November 14, 2007 – XinAo Group, a Chinese energy conglomerate with ~$2.45B in assets, is establishing a photovoltaic (PV) module production line capable of producing modules to generate >50MW of electricity, the first phase of a planned 500MW capacity plant in China. The plan includes an order for an Applied Materials’ SunFab thin-film production line using 5.7 sq. m glass substrates, and an optional tandem junction upgrade.

“Photovoltaic module manufacturing is a very important part of our strategy to provide clean energy to China and other countries of the world,” said XinAo chairman Wang Yusuo, in a statement. Franz Janker, EVP of Applied Materials, noted the capacity for larger panels (4x bigger than typical solar modules) will translate into “efficiencies of scale to lower both manufacturing and installation costs,” and “accelerate the development of a cost-effective solution for clean renewable energy.”