5 May 2011

Nanosolar to supply up to 1GW of CIGS PV panels to European installers

Nanosolar Inc of San Jose, CA, USA, which makes copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic panels (using the industry’s first roll-to-roll solar cell printing factory, together with a panel-assembly plant in Luckenwalde, Germany), has signed long-term supply agreements for up to 1GW of Nanosolar Utility Panel supply with Belectric of Kolitzheim, Germany; EDF Energies Nouvelles of Paris, France; and Plain Energy of Munich, Germany.

Nanosolar says that, as some of the largest and most experienced installers of thin-film panels in Europe, these long-term strategic partners will use its Nanosolar Utility Panel to expand their solar power plant developments. Each supply agreement ranges from a 3–6 year term, and in total may account for up to 1GW of committed module deliveries as Nanosolar achieves its volume and cost targets. Each of the three firms has worked closely with Nanosolar as a strategic partner since 2008.

“Nanosolar’s commitment to quality, customer relationships, and targeting one of the world's lowest cost solar panels makes it an ideal partner to help us tap into the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy markets,” says EDF Energies Nouvelles’ CEO David Corchia. “Through this partnership with Nanosolar, we look forward to achieving a very competitive levelized cost of energy for our solar installations.”

Nanosolar says that it combines proprietary technology with advanced system design and manufacturing processes to reduce both panel and balance-of-system costs. Leveraging what it claims are competitive CIGS solar cell and panel efficiencies in combination with its proprietary printing techniques, Nanosolar reckons that it can become the lowest-cost panel manufacturer at hundreds of megawatts of production (versus gigawatts) within the next several years.

Nanosolar’s roll-to-roll printing process combines low capital expenditure and high throughput, resulting in a low fixed-cost portion of the production cost per watt. Combined with a panel design that uses less overall materials for production and installation, this should enable the firm to surpass the $0.60 per Watt cost threshold within the next several years, it is reckoned. Nanosolar will reach an annual production capacity of 115MW by fall 2011, and expects to at least double capacity each year thereafter.

“Nanosolar’s industrial printing approach to manufacturing its utility-scale panel, combined with its lower balance-of-systems costs, will allow solar to be cost competitive with fossil fuels,” says Belectric’s CEO Bernhard Beck.

*Also in late April, Nanosolar named veteran energy executive Kevin Howell as an independent director to the board.

“His insights into the energy industry will prove invaluable as we pursue our mission of producing the lowest cost solar power, competitive with fossil fuels,” says CEP Geoff Tate.

Howell was formerly with NRG Energy, most recently as regional president for NRG Texas, responsible for managing NRG’s Texas operations, its more than 2600 staff, and powering more than 9 million homes across the state using a diverse portfolio of electrical generation that included nuclear, wind, gas, and coal.

In addition to other executive roles, Howell was also served as president of Dominion Energy Clearinghouse; in a number of executive positions in the Duke Energy companies; and in a variety of trading, marketing and operations functions at MG Natural Gas Corp, Associated Natural Gas, and Panhandle Eastern Pipeline LP.

See related items:

Nanosolar reaches printed CIGS efficiencies of 13.9% for cells and 11.6% for panels

Tags: Nanosolar CIGS thin-film PV panels CIGS

Visit: www.nanosolar.com