Oerlikon Solar announced the first upgrade orders for the new production line for thin film silicon modules ThinFab. Two customers have ordered Oerlikon Solar equipment of the new ThinFab generation.
(December 20, 2010) — Oerlikon Solar announced the first upgrade orders for the new production line for thin film silicon modules ThinFab. Two customers have ordered Oerlikon Solar equipment of the new ThinFab generation. Until now, Oerlikon Solar has successfully built and put into operation 12 production lines throughout the world.
The ThinFab reduces the “total cost of ownership” for solar modules to EUR 0.50/Wp. Compared to other solar processes, the production of the Oerlikon thin film silicon modules requires the least amount of energy. The so-called “energy payback time” with Oerlikon technology is below one year. Thin film silicon modules perform well under real environmental conditions in diffuse light caused by clouds and are best suited for high-temperature climates like those prevalent in the desert. Their efficiency remains widely stable, while the efficiency of crystalline solar cells declines significantly.
“We are very pleased with the development of our sales pipeline. The likelihood that we can close a first order for a complete ThinFab production line in the first half of 2011 has risen significantly,” said Peter Tinner, global head of sales and marketing of Oerlikon Solar. “With the ThinFab we are offering a very competitive production line for real environmental friendly solar modules,” added Michael Buscher, group CEO of Oerlikon.
Oerlikon (SIX: OERL) is a leading high-tech industrial group specializing in machine and plant engineering. Oerlikon Solar designs and manufactures equipment and turnkey manufacturing lines for the mass production of environmentally sustainable thin film silicon solar modules, using its amorphous and high-efficiency Micromorph tandem technology. For more information, visit www.oerlikon.com/solar/thinfab
Also see: Oerlikon discusses path to $0.70/W thin-film PV panels
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