Langfang/Munich (ots) – The subsidiary of China’s biggest private energy provider to enter the market / Silicon thin film PV modules with Tandem Junction technology / Production on SunFab Line by Applied Materials
At Intersolar 2009 ENN Solar Energy Co., Ltd. will launch new silicon thin film solar modules in the German market. The subsidiary of China’s biggest private energy provider, ENN Group, produces thin film solar modules with the innovative Tandem Junction technology. The modules are produced on the SunFab Line of Applied Materials. For more cost benefits, the modules are up to 5.7 m² in size. The 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.
The solar company was founded in November 2007 in Langfang (near Beijing). It managed the ramp-up in a record-breaking 5 months. ENN Solar plans to begin mass production of its PV modules by the end of June, in order to reach 60 MW production capacity by the end of the year.
“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”, explains 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.” ENN Solar’s R&D team consists of several highly qualified experts from the US, who were also involved in the development of the production line.
The modules can be used for a variety of applications: from classic rooftop installations to integrated roof or facade solutions to entire ground mounted solar parks. For distribution of the PV modules in Germany, ENN Solar was able to win well-established German partners.
High performance modules with innovative Tandem Junction technology
ENN Solar produces its solar modules with sizes up to 5.7m² using the new Tandem Junction technology. With this technology, two layers of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon are 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. This means that the power output per installed Watt is much higher than that of conventional PV cells. This effect is not adequately represented by the current conversion efficiency of more than 8 percent of the ENN Solar panels, because the efficiency only accounts for energy output under ideal conditions.
Even at the production stage, ENN Solar makes environmental protection a priority: The production process of the solar modules made by ENN Solar is eco-friendly. No toxic materials are used in the modules. The energy payback time of ENN Solar modules sets standards for the industry: with an average of one year, it is significantly lower than that of conventional PV modules.
International know-how
ENN Solar gathers international know-how: The Company’s photovoltaic modules are produced on the SunFab production line of Applied Materials, Inc., a US company. It is China’s first integrated production line for silicon thin film PV modules with a surface of 5.7 m². The SunFab line is setting a new standard for the industry: The production line offers very low production costs per Watt. Modules made with SunFab are compliant with the strict requirements of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the TÜV certification has already been obtained. Apart from SunFab, ENN Solar bases its production on the best international know-how available. KUKA robots from Germany, glass substrates from Japan, and connector boxes from Switzerland.
ENN Solar as part of ENN Group
ENN Solar is a subsidiary of the ENN Group, China’s biggest private energy provider. The ENN Group, based in Langfang, was founded in 1989, currently employs about 26,000 people and has more than 40 million customers. The Group has adopted a long-term “green strategy” and focuses increasingly on green energy production. In 2007, the company introduced the first pilot method for an emission-free process for converting coal into gas. ENN Solar is yet another building block in the ENN Group’s green strategy.
Pressekontakt:
Jochen Laub
ph. +49 89 99 59 06-41
fax: +49 89 99 59 06-99
email: jochen.laub@wbpr.de
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