EANS-News: centrotherm photovoltaics presents top solar cell and further product updates at the leading photovoltaics trade fair in Valencia

• ISE-certified solar cells with 19.1 percent efficiency

• Efficiency enhancements through product updates

• New system design on the market from 2011

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Company Information

Subtitle: • ISE-certified solar cells with 19.1 percent
efficiency • Efficiency enhancements through product updates
• New system design on the market from 2011

Blaubeuren (euro adhoc) - September 2, 2010 - At this year's 25th
European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU
PVSEC: September 6-9, 2010 in Valencia), centrotherm photovoltaics AG
is presenting new top performance values for solar cells, and further
technology updates to boost efficiency along the photovoltaic value
chain, as well as a new system design. The company is not only
focusing on new customers for its product development, but is also
offering supplementary upgrade packages. This also allows existing
customers to benefit from the use of new technology by expanding
their capacities and reducing their manufacturing costs through
efficiency gains.

Solar cell & Module product update With a new rear side technology
for mono-crystalline silicon solar cells, the photovoltaics
specialists from Blaubeuren are allowing a new top result for
efficiency to be achieved. The new rear side technology is based on
dielectric passivation and local contacting, thereby boosting the
solar cells' efficiency. Mean efficiencies of 19.1 percent have been
achieved on normal industrial production systems - and peak results
of 19.2 percent. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
ISE, Europe's largest solar research institution, has now certified
the 19.1 percent efficiencies that have been measured within the
company. The reference area is the industry standard wafer size of
240 cm² with the normal industry print screen metallization on the
front and rear sides. This allows the solar cells in the solar module
to be interconnected without adjustments.

In Valencia, the company will also present two upgrade variants for
the integration of the selective emitter technology in production
lines that are already in operation. These boost cell efficiency by
up to 0.5 percentage points, and enable peak results of more than
17 percent efficiency on multi- crystalline material, and of up to
18.5 percent on mono-crystalline material.

Silicon product update centrotherm SiTec, in which the centrotherm
photovoltaics Group bundles its silicon expertise, is presenting the
next generation of key equipment for silicon production. This
includes the 24 Pair CVD reactor and STC-TCS converter technology:
along with the throughput-optimized 24 Pair CVD reactor as the
successor model to the established 18 Pair CVD reactor, the silicon
specialists are highlighting the High Pressure STC-TCS converter. The
latter offers greater performance thanks to significantly higher gas
throughput and a stable, high conversion rate. Investment and
manufacturing costs, and environmental emissions, decline as a
consequence of the closed production cycle of the mutually
coordinated systems.

The silicon specialists are also showcasing an improved furnace to
produce multi-crystalline ingots. Mean efficiencies of 16.6 percent,
and peak results of up to 17.0 percent, were achieved under regular
production conditions on a pilot line. The standard market levels are
otherwise 16.2 percent to 16.4 percent on multi-crystalline material.
Manufacturing costs are also reduced by eight percent compared with
the earlier process sequence. At the module level, results of around
236 Watt peak (Wp) per module were achieved - these are otherwise
usually 210 Wp to 220 Wp on the market.

Thin film inspection product innovation GP Solar, a one
hundred percent subsidiary of centrotherm photovoltaics, is using the
EU PVSEC to launch a newly developed inspection system for thin-film
modules on the market. This now allows thin-film manufacturers to
also take advantage of the major benefit of targeted defect analysis
and classification, and to improve the overall quality of their solar
modules. The smallest defects can already be identified during
production, thereby reducing waste. These inspection systems can be
integrated flexibly, rapidly and easily within the production line.

New product design Cost optimization and functional design go
together: for this reason, centrotherm photovoltaics has developed a
modern color and form concept together with Stuttgart-based
development experts bgp design, which specializes in industrial
design. Optimized costs and user-friendly ergonomics consistently
complement each other on the basis of the underlying design-to-cost
approach. The design-to-cost procedure entails a constant search for
the most cost- efficient solution for a given set of quality
standards for all individual system components from as early as the
development phase. The centrotherm photovoltaics production systems
will be shipped in the new design to customers in 2011 for the first
time, and with further improved technology.

"It gives us great pleasure that we are again represented at the EU
PVSEC this year with all our business divisions, and that we can
present our all-new product design and novel efficiency-enhancing
technologies to both existing and future customers", comments Dr.
Peter Fath, CTO at centrotherm photovoltaics, on his company's
involvement at the trade fair. "Our aim is to further expand our
customers' leading positions in terms of cost-leadership and
efficiency."

centrotherm photovoltaics at the 25th European Photovoltaic Solar
Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC: September 6-9, 2010, in
Valencia): Feria Valencia, hall 4, booth D 13

About centrotherm photovoltaics AG centrotherm photovoltaics AG,
which is based at Blaubeuren, is one of the world's leading
technology and equipment providers for the photovoltaics sector. The
company equips well-known solar companies and new sector entrants
with turnkey production lines and single equipment to manufacture
silicon, crystalline solar cells and thin film modules. As a
consequence, the Group possesses a broad and well-founded
technological basis, as well as key equipment at practically all
steps of the photovoltaics value chain. centrotherm photovoltaics
guarantees its customers important performance parameters such as
production capacity, efficiencies, and completion deadlines. The
Group employs over 1,300 staff members, and operates in Europe, Asia
and the USA. In the 2009 financial year, centrotherm photovoltaics
achieved revenue of EUR 509.1 million, and EBIT of EUR 37.2 million.
The company is listed in the TecDax of the Frankfurt Securities
Exchange.

Contact:
Saskia Schultz-Ebert
Senior Manager Investor & Public Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8890
E-mail: saskia.schultz-ebert@centrotherm.de

Dr. Torsten Knödler
Manager Public Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8898
E-mail: torsten.knoedler@centrotherm.de

Christina Siebels, Britta Cirkel
HOSCHKE & CONSORTEN Public Relations GmbH
Tel: +49 40 3690 50-58 /-56,
E-mail: c.siebels@hoschke.de; b.cirkel@hoschke.de

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: centrotherm photovoltaics AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Dr. Torsten Knödler

Manager Public Relations

Tel.: 07344 - 918-8898

E-Mail: torsten.knoedler@centrotherm.de

Branche: Energy
ISIN: DE000A0JMMN2
WKN: A0JMMN
Index: TecDAX
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Berlin / free trade
Hamburg / free trade
Stuttgart / free trade
Düsseldorf / free trade
München / free trade