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In one of the fastest constructions and installations in the industry, ARISE Technologies and its engineering firm DHV have constructed and prepared a solar cell plant in six and a half months. The company announced that it has produced its first solar cell at Line 1 of the €50 million, 4,000m² Bischofswerda production facility in Germany using a novel layered production technique.

The production line, which, unlike Line 2 at the same location, does not use proprietary technology, will produce 1,500 solar cells per hour. It utilises a dual-layer building principle, which means that all chemical treatment equipment, air conditioning equipment, etc. can be housed on a level below the production level, enabling faster response times and a safer working environment, according to the company.

The line will produce approximately 40MW per annum. ARISE also plans to install 10 additional production lines through 2012, targeting an annual capacity of 560MW. Three of these production lines are expected to begin operation in the next 18 months.

“We’ve noticed a steadily increasing demand in the market for sustainable solutions and a dramatic growth in the solar-cell market,” said Ad Schrijvers, DHV’s project manager. “That’s why it’s essential that solar-cell plants be extremely flexible and prepared for future developments. The ARISE facility is built according to a 2-layer principle. This means that the installations are located below and production takes place on the first floor. In this way, plants can be expanded rapidly and respond to increasing demand. More and more other engineering firms are going to make use of the power of the 2-layer principle.”

By Síle Mc Mahon