Silicon Valley Solar Secures Agreement with Fastest Growing German Photovoltaic Cell Manufacturer

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Silicon Valley Solar announced today that they have finalized an agreement with ErSol that will ensure the supply of high efficiency cells to support the development and early production stages of the company’s Sol-X2 internal concentrator solar modules.

“Since Sol-X is essentially a ‘multiplier’ of the solar cell used, ErSol’s high efficiency E6M+ cells provide a real advantage to achieve high module efficiency.”

“We’re very enthusiastic about the opportunity to work with ErSol given their rapid growth and prominence in the German PV industry”, stated Dave Shannahan, president of SV Solar. “This agreement provides an essential component for the execution of our development and manufacturing plan. ErSol has been very supportive both in terms of the volume commitment and competitive pricing.”

“Given the strength of worldwide demand for solar modules, ErSol welcomes the opportunity to support SV Solar and their unique Sol-X technology,” added Dr. Claus Beneking, CEO of ErSol. “We believe this is an intelligent approach to leveraging the existing supply of silicon to meet demand in a cost effective way.”

ErSol will be supplying E6M+ Black Power Cells using mono-crystalline silicon to achieve between 16.26% and 17.47% efficiency. Initially ErSol will be supporting development and pre-production. After SV Solar satisfies certain milestones, ErSol will be providing a sufficient quantity of cells to support SV Solar’s initial mass production ramp, estimated to be at least 2-3 quarters, by which time a long term cell supply contract will be established.

“The key benefit of Sol-X technology is the fact that we can generate the same or even more power with less than half the number of PV solar cells,” said Dr. Christoph Goeltner, VP of engineering for SV Solar. “Since Sol-X is essentially a ‘multiplier’ of the solar cell used, ErSol’s high efficiency E6M+ cells provide a real advantage to achieve high module efficiency.”

SV Solar’s Sol-X2 products are high efficiency, low cost flat plate modules utilizing a unique “internal” concentrator. Sol-X2 modules require less than half the number of solar cells when compared to traditional solar modules, while producing equivalent or even higher power output. Solar cells currently account for up to 75% of the total module cost, and with the current shortage of refined silicon, are a limiting factor on the total production of solar modules.

Since Sol-X2 utilizes a proprietary internal concentrator, the modules are dimensionally equivalent to standard flat plate modules and don’t require a complex tracking mechanism. The “compatible” form-factor of these modules enables traditional installation, and the lack of moving parts provides the long-term reliability the solar industry demands.

About Silicon Valley Solar, Inc.

Incorporated in 2006, SV Solar is a manufacturer of flat plate internal concentrator solar modules. SV Solar was founded by Patrick Callinan, President and CEO of Silicon Valley Microelectronics (SVM). SVM has been supplying silicon wafers and feedstock to the semiconductor and solar industries very profitably for the past 16 years, and created SV Solar as a natural evolution to meet the demands of an increasingly thriving solar market. SV Solar has developed a unique solar module technology utilizing an advanced internal concentrator, marketed under the Sol-X^TM brand.

About ErSol Solar Energy AG

The ErSol Group manufactures and distributes photovoltaic products. Following the acquisitions of ASi Industries GmbH (ASi) and Silicon Recycling Services, Inc. (SRS), ErSol is now involved with the silicon recycling (SRS), the production of ingots and wafers (ASi) and the fabrication of solar cells (ErSol Solar Energy AG). The ErSol Group distributes solar modules via its subsidiary, aimex-solar GmbH and is involved in the production of photovoltaic modules in a joint venture with SESE Co. Ltd. The foundation of ErSol Thin Film GmbH led ErSol into the field of thin-film technology.

ErSol's goal is to consolidate its position as a world-leading manufacturer of high quality silicon solar cells and to achieve a high profit level that will allow the Group to grow faster than the silicon solar cell market as a whole. To achieve this, the company specializes in the more complex processes within the value chain for photovoltaic systems, particularly the production of ingots, wafers and solar cells.