sain t-gobain annu al report 2008 annual report

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Sun
Saint-Gobain is a major supplier of solutions
for the photovoltaic industry. These include quartz
crucibles for melting silicon slabs and engineered abrasive
grains for cutting the slabs, fluoropolymer films
for encapsulating photovoltaic panels and high-efficiency
PV Lite and Albarino extra-clear glass.
Avancis, a joint venture between Saint-Gobain and Shell,
began manufacturing photovoltaic cells in 2008 at its facility
in Torgau, Germany. The plant’s initial capacity of 20MW
will quickly be ramped up. The photovoltaic panels produced
by Avancis use innovative Copper Indium Selenium (CIS)
technology developed by Shell. Involving a thin film
of CIS applied to a glass substrate, this technology eliminates
the need for silicon and offers high energy efficiency
at exceptionally competitive production costs.
The Saint-Gobain Flat Glass Division is contributing
its industrial expertise in thin film technology and glass
transformation. The CIS-based thin solar film produced
at Torgau offers 11% efficiency, unmatched by any other
thin-film technology.
In 2008, CertainTeed Corporation announced that it had
forged a partnership with the Philadelphia firm SRS Energy.
The two companies will be jointly developing a polymer-based
photovoltaic roofing tile that generates energy without
sacrificing aesthetic appeal. The partnership will draw on
CertainTeed’s solid reputation for developing and marketing
innovative roofing products, and SRS Energy’s knowledge
and expertise in photovoltaic science. Also in 2008,
CertainTeed and Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD),
the world’s leading manufacturer of thin-film solar laminates,
signed an agreement to develop roofing-integrated
photovoltaic products for the residential market that
combine ECD’s uni-solar cells with CertainTeed’s
roofing products.
We also manufacture solar mirrors that concentrate the sun’s
rays in order to heat water that generates electricity as it
evaporates. The Innovative Materials Sector - Flat Glass has
decided to raise its profile in the solar mirrors market through
the La Veneciana de Saint-Gobain subsidiary. Its facility in
Covilis, Portugal, is being extended to accommodate
production of parabolic cylindrical mirrors for the solar
thermal market on the Iberian peninsula. This €20 million
project is an integral part of our solar strategy and will
expand the current buildings – housing production facilities
for extra-clear SGG Albarino patterned glass used
in photovoltaic panels – to a surface area of 12,000 sq.m.
The expanded Covilis site will be the largest facility
in the world manufacturing parabolic cylindrical mirrors
for use at solar thermal power plants. The Covilis plant was
chosen for this major investment because of its expertise
in manufacturing specialized products for the photovoltaic
and solar market.
Air and water
We also promote hydraulic and wind power solutions.
Dahl, one of our Building Distribution companies, supplies
small-scale hydraulic power plants to the Norwegian market,
while in wind power, Cerbec, part of the Innovative Materials
Sector – High-Performance Materials, manufactures ceramic
ball bearings whose long working life and ability
to withstand significant loads make them an excellent
choice for wind turbines.
Designing more environmentally
friendly vehicles
High-performance automotive glazing
Compared to traditional automotive glazing, Saint-Gobain
Sekurit’s heat-resistant solutions significantly reduce
the need for air conditioning, leading to improved fuel
efficiency. For example, optimally combining a heat-reflective
windshield with extra-tinted heat-absorbing glass for
the rear and rear side windows cuts fuel consumption by 2.4%
per 100 km and CO 2 emissions by 5 g/km, at speeds of 90 kph.
Tinted and extra-tinted glass with heat-reflecting or heatabsorbing
properties considerably improves thermal
comfort for vehicle occupants while effectively addressing
the environmental concerns of fuel consumption and CO 2
emissions. Moreover, the thin automotive glass now appearing
on the market is lighter than traditional glass, which means
it will help automakers meet their objectives for more
lightweight vehicles that consume less fuel.
In addition, a major Research and Development effort is
underway to improve recycling of automotive glass, using
modules or submodules that are easily dismantled to provide
a simpler, less costly and more environmentally friendly
method of recycling at the end of the product’s life.
High-tech particulate filters
When combined with advanced engine control technology,
diesel engine particulate filters eliminate 99.9%
of engine-generated soot particulates (now acknowledged
to pose a risk to public health), thanks to their honeycomb
structure of thin-walled passages. These filters are
the culmination of extensive analysis by our Research
and Development teams, drawing on the numerous patents
we have obtained since 1998. In late 2005, we began
production of silicon carbide particulate filters for diesel
engines at Rödental, Germany, and in 2008 a new production
facility opened in Kolo, Poland. Spanning 8,000 sq.m,
the plant boasts a production line that will turn out some
250,000 filters annually for use in passenger vehicles.
By virtue of its considerable energy efficiency, diesel propulsion
remains in high demand among automobile manufacturers,
but particulate filters are necessary to reduce harmful
Saint-Gobain - 2008 Annual Report