News Article
Soltecture record CIGS modules hit 12.8% efficiency
What's more, since the company filed for insolvency last year, an International investment process has begun. Soltecture says there is a high interest among potential buyers
Soltecture, a thin-film CIGSe module innovator, says it has reached new heights in efficiencies.
With a peak value of 103.9 W, analogous to a module efficiency of 13.9 percent aperture, the corporation was able to increase the efficiency of its CIGSe based modules.
"Our research and development department was able to increase the module efficiency by another 10 W in less than one year. That is more than a 10 percent increase," notes Nikolaus Meyer, founder and CEO of Soltecture.
The possibilities of CIGSe materials have yet to be exhausted. As such, Soltecture is pursuing its own Technology Roadmap that hopes to bring the company to hit more than 16 percent efficiency by 2015.
This high-tech enterprise, which emerged in 2001 from one of Europe’s leading photovoltaic research institutes, conducts its production and development from its headquarters in Berlin-Adlershof. More than fifty highly qualified engineers, with a combined 200 years of technology experience, are employed on the project.
The new Linion 100 W leads Soltecture’s product portfolio. It has an aperture efficiency of 13.4 percent and a module efficiency of 12.3 percent. "With the Linion 100 W we are introducing one of the strongest thin film modules on the market," explains. Nikolaus Meyer.
Until now, the Linion line was available in performance classes of 80 W, 85 W and 90 W. The Linion 100 W and Linion 95 W are both IEC 61646 TÜV-certified and are being produced in accordance to the ISO 9001-standard. Soltecture’s system solutions for solar construction – from the prefabricated flat-roof element to the solar roof tiles – are now all equipped with the new high-efficiency modules.
On May 9th, 2012, Soltecture filed for insolvency. The responsible local court, Berlin-Charlottenburg, hired attorney Hartwig Albers as a preliminary insolvency administrator. A substantial number of creditors have supported his appointment.
In the meantime, the search for an investor continues as planned. Hartwig Albers, together with the M&A experts of investment bank, Macquarie, have initiated the international investor process. "Numerous investors have already expressed interest in taking Soltecture over," says the restructuring expert of the nationwide partnership Brinkmann & Partner. "Although it is too early to make precise predictions, the interest with potential investors is high." Therefore, he is “confident that we will find a buyer in the coming months."
Stable business operations and a trusted customer base also contribute to the boost in confidence. "Through the commitment of our employees, our customers have felt little impact of the insolvency, and we were able to sustain our transaction volume," says Meyer. The preliminary insolvency administrator confirms that "all parties involved have a vested interest in company’s survival." the administrator works together with Meyer on the restructuring and on the permanent preservation of the company.
