Sustainability Report - Bank Sarasin-Alpen

Solar Energy 2005
Thermomax
TiNOX
Viessmann
Wagner Solar
VKR Holding
With an output of 38 Tm 2 collector area, the British company Thermomax is
Europe’s biggest producer of evacuated tube collectors (ETC). The company
makes substantial investments in quality assurance and process optimisation. It
is increasingly developing applications in the field of solar-assisted cooling
(SAC). Its quota of exports to non-EU countries is rising.
TiNOX, the original pioneer of the distinctive blue titanium absorber tapes, was
taken over by MAGE Industrie Holding in the summer of 2003 and is now number
two behind Alanod-Sunselect. The MAGE Group combines several mediumsized
industrial companies that are internationally active in the ancillary construction
trade, specialising in roof technology, facade technology and fastening technology.
Within the Group, TiNOX represents the main arm of the renewable energies
business.
Having increased its collector area capacity by 30%, Viessmann is now joint
leader in solar systems in Germany, along with BBT. But Viessmann is also expanding
its plant in Faulquemont (France). In addition to the coating line, a soldering
and laser welding facility is planned for next year. This would enable the
company to cover the entire production chain. Viessmann also offers PV systems
based on flat-plate collectors.
Wagner Solar grew from a pioneer to an SME company with a strong innovation
drive, including non-reflective solar glass and flat-plate collectors that currently
offer the highest energy yield. The company offers Europe’s most powerful flatplate
collector using Iso-AR-Glass. Wagner Solar is also successful at selling PV
modules and (a recent addition) heating systems powered by wood pellets. In
2005 the company expects to achieve more than 100,000 m 2 of collector area
and sales in excess of EUR 100 m for the first time. Wagner Solar is also expanding
in other EU countries and has set up several local offices for this purpose.
VKR Holding is one of the companies behind the merger between GreenOneTec
and Foco. This Danish holding company, which includes the leading manufacturer
of roof windows Velux, owned a majority shareholding in Foco through its
Danish company Solarcap, and also has a significant holding in GreenOneTec.
Last year the combined output of the two OEM manufacturers was a collector
area of around 400,000 m 2 (280 MW th ). This gives them a European market
share of almost 25%.
Principal global markets
Global growth
of 30% in 2004
There are still huge differences between national markets in terms of newly installed
collector area. China, easily the world’s biggest market, continues to enjoy
dynamic expansion and sets the global pace of growth. Newly installed capacity
in 2004 came to 11,700 MW 11 th (16.72 million m 2 ), an increase of roughly
30% on 2003 (see Fig. 18). Around 75% of this capacity was installed in China.
Apart from China, other important markets include Germany, Greece, Austria
and also Turkey, Israel and Japan. The biggest markets for solar collectors are
11
In this report the installed solar collector capacity is no longer expressed in square metres, but for the
sake of consistency in kilowatts of thermal energy based on the new conversion factor of 0.7 kW th /m 2 .
For more details, visit www.iea-shc.org
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