The fab will open in December 2018. What will initial production capacity be?
The production capacity will start at 550 MW and after a ramp-up phase, reach one gigawatt.
When are you hoping to reach 1 GW?
By the end of the third quarter of 2019. It is for the market to decide how much of that we will be able to sell, but we will give our very best.
What technologies will your modules employ?
We will be producing crystalline technologies on the basis of mono and polycrystalline PERC and heterojunction solar cells. Additionally, we will manufacture bifacial and mono-facial glass-glass modules.
Who will supply the fully integrated production line?
We are currently in detailed negotiations with German and Austrian companies focussing on automation, and we expect to make our final decision on this in the next weeks.
You said your modules will have a 15% higher performance rating than standard modules. What do you understand standard modules to be?
As standard modules, we understand poly- or monocrystalline 60-cell modules, with 3-, 4-, or 5-busbar technology.
Which parameters did you use, when you calculated the 50% reduction of LCOE per kW hour? And which modules did you compare that to?
We are looking at the parameters of energy output, power, price, and longevity of our solar modules, and compare that to current modules of a similar performance category and with European quality. After 23 years of existence, Energetica can report that 99.99% of the modules we produce are still used in the field generating electricity from the sun.
We have always, very successfully, tested our products in a climate chamber for over 10,000 hours. End-Of-Life is not in sight. Therefore, our product series are undergoing aging tests simulating 25 and up to 50 years, which are proof to us that our technology brings significant advantages when it comes to aging. The results are impressive: Our modules retain 96.3% of their initial performance, after 25 years. If you calculate that after 25 years you have 96% instead of 80% of the performance left, you can see where the improvement of our modules’ levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) comes from.
You also said you are competitive with Asian manufacturers. What will your modules cost?
Principally, we don’t want to communicate our pricing policy over the media. However, I can tell you this much: we are approximating Asian prices, and we will prove that at large-scale installations.
We want to enable European costumers, to source modules from European quality manufacturers and enjoy many European advantages, again. It is sad that key accounts purchase in Asia, because the pressure of the global market leaves them no other choice, even though the quality of the products is mediocre. We want to call an end to this and present our customers with the alternative, to buy “Made in Europe” and be better than our Asian competitors.
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