Next Solar, a solar-panel production company based in Greece, is constructing its first thin-film solar module factory, scheduled to start production in early 2009. The initial annual capacity will be 30 megawatts (MW), and Next Solar has the option to upgrade to 60 MW. Oerlikon Solar is delivering a turnkey production line to the facility this year.
"We will provide Next Solar with our proprietary micromorph tandem technology, enabling them to quickly enter the thin-film solar market with a highly competitive and proven product," says Jeannine Sargent, CEO of Oerlikon Solar. "The micromorph tandem cell can achieve up to a 50% increase in module efficiency, as well as module yield in comparison to amorphous technology."
The production plant site will occupy over 16,000 square meters and is currently being built in the industrial zone of Tripoli, in Peloponnesus, Greece. Next Solar expects to sell products within Greece and in other European markets, such as Germany, Spain and Italy.
About Next Solar
The principal investors of Next Solar S.A. include an affiliate of Plainfield Asset Management LLC (a U.S.-based hedge fund that manages approximately $5 billion with significant investments in the alternative energy sector and more specifically in the biofuels and renewable energy sectors), a subsidiary company of Sciens International Investments and Holdings S.A. (a company that invests in alternative investments and is listed on the Athens Stock Exchange), as well as Mr Fakidis George, who has experience in the RES sector.
About Oerlikon Solar
Oerlikon Solar offers turnkey solutions for the mass production of thin-film silicon solar modules. These fully automated, modular end-to-end manufacturing solutions are focused on reducing device cost and maximizing productivity. They are available as modular end-to-end solutions with metrology and upgradeability in throughput and process technology.
Headquartered in Truebbach, Switzerland, Oerlikon Solar maintains a R&D lab in Europe, as well as global customer support and training through sales and service centers in the United States, Europe and Asia.
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