crystalline silicon

Applied Materials launched its new Applied Baccini® Pegaso™ solar cell manufacturing platform today. The Pegaso system represents the new state of the art in solar cell manufacturing and will help to drive the solar industry into the future.

But that’s not why I’m posting this video. I’m posting it because the Pegaso system is one of the most elegant pieces of machinery I’ve ever seen.

The video follows solar wafers as they pass through the system and are transformed into finished solar cells, ready to be packaged into panels and installed on roofs, parking lots and solar farms around the world.

You can also view this video in glorious HD.

A few statistics:

• One Pegaso system can print, test and sort over 20 million cells a year
• That’s a finished solar cell every 1.5 seconds
• Produces enough generating capacity each year to power 10,000 typical US homes*
• Placed end-to-end, one year’s cells would stretch for over 2,000 miles

If you’d like to know more about how the Pegaso system will drive the future of solar electricity, please visit our web site for a technical briefing, photographs and more videos.

*US Energy Information Administration, 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey

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We did and said a lot around solar and clean energy in 2010 — it was definitely a BUSY year for everyone at Applied Materials. So to reflect on the year, we compiled a list of the ‘Top 10 Blog Posts’ for your reading pleasure.

1. Applied Honored as One of World's 50 Most Innovative Companies

Early in the year, Applied Materials was honored in The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Technology Review as one of the world's 50 most innovative companies. Applied was recognized specifically for "Saving solar costs with large-scale manufacturing."

Not a bad way to kick off the year if you ask me.Read more

Charlie Gay, President of Applied Materials' Solar group discusses the company’s strategic crystalline silicon roadmap.  Read more

Yingli Green Energy granted Applied Materials its "Special Contribution Award" for excellence in optimizing the efficiency and productivity of its solar photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturing operations in Baoding, Hebei province, China.

Applied Materials was one of only two equipment manufacturers among Yingli’s 200 suppliers to win this prestigious award. This was the highest honor given to Yingli’s business partners during its 1st Supplier Conference held recently in Baoding, China.Read more

There are many prestigious prizes which institutions and academics award to honor people for their exceptional efforts or accomplishments that benefit science, academia or even mankind. And many of them are not well known yet.