Applied Materials Awarded Spanish Thin Film Production Line Contract

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http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsEUMA151.htm

Applied Materials has been awarded a contract to provide T-Solar Global S.A. of Spain with Europe's first thin film solar module production line using ultra-large 5.7m2 (2.2m x 2.6m) glass panels.

By scaling to these large-area substrates, the same size used in Generation (Gen) 8.5 flat panel displays, this integrated line can drive down the cost of solar panel manufacturing while doubling rated factory output. For installations such as large commercial rooftops and solar farms -- applications that are already growing rapidly as a result of the increased availability of lower-cost thin film solar panels -- these ultra-large substrates are expected to enable an additional 25% reduction in the cost of solar electricity.

"We look forward to working with Applied Materials on this vital project," said Juan Laso, general manager of T-Solar. "This investment, promoted by a consortium of independent investors led by Marcial Portela, with Isolux Corsan construction, engineering and service group as the main shareholder, capitalizes on the rapidly expanding market in Spain for photovoltaic installations. Large-area thin film panels are ideally suited for these open space applications due to their performance in high temperature conditions and cost advantages for large-scale installations."

T-Solar is expected to produce panels using the thin film production line supplied by Applied by mid-2008. The contract provides that Applied will deliver a fully-integrated equipment line for a solar panel manufacturing facility with a nominal rated capacity of 40 megawatts per year -- twice the production size of conventional thin film solar facilities. This line can be configured for end-market product sizes from 1.4m2 to 5.7m2, providing customers with exceptional flexibility.

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