Energetica to establish gigawatt module fab in Austria

Energetica Industries GmbH has today said that ground has broken on its gigawatt scale solar module fab in Liebenfels, Austria.

Production capacity of latest generation high-efficiency modules is expected to exceed 1 GW per year. To this end, Energetica will build several fully automated production lines at the location in Carinthia.

Overall, the company said it has made an investment in the two-digit million range for the construction of the fab. Production is set to commence from December of this year.

The electricity needed for production will be partially generated by a 2.7 MW PV plus storage system. Additionally, Energetica says it will utilize waste heat, and build a cogeneration unit. Thereby, the fab is expected to be a zero-emission factory.

“With the new location Power Business Liebenfels (PBL) will be producing the world’s most powerful, most beautiful, most sustainable and smartest solar modules at a price point where we feel confident at competing with Asian manufacturers,” says CEO and founder of Energetica, Rene Battistutti.

Aside from regular modules, the company will also produce innovative PV solutions for facades, roofs, walls, balconies, and gardens, at a large scale. Furthermore, these products will be continuously developed in the company’s research and development department.

Energetica plans to issue licenses for its production technology, to enable other companies to manufacture its products.

The company alleges that its modules have a 15% higher power rating than current standard modules. Moreover, its modules react “smart” to shading by adjacent buildings, trees or snow.

The Austrian manufacturer further highlights the longevity of its modules. “Compared to … modules of other manufacturers, using Energetica’s technologies can reduce LCOE per kWh significantly (by up to 50%). This gives us in Austria the potential to compete on top of the world,” says Battistutti further.

Reportedly, economic development funds, including as FFG, KWF, and AIT Austria have been involved in the process of bringing Energetica’s technologies to market maturity.