Order Focus: Phoenix Solar, MiaSolé sign four-year deal; CIGS moduler to ship 4.5MW this quarter

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Photovoltaic integrator Phoenix Solar and CIGS solar module manfacturer MiaSolé have signed a framework agreement that will run through 2013. The deal calls for MiaSolé to fulfill a Phoenix Solar order for an initial 4.5MW of copper-indium-gallium-(di)selenide thin-film PV panels in the second quarter, with the remaining shipment amounts to be determined.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The current wattage rating of the meter-square MiaSolé modules is 111W±2W, with a conversion efficiency of 10.5%. A higher efficiency product will be shipped by the end of 2010, the company said.

The framework agreement also includes a recycling warranty where required by regulation or financing; at the end of the module’s lifetime, the customer can choose to have them taken away by MiaSolé and recycled, or reconditioned.

MiaSolé uses a sputtering-based process to manufacture its CIGS films on a flexible metal foil in the company’s Santa Clara, CA, facilities. The substrate is then divided into cell-like sections, sorted and inspected, and run through the moduling process and eventually laminated between two hardened glass plates.

The frameless glass-glass module can be used for roofs as well as for ground-mounted systems and is designed to withstand high wind and snow loads. The company says its production process can be adjusted so that almost all module shapes can be manufactured, resulting in a potential cost savings on mounting and racking during installation.

“Phoenix Solar has always sought to lead the field in innovations in all aspects of system integration from the module, through balance of system to operation and maintenance services,” noted Manfred Bachler, CTO of Phoenix Solar. “We welcome MiaSolé to our group of strategic suppliers with whom we work closely to extract maximum synergy effects as a means of continuously driving down system costs.”

Joe Laia, president/CEO of MiaSolé, told PV Tech during a facility visit last week that the CIGS company had already shipped a little over a megawatt of modules to Phoenix, with the rest of the initial order set for delivery over the next five or six weeks.
 
He said that MiaSolé shipped a total of about 2½–3MW from its new, integrated 100MW “prototype production” factory, mostly to sites in Germany and Italy. The company has business in Europe, North America, and India, according to Laia, and more contractual announcements will be forthcoming soon.

MiaSolé’s chief executive also mentioned that modules taken directly from the production line have been sent to the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for conversion efficiency testing, with results showing marked improvements expected in several weeks.

Read Next

October 9, 2025
Solar PV is the world’s cheapest technology to generate electricity, according to a study from the University of Surrey, in the UK.
October 9, 2025
Entergy Arkansas has announced plans to build a 600MW solar-plus-storage project to support a new data centre to be built by Google.
October 9, 2025
Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries has agreed to acquire ReNew’s 300MW solar power unit in India for around US$246 million.
October 9, 2025
Avaada has inked an MoU with the Gujarat government to develop solar, wind, and BESS worth INR36 billion (US$405 million). 
October 9, 2025
Chinese inverter and storage manufacturer Sungrow has revealed details of its planned flotation on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
October 9, 2025
Germany has awarded contracts to 490MW of solar-plus-storage projects in its latest “innovation” auction for co-located renewables.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK