GT Solar Delivers Solar Energy Equipment

The UK’s stated goals for deriving 20 percent of the country’s power from renewable energy sources, and the government’s increasing funding of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects is creating a fertile business atmosphere for renewable energy companies. Especially those specializing in Building Integrated PV (BIPV) systems. This demand helped secure a recent contract between GT Solar Technologies, a new Hampshire-based manufacturer of PV solar wafer, cell and module manufacturing equipment, and Romag Limited, an architectural specialty glass company in Newcastle, England.

Merrimack, New Hampshire – October 24, 2003 [SolarAccess.com] The UK’s stated goals for deriving 20 percent of the country’s power from renewable energy sources, and the government’s increasing funding of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects is creating a fertile business atmosphere for renewable energy companies — especially those specializing in Building Integrated PV (BIPV) systems. This demand helped secure a recent contract between GT Solar Technologies, a new Hampshire-based manufacturer of PV solar wafer, cell and module manufacturing equipment, and Romag Limited, an architectural specialty glass company in Newcastle, England. GT Solar will install a turnkey GT-MODFAB PV module assembly line at Romag with completion scheduled for early next year. Romag said the new PV manufacturing module line is key to the company’s plan to enter the BIPV market as the next strategic step in expanding its business. The PV module line features GT’s GT-CTX100 Cell Tester and GT-TSX100 Tabber/Stringer with a fully automated module lay-up station. Specially designed glass handling equipment completes the line, which will be able to manufacture modules as large as 3,300 mm x 2,200 mm for BIPV applications. “GT convinced us of their knowledge in the module manufacturing technology and the ability to identify and involve partners with the expertise that we needed”, said Kevin Webster, Technical Director of Romag. “We were impressed with the flexible approach adopted by GT Solar and their ability to quickly assimilate our needs and to customize their offer to meet our requirements, which allowed a quick closure of the project.” According to Gt Solar’s Heiko Moritz, GT’s vice president of sales and marketing, “Our strategy with Romag was very simple. We listened to their technical team’s requirements and with our expertise created a solution to meet their exact needs. We specifically overcame significant PV module size and weight issues to Romag’s requirements. We found Romag as one of the leading edge companies in the area of specialty glasses. Their entry into the BIPV market opens exciting new opportunities for both of our companies.”