Chinese thin film solar module producer focuses on the German market
by Paul Buckley, Winchester, UK, May 25, 2009
Source: EETimes
http://eetimes.eu/germany/217600857
ENN Solar Energy Co., Ltd, the subsidiary of China’s biggest private energy provider, ENN Group, is launching new silicon thin film solar modules in the German market at InterSolar 2009 in Munich. The Chinese company produces thin film solar modules with the innovative Tandem Junction technology that features two layers of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon applied to the glass substrate.
The layer of amorphous silicon absorbs short-wave light, the other layer absorbs long-wave light. So, the PV cells are able to efficiently convert solar energy into electricity even in less than perfect conditions, such as low or diffuse sunlight.
The cost effective 5.7 m2 modules are produced using the SunFab Line supplied by Applied Materials. The Chinese company currently employs 250 people, 30 of them in Research & Development. Following Germany and Europe, ENN Solar will be launching in North America in July 2009.
The solar company, which was founded in November 2007 in Langfang (near Beijing), managed to achieve ramp-up in a five month period and plans to begin mass production of its PV modules by the end of June 2009, in order to reach 60 MW production capacity by the end of the year. The modules can be used for a variety of applications: from rooftop installations to integrated roof or facade solutions to entire ground mounted solar parks.
“The company plans to expand the capacity to 500 MW by 2011 based upon the market development to become the technology and cost leader in silicon Tandem Junction thin film module manufacturing”, explained Dr. Rick Wan, General Manager of ENN Solar Energy. “We are constantly working on improving the efficiency of the modules as well as reducing the production cost. It is our goal to increase the performance of the solar modules over the next three years. We are working on efficiencies of more than 10 percent. At the same time, we will be able to cut the cost of the solar modules by at least 30 percent compared to the current price levels.”