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NEWS & VIEWS |
Taipei,
Monday, September 8, 2008
01:40 (GMT+8)
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Subject: Bits + chips > Solar |
Thin-film solar cells to account for 30% of solar cell market in 2015, says The Information Network Sep 4, 12:31 Almost one thirds of solar cells will be manufactured on thin-film materials in 2015, up from 14.4% as expected in 2008, according to The Information Network. The total solar cell market will grow from 5.625GW in 2008 to 79.53GW in 2015, the firm estimated. Read more |
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Price of polysilicon and solar wafers remain high Sep 4, 11:00 Prices of both polysilicon and solar wafers have remained high for three consecutive quarters, implying that demand of solar applications is not being affected much by the upcoming expiration of a government subsidy program in Spain, according to industry sources. Read more |
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Solar cell contract prices to be flat on year in 2009 Sep 4, 10:53 As most Taiwan-based solar cell makers have settled their contract prices at a recent solar energy show at Spain, they observed that anticipated strong demand has sustained a flat average selling price (ASP) trend. Power efficiency has again drawn attention, being an important indicator on price bargaining. Read more |
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E-ton: Solar-cell bookings to exceed capacity in 2009 Sep 3, 11:45 Citing bookings at an ongoing solar energy show in Spain, Chi-Yao Tsai, general manager of E-ton Solar Tech, highlighted that the amount has already exceed the planned capacity for 2009. Read more |
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Green Energy to supply thin-film solar modules to clients in Spain and Germany Sep 3, 01:00 Taiwan-based Green Energy Technology has revealed that it has signed contracts with three major photovoltaic (PV) system makers in Spain and Germany, supplying the clients with thin-film solar modules worth a yearly total of 39 million euro (US$56.5 million). Read more |
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DelSolar sign NT$3.6 billion solar wafer contract Sep 1, 21:31 Taiwan-based DelSolar, a subsidiary of Delta Electronics, ha signed a contract to secure NT$3.6 billion worth of solar wafer supply through 2015, with market sources indicating that Taiwan-based Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) is the supplier. Read more |
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Solargiga drives margins for Wafer Works in 1H08 Sep 1, 15:21 Thanks to strong profit contributions from its China-based subsidiary Solargiga, Wafer Works reported gross margins of 35.5% in the first half of 2008, and rival solar wafer rivals may find it difficult to match such results. Read more |
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Taiflex Scientific confident about PV backsheet sales Sep 1, 15:17 Under an anticipation that Dupont will supply more Tedlar polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) films in the following quarters, flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL) maker Taiflex Scientific has further reiterated its confidence about sales prospects for its PV backsheets. Read more |
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Equipment supplier GPM swings back to profits in 1H08 Aug 29, 12:35 Equipment supplier Gallant Precision Machining (GPM) swung back to profitability in the first half of 2008, reporting net profits of NT$81.9 million (US$2.59 million) from sales of NT$2.12 billion for the period. Read more |
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Unitech to budget more for second solar-cell production line Aug 29, 12:20 Unitech Printed Circuit Board announced on August 28 that its company board of directors has approved the investment of NT$802 million (US$25.4 million) to install a second solar-cell production line. Read more |
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LCD panel makers gear up thin-film solar deployment Aug 29, 11:47 The rumored attendance of AU Optronics (AUO) president and COO at an upcoming photovoltaic (PV) show in Spain has once again spurred speculation about Taiwan LCD panel makers' deployment in the sector. Read more |
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Gigastorage aims to double sales from solar-cell conductive paste Aug 28, 01:20 Gigastorage aims to double revenues from solar cell conductive paste to NT$1.2 billion (US$38.1 million) in 2010 by securing orders from more solar cell makers, according to company executives during a product launch event on August 27. Read more |
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Wahlee shows strong sales growth in 1H08 on healthy solar module demand Aug 26, 12:48 Wahlee Industrial, a materials supplier for semiconductor production, reported NT$9.44 billion in sales in the first half of 2008, with NT$730 million in pre-tax income and NT$3.38 earnings per share (EPS). The company estimated that its consolidated sales in the first half of the year were NT$12.85 billion, up 22.8% on year. Read more |
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Thin-film solar cell makers worry capacity may not match orders Aug 26, 12:31 Despite seeing capacity already booked by customers, some thin-film solar cell makers in Taiwan have started worrying that they may fail to fulfill their promised shipments as capacity may not be available on time. In light of such risks, makers have started adjusting their contract terms to prevent any possible loss/compensation requirements. Read more |
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Motech secures additional polysilicon from DC Chemical Stockwatch | Aug 26, 01:15 Motech Industries announced that it has secured two additional polysilicon contracts from DC Chemical (DCC), according to company filings with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE). Read more |
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SAS to invest in Italy-based polysilicon vendor Aug 22, 15:46 Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) announced on August 21 it will place investment to secure an 18% stake in Italy-based polysilicon vendor Silfab SpA. Read more |
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Mosel lands solar-cell orders from Tynsolar Aug 22, 12:36 Mosel Vitelic announced that it has landed a three-year solar cell contract with solar module maker Tynsolar. Read more |
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Tainergy inaugurates new solar cell plant; plans IPO in 2009 Aug 21, 16:46 Tainergy Tech hold the official inauguration ceremony for its new crystalline solar cell plant in Chungli, Taiwan on August 21. The company plans to boost its annual capacity to 1 peak gigawatt (GWp) in five years and to have initial public offering (IPO) in Taiwan late in 2009. Read more |
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Neo Solar Power eyes 20% solar cell conversion rate with Centrotherm partnership Aug 20, 12:30 Neo Solar Power signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with equipment vendor Centrotherm Photovoltaics on August 19, aiming to form a partnership that will boost the power conversion efficiency of its solar cell by one percentage point per year over the next three years. Read more |
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SAS to supply wafers to Solartech Aug 20, 01:10 Taiwan-based wafer supplier Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) has announced that it has signed an NT$5.7 billion (US$181.46 million) supply contract with fellow solar cell maker Solartech Energy. Read more |
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Green Energy Technology building supply contracts Aug 19, 01:05 Taiwan solar wafer maker Green Energy Technology (GET) announced that the company has signed supply contracts totaling US$947 million with clients from Asia and Australia, with the contracts running from 2009 to 2016. Combined with earlier contracts, the company has contracted supply worth NT$76.5 billion, translating to an average annual revenue contribution of NT$8.5 billion over the next nine years. Read more |
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SAS aims to be largest small-size semi wafer supplier in four years Aug 18, 15:57 Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) aims to be the top supplier for small-size semiconductor-use wafers in terms of capacity within four years following the planned construction of a new site in China in 2009, according to company chairman MK Lu. Read more |
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Kinsus enters solar module segment with Lucky Power investment Newswatch | Aug 15, 15:53 IC substrate maker Kinsus Interconnect Technology has entered the photovoltaic sector via its recent investment in solar-module maker Lucky Power. Among all major IC substrate makers in Taiwan, Phoenix Precision Technology (PPT) is now the only maker to have not made any deployments beyond its core business. Read more |
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As LCD market matures, CMO to eye LED, solar markets over next 10 years Aug 15, 12:16 Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO), marking its tenth anniversary, has spelt out its roadmap for the next 10 years, during which it will slow down its expansion in the LCD panel industry and will instead gear up the development for LEDs, eco-friendly lighting, and solar energy. Read more |
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Neo Solar Power to start producing thin-film solar cells in 2009; aims for a power conversion rate of 10% Aug 14, 15:17 Neo Solar Power held the opening ceremony for its new crystalline solar cell fab in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on August 13. Operation will be started as scheduled, and the company has also revealed more details regarding its thin-film solar cell deployment. Read more |
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Solar wafer suppliers see silicon carbide prices soar amid short supply Aug 13, 01:00 Prices of silicon carbide, a material for solar wafer cutting, have jumped sharply since last year, as China, the biggest supplier, has imposed export quotas on the material, according to industry sources. Read more |
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Applied wins multi-year solar service contract from Green Energy Technology Aug 12, 12:26 Applied Materials has announced that it has signed a five-year service contract with Green Energy Technology (GET) of Taiwan to support GET's Applied SunFab thin film line for solar module manufacturing. Applied's SunFab Performance Service program has already reached strong momentum at leading solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers in Europe and Asia, exceeding $100M in contracts for both single and tandem junction thin film PV applications. Read more |
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Mosel announces solar wafer agreement with SAS Aug 12, 01:20 Mosel Vitelic has announced that it has signed a solar wafer purchase agreement with Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) whereby SAS will deliver approximately
NT$33 billion (NS$1.06 billion) worth of multi-crystalline solar wafers to Mosel over an eight-year period commencing in 2009 through 2016, according to a Mosel filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE). Read more |
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Ritek to produce solar modules Aug 12, 01:05 Taiwan-based optical disc maker Ritek will enter the solar module business by entering into a partnership with Dutch-based Scheuten Solar, according to a Ritek filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE). Ritek will be responsible for the production of the solar modules for Scheuten, which will supervise the quality and supply chain, indicated Frans van den Heuvel, chief operations officer of Scheuten. Read more |
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Solar cell ASPs to remain high in 3Q08 Aug 8, 12:25 Despite that some industry players have expressed concerns about possible solar cell price declines due to the expiration of the government incentive program in Spain and cutting of subsidies in Germany, contract and spot market prices are expected to remain high throughout the third quarter amid consistent shortages. Read more |
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Solar demand promising in long run; but bubble inevitable in near term Aug 7, 16:18 Solar energy is in the throes of bubble with loads of new entrants striving to take a position in the photovoltaic (PV) industry, especially in the polysilicon supply chain, but this is not going to shake an industry-wide belief about promising demand for renewable energy in the long run, said Chung-Wen Lan, director-general of Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)'s Photovoltaics Technology Center. Read more |
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Tynsolar expects solar module shipments to more than triple in 2008 Aug 6, 01:15 Solar module maker Tynsolar expects its shipments to jump to 35MWp in 2008 from 10MWp in 2007 because of strong demand from Europe, according to company president Marco Hu. Read more |
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Neo Solar Power secures new solar wafer supply Aug 5, 12:01 Neo Solar Power announced that it has secured a new batch of solar wafer from a top-three polysilicon supplier based in Europe. With the new supply, the solar-cell maker plans for aggressive expansion in 2009, with expansion plans also including thin-film solar cell production. Read more |
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Neo Solar Power optimistic about demand in Italy Aug 1, 16:04 Neo Solar Power believes Italy has the potential to be the next solar-cell demand driver, since Spain is about to end its governmet subsidy program, while demand from Japan is also good, according to company CEO Quincy Lin Read more |
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Tynsolar said solar module capacity to run short of demand through year end Jul 29, 11:52 Tynsolar, subsidiary of Tyntek, said its solar module capacity is running short of demand with the shortage expected to last through the end of the year. In light of strong bookings, the company also anticipates its July sales will hit a record high again, according to the company. Read more |
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Polysilicon players eye Inner Mongolia as a potential production center Jul 25, 15:35 Thanks to relatively low electricity costs, Huhehaote, Inner Mongolia, is being regarded as a city that may be ideal for polysilicon and solar wafer production, as evidenced by the number of photovoltaic (PV) industry players locating their production in the region. Read more |
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Solar-cell power conversion requirements keep growing Jul 23, 15:33 Despite continuing high solar cell average selling prices (ASPs), customers are not willing to sacrifice quantity at the expense of quality. The power conversion efficiency requirements for different kinds of solar cells, even broken ones, have continued to climb, according to industry players. Read more |
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Applied Materials breaks ground for Taiwan manufacturing center expansion Jul 23, 10:30 Applied Materials held a groundbreaking for an expansion project of its Tainan Manufacturing Center. This expansion, with a total investment estimated at around US$17 million, will increase the company's ability to meet the demand for both its AKT flat panel display equipment and SunFab Thin Film Solar manufacturing equipment. The new facility is expected to be completed by the middle of next year. Read more |
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Polysilicon spot price posts mild drop Jul 22, 12:16 Despite the spot price of polysilicon still remaining high, a mild weakening sign has been seen over the recent month. Some industry players attributed the drop to a decline of urgent orders as the solar system installation incentive program in Spain is going to expire soon. Read more |
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Motech new solar-cell capacity in China already fully booked Jul 22, 12:14 While Motech Industries's is slated to soon begin volume production of solar cells at its Suzhou, China plant, industry sources have indicated that capacity is already fully booked, and the company has announced additional investments for China. Read more |
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Green Energy to partner with China-based polysilicon maker for solar ingot production Jul 21, 14:29 Green Energy has secured land in Inner Mongolia, China where it plans to construct a solar ingot plant with polysilicon to be supplied by a domestic player, according to industry sources. Read more |
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SAS solar wafer capacity running short of demand; secures more polysilicon Jul 18, 10:25 Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) is said to see its solar wafer capacity running short of demand. Amid strong orders, the company is expected to expand capacity, as well as secure additional polysilicon. Read more |
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Thin-film solar capacity fully booked; more lines to come online, says Sunwell Jul 17, 15:49 Sunwell Technology has already found capacity fully booked at its first thin-film solar cell line which entered volume production this month. In light of the strong orders, the company will start equipment installation at its second line during late 2008, with third and fourth lines also planned. Read more |
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Solar companies say Taiwan government incentive program unrealistic Jul 17, 12:36 Taiwan government's planned incentive program to encourage photovoltaic (PV) investment is not very much appreciated by market players, as a critical portion of the act is still pending to be discussed by Taiwan's legislature (Executive Yuan), and real benefit that industry players will enjoy still remains a doubt. Read more |
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LED companies Everlight and Epistar to partner on CPV power plant Jul 15, 17:06 LED companies Everlight and Epistar are cooperating with Yee Fong Chemical and Everphoton to set up the first concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) power plant in Asia by the end of 2008, with the plant to have an estimated initial capacity of 1MWp, according to the market sources. Read more |
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Visual Photonics Epitaxy aims to grow concentrator PV conversion rate to 40% Jul 15, 15:38 Epitaxy wafer maker Visual Photonics Epitaxy aims to further boost the power conversion rate of its concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) wafers to 40% within three years, according to a company executive speaking during a product launch on July 14. Read more |
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Gintech affiliate officially starts solar wafer shipments this month Jul 15, 14:43 Eversol, a Taiwan-based solar wafer supplier affiliate company of Gintech Energy, will have shipments to its parent company officially begin in July. Read more |
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Sunwell places 180MW repeat order with Oerlikon Jul 15, 10:34 Sunwell, a wholly owned subsidiary of CMC Magnetics, has announced that it has ordered another two end-to-end thin film silicon production lines from Oerlikon Solar. One 60MW line will be delivered to the existing Sunwell production facility in Taiwan and the other 120MW line will be shipped to a new site currently under construction. Both lines comprise Oerlikon Solar's latest tandem cell technology, micromorph raising module efficiency by up to 50%. Start of production is scheduled in 2009. Read more |
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Solar inverter market to grow by 40% in 2008 Jul 15, 01:15 The global solar inverter market is projected to grow by more than 40% in 2008 driven primarily by continued strong demand from both Germany and Spain. Read more |
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Taiwan government to lift subsidy ceiling for solar equipment production, says paper Newswatch | Jul 14, 10:50 The Taiwan government is planning to lift the subsidy ceiling for solar equipment makers, aiming to grow self-sufficiency to 80%, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report. Read more |
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