EANS-News: centrotherm photovoltaics reports further progress with centaurus technology: successes with customer projects and in further development

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Company Information

Subtitle: • Implementation concluded at a European customer, ongoing
negotiations about expansion • Improved performance through
optimizing the selective emitter process and through fine line
printing • "centaurus FLEX" flexible upgrade concept forms focus of
EU PVSEC trade fair profile in Frankfurt

Blaubeuren (euro adhoc) - September 24, 2012 - centrotherm
photovoltaics' centaurus technology continues to achieve further
advances in the current market environment. Following successful
project progress at a first customer in China, the supplier of
technology and systems from Blaubeuren, Germany, is now also gaining
market shares in other Asian countries with centaurus. In particular,
technologically highly-developed cell manufacturers are currently
showing great interest, as centaurus technology facilitates rapid
entry into the production of highly-efficient cells and modules. In
contrast to other concepts for rear side passivation, this technology
is based on tried and tested processes and materials, and enables
simple integration into mass production at a constant cost level
compared with the standard process. centaurus solar cells can also be
further processed within conventional module construction.

Successful customer projects have allowed centrotherm to prove the
centaurus technology's mass production maturity. Ramp-up was also
successfully concluded at a European customer. Negotiations
concerning further expansion are already underway.

centaurus technology has also been consistently further developed
over recent months, with its efficiency having been boosted
significantly through improved laser optics. This step has allowed
the laser diffusion to be better adapted to realizable metallization
production tolerances. In addition, centaurus was successfully
equipped with fine line metallization, which has already proved
successful in production. Average efficiencies above 19.5% are
currently being achieved at customers, with 20% solar cells being
attained in production in the best batches.

centrotherm is continuing to consistently pursue its upgrade
strategy, offering its customers the opportunity to considerably
reduce their production costs. Among other developments, the upgrade
products' flexibility has been further boosted to this end. Along
with turnkey lines and upgrade packages, implementing centaurus
technology under partial integration of existing systems is now
possible with the "centaurus FLEX" upgrade concept. This
significantly reduces not only investment costs, but also integration
time and expense. At the 27th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy
Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), centrotherm photovoltaics'
trade fair presence focuses on technology upgrades for
highly-efficient solar cells.

centaurus technology combines selective emitter technology with a
rear-side passivation through a dielectric layer and a local aluminum
back-surface field (Al-LBSF). Compared to industrially produced
standard solar cells with full-area Al-BSF, centaurus cells exhibit a
significantly lower recombination velocity on the rear side. The
internal light reflection is also improved in the long-wave area, and
consequently the short-circuit current.

A further plus point relating to solar cells produced with
centrotherm technology is that modules with centaurus solar cells
have not only passed the potential-induced degradation (PID) tests
performed by the Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP),
but have met the conditions for at least double the test duration.
PID is a voltage-related performance degradation in crystalline solar
modules, which is induced by so-called leakage currents. PID can
generate significant performance losses in modules.

Stand information for the centrotherm photovoltaics Group:
Frankfurt Trade Fair, Hall 3, Stand C6

About centrotherm photovoltaics AG centrotherm photovoltaics AG,
which is based at Blaubeuren, Germany, is a globally leading
technology and equipment provider for the photovoltaics sector. The
company equips well-known solar companies and new sector entrants
with turnkey production lines and single equipment to manufacture
silicon, and crystalline solar cells and modules. As a consequence,
the Group possesses a broad and well-founded technological basis, as
well as key equipment at practically all steps of the photovoltaics
value chain. centrotherm photovoltaics guarantees its customers
important performance parameters such as production capacity,
efficiencies, and completion deadlines. The Group currently employs
around 1,300 staff, and operates globally in Europe, Asia and the
USA. centrotherm photovoltaics achieved revenue in the 2011 financial
year of around EUR 700 million. The company is listed in the Prime
Standard on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Further inquiry note:
Saskia Feil
Tel: +49 (0) 7344 918-8890
saskia.feil@centrotherm.de

Nathalie Albrecht
Manager Public Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-6304
E-mail: nathalie.albrecht@centrotherm.de

end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: centrotherm photovoltaics AG
Johannes-Schmid-Str. 8
D-89143 Blaubeuren
phone: +49 (0) 7344 91880
mail: info@centrotherm.de
WWW: http://www.centrotherm.de
sector: Energy
ISIN: DE000A0JMMN2
indexes: Prime All Share, GEX, ÖkoDAX
stockmarkets: free trade: Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart,
regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt
language: English