Germany.info : Information Services: Publications: The Week in Germany

Germany.info Home: Information Services: Publications: The Week in Germany

The Week in Germany: Business, Technology and the Environment

May 2, 2008

Cleantech News: Nanosolar, EPV SOLAR, Inc. and Q-Cells AG

Dirty Silicon: Germany's Q-Cells is set to market a new generation of affordable solar cells. © dpa - Report

Nanosolar, a US-based photovoltaics company, has begun production at its new manufacturing facility in Luckenwalde, Brandenburg. The plant, which currently has a staff of 40, produces photovoltaic modules for use in solar power plants. The company intends to sell its German-made modules throughout Europe. Unlike conventional solar cells, which rely heavily on silicon, Nanosolar’s modules utilize a thin-film alternative that substantially reduces production costs. Besides producing ready-made solar modules, Nanosolar is also delving into solar energy production. The company is participating in a solar power generation project in Brandenburg aimed at providing electricity to 400 homes.

EPV SOLAR, Inc. a US-based thin-film solar module manufacturer and technology developer, will significantly expand its manufacturing operations with a new facility being built in Senftenberg, Brandenburg. The new facility will have an initial capacity of 25 megawatts per year. This new capacity will enable EPV SOLAR to deploy its thin-film photovoltaics for power installations in Germany and the EU and to meet unprecedented global demand for the company’s products.

Q-Cells AG, a solar technology firm based in Thalheim, Saxony-Anhalt, is set to become the first company to produce and market a new generation of affordable solar cells using what’s known as “dirty silicon.” Together with the Norwegian company Elkem Solar, Q-Cells is planning to launch its products on the market this year. The joint venture says its production process offers significant cost benefits because it does not require the highly pure (and expensive) form of silicon found in most cells. QCells CEO Anton Milner describes the company’s products as “a tremendous leap forward for photovoltaics.”

Source: Invest in Germany (Newsletter, March/April 2008)

Links:

Invest in Germany

Siemens Wins Order from Portland General for Turbines (TWIG, April 4, 2008)

Bundestag to Run Entirely on Renewable Power (TWIG, March 31, 2008)

Renewable Energies Grow Strongly Again in 2007 (TWIG, March 20, 2008)

Fraunhofer Cooks Up Mobile Solar Technology (TWIG, Feb. 22, 2008)

Germany’s Schott Solar Selects New Mexico Site (TWIG, Jan. 25, 2008)

German Solar Industry Attracts American Investors (TWIG, August 24, 2007)

Cloudy Germany a Powerhouse in Solar Energy (TWIG, May 11, 2007)

Back to the Front Page

Current Headlines

Introducing
The German Information Center