Dresden-based photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) solar module manufacturer Sunmaxx has started building automated module production in Saxony.
New module production factory will be built on an existing 4,000 square meter production site in Ottendorf-Okrilla, near Dresden in Germany. According to the company, it is the largest PVT production company in the world.
This new PVT solar module factory will have a capacity of 50 MW or 120,000 panels annually.
Photovoltaic-thermal technology combines thermal management expertise from the automotive sector with established solar technology. Based on this unique combination, Sunmax was able to develop its PVT modules with a high level of economic efficiency and an overall efficiency of 80%.
In March 2023, Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) certified that the premium PX-1 module from Sunmaxx PVT can achieve an overall efficiency of 80%. The premium PX-1 module measures 1750 mm long and 1140 mm wide and has a power output of 400 W, corresponding to an electrical efficiency of 20%.
“The remodeling of the production site and the preparation of the hall for the production machinery is currently taking place. But the demand for our modules – including for the construction of ground-mounted systems— is growing rapidly, and we want to scale up our production as quickly as possible. We plan to open the first line this year, but the location allows us to implement further expansion opportunities up to several hundred MW per year in the near future,” says Dr. Jiri Springer, CTO at Sunmaxx, in a statement.
Sunmaxx supports completely decarbonizing heat and electricity supplies for buildings, neighborhoods, and industrial sites. The planned production capacity for 2023 can cover approximately 5,000 households. The company plans to have a total production capacity of up to 3 GW.
