REGIONALOUTLOOK
STSP is estimated to be 16 billion NT dollars, about 18% of the total production value; besides, as Motech, Kenmos Photovoltaic, Tai-photovoltaic technology, Taiwan Polysilicon, MJC PROBE, Gloria Solar, NANO-WIN TECH, and Delta have their production bases firmly rooted in STSP. The STSP is aiming to become a significant PV industry cluster in the Southern Taiwan region.
Taipei cityscape in Taiwan
In the Central Taiwan Science Park (CSP), Nex- Power Technology Corporation was founded by one of the worldwide leading IC foundry providers, UMC Group. Since 2005, NexPower sees itself as the pioneer in the silicon thin-film industry in Taiwan. Another thin-film player Sunner Solar Corporation was founded in June, 2007. In the first phase, Sunner Solar will employ a 25 MW a-Si PV module production line, and the second phase will involve the production of the latest thin-film product of amorphous and microcrystalline tandem. Furthermore, in the module field, Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan (ITRI) works with Suntop Solar Energy to optimize the process technology for PV module.
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Most Taiwan PV manufacturers in the science parks concentrate on the middle stream field, observes PIDA. Many have noticed the importance of material and silicon wafer and shifted to the upper stream sector. For example, SR Solar Taiwan, which is mainly invested by SRI (US), planned to use sodium reduction process to manufacture polysilicon. Led by thin-film makers NexPower Technology and Sunner Solar, and then followed by ITRI and Suntop Solar Energy, more PV companies are responding to CSP’s recruitment; therefore, in the future, CSP is looking to catch up with and even surpass the production values of HSP and STSP, according to PIDA.
“There’s a trend observed from the HSP tenant enterprises that efficiency is now the first priority for manufacturing silicon-based solar cells,“ reports PIDA.
For example, DelSolar is expanding its R&D efforts from the solar cell manufacturing process to related issues and equipment both upstream and downstream. DelSolar partnered with upstream companies, Sino-American Silicon Products, Inc., and Green Energy Technology Inc. and the downstream company Tynsolar Corp. to deliver cell conversion efficiencies of 17.2% for mono- silicon solar cells and 16% for multi-silicon solar cells with a wafer thickness of 180 m. Up to now, the DelSolar R&D team has realized the efficiency to 18.7% and 17.3% on mono- and multi-Si cells, respectively. Gintech started to provide Douro, a
polycrystalline silicon solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 16.6% in 2009.
The new cell measures 156 x 156 mm, and the substrate is 180 to 200 m thick. Gintech is currently selling its cells in 42 categories with conversion efficiencies from 15 to 17%. In addition to the polycrystalline silicon cell, Gintech enhanced the conversion efficiency of its monocrystalline silicon solar cell to 17.1% or higher on average by improving the manufacturing process.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chip maker by revenue, makes big progress after a string of moves to enter the industry. UMC became the first foundry to step in planning to enter the mainland China as it applied to Shandong government to set up a handful of projects with regard to solar and LED. The total investment amount reached as high as US$300 million. On the other hand, AU Optronics Corp, Taiwan’s biggest Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel maker who focus on thin-film solar have planned for solar business as well.
Sunny progress downunder In Australia and New Zealand, market trends indicate burgeoning demand owing to strong governmental commitment to the promotion of solar energy and creation of sustainable cities, according to Frost & Sullivan.
Volatile oil prices combined with heightening concerns over global warming have paved way to the successful deployment of solar PV systems both in urban and remote areas in the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) region. Solar PV systems provide the ideal environment-friendly power generating solution for electrifying remote rural areas as it is neither technically nor economically feasible to extend grid coverage across the vast territories.
“Market trends indicate burgeoning demand owing to strong governmental commitment to the promotion of solar energy and creation of sustainable cities,” says Suchitra Sriram, Program Manager of Frost & Sullivan.
Increasing commitment from the local government, solar PV systems for rural electrification projects are likely to be driven by active participation of non-governmental organizations and availability of funds from international financial agencies, and involvement of local communities. ANZ solar PV systems market earned revenues of US$198.2 million in 2009 and is estimated to reach US$827.8 million in 2016.
www.solar-pv-management.com Issue V 2010
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