Abstract
Although Germany' s geographical position on the world map does not make it an
ideal location for solar energy due to it receiving only moderate levels of
solar radiation, it ranks second place in the photovoltaic (PV) market,
generating about one quarter of the total world market.
While PV generating capacity is set to increase, there is some uncertainty
regarding the pace of growth in Germany given the current economic crisis.
What is clear, however, is that the recent expansion of capacity at all stages
in the German PV value chain is resulting in an increase in the availability
of modules. Consequently, the industry is observing a significant reduction
in prices and a shift from a seller' s market to a buyer' s market.
The strength of this report therefore lies in the analysis of German PV value
chain, providing detailed company specific information on manufacturers of
silicon, wafers, cells, modules, Poly-Si, a-Si, CIS, CIGS, CdTe and CPV-based
photovoltaic technologies. It shows how recent economic changes and political
support for the solar PV market is resulting in a new era of competition
heading toward grid parity.
Introduction
With about US$1 trillion in annual global revenues, the electric power
industry is one of the world' s largest industries. Furthermore, electric power
accounts for a growing share of overall energy use. According to the US
Department of Energy, total electricity sales are predicted to increase by 29%
from 3,659 billion kilowatt hours in 2006 to 4,705 billion in 2030, at an
average rate of 1.1% per year.
While the majority of the world' s current electricity supply is generated from
fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, these traditional energy
sources face a number of challenges including rising prices, security concerns
over dependence on imports from a limited number of countries, which have
significant fossil fuel supplies and growing environmental concerns over the
climate change risks associated with power generation using fossil fuels. As a
result of these and other challenges facing traditional energy sources,
governments, businesses and consumers are increasingly supporting the
development of alternative energy sources, including solar energy. Despite the
rapid growth, solar energy constitutes only a small fraction of the world' s
energy output and therefore may have significant growth potential.
Solar power is one of the cleanest electric generation sources, capable of
generating electricity without air or water emissions, noise, vibration,
habitat impact or waste generation. In particular, solar power does not
generate greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change or other
pollutants, as power generation based on fossil fuel combustion does, and does
not generate radioactive or other wastes as nuclear power and coal combustion
do. It is anticipated that greenhouse gas regulation internationally will
increase the costs and constrain the development of fossil fuel based on
electric generation and increase the attractiveness of solar power as a
renewable electricity source.
From tiny solar cells powering a hand-held calculator, to an array of rooftop
panels powering an entire home, to acres of panels on a commercial building
roof or field, solar power products can be deployed in many sizes and
configurations and can be installed almost anywhere in the world. Solar power
is among the best technologies for power generation in urban areas,
environmentally sensitive areas and geographically remote areas in both
developing and developed countries.
Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United States presently account for the
majority of world market demand for solar power systems. Government policies
in these countries, in the form of both regulation and incentives, have
accelerated the adoption of solar technologies by businesses and consumers.
Typical government incentives include capital cost rebates, feed-in tariffsi,
tax credits and net metering.
As a result of solar power' s benefits and government support, the solar power
market has seen sustained and rapid growth. More specifically, photovoltaic
panel shipments have increased over 20% per year on average for the past 20
years and over 40% per year for the past five years. Photovoltaics -- the
conversion of light into electrical power - provides us with a technology
that delivers an endless source of environmentally-friendly energy. In future,
according to the opinion of most experts, photovoltaics will be the most
important of all energy sources.
Companies mentioned in this report include:
- Advanced Technology & Materials
- AGF Private Equity
- Aleo Solar AG
- Algatec Solar AG
- Archimedes Solar GmbH
- Arise Technologies Corp
- Ascent Solar
- ASi Industries
- Avancis
- avim solar production Co Ltd
- BASF SE
- Bayer MaterialScience AG
- Blue Chip Energy GmbH
- Bosch
- Calyxo
- Centrosolar Group
- Centrotherm Photovoltaics AG
- Centrsolar Glas GmbH & Co KG
- CIS-Solartechnik
- Climate Change Capital
- Cogentrix Energy LLC
- Colexon Energy AG
- Concentrix Solar GmbH
- Conergy AG
- CSG Solar AG
- Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures
- E.ON AG
- Enerpoint SpA
- Ersol Solar Energy AG
- Estelux srl
- EverQ
- Evonik Degussa GmbH
- First Solar
- Flexcell
- Global Expertise Wafer Division Ltd
- Global Solar Energy Inc
- Good Energies
- GP Solar GmbH
- GSS Gebaude- Solarsysteme GmbH
- Heckert Solar GmbH
- Hypervolt Energy SA
- IBC Solar AG
- Intel Corp
- Intico Solar
- Inventux Technologies AG
- JA Solar Holdings Co Ltd
- Johanna Solar Technology GmbH
- Juwi Holding AG
- Kyocera Corp
- LDK Solar Co Ltd
- Malibu GmbH
- Manz Automation AG
- Masdar PV GmbH
- Meinl International Power Ltd
- MHH France SAS
- MHH Solartechnik GmbH
- Mitsubishi Electric Corp
- ml&s GmbH & Co KG
- Mola Solaire International GmbH
- Motech Industries Inc
- Mubadala Development Company
- Nanosolar
- Norsun
- Odersun AG
- Parabel AG
- PCG Clean Energy & Technology Fund
- Poseidon Solar Services Ltd
- PV Crystallox Solar
- PVflex Solar GmbH
- Q Cells
- Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc
- Ralos Vertriebs GmbH
- Renewable Energy Corp
- Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc
- SAG Solarstrom AG
- Saint Gobain
Table of Contents
i List of tables 5
ii Preface 6
Chapter 1 Introduction 7
Chapter 2 German solar photovoltaic market: an international context 9
- 2.1 Overview 9
- 2.2 How the German feed-in law (EEG) operates 11
Chapter 3 German solar photovoltaic market: analysis of the size and pace of development 13
- 3.1 Overview 13
- 3.2 German PV industry turnover 13
- 3.3 German grid-connected solar power stock 14
- 3.4 German PV power generation 14
- 3.5 German cell production base 15
- 3.6 German PV exports 16
- 3.7 German investments in PV production 16
- 3.8 German investment in PV R&D 16
- 3.9 German PV industry employment 17
Chapter 4 German solar photovoltaic market: analysis of the value chain 18
- 4.1 The German photovoltaic value chain 18
- 4.1.1 Overview 18
- 4.1.2 Defining the elements 19
- 4.1.3 Photovoltaic supply chain 22
- 4.1.4 Thin film photovoltaic manufacturing process 22
- 4.2 Silicon 23
- 4.2.1 Overview 23
- 4.2.2 PV Crystallox Solar 23
- 4.2.3 Scheuten 23
- 4.2.4 Sunways AG 24
- 4.3 Wafers 24
- 4.3.1 Overview 24
- 4.3.2 ASi Industries 25
- 4.3.3 Mola Solaire International GmbH 25
- 4.3.4 Q Cells 25
- 4.4 Cells 26
- 4.4.1 Overview 26
- 4.4.2 Arise Technologies Corp 27
- 4.4.3 ersol Solar Energy 27
- 4.4.4 Solarwatt AG 29
- 4.4.5 Solland Solar Cells GmbH 29
- 4.5 Modules 30
- 4.5.1 Overview 30
- 4.5.2 Aleo Solar AG 30
- 4.5.3 Algatec Solar AG 32
- 4.5.4 Asola Advanced and Automotive Solar Systems GmbH 32
- 4.5.5 Centrosolar Group 32
- 4.5.6 GSS Gebaude- Solarsysteme GmbH 33
- 4.5.7 Heckert Solar GmbH 34
- 4.5.8 PVflex Solar GmbH 34
- 4.5.9 Solar-Fabrik AG 34
- 4.5.10 Solon AE 35
- 4.5.11 Webasto Solar GmbH 36
- 4.6 Fully integrated (wafers, cells and modules) 37
- 4.6.1 Overview 37
- 4.6.2 Conergy AG 37
- 4.6.3 EverQ 37
- 4.6.4 Schott Solar 38
- 4.6.5 SolarWorld AG 39
- 4.7 Poly-Si 40
- 4.7.1 Overview 40
- 4.7.2 CSG Solar AG 40
- 4.8 a-Si 40
- 4.8.1 Overview 40
- 4.8.2 Intico Solar Corp 41
- 4.8.3 Inventux Technologies AG 41
- 4.8.4 Malibu GmbH 41
- 4.8.5 Masdar PV GmbH 42
- 4.8.6 Signet Solar Inc 42
- 4.8.7 Sunfilm AG 43
- 4.9 CIS and CIGS 43
- 4.9.1 Overview 43
- 4.9.2 Avancis 44
- 4.9.3 CIS-Solartechnik 44
- 4.9.4 Global Solar Energy Inc 44
- 4.9.5 Johanna Solar Technology GmbH 45
- 4.9.6 Nanosolar 45
- 4.9.7 Odersun AG 45
- 4.9.8 Solarion AG 46
- 4.9.9 Solibro GmbH 46
- 4.9.10 Sulfercell Solartechnik GmbH 46
- 4.9.11 Wurth Solar GmbH 46
- 4.10 CdTe 46
- 4.10.1 Overview 46
- 4.10.2 Calyxo 47
- 4.10.3 First Solar 47
- 4.11 CPV 48
- 4.11.1 Overview 48
- 4.11.2 Archimedes Solar GmbH 49
- 4.11.3 Concentrix Solar GmbH 49
- 4.11.4 SolarTec AG 49
Chapter 5 German solar photovoltaic market: inward investments 50
- 5.1 Arnstadt 50
- 5.2 Bitterfeld 50
- 5.3 Erfurt 51
- 5.4 Freiburg 51
- 5.5 Ichtershausen 51
- 5.6 Landau 52
- 5.7 Magdeburg 52
- 5.8 Saxony 52
- 5.9 Thalheim 53
Chapter 6 Recent solar cell production investments overseas 54
- 6.1 Austria 54
- 6.2 China 54
- 6.3 Czech Republic 55
- 6.4 Greece 55
- 6.5 Italy 55
- 6.6 Malaysia 56
- 6.7 Portugal 56
- 6.8 South Korea 57
- 6.9 Spain 57
- 6.10 United States 58
Chapter 7 Recent advances in solar photovoltaic research and development 60
Appendix 1 Glossary of terms 63
Appendix 2 Profile of centrotherm photovoltaics AG 66
