Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

Oerlikon produces thin film silicon modules at €0.35/Wp

Oerlikon has released a new production line which, it says, allows thin film silicon photovoltaic modules to be produced at around US$0.50 or €0.35 per Watt peak (/Wp) and reduces capital expenditure by 20 percent.

The new equipmnet will be launched in January.

Oerlikon Solar

"The estimated price for the complete end-to-end production line is just $1/Wp including engineering support and performance guarantees," added the company in a statement released.

Specifically, the new production line, Oerlikon’s second generation ThinFab, is said to increase manufacturing line output, guarantee higher module efficiency and have a newer narrow-gap design for silicon deposition. A spokesperson for the company could not reveal any further details to pv magazine at this time.

The new equipmnet will be launched in January at the World Future Energy Summit 2012, scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi from 16 to 19 of the month. At the same time, Oerlikon says it will release a new thin film silicon cell, with a new high efficiency.

In July 2012, Oerlikon announced that it had cut customers' costs to "well under" US$1 per watt, down from around $1.30/Wp in 2009, and $1.50/Wp in 2008.