News
CAPRICORN CLEANTECH FUND MAKES INVESTMENT IN CONCENTRATOR OPTICS GmbH
Leuven, 11.09.2008 - Capricorn Venture Partners announced today its investment in Germany based Concentrator Optics GmbH, Marburg.
Concentrator Optics engages in the design and production of Fresnel lenses for concentrating photovoltaics (CPV). Manufacturers of CPV modules need Fresnel lenses in order to concentrate incident light onto modern multi-junction devices with high power conversion efficiency.
The market for solar Fresnel lenses is estimated to reach € 200 million in 2011. These lenses will be nonimaging Fresnel lenses of the highest transmittance and will be assembled in large area parquets, which presently cannot be designed, nor produced by the traditional makers of imaging optical elements of smaller dimensions.
Concentrator Optics will offer complete solutions encompassing optical design, prototyping, and mass manufacturing for the solar industry. The company and its customers greatly benefit from the competence and experience of its founder Dr Ralf Leutz, who has done research for more than a decade on Fresnel lenses and solar applications. He has accompanied several projects from design to production.
Paul Decraemer, Head Cleantech Investment Practice states: “Several system integrators and project developers are preparing to enter the CPV market. One of the current challenges for CPV module makers is obtaining adequate supplies of all inputs including mass produced large arrays of high quality Fresnel lenses. Dr Leutz has a long experience in solar optics and good contacts with the major players in the CPV value chain. We see strong potential for Concentrator Optics into this growing market.”
The investment will help Concentrator Optics to build a manufacturing plant to produce solar Fresnel lenses up to a capacity of 100 MW in Marburg, Germany.
“Our goal is to become the technology leader in the solar lens market. Innovative research is an integral part of our strategy to ensure sustainable growth on a technology basis. We are confident that our business idea is timely, and its implementation straight forward. Concentrator Optics will rapidly become a profitable high-tech company in a rewarding market”, says Dr Ralf Leutz, Managing Partner of Concentrator Optics GmbH.
For more information see www.concentratoroptics.com or contact Rainer Adomeit, Managing Partner, at info@concentratoroptics.com.
