Consultants Forum Advertise
Subscribe
Close

  • Free for qualified executives and consultants to industry

  • Receive quarterly issues of Area Development Magazine and special market report and directory issues

Subscribe Now
Renew

Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Japan-Based Solar Frontier And SUNY’s CNSE To Study CIS Thin-Film Modules Project in Buffalo, New York

04/22/2014
Japan-based Solar Frontier and the State University of New York College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct a technical and economic feasibility study for potential joint R&D and manufacturing of CIS thin-film modules in Buffalo, New York.

According to the company, this move is part of Solar Frontier’s future plans to establish production bases for its proprietary technology outside of Japan, the company’s home market that currently accounts for 100 percent of its production. “Solar Frontier will continue to advance itself as a global leader in the solar energy segment, and establishing overseas production bases is at the core of our mid-term growth plan,” said Hiroto Tamai, President/Representative Director of Solar Frontier. “We are honored to work with the CNSE to study the potential for joint R&D and manufacturing of our proprietary CIS technology in New York State.”

“Solar Frontier’s proprietary CIS technology is unlike today’s standard solar module technologies. Our CIS generates a higher electricity yield than crystalline silicon modules in real operating conditions – where environmental factors show that labelled efficiency isn’t everything. Together with high-quality, high-precision manufacturing, Solar Frontier is creating cost-competitive and reliable returns on investments in the solar energy market,” Charles Pimentel, Chief Operating Officer of Solar Frontier Americas, explained.

“Governor Andrew Cuomo challenged the State of New York to become a leading high-tech knowledge economy. Our feasibility study with Solar Frontier, the holder of a proprietary CIS thin-film solar photovoltaic technology, is a step toward unveiling that vision – toward the reality of new high-tech jobs, new economic growth, and to becoming a center for advanced nanotechnologies,” said Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, CEO of CNSE.

CNSE is a global education, research, development, and technology deployment resource supporting New York’s job creation and growth agenda for emerging high-tech industries. CNSE has made more than $20 billion in high-tech investments since its foundation in 2004, representing the world's most advanced university-driven research enterprise. CNSE’s Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon provides a prototyping and demonstration line for next-generation CIGS thin-film solar cells and supports CNSE’s leadership of the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium.

Exclusive Research