September 2, 2008: NanoGram Corp., a developer and manufacturer of silicon-based photovoltaics and advanced nanomaterials, has selected OTB Group, a manufacturer of inline production equipment, as one of its contributing partners in building out the company’s solar pilot plant currently under construction in Milpitas, CA.
NanoGram will use the facility to scale-up its SilFoil technology for solar modules, which it claims will deliver the performance and reliability of wafer-based crystalline silicon modules at prices competitive with thin-film modules. The SilFoil technology is comprised of a set of proprietary processes, including NanoGram’s laser reactive deposition (LRDTM) process. The US Department of Energy recently recognized NanoGram’s photovoltaic approach with an Energy Innovator Award.
OTB has a proven track record of helping Fortune 100 companies build lines in the solar, electronics, and industrial arenas by providing production equipment and technologies that enable manufacturers to expand their businesses while realizing efficiencies and cost reductions. The announcement of this partnership is the culmination of months of collaboration to design and specify key portions of the NanoGram facility.
“By partnering with OTB we are integrating the expertise and proprietary technology of two companies working to speed the time-to-market of NanoGram’s SilFoil technology,” said Kieran Drain, president/CEO of NanoGram, in a statement. “OTB is helping us to deliver affordable, highly efficient, and reliable photovoltaic modules to the renewable energy market.”
“NanoGram’s technology can revolutionize the solar industry with a new generation of solar cells that increases efficiency and productivity and reduces costs,” added Paul Breddels, CEO of OTB Group. “OTB has the process engineering know-how as well as proprietary inkjet printing and laser technologies to build the equipment that effectively produces this next-generation solar cell with higher efficiency at lower costs. This partnership represents a great opportunity to take solar cell production to the next level.”
The NanoGram solar pilot plant is expected to be commissioned in 2Q09.