First Solar outpaces expectations
Wyoming and Nebraska. This agreement
semi going solar
represents the largest PV contract by an
Early in March, National Semicon-
electric cooperative in the U.S. the report
ductor Corp. www.national.com an-
said. To engineer, procure and construct
nounced that it acquired Act Solar
a 30-MW AC ground-mounted PV power
Inc., www.actsolar.com a privately
plant in northeast New Mexico will be
held solar energy company providing
part of First Solar’s responsibility. This
power optimization solutions for
first utility-scale power plant in the region
commercial and utility-scale solar
is projected to be completed at the end of
installations.
2010. First Solar will provide monitoring
What’s an analog and mixed-
and maintenance services for the plant.
Figure 5. El Dorado, Nevada, USA, 10 MW
signal company doing by expand-
installation for Sempure Energy.
ing its existing portfolio of power
Who’s on first?
optimization technologies? It had
In 2006, First Solar was not ranked among
just announced the consolidation of
million on $1 billion in sales.
the top ten solar-cell makers in the world
manufacturing operations and cut
Much of the credit for success goes to
by most analysts. This year, it will rank in
26% of its workforce (1,725 jobs)
CEO Michael Ahern, who takes the ‘drive
the top five contenders, according to many
to reduce expenses and shift R&D
down cost’ approach to management. The
analysts.
toward emerging areas of growth.
thin-film route First Solar uses cuts the
“German manufacturer Q-Cells www.
Tapping in to solar points the way to
kwh cost of cells (made of cadmium and
qcells.com is the largest producer of crystal-
growth areas, and that’s recognized
tellurium) lower than that of competitors.
line solar cells, China’s Suntech Power is
by companies, even in current mac-
Ahern also takes advantage of tax incen-
number two,” said Jef Poortmans, depart-
roeconomic recessionary times.
tives by building a factory in Malaysia, and
ment director solar and organic at IMEC, a
“National Semiconductor is ap-
seeks out markets with the best subsidies,
Belgium-based research center. “Sharp has
plying its PowerWise capabilities to
such as Germany, his biggest market. Cali-
claimed the number three spot and First
drive new energy generation and ef-
fornia, a state requiring 20% of its power
Solar—the biggest producer of cadmium
ficiency initiatives in the solar panel
to come from renewable sources by 2020,
tellurium cells—has been considered by
marketplace,” said Mike Polacek,
points to a welcoming area to get involved
many as occupying the fourth position.”
senior VP of National’s key market
in supplying the grid.
He added: “Solar ranking may change
segments, in a statement.
As U.S. tax subsidies and government
though.”
Other semiconductor equipment
mandates for renewable energy become
supplying companies have pushed
summing it up
more attractive for increased growth in so-
closer to alternative energy. For
lar, companies producing it will take heed.
In February of 2009, First Solar an-
instance, the largest semiconductor
Recently, legislation extended tax credits
nounced its financial results for fiscal Q4
equipment vendor, Applied Materi-
for solar projects for eight years, and that
ending December 27, 2008, and it looked
als Inc., www.appliedmaterials.com
helps. However, solar power accounts for
good, really good. Net income for Q4 of
has rolled out a new production
only 1% of the country’s electricity genera-
fiscal 2008 was $132.8 million, compared
system for solar fabs—one that claims
tion at present. There is lots of room for
to quarter-over-quarter results of $62.9
to reduce wafer slicing costs. The
growth.
million. Net income for fiscal 2008 was
Applied HCT MaxsEdge wire saw
$348.3 million compared to $158.5 mil-
slices solar bricks into wafers as thin
lion year-over-year results. Over the past
as 120 µm. The dual-wire cutting
four quarters, the company earned $277
system lowers wafer slicing costs by
5 to 10%, the company says, driving
down the cost of PV manufacturing.
As early as 2006, Applied bought
Applied Films Corp., supplier of
thin-film deposition equipment for
making flat-panel displays, solar cells
and energy-efficient glass. In 2007,
it bought HCT Shaping Systems SA,
a supplier of wire saw systems used
in sawing wafers based on crystalline
silicon substrates. In 2007, it bought
Baccini SpA, a specialist supplier
of automated metallization and test
systems for making crystalline silicon
PV cells. VLSI Research Inc. www.
vlsiresearch.com recently named Ap-
plied Materials as the largest supplier
of PV cell manufacturing equipment
in 2008.
Figure 6. Fontana, California, USA. 2 MW installation for Southern California Edison.
20 – Global Solar Technology – March/April 2009 www.globalsolartechnology.com
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