News

1 December 2008

 

Johanna Solar starts CIGSSe PV module production

Johanna Solar Technology GmbH of Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany says that its manufacturing line has started production of its thin-film photovoltaic module, which is based on copper, indium, gallium, sulfur and selenium (CIGSSe) on glass substrates.

Johanna Solar was founded in 2005 by IFE Solar Systeme GmbH of Oldenburg, Germany. In August 2005, it licensed the CIGSSe technology from Photovoltaic Technology Intellectual Property Ltd (PTIP), a spin-off of South Africa's University of Johannesburg, where it had been developed over a period of 13 years by professor Vivan Alberts and his team.

“All necessary steps for the commercialization of our high-quality and high-yield thin-film solar modules have been introduced,” says Dr Volker Probst who was appointed chief technology officer in late June. The production site is ready for serial production just one year after the process equipment was installed. This first phase of the plant has a nominal capacity of 30MW and has created more than 200 jobs.

“The roadmap for the further technological development of our production is clear,” add managing directors Peter Forch and Gerhard Bookjans. The goal is a continuous increase in efficiency and a reduction in production costs.

Johanna Solar’s products will be distributed from early summer 2009 onwards via Oldenburg-based firm aleo solar AG, which was formed in 2001 to manufactures solar modules using silicon-based photovoltaic cells and in 2006 acquired a 19% stake in Johanna Solar. In June 2007, Johanna Solar granted aleo solar the right to distribute up to 80% of its solar modules for at least five years. aleo’s chairman Jakobus Smit expects great demand for Johanna’s products in the fast-developing market for PV rooftop installations in Germany, Italy, and France.

See related item:

Johanna Solar’s CIGSSe modules to be distributed by aleo

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Visit: www.johanna-solar.com