Oerlikon Solar, a leading Swiss manufacturer of production lines for thin film silicon solar modules, has launched two new world-record setting technologies that will boost its competitiveness.

Its new production line “ThinFab” for manufacturing thin film silicon modules will achieve record breaking production costs of EUR0.50 ($0.63) per Watt peak (Wp).

Oerlikon Solar also developed a new champion Micromorph lab cell in cooperation with Corning Incorporated with 11.9 per cent stabilized efficiency confirmed by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

“Our achievements could become a breakthrough for thin film silicon technology,” said Michael Buscher, Oerlikon Group CEO.

“We are proud that our new ThinFab offers a highly competitive production line to the solar market and that we could verify further potential of our technology,” he added.

The new ThinFab incorporates a wide range of improvements ahead of the Oerlikon Solar technology roadmap including a new generation of the core equipments PECVD, TCO and laser, thinner cell structures with reduced degradation and reduced gas consumption, stabilised module efficiency of 10 per cent (143 Wp per module) as well as a new low voltage module design, based on a simplified new backend equipment.

The ThinFab reduces the energy payback-time of thin film silicon modules below one year, with the lowest energy consumption for photovoltaic production plants in the industry, a company statement said.

“Our extraordinary competencies are embedded in our new ThinFab and will change the perception of thin film silicon technology,” said D Jurg Henz, Oerlikon Solar CEO.

“The 10 per cent efficiency of our non-toxic, environmentally friendly modules, combined with the lowest production costs ever, provides the solar industry with completely new opportunities.”

“On top of that our new champion cell with 11.9 per cent stabilised efficiency demonstrates even further potential of the thin film silicon technology,” he added.

“Furthermore our technology offers the lowest energy payback time compared to other crystalline technologies and is not based on limited resources,” he concluded.

Oerlikon Solar will gradually introduce upgrade packages, enabling better performance, higher output, and improved efficiencies of their existing production lines, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service