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The Conergy solar equipment manufacturing plant in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, is further increasing production by starting up additional cell and module lines; two more of each. Upon startup, output at the location will double at the very least. With this move, Conergy is responding to rising worldwide demand for its PowerPlus Premium modules, manufactured in Frankfurt (Oder).

In early August Conergy sold the two Spanish photovoltaic plants Almudema and Los Pilones, which together generate four megawatts of power, to the Spanish company Solaer S. L. Over the next few weeks Conergy will be equipping these plants with 19,000 Conergy PowerPlus 220 solar modules, now a highly sought-after technology. These modules will now be produced on the new factory lines in Frankfurt (Oder) specifically for deployment at the power plants. Other major projects involving PowerPlus modules are also scheduled. Technology "Made in Germany" (specifically Frankfurt/Oder) has proved effective on thousands of German rooftops and international photovoltaic plants like Spain’s 21 MW El Calaveron, where Conergy installed 92,000 PowerPlus Premium modules.

Conergy AG CEO, Dieter Ammer, sees the need for increasing production in Frankfurt (Oder) as proof that the company made the right decision in focusing on the PowerPlus Premium modules within the Conergy portfolio: "Back when modules were rare and expensive, availability was clearly a foreground issue. Nowadays customers pay a lot more attention to quality. In our array of modules we have recently been concentrating more and more on products we manufacture in-house, taking advantage of vertical integration. The benefits are plain: PowerPlus delivers real "Made in Germany" quality in its long-lasting and reliable photovoltaic equipment. Our customers definitely know how to appreciate product quality, which is why we are now having to increase capacity in Frankfurt (Oder) to meet demand."

Brandenburg Secretary of Commerce, Ulrich Junghanns, is attending the dedication ceremony for the production lines, being held on August 19, 2009. Alongside Martin Patzelt, the Mayor of Frankfurt (Oder), Secretary Junghanns will be the one to officially start up the new lines with a symbolic button-push.

"The renewable energies market is reviving," said Secretary Junghanns, though Conergy like the rest of the entire industry has had to struggle considerably in the wake of the finance crisis. "Brandenburg today is already Germany’s leading state for solar module production. Conergy is doing its part for Brandenburg to remain number one, and to further consolidate its lead," said Junghanns. The Secretary added that the company’s solar modules are now widely sought after by both German and international buyers.

The Conergy solar equipment plant in Frankfurt (Oder) is one of the world’s most modern facilities for the manufacture of high-quality solar modules. Fully integrated and highly automated production processes – from the processing of raw silicon down to the complete manufacture of solar cells and modules – minimize downtime and breakage, further defining "Made in Germany" quality. In addition, the quality components used in the modules make PowerPlus especially long-lasting and durable. The result: more output, more yield and more reliability for the customer on top of a guaranteed twenty-year federal subsidy.

Managers Mathias Kamolz and Michael Erler and their teams have just recently achieved improvements in terms of yield, efficiency and materials costs, setting new standards for production quality. Going forward, three of the four cells lines and three of the five module lines in Frankfurt (Oder) will be in operation.

That not only means more modules available for customers, but also a gain for the city of Frankfurt (Oder) and the Conergy Group as well, as unit production costs will be reduced.

For more information on Conergy's PowerPlus solar modules, including a video tour of the production plant, click here.