Photovoltaics is a key technology within alternative energies. Solar cells enable generation of electricity for a wide range of applications: large scale utilities, commercial and residential roof top installations and various other on-grid and off-grid application. Improving the cell efficiency and reducing the manufacturing cost of solar cells will even increase this broad range of applications.

Crystalline silicon solar cells currently have the dominant market share. Solar cells based on amorphous and micromorphous silicon, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) are steadily improving and increasing the install base. In addition a variety of alternative materials and cell designs see intensive R&D efforts.

Independent of the type of solar cell the building blocks for higher cell efficiency are very similar: reduced reflection from frontside, light trapping within the cell, "electrically thin, but optically thick cells" and multi-junction cells where each cell absorbs a different part of the solar spectrum.

EV Group provides a variety of equipment and process solutions for PV cell manufacturing.