Abound Solar
Encyclopedia
Abound Solar is a manufacturer of CdTe thin-film photovoltaic modules. At its production facility in Longmont, Colorado, Abound is using a proprietary semiconductor deposition process utilizing CdTe to produce reliable, low-cost solar modules designed for commercial- and utility-scale installations. The company was incorporated as AVA Solar in 2007 and was rebranded as Abound Solar in March 2009. The company has signed long-term supply contracts with two of the world’s leading solar project developers.
, patented a process for low-cost metal deposition within a vacuum
. After visiting an aluminum can processing facility, Professor Sampath was inspired by the idea that despite a multitude of steps, aluminum cans are produced for only half a cent more than the cost of the raw material. He realized that if solar modules could be made with the same level of efficiency, solar electricity could be the answer to the world’s energy needs.
Along with Al Enzenroth and Kurt Barth, Professor Sampath settled upon cadmium telluride
(CdTe) as the ideal photovoltaic material for low-cost solar module production.
By 1998, the team had developed a pilot production process featuring an inline, single-vacuum semiconductor deposition tool. Over the course of the next few years, the team continued to develop and refine the technology with strong support from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL) and the National Science Foundation
.
By 2004, the founding team had scaled up the technology glass panels of 16” x 16” in size. Federal funding from NREL and the Solar America Initiative enabled them to prove the viability of the technology. In 2006, AVA Solar, Inc. was formed with private funding from local angel investors to commercialize the technology.
In early 2007, institutional investors discovered the company and the proprietary manufacturing process that had been developed.
, Invus Group, GLG Partners
, Technology Partners, and Bohemian Companies. The company has received a Department of Energy
loan guarantee to support the expansion of manufacturing capacity to produce millions of solar panels annually (840 megawatts) for less than crystalline silicon modules cost.
The unique semiconductor deposition technology features in-line deposition of the full semiconductor stack within a single vacuum chamber. A full PV module is created by taking a glass substrate with semiconductor and adding buss bars, back glass and a junction box.
Abound’s process is distinguished by fast throughput (under 2 hours) and low capital costs (reportedly less than $1 / watt).
The company is currently ramping up production on its first full-scale production line with an annual capacity of 65 MW. When complete, the factory will have a capacity of 200 MW of production per year.
Company history
Abound Solar’s founders have been researching thin-film deposition since the late 1980s. In 1991, W.S. Sampath, a professor at Colorado State UniversityColorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
, patented a process for low-cost metal deposition within a vacuum
Vacuum
In everyday usage, vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure. The word comes from the Latin term for "empty". A perfect vacuum would be one with no particles in it at all, which is impossible to achieve in...
. After visiting an aluminum can processing facility, Professor Sampath was inspired by the idea that despite a multitude of steps, aluminum cans are produced for only half a cent more than the cost of the raw material. He realized that if solar modules could be made with the same level of efficiency, solar electricity could be the answer to the world’s energy needs.
Along with Al Enzenroth and Kurt Barth, Professor Sampath settled upon cadmium telluride
Cadmium telluride
Cadmium telluride is a crystalline compound formed from cadmium and tellurium. It is used as an infrared optical window and a solar cell material. It is usually sandwiched with cadmium sulfide to form a p-n junction photovoltaic solar cell...
(CdTe) as the ideal photovoltaic material for low-cost solar module production.
By 1998, the team had developed a pilot production process featuring an inline, single-vacuum semiconductor deposition tool. Over the course of the next few years, the team continued to develop and refine the technology with strong support from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory , located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility; it is funded through...
(NREL) and the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
.
By 2004, the founding team had scaled up the technology glass panels of 16” x 16” in size. Federal funding from NREL and the Solar America Initiative enabled them to prove the viability of the technology. In 2006, AVA Solar, Inc. was formed with private funding from local angel investors to commercialize the technology.
In early 2007, institutional investors discovered the company and the proprietary manufacturing process that had been developed.
Investment history
To date, Abound Solar has raised approximately $150M to refine initial research and to fund the construction of its first factory in Longmont, Colorado. Major investors include: DCMDCM
DCM may refer to:Technology:* Data Center Manager* Deep chlorophyll maximum, subsurface maximum in the concentration of chlorophyll* Dichloromethane, a common solvent in organic chemistry...
, Invus Group, GLG Partners
GLG Partners
GLG Partners, Inc. is an American global hedge fund sponsor that, as of 14th October 2010, is a wholly owned subsidiary of British alternative investment manager Man plc...
, Technology Partners, and Bohemian Companies. The company has received a Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
loan guarantee to support the expansion of manufacturing capacity to produce millions of solar panels annually (840 megawatts) for less than crystalline silicon modules cost.
Technology
Abound Solar produces cadmium telluride thin-film solar modules using a proprietary closed-space sublimation technology developed at Colorado State University.The unique semiconductor deposition technology features in-line deposition of the full semiconductor stack within a single vacuum chamber. A full PV module is created by taking a glass substrate with semiconductor and adding buss bars, back glass and a junction box.
Abound’s process is distinguished by fast throughput (under 2 hours) and low capital costs (reportedly less than $1 / watt).
Production
In April 2008, Abound Solar took possession of a Longmont, Colorado-area building previously used by Applied Films. Within weeks, preparations were made to renovate the facility and construct the largest thin-film solar module manufacturing facility in the United States.The company is currently ramping up production on its first full-scale production line with an annual capacity of 65 MW. When complete, the factory will have a capacity of 200 MW of production per year.
Competitors
- First SolarFirst SolarFirst Solar, Inc. is an American manufacturer of thin film photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, and a provider to PV power plants of supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling...
is the world’s largest manufacturer of solar modules and also employs CdTe. - Calyxo is a Q-CellsQ-CellsQ-Cells is a manufacturer of photovoltaic cells, established in 1999. Its core business is the development, production and marketing of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells....
subsidiary - PrimestarPrimeStarPrimeStar was a U.S. direct broadcast satellite broadcasting company formed in 1991 by a consortium of cable television system operators. PrimeStar was the first medium-powered DBS system in the United States but slowly declined in popularity with the arrival of DirecTV in 1994 and Dish Network in...
is a subsidiary of GEGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...