Southern California Edison Connects 32-Acre, 5 Million Watt Solar Array to its Grid
ROSEMEAD, Calif., Feb. 24, 2011 – Southern California Edison (SCE) today connected the state’s largest investor-owned utility photovoltaic plant to its Central Valley power grid. The new generating station, the utility’s first ground-mount PV installation, covers 32 acres of land SCE has leased from the city of Porterville, Calif. It adds 5 million watts of peak capacity – enough power to serve 3,250 average homes – to SCE’s network of 11 solar stations.
Construction and testing of the 29,426-panel solar array near the Porterville Municipal Airport took about six months and created 125 jobs. The new Central Valley solar station is connected directly to the utility’s neighborhood power circuits and benefits all SCE customers in the region.
“Our hope when we launched SCE’s Solar PV Program was that it would help California achieve its ambitious renewable energy goals, while increasing industry knowledge about solar PV efficiency and interaction with local distribution circuits,” said Mark Nelson, SCE’s director of Generation Planning and Strategy. “That hope has become a reality.”
In addition to building its own network of 40-50 solar stations, SCE is signing power purchase agreements with independent producers willing to construct a similar number of solar plants collectively. The combined installations are expected to create some 1,200 jobs in all.
“It is more than exciting for Porterville to take this first step with SCE. Hopefully, in years to come, a solar project like this will be commonplace,” said Mayor Ronald Irish.
About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.
SoloPower Receives Offer Of Conditional Commitment for a $197 Million Loan Guarantee from U.S. DOE to Build Thin Film Photovoltaic Module Factory
SAN JOSE, Calif., February 17, 2011 – SoloPower, a San Jose, California-based manufacturer of flexible thin film solar cells and modules, announced today that it has received a conditional commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office for a $197 million loan guarantee. The funds will support construction of a facility that, when completed and at full capacity, is expected to produce approximately 400MW of thin film Photovoltaic (PV) modules annually.
“This announcement is the latest confirmation that when it comes to energy policy, Oregon is on the right side of history,” said U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon. “The project in Wilsonville will hire hundreds of highly skilled, highly paid Oregonians to manufacture the latest in renewable energy technology. Oregon is already an epicenter for renewable energy projects. A loan guarantee to help companies such as SoloPower get important projects off the ground is the right approach that will keep Oregon where it belongs – at the forefront of technology. I look forward to working with the folks at SoloPower in putting Oregonians to work creating the products that represent the future of renewable energy.”
SoloPower CEO Tim Harris added, “We appreciate and commend the DOE’s emphasis on supporting innovative, clean-tech companies as a way to further the goal of energy independence while stimulating employment and helping secure our nation’s manufacturing base in this important emerging industry.” Mr. Harris stated: “This backing allows us to rapidly ramp up our production and to promote the spread of clean, distributed solar power to the rooftops and on the ground, while providing hundreds of quality manufacturing jobs using some of the most advanced technology in the world.”
SoloPower announced earlier this year that it had come to an agreement to construct its first large-scale high volume manufacturing plant in Wilsonville, Oregon. Retrofit of the existing building is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2011. The factory is expected to provide direct employment to approximately 500 people once it is running at full capacity. About 270 construction jobs will be created to build the plant, and additional jobs are also likely to be generated in the local supply chain.
SoloPower’s family of lightweight flexible modules are certified to both UL and IEC standards with up to 260 Wp/panel, and are being sold in small volumes to leading customers in five countries.
For more information on SoloPower, please visit www.solopower.com
Southern California Edison Signs Contracts for More Than 800 Megawatts of Solar Photovoltaic Power
Photo credit: Southern California Edison
ROSEMEAD, Calif., Jan. 10, 2011 — Southern California Edison (SCE) has signed contracts with SunPower Corp. and Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, Inc. (FRV) for more than 800 megawatts of electricity created from sunlight that will go directly to the California power grid. The contracts will include one of the country’s largest single solar photovoltaic installations.
Electricity generated as a result of these contracts will total 831 megawatts. Three contracts with SunPower will total 711 megawatts and include one of the largest single solar photovoltaic installations – 325 megawatts – in the United States. Contracts with FRV allow for the delivery of 120 megawatts of solar energy from four projects.
“This is an unprecedented time for solar photovoltaic,” said Marc Ulrich, SCE’s vice president, Renewable and Alternative Power. “We’re seeing growth in technological advances and manufacturing efficiencies that result in competitive prices for green, emission-free energy for our customers.”
The solar photovoltaic projects are located California’s Kern, Los Angeles and Merced counties. SCE estimates that when the projects all come online, the 831-megawatt capacity will be enough to power more than 540,000 average California homes.
The three contracts with SunPower include:
~ 110 megawatts from Solar Star California XIII, LLC, located in Los Banos, scheduled to be operational by Dec. 31, 2014.
~ 325 megawatts from Solar Star California XIX, LLC, located in Rosamond, scheduled to be operational by Oct. 31, 2016.
~ 276 megawatts from Solar Star California XX, LLC, located in Rosamond, scheduled to be operational by Oct. 31, 2016.
The four contracts with FRV include:
~ 60 megawatts from Regulus Solar L.P., located in Lamont, scheduled to be operational by Dec. 31, 2013.
~ 20 megawatts from Cygnus Solar L.P., located in Arvin, scheduled to be operational by Sept. 30, 2013.
~ 20 megawatts from Mojave Solar L.P., located in Mojave, scheduled to be operational by Dec. 31, 2013.
~20 megawatts from Mojave Solar 4 L.P., located in Lancaster, scheduled to be operational by Dec. 31, 2013.
The projects will interconnect with existing and forthcoming transmission lines.
These contracts are a result of SCE’s competitive renewables solicitation, and are contingent on approval by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Southern California Edison is the nation’s leading utility for renewables. In 2009, SCE delivered 13.6 billion kilowatt hours of renewable power to its customers, about 17 percent of its total power portfolio.
About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.
SILFAB ONTARIO ANNOUNCES NEW COO AND GENERAL MANAGER, PAOLO MACCARIO
Mississauga, December 6, 2010 – Silfab Ontario Inc., Canadian subsidiary of global vertically-integrated photovoltaic provider Silfab Spa, announced today that Paolo Maccario has been named Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, effective 1st of January 2011. Maccario will take over Silfab Ontario’s operations as the company is now entering a crucial phase of development that will lead up to the inauguration of its new 180 MW module manufacturing plant slated for spring 2011.
“Paolo Maccario brings the ideal mix of leadership experience and photovoltaic know-how to Silfab Ontario as we move forward on installing the first production line in our new manufacturing facility and proceed on hiring our first production specialists,” remarked Franco Traverso, President and CEO of Silfab Ontario and Silfab Spa. “Over the past couple of months, we have signed preliminary contracts for 102 MW with international and domestic partners. This is an extremely busy and exciting time for our company and I believe Paolo’s outstanding set of skills will be pivotal to accelerating Silfab Ontario’s growth and productivity in the years to come.”
“I am very excited to join Silfab Ontario,” said Paolo Maccario. “Silfab has a great international reputation and is a highly dynamic company that in the short duration since its entry is already playing a key role within the Canadian solar market. It is a great opportunity for me to work with a team of founding partners that not only has several decades of international photovoltaic experience, but also brings to Canada state-of-the-art technologies that are both highly competitive and ‘Feed-in-tariffs-ready’.”
With 15 years of experience as CEO of leading international automotive and clean-tech organizations, Paolo Maccario was most recently Chief Executive Officer of 6N Silicon Inc., one of the fastest growing Canadian manufacturers of high purity solar grade silicon. Prior to that, Maccario served as President and CEO of Meridian Technologies Inc., the world’s largest company engaged in the engineering and manufacturing of magnesium products for the global automotive industry. Earlier, he held senior management positions in automotive and industrial organizations operating in the U.S., Mexico and Italy, including Teksid Aluminum Foundry and various units of Fiat S.p.A.. Since 2001, Maccario has also served as the President and Chairman of Team Italia, an association aiming to bring together Italian companies and their executives operating in Canada.
SILFAB ONTARIO INC.
A subsidiary of vertically-integrated solar provider Silfab SpA, Silfab Ontario Inc. is a Canada-based company with headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario. In summer 2010, the company opened a sales office and secured a 100,000+ square feet facility to house a new 180 MW solar module manufacturing plant which will start production in early 2011. Fully-automated and operated by 200 skilled workers (at plant full capacity), the new plant will manufacture mono and multi-crystalline high-efficiency PV modules with a power up to 300 Wp, suited for both rooftop and ground-mounted applications. Part of the production will also be devoted to PV module OEM manufacturing on behalf of solar companies seeking to enter the Ontario market. Silfab Ontario Inc. has also been licensed to assemble and distribute in Canada and the U.S. Italian designed mono-axial sun tracking systems offered via a partnership with ESPE S.p.A, a leading Italian energy developer and technology provider.
SILFAB S.P.A
Headquartered in Padova, Italy, Silfab S.p.A is a leading vertically integrated provider of PV products and services globally. With activities spanning manufacturing, consulting and energy generation, the company seeks to further the advancement of photovoltaic energy through employing cutting-edge technologies. The company’s founders have extensive experience in the PV industry and have partnered with industry-leading engineering firms and equipment providers to establish a team with knowledge and demonstrated success across the entire photovoltaic value chain. Its founding partners include Franco Traverso, an Italian pioneer in the solar energy industry, Pan Asia Solar Ltd., whose principals co-founded some of the most successful listed PV businesses, including the subsidiary solar cell manufacturer Sunrise Global Solar Energy, and Sino- American-Silicon Products Inc., a stock-market listed provider of premium silicon wafers to the photovoltaic and semiconductor industries. Silfab is currently building a 100 MW pipeline of 1-5 MW PV plants in Italy and Central Europe. The company has also launched three new series of high-performing PV mono and multi-crystalline modules. Silfab’s headquarters are based in Padova (Italy) and New York.
Fast Food Goes Green
November 30 (Albany, CA) – The Taco Bell restaurant in Albany, CA is the first commercial establishment in the state of California to receive a PG&E rebate check for installing a solar hot water system under the newly instated CSI-Thermal program for commercial and multifamily applications. The check will be presented on Tuesday, November 30 at Taco Bell, 635 San Pablo Avenue, Albany, CA 94706.
Photo Credit: Kim Pedley, Sun Light & Power
Taco Bell was a great candidate for solar thermal because of the restaurant’s need for hot water for cleaning, dishwashing, sanitation, and rest rooms. A complete replacement of the existing restaurant, owned by PRB Management, LLC, provided the opportunity to take a close look at the energy footprint of the facility and propose solutions to reduce greenhouse production while improving ongoing operating costs. Because of the limited roof space, PRB opted for the highly efficient solar water heating system over the more common PV solar systems. The onsite generation of solar hot water currently offsets 300 Therms of natural gas a year. This will save PRB thousands of dollars in operating costs while directly reducing their greenhouse gas footprint.
Dave Fulwiler, Managing Director of PRB stated, “The Sun Light & Power team showed us how attractive the financial incentives could be for going solar. Their hot water system proved a good fit in our strategy of constructing a building that met or exceeded Albany’s requirements of a Certified Green Building. It’s not just about wanting to do the right thing anymore – it also makes great economic sense while allowing us to communicate our environmental commitment to our customers and communities. We are proud to be the first in the state of California to qualify for and receive the CSI-T rebate.”
Photo Credit: Kim Pedley, Sun Light & Power
A similar system was designed and installed by Sun Light & Power on the Taco Bell in Rancho Cordova (near Sacramento, CA) at approximately the same time.
About the CSI-T rebate check
Sun Light & Power was very involved in the process with CALSEIA and CSI to make certain that a rigorous solar thermal program was launched to ensure that systems are built efficiently. “It’s extremely rewarding to participate in a new program that benefits businesses and the planet in such a straightforward way. We’re excited to be in a position where our expertise can help to pass cost savings from the new rebate directly on to our customers,” says Lauren Tett, Sun Light & Power’s Rebate and Interconnection Department Manager.
On November 30, Taco Bell will receive a CSI-T Rebate for $3,649 which when added to the Federal Tax Credit of 30% reduces the total cost of the system by half. PRB Management will also reap the benefits of depreciating the system cost over time. These incentives make the system very easy to pay for and provide a rapid ROI. The long system life will provide 30 years or more of savings on natural gas bills.
About the solar hot water system
The solar hot water system is comprised of two Heliodyne Gobi 410 collectors, creating an 80 square ft. of solar surface area and is configured as an Active Closed Loop System that feeds a 119 gallon solar storage tank. The system is sized to offset a portion of their usage estimated at 500 gallons of hot water each day. The closed loop system provides additional protections from freeze damage, overheating, and water scaling.
About Sun Light & Power
Sun Light & Power also designed and installed the project which qualified for the first CSI-T check for residential systems from PG&E earlier this year, presented to Walnut Creek, CA homeowners. The company has installed thousands of solar systems, both solar thermal (solar hot water) and photovoltaic (solar-generated electricity), during their more than 3 decades in business.
Sun Light & Power is a design/build solar firm based in Berkeley, CA with 34 years of leadership in alternative energy systems and innovative designs for homes and businesses. The company is committed to creating living environments that serve people’s intrinsic needs, support the human spirit and preserve the planet’s resources for future generations.
Founded in 1976 by Gary Gerber (who is also the 2008, 2009 and 2010 President of the California Solar Energy Industries Association – CALSEIA), Sun Light & Power is the first renewable energy contractor to be certified by the Alameda County Green Business Program, and among the first in the nation to qualify as a B Corporation.
More information is available at: www.sunlightandpower.com
Largest solar project in Virginia implemented at Eastern Mennonite University
HARRISONBURG, Va. – Eastern Mennonite University dedicated and celebrated the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) project built so far in the state of Virginia in a public ceremony held Monday afternoon, Nov. 15, on EMU’s campus.
During the celebration in EMU’s Campus Center , about 150 members of the campus community, public officials and local neighbors saw the university’s president Loren Swartzendruber unveil the website dashboard with the flip of a switch, revealing live graphs showcasing the daily, weekly and monthly output of the solar system.
“Caring for God’s good creation is central to who we are as a Christian university,” Dr. Swartzendruber told the gathering. “Our planet does not have unlimited natural resources, and it is imperative that we utilize clean renewable energy such as solar as part of the university’s long-term commitment to creation care and environmental sustainability,” he added.
Secure Futures, LLC of Staunton, Va., developed the project and contracted with Southern Energy Management in North Carolina to design, install and maintain the solar PV system. The installation on the roof of EMU’s Sadie Hartzler Library includes 328 high-efficiency photovoltaic panels manufactured by SunPower Corporation. The project represents the largest deployment to date of solar power in the Commonwealth of Virginia .
The solar project will cut EMU’s dependence on local utilities, helping to reduce the university’s reliance on energy from coal and other fossil fuels. The reduction will eliminate more than 6,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the projected 35-year life of the solar panels. In addition, EMU will adopt today’s electrical rates over the 20-year term of its agreement with Secure Futures, protecting the university from electricity rate increases.
“While developers have built larger solar installations in other states, EMU’s solar project represents a breakthrough in the commercial scale financing of solar power, as Virginia presents a uniquely challenging electricity and policy environment,” said Secure Futures CEO Anthony (Tony) Smith, who also co-directs EMU’s Steward-Leadership MBA Program. “ Virginia enjoys some of the lowest electricity rates in the country, and remains among a handful of states that rely exclusively on voluntary measures by utility companies to include renewable energy in their portfolio of electricity generation sources,” Dr. Smith added.
Secure Futures has formed a subsidiary Harrisonburg-based company, Community Solar, LLC, co-owned with local investors, to own and operate the project. Under a financing program embraced by colleges and universities in high solar states, EMU hosts the installation while Community Solar owns and manages the equipment, allowing EMU to gain access to on-site solar power without paying the capital cost of installing PV panels or the fees of ongoing maintenance. Community Bank, based in Staunton , Va. , provided construction financing for the project.
“Any student I’ve talked to values this sign of commitment to sustainability and creation care on campus,” said Benjamin P. (Ben) Bergey, EMU senior from Perkasie , Pa. , and co-president of the Student Government Association. “It is an outward example of how our Anabaptist values affect our behavior and decisions, in the case to find alternative forms of energy. So we as students are grateful to be at a school of integrity, with consistency between words and actions,” he added.
“We believe that with the right support in place, Virginia will be in a strong position to join the ranks as a leader in sustainable energy,” said Blair Kendall, strategic business development director with Southern Energy Management based in Morrisville, N.C., which conducted the engineering and installation of the panels and will maintain them for the 20-year term of the project agreement.
Using economic stimulus funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, DMME awarded an incentive grant for the project. ARRA funds through the US Treasury 1603 Investment Tax Credit grant will also help finance the solar installation.
“With a deep commitment to clean energy, I hope that this project represents just the beginning of EMU’s work to develop solar power,” said Swartzendruber, who also announced that the university hopes to host a second, larger solar system – to be financed and operated by Community Solar – in the first half of 2011. The president invited potential investors to contact his office or Secure Futures for more information on the upcoming solar project.
Ceramic materials help manufacturers of thin film photovoltaic cells achieve greater efficiency
The earth benefits from an impressive 125,000 terawatts (TW) of solar energy. While the future energy needs of the planet will undoubtedly be met with a combination of technologies, many believe that solar – in the form of photovoltaic (PV) cells – is the only renewable energy source with the capacity to make a significant impact on global energy production.
As a result, the race is on to push the performance of PV cells to a level where the total cost of the electricity generated is as cheap (if not cheaper) than that from carbon-based sources. Some predict that grid parity, as it is called, could be achieved in some locations within as little as a few years.
Most of the effort in this direction is now centered on thin film deposition, rather than wafer-based modules, although there is still discussion around the relative merits of both. The main arguments in favor of thin film are that it uses less material, and is much faster and simpler than the complex and delicate process of slicing, dicing and placing of silicon wafers. This means that if the cost of deposition can be reduced, and the efficiency of the resulting PV cells increased sufficiently, the goal of grid parity will be achieved.
What most commentators and manufacturers do agree on is that, for significant increases in efficiency, all components of the equipment and all steps of the process must be considered; there is no one panacea that will achieve the goal in a single step.
Thin film deposition process
Thin film deposition has been used for some years for a variety of applications, including semiconductor and optical components, decorative and low-emissivity architectural glass, and most recently in the manufacture of flat screens for TVs and computers. In solar cell production, the process offers a simpler and cheaper alternative to using silicon wafers.
Manufacturers continue to experiment with various materials and refinements of the thin film deposition process for solar cells based on silicon and other materials. The direct band-gap semiconductors cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium diselenide alloy (CuInSe2) and copper indium gallium diselenide alloy Cu(InGa)Se2, have high optical absorption coefficients (>105cm-1) are now emerging as the most popular materials for the photo absorption layer in thin film photovoltaic (TFPV) cells. More than a dozen companies worldwide are already actively producing these cells, or are in a start-up phase.
Creation of the TFPV layers can be achieved by various methods; using a physical or chemical vapor deposition processes, particle sintering or electro-deposition for example. Reports suggest that the best results are achieved using high temperature (up to approx 500°C) deposition and post-growth anneal of the TFPV layers.
While the processes are complex, and manufacturers continue to research, develop and refine, the essential features remain – high temperatures, aggressive and corrosive process materials.
Quality is key
To date TFPV cells have only achieved approximately 20% efficiency (which is the current benchmark for Crystalline Silicon PV cells manufactured in production quantity) over small areas and under laboratory conditions. In production quantities and large panel sizes the best efficiencies that manufacturers currently achieve is in the range of 10-12%.
In the push towards achieving the goal of grid parity, the manufacturing challenge is to create reliable and consistent process conditions that can reproduce laboratory quality in large quantities.
This is an area where manufacturers of PV cells and their equipment suppliers can benefit from the huge investment in materials research that has already been done over the years in the manufacture of semiconductors and flat screens, both of which have been through large-scale, fast ramp-ups in volume manufacture.
Ceramic – the perfect choice
Technical ceramic materials feature high hardness, physical stability, extreme heat resistance and chemical inertness. As such, they are highly resistant to melting, bending, stretching, corrosion and wear – and ideal for use in environments of extreme heat and aggressive chemicals, like that of TFPV deposition.
Morgan Technical Ceramics, a division of the Morgan Crucible Company plc, is a world leader in specialist engineering of ceramic components. A global business, the company is working with leading players in PV cell manufacture in USA, Europe and Asia, supplying a wide variety of components for both silicon-based and non-silicon based thin film solar cells.
Non-silicon thin film solar cell manufacture
In an application borrowed from the manufacture of architectural glass, fused silica rollers are used to move the hot glass panels through the deposition process. The thermal stability of silica is exceptional; it has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of <1 x 10-6/°C – lower than any other ceramic material. This low CTE combined with its chemical compatibility with glass make fused silica rollers an ideal choice for ensuring the glass remains perfectly flat during the process.
Morgan Technical Ceramics are supplying precision machined fused silica rollers for use in continuous flow TFPV deposition machines from its locations in Fairfield, NJ, USA and Yixing, China.
In TFPV deposition equipment, precursor vapors and gases are transported from a source vessel through a deposition zone onto a heated glass substrate to deposit the PV layer. Morgan Technical Ceramics produces a number of components used in this part of the TFPV process.
In some instances, solid materials are melted and vaporized from ceramic crucibles or boats to form a flux that is deposited on the heated glass substrate. It is critical that the ceramic crucible or boat be dimensionally stable and chemically non-reactive to the molten source material. Pyrolytic boron nitride (pBN) ceramic is an excellent material for this application due to its high corrosion resistance and non-reactivity with the source materials used in PV deposition. Morgan Technical Ceramics’ Hudson, NH USA site supplies pBN crucibles and evaporation boats made via a chemical vapor deposited (CVD) process that are ideal vessels due to the ultra-high purity nature of the CVD pBN material. Further, Morgan Technical Ceramics provides pBN-coated graphite heating elements used for material vaporization.
In other configurations, vaporized precursor materials are transported from the source to the deposition zone via a vapor distribution manifold. The manifold is formed from a perforated tube made of ceramic because it is one of the few materials with the chemical stability to operate without problems with these very toxic, hazardous chemicals, at high temperatures (above 500°C).
Morgan Technical Ceramics produces these tubes in mullite and in alumina, at its specialist extrusion facility in Waldkraiburg, Germany. Tubes are up to 2.5m (100inches) long x 105 mm (4inches) diameter, with multiple vapor exit points, for uniform deposition across the glass. They are extruded, fired in large kilns, and then precision machined to achieve final product tolerances within +/-0.15mm (0.005inch).
Silicon-based thin film solar cell manufacture
Oerlikon Solar, a European manufacturer of thin film deposition equipment for PV panel production, is using precision-engineered, high-purity ceramic bars in some of its higher temperature thin film deposition machines, for lifting, stacking and aligning components and the glass panels inside the chamber.
The ceramic is semiconductor-grade 99% alumina, chosen for its excellent thermal and chemical stability as an alternative to stainless steel, which has a tendency to buckle and bend at high temperatures.
Morgan Technical Ceramics is able to produce consistent flatness of less than 0.01mm over the 1.2m length of the bar and parallelism of less than 0.05mm, with a polished mirror finish. In fact, these tight specifications are well within the capability of the company’s specialist manufacturing facilities at Rugby, UK, where skills have been honed and refined through years of supplying critical components for the semiconductor, aerospace, laser and other demanding industries.
Ceramic pins, also made of high-grade alumina, are used as locators and separators between key components inside the TFPV deposition reaction module chamber. Shaped like a drawing pin, the component is about 15mm in length with tightly controlled dimensions to enable consistent deposition of the thin film layers within the reaction module.
Morgan Technical Ceramics’ Stourport plant, also in the UK, produces several thousand of these pins per month, and is expecting to double its production volume within the next 12 months.
Summary
In all these examples, two things are key. First, in these applications the very high quality engineering ceramics are not operating any where near the boundaries of their thermal and chemical stability. TFPV manufacturers are free to continue experimenting with higher temperatures and different thin film materials, safe in the knowledge that these components of the system will not have any adverse effect on the efficiency of the process or the finished PV panel. In such a rapidly developing market, this level of reliability is vital.
Second, Morgan Technical Ceramics has proven ability to produce consistently high specification components of this kind in large volume, and to be able to react quickly to sudden increases in demand on both sides of the Atlantic.
The manufacture of PV cells using thin film deposition processes is one of the fastest moving and most exciting manufacturing industries of our time. The global market is growing at a rate of 50% per year and estimates are that growth will continue at this rate until 2010, then increase even more rapidly for a couple years before ‘settling down’ to a steady 25% year on year growth. Clearly, the race is on, and the big money is there for PV manufacturers who can perfect their processes fast and take the lead.
Proven in other sectors, technical ceramics can make an important contribution to helping this roller-coaster of a developing industry achieve its goals of consistent quality in both the process and the finished product, for better PV cell efficiency in volume productions, and ultimately, parity with other sources of grid energy.
About Morgan Technical Ceramics
Morgan Technical Ceramics (MTC) has comprehensive range of Ceramic materials, from which its products are manufactured. Supplying to a variety of demanding markets, MTC has established an enviable reputation for providing value-added solutions through world-class research and development, innovative design and, perhaps most important of all, application engineering.
Morgan Advanced Ceramics, together with Morgan Electro Ceramics forms Morgan Technical Ceramics, a division of the Morgan Crucible Company plc. From manufacturing locations in Australia, North America, Europe and Asia, Morgan Technical Ceramics supplies an extensive range of products, including ceramic components, braze alloys, ceramic/metal assemblies and engineered coatings.
For more information on Morgan Technical Ceramics visit www.morgantechnicalceramics.com
