Tianwei and Oerlikon Solar have completed one of mainland China’s largest thin-film solar panel factories. The facility was completed ahead of schedule.
This first phase of the Tianwei project is designed to produce 500,000 of Oerlikon Solar’s Amorph PV technology modules per year, which will generate a total of 46MW of power.
“Oerlikon Solar surpassed its promised completion time and efficiency,” said Ma Wenxue, General Manager of Baoding Tianwei Solarfilms.
Under the “Golden Sun” program China’s Ministry of Finance will subsidize 50% of the construction costs for on-grid solar power plants. The ministry of finance will also pay for up to 70% of off-grid installations and cover transmission costs where necessary. In response to this, analysts have predicted that China could develop more than 500MW of solar power within three years.
Jeannine Sargent, CEO of Oerlikon Solar said, “This is key in being the leader on the path to grid parity and placing clean renewable solar power on equal footing with traditional fossil fuel sources. Oerlikon Solar has the first thin-film silicon technology to have IEC certification from TÜV Rheinland for Amorph Basic, Amorph High Performance and Micromorph.”
TÜV certification for the Tianwei line is expected in September 2009.
