The third “International Workshop on CdTe Materials and Solar Cell Application” took place on 29 August 2017 in Hohhot, the capital of the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia. This year the workshop, which attracted more than 100 delegates from the world of industry and science, was organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and hosted by Inner Mongolia University as part of the 17th China Photovoltaic Conference.

Dr. Harr speaks in Hohhot

CTF Solar CEO Dr. Michael Harr took advantage of this meeting with a large number of CdTe experts from around the world to share his personal perspective on the history of CdTe solar module production in a short talk entitled “From ANTEC Solar to CTF Solar, From Arnstadt to Chengdu”.

In 1997, Dr. Harr, Dr. Dieter Bonnet (the “father of CdTe solar technology”), Karl-Heinz Fischer and others had founded the company ANTEC Solar. In 2001, ANTEC Solar launched commercial operation of the world’s first CdTe solar module factory. 16 years later, and just a few days before the workshop in Inner Mongolia, the latest CdTe solar module factory from CTF Solar reached a major milestone by manufacturing its first module, so taking a significant step closer to commencing commercial production in Chengdu. (See also the article “First module manufactured at new CdTe solar factory in Chengdu, China”)