Californi-based solar company, Nanosolar, said that it has developed the industry’s first 1 gigawatt (GW) production tool.
Most production tools in the solar industry tend to have 10-30 megawatt (MW) in annual production capacity.
The extraordinary uptick in production capability is due to the company’s proprietary nanoparticle ink, Nanosolar said. The process allows Nanosolar to print solar cells (presently up to more than 14% solar efficiency), eliminating the need for expensive, high-vacuum chambers.
Nanosolar said the 1GW thin-film solar coater cost $1.65 million. Nanosoalr said it has successfully operated the machine at a 100 feet-per-minute speed (shown in a video on the company’s website)–a speed that is two orders of magnitude more capital efficient than a high-vacuum process, the company said.
Nanosolar also said the coater can run much faster–up to 2000 feet-per-minute.
In April, Nanosolar signed a deal to provide its Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenid (CIGS) solar cells to EDF Energies Nouvelles (EEN.PA) beginning in 2009.
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