Spire Unveils New Automated Solar Manufacturing Equipment

BEDFORD, Mass., July 14 -- Spire Corp. reports that it has successfully demonstrated advanced photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing technology under the first phase of a $4 million, three-year government contract. The company introduced its integrated module testing system and its module transfer and storage system at a demonstration for US PV module manufacturers and officials from the Department of Energy and the National Center for Photovoltaics.
Both of Spire's new systems were developed under a Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology contract awarded to the company in 1998 by the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The cost-shared research and development contract calls for Spire to develop a series of automated manufacturing and testing systems to improve PV manufacturing technology.