Chalking up another milestone, First Solar has said it has now produced a combined 1GW of CdTe thin film modules since production first started in early 2002. The thin film leader expects to have a nominal production capacity of approximately 1.2GW by the end of 2009, which equates to 23 manufacturing lines from plants on three continents.
Applied Materials is set to expand its ‘SunFab’ thin-film module and c-Si testing and R&D facility in Xi’an, China, after a tour at the facility, which was opened in 2008 by Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang. Claimed to be the first facility of its kind in China, Applied Materials said it had recently broken ground on phase two of its new ‘Global Solar R&D Center,’ which will include R&D, engineering, demonstration, validation and training for both crystalline silicon and thin-film solar equipment and processes.
Despite a major fall-off in installations in the fourth quarter of 2008 due to the early onset of winter in Germany, a complete end of projects in Spain and large-scale project finance difficulties due to the financial crisis, Phoenix Solar AG posted record sales for 2008, reaching €402 million, compared to €260 million in 2007. Based on its current backlog, the PV systems integrator expects sales to reach approximately €520 million in 2009.
Canadian Solar executives said during a conference call to discuss 4Q and year-end financial results that polysilicon prices had fallen to between US$110 per kg and US$130 per kg. This had enabled the module manufacturer to renegotiate UMG silicon feedstock prices to approximately US$60 per kg, maintaining a US$50 per kg margin between the two feedstocks. Canadian Solar uses UMG silicon in its ‘e-modules’ and has already secured contracts for these lower (15%) priced modules in 2009, equating to 120MW.
ENN Solar Energy Co., Ltd. has produced its first tandem junction thin film modules at its 60MW ‘SunFab’ line, claiming the first Chinese based thin film manufacturer to produce tandem junction cells on a production line. ENN Solar has previously planned production to start in the 1Q09.
According to new figures from SEMI, worldwide shipments of polysilicon reached 43,901MT in 2008, fueled by the growing demand from the solar industry on a quarter-on-quarter basis. The semiconductor industry demand has been affected by fab closures and drastic cuts in fab utilization rates as IC manufacturers cut production due to severe market softness.
Major solar wafer producer LDK Solar has shifted its business strategy from aggressive capacity expansions to one of production cost reductions for 2009. The continued uncertainty of the growth levels in the photovoltaics industry for the year have turned LDK Solar hyper-conservative, cutting polysilicon production targets as a consequence of delaying previously planned plant ramps and holding wafer production at 2008 final capacity levels, until demand visibility returns.
Independent renewable power producer Fotowatio has acquired the core U.S. solar power assets of MMA Renewable Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Municipal Mortgage & Equity, LLC. MMA became well known for its 14MW PV installation at Nellis Air Force base. Upon completion of the deal, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures will be one of the largest solar development companies in the United States.
Loss making concentrating photovoltaic and thermal (CPVT) technology firm, Entech Solar has initiated a workforce reduction of approximately 40% (33 employees) in an effort to reduce losses and preserve cash. Entech plans to close its California locations by mid-2009 and has also stopped using a number of consultants, the company said.
One of the earliest of potential customers of Applied Materials ‘SunFab’ thin film production lines, looks close to securing the necessary funding that would see it establish the first of three planned production facilities. Genesis Solar, a subsidiary of Genesis Energy Investment Plc has recently announced that it has a Letter of Intent from an unidentified U.S. investor to inject US$42 million into its Spanish subsidiary, Genesis Solar España S.L., which has a partially completed production facility designed to house Applied’s ‘SunFab’ thin film line in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz, Spain.
