Sharp to boost thin-film solar capacity to 160MW

Osaka, Japan-based Sharp said today it plans to increase its production capacity for thin-film solar cells to 160 megawatts per year, up from the current level of 15 MW, citing a growing demand for the cells in Europe.

The company said the $198 million expansion of its Katsuragi plant in Nara prefecture would be complete by October 2008.

Sharp said thin-film cells, which are made by depositing thin layers of silicon on a glass substrate, have better temperature characteristics when compared to regular PV cells, allowing greater amounts of power to be generated in regions where air temperatures are high, making them popular in Europe.

The company also said the feed-in tariff system which began in Germany is now spreading to neighboring countries, including Spain and Italy.

Sharp said thin-films are being adopted for use in curtain walls that allow natural light to shine through, as well as illuminating solar panels with integrated LEDs that generate electricity during the day and provide illumination at night.

Sharp currently makes thin-film solar cells with a triple-junction structure, consisting of two amorphous layers and a microcrystalline layer, and said it has achieved module conversion efficiencies of approximately 10 percent.

In addition to the expansion at the Katsuragi plant, the company previously announced plans to build a $3.2 billion thin-film solar and LCD facility in Sakai City, in Osaka prefecture (see Sharp to build new solar cell plant).

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