ersol Thin Film: solar (sales) at work

Nova-T thin film modules really in production and shipping
500 kWp solar farm to be built in Grevenbroich, Germany

On Friday, January 18, 2007, ersol Solar Energy AG (FRA:ES6) subsidiary, ersol Thin Film GmbH, announced the Sales launch of ersol Thin Film modules (Deutsch) with the signing of a 500 kWp (kilowatt-peak) module supply contract with K+C Schmidt Gbr.

Nova-T module datasheets or specifications were not available at the time of the press release. Just after the ersol Analyst Conference at the 8. Forum Solarpraxis, I heard the Nova-T amorphous silicon (a-Si) module efficiency was 5.5% implying an approximate 79 Wp (Watt-peak) power rating. If the Nova-T indeed has a 79 Wp specification, this deal involves almost 6330 modules.

Contrast these implied specifications with the recent SCHOTT Solar GmbH announcement, SCHOTT ASI 86: First Shipments From New Thin Film Factory in Jena. SCHOTT Solar produces the same sized a-Si modules based on similar Oerlikon Solar process and production equipment. SCHOTT’s ASI 86 module has 86 Wp nominal power output or about 5.93% module efficiency.

The Nova-T a-Si thin film modules are from series production and are supposed to be delivered in January and February 2008 to K+C Schmidt Gbr, a Grevenbroich, Germany, based investor, for deployment in an open space system solar farm project also located in Grevenbroich, the German capital of energy. The press release states:

The 500 kW plant equipped with ersol thin-film modules – to be operated by K+C Schmidt itself – is due to go on stream shortly and will contribute to power generation from regenerative energy.

K+C Schmidt Gbr is an affiliate company of K+C Schmidt GmbH, a real estate broker in Grevenbroich, which today operates a wind energy plant and a small photovoltaic plant.

ersol said:

This represents a decisive step for ersol Thin Film in launching this module type on the market by way of a first major project in Germany.

And this is a decisive step compared to ersol Thin Film’s indecisive second half of 2007 as their plans for a-Si thin film module production were off and then on again. ersol Thin Film Managing Director Peter Schneidewind also said:

This supply contract marks the beginning of our marketing activities. We are currently negotiating with several potential customers. So I am delighted to say that we are on the verge of signing further contracts.

I have to wonder if ersol Thin Film’s off and on yo-yo plans broke their earlier customer contracts? I hope they got things “Right from the start.” now though.