GT Advanced rallies after disclosing Merlin progress

• GT Advanced (OTCPK:GTAT +3.7%) says its Merlin solar module metallization/interconnect tech has met the requirements of several industry standards, following tests to guarantee its long-term reliability.
• GT adds it's in "active discussions with select lead customers" to bring Merlin to market, and is on track for an early 2015 commercial launch. The company roughly estimates Merlin could be a $400M-$1B/year business by 2018, assuming a market penetration of 8%-20%.
• Merlin reduces the amount of silver needed to connect solar cells within a module (lowers costs and weight), and can improve cell efficiency and reliability along the way.
• GT claims Merlin can be easily supported by existing cell manufacturing lines, following a simple upgrade. Meyer Burger, JA Solar, and other firms have also been working on solutions that aim to lower silver use.
• Merlin is separate from GT's Hyperion tech, which (among other things) could be used to create thin, high-efficiency, solar cells for electronic devices.