Suniva Inc., a manufacturer of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, today announced that in less than 12 months after the initial planning it successfully began production of solar cells on its new 32-megawatts (MW) line in Norcross, Georgia. The company simultaneously announced plans to install a second production line next year with twice the manufacturing capacity of its first, bringing total production capacity of the Norcross facility to 96MW by the middle of 2009.
Suniva currently sells solar cells produced at the Norcross facility under existing customer contracts with companies including Solon AG (SOOG.DE) and Titan Energy Systems LTD., totaling more than US$1 billion.
With the successful completion of its first line, Suniva concurrently announced plans to continue the partnership with centrotherm photovoltaics AG to design and integrate a second, larger production line at the Norcross facility. Both lines will use uniquely configured, centrotherm integrated equipment and Suniva’s patented fabrication techniques to produce high efficiency, low-cost monocrystalline silicon solar cells. Suniva plans for this first factory to eventually feature a total capacity of about 175 MW by early 2010, the company said.
"Suniva’s customized centrotherm production lines allow us to manufacture state-of-the-art solar cells while also keeping the flexibility to incorporate additional innovations in the future," said John Baumstark, CEO for Suniva. "Partnering with industry leader centrotherm photovoltaics allows us to quickly and responsibly scale to meet our existing contracts and future market demand."
Suniva’s manufacturing technique was developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaics (UCEP).
Earlier this year, Suniva produced solar cells in the lab with over 20% conversion efficiency, verified by NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), a world record for low-cost screen-printed solar cells.
"As an equipment supplier to Suniva, we quickly recognized the company’s potential for providing leading solar cell technology and are proud to join forces in striving towards grid parity," said Dr. Peter Fath, CTO of centrotherm photovoltaics AG. "Today’s announcement of Suniva’s second centrotherm production line positions our two companies as solid leaders of growth in US-based solar manufacturing."
About Suniva
Based in Atlanta, Suniva develops, manufactures and markets high-value crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells for clean solar power generation. The company has an exclusive license to critical patents and patent-pending intellectual property developed by founder and CTO Dr. Ajeet Rohatgi at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s University Center of Excellence in Photovoltaics.
About centrotherm photovoltaics AG
centrotherm photovoltaics AG is one of the leading international providers of technology and services for the production of solar cells and solar silicon. The company supplies turnkey production lines and key equipment to manufacture solar cells as well as engineering and process-technology services. The range of products on offer includes the technology, the facilities and the equipment needed to manufacture crystalline solar cells as well as thin film modules. In the solar silicon segment the company offers services and key equipment. The group includes subsidiaries which allow it to provide technological expertise for important stages of the value chain for the production of photovoltaic solar systems.
Loading...