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On posting a 227.6 percent year-on-year revenue growth with sales
topping $774.8 million for 2007, SunPower Corporation has set its
sights on doubling solar cell manufacturing capacity from 214 megawatts
at the end of 2007 to 414 megawatts at the end of 2008. A key reason
for the ability to expand production is due to SunPower’s belief that
silicon feedstock supply constraints will ease and support lower prices
through the supply chain.
"We expect SunPower's median solar cell efficiency to increase over the
course of 2008 as we add five more Gen 2 lines in Fab 2,” commented Tom
Werner, SunPower's CEO.
“Our Fab 2 expansion will nearly double our
nameplate solar cell manufacturing capacity from 214 megawatts at the
end of 2007 to 414 megawatts at the end 2008. Our start-up team has
done a tremendous job transferring our learning from Fab 1 to Fab 2. We
have now completed our production ramp on the first two lines in Fab 2
which will exclusively produce our industry-leading Gen 2 solar cells.
Our Gen 2 solar cells increase the power generated by each solar cell
by 10 percent compared to our A-300 solar cell. Concurrently we are
reducing our manufacturing unit cost by increasing equipment throughput
and achieving manufacturing scale,” added Werner.
Werner also
said in a prepared statement that SunPower had started production on a
further two automated module manufacturing lines with a third starting
to ramp in 4Q07, which are allocated to its larger 96-cell solar panel
design.
The company also touted that 2008 should see the company
make a successful transition to second-generation products and to
thinner, 145 micron wafers that will contribute to overall lower
manufacturing costs that are coupled to its silicon supply price
reductions and greater manufacturing scale in the year.
