New Production Line Up und Running at Katsuragi Plant Ceremony Held to Mark Shipment of 2nd-Generation Thin-Film Solar Cells that Use Large Glass Substrates

On October 1, 2008, Sharp held a ceremony at its Katsuragi Plant (Katsuragi City, Nara Prefecture, Japan) to commemorate the plant's first shipment of thin-film solar cell modules that use glass substrates measuring 1,000 x 1,400 mm.

The modules were made at Katsuragi Plant's new production line, which began mass production in October. The glass substrates are 2.7 times larger than previous substrates (560 x 925 mm). The addition of this new line expands annual production capacity at the Katsuragi Plant for thin-film solar cells to 160 MW.

The new line produces second-generation thin-film solar cells boasting a module conversion efficiency of 9%, one of the highest levels in the industry, and a high power output of 128 W.