PES Solar 1 2019

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Octopus III PECVD Cluster Deposition System for Heterojunction Cell Devices MIRROR REACTOR TOP MIRROR REACTOR BOTTOM Anti Cross-Contamination Treatment NO wafer flipping LESS handling complexity 3300 cells/hr www.indeotec.com [email protected] Phone: +41 32 545 30 24

ASK THE EXPERTS: STORAGE Cost-effective business models powered by battery storage systems The UK’s battery storage market has great potential, but the current political uncertainty in the country means that many projects are being put on the back burner. In which areas does it still make sense to invest in storage systems? PES wanted to find out more from Lawrie Wilson, Area Manager for the UK and ROI at Tesvolt, and Simon Patterson, CEO of MSP Technologies. 104 PES SOLAR

ASK THE EXPERTS: STORAGE Lawrie Wilson PES: Hi, we’ve been working with Tesvolt out with European partners. Also, the feed-in LW: In other countries, such as Germany, for a good few years now so it’s great to tariff scheme ended at the end of March, where Tesvolt was founded, we estimate that welcome you to PES Solar/PV. As always, we which means that any photovoltaic it will take about three years to pay back the have new readers, so could you give us a installations installed after that date will not costs of projects in the commercial and brief overview of the company to bring receive any subsidies. industrial sectors, depending on the them up to date? application. In the UK, amortisation takes Owners of new installations will have to earn about five years, which is still a good return Lawrie Wilson: We specialise in high- money either by selling the electricity they on investment for a product with a 20-year performance lithium-ion battery storage generate or consuming it themselves on site. potential life. In the UK, grid services are systems for commercial and industrial use. What’s more, electricity prices in the UK are still much more interesting. In the past few months, we have been fairly low. Even despite the increase in recent developing our Megawatt Container which months, our prices are still lower than those in SP: Investing in expanding the grid is very ensures maximum cost efficiency for the other countries. These developments are expensive and cumbersome in the UK. Large lithium high-voltage storage system, making it difficult to design and plan long-term battery storage systems can offer a way making it around 40% more economical projects with battery storage systems. around this by increasing the flexibility and than its predecessor. We will be presenting capacity of the grid infrastructure. Local the TPS 2.0 and our other products from 4.8 LW: The end of the feed-in tariff scheme governments can even earn extra money kWh up to several megawatt hours at does open up an opportunity for storage through additional incentives. Intersolar in Munich. systems in combination with photovoltaic installations, however, if electricity can be LW: A good example of this is our project in PES: The UK energy storage market has sold at a higher price at different times of the West Sussex, where the first municipal been hit by uncertainty. What is your take day, a high-performance battery storage battery storage system project in the UK was on the current situation? system can be used as a buffer. By producing installed last year. The solar farm with a energy cheaply and selling it in times of peak 7.4-megawatt (MW) output includes a Simon Patterson: We are seeing two demand, photovoltaic installations could 4.4-MWh lithium storage system from developments that are slowing many become a worthwhile investment again. Tesvolt, which helps stabilise the power grid. projects down. First, we don’t know what Thanks to the high-voltage storage system, Brexit will mean for a lot of projects carried PES: Do you see any potential in other areas? the local government earns additional money by providing grid services, which makes the system viable even without subsidies. It was commissioned in mid-October 2018 at a 35-hectare former landfill site in Westhampnett. We expect that similar projects by other local governments will play a key role in meeting the demand for battery storage systems over the next few years. PES: We would be interested to know what role e-mobility plays? SP: Recharging electric vehicles at high- speed charging stations is actually an exciting area of application for high- performance battery storage systems as electricity for these stations is still very expensive at the moment. Costs range from 15 to 50 Eurocents per kilowatt hour because they are not subsidized by the government. WWW.PESSOLAR.COM 105

ASK THE EXPERTS: STORAGE Tesvolt battery storage systems at Westhampnett frequency control. Other countries aiming and discharging of our battery systems are for a high share of renewable energy in their minimal because the energy does not flow That being said, the UK is seeing a growing power supply will also find this interesting. from cell to cell: Instead, each cell is demand for a fine-meshed grid of fast- PES: Do you feel you are well prepared for controlled directly by the system. Our Active charging infrastructure as more and more the challenges in the market? Battery Optimizer delivers a consistently commercial enterprises are recognizing the LW: Our primary objective is to deliver stable performance, prevents faults and potential for themselves and their storage systems that allow commercial and damage, and ensures a service life of 30 years customers. industrial applications to be operated and – in conjunction with our high-voltage cost-effectively. That’s why at Tesvolt we storage system – an overall degree of LW: A battery storage system with high have developed a strong portfolio of efficiency of up to 93 percent. charging and discharging speeds can reduce high-performance, robust storage systems the costs of supplying electricity to tailored to our customers’ specific needs. SP: Tesvolt storage systems can be high-speed charging stations. This could What makes these systems so special goes combined with a variety of power generators allow, say, a supermarket to install a beyond the quality of the cells we use. The and other storage systems to form a high-speed charging station in its car park centrepiece of the storage systems is completely self-sufficient system, increase and supply it with electricity from a solar TESVOLT’s proprietary Active Battery self-consumption of self-generated or installation on its roof. This would enable Optimizer, which maximizes the purchased energy carriers and quickly bridge customers to fully charge their cars while performance of each individual connected power outages. This is also what makes they shop and save the supermarket from cell. The energy stored is distributed Tesvolt storage systems so interesting for having to pay for such sporadic power draws between the cells more quickly and our international projects where each project from the public grid. efficiently. Energy losses during the charging requires a different set-up of components. What’s more, we have found that each PES: Besides from Brexit and the upcoming Tesvolt batteries are monitored at cell level country has different conditions, and that’s feed-in tariff closure, what else do you what makes developing new ideas and expect to see in the next five years? models so exciting. SP: MSP Technologies accompanies PES: Moving into the second quarter of customers through the entire process of 2019, what are your predictions for the intelligent, secure and efficient hybrid and solar/PV industry in general and your storage systems for on-grid and off-grid company in particular this year? applications. This has given us a good insight into the needs of our customers, such as hotel LW: The battery storage market continues resorts, both in the UK and around the world. its strong growth in many countries. With our products that cover numerous I think we will see growing electricity applications, we are well prepared for the demand everywhere in the next few years, challenges in the different markets. In which will drive up the price of grid power addition, as long as customers value unless people turn to self-consumption and economic efficiency, we are independent of independence. Off-grid applications will external conditions such as subsidies or continue to pay off in the medium term, as other regulatory frameworks and can connecting to the grid can be very concentrate on what we do best: Offering expensive here for new consumers. innovative complete solutions. LW: It’s also interesting to see how the Irish www.tesvolt.com/en/ market is developing. The national system operator’s plans to approve storage systems for grid stabilization purposes has stimulated activity. Around 60% of Ireland’s energy comes from wind power sites. This means that storage systems play an important role in balancing supply and demand, and in 106 PES SOLAR

COME & MEET US AT Advertisement Intersolar Europe | Booth C1-310 May 15-17, 2019, Munich, Germany SNEC | Booth N3 / 006 June 4-6, 2019, Shanghai, China GENERIS PVD – Inline Sputtering System for Heterojunction Solar Cells SINGULUS Sputtering Competence at a Glance SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES has heterojunction cell technology. Sputter Rotatable cylindrical Magnetrons for delivered in excess of 8000 vacuum damage to the amorphous silicon layer highest Utilization of Target Material sputtering machines worldwide over stack does not occur. Full substrate the past 20 years. The machines range temperature control during the whole → Low cost of ownership and high from standard sputtering systems to process enables optimum layer uptime ultra-high vacuum deposition machines performance at temperatures ≤ 200 °C. applying extremely thin layers with With the GENERIS PVD sputtering → Top down and bottom up sputtering capabilities down to 0.2 nm. One main system, contact layers can be deposited configurations available focus during the solar cell production on the front and rear of the Si wafers is the efficiency. Heterojunction cell without the need to turn the wafers → Sputter sequence configurable technology (HJT) achieves conversion between coating processes and without → Full temperature control throughout efficiencies of more than 22 % as well vacuum interruption. Annealing of as reduced manufacturing costs. sputtered layers can be integrated as the whole process an option. Also, full area metal coatings → Rotatable cylindrical magnetrons for Inline Sputtering System for e.g. Ag can be deposited within the Heterojunction Solar Cells same system. By using rotatable highest utilization of target material The SINGULUS GENERIS PVD machine sputtering magnetrons, the highest → Target utilization about 80 % for is a horizontal inline sputter tool target utilization is achieved and designed for the special requirements offers some of the lowest production rotatable cathodes compared with of Heterojunction cell production with costs in the industry. only 30 % for planar cathodes coatings on both sides. The system → Sputtering materials: ITO, AZO and is ideally suited for challenging layer Typical Performance metals like Ag, NiV, Cu, Al etc. stacks i.e. TCO layers like ITO and → Single end and double end version AZO providing maximum optical Characteristics GENERIS PVD selectable transmittance, matched refractive → For transparent conductive oxide index, optimum electrical conductivity as well as charge carrier mobility, layers like ITO and AZO, e.g. for HJT which are key-parameters in → Parallel processing of several substrates (Si wafers) The SINGULUS GENERIS PVD machine utilizes an inline coating process in which the substrates are transported on specially designed carriers, providing edge isolation simultaneously. The carrier return system is located below the machine under constant clean environmental conditions. Various automation options for loading and unloading are available from different industrial sources. SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG | Hanauer Landstrasse 103 | D-63796 Kahl am Main | Tel. +49 6188 440-0 | www.singulus.de

ASK THE EXPERTS: PV 60 cell mono-crystalline Eco Solar PV module. Photo: SINTEF/Thor Nielsen Research and collaboration: the way forward Martin Bellmann is a Senior Research Scientist at SINTEF. We were pleased to meet up with him at PES to discuss some of the research developments, driven by their customers. We were also keen to hear all about the Eco Solar EU project, which received massive EU investment, with excellent results. 108 PES SOLAR

ASK THE EXPERTS: PV Martin Bellmann PES: Hi Martin, welcome to PES, it’s great to understanding the customers’ real needs. talk with you. We know your organisation Developing solutions that work for the works in many different sectors, so could customers can only be ensured by involving you tell us something about your work in them directly in the innovation process. the solar/PV industry? SINTEF is a multidisciplinary R&D institute, a Martin Bellmann: Myself, I have worked kind of a toolbox. Each shelf offers different mostly in R&D, in the field of silicon competences on demand. Projects are feedstock, ingot and wafer manufacturing, in therefore set up using acquired close collaboration with our Norwegian competences across SINTEF from different producers. Lately I have become more institutes, departments and groups to suit involved in the coordination of solar related customers’ needs. actions across SINTEF. PES: Could we talk about the Eco Solar EU Our aim is to provide more comprehensive project – the collaboration and the aims? solutions to our customers, for a wider range of markets. It also includes securing funding MB: The EU’s mission is to make energy at national and international level and gettin production more sustainable, through our customers on board. exploitation of clean and renewable energy sources. Despite the greater foothold of PES: We are curious to know if your research solar energy systems, the modus operandi is customer driven? How does it work? still relies on a ‘take-make-dispose’ logic. MB: That’s what SINTEF is all about. Extracting resources, transforming them Customer-driven innovation means into products and simply discarding them at end of life is highly resource intensive and wastes valuable materials. The EU-funded project http://ecosolar.eu.com (Eco-Solar) aimed to maximise resource efficiency and integrate circular economy thinking. ‘Eco-Solar grasps the whole picture one has to look at the complete value chain – feedstock, ingot crystallisation, wafer slicing, cell production, module assembly and end-of-life. The project consortium is represented by industrial players along the entire value chain and is complemented by well-known R&D institutes. PES: How is the research being carried out, the different steps and how do you share your findings with other collaborators? MB: Improvements in resource efficiency have been assessed, following a holistic approach considering the entire value chain, by looking at the major process inputs and their potential for reduction, reuse, repair and recycle. Here are some of the bottlenecks which have been identified to work on: In silicon ingot manufacturing, high-purity argon is used as a purge gas to remove contaminants from the furnace. For 1GWp of silicon wafer output 3-5 million m3 of argon are consumed. Despite only a little contamination, argon is emitted to the atmosphere after passing through the furnace. Silica based crucibles, used as melt containers crack during the cooling process, which adds cost related to single use. Crucible wastage is currently landfilled. 90% of polysilicon produced worldwide is consumed by the photovoltaic industry, but only about 46% of polysilicon is converted into modules, the rest is lost during block and wafer cutting. In solar cell manufacturing there are several WWW.PESSOLAR.COM 109

ASK THE EXPERTS: PV wet chemical etching and cleaning steps, initial goals? cutting fluid. which have a big impact on the environmental footprint. MB: Yes, Eco-Solar finished successfully in The project also investigated the recycling of the autumn of 2018 and the results the silicon dust produced when sawing the Silver, as used for the contact formation and achieved far exceeded expectations. silicon wafers. The industrial sawing process on solderable areas of a solar cell, is the most Considering all targeted improvements is wasteful, as much as 45% of the valuable expensive consumable in solar cell along the entire value chain, the eco- original material is lost as fine silicon powder manufacturing. Hence, solar cell producers efficiency (environmental benefit) for and ends up in landfills. Eco-Solar’s new have expended tremendous effort to reduce manufacturing PV modules improved by technique refines waste, so that it can be the overall amount of silver. The share of 45% and at the same time costs were reused as secondary feedstock for silicon silver in photovoltaic application accounts reduced by 9% - without degradation of PV ingot crystallisation, as secondary raw for 10% of the silver market. performance. The carbon footprint was material in silicon nitride crucibles and in reduced by around 20%. lithium-ion batteries. A small fraction of finished solar cells (2%) contain electrical defects and another 4% For ingot manufacturing Eco-Solar Diffusing phosphorus into the silicon wafer initially produced as prime, contain small introduced a simple and cost-efficient is one of the most critical steps in solar cell fabrication defects and can’t therefore be technique, for recovering over 95% of the manufacturing. Project partners used in module assembly. argon gas used for silicon ingot successfully combined several, wet chemical crystallisation. The method is based on etching and cleaning steps, after For the modules, all module components are chemical looping combustion, which phosphorus diffusion into a single process physically linked to each other by lamination converts combustible species in the exhaust that reduces waste and carbon footprint of and soldering. The only potential for gas stream, into carbon dioxide and water, solar cell manufacturing. What’s more, they recycling is destructive processes that result leaving high-purity argon. This can investigated the potential of certain in lower grade materials in form of granules. immediately be reused. industrial systems that can save more than Current PV modules also contain a vast 90% of water wasted after wafer processing. amount of organic materials: EVA for For crystallising silicon ingots, crucibles encapsulation, PVF in back sheets and based on advanced silicon nitride ceramics Project partners also experimented with aluminium for the frame. were developed and these can be reused. different solar cell architectures to minimise These crucibles not only allow easy removal the use of silver. An improved The Eco-Solar project has received great of ingots after the production cycle interconnection scheme reduces silver international attention and has been completion, but also prevent impurities from content by 35%. This eliminates the need to invited to participate in an innovation entering the silicon and reduce stresses solder a contact tape onto the rear side of campaign led by the SolarImpulse during crystallisation. the silver pads and the front side of busbars. Foundation, to receive certification for both the environment and profitability. In silicon wafer sawing, the productivity was Another project achievement was the increased by 30% through the development of an automated system for PES: Are there any results available yet? If implementation of very thin diamond wires recognising small defects in solar cells. This so, what do they show and do they meet the and optimised chemical formulations for the ‘cell doctor’, which cuts or isolates non- Material consumption for a 60 cell crystalline silicon PV module 110 PES SOLAR



ASK THE EXPERTS: PV Eco-efficiency and cost improvements for the production of a 60 cell crystalline silicon PV module defect cell areas thanks to laser processing, competitive edge and sustain the European testing and certification of BIPV products, can reduce the amount of scrapped solar photovoltaic industry. performance and economic assessment of cells by 50%. energy systems comprised of different RES PES: What do you think are the benefits of and their interplay with different system Project partners also demonstrated the research, especially joint EU programmes? components, e.g. batteries, electrolysers ability to re-open modules at end of life and and hydrogen fuel cells, grid connected disassemble them into their major MB: EU programmes are very attractive and microgrids and demand management. components. Automated module flexible for developing creative solutions, disassembly equipment was designed along which incorporate intellectual assets, into PES: Now we are moving in to the second with diagnosis tools for screening module proper business strategies. There are great quarter of the 2019, what is your outlook for component quality. opportunities and there few limits on solar/PV for the rest of the year? designing the most suitable, exploitation Eco-Solar’s forward-looking concepts strategy at consortium or individual MB: Monocrystalline silicon technology will promote resource efficiency, re-use and participant level. continue to gain market share on the cost of recycling along the entire value chain. This multi. We have already seen indications for will be key in achieving sustainable solar You will get to know new people, learn new this in previous years, but this trend will gain power in Europe. things, and from there it is a great momentum and mono will become the opportunity to join in, develop new project dominant technology. PES: How much was the investment from ideas and form new consortia. the EU and does the result merit that The main reasons for this are related to the big amount of investment? PES: We would be interested to hear about improvements in Cz crystal pulling other solar/PV research that SINTEF is technology, such as higher crystal pulling MB: The EU contributed 5.6 M€. involved in? rates, capabilities for add- recharge and Considering the achieved project continuous feeding operations and a reduced developments, it is a worthwhile MB: In SINTEF we cover a large area of R&D work force through higher level of automation. investment in the short and long term. which is related to solar/PV. Traditionally we work very closely with our Norwegian industry The given potential achieving higher wafer PES: Please explain what this means for partners, on the optimisation of silicon throughput using diamond wire sawing our industry? feedstock, ingot and wafer production. We technology - here mono has inherent develop new materials and new concepts for advantages over multi. Other drivers for MB: The outcomes of the project are very solar cells; for example, perovskites and III-V mono are PERC cell technology, which some relevant for the EU Ecolabel initiative, which on silicon and thin film materials. years ago was an exotic technology, is is for PV products in Europe. It promotes the becoming todays standard technology, and circular economy thinking, by encouraging On the end user side, we cover a wide range emerging concepts like multi-junction cells producers to generate less waste and CO2 of issues related to PV modules and system with silicon as the bottom cell. during the manufacturing process, and to performance, power forecasting using AI, develop products that are durable, easy to plug & play solutions for seaming less www.sintef.no/ repair and recycle. It will give producers a photovoltaic integration into buildings, 112 PES SOLAR

LATAM’S INNOVATION HUB FOR THE NEW ENERGY WORLD SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL The smarter E South America focuses on the generation, storage, distribution and intelligent use of energy. Meet stakeholders and multipliers from across a wide range of industries. Be part of the new energy world, find expertise and forge new contacts that matter. Together we will shape the energy future. The Leading Energy Exhibitions and Conferences at The smarter E South America Special Exhibition

TALKING POINT Bridging the energy gap with hybrid solutions In the past decade, significant progress has been In solar photovoltaic power, this decrease made to move the world towards a cleaner era in has been particularly marked. The cost of electricity production. Investment in renewables generation has plummeted by more than and advancing technology has resulted in a two-thirds, from 0.36USD/kWh to less than decrease in the overall cost of generating 0.1USD/kWh, according to the International renewable power. Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). 114 PES SOLAR The growth of renewables has been rapid, with total capacity of solar PV alone skyrocketing from 15 GW in 2008 to 385 GW in 2017, according to IRENA. But it still only makes up a small percentage of the total

TALKING POINT energy mix, meaning the overall impact on more limited than we see with other forms consistency outweighs the demand for carbon emissions so far has been limited. The of supply. In comparison, coal-fired plants greener solutions. This challenge is greater industry still needs to overcome a number of saw capacity factors of 57.1%, and nuclear when we assess security of supply on a very hurdles to increase the prevalence of power plants reaching 99.7% in the US in short-term basis, such as clouds limiting renewables. January 2019, according to the US Energy exposure of sunlight to solar panels. Information Administration. Global challenges The CAPEX investment needed for the Some renewable sources, such as hydro and installation of renewable energy, whether The low capacity factor of renewables geothermal, can provide consistent supply of that is wind turbines or solar panels, is often comparative to carbon-based energy energy, Others, namely wind and solar, are an even bigger obstacle. In many parts of the sources is one such challenge. With onshore not as reliable. This intermittency is a world the cost of capital is much higher than wind generating 30% and solar 18% significant barrier to adoption as the need for in OECD countries. Wind and solar energy according to IRENA, the energy output is far projects are comparatively small, often making the cost of financing prohibitive, even when public money is available. In the case of battery storage in particular there is an awareness that technology is likely to continue to advance, and sometimes a corresponding reluctance to invest in infrastructure that might soon be out of date. Energy needs may also evolve over time, increasing the perceived risk among energy providers to adopt current technologies. As a result of these challenges, growth of renewables is not equally distributed. Africa has less than 10% of the renewable capacity of Europe, according to the latest data from IRENA. Although growth in capacity in some developing countries, notably in China, continues to outpace their European counterparts, there is still a long way to go toward equal distribution of renewable technologies. Aggreko’s work At Aggreko, our aim is to support our customers to navigate these challenges. Our innovative ‘microgrids-as-a-service’ business model provides clean and reliable energy to end users, wherever they are and for however long it is needed, providing them the flexibility they need in this rapidly changing market. We engineer our assets to be highly modular and re-deployable in order to provide the choice we know customers are looking for. We have developed advanced energy management software and control platforms to allow us to provide reliable power to end users no matter how intermittent solar or wind power is, or whether their baseload comes from diesel or gas generation. We also take away the need for a significant upfront CAPEX investment in new technologies, whether that is batteries, solar panels or hybrids, while still enabling our customers to reap the benefits. Applying the model Our customisable model, which provides customers with the flexibility to build bespoke solutions for their energy supply needs, is already making a positive impact to several sectors and regions around the world. In the case of mining, energy is required that’s both reliable and flexible in order to meet fluctuating demand. Many mines are WWW.PESSOLAR.COM 115

TALKING POINT Y.Cube Battery Storage Solution Aggreko Product Rendering Perspective also in remote locations, with limited or no Fields’ Granny Smith gold mine in one of the more reliable alternative Wherever there is access to a stable power supply through most remote parts of Australia. Optimised easy access to a gas supply, the combination electrical grids. In the past, this has left them gas generators and 20,000 solar PV panels of solar, battery and gas can be especially with few options but diesel or HFO (heavy will be supported by 2 MW of energy storage lucrative. fuel oil) generation. that acts as a stabiliser for any fluctuations in demand and solar power. We also delivering But because of concerns about the Due to the location of many metals and hybrid solutions on site at mines in Eritrea technology and the required upfront minerals, mines are often in sunny regions and Mali. investments (far too) few islands grids are with great solar potential. They also often transitioning. We aim to change that. From have access to gas, either through pipelines Island communities and remote regions Kodiak island off the coast of Alaska to the or compressed or liquified natural gas (CNG often have weak grids that deliver poor Aegean, from Hawaii to our unique or LNG), which is both cheaper and cleaner power quality, and that, to make matters grid-forming technology centre in Berlin, we than diesel or HFO. worse, at a very high cost. Supplying energy have proven both in extreme simulations and users in such remote regions through over many years of operation that the We are currently putting into place one of the renewables-based microgrids has long been combination of smart batteries, cheap and world’s largest hybrid microgrids at Gold not only the cleaner, but also the cheaper and clean renewables and reliable thermal 116 PES SOLAR

TALKING POINT ‘Huge strides have been made in the past few years to establish greener power solutions as a source of energy. But much more remains to be done.’ back-up delivers a much more stable power supply at a lower overall cost. Access to reliable power can also be an issue in countries with a reliable electricity system. Data centres for example are also often built faster than a reliable grid connection; on top of that the computers that process vast amounts of often critical information are also extremely sensitive to power quality, and can require very sudden spikes in demand. Since data centres are big business there can be no room for uncertainty. We have met this challenge by supplying a data centre in Ireland with gas generators and a battery, guaranteeing both a stable energy supply and the highest possible power quality, and thus providing the client with an easy-to- implement but also solid solution to keep their business running. Bridging the gap Huge strides have been made in the past few years to establish greener power solutions as a source of energy. But much more remains to be done. At Aggreko, we are committed to working with our customers to provide bespoke solutions that reduce both cost of power and carbon footprint, while guaranteeing optimal power quality wherever they are. www.aggreko.com WWW.PESSOLAR.COM 117

TALKING POINT Studio Solarix Smart façades – a sunny future Since our jump into the façade market, we’ve encountered multiple technology-combinations on façades, which make a lot of sense and left us scratching our heads, thinking, why hasn’t this been done before? The answer turns out to be deceptively simple: PV hasn’t really been a building element until now. Seeing other companies use our products for smarter solutions, we have also investigated whether we can make our production process smarter to accommodate these many applications. 118 PES SOLAR

TALKING POINT Studio Solarix Lighting and data communication elements can be easily detached for possible be hidden behind the façade elements in maintenance yet virtually impossible to be cable ducts. The LED was installed so that Solarix Helmond was launched in December blown off during a storm. programs could be run (semi-) automatically. and marked the first combination of colored PV, LED lighting and data communication on Kameleon Solar manufactured the PV The lights were programmed to music for the the façade. Studio Solarix, the brains behind modules in color using our ColorBlast™ opening, sometimes acting like the keys on a this façade, designed Solarix Helmond to technique. With ceramic printing and piano, sometimes mimicking volumes or communicate with its surroundings, visualize scanning equipment we are able to match soundwaves. Later, the façade can be used to incoming data, and to generate sustainable and re-create colors desired by architects communicate the amount of energy energy without sacrificing aesthetics. The and designers. Studio Solarix had designed 9 generated, or as a barometer, to alert the façade was fitted with multiple features to types of modules for the façade, three sizes locals when rain is on the way. accomplish this. each to be made in three colors. The sizes made the internal design of the modules Insulation and power generation Sorba Projects manufactured the Alpolic challenging, as an uneven amount of strings backing, a folded aluminum/composite were used, and the junction box needed to be We are currently in the design-phase for a element that gives the façade its robustness placed centrally. project in Drammen, Norway of about and mechanical fixing to the rear 500m2 to be delivered this summer. Here, construction. The folded element was Kuijpers Installatie used their preferred the goal is to renovate the 1960s Ticon designed together with Studio Solarix to hold brand of inverters to connect the PV. The Bygget building in order to become energy the PV modules and hide LED lighting and largest challenge they faced during this neutral. ChromoGenics, leading cabling, whilst also remaining modular in its project was the cabling of the LED lighting, manufacturer of smart glass, involved us in implementation. With a hook-type fixing, the which came to nearly 5km, which needed to the project to combine their electrochromic glass, ConverLight® Dynamic, and WWW.PESSOLAR.COM 119

TALKING POINT quadruple insulation glass with colored PV. modules was chosen to match the existing project marks the first combination of The PV modules, this time in 9 different façade material, even though the existing ChromoGenics ConverLight® smart glass sizes, are combined with electrochromic material will be replaced entirely. and ColorBlast. glass and quadruple glass for a multifunctional façade. Quadruple glazing The primary energy reduction in this project Balustrades reduces the use of conventional heating, is found in proper insulation. The PV panels, electrochromic glass reduces the use of electrochromic and quadruple glass are Office buildings and shopping centers have cooling and need for shading, whilst the PV fitted into prefab elements, where the PV relatively flat façades where shading is rarely adds an energy-generating function. The panels are backed with insulation material. an issue, but balconies pose an obstacle façade alone will produce an energy There are no weak spots where insulation is when it comes to apartment buildings. Most reduction by an estimated 80%. concerned, and this combination underlines flats allow for as much window space per the benefit of customizing the PV panel. resident as possible and often the only Whereas Solarix Helmond embodies a available façade space ends up shaded under project looking to the future of urbanization, The methodology of prefabricated, a balcony or is limited to the few public the goal of this project is to maintain the customized elements including insulation, spaces such as entrances and elevators. To aesthetic qualities of the 1960s whilst shading and PV components also saves time make the most of this space, we have attaining an energy neutral status, if not a on the construction site. There is no need for introduced a new concept for the balustrade. positive energy yield. The color of the PV the elements to be installed separately. This Together with balustrade manufacturer FEK Metaal, we have launched SNNY®, a colored PV solution for galleries and balconies. SNNY® embodies all of the customization elements of our colored modules and combines this with proven balustrade design. The modules are slightly angled within the construction, for a better power performance and ducts have been included in the cement flooring to hide junction boxes and cables. Balconies and galleries become power generating elements that maintain their original safety functions and aesthetic options. Architects do not lose any of their design options with this solution; the PV colors can be made-to-match and the railings can be powder-coated, leaving plenty of scope to play with combinations. Fittings can have the same look and feel using passive elements, allowing for staircases and smaller sections to adhere to the larger design. Re-inventing solar? For both Solarix Helmond and our upcoming façade in Norway, our products have been used in ways we didn’t anticipate when developing ColorBlast™. When solar panels become a building product instead of an add-on to a building, suddenly it’s possible to use other technologies to make smart combinations. 120 PES SOLAR



TALKING POINT The mass-produced ‘traditional’ PV module triangles, to sunflower-shaped modules. losses in our ColorBlast™ technology than has found its market and met its goals, the We’ve produced bi-facial modules for crystalline cells. Depending on the building, only significant developments yet to come floating applications, flexible modules for the size, the shape and the use of a PV are in the efficiency of current and/or future inland ships, even colored PV for a truck that module any one of these cell types may turn cell material. Even then, it still begs the measures sewer water. Having experienced out to be best. question whether solar parks are really the this wide variety of applications, it has future of sustainable energy and how much brought us to the conclusion that there is no We already offer a high degree of longer residents will actually want to put ideal PV panel, no ideal material, and no ideal customization when it comes to glass, cell such appliances on their rooftops. These cell type. layout and junction boxes, soon we will also products are also in no way suited for other upgrade our machine line, to be able to applications, at least not ideally. It’s quite funny to see monocrystalline automatically place and interconnect at least manufacturers sneer at thin-film technology three different cell technologies in multiple Laws push for greener buildings, yet or to see thin-film manufacturers hopelessly sizes. By selecting the best cell material per high-rises simply don’t have the roof space try to explain the kWh benefit of their cell project, we estimate increases of module to generate sufficient energy for their technology when, really, each cell type has its efficiencies by up to 18%. volume of use. Are we going to demand that own merits. We have manufactured sizes architects use a single-sized, single-colored, where monocrystalline outright trumps The next step flat product to overcome this boundary? If SunPower cells for module efficiency, this was an answer it would have become a whereas thin-film suffers noticeably lower Architects are not easy clients, for which we reality already. But making PV smarter, by are grateful. We started customizing combining it with other functionalities vital uncolored PV for architects, but they to the building industry, without sacrificing complained about the ugliness and design or aesthetics, then PV becomes a uniformity of PV panels. They wanted color building material architects can and want to and specifically they wanted to choose their work with. This doesn’t necessarily require us own colors and to know they would match to re-invent the solar module, but it does color codes of other materials. Hence our require us to take another look at how we are development of ColorBlast™. producing them. We are once again hearing criticism of PV in This year we’ve seen a surge in colored and the sense that it is too ‘flat’ or ‘two- custom BIPV requests where most projects dimensional’. I believe the next step in aim to combine the functionalities of PV with customized solar, for the building industry, another building material. We’ve had to take a will be found in three-dimensional design, hard look at our own manufacturing facility and perhaps with 3D printing, composite investigate whether we are manufacturing molding, or another technology entirely. The smartly enough for these applications. benefit of a three-dimensional unit is that it is far easier to integrate other technologies, Re-inventing PV manufacturing such as heating, cooling, domotic controllers or measuring equipment. Kameleon Solar started manufacturing in 2015, focusing on custom glass/backsheet, We can speculate over the future all we want dual-glass and flexible PV modules. In the but wherever this market goes, it looks to be meantime, we’ve produced a whole range of a sunny future. different kinds of products. From ovals, to www.kameleonsolar.com 122 PES SOLAR

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX ENERGIZING YOU HAAVCE HBTEUENNGD!OGGEDatinInVMMtIGAeSuaCDrILnsyTLLoIi1VcElUBahE5ROrS,Y-1EOBGE7uTOeBr,HrOomO2pTAO0aeH1n1T.yH9A135C.024,5.593,4 100% Made in italy BY VIAMON. WWW.ecoprogetti.coM THE SOLAR STORAGE NEEDS OF TOMORROW. MADE IN GERMANY: 300MW GPS-BASED GEO FENCING ANTI-THEFT SYSTEMS ONE PARTNER ONLY FOR THE COMPLETE LINE FOR PV SECURITY BY VIAMON. More than 240 GW successfully connected viamon is currently securing over 750 Mio. € of PV assets worldwide. FULLY AUTOMATIC BUSSING MACHINE NEW Attention to precision and reliability. In every detail. We don’t just manufacture batteries - we Over 500 Mio. € of PV assets worldwide secured by viamon. Fully automatic soldering of the interconnection COME VISIT US! As a pioneer and global market leader for connectors, Stäubli Electrical Connectors has amassed over 20 years of experience in the innovate, engineer and develop energy viamon.com between the strings inclusing automatic ribbon InterSolar Europe photovoltaics industry. To date, more than 240 GW or 50% of the PV power worldwide has been successfully installed using over solutions. We provide extraordinary life, placing and induction soldering method for the 15-17 May; Booth: C1.320 1 billion original MC4 connectors. quality, and performance for all your off-grid highest performance and quality. The Solar Show Philippines and mini-grid applications. At Trojan Battery 20-21 May; Booth: 1N12 As of January 2017, original MC4 inventor Multi-Contact conducts Company, we’re charging forward. CHArACTErISTICS: its business and services as Stäubli Electrical Connectors. Learn more about Trojan’s products including our new • Cycle time <30 sec Your bankable partner Lithium Ion solutions for renewable energy applications. • Available for 5-6 BusBar • Machine capacity: 250MW line Visit us: Intersolar May 15-17, 2019 | booth 210, hall C1 Original MC4 Connector tro ja n b at te r y.co m • Customizable for your panel size/shape The Stäubli team will be happy to welcome you at our booth. • Automatic loading and unloading • Automatic centering system www.staubli-alternative-energies.com • Automatic soldering of interconnections • Optional for half cut cells module Staubli is a trademark of Stäubli International AG, registered in Switzerland and other countries. © Stäubli 2018 | Photocredits: Stäubli ECOPROGETTI Srl 05.2019_PV_Bankability_risk_210x297mm_enV2.indd 1 Via dell’Industria e dell’Artigianato, 27/C, 22/D, 35010 Carmignano di Brenta (PD) Italy. Tel: +39 049 7444900 ; E-mail: [email protected] 100% Made in Italy, www.ECOprOGETTI.COM 16.04.2019 10:03:20 PROJECT MEDIA ROUND Renewable Energy with Trillium PES PROJECT OWNER Joey Sanchez COLOR (RGB, CMYK, PMS) CREATIVE SERVICES F DIMENSIONS CMYK DESIGNER 210mm x 297mm 3mm Bleed Mike Mittelstaedt DATE DUE DATE 2-8-19 2-8-19 The World’s Leading Exhibition SOLAR for the Solar Industry POWER MESSE MÜNCHEN, GERMANY INTERNATIONAL From solar cells to solar power plants From inverters to monitoring September 23-26, 2019 From international markets to new business models Intersolar Europe: for the best overview in a dynamic market Salt Palace Convention Center 50,000 energy experts from 160 nations and 1,300 exhibitors at four parallel exhibitions – Salt Lake City, UT come and be part of The smarter E Europe! PID: the no.1 risk to PV financing LOGan is the Boss of Energy SPI at North America Smart International Exhibition and Energy Week Conference for the Solar Industry Preventive vs. Corrective: what makes more “cents” ? He always has the best solutions for PV systems WORLD TRADE CENTER, MEXICO CITY • He detects loss of earnings in no time at all! Connect with North America’s energy market at North Vigdu technologies develops and manufactures embedded & external PID solutions • Effective use of PV surplus is a snap! America Smart Energy Week, North America's largest Reach a market with extraordinary growth potential – Mexico ranks 5th for new solar capacity by 2021 based on night and day mode technologies. • Whether component manufacturer or inverter model, LOGan energy event. Over 19,000 attendees and over 700 13,000 attendees – join the largest gathering of professionals in the fields of solar, renewable energy and cleantech Vigdu’s scalable cost-effective solutions are installed globally, protecting the exhibitors attend. North America Smart Energy Week is The perfect match: Intersolar and THE GREEN EXPO® are teaming up for a sustainable Mexico profitability of its clients, from utility scale to residential PV systems, saving them knows them all, worldwide. home to SPI, ESI, the Smart Energy Microgrid Co-located Events millions of dollars annually. Marketplace, Hydrogen + Fuel Cells North America, and Please contact us to customize the best PID solution for your project. Of course, nobody can do it better - leave it to LOGan, the Energy Boss The Technical Symposium. [email protected] Exhibition Munich LEARN MORE AT May 15 - 17, 2019 www.smartenergyweek.com Hall B2 - Booth 154 POWERED BY: Solare Datensysteme GmbH • Germany • [email protected] • www.solar-log.com Setting a new WYOUORRSOLLADRThe Market Leader in 2019OmUeTdiNa OdaWta standard in solar. Solar Microinverter Technology INTERSOLAR A smart grid needs a smart COVERED MUNICH 2019 microinverter—and APsystems 2.231 sets the standard worldwide with A flexible FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) circuit EKO Instruments Kipp & Zonen Kameleon Solar Conference Call Meteocontrol Ecoprogetti Sintef Conference Call Studer Innotec Huawei ABB Solar IMT the YC600 and new QS1. topology which allows APsystems to make remote firmware An exciting update for the Ruud Ringoir brings us the latest We hear exclusively from We preview of two of the We hear exclusively from product PES caught up with CEO, Laura We hear the views of Senior We look ahead and preview the Pablo Muñoz, Technical Support PES takes a look at Huawei’s Leonardo Botti talks to PES Photovoltaic in the fast lane from PROFESSIONAL changes to keep up with frequent regulatory and grid changes global PV market leading industry events Research Scientist, Martin Intersolar Europe 2019 in Munich Manager at Studer Innotec talks new, flexible PV systems for about ABB Solar's solid technical Dirk Tegtmeyer IMT MONITORING No solar technology has changed as dramatically in the means your systems will always be current and fully capable. scheduled for 2018 Bellmann – regarded by many as the most Mini-grid solutions home owners expertise and knowledge past 20 years as the inverter. Not only do inverters need to And with so many data points communicated back through important trade fair around the RELIABLE convert the DC energy from the panels to AC power, they the gateway and to the monitoring platform in the cloud, globe each year must also be intelligent, smart-grid compliant, and offer traditional powerline communication isn’t going to cut it. SOLAR/PV from an industry pioneer CEO, Guust Verpaalen manager, Markus Holzapfel COMPLIANCE multiple communication and monitoring features, including APsystems’ YC600 and QS1 microinverters utilize high speed SOLAR/PV Wi-Fi, cellular, Zigbee and powerline communication. They wireless Zigbee technology, which creates a local 2.4GHz SOLAR/PV must also comply with a bewildering number of codes mesh network for fast and reliable data communication back Sartore for her exclusive insight and regulations, and frequently communicate an equally to the gateway. exceptional amount of system data points, providing for an For today’s smart grid, APsystems As ever, we bring you the latest technological & innovative As always, we are delighted to present you with the latest product & It’s that time of year again! We look ahead and preview two unprecedented level of system monitoring and analysis. leads the industry with an developments and advances from many of the industry’s technology innovations as well as project developments and advances of the biggest and most important events on the global solar With more being demanded of solar inverters than ever even smarter inverter. key players. from a number of key mover’s and shaker’s in the market. calendar in 2018. The Intersolar Europe in Munich & the before, the pressure and need to create a brilliant, cutting- Plus, our usual dose of expert opinion, insight & analysis. Plus, our regular helping of opinion, industry insight & analysis. Intersolar North America in San Francisco 2018 edge piece of equipment at a competitive price is an The Plus, enjoy our frequent offering of opinion, product incredible challenge, and not one for the faint of heart. advances and industry insight. APsystems proudly takes this on this challenge every day. better Our design advances and innovative circuit topology enable choice POWER & ENERGY SOLUTIONS • ISSUE 33, 2018 POWER & ENERGY SOLUTIONS • ISSUE 34, 2019 POWER & ENERGY SOLUTIONS • ISSUE 32, 2018 improved system temperature reduction and more efficient power conversion, allowing for greater density in our products SMARTER PV? Managing PV Energy BREAKING NEW and a smaller inverter footprint. Combined with Reactive GROUND Power Control (RPC) technology and roughly 30% shared 60 000 550 MW 74 80The Industry is continuing to evolve at quite a pace. It will come as no surprise that the industry continues to change at an components in our multi-module microinverters, our YC600 As the industry continues its rapid evolution, (dual) and QS1 (quad) have become the most advanced INSTALLATIONS SHIPPED BY THE END Are the advances in both knowledge & technology CERTIFIEDalmost unrelenting rate. But it may be down to how we manage and react there are continuing technological advances AND cost-effective MLPE products on the market. leading us toward a PV market which is becoming to these changes that shape the future of the market moving forward. It doesn’t end there. We’ve designed the YC600 and QS1 OF 2018 From cost reduction, increased efficiency and the digitalization of data, and breakthrough developments that look to work together on the same cable, same circuit. The smarter by the day? how are we managing to keep solar PV ahead in the global energy race? set to shape the future of our industry convenience of just two microinverter models and ubiquitous trunk and extension cables for every residential solar PATENTS COUNTRIES ISO9001 installation cuts down on your SKUs and stocking costs while ISO14001 increasing installation speed. Founded in Silicon Valley USA in 2009, APsystems has grown Today, with millions of units installed, APsystems continues to encompass three global business units with offices around to be a leader in the ever-growing solar MLPE segment and the world, serving customers in more than 80 countries with a solid corporate performer, profitable each of the past six its ground-breaking multi-module microinverters including years. APsystems EMEA is based in Rotterdam, Netherlands the QS1, a 4-module microinverter connecting PV modules and Lyon, France . SOLAR ENERGY’S ESSENTIAL MEDIA DESTINATION up to 375 Wp each with 4 independent MPPT and 1200W AC output power. 24,000+ READERS EXTENSIVE ONLINE AND MOBILE REACH BIG NAME INTERVIEWS NEWS, VIEWS AND ANALYSIS UNMISSABLE FEATURES AND AGENDA-SETTING COMMENT ECU-R ECU-C EMA YC600 QS1 email [email protected] today POWERFUL www.pessolar.com DISCOVER OUR meteocontrol.com I N N O VAT I O N NEW SOLUTIONS! For more information, please visit: emea.APsystems.com Setting a newVARTA Energy Storage Systems The Market Leader in MOSTEnIneHtrMHeiggrayahsldSo-leptlBaoei1nrrra,f/GgoBeeeroemroSsmtaoEhanluun4crtey3oi.o0pnes, Solar Microinverter Technology Become your own Energy THE 13th (2019) International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Exhibition & Conference standard in solar.Supplier now! See You in 2019 The demand on energy storage systems may vAarysmdeapertndginrigdonnetheedtsypae somf baurildting, however the desire for reliability and safety applmiesicfroor ainllvteecrhtneicr—al saonludtioAnPs.systems sets the standard worldwide with the YC600 and new QS1. SUSTAINABLE THING Visit us on booth B1.210 from 15 - 17 May 2019 at the ees Europe in Munich No solar technology has changed as dramatically in the A flexible FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) circuit past 20 years as the inverter. Not only do inverters need to topology which allows APsystems to make remote firmware convert the DC energy from the panels to AC power, they changes to keep up with frequent regulatory and grid changes must also be intelligent, smart-grid compliant, and offer means your systems will always be current and fully capable. multiple communication and monitoring features, including And with so many data points communicated back through Wi-Fi, cellular, Zigbee and powerline communication. They the gateway and to the monitoring platform in the cloud, ABOUT DIESEL? must also comply with a bewildering number of codes traditional powerline communication isn’t going to cut it. 60 000 550 MW 74 80 CERTIFIED and regulations, and frequently communicate an equally APsystems’ YC600 and QS1 microinverters utilize high speed ISO9001 exceptional amount of system data points, providing for an wireless Zigbee technology, which creates a local 2.4GHz INSTALLATIONS SHIPPED BY THE END PATENTS COUNTRIES ISO14001 PULSE 3 AND 6 unprecedented level of system monitoring and analysis. mesh network for fast and reliable data communication back to the gateway. OF 2018 For today’s smart grid, APsystems 3,3 / 6,5 kWh With more being demanded of solar inverters than ever leads the industry with an Founded in Silicon Valley USA in 2009, APsystems has grown Today, with millions of units installed, APsystems continues THE SCANDAL. before, the pressure and need to create a brilliant, cutting- even smarter inverter. to encompass three global business units with offices around to be a leader in the ever-growing solar MLPE segment and edge piece of equipment at a competitive price is an the world, serving customers in more than 80 countries with a solid corporate performer, profitable each of the past six incredible challenge, and not one for the faint of heart. The its ground-breaking multi-module microinverters including years. APsystems EMEA is based in Rotterdam, Netherlands the QS1, a 4-module microinverter connecting PV modules Compact and handy APsystems proudly takes this on this challenge every day. better up to 375 Wp each with 4 independent MPPT and 1200W AC and Lyon, France . Fully integrated system Our design advances and innovative circuit topology enable choice output power. with inverter improved system temperature reduction and more efficient Installed in 30 Minutes power conversion, allowing for greater density in our products In an ever-changing world we take the promise of “Made in Germany“ and a smaller inverter footprint. Combined with Reactive seriously, with sustainable, durable and cost-efficient energy solutions. Power Control (RPC) technology and roughly 30% shared Learn more at the Intersolar / ees Europe about cutting energy costs with our components in our multi-module microinverters, our YC600 innovative energy storage solutions – for example with the TS HV 70 Outdoor: (dual) and QS1 (quad) have become the most advanced AND cost-effective MLPE products on the market. Made to optimize energy costs for ev charging solutions. It doesn’t end there. We’ve designed the YC600 and QS1 to work together on the same cable, same circuit. The ECU-R ECU-C EMA YC600 QS1 convenience of just two microinverter models and ubiquitous trunk and extension cables for every residential solar installation cuts down on your SKUs and stocking costs while increasing installation speed. Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association / Shanghai New Energy Industry Association POWERFUL Show Management: Follow Me Int'l Exhibition (Shanghai), Inc. I N N O VAT I O N Add：Room 902, Building No. 1, 2020 West Zhongshan Road, Shanghai 200235, China For more information, please visit: emea.APsystems.com Tel：+86-21-33561099 / 33561095 / 33561096 Fax：+86-21-33561089 130 Years of Battery Expertise in Your Energy Storage System. www.varta-storage.com THE ENERGY STORAGE EXPERTS For exhibition: [email protected] For conference: [email protected] Staubli: IFC Trojan: 23 Viamon: 41 Ecoprogetti: 53 www.staubli-alternative-energies. www.trojanbattery.com www.viamon.com www.ecoprogetti.com com Vigdu: 27 Solar Log: 45 Solar Power International: 54 Intersolar Europe: 9 www.vigdu.com www.solar-log.com www.smartenergyweek.com www.intersolar.de AP Systems: 36 PES Solar: 46 meteocontrol: 55 Intersolar Mexico: 11 emea.apsystems.com www.pessolar.com www.meteocontrol.com www.intersolar.mx AP Systems: 37 Tesvolt: 47 SNEC 2019: 67 VARTA: 19 emea.apsystems.com www.tesvolt.com www.snec.org.cn www.varta-storage.com WWW.PESSOLAR.COM 123

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Greening the / Perfect Welding / Solar Energy / Perfect Charging Solar Industry NEXT LEVEL SOLAR. Resources Pictures: Loser Chemie GmbH, andreas160578, rawpixel under Creative Commons Licence CC0 Quality & Efficiency– Circular Economy our Business, your Success TODAY, ENERGY IS A CHOICE. TAKE YOUR SOLAR GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL. Environment Highest precision in IV characterization EXPERIENCE SOLUTIONS FOR PV, STORAGE, HEATING AND EMOBILITY. • Greening the Solar Industry with PV-Recycling www.halm.de Visit us at Intersolar. Hall B2, Booth 310 • We have the competency and we build the plant www.fronius.com/intersolar • Universal recycling technology for thin film and Si-based End-of-Life PV • Proven history of successful waste management Loser Chemie GmbH [email protected] www.lc-freiberg.com  +49 3731 41937-44 Loser Chemie GmbH is a member of HOLDING LATAM’S INNOVATION HUB FOR THE NEW ENERGY WORLD SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL for soiling monitoring Solar Power The smarter E South America focuses on the generation, storage, distribution and intelligent use of energy. Meet for rent! stakeholders and multipliers from across a wide range of industries. Be part of the new energy world, find expertise simple | affordable | maintenance free and forge new contacts that matter. Together we will shape the energy future. No moving parts 1 MW Solar Power Pack – Our full-service PV solution optimised for off-grid applications. 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Meet us at booth C2.130 15-17 May in Munich The Leading Energy Exhibitions and Conferences at The smarter E South America Special Exhibition [email protected] Visit us at aggreko.com 11.04.2019 13:33:26 190411_EES_Full Page A4_bleed.indd 1 Octopus III PECVD Cluster Deposition System for Heterojunction Cell Devices MIRROR REACTOR TOP MIRROR REACTOR BOTTOM Anti Cross-Contamination Treatment NO wafer flipping LESS handling complexity 3300 cells/hr www.indeotec.com Advertisement [email protected] Phone: +41 32 545 30 24 COME & MEET US AT Intersolar Europe | Booth C1-310 May 15-17, 2019, Munich, Germany SNEC | Booth N3 / 006 June 4-6, 2019, Shanghai, China INDIA‘S INNOVATION HUB Intersolar Europe GENERIS PVD – Inline Sputtering System for Heterojunction Solar Cells Intersolar Europe FOR THE NEW ENERGY WORLD Hall C1, Booth 410 Hall C1, Booth 410 BANGALORE, KARNATAKA, INDIA May 15 – 17 SINGULUS Sputtering Competence May 15 – 17 at a Glance SNEC, Shanghai SNEC, Shanghai Hall N3, Booth 510 Hall N3, Booth 510 June 4 – 6 June 4 – 6 The smarter E India focuses on the generation, storage and intelligent use of energy. Visit three parallel exhibitions and meet SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES has heterojunction cell technology. Sputter Rotatable cylindrical Magnetrons for 300+ exhibitors and 10,000+ energy experts from 55+ countries from the solar, energy storage and electric mobility industry. delivered in excess of 8000 vacuum damage to the amorphous silicon layer highest Utilization of Target Material You’ll find cross-sector energy solutions, technologies and business opportunities for a decentralized energy market using sputtering machines worldwide over stack does not occur. Full substrate renewable energies. Be part of the energy transition in India! the past 20 years. The machines range temperature control during the whole → Low cost of ownership and high from standard sputtering systems to process enables optimum layer uptime Be Part of the Leading Energy Exhibitions and Conferences at The smarter E India ultra-high vacuum deposition machines performance at temperatures ≤ 200 °C. applying extremely thin layers with With the GENERIS PVD sputtering → Top down and bottom up sputtering capabilities down to 0.2 nm. One main system, contact layers can be deposited configurations available focus during the solar cell production on the front and rear of the Si wafers is the efficiency. Heterojunction cell without the need to turn the wafers → Sputter sequence configurable technology (HJT) achieves conversion between coating processes and without → Full temperature control throughout efficiencies of more than 22 % as well vacuum interruption. Annealing of as reduced manufacturing costs. sputtered layers can be integrated as the whole process an option. Also, full area metal coatings → Rotatable cylindrical magnetrons for Inline Sputtering System for e.g. Ag can be deposited within the Heterojunction Solar Cells same system. By using rotatable highest utilization of target material The SINGULUS GENERIS PVD machine sputtering magnetrons, the highest → Target utilization about 80 % for is a horizontal inline sputter tool target utilization is achieved and designed for the special requirements offers some of the lowest production rotatable cathodes compared with of Heterojunction cell production with costs in the industry. only 30 % for planar cathodes coatings on both sides. The system → Sputtering materials: ITO, AZO and is ideally suited for challenging layer Typical Performance metals like Ag, NiV, Cu, Al etc. stacks i.e. TCO layers like ITO and → Single end and double end version AZO providing maximum optical Characteristics GENERIS PVD selectable transmittance, matched refractive → For transparent conductive oxide index, optimum electrical conductivity as well as charge carrier mobility, layers like ITO and AZO, e.g. for HJT which are key-parameters in → Parallel processing of several substrates (Si wafers) Ideal PERx platform, future ready for higher efficiency Ideal PERx platform, future ready for higher efficiency Meyer Burger is the leader for passivated layer deposition tools for mass adoption of PERx technologies with its The SINGULUS GENERIS PVD machine Meyer Burger is the leader for passivated layer deposition tools for mass adoption of PERx technologies with its dominant 140GW installed equipment base worldwide. utilizes an inline coating process in dominant 140GW installed equipment base worldwide. which the substrates are transported FABiA® is the only equipment available today combining all PERx deposition on specially designed carriers, FABiA® is the only equipment available today combining all PERx deposition steps in a single tool. With its 6,350 wph throughput and smallest footprint providing edge isolation simultaneously. steps in a single tool. With its 6,350 wph throughput and smallest footprint the FABiA® delivers lowest CAPEX. Its integrated process design makes it ideal The carrier return system is located the FABiA® delivers lowest CAPEX. Its integrated process design makes it ideal for upgrading to passivated contacts (TOPCon) technology with >23% cell below the machine under constant for upgrading to passivated contacts (TOPCon) technology with >23% cell efficiency. clean environmental conditions. Various efficiency. automation options for loading and Meyer Burger delivers the FABiA® 6.1 unloading are available from different Meyer Burger delivers the FABiA® 6.1 power of passivation. 3 in1 deposition system industrial sources. power of passivation. 3 in1 deposition system meyerburger.com SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG | Hanauer Landstrasse 103 | D-63796 Kahl am Main | Tel. +49 6188 440-0 | www.singulus.de meyerburger.com LOSER CHEMIE GmbH: 71 EKO: 83 h.a.l.m.: 101 Sintef: 111 Fronius: OBC www.halm.de www.sintef.com www.fronius.com/ www.lc-freiberg.com www.eko-eu.com intersolar The Smarter E Kipp & Zonen: 75 Aggreko: 87 EU PVSEC 2019: 102 South America: 113 www.kippzonen.com/ www.aggreko.com www.photovoltaic- www.thesmartere.com.br DustIQ conference.com SunBrush mobil GmbH: 91 Kameleon Solar: 121 Schneider Electric: 77 www.sunbrushmobil.info Indeotec: 103 www.kameleonsolar.com solar.schneider-electric. www.indeotec.com com Meyer Burger: 93 Meyer Burger: IBC www.meyerburger.com SINGULUS www.meyerburger.com The Smarter E India: 82 TECHNOLOGIES AG: 107 www.thesmartere.in www.singulus.de 124 PES SOLAR

COMMENT: TRENDS Solar and renewable trends for 2019 and beyond Peter Thiele, president of Sharp Energy Solutions in Europe, looks at the development of solar module technology and renewable energy in the year and decade ahead. Peter Thiele Over the course of the next 12 to 24 months, always use the very latest technologies in our solar and other renewable energies will modules, the cells being used in our 2018 was an exciting year for the solar and continue to gather pace in the mainstream. photovoltaic modules are going through a renewable energy market. An increase in the We believe that awareness creation will revolution, creating ever more effective number of large scale photovoltaic cell and continue and the understanding of the modules with higher efficiencies, which put module factories, as well as an increase in cell benefits of self-consumption and the us in line with the expectations of the market. and module efficiency, have made decentralised creation of electricity will grow. photovoltaic electricity a viable and cost Cells are usually designed with crystalline cells effective decentralised energy solution for On a commercial level, we will see the based on silicon with contacts located on the individuals, enterprises, factories, controlled spread of larger plants in free upper and lower sides of the cell, which creates communities, production plants and other fields using pieces of land that are no longer an electricity flow through the cell. However, large energy consumers. used. Old army bases or old airports can be because there needs to be a grid on the top to readily converted to photovoltaic control the flow of the electricity, this often As a company, we have a long history and installations. This will be coupled with a blocks a degree of light. But leading companies experience of large scale cell and module greater understanding from a political level like Sharp, have developed a technology, called production; in fact, Sharp is currently of what needs to be done from a legislative back contact technology, whereby all contacts celebrating 60 years in the solar business. view point to support renewable energy. are on the back of the panel, so the top cell During this time, the development of the surface is free from shading, so vastly industry and its technology has been From a system perspective, the small improving the efficiency of the module. phenomenal. However, we believe that in the residential photovoltaic units with batteries coming months and years we will see more will continue to increase in efficiency. For For larger free fields, future trends will be dynamic change and fast-paced growth than example, new battery technologies with new towards developing better string layouts. We ever before. chemistries will be introduced that offer started some years ago with systems better overall power efficiencies. voltages that could handle 600 Volts, which meant a series of up to 12 modules could be Future trends for solar created in a line. We are now at around 1000 Volts but the trend is towards ever higher Photovoltaic modules are quite a mature voltages - with recent developments heading technology, so in terms of future trends we towards 1,500 Volts. This means in the not will see improvements in the cell technology too distant future we will see up to 25 that give greater efficiency and increase the modules in one connected string, and just output of the module itself. the final module in the line connected to the From a technological point of view, while we WWW.PESSOLAR.COM 125

COMMENT: TRENDS ‘The unstoppable pace of digital change and ever-faster global communication will further fuel this call to action. As a result, utility companies will need to respond with greener and cleaner electricity alternatives, while governments around the world will need to implement legislation that creates a ‘renewables first’ environment.’ inverter, so drastically reducing costs. Greater connectivity will also be a benefit of in the energy market. Pressure from future systems. People will have the option consumers for more environmentally In the developed countries, photovoltaic and to self-consume and self-control where their sourced products will put more demand on other renewables will play an ever more energy is being spent in the house and if as solar and other renewable initiatives. This important role and it will become a mandatory we believe electric vehicles are coming, then pressure is being driven to a large extent by technology from a construction perspective. additional connectivity comes in the form of growing awareness of climate change. So, we will see photovoltaic on the roof with charging your car with green power you have Younger generations in particular are battery technology and energy management created yourself. It needn’t stop there, while questioning how our energy consumption systems inside all new buildings. an electric car is ideal for short city-based impacts the world around us, and journeys, you could take a train powered with demanding that individuals, companies and We will see heating in homes moving away ecological electricity. governments take immediate action. from gas boilers, for example, to more renewable forms of energy, especially Digitalisation and decentralisation will allow The unstoppable pace of digital change and photovoltaic. Then there will be other ideas, for increased business models to be ever-faster global communication will such as if you need to travel around in your developed, offering peer-to-peer electricity further fuel this call to action. As a result, community, then why not use an electrical solutions. So someone, for example, creates utility companies will need to respond with bicycle, then if you do need to use a car, opt electricity and then sells it to another greener and cleaner electricity alternatives, for an electrical car, which in the next three to customer elsewhere by having a contractual while governments around the world will five years will be powered by your own relationship with them, for example using need to implement legislation that creates a decentralised power system. Blockchain or another crypto-currency. This ‘renewables first’ environment. may be a little bit out as presently there is the There is also the system aspect, which with grid in between and someone has to service Consequently, we believe there will be a increased digitalisation will bring greater the grid but also people have to and pay for stronger throughput into the daily life of intelligence into these systems. We may well the use of the grid, but we see these types of renewable energies for people where it will see systems that can talk to each other, the business models coming around. be the main force of energy creation. result being that decentralised fleets of devices may manage themselves in order to The next decade w ww.sharp.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/gb/ provide a stable output of electricity towards hs.xsl/-/html/energy-solutions.htm the grid. The next decade will see a great deal of flux 126 PES SOLAR

Intersolar Europe Hall C1, Booth 410 May 15 – 17 SNEC, Shanghai Hall N3, Booth 510 June 4 – 6 Ideal PERx platform, future ready for higher efficiency Meyer Burger is the leader for passivated layer deposition tools for mass adoption of PERx technologies with its dominant 140GW installed equipment base worldwide. FABiA® is the only equipment available today combining all PERx deposition steps in a single tool. With its 6,350 wph throughput and smallest footprint the FABiA® delivers lowest CAPEX. Its integrated process design makes it ideal for upgrading to passivated contacts (TOPCon) technology with >23% cell efficiency. Meyer Burger delivers the FABiA® 6.1 power of passivation. 3 in1 deposition system meyerburger.com

/ Perfect Welding / Solar Energy / Perfect Charging NEXT LEVEL SOLAR. TODAY, ENERGY IS A CHOICE. TAKE YOUR SOLAR GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL. EXPERIENCE SOLUTIONS FOR PV, STORAGE, HEATING AND EMOBILITY. Visit us at Intersolar. Hall B2, Booth 310 www.fronius.com/intersolar