Sunfilm to Expand Solar Module Production with 2nd
SunFab Tandem Junction Line from Applied Materials
GROSSROEHRSDORF, Germany & SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Due to strong demand for its solar modules, Sunfilm AG announced today
that it has awarded Applied Materials, Inc. a contract for a second
Applied SunFab™ Thin
Film Line. This second production line will be installed next to Sunfilm’s
first line in Grossroehrsdorf, near Dresden, Germany. Sunfilm’s
first Applied SunFab Line, ordered last year, is expected to begin
initial production runs this July, with the second line scheduled for
start up approximately one year later. This will bring Sunfilm’s
annual capacity at this site to over 120MWp.
With these production lines, Sunfilm is setting a new benchmark for the
solar industry by manufacturing the world’s
first tandem junction, silicon thin film photovoltaic modules using 5.7m2
glass panels. These ultra-large substrates also offer the flexibility to
produce finished solar modules of half and quarter size, depending on
customer preferences.
“Developing cost-effective solar technology is
critical for the future, and we must continue to find new ways to
improve module performance in order to make solar energy more affordable
for the end users,” said Dr. Sven Hansen,
chairman of Sunfilm’s Supervisory Board. “Our
first Applied SunFab Line is making excellent progress towards this goal.”
“Sunfilm’s lines
will be a first in the industry, demonstrating the significant
advantages of scale by applying large area nanomanufacturing technology
and tandem junction efficiency to reduce cost,”
said Dr. Mark Pinto, senior vice president and general manager of Applied’s
Energy and Environmental Solutions Group. “Sunfilm’s
commitment to a second line affirms the readiness of 5.7m2
tandem junction technology for manufacturing.”
Applied Materials’ SunFab Thin Film Line
features tandem junction cell technology that combines amorphous and
microcrystalline layers to absorb both the shorter and longer
wavelengths of sunlight. These tandem junction cells deliver
significantly higher conversion efficiencies at a competitive cost per
watt relative to single junction technologies. By combining tandem
technology with ultra-large 5.7m2 substrates
and volume manufacturing, Sunfilm expects to substantially reduce the
cost of solar electricity.
Sunfilm AG was established at the end of 2006 by Good Energies
and NorSun to manufacture the world’s first
5.7m2 tandem thin film photovoltaic modules on
glass substrates on a production line supplied by Applied Materials,
Inc. Sunfilm’s website is www.Sunfilmsolar.com.
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) is the global leader in
Nanomanufacturing Technology™ solutions with
a broad portfolio of innovative equipment, service and software products
for the fabrication of semiconductor chips, flat panel displays, solar
photovoltaic cells, flexible electronics and energy efficient glass. At
Applied Materials, we apply Nanomanufacturing Technology to improve the
way people live. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.
