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Solar Power Daily News JULY 9 2013 (Intersolar)

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AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION NOT AFFILIATED WITH INTERSOLAR Tuesday, July 9, 2013 Oser Communications Group REVENGE OF THE VALUE CHAIN: A SPIRE CORP. PERSPECTIVE An interview with Roger G. Little, CEO and President, Spire Corporation. HERAEUS EXPANDS WITH PURCHASE OF FERRO CORP SOLAR PASTE An interview with Andy London, Global Manager of the Photovoltaics Business Unit San Francisco BRONKHORST: EXPERTISE IN GAS, LIQUID AND VAPOR FLOW CONTROL SPDN: That doesn't sound very encouraging. What's in store for the industry in the short-term? AL: A metallization paste for photovoltaics is a technology driven market. Heraeus works to develop new products that improve solar cell efficiency while lowering the cells' cost per watt. We have a long history in the research and development of thick film pastes and have demonstrated our ability to leverage key skill sets to formulate pastes that improve cell performance. The purchase of the Ferro Corporation's Solar Paste Business will make substantial advancements in our research and development. Ferro's solar paste business has brought to Heraeus complementary glass and silver technologies which has strengthened our overall R&D capabilities in new paste development. We obtained their commercialized The process of silicon or thin film photovoltaic solar cells requires precise and reliable gas and vapor flow control. Bronkhorst® has over 30 years of experience supplying mass flow control solutions for many different applications within such markets as semiconductor, chemical and solar industries. Bronkhorst instruments are made to a customers' specification, in whichever style is suitable, for laboratory, industrial systems or OEM installations. In PV production, thousands of Bronkhorst thermal mass flow meters/controllers are used for accurate, repeatable control of inert gases such as nitrogen, hydrogen and argon as well as handling reactive gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and methane, covering flow rates from 1 sccm to 6000 scfm (Full Scale values). Bronkhorst thermal mass flow sensors are used in combination with uniquely shaped laminar flow elements, offering high accuracy and excellent temperature stability. Instruments of Bronkhorst Select series can be offered with optional Multi Gas / Multi Range functionality. This option offers greater flexibility for user selection of both flow ranges and gas types, maintaining high Continued on Page 21 Continued on Page 21 Continued on Page 21 SPDN: Can you provide your perspective on the current state of the PV industry? RGL: In short, the present environment is great for PV system installers and terrible for module manufacturers and equipment providers. The PV systems market continues to expand worldwide. Thus, there is sustained demand for modules, primarily those made up of crystalline silicon cells. However, the supply of modules currently exceeds this demand by a wide margin, and module manufacturers are selling their products below cost to maintain a revenue stream. Essentially, the systems providers are feeding off the corpses of module manufacturers. This is clearly unsustainable. It has devastated the value chain and created a graveyard for providers of manufacturing equipment. VERIS ANNOUNCES DC STRING MONITOR FOR SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS Veris Industries, an industry leader in energy monitoring solutions, announces the release of the EA10 DC String Monitor. The EA10 is designed for installation into solar energy systems to monitor individual strings for unexpected reductions in current flow, allowing convenient system optimization and timely maintenance or repair. "The EA10 DC String Monitor is an important addition to Veris' line of renewable energy devices," said Marc Bowman, Vice President of Energy and Industrial Products at Veris Industries. "As a leading innovator in monitoring solutions, Veris supports the development of alternative energy technology to promote efficiency in commercial and industrial spaces." The modular design allows easy installation in a variety of combiner box designs. The EA10 includes one communications unit with up to four current sensing modules. Each module contains eight DC sensors, so the system can monitor 8, 16, 24 or 32 strings at a time. Current sensing modules can be added or removed as needed to suit different applications. Patented pulse reset technology protects the Continued on Page 21 SPDN: Early this year, Heraeus purchased the Ferro Corporation's solar paste business. Can you tell our readers the purpose and how Heraeus has benefited from this acquisition? BAJA—WHY ARE THEY WINNING SO MANY SOLAR DEALS? Bob Hayworth, Chairman & CEO of Baja Construction, shares why his company is so prolific in the solar industry. SPDN: Baja Construction—what do you do? BH: Baja, established in 1981, is a construction company engaged in the business of highly specialized and engineered high-tensile, light gauge steel structures. We design, engineer, supply, and install solar support structures as part of a solar ground-mount, carport and RV/Boat Storage solution; and continue to build carports, RV/Boat and Self-Storage facilities. SPDN: Why is Baja winning most of the solar structure business? SCHLETTER PV-MOUNTING SYSTEMS: HIGH QUALITY, COMPETITIVE PRICING, EASY TO USE An interview with Angela Kliever, VP of Sales and Marketing. SPDN: Tell us about your company. AK: Schletter is an internationally recognized manufacturer of solar mounting systems for ground and roof mount applications. Schletter focuses on the customer by offering a wide variety of products and services for residential, commercial, and utility-scale markets at a competitive price. SPDN: What new products will Schletter unveil at Intersolar? BH: We are a nationwide company, operating under 43 years of experience building light gauge, high-tensile steel structures. In 1981, we were building carports and then expanded our business to include the RV and Boat Storage, and Self-Storage markets. As the solar business grew, we also emerged as the leader in solar support AK: We will be releasing a new ground mount system, PvMini™, a non-penetrating option designed for mid- to large-scale PV applications, including closed landfills and areas with rocky terrain. The core strength of the PvMini lies in the system efficiency and spans achieved using a proprietary, new rail design. This reduces the number of concrete foundations needed, and therefore reduces overall price and installation time. Continued on Page 19 Continued on Page 21

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