Nanosolar to Build Worlds Largest Solar Cell Factory

Press Release in part:

PALO ALTO, California - June 21, 2006 - Nanosolar Inc., a global leader in solar power innovation, today announced that it has started executing on its plan to build a volume cell production factory with a total annual cell output of 430MW once fully built out, or approximately 200 million cells per year, and an advanced panel assembly factory designed to produce more than one million solar panels per year.  By comparison all the solar cell production capacity in the world is about 1,700 megawatts.

They are due to start production in 2007. Nanosolar will also establish an assembly plant, most likely near Berlin, Germany, that will produce more than one million solar panels per year.

Nanosolar's technology exploits thin films of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), a direct bandgap semiconductor that generates a much larger photoelectric effect than silicon per unit of material. As a result, they claim, a thin film of CIGS just 1 µm thick can generate as much electricity as a 200-300 µm thick crystalline silicon wafer. Thin-film CIGS solar cells therefore offer similar conversion efficiencies to those based on silicon, at around 20%, but can be manufactured much more cheaply. Indeed, the company claims that a silicon solar-cell factory of the same capacity would cost more than one billion dollars to build.

According to Nanosolar, their roll printing process is more efficient and repeatable than alternative vacuum-coating techniques - which struggle to deposit the CIGS compound with the correct atomic structure to achieve good efficiency - and enable the use of substrates that are up to ten times cheaper that the stainless steel substrates needed for vacuum deposition. Nanosolar's flexible substrate technology also allows solar-cell modules to be assembled with high throughput and high yield.

June 21, 2006 - Nanosolar Inc., a global leader in solar power innovation, today announced that it now has $100 million in funding to take its breakthrough photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity technology into volume production.

The company announced it has completed a Series C Preferred Stock financing in the amount of more than $75 million, which, in conjunction with government factory subsidies recently secured, brings its total cash position (including non-debt cash equivalents) to just above $100 million.

Nanosolar is a global leader in solar power innovation. Nanosolar's solar electricity panels deliver unparalleled cost efficiency, enabling customers to use green power without paying more. With its proprietary nanoparticle ink and fast roll-printing technology, Nanosolar owns the processes and designs to produce the world's most cost-efficient solar cells and make them available in many versatile product forms. The company's headquarters are in Palo Alto, California, with European operations based in Berlin, Germany.

More info when I get time to research this. Material added 1:08 June 23

Nanosolar to build world's largest solar cell factory, Nanotechweb.org, June 21, 2006

Comments

[none]

I have read that one of the founding investors is one of the google founders. As such, one way or another money should not be a problem. I think this is very positive thing.

[Brianthesmurf]

James, anyone,

I saw an EROEI period of 2 months for Nanosolar cells on the Nanosolar site. I'd be very interested to know if this has been independently confirmed.

In addition are there any known toxicity problems with the use of the nanoparticles?

Regards
Brian

[hamerhokie]

I'd be really interested in knowing what their target price point is, but it's going to be very hard to determine as it seems they are more interested in producing the raw photovoltaics for others to integrate into other products, as opposed to making their own products for retail sales.

[Jim from The Energy Blog]

Their target price point has to be at least as low as other thin film makers which is US$1/Wp uninstalled in high volume production without subsidies. The lowest thin film module price is currently US$4.05/Wp so their is a long way to go. However with the market being dominated by silcon, the price is pretty well driven by silicon manufacturers and thin film companies are counting on this to give them a better margin until (if ever) the demand softens.

[Michael Cain]

It will be very interesting to watch developments in the nanotech PV field. Nanosolar lists quantum dots among their key technologies. Some of the research labs have shown that quantum dots of relatively common materials in varying sizes respond to different frequencies of light, creating much higher theoretical efficiencies. Reasonably priced solar farms in the desert? And a nice solar garden on my roof :^)

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