Q-Cells Thin Film Modules

INTRODUCTION TO Q-CELLS
MODULE PORTFOLIO
Creating assets in Indian Projects

WHAT’S ON TODAY’S AGENDA?

1. Q-CELLS AT A GLANCE

2. INTRODUCTION TO Q.SMART

3. QUALITY AT Q-CELLS

INTRODUCTION TO Q-CELLS MODULES PORTFOLIO : CREATINGASSETS IN INDIAN PROJECTS FINAL
2 MANASIJ KAR BANGALORE, SEMINAR ON GERMAN SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES NOVEMBER 2011

Q-Cells at a glance

1 No. 5 in the entire world (No. 1 in Europe) in terms of production volume

2 Q-Cells is among the leading system integrators in the world (460 MWp)

3 Successful deployment of a cumulative 3 GWp x-si cells around the world

a leader in the world of
photovoltaics 4 12 years of experience in the entire PV production chain

5 Cells and Modules trusted by consumers across the world

6 Highly innovative products made with the future in mind


Q-Cells: A company born in Germany, but with
export share > 50 %

Q-CELLS SYSTEMS INDIA PVT LTD,
BANGALORE


Q-Cells Product Portfolio includes several highly
innovative products

SOLAR CELLS SOLAR MODULES SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS
Monocrystalline and Crystalline and CIGS Residential, commercial & industrial systems
multicrystalline thin-film solar modules as well as medium- to large-sized solar power
plant facilities

Q.PRO Q.SMART


Q.SMART offers the world’s highest thin film
efficiency modules
HIGHEST POWER CLASS OF ALL THIN FILM TECHNOLOGIES

© Photon, 03/2011

PRODUCT CERTFICATION
IEC 61646 (ed.2) (certified by VDE): functionality and life time
IEC 61730 (certified by VDE): safety
UL 1703 (certified by CSA)
MCS

Q.SMART has a very strong roadmap planned with
even higher efficiencies

All aperture areas efficiencies

Q.SMART has a very strong roadmap planned with
rapid cost reductions

PRODUCTION COST PRODUCTION COST REDUCTION TO < 0.5 $/Wp

Cost reduction of more than 60% over last year due to:
Scale-effects (ramp-up)
Efficiency increase of > 1 percentage point
Yield increase by 22 percentage points since January
2010
Expansion of supplier base
Process optimization
Increased uptime
Still significant cost-optimization potential for both fabs
after ramp-up
Expansion of additional 500 MW with next-generation
production technologies would allow cost reduction to
< 0.5 $/Wp
Sep Dec Mar Jun Sep Dec Mar Jun Sep Dec Mar + 500
2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2010 2010 2010 2010 2011 MW


Q.SMART outperforms simulations

Q.SMART UF L - THE BEST YIELDS EVEN ON FLAT ROOFS
Zaragoza Aragon, Spain

Flat roof: 3-7°
System size: 861 kWp
In operation since: May 2010
Simulated yield: 1256 kWh/kWp (12 months)
Actual yield: 1495 kWh/kWp (12 months) 19 % more than expected

Q.SMART delivers 19 % more yield than expected –
an advantage for our customers


Q.SMART outperforms competition in hot sunny
regions

MONITORED REFERENCE FACILITY

Project: Alice Springs
Site: Alice Springs, Australia
Capacity: 5.61 kWp
Orientation: North
Inclination: 20°
Website: http://www.dkasolarcentre.com.au/

Q.SMART performs better than the competition when put under
extreme climate conditions


Q.SMART outperforms competition under rooftop
conditions (suboptimal inclination, orientation)
710

SPECIFIC YIELD [kWh/kWp]
700
690
680
360°EFFICIENCY – FOR MORE INSTALLATION OPTIONS 670
Residential facility Braunfels, North 45° Germany 660
650
Orientation: 45° North Q.SMART c-Si Canada c-Si China c-Si USA
Installation capacity: 1.8 kWp
In operation since: April 2009
Actual yield: 705 kWh/kWp

5 % higher yield than the best of the competition
External monitoring
Q.SMART generates the highest yields on flat roofs and roofs
facing East, West and even North


Q.SMART has safety features that are relevant for
airport installation

MARCO POLO AIRPORT IN VENICE
FLAT ROOF

Capacity: 612 kWp
In operation since: June 2010

Q.Smart meets all safety standards


Q.SMART references include the largest CIGS
photovoltaic project in the world

Q-CELLS CUSTOMER INSTALLATION IN
AMMERLAND, GERMANY

Capacity: 20.8 MWp

In operation since: October 2011


Q.SMART references includes the National Solar
Mission project

Q-CELLS CUSTOMER INSTALLATION IN
Q.SMART UF L – SUPPLY TO INDIA, UNDER NSM
JODHPUR, INDIA

Capacity: 5.0 MW AC

Q.Smart meets all stringent criteria required by
Indian customers under Solar Mission


Q-SMART simulation shows excellent performance
in Indian conditions
Module
Module mismatch Specific yield
Module Type Wp quality loss loss ( kWh/kWp) PR Remarks
Q.SMART UFL 110 -2.5% 1% 1782 83.7% LSE and positive sorting
USA_ CdTe 80 2% 2% 1759 82.6% power +/- 5%
c-Si 280 2% 2% 1643 77.2% power +/- 5%

Assumptions: PVSYST version
5.51 onwards has
Meteonorm weather data with specific site coordinates
updated .PAN files
Yield figures till Inverter output for QSMART
Schneider 500 GTE Inverter modules
DC ohmic loss of 1.5%, Soling loss 2%
Loss due to temperature and Irradiance etc. calculated in PVSYST
No shading loss considered
Parez Radiation model
Albedo 0.2


The next phase of evolution of Q.SMART will result
in a expansion of Production Facilities

Capacity: 500 MWp
Capex: < 1.1 $/Wp
Production cost: 0.5 $/WP


The ugly side of product robustness of modules in
field conditions in India, and also elsewhere

*
1.Solar Energy Centre at SolarCon 2010
2.SunPower at NREL International PV Module QA Forum Meeting 2011

There are three main factors for the
underperformance of modules on the field

1. Many industry participants are new to PV

• The experience of manufacturers currently supplying modules
is limited

2. Internal QA processes not at required standard

• The manufacturer’s attitude to quality varies and customer
service

3. Lack of R&D for long-term performance

• Newly understood phenomenon like Potential induced
degradation (PID) are not accounted for, in manufacturing
process


But wait, isn't product & performance guaranteed by
manufacturers? Unfortunately “it depends”.

“The Limited Warranty does not apply to any PV Modules which have been
subjected to (…) electrical surges, lightning, flood, fire, vandalism, tampering,
accidental breakage, mold discoloration, or other events beyond <Supplier’s>
control, including without limitation any technological or physical event or
condition that is not reasonably known or understood at the time the Customer
purchased the PV Modules”

-- An extract from a warranty clause from a Tier-1 Chinese cSi module manufacturer

Fact: It could be worse with modules with Tier-2,3 manufacturers


Q-Cells has established one of Europe’s largest PV
testing conditions in a manufacturing premise

The Module Test Line has the following facilities

16 climate chambers for reliability test
(capacity for 240 crystalline modules or 720 thin-film modules)
4 light soaking + 3 UV-systems
2 flashers (VDE recognized)
additional tests ( outdoor exposure, mech. stress, hail impact, dyn. load, etc)
All tests and test equipment is approved and accredited from VDE, especially IEC61215,
61646, 61730 and UL1703
All results and measurement data are recognized by VDE (TDAP)


Q-Cells modules have been one of the few to receive
the VDE Quality Tested (VQT) certificate
• Identification
Easy to verify ID-Number: unique product
identifier and can be verified on-line
Separate VDE-Certificate for every product
containing the most important information.

Benefit to customers
As a result of the certificate, Banks and
Insurance companies find it is easier to get
financing for Q-Cells products

High reliability
Optimized durability
Low degradation
Continuous line monitoring


The “VDE Quality Tested (VQT)” process involves
stringent product checks that are well beyond IEC tests

More intense tests performed
IEC standards “VDE Quality tested”
Thermal cycling test X 2X
Damp heat test X 1.5X
# of tested modules per test string X 2X
# of connection box tests X 2X
Maximally permissible performance reduction after the required 8% 5%

Electroluminescence Test Not required 100% of production

Wet leakage test Only during 1% of running
certification production
Grounding behavior Only during Daily
certification
Reverse-current carrying capacity test Only during Daily
certification


VQT is not just a product test, but also a test for the
entire manufacturing process

Third Party Audit of Manufacturing Process

Periodical fab audits by VDE
Continuous in-line quality tests that are controlled and audited by the VDE
Quarterly test for the correctness of the power data on the module via re-measurement
Quarterly repetition of the test cycles on 20 modules from running production
Quarterly climatic tests on 4 modules from running production


In addition, Q-Cells continues to perform world wide
tests on module performance in real life
WORLD-WIDE TEST SITES

Testing of modules and complete PV systems under real conditions
Comparing simulation and testing results from laboratory with measured data
Developing improved simulation processes for accelerated material testing
Show-case for customers of system components and live monitoring

x
xx
xxx
xx xxxx
x
x x

x
x
x

x

x x
x Q-Cells test sites around the world


REFERENCES (Selection)

INDIA – New Delhi 12 KWp
QBASE, QSMART UFL


Malaysia – Cyberjaya (Kuala Lumpur)
Q.PRO, QBASE, QSMART UFL


6 kW standard
test system
for
cSi and CIGS
Technology

Saudi Arabia – Kaust (above) and Dhahran (below) Australia – Alice Springs


THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.
For details, please contact:
Q-Cells Systems India Private Limited,
Registered Office: Level 9, Raheja Towers,
26-27 MG Road, Bangalore 560 001,
INDIA INTRODUCTION TO Q-CELLS MODULES PORTFOLIO : CREATINGASSETS IN INDIAN PROJECTS FINAL

Q-Cells Thin Film Modules

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