Oerlikon Solar has released the second generation of ThinFab, its system for the production of amorphous silicon (a-Si) PV modules.
According to the company, the new design allows for a capital expenditure reduction of more than 20%. The estimated price for the complete end-to-end production line is now $1/W, including engineering support and performance guarantees, and the production line enables customers to produce a-Si modules for a cost of around $0.50/W.
Key improvements in the second generation of ThinFab include increased manufacturing line output, guaranteed higher module efficiency and new narrow-gap reactor design for silicon deposition, the company says.