SunPower to migrate solar cell production to 145 micron thickness in 2008

April 17, 2008
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Accompanying the news that SunPower is increasing solar cell capacity by 150 percent this year was the mention in its first-quarter financial results that it expects to meet its goal of 30 percent gross margins by the end of 2008 on the back of lower polysilicon prices, higher cell efficiency and thinner wafers.

SunPower stated that its conversion from 165 micron to 145 micron wafers remains on schedule and it expects 100 percent of its solar cell lines to be using the thinner wafers by the end of 2008.
    
“We expect SunPower’s silicon supply costs to decline by approximately 10 percent during 2008 compared to 2007,” noted Tom Werner, SunPower’s CEO. “This cost improvement will amplify our silicon utilization benefits achieved through higher cell efficiency and thinner wafers. We are on track to achieve our planned improvements in our cost structure, and therefore we expect to reach our target financial model of 30 percent gross margin, 10 percent operating expenses and 20 percent operating margin, on a non-GAAP basis, no later than the first quarter of 2009. We are also on track to realize our mission of reducing installed systems cost by 50 percent by 2012.”

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

With the expected decline in polysilicon prices as production ramps at both major and start-up producers, SunPower expects price declines of 10 percent by the end of the year, helping it meet gross margin targets.

Read Next

October 21, 2025
Leading Chinese solar manufacturer Trinasolar has signed a module supply agreement with Malaysian renewable energy developer Mestron Energy.
Premium
October 21, 2025
PV Tech Premium spoke with academic and industry experts about the rising tide of cybersecurity concerns in Europe's solar energy sector.
October 21, 2025
Cypress Creek Renewables has achieved financial close on its 75MW Sundance solar-plus-storage project in Elbert County, Colorado.
October 21, 2025
Australia's solar-plus-storage sector gained momentum with 725MW of solar PV approvals advancing across New South Wales and Queensland.
October 21, 2025
Luminous Robotics has successfully completed its first international deployment of AI-powered solar installation robots at Engie’s 250MW Goorambat East Solar Farm in Victoria, Australia.
October 21, 2025
An independent panel has granted resource consents for the 179MW Glorit Solar Farm in Auckland, New Zealand.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK