Oerlikon Solar announces strategic solar partnership in China

Oerlikon Solar signs Memorandum of Understanding with International Cooperation Center for China Renewable Energy Society (CRES)

Pfäffikon (Switzerland), December 9, 2011 – Oerlikon Solar signs a
Memorandum of Understanding with the International Cooperation Center for
China Renewable Energy Society (CRES) to collaborate on Thin Film Silicon
Solar technology in China.

The strategic partnership announced in Beijing today marks the start of a joint effort
to promote the benefits of the Oerlikon Thin Film Silicon Solar technology with an
emphasis on China, including:
- Research of Thin Film solar power electricity generation
- Supporting and participating in Demonstration projects undertaken by the
International Cooperation Center for CRES
- Government policy advisory
- Organization of forums such as the 2012 “Conference on Thin-Film Solar Power
Cell Technology”.

Oerlikon Group CEO Dr. Michael Buscher, said: “In line with our continued focus on
China, this co-operation is a further step in demonstrating the competitiveness of our thin film silicon technology in the world’s biggest solar manufacturer market.
Oerlikon Solar remains committed to reducing production costs to make
photovoltaics an even more economically viable energy source.”

Professor Shi Dinghuan, Chairman of China Renewable Energy Society said, “The
International Cooperation Center of the Society will not only provide Chinese
renewable energy enterprises with opportunities of international cooperation and
exchange, but also help international enterprises to develop in China. Our strategy
represents a bond between the international Cooperation Center and international
renewable energy enterprises owning advanced technology and products. I am
confident we can mutually benefit through cooperation and together promote
China’s renewable energy industry, and enhance the development and the
application of renewable energy in China in a holistic way.”

To date, Oerlikon Solar has sold 870 MW of manufacturing capacity (turnkey lines
and equipment) to 15 customers in Europe and Asia. Six of these customers are
manufacturing in China and 446 MW of the 870 MW contracted production capacity
is already in annual mass production. More than five million panels have been
produced on Oerlikon Solar’s equipment since 2006.

Oerlikon Solar is the world leader in supplying advanced thin film silicon PV
technology, and turnkey manufacturing solutions for the lowest production cost of
high efficiency thin film silicon photovoltaic modules. In addition to making continual
improvements in efficiency, the company has succeeded in lowering solar module
production costs to € 0.43/Wp (China) with its end-to-end manufacturing solution
ThinFabTM – less than half the cost of the previous generation.

The photovoltaics end market is currently concentrated in Europe, the United States,
and Japan. Oerlikon Solar sees high growth potential in Asia and will strengthen its
efforts in this region to be even closer to customers.

About Oerlikon Solar
Oerlikon Solar designs and manufactures field-proven equipment and turnkey manufacturing lines for the mass production of environmentally sustainable thin film silicon solar modules. With its amorphous and high-efficiency Micromorph® tandem technology, Oerlikon has dramatically increased the efficiency of thin film silicon and created innovative turnkey manufacturing solutions for thin film PV, enabling new entrants in the fast-growing, global PV manufacturing business. Oerlikon Solar leads the thin film solar equipment sector with 15 customers in production in seven countries, and almost 5 million modules and 450 MW of capacity produced worldwide.

Oerlikon Solar Ltd, Trübbach
Hauptstrasse 1a
CH-9477 Trubbach

Simone Ramser
Head of Communications
Tel. +41 81 784 8141
Mobile +41 79 314 1197
Fax. +41 81 784 6544
simone-lisa.ramser@oerlikon.com
www.oerlikon.com/solar

This release was published on openPR.