Ferro coNDucTiVe PaSTe DeVeloPMeNTS iN coNTexT · 2018-07-12 · Volume 4 Number 10 November/December 2011 The Global Journal for Solar and PV Manufacturing Professionals Ferro coNDucTiVe

www.globalsolartechnology.com

Volume 4 Number 10 November/December 2011


The Global Journal for Solar and PV Manufacturing Professionals

Ferro coNDucTiVe PaSTe DeVeloPMeNTS iN coNTexTeFFicieNcy aND yielD iMProVeMeNTS • iMProViNG Solar Power iNVerTer efficiencies • Ge Gives thin film a really biG vote of confidence • smart sensinG of SeleNiuM

Make Your Marketing Dollars

Global Solar Technology has developed a whole range of free new marketing tools to give your campaigns maximum impact and take your marketing messages to a whole new level.

http://digital.trafalgarmedia.com/issue/41283

Go Further

make_your_marketing-Solar.indd 1 12/5/11 4:51 PM

Global Solar Technology – November/December 2011 – 1www.globalsolartechnology.com

Contents

Global Solar Technology is distributed by controlled circulation to qualified personnel. For all others, subscriptions are available at a cost of £110/US $220/€165 for the current volume (10 issues).

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means —electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise—without the prior written consent of the publisher. No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information contained in the text, illustrations or advertisements. The opinions expressed in the articles are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher.

© Trafalgar Publications Ltd.

Designed and Published by Trafalgar Publications, Bournemouth, United Kingdom

contentsVolume 4, No. 10

November/December 2011

EDITORIAL2 Solar PV—the good, the bad and the ugly (and the challenging and encouraging) Alan Rae

FEATURES6 Ferro conductive paste developments in context

10 Efficiency and yield improvements with fab-wide process management software David Genova, Rudolph Technologies, Inc. 15 Installability, reliability and maintainability

16 Electrical insulation and heat dissipation materials improve solar power inverter efficiencies Brent Ekiss, Fabrico

SPECIAL FEATURES 19 SolarBridge and SunShot28 Smart sensing of selenium

COLUMNS20 Creating desire to overcome the economic headwinds Jon Custer-Topai

29 Beyond the Solyndra circus: A golden age for solar Clint Wilder

OTHER REGULAR FEATURES4 Industry news32 New products for integrators & installers34 New products for manufacturers 36 International diary

Visit www.globalsolartechnology.com for the latest news and more, every day.

DOwNLOAD THIS ISSUE TO yOUR MObILE PHONE:

If you don’t already have one, search for a QR code reader app in your smartphone’s app marketplace. Then use it to scan the code above & download this magazine issue right to your phone.

16

6

10

Title


editorial officesEuropeGlobal Solar TechnologyTrafalgar Publications LtdUnit 18, 2 Lansdowne CrescentBournemouthDorset BH1 1SAUnited KingdomTel: +44 7924 581 [email protected]

United StatesGlobal Solar TechnologyPO Box 7579Naples, FL 34102, USATel: +1 (239) 245-9264Fax: (239) [email protected]

ChinaGlobal Solar TechnologyElectronics SecondResearch InstituteNo.159, Hepin South RoadTaiyuan City, PO Box 115, Shanxi,Province 030024, ChinaTel: +86 (351) 652 3813Fax: +86 (351) 652 0409

Editor-in-ChiefTrevor GalbraithTel: +44 7924 581 523 (Europe)Tel: +44 20 7792 0792 (UK)Tel: +1 (239) 245-9264 x101 (US)[email protected]

Managing EditorHeather LackeyTel: +1 (239) 245-9264 [email protected]

Technical Editor Dr. Alan [email protected]

Assistant EditorHeidi [email protected]

circulation & SubscriptionsKelly Grimm Tel: +1 (239) 245-9264 x106subscriptions@ globalsolartechnology.com

advertisingSee page 38.

Alan RaeTechnical Editor

Editorial

Solar PV— the good, the bad and the ugly (and the challenging and encouraging)

What are the trends as we talk to industry leaders?

GoodThe realization that Solar PV is maturing and that banks can consider PPA agree-ments as annuities, with a fixed invest-ment then a steady yearly return. In order to protect these investments, we see O&M (operation and maintenance) specialists engaged at a fixed rate to maintain these investments.

Solar PV is moving quickly to a point where it is an economically sound invest-ment without subsidies. Dropping panel prices for c-Si and growing thin film influ-ence will continue this trend.

CdTe is here to stay! GE’s new invest-ment—without federal loan guarantees or subsidies—was a wake-up call to thin film doubters.

Integration is a theme with many companies moving upstream and down-stream to become a one-stop shop by partnering up and down the supply chain. Hanhwa Solar One and Q-Cells are good examples of this. Advanced Energy, an inverter company, now has a significant O&M presence.

There are still significant tech-nical opportunities for advancement—SolarBridge has module integrated microinverters which simplify installa-tion and will be available from a number of panel makers. Ideal Power’s new tech-nology inverters are a fraction of the size of competitive models. Sharp’s sleek new frameless modules look great. Lord’s hydrophobic coatings should cut cleaning costs.

Not so good…The well-known organic solar cell maker who wouldn’t even discuss the products and said, “Just go to our web site and you’ll find all you need,” and the Fortune 100 company whose representatives were so busy talking to each other you couldn’t get their attention. If you are going to attend a great show like SPI, least put in a minimal effort.

UglyThere were several booths at SPI from small companies showing poor quality products—ones I’d be embarrassed to have

on my roof out of sight. Poorly hand-soldered panels just don’t make it any more and shouldn’t be at an international show.

ChallengingThe recent publicity over riots in China about lead emissions from module plants (in several cases co-located with battery plants) has provoked new discussion about the need for lead-free solar PV. With the 2013 RoHS exemption review in Europe likely to withdraw exemptions from a wide range of products, it is encouraging to see that some module makers such as Solar Frontier are lead-free already and that EMS companies like Flextronics already have solutions in hand, based on their long expe-rience with other electronic systems. Solder companies like Indium and Alpha have low temperature as well as more conventional alloys available.

With the Dodd-Frank act adopted by the SEC, public companies in the USA will have to report on the conflict minerals content of their products. Conflict minerals—Ta, Nb, W, Sn—are produced in and around the Democratic Republic of the Congo and have been used to gain currency to fund armed conflict. Companies quoted on the US Stock exchange will have to report and, as the guidelines are still being prepared, the extent of disclosure required is not yet known but will be available by year end. However it is a safe bet to say that most modules contain Sn and many circuit boards contain both Sn and Ta, so module and balance of system suppliers need to be aware of this requirement.

EncouragingThe overall mood at the recent solar meetings I attended was positive. I talked with the supply chain from top to bottom including site evaluation, installation, and makers of conventional and CPV modules, racking, tracking, inverters, materials and equipment. The equipment business in particular is seeing lean times but every-body expects that within 2twpyears momentum will really start to gather world-wideand we will see solid growth as economies recover and the price of solar electricity becomes really competitive.


Title

GE recently announced plans to build its new thin film solar panel factory in Aurora, Colorado, near Denver. When completed, the advanced manufacturing facility will create 355 jobs in Colorado and will be larger than any existing solar panel factory in the country today. GE anticipates the new factory will start up earlier than origi-nally expected with the first panels coming off the line in 2012 with commercial avail-ability in 2013. And it is being built without US Federal funding.

We attended the GE webcast and press conference at SPI both headed by Danielle Merfeld, GE Energy’s solar technolo-gies general manager and Matt Guyette, GE Energy’s renewables strategy general manager.

GE will locate the 400 MW factory in an existing building in Aurora, just east of Denver. This location, previously a L’Oreal facility, is in proximity to GE’s existing solar center of excellence and enables an accelerated start-up schedule with produc-tion equipment installation beginning in January 2012. At capacity, the new factory will produce enough panels per year to power 80,000 homes and will be larger than 11 football fields. The new solar factory is part of a $600 million investment in GE’s solar business.

Colorado already is home to GE Energy’s thin film solar pilot line, where joint technology advancements from GE’s Global Research Center and PrimeStar Solar have been validated and tested. GE completed the acquisition of PrimeStar earlier this year. It is also home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

In support of its expected growth in the solar space, GE also announced plans to create 100 new positions in New York split between the Renewable Energy Global Headquarters in Schenectady and its Global Research Center in nearby Niskayuna, N.Y. These facilities are close to the new thin film solar user facility in Albany, which is part of Department of Energy’s SunShot program.

Solar panels produced in GE’s new Colorado factory also will be more efficient, lighter weight and larger than conventional

thin film panels. Higher efficiency is a key component of GE’s commitment to offer advanced solar products while reducing the total cost of electricity for utilities and consumers. The high level of automation and the use of GE proprietary processing equipment will keep costs controlled and mean that the production can be close to the growing US market. Lighter panels will facilitate easier installation and enable important applications including commer-cial rooftop. Larger-sized panels help to lower total system cost by reducing the amount of racking and electrical compo-nents—balance of systems—required.

The systems will be based on CdTe, cadmium telluride, and GE has carried out a detailed life cycle and safety review on this material. Quoting work carried out by Brookhaven National Laboratory and others, Danielle Merfeld mentioned that cadmium telluride is an extremely stable compound which will pass a TCLP test (toxic characteristics leaching procedure, used to assess paints and a range of other materials) and even a rooftop fire would not cause cadmium emissions because the cadmium would be incorporated into the surface glass as it softens. First panels will be commercially available in 2013 as the availability and characteristics of the new

facility has really accelerated the timeline—and the target efficiency will be 14% at the module level. Because of the higher energy capture of thin film panels in low and diffuse light, the panels provide superior performance over crystalline silicon panels in many installations.

About 25% of the electricity produced worldwide is made on GE equipment. The businesses that comprise GE Energy—GE Power & Water, GE Energy Management and GE Oil & Gas—work together with more than 100,000 global employees and 2010 revenues of $38 billion, to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; as well as other alterna-tive fuels and new grid modernization technologies to meet 21st century energy needs.

Ge gives thin film a really big vote of confidence

GE’s Danielle Merfeld, solar technologies general manager, and Matt Guette, renewable strategy general manager.

Title

4 – Global Solar Technology – November/December 2011 www.globalsolartechnology.com

industry newsIndustry news

vogt solar completes its first solar power plants in UK with a total capacity of 10 MWpvogt solar connected its first seven UK solar photovoltaic power plants ahead of the August 1st fast-track feed in tariff deadline. The solar farms, situated in the south of England, together have a total capacity of ca. 10 Mwp. vogt solar realised the projects as EPC contractor and was involved in the development, financing, planning, engi-neering, procurement and realisation of the solar farms. www.vogt-solar.de

Schneider Electric has started shipping its Conext Series grid tie solar invertersSchneider Electric Renewable Energies Business has launched the Conext range of single-phase inverters in North America, offering a robust, simple and flexible solar grid tie solution for residential and small commercial applications. Models range from 2.8 to 5 kW, with the 5kW inverters now available for order and shipping and all models available by the end of the year.

NanoMarkets releases new report on markets for Indium-based materials in the photovoltaics industryNanoMarkets has just released a new report on the markets for indium-based mate-rials in the rapidly growing photovoltaics industry. The main driver for indium use in the PV industry is the growth of CIGS PV, which will rapidly penetrate conventional PV panels, BIPV and portable PV. Despite the many substitutes for ITO, significant usage of ITO will continue by PV firms.

Although alternative deposition methods for ITO and CIGS are often touted, impor-tant users in the PV industry prefer sput-tering. NanoMarkets believes that for CIGS space there will be a growing opportu-nity to sell composite targets containing indium, copper, and gallium.

Sollega InstaRack now installed in over 20 U.S. states

The Sollega InstaRack, a fully ballasted solar racking system for commercial flat-roof systems, is now installed in over 20 U.S. states. The InstaRack is a one-piece, pre-formed solar mounting system made from durable lightweight high density polyethylene plastic (HDPE). Clients value the InstaRack for its light weight, its stack-ablitity and its flexibility. In 2011 the Sollega InstaRack has been successfully installed in solar projects all over the U.S., the largest being in Nevada, New Jersey and Florida.www.sollega.com

DuPont Solamet Metallizations for higher efficiency solar cells and modulesDuPont Microcircuit Materials (MCM) recently added two key accounts, Sunways AG and Heckert Solar AG, to a growing list of photovoltaic manufacturers using

DuPont™ Solamet® PV17x photovoltaic metallization pastes. Because Solamet® PV17x series metallizations also enable 10 percent lower material consumption, they achieve results more cost effectively. The ability to use less material translates into savings for cell and module manufacturers. mcm.dupont.com

Keith Margolin joins Engineered Conductive Materials as formulation chemistEngineered Conductive Materials, LLC, has appointed Keith Margolin as formulation chemist in its Research and Development group. In his new role, Keith will focus on developing screen print-able inks for solar applications, including fine line, high aspect ratio printing inks and low-cost conductive grid inks for next-generation photovoltaic applications in thin-film modules.www.conductives.com

DoE awards more than $145 million for advanced solar technologiesEnergy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced more than $145 million for projects to help shape the next generation of solar energy technologies and ensure that the United States remains a leader in this global market. Sixty-nine projects in 24 states, funded through DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, will improve materials, manufacturing processes and supply chains for a wide range of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells and

industry news


Industry news

components of solar energy systems. Some of these investments also support efforts that will shorten the overall timeline from prototype to production and streamline building codes, zoning laws, permitting rules, and business processes for installing solar energy systems.

Present and future: cost reduction and new opportunities now central to thin filmPV Insider have announced the 4th Thin Film Solar Summit USA (1-2 December, San Francisco) will address the overarching issues of cost reduction (day one) and new opportunities (day two). The confer-ence has two distinctive features that are new for 2011 – a series of ‘Cost Reduction Masterclasses’ to demonstrate where every possible cent per watt can be saved, and an expansive ‘International Markets Forum,’ a three part session consisting of a panel, roundtable discussion and conclusion to show the hottest new markets across the globe. www.pv-insider.com/thinfilmusa

10 MW PV plants installed and connected to the grid in just two months in ItalyRecently, the last of the ten solar farms that were completed at record speed was connected to the grid by Espe Sunparc. A total of 10 MW was installed and connected to the Italian national grid in just two months, July and August 2011. The expected annual production of the ten solar farms is 14 million kWh. www.espe-sunparc.com

Enecsys solar PV micro inverters receive certifications for the Italian and Spanish marketsEnecsys Limited has received Italian and Spanish certification for its products from Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, Germany, GmbH. The micro inverters comply with the Italian “Guide for connections to ENEL Distribution electricity network” and with the corresponding Spanish legislation for connecting photovoltaic installations to the low voltage network. This certification enables Enecsys to sell its long-life micro inverters into residential and commercial solar PV markets in Italy and Spain. www.enecsys.com

Lark Energy and HPC Healthline complete one of region’s largest rooftop PV installationsTwo Bourne-based companies, Lark Energy

and HPC Healthline UK Ltd., have collabo-rated on one of the East Midland’s largest rooftop PV installations. Lark Energy has installed a total of 810 photovoltaic panels on the roof of HPC Healthline’s national distribution centre in Bourne. The project is approximately 90 times larger than the average domestic rooftop installation but won’t cost the building owners a penny. The 186.3 kWp PV system was funded by Low Carbon Investors and the Downing Low Carbon Enterprise Investment Scheme Fund. www.hpchealthline.co.uk

Mastervolt inverters certified for First Solar modulesFirst Solar Inc. has certified Mastervolt inverters for use in systems featuring its thin-film solar modules. In order to be eligible for use under the full First Solar module warranty, inverters must be approved in the System Design and Application (SDA) process. All inverters of the current Mastervolt Sunmaster XL, XS and CS series have achieved the standard required and can be utilized with the First Solar FS-Series 2 and FS-Series 3 modules. First Solar warrants the FS-Series 2 and 3 modules according to the First Solar Module Warranty Terms and Conditions provided the modules are installed, operated and serviced as described in the First Solar User Guide and in the System Design and Application document.

PV LEGAL publishes recommendations for removing barriers to successful PV deploymentIn a new publication, the European PV LEGAL project makes concrete recom-mendations for reducing administrative barriers to the planning and installation of PV systems and helping to spur more devel-opment of this safe, clean and infinitely renewable energy source. PV LEGAL’s new publication, “Key Recommendations”, proposes and defines ways to remove or simplify permitting procedures and grid connection of PV systems.

aleo solar AG appoints Shane Messer as VP to reinforce its presence in the US PV marketaleo solar AG has appointed Shane Messer as executive vice president of sales & marketing of aleo solar North America Inc.; he has also been appointed general manager of this US subsidiary. He began his duties on August 1, 2011 and has operational responsibility for the compa-ny’s performance and development in

the United States. With Messer, aleo solar is gaining an experienced sales profes-sional and expert in the photovoltaic industry; he was senior director of sales for North America—Residential and Light Commercial for SunPower Corporation. www.aleo-solar.de

Your Power appoints new operations managerYour Power has a new operations manager. Nick Spicer will be responsible for managing the day to day operations and logistics of the business, with a particular focus on co-ordinating the installation of solar power systems for property-owners across the region. Nick joins from regional civil engineering firm MJ Church and was previously an infantry officer in the British Army for five years, where he had a variety of roles in operational leadership.

The prospect for CSP in the Spanish market—boom or bust?Protermosolar has said that 4293 Km2 of CSP plants (equivalent to 1% of Spain´s territory) could supply the country with all the power it needs. The CSP Markets Report 2011-2012 details the current plan in Spain, to install 5,000 MW of CSP, but the industry is hoping and lobbying for 10,000 MW by 2020. Hopes are high for CSP in Spain. The CSP Markets Report 2011-2012 describes in detail how the Ministry of Industry has granted permis-sion for the construction of 61 plants in 11 provinces, mainly in the south. When all plants have entered service in 2014, the country will have 2525.3MW CSP capacity.

Tenesol ‘Made in EU’ modules entitled to 10% bonus from Italy’s FiTTenesol has achieved factory inspection (CFQ002) certification from the Institute of Industrial Certification for Mechanics (ICIM) in Italy. The certification allows the company’s PV modules to automati-cally receive 10 percent more return from Italy’s feed-in-tariff (FiT). It also officially recognises that the company’s modules are made in EU. The certification recognises Tenesol’s entire manufacturing process, from lacing cells to assembly and testing. It was awarded to a wide range of the compa-ny’s advanced PV products including positive tolerance, monocrystalline and polycrystalline modules. www.tenesol.com


Ferro conductive paste developments in context

This is a rather unusual interview, carried out by e-mail during a peak traveling period! As a result we had the benefit of really detailed replies from the Ferro photovoltaic “brains trust!” I think readers will find this really interesting.

Ferro has launched a significant number of new silver and aluminum pastes over the last two months. Can you describe them and where they fit into our customers’ processes?

Dr. Darren Arola, global applied technology Manager, replies:

Ferro continues to lead the market in offering products that enable reduction in cost per Watt while increasing performance. Recent offerings for crystalline silicon solar cells include two front silver contact pastes, two rear aluminum conductor pastes and two rear silver conductor pastes. Each provides unique benefits that will be discussed in turn. Combinations of Ferro products are able to bring about the most benefits.

NS 3130 & NS 3131Ferro’s new front contact pastes provide up to 20% savings on material usage and up to 0.40% absolute gains in electrical efficiency. These benefits arise from the ability to print narrow grid lines 65 um wide with a high aspect ratio (up to 0.3) that can contact up to 100 Ohm/square emitters. New paste chemistries enable lower contact resistance over a range of emitter profiles to achieve high fill factors while the rheology of the pastes allows fast-speed production envi-ronments exceeding 200 mm/s to improve utilization and line throughput. Both

offer high-speed solderability and strong adhesion to silicon wafers. These attributes all combine to lower the cost of ownership and improve cost-competitiveness.

AL 5130 & AL 5131Ferro’s new rear aluminum conductor pastes provide up to 20% savings on material usage and form a strong, uniform back surface field (BSF) of seven to 10

microns without introducing recombi-nation traps for a range of texturization processes that increases electrical effi-ciency absolute gains up to 0.2%. They provide very high adhesion to silicon and EVA film while enabling use of thinner silicon wafers to cut material costs. Bowing on silicon wafers of 180 microns thick-ness is <1.5 mm for both products. Their pure aluminum metallurgy and high solids


Dr. Darren Arola holds a 156 mm multi-crystalline wafer printed at >200 mm/s wiper blade speed with Ferro’s new front contact paste NS3130, which enables high volume manufactur-ing of challenging front contact grid pattern designs such as this one possessing narrow grid lines and three bus bars.



that are RoHS- and REACH-compliant (NS 3130 is also free of lead) enable fast printing exceeding 200 mm/s. They possess good cosmetic features such as a bump- and bead-free surface over a range of co-firing processes and are compatible with a host of Ferro rear silver conductor pastes.

PS 2130 & PS 2131Ferro’s two thrifted rear silver conductor pastes have pure silver metallurgy and are designed for target fired thickness of 5-7 microns and 4-6 microns, respectively. They reduce both precious metal content and paste laydown to offer a typical 500 MW plant costs savings up to $5 million per year. Both offer high-speed solder-ability and strong adhesion to silicon wafers. Each has a wide co-firing process window, is compatible with a host of

Ferro rear aluminum conductor pastes and enables fast printing exceeding 200 mm/s to increase plant utilization. They provide the same mechanical performance as previous products at significantly lower cost.

The last time we talked, Ferro emphasized that silver paste was in constant evolution to maximize performance and reduce cost. How do you see the drivers evolving over the next six months?

Todd Williams, solar products business manager, replies:

The primary driver in that time frame is to extend current cell technology to achieve higher efficiency at reduced silver consumption to reduce cost per Watt. Our new front contact pastes, NS 3130 and NS 3131, and rear silver conductor pastes, PS

2130 and PS 2131, significantly increase electrical efficiencies and reduce material costs while maintaining mechanical perfor-mance. Double print technology is another response to this driver. Our new NS 3132 BP and NS 3133 TP front silver contact pastes offer improved aspect ratio and reduced contact resistance in the bottom layer paste that help boost efficiency. Ferro, in collaboration with Applied Materials, Inc., whose Applied Baccini™ Cell Systems is the screen-printing solutions leader, has developed and optimized these pastes for higher electrical efficiency and improved paste savings in double printing.

Many of our development efforts remain focused on reducing cost of ownership through higher cell efficien-cies, increased throughput, and reduced materials consumption. Market estimates expect significant additional reduction in silver used in the current material configu-ration by 2015.

Is there any move towards using nano silver or other substitute materials to reduce materials or process cost?

Dr. Aziz Shaikh, director of photovoltaic R&D, replies:

The approach of using ink jetable nano-silver based inks for solar cell contacts was evaluated by Ferro several years ago. This approach did not succeed for two primary reasons. Firstly, these contact layers needed to be plated to reduce the overall line resis-tance but the plating chemistry affected the reliability of the contacts. Secondly, the plating processes have significant addi-tional costs associated with them, making the cost of ownership model less favorable for commercialization. Ferro continues to develop innovative new materials and deposition processes which will in the near term reduce COO associated with metal-lizations.

Ferro is featuring new pastes for high profile/double printing—do you see this market taking off yet?

Greg Mlynar, program manager, solar mate-rials, replies:

The solar market is demanding higher effi-ciency solar cells with processes and mate-rials that are cost effective. Double printing represents one such technology that can provide those benefits. The main feature of double printing is the ability to print narrower and taller metallization lines. Post drying, 60μm lines with an aspect ratio of 0.42 have successfully been printed

Dr. Himal Khatri holds a 156 mm multi-crystalline cell metallized with Ferro’s Back Aluminum contact paste AL5169 for PERC solar cell structures.



with Applied Materials Baccini™ printers. The narrower lines permit less shadowing for more sunlight to reach the front surface of the solar cell. The taller lines attained with double printing permit good bulk conductivity. In conjunction with Ferro’s optimized pastes, a lower contact resis-tance (Rs), a higher short circuit current (Isc) and a higher open circuit voltage (Voc) can be obtained. A second feature of double printing is the ability to form narrower, taller lines with minimal surface roughness. This enables printing fine lines without line breaks which would lower the electrical efficiency. A third feature of double printing is the ability to save customers money. This is through a reduc-tion in silver usage. By printing narrower yet taller lines, it is possible to achieve a 0.27% efficiency gain while reducing silver consumption 20% versus a standard single print process. So, is the market taking off? From Ferro’s perspective, there is a consid-erable installed base of production lines that are capable of double printing. Ferro is working with select customers to validate and optimize all of the benefits in high volume manufacturing.

Does the increase in interest in back contact cells present new opportunities for Ferro? For silver or aluminum?

Dr. Himal Khatri, team leader, next genera-tion PV devices, replies:

Ferro has been a leading supplier of perfor-mance electronic materials in the market-place for decades. Ferro continuously delivers novel, innovative, and robust PV metallization pastes to achieve highly effi-cient solar cells, in particular conventional c-Si. In the module assembly process, these cells are in a series connected by soldering tabs from the front of one cell to the back of another. This process requires multiple steps that are difficult to automate and are operating at the edge of what is possible. As cells become larger, the current increases. In order to keep resistive losses within this tabbing material insignificant, the cross-section of the material perpendicular to the current flow must be increased. This can be accomplished by the introduction of thicker tabs. However, current flow is limited by stresses built up at the interfaces due to differences in the thermal expan-sion coefficient of the tabbing material and silicon. This factor is even more crucial

as cells become thinner (<180 µm). Tab width is the other parameter to increase its cross-section, but this can also be a severe restraint as it increases shadowing losses proportionally.

Certain next generation cells have interconnection material exclusively located on the back of the cell. The front surface is contacted by way of drilled holes. With this structure, wider tabs can be used. The only changes to the conventional cells are the holes through which the inter-connection is to be made. The advanced cell structures generally invoke process modifications. The related costs must be compensated by the gain in performance and reduced module manufacturing costs. There is, thus, resurgent interest in Back Contacted Si solar cells due to their poten-tial performance, reliability, and automa-tion at lower cost and with better aesthetics.

To enable such next generation PV device technology to directly replace the decades-old soldering method, Ferro offers novel and innovative metallization pastes for Back Contacted cells such as emitter wrap through (EWT) and metal-lization wrap-through (MWT). These materials include next-generation rear

Greg Mlynar with an Applied Materials Baccini™ printer.



silver plug hole pastes, high efficiency front silver contact pastes, and a back contact aluminum paste. Ferro Back Contacted pastes offer an array of improvements including cost reduction and potential to increased efficiency. This can make a real difference in the overall economics of solar power generation that reach the grid parity goals for photovoltaic energy conversion.

These new pastes from Ferro improve: Contact resistance to high performance shallow emitters passivated with SiNx or SiNx/Oxide antireflective coatings; conductivity in holes; shunt resis-tance in the holes; adhesion and strong Back Surface Field (BSF) formation of aluminum; and structural reliability of various interfaces. These pastes provide excellent conductivity and contact with the front silver paste, and form a solid plug upon firing. Novel glass chemistry has been developed that provides excellent shunt resistance, in particular to n- and p-MWT cells with strong adhesion to the silicon substrate, robust soldering behavior, and proven module performance. Significant efficiency gains are also provided by the system’s front silver contact pastes and the MWT back contact aluminum paste. In combination, MWT and PERC technolo-gies are currently among the most impor-tant parts of the technological roadmap of Ferro Electronic Materials.

What is new in the aluminum back contact area? People think of it as quite mature?

Dr. Himal Khatri, team leader, next genera-tion PV devices, replies:

The backside Al contact is of crucial impor-tance for cell performance, for example, the thickness, doping concentration and uniformity of the traditional Al-BSF/Al contact. The main loss mechanisms of a solar cell can be described as the sum of front, backside and volume loss contri-butions, which limits the implied Voc of

the cell. Together with improvements to emitters, front surface passivation and reduced shading, an improved back surface field due to Al paste and layout optimiza-tion can significantly reduce loss, enabling increased Voc. Applying all optimiza-tions mentioned above in an appropriate manner on standard production material enables solar cell efficiencies of above 17% for polycrystalline and 18% for monocrys-talline material.

To overcome the limitations of standard aluminum back surface field (BSF) cells, the next obvious improve-ment step is the introduction of a dielec-tric passivated rear (DPR) as known from PERC (Passive Emitter Rear Contact) or PERL (Passive Emitter Rear Locally-diffused) concepts. Series resistance in the rear structure of dielectric passivated cells is a critical issue, and can be significantly improved by decreasing the lateral and contact resistivity of the backside Al paste.

Does Ferro see an evolution to using other printing techniques than screen printing e.g. ink jet?

Greg Mlynar, program manager, solar mate-rials, replies:

Ferro sees an evolutionary and a step function move toward non-screen printing technologies.

To begin, ink jetting is one of the more viable candidates. It represents a signifi-cant step from screen printing. Whether through an ultrasonic transducer or tradi-tional pressure differential, ink jetting is being used today to dispense diffusion barriers, dopants, etchants and metalliza-tion inks. Ink jetting offers benefits from the ability to dispense inks without using a screen or making contact with the substrate. However, ink jetting is constrained by the size of particles in the ink, the viscosity of the ink and volumetric flow rate of ink needed to sustain a solar produc-

tion line. So, for an ink jetting process to be successful, the maximum particle size, particle size distribution, particle morphology, and the rheological proper-ties of the inks have to be engineered and optimized along with the normal electrical parameters. Moreover, the volumetric flow rate needed to sustain a production line would require multiple jets or dispense nozzles. So in lieu of a screen printer, an ink jet printer alone would have to be configured in a series to build up the conductor lines as well as in parallel to cover the needed area. Many are trying this approach as well as using plating. In this latter case, an ink jet metallization seed is printed and then plated to build up the conductor lines. The process in some cases can attain efficiency improvements but the process complexity and the overall cost of ownership represent significant hurdles for broad implementation. So, ink jetting is a viable non-screen printing technology but on an application-by-application basis.

A second printing technique being attempted is via transfer methods. These processes entail a laser or mechanical means of transferring an ink or paste to a substrate. They represent an evolution from screen printing, as traditional screen-printing pastes can be employed with only minimal modifications. A lot work is being put into the technology, but Ferro believes it will require considerable mechanical and material engineering.

Ferro NS 3130 and NS 3131 Ferro AL 5169 Ferro NS 3166 MWT


Efficiency and yield improvements with fab-wide process management software

Increases in conversion efficiency and yield of a fraction of a percent can have a huge impact on profitability. Process

monitoring and yield management tech-nologies provide a powerful weapon in the battle to increase both. These techniques collect and analyze performance data from all stages of the manufacturing process—ingot growth, wafer production, cell fabri-cation, module assembly—to allow process engineers to rapidly identify and correct problems that cause drops in efficiency and process yield.

Two considerations dominate the economics of PV manufacturing. First, wafer cost is fixed relative to cell fab perfor-mance, so that any increase in process yield reduces production costs as a percentage of earnings. Second, the selling price of a cell or module is determined by its power output, so that any improvement in effi-ciency contributes directly to increased margins and profitability. Both of these factors, process yield and efficiency, are highly leveraged, providing large returns for even minor increases, as the examples described in this article demonstrate.

The discipline of yield manage-ment includes collecting and analyzing data from all stages of manufacturing to optimize process yield and conversion efficiency. Possible sources of data include module testing, cell testing, wafer inspec-tion, tool operation, metrology, wafer tracking (individual and lot), and process events (tool maintenance, material changes, and process alarms). Analyzing this data allows manufacturers to quickly find and correct the root cause of yield excursions; increase average cell efficiency; share data and analytical conclusions among wafer, cell and module factories; gain visibility of work in progress (WIP); and monitor tool performance.

Event-related problems are significant causes of efficiency downturns. Detection of these events as they occur, rather than when their effects appear as a drop in efficiency at cell testing, can dramatically

reduce their negative impact. Real time tracking of efficiency trending allows engineers to see and address low points to increase average cell efficiency. As Table 1 illustrates, an increase of 0.1 percentage points can generate a 0.65 percentage point increase in profitability, adding millions of dollars annually to the bottom line. Additional benefits accrue from reduc-tions in engineering time and cost, and improved training and proficiency of off-

shift staff.Much of the power of a well-designed

yield management system comes from its ability to quickly analyze vast amounts of data and present the results in readily inter-preted visual format. A brief visual tour of some of the capabilities of a yield manage-ment system (Discover Solar, Rudolph Technologies) is perhaps the best way to illustrate its benefits.

David Genova, Rudolph Technologies, Inc.

efficiency and yield improvements with fab-wide process management software

Table 1. Gains in conversion efficiency are highly leveraged. Slight improvements yield signifi-cant increases in revenue, margin and profitability.

Figure 1. Average daily cell efficiency



average daily cell efficiencyA plot of daily average efficiency (Figure 1) allows quick identification of highs and lows to direct further analysis. More than a million data points are included in this analysis, with each daily average repre-senting tens of thousands of cells.

Factory snapshotIn Figure 2, a factory snapshot (left) shows every tool in the process at a glance. Tool indicators are color coded to show current status, green for operational, yellow for possible problems, and red for problem-atic. Each indicator includes performance metrics, as specified by the user. WIP is identified at and between tools. A simple click on any tool will drill down to addi-tional information.

Statistical process controlStatistical process control (SPC) provides a means to monitor process parameters over time to detect excursions beyond established control limits. Typical SPC charts include mean and range, mean and standard deviation, mean and moving range, count of defects and more. SPC typically includes provisions for sending alarms automatically to the process engineer when a monitored parameter exceeds the specified limits. Alarms may also be based on a set of rules. Western Electric rule set is widely used to track statistical anomalies, such as the number of times the measured value falls consecu-tively on the same side of the mean.

SPC in a high-volume PV manufac-turing operation has specific challenges, perhaps the greatest being the large number of data points and the high degree of random variability. The yield manage-ment system treats SPC alarms like any other monitored event (maintenance, material changes, etc.), allowing them to be included in charts and high level analyses.

alarm reviewFigure 3 shows historical data leading up to the triggering of an alarm when thick-ness values from a particular tool exhibit anomalous behavior.

When an alarm occurs, the system can quickly chart the history of measurements leading up to the event. In this example the alarm was made when the thickness of a layer deposited by a specific tool fell on the same side of the median value more than eight consecutive times (Western Electric Rule 4). Along with the alarm the system

can send a predetermined out-of-control action plan (OCAP) to assist the recipient in diagnosing the problem and executing appropriate corrective actions.

Pareto chartsPareto charts (Figure 4) help to direct atten-

tion to the most significant problems by plotting process excursions in order from most frequent to least frequent. They may also include a plot of cumulative frequency. In this example half of all alarms are the result of the first two causes.

Figure 2. Factory snapshot.

Figure 3. Alarm review.

Figure 4. Pareto chart.


Multivariate analysisStatistical analysis for yield management focuses on identifying points that are significantly different from the main popu-lation. Traditional univariate techniques, such as SPC, can miss significantly different points because they do not include correla-tions between parameters. Multivariate

analysis looks simultaneously at multiple parameters and does include correlations among them. The primary challenge in multivariate analysis is determining which points are different, and why; that is, which parameter(s) caused a point to be flagged. A number of tools are available to help. Analysis of variance provides an objec-tive means to evaluate observed differ-

ences. Clustering, which groups data based on the parameters that caused it to be flagged, helps the process engineer know where to direct additional analysis. For example, the observation of both low short circuit current (ISC) and low open circuit voltage (VOC) might point to a materials issue. Comparing the paths that different groups followed through the process or looking for correlations of differences with material vendors could then be used to test hypotheses about root causes.

Determining whether observed differ-ences are significant requires an analysis of variance. Hotelling (t2 analysis) is a specific technique that extends the univariate student’s t test to multivariate analysis. It provides a method for evaluating whether an observed difference is significant or simply the result of variability within the compared populations.

clusteringClustering (Figure 5) allows engineers to quickly identify which parameters are causing an observed difference. The engineer simply selects the parameters of interest from the list at left and the system color codes the data points to identify those with similar out of spec values.

Visual groupingVisual grouping (Figure 6) provides a fast and easy method to select a sub-popula-tion of data points having similar charac-teristics. In this graph, a group of points has been selected that has lower efficiency and series resistance than the general populations. The group can be named and quickly evaluated against other param-eters to find additional correlations. The plots on the left (top to bottom) show the same group (color coded) in efficiency vs. fill factor, fill factor vs. series resistance, fill factor vs. shunt resistance, and efficiency vs. short-circuit current. In this example low efficiency and fill factor were driven by low shunt resistance.


Figure 5. Clustering.

Figure 6. Visual grouping.

Figure 7. Regression analysis.

Figure 8. Path analysis.



Figure 9. This “Junction Isolation Report” is designed to look at the performance of edge isolation tools. The shunt resistance histogram (upper left) includes data from over 70,000 measurements and, in this case, shows an anomalously high number of measurements in the lowest bin. The middle left and middle right plots show shunt resistance and efficiency by module and laser. Finally, the four lower plots show the shunt resistance histogram for each edge isolation tool, allowing the poor performance to be tracked to tool 2, laser 2.

Figure 10. Case 1 shunt resistance before and after the laser in one edge isolation module was fixed (at about 03:00 on 12/13/08).

regression analysisRegression analysis (Figure 7) can deter-mine the strength of a correlation within a population or a selected group by gener-ating the Pearson coefficient. With a single click, the system can fit linear, quadratic or cubic regression formulas to the data and evaluate the goodness of fit.

Path analysisPath analysis (Figure 8) allows the user to compare populations that followed different paths through the process. The system can compare process lines, tools, lots, raw materials, and more to quickly gain an understanding of non-conforming data. This example compares measurements made on wafers that went through three different SIN tools. Using path analysis, work centers can be connected, optimum processes understood, and best practices proliferated from factory to factory.

automated reportsAutomated reports can be configured by the process engineer to drill down into the data in a specific way. The reports may be generated on demand, on a schedule or on the occurrence of an alarm. They may include electrical, tool, material, metrology data and more. They may be layered and interactive, allowing the user to click on a chart to drill down to a more detailed analysis mode.

The “Junction Isolation Report” in Figure 9 is designed to look at the perfor-mance of edge isolation tools. The shunt resistance histogram (upper left) includes data from over 70,000 measurements and, in this case, shows an anomalously high number of measurements in the lowest bin. The middle left and middle right plots show shunt resistance and efficiency by module and laser. Finally, the four lower plots show the shunt resistance histogram for each edge isolation tool, allowing the poor performance to be tracked to tool 2, laser 2.

examplesCase 1—Edge isolation problemApproximately 7000 wafers per day (5.7% of the population) exhibited laser edge isolation problems. Monitoring of tool performance and SPC alarms isolated the problem to one of two lasers in one of six modules. Corrective action reduced the occurrence of the problem to 2000 wafers/day. The diagnosis was based entirely on historical data and did not require process experiments that would have consumed engineering resources, displaced produc-tion and delayed the solution. The improve-



Figure 11. Vendors show similar variability and range (left) but wafers from vendor 8 appear to produce consistently lower average efficiency. With more than 150,000 measurements, wafers from vendor 8 yielded cells with significantly lower efficiencies (right).

Figure 12. Case 3.

ment (5000 wafers/day) represents an annual cost savings of $7.2 million and additional annual revenues of $9 million. Case 2—Incoming wafer qualityA drop in efficiency was observed while all process tools were operating within specification and control lots showed no problems. Analysis of efficiency by wafer supplier demonstrated a significant differ-ence among vendors. Analysis of the same population by production line showed consistently lower performance for vendor 8 on all lines.

Case 3—Metallization contact problemEngineers observed periodic contact problems at metallization. They suspect a problem with the metallization process. They selected a group of points with low fill factor and high shunt resistance and observed that the same group exhib-ited high series resistance. Drilling down, they tracked the problem to the diffusion process where they found significant differ-ences in series resistance values correlated with specific furnace tubes. High sheet resistivity values were creating Ohmic contact problems after firing. What was presented initially as a metallization problem was, in fact, a problem in the diffusion process. The analysis was able to identify the furnace tubes that were causing the problem without costly process experi-ments.

conclusionProfitability in PV manufacturing is driven by cell efficiency and process yield. Slight increases in these parameters can generate significant improvements in revenue, margin and profitability. Improvements in cell efficiency can also confer competitive advantage and gains in market share. Yield management technologies give PV manu-facturers visibility of both process yields

and cell efficiency on a near real-time basis, offering substantial benefits for the economic performance of the manufac-turing process and the competitive perfor-mance of products in the marketplace.


Installability, reliability and maintainability

During SPI, Advanced Energy (AE) showcased the next generation of string inverters with the PV

Powered (PVP) HE String line, an all-new line of high-performance string inverters developed for North American residential and small-commercial rooftop installations. The new PVP HE String inverters are the first to offer high-efficiency and key ease-of-installation features from a company who has set the standard in inverter reli-ability. With a 97-percent California Energy Commission (CEC) efficiency, the PVP HE String inverters produce more power throughout the day and have features that lower total installed cost. The PVP HE String line offers power ranges from 3.8 to 7 kW, is the industry’s first inverter to offer standard ZigBee wireless monitoring, and will be available in Q2 2012.

At the show, AE showcased the PV Powered 500 kW and Solaron 500 1 kV inverters. The PVP 500 kW features the industry’s first inverter integrated DC circuit breaker subcombiner, which enables low cost compliance with NEC2011 and improves serviceability. Designed for the needs of large commercial and utility-scale applications, the PVP 500 kW accelerates payback with an estimated 98.2 percent peak efficiency and 97.5 percent CEC efficiency. The highly configurable PVP 500 kW will begin shipping Q1 2012 and will also be available in a stainless steel enclosure. The Solaron 500 1kV Inverters provide durable, robust building blocks for utility-scale PV installations, featuring very high efficiency and new utility inter-active controls, including fixed power factor to 0.90 leading or lagging, low and zero voltage ride-through (LVRT, ZVRT) and better over/under frequency response. Solaron 500 1kV models are outdoor ready for cost-effective installation.

Also new to the market, the AE Solar Plant Controller offers intelligent plant level control for enhanced grid integration of solar power. The AE Plant Controller provides customers with both the utility-scale power plant control they require as well as state-of-the-art actionable site performance metrology. Available in the North American market, the AE Plant Controller is a direct result of AE’s work

with the Solar Energy Grid Integration System (SEGIS) program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Program.

Also on display at the AE booth was AE’s new free web-based inverter direct monitoring service, as well as the company’s innovative site monitoring and controls solutions. Additionally at the AE outdoor SPI exhibit, attendees could see the 2 MW PowerStation™. The pre-assem-bled, outdoor ready solution affords easy, fast and repeatable installa-tions for utility-scale, multi-megawatt PV projects.

Erick Peterson, VP business develop-ment, and Dr. Steve Hummel, VP RD&E, took us through AE’s product line and business areas—and also a detailed walk through of their inverter design for reli-ability, cost control and ease of installa-tion. This was extremely impressive in their attention to detail and quality of design and workmanship.

Q: What is AE’s range?

With our recent acquisition of PV Powered, we cover residential, commercial and utility. Our focus is on installability, reliability and maintainability.

Installability means that we look for example at the space needed to accommo-date cable bend radius and make life easier for installers.

With reliability, reduction of compo-nent counts and elimination of unreli-able items is critical. As a result we offer a 10-year warranty with a 20-year option, but we have been with Boeing and have systems that have operated for 30 years. A rigorous

reliability management culture backed by a product release process involving a five to six week engineering review and quali-fication before the design is frozen ensures 99%+ uptime.

Regarding maintainability, the cabinets are meticulously built and sealed to outper-form the applicable standards. Our air filters and air handling are designed with redundancy as appropriate for demanding environments. We carry out thermal systems analysis, air purity needs and energy balance, and model a number of parameters, bearing in mind the high cost of getting a truck rolling. We can measure 170 data points to answer the question “is it working the way we designed?”

What about your service organization?

We offer a complete O&M service from preventive maintenance on upwards.

Editors Note: I attended a presentation recently at the Advanced Energy Meeting in Buffalo NY by Joe Brotherton, AE’s national O&M sales manager, who outlined the challenges in different locations, including washing in arid areas and other challenges you might not expect. We might think that more temperate climates are kinder to solar systems, but vegetation growth is a problem…and the goats sometimes used to keep the vegetation down also find wiring tasty! AE has carried out detailed failure analysis on entire installations and has identified areas that require preventive maintenance or regular attention.

installability, reliability and maintainability


Electrical insulation and heat dissipation materials improve solar power inverter efficiencies

Chart 15. Chart 16.

Solar inverters are a critical com-ponent in every solar power system. A good inverter needs to deliver clean energy without overheating or shutting down. Effective electri-cal and EMC insulation materials and heat dissipation materials are key to solar inverter performance. Flexible materials converters can help inverter manufacturers in three key areas: electrical insula-tion, thermal management, and EMC/EMI shielding.

The photovoltaic (PV) cells in solar electric panels convert the sun’s rays into direct current (dc) which goes through a solar inverter where it is changed into alternating current before it can be fed into the utility grid. A good inverter needs to deliver clean energy efficiently without overheating and shutting down.

The PV inverter market is growing in North America, largely in response to the growth of megawatt-scale PV installations. Inverter manufacturers are expanding their large scale commercial and utility scale product offerings with plans to triple production from 1.9 GW in 2010 to 6.1 GW in 2011. In fact, most inverter compa-nies in North America were planning on expanding existing factories or building new facilities in 2011, according to a report in Photon Magazine (March 2011).

For inverter manufacturers, efficiency and reliability are key factors. According to a 2008 Sandia National Laboratories report, 59% of all unexpected maintenance costs were due to PV inverter failures. Increasing

reliability, especially with the renewed emphasis in the solar industry on warran-ties, may be pushing ahead of efficiency as the top PV inverter concern.

Key inverter functionsThe key functions for any grid-tied inverter are:

• Inversion•Maximum power point tracking•Grid disconnection• Integration and packagingIn an inverter, dc power from the PV

array is inverted to ac power using solid state switches, MOSFETs or IGBTs, that flip the dc power back-and-forth, turning it into ac power.

Maximum power point tracking allows the inverter to remain where the PV array

will yield the maximum power. This could vary by up to 25% depending on cell temperature and sunlight intensity. PV output current can vary from zero to full array output. Inverters need to work with arrays at their lowest voltages, under load on the hottest days, and highest voltages, unloaded on the coldest days.

Inverters are required to disconnect from the grid if the ac line voltage goes above or below pre-set limits described in UL 1741 and IEEE 1547, and shut down if it does not detect the presence of the utility grid. These disconnections eliminate the chance that a PV system will send voltage or current into a disconnected utility wire or switch and endanger utility personnel.

The final inverter package can include: ac disconnect, dc disconnect, EMI/RFI

Brent Ekiss, Fabrico

electrical insulation and heat dissipation materials improve solar power inverter efficiencies



filtering, transformer, cooling system, GFID circuit, LED indicators or display, communication connections, and pack-aging that can withstand environmental extremes.

PV inverter efficiencyInverter manufacturers are continuing to push efficiencies from their current 95% levels to maximum efficiencies near 99%. While gains are nearing maximum poten-tial, increasing efficiency can translate into smaller, cheaper, and longer-lasting devices. Manufacturers and researchers are investi-gating low-loss inductive components for improved energy efficiencies. Innovative semiconductor devices based on silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride on silicon (GaN-on-Si) are also being developed.

PV inverter reliabilitySolar power plants are becoming more of an integral part of the power base for utili-ties. Pressure is being put on power plant

owners/managers to increase and maintain PV system reliability. PV inverters are the most complex components in the system and the most likely to fail. Internal (spikes and energy cycling) and external (temper-ature extremes and humidity) factors take a large potential toll on inverters.

Inverter manufacturers are always looking at new and improved designs to makes inverters smaller, lighter, and more efficient. They investigate ways to reduce component count, employ hardened components that can withstand environ-mental extremes, and generally improve inverter reliability.

Grid-friendly inverters will also use bi-directional communications features for performance modeling and other features that make inverters “smarter”. These intel-ligent inverters will enhance grid stability and help utilities to integrate higher levels of PV power.

The right materials to improve efficiency and reliabilityThere are three key areas where identifying and using the right materials and adhe-sives can impact inverter efficiency, opera-tion, and reliability:

•Electrical insulation•Thermal management•EMI/EMC shieldingAs components become more durable,

complex and compact, the identification and fabrication of the appropriate electrical insulation materials in the right thickness and shape, gains importance. Electrical insulation materials could include elec-trical grade papers, films, coated cloths, laminates and tapes for:

•Core insulation•Barrier insulation•Layer insulation•Lead pads



•Magnet wire insulation•Phase separatorsAs inverter manufacturers pack more

electronic functionality into smaller packages, thermal management assumes a higher priority. To keep inverter tempera-tures within safe operating limits as more components are packed into less space, inverter manufacturers are designing more heat dissipation capabilities using advanced heat conductive materials that include:

•Phase change materials• Insulating greases and pads•Gap fillersEngineered thermal transfer materials

can offer high thermal conductivity and low thermal impedance superior to tradi-tional thermal grease. In addition, solid thermal transfer materials allow for new designs and die-cut shapes with better gap filling. Coupled with traditional heat sinks, these new materials help to keep PV inverters cool despite internal and external heat.

Finally, new materials are also providing better EMI/RFI/EMC shielding for inverters. Today, assuring EMC compli-ance is difficult. As solar inverters reach high efficiencies, high voltage and fast-rising voltage spikes have unintended EMI side effects.

Common EMI/RFI materials include:•Foil tapes: relatively easy to fabricate,

tapes with aluminum- and copper-foil backings eliminate the need for costly metal plating of enclosures to provide shielding properties;

•Metal-filled elastomers: suitable for shielding applications that require gap-filling and cushioning;

•Wire mesh: used for EMI gaskets, mesh materials handle heat better than foils but are also heavier and take up more space.

The role of the converterThe right converted materials can play a key role in the manufacture of inverters. What is a “converted” material? Simply a raw material that has been converted into finished parts for an end item product.

Converters need a comprehensive selection of flexible materials provided by leading suppliers. At the outset of a project, a converter’s engineering teams help OEMs select materials that are best suited for a particular electrical insulation, thermal management, and EMC shielding application.

To get an idea of the potential value of this input, consider a situation where



an OEM specifies a copper EMC material as a shielding strategy. Copper provides excellent shielding properties but is also relatively expensive. In a case like this, the converter might determine that aluminum foil tape, which is much less costly than copper alternatives, will do the trick.

In other cases, a converter’s engineering team might recommend concurrent testing of more and less robust shielding options. For a converter with a full test lab, all materials and adhesives recommenda-tions will be tested for an application. This could include part verification, dielectric strength, and voltage resistance tests. This gives customers the option of going with a less robust (and less expensive) option if tests show that it meets the requirements of the application.

At the request of a customer, a converter can arrange with the material supplier to provide EMI/RFI testing services. Sometimes, such testing might show that the customer’s original design provides inadequate shielding. When this happens, the converter’s engineers might assist by recommending a foil tape to enhance the shielding.

conclusionSolar inverters are a critical component in every solar power system. A good inverter needs to deliver clean energy without over-heating or shutting down. Effective elec-trical and EMC insulation materials and heat dissipation materials are key to solar inverter performance. Flexible materials converters can help inverter manufac-turers in three key areas: electrical insula-tion, thermal management, and EMC/EMI shielding.

SolarBridge Technologies, a leading provider of PV microinverter solu-tions, has been awarded a $2.3 million

grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through its SunShot Initiative, a program whose goal is to reduce the cost of solar energy systems by 75 percent by 2020.

SolarBridge will use the DOE grant to accelerate development of an ultra low-cost microinverter and universal mechanism for connecting power conversion electronics to solar modules. SolarBridge will collabo-rate on the SunShot Initiative with module manufacturer SunPower to develop an AC module that leverages the new attachment scheme and lower cost microinverter.

A key goal of the SunShot Initiative is to drive the cost of solar-generated electricity down to $0.06 per kilowatt-hour. The SolarBridge/SunPower collaboration will focus on developing a lower cost, higher efficiency microinverter as an integral part of a field-tested AC module that is fully certified and backed by a 25-year warranty.

The SolarBridge grant was among $145 million awarded for advanced solar tech-nology projects by the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Sixty-nine projects across 24 states were selected, with the goal to spur innovation and encourage rapid, widespread adoption of solar energy systems across the United States.

We talked to Joseph Scarci, VP of marketing, at SolarBridge to find out more about the SunShot initiative.

Who are the participants and what are the objectives?

SolarBridge is the prime contractor, SunPower is the main subcontractor and we have a joint development relationship. Our goal is to reduce the cost of reliable microinverters.

What challenges do you plan to address?

The challenges include performance under thermal loads, reliable secure attachment, replacing the junction box and attaching to the panel rather than the frame, avoiding the “hot spots” that degrade panel perfor-mance that are common with some junction box systems, and reducing the BOS cost so that over the next 3-5 years

we narrow the initial purchase price gap between central inverters and distributed microinverters. Although there is a reduced installation cost and a better LCOE there is still a need to lower the sticker price.

Who are your production partners?

After an exhaustive review we decided to partner with Celestica, who are very active in the solar PV market.

What developments do you see coming?

Our second generation products will have more integration and fewer components to reduce cost and improve reliability.

What’s the adoption rate for microin-verters?

Currently about 20% on residential and light commercial but we plan to grow this dramatically in the next two to four years. We can offer a 25 year warranty and our partnership with leading module makers will mean the product has a significant advantage over standalone microinverters.

What about certifications and qualifica-tions?

We work closely with our partners and meet UL 1741 and UL 1703 standards. There is no current standalone standard for panels with integrated microinverters.

SolarBridge and SunShot


Creating desire to overcome the economic headwinds

As the year comes to a close, many of us are reflecting on success, survival and in some cases, mortality. Steve Jobs left his legacy as one of the greatest pitchman in modern time. He overcame adversary and his passion created a following of those that wanted, no needed to own a piece of the dream. Arguably, Apple’s proprietary products are not perfect, but they “just work”. The supply chain is not perfect, but it works. Steve Jobs did not sell cheap, he sold innovation and that worked. He was a visionary that was able increase valuation throughout the worst economic recession in our lifetime. The tumultuous economic recovery is showing signs of exhaustion and the solar industry is in need of jolt from consumers on the sideline.

The threats of a European debt crisis, expectations for a slowdown in China and political leveraging in the U.S. have increased the probability of slipping back into recession. Housing starts in the U.S. alone have lost around a total of 4.5 million

units over the past five years (Chart 1), 3/12 world purchasing manager indices have fallen into contraction (Chart 2) and the Vistage CEO confidence index has been moving south since 4Q’10 (Chart 3).

how low will it goWorldwide photovoltaic equipment billings increased 17% q/q in 2Q11 while bookings continued to slide another 17% q/q causing the book-to-bill to fall below parity to 0.88 according to SEMI (Chart 4).Taiwan’s solar photovoltaic industry has been in contraction since late spring of 2011 based on 3/12 rate of change (Chart 5).

Incentive reductions have caused solar demand to taper down due to a conserva-tive scenario, resulting in over-capacity (Chart 6), higher inventories (Chart 7) and subsequently, a pricing limbo.

Increased polysilicon supply (Chart 8) is taking market share away from thin

film (Chart 9) and First Solar (Chart 10) has fallen to (an estimated) fourth place with 2.3 GW capacity (Chart 11). On the positive side, First Solar has approximately 1.2 GW in the utility pipeline (Chart 12).

SunPower (Chart 13) also adapted services into its business model with over 300 utility MW waiting to be installed. It also should be noted that SunPower’s E/20/333 mono-crystalline module broke the 20% barrier and achieved 20.4% effi-ciency (Chart 14).

The housing aTM is still brokenThe prolonged U.S. housing contraction (Chart 15), 9%+ unemployment (Chart 16) and depressed consumer confidence (Chart 17) are constraining residential solar purchases (Chart 18). SEIA and GTM Research data shows that non-residential U.S. installations accounted for 62.7% or 168 MW of the total 268.1 MW installed in

Jon Custer-Topai

creating desire to overcome

the economic headwinds

U.S. Housing Starts

1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 7 9 11 1 3 5 704 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

Calendar Year

0

50

100

150

200

250Units (000) (not seasonally adjusted)

20110910

www.census.gov/const/startsua.pdf

World Purchasing Managers' Indices

3 6 9123 6 9123 6 9123 6 9123 6 9123 6 9123 6 9123 6 9123 6 9123 6 9123 6 9123 6 900 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

CALENDAR YEAR

0.5

0.7

0.9

1.1

1.3

1.5

1.73/12 rate of change

USA "0" Growth China EuropeWorld

Source: Custer Consulting Group

20111003

Chart 1. Chart 2.



1Q11 and utility installations reached only 36.5 MW or 13.6% of total installations.

2012 is around the cornerWorldwide GDP growth expectations show “slow and steady” growth in 2012 (Chart 19) with Japan continuing recovering from its 2011 earthquake and tsunami, China’s rapid growth will likely lose some velocity, the U.S. economy should be a little better than right now and Europe is expected to side-step the threatening financial disaster.

One of the benefits to the stuttering economy is that copper and silver continue to fall from their highs in the beginning of the year (Charts 20-21).

creating desire to add valueThe solar industry is being driven by policy with most residential consumers sitting on the sideline. 2012-13 could bring abrupt changes with industry incentives, financing and policy. The industry is quickly moving from innovation to commoditization with

price being the primary differentiator.The personal computer industry faced

commoditization at a time when you could get your PC in any color as long as it was beige. In 2010, Apple Computer (Chart 22) introduced the iPad in a tablet market where Microsoft, HP and IBM had failed. Analysts scoffed when it was introduced and now, the competition is struggling to gain market share in a market that no one knew existed.

In 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone in a crowded cell phone market where the competition and market watchers did not suspect how quickly consumers would replace their Blackberries and Nokia’s with the “new multimedia standard” that created billions in revenue in accessories and services.

How did Apple succeed in the tablet market where so many established compa-nies failed? It all came down to creating desire for product ecosystems that the consumer did not know that they needed, but later learned that they could not live

without.Steve Jobs proved that “creating desire”

can increase intrinsic value…which is a much better way to increase demand (and profits) than cutting price.

It shall be interesting to see who will step up and be the marketing visionary for the solar industry.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

cells modules panelsGlobal solar cell inventory is forecast to rise to 12GWp in 4Q11 and 22GWp in 2012.—Motech CEOAE Photonics opened distribution office in Athens, Greece.ARISE Technologies received $500,000 bridge loan from Radiant Offshore Fund and Radiant Performance Fund.Calisolar eliminated 80 positions at its Sunnyvale, California solar-cell plant to focus on manufacturing polysilicon.Canadian Solar • acquired SpectraWatt’s capital equip-

ment for $4.945 million at a court-

Vistage CEO Confidence Index

http://www.vistage.com/media/confidence-index/pdf/FlierConfIndex_Q211.pdf

4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 304 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

CALENDAR YEAR

40

60

80

100

120Confidence Index

20110910

The pace of economic growth has slowed significantly since the start of 2011 and the slowdown is expected to continue into the start of 2012, according to a survey of CEOs of small-to-medium-sized businesses. Though declines were present in every major survey component, the largest losses were in evaluations of the overall economy. Rather than expecting a renewed economic downturn, the majority of CEOs anticipated a stagnating economy—growth too slow to support robust gains in employment or investment, and resulting in lower revenue and profit levels than previously forecast. According to Vistage International Chairman of the Board and CEO Rafael Pastor, the Q2 results reflected a deepening concern about the pace of economic growth. “The results clearly reflect declining confidence in the overall economy. But don’t expect these CEOs to sit on their hands,” Pastor said. “Many companies will increase sales through more exports and online marketing, while others will be reviewing their options on the merger and acquisition front.” 7/11

Taiwan Solar/Photovoltaic Panel CompaniesComposite of 17 Manufacturers

3579111357911135791113579111357911135791113579111357911135791113579111357901 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

CALENDAR YEAR

0

0.20.40.60.8

11.2

1.41.61.8

22.2

3/12 rate of change

3/12 Zero Growth

20111011

Big Sun Energy Technology, Daxon, DelSolar, e_TON Solar Tec, Eversol, Gintech, Green Energy Technology (GET), Ligitek, Motech, Neo Solar Power, Phoenixtec Power Co (PPC), Precision Silicon, Sino-American Silicon Products, Sonartech, Sysgration, Tyntek, Wafer Works

World Photovoltaic EquipmentBillings, Bookings & Book/Bill

1 2 3 4 1 210 11

CY

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500$ Millions

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50Book/Bill

Bill Book Book/Bill

WEST

20110922

SEMI 9/11

PV Module Demand/Supply SummaryQ1 2010 - Q1 2011

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20130

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000MW

Supply - base scenario Supply - high scenarioDemand-conservative Demand-optimistic

20110703

Bloomberg New Energy Finance 6/11

Historical/Near TermFuture

Chart 3. Chart 4.

Chart 5. Chart 6.



ordered public auction.• opened second warehouse facility in

Port Elizabeth, New Jersey.Dow Chemical began offering DOW POWERHOUSE™ solar shingles to U.S. market.EMCORE received contract from Mitsubishi Electric to manufacture, test, and deliver high-efficiency solar cells for the TURKSAT 4A, TURKSAT 4B, Himawari-8 and Himawari-9 satellites.Ever Energy began using Day4 Energy DNA technology to launch new cell designs.Hanwha SolarOne raised US$100 million for continued expansion plansInnotech Solar commissioned solar factory in Halle/Saale, Germany, for testing and optimizing solar photovoltaic cells.Jinko Solar resumed operation at Hongxiao village, China solar plant in being closed by violent protests.LG Electronics plans to increase its annual solar cell and module production in South Korea to 500 MW in 2012 and 1,000 MW by 2013.Linuo is converting recently purchased former IBM West Campus in East Fishkill, New York to solar panel manufacturing plant.Neo Solar Power acquired equity stake in 120 MW Sorrento solar farm project for 10 MW of its crystalline solar cells.OSM Solar merged with Solarform Canada.PV Evolution Labs appointed Robert Koch to Board of Directors.Risun Solar Energy was acquired by Boyuan Investment.SCHOTT Solar • achieved LEED certification for

sustainable design at its New Mexico facility.

• achieved module conversion efficiency of 18.2% with its polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic battery module.

Sharp named Paul Molyneux, GM for Europe.Showa Shell increased production capacity to 980 MW at its new solar cell plant in Japan.Solar3D completed prototype design for its 3-dimensional solar cell.Solarwatt expanded its product warranty for all of its modules from 5 to 10 years.SOLON appointed Dr. Walter Bickel as its Chief Restructuring Officer.Solyndra filed for insolvency in Switzerland & Germany.Sunlogics acquired EPV Solar Germany (with 30MW solar panel manufacturing plant in Senftenberg, Germany) and New Millennium Solar Equipment (with 20MW plant in New Jersey).Suntech named John Lefebvre, President of Suntech America.Yingli Green Energy named Richard Xue, independent director and member of the audit and compensation committees of the board of directors.Zytech Solar increased its module produc-tion capacity in Spain to 20 MW/yr.

DistributionMaster International launched dedicated solar photovoltaic division.Proinso opened an office and logistics warehouse in London.SunWize added 63,800 sq.ft. warehouse in Middletown, NY and doubled its ware-house facility in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, to 137,242 sq.ft.

Finance & venture capitalCleantech venture investments increased

23% y/y in Q3 to $2.23 billion; solar received $350 million in 33 deals.—Cleantech GroupGoogle is investing $75 million to buy and own and solar-panel generators on the roofs of several thousand U.S. homes.U.S. Energy Department • Finalized $737 million in financing

for a solar thermal plant sponsored by SolarReserve and $337 million in financing for a Sempra Energy photo-voltaic solar project.

• rejected Solarcity $275 million condi-tional loan guarantee.

World Bank approved $172 million of credit to install solar power systems in 630,000 homes in rural Bangladesh.

FiT & policyCalifornia • extended its Solar Initiative funding for

non-profits.• plans to raise $200 million from utility

rate-payers to subsidize the installation of photovoltaic solar panels on homes and small businesses.

Germany FiT was reduced to obtain 3500 MW/ year installation target.Victorian Government introduced 25 cents per kWh transitional feed-in tariff.

integrationU.S. • installations of photovoltaic solar

panels rose 69% y/y to 314 MW in 2Q11.—GTM Research

• solar power installations on campus increased 450% to 137 MW over past three years.—AASHE

ABB is building two (620 kW Kendal and 575 kW Lethabo) solar photovoltaic power plants for South African state electricity company, Eskom.

Global PV Module InventoriesCumulative Channel Inventory (GW) as a Proportion of Quarterly Shipments (GW)

1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q10 11

CALENDAR YEAR

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160%

20110704

IMS Research, www.PVMarketResearch.com 5/11

Global Solar-Grade PolysiliconSupply & Demand

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

CALENDAR YEAR

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0Gigawatts

SupplyDemand

Supply 2.4 5.7 12.1 19.4 29.0 37.6Demand 6.2 10.4 13.9 17.3 22.7 27.7

20080809

PV-tech.org

Chart 7. Chart 8.



Activ Solar completed third 20 MW phase on planned 80 MW PV project in Crimera, Ukraine.AES Ilumina is constructing 24 MW photovoltaic power plant in Guayama, Puerto Rico.AES Solar is building 100,000 solar panel solar energy project in Puerto Rico.Antaris Solar opened a satellite office in Bergen County, New Jersey.Arava Power Company and Tarabin tribe are building 8 MW solar field in Beduin, Israel.Athens International Airport’s 8MWp photovoltaic park was completed.Blackfriars Railway Bridge in London became world’s largest solar bridge project with 4,400 individual photovoltaic panels.Blue Oak Energy relocated Davis, California headquarters to modern 10,000 sq.ft. facility.BlueChip Energy connected 1.2 MW rooftop solar installation in Lake Mary, Florida.

Camco International is developing two clean energy projects in Tanzania and Uganda.China Datang completed 10MW ground-mounted project in Delhi, Qinghai Province, China.Constellation Energy built 16.1 MW DC grid-connected photovoltaic solar installa-tion in Emmitsburg, Maryland.Cypark, LG Electronics developed 8 MW solar farm in Malaysia.DuPont Apollo and Loxley completed 8.7 MW Solar Farm in Prachin Buri Province of Thailand.Eaton supplied turnkey Balance of System solutions for solar energy parks totaling 7.2MWp. in Oxfordshire and Cornwall, UK.EDF Energies Nouvelles commissioned solar plant with 872,300 thin-film photo-voltaic panels in Losse, France.Enerparc completed 27.5 MW solar power plant in Gahro, Germany.Enlight Renewable Energy built 3 MW

solar field in Israel.ESA Renewables opened satellite office in Hayesville, North Carolina.ET Energy Solutions built 10 MW solar farm near Indianapolis International Airport.Exelon acquired Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One, a 230-MW solar photovoltaic project under development in Los Angeles County, California, from First Solar.First Solar • completed 5MW Tilbury and the

15MW Amherstburg II solar projects in Ontario, Canada for Enbridge.

• sold its 550-MW Desert Sunlight solar farm near Desert Center, California to NextEra Energy Resources.

• is building 130 MW Imperial Solar Energy Center South solar farm for Tenaska Solar Ventures.

ForVEI acquired three solar photovoltaic power plants with a total of 13.2 MW in Tortona and Alessandria, Italy.Foxconn and GLC-Poly Energy Holdings Group formed solar-energy JV which

Rank Company GW cap Mono c-Si Poly c-Si Thin Film1 LDK Solar, Mono 3.0 X X2 Sharp Solar 2.8 X X X3 Suntech Power Holdings 2.4 X X X4 First Solar 2.3 X5 JA Solar Holdings 2.2 X X6 Canadian Solar 2.0 X X7 Trina Solar 1.9 X X8 Yingli Green Energy 1.7 X X9 Hanwha SolarOne 1.5 X X10 Jinko Solar 1.5 X X

www.solarplaza.com 8/11

Top 10 Module Production Capacity 2011Estimated

20110811 Top Twelve US Utility-Scale PV Developers by Pipeline 2009-2014

First Solar

NextLight

SunPower

GA-Solar

SunEdison

Sempra Generation

Recurrent Energy

Renewable Ventures

Chevron Energy Solutions

BP

Gemini Splar

PSEG Solar Source

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400Announced Project Pipeline (MW)

20100313

GTM Research 2/2010

Chart 11. Chart 12.

Total Global Cell Production Market Share by Type2010

Solarbuzz 10/2011

Multicrystalline

Monocrystalline

Thin film

55.5%

31.0%

13.5%

20111008

Silicon

Silicon

First Solar, Inc.Revenue, Net Income & Inventory

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 205 06 07 08 09 10 11

CY

0

200

400

600

800

1000

-200

$ Millions

Revenue 9 9 17 14 14 28 41 53 67 77 159 201 197 267 349 434 418 526 481 641 568 588 798 610 567 533Income -1 -0 2 -7 -6 -2 4 8 5 44 46 63 47 70 99 133 165 181 153 142 172 159 177 156 116 61

Inventory 7 10 8 11 17 15 27 32 40 59 107 126 122 131 163 178 153 172 194 184 196 271 323

FSLR

20110808

- 9%"We expect stronger performance in the second half of 2011 as we build projects from our systems pipeline, develop promising new markets, execute our cost reduction roadmaps and continue to improve module efficiencies." 8/4/11

Chart 9. Chart 10.



broke ground on a solar-power station in Datong, China.GDF SUEZ inaugurated 4 MW solar facility in Bollène, France.GE added additional 1-MW solar power plant to MPX in Taua, Brazil.Gehrlicher Solar• France connected 2.9MWp solar roof

system in Hombourg, France.• Italia sold five solar parks with total

power of 10.4 MWp to White Owl Capital.

Genesis Solar project closed financing for construction of 250-MW utility-scale concentrating solar thermal Genesis project in Riverside County, California.Gestamp Solar completed 50 MW photo-voltaic turn-key project for Renault in France.Green Tec and Cemedine developed less expensive way to install solar panels on folded-plate roofs.Greenvision Ambiente sold 13 MWp project for two PV plants in Italy to Hareon Solar.GroSolar completed 1.5 MW solar

photovoltaic facility on Vermont’s South Burlington Air National Guard base.Iberdrola Renewables completed 20 MW Copper Crossing solar power plant in San Tan Valley, Arizona.Isolux Corsan built three, 5-MW solar photovoltaic power plants in Cornwall, UK.Kansai Electric Power completed 10 MW solar cell power generation plant in Sakai, Japan.KDC Solar and SunDurance Energy installed 6.7 MW ground mounted solar system in North Brunswick Township, New Jersey.Lukoil plans to build 100 MW solar power plant in Uzbekistan that will later be expanded to 1GW.M and B Switchgears used IPO funds to set up new grid connected 4 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant in Madhya Pradesh, India.Martifer Solar is constructing 22 MWp PV park in Portugal.MEMC Electronic Materials withdrew its

application for a U.S. Energy Department loan guarantee to build a 20-MW solar photovoltaic power plant in Nevada.Meridian Energy is constructing 1 MW solar power plant in Tonga.Minstroy Holding JSC received €17.9 million in financing from BayernLB for PV parks, Pavel Banya (2.6MW), Chelnik (3.2MW), and Yambol (3MW) in Bulgaria.National Solar Power is investing $1.5 billion in Gadsden County, FL to build up to 20 solar energy farms totaling 400 MW.NRG Energy installed 2MW solar PV system on a series of carports at the Redskins’ FedEx football stadium parking lot.Oltmans Construction completed 8.6-MW solar installation on ProLogis distribution center rooftop in Rialto, California.Onyx Service & Solutions is building 18.5 MW solar power project for Roatan, Honduras.Pacific Power developed 2 MW solar farm in Oregon.

SunPower Corp.Revenue, Net Income & Inventory

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 205 06 07 08 09 10 11

CY

0

200

400

600

800

1000

-200

$ Millions

Revenue 11 16 22 29 42 55 65 75 142 174 234 224 274 383 382 398 212 299 465 548 347 384 551 937 451 592Income -7 -6 -2 -1 0 5 10 11 1 -5 8 5 11 27 23 34 -10 14 20 9 13 -6 20 152 -2 -148

Inventory 13 17 22 26 23 73 101 100 141 199 221 190 248 330 245 229 202 252 267 286 313 487 413

SPWRA

20110813

+ 54%"We expect improved results in the second half of the year due to strong visibility in our North American utility and power plants (UPP) and commercial businesses, both of which are fully allocated throughthe end of the year." 8/9/11

Rank Company Efficiency1 SunPower 20.4% E20/333 SOLAR PANEL2 AUO 19.5% PM318B003 Sanyo Electric 19.0% HIT-N240SE104 Jiawei 18.3% JW-S1005 Crown Renewable Energy 18.3% Summit 100LM6 JA Solar 16.8% JAM5(L)-72-215/SI7 Trina Solar 16.4% TSM-210DC808 CNPV Solar 16.2% CNPV-105M9 Yingli Solar 16.2% Panda 265 Series10 Jetion 16.2% JT315SAc

Collected from public sources such as product data sheets

Top 10 PV Module EfficiencyMono-Crystalline

20110811

Chart 13. Chart 14.

Rank Company Efficiency1 SunPower 20.4% E20/333 SOLAR PANEL2 AUO 19.5% PM318B003 Sanyo Electric 19.0% HIT-N240SE104 Jiawei 18.3% JW-S1005 Crown Renewable Energy 18.3% Summit 100LM6 JA Solar 16.8% JAM5(L)-72-215/SI7 Trina Solar 16.4% TSM-210DC808 CNPV Solar 16.2% CNPV-105M9 Yingli Solar 16.2% Panda 265 Series10 Jetion 16.2% JT315SAc

Collected from public sources such as product data sheets

Top 10 PV Module EfficiencyMono-Crystalline

20110811

U.S. Civilian Unemployment Rate

Conference Boardwww.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=1

1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 789 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

CALENDAR YEAR

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11%

20110910

Highest sinceApril 1983

Chart 15. Chart 16.



Chart 18.

Payom Solar appointed Norbert Apfel and Class Fierlings to its Management Board.Phoenix Solar is building 50MW Solar Park in Kazanlak, Bulgaria.Premier Power is installing four photo-voltaic power plants totaling 16.2 MW in Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria.Principal Solar • acquired SunGen Mill 77 solar facility

from Talmage Solar. • appointed Hunter Hunt to Board of

Directors.ProLogis received U.S. Energy Department guarantee to install 752 MW solar panels on about 750 buildings.Recurrent Energy promoted Sheldon Kimber to COO and Judith Hall to Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.Renewvia Energy and Public Service Electric and Gas Company completed 1.26 MW solar system in Elizabeth, New Jersey.Republic Services dedicated 1 MW solar energy cover for Hickory Ridge landfill near Atlanta, Georgia.saferay and GP JOULE completed 166 MW (largest PV array in the world) Senftenberg solar plant in Germany.Saudi Electricity and Showa Shell Sekiyu inaugurated first solar power plant in Saudi Arabia.Schletter increased engineering and production capacity at its 75,000 sq.ft. facility in Tucson, Arizona.Siemens Concentrated Solar Power (formerly Solel Solar Systems) is building 22.5-MW solar energy farm in Catalonia, Spain.SoCore Energy is installing 2 MW of solar installations at 53 Ohio Walgreens stores.Solar Millennium • named Jan Withag its new CEO.• completed 50 MW Andasol 3 solar

thermal power plant in Granada, Spain.• sold 2.25 GW of U.S. solar projects to

Solarhybrid.Solar Nation appointed Paul Hodge, Chairman of the Board and Dan Drummond, CEO.SOLARWATT commissioned two large Solar Parks totaling 6 MW near Bristol, UK.SOLON • and Cupertino Electric completed

three solar power plants in Fresno County totaling 50 MW.

• and PG&E completed 15-MW Five Points Solar PV station in Fresno, California.

Southern California Edison is installing 10-MW rooftop solar installation in Southern California.Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative is building 5.5 MW solar farm in Hughesville, Maryland.SPI Solar is constructing 6.8 MW solar facility in Middlesex County, New Jersey.Sumikin Bussan is constructing 24 MW solar plant in Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya Province, Thailand.Sun Farm Network installed 2.1 MW at St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey.SunConnex is building 70 MW solar power project in Luzon, Philippines.SunEdison • activated three (two in Jal and one

in Carlsbad) of the five power plants totaling 53.5 MW in New Mexico.

• is developing 5.5 MW AC solar facility in Hughesville, Maryland for Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative.

SunPower • plans to start construction on 25-MW

McHenry Solar Farm in Modesto, Calif. before the end of the year.

• received $1.24 billion loan guarantee

from U.S. Energy Department for 250-MW California Valley Solar Ranch project in San Luis Obispo County, California.

Sunseap completed 2 MWp in solar PV systems in Punggol, Singapore.Taiwan Power concluded 5.92 MW solar power field in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.Tecta Solar • finished first part of planned 4.9-MW

portfolio for Blackcomb Solar in Worcester, Massachusetts.

• is building $10 million, 1.8-MW solar farm in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

Torresol Energy completed 50 MW parabolic trough solar plant in Fuentes Andalucía, Spain.Walgreens completed 100th nationwide solar rooftop solar systems in Mason, Ohio.Wal-Mart plans to install solar-power panels on more than 130 more store rooftops in California.Western Wind Energy completed 10.5 MW combined wind/solar project in Kingman, Arizona.Xcel Energy and Wells Fargo completed three phases of planned 53.5 MW solar photovoltaic power plants near Carlsbad, New Mexico.Zamil is building 20 MW Solar plant in Gujarat, India for PLG Photovoltaic Limited.

inverters & power suppliesABB established 400 MW solar inverter production line in Jüri, Estonia.Advanced Energy laid-off 5% of its work-force in Fort Collins, Colorado.Advanced Energy transferred some of its solar inverter subcomponent manufac-turing to Shenzhen, China.Ametek Programmable Power intro-

U.S. Consumer Confidence

Conference Boardhttp://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=1

1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 789 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

CALENDAR YEAR

0102030405060708090

100110120130140150

Index

20110927

U.S. PV Installations by Market Segment

SEIA & GTM Research 9/11

152.0

186.5 187.3

360.8

268.1

1 2 3 4 110 11

0.0

100.0

200.0

300.0

400.0Installations (MWdc)

Residential 62.4 62.5 68.4 74.6 63.6Non-Residential 67.3 68.7 96.9 119.3 168.0

Utility 22.3 55.3 22.0 166.9 36.5

20110922

Chart 17.



duced automated EN50530 test system for solar power inverters.Array Converter developed amplitude “radio wave” modulation to convert DC solar power to AC.ArrayPower • launched sequenced inverter tech-

nology for use in photovoltaic systems.• named Milan Ilic, VP of Systems

Design, Kris Jernstedt, VP Sales and Applications Support and Nick Cravalho, VP of Business Development.

Bosch entered PV inverter business with new subsidiary, Bosch Powertec.Delta Electronics was listed on the DJSI World Index and the DJSI Asia/ Pacific Index.eIQ Energy hired Cary Vandenberg as VP of Sales.IXYS Corporation was added to NASDAQ® Clean Edge® Green Energy Index.Power-One opened new Center of Excellence and Development in Terranova Bracciolini, Italy.

Market & business conditionsChina’s average capacity utilization of solar firms was around 60% in 3Q11.—DigitimesPV module production capacity is forecast to reach over 50 GW in 2011 and module revenues are expected to decline from $38 billion in 2010 to $30 billion in 2012.—IMS ResearchGermany’s new photovoltaic installa-tions fell 69% y/y to 664 MW in June.—German Federal Network AgencyGreece increased electricity produced from renewable sources in 1H11 by 286 MW to 2,022 MW of which, 341 MW came from photovoltaic.—Energy MinistryItaly installed 6.5 GW of photovoltaic systems in 1H11 and total installed photo-

voltaic capacity is expected to rise to 15 GW in 2012.—GSEU.S. solar industry workforce grew 6.8% y/y to 100,237 workers as of August 2011.—The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2011

Materials & componentsAltuglas International introduced Altuglas® ShieldUp acrylic sheet. CPS Technologies hired and appointed Ralph Norwood as its CFO.DUNMORE increased its capacity for manufacturing solar backsheets incorpo-rating DuPont™ Tedlar® polyvinyl fluoride film.Engineered Conductive Materials appointed Keith Margolin as Formulation Chemist in its R&D groupKureha is building a high-performance resin factory for solar cell backsheets in Changshu, China.LORD Corporation developed potting and encapsulation materials and new ingot bonding material for solar market.Photo Stencil added high-end chemical etching manufacturing line in Malaysia.Rogers named Bruce Hoechner, President and CEO.SKC opened 200,000 sq.ft. ethylene vinyl acetate film solar film plant in Covington, Georgia.SNP Worldwide introduced proprietary nanotechnology surface coating product to the solar market.SolOptics introduced “FUSION” photo-voltaic enhancement technology that increased PV module overall energy production by up to 4%.—NRELSTR Holdings closed its St. Augustine, Florida facility.Voltaix established sales and technical/customer support office in Shanghai,

China.

Process equipmentAmtech appointed Fokko Pentinga to CEO (effective January 1, 2012) and J.S. Whang to Executive Chairman.Bürkle Ypsator® multi-opening, 3-stage thin-film solar module laminating line began producing up to twice as many glass/glass solar modules per hour using new DuPont™ PV5400 Series encapsulant.Isra Solar Vision introduced 3D option to inspection.Manz released new version of SpeedPicker automation system for crystalline solar cell manufacturing.Meyer Burger supplied ZNShine Solar with new lamination lines for its Chinese production facilities.Spire appointed Stuart Stott, VP of Solar Systems.

Silicon ingot wafer1366 Technologies received $150 million U.S. DOE loan guarantee.Daqo New Energy appointed Mingsong Liang and Shuming Zhao as independent directors.GCL-Poly • expects to lower its polycrystalline

silicon production to US$20/kg by the end of 2011.

• introduced quasi-mono wafer.Gigastorage plans to increase solar wafer capacity to 320MWp by the end of 2011.Ishii Hyoki discontinued its wafer cutting business for solar panels.LDK Solar completed third 5,000 MT/ year production line in Mahong, Australia.Momentive Performance Materials increased production capacity for high purity quartz materials in Geesthacht, Germany.Owens Design introduced c-Si Inspection

Chart 20.

GDP GrowthConstant $ Growth Rates Converted @ Constant Exchange Rates

Henderson Ventures 10/2011www.hendersonventures.com

World -2.1 4.2 2.9 3.3 3.7

USA -3.5 3.0 1.5 1.9 2.5

EU -4.3 1.8 1.7 1.3 1.7

Japan -6.3 4.0 -0.7 3.6 2.4

Four Tigers -0.7 8.1 4.1 4.6 4.8

China 9.2 10.3 9.1 8.3 8.5

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

20111008

Copper, High Grade (HG, Comex)

http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/CP/B9

j 4 7 101 4 7 10 1 4 7 101 4 7 101 4 7 10 1 4 7 101 4 7 101 4 7 10 1 4 7 101 4 7 10 1 4 7 10 1 4 7 1000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

$0.50

$1.00

$1.50

$2.00

$2.50

$3.00

$3.50

$4.00

$4.50

$5.00

Chart 19.



Automation Platform optimized for use with production-volume, high-speed photovoltaic wafer inspection applications.Qatar Solar Technologies is investing US$1 billion to build 8,000 MTPY poly-silicon plant in Qatar.REC • cut polysilicon output estimates to

18,500 MT after power failure at Moses Lake, Washington.

• developed Fluidized Bed Reactor process that creates granular silicon for photovoltaics.

• is closing its multicrystalline-wafer plant in Glomfjord, Norway and its Narvik solar cell plant in Sandvika, Norway.

ReneSola is increasing its capacity to 3GWp in 2012.Schmid Silicon Technology commis-sioned its own monosilane-based produc-tion facility for polysilicon manufacturing.Soitec appointed Dr. Justin Wang to Sr. VP of Corporate Marketing and Strategy.Tongwei Group is building 50,000-ton/year solar polysilicon project, 3-GW solar wafer plant and 1,750-MW cogeneration power facility in Xinjiang, China.WACKER Polysilicon hired 60 lead and supervisory positions for its Bradley County, Tennessee plant.

Thin filmFirst Solar’s increased output to full 497 MW capacity at its Oder facility in Frankfurt, Germany.Nanosolar achieved 17.1% certified aperture efficiency with printed CIGS process.SK Group is investing $50M to expand HelioVolt Austin Texas manufacturing operations.SoloPower leased 225,250 sq.ft. building in Portland, Oregon.

Stion • is building 100 MW production line in

Hattiesburg, Mississippi.• monolithically integrated CIGSSe

modules reached 14.1% efficiencies.

Thin film process equipment & materialsAir Products expanded nitrogen trifluo-ride capacity in Ulsan, Korea.LayTec acquired Optical Reference Systems.Toray Engineering developed system for manufacturing new type of protective material consisting of stack of alternating layers of hard glass and flexible inorganic compounds for silicon thin-film solar cells.

Jon Custer-Topai is vice president of Custer Consulting Group and responsible for the corporation’s market research and news analysis activities. Jon is a member of the IPC and active in the Technology Marketing Research Council. [email protected]

Solar Price Drops MirrorHigh Tech Consumer Goods

20110709

Driven by Innovation, Automation & Scale

$13,000

$800 $650 $179

1990 1.3MP 1994 Apple 1996 Casio QV-102011 Canon 14MP HD

Cell Phones

$3,995

$1,000

$399$49 $0

1982 Motorola 1996 StarTAC 2004 Treo 2010 iPhone 3g2011 Palm Pixi w/ plan

Cell Phones

Digital Cameras$840

$571

$467

$345

$40

1997 1998 1999 2000 2011

DVD Players

Chart 23.

Chart 22.

Silver, 5000 oz (Si, Comex)

12123456789101112123456789101112123456789101112123456789101112123456789101112123456789101112123456789101112123456789101103 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

$4

$8

$12

$16

$20

$24

$28

$32

$36

$40

$44

$48

Price US$/troy ounce (monthly close)

20111010

http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/SV/39

Apple ComputerRevenue, Net Income & Inventory

FY ends September

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 300 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

CY

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

-5.0

$ Billions

Revenue 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.0 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.7 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.4 3.5 3.2 3.5 3.7 5.7 4.4 4.4 4.8 7.1 5.3 5.4 6.2 9.6 8.0 7.6 11.511.9 9.1 9.7 12.215.713.5 15.720.326.724.728.625.0Income 0.2 0.2 0.2 -0.2 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 -0.0 -0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.5 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.6 1.1 1.1 2.2 2.3 1.6 1.8 2.5 3.4 3.1 3.3 4.3 6.0 6.0 7.3

Inventory 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.9 1.1 0.9 0.9 0.9

AAPL

+ 82%

20110724

7/19/11

Chart 21.


Smart sensing of selenium

28 – Global Solar Technology – October 2011 www.globalsolartechnology.com

Colnatec LLC recently announced its Colnatec Helios™ vapor phase film thickness system. The heart of 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. Colnatec’s solar cell manufacturing solutions enable clients to measure and control thin film applica-tions more accurately, more cost effec-tively, and for longer run-times than other solutions currently available. The Helios System will be available by Q1 2012.

We interviewed Scott Grimshaw,

Colnatech’s CTO to find out more about this fascinating technology. Scott is the author or coauthor of 8 U.S. patents ranging from thin film photovoltaic cell manufacture, high temperature microbalances, optical sensors and piezoelectric powered security devices. He has founded two companies involved in solid-state sensor R&D and manufacture—Cold Springs R&D, Inc. and Tangidyne Corp—both profitable ventures

still in operation.

When was Colnatec founded?

2 years ago, with my partner Wendy Jameson. Wendy has participated in the development and launch of multiple technology companies as both consultant and founder, including a multi-national consulting organization, her self-owned company, Potentiate, and ColnaTec.

What is the Helios System?

The Helios System is a unique and effec-tive solution that greatly improves the productivity and efficiency of the solar cell manufacturing process. It represents a key component in our growing line of manufacturing process control sensors and validates our ability to develop and deliver state-of-the-art technology to the rapidly evolving solar industry.

How does it work?

It is essentially a self-cleaning crystal micro-balance. Quartz crystal thin film sensors are routinely employed in the manufacture of thin film electronic devices such as OLEDs, LCDs and Integrated Circuits. While known for their ability to detect films as thin as one Angstrom and, when properly optimized, reliable enough to ensure process repeatability, crystal derived thickness readings are often taken as indisputable measurements by process

engineers. Unfortunately, this blind faith can have major negative consequences in the manufacture of sophisticated thin film products.

In a typical deposition run, the user programs the crystal controller with the density of the film being monitored, the acoustic impedance value (applicable only to thick films) and the tooling factor, a geometrical correlation of the deposition source to crystal and source to substrate distances. The primary assumption made is that the film density is known, and that it is not dependent on deposition condi-tions. For a given process configuration, the film density can be calculated exactly by comparing the crystal thickness with a secondary measurement obtained from profilometry, for example. If not, a signifi-cant error can be introduced to the film thickness calculation.

The greatest source of error to film thickness measurement arises, however, from factors not accounted for in a typical deposition. Although the quartz crystal resonance frequency has been shown to be sensitive to mass deposition, it also is sensitive to temperature, stress in the growing film, and adhesion of the film to quartz, among other factors. The tempera-ture dependence is so great that quartz has been used as a thermometer.

The Helios™ system is designed for thin film coating process control when high chamber temperatures and high vapor

Smart sensing of selenium

Continued on page 30


beyond the Solyndra circus: A golden age for solar

Here’s a headline that I bet you didn’t see (at least in the United States) in the past month, but

based on the facts, could have been written:

Welcome to the Golden Age of Solar Power

A case can definitely be made. In the past two years, solar PV cell prices have plummeted by more than half, and total installation costs by about 30 percent. Solar deployment in the U.S., from residential rooftops to utility-scale PV power plants, has soared. Grid-connected PV grew 69 percent (over 2010) in the second quarter to 314 megawatts. Six states installed at least 10 MW in the quarter; that’s more than all but three states added in 2007 for the entire year.

The installation business itself, a frag-mented mom-and-pop market niche not long ago, has been transformed into a booming industry for the likes of nationwide service/financing companies SolarCity, Sungevity, and SunRun. Walmart says it will install solar on 75 percent of its stores in California. And the world’s 11th largest company, Total, announced that it

would pay $1.37 billion for a controlling interest in SunPower back in April.

But you’d obviously never know these developments from following the Capitol Hill and media frenzy since August 31st. That was the Black Wednesday when Solyndra declared bankruptcy and ceased operations, going from a promising, well-funded solar PV startup to the Republican party’s favorite political piñata. Depending on the day and the attacker, Solyndra repre-sents: everything wrong with government support of new technologies; proof that green jobs, and President Obama’s support of same, are a miserable failure; or most troubling of all, an indictment of the entire clean-energy sector.

In a perfect world (and in fact, a world that does exist to some extent in other nations), clean energy would not be a partisan issue. I’d like to think that an industry devoted to American innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation, reduced dependence on foreign oil, and a healthier future for our children wouldn’t raise anyone’s political hackles. There actually are encouraging examples of this, well under the cable-news radar. Clean-tech factories and biorefineries are springing up

in places like Arkansas and Mississippi, and conservative Kansas Republican Governor Sam Brownback, the former senator and onetime presidential candidate, recently penned an op-ed in the Wichita Eagle supporting an extension of the federal production tax credit for wind power. “Experience has taught us,” Brownback wrote, “that investment in the renewable-energy economy is creating jobs across all employment sectors.”

But it has been a very different story in the Congressional hearings on the Solyndra debacle. Leading the partisan pile-on, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) accused the Obama administration of waging a“war on carbon-based energy.” Issa’s accusation is not original; it has been a right-wing talking point since at least early 2010. Issa and his allies conveniently ignore Obama’s approval of the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline for oil from Alberta’s tar sands, his opening of vast new areas to potential offshore drilling, and his decision not to enact new restrictions on ozone-causing emissions.

But they’re calling it a war, and in war, the first casualty is truth, said ancient Greek dramatist Aeschylus. Why must it be a war?

Clint Wilder

Beyond the Solyndra circus:

A golden age for solar

New products


Why can’t we support newer, cleaner forms of energy as we continue to subsidize fossil fuels to the tune of at least $61 billion last year, according to the 2011 report from watchdog group Green Scissors, whose partners range from Friends of the Earth to the libertarian Heartland Institute.

Was Solyndra a bad bet? In retrospect, of course it was—and many venerable stars of venture capital, including Madrone Capital, RockPort Capital, and U.S. Venture Partners, lost a lot of money as investors in the company. If there was any malfeasance on the part of Solyndra’s management, it should absolutely be investigated and pros-ecuted. But let’s put things in perspective: Solyndra’s $528 million loss represents less than two percent of the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program (launched under President George W. Bush) for new energy technologies.

Despite the political firestorm, DOE to its credit did not hold back in approving a slew of clean-energy loan guarantees before the program expired at the end of September. In solar, the big beneficiaries were develop-ment projects rather than companies—more than $5 billion in guarantees for six

projects with combined capacity of more than 2,000 MW from SunPower, Sempra, SolarReserve, First Solar, and industrial real estate manager Prologis. Financing deployment projects (particularly those with power purchase agreements in place) is generally a much lower risk than funding new technology developers like Solyndra, and deployment deserves at least as much government support as R&D, as my Clean Edge colleague Trevor Winnie wrote earlier this year.

Here’s what really gets me about the Solyndra-fueled backlash against clean tech in general, and the solar power industry in particular. For years, the biggest criticism of solar as a major electricity source has been its high cost. Now, the same downward price pressure that has claimed PV cell-manufacturing victims like Solyndra, Evergreen Solar, and others is fueling an unprecedented U.S. boom in installation and deployment. At Clean Edge, we project that installed solar PV costs in the U.S.—without subsidies—will be competitive with residential electricity prices in more than half the states by 2020.

Yet I’d bet good money that some of

the people and politicians now decrying the entire sector because of Solyndra were the very same ones squawking, “Solar’s too expensive!” in the past. That’s no longer the case. As happened in semiconductors and many other industries before it, these rapidly declining cost curves present huge challenges for U.S.-based crystalline PV manufacturers trying to compete with low-cost competitors in China and else-where. But for scaling up solar as a signifi-cant energy source in the U.S. and around the world—and for companies in most other parts of the solar value chain—they are very good news.

It would be nice if the people actually elected to set our nation’s policies could understand that.

pressure evaporants (or gases) are present, such as in selenization of CIGS films, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), Chemical Vapor Deposition and Organic Vapor Phase Deposition (OVPD or MOCVD). Under these conditions, standard crystal thickness monitors fail due to electrical short circuits or excessive temperatures.

The heart of the Helios™ system is a sealed and heated crystal sensor housing combined with an advanced quartz crystal, the RC™, capable of operation to 300˚C. By sealing the crystal, deposition gases or materials do not permeate and contami-nate the contact electrodes responsible for driving and reading the sensor. By heating the sensor, gaseous precursors can pyrolyze and deposit on the crystal surface,

enabling thickness measurement.An added benefit of the Helios is

a regeneration feature for continuous (inline) deposition systems. For materials that evaporate at < 300°C, the heater can be used to re-evaporate the film on the crystal surface, allowing the crystal to be re-used a near infinite number of times. This is especially valuable for Selenium deposition systems.

Our groundbreaking Eon™ controller/monitor does everything a standard film thickness monitor can and more: real-time temperature measurement, heater control, real time frequency vs tempera-ture correction, and crystal resistance. By adding temperature control capability, our software can correct for crystal heating via a pre-loaded frequency vs. temperature curve, ensuring the ultimate in film thick-ness accuracy. Combined with our RC™ cut, a major contributor to erratic crystal performance, crystal stress, is eliminated. This leads to the highest accuracy, most stable, and longest life thin film thickness sensor ever created.

How do you tie into the Department of Energy’s thin film initiatives?

Colnatec recently won a Department of Energy Phase II SBIR research grant to continue development of a self-cleaning, process control sensor for the manufacture of thin film (CIGS) solar cells. This follows a Phase I award the firm received last year, and it allows us to build upon current state-of-the-art technology and develop enhancements that will result in the production of an unlimited lifetime sensor capable of improving solar cell conversion efficiencies. CIGS cells are a central pillar of the SunShot program.

Editors Note: Tight process control of vapor deposition is essential to the production of efficient and consistent thin film modules. Clever tools like this will be essential to maximize both performance and yields.

Smart sensing of selenium—continued from p. 28


efficiency. This represents an increase of 8 percent over the previous peak value. The module will be ready for use on Oerlikon Solar’s existing ThinFab lines by early 2013.www.oerlikon.com/solar

Phono Solar launches AC ModulePhono Solar has just launched the AC Module. The new product eliminates the need for DC wiring and centralized power inverters while offering greater produc-tivity, reliability and performance.

The robust AC Module features stain-less steel hardware, inverter NEMA 4x, and no cooling vents meaning units remain clean and dry on the inside reducing system upkeep for enhanced reliability.

The Phono Solar AC Module features a 25 year performance guarantee of 90% up to 10 years and 80% up to 25 years. The modules are CEC Program Registered and offer product certification to UL 1703 and IEC 61215 (ed.2). In addition, the modules hold a Class C fire rating. www.phonosolarusa.com

World’s first PV energy storage system goes on saleTenesol has launched the world’s first PV energy conversion and storage solution. The Sun Smart+ system is the result of a four year project and is available to buy in certain international markets.

Anderson Power Products introduces Solar SPEC PakAnderson Power Products has expanded their SPEC Pak family of products to include Solar SPEC Pak with power handling capabilities up to 1000 volts. Solar SPEC Pak consists of a 4 position receptacle and plug with a locking Latch that conforms to NEC 2008 requirements. Designed for wire to wire and wire to panel applications, Solar SPEC Pak, is capable of handling up to four individual lines which reduces the number of traditional connec-tors needed for your applications, reducing the amount of space needed and saving money.

The Solar SPEC Pak, IP68 rated shell has a flammability rating of UL 94 V-0 and weather-ability rating of F1 per UL 746C. The housing is Touch Safe per UL 1977 when used with Finger Proof Powerpole® contact housings. It has a temperature range of -20° to 105°C (-4° to 221°F). In addition, the Solar SPEC Pak shell meets the stringent NEC 2008 (-35°C) drop test requirement.www.andersonpower.com

Oerlikon Solar launches its new record-breaking moduleOerlikon Solar has launched a new record-breaking module with 154 (peak) watts of stabilized module output and 10.8 percent

In 2008, Tenesol, together with several leading associations from France and Germany, set out to create a new tech-nology in energy storage for grid connected PV systems. The solution provides energy conversion and system management. Its functions include multidirectional energy flows, self-consumption, grid support and back-up.

The solution can be retrofitted to resi-dential and small commercial systems. It can accommodate PV energy production of up to 5 kWp for more than 20 years. The system uses lithium-ion batteries rated from 8 to 13 kWh with a nominal voltage of 190 V to 290 V. The batteries are compact and highly energy efficient, and in a recent two year field test reached an impressive 97% efficiency.

The new storage system could save operators up to 9.5 cents for each kWh of solar energy they consume instead of feeding into the grid.www.tenesol.com

Cooper Bussmann launches new series of NH1 square bodied photovoltaic fuse linksCooper Bussmann has introduced a new series of NH1 square bodied photovoltaic fuse links. With ratings up to 1000 Vdc,

New products forNew products

integrators andinstallers

New products

these represent a significant breakthrough in fuse link design and performance.

The new NH Series offers the most comprehensive range of NH size fuse link solutions on the market with amp ratings from 50 A to 160 A.

The compact size – 75 x 53 x 52mm - and bladed mounting options permit easy design and installation without increasing the footprint. Optional microswitches easily permit integration with system monitoring schemes.www.cooperbussmann.com

Cyntech crimpless connectors cut PV installation time and costsCyntech Components has introduced a two-piece solar PV connector that needs no crimp tool for assembly. The unique design of the IP67-rated connector reduces solar PV system installation time and complexity, and eliminates the need to carry a heavy crimp tool.

To make a reliable connection, the installer simply loosens a screw, inserts the stripped cable into the connector from the back and then presses the spring contact by thumb until its toggle engages. The connector, which has an outer diameter of 18.8mm, is then screwed together and the assembly tightened using two plastic spanners provided. If required, the connec-tion can then be disengaged using one of the multi-function spanners.www.cyntechcomponents.com

New Solar PV system documentation packsComprehensive solar inspection test report and certificate documentation packs from Seaward Solar make it easy for installers of solar PV systems to complete the neces-sary test reports in compliance with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) and IEC62446.

Specific Seaward Solar documenta-tion pads are available for PV Inspection Reports, PV Array Reports and PV System Verification Certificates. Each pad includes 25 report sheets, complete with individual carbon copies to enable both the customer and the solar engineer to retain duplicates of all system documentation.

The Seaward Solar PV Inspection Test Reports and Certificates form part of a complete range of solar PV test instru-mentation and supporting accessories. The range includes the multifunction Solar PV100 installation tester and the special SolarCert Elements PC software program for the recording of test data. www.seawardsolar.com

SCHOTT Solar makes CSP receivers even more powerful by introducing noble gas capsules and a new coatingSCHOTT Solar will be introducing an optimized SCHOTT PTR 70 receiver at the ongoing Solarpaces, the world’s leading conference on solar thermal power plant technology (CSP), in Granada, Spain.

The new coating that is being used in the SCHOTT PTR 70 increases the absorp-tion rate of the receiver to over 95.5 percent. At the same time, the emission level of the heat radiation sinks to under 9.5 percent. Thanks to the new design of the ends of the receivers and the extension of the active length to 96.7 percent of its entire length, the receiver now absorbs more solar radia-tion and converts it into heat. Furthermore, new, optional reflectors at the ends of the receivers ensure that even more solar radi-ation can be used.www.schottsolar.com

New mounting options for high performance ASO Solar FuseSchurter expanded a range of mounting options for its ASO solar fuse. Equipped with PCB terminals or bolt-mount tabs, the ASO can be mounted directly to the PCB to save board space and overall cost of assembly for combiner boxes. The new mounting solutions are offered in addition to Schurter’s DIN-Rail touch-safe fuse-holder and conventional PCB fuse clips, providing a wide range of mounting options for string and other PV system protection.

The ASO fuse is rated from 1-30 A at 1000 VDC with a breaking capacity of 20kA. www.schurterinc.com

ALPINSUN PRISMA 60 MC-I: new prismatic glass module with DAY4 technology

Alpinengineering introduced its latest module, ALPINSUN PRISMA 60 MC-I. This product innovation combines the time-tested Saint-Gobain prismatic glass with the performance-enhancing tech-nologies of Day4 Energy:equipped with shade protection and improved cell inter-connections, this polycrystalline module yields up to 25 percent more energy output. ALPINSUN PRISMA 60 MC-I is MCS- and PV-CYCLE certified and carries a 10-year product warranty. www.maison-malev.com

Cyntech Components launches universal junction box for silicon-wafer solar PV modulesCyntech Components launched a quickly customizable universal junction box for silicon-wafer solar PV modules. It comes with three surface-mounted bypass diodes as standard but up to six can be installed. There is a choice of soldered or crimpled contacts, and the boxes can accommodate standard ribbon cables or non-ribbon crossing cables.

Sealed with a Gore-Tex® membrane, the IP67-rated box measures 111 mm x 140 mm x 26.5 mm and accommodates between 2 and 8 ribbons with a maximum diameter of 7.5 mm. The conductor cross-section can be 4 mm or 6 mm. Depending upon configuration, overall current rating is 20 A and the junction box is rated at 1000 V DC to TÜV EN50521. www.cyntechcomponents.com

integrators andinstallers

Title


Dow introduces ENLIGHTTM DC-8300 coolant for diamond wire ingot squaringThe Dow Chemical Company has intro-duced a diamond wire ingot squaring coolant that improves photovoltaic wafer manufacturing efficiency while also improving the sustainability of the produc-tion process. ENLIGHTTM DC-8300 Coolant, officially unveiled at the 26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, is the latest innovation from Dow.

Next-generation diamond wire saws

New Silicon Ingot Bonding Material Developed for the Solar MarketLORD Corporation has announced the availability of a new silicon ingot bonding material developed for the solar market.

Developed to meet the needs of ingot manufacturers requiring the use of an automatic slicing machine, LORD® 781 epoxy adhesive allows manufacturers to address the continued pressure to reduce waste, improve utilization and lower oper-ating costs. All of these are accomplished while increasing the life of the slicing wire.

LORD 781 is an ingot adhesive that can join dissimilar ingot lengths together to facilitate easy slicing and minimize waste. This epoxy adhesive is a two-component, thixotropic adhesive system designed to temporarily bond silicon ingots to a holding fixture for the purpose of wafer slicing. Providing excellent adhesion to a wide variety of surfaces, LORD 781 remains in position when applied on vertical or overhead surfaces, allowing for greater process flexibility. Further, it develops high bond strength in 12 to 16 hours at room temperature. www.lord.com

are designed to reduce overall PV manufac-turing costs by using a higher cut speed and fixed abrasive technology instead of loose abrasive slurry for cutting. ENLIGHTTM DC-8300 Coolant is designed to address common challenges associated with diamond wire cutting processes. www.dowsolarpvfluids.com

New opportunities in scribing thin-film solar modulesLPKF SolarQuipment has released its new laser scriber for laboratory use and process development. Offering the same functions

New products for manufacturersNew products


New products

as the Allegro production systems, but smaller and more flexible: LPKF Presto represents a new, very affordable laser system for scribing CdTe, aSi/µSi, CIS and CIGS thin-film technology coatings. It is especially suited for transferring process development results to the LPKF Allegro Series.

The LPKF Presto has been developed to handle all the steps in the laser structuring of thin film substrates: scribing the pattern in P1, P2 and P3. Its axis system is capable of moving and scribing at up to 2 m/s. Almost like the high-throughput produc-tion laser scriber LPKF Allegro: the LPKF Presto combines all technical benefits in one compact system.www.lpkf-solarquipment.com

Optimized wafer sorting using belt conveyorsUsing the modular belt conveyors by Montech, user can optimize wafer and cell sorting in the solar industry. A solar conveyor brings the wafers/cells, a vacuum conveyor transfers the wafers/cells to carriers or boxes after sorting, and finally, a closed-loop transfer system carries away the carriers or boxes. Montech exhib-ited this application for the first time at the European Photovolatic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition 2011 in Hamburg, where it aroused the interest of many visitors. www.montech.com

DAS Environmental Expert GmbH presents STYRAX, designed for waste gas abatement of CVD processesDAS Environmental Expert GmbH is launching its newest product, STYRAX. The system was specifically developed for disposing dangerous substances from CVD process waste gases.

The system runs on diverse fuel gases and scrubber liquids. STYRAX is charac-

terized by a long maintenance cycle, high uptime, high abatement efficiency and easy maintenance. www.das-europe.com

New low temperature silver materials for solar cellsFerro Electronic Materials launched five silver materials for low temperature solar applications at the 26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, 5-8 September in Hamburg, Germany. The materials improve electrical conductivity and printability for devices requiring low temperature manufacturing.

LF 7115 Low Temperature Silver Conductor PasteFerro’s new LF 7115 offers the lowest firing temperature for a silver conductor paste (400–450°C) and excellent conductivity. It provides strong adhesion to ITO-coated or bare crystalline or amorphous silicon as well as excellent solderability for low temperature tabbing.

LF 7116 Low Temperature Silver Conductor PasteLF 7116 fires at 450–500°C on silicon, and 500-550°C on aluminum. It provides excellent solderability for low temperature tabbing.

LF 7122 Low Temperature Curable Polymer SilverLF 7122 is designed for thin film tabbing and contacting TCO coatings. It offers low contact resistance to TCO and low bulk conductivity. Resistivity is less than 10 milliohms per square.

LF 7123 Low Temperature Thermoset Polymer SilverLF 7123 is suitable for n-type wafer config-urations and provides excellent adhesion to fired aluminum surfaces. Its low contact resistance and higher bulk conductivity increase electrical efficiency.

LF 7125 Low Temperature Curable Epoxy SilverLF 7125 was developed for dispensable applications with amorphous silicon modules, such as external bus bars for TCO-coated cells.www.ferro.com

Breaking the limits of solar inspection with 3DISRA SOLAR VISION now offers, with its 3D technology, an optimum add-on solution for surface inspection and

geometrical gauging at the printing process stage. In addition to the existing first-class inspection and measuring func-tions of the SOLARSCAN-FrontPrint and SOLARSCAN-RearPrint systems, the new 3D option allows the reliable detection of splinters and other height relevant struc-tural defects.

In addition to the two-dimensional surface images, 3D inspection provides important additional information to struc-ture and topography. The result for print inspection: a reliable, advanced detection and classification of height related defects such as splinters or particles, which have been invisible until now.www.isravision.com

Manz releases SpeedPicker 1.1Manz AG has further improved its SpeedPicker. The new generation was presented at the EU PVSEC in Hamburg in September.

The SpeedPicker 1.1 works with one or two carbon arms which rotate at the highest possible speed and which are mounted and pivot on a linear axis, therefore guaran-teeing absolute precision. A newly devel-oped Bernoulli gripper and a special image processing system ensure that the wafers are perfectly aligned and together offer 100 percent breakage control when loading and unloading process machines. The system can be configured in a wide variety of ways such as with five or eight lanes, one or two arms, or as a box or cassette system – which is important when it comes to inte-grating it into existing production lines. www.manz.com

EuropeAdela Ploner+49 (0)8192-933-78-22 [email protected]

North AmericaRon Friedman (print & video products)Tel:+1 (239) 245-9264 [email protected]

Sandy Daneau (digital products)Tel: +1 (239) 245-9264 [email protected]

IndiaAmitava [email protected]

Singapore, Malaysia & Hong Kong Philip Lim+65 [email protected]

ChinaChristine Zhang+86 [email protected]

KoreaAmy [email protected]

Title

36 – Global Solar Technology – April 2011 www.globalsolartechnology.com

K SubramanyaColumn InsideK SubramanyaColumn Inside


NEW PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL DIARY

Transfer prinTing: an emerging Technology for massively parallel assembly

converTing consideraTions for flexible maTerials

maTerials and The growTh of pv Technology

Gloabl Solar Technology Southeast Asia Volume 1 Num

ber 1Spring 2010

News for the Solar Manufacturing Industry

Transfer prinTing: an emerging Technology for massively parallel assembly

converTing consideraTions for flexible maTerials

maTerials and The growTh of pv Technology

NEW PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL DIARY

Volume 1 Number 1 Spring 2010

News for the Solar Manufacturing IndustrySoutheast Asia

Covering India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, The Philippines and Hong Kong

Southeast Asia

NEW PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL DIARY

A prActicAl guide for improving crystAlline solAr cell efficiencies through firing process optimizAtion

smArt pAckAges for cpv cell devices

Achieving thermAl uniformity in photovoltAic ApplicAtions

increAsing solAr pAnel production efficiencies with Acrylic foAm tApe


Gloabl Solar Technology Volume 3 Num

ber 5M

ay 2070

Volume 3 Number 5 May 2010

News for the Solar Manufacturing Industry

Matt Holzmann Interview inside

We’re growing ChinaSouth East AsiaThe World

Global Solar Technology magazine

international diary17-18 November 201112th Forum SolarpraxisBerlin, Germanysolarpraxis.de

1-2 December 2011PV Power Plants - USA 2011Phoenix, Arizona, USAsolarpraxis.de

5-7 December 2011PV Japan 2011Chiba, Japanpvjapan.org

6-9 December 2011INTERSOLAR ChinaBeijing, Chinaintersolarchina.com

13-16 December 2011INTERSOLAR IndiaMumbai, Indiaintersolar.in

15-17 February 2012EXPO Solar/PV Korea 2012Kintex, South Koreaexposolar.org

23-24 February 2012Inverter and PV System Technology ForumSan Francisco, CA, USAsolarpraxis.de

19-21 March 2012PV America 2012San Jose, California, USApvamericaexpo.com

advertising contacts

The Global Assembly Journal for SMT and

Advanced Packaging Professionals

Volume 11 Number 1 January 2011

ISSN 1474 - 0893The Global Assembly Journal for SMT and


Volume 11 Number 2 February 2011

ISSN 1474 - 0893

The AwArdS ISSue—

FINd ouT who woN! Mike Konrad

Interview Inside

www.globalsmt.net

5D solDer paste inspection • process

VAlIdATIoN ANd STANdArdS coMPlIANce

• Factors inFluencing QFn process

The Global Assembly Journal for SMT and



ISSN 1474 - 0893The Global Assembly Journal for SMT and



ISSN 1474 - 0893

Martin ZIehbrunner

Interview Inside

www.globalsmt.net

2011 milestones • ramp to volume • transferring recipes

from an eight-zone reflow oven • Qualifying first source/

second source • 2011: a single-digit growth year?

www.globalsmtindia.in

Volume 2 Number 1 Spring 2011

South East AsiaSouth East Asia

Covering India, Thailand, Malaysia,

Singapore, The Philippines and Hong Kong

www.globalsmtindia.in

SINgaPore’S HolISTIC

aPProaCH beNefITS

boTH CoNTraCT

MaNufaCTurerS aNd

oeMSParTS MaNageMeNT

How To INCreaSe ProduCTIoN aNd reduCe

CoSTS THrougH oPTIMIzed dyNaMIC

SCHedulINg

21ST CeNTury MaNufaCTurINg SofTware

SoluTIoNS

PS wong

Interview Inside

www.globalsmt.net

SMTSMT

The most highly regarded global assembly journal for SMT and advanced packaging professionals,

Global SMT & Packaging features solution-led technical articles, case studies, insightful columns, event

reports and much more. The print magazine comes out in fi ve editions: Europe, Americas, China, Korea

and South East Asia. We also have websites and newsletters for Mexico and Brazil. Start at

www.globalsmt.net


FabricatioN oF low cost Flexible solar cells usiNg solutioN-based coatiNg techNiqueshigh reliability oF coNductiVe adhesiVes For thiN-Film iNtercoNNects For ate testiNg

lightweight PV module materials For cost-eFFicieNcy aNd PerFormaNceted sullivan

interview inside


the global Journal for solar and PV manufacturing Professionals

Tom FalconInterview Inside


For Solar and PV Manufacturing Professionals

NEW PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL DIARY

Volume 1 Number 4 Winter 2010

For Solar and PV Manufacturing Professionals

Southeast Asia

Covering India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, The Philippines and Hong Kong

Southeast Asia

Helping cost-competitive solar power materialize

smt cHallenges in alternative energyinsulation plays a critical role in solar panel manufacturing

Global Solar Technology’s three editions—international, China and South East Asia—bring the latest in solar/PV manufacturing processes, technologies and solutions to manufacturers around the world. Visit globalsolartechnology.com for daily news, back issues, and to subscribe.

Coming this spring! Global LEDs/OLEDs is geared toward designers, specifi ers, assemblers and manufacturers incorporating LED and OLED technology into their products. The website, bringing you the latest news and technology every day, is online now: www.globalledoled.com

Global SMT & Packaging, Global Solar Technology and Global LEDs/OLEDs are published by Trafalgar Publications Ltd., Unit 18, 2 Lansdowne Crescent, Bournemouth, Dorset BH1 1SA, United Kingdom, +44 7766 951665 / +1 (239) 245-9264 (USA)

Wherever you are......so are we

globalsmt_wherever.indd 1 2/26/11 2:00 PM

Advanced PV System Protection Delivers WorldwideSolutions for Tomorrow's Systems Today

With PV systems developing rapidly, no other line up of photovoltaic fuse links and fuse holders offers OEMs and operators such a comprehensive range of bene�ts. Certi�ed for global acceptance, unique 1500Vdc performance and a choice of sizes, dimensions and ratings up to 630A, it’s a line-up that meets tomorrow’s PV system requirements today.

From string to inverter, the Cooper Bussmann range of fuse links and fuse holders for solar applications really is second to none for total system protection.

Contact your local Cooper Bussmann representative for details.

Cooper Bussmann (UK) Ltd, Burton-on-the-Wolds,

Leicestershire, LE12 5TH, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1509 882 600

www.cooperbussmann.com

All Cooper logos are valuable trademarks of Cooper Industries in the US and other countries. You are not permitted to use Cooper trademarks without prior written consent.

Ratings Up To 1500Vdc and 630A

Come and see us at InterSolar Mumbai - India14-16 December 2011

Stand 1361 Hall 1

Documents

Ferro coNDucTiVe PaSTe DeVeloPMeNTS iN coNTexT · 2018-07-12 · Volume 4 Number 10 November/December 2011 The Global Journal for Solar and PV Manufacturing Professionals Ferro coNDucTiVe