Välkomna till Solibro

the long way….

FROM ACADEMIC RESEARCH TO INDUSTRIAL REALITY

2016-09-13 Lars Stolt

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SOME WORDS ABOUT MYSELF

Graduated at Uppsala University in (Solid State) El ectronics in 1982

Group leader of the CIGS Thin film solar cell R&D gr oup since 1982

� at Institute of Microelectronics, Stockholm 1982-1990

� at Royal Institute of Technology, Stockhom 1990-1994

� at Uppsala University 1994-2003

Key founder of Solibro AB

• Managing director of Solibro AB 2003-2006

CTO Solibro since December 2006

CTO at Hanergy Thin Film Power (CIGS) since 2013

• Awarded the title Hanergy Academician (Fellow) 2014

Professor at Uppsala University since 1998

• Adjunct professor at Uppsala University since 2014

Member of Scientific Advisory Council of Helmholtz C entre for Materials

and Energy Research, Berlin, 2007-2014

CIGS =Cu(InGa)Se2

a semiconductormaterial suitable

for thin film solar cells

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THE DREAM JOB

Solar cells – or PV (photovoltaics) – became an important field for R&D in the 1970’ies when US DOE launched an extensive program targeting 1% of the US electric power to be generatedwith solar year 2000

As a new graduate in electronics with strong feelings for a sustainable environment, my dream job was to do R&D in the field of solar cells

Also the apparent ”magic” was tempting – to produce electricpower directly form sunlight, without moving parts, withoutanything being consumed…

Being offered such a job, it was easy to say yes!

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> 30 YEARS OF R&D DEDICATED TO SOLAR ENERGY

1983–19931993–1996

MOVE TO UPPSALAUNIVERSITY

1996–2005 2006

START UP OF PILOT LINE BY SOLIBRO AB (2003)

FOUNDATION OF SOLIBRO GMBH (Germany) & SOLIBRO RESEARCH

AB (Sweden)

Phase 1: Basic technology development 1996-2000� Enhance manufacturability, reproducibility of fabrication

process, scalability of fabrication process, robustness of fabrication process, environmental friendly fabrication process

� Establishment of lab and research group

Phase 2: Exploitation 2000-2005� Further enhance manufacturability and find

commercialization partner of fabrication process

• Research as a basis for assessing solar cell technology for the Swedish energy research program. The CIGS technology was chosen and the group became on of the CIGS pioneers

• Breakthrough results for thin film solar cells: 16.9% efficiency achieved in 1993 – first cell above the “high efficiency“ level 15 % - World Record

INSTITUTE OF MICROELECTRONICS –ROYAL INSTITUTE OFTECHNOLOGY, STOCKHOLM

ÅNGSTRÖM SOLAR CENTER AT UPPSALAUNIVERSITY

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THIN FILM PV EFFICIENCY BREAKTHROUGH

Excerpt from US DOE 5 year plan for PV: Target for cost-efficient PV electricity

16.9 % cell efficiency reported at IEEE PVSC 1993 – 1st time > 15 %

J. Hedström, H. Ohlsén, M. Edoff (Bodegård), A. Kylner, L. Stolt, D. Hariskos, M. Ruckh, H-W. Schock,ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells with improved performance,

Proc. 23rd IEEE PVSC Louisville 1993, p. 364

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WHAT DID THIS MEAN?

• This result was the first thin film device to surpass 15.0 % efficiency – thin film

solar cells were not only a low-cost option, but also a high efficiency option

• The CIGS layer – THE HEART OF THE SOLAR CELL - was fabricated by the

Uppsala team but the CdS buffer and TCO layers were fabricated by Stuttgart

University and the device is known as “EUROCIS” (e. g. NREL’s efficiency

chart) – the Uppsala group was small and dependent on collaboration

• This result initiated the thought that this thin film technology could be the seed

of a new Swedish industry, an industry for the future – renewable electric

power generation => possibilities to finance an applied – supercritical –

research activity started to be explored

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THE ÅNGSTRÖM SOLAR CENTER

An applied research program comprising three technologies

• Thin Film Solar Cells (CIGS = Cu(InGa)Se2)

• Smart Windows (electrochromic coatings)

• Nano-structured solar cells (Grätzel cells or dye-sensitized solar cells)

Governmental funding from MISTRA (Foundation for Strategic Environmental

Research) & STEM (Swedish Energy Administration)

Phase I: 1996 - 2000

• Basic technology development

• About 30 MSEK to Thin Film Solar Cells

Phase II: 2001 - 2005

• Exploitation

• About 35 MSEK to Thin Film Solar Cells

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THE ÅNGSTRÖM SOLAR CENTER I

1996-2000

• A complete process & lab was established

• Small scale work but focus on manufacturability

• Ready to start transfer to industry

Legally preparing for commercialization

• Teacher’s privilige

• All employees of Uppsala University (or any other Swedish university) owns the right

to his or her inventions

• All staff working at the Ångström Solar Center signed contracts where their IP was

placed in a “parking place” – one for each technology group – in order to prepare to for

commercialization

• The IP portfolio must follow the technology transfer

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DRIVING FORCE FOR COMMERCIALIZATION

Why should the academic researcher take the step out in the cold commercialworld?

Money and fame!

Extremely high risk

� Difficult to assess

Sacrifice the academic carreer

� No merit for academic positions

..but

Teacher’s privilige gives a valuable opportunity

� Provided you have an entrepreneurial mindset

For us the main driving force was the will to see the our research becoming useful, to see the fruits of our research becoming widely used

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THE ÅNGSTRÖM SOLAR CENTER II

2000-2005

Exploitation

• Push from the board

• Find a partner for commercialization, or……..

1. Swedish industrial company

2. Swedish start-up

3. International company

4. …..

• Support from the board and director

Further development of technology

• Mini-module world record holder for thin film technology year 2000 and forward

• Supporting transfer to industry (Solibro)

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FOUNDATION OF SOLIBRO AB

No Swedish company with strategic interest in solar cells

Swedish investors willing to help a promising techn ology to get a commercial start

� Sixth AP-fund

� Vattenfall AB

� Sydkraft AB

Solibro was founded by four individuals from ÅSC in December 2000

• ”Handshake” with investors was in place, including..

Uppsala University Holding AB (UUAB)

• Uppsala University can act supportive through their company UUAB. UUAB

acts on sound business grounds and participates in start-ups.

• UUAB has business and patent expertise, they can also support with legal and

financial matters

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More investors needed

• ABB AB gave industrial confidence

� Harry Frank chairman of the Solibro board of directors

Energy Future Invest AS our first ”real” investor

• Completed the private financing of 16,2 million SEK

Support from Energimyndigheten crucial

• 15, 5 million SEK

During negotiations the ”packaging” of IP proved cr itical

• Thanks to the foresightness of establishing contracts with all individuals

working in the university group in place in advance this turned out to be

no problem

PREPARING TO GET STARTED

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SOLIBRO AB GOT STARTED IN 2003

In-line co-evaporation• Point sources• Bottom-up

• 2003-2005• Verification of up-scaling concept for CIGS co-evaporation• 119 cm coating width

Olle Lundberg

Solibro in-line CIGS tool

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New Company Structure

Solibro AB Q-Cells

Solibro GmbH

R&DR&D

Solibro Research ABProduction

• Uppsala

• Prototype production

• Collaboration withÅSC

• Thalheim

• 30 MW

• Expansion + 90 MW

• 67,5 % ownership

• 32,5 % ownership

• Solibro och Q-form a Joint Venture –”Solibro GmbH”

• Q-Cells provides capital and industrialexperience > 100 M€

• Solibro AB provides technology and R&D

Agreementsigned

2006-11-23

JV with Q-CELLS SE

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SOLIBRO – WHAT HAPPENED SINCE

Hanergy purchases Solibro

September 2012 Q3 2013

PV systems at IKEA stores in UK

Production start Fab 2

December 20092007

Invest 165 MEURInvest 60 MEUR

Production start in Germany

April 2008

A new R&D Center in Uppsala

Add’l invest 10 MEUR

Solibro’s owner Q-Cells insolvent

April 2012

FUTUREUNCLEAR

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SOLIBRO PRODUCTION

FULLY AUTOMATED PRODUCTION FACILITY>240 MWP MODULES PRODUCED TO DATE

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CIGS R&D AT UPPSALA UNIVERSITY

2005-

• Close collaboration between Solibro Research AB and University group

• Solibro Research leases University resources for small scale experiments and advanced

characterization

• Joint R&D projects with external funding (Sweden government and EU) – important also

in the future

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SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

How to make more researchers take the step into the commercial world� Reduce the personal risk – people are risk avert; there is not much difference in the driving force

becoming rich or becoming super-rich, but the risk of losing an academic career is frightening

� It should be a merit for the academic career to have commercial experience

� The researcher needs help to meet the commercial world – companies like Uppsala University

Holding can give important support

Financing a spin-out from the university•Contacts with investors and parters� Door-openers to the ”right level” of companies

•Large financing needs require the investor to have made strategic decisions� Difficult to impact

� Our case – about 500 MSEK needed for a commercial next step

•Baby-step strategy require much less financing� Goodwill reasons to invest

� Risk is high but exposure small

� Many potential investors

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THANK YOU FOR THE ATTENTION!

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