The Shilin Town Solar Park in China's south western province Yunnan has incorporated 1MW of CIGS thin-film modules supplied by German solar manufacturer Manz.
Located in the town of Shilin, the project is the largest CIGS module solar park feeding power into the Chinese grid, Manz reveals. It is owned by Beijing Sanglin Lantian Ltd, a developer of renewable energy projects.
The thin-film modules from Manz have been manufactured on the CIGS production line at the company's research site in Schwäbisch-Hall, Germany, which was taken over by Manz from Würth Solar at the start of 2012.
The modules have been installed in the open landscape, integrated into buildings and in roof-mounted configuration at the solar park, which also incorporates crystalline solar modules.
Xiao-Yi Wang, president and shareholder of the solar park, commented: “In comparison with the crystalline solar modules already installed, the Manz CIGS solar modules yield up to 10% more. That is an absolutely decisive figure which underscores sustainably the immense potential of this technology and impressively demonstrates the benefits of the favourable temperature coefficients of CIGS in the almost subtropical climate of Yunnan.”
Dieter Manz, founder and CEO of Manz, added: “In terms of efficiency, in recent months we have made a great step forward. Now, in mass production we reach more than 13% on a stable basis. This has so far been unequalled anywhere else in the world, and strengthens our market position to participate in the coming investment cycle in the solar industry.”
Manz also believes that the project will help the company to demonstrate the advantages of CIGS technology. Manz said: “Now that the solar park in Shilin Town has been commissioned, we can demonstrate the advantages of CIGS technology and the excellent manufacturing quality of our machines in practice. We are highly optimistic that we will also be able to convince interested solar cell producers of the benefits of our CIGS fab. Our aim in 2013 is to consistently exploit the potential that the solar market offers us.”
