Nanosolar Launches 1-GW Thin-film CIGS Production Tool

[LMagic007]

Nanosolar Launches 1-GW Thin-film CIGS Production Tool

California, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]
Nanosolar Inc. has launched a new deposition throughput for the production of CIGS thin-film solar cells. The production tool has annual capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW).

Nanosolar Launches 1-GW Thin-film CIGS Production Tool

[prashamk]

Company's blogs says:

As we are busy ramping our operation, we almost forgot to recognize achieving a major milestone in solar technology: The solar industry’s first 1GW production tool.

Most production tools in the solar industry tend to have 10-30MW in annual production capacity. How is it possible to have a single tool with Gigawatt throughput?

This feat is fundamentally enabled through the proprietary nanoparticle ink we have invested so many years developing. It allows us to deliver efficient solar cells (presently up to more than 14%) that are simply printed.

Printing is a simple, fast, and robust coating process that in particular eliminates the need for expensive high-vacuum chambers and the kinds of high-vacuum based deposition techniques from industries where there’s a lot more $/sqm available for competitive manufacturing cost.

Our 1GW CIGS coater cost $1.65 million. At the 100 feet-per-minute speed shown in the video, that’s an astonishing two orders of magnitude more capital efficient than a high-vacuum process: a twenty times slower high-vacuum tool would have cost about ten times as much per tool.

Plus if we cared to run it even faster, we could. (The same coating technique works in principle for speeds up to 2000 feet-per-minute too. In fact, it turns out the faster we run, the better the coating!)

Much more info is required as how much land, what kind of batteries etc are required to make the project feasible.

Where are the experts?

[prashamk]

Check this out too...

Paul Maycock, president of solar-electric consulting and research firm Photovoltaic Energy Systems, said the announcement, if true, is very important.

After all, manufacturing costs for thin-film leader First Solar’s cadmium-telluride films are about $1 per watt, he said. That would equate to $1 billion for a gigawatt, with everything included.

While Nanosolar’s $1.65 million wouldn’t include the costs for the whole line, but just for one tool, it implies a “very significant” cost reduction, Maycock said.

“If they’ve got that, they’ve got the world by the tail,” he said. “It sounds like a major accomplishment, but the proof is in the product.”

Maycock warned that an announcement isn’t proof, and added that Nanosolar has been putting out press rele ases for years. In 2006, the company said it planned to reach mass production in 2007 (see Nanosolar to Build in San Jose).

“When are they going to have products?” he asked. “When can I buy them? Show me a product that I can check the efficiency of and can get for $2 or less. I have to adopt a ‘show me’ attitude with Nanosolar, but I don’t say they can’t do it – I hope they do. We need 14 percent thin films with prices below $2 a watt right now.”

[LMagic007]

No doubt more will be revealed, but it's an interesting milestone to have a tool that can literally print / roll / out 1 GW of solar cells annually that costs $1.65 million. This represents phenomenal automated productive capacity when multiplied out to many such tools and presumably value for money. We will await with baited breath.

[prashamk]

I suggest you read my 2nd post once more. There is clear mention that final would come around 1 billion but that too is almost 50% of what its costing today.

[LMagic007]

Indeed, a projected 50% cost reduction appears like a major development.

[prashamk]

Sure it is.

[LMagic007]

A few other Nanosolar news items

World's largest utility enters strategic partnership with Nanosolar, invests $50m.

Nanosolar ships first commercial panels.

Nanosolar awarded largest Solar America contract.

Nanosolar secures 647,000 sqft of manufacturing space.

Nanosolar raises $100,000,000; building factory.
IBM's top manufacturing executive joins Nanosolar.

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