SunPower has said that it expects to have sufficient silicon to generate 250 megawatts or more of solar cell production in 2008 due to its use of a portfolio strategy that combines polysilicon, ingot and wafer procurement from a variety of suppliers under a variety of contract terms and durations.
“SunPower prudently plans for our silicon procurement from a variety of suppliers with an approach designed to anticipate manufacturing ramp rates,” said Tom Werner, Chief Executive Officer at SunPower Corp. “We match our solar cell manufacturing expansion and production plans to our silicon supply to allow for maximum utilization of our manufacturing capacity. By rapidly scaling from Fab 1, now in full production, to Fab 2 beginning this quarter, SunPower expects to achieve economies of scale that will contribute to our goal to reduce installed solar system costs by 50 percent by 2012.”
