Updated: Thin-film technologies are a favoured manufacturing alternative to conventional crystalline solar modules in the US. The R&D history goes way back and of course the US is home to First Solar, which stamped thin-film technology firmly on the PV industry map. However, thin-film related technologies were rarely mentioned at Solar Power International on the first few days.
GE
The company recently announced its plans to locate a 400MW capacity CdTe thin-film plant in Denver, Colorado, with a production ramp targeted next year and commercial module availability in 2013.
GE noted at the time that the modules would be more efficient, lighter in weight, and larger than conventional thin-film panels – possibly an attempt to compete with First Solar.
TSMC Solar
Another anticipated announcement from a potential new entrant in the thin film space was TSMC Solar. The subsidiary of the largest semiconductor foundry announced before SPI that it is prepping the ramp of its first CIGSSe fab.
TSMC Solar is also using SPI 2011 as it did at the recent EU PVSEC event in Hamburg to build its distribution network for the key markets of Europe and North America.
In a worldwide exclusive interview with PV-Tech’s North American senior editor Tom Cheyney, TSMC Solar’s President, YC Chao, discussed in detail the manufacturing plans for its CIGSSe modules. The full interview is available on the PV-Tech website.
However, in regards to its US plans, TSMC Solar said that its commercial products are expected to be shipped in the first quarter of 2012, while listings for California Energy Commission (CEC) is slated for mid-Q1 2012. Obviously, they are targeting the commercial rooftop and utilities markets with its thin film offering.
Stion/Eyelit
Updates from two other US-based thin-film manufacturers were covered recently by Tom in the wake of the “you know who” bankruptcy. However, news has trickled out during SPI that MES specialist, Eyelit, has successfully implemented its manufacturing software to support Stion’s PV module production efforts.
Related to the growing job opportunities in the US PV sector, Eyelit’s vice president of sales and marketing Dan Estrada noted that the software company was aggressively recruiting to keep up with demand.
“We expect to increase company staff by about 30%,” stated Estrada. “Eyelit’s targeted software bundle enables PV manufacturers, such as Stion, to quickly scale from a pilot stage to high-volume commercial production. We feel that Stion’s capital-efficient approach and robust technology makes it well-positioned to leverage our product to enable rapid growth toward industry leadership.”
However, it is interesting to note that neither Stion nor Nanosolar have booths at SPI.
First Solar
Perhaps there is a theme emerging here, but First Solar is exhibiting at SPI on booth 2019 but hasn’t really been vocal so far at the show. The only direct news from the thin-film leader was a press release regarding its carbon footprint. Though not to be sneezed at, it’s hardly hard-core stuff to be punted at a major show.
That said, it is interesting to note that First Solar's global operations generated greenhouse gas emissions totalling approximately 194 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission equivalents (CO2e) per MW of modules produced.
First Solar has been focused on increasing both the throughput and module efficiencies of its ever-increasing number of production lines since starting operations, and this has been represented for the first time in carbon footprint measurements of a reduction in carbon intensity of approximately 21% from 2008 to 2010.
First Solar also reported that the 3.3GW of modules produced in 2010 are being used globally to displace over 2 million metric tons of CO2e emissions per year for their 25+ year product life.
Solar Frontier
With a CIS production capacity of 900MW at its new fab, Japan-based Solar Frontier is a potential force to be reckoned with. Sort of bucking the press release void, Solar Frontier – via a customer’s 1MW installation — can claim to have some news coincidently released during SPI, while actually exhibiting at the show at booth 5012.
The press release headline didn’t give anything away but a few paragraphs later, Solar Frontier was named as the module supplier to a 1MW installation at one of Granite Construction’s building materials plants in California.
Uni-Solar
Coincidently, United Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, announced the sale of 600kW worth of ‘Uni-Solar’ a-Si thin-film laminates to GP Batteries of Hong Kong, while the company manned booth 2135.
Considering that the company had reduced production to 4MW for the third quarter on the back of very weak demand – this is a decent sale!
Singulus Technologies
Remember we mentioned at the beginning of this review that the US was home to a number of thin-film manufacturers?
Well, manufacturing equipment supplier Singulus Technologies is well aware of this important fact and had taken the opportunity before the show to pre-announce that it would be unveiling a new processing system for vacuum-coating CIGS/CIS thin-film solar cells.
According to Singulus, the new system responds to the current demand for enhanced module efficiencies, while cutting production costs. The new vertical vacuum-based coating tool is specifically designed for CIGS/CIS module production. The company also touted that it had received its first order for the tool, though didn’t say whether this was in the US or elsewhere.
Regrettably, we have to say that Singulus wasn’t exhibiting at SPI.
Colnatec
That was the same with Colnatec LLC, but the company took the opportunity to shout about its ‘Colnatec Helios’ vapor phase film thickness system. According to the company, the Helios system is a hermetically sealed and heated crystal sensor housing combined with a patented, advanced quartz crystal capable of operation to 300°C during the selenization of CIGS films.
“The Helios System is a unique and effective solution that greatly improves the productivity and efficiency of the solar cell manufacturing process,” said Colnatec CTO Scott Grimshaw.
