Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Solar Power -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jim Oravetz who wrote (64)	9/4/2007 4:17:54 PM
From: Jim Oravetz	Respond to of 9854

Applied details thin film solar module manufacturing line By Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor -- 9/4/2007 Electronic News Semiconductor manufacturing equipment giant Applied Materials Inc. disclosed details Monday on its SunFab thin film line, that it is touting as the world’s first and only integrated production line for manufacturing thin film silicon solar modules using 5.7-square-meter glass panels. Kevin Cunningham, global product manager for Applied’s solar business group told Electronic News that these substrates, sized at 2.2m x 2.6m, are four times bigger than today’s largest thin film solar production panels and a single SunFab manufacturing line allows for the manufacture of solar panels with capacity to generate 75-megawatts of power per year. The company is shipping the first line and has “more than six” contracts for lines in Europe and Asia, Cunningham noted. Solar infrastructure is taking off faster in Europe and Asia thanks to better incentive structures within those regions along with some governments seeing that investing in solar is in their strategic interest, he explained. Also, “there is a lot of interest in Washington for energy independence,” Cunningham continued. “[Applied Materials is] helping by providing information and insight as to what could help the country become more independent.” The SunFab line can be configured with single or tandem junction technology and is meant to reduce the cost of utility-scale and building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system installations by more than 20 percent. At the heart of the SunFab line is Applied’s chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD) and plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) technology, some of which was acquired with the Applied Films(Nasdaq:AFCO) acquisition in May 2006. CVD and PVD process systems are used to build the most critical layers of solar modules and the PECVD system processes the 5.7 square meter glass substrates also for the flat panel display industry. Also included in the SunFab line is automation software, which leverages technology acquired from the company’s purchase of Brooks Software. With contracts of $600 million in place, Cunningham said that bookings for these contracts would be recognized early next year with revenue to arrive late next year. Production for the line already shipping is set to begin in mid-2008. The solar business has been a good move for the capital equipment giant, Cunningham asserted. “We’ve been very pleased with the response. We’ve increased our goal from $200 to $400 million [in revenue for 2007] and then again to $600 million. The markets have been very interested in this technology due to the ability to produce modules at the lowest cost per watt,” he said. “Going forward, this is good example of what we are trying to do as a corporation going forward in terms of finding new applications for nanotechnology,” he continued. The company is also adapting its work in the architectural glass space to apply it directly to solar and also accelerate that growth and investigating other markets with a general focus on environmental and energy applications. “There is more to be done in lighting and architectural glass and more to be done in solar. Today’s announcement is about thin solar. The other technology is for solar application on silicon wafers,” Cunningham added. Finally, to maximize the performance of its SunFab production line, Applied said it also has a SunFab service option for integrated support solutions so customers can quickly ramp to volume production and optimize the efficiency and productivity of the line. Applied Materials will highlight its new Applied SunFab Thin Film Line at the 22nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Milan, Italy, from September 3-7, 2007.