Solar breakthrough: Fort Collins firm hits pay dirt

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

In the race for the Holy Grail of solar power--low-cost photovoltaic panels that can compete with other sources of power--a Fort Collins firm is headed for the finish line. By January 2008, AVA Solar will begin local production of solar panels costing about one-third as much as most panels now on the market.

The panels will look similar to others sold today, each measuring 2 feet by 4 feet and designed to be mounted on a roof. The big difference is the price tag. AVA Solar plans to offer its product for less than $1.70 per watt, compared with most competitors at $5 per watt. That difference could propel the company quickly into the solar spotlight.

According to AVA spokesperson Pascal Noronha, the company hopes to develop large-scale production capacity within the next five years. The firm will market its product to all possible sectors, including residential, commercial and utility use.

The breakthrough at AVA Solar is exciting stuff, since the only thing holding back solar power in the worldwide marketplace has been cost. Globally, several companies are working hard to develop solar technology that is inexpensive enough to compete with both conventional and wind power.

While competition is intense, Noronha does not see this as a problem for the local company. The potential demand for cheap solar power is so large, he said, that even if other companies find similar solutions in the near future, there will be plenty of business to go around.

The current national leader in solar module production, according to Noronha, is First Solar Inc. The company has a manufacturing plant in Ohio and is building others in Germany and Malaysia. First Solar is producing a mid-price module, Noronha said, but its price is "nowhere close" to the AVA Solar figure.

Cadmium-based product

The AVA panels use a thin film of cadmium telluride as the semiconductor, coated onto ordinary window glass. Neither the chemical nor the window glass is new to the industry, but the method of manufacture is. While other companies use a "batch" process that requires labor-intensive handling during each step of production, AVA has come up with a continuous manufacturing process.

"All semiconductor steps are carried out automatically inside a chamber," said Noronha, "and the product comes out as a finished panel." Noronha said AVA Solar is the first to develop this dry, in-line and continuous production method.

Besides the high-tech manufacturing approach, AVA Solar is saving money with its use of window glass and cadmium telluride, a compound which is much less costly than traditionally used silicon.

Developed at CSU

AVA Solar's technology was birthed in the mechanical engineering labs at Colorado State University, and the labor wasn't easy. Associate Professor W. S. Sampath, along with research associates Kurt Barth and Al Enzenroth, worked 15 years to come up with an advanced manufacturing technology that would make solar panels more affordable. The researchers founded AVA Solar early this year with the sole purpose of commercializing the new technology.

The research team credits CSU President Larry Penley and Associate Vice President of Economic Development Hunt Lambert for encouraging their efforts to go commercial.

"This is one of those magic moments," Lambert said, "when university-based research could lead to a commercial application that could dramatically improve the world."

In addition to being a business venture, AVA Solar sees its product as a boon to the environment and a way to lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil. In light of concerns about global warming, the attraction of solar power is especially strong.

"Our mission is to participate as much as possible in reducing the environmental impact of fossil fuels in this country over the next several years," Noronha said. He added that AVA Solar's manufacturing process produces no byproducts and does no environmental harm.

Emphasizing AVA Solar's commitment to the United States, Noronha said the pressure to go global is strong. Worldwide, Japan and Germany are the leaders in solar power production today. In fact, Noronha said, the German government provides $48 million in grants to First Solar for each factory that the company builds in Europe.

Despite that economic pull, Noronha said, AVA Solar "will not build its factories abroad because we wish to be serving the U.S. market." However, the company could begin marketing to other countries in four to five years.

According to Phil Friedman of Solar Professional Services in Fort Collins, the solar industry has been seeking ways to bring the cost of solar modules down to below $2 per watt to compete with both traditional and renewable sources of electricity. Currently, it costs about $2 per watt to build a new coal-fired power plant and about $1.80 per watt for a new wind generator, according to sources at Platte River Power Authority and Tri-State Generation.

"If a PV module costs between $1.70 and $2 per watt, anyone can generate their own power more cheaply than buying from the grid," Noronha stated.

And, the power supply is endless. "We've got to move from taking energy resources from below ground to above ground," Noronha emphasized. "In the end, the source of all energy on this planet is the sun, and it will be there for the next five billion years."