EANS-News: centrotherm photovoltaics focuses on greater efficiency in the solar value chain with further improvements in its systems on show at SNEC in Shanghai

• Premiere for "c.NITE Inline" nitride coating system
• New
"c.FIRE" fast firing furnace especially maintenance-friendly
•
Key equipment reduces cost of ownership

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Company Information

Subtitle: • Premiere for "c.NITE Inline" nitride coating system
• New "c.FIRE" fast firing furnace especially maintenance-friendly
• Key equipment reduces cost of ownership

Blaubeuren (euro adhoc) - February 17, 2011 - centrotherm
photovoltaics AG is presenting new products and product updates at
this year's 5th International Solar Industry and Photovoltaic
Exhibition & Conference in Shanghai (SNEC) that further boost
efficiency along the solar value chain. Lower operating costs allow
customers of the globally leading technology and equipment provider
for the photovoltaic sector to enhance their competitiveness. SNEC in
Shanghai (February 22 - 24, 2011) is regarded as one of the most
important trade fairs and conferences this year in the photovoltaic
sector.

Solar cell & Module product update The Solar cell & Module division
is showing two new top products in public for the first time: with
its "c.NITE Inline" nitride coating system and the "c.FIRE" fast
firing furnace, the photovoltaic specialists from South Germany are
presenting a new cost-efficient generation of key equipment for solar
cell production.

With its "c.NITE Inline" in-line PECVD system that provides
antireflective coating for solar cells, centrotherm photovoltaics has
combined the advantages of the established batch PECVD system with
in-line technology. The result is a nitride coating system that is
unique on the market. Thanks to direct plasma separation, the system
is distinguished particularly by excellent passivation
characteristics and an extremely homogeneous coating thickness.
Compared to other in-line technologies, the system achieves a
significant efficiency enhancement amounting to around 0.2 percentage
points for multi-crystalline wafers. Further advantages of the new
"c.NITE Inline" system include higher throughput and longer uptime
compared with other in-line technologies on the market. As is the
case with batch processing, this tested plasma coating process occurs
exclusively within compact process boats, thereby avoiding regular
downtime for reactor chamber cleaning.

Additional key equipment for solar cell production includes the fast
firing furnace in which front and rear contacts are burned into
wafers at high temperature. The "c.FIRE" is the new version of the
established fast firing furnace, and is distinguished by a compact
and space-saving construction. Besides this "footprint", the
photovoltaic experts from Blaubeuren have further optimized ease of
installation and maintenance compared with its existing furnace in
order to achieve additional reductions of cell manufacturers'
operating costs. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that arise during
the burning process were also taken into account: VOC treatment was
fully integrated into the restructured housing, thereby enabling
solvents that are emitted to be fed back on a reliable and
energy-efficient basis.

According to market estimates, the global sales volume for furnaces
across the sector this year amounts to a triple-digit figure in
millions of euros.

Silicon & Wafer product update centrotherm SiTec, in which the
centrotherm photovoltaics Group bundles its silicon expertise, is
presenting the already successful in the market introduced
multi-crystalline ingot furnace. The high-performance furnace has an
optimized hot zone, and is appropriate for capacity volumes of
between 450 and 600 kg of silicon. Along with the flexibility, its
particular strengths include a high productivity because of lower
energy costs and process time as well as the high product quality. A
further unique selling proposition is the high operating safety of
the furnace. In future, centrotherm SiTec will also be offering the
hydrochlorination process without STC-TCS converters for the
production of polysilicon.

Roll-to-roll product update With its "FHR.Roll.800" platform, FHR
Anlagenbau, a wholly-owned centrotherm photovoltaics subsidiary, is
presenting a new generation of roll-to-roll systems. This is a foil
coating system for 800 mm-thick plastic or metal foils. Compared with
predecessor models, it allows foils more than two and a half times as
wide to be coated. This system is appropriate for manufacturing
flexible solar cells on a CIGS basis, for example. The flexible,
light and unbreakable cells are also particularly suited to large
industrial roofs, and applications such as the textile, automotive
and aerospace industries. Thin film solar cells generated using this
roll-to-roll procedure are unrivalled where uneven surfaces are
concerned. Put simply, the roll-to-roll process runs a plastic foil
over a tape drive with several rolls, and vacuum-coats it
photovoltaically.

"We are presenting our innovative strength in all business areas at
SNEC in Shanghai. We offer our customers state-of-the-art technology
at every step along the solar value chain that allows them to achieve
further efficiency enhancements in the production process", commented
Dr. Peter Fath, CTO of centrotherm photovoltaics. "Our aim is that
our customers will be able to expand their premium cost leadership
thanks to centrotherm technology."

Stand information for the centrotherm photovoltaics Group:
Hall E3, Stand 520

About centrotherm photovoltaics AG centrotherm photovoltaics AG,
which is based at Blaubeuren, is the world's 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,
crystalline solar cells and thin film 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 employs over 1,400 staff members, and
operates in Europe, Asia and the USA. centrotherm photovoltaics
achieved revenue in the 2009 financial year of EUR 509.1 million,
EBIT of EUR 37.2 million, and is listed in the TecDax of the
Frankfurt Securities Exchange.

centrotherm photovoltaics AG Johannes-Schmid-Strasse 8 89143
Blaubeuren Internet: www.centrotherm.de ISIN: DE000A0JMMN2 WKN:
A0JMMN Admitted to the Regulated Market/Prime Standard, Frankfurt
Securities Exchange Corporate domicile: Germany

Contact:
Saskia Feil
Senior Manager Investor & Public Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8890
E-mail: saskia.feil@centrotherm.de

Dr. Torsten Knödler
Manager Public Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8898
E-mail: torsten.knoedler@centrotherm.de

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: centrotherm photovoltaics AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Dr. Torsten Knödler
Manager Public Relations
Tel.: 07344 - 918-8898
E-Mail: torsten.knoedler@centrotherm.de

Branche: Energy
ISIN: DE000A0JMMN2
WKN: A0JMMN
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