The International Resource Journal: Schott Solar

Schott Solar
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admin on 18 December, 2009 02:07:00
 
Taking on “Whatever the Future Holds”
With over 51 years experience in solar technology, SCHOTT Solar deserves the
accolades it gets for being on the leading-edge of solar innovations in Europe
and beyond. A wholly-owned subsidiary of the international SCHOTT Group, SCHOTT
So­lar employs more than 2,000 people worldwide—100 of them in
research and development.
SCHOTT has done what newer solar companies can only dream of: establish a
reputation and standing in a niche market that is brimming with opportunities.
SCHOTT has capitalized on solar energy demand, starting in the company’s
native Germany, and continues to spread the word about solar energy through its
many public initia­tives. SCHOTT Solar’s CEO, Martin Heming, says that
U.S. President Obama’s visit to one of SCHOTT’s facili­ties
during his candidacy was something of a proud mo­ment for the company,
considering that the international SCHOTT group has been around for 125 years.
“It’s very important to work with governments and politicians in
various countries,” he explains, all in the name of pro­moting
sustainable energy development.
Leading in technology and innovation
SCHOTT Solar’s photovoltaic products capture the sun’s energy and
provide carbon free electricity all year round. SCHOTT develops innovative,
high-quality photovoltaic products including those in crystalline photovoltaics
and in thin-film technol­ogy. What’s more, is that their product
models will work reliably over a long time, and with uncom­promising
quality. Ensuring premium quality and remaining a reliable partner are what sets
the company apart from its competitors in both pho­tovoltaics and
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology. “On both the photovoltaics and
CSP sides, we have to become naturally competitive and innovative to bring costs
down. This means we have to improve the value of our product to our
customers,” Heming reasons.
The company is a technology leader for receivers for Concentrated Solar Power
plants with parabolic trough technology—currently the most proven solar
thermal electric technology. CSP technology converts sunlight to heat by
us­ing large rows of parabolic-shaped mirrors, so the sun’s radiation
is concentrated up to 80-fold on the receivers. Heat transfer oil is heated at
this stage, and via a heat exchanger, steam is emitted that drives traditional
steam turbines. Even during night hours, thermal accumulators can enable
reliable generation of electricity. As an example, a solar plant with an output
of 50 megawatts consists of approximately 360,000 square metres reflecting
surface, and around 15,000 receivers—with a total length of about 60
kilometres.
CSP plants are ideal for energy generation, and run exceptionally well within
the earth’s sun belt—certainly in the states in the
Mediterra­nean region. The other advantage to CSP plants is that they can be
combined with fossil energy sources or biomass, which can contribute to a safe
and reliable energy supply. SCHOTT Solar supplying the CSP plant industry
directly contrib­utes to making tomorrow’s alternative energy
production possible, using technology that has been tested and works,
economically and envi­ronmentally in the long-term.
SCHOTT’s Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) division
The receivers SCHOTT Solar develops for CSP plants are currently produced in
Mitterteich, Aznalcóllar (Spain) and in Albuquerque (NM, USA). CSP
technology can be used for electricity generation as well as for large-scale
applica­tions. Amongst the various CSP processes, solar power plants with
parabolic trough technology have proven their practical value for more than 20
years. SCHOTT Solar is one of the world’s leading suppliers of a key
component for this technology—the receiver. According to Heming, the CSP
PTR 70 receiver is “certainly the most unique product” that SCHOTT
offers.
By developing and providing the CSP receiv­er to the solar market, SCHOTT
has established itself as one of the world’s leading suppliers of CSP
plant components. The precision of the tubes in the four-metre-long receivers
are vacu­um sealed and embedded in a glass body. The receivers are the key
to the efficiency of para­bolic trough power plant technology—as they
convert solar radiation to heat.
SCHOTT’s PTR 70 Receiver is manufactured with a new type of
anti-reflection coating, which has a high abrasion resistance and allows
trans­mission of more than 96 per cent of the sun’s
radiation—clearly a high level, especially in parts of the world that see
the sun most of the year. According to SCHOTT Solar, “The absorber
coat­ing has an absorption degree of approximately 95 per cent and very low
emittance of below 10 per cent heat radiation at a temperature of about 350 to
400 centigrade”. The other unique aspect of the received is that about 96
per cent of the length of the product is actually used.
Comparison measurements on the PTR 70 were completed by the “Deutsches
Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt” (DLR) on the “Plataforma Solar
de Almería” testing grounds in southern Spain, and those tests
confirmed that the receiv­er is two percent more efficient than
competi­tors’ models. SCHOTT Solar’s next generation receiver
tubes using direct steam or molten salt technology already are tested in the
field today.
Another proud event for the company: SCHOTT Solar got recognition for delivering
more than 23,000 receivers for the first European solar power plant in the south
of Spain.
SCHOTT Solar photovoltaics—success in all markets
SCHOTT Solar leads the solar energy market in photovoltaics, in addition to CSP
technology. SCHOTT Solar’s manufacturing is automated, which, according to
the company, ensures prod­ucts are of the highest quality. The company also
employs strict quality controls in all levels of production and uses only high
quality products.
Their photovoltaic modules are some of the most viable and profitable in the
market. The Fraunhofer Institute, a German research or­ganization, did a
long-term study looking at SCHOTT’s solar panels, and found that they
achieved a performance stability of 94.5 per cent—an excellent rating for
such a technol­ogy. Other studies have further proven the viability of
SCHOTT Solar products. One such study proved that the energy return period for
photovoltaic modules made by the company under German radiation conditions
(approx. 950 hours of sunshine annually) is less than three years. According the
company, modules made with EFG(R) technology only need just over two years to
recover their embedded energy. SCHOTT Solar power modules are designed to yield
high energy per kilowatt of output installed.
SCHOTT Solar’s all-rounder model
SCHOTT Solar’s POLY(tm) 175 high-performance module was created for use on
roofs, and SCHOTT has dominated this market for some time. The
“all-rounder” module, meant for long-term use, is characterized by
polycrystalline solar cells with exceptionally low-power tolerance. The
technology provides a stable high-energy output, and an increased reversed
current resistance minimizes wiring costs. The module itself can handle a system
voltage of up to 1,000V, and can withstand pressure and suction loads of up to
550kg per square metre.
It’s no wonder SCHOTT Solar is recognized as a market leader, and provides
a performance guarantee on all its products—the all-rounder cur­rently
comes with a 25-year guarantee.
Global presence
SCHOTT Solar can rely on its international sales network for ongoing support,
and the company hopes to continue growing internationally. Il­lustrating
SCHOTT’s global reach and market strength, their photovoltaic products are
currently produced in Alzenau, Jena, Putzbrunn, Valašské
Mezirící (Czech Republic) and in Albuquerque (NM, USA).
The company’s global presence stems from a strong local market domination
in Germany. How­ever, according to Heming, “over the past year
[SCHOTT] has seen some dramatic changes in the market”. When the global
financial crisis hit, the Spanish market for solar products diminished in
parallel, and the company had to rely on local markets to keep the business
robust. Luckily, that wasn’t a problem for SCHOTT Solar. Heming, who has
been with the company since the late ‘80s, says that the company’s
50-year history in pho­tovoltaics has created a “loyal relationship
with German customers—when the Spanish market boomed and
afterwards”.
“During the economic crisis, these custom­ers were very loyal to us
when times got rough, and so, we’ve seen a little increase in the last 12
months in terms of revenue and megawatts,” Heming adds. He measures
success in money as well as megawatts—showing how truly intertwined the
company’s dedication to sustainable energy is with their bottom line.
“Although regulations in the government might change, a very stable pillar
in the market is the German market. Germany really puts a focus on renewable,
giving those types of energy priority. Germany has showed a clear outline as to
how renewable energy can become competi­tive—and there is
well-developed infrastructure putting that into place.”
SCHOTT Solar’s brand will most certainly bring the company into expanding
markets, as Heming hopes the U.S. will respond and see the need for more
sustainable energy. “The year 2009 saw us relying heavily on the German
mar­ket. But in 2010 I see a dramatic shift of export and regional
deliveries. It is important for us to support this shift with the
internationalization of our sales force activities. We have to do this in order
to be a prime supplier of benchmark tech­nologies and stay
competitive” Heming explains. “On the CSP side we see two issues:
relying too heavily on the Spanish market, and setting the proper political
frameworks to facilitate invest­ments in solar energy”—in Europe
and elsewhere. However, Heming believes that with a great brand behind them, and
people committed to the sus­tainability message, things will go
SCHOTT’s way: “SCHOTT is a brand, and people trust it.”
www.schottsolar.com