Nov. 17, 2008 — Thermal Technology, LLC recently signed a long-term agreement to supply over one hundred high temperature furnaces to a domestic solar silicon producer. These newly designed furnaces are capable of producing solar-grade silicon at a cost lower than competitive processes.
“With a world-wide shortage of solar-grade silicon, the development of our lower cost production method couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Matt Mede, president and CEO of Thermal Technology. “We identified the solar silicon market as a perfect fit for our capabilities in mid-2007. Launching a 12-month development effort and working closely with our customer, we were able to rapidly perform the necessary laboratory and pilot scale trials to demonstrate the technology and proceed with system manufacturing.”
The long-term agreement provides for over one hundred solar silicon furnace systems to be delivered in the coming years satisfying market needs while potentially driving down the cost of solar energy worldwide.
Thermal Technology designs and manufactures high temperature vacuum furnaces for laboratory and production use as well as crystal growing systems. Thermal Technology’s manufacturing and corporate offices are located in Santa Rosa, California with sales offices in Illinois, New Hampshire, Germany and China.