Magnolia Solar To Participate in Panel Discussion in the Climate Change/Clean Energy Symposium

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Magnolia Solar, Inc., a developer of high efficiency, nano-structure based solar cells on low cost materials, will participate in the Panel Discussion on Scalable Renewals in the Climate Change/Clean Energy Symposium. This symposium is part of the U.S.-China-India Innovation Partnerships Conference to be held in Boston, Massachusetts on December 9-12, 2008.

Commenting on his participation in the conference, Dr. Ashok Sood stated, "I am delighted to have the opportunity to participate in an event that brings together many of the best minds in the Renewable Energy industry. Magnolia Solar is developing innovative solar cell technology to help make solar energy a significant part of the future energy requirements in the US, China, India and other countries.”

Based in Woburn, MA, Magnolia is developing solar cell technology that will cover the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared part of the solar spectrum. This innovative nano-based thin-film solar cell technology will enhance the solar cell performance while lowering per-watt cost for terrestrial applications. Magnolia Solar plans to use its technology to bring the cost of the solar power to less than one dollar per watt and become a key player in the solar power market which is expected to grow from the current about one percent to about 10 to 20 percent over the next decade. The emphasis for the next generation solar cells is to develop nano-technology based processes that can be grown on low cost materials such as glass and polymers.

Linde Nippon Sanso To Power Spain’s First Thin Film Solar Plant

MUNICH, Germany & BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Linde Nippon Sanso today announced that it has been awarded the exclusive contract to supply high purity gases to Spain’s first thin film solar cell manufacturing plant set up by T-Solar S.A. in Ourense, Galicia (Spain).

Under this agreement, Linde Nippon Sanso will provide T-Solar with turnkey installation of the plant’s bulk and special gases supply systems and ongoing delivery of the gases essential to making thin film solar cells. These gases include large volumes of silane and hydrogen gas, used to deposit silicon light absorber layers on large area sheets of glass used in solar panels.

“As the search for renewable energy sources gains momentum globally, Linde Nippon Sanso’s collaboration with T-Solar is in line with our mission to enable solar energy to achieve grid parity and become more affordable for mass consumption,” said Andreas Guenther, President, Linde Nippon Sanso. “T-Solar’s choice of Linde Nippon Sanso as the exclusive supplier reiterates our strengths in advanced gas technologies for thin film manufacturing.”

The T-Solar plant, fully operational in mid-2008, is using a new technology that enables the production of giant solar panels – more than five times larger than those currently produced. This thin film manufacturing technology is expected to lower the cost of solar electricity toward grid parity, making solar energy competitive with conventional grid-supplied electricity.

“The first thin film manufacturing plant places Spain among the front-runners in the global solar energy market,” said Juan Laso, CEO, T-Solar. “It confirms T-Solar’s commitment to making photovoltaic technology a key contributor to a sustainable approach to power generation.

“We view Linde Nippon Sanso as a strategic long-term partner in our efforts to reduce the cost of thin-film solar cells as also minimise the environmental impact of manufacturing these – as we strive to bring the benefits of solar energy to the mass-market,” Laso added.

Solar panels have traditionally been made using silicon semiconductor wafers to absorb light. But standard wafer sizes limit panel size, and the amount of solar energy each panel can capture. Thin film solar production has adapted technology originally developed for the production of thin film, liquid crystal displays to create significantly larger panels that can deliver solar energy at a lower unit cost.

BTU Receives 2 Million Dollar Order For Solar Thin Film Equipment

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BTU International (Nasdaq: BTUI), a leading supplier of advanced thermal processing equipment for the alternative energy and electronics manufacturing markets, today announced the receipt of an order from a major thin film solar customer. The order, exceeding two million dollars in value, calls for the delivery of several BTU in-line thermal processing systems that will enable high-volume production of Thin Film solar panels.

“We are very pleased to receive this order for use in high volume Thin Film panel production. These systems provide BTU with an exciting and fast-growing market opportunity,” said Paul van der Wansem, Chairman and CEO of BTU International. “This customer chose BTU because of our serious commitment to the solar market, the depth of our thermal technology expertise, our ability to scale-up production and our global footprint for optimal customer support.”

BTU offers solar processing equipment for both Silicon and Thin Film Photovoltaics. In Thin Film Photovoltaics, BTU’s equipment is used for both the CIGS and the CdTe processes. Silicon Photovoltaic applications are served by BTU’s Metallization Furnaces and In-Line Diffusion Systems.