Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Spire to find solar cell microcracks in DOE deal

By Mass High Tech Staff

Solar manufacturing equipment maker Spire Corp. has landed a deal with the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a technique for detecting “microcracks” in silicon solar cells and wafers.

The automated diagnostic system is expected to enable solar cell and module manufacturers to reduce the cost and improve the reliability of their photovoltaic modules coming to market. The technology is expected to be installed as part of the manufacturing process, allowing manufacturers to detect flaws before a final product is assembled.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to Sprire (Nasdaq: SPIR) executives, tiny cracks in mono- and multi-crystalline solar cells appear occasionally in market-ready units but are impossible to detect by visual inspection. Such anomalies can grow during assembly and installation and can lead to breakage and power loss.

Upon successful demonstration of the crack-detection technology, it will be engineered into Spire’s production cell test, cell string and assembly equipment, according to a company statement.

In the second quarter of 2008, Spire reported $16.9 million in revenue, an increase of $2 million over the previous quarter, while reducing its net loss from $508,000 to $270,000. For 2007, the company took a loss of $1.7 million on revenue of $38.4 million.