In Top 10 Suppliers of PV Manufacturing Equipment Worldwide for 2008, VLSI Research Inc. named Applied Materials the number one worldwide PV (Photovoltaic) equipment supplier for 2008 with $797 million in estimated revenues for both crystalline silicon equipment and SunFab thin film production lines.

Now, just since Oerlikon Solar, a business unit of OC Oerlikon Corporation AG (VTX:OERL), was named number one in VLSI Research’s The Top 5 Turnkey PV Manufacturing Line Suppliers for 2008 on June 4, 2009, Oerlikon’s revenue was revised down from $664 million to $552 million to take the number two 2008 worldwide spot.

However, comparing actual thin film module production tells a different story. The Oerlikon Solar Panel Counter claims 963067 modules (“panels”) have been manufactured by their customers as of today. At Intersolar 2009, I learned Applied Materials SunFab customers had cumulative production of about 300000 quarter sized modules. Without knowing the module mix from Oerlikon customers and guessing an average module power of 80 to 85 Wp (Watt-peak), this translates to 77.0 to 81.9 MWp (MegaWatt-peak) of cumulative production.

As shown above, GT Solar International, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOLR) placed third followed by German firms Gebr. Schmid GmbH + Co. and centrotherm photovoltaics AG (ETR:CTN) ranking fourth and fifth respectively.

Please vote in the new sidebar PV POLL: Is Upgraded Metallurgical (UMG) Silicon dead?

This is Part 2 of what I call the PV unholy trinity poll series.
In Part 1, I asked: Is CPV (Concentrator PhotoVoltaics) dead?
The final results are here. I suspect active voting by CPV advocates contributed to the lopsided results!

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Photovoltaic power electronics are hot!

Clocking in with 1417 exhibitors covering 104000 square meters across nine halls and an outdoor area, I was competing with about 60000 visitors to capture my unfair share of Intersolar 2009 over three days at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre. Given the massive size and my ongoing hiatus recovery, I could have used another day to investigate more stands. With that caveat, here are my subjective views of the best Intersolar 2009 had to offer mimicking the Late Show with David Letterman format.

A Picasa slideshow of the Photovoltaic Top 10 List is displayed at the end of the post.

10. Best Solar Internet Start-up
SOLARFIX (http://www.solarfix.com)

SOLARFIX Pro is a German online photovoltaic portal for solar installers to order products for delivery in two days. SOLARFIX will buy direct from manufacturers in bulk and reduce end prices by bypassing mid tier distribution. SOLARFIX test accounts will begin June 8, 2009, although accounts are free anyway after registration.

9. Best Material
MIRO-SUN® PV from Alanod-Solar GmbH & Co. KG

A comprehensive MIRO-SUN test report is available with the solar lacquer coating, now called Sol Gel, for outdoor applications. MIRO-SUN PV has a suspicious similarity to the material used in Skyline Solar’s Prototype High Gain Solar (HGS) Project at the VTA.

8. Best Module Certification
5.7m² photovoltaic (PV) modules produced on Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) SunFab Thin Film Line.

Per “Applied Materials Announces IEC Certification of World’s Largest Solar Panels,” the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) certification covers both single and tandem junction modules. I confirmed Moser Baer Photo Voltaic Limited has received IEC certification for their 5.7m² a-Si (amorphous Silicon) modules, and Signet Solar issued the press release, “World’s largest thin film solar modules from Signet Solar now TÜV-certified”, regarding certification of their Product Datasheet SI S1 Series Full Panel a-Si modules.

7. Best Award
Oerlikon Solar: KAI 1200 PECVD system won the Cell Award for Best technical product for thin-film module manufacturing

KAI 1200 performs Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) of amorphous or microcrystalline photovoltaic layers for thin film solar modules. Oerlikon Solar is a business unit of OC Oerlikon Corporation AG (VTX:OERL).

Please see the Cell Award website for all seven Winners by Category.
(Full Disclosure: I voted for the KAI 1200.)

6. Best Press Conference
SolarMagic Launch / National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM)

Please see SolarMagic, Solar Magic (aka How does this device work?) for my coverage. OK, so I only attended two Intersolar press conferences. I got more questions answered at the other one, but I liked the historical element with National’s 50th anniversary and the Russell Ohl factor. After all, I was almost a history major.

5. Best central inverter approach
Fronius IG Central Inverter from Fronius International GmbH

The Fronius IG Central Inverter is composed of modular units that switch on as needed, load balance to increase energy yield, and, I suspect, maximize inverter life. The modules are easy to swap in case maintenance or repair is required. I wonder if this concept can be extended to 1 MW (MegaWatt) plus sized inverters?

4. Best Demo and Best Spokesperson
The SolarMagic outside demo and Ms. SolarMagic

The SolarMagic demo outside on the Intersolar 2009 Freigelände merits a separate post. In case you were wondering, SolarMagic is not the Best Spokesperson’s real last name.

3. Best Module
X-Series MICROMORPH thin film modules from Inventux Technologies AG

Inventux claims X-Series MICROMORPH module production is centered at a stabilized 115W (Watts) moving to 120W (with 8.9% efficiency?) by July 2009. Here is the datasheet. Inventux said they had several 100-150 kW (kiloWatt) installations in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Italy. When I asked, they offered to arrange a tour of a private installation site near Munich. I wish I had the time.

Honorable mention – Transparent a-Si modules exhibited by Green Energy Technology. The a-Si modules produced using a SunFab line are offered with 5% (80W), 10% (72W), and 20% (69W) transparency. Extra laser scribing is required increasing module cycle time however.

1. (tie) Best Start-up
SolarEdge Technologies Inc. and Tigo Energy

In a rare moment of waffling, I decided to declare a tie between these two companies entering the PV power electronics space. Both companies have DC (Direct Current) MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) electronics at each module while also monitoring module level performance via powerline communications. SolarEdge plans to offer SolarEdge Fixed String Voltage inverters with their solution beginning with 3.3 kW and 5 kW models. By contrast, Tigo Energy has partnered with KACO new energy GmbH to integrate the Tigo Energy Management Unit into KACO inverters creating the complete KACO/Tigo Energy Maximizer solution.

GUNTHER Portfolio (Kindle Edition) is now available at Amazon.com for a whopping $0.99 monthly subscription price including a free 14 day trial. Does that even cover the cost of wireless delivery?

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On Friday, January 18, 2007, ersol Solar Energy AG (FRA:ES6) subsidiary, ersol Thin Film GmbH, announced the Sales launch of ersol Thin Film modules (Deutsch) with the signing of a 500 kWp (kilowatt-peak) module supply contract with K+C Schmidt Gbr.

Nova-T module datasheets or specifications were not available at the time of the press release. Just after the ersol Analyst Conference at the 8. Forum Solarpraxis, I heard the Nova-T amorphous silicon (a-Si) module efficiency was 5.5% implying an approximate 79 Wp (Watt-peak) power rating. If the Nova-T indeed has a 79 Wp specification, this deal involves almost 6330 modules.

Contrast these implied specifications with the recent SCHOTT Solar GmbH announcement, SCHOTT ASI 86: First Shipments From New Thin Film Factory in Jena. SCHOTT Solar produces the same sized a-Si modules based on similar Oerlikon Solar process and production equipment. SCHOTT’s ASI 86 module has 86 Wp nominal power output or about 5.93% module efficiency.

The Nova-T a-Si thin film modules are from series production and are supposed to be delivered in January and February 2008 to K+C Schmidt Gbr, a Grevenbroich, Germany, based investor, for deployment in an open space system solar farm project also located in Grevenbroich, the German capital of energy. The press release states:

The 500 kW plant equipped with ersol thin-film modules – to be operated by K+C Schmidt itself – is due to go on stream shortly and will contribute to power generation from regenerative energy.

K+C Schmidt Gbr is an affiliate company of K+C Schmidt GmbH, a real estate broker in Grevenbroich, which today operates a wind energy plant and a small photovoltaic plant.

ersol said:

This represents a decisive step for ersol Thin Film in launching this module type on the market by way of a first major project in Germany.

And this is a decisive step compared to ersol Thin Film’s indecisive second half of 2007 as their plans for a-Si thin film module production were off and then on again. ersol Thin Film Managing Director Peter Schneidewind also said:

This supply contract marks the beginning of our marketing activities. We are currently negotiating with several potential customers. So I am delighted to say that we are on the verge of signing further contracts.

I have to wonder if ersol Thin Film’s off and on yo-yo plans broke their earlier customer contracts? I hope they got things “Right from the start.” now though.

©2010 GUNTHER Portfolio. All Rights Reserved.

In this final Solar Light Flashes of 2007, I need to catch up on accumulated tidbits I’ve collected over the past few months.

Advent Solar, Inc.
If recent events at Miasolé regarding former CEO David Pearce are the precedent (see Former Miasolé Employees Confirm Cuts by Jennifer Kho at Greentech Media), then Advent Solar Appoints Peter Green as new President and CEO, tends to indicate Rusty Schmit’s days with Advent may be numbered despite the claim:

Company founder Rusty Schmit will remain a member of the Board of Directors in an active role focused on strategic initiatives and will be working with Peter to ensure a smooth transition.

This development also lends credence to anonymous rumors the retooling and layoffs are masking process issues.

Blue Square Energy
While I was on my best behavior at the Dow Jones VentureWire Alternative Energy Innovations 2007 conference in Redwood City, California, AlternativeEnergy.com captured this video of Blue Square Energy (BSE) President and CEO Jeff Barnett’s presentation.

Concentrix Solar GmbH
In the under reported Concentrix passes all tests required for starting construction of its 500 kW power plant in Spain (October 2007), the company’s 5.75 kW prototype system passed ISFOC, Instituto de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentración S.A. or Institute of Concentration Photovoltaics Systems, required qualification tests including draft IEC standard 62108 D8d (now IEC 62108 Ed. 1.0). Construction of the 200 kW Puertollano, Castilla La Mancha – Spain, installation was supposed to begin in early November 2007.

Greentech Media
Greentech Media: Conversations has so far rolled out two of a six part discussion series with Dr. Richard Swanson, co-founder, President, and Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of SunPower Corporation. Since the series is sponsored by SunPower and mirrored over at the SunPower website as the Richard Swanson Podcast Series, this series has the appearance of an infomercial. Then again, what photovoltaic company would want to sponsor a series about a competitor? Nonetheless, I am sure these podcasts with Dr. Swanson are worth a listen.

Izusu Glass Co., Ltd.
DigInfo (Digitized Information, Inc.) has a short video about Izusu Glass compound parabolic concentrators (CPC) produced using a glass mold process to reduce manufacturing costs.

Oerlikon Solar
I just noticed this public relations Oerlikon Solar Image Film on the website available via streaming (English, Deutsch) or download. And here is an apparent bootleg video Report on solar energy from CASH-TV in German (Deutsch) aired back on October 7, 2007. Oerlikon Solar is a business segment of OC Oerlikon Corporation AG (VTX:OERL).

REC Solar Grade Silicon LLC
This REC Silicon Groundbreaking video by Grant County EDC showed up on YouTube before Christmas even though the ceremony to mark the construction of the new Solar Grade Silicon manufacturing facility in Moses Lake, Washington USA, was held way back on August 16, 2006.

A few updated photos of the construction are posted on the Grant County Economic Development Council website at REC Silicon Project. Slated to ramp in the second half of 2008, the new plant is based on a proprietary FBR (Fluidized Bed Reactor) process and will add 6500 MT (Metric Tons) of granular Solar Grade Silicon production capacity. REC Solar Grade Silicon LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Renewable Energy Corporation ASA (OSL:REC).

Solarvalue AG
The stockings of Solarvalue AG (XETRA:SV7) shareholders were empty this Christmas. No (char)coal, wood chips, quartz, or Solar Grade Silicon (SGS) sample material from a US lab. But did the Solarvalue ÜberBull get high sulfur coal from Santa Claus?

Two series begun in 2007 remain unfinished. I have noticed significant interest in Timminco Limited: O Canada! Solar Grade Silicon, Eh? – Part 1. This is a top priority at the start of 2008, and I have two additional parts planned. There was also supposed to be a Part 3 after Sunways goes its own Silicon ways – Part 2 to cover the Automotive solar segment of Sunways. I have the material but just have not gotten to the write up.

Once again I wish everyone a Happy New Year 2008 and may it be happy and prosperous for us all.

©2010 GUNTHER Portfolio. All Rights Reserved.

ersol expects the first micromorphous (micromorph tandem) thin film module samples to be available from mid 2008

On the heals of New experts join ersol management team (Deutsch) released earlier this week, ersol “Nova-T” thin-film module fulfils Protection Class II requirements (Deutsch) was an odd press release issued Thursday, November 1, 2007.

Why was Nova-T thin film module certification significant? In Oerlikon solar (almost) at work: ersol Thin Film delays production and reiterated by ersol Solar Energy AG (FRA:ES6) CEO Dr. Claus Beneking at Solar Power 2007 (see Solar Light Flashes: October 22, 2007), amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film module production by ersol Thin Film was supposed to be cancelled in favor of accelerating micromorph tandem module production.

Per the ersol “Nova-T” press release:

Since the planned switch from amorphous to micromorphous product generation will take a fairly long time, even just because of the delivery times for key components, ersol is now planning to launch amorphous modules, as an interim step towards micromorphous production, in spring 2008.

As a result, ersol has reversed course and plans to begin a-Si module sales starting in Spring 2008. The ersol Thin Film production line has produced a-Si modules with 78Wp (Watt-peak) average stabilized capacity after the impact of the Staebler-Wronski effect.

Dr. Christian Koitzsch, Technical Director of ersol Thin Film GmbH, said:

We are already preparing for the field deployment of the Nova-T modules with the first key customers and we are looking forward to the anticipated grid connection of the first demonstration and test plants during Q1 2008. However, we have not yet decided on our production plan for 2008 as a whole.

So what is the reason for this production decision flip flop? Here are some ideas to consider.

• Successful Protection Class II verification and obtaining the CE label was a critical gating item.
• 6% module efficiency is not so bad after all.
• A brand new idle €80 Million factory does not sit well with ersol investors.
• The new management team at ersol Thin Film has had time to reevaluate the situation and changed the decision.

In any event, this development does not appear to be related to the schedule for Oerlikon’s KAI 1200^M2 micromorph deposition systems. By all accounts, KAI 1200^M2 shipments are on track per committed delivery schedules. Perhaps ersol did not get their KAI 1200^M2 orders placed early enough to be at the front of the queue?

Please click the Topic label ersol for related posts.

Here is more than you ever wanted to know about how IBM Pioneers Process to Turn Waste into Solar Energy. I am all for efficient recycling, but this news has gotten more press than justified. 13.5MWp (MegaWatt-peak) solar cell production from 3 million recycled semiconductor wafers represents a drop in the existing multi GigaWatt Photovoltaic market.

©2010 GUNTHER Portfolio. All Rights Reserved.

On Monday, September 3, 2007, during an afternoon press conference at the 22nd EU PVSEC, Oerlikon Solar had a trio of announcements. First, with Oerlikon names Jeannine Sargent CEO of Oerlikon Solar to further expand enterprise, Ms. Sargent became the first Oerlikon Solar CEO in charge of all solar related businesses within Oerlikon. Detlev Koch-Ospelt remains the Head of Thin Film product solutions.

Next, Oerlikon Solar introduces production solutions for technologically advanced micromorph tandem modules was the formal introduction of micromorph technology by Oerlikon Solar CEO Ms. Sargent. By adding a 1.5um microcrystalline silicon bottom cell below the amorphous silicon top cell, the micromorph tandem module delivers up to 10% module efficiency at costs of less than $0.70 per Watt-peak with 100+ MWp (MegaWatt-peak) scale Fabs all by 2010.

Inventux Technologies AG was announced as the latest customer for a 33MWp micromorph tandem module production line from Oerlikon Solar. Inventux presented plans to ramp the 33MWp Phase 1 line in 2008 and expand capacity to 100MWp in 2009. Inventux will locate the new facility in southeastern Berlin near Berlin – Adlershof, Germany, very close to the new Berlin Brandenburg International (BBI) Airport.

A few days before the Oerlikon Solar press conference, ersol Solar Energy AG (FRA:ES6) issued a stealth press release, ersol prepares for the next generation of thin-film technology (Deutsch) late Friday afternoon, August 31, 2007. Translating the PR speak, this should have been titled “ersol cancels amorphous silicon (A-Si) module production and accelerates production of micromorph tandem modules”.

Now I only stumbled upon the ersol news a few days later when I was checking into the Financial Times report about Oerlikon Solar discussed in the following segment. A quick visit to the ersol stand at the 22nd EU PVSEC Exhibition began the clarification process. While I was able to check the basic facts with Dr. Christian Koitzsch, Group Manger Silicon Material, he didn’t shed much light on the root motivation for the decision. The 40MWp ersol Thin Film factory was categorized as a prototype factory and the move to micromorph was explained as a necessary step to develop a competitive copy exact platform for further capacity expansions. Dr. Koitzsch did confirm recent management turnover at ersol Thin Film.

So what are the real motivations for ersol to delay production until 2008 after investing €80 Million in a new facility?

• I have to believe customers have balked at 6% efficiency modules for large scale solar power plant applications because of price per Watt and balance of system (BOS) costs. First Solar CdTe Thin Film modules have established a price per Watt cost leadership position in the large scale, grid connected, solar power plant application segment.
• Oerlikon Solar has pulled in delivery of micromorph tandem equipment creating an opportunity for new turnkey customers to start production with micromorph and placing ersol Thin Film at a disadvantage.
• Management changes at ersol Thin Film brought the usual review and reevaluation of the business unit’s strategy. It is unclear if the management turnover correlates to this decision or is an asynchronous event.

I planned to take Oerlikon Solar to task for failing to mention the ersol news. However, I have heard they were also caught off guard by the timing of this development just before the press conference.

On Wednesday, September 5, 2007, Financial Times (FT) reported:

Oerlikon would consider approaches for solar division, company source says

I received this Google alerts shocker along with the Advent Solar layoff news. In consulting with Oerlikon Solar folks at their EU PVSEC stand, they were as surprised by this one as I was.

Reading this article, could the company source here even be the same company spokesperson prodded to answer a series of leading questions? Although I have to assume FT has a credible source for such a hyped assertion, I believe FT took their cue from the organization of solar related business under Ms. Sargent in the new role of CEO Oerlikon Solar. This move telegraphs a first step to make the Oerlikon Solar business unit self contained and separable. Further speculation in the article about potential buyers demonstrates a clear lack of insight into the Photovoltaic Industry and value chain.

I see OC Oerlikon Corporation AG (VTX:OERL) committed to and making long term oriented investments in Oerlikon Solar and the solar production equipment space with great individual enthusiasm. Solar represents a lucrative, high growth business segment Oerlikon needs to drive their future growth. For corporate purposes, it could make sense for Oerlikon to monetize the value of the Oerlikon Solar business in a market receptive to solar IPOs. Oerlikon could IPO the Oerlikon Solar business while maintaining majority share ownership and control a la Cypress Semiconductor and SunPower. This IPO approach would drive more value for Oerlikon shareholders than a simple direct sale =unless= boardroom intrigues impose a different calculus near term.

©2010 GUNTHER Portfolio. All Rights Reserved.

Professor Dr. Martin Green from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia, led off the first Plenary session of Advanced Photovoltaics on Monday, September 3, 2007, at 8:30AM, but the official open of the 22nd EU PVSEC was left to Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, Italian Minister for the Environment, Land, and Sea, at about 12:30PM.

The Opening Session was dominated by short, informative, and dynamic presentations from Conference leaders, politicians, and industry members (except for Alfonso González Finat, EU Commission who ran twice as long with an unemotional delivery). With Milano as the venue, Italy was well represented by Corrado Clini, Director General of the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land, and Sea, Gianni Silvestrini, Advisor of the Italian Minister of Economic Development, and the afore mentioned Mr. Scanio. I have videos of Mr. Scanio making his opening session keynote in English and answering a press question about Italian Photovoltaic market development in Italian. Alas, Google Video has been uncooperative getting these large files uploaded, so far.

The 2007 Becquerel Prize was awarded to Professor Arvind Shah for over 20 years of work in Photovoltaics, establishing the Photovoltaics Laboratory at the Université de Neuchâtel, Switzerland, pioneering a VHF (Very High Frequency) deposition technique for high rate and low cost amorphous silicon deposition, and further innovations with microcrystalline silicon and the micromorph tandem solar cells. These innovations are at the core of Oerlikon’s technology for thin film silicon production equipment.

By coincidence or just plain hard work, the SolarWorld Einstein Award 2007 was presented to PV pioneer Professor Martin Green who led off the technical presentations today.

In the afternoon, Applied Materials and Oerlikon Solar engaged in the Battle of the Press Conferences. Both companies held their plans and strategies pat. Will there be a resolution to the key question does size (of the glass substrate) matter? See “Size isn’t everything” in the Solar Newsletter No. 2 (Deutsch) for Oerlikon’s view.

In another ironic twist, the first EU PVSEC was planned about this time in 1974 in the same city of Milano.

©2010 GUNTHER Portfolio. All Rights Reserved.

Although SEMICON West 2007 wound down on July 20, 2007, I am just getting to pointing out presentations and providing multimedia about the programs, events, and exhibition. Here is the official SEMICON West 2007 Post-Show Report.

When I was looking for presentations from the keynotes and TechXPOTs from SEMICON West to be placed online based on a tip from an organizer, I stumbled upon this post Nano, MEMS and Energy Presentations Available on semiconwest.org! on the lublog.

Instead of linking to the abstracts, the titles now link to the presentations. There is great information ranging from SunPower Public Relations type hype to thin film manufacturing equipment and solar grade silicon. This is the next best thing to attending SEMICON West 2007 and seeing all the presentations. I noticed official videos recorded at each session, but I have not seen any of these surface yet.

Keynotes:
How Silicon Valley is Helping to Solve the Energy Dependence Problem
T.J. Rodgers, Chairman, SunPower Corporation

Solar Energy: The Next Great Growth Opportunity for the Semiconductor Industry
Rhone Resch, President, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)

TechXPOT – Emerging Technologies – Nanoelectronic and Nanoenergy Applications:
Advances in Flexible Thin-Film Solar Cells
David Pearce, President and CEO, Miasolé

TechXPOT – Emerging Technologies – Renewable Energy: Solar and Fuel Cells:
Issues of Going to Gigawatt-scale Solar Manufacturing
Charlie Gay, VP and general manager, Solar Business Group, Applied Materials

Thin Film Silicon- Key to Photovoltaics
Hans Brändle, Head of Oerlikon Balzers Coating, executive VP Oerlikon

I apologize for not giving Oerlikon equal time. I misjudged my video recording capacity, and I was struggling to free space for photos throughout the TechXPOT. Dr. Brändle was very gracious and acknowledged Charlie Gay’s opening presentation. Even though Oerlikon sponsored this TechXPOT, the moderator made a mistake in allowing too many questions for Applied Materials to the detriment of Oerlikon and the following presenters.

Alternative Silicon Materials for Solar
Gaetan Borgers, Director Dow Corning Solar Solutions

Manufacturing High Efficiency Solar Cells
Nasreen Chopra, Director of Equipment R&D, SunPower Corporation

I am starting to see a pattern in SunPower presentations. Over half of this time slot was another SunPower hype flashback. No Public Relations minders were there to prevent Dr. Chopra from making a political correctness faux pas concerning the professionalism and quality of small specialty solar equipment manufacturers located in remote European alpine locations. Dr. Chopra, have you heard about globalization? You do realize your cells and modules are manufactured in a remote location in the Philippines and might travel down congested and infrastructure challenged highways to Manila for shipment all over the world?

Of course, you can expect further commentary on the various presentations and the exhibition to follow. I am under pressure to post or perish today.

If you haven’t seen them, I suggest checking out these posts over at the Cleantech Blog by Neal Dikeman:
When it Comes to Solar – Lest We Forget
Rising Solar Prices – Where is the Shakeout?
Is IBM Going Solar?

©2010 GUNTHER Portfolio. All Rights Reserved.

Intersolar 2007 and 2006 California Clean Tech Open (CCTO) companies have dominated Blog coverage over the past month. It’s time to get back to covering staple companies and topics although there are follow up Intersolar 2007 and PV Industry Forum 2007 posts plus SEMICON West coverage in the works.

Applied Materials:
Applied Materials Names Chris Eberspacher to Lead Advanced Solar Research and Development lends support to the notion that things may not be so rosy at Nanosolar. Dr. Eberspacher left Nanosolar just over one month ago.

Blue Square Energy (BSE):
Alan Swanson Joins Blue Square Energy as Vice President of Manufacturing Operations bringing thirty years of experience from Tyco Electronics and the former AMP, Inc. To complete the management team in preparation for a potential IPO, BSE needs to name a VP of Engineering or CTO or both.

CMC Magnetics Corp:
Following the Moser Baer model, CMC Magnetics, the largest Taiwanese maker of optical media, is setting up a subsidiary, Sun Well Technology, to produce thin film solar modules in Taiwan. Information from industry sources (rumors) allege the 100MWp facility will be equipped by Oerlikon Solar.

Cool Earth Solar:
I stumbled on this video animation titled Inflatable Solar Collectors on YouTube. I don’t know the origin of the animation, but this appears genuine.

HyCore:
Norsk Hydro ASA (NYSE:NHY) and the Umicore Group (EBR:UMI) have formed the HyCore joint venture to produce solar grade silicon from metallurgical silicon using a process first researched by Umicore. €26 million will be invested to construct a 20 metric ton pilot plant at Herøya, in Porsgrunn, Norway, by 2008. If proven successful, a larger facility will be constructed at the same site to produce industrial scale volumes by 2010.

Umicore has about 90% market share in Germanium (Ge) substrate wafers required for compound semiconductors like III-V Triple Junction solar cells used in High Concentration Photovoltaic systems.

NJCEP:
Updated CORE Queues every two weeks now? CORE Queue > 10kw July 13, 2007 (greater than 10kW), CORE Queue <= 10kw July 13, 2007 (less than or equal to 10kW), Public Non K-12 Schools CORE Queue July 13, 2007, and Public K-12 Schools CORE Queue July 13, 2007 are available. An Updated 2007 CORE Budget July 13, 2007 shows the under funded status details of the main CORE Queues, and the Comment Summary: New Jersey Renewable Energy Solar Market Transition Straw Proposal has a number of company and policy centric comments and counter proposals.

A fresh new look for the NJCEP website is due by August 1, 2007.

Oerlikon Solar:
I heard Oerlikon Solar was briefing press (though not this blogger!) about a significant announcement. I have no idea what it is, but speculations include ersol or Schott in official production, more new orders like CMC Magnetics, or could Micromorph tools be shipping?

Solar Newsletter No. 2, July 17, 2007, was distributed at SEMICON West but is not yet on the Oerlikon Solar website at post time.

PV Cycle:
Per the EPIA (European Photovoltaic Industry Association) Newsletter, SOLARIS, the PV CYCLE association created on 5th July 2007 by founding members: Avancis, BSW, Conergy, EPIA, Isofotón, Schott Solar, SolarWorld, and Sulfurcell. An executive board was appointed to prepare for the first General Assembly meeting of the PV Cycle association scheduled for September 18, 2007, in Brussels, Belgium. Interested companies are welcome to apply for membership in the PV CYCLE association and membership information should be forthcoming to EPIA members.

Sol3g, S.L.:
In Sol3g makes a 1 kWp pilot installation financed by Solúcar, an Abengoa subsidiary, the company announced an agreement with Solúcar Energia, S.A., for a 1kWp (kilowatt-peak) HCPV (High Concentration PhotoVoltaic) system pilot installation. Another 20kWp of HCPV modules (M40?) will be supplied for mounting on Solúcar’s own two-axis tracker. Both of these systems will be located in the Solar Platform of Sanlúcar la Mayor, Sevilla, Spain.

SunPower:
And SunPower CEO Tom Werner Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Recipient in Northern California would not be my first choice since I believe the PowerLight acquisition is an expensive distraction from increasing SunPower’s production of the highest efficiency, back contact, monocrystalline solar cells and modules. Why was Ernst & Young LLP not disclosed as being the independent auditor of PowerLight Corporation’s financials from 2005 and 2006? Although the award claims to use a panel of independent judges, how were the initial nominations made?

The SPR-315 datasheet is now online at the SunPower website.

Given the accelerated velocity of photovoltaic and solar activity, I don’t envy publications trying to cover every aspect of the PV Industry. I’ll stick with this Blog’s established format of looking for areas less covered or where I can add insight and commentary.

©2010 GUNTHER Portfolio. All Rights Reserved.

On the first day of Intersolar 2007, I stopped by the Oerlikon Solar stand and chatted at length with Juerg Steinmann from Marketing Communications.

Company building ersol Thin Film GmbH at Solar Gate 2

At Intersolar this year, Oerlikon Solar promoted Turnkey solar factories from just one supplier with the introduction of the TCO 1200 as the final element of their turnkey thin film solar module manufacturing solution, FAB 1200. The TCO 1200 deposits a Transparent Conductive Oxide on glass for front and back electrical contacts via an LPCVD (Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) process using Zinc oxide. As Mr. Steinmann pointed out, there are different flavors of Oerlikon Solar’s turnkey solutions dubbed standard/standard+ (plus), turnkey/turnkey+, and tandem depending on production line equipment selections such as the TCO 1200.

Mr. Steinmann tackled my perceptions about Oerlikon’s fixed module size of 1.1m (meters) by 1.3m having limited use in BIPV (Building Integrated PhotoVoltaics) applications. Mr. Steinmann said this module form factor was selected as the optimal size to minimize cost, maximize efficiency, and address practical issues.

First and foremost, this module form factor is designed to provide the lowest cost per Watt-peak and deliver competitive kiloWatt-hours (kWh) because of a smaller temperature coefficient than multicystalline Silicon (mc-Si) solar modules. Also, in cloud induced shading, the smaller form factor helps to maximize array output versus larger modules.

Practical considerations include the cost to replace a broken module and module handling. The module size enables a single person to carry and install the module even in countries with strict union or workplace rules about lifting.

For large scale solar power plants, this Model T product strategy has been proven a winner by First Solar, and I believe Oerlikon’s customers can be successful in this application. However, I remain skeptical whether these modules will succeed in BIPV applications.

On the technology and bookings front, Oerlikon hosted a Solar Day (including presentations) on June 15, 2007, in cooperation with manufacturing partner, ersol Thin Film GmbH. ersol Thin Film is the first Oerlikon customer on the cusp of volume thin film module production. A few statements by Dr. Uwe Krüger, Chief Executive Officer of OC Oerlikon, from the Solar Day event ring true versus Oerlikon’s competition in solar thin film manufacturing solutions.

Dr. Krüger said:

Our customers – and this is very important to us – confirm that we have a 12- to 18-month lead.

Whereas our competitors announce a lot of new developments, but so far cannot demonstrate any real production lines, the ersol fab is a reality. We don’t just promise – we deliver. Our production line turns out 120 square meters of silicon thin film solar modules per hour at a power of 70 Watt per square meter. These are real values, and not just numbers on a PowerPoint slide.

This Solar Day event is covered in Solar Newsletter No. 1 June 2007. Oerlikon Solar just began publishing this monthly newsletter called “solar at work” in English and German (Deutsch). I suggest going to Register for Newsletter or Download Newsletter to subscribe or get your copy.

For my questions regarding ersol Thin Film’s production status, Mr. Steinmann directed me to the ersol stand and Karsten Weltzien, one of ersol Thin Film’s managing directors. A last question about the status of API GmbH orders was shrugged off with no news to announce as expected.

Later at the ersol stand, Mr. Weltzien recognized me as I arrived. I first met Mr. Weltzien last year at Intersolar 2006. Mr. Weltzien confirmed ersol Thin Film’s production is sold out to a small number of key partners but could not provide any color on the official volume production start date besides production this summer.

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As far as production targets and capacity, Mr. Weltzien reiterated news from the recent ersol Annual General Meeting. ersol expects to have 40MWp (MegaWatt-peak) of thin film solar module capacity in place by the end of 2007 and estimated production of 6MWp of thin film modules in 2007 and about 24MWp in 2008. ersol has also disclosed plans to increase thin film module production capacity to 100MWp by about 2010.

Source: ersol Solar Energy AG (FRA:ES6) Annual Report 2006

Per Mr. Weltzien, ersol Thin Film Fab 1 production of amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film Nova® solar modules will be binned to 75Wp (Watt-peak), 80Wp, 85Wp, and 90Wp ranging from 5.25% to 6.29% in module efficiency centered at 80Wp. I trust I got these peak power bins correct since I was unable to confirm these with ersol before posting. ersol has mentioned 120Wp as a longer term target; I expect a Micromorph Tandem thin film module will be needed to achieve this goal.

Although in ersol Group inaugurates thin-film module production site, ersol states:

Serial production planned to begin at the start of August 2007.

Reading between the lines and weighing the facts, I believe ersol Thin Film can be considered in production now. I expect thin film solar modules produced until the official production announcement in August and passing all production tests and meeting quality and warranty requirements will be shipped as finished product. Please don’t read anything into my disclosure below; this is my independent assessment and intuitive assertion.

After I wrote Applied Materials Solar shuts out Oerlikon Solar 3:0, I was surprised by the level of interest this post generated although I knew there was a dearth of coverage concerning photovoltaic production equipment. As alluded to in Oerlikon Solar: Company Dramas upstage Thin Film progress, this is in fact the future post regarding positive developments at Oerlikon Solar, a division of OC Oerlikon Corporation AG (VTX:OERL).

And The OC of OC Oerlikon stands for “one company” not Orange County or Ocean City. Oerlikon is a suburb of Zürich where the company was founded back in 1906. I first noticed this connection mapping hotels in Zürich.

(Full disclosure: Last summer (2006), I was offered a position at ersol Thin Film that was later withdrawn. The details are not relevant to this disclosure; you will have to wait for my memoirs for the story – if I ever have reason to write them!)

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