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Twin Creeks Equipment Can Help Solar Makers Cut Costs, CEO Says

Business Week -- Twin Creeks Technologies Inc., a closely held maker of solar manufacturing equipment, has developed machinery that can cut by 90% the amount of silicon needed to make panels, increasing the margins of producers, according to its chief executive officer.

The company’s equipment produces silicon wafers that are one-tenth the thickness of conventional ones, which lowers costs because more products are made with less material, CEO Siva Sivaram said in an interview in S.F.

The company’s machines, and its processes for handling extra-thin wafers, could offer manufacturers a way to boost margins after a global glut caused solar panel prices to fall by 50% last year, Sivaram said.

The company’s proprietary machine, called the Hyperion, eliminates the need for 52 pieces of equipment typic

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Submitted Mar 13, 2012 By: DellDude2

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ExplorerWA Champion Author Washington Posts:4,093 Points:800,075 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 9:13:19 PM Ignore ExplorerWA Report Abuse Wow! Look what they are doing and they are backed by about $93 million in venture capital. Interesting and I hope this takes off.
teafortwo Champion Author Washington Posts:22,141 Points:1,388,015 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 4:02:46 PM Ignore teafortwo Report Abuse Sounds like another step in the right direction. Thanks for sharing DellDude2 ;0} FROM THE ARTICLE: Twin Creeks expects to improve manufacturing in solar similar to the way efficiency gains in memory chip production have preserved margins in that industry, according to Sivaram. “In the memory industry year after year after year the price drops 50 percent, but everybody still makes money, and the people who make the most are the equipment guys,” he said. “What we have done is located the weakness, it’s materials-focused, and introduced a completely disruptive technology,” Sivaram said. The company’s proprietary machine, called the Hyperion, eliminates the need for 52 pieces of equipment typically required to make wafers, he said. “Kill the whole thing and replace it with Hyperions,” Sivaram said. “That’s really what we want to do.” BIG OIL, GAS & COAL love us ... but the SUN & Mother Nature offer FREE refills ;0}
jimgraham Champion Author Akron Posts:10,387 Points:1,982,885 Joined:Oct 2007	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 12:27:36 PM Ignore jimgraham Report Abuse When is the IPO???
kenji554 Champion Author Charlotte Posts:1,217 Points:515,145 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 9:22:50 AM Ignore kenji554 Report Abuse Interesting advance in solar cell manufacturing.
bigmoo63 Champion Author Kalamazoo Posts:1,275 Points:83,105 Joined:Nov 2009	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 7:06:58 AM Ignore bigmoo63 Report Abuse What, no taxpayer subsidies? What a novel idea. And a damn good one at that. Hope this works.
doeslayersr Champion Author Illinois Posts:9,133 Points:874,930 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 6:24:38 AM Ignore doeslayersr Report Abuse Interesting. And the fact it is being done with private venture capital (instead of tax payer $$$$) is great.
firemunkee Veteran Author Maryland Posts:408 Points:56,450 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 5:34:59 AM Ignore firemunkee Report Abuse sounds good
yardslave Champion Author Oklahoma City Posts:2,570 Points:599,730 Joined:Dec 2005	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 4:07:37 AM Ignore yardslave Report Abuse Let me buy it....
farmboyTN Champion Author Tennessee Posts:2,277 Points:451,485 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 4:02:01 AM Ignore farmboyTN Report Abuse Great
MN1 Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:3,374 Points:653,515 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 3:21:52 AM Ignore MN1 Report Abuse Let's hope so.
TXryder Champion Author Texas Posts:2,725 Points:435,655 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 2:41:56 AM Ignore TXryder Report Abuse ok
1momsunshine Champion Author Ottawa Posts:5,505 Points:1,003,505 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 2:20:24 AM Ignore 1momsunshine Report Abuse Sounds good
RNCII Champion Author Michigan Posts:2,487 Points:645,705 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Mar 13, 2012 1:02:49 AM Ignore RNCII Report Abuse Innovation at work. If the cost of solar comes down it might even be able to compete with oil, gas and coal generated electric without a crap load of tax dollars propping it up.