It's unclear how soon a pilot plant to test a process to make high-quality components for solar cells will be up and running in Sarnia, a vice-president with Ubiquity Solar said Tuesday.�It's really variable,� said Cathy MacLellan, shortly after speaking to Seaway Kiwanis members about the solar power company.�I really don't know because as we put the parts together it's pretty complicated, as you could imagine,� she said.But equipment has arrived, she said, and work is underway to begin testing the company's process to make polysillicon � a semi-conductive material made using silicon.Long-term, the aim is to produce wafers and bricks used in the manufacture of photovoltaic solar cells � which put together make up modules, or panels, that generate electricity as part of solar power systems.The concept behind the $10.3-million pilot plant � to be located at TransAlta's Bluewater Energy Park � is to start small, testing the process that �provides optimal integration of polysillicon, ingot and brick production, requiring significantly less capital with greater flexibility to meet customer requirements,� ubiquitysolar.com says.In short, it's about purity, MacLellan said.�It's almost like the flour you use to make a cake, the quality of the flour will affect the final product,� she said.Ubiquity has proprietary technology company officials hope will make producing high-quality solar cell components cheaper, she said.�If you can make it cheaper and have really good quality, well that's a win for the customers,� she said.The testing, in cooperation with university partners, is expected to wrap up in 2017, officials have said, before production begins.A planned-for, fully operational commercial plant in Sarnia could employ 500 people or more.Customers � photovoltaic cell manufacturers � are already lined up in the United States and countries in Asia, MacLellan said.No one is currently producing solar cell components in Canada, she noted.�So this is a first-off.�Meanwhile, the price of solar power technology is already dramatically better than in years past, she said, noting it's now competitive with other energy-producing technologies in sectors like gas and oil.The main reason for choosing Sarnia for the pilot plant is an abundance of cheap electricity from TransAlta, she said.�This process requires a lot of electricity and that is our major cost, other than the equipment,� she said.Close proximity to the U.S. border, existing infrastructure for the plant, and a skilled workforce are also reasons for selecting Sarnia, MacLellan said. ;tyler.kula@sunmedia.ca
