TRUBBACH, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oerlikon Solar customer Astronergy (also known as Chint Solar), the Chinese manufacturer of thin film PV modules, has demonstrated the growing momentum behind this exciting technology by securing a deal to deliver a two-megawatt rooftop PV installation for the Huangzhou Energy and Environment Industrial Park in Zheijang.

Following a competitive bidding process, Astronergy was selected to provide high-efficiency thin film PV modules for the Hangzhou industrial park’s Green Science and Technology Hall and Energy Conservation Hall. Astronergy will design and install the whole project with a combination of crystalline silicon-based modules and high-efficiency tandem thin film PV modules. The project is expected to be completed by 30 September 2009, demonstrating the efficiency advantages offered by Oerlikon Solar’s manufacturing technology.

Oerlikon Solar leads the thin film solar equipment sector with ten factories in production and the fastest time to market. Thin film solar offers cost advantages over traditional crystalline silicon and is demonstrating increasingly impressive efficiency gains. Astronergy is using Oerlikon Solar’s Micromorph^® high-efficiency tandem PV technology for this latest project.

“Oerlikon Solar is a proven world-leader in delivering thin film production equipment to the fast-growing solar energy industry,” said Jeannine Sargent, CEO, Oerlikon Solar. “With China’s renewable energy industry poised for serious expansion, we are delighted to be supporting Astronergy with this high-profile new contract win and we look forward to our best-in-class technology playing a lead role in this exciting marketplace,” she added.

“The Hangzhou project will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase Astronergy’s revolutionary new thin film modules, which will help us to differentiate ourselves and establish our position in the industry,” commented Liyou Yang, CEO, Astronergy. “Because demand is growing so strongly for cost-effective solar power, we valued Oerlikon’s ability to get our plant up and running quickly.”

Under the ‘Golden Sun’ program, announced on 21 July 2009, China’s Ministry of Finance will subsidize 50 percent of the construction costs for on-grid solar power plants and up to 70 percent of the construction costs for off-grid installations, plus transmission costs where necessary. Industry analysts predict that, under this government-led policy, China could be equipped to generate more than 500 megawatts of solar power within three years, compared with just 50 megawatts in 2008.

About Astronergy

Founded in 2006, Astronergy is based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. The company is one of the first in the world, and the first Chinese company, to bring mass production of second-generation amorphous silicon/microcrystalline silicon tandem junction thin film technology (a-Si/uc-Si) to market. Astronergy is led by a global management team with a half-century of experience in thin film research & development. In June 2009, it inaugurated its first 30 MW a-Si/uc-Si mass production line, and expects to reach 1 GW production capacity by 2012.

For further information, please visit www.astronergy.com

About Oerlikon Solar

Oerlikon Solar offers field proven equipment and end-to-end manufacturing lines for the mass production of thin film silicon solar modules. Engineered to reduce device cost and maximize productivity, its end-to-end solutions are fully automated, high yield, high uptime, and low maintenance.

The production lines are complete systems, yet modular and upgradeable in both throughput and process technology. As a global leader in thin film PV technology, the company provides its customers with extensive experience in both amorphous and high-efficiency Micromorph^® tandem technology.

Oerlikon Solar is ranked “global number one solar turnkey line supplier” by VLSI and has been named winner of the 2009 CELL AWARD for the “best technical product for thin film module manufacturing”.

Oerlikon Solar is headquartered in Switzerland, has over 750 employees in 13 locations world wide and maintains sales and service centers in the USA, Europe and China, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Japan.

For more information, please visit www.oerlikon.com/solar.