Solar Cells Info

Source: SolarWorld AG press release /May 24, 2007
http://www.solarworld.de/Corporate-News.78.0.html?&L=1

SolarWorld AG is vigorously expanding its business with the international solar cell and module industry. The Deutsche Solar AG subsidiary has entered into new long-term agreements with a number of globally operating cell and module manufacturers for the supply with solar silicon wafers from the Freiberg production. The order volume of these new contracts runs up to a total of 1.5 billion EUR for the SolarWorld Group. The time span of the orders covers the period until 2018. 51 per cent of the orders originate
from Europe. Asia follows with a rate 37 per cent. China and Taiwan alone account for 16 per cent of all new supply contracts. 12 per cent of the wafers ordered will be shipped to North America. The entire order backlog of Deutsche Solar AG for external customers from existing orders and new contracts amounts to 4.0 billion EUR.

These new delivery contracts will additionally support the expansion of wafer production and employment in Freiberg. At the same time Deutsche Solar AG will strengthen its position as one of the world leaders in the manufacture of very thin silicon wafers for the solar industry and secure its long-term customer relations.  In addition to supplying the external international demand Deutsche Solar AG will also take account of the internal demand in the group by making roughly the same order of magnitude of wafers available for further processing to SolarWorld AG’s own solar cell and solar module factories.

Largest solar off-grid project to date completed. After the first 99 villages in China the SolarWorld Group electrifies another 44 villages in the West Chinese province of Qinghai.

The SolarWorld Group has additionally agreed its largest project to date for the electrification of rural regions located far away from the national grid. For 44 villages in the West Chinese province of Qinghai the SolarWorld Group will supply 4,800 solar modules with an output of 80 Watt each and will also install the solar systems. The villages that have so far been cut off from any power supply will thus get access for the first time to electrical energy. ‘The supply of electricity is one of the most important tasks for the economic development of rural regions especially in developing and threshold countries’, says SolarWorld Chairman and CEO Dipl.-Ing. Frank H. Asbeck. ‘The use of solar energy is eminently suitable for this purpose not only under climate protection but also under economic
aspects’. So far the group has already equipped 99 villages in China with off-grid solar technology. The power generated serves the inhabitants for lighting and refrigeration purposes as well as to operate other electrical appliances.