Solar Frontier Technology and Solutions for. Hannes Schneider November 2013

Solar Frontier Technology and Solutions for. Hannes Schneider November 2013

Good News for You! Choose your preferred language SOLAR FRONTIER Newsletter once monthly, direct to your Mailbox! 2

Agenda Company Technology & Module Advantages Monitoring Facts SolarSet Commercial Rooftops 3

About Solar Frontier 100% subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu, with 110+ years experience in energy 30+ years experience in solar 1.600+ employees Offices in Tokyo, Munich, Santa Clara and Al Khobar Module production capacity of > 1.000 MW / year Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 4

Group Structure Saudi Aramco Royal Dutch Shell Other Investors 15% 35% 50% Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. 100% Subsidiary Showa Shell Sekiyu Downstream oil oil refining & & marketing company Basic Data FY 2009 2012 (USD) (US$) * Tokyo Tokyo Stock Stock Exchange Exchange Class Class 1 1 Turnover $32.9$28 billion B Total Assets $15.4$41 billion B 100% 100% Solar Frontier Europe GmbH Solar Frontier Americas Inc. *FOREX USD-JPY exchange rate - December 2012 Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 5

History Oil crisis sparks joint solar project with Japanese government Technical partnership with Arco Solar Launched Showa Arco Solar JV with Arco Solar Showa Arco Solar renamed Showa Solar Energy Shell Solar acquired Siemens Solar Commitment to CIS production Commercial production in Miyazaki Plant 1 New Global Name Solar Frontier 1974 R&D 1981 1986 1990 2003 2005 crystalline-si amorphous-si CIS 1978 1983 1987 1993 2004 2006 2007 2009 2010 2011 Showa Shell starts PV R&D Started c-si production Co-founded JPEA Start CIS research funded by NEDO Showa Shell Solar established Shell Solar Japan established Production at 2 nd plant begins; Atsugi R&D Center opens Launching world s largest PV plant 1GW Scale Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 6

What is CIS? CIS is a thin-film compoundsemiconductor PV consisting of three major elements: Cu Copper In Indium Se Selenium Sometimes called CIGS since portions of In are replaced by Ga Cu In * Crystal structure of CIS (Chalcopyrite structure) * Partially Ga ** Partially S Se** Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 7

Efficiency Roadmap 190W R&D closely collaborating with mass production Fast deployment of research records into commercial module production 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 AA active area, or cell efficiency 8

The latest output of the GW plant 2012 2013 14.6% Efficiency! Press release 2013-06-18: http://tinyurl.com/ngf2dz9 164W 180W 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 Solar Frontier K.K. 9

10 Reasons for Solar Frontier CIS Modules 1. High shading tolerance 2. Best behavior under low light and low angle irradiation 3. Temperature stability 4. Light Soaking Effect 5. No module grounding, no inverter restrictions 6. Resistance against Ammonia / Salt corrosion (TÜV-Cert.) 7. Free of lead and cadmium (RoHS compliant) 8. Mechanical stability - Framed Module 9. Superior appearance 10. Superior quality The PV Module best optimized for real life conditions The highest output even under toughest conditions! Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 10

Module advantages in detail High linear shading tolerance Unlike c-si Modules, even if shaded nearly completely, SF CIS modules are still producing energy Low light resistance SF CIS modules are very sensitive to blue and (infra)red sunlight wavelengths thus produce more energy in diffuse blue daylight as well as during the red morning and evening hours Temperature stability In hot surroundings, SF CIS modules hardly decline in power as opposed to other technologies Light Soaking Effect After initial exposure to sunlight, SF CIS modules increase in performance up to 5%. This feature is permanent throughout the module s lifetime 11

High shading tolerance Under partially shaded conditions, the unique patterning of CIS modules keeps the drop of output to a minimum CIS c-si 100 80 Pm (%) Pm (W) 75 60 50 40 25 20 c-si CIS 0 Shadow Shadow 0 20 40 60 80 100 Shade Area(%) There is a partial loss of output but the overall effect is minimum The module s output drops significantly under partial shadow Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 12

SF CIS spectral response in case of low light conditions cloudy skies ( blue weak light) morning / evening hours ( red weak light) source: http://www.auo.com/?sn=192&lang=en-us 13

Temperature stability Temperature-Coefficient SF-CIS Temperature Coefficient I SC 0.00 (A/ ) 0.01 (%/ ) V OC -0.34 (V/ ) -0.30 (%/ ) P max -0.45 (W/ ) -0.31 (%/ ) This means: Higher stability of energy production in case of high module temperatures Example: 70 o Cmoduletemp.: SF-CIS module: -13.9% c-si-module: -20.3% Temperature -Coefficient c-si (example) > 45% less reduction! Temperature Coefficient I SC 0.034 (%/ ) V OC -0.34 (%/ ) P max -0.45 (%/ ) module temp. 25 o C 70 o C SF-CIS 100% 86.1% c-si 100% 79.7% Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 14

Dependence of I-V Curve with Light Soaking Time Example Solar Frontier 145 Watt Module Light soaking(hr) Voc (V) Isc (A) Pmax (W) 0 109.1 2.1 143.8 2 110.4 2.1 149.2 (+ 3.8 %) 14 110.6 2.1 150.7 (+ 4.8 %) 58 110.9 2.1 153.7 (+ 6.9 %) 15

More Module advantages No module grounding, no invertor restrictions Due to their production process, no delamination / degradation can occur, and more efficient transformerless invertors can be used Ammonia and salt mist resistance certificates The modules can be used in rural and seaside surroundings without the risk of weak performance RoHS compliance SF CIS modules are unique in the industry for not containing any Lead, Cadmium nor any other substances risky for health and environment Superior appearance SF CIS modules have elegant superior aesthetics compared to c-si modules and low reflection due to AR coating and patterned glass surface 16

Superior Quality Risk-minimizing technology Microcracks More critical for p-si than m-si Caused by weight on modules Snail tracks Material defects, can be caused or boosted by microcracks PID Potential-Induced Degradation NO RISK for Solar Frontier CIS modules, due to different technology! 17

What is the real value? Powerful modules? kwp? or best harvest? kwh/kwp & kwh/ha 18

Solar Frontier Monitoring Database 81 plants worldwide - 89.3 MWP - Average PR 90.27% SFE administrates 89.3 MW of global monitoring data in one single master file. SFE operates an internal and external reporting on a monthly basis. SFE 79.5 MWp SFA 1.7 MWp SFKK 8.1 MWp Valuable track record for real-life conditions! Positive evaluation in customer risk assessment! Support product and strategic developments! Support marketing and sales activities Solar Frontier Europe GmbH

1. CIS vs. Poly-Si, Atsugi Research Center, Japan Monitoring Period: July 2009 June 2013 Overview Poly-Si SF CIS System Capacity 4.2kW 2.25kW Module Power 175W 75W Inverter SPC4002 (95%) Average ACPR 82.8% 87.5% AC Energy Yield 4804 kwh/kwp 4547 kwh/kwp Location: Atsugi Kanagawa, Japan Azimuth: 20 o South East Average Temp.: 14.6 o C (58.3 o F) Average Irradiance: 1204.5kWh/m 2 /yr Module Tilt angle: 20 o West 270 North, 0 South, 180 East 90 AC Performance Ratio (%) *July-Dec 2012: measuring device broken, Irradiance data calculated. Nov-Dec 2010 & Jan-Feb 2011 data were inaccurate and excluded in this analysis. CIS modules constantly show better performance than Poly-Si modules over a period of 4 years at Atsugi Research Center in Japan! Unrestricted RAC10-0082_12 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Poly-Si-AC Output (kwh/kwp) CIS-AC Output (kwh/kwp) Irradiation (kwh/m2) Jul-09 Aug-09 Sep-09 Oct-09 Nov-09 Dec-09 Jan-10 Feb-10 Mar-10 Apr-10 May-10 Jun-10 Jul-10 Aug-10 Sep-10 Oct-10 Mar-11 Apr-11 May-11 Jun-11 Jul-11 Aug-11 Sep-11 Oct-11 Nov-11 Dec-11 Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13 Jun-13 Month-Year Poly-Si-AC-PR (%) * CIS-AC-PR (%) 220 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 AC Output (kwh/kwp) Irradiance (kwh/m 2 ) 20

2. CIS vs. CdTe, Atsugi Research Center, Japan Monitoring Period: February 2011 June 2013 Overview CdTe SF CIS Site Overview System Capacity 3.60 kwp ARC Inverter SPC4002 (95%) Average ACPR 90.5% 98.3% Total AC Output 3313 kwh/kwp 3596 kwh/kwp Location: Atsugi Kanagawa, Japan Azimuth: 180 o Module Tilt angle: 20 o Average Temp.: 14.6 o C (58.3 o F) Average Irradiance: 1204.5kWh/m 2 /yr West 270 North, 0 South, 180 East 90 110 CIS AC Output (kwh/kwp) Cd-Te AC Output (kwh/kwp) Irradiation (kwh/m2) CIS AC-PR (%) Cd-Te AC-PR (%) 250 AC Performance Ratio (%) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 * * 225 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 25 AC Output (kwh/kwp) Irradiation (kwh/m 2 ) 10 0 Month-Year *April 2012: System maintenance,; Jul. & Aug. 2011: measuring device broken, PR & Output calculated. Solar Frontier CIS modules shows better performance than CdTe modules for more than 2 years at Atsugi Research Center in Japan! Unrestricted RAC10-0082_12 21

3. Softbank Energy Test Site, Hokkaido Japan Monitoring Period: February 2012 December 2012 Average Irradiance: 2,388 kwh/m 2 /yr Module Tilt Angle: 40 o Overview Kaneka Hybrid- Si Technical 100 Overview Panasonic Hybrid HIT Solar Frontier CIS Mitsubishi Site Kyocera Overview Sharp Mono-Si Poly-Si Poly-Si Itogumi Poly Si Solar Frontier CIS modules confirmed to be performing better compared to other module technologies! Canadian Poly-Si Suntech Poly-Si Capacity (kwp) 4.83 3.44 4.80 5.00 5.24 5.01 5.04 5.06 5.04 5.17 DC Energy Yield (kwh/kwp) Yingli Poly-Si 1174 1205 1303 1183 1213 1183 1205 1205 1235 1223 Average DC PR 86.7% 89.0% 96.2% 87.4% 89.6% 87.3% 89.0% 89.0% 91.2% 90.3% DC Performance Ratio (%) 110 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Unrestricted RAC10-0082_12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Jul-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12 Note: No inverter used in the system. Month-Year * 220 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 DC Output (kwh/kwp) Irradiation (kwh/m2) DC PR (%) DC Output (kwh/kwp) * Low PR due to shading and snowy weather. 22

4. HopSol Test Site, Otjawarongo Namibia, Africa Monitoring Period: September 2011 July 2013 Overview Poly-Si 1 SF CIS Poly-Si 2 Poly-Si 3 System Site Overview Capacity (kwp) 1.15 1.17 1.15 1.12 Inverter SMA SB1200 (92.1%) Average ACPR 73.4% 83.4% 65.7% 81.0% AC Energy Yield 2860 kwh/kwp 3251 kwh/kwp 2558 kwh/kwp 3155 kwh/kwp Technical Info: Azimuth: 0 o Module Tilt angle: 22 o Average Temp.: 22 o C (71.6 o F) Average Irradiance: 2,388 kwh/m 2 /yr West 270 North,0 South,180 East 90 Technical Overview Poly-Si1 AC Output (kwh/kwp) SF CIS AC Output (kwh/kwp) Poly-Si2 AC Output (kwh/kwp) Poly-Si3 AC Output (kwh/kwp) 120 Technical Overview 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 AC Performance Ratio (%) * 400 360 320 280 240 200 160 120 80 40 0 AC Output (kwh/kwp) * PR degrading due to soiling, very hot weather causing dust & bushfires. Solar Frontier CIS module shows to have better performance compared to three different kinds of Poly-Si modules even in a very hot climate like Namibia! Unrestricted RAC10-0082_12 Month-Year 23

5. Wilson Electric Test Site, Tempe Arizona U.S.A. Monitoring Period: March 2010 March 2013 Overview Poly-Si SF CIS System Capacity 12.8 kwp 9.36 kwp Module Power 200W 80W Inverter Fronius IG Plus (96.2%) Average ACPR 86% 90% AC Energy Yield 5026 kwh/kwp 5310 kwh/kwp Location: Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A. Azimuth: 180 o Average Temp.: 22 o C (71.6 o F) Average Irradiance: 1893 kwh/m 2 /yr West 270 North, 0 South, 180 East 90 DC OutPut (Kwh/KWp) 300 270 240 210 180 150 120 90 60 30 0 CIS-DC Output (kwh/kwp) P-Si(1)-DC Output (kwh/kwp) * CIS-DC-PR (%) P-Si(1)-DC-PR (%) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 DC Performance Ratio (%) *Dec 2011: monitoring was stopped for 18 days; Oct-Dec2012: inaccurate data due to monitoring upgrade, thus excluded in this analysis. CIS modules shows better performance than Poly-Si modules for 3 years at Wilson Electric Test Site in Arizona! Unrestricted RAC10-0082_12 Month-Year 24

6. Phoenix Solar Calamba Test Site, Philippines Monitoring Period: 22 nd September 2011 June 2013 System Site Overview Capacity (kwp) 13.4 13.5 13.9 Inverter Overview SF CIS Poly-Si Mono-Si Sunny Mini Central 7000HV-11 (92.1%) Average ACPR 89.1% 82.8% 78.8% AC Energy Yield 2194 kwh/kwp 2039 kwh/kwp 1942 kwh/kwp Technical Info: Azimuth: 31 o Module Tilt angle: 10 o Average Temp.: 22 o C (71.6 o F) Average Irradiance: 1,664 kwh/m 2 /yr West 270 North,0 South,180 East 90 Technical Overview 110 Technical Overview 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 AC Performance Ratio (%) CIS AC Output (kwh/kwp) Poly-Si AC Output (kwh/kwp) * Mono-Si AC Output (kwh/kwp) Irradiation (kwh/m2) 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 AC Output (kwh/kwp) Irradiation (kwh/m2) Month-Year * June 2012:rainy season; April-May 2012:system down and data not included in this analysis. Solar Frontier CIS module shows to have better performance compared to silicon-type modules even in tropical areas like the Philippines! Unrestricted RAC10-0082_12 25

Large-scale Freefield Projects Example Bochow: 28 MW Introduction Solar Frontier 26

Power plants and microgrids Largest PV power plant of Namibia Megawatt power plant, Japan Microgrid system, Saudi Arabia Commercial rooftop, Japan Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 27

Commercial Rooftop Systems Commercial rooftop, Japan Commercial rooftop, Germany Commercial rooftop, Italy Commercial rooftop, Israel Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 28

Residential Rooftop Systems Residential rooftop, Japan Residential rooftop, Germany Residential rooftop, Great Britain Residential rooftop, Italy Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 29

SolarSet: Solar Frontier Residential Rooftop Systems Hannes Schneider November 2013

Keep it simple system solution in the box

Motivation Rooftop SolarSet - for mature markets From Maximization to Optimization Past target: Maximum kwp on my roof! So I get -> maximum payback based on FIT Future target: max. percentage of self-consumption within my household! -> I need the PV solution optimized to my kwh consumption

Motivation Rooftop SolarSet - for emerging markets From Customization to Standardization How to find the right combination of components from the myriad of offers in the market? I can trust on a perfectly composed solution and select precisely the system size i need!

Solar Frontier SolarSet Components # Roof-top m² kwp SF165-S String length SF WR 3000 + + SF Cabling 1 15.6 1.98 12 6 1 2+/-,50 2 18.2 2.31 14 7 1 2+/-,50 3 23.4 2.97 18 6 1 3+/-,50 4 27.3 3.47 21 7 1 3+/-,50 5 31.2 3.96 24 6 1 4+/-, 50 6 36.4 4.62 28 7 2 2*(2+/-), 100 7 39.0 4.95 30 6 2 2+/-, 3+/-,100 8 46.8 5.94 36 6 2 2*(3+/-), 100 9 54.6 6.93 42 7 2 2*(3+/-), 100 10 62.4 7.92 48 6 2 2*(4+/-), 100 5 years standard system warranty (module, inverter, cables ) 7 years extd. system warranty with registration + 25 years power warranty

A perfect match Early Bird SF Module: Good low angle behavior Good red lowlight behavior Better energy production especially at dawn (and dusk) SF Inverter: Low own energy consumption < 8W (3,7W measured) High energy conversion in a broad power range wakes up early (and stays awake till late) and converts the offered yield most efficiently

A perfect match shade resistance SF Module: High shading resistance due to CIS cell stripe structure Linear decreasing energy production when shaded SF Inverter: Periodical scanning of the characteristic module curve Detection of global (and avoiding local) maximal value Assuring of the maximal possible energy conversion

A perfect match strong in heat SF Module: Low temperature Coefficient δ(pmax) = -0,31%/K High temperature resistance Optimal energy yields also in hot environments SF Inverter: Simple and compact switching concept on one single circuit board High and stable peak efficiency -> lowest possible heat dissipation Cool standard components, temperature-regulated fan Max. reached operating temperature ~ 70 C Optimal AC energy production even in hot environments

A perfect match simple handling SF Module: Optimal carrying dimensions High stability, protecting frame SF Cabling: Minimized cable length SolarSet - optimized T-cables Reduced installation time SF Inverter: Lightweight housing, easy installation and commissioning Integrated DC circuit breaker Service-friendly product Remote monitoring, standard interfaces SolarSets are easy to select, order, install, commision, operate and maintain!

Simple Handling SF cabling solution Solar Frontier PV Generator SolarSet how it would look with conventional cabling Solar Frontier Inverter

Simple Handling SF cabling solution Solar Frontier PV Generator 1 x SF Cable 3+ 1 x SF Cable 3- SolarSet cabling advantage: less material, less combining error possibilities, less installation time SF DC Cable up to 50 m with Connectors Solar Frontier Inverter

Simple Handling SF inverter Lightweight: 9 kg Easy installation by one person No disassembling during mounting Standard plugs and sockets Integrated DC circuit breaker Guided menu for initial commissioning Smart Service menu Service-friendly: simplified error search Easy SW and FW update Complete event log User-friendly Operating and Service SW

SolarSet - Worldwide versatility Inverter - Certificates: DIN VDE 0126-1-1 VDE-AR-N 4105 DK5940 und CEI 0-21 G59/2 und G83/1 UTE C 15-712 AS4777 Certifications for Australia, Denmark, Hungary, Portugal, Latin America Flameability classification EURO E

SolarSet, ready for shipping cables, plugs inverter modules modules

CRT: Solar Frontier Commercial Rooftop Systems Cga, November 2013

Motivation for PV today Change from PV as an investment form to PV as a way to eliminate risks from the energy budget: Replace risks by calculable assets Avoid unpredictable energy price increases Get down your energy costs The Facts: Yearly energy markup of 5% 165% energy cost increase until 2030! Private households and unsubsidized small and medium-sized businesses have to contribute considerably The Solution: Produce and consume your own energy at the highest possible rate! Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 45

The steps from risk to independence Solar Frontier CRT System: A lot more than just some modules on the roof and some cents from the feed-in tariff Solar Frontier Europe GmbH 46

Additional Back Office Services Customization: Analyses and Specific Load Profile 10,0 0,0 Consultancy 70,0 60,0 50,0 40,0 30,0 20,0 Demand and Production Analysis [kwh] Grid consumption without PV [kwh] PV Production [kwh] Grid consumption with PV [kwh] Economization: Tools for individual Engineering Layout and Design Economical Model Standardization: BOS Components Solar Frontier Europe GmbH

Load Profile Analysis 48

Example CAD Layout plan 49

Economic Report IRR: 007% payout others O&M, lease principal interest result, cum. Economic Evaluation: Savings IRR Payback time 50

Thanks for your attention! Any questions remained? 51 51