WTC presents new database of solar cells manufacturers

24^th July 2007

Munich, Germany. The difficulty in securing a feedstock supply to produce conventional wafer-based solar cells has encouraged a frenzy of industry projects related to thin-film solar cells.
WTC has counted some 130 companies developing and in some cases building production lines for thin-film cells.

Thin-film cells on the rise

Solar technology is a growing market. Last year saw First Solar, Nanosolar and Ersol announce investments in the range of $100 million each to build new thin-film plants. At this rate, thin-film cells could represent about 20% of the PV technology installed (on a year-to-year basis) world-wide in 2012.

WTC estimates that the market for thin-film cells is set to explode in the next few years, reaching $1.5 billion in 2012. While America has been steadily loosing ground to Japan and Europe in wafer-based cells, about half of the thin-film cells are made by US companies and this share is expected to remain high (although the production may not be located in the US).

Thin-film solar cells could revolutionize the market

Aside from the silicon shortage pushing manufacturers towards thin-film, there are other good reasons to consider the technology. Thin-film cells have the potential to achieve mass production at low costs. The target for some manufacturers is to achieve $1.3/W by 2012, i.e. a module that can deliver 1 W peak would cost $1.30 to produce. This would represent a marked improvement over today's cost, estimated to be in the range of $2-5/W. New opportunities are thus arising for semiconductor equipment and materials suppliers to make these manufacturing targets a reality.

In use, thin-film cells provide advantages such
as semi-transparency, flexibility and low weight. Thin-film modules also offer a decisive advantage over wafer-based in being able to make semi-transparent panels that substitute for window panes on facades, roofs, etc. Thin-film modules are light and easy to combine with steel plates for roofs or reservoirs, and also offer a varied range of appearances, some more aesthetically pleasing than deep blue poly-crystalline silicon wafers.

Furthermore, the production process for thin-film cells requires less semiconductor material and energy. In times of climate change, this is one of the most important aspects of thin-film technology's opportunity in future.

Conclusion

With a booming photovoltaic market on the one side, and investors willing to fund their expansion on the other, thin-film solar cell manufacturers are rapidly developing their technologies and building out the production capacity that can help them tap the market. For all the equipment and material suppliers, and especially those that have no done so yet, this is a very good time to get involved in thin-film solar cell manufacturing.

Research tool results from market analysis

The results of the PV market analysis combined with its excellent branch know-how motivated WTC consultants to provide a new solar cell database comprising a comprehensive overview of the solar industry. The Munich consulting company has tracked down more than 130 international manufacturers which are involved in the solar cells production process - from the cutting edge pilot lines to the major manufacturing plants - and offers the data in a very accessible form for the user. The WTC solar cell database stands out from other rankings not least as a result of the amount of companies listed.

Facts and figures

For each manufacturer in the database, you receive insights:

Cell technology, partners and investors
Production capacity in 2006, 2007 and 2008
Production status, e.g. construction, pilot, manufacturing
Investment flow
Address of manufacturing site and contact persons

The data are contained in an Excel file to allow you easily to sort and extract exactly the critical piece of information you want. To ensure the customer stays on top of the changes, WTC updates its database every quarter to guarantee the data's validity in the rapidly expanding photovoltaic market.

Who will benefit?

To gain fast access to the worldwide solar cell industry, customers can purchase the database at a price of 1,100 € (excl. taxes) including a one year subscription to three quarterly updates to make sure you stay up to date.

This new database is useful for companies thinking of studying the profile and distribution of cell manufacturers. It also gives a wide-angle view of the industry players in the solar market.

Order form

Press release as PDF file .

Contact:

Karen Melkonyan
+49 89 20 70 260-50
karen.melkonyan (at)wtc-consult.de