Moser Baer to roll out largest solar panels in India
by Anand Parthasarathy
Source: The HINDU, July 4, 2008
http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/04/stories/2008070452971800.htm
The Noida-based Moser Baer, makers of optical storage products, will soon roll out the largest solar photo voltaic (SPV) panels ever fabricated in India — 5.7 sq. metres — making it the biggest customer in the country for the U.S.-based Applied Materials. The SPV manufacturing process that is in final pre-production trials is based on the SunFab thin film line technology sourced from a global leader in nano manufacturing solutions for the semiconductor, flat panel display and solar photo panel industry, which has had an Indian marketing and development presence since 2002.
Briefing the media on Thursday, Madhusudan Atre, President, Applied Materials India, said the SunFab technology for glass-to-module production, adopted by Moser Baer to fuel its foray into the solar panel business, would enable it to offer the largest geometries of SPVs now available and generate 35-45 MW of solar energy capacity every year. Applied Materials also counts the Chennai-based Saint Gobain among its customers for new generation energy-efficient glass technologies.
The company has funded a nano manufacturing lab at IIT Bombay and partners Indian players like Wipro, TCS and Satyam on software projects, Mr. Atre added. It ploughs back over 15 per cent of its $10 billion global revenues into research and development through centres worldwide including Bangalore.