ranging from small modules to charge batteries in electric appliances to large-scale (500 kW) utility-interconnected application. Use of stainless steel as the substrate and a polymer encapsulant allows the product to be extremely rugged and fl exible. Independent studies have also shown that the Uni-Solar products produce more electricity per rated power than those using conventional technology. This is because of the superior performance of the triple-junction products at low light intensity and higher temperature.

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATIONISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

WashMachine

Back ReflectorDepositionMachine

Amorphous Silicon AlloyDeposition Machine

Anti Reflection CoatingDeposition Machine

Cutting of Slabsand Coupons

Short Passivation andCell Definition

Bonding ofElectrodes

Cutting ofCells

CellInterconnection

QA/QC QA/QC QA/QC

LaminationFraming and

FinishingHi-Pot TestTest and Ship

Moving Stainless Steel Web

Schematic Of 30MW Continuous Roll-To-Roll Ovonic a-Si PECVD Processor(Side View)

Trip

le S

olar

Cel

l

OVONIC SOLAR CELL PROCESSOR(Top View)

For more information, please contact Subhendu [email protected]

Source: Volkswagen AG




PRODUCT BRIEFSPALL CORPORATIONSEPARATION SYSTEMS FOR WATER RECYCLING ANDSILICON RECOVERYPall Corporation delivers new separation systems for water recycling and silicon recovery in Photovoltaic (PV) wafer manufacturing.

PROBLEMShaping of silicon ingots prior to wafering comprises several cutting and grinding operations and requires large quantities of water that acts as a cooling liquid, as a lubricant and as a carrier for the silicon particles. The spent process water leaves the tools highly contaminated by silicon particles.

SOLUTIONPall’s automated separation systems: reclaim 95% of spent water and silicon sludge from the spent grinding/sawing water transformed into particle-free permeate ready for re-use. The systems completely clarify the contaminated process water. In doing so, the system reduces wastewater discharge volume, and reduces environmental pollution and meets legal discharge requirements. At the same time, sawing/grinding performance is improved due to controlled, process water specifi cations, and uncontrolled sedimentation in pipes, tanks and sinks is reduced. Chemical hazards due to silicon-water interaction are also reduced by the controlled pre-treatment of spent process water. The remaining concentrate may be directly discharged, or mixed with other wastewater streams

APPLICATIONSThe design capacity of the standard systems ranges from 3 m3/h to 36 m3/h (up to 140 MWp p.a.), higher capacity on demand.

PLATFORMThe fi ltration unit is designed for 30 m3/h silicon grinding/sawing wastewater. It provides a 2 x 75% architecture for safe process water supply.

www.pall.com/microe

HEATEFLEX CORP.AQUARIUS DEIONIZED WATER HEATING SYSTEMSThe Aquarius Deionized Water Heating Systems, including coils, from Heatefl ex Corporation for all PVDF/PFA wetted surfaces ensure ultra-pure conditions throughout the heating process.

With advanced temperature controls utilizing the patented Power-To-Flow Control Plus, the Aquarius is the solution for today and tomorrow’s process heating requirements.

PROBLEMOur analysis has found that KOH bath change outs can take as long as 3 hours or more due to the slow heat up rate of the process fl uid. Because the process is in sequence a single bath that is not ready can keep an entire tool down.

SOLUTIONAquarius ultra-pure deionized water heaters will provide at-temperature DI water in single pass, resulting in bath change out of less than 45 minutes. Aquarius DI water heaters feature PFA and PVDF wetted surfaces for ultra purity, and have self-contained microprocessor-based control systems for precise temperatures and safe operation.

APPLICATIONSSolar cell manufacturers who use dilute KOH or other heated fl uids for texturing processes. Approved for use with solar cells and thin substrates that are under 220 microns in thickness.

PLATFORMHeatefl ex products are built to accommodate the stringent demands of the semiconductor and related high-

technology industries. We use the highest quality non-contaminating components, designed to meet or exceed SEMI, UL, and CE requirements.

AVAILABILITY Currently Available

www.heatefl ex.com

GEROLDMODULE-EDGE TRIMMINGGerold, the German automation specialist, has engineered a PV-tested production cell for automated edge trimming of PV-modules that promises return on investment in less than a year.

PROBLEM In customary production lines, trimming laminated PV-modules is manually performed. Hence, it belongs to the hard and time-consuming operations, whereas sources of defects cannot be eliminated satisfactorily.

SOLUTION Gerold’s production cell completely automates this operation with module fi nishing. The compact cell-concept with minimum footprint features a versatile industrial robot and an effi cient trimming tool. Typically, labor is reduced by four people with 24/7-operation. An easily integrated inspection station offers even more savings.

APPLICATIONS Whether glass-glass- or glass-foil-module, thin-fi lm or crystalline, the robot ensures force-controlled trimming of all module edges within seconds.

PLATFORM The trimming station can be set up parallel to an existing production line, or integrated into a line. Linking is done by means of angular transfers or by linearly connecting two lines, respectively. The upstream component’s PLC starts with a simple signal. the Gerold production cell is smoothly integrated, regardless of different on-site conditions. Sound planning anticipated, and cell confi guration permitting, installation can be fi nished within as little as one day.

AVAILABILITY November 2008 onwards

www.gerold-mb.de

KUKA SYSTEMSROBO FRAME MODULES KUKA Systems’ new Robo Frame module uses an industrial robot with a high payload capacity for the automatic framing of solar modules.

PROBLEMThe framing of solar modules typically involves slightly over-dimensioned frames in order to accommodate the tolerances of the glass and the frame parts. The separate feeding of the long and short frame parts prevents relative motions from occurring and thus eliminates the risk of scratches on the profi les. During the joining process, this means that the laminate must not be pressed right up against the frame, but must be joined according to specifi ed dimensions.

SOLUTIONThe Robo Frame’s robot grips the prepared laminate on the glass side and guides it precisely into the prepared frame parts. In a sequence of four steps, the long frame parts are joined fi rst, then the short frame parts into which the corner connectors have already been inserted automatically. Additional clips and a level support plate ensure that the forces applied to the laminate during assembly of the frame parts are kept to a minimum, thereby preventing deformation. The separate feeding of the long and short frame parts prevents relative motions from occurring and thus eliminates the risk of scratches on the profi les.

APPLICATIONSThe fl exibility of the KUKA robot allows various automation tasks, thus facilitating scalability for lines with an annual power output of 50 or 100 MW.

AVAILABILITYEurope, America and Asia

www.kuka-systems.com

EBARA PRECISION MACHINERY EUROPEDRY VACUUM PUMPS/ GAS ABATEMENT SYSTEMSEBARA Precision Machinery Europe offers a wide scope of Dry Vacuum Pumps (ESR, ESA and EST series) featuring low energy and N2 consumption, pumping speeds up to 3,000 m3/h, vacuum levels down to 10-3 mbar, designed for particle handling of solar processes.

PROBLEM A large part of PV equipment for the production of c-Si and thin fi lm solar wafers and panels handle harsh, toxic and pyrophoric process gases under vacuum conditions. The pumping and abating of these gases has to be ensured in the most effective way regarding pumping speed, energy and N2 consumption, operational reliability, safety and waste disposal.

SOLUTIONEbara offers point-of-use abatement systems that maximize abatement effi ciency for waste gases like PFCs (G5 type burner washer scrubber) and for SiH4 (dynamic oxidation scrubber S-DOC and E.DOC). The Airgard wet scrubber is ideally suited for H2S/H2Se removal in CIS applications.

Ebara Roots pumps can be combined to big pumping stations to pump down the heavy gas load of equipment for TCO processes and for amorphous/microcrystalline tandem thin fi lm layer formation. These pumps provide the highest customer benefi t in terms of uptime, energy consumption and cost of consumables.

On the abatement side for TCO and tandem thin fi lm layer formation, the burner washer type G5 abatement and the SiH4 dynamic oxidizer S-DOC, combined with a Keller particle fi lter are the most advanced solution ensuring maximum uptime and ease of waste removal.

APPLICATIONS Crystalline and thin-fi lm solar cell manufacturing

AVAILABILITY Worldwide

www.ebara-pm.eu

VEECOOPTICAL PROFILERVeeco’s Wyko NT9100 surface profi ler offers fast data acquisition, compliance to ISO and ASME standards, and confi guration fl exibility to ensure the best possible measurements for research and production environments.

PROBLEMTo improve effi ciency, silicon PV processes purposely introduce a roughness to the surface to reduce refl ectivity, and apply a silicon nitride fi lm as an antirefl ective coating to further increase the capture of photons. Optical inspection is required to ensure adequate surface roughness and consistent fi lm thickness uniformity. Another

challenge is to measure and monitor silver paste screen printing to ensure effective collection of electrons while simultaneously minimizing wasted material.

SOLUTIONThe system’s dual-LED illumination provides nearly 5X the intensity of previous-generation halogen lamp sources, enabling extremely effi cient collection of high-quality data on silicon PV cells and other low-refl ective surfaces. Veeco optical profi lers provide high-speed 3D surface metrology to the production fl oor.

APPLICATIONSThe NT9100 optical profi ler addresses a wide range of measurements and applications, including fi lm thickness (direct measurement of optically transparent fi lms), step heights, trace width, trace height, etch depth, volume (of a trace, via, or other geometry), surface roughness, waviness, and curvature.

PLATFORMIn addition to the interferometric hardware, the table-top NT9100 system includes the control computer (running Windows XP SP3, and the Vision control software), and a standard-resolution camera (megapixel camera optional) on a dual-LED illuminator head with a generous 10mm, closed-loop scan mechanism.

AVAILABILITY Immediately

www.veeco.com

PRODUCT BRIEFS




PASAN/3S INDUSTRIES AGINSPECT SPECTROMETERPasan’s new product measures the spectral content of solar simulator fl ashes. This instrument, dedicated to solar applications, is designed to enable industrial module producers to attain higher quality standard procedures. It will also allow photovoltaic laboratories to characterize this crucial physical parameter.

This new measurement device, based on grating technology, doesn’t require any calibration.

The main characteristics are: large spectral range; wide acceptance angle; high sensitivity; and high stability over spectral ranges from 400 – 1100 nm resolution better than 5 nm.

SpectroINSPECT Spectrometer is able to measure triggered pulsed sources as they appear in sun simulators. The USB powered electronics assures versatility for convenient use.

AVAILABILITYFirst orders possible at Photon Expo in Munich, delivery July 2009.

www.3-s.ch

HERMANN OTTONOVASIL SILICONEHermann Otto GmbH’s Novasil provides PV-module manufacturers with especially designed glues when bonding frames and junction-boxes at standard laminated modules or whenever new concepts beyond framed modules have to be transformed.

PROBLEM:PV module manufacturers are facing a rising pressure from competing ventures worldwide. Thus huge players as well as small manufacturing enterprises need silicones perfectly tuned to their grade of automation.

Fast processing requires completely different silicone compositions than usually asked for by semi-automated or manually operated lines.

Failure during bonding infl uences dramatically lifetime, functionality and power-generating of fi nished modules. In worst cases, such poor performance could lead to severe economical impacts for affected manufacturers.

SOLUTIONThe range of Otto silicones covers fast 2-component formulations as well as highly sophisticated and especially designed 1-component products. Batchwise manufacturing secures permanent and equal quality of fi nished glues.

Otto actively participates in amelioration of fi nished products by acting not only as a physically bonding specialist, but also as an interlinking medium between module manufacturer, suppliers of core components, mixing and dosing resp. automation specialists.

APPLICATIONSSealing and bonding of frames, glass, corners, junction-boxes as well as potting of electrical elements of photovoltaic modules.

www.otto-chemie.de

STANGLLINEA INLINE WET PROCESSStangl is one of the few providers of wet-chemical machines for both crystalline silicon and thin-fi lm solar technology.

PROBLEM The complex work fl ow of solar cell manufacturing lines has to be carefully designed to ensure a smooth production fl ow. Crucial elements of the wet process workfl ow are for example the transport system, the chemical fl ow system and handling of the wafers in order to ensure a low breakage rate and high uniformity even for solar wafers down to only 150 µm.

SOLUTIONLinea is a horizontally working inline wet process platform for cleaning and etching of crystalline solar wafers. The Linea system can be confi gured to 1,500 or 3,000 wafers per hour 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 based on a new developed sophisticated transport system and a special chemical fl ow system to process the wafers horizontally with a very low breakage rate and a high etching uniformity. Stangl’s new system handles solar wafers down to 150 µm. Linea features a highly integrated design and a high throughput, but also low breakage rate. Furthermore, it’s high fl exibile concerning wafer type, size and thickness as well as its reduced chemical consumption.

APPLICATIONS Cleaning and etching of SI Cells

AVAILABILITY Worldwide. Market launch at Photon’s 4th Photovoltaic Technology Show 2009 Europe in Munich.

www.stangl.de

3S SWISS SOLARCLAMPING BAR /SOLDERING TABLEThe divided clamping bar developed and patented by 3S Swiss Solar Systems AG enables the useful life of the membrane on all 3S laminators to be increased, the time needed to replace a membrane to be shortened and therefore the production costs to be reduced.

PROBLEMThe useful life of the membrane is badly affected by the repeated stress caused by heat, cyclical stretching and chemicals. An even stretching of the membrane in all directions increases the useful life. Another factor is that until now, the installation of replacement membranes has been laborious and time-consuming.

SOLUTION3S’s self-adjusting, divided clamping bar largely solves the problem.

The cyclical, mechanical stress-resistance of the membrane is increased with the new system in that the natural longitudinal and latitudinal stretching of the membrane is supported. This leads to a signifi cantly longer useful life for the membrane.

With the semi-automatic string soldering table (pictured), various cell types can be semi-automatically stringed or soldered. The string soldering table can accommodate various soldering heads in use and is therefore very fl exible. A string handling system enables correct conveying of the strings.

APPLICATIONSuitable for all 3S laminators; it can be installed into all existing machines. For the fi rst time, the soldering table enables a reproduceable soldering process for the replacement of defective solar cells from automatic production.

AVAILABILITYApril 2009 Worldwide

www.3-s.ch

AMB APPARATE + MASCHINENBAU GMBHBASIC LINE High effi ciency, smooth wafer handling, easy operation and maintenance are features of the new wafer handling system Basic Line. The system loads and unloads inline wet benches with a high level of reliability.

PROBLEMSystems need cost-effi cient, automated loading and unloading functions for more effi cient production.

SOLUTIONThe insert core of the Basic Line is the new high-speed four arm robot system combined with a new type of gripper. This enables a high throughput with a smooth wafer handling at the same time. On the loading side the wafers can be loaded to the system either in cassettes or stack magazine boxes. From here, the wafers are transported to the pick up position of the robot. During this transfer a camera system checks each wafer on the fl y and in case of defects wafers are discharged automatically.

On the unloading side the system takes over the wafers from the wet bench on an unloading belt. On this belt the wafers position is detected by a camera. With this information the robot picks up each wafer.

APPLICATIONSWafer type: Multi- and Mono-crystalline siliconWafer geometry: Square and pseudo-squareWafer thickness: 130–300 micro meterscapacity: approx. 3000 wafer/hour PLATFORMAll components of the Basic Line are mounted on a heavy duty welded steel frame. Due to modular design components can be exchanged very easily.

AVAILABILITY June 2009

www.amb-automation.de

PRODUCT BRIEFSPRODUCT BRIEFSOERLIKON LEYBOLD VACUUMROOTS PUMPSOerlikon Leybold Vacuum GmbH’s new RUVAC WH RUVAC WH 4400 and WH 7000 Roots pumps meet the increasingly demanding vacuum needs of the solar industry’s stringent requirements of operating pressure, cycle times and system uptime.

The pumps use a unique, hermetically sealed motor and integral liquid cooling technology to deliver the smallest, most robust and most energy-effi cient package, while also achieving new levels of vacuum performance, including the possibility to start the pumps at atmospheric pressure with the optional by-pass-line.

PROBLEMMaximizing the effi ciency and yield of solar module production facilities is an important and immediate way to reduce costs. Therefore, achieving maximum operational effi ciency from the equipment in solar fabs is critical.

Solution

By eliminating the metal “can” traditionally used to isolate the motor from the vacuum line, and replacing it with an epoxy-encapsulated enclosure, the RUVAC WH can use a smaller and more-effi cient motor that operates at a lower temperature. This approach reduces electrical consumption considerably, eliminates shaft seals and their potential for leaks and provides outstanding performance with corrosive and toxic gases and vapors.

APPLICATIONThe new line is designed and engineered especially for the increasingly demanding vacuum-system requirements of the solar energy industry.

PLATFORMWith both vertical and horizontal operations possible, two motor sizes depending on application and an optional frequency converter, the WH 7000 can operate up to 9.800 m³/h @ 70Hz, while the WH 4400 can operate up to 7.040 m³/h @ 80Hz.

AVAILABILITYCurrently available.

www.oerlikon.com


PAGE 26 IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

PRODUCT BRIEFSSINGULUSMODULAR INLINE DEPOSITION SYSTEMSingulus Technologies’ new solar coating machine, Singular, provides coating of the anti-refl ective and passivation layer on photovoltaic silicon cells.

PROBLEMThe PV market requires fully automated and cost effective systems for coating of anti-refl ective and passivation layer on photovoltaic silicon cells.

SOLUTIONThe Singular Inline Deposition System for Silicon Cell Production is designed specifi cally as PECVD coating equipment for crystalline silicon solar cells, meeting the demands for today’s and future PV cell production.

The new system is a fully automated system for coating of the anti-refl ective and passivation layer on photovoltaic silicon cells. The essential benefi t of inline technology is the transport and processing of small substrate production lots, which guarantees stable process, continuous output, fl exibility and a small footprint.

The Singular is available on two basic versions. The guaranteed net capacity for an integrated is 1200 Wafer/h or 1500 Wafer/h depending of the number of installed deposition sources. Up to three Singular can be installed into a production to rise up the net output capacity to more than 4,500 wafers/hour.

Uptime is high due to automatic inline chamber cleaning that does not interrupt the throughput during production.

The Singular has its own proprietary automated handling for loading and unloading the wafers gently to minimize wafer breakage.

APPLICATIONSCoating of the anti-refl ective and passivation layer on photovoltaic silicon cells

AVAILABILITY Worldwide

www.singulus.de

HOW TO GET YOUR COMPANY’SPRODUCT INCLUDED IN THIS SPACETo 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 fi le preferred, separately) to [email protected]

Please also use the following standardized format:

- COMPANY NAME

- PRODUCT NAME

- The fi rst 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

- AVAILABILITY stating when and where the product will be released

- CONTACT company website URL

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

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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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