Solar prospects soar with carbon-cutting solutions

2008 Taiwan Int'l Photovoltaic Forum & Exhibition

Solar prospects soar with carbon-cutting solutions

The 2008 figure for Taiwan solar photovoltaics industry is projected to exceed NT$100 billion, a two-fold increase over 2007

Friday, October 10, 2008

TAIPEI, TAIWAN: The PV Forum & Exhibition Taiwan ’08 (2008 Taiwan International Photovoltaic Forum & Exhibition) turned the sun from October 7-8 across the TWTC (Taipei World Trade Center).

This is Taiwan’s unique event, (organized by TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade Development Council), and it unfolded with a world-class solar forum at the TICC (Taipei International Convention Center) and the massive exhibition at TWTC Exhibition Hall 1 (Area A).

This year’s event built upon the glowing success of last year’s show that generated an estimated NT$600 million worth of business. The current show hosted 155 manufacturers using 300 booth spaces, an increase of 109 percent and 172 percent, respectively over the previous year. The combined forum-exhibition offers one of Asia’s most specialized industry events aimed at harnessing solar energy.

Seven zones cover every product and topic
The seven zones of the exhibition covered every facet of the industry embracing everything from: PV materials and solar cells, PV modules, System installation & balance of systems (BOS), PV application products, Processing equipment, Industry associations and the media. Products ranged from solar cells and materials, which include mono/poly-crystalline silicon solar cells, solar cell wafers and ingots, amorphous silicon solar cells, solar cell panel/arrays and PV modules, to power generator systems including solar power supply systems, etc.

Who's Who in solar
The venue was packed with the Who’s Who in solar, with such notable global names as Q-Cells AG (world’s second largest solar cell manufacturer), Manz Automation and Jonas & Redmann (Germany), Dupont, Despatch and Spire Solar (USA), Nisshinbo Industries (Japan), Braggone OY and ASYS Group (Singapore), Icos Vision Systems (Belgium), Sigmatek Corp. (UK), Korea Materials & Analysis and KD Valve from (Korea), Staubli (Hong Kong-SAR) and Guizhou Wylton Jinlin Electronic Materials Co. (China).

Domestic exhibitors included E-TON Solar Technology, Gintech Energy, Green Energy Technology, Delta Electronics, Neo Solar Power, Powercom, COYO Corp., Lucky Power Technology, Nexpower Technology, Topco Scientific, and Solartech Energy.

PV output value to exceed NT$100 billion
Solar cell development began in Taiwan in 1987 and in the two decades since, the sector has soared from early production of amorphous silicon solar cells to the manufacture of silicon solar cells. From 2003, global market demands have attracted global investment in Taiwan’s PV industry to spur R&D across the PV supply chain.

Output value of Taiwan’s PV industry has seen dazzling growth, soaring from NT$7 billion in 2005 to triple that amount in 2006 to around NT$21.2 billion (2 percent of the global value). The 2007 output value is estimated at NT$52 billion, and the 2008 figure is projected to exceed NT$100 billion, a two-fold increase, according to the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s (ITRI) Photovoltaic Technology Center.

It is expected that output value will reach NT$150 billion (6 percent of the global value) by 2010 and exceed NT$400 billion by 2015 (7 percent of the global value).

Propelled by intense global demands, Taiwan’s PV industry is attracting huge investment, particularly with the continual expansion of crystalline silicon solar cell manufacturing which in 2008 is projected to achieve a 2,000+ MWp output.

World PV industry leaders map future
The 2008 PV Forum plugged in October 7 in Room 201 at TICC, after an opening ceremony hosted by Yuen-Chuan Chao, President & CEO of TAITRA, Yeh-Shiang Shih, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Dr. Chung-Wen Lan, Chairman of the Taiwan Photovoltaic Industry Association.

All speakers are vital players in the PV industry, including Ernesto Macías Galán, Communication and External Affairs General Manager of Isofoton (world’s seventh biggest maker of poly-crystalline silicon modules) and President of EPIA, Erik Thorsen, President and CEO of Norway’s REC Group (world’s third largest poly-crystalline silicon materials provider), Muramatsu Tetsurou, Executive Officer and Group General Manager of Solar Systems Group, Sharp Japan (world’s second largest solar cell manufacturer), Lei Ting, Vice President of Suntech (China’s largest solar cell manufacturer), with key leaders from the Taiwan industry including Dr. Chin-Yao Tsai, Chairman & CEO of Auria Solar, Ellick K.J. Liao, President of Gintech, Henry Hu, General Manager of Lucky Power Technology, and Ms. Doris Hsu, President of Sino-American Silicon Products.

©CIOL Bureau