Ames-based PowerFilm has a new partnership with a company that makes lighting bars and other gear for emergency vehicles.
The agreement will allow Streamlight Inc. to add PowerFilm’s 14-watt flexible solar panels as an option for emergency responders and others looking for an auxiliary source of power for the lights, computers, radios and other electrical components that are now built into vehicles.
The Streamlight deal is the second vehicle partnership announced by PowerFilm. In January, the company said it would join with Textron Co. to make solar power an option for E-Z-GO golf cars and other electric vehicles.
In a statement announcing the Streamlight venture, PowerFilm President Tim Neugent said the company’s new solar panels provide enough supplemental power to the battery of an emergency vehicle “to ensure that the vehicle will start when needed and reduce the need to idle the vehicle, saving fuel and reducing emissions.”
Streamlight President Ray Sharrah said in an email that most solar panel makers “are targeting large commercial or residential installations using thousands of square feet of panel. PowerFilm’s focus on smaller products met our needs for vehicular mobile applications and their design proved itself in a year of field trials.” He said the Iowa company’s “solar technology is unequaled and provides us with amazing versatility.”
Streamlight will begin shipping PowerFilm products next month, Sharrah said.
The potential market is substantial, he said: “In the U.S. alone there are 18,000 law enforcement agencies. There are 25,000 vehicles in service in just state police and highway patrols. American auto manufacturers sell more than 50,000 new police cars a year. When we add this to industrial and utility vehicles and look internationally, it presents a considerable market need.”
2012年3月28日星期三
2012年3月14日星期三
Solar-panel plant: 'Concerns misplaced'
State-owned investment arm InvestPenang has moved to deflect concerns about the 520 million euro solar-panel plant to be built in Batu Kawan by Germany’s Bosch Group.
InvestPenang head Lee Kah Choon pointed out that every industry produces waste.
"The critical component is whether it is properly treated and managed," he said in a statement.
"Solar energy industry is no different but environmental concerns of it being more serious than other industries are not valid. This is because it is considered not only a clean energy but also a renewable one encouraged by all countries.”
Gerakan has criticised Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for allowing the project while objecting to the Lynas plant in Gebeng, Kuantan, because of potential radioactive hazards.
On safety and environmental issues, Lee said the Department of Environment (DOE) will ensure that the solar-panel project adheres to guidelines laid out in the National Policy on the Environment.
"I am confident that the DOE will carry out rigorously its requirements in compliance and enforcement of environmental guidelines in Penang," he said.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) has identified the photovoltaic (PV) industry as a main area for growth, Lee said.
Activities promoted include R&D; manufacture of core components; assembly, packaging and testing; and sales, distribution and services for PV.
"According to the ETP, Malaysia targets to be the world’s Number 2 producer of PV by 2020,” said Lee, who was once Gerakan’s Jelutong parliamentarian.
"This is in line with the target for renewable energy sources to contribute at least 5.5 percent of the country’s entire energy mix by 2015, as outlined in the National Renewable Energy Policy.”
Lee also said the International Trade and Industry Ministry has identified solar cells as a product that is eligible for incentives such as pioneer status or investment tax allowance.
Efforts to promote investment in the world’s fastest growing energy industry have now placed Malaysia as the world’s third-largest solar module manufacturer.
Malaysia, he said, has witnessed an influx of PV global players notably First Solar in Kedah, Q-Cells in Selangor, AUO SunPower in Melaka, and MEMC in Sarawak.
The most recent investment has come from Japanese electronics giant Panasonic which will set up a solar manufacturing base in Kulim, that will be operational in December.
Lee said Penang has always ensured that its economic directions are aligned with federal policies.
"Penang failed to attract First Solar when it first came in 2005 and as a result, (the state) lost 4,000 direct employment opportunities and the chance to participate in the PV industry," Lee added.
"The success in attracting Bosch Solar Energy is to plug that gap.”
InvestPenang head Lee Kah Choon pointed out that every industry produces waste.
"The critical component is whether it is properly treated and managed," he said in a statement.
"Solar energy industry is no different but environmental concerns of it being more serious than other industries are not valid. This is because it is considered not only a clean energy but also a renewable one encouraged by all countries.”
Gerakan has criticised Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for allowing the project while objecting to the Lynas plant in Gebeng, Kuantan, because of potential radioactive hazards.
On safety and environmental issues, Lee said the Department of Environment (DOE) will ensure that the solar-panel project adheres to guidelines laid out in the National Policy on the Environment.
"I am confident that the DOE will carry out rigorously its requirements in compliance and enforcement of environmental guidelines in Penang," he said.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) has identified the photovoltaic (PV) industry as a main area for growth, Lee said.
Activities promoted include R&D; manufacture of core components; assembly, packaging and testing; and sales, distribution and services for PV.
"According to the ETP, Malaysia targets to be the world’s Number 2 producer of PV by 2020,” said Lee, who was once Gerakan’s Jelutong parliamentarian.
"This is in line with the target for renewable energy sources to contribute at least 5.5 percent of the country’s entire energy mix by 2015, as outlined in the National Renewable Energy Policy.”
Lee also said the International Trade and Industry Ministry has identified solar cells as a product that is eligible for incentives such as pioneer status or investment tax allowance.
Efforts to promote investment in the world’s fastest growing energy industry have now placed Malaysia as the world’s third-largest solar module manufacturer.
Malaysia, he said, has witnessed an influx of PV global players notably First Solar in Kedah, Q-Cells in Selangor, AUO SunPower in Melaka, and MEMC in Sarawak.
The most recent investment has come from Japanese electronics giant Panasonic which will set up a solar manufacturing base in Kulim, that will be operational in December.
Lee said Penang has always ensured that its economic directions are aligned with federal policies.
"Penang failed to attract First Solar when it first came in 2005 and as a result, (the state) lost 4,000 direct employment opportunities and the chance to participate in the PV industry," Lee added.
"The success in attracting Bosch Solar Energy is to plug that gap.”
2011年10月19日星期三
Solar Firms Seek Duties in China Dumping Case
A group of U.S. solar-panel makers Wednesday called on the federal government to punish Chinese rivals with extra duties for allegedly dumping their products on the U.S. market.
Executives of SolarWorld AG, a German-based company that makes solar panels in Oregon, led the group at a news conference here, flanked by both U.S. senators from Oregon.
SolarWorld "can compete with anyone in the world," said Gordon Brinser, president of the company's U.S. unit. But, he added, "illegal subsidies in China" have prompted "the Chinese solar industry to come in and gut and own the U.S. solar industry."
One of China's top solar-panel makers, Suntech Power Holdings Co., rejected the accusations. It called SolarWorld's petition "protectionism" that could "put thousands of jobs at risk." Suntech added, "A solar trade war would deal a major blow to the global economy and to our common goal of achieving a clean energy future."
The solar battle touches on two hot debates in Washington and on the Republican presidential campaign trail: China's trading practices and the future of clean energy in the U.S. The Obama administration has blamed China in part for the demise of Solyndra LLC, the solar-panel maker that recently filed for bankruptcy after receiving $535 million in U.S. loan guarantees.
SolarWorld, one of the largest solar-panel suppliers in the U.S., recently shut down one of its Oregon facilities and laid off more than 150 workers.
The industry is struggling with soft demand in Europe—the world's largest solar market—and falling prices that executives blame on oversupply from China and other Asian countries. The difficulties have driven solar-panel company stock prices to multiyear lows.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) said that while U.S. demand for solar power has been "skyrocketing," the "American solar industry has been collapsing."
Joined by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.), Mr. Wyden said China was "cheating" by giving panel makers inexpensive loans. Mr. Merkley said Chinese government-backed banks extended $25 billion in loans to large solar-product manufacturers last year at fixed, subsidized rates.
Suntech has denied receiving special help from the Chinese government or government-backed banks.
The U.S. makers are asking the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission to impose a duty on panels imported from China, a market that totaled $1.6 billion in the first eight months of 2011. SolarWorld accused Chinese manufacturers of selling solar panels at less than half of what the production costs would be in a comparable free-market economy, and is asking for tariffs to make up the difference.
The U.S. could take a year to make a decision, though some duties could be imposed earlier on a preliminary basis.
The case includes only panels made with crystalline silicon. Some U.S. firms that use other technologies, including First Solar Inc., said they weren't involved in Solar World's petition and avoided endorsing it.
"We are a global firm, and in our experience the industry and our customers benefit most when trade is free and fair and all participants operate on a level playing field," First Solar said.
Executives of SolarWorld AG, a German-based company that makes solar panels in Oregon, led the group at a news conference here, flanked by both U.S. senators from Oregon.
SolarWorld "can compete with anyone in the world," said Gordon Brinser, president of the company's U.S. unit. But, he added, "illegal subsidies in China" have prompted "the Chinese solar industry to come in and gut and own the U.S. solar industry."
One of China's top solar-panel makers, Suntech Power Holdings Co., rejected the accusations. It called SolarWorld's petition "protectionism" that could "put thousands of jobs at risk." Suntech added, "A solar trade war would deal a major blow to the global economy and to our common goal of achieving a clean energy future."
The solar battle touches on two hot debates in Washington and on the Republican presidential campaign trail: China's trading practices and the future of clean energy in the U.S. The Obama administration has blamed China in part for the demise of Solyndra LLC, the solar-panel maker that recently filed for bankruptcy after receiving $535 million in U.S. loan guarantees.
SolarWorld, one of the largest solar-panel suppliers in the U.S., recently shut down one of its Oregon facilities and laid off more than 150 workers.
The industry is struggling with soft demand in Europe—the world's largest solar market—and falling prices that executives blame on oversupply from China and other Asian countries. The difficulties have driven solar-panel company stock prices to multiyear lows.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) said that while U.S. demand for solar power has been "skyrocketing," the "American solar industry has been collapsing."
Joined by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.), Mr. Wyden said China was "cheating" by giving panel makers inexpensive loans. Mr. Merkley said Chinese government-backed banks extended $25 billion in loans to large solar-product manufacturers last year at fixed, subsidized rates.
Suntech has denied receiving special help from the Chinese government or government-backed banks.
The U.S. makers are asking the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission to impose a duty on panels imported from China, a market that totaled $1.6 billion in the first eight months of 2011. SolarWorld accused Chinese manufacturers of selling solar panels at less than half of what the production costs would be in a comparable free-market economy, and is asking for tariffs to make up the difference.
The U.S. could take a year to make a decision, though some duties could be imposed earlier on a preliminary basis.
The case includes only panels made with crystalline silicon. Some U.S. firms that use other technologies, including First Solar Inc., said they weren't involved in Solar World's petition and avoided endorsing it.
"We are a global firm, and in our experience the industry and our customers benefit most when trade is free and fair and all participants operate on a level playing field," First Solar said.
2011年9月19日星期一
First Solar's Record Efficiency May Best China Solar Panels
First Solar Inc., which achieved record efficiency for a thin-film solar cell, will incorporate the advance into its manufacturing technology next quarter to outpace cost reductions by Chinese rivals and compete against fossil fuels without government aid.
First Solar developed a cell that converts 17.3 percent of sunlight into electricity and applying those techniques may yield conversion rates of 15.3 percent in mass production, said Chief Technology Officer David Eaglesham. That compares with 11.7 percent the company averaged in the second quarter.
"There were about a dozen changes that we'll be phasing into production," starting in the fourth quarter, Eaglesham said in an interview at the company's factory in Perrysburg, Ohio, on Sept. 2. He didn't say when the improvements will be fully implemented.
First Solar is the world's largest thin-film company and the reductions may make it the first in the solar industry to compete on price with fossil fuels without subsidies, said Mark Bachman, an analyst at Avian Securities LLC. That would be a victory for President Barack Obama, who is under fire for supporting Solyndra LLC, a competing company that received $535 million in U.S. loan guarantees before filing for bankruptcy on Sept. 6. First Solar has $5.35 billion in federal loan guarantees.
"First Solar is leading the pack," Bachman said in an interview from Boston. "Tax credits will help for the next five years, and they can stand on their own after that."
First Solar shares fell $1.79, or 2.1 percent, to $83.91 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading, after a report from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. today predicted slow demand growth this year for solar panels. The company has fallen 36 percent this year, outperforming the 53 percent slump in the Bloomberg Industries Large Solar index. Solar companies tumbled as demand slowed and subsidies were pared in Germany and Italy, two of the biggest markets, and prices for panels dropped.
Already, First Solar has the lowest costs in the industry, producing so-called thin-film solar panels for 73 cents a watt. The higher efficiency levels will drive those costs down further, making the panels more attractive than traditional photovoltaics.
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has mostly avoided funding polysilicon-based panels, betting on thin-film to drive down the installed cost of solar power to $1 a watt by 2020, a 75 percent reduction from the current industry average. That would make solar cheaper than buying power from utilities that mostly consume coal and natural gas.
Based in Tempe, Arizona, First Solar uses cadmium telluride as a semiconducting material, applying it in a film directly to glass in an automated process. Traditional PV products are made from polysilicon, which must be made in furnaces, sliced into wafers, formed into cells and assembled into panels.
Both technologies differ from Solyndra, which used a thin film made of copper, indium, gallium and selenium to conduct electricity through tubes of glass mounted to a metal frame. The process yielded panels that were attractive when polysilicon traded as high as $475 a kilogram in 2008. They were too costly to compete when the raw material sank to $50 last year.
First Solar developed a cell that converts 17.3 percent of sunlight into electricity and applying those techniques may yield conversion rates of 15.3 percent in mass production, said Chief Technology Officer David Eaglesham. That compares with 11.7 percent the company averaged in the second quarter.
"There were about a dozen changes that we'll be phasing into production," starting in the fourth quarter, Eaglesham said in an interview at the company's factory in Perrysburg, Ohio, on Sept. 2. He didn't say when the improvements will be fully implemented.
First Solar is the world's largest thin-film company and the reductions may make it the first in the solar industry to compete on price with fossil fuels without subsidies, said Mark Bachman, an analyst at Avian Securities LLC. That would be a victory for President Barack Obama, who is under fire for supporting Solyndra LLC, a competing company that received $535 million in U.S. loan guarantees before filing for bankruptcy on Sept. 6. First Solar has $5.35 billion in federal loan guarantees.
"First Solar is leading the pack," Bachman said in an interview from Boston. "Tax credits will help for the next five years, and they can stand on their own after that."
First Solar shares fell $1.79, or 2.1 percent, to $83.91 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading, after a report from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. today predicted slow demand growth this year for solar panels. The company has fallen 36 percent this year, outperforming the 53 percent slump in the Bloomberg Industries Large Solar index. Solar companies tumbled as demand slowed and subsidies were pared in Germany and Italy, two of the biggest markets, and prices for panels dropped.
Already, First Solar has the lowest costs in the industry, producing so-called thin-film solar panels for 73 cents a watt. The higher efficiency levels will drive those costs down further, making the panels more attractive than traditional photovoltaics.
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has mostly avoided funding polysilicon-based panels, betting on thin-film to drive down the installed cost of solar power to $1 a watt by 2020, a 75 percent reduction from the current industry average. That would make solar cheaper than buying power from utilities that mostly consume coal and natural gas.
Based in Tempe, Arizona, First Solar uses cadmium telluride as a semiconducting material, applying it in a film directly to glass in an automated process. Traditional PV products are made from polysilicon, which must be made in furnaces, sliced into wafers, formed into cells and assembled into panels.
Both technologies differ from Solyndra, which used a thin film made of copper, indium, gallium and selenium to conduct electricity through tubes of glass mounted to a metal frame. The process yielded panels that were attractive when polysilicon traded as high as $475 a kilogram in 2008. They were too costly to compete when the raw material sank to $50 last year.
2011年6月26日星期日
Boosting solar energy in Tanzania
In Tanzania we have long suffered from power woes. Different reasons are given to justify power rationing but worldwide many private enterprises and townships have opted for solar and windmill power.
The Tanzania Solar Energy Association (TASEA) was officially registered in May 2001. Its mission is to develop and promote rational use of solar energy. The source of almost all renewable forms of energy such as direct solar energy, biomass energy, wind energy and hydropower is the sun.
Tanzania has a very good potential for power generation from renewable energy sources. Some renewable energy technologies are available in Tanzania. Their application covers from heating, lighting, electricity, cooking, refrigeration, transportation, drying and water pumping. However, much more has to be done to spread the use of solar power in Tanzania.
Last week I read about one Danny Kennedy who has made a dramatic impact in the solar power industry. He helped in turning the Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia into a green building following his work on clean energy that has been going on for the past few years.
Danny, like many environmentalist associations, shares a common concern about climate change and politics of industrialisation with the objective of preserving our planet for the future.
Danny has travelled to the US to set up a solar company that brings solar technology simply and efficiently to the broader public. His marketing line is that the sun's rays can turn any home into a solar powerhouse that could make things run in the house without electricity.
There is an often used quote saying that “The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” The objective is to be able to see that things that appear hopeless can be made otherwise through patience, intelligence and perseverance.
Danny’s new company is a response from his long-held passion to slow global warming with solar power. He is making it simple and easy to access, first for homeowners in America and as it scales and becomes cheaper, for the entire world. That is a win-win situation for everyone.
Anyone who has a home or business can cut out on their electricity bills by going solar. In Tanzania some firms deal in solar panels down one wonders why the technology has not picked up, like in some overseas countries. This would help alleviated the adverse effects of our power crisis especially because these solar installations are meant to be easy to install and are considered affordable.
There is no better way to feel empowered than to take control of one’s own electricity and take a stand against climate change with solar power.
Like Danny, I am sure we have many graduates who can team up with entrepreneurs to bring more solar energy to Tanzania homes, buildings and businesses that would help the country go greener and reduce global climate change.
The Tanzania Solar Energy Association (TASEA) was officially registered in May 2001. Its mission is to develop and promote rational use of solar energy. The source of almost all renewable forms of energy such as direct solar energy, biomass energy, wind energy and hydropower is the sun.
Tanzania has a very good potential for power generation from renewable energy sources. Some renewable energy technologies are available in Tanzania. Their application covers from heating, lighting, electricity, cooking, refrigeration, transportation, drying and water pumping. However, much more has to be done to spread the use of solar power in Tanzania.
Last week I read about one Danny Kennedy who has made a dramatic impact in the solar power industry. He helped in turning the Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia into a green building following his work on clean energy that has been going on for the past few years.
Danny, like many environmentalist associations, shares a common concern about climate change and politics of industrialisation with the objective of preserving our planet for the future.
Danny has travelled to the US to set up a solar company that brings solar technology simply and efficiently to the broader public. His marketing line is that the sun's rays can turn any home into a solar powerhouse that could make things run in the house without electricity.
There is an often used quote saying that “The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” The objective is to be able to see that things that appear hopeless can be made otherwise through patience, intelligence and perseverance.
Danny’s new company is a response from his long-held passion to slow global warming with solar power. He is making it simple and easy to access, first for homeowners in America and as it scales and becomes cheaper, for the entire world. That is a win-win situation for everyone.
Anyone who has a home or business can cut out on their electricity bills by going solar. In Tanzania some firms deal in solar panels down one wonders why the technology has not picked up, like in some overseas countries. This would help alleviated the adverse effects of our power crisis especially because these solar installations are meant to be easy to install and are considered affordable.
There is no better way to feel empowered than to take control of one’s own electricity and take a stand against climate change with solar power.
Like Danny, I am sure we have many graduates who can team up with entrepreneurs to bring more solar energy to Tanzania homes, buildings and businesses that would help the country go greener and reduce global climate change.
2011年4月26日星期二
MiaSole Turns to Intel for Manufacturing Tips
Intel is known for its manufacturing might, and its ability to roll out chips speedily in giant factories. Can that knowledge help a solar startup? MiaSole announced Tuesday it has enlisted the chip giant to help the company scale up its thin-film solar production.
Eight Intel folks have been embedded at MiaSole’s factory since last month to provide advice and employee training, said Rob DeLine, VP of marketing at MiaSole. MiaSole makes solar panels using copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS), a combination that requires precise layering and distribution of the materials to achieved desired efficiencies. CIGS panels have the potential to rival the more popular silicon panels in efficiency and price, but the vast majority of CIGS companies are small and in the process of working on beefing up their manufacturing operations.
Turning to Intel for consultation seems unusual, given Intel isn’t a solar manufacturer, though it has invested in some solar production, including another CIGS solar panel manufacturer in Germany: Surfurcell. There are some similarities between chips and solar panels, mainly, that they rely primarily on silicon wafers as the building block. Chips are, in fact, much more complex to engineer and make.
Though making solar cells and assembling them into panels is more simple than making chips, scaling up a solar factory is no easy task. Plenty of companies have learned that controlling the quality and consistency of their production can take far longer than expected.
DeLine made it clear the Intel experts aren’t stationed at MiaSole to help MiaSole tinker with its core technology of making CIGS solar cells. Instead, the experts will offer a slew of recommendations for key areas of factory efficiency that may not be obvious to those who aren’t familiar with manufacturing in general.
“Regardless of the product types, anybody who is in high volume manufacturing faces some common issues, such as tool uptime, how fast you do preventive maintenance and when and how you do (employee) shift changes,” DeLine said. “We are delighted and absolutely thrilled to be able to learn from one of the best regarded manufacturers in any industry.”
With Intel’s help, MiaSole hopes to speed up its near-term plan to boost production and lower costs. MiaSole has about 50 MW of annual production capacity and expects to cross over 150 MW by the end of this year, DeLine said. MiaSole hopes the chip giant’s advice can help it achieve that year-end goal earlier rather than later in the fourth quarter, he added. The contract with Intel will last through 2012, and the companies aren’t disclosing financial terms of the contract.
MiaSole shipped 22 MW of solar panels in 2010 and expects to ship over 80 MW in 2011, then more than 200 MW in 2012, DeLine said. The company’s large customers include Germany-based Juwi Solar, which signed a 600MW supply agreement last year. MiaSole also inked a supply deal with SolarCity to install its panels on Walmart stores last year; MiaSole has completed the 5 MW delivery and expects “further opportunity in 2011,” DeLine said.
Make or Break Time
MiaSole is at a critical juncture where it needs to boost its production capacity and speed quickly. The company has had its share of struggles developing a technology that can rival others in efficiency and start developing it in large volumes. The current CEO, Joseph Laia, took over in 2007 to fix these problems, and the company hunkered down for about a year before announcing new progress. The company didn’t start commercial shipment until October 2009, Laia told me.
While MiaSole works out its kinks, the solar market has grown quickly and attracted the entrance of well-funded manufacturers who have built factories in the hundreds of megawatts. Several of the top 10 manufacturers in the world today make silicon panels and boast more than 1 GW of production capacity. Many of MiaSole’s fellow CIGS solar panel producers are working on building larger factories. Stion, for example, is working on a 100 MW factory in Mississippi. SoloPower is planning a factory in Oregon that eventually could reach 400 MW of annual capacity.
MiaSole previously has set a goal of reaching a manufacturing cost of 85 cents per watt, which it believes it could hit when it reaches 120 MW of production capacity, DeLine said. The company previously had hoped to reach that by the end of 2010. MiaSole and its peers are chasing after First Solar, which claims to have the lowest manufacturing cost and achieved 75 cents per watt by the end of 2010. But it reached that figure with 1.4 GW of factories. Incidentally, First Solar’s manufacturing operation has grown under the watch of a former Intel executive, Bruce Sohn, who’s leaving the solar company at the end of the month.
MiaSole, which had been making solar panels with 10.5 percent efficiency for some time, began shipping panels with higher efficiency this month, DeLine said. While he declined to say how efficient, DeLine said the panels are more efficient than the 11.6 percent panels achieved by First Solar by the end of 2010.
MiaSole last raised a $106 million round in the fourth quarter of last year, DeLine said. The company is reportedly looking to go public as early as this year. DeLine said MiaSole’s managers and investors have been thinking about doing an IPO but the company isn’t saying more at this point.
Eight Intel folks have been embedded at MiaSole’s factory since last month to provide advice and employee training, said Rob DeLine, VP of marketing at MiaSole. MiaSole makes solar panels using copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS), a combination that requires precise layering and distribution of the materials to achieved desired efficiencies. CIGS panels have the potential to rival the more popular silicon panels in efficiency and price, but the vast majority of CIGS companies are small and in the process of working on beefing up their manufacturing operations.
Turning to Intel for consultation seems unusual, given Intel isn’t a solar manufacturer, though it has invested in some solar production, including another CIGS solar panel manufacturer in Germany: Surfurcell. There are some similarities between chips and solar panels, mainly, that they rely primarily on silicon wafers as the building block. Chips are, in fact, much more complex to engineer and make.
Though making solar cells and assembling them into panels is more simple than making chips, scaling up a solar factory is no easy task. Plenty of companies have learned that controlling the quality and consistency of their production can take far longer than expected.
DeLine made it clear the Intel experts aren’t stationed at MiaSole to help MiaSole tinker with its core technology of making CIGS solar cells. Instead, the experts will offer a slew of recommendations for key areas of factory efficiency that may not be obvious to those who aren’t familiar with manufacturing in general.
“Regardless of the product types, anybody who is in high volume manufacturing faces some common issues, such as tool uptime, how fast you do preventive maintenance and when and how you do (employee) shift changes,” DeLine said. “We are delighted and absolutely thrilled to be able to learn from one of the best regarded manufacturers in any industry.”
With Intel’s help, MiaSole hopes to speed up its near-term plan to boost production and lower costs. MiaSole has about 50 MW of annual production capacity and expects to cross over 150 MW by the end of this year, DeLine said. MiaSole hopes the chip giant’s advice can help it achieve that year-end goal earlier rather than later in the fourth quarter, he added. The contract with Intel will last through 2012, and the companies aren’t disclosing financial terms of the contract.
MiaSole shipped 22 MW of solar panels in 2010 and expects to ship over 80 MW in 2011, then more than 200 MW in 2012, DeLine said. The company’s large customers include Germany-based Juwi Solar, which signed a 600MW supply agreement last year. MiaSole also inked a supply deal with SolarCity to install its panels on Walmart stores last year; MiaSole has completed the 5 MW delivery and expects “further opportunity in 2011,” DeLine said.
Make or Break Time
MiaSole is at a critical juncture where it needs to boost its production capacity and speed quickly. The company has had its share of struggles developing a technology that can rival others in efficiency and start developing it in large volumes. The current CEO, Joseph Laia, took over in 2007 to fix these problems, and the company hunkered down for about a year before announcing new progress. The company didn’t start commercial shipment until October 2009, Laia told me.
While MiaSole works out its kinks, the solar market has grown quickly and attracted the entrance of well-funded manufacturers who have built factories in the hundreds of megawatts. Several of the top 10 manufacturers in the world today make silicon panels and boast more than 1 GW of production capacity. Many of MiaSole’s fellow CIGS solar panel producers are working on building larger factories. Stion, for example, is working on a 100 MW factory in Mississippi. SoloPower is planning a factory in Oregon that eventually could reach 400 MW of annual capacity.
MiaSole previously has set a goal of reaching a manufacturing cost of 85 cents per watt, which it believes it could hit when it reaches 120 MW of production capacity, DeLine said. The company previously had hoped to reach that by the end of 2010. MiaSole and its peers are chasing after First Solar, which claims to have the lowest manufacturing cost and achieved 75 cents per watt by the end of 2010. But it reached that figure with 1.4 GW of factories. Incidentally, First Solar’s manufacturing operation has grown under the watch of a former Intel executive, Bruce Sohn, who’s leaving the solar company at the end of the month.
MiaSole, which had been making solar panels with 10.5 percent efficiency for some time, began shipping panels with higher efficiency this month, DeLine said. While he declined to say how efficient, DeLine said the panels are more efficient than the 11.6 percent panels achieved by First Solar by the end of 2010.
MiaSole last raised a $106 million round in the fourth quarter of last year, DeLine said. The company is reportedly looking to go public as early as this year. DeLine said MiaSole’s managers and investors have been thinking about doing an IPO but the company isn’t saying more at this point.
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