IPVEAnews_Spring_LR by Bryan Ekus

NEWSLETTER ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

International Photovoltaic Equipment Association The worldwide voice for the PV equipment manufacturing industry

ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

INDUSTRY BUZZ INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

NEWSLETTER ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

WELCOME Dear 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

TAIWAN: 2009 OLYMPICS STADIUM WILL BE COUNTRY’S LARGEST PV INSTALLATION

THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL MARKET PROJECTED AT $4.6 BILLION BY 2011

Construction work recently began for the new main stadium for the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

NanoMarkets, a U.S. analyst firm, projects the thin-film 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.

The new sports arena is also Taiwan’s largest photovoltaic installation to date – fitted 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 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.

Like to have your say? The IPVEA would love to hear your news, please e-mail news@ipvea.com

INDUSTRY BUZZ

NEWLETTER Produced by IPVEA www.ipvea.com

BUZZ LITE

US ADDRESS IPVEA, P.O. Box 771507 Orlando, Florida 32877, USA Tel: +1 407 856 9100 Fax: +1 407 856 9500 Mobile: +1 407 733 1901

CONSTRUCTION IN NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, ASIA

Editor in Chief: Bryan Ekus ekus@ipvea.com Managing Editor: Larry Jaffee news@ipvea.com

COVER IMAGE

Design: Doubletake Design Ltd. info@doubletakedesign.co.uk

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TAIWAN OLYMPICS/THIN FILM MARKET PROJECTIONS

EUROPE ADDRESS IPVEA, P.O. Box 1610, D-63406 Hanau, Germany Mobile: +1 49 1577 682 7926

Cover image: ‘The Laser MicroJet®’ courtesy of IPVEA Member, Synova www.synova.ch

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CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR THE NEW ‘CELL AWARDS’

FACTORY OUTPUT

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IPVEA MEMBER LIST

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LISTED BY CELL/MODULES TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

INSIDE IPVEA

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INDUSTRY CALENDAR

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOLAR FOR THE NEXT YEAR

TECH BREAKTHROUGHS

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FRAUNHOFER EFFICIENCY RECORD, SOLAR PLANE

Q&A

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INTERVIEW WITH UNITED SOLAR OVONIC’S SUBHENDA GUHA

PRODUCT BRIEFS

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Have you any interesting images for use in the newsletter? Please send to news@ipvea.com

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 ﬂowing 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

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

Nonetheless, NanoMarkets does not believe that the thin-film solar business will evaporate. The unique combination of ﬂexibility, 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-film 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 fulfill its mission of combining high efficiencies with all the advantages of TFPV, NanoMarkets expects firms that are now focused on other materials platforms to switch to CIGS. NanoMarkets’ report, Thin Film Photovoltaics Markets: 2008 and Beyond (Revised Edition), quantifies the opportunities for PV based on amorphous and other forms of thin-film silicon, CdTe, CIS/CIGS, GaAs as well as novel thinfilm 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 firm has published numerous reports related to organic, thin film 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 windturbine 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

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INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

INDUSTRY BUZZ HIGH DEMAND EXPECTED FOR SEPT. EUROPEAN SHOW

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

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.

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 Prof. Wim Sinke, 1,500 abstracts were received Conference Chairman 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 find it really encouraging that solar energy stays high on the agenda, in spite of the very difficult 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.”

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 financial 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 five 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 reconfirms 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

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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.”

The EU PVSEC, which is held at different venues S U P P O R T E D 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 fields 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

An international scientific committee comprising of 135 experts in their respected fields is evaluating the submitted papers. In mid-March, after the committee’s final 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.

S U P P O R T E D

Since 2004 the EU PVSEC takes place every year. Over five 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.

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

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

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The 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 certificate for up to five individuals or companies associated with the project. The cost to enter the awards is €200 for a S U P P O R T E D company’s first 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 find out more visit the www.cellaward.com

INNOLAS SPINS OFF 3 BUSINESS UNITS InnoLas 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

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INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

FACTORY OUTPUT

BUZZ LITE! CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR 1ST INTL. SOLAR TECH AWARDS

ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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.

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.

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

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.

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 profiles 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 CFO Diamond Wire Technology (DWT), the Colorado Springs, Colorado (USA)-based manufacturer of diamond wire and diamond wire saws, has named Barry Capoot its chief financial officer. In his new role, he will be responsible for the oversight of financial management, strategic planning, and contracts administration. “We are pleased that Barry has joined DWT. He is a seasoned professional with an extensive background in finance and accounting,” said Brenan. He will play a major role in our growth and I have every confidence that he will be an excellent CFO.” Capoot brings over 15 years of experience in finance 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 financing transactions.

www.diamondwiretech.com

NORTH AMERICA USA: NEW JERSEY UTILITY PROPOSES 5-YEAR $773 MILLION SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT

MEIER VAKUUMTECHNIK CHANGES NAME TO MEIER SOLAR SOLUTIONS

Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) in February asked New Jersey regulators to approve a $773-million proposal to bring the benefits of solar power directly to communities and customers throughout its service territory.

Meier Vakuumtechnik GmbH, a leading provider of laminators for encapsulating solar modules, will in future operate under the new name of Meier Solar Solutions.

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.

“The renaming of our company as Meier Solar Solutions is mainly a response to the planned internationalisation of our business,” stated HansGerd Stevens, Managing Director of Meier Solar Solutions. “In summer 2008 we welcomed aboard the financial investor Granville Baird as a partner so that in future we will be able to react even more ﬂexibly 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

Email your news items to news@ipvea.com

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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

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 benefits 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 benefits 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 financing 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.

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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.

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)-financed or other affordable housing communities. More information: www.pseg.com/solar/

USA: FIRST SOLAR COMPLETES 10MW THIN FILM PLANT FOR SEMPRA First Solar, Inc. in late December announced the completion of its first 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 film 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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

FACTORY OUTPUT Solar 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 significant step in the development and deployment of renewable solar power,” said Michael W. Allman, president and CEO of Sempra Generation. “It reﬂects 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 film semiconductor technology and provides comprehensive PV solutions that significantly 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 first 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.

FACTORY OUTPUT production plants and infrastructural facilities, including any complementary services and modernization engineering. The clientele includes leading enterprises in the fields 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 Stuttgartbased holding company, MWZ Beteiligungs GmbH controls the worldwide activities of the group. www.mw-zander.com

Machining facility, was officially 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

EUROPE GERMANY: M+W ZANDER TO DESIGN & BUILD THIN-FILM SOLAR MODULE FACTORY

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 engineering company M+W Zander has been awarded the general contract for the design and construction of a solar module factory for an affiliate 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 thinfilm technology.

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.

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

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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

ITALY: FERRARI FACILITY MIDDLE EAST POWERED BY PHOTOVOLTAIC UAE: SUNTECH PANELS TO SYSTEM POWER LATEST MIDEAST The new photovoltaic system installed on the roof of Ferrari’s Engine Mechanical SOLAR PV PROJECT

www.firstsolar.com

This type of technology is characterized by a very high degree of efficiency. The factory complex includes the production building, storage facilities, central utility building and office building. The first modules will be ready for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2009.

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

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

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 certification; the Prancing Horse also obtained Integrated Environmental Authorization in 2007. Over the last few years, Ferrari has also made

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 first 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 inﬂuence 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 efficient technologies including electric travel pods, waste and water recycling, natural ventilation and shading. Masdar City’s 10MW solar

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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

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

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

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.

The Applied SunFab Thin Film Line is a fullyintegrated 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 certified by the International

www.suntech-power.com www.masdaruae.com

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

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.

INDIA: MOSER BAER TO BEGIN PRODUCING THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES Moser Baer announced in late January that its photovoltaic subsidiary is ready for production of thin film photovoltaic modules at its manufacturing plant in Greater Noida. This follows final acceptance test (FAT) certification of Moser Baer Photovoltaic’s SunFab Thin Film Line supplied by Applied Materials, Inc., the California-based nanomanufacturing technology solutions provider. The certification verifies that the SunFab line has met all manufacturing, module efficiency and yield specifications. This is a major milestone for both Moser Baer and Applied Materials representing the start of production of thin film modules by Moser Baer, which was Applied’s first SunFab customer. The 40MW capacity line is the largest thin film 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 film solar module line is of great significance in our effort to bring the solar energy dream to fruition. The thin film line will help us significantly scale up our manufacturing capacity and supply thin film 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 film production line, the first SunFab line in India. We are especially grateful to Moser Baer, our first SunFab customer, for its commitment to our approach in driving

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

www.moserbaer.com www.appliedmaterials.com

ASIA CHINA: CTDG TO BUILD 30MW ON-GRID SOLAR STATION IN QAIDAM BASIN China Technology Development Group Corp. (CTDG), a provider of solar energy products and solutions in China focusing on a-Si thin film 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 governmentbacked incentives and providing land. The installed power-generating capacity of the first 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 first of its kind in China to integrate crystalline silicon and thin-film 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

“The ambitious plan to build such a large scale solar power plant is a significant 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 reﬂects 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-film 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.com www.qssolar.com

TAIWAN: GREEN ENERGY LAUNCHES A-SI THIN-FILM SOLAR PV LINE Green Energy Technology (GET) is the first company in Taiwan to employ Applied Materials’ SunFab amorphous-silicon thin-film PV module turnkey manufacturing line technology to achieve volume production status. The Taiwanese firm said it will reach an annualized capacity of 30 MW on its Generation 8.5 largearea glass line in the first 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 efficiencies

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FACTORY OUTPUT reaching 7% and yields meeting qualification 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 certification in Q1 2009 for quarter-size module (1.1 X 1.3 meter) and full size (2.2 X 2.6 meter) certification 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 thinfilm module and further system design. We will push ourselves [to] keep developing high-level technology to fulfill 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 SOLAR BOC 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 film solar cells. These include large volumes of silane and chamber cleaning gases. “Gases are a critical component in thin film 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”

PAGE 10

FACTORY OUTPUT said Alex Tong, president of BOCLH. The Auria plant broke ground in February and is just commencing production of thin-film solar cell modules. The plant will have an initial capacity to produce thin-film solar panels with a power output of 60 Megawatts peak (MWp), incorporating multilayer cell technology for increased efficiency. 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 MILLINET Roth & 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 (first line) and November 2009 (second line). The Millinet project will be the first 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 benefit 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 HohensteinErnstthal, said its first 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 first 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.

Reuters 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.

Roth & Rau’s photovoltaic division focuses on providing antireﬂective 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 film solar modules.

JAPAN: KANEKA TO BOOST SOLAR CELL PRODUCTION BY ANOTHER 80 MW

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 YEN In the first 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 fifthbiggest 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 fiscal year to foster use of solar panel equipment in homes.

Kaneka Corp., of Osaka, announced it will increase thin-film 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-film solar cells utilize hybrid technology with a conversion efficiency 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-film solar cells which utilize hybrid technology featuring the world’s highest level of conversion efficiency (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-film 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 significant 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 efficiency 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-efficiency hybrid cells and development of organic thin-film solar cells through the application of organic EL research technology for the achievement of high conversion efficiency.

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

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

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 filed between Jan. 13 and March 31. Government budget proposals for the fiscal year starting April 1 also include 20 billion yen worth of solar subsidies that could be offered, METI officials said.

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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

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ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

IPVEA MEMBER LIST (SOURCE INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY VLSI RESEARCH)

WWW.VLSIRESEARCH.COM

CELL / MODULE TECHNOLOGY IPVEA MEMBER COMPANY (AMB) Bernhard Brain 3S Swiss Solar Systems Anwell Bekaert Group Bosch Rexroth Celerity, Inc. Centrotherm GmbH + Co. KG DEK Printing Machines, Ltd. Diamond Wire Technology, LLC Dr. Schenk GmbH dr. schwab GmbH EBARA Corporation Ferrotec Corporation Gfe Matalle und Materialien GmbH HeateямВex Honeywell Analytics ib vogt GmbH Innolas GmbH Jonas & Redmann KITEC microelectronic technologie GmbH Komax Systems York KUKA Systems LPKF SolarQuipment GmbH LSW Maschinenfabrik GmbH M+W Zander FE GmbH Manz Automation AG Maschinenbau GEROLD Meier Solar Meyer Burger Technology AG Newport Corporation OC Oerlikon Balzers AG OTB Group Otto- Chemie Pall GmbH Pasan SA Reis GmbH & Co. KG RENA Sondermaschinen GmbH ROFIN-SINAR Technologies, Inc. Roth & Rau AG SCHAEFFLER KG Schiller Automation GmbH Semilab Semi. Physics Laboratory Singulus Technologies AG Sixtron Advanced Materials Inc. Solar Line Saxony (SLS) Soleras Ltd Somont GmbH Spire Corporation STANGL Semiconductor Equipment AG Synova

Targray Technology International Inc. Teamtechnik Tecnofimes SRL Trumpf Veeco Instruments, Inc. VITRONIC Dr.-Ing. Stein Von Ardenne Anlagentechnik

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CELL / MODULE EQUIPMENT TYPE

Non-Si Thin Film

III-V

Other

X X X

X X

Wafer

Si Thin Film

X X

X X X X

X X X

X X

X X X X X X

X X X

X X

Turnkey

Automation

X X X X

Deposition

X X

X X X

X X

X X X X X

X X X

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

X X

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

X X

X X X X

Wafer & Ingot Equipment

Other

X X

Module

X X X

Test

X X

Etch

X X X X X X X

Thermal

SILICON

X X

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INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

INSIDE IPVEA

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

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.”

LINKEDIN.COM MANUFACTURING FORUM PROVIDES OPERATIONS INFORMATION EXCHANGE IPVEA 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 beneficially mutual for members’ operations, as we look to accelerate efficiency 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. Identification 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 ﬂow and the massive variability therein. My claim is that if you understand the process ﬂow 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.

PAGE 14

ABOUT IPVEA Founded in May 2008, the International Photovoltaic Equipment Association (IPVEA) is an independent, non-profit organization of manufacturers and suppliers of photovoltaic (PV) fabrication equipment and related raw materials used in PV ingot, wafer, cell (crystalline and thinfilm), and panel manufacturing. The association’s member companies represent the wide spectrum of equipment and materials including that related to crystal growth, diffusion furnaces, glavanics, laminators, laser systems, materials handling, metallization, printing, process integration, solar simulators, substrate handling, testing, vacuum systems, waste gas abatement, wet chemical systems, and related materials and professional services. The overall mission of the association is to provide members with a forum for information, discussion and exchange of ideas, as well as ways to develop business opportunities and strategic partnerships. The association is the unified voice of the manufacturing segment of the PV industry. As such, the association evaluates and recommends exhibitions, conferences, sales channels and methods of communications that can be effective for its member companies. The association will pursue its long term-goals in a number of ways, including supporting events that provide the best opportunities for member companies with booth discounts and association branding/sponsorship. Part of this will be to reduce the number of key trade shows for members in particular and the industry in general.

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

WFES Abu Dhabi

PVSEC18 Solarcon Kolkata India

Seoul Korea

IPVEA Members

PV Expo Tokyo Japan

Photon SNEC PV Photon Intersolar Intersolar Renewable 24th PV Taiwan Solar Europe Power Expo Asia Europe Semi West Energy EU PVSEC Taipei Power 09 Munich Shanghai Shenzhen Munich SFO, USA New Delhi Hamburg Taiwan, Anaheim Germany China China Germany India Germany ROC USA

Other Key Players

*Combination event - PV & Semiconductor

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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: 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 BOARD Mr. Peter Pauli, Meyer Burger Mr. Antonio Schmidt, Manz Automation Mr. Gopal Shankar, ib-vogt Mr. Ed Hurley, Spire Corp Mr. Russell Yau, Anwell Precision Technology

Managing Director: Bryan Ekus ekus@IPVEA.com EUROPE ADDRESS: IPVEA, International Photovoltaic Equipment Association P.O. Box 1610, D-63406 Hanau, Germany Mobile: +1 49 1577 682 7926 US ADDRESS: IPVEA, International Photovoltaic Equipment Association P.O. Box 771507, Orlando, Florida 32877, USA Tel: +1 407 856 9100 Fax: +1 407 856 9500 Mobile: +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 ekus@ipvea.com the e-mail addresses of colleagues who would like to also receive the quarterly newsletter and monthly updates.

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.

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

INDUSTRY CALENDAR

10 17-18 17-19 18-20 19-20 19 22-24

Solar Energy & Technologies Fair PHOTON’s 7th Solar Silicon Conference Clean Tech Innovation & Growth Trade fair: Renewtech India 2009 Conference on Renewable Energies 2009 Conference & Exhibition: 24th Photovoltaic SymposiumBad PHOTON’s 4th PV Production Equipment Conf. – Part I c-Si PHOTON’s Photovoltaic Technology Show 2009 Europe PHOTON’s 4th PV Production Equipment Conf. – Part 2 Thin film PHOTON’s 4th PV Investors Conference Trade fair: Energethica 2009 PHOTON’s 2nd PV Utility Conference 2nd International Workshop on Concentrating Photovoltaic: Optical Design and Grid Connection 2nd Energy Efficiency Symposium 4th Annual European Energy Policy Conference 2009 Conference: RIO 9 - World Climate & Energy Event Solar, Wind & Earth Energy Trade Fair 2009 (SWEET 2009) Annual General Meeting & 4th Workshop on Market Potential and Production Capacity Seminar: Solar In Building Design & Construction Conf. & Ex.: 2nd Latin America Meeting on Energy Economics

Istanbul, Turkey Munich, Germany San Jose, USA Pune, India Berlin, Germany Staffelstein, Germany Munich, Germany Munich, Germany Munich, Germany Munich, Germany Genoa, Italy Munich, Germany Darmstadt, Germany

www.gunesenerji.com www.photon-expo.com www.ianano.org www.renewtechindia.com www.jahreskonferenz.de www.otti.de www.photon-expo.com www.photon-expo.com www.photon-expo.com www.photon-expo.com www.energethica.it www.photon-expo.com www.concentrating-pv.org

Los Angeles, USA Brussels, Belgium Rio, Brazil Gwangju, Korea Frankfurt, Germany

www.ahksanfrancisco.com www.epsilonevents.com www.rio9.com www.sweet.or.kr www.epia.org

Dubai, UAE Santiago, Chile

www.scheuten.ae www.elaee.org

APRIL 2009 3-6 6-8 7-8 7-8 8-10 13-17 13-15 14-15 16-18 20-24 21-25 21-24 22-24 27-29 29-30

2nd Int. Exhibition: ECOTEC - Environmental Technologies 5th Int. Congress & Exhibition on Energy & Renewable Energy Sources 3rd International Conference on Solar Photovoltaic Investments Conference: Photovoltaics Beyond Conventional Silicon Europe International Green Energy Expo Korea 2009 Conference: 2009 MRS Spring Meeting 6th Newgrace International Solar Energy & PV Exhibition Conference: Surviving the Shakeout: Greentech Media’s 2009 Solar Industry Summit Conference & Exhibition: 3rd Renexpo Central Europe 2009 Conference & Exhibition: Power & Electricity World Africa 3rd Int.Exhibition on Renewable Energies & Environment in Africa PV Tech Expo China 3rd International Conference on the Industrialization of DSC Conference: Organic Photovoltaics 2009 2nd Renewable Energy Finance Forum – Latin America

Athens, Greece Sofia, Bulgaria Frankfurt, Germany Dresden, Germany Daegu, Korea San Francisco, USA Shanghai, China Phoenix, Arizona, USA

www.ecotec-exhibition.gr www.viaexpo.com www.epia.org www.idtechex.com www.energyexpo.co.kr www.mrs.org www.ch-solar.com www.greentechmedia.com

Budapest, Hungary Johannesburg, S.A. Dakar, Senegal Shanghai, China Nara, Japan Philadelphia, USA Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

www.renexpo-budapest.com www.terrapinn.com/2009/powerza/ www.sinergie-afrique.com www.nepconchina.com www.dyesol.com/conference www.organicphotovoltaics2009.com www.euromoneyenergy.com

MAY 2009 3-7 6-7 6-7 6-8 7-9 8-10 11-12 11-13 12-16 12-14 19-21

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INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

MAY 2009

MARCH 09 26 Feb- 1 Mar 3 3-4 3-5 4-5 4-6 4 4-6 5 5 5-7 6 9-10

ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

Conference & Exhibition: Clean Technology 2009 Houston, Texas, USA Italian PV Summit. Seizing the opportunities of a record – setting market Verona, Italy Conference & Exhibition: Gulf Solar Expo™ Dubai, UAE SNEC PV Power Expo 2009 Shanghai, China 10th Solarexpo: Int.ernational Exhibition & Conference Verona, Italy on Renewable Energy & Distributed Generation Trade fair & conference: Denex, Enbio, Bausan Kassel, Germany Conference & Exhibition: Glass Performance Days (GPD) China Shanghai, China Conference: 4th Renewable Energy Finance Forum – China Beijing, China Conference & Exhibition: Solar 2009 Buffalo, New York, USA Genera 2009 – Energy & Environment International Trade Fair Madrid, Spain 2009 International Renewable Energy Fair Pozna�, Poland

www.csievents.org/Cleantech2009/ www.italianpvsummit.com www.greenpowerconferences.com www.snec.org.cn www.solarexpo.com www.energie-server.de www.gpd.fi www.euromoneyenergy.com www.ases.org www.genera.ifema.es greenpower.mtp.pl/en

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

19-21 25-26 25-26 26 27-29 27-29 27 27-29 28 28 29

XIX CONGRESSO AIV (Palazzo del Duca) Conference: Small PV Applications 5th PV Industry Forum 2009 PHOTON’s 8th Solar Silicon Conference PHOTON’s Photovoltaic Technology Show 2009 Asia Trade fair: Intersolar 2009 PHOTON’s 5th PV Production Equipment Conference 5th SMET Advanced Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology Conf. Off-grid Power Conference PHOTON’s 5th PV Investors Conference PHOTON’s 3rd PV Glass Conference

Senigallia, Italy Ulm, Germany Munich, Germany Shenzhen, China Shenzhen, China Munich, Germany Shenzhen, China Munich, Germany Munich, Germany Shenzhen, China Shenzhen, China

www.aiv.it/senigallia/index.asp www.otti.de www.pvindustry.de www.photon-expo.com www.photon-expo.com www.intersolar.de www.photon-expo.com www.solarpraxis.de www.off-grid-conference.org www.photon-expo.com www.photon-expo.com

San Francisco, USA Philadelphia, USA Buenos Aires, Argentina Taipei, Taiwan Tampere, Finland Penang, Malaysia New York, USA Frankfurt, Germany Bologna, Italy Makuhari, Japan

www.photovoltaicssummit.com www.34pvsc.org www.r-energy.info www.optotaiwan.com www.gpd.fi www.ptm.org.my www.acore.org www.lope-c.com www.wessex.ac.uk www.pvjapan.org/PVJAPAN-EN/index.htm

JUNE 2009 1-3 7-12 10-12 10-12 12-15 15 23-24 23-25 23-25 24-26

Conference: Photovoltaics Summit 2009 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference Trade fair: R.energy Exhibition: Solar Taiwan 2009 Conference & Exhibition: Glass Performance Days (GPD) 2009 Seminar: Solar Energy – A Window to the Future Conference: 6th Annual Renewable Energy Finance Forum - Wall Street Large-area, Organic and Printed Electronics Convention (LOPE-C 2009) Energy and Sustainability 2009 Trade fair: PVJapan 2009

JULY 2009 8-10 8-10 9-10 14-16

Trade fair: EP Shanghai 2009 / Electrical Shanghai 2009 Conference & Exhibition: Clean Energy Expo China 2009 Conference: 4th Annual Investing in Solar Exhibition & Conference: Intersolar North America

Shanghai, China www.2456.com/ep Beijing, China www.cleanenergyexpochina.com San Diego, California, USA www.frallc.com San Francisco, USA www.intersolar.us

AUGUST 2009 10-12

Conference & Exhibition: 3rd Renewable Energy India 2009 Expo

New Delhi, India

www.renewableenergyindiaexpo.com

Denver, Colorado, USA Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Singapore Hamburg, Germany London, England Palermo, Italy Rome, Italy

www.idtechex.com www.solarconventionlasvegas.com www.cleanenergyexpochina.com www.photovoltaic-conference.com www.euromoneyenergy.com www.otti.de info@zeroemission.eu

Taipei, Taiwan Johannesburg, S.A. Athens, Greece Anaheim, California, USA

www.pvtaiwan.com www.ises.org www.leaderexpo.gr www.solarpowerconference.com

Valencia, Spain Brussels, Belgium Milan, Italy Milan, Italy

www.feriavalencia.com www.erec.org www.enersolarplus.com www.zeroemission.eu

Berlin, Germany

www.messen-profair.de

SEPTEMBER 2009 15-16 15-17 16-18 21-25 21-22 30 - Oct 2 30 - Oct 2

Conference: Photovoltaics Beyond Conventional Silicon Solar Convention Las Vegas 2009 Conference & Exhibition: Clean Energy Expo Singapore 2009 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conf. & Exhibition (EU PVSEC) Conference: 11th Renewable Energy Finance Forum – London 3rd International Conference on Solar Air-Conditioning PV Rome Mediterranean

OCTOBER 2009 7-9 11-14 22-25 27-29

Forum & Exhibition PV Taiwan 2009 ISES Solar World Congress 2009 4th International Exhibition Energy-Photovoltaic ‘09 Conference & Exhibition: Solar Power 2009

NOVEMBER 2009 25-27 26-17 25-28 25-27

Egética – Expoenergética BRYAN CHECK 3rd European Renewable Energy Policy Conference Trade fair: EnerSolar+ PVTech Milan

FEBRUARY 2010 16-20, 2010

Trade fair: Solar Energy 2010

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

TECH BREAKTHROUGHS

GERMANY: FRAUNHOFER SOLAR ADVANCE SOLAR TOUTS TWO CELLS ATTAIN WORLD RECORD BREAKTHROUGH PROCESSES Advanced Solar Photonics (ASP), a U.S. developer of laser EFFICIENCY RATES equipment for solar panel processing, thin-film solar cells, and Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg reported in mid-January that they reached a record 41.1% efficiency 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).

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.

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 efficiency 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 efficiency 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.php www.bmu.de/english/aktuell/4152.php

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“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 ﬂight 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.

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.

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.

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 five 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.”

“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 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 efficiency result.

Separately, 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, 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-film 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 five 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 finger over requiring no further processing making grinding and cleaning lines unnecessary.

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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 EXECUTIVES

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 ﬂies 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 fulfils 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 first time, the soldering table enables a reproduceable soldering process for the exchange of defective cells from automatic production. www.3-s.ch

Development of solar cars has been long known, but engineers from all fields of discipline are also now working together on the first prototype of a solar airplane. 3S Industries AG president Bertrand Piccard and CEO André Borschberg plan to ﬂy 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.

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

Email any technology breakthroughs (with images) to news@ipvea.com

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Q&A

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

INTERVIEW WITH UNITED SOLAR OVONIC CHAIRMAN SUBHENDU GUHA

IPVEA: Please review the history of United Solar Ovonic. When did United Solar Ovonic become United Solar Ovonic (USO), a subsidiary of a subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD), is a (EDC)? leader in building integrated and commercial rooftop photovoltaics, one of the fastest growing Dr. Guha: United Solar Ovonic was founded segments of the solar power industry. The in 1990 as a joint venture between ECD and company manufactures and sells thin-film solar Canon. Canon’s share was bought later on by laminates that convert sunlight to energy using Bekaert and finally by ECD in 2003. Since 2003, USO is a 100% owned subsidiary of ECD. proprietary technology. Distributed globally under the Uni-Solar brand, the company’s IPVEA: How did that change your business? products are lightweight, durable, ﬂexible, Dr. Guha: ECD built on the foundation set by and can be integrated directly with building Canon and Bekaert, and paved the way for materials. further commercialization. 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.

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

ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

UNI-SOLAR OVONIC TECHNOLOGY AND MANUFACTURING PROCESS United Solar Ovonic has been a pioneer in the development and manufacturing of thin film 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 efficiency 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 reﬂected from the silver/zinc oxide (Ag/ZnO) back reﬂector, which is usually textured to facilitate light trapping. The cells are interconnected by the heavily doped layers that form tunnel junctions between adjacent cells.

Dr. Guha: Our strategy has been to address the rooftop market taking advantage of our unique ﬂexible 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.

Back Reflector Deposition Machine

Wash Machine

Dr. Guha: More than 95%. IPVEA: Your company serves both the residential/consumer and industrial markets. Do you approach them differently, or is thin film 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.

INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION

QA/QC

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

Amorphous Silicon Alloy Deposition Machine

Both the transport of the web and the process parameters are computercontrolled ensuring reliable and low-cost operation. We use Al back reﬂector QA/QC in manufacturing rather than Ag to reduce cost. The coated web is next Cell Cutting of processed to make a variety of lightweight, ﬂexible and rugged products. Interconnection Cells The module assembly operation consists of the following steps (Fig. 3). The Lamination finished roll of the coated web is first 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.

QA/QC

Cutting of Slabs and Coupons

Short Passivation and Cell Definition

Test and Ship

Hi-Pot Test

Bonding of Electrodes Framing and Finishing

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?

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 profitability. Revenue for the half-year ending Dec 31 2008 increased by Images L-R: 92% as compared to the previous period last Volkswagen plant rooftop year. (Building No. 55), Wolfsburg, Germany, 2.4 Megawatts. IPVEA: To what do you attribute ECD’s latest United Solar Ovonic Deposition Machine financial report for the first quarter of fiscal 2009 doubling revenue?

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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 efficiency 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 efficiency. We have a robust roadmap to attain this goal, and will be happy to work with IPVEA members.

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

OVONIC SOLAR CELL PROCESSOR (Top View)

Moving Stainless Steel Web

Triple Solar Cell

Source: Volkswagen AG

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

For more information, please contact Subhendu Guha sguha@uni-solar.com

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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 reflector machine that deposits the back reflector 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 reflector coated stainless steels at a time; and 4) the antiAnti Reflection Coating Deposition Machine reflection coating machine that deposits indium tin oxide (ITO) on top of the three rolls of stainless steel at a time.

These coupons are processed off-line for QA/QC evaluation. The slabs are then processed to define 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 finished 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 ﬂexible. 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.

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INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

PRODUCT BRIEFS

PRODUCT BRIEFS PALL CORPORATION SEPARATION SYSTEMS FOR WATER RECYCLING AND SILICON RECOVERY

EBARA PRECISION MACHINERY EUROPE DRY VACUUM PUMPS/ GAS ABATEMENT SYSTEMS EBARA 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 film 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. SOLUTION Ebara offers point-of-use abatement systems that maximize abatement efficiency 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 film layer formation. These pumps provide the highest customer benefit in terms of uptime, energy consumption and cost of consumables. On the abatement side for TCO and tandem thin film layer formation, the burner washer type G5 abatement and the SiH4 dynamic oxidizer S-DOC, combined with a Keller particle filter are the most advanced solution ensuring maximum uptime and ease of waste removal. APPLICATIONS Crystalline and thin-film solar cell manufacturing AVAILABILITY Worldwide www.ebara-pm.eu

KUKA SYSTEMS ROBO FRAME MODULES

VEECO OPTICAL PROFILER

Pall Corporation delivers new separation systems for water recycling and silicon recovery in Photovoltaic (PV) wafer manufacturing.

SOLUTION The 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 first, 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 profiles.

APPLICATIONS The ﬂexibility of the KUKA robot allows various automation tasks, thus facilitating scalability for lines with an annual power output of 50 or 100 MW. AVAILABILITY Europe, America and Asia www.kuka-systems.com

PROBLEM To improve efficiency, silicon PV processes purposely introduce a roughness to the surface to reduce reflectivity, and apply a silicon nitride film as an antireflective coating to further increase the capture of photons. Optical inspection is required to ensure adequate surface roughness and consistent film thickness uniformity. Another challenge is to measure and monitor silver paste screen printing to ensure effective collection of electrons while simultaneously minimizing wasted material. SOLUTION The system’s dual-LED illumination provides nearly 5X the intensity of previous-generation halogen lamp sources, enabling extremely efficient collection of high-quality data on silicon PV cells and other low-reflective surfaces. Veeco optical profilers provide high-speed 3D surface metrology to the production floor. APPLICATIONS The NT9100 optical profiler addresses a wide range of measurements and applications, including film thickness (direct measurement of optically transparent films), step heights, trace width, trace height, etch depth, volume (of a trace, via, or other geometry), surface roughness, waviness, and curvature.

The Aquarius Deionized Water Heating Systems, including coils, from Heateﬂex 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.

KUKA Systems’ new Robo Frame module uses an Veeco’s Wyko NT9100 surface profiler offers fast industrial robot with a high payload capacity for the data acquisition, compliance to ISO and ASME automatic framing of solar modules. standards, and configuration ﬂexibility to ensure the best possible measurements for research and PROBLEM production environments. The 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 profiles. During the joining process, this means that the laminate must not be pressed right up against the frame, but must be joined according to specified dimensions.

HEATEFLEX CORP. AQUARIUS DEIONIZED WATER HEATING SYSTEMS

PROBLEM Our 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 ﬂuid. Because the process is in sequence a single bath that is not ready can keep an entire tool down. PROBLEM Shaping 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. SOLUTION Pall’s automated separation systems: reclaim 95% of spent water and silicon sludge from the spent grinding/sawing water transformed into particlefree 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 specifications, 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

PLATFORM In 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 dualLED illuminator head with a generous 10mm, closed-loop scan mechanism.

APPLICATIONS The 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.

AVAILABILITY Immediately

www.pall.com/microe

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

SOLUTION Aquarius 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. APPLICATIONS Solar cell manufacturers who use dilute KOH or other heated fluids for texturing processes. Approved for use with solar cells and thin substrates that are under 220 microns in thickness. PLATFORM Heateflex products are built to accommodate the stringent demands of the semiconductor and related hightechnology industries. We use the highest quality non-contaminating components, designed to meet or exceed SEMI, UL, and CE requirements. AVAILABILITY Currently Available www.heateflex.com

GEROLD MODULE-EDGE TRIMMING Gerold, 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 finishing. The compact cell-concept with minimum footprint features a versatile industrial robot and an efficient 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-film or crystalline, the robot ensures forcecontrolled 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 onsite conditions. Sound planning anticipated, and cell configuration permitting, installation can be finished within as little as one day. AVAILABILITY November 2008 onwards www.gerold-mb.de

www.veeco.com

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IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

PRODUCT BRIEFS

HERMANN OTTO NOVASIL SILICONE

PASAN/3S INDUSTRIES AG INSPECT SPECTROMETER

OERLIKON LEYBOLD VACUUM ROOTS PUMPS

STANGL LINEA INLINE WET PROCESS

Hermann Otto GmbH’s Novasil provides PVmodule 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.

Pasan’s new product measures the spectral content of solar simulator ﬂashes. 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.

Oerlikon 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.

Stangl is one of the few providers of wet-chemical machines for both crystalline silicon and thin-film solar technology.

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.

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 inﬂuences dramatically lifetime, functionality and power-generating of finished modules. In worst cases, such poor performance could lead to severe economical impacts for affected manufacturers. SOLUTION The 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 finished glues. Otto actively participates in amelioration of finished 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. APPLICATIONS Sealing and bonding of frames, glass, corners, junction-boxes as well as potting of electrical elements of photovoltaic modules. www.otto-chemie.de

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AVAILABILITY First orders possible at Photon Expo in Munich, delivery July 2009. www.3-s.ch

PROBLEM The complex work flow of solar cell manufacturing lines has to be carefully designed to ensure a smooth production flow. Crucial elements of the wet process workflow are for example the transport system, the chemical flow 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.

The pumps use a unique, hermetically sealed motor and integral liquid cooling technology to deliver the smallest, most robust and most energyefficient 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. PROBLEM Maximizing the efficiency and yield of solar module production facilities is an important and immediate way to reduce costs. Therefore, achieving maximum operational efficiency 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-efficient 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. APPLICATION The new line is designed and engineered especially for the increasingly demanding vacuumsystem requirements of the solar energy industry. PLATFORM With 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. AVAILABILITY Currently available.

SOLUTION Linea is a horizontally working inline wet process platform for cleaning and etching of crystalline solar wafers. The Linea system can be configured 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 ﬂow 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 ﬂexibile 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

www.oerlikon.com

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

3S SWISS SOLAR CLAMPING BAR / SOLDERING TABLE

AMB APPARATE + MASCHINENBAU GMBH BASIC LINE

The 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.

High efficiency, 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.

PROBLEM PROBLEM Systems need cost-efficient, automated loading The useful life of the membrane is badly affected and unloading functions for more efficient by the repeated stress caused by heat, cyclical production. 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.

SOLUTION 3S’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 significantly longer useful life for the membrane. With the semi-automatic string soldering table (pictured), various cell types can be semiautomatically stringed or soldered. The string soldering table can accommodate various soldering heads in use and is therefore very ﬂexible. A string handling system enables correct conveying of the strings. APPLICATION Suitable for all 3S laminators; it can be installed into all existing machines. For the first time, the soldering table enables a reproduceable soldering process for the replacement of defective solar cells from automatic production. AVAILABILITY April 2009 Worldwide www.3-s.ch

SOLUTION The 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 ﬂy 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. APPLICATIONS Wafer type: Multi- and Mono-crystalline silicon Wafer geometry: Square and pseudo-square Wafer thickness: 130–300 micro meters capacity: approx. 3000 wafer/hour PLATFORM All 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

IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

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INTERNATIONAL PHOTOVOLTAIC EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION

ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

PRODUCT BRIEFS SINGULUS MODULAR INLINE DEPOSITION SYSTEM Singulus Technologies’ new solar coating machine, Singular, provides coating of the anti-reﬂective and passivation layer on photovoltaic silicon cells.

HOW TO GET YOUR COMPANY’S PRODUCT INCLUDED IN THIS SPACE To have your company’s product considered for the next issue of the quarterly IPVEA newsletter, please email no more than 250 words about your newly debuted piece of equipment and high-resolution images (JPEG or TIFF file preferred, separately) to news@ipvea.com Please also use the following standardized format: - COMPANY NAME - PRODUCT NAME - The first sentence provides an introduction to what the product is

PROBLEM The PV market requires fully automated and cost effective systems for coating of anti-reflective and passivation layer on photovoltaic silicon cells. SOLUTION The Singular Inline Deposition System for Silicon Cell Production is designed specifically 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-reflective and passivation layer on photovoltaic silicon cells. The essential benefit of inline technology is the transport and processing of small substrate production lots, which guarantees stable process, continuous output, flexibility 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. APPLICATIONS Coating of the anti-reflective and passivation layer on photovoltaic silicon cells AVAILABILITY Worldwide

- 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.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE IPVEA NEWSLETTER Please let us know of your colleagues who you would like to receive the IPVEA newsletter. Email their names, titles, company name, phone number and email addresses to: news@ipvea.com Indicate preferred method of distribution: - Emailed PDF - Physically printed

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

www.singulus.de

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IPVEA NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 3 - SPRING 2009

“striving for efficiency”

IPVEA

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. To apply for membership, or find out more about IPVEA please visit