Oerlikon Solar is a leading global supplier of cost-efficient, high
performance production solutions for thin-film silicon solar modules.
The product range includes fully automated turnkey lines, production
systems and world-wide support. The production lines are modular and
upgradeable in both throughput and process technology. They are
available with production ramp-up service and metrology for quality
assurance.
It is
Oerlikon Solar’s vision to reduce costs and increase efficiencies to the
point that grid parity with conventional energy sources becomes a reality in
the near future. The company’s industry-leading technologies are bringing
the solar sector one step closer to realizing that pivotal goal.
Headquartered in Truebbach, Switzerland, with an R&D lab in Neuchâtel,
Switzerland, Oerlikon Solar employs more than 500 people. The company
provides global customer support and training through sales and service
centers in the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
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In 2007, Oerlikon Solar became a stand-alone segment
within Oerlikon, a manufacturer of production systems, components
and services for thin-film, vacuum, propulsion, textile-manufacturing
and precision-technology products.
Markets
Oerlikon Solar supplies the equipment market for mass production of
large-area, thin-film silicon solar modules, which are projected to
double annually in coming years. Market segments range from small
residential to mid-size industrial and large solar- farm applications.
The photovoltaics industry has been growing at a rate of 20 percent to
30 percent per year over the last decade, and industry analysts expect
double-digit growth to continue for at least two more decades.
Technology
Photovoltaic (PV) energy from solar cells provides a
clean, reliable and inexhaustible energy source for future global
electricity requirements. As the leading supplier of high performance
production lines for manufacturing cost-effective, thin-film solar
modules, Oerlikon Solar features an innovative micromorph tandem
technology that combines two different silicon materials — amorph and
microcrystalline. This combination boosts the energy conversion
efficiency by up to 50 percent compared to traditional amorphous single
cells.
Oerlikon
Solar provides the technologies for all critical mass production steps,
including deposition of the transparent conducting front and back
contacts, deposition of photovoltaic thin films for converting light
into electrical energy and laser patterning to generate the serially
connected cells in the modules. Our turnkey, end-to-end solution
provides the industry’s only proven path to module mass production ramp
up.
Oerlikon
Solar is the only supplier of transparent conductive oxide (TCO)
technology with haze on demand. This proprietary effect enables the
trapping of light in the photovoltaic thin-film, maximizing conversion
efficiency. These unique capabilities enhance the performance of the
solar modules and directly reduce the cost-per-watt peak. |
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