Thin Film Solar – All about Panel Manufacturers (Amorphous Silicon,CIGs),Stocks,Material Technology,Efficiency and Costs

6 Jul, 2011
First Solar,Miasole,Renewable Energy,Schott Solar,Sharp,Solar Energy,Solar Frontier,Solar Panels,Trony Solar

Thin Film SolarSolar Thin Film Technology has been growing rapidly despite falling costs of the mainstream Photovoltaic Crystalline Silicon Technology.While the current solar supply glut has resulted in some of the thin film solar film companies going out of business,big thin  film suppliers continue with their growth plan.Solar Thin Film Technology is supposed to be  the 2nd Generation successor to the mainstream Crystalline Silicon (c-Si) Technology which accounts for around 85% of world production.While a number of Weaker Hands in Thin Film have downed shutters,Thin Film Producers continue to grow and expand.The massive growth potential of Solar Energy makes it possible for both of these PV technologies to flourish.Thin Film Technology unlike c-Si has a number of variants.Amorphous Silicon (a-Si),Copper Indium Gallium Sulphide (CIGs) and Cadmium Tellurium (Cd-Te) are the 3 main types of Thin Film Technology.There are a number of manufacturers of all of these 3 types of Technology.CIGs Technology is said to have the most potential in improving efficiency and competing with c-Si,however Cd-Te is currently the top dog as the world’s biggest solar producer First Solar currently uses this technology.a-Si Technology is not that hot with low efficiencies however Oerlikon and Sharp are pushing ahead with developing this technology.

Efficiency of Solar Thin Film Technology

Amorphous Silicon Technology (a-Si)

This Thin Film Technology has the lowest average efficiency of all the solar cell technologies except immature ones like Organic Dye Cells.With most of the a-Si thin film competitors bankrupt or in a moribund state,Sharp is the only big player remaining claiming a 10% efficiency.Oerlikon has said that its new generation equipment will cuts cost to 70c/watt and improve efficiency to 10% from the current 9%.

Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide (CIGs)

This Thin Film Technology has the highest Solar Cell Efficiency and a number of established companies like TSMC,Q-Cells,Honda and startups like Miasole,Nanosolar,Solyndra are using this technology.However its production is not easy as four different materials are used.Miasole has been claiming to have achieved an efficiency of 13.8%.General range is between 11-14%.

Copper Indium Selenium (CIS)

Solar Frontier claims 11.5% efficiency for its CIS modules which are expected to go upto 14% by 2014.Note it is very closely related to the CIGs Technology differing only in the fact that it does not use Gallium.

Cadmium Tellurium (CdTe)

This technology has around 12% efficiency  though GE has said that it has managed to attain 15% efficiency on commercial glass.Don’t know how much of it is true since First Solar only manages around 12% efficiency despite around 10 years of dedicated R&D.First Solar has claimed a best cell efficiency of more than 17% and is targeting to reach 15% solar panel efficiency in a couple of years  as well.

Copper Zinc Tin Sulfure Selenium (CZTS)

 It is a very new technology unlike the other thin film technologies and has a long way to go.However the USP is that it uses widely found metals unlike the exotic materials like Tellerium and Indium used in other Thin Film Technologies.IBM and Solar Frontier are developing this  technology.It has efficiencies around th 9-10% range

Cost of Thin Film Solar Panels

Thin Film Solar Panels Cost has touched almost $1/watt as it normally is priced 15-20% cheaper than crystalline solar panels,though some companies like First Solar and Sharp manage to sell at higher price because of their brand name and system business.For utility large scale buyers of solar panel buyers,the cost is much lower.Solar Panels Costs have trended down quite in the last 3-4 years except in 2010 when they went up as solar panel demand increased by more than 150% .Solar Panel Costs are the biggest component of a Solar System Cost.The reason for the lower price of Thin Film Solar Panels is that they produce lower amounts of power for the same area of solar panels.This increases the balance of system costs like wiring,construction etc.However Thin Film Solar Panels can give better performance in some conditions like high temperature compared to silicon solar panels.

Manufacturers of Solar Thin Films

1) First Solar – First Solar is the only Solar Thin Film Manufacturer in the world and a benchmark for other thin film companies thinking of making it big.The company was promoted by Wal-Mart promoters and has seen remarkable growth in the last few.This US based company uses Cadmium Tellurium (Cd-Te) Technology and  is the lowest cost panel producer in the world today if you don’t include any penalty for low efficiency.Even if you penalize the Cd-Te Technology for its lower efficiency vis-a-vis the higher efficiency crystalline technology,First Solar is clearly the leader with a core cost of 74c/watt.The company has a roadmap of  reducing the cost to 52c/watt by 2014 and given its track record it seems quite achievable.There is little doubt about First Solar’s ability to survive and flourish due to its massive first mover advantage.

2) Sharp – Sharp,the Japanese Zaibatsu known more for its Electronics Products is also the world’s No 1 Company in terms Solar Module Revenues.Despite its leadership in c-Si Technology,it has shifted focus to a-Si thin film due to higher costs.Sharp has started shipping a-Si modules from its 1 GW capacity plant in Sakai.With its established distribution strengths and technological abilities in LCD Technology,Sharp is one company that can survive the c-Si onslaught.With most of the a-Si thin film competitors bankrupt or in a moribund state,Sharp can capitalize to completely capture this space.However the cost structure of Sharp is not clearly known right now to make a clear call on how this will turn out.Also a 10% efficiency while decent for a-Si technology fall far short of the 13% claims by CIGS start-ups like Miasole.

3) Solar Frontier - Solar Frontier is a subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu and is listed on the Japanese Stock Exchange.The Company has big plans for the Solar Energy Market planning to increase its capacity by more than 10 times in 2011 to around 1 Gw in total.All its 3 plants are located in Miyazaki in Japan and uses previous plasma plant of Hitachi.Solar Frontier claims 11.5% efficiency for its CIS modules which are expected to go upto 14% by 2014.The Company is spending around $1 Billion in Capex for building the 1 GW capacity implying roughly $1 capex/watt which is not exactly cheap though not very expensive either.

4) Miasole – Miasole made a major splash announcing a record breaking 13.8% efficiencythin film module which it will ship in 2011.The company has also raised another $100 million in equity finance despite fall in its pre-IPO valution to $550 million from $1.2 billion earlier.Seems an attractive target for a takeover.

5) Nanosolar – This secretive CIGs startup has big backers in the form of Google and others.The company is planning to build a massive plant in US but till now there has been little news about its commercial shipments,efficiency or costs.Remains to be seen if it manages to succeed or joins the long list of thin film deaths.

6)  Abound Solar - Abound Solar which is a CdTe startup has also received a massive loan guarantee like Solyndra earlier.This money is going to be used to set up manufacturing facilities in Indiana and Colorado.Abound Solar has been heavily supported the the US government’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is in the process of starting a 200 MW plant in Colorado.

 7) General Electric - GE has invested in a Cadmium Tellurium Startup Prime Solar which is ramping up production.Note Cd-Te is the same technology which is used by First Solar.GE has said that it has managed to attain 15% efficiency on commercial glass.Don’t know how much of it is true since First Solar only manages around 12% efficiency despite around 10 years of dedicated R&D.However if GE can even manage to get near to that level then it would surely give First Solar a run for its money.GE has also tied up with Japanese Solar Frontier to market its CIGs based modules

8) TSMC- Stion – TSMC recently bought a 21% equity stake in CIGs startup Stion for $50 million.The partnership will involve TSMC licensing Stion’s technology and doing  joint research on further enhancing the technology.Stion has claimed that it has achieved a >13% efficiency and plans to increase it to 15% in the near future.TSMC has been quietly making further investments to build a large capacity in Taiwan using this technology.It recently bought module making equipment from another Taiwanese company and has also invested a substantial amount in constructing buildings and facilities for the new CIGs fab.TSMC has earlier invested in c-Si through a equity stake in Motech.

9) Masdar -Masdar PV the Abu Dhabi backed Renewable Energy company is facing problems with it its thin film business,recently firing top executives at  its German thin film division.It uses SunFab Technology which has been shuttered by Applied Materials.The company ships some thin film modules here and there but is no longer an important player.

10) Saint Gobain- Hyundai – Global Glass Giant Saint Gobain is expanding its presence in the Solar Energy Manufacturing by partnering with Hyundai Heavy Industries to build a CIGs plant in South Korea with a $198 mm investment.The 50:50 JV which will be known as Hyundai Avancis will be situated in South Korea which is one of the hottest GreenGeographies in the world currently.

11) Ascent Solar – This US Based Company has a long history of making Thin Film Panels on Flexible Substances.The company is trying to survive against the onslaught of competition through strategic tie-ups with a number of companies around the world which will uses its Niche Technology.

12) Energy Conversion Devices – After First Solar,Energy Conversion Devices seemed the mostly likely viable c2mpany in Thin Film Technology.After a few quarters of profits in 2008,the company went into the red as its flexible a-Si modules failed to cut costs as fast as others.It has been shutting factories in the US and shifting to low cost locations.Still one of the biggest independent Thin Film Producers.Seems more likely that it will be bought out then survive independently.

13) Trony Solar - Trony Solar is the largest Solar Thin Film Producer in China and uses a-Si Technology to producer Solar Panels used mostly in Off-Grid Applications.The company uses its own custom made equipment and manages to get decent margins for its products.The company recently listed on the HK Stock Exchange.

14) Astronergy – Astronergy is a producer of high-efficiency thin film PV modules in mainland China, and also makes monocrystalline and polycrystalline PV modules.It is a part of the Chint Group which is one of the largest electronics suppliers in China.The company used equipment from the Oerlikon Group and produces thin film amorphous solar panels in the range of 110-140 Watts.

There are also small number of Thin Film companies like Solexant,Heliovolt and others which are still in the stealth stage.DuPont Apollo began production in the fourth quarter of 2009 with two lines that could produce 50 megawatts of panels per year in Shenzen.Other famous producers are Mitsubishi,NexPower,Kaneka,Moser Baer,Topray,Schott Solar.However for small companies to survive is becoming increasingly tough in a cutthroat market where established solar companies like Q-Cells are facing the specter of bankruptcy

Thin Film Solar Stocks

Note Thin Film Solar Companies are mostly privately held like Miasole,Nanosolar,Stion and others.However there are a few solar thin film stocks which trade on stock exchanges.Note most of the stocks have small market capitalization except for First Solar which is the biggest thin film stock by value.Some of the solar stocks have faced a torrid 2011 with massive oversupply of solar panels and competition from low cost Chinese Solar Panels.Here is a list of Solar Thin Film Stocks

1) First Solar (FSLR)

2) Ascent Solar (ASTI)

3) Energy Conversion Devices (ENER)

4) Trony Solar (it is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange)

5) Sharp (listed in Japan and US Pink Sheets)

Besides these companies here is list of the solar thin film ventures and companies that have shut down or are in the process of shutting down

The First Wave of Thin Film Bankruptcies

  1. Applied Materials is perhaps the biggest loser with the managment all but giving up on its Thin Film Equipment Division (SunFab).This turnkey technology has failed to keep up with the decline in costs and improvment in Technology.With most of its customers already writing off their investments,AMAT too has reduced support to SunFab
  2. Oerlikon Solar like AMAT had bet its future on supplying a-Si Thin Film Equipment to customers and was giving Applied Materials tough competition.However the falling poly prices  have resulted in sharp order cuts for Oerlikon and the survival of its thin film division too is in doubt
  3. Q-Cells has written off its investments in 2 of its thin film divisions -Calyxo (CdTe) and Sunfilm (aSi).Only Solibro (CIGS) division has survived the major restructuring of Q-Cells which saw a multi billion dollar loss in 2009 and resignation of its CEO.
  4. Suntech a-Si Division which was set up in Shanghai with a SunFab equipment from Applied Materials  has been written off according to the management and will be retooled to manufacture high efficiency c-Si cells.
  5. Moser Baer was one of the first customers of Applied Materials SunFab Line.However the company had problems in ramping up its line.Recent results do not inspire any confidence in the success of its thin film venture
  6. Signet Solar was one of the best known a-Si startups with a strong management team.However like other SunFab customers it is too facing a bleak future with recent news of cancellation of its expansion plans
  7. Sanyo had set up a JV with Nippon Oil with grandiose plans to manufacture a-Si panels with a planned 1 GW capacity by2015.This JV Sanyo Eneos too is deferring its expansion plans with the cost/efficiency metrics not being competetive against c-Si modules
  8. Masdar PV the Abu Dhabi backed Renewable Energy company is facing problems with it its thin film business,recently firing top executives at  its German thin film divisio

Second Wave of Solar Bankruptcies

1) Solyndra – The biggest and most famous solar bankruptcy of all times with the Obama administration coming under a massive attack.The company raised a billion dollars in equity and debt for its custom made cylinderical thin film CIGs solar panels.However the relentless competition from the low cost Chinese and its high cost structure has made it almost impossible for the company to survive any longer.

2) Suntech closed its CSG division which it had bought in the 2008 boom but was facing an uncertain future.

Heliovolt and Ascent Solar have sold controlling equity stakes to Asian conglomerates like the SK Group being unable to go ahead alone given the substantial costs of manufacturing expansion and marketing etc.

 

Most Efficient Solar Panels (HIT,E-20,ZTJ) On the Market for Sale

6 Jul, 2011
Solar Energy,Solar Panels,Sunpower,Yingli
Sanyo HIT BiFacial Solar Panel

Sanyo HIT BiFacial Solar Panel

Solar Panels are sold by hundreds of companies around the world  ranging from small to very large and comes in various shapes and sizes as well.Besides this solar panels are also made of very different materials for example silicon solar panels and thin film solar panels.So comparing solar panels and choosing a solar panel is a very difficult process if you want the best solar panel according to your need.The most efficiency solar panels are needed in cases where the land area or rooftop area is at a premium.Note a typical 200-250 watt solar panel requires an area of 60×38 inches which means an area of around 2000 square inches.1 megawatt of solar panels would require an area of between 5-10 acres of land depending on the efficiency of the solar panels.However this can be reduced by using solar trackers which can increase the output of solar panels though they to increase the area requirement slightly.Also the area also depends on the location of the place since a place receiving high sunlight for example California would  require lesser area for generating the same amount of electricity compared to London (upto 30% fewer solar panels).Note solar panels with higher efficiency have a higher price tag associated with them since they require higher cost to manufacture.The most efficiency solar panels which are used in spacecraft and have a efficiency of around 35-40% may cost upto 100 times more than the normal silicon solar panel.

Most Efficient Solar Panels in the Market

Sunpower

Sunpower is a vertically integrated solar energy company known more for its highest efficiency solar panels..Sunpower is present in all 3 segments of the solar systems business namely a)residential b)commercial and c) utility. It is one of the largest US installers and has recently won a number of large utility contracts for building solar farms.The company was recently bought by the French Oil Giant Total.Sunpower sells the highest efficiency solar panels made from its record breaking monocrystalline solar cells which have more than 24% efficiency.Sunpower E-18 to E-20 Solar Panels – SunPower E18 to E20 Series solar panels deliver high efficiency solar technology utilizing SunPower Maxeon patented technology with back-contact solar cells.

  1. Sunpower  E18/308 Solar Panels –  Utilizing 96 back-contact solar cells, the SunPower  308 delivers a total panel conversion efficiency of 18.9%. This Solar Panel weights 18.6 kg and delivers 308 watts being one of the few solar panels in the market capable of exceeding 300 Watts of power.
  2. Sunpower E19/240  Solar Panels  – This Solar Panel lies in between the E18 and E20 Solar Panels and like its name has 19% Efficiency which is also the midpoint of the two solar panels.Utilizing 72 all back-contact solar cells, the SunPower  240 delivers a total panel conversion efficiency of 19.3%
  3. Sunpower E20/435  Solar Panels – This is the most efficient solar panel available in the market today with the highest power rating of 435 Watts.the E20  series provides panel conversion efficiencies of up to 20.1%. This Solar Panel weighs jus t28.6 kgs and has 128 Sunpower Maxeon Solar Cells.It has a 25 year power warrant and a 10 year produc t warranty.It has all the normal IEC Certifications.

Sanyo

Sanyo Electric which was recently bought by the Japanese Electronics giant Panasonic also makes very high efficiency solar panels under the HIT brand.These solar panels using the Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin Layer Technology which means that its uses

a thin layer of amorphous silicon along with a layer of crystalline silicon which increases the amount of sunlight that is cap

ture.Sanyo sells 3 types of HIT Solar Panels

  1. HIT Power N and A Solar Photovoltaic Modules – These have higher power ratings than normal HIT modules and range between 205-225 Watts.
  2. HIT Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules – The back face of a HIT Double panel generates electricity from ambient light reflected off surrounding surfaces, and combines with power from the front face of the panel. Depending upon system design and site albedo, this results in up to 30% higher power generation (more kWh) per square foot.HIT bifacial solar cells are hybrids of single crystalline silicon surrounded by ultra-thin amorphous silicon layers.As temperatures rise, HIT Double solar panels produce more electricity than conventional solar panels at the same temperature, due to their low temperature coefficient.
  3. Normal HIT Power Panels – HIT Power panels have a double-wall black anodized aluminum frame for extra strength, and are tested to 60PSF. The panels come pre-equipped with a touchsafe junction box, USE-2 outdoor rated cables, MC4™ locking connectors, and are UL 1703 safety rated for wind, hail, and fire.

Note the production processes for making the above solar panels is complex which means additional costs.You can buy slightly lower 16-17% efficient solar panels from Chinese solar panel manufacturers like Yingli Energy which makes the Panda solar panels.Yingli PANDA has been made using  in-house collaboration between the Energy Research Center of the Netherlands (ECN) and Amtech Systems.Average cell efficiency on commercial production lines exceeds 18.5% with up to 16.2% efficiency.Besides this Kyocera,Sharp  also make high efficiency and high quality solar panels.

Multijunction Solar Panels

Theoretically, efficiencies of over 70% could be reached by using hundreds of different layers, each one tuned to a small range of light wavelengths varying from ultraviolet to infrared. However due to difficulties in manufacturing such complicated crystals, the idea could not be put into practice. The theoretical efficiency of multi-junction solar cells is about 86.8% for an infinite number of junctions, implying that more junctions increase efficiency.

Emcore Corporation (NASDAQ: EMKR) is a commercial provider of Solar Cells for Spacecraft.With a sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 30%, the ZTJ solar cell is the highest performance space qualified multi-junction solar cell. Production of the multi-junction solar panels will take place at EMCORE’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Read more about Multi-junction Solar Cells and Panels.

Solar Panels Manufacturers USA – Complete List of Top Domestic Solar Panel Suppliers (Sunpower,First Solar,Suniva,Uni Solar,Solarworld,Sanyo)

6 Jul, 2011
First Solar,GE,MEMC,Miasole,Sharp,Solar Energy,Solar Panels,Solarworld,Sunpower,Suntech,USA

Solar Panel Manufacturers in USA are facing a torrid time from the falling prices of Chinese solar panels.This has caused the bankruptcies of some big solar panel companies in recent times like Solyndra,Spectrawatt and Evergreen Solar.Only those solar panel companies with the lowest cost and good quality will manage to survive the price war in solar panels that is currently on.Most companies are running losses as the prices of solar panels have decreased by 40% in 6 months.This would cause any industry to see massive bankruptcies and this is the case with the solar panel industry as well.Note Solar Industry is a new one with rapid technology and cost changes which makes startups  with bad business models go bust.This is a natural effect of capitalism and nothing to be afraid of .However you have to be careful of which solar panel manufacturer to buy from as your 25 year solar panel warranty will become useless if the solar panel manufacturer from which you brought the solar panel goes out of business.On the Bright Side the sharply declining costs of solar has made it the biggest advantage of using solar power.

Solar Panels USANote there are a number of small solar panel manufacturers in the US as well as big established solar panel companies like First Solar.There are also some foreign solar panel suppliers which run and operate solar wafer and solar cell factories in the USA and sell “Made in USA” Solar Panels.Some of the US Stimulus Grants are only allowed for “Made in USA” products so you can also buy domestic solar panels made by an International Supplier if is making the solar module from a factory in the US.Note Solar Panels in Ontario Canada also run on the same principle.

Big Solar Panel Manufacturers in USA

  1. First Solar is the largest Solar Thin Film Manufacturer in the world and a benchmark for other thin film companies thinking of making it big.The company was promoted by Wal-Mart promoters and has seen remarkable growth in the last few.This US based company uses Cadmium Tellurium (Cd-Te) Technology and  is the lowest cost panel producer in the world today if you don’t include any penalty for low efficiency.Even if you penalize the Cd-Te Technology for its lower efficiency vis-a-vis the higher efficiency crystalline technology,First Solar is clearly the leader with a core cost of 74c/watt.The company has a roadmap of  reducing the cost to 52c/watt by 2014 and given its track record it seems quite achievable.There is little doubt about First Solar’s ability to survive and flourish due to its massive first mover advantage.
  2. Sunpower - Sunpower produces the highest efficiency crystalline solar panels in the world.This is a US company like First Solar and has a strong system installation business as well.A offspring of Cypress Semiconductor,it faced tough times due to its higher costs.However seems to be on a recovery path.Failed to expand as rapidly as the Asians in 2010.
  3. MEMC/SunEdison- The only big American solar wafer producer is building a factory in Malaysia to reduce costs.The company is one of the biggest manufacturers of semi wafers.Like GCL Poly,it is also expanding into the solar systems business without getting into cell and module production.The company has partnered with Flextronics to make solar panels in Ontario.

Small Solar Panel Manufacturers in USA

  1. Suniva was spun out of Georgia Institute of Technology’s University Center of Excellence in Photovoltaics (UCEP)  using  the work of Dr. Ajeet Rohatgi in 2007 who is the founder and director of the photovoltaic (PV) research program.Suniva produces 17+% – 20% efficient cells. Currently, Suniva is producing 20%+ in the lab, and the world’s highest commercially available cell efficiency in full-scale low-cost production
  2. Miasole – Miasole made a major splash announcing a record breaking 13.8% efficiencythin film module which it will ship in 2011.The company has also raised another $100 million in equity finance despite fall in its pre-IPO valution to $550 million from $1.2 billion earlier.Seems an attractive target for a takeover.
  3.  Nanosolar – This secretive CIGs startup has big backers in the form of Google and others.The company is planning to build a massive plant in US but till now there has been little news about its commercial shipments,efficiency or costs.Remains to be seen if it manages to succeed or joins the long list of thin film deaths.
  4. Abound Solar - Abound Solar which is a CdTe startup has also received a massive loan guarantee like Solyndra earlier.This money is going to be used to set up manufacturing facilities in Indiana and Colorado.Abound Solar has been heavily supported the the US government’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is in the process of starting a 200 MW plant in Colorado.
  5. Ascent Solar – This US Based Company has a long history of making Thin Film Panels on Flexible Substances.The company is trying to survive against the onslaught of competition through strategic tie-ups with a number of companies around the world which will uses its Niche Technology.
  6. Energy Conversion Devices – After First Solar,Energy Conversion Devices seemed the mostly likely viable c2mpany in Thin Film Technology.After a few quarters of profits in 2008,the company went into the red as its flexible a-Si modules failed to cut costs as fast as others.It has been shutting factories in the US and shifting to low cost locations.Still one of the biggest independent Thin Film Producers.Seems more likely that it will be bought out then survive independently.
  7.  General Electric - GE has invested in a Cadmium Tellurium Startup Prime Solar which is ramping up production.Note Cd-Te is the same technology which is used by First Solar.GE has said that it has managed to attain 15% efficiency on commercial glass.Don’t know how much of it is true since First Solar only manages around 12% efficiency despite around 10 years of dedicated R&D.However if GE can even manage to get near to that level then it would surely give First Solar a run for its money.GE has also tied up with Japanese Solar Frontier to market its CIGs based modules.
  8. MX Solar is a Italian company that runs a 65 MW Solar Panel Production plant in New Jersey.The group also owns 2 production facilities in Italy and plans to expand in the USA.It remains to be seen whether this small company can expand when global majors are falling by the wayside.
  9. Global Solar Energy opened in 1996, and in 2008 finished another phase of development as it expanded its CIGS production to a new 40 MW facility in Tucson, Arizona and a second 35 MW facility in Berlin, Germany
Other companies are AQT Solar,Solopower,Heliovolt.

International/Foreign Solar Panel Manufacturers in USA

  1. Sharp the Japanese Zaibatsu known more for its Electronics Products is also the world’s No 1 Company in terms Solar Module Revenues.Despite its leadership in c-Si Technology,it has shifted focus to a-Si thin film due to higher costs.Sharp has started shipping a-Si modules from its 1 GW capacity plant in Sakai.With its established distribution strengths and technological abilities in LCD Technology,Sharp is one company that can survive the c-Si onslaught.With most of the a-Si thin film competitors bankrupt or in a moribund state,Sharp can capitalize to completely capture this space.However the cost structure of Sharp is not clearly known right now to make a clear call on how this will turn out.Also a 10% efficiency while decent for a-Si technology fall far short of the 13% claims by CIGS start-ups like Miasole.
  2. Panasonic/Sanyo – Sanyo is the producer of high efficiency solar panels and like Sharp sells mostly in Japan and USA.With buyout by Panasonic is looking to sell integrated energy  efficiency/energy storage/solar energy home solution.
  3. Suntech was  the world’s biggest producer of solar panels in 2010 and was one the first companies to set up operations in China.Its example was followed by a host of other Chinese companies.Suntech has been slow to expand compared to the fast growing small companies in China and has lost marketshare to them.It has started to vertically integrate in order to meet the low cost challenge from Trina and Yingli.The company has opened a small 30 MW factory in the USA which it plans to expand .
  4. Solarworld – Biggest German producer of solar panels,the company is one of the few to still have operations in Europe and USA.The company has been battered by low cost competition .he company operates production facilities in Germany, Sweden and the USA. In California the largest production site in the USA for solar modules and in Oregon the largest production site in the USA for solar wafers and cells are being created.The company has now closed the solar module production citing the tough competition from Chinese solar panels.

Also read about Solar Inverter Manufacturers.

LED TV India Comparision Reviews and Prices- What is a LED TV,Differences LCD vs LED and Television Companies (Samsung,LG,Panasonic,Sony),Models

6 Jul, 2011
Light Emitting Diodes,Samsung,Technology,Technology Sector

 

What is a LED TV

 

LED TV is an LCD TV that uses LEDs to illuminate the display. these new sets use LED backlights rather than the fluorescent-type backlights used in most other LCD TVs. LED-backlit LCD TVs cost twice more than standard LCD or plasma TVs. Because of the slim line design of these LED tvs not only is less packaging used, but the vast reduction in overall weight means reduced transport and fuel costs. Most of the LED TVs are mercury free making them extremely eco friendly.You can also read what is a Light Emitting Diode.

Types of LED Televisions

 

  • Dynamic RGB LEDs – this technique enables dimming in specific local areas of screen which enhances perfect darkness wherever required, thus showing the true intensity of the dark colors
  • Edge LEDs – allow diffusion of light across the entire screen panel which enables uniformity in colors. LCD TVs using edge-lit LCDs can be ultra-thin, because the LED sources are on the side. They are also less expensive than TVs using backlit technology. 
  • Full Array LEDs – the LEDs are arranged behind the screen to enable the necessary effect in the image quality.

These techniques use less power than plasma TVs and LCD TVs lit with fluorescent tubes.

Differences between LED & LCD TVs

  • LED TV use about 20-30% less power than LCD TV sets 

    . Hence there is more energy saving in LED TV set.

  • No Mercury is used in LED TVs as in some other LCD backlight systems.
  • There is more balanced color saturation in LED TV sets.
  • LEDs are more expensive than LCDs.
  • LED TVs using Edge backlight method have more thinner panel than standard LCD televisions.
  • LED TVs have a better heat dissipation than LCDs. 
  • LED TVs have a brighter display with better contrast levels.

The most popular LED TV Indian Companies are

Samsung LED Television

1)SONY – A well known brand in providing excellent audio & picture quality & hence its products like mobile phones, music systems, TVs, video cameras & laptops have a superior make. Started in Japan in 1946, Sony is one of the world’s leading manufacturers for consumer electronics and broadcast & professional products. In India, Sony has its presence across all major towns and cities through a distribution network comprising of over 5000 dealers and distributors, 240 exclusive Sony outlets and 19 direct branch locations. Sony India also has a strong service presence across the country with 20 company owned and 190 authorized service centers and 16 exclusive demonstration centers. Sony has launched a range of LED TVs with varying features and in different screen sizes starting from 32 inch up to 65 inches. SONY LED TVs are more sleeker & more glossy and offers excellent picture clarity, contrast and brightness. Hence this brand is more popular with customers. Its full HD feature has improved the image quality. SONY TVs always better in terms of reliability and quality.

The LED TVs come in various series:

  • EX520 series:The Ultimate TV and Web Surfing Experience. Features: Full HD 1080 picture quality with Edge LED backlight, Skype, BRAVIA Internet Video & BRAVIA Internet Widgets. The screen sizes vary from 32 inch to 46 inches with a price range of Rs 47,900 to Rs 93,900.
  • EX420 series: Network Capability with High Picture Quality. Features: High Definition (720p) picture quality with Edge LED backlight, Skype,BRAVIA Internet Video & BRAVIA Internet Widgets.The screen sizes vary from 22 inch to 32 inches with a price tag of Rs 20,900 to Rs 42,900.
  • NX710 series: Features: 3D Capability (Full HD 3D),Dynamic Edge LED Backlight with Opti-Contrast Panel,Motionflow PRO 100Hz with Image Blur Reduction. The screen sizes available are 40 inch for Rs 93,900 & 46 inch for Rs 153,900.
  • NX720 series: Features: Edge LED, OptiContrast and CORNING’s Gorilla Glass Panel, Wi-Fi Integrated. The screen sizes available are 40 inch for Rs 93,900 & 46 inch for Rs 123,900.
  • EX720 series:Features: Full HD 1080 picture quality with Edge LED backlight, Skype, BRAVIA Internet Video & BRAVIA Internet Widgets. The screen sizes vary from 32 inch to 55 inches (Full HD 3D with a built-in 3D Transmitter) with a price range of Rs 57,900 to Rs 179,900.
  • HX925 series:Features: Intelligent Peak LED, Motionflow XR 800, X-Reality PRO picture engine. The screen sizes available are 46 inch for Rs 153,900 & 55 inch for Rs 259,900.

2).SAMSUNG – Samsung is engaged in providing a diverse service range to its customers right from semiconductors, skyscrapers, petrochemicals, to fashion, medicine, finance, hotels and more. It is in market for more than 70 years.Samsung Electronics leads the global market in high tech electronics manufacturing & digital media. The product range is wide & varied from mobile phones, LCD TVs, cameras, home appliances like washing machines, refrigerators, ACs to laptop, notebooks & computer peripherals. Samsung’s 2010 LED TV series have unmatchable design and picture quality & also consume less power. The LED TV sets ranges from 32 inch to 60 inches to suit all room sizes and budgets. The frames also feature a Touch of Color that come in various distinctive edges, including Brushed Titanium, Mystic Earth, Stone Black, Graphite , Red and Grey that give the panel a smooth lined appearance. By using edge-lighting in their LED TVs they have managed to reduce the electrical consumption by 40 percent when compared to a standard LCD TV in standard viewing mode. They follow an Eco Friendly approach to television design.

Some of the characteristic features of SAMSUNG LED sets are:

• Higher Contrast Ratios up to 8,000,000:1 on the C8000 Series offer a superior range of brightness, making the white and black pixels purer.

• Wide Color Enhancer Pro feature examines each pixel and makes the necessary adjustments to produce the most defined colors seen on a modern television display.

• A marked reduction of motion blur especially when watching sport or fast action scenes has been achieved by increasing the refresh rate of the screens on the Samsung LED TV.

The various series that the TVs come are:

  • Series 4 – the screen size is 32 inch for 799$. Features include CMR 50, Hi-Definition, ConnectShare Movie (allows to connect a digital camera or thumb/pen drive and view content including movie files or photos on the television), HyperReal Engine, SRS TheatreSound HD, Dolby Digital Plus, Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC), Mega Dynamic Contrast, Ultra Slim White Design, 4 HDMI, Wide Colour Enhancer Plus &Digital Noise Filter
  • Series 5 – The screen size varies from 22 inch to 40 inches with a price range of 499$ to 1399$. It’s various features include CMR 100,Full Hi Definition,ConnectShare Movie,Smart HUB ,Wi-Fi Dongle Option,USB,Multiple HDMI,Ultra Clear Panel,Ultra Slim Design,Wide Colour Enhancer Plus,SRS technology,TheatreSound HD,Dolby Digital Plus,Eco Sensor.
  • Series 6 – The screen size vary from 32 inch to 55 inches with a price tag from 1099$ to 3499$. They have also launched 60 inch TV. The features are CMR 400,Oneness Design,Full Hi-Definition,ConnectShare Movie,Smart HUB – (Skype, Web Browser, Samsung Apps, Search All, Your Video, Social TV),Personal Video Recorder,3D,2D-3D Converter,3D HyperReal Engine,3D Sound,BD Wise,3 USB,4 HDMI,SRS TheatreSound HD,Dolby Digital Plus,Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC),built in Wi-Fi ,Ultra Clear Panel,Wide Colour Enhancer Plus & Digital Noise Filter.
  • Series 7- The screen size available are 46 inches for 3199$ & 55″ for 4099$. They also have 60 inches. The features include Oneness Design,CMR 600,Full Hi-Definition,ConnectShare Movie,AllShare,Smart HUB,Personal Video Recorder,3D,2D-3D Converter,3D HyperReal Engine,3D Sound,BD Wise,3 USB,4 HDMI,SRS TheatreSound HD,Dolby Digital Plus,Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC),Wi-Fi,Ultra Clear Panel,Wide Colour Enhancer Plus & Digital Noise Filter.
  • Series 8- There is a 55 inch TV for 4699$ & 60 inch is also launched. The various features include 5mm bezel,Oneness Design,CMR 800,Micro Dimming,Full Hi-Definition,ConnectShare Movie,AllShare,Smart HUB,Personal Video Recorder,3D,2D-3D Converter,3D Hyper-Real Engine,3D Sound,BD Wise,4 HMDI,3 USB Connectivity,SRS USB Connectivity,Dolby Digital Plus,Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC),Wi-Fi,Wide Colour Enhancer Plus,Ultra Clear Panel,Wide Colour Enhancer Plus,Digital Noise Filter & Flip QWERTY Remote.

3).LG – the company is today known for bringing advanced digital products and applied technologies to its customers. LG Electronics is on its way to becoming a worldwide leader in digital world, ensuring customer satisfaction through innovative products and superior service. The company controls 114 local subsidiaries worldwide, with roughly 82,000 executives and employees. LED, LCD TVs, washing machines, microwave ovens, AC, mobile phones, music systems are the products offered by the company.

The different TV series are:

  • LW6500 – with screen sizes from 42 inch to 55 inches & a price range of Rs 104,990 to Rs.194,990. Its features include Edge LED backlighting, smart energy saving, Cinema 3D,IPS-Advanced LED LCD Panel,DivX through USB 2.0,XD Engine, HDMI,Smart TV, DLNA certified,full HD1080p, wireless ready, infinite 3D surround sound, Dolby digital decoder. The 55″ has IPS- advanced LCD panel.
  • LE4600(INFINIA) – The screen size varies from 32 inch to 47 inches with a price tag of Rs51,990 to Rs 97,990. It is JAZZ in LED. The various features are: IPS-Advanced LED LCD Panel,DivX through USB 2.0,XD Engine, HDMI, color gamut control,infinite 3D surround sound, Dolby digital decoder, PC connectivity.
  • LE4610 – The 32 inch TV is available for Rs 48,490.The LG JAZZ series has now started its LED series by the name of INFINIA. It has 460W PMPO sound, which makes the audio effect very good & brings in a theatre like effect.
  • LV2130 – The available screen sizes vary from 22 inch to 32 inches with price ranging from Rs 16,990 to Rs 38,990. The various features include Edge LED backlighting, smart energy saving,DivX through USB 2.0,XD Engine, Dynamic Contrast Ratio100,000:1, PC connectivity, HDMI.
  • LV3000 – The screen size varies from 26 inch to 32 inches with a price range of Rs 28,990 to Rs 40,990. The various features are Edge LED backlighting, smart energy saving,IPS-Advanced LED LCD Panel,DivX through USB 2.0,XD Engine.
  • LV3500 – The available screen sizes are from 32 inch to 42 inches costing in between Rs 43,990 to Rs 62,990. The features it offers are full HD1080p,Edge LED backlighting, smart energy saving,IPS-Advanced LED LCD Panel,DivX through USB 2.0,XD Engine, HDMI, infinite surround sound system.
  • LV3730 – the screen sizes come in the range of 32 inch to 47 inches, costing in between Rs 47,490 to Rs 90,990. It offers various features like Edge LED backlighting, smart energy saving,IPS-Advanced LED LCD Panel,DivX through USB 2.0,XD Engine, HDMI,Smart TV, DLNA certified,full HD1080p, wireless ready, infinite 3D surround sound, Dolby digital decoder.
  • LW4500 – The screen sizes come in all sizes from 42 inch to 47 inches, costing from Rs 79,990 to Rs 114,990. It offers features like Edge LED backlighting, smart energy saving,IPS-Advanced LED LCD Panel,DivX through USB 2.0,XD Engine, HDMI, 2D-3D conversion,full HD1080p, infinite 3D surround sound, Dolby digital decoder.
  • LE5300(INFINIA) – The screen sizes available varies from 22 inch to 32 inches with a price range of Rs19,790 to Rs 46,490. It offers various features like DivX through USB 2.0,XD Engine, HDMI, color gamut control,infinite 3D surround sound, Dolby digital decoder, PC connectivity.
  • LE5500- LED plus INFINIA – the screen size vary from 32 inch to 47 inches with price ranging from Rs 53,490 to Rs 106,990. It includes features like LED backlight, IPS Advanced LCD panel,broadband, DLNA, wireless ready,DivX through USB 2.0,XD Engine, Color gamut control,PC connectivity, HDMI.
  • LW5700 – The screen size vary from 42 inch to 55 inches costing in between Rs 94,990 to Rs 164,990. It has features like Edge LED backlighting, smart energy saving, Cinema 3D,IPS-Advanced LED LCD Panel,DivX through USB 2.0,XD Engine, HDMI,Smart TV, DLNA certified,full HD1080p, wireless ready, infinite 3D surround sound, Dolby digital decoder.
  • LV 5500 – The screen size range from 42 inch to 47 inches with a price range of Rs69,990 to Rs 96,490. It offers features like Edge LED backlighting, smart energy saving, Cinema 3D,IPS-Advanced LED LCD Panel,DivX through USB 2.0,XD Engine, HDMI,Smart TV, DLNA certified,full HD1080p, wireless ready, PC connectivity,infinite 3D surround sound, Dolby digital decoder & Magic motion remote control.

4).PANASONIC -  – Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Its operations are across 9 countries, with a workforce of about 385,000 spread over 75 companies. Panasonic has built 297 manufacturing facilities across the world. The new Panasonic Pure Line range of TVs – a new range of televisions with a sleek and sophisticated design, is the perfect choice for living rooms. It has exceptional picture quality & features like Intelligent Frame Creation Pro, Super-High Dynamic Contrast and 178° wide angle viewing. Not only does Pure Line range have a sleek design and exceptional picture quality, it offers built-in dual HD tuners, are DLNA certified and offer other versatile connectivity.

  • Its Full HD LED TV has a silver finish & has features like Viera Cast Enabled (giving access to selected online content such as Acetrax, Skype, YouTube, Twitter, Eurosport, Google’s Picasa Web Albums), freeview HD Built-in & Freesat HD Built-in. It comes in screen sizes from 32 inch to 37 inches.
  • The HD LED TV comes in a Purple / White finish & offers features like Viera Link Enabled, iPOD Docking Station & 2 HDMI Ports. It comes in screen sizes from 19 inch to 22 inches.

There are also other LED TV Manufacturers and Sellers in India like Toshiba,Sharp and Philips but they don’t have the distribtution and focus as the above brands.Local Indian LED TV Sellers like Onida,Videocon,Koryo as well as Asahi cater to the lower end segment of the market and make low quality LED TVs

Sunpower Solar Panel Review of Trackers,Solar Tiles,Warranty,Specifications and Prices

6 Jul, 2011
Solar Energy,Solar Panels,Sunpower

Solar Panels are now available from hundreds of different manufacturers using different technologies like crystalline Silicion,CIGs and Cd-Te.The Solar Panels Efficiency also varies a lot depending on the solar panel manufacturer and the technology used.The cost of the solar panel can also vary a lot depending on the retailer,size of the solar panel,technology and the brand.This makes buying solar panels a confusing problem though most residential and commercial buyers are not involved leaving the decision to the solar installer/EPC company.Sunpower is a US company which makes the most efficient solar panels using its monocrystalline solar cell technology which gives efficiency of more than 24%.The company sells black solar panels with efficiency of 18-20% .The company is a solar system integrator and developer as well building some of the largest solar farms in the US.The company was recently bought by the French Oil Giant Total.Sunpower operates in all the main segments of the market and has reputation for selling some of the highest quality solar panels in the country.

Sunpower Solar Panels

Sunpower Solar Panels

Sunpower sells the highest efficiency solar panels made from its record breaking monocrystalline solar cells which have more than 24% efficiency.Sunpower E-18 to E-20 Solar Panels – SunPower E18 to E20 Series solar panels deliver high efficiency solar technology utilizing SunPower Maxeon patented technology with back-contact solar cells.

Sunpower Residential Solar Panels

  1. Sunpower E18 Series Solar Panels come in 2 variants a) Sunpower E18/230 Residential Solar Panel which gives 230 Watts and b) Sunpower E18/225 Signature Black Residential Solar Panels.This panel has a black backsheet.These have an efficiency of 18%.
  2. Sunpower E19 Series Solar Panels come in 2 variants a) Sunpower E19/240 Residential Solar Panel which gives 240 Watts with 72 solar cells  and b) Sunpower E19/320  Residential Solar Panels.It has 96 Cells .These have an efficiency of more than 19%%.

Sunpower Commercial and Utility Solar Panels

  1. T5 Tile  – The SunPower T5 roof tile  combines the solar panel, frame, and mounting system into a single pre-engineered unit. Each Non-penetrating T5 roof tile positions  at a 5-degree tilt for greatest energy production, making the T5 the most powerful SunPower solution for area-constrained or weight-constrained flat rooftops.
  2. T10 Tile – Similar to the T5 roof tile,this one has a 10 degree tilt .Uses the same E20 Solar Panel
  3.  PowerGuard Solar Roof Tile – It is a simple, high-density system for commercial rooftop solar power installations. It has  non-penetrating modular design insulating and protecting your roof. Uses a E18 Series Solar Panel
  4. T10 Tracker – This is a  single-axis solar tracker design with SunPower E20 Series solar panels which requires 20% less land than conventional crystalline fixed tilt systems
  5. T20  Tracker – This is also a single axis tracker from Sunpower but uses the E19/425 Series Solar Panels.
  6. Sunpower E20/435  Solar Panels – This is the most efficient solar panel available in the market today with the highest power rating of 435 Watts.the E20  series provides panel conversion efficiencies of up to 20.1%. This Solar Panel weighs just 28.6 kgs and has 128 Sunpower Maxeon Solar Cells.It has a 25 year power warrant and a 10 year product t warranty.It has all the normal IEC Certifications.

Sunpower Warranty

Sunpower give a 25-year limited power warranty and a 10-year limited product warranty

Sunpower Solar Technology

Solar Cells Efficiency can vary from 18% to 24% for the normal monocrystalline silicon technology.Note solar cell manufacturers are constantly improving efficiency in order to lower their costs and get ahead in this competitive solar industry.Sunpower makes the highest efficiency crystalline solar cells on a commercial scale.Sanyo is the other company which makes the most efficient Monocrystalline cells .

Sunpower Solar Panel Prices

Sunpower Solar Panel Prices are priced at a premium to the normal crystalline solar panels because the efficiency of the solar cells made by Sunpower are higher.Also it uses monocrystalline solar technology which costs more to produce.Sunpower generates almost 20-30% higher power per unit area which makes it ideal for space constrained solar installations.For residential applications which needs good aesthetics as well,the black solar panels made by Sunpower are a good fit.It also sells solar tiles and solar trackers.Sunpower solar panels are selling for around $2/watt to dealer.On top of this the solar panel dealers apply a 30% markup which means that you can buy it for around $3/watt.So for a 308 Watt solar panel from Sunpower you have to shell out around $900-950.

Also Read about Reviews on

Sharp Solar Panels

Sanyo Solar Panels

First Solar Solar Panels

Bosch Solar Panels

BP Solar Panels

Sunpower Solar Panel Specifications

Sunpower E20/435 Solar Panel Specification

Electrical Specifications

Nominal Power (+/-5%) Pnom 435 W
Cell Efficiency ? 22.4%
Panel Efficiency ? 20.1 %
Rated Voltage Vmpp 72.9 V
Rated Current Impp 5.97 A
Open-Circuit Voltage Voc 85.6 V
Short-Circuit Voltage Isc 6.43 A
Maximum System Voltage IEC 1000 V
Temperature Coefficients Power (P) – 0.38%/K
Voltage (Voc) -235.5mV/K
Current (Isc) 3.5mA /K
NOCT 45°C +/– 2°C
Series Fuse Rating 20 A
Limiting Reverse Current (3 strings) IR 16.1 A
Grounding Positive grounding not required

Measured at Nominal Operating Cell Temperature (NOCT):

Irradiance 800W/m2, 20° C, wind 1 m/s
Nominal Power Pnom 323 W
Rated Voltage Vmpp 67.2 V
Rated Current Impp 4.81 A
Open-Circuit Voltage Voc 80.1 V
Short-Circuit Voltage Isc 5.20 A
Operating Conditions Specifications
Temperature – 40° C to +85° C
Max load 550 kg/m2 (5400 Pa), front (e.g. snow)
w/specified mounting configurations
245 kg/m2 (2400 Pa) front and back (e.g. wind)
Impact Resistance Hail: 25 mm at 23 m/s

Certifications

Certifications IEC 61215 Ed. 2, IEC 61730 (SCII)

Source:Sunpower

First Solar Solar Panels Price,Efficiency Competitors Review and How to Buy- First Solar Module Cost Per Watt for Households

6 Jul, 2011
First Solar,Solar Energy,Solar Panels

First Solar Solar PanelsFirst Solar is going to the biggest producer of solar panels in the world despite having a solar panel technology which differs from almost all of its competitors.First Solar Solar Panels use Cadmium-Tellurium Thin Film Solar Technology while the majority of the Solar Industry uses Crystalline Silicon Technology.Despite the difference First Solar is the most valued solar stock in the world and has been for a long time.Despite stiff competition from the silicon technology and most of the thin film companies going bankrupt,First Solar has managed to hold on cutting costs and improving yields continuously.In fact First Solar Solar Panels have the lowest cost of production in the world.First Solar Solar Panels efficiency has also increased in the last few years such that First Solar is now targeting commercial segments of the market.Note First Solar earlier used to sell solar panels mostly to developers and utilities to build ground mounted solar panel farms where the lower efficiency of the Cd-Te solar panels did not matter.The reason is that in large solar farms space and area constraints are not there unlike in rooftops where the space is a major issue.

First Solar Panels Efficiency

First Solar Panels are now rated at an efficiency of 12 percent which in layman terms implies that if 100 units of solar energy strikes a First Solar Solar Module then on an average 12 units of solar electricity will be produced.Note this depends on various factors like temperature etc.First Solar is claiming that the efficiency of the solar cells made in its lab has reached more than 17% and it would in future would be able to sell solar panels with an efficiency of 15%.

First Solar Solar Panel Prices

.The prices are generally not disclosed however the price of a solar panel made by First Solar has been historically priced at a discount to crystalline solar panels.However with the rapid decrease of these  solar panel prices,First Solar is now more or less on par with the lower priced solar panels in the market.In bulk orders of 1 mw or more you could buy solar panels from First Solar at $1.20-1.30/watt.However note solar panel prices are a moving target and can fluctuate quite rapidly based on supply and demand dynamics

How to Buy First Solar Panels

First Solar Panels are not generally sold to residential owners and are mostly sold through trusted distributors of First Solar.First Solar has established relationships with a select group of  project developers, system integrators, and operators . You can buy only in sizes of greater than 10 kilowatts (which is around 1200 modules ) you can contact First Solar or their distributors (which are mostly in Germany) .

First Solar Panel Cost per Watt

First Solar Panel costs per watt have shown a decreasing trend ever since the company started disclosing its cost of operations.The current cost per watt of a solar panel is around 73c/watt and First Solar is targeting to reach around 52c/watt by 2014-1205.The company claims that it can put up a fully loaded solar plant at $1.7/watt which would include the prices  of solar panels,inverters,cabling and labor cost

First Solar Solar Panels for The Commercial Segment

First Solar FS-3 Modules Facts

FS-3 Panels are rated at 75-85 watts which are the highest power modules that First Solar sells.This is however much lower than the stand 200-300 watt modules sold by c-Si companies.

Length 1200mm
Width 600mm
Weight 12kg
Thickness 6.8mm
Area 0.72 m2
Cell Type CdS/CdTe semiconductor,
154 active cells
Frame Material None

Nominal Values FS-375 FS-377 FS-380 FS-382 FS-385
Nominal Power(+/-5%) PMPP(W) 75.0 77.5 80.0 82.5 85.0

First Solar Thin Film Competitors

Note there are a number of  small thin film companies in the world but there are only a few thin film companies which have a manufacturing operations on a commercial scale.Many of even these thin film manufacturers are facing problems due to rapidly decreasing prices of Chinese solar panels.

Sharp – Sharp,the Japanese Zaibatsu known more for its Electronics Products is also the world’s No 1 Company in terms Solar Module Revenues.Despite its leadership in c-Si Technology,it has shifted focus to a-Si thin film due to higher costs.Sharp has started shipping a-Si modules from its 1 GW capacity plant in Sakai.With its established distribution strengths and technological abilities in LCD Technology,Sharp is one company that can survive the c-Si onslaught.With most of the a-Si thin film competitors bankrupt or in a moribund state,Sharp can capitalize to completely capture this space.However the cost structure of Sharp is not clearly known right now to make a clear call on how this will turn out.Also a 10% efficiency while decent for a-Si technology fall far short of the 13% claims by CIGS start-ups like Miasole.

Solar Frontier - Solar Frontier is a subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu and is listed on the Japanese Stock Exchange.The Company has big plans for the Solar Energy Market planning to increase its capacity by more than 10 times in 2011 to around 1 Gw in total.All its 3 plants are located in Miyazaki in Japan and uses previous plasma plant of Hitachi.Solar Frontier claims 11.5% efficiency for its CIS modules which are expected to go upto 14% by 2014.The Company is spending around $1 Billion in Capex for building the 1 GW capacity implying roughly $1 capex/watt which is not exactly cheap though not very expensive either.

Miasole – Miasole made a major splash announcing a record breaking 13.8% efficiencythin film module which it will ship in 2011.The company has also raised another $100 million in equity finance despite fall in its pre-IPO valution to $550 million from $1.2 billion earlier.Seems an attractive target for a takeover.

Nanosolar – This secretive CIGs startup has big backers in the form of Google and others.The company is planning to build a massive plant in US but till now there has been little news about its commercial shipments,efficiency or costs.Remains to be seen if it manages to succeed or joins the long list of thin film deaths.

Abound Solar - Abound Solar which is a CdTe startup has also received a massive loan guarantee like Solyndra earlier.This money is going to be used to set up manufacturing facilities in Indiana and Colorado.Abound Solar has been heavily supported the the US government’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is in the process of starting a 200 MW plant in Colorado.

General Electric - GE has invested in a Cadmium Tellurium Startup Prime Solar which is ramping up production.Note Cd-Te is the same technology which is used by First Solar.GE has said that it has managed to attain 15% efficiency on commercial glass.Don’t know how much of it is true since First Solar only manages around 12% efficiency despite around 10 years of dedicated R&D.However if GE can even manage to get near to that level then it would surely give First Solar a run for its money.GE has also tied up with Japanese Solar Frontier to market its CIGs based modules

TSMC- Stion – TSMC recently bought a 21% equity stake in CIGs startup Stion for $50 million.The partnership will involve TSMC licensing Stion’s technology and doing  joint research on further enhancing the technology.Stion has claimed that it has achieved a >13% efficiency and plans to increase it to 15% in the near future.TSMC has been quietly making further investments to build a large capacity in Taiwan using this technology.It recently bought module making equipment from another Taiwanese company and has also invested a substantial amount in constructing buildings and facilities for the new CIGs fab.TSMC has earlier invested in c-Si through a equity stake in Motech.

Uni Solar – After First Solar,Energy Conversion Devices seemed the mostly likely viable company in Thin Film Technology.After a few quarters of profits in 2008,the company went into the red as its flexible a-Si modules failed to cut costs as fast as others.It has been shutting factories in the US and shifting to low cost locations.Still one of the biggest independent Thin Film Producers.Seems more likely that it will be bought out then survive independently.

Trony Solar - Trony Solar is the largest Solar Thin Film Producer in China and uses a-Si Technology to producer Solar Panels used mostly in Off-Grid Applications.The company uses its own custom made equipment and manages to get decent margins for its products.The company recently listed on the HK Stock Exchange.

Astronergy – Astronergy is a producer of high-efficiency thin film PV modules in mainland China, and also makes monocrystalline and polycrystalline PV modules.It is a part of the Chint Group which is one of the largest electronics suppliers in China.The company used equipment from the Oerlikon Group and produces thin film amorphous solar panels in the range of 110-140 Watts.

Kaneka – This Japanese manufacturer is present in a number of product lines like chemicals, functional and expandable plastic products, foodstuffs, life science products and synthetic fibers as well as solar energy modules. Kaneka researches, develops and manufactures its own solar panels leveraging our advanced materials knowledge and our core competency as a chemical manufacturer for over 60 years.The company started research in 1980 on a-Si and has a HYBRID PV Module which it sells globally.The company has expanded production to 150 MW a year at Toyooka Factory from 20 MW a year.Kaneka‘s HYBRID solar panel has a tandem structure.Its dual-layer structure of microcrystalline and amorphous silicon can capture from short to long wavelengths of the light spectrum

If you are interested read about the different prices and efficiencies of various types of solar panels.

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