With more than 80% of PV module demand being satisfied by crystalline-based modules, the health of the silicon and wafer supply chain is of vital importance to the overall PV industry. This paper reviews the overall materials value chain from the manufacture of PV silicon to the wafer, prepared for manufacture of the cell. A glimpse is provided of the various market dynamics that exist in the supply chain, as well as the technology trends that influence or threaten the supply of wafers. Although the manufacturing routes are mature and well established, we also take a look at the possibility of novel and disruptive technologies altering the overall supply landscape.
Weaker demand in the first quarter is expected to generate a significant rise in PV module inventories throughout the supply chain, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli in a new report entitled ‘PV: Strong Market Has Suppliers’ Inventories at Healthy Levels.’
CPV cell developer Cyrium Technologies has opened its new office in Hong Kong, China and appointed Nelson Fan as its general manager for Asian operations. Fan holds eighteen years of experience in the semiconductor industry, having most recently worked with Traxon Technologies as its research and development director. In his new position with Cyrium Technologies, Fan will be charged with concentrating on the company’s supply chain while detecting technology options and supporting their Chinese and other Asian customers.
PV industry module and component manufacturers have brought down costs significantly over the last four years. This trend is clearly evident as most publicly traded companies continue to grow revenue despite falling module and component prices. However, it is far less clear how downstream system integrators are handling the drop in system prices and contributing to value creation. System prices are generally higher in the U.S. than in Europe despite lower module prices in the U.S. This disparity often raises questions on the part of European PV professionals where these costs come from, and secondly, what have U.S. system integrators done to reduce costs. This article is the second of a two-part series shedding light on how U.S. integrators contribute to a decreasing installed-PV-system cost roadmap by championing value creation in the downstream segment. Focusing on the residential market segment, Part I delved into activity cost savings through innovation in engineering and construction [1]. Part II illustrates how changes in marketing and sales, rebates, interconnection, supply chain management and customer support have evolved considerably over the last several years to result in reduced costs.
There was a significant increase in the number of new products announced throughout the PV supply chain in 2010, compared to previous years. A key trend has been products focused on the utility-scale market, such as central inverters and technologies designed to cut the balance of system (BOS) costs for installations. In our review of the Top 10 most viewed products on the PV-Tech website, the diversity in the list is refreshing and covers a wide-range of subjects from solar cell metallization pastes to modules and inverters.
Although not citing confirmed orders from the recent EU PVSEC in Valencia, regarded by many suppliers to the PV manufacturing industry as the most important event each year, centrotherm photovoltaics has confirmed it is in advanced contract negotiations with well-known companies up and down the supply chain. centrotherm photovoltaics is the second largest equipment supplier in the sector, after Applied Materials.
In contrast to the cloud of uncertainty prevailing over much of the thin-film equipment supply chain today, recent quarterly results within the c-Si segment from the likes of Centrotherm, Roth and Rau, Manz Automation, Applied Materials, and Amtech suggest sunny times lie ahead for these leading c-Si tool suppliers.
Tasked with managing the integration of recently acquired companies as well as being in charge of production, quality management, supply chain amongst other duties, Roth & Rau has appointed former CEO of acquired OTB, Dr. Paul Breddels as its new Chief Operating Officer.
The latest slew of announcements from various sectors of the solar manufacturing supply chain to establish partial or complete production outsourcing is no accident and a trend that will continue grow, according to iSuppli. The market research firm noted that the latest SunPower news of a contract manufacturing deal with major electronics manufacturing services firm Flextronics is only representative of the early stages of a boom, especially in module assembly outsourcing.
Recently announced capacity expansion plans from the majority of major China-based PV manufacturers and polysilicon producers is having a knock-on effect in the supply chain with gases specialist Linde Group announcing a new round of long-term gas supply contracts in the country. Linde LienHwa (LLH) has secured multi-million US dollar contracts from companies including GS Solar, Parity Solar, CNPV Solar Power SA, General Solar Power and Argus Power.
