On Wednesday 20 March, the KIVI N-H was hosted at the solar panel company ENERGYRA; a state of the art company where solar panels will be produced in the highest quality segment and competitive with panels from CHINA or Far East.

After the 20 participants checked in, there was a reception with coffee and tea from 13.30 to 14.00 hr.

At 14.00 hr, participants were updated on the history and why a high-tech company had settled in West Knollendam. In a passionate way, managing director DANIEL KUIJK explained how an idea on a beer mat turned into a large-scale project where next May the first solar panels should roll off a fully automated production line with an eventual target of 100,000 panels per year in a fully continuous 5-shift 24/7 process. A second production line is a possibility as the manufacturing hall is equipped for it.

The project that was born in 2013 as an employment idea became, partly due to support from ECN-Petten and the RABO bank, among others, a major "project" to manufacture solar panels of the highest quality in the NETHERLANDS. The location choice West Knollendam was ideal because of the possibility of getting sufficient electricity supply and there was space for a large production hall, road supply and disposal was good and Schiphol airport nearby.

COO of ENERGYRA Erik Eikelboom explained in a technically profound but clear speech why it is possible to be distinctive from other panel manufacturers through a special adhesive technique used which had been developed at ECN. Although the panels are manufactured and assembled in West Knollendam, the electrical cables and STAUBLI MC 4 connectors come from Switzerland, the solar cells from Taiwan and the special (secret) foil from the south of the country. The manufacturing process is patent-free because ENERGYRA thinks it has enough of a competitive edge to do everything as "open" as how it is done now; however, there are patents on the foil and the full continuous "baking process" in the making.

Because the ENERGYRA panels have no soldering to conduct the current, they can emit 300 watts with a lifetime of at least 30 years. This makes the panels competitive with those from the far east.

During the tour, the logistical planning of delivery of glass panels from Germany, solar cells from TAIWAN, foil from the south of NL and plugs from Switzerland were explained.

The manufacturing line in the overpressure hall was impressive and although only small test fabrications took place, the participants could see what was created here. The real production will start next May and at ENERGYRA, due to their high quality procurement and good process control, they are sure that there will be less than 1% failure rate.

The many questions meant that all visitors had gained a lot of information and ENERGYRA had also gained points of reflection; at 16.30 we said goodbye.

ENERGYRA a company to keep following and we will come back here again when the production is fully up and running to see to what extent the targets were met.

Dear reader,

A state-of-the-art solar panel company in North Holland gives us the opportunity to see how mono crystalline MEDUSA panels are designed and manufactured.

Originally started as a 2013 employment project to bring back production of solar panels from China, cooperation with an ECN (solar energy know how and glue technology) has meant that there is now a robotised production hall in Zaanstad where 350,000 panels can be made per year in a three shift production.

Although the panels are more expensive than those of the competition, a special gluing technique developed by ECN ensures that they last longer and do not produce 80% output after 15 years, making the kilowatt-hour price lower (cheaper). This special gluing technique ensures that the current can be dissipated through the glue joint, eliminating solder contacts that expand and contract over time, resulting in poorer yields.

In a company presentation on who is behind it, how the panels are made and where they can be installed, the excursion participants will see that solar panels of the highest quality class can also be made competitively in the NETHERLANDS.

Parking: limited possible ; please pool together.

Contact person KIVI Noord Holland - Theo Fikke j.th.fikke@hccnet.nl

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