Sustainability Report - Bank Sarasin-Alpen

Solar Energy 2005
Q-Cells
Kyocera
In 2004 Q-Cells was Europe’s biggest producer of solar cells, with a production
volume of 76 MW. This year Q-Cells should continue to expand its market share
and its estimated production of 162 MW should give it a global ranking of around
second or third, compared with 11 th place in 2002. Its planned capacity of
350 MW for 2007 would make Q-Cells clear number two after Sharp. At the start
of October the company completed a successful IPO. Q-Cells has invested in
the development of new technologies through joint ventures with partners in the
US and Australia. In the first half of 2006 EverQ, its joint venture with the US
company Evergreen Solar, is due to start production of solar cells using the
string ribbon procedure, with an initial capacity of 30 MW. In its collaboration with
the Australian company Pacific Solar, Q-Cells also plans to bring products to
market in H1 2006 that were developed using the CSG thin-film process (CSG =
crystalline silicon on glass). Both techniques use significantly less silicon than
conventional applications.
Japan’s Kyocera, the world’s second biggest integrated solar company, produced
solar cells with a capacity of 105 MW last year. The company plans to
more than double its cell capacity to 240 MW in 2005, and has set itself the ambitious
target of becoming the world’s biggest fully integrated photovoltaics company.
As of 2010 Kyocera only intends to mass-produce cells with a thickness of
100 µm.
Fig. 6: World’s top 15 solar cell producers and their expansion plans, ordered
by estimated production volume in 2005
600
Production 2004 Production 2005e Capacity 2005e Capacity 2006e
500
400
MW Cells
300
200
100
0
Sha rp
Q-Cells
Kyoce ra
Sanyo
BP Solar
Mitsubishi
Suntech
Schott Solar
Shell Solar
Motech
Isofoton
Deutsche Cell
SunPower
Photowatt
GE
Source: Photon, April 2005 and Sarasin
Sanyo
BP Solar
In 2004 Sanyo produced solar cells with a capacity of 65 MW. In response to the
booming PV market, Sanyo has also announced its intention to increase capacities
for its HIT technology (19.5% efficiency ratio) to 153 MW soon. Production
capacity of amorphous solar cells is also due to be increased from 5 to 7 MW.
BP Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of the global oil and gas giant BP, produced
solar cells with a capacity of 85 MW in 2004. BP Solar is currently working on
expanding its capacity to 200 MW by the end of 2006. It has production plants in
the US, Spain, India and Australia. In Spain it plans to build new production lines
to increase output to 50 MW p.a. In 2006 BP Solar wants to start building the
world’s biggest solar power station in Portugal. This project involves erecting
Dezember 2005 14