- Signet Supplies Solar Farms
Silicon Valley-based Signet Solar said Monday it has kicked off volume production of commercial grade solar cells that should generate electricity at close to the cost of fossil-fuel plants.
The Menlo Park company has its first factory in Mochau, Germany, and is using thin-film solar production equipment from Applied Materials. In thin-film production, manufacturers deposit a thin layer of light-absorbing material onto glass or ceramic backing, reducing the amount of material needed and the costs incurred.
Rajeeva Lahri, CEO of Signet, said the cost of producing electricity from his solar cells (after adjusting for the cost of installation and accounting for the 30 percent tax incentive Congress passed earlier this month) should be 12 cents a kilowatt hour
In June the average cost of electricity in the U.S. was between 10 cents and 12 cents a kilowatt hour, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. Peak prices can rise to 39 cents in California, Lahri said.
Signet expects to sell its large panels for commercial roof top installations and for ground-mounted solar farms. It will face numerous competitors.
Posted by Mark Boslet 
