Korean Collaboration

3S Swiss Solar Systems, a subsidiary of Meyer Burger Technology AG, is collaborating with emergent Korean solar company, KISCO. By the spring of 2011, with an integrated 3S Modultec 65MW production line, KISCO will be producing highly efficient crystalline solar modules only 6 months after signing the contract. A further extension of their production capacity with equipment from Lyss is also planned. KISCO aims to conquer a growing share of the European and U.S. markets with 'GETWATT', a brand already established in the thin-film solar industry. The new solar crystalline production plant will be the first of its kind in Korea.

The 65 MW production line is geared to the specific needs of the Korean client and can be installed at relatively low cost and within a short time frame. A gradual expansion of annual production capacity up to 240MW is already in the planning, with further investments to follow. The outstanding quality of their equipment and the comprehensive service offered by the company based in Lyss, Switzerland, together with their experience in the field of module production, were the determining factors for KISCO in their decision to go with the 3S Modultec brand. "Our corporate philosophy is to offer products of the highest quality to our customers. The tender from 3S won us over, as it will enable us to achieve first-class product quality here whilst at the same time receiving intensive on-site support from experienced specialists", says Byung-Je Lee, COO of GETWATT.

The production line was sold in conjunction with a comprehensive range of services: know-how transfer, an on-site training package for employees, and guaranteed certification of the modules made on the production line, all of which will enable the client to begin production of high-quality modules within a short time frame. One of the benefits to KISCO will be the 3S certification service in collaboration with TÜV Rheinland. With this quick and proven process, together with the tailored, company-specific service package, KISCO will reduce its time-to-market by many valuable months.

The production equipment, to be installed at the headquarters of KISCO's Energy Division near Seoul, consists of an automated string soldering system from Somont, a laminating line from 3S Modultec and a module tester from Pasan. The entire capital equipment will be shipped before the end of this year.

3S Modultec offers integrated production lines for solar module production with varying degrees of automation. The modular assembly of the lines allows for relatively low-cost expansion of capacity within a short space of time. Optimal calibration of the production line equipment and unparalleled certification support in collaboration with the TÜV organisation, together with comprehensive process training, form the perfect basis for rapid project execution. With 3S Modultec production lines, manufacturers of solar modules world wide are able to produce modules with a minimized cost of ownership.