Applied opens solar research facility in China, says it is largest non-government solar energy research facility in the world

The Applied center is comprised of laboratory and office buildings covering more than 400,000-square feet and contains an Applied SunFab thin-film manufacturing line and a complete crystalline silicon pilot process.

By Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- Electronic News, 10/26/2009

Applied Materials Inc is continuing with its commitment to the solar industry, today opening a solar research and demonstration facility in Xi’an, China, one the company claimed is the largest non-government solar energy research facility in the world.

While Applied is far from alone in showing interest in the solar market, according to Gartner the industry in 2009 ran into its first major market cycle after years of double-digit growth. Issues such as limited credit, economically unstable customers, currency fluctuations, and changing global legislation have hit PV (photovoltaic) vendors. Gartner recently estimated that the worldwide PV market reached 5.4 GW and $16.3 billion in solar-cell revenue in 2008 and forecasted that PV-solar-cell revenues will decrease by more than 50% in 2009.

Applied, considered a leader in the PV space, recently presented at the 24th EU (European Union) Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference where executives including Chairman and CEO Mike Splinter discussed the obstacles solar faced in 2009 and how the industry can industrialize solar through scale and technology. Executives also discussed Applied's solar plans focused on delivering profitable growth. Splinter identified China as having solid solar market growth potential in his presentation.

“This [center's] opening represents a critical breakthrough for the photovoltaic industry and China and a tremendous benefit to our customers,” said Splinter in a statement on today's news. “Establishing this center in China is an integral part of Applied’s global strategy and an important step toward the industrialization of the global solar industry.”

The Applied center is comprised of laboratory and office buildings covering more than 400,000-square feet and contains an Applied SunFab thin-film manufacturing line and a complete crystalline silicon pilot process, the Santa Clara, Calif-based company said. Applied first broke ground in Xi’an in 2006 and the total investment in the multiphase project is more than $250 million.

The completed facility includes a solar technology center for R&D, engineering, product demonstration, testing, and training for crystalline silicon and thin-film solar module manufacturing equipment and processes. According to Applied, the center has the largest solar array in Xi’an, a 56 kW array on a parking lot structure.

“We believe this technology center will provide important contributions to driving down the cost of solar around the world,” Mark Pinto, Applied’s CTO, said in the statement. “In addition to housing Applied’s state-of-the-art research into solar manufacturing techniques, customers and potential customers from around the world will be able to work side-by-side with our technologists to reduce their time to market and improve factory productivity and cell efficiency.”

Applied, which has worked in China for 25 years and has more than 800 employees and 13 offices in the country, also has business and research centers in Europe, Taiwan, Korea, the United States, and Japan, among other global locations.