Solar Energy: PV Cell Production Jumps 50 Percent in 2007

According to The Earth Policy Institute production of photovoltaics [PV] jumped to 3,800 megawatts worldwide in 2007, up an estimated 50 percent over 2006. At the end of the year, according to preliminary data, cumulative global production stood at 12,400 megawatts, enough to power 2.4 million U.S. homes.

Growing by an impressive average of 48 percent each year since 2002, PV production has been doubling every two years, making it the world’s fastest-growing energy source.

A key force driving the advancement of thin-film technologies is a polysilicon shortage that began in April 2004. In 2006, for the first time, more than half of polysilicon production went into PVs instead of computer chips. While thin films are not as efficient at converting sunlight to electricity, they currently cost less and their physical flexibility makes them more versatile than traditional solar cells.

Led by the United States, thin film grew from 4 percent of the market in 2003 to 7 percent in 2006. Polysilicon supply is expected to match demand by 2010, but not before thin film grabs 20 percent of the market.

Key solar companies include:

• Suntech Power (STP)
• First Solar (FSLR)
• Sunpower (SPWR)
• Solarfun (SOLF)
• LDK Solar (LDK)
• Canadian Solar (CSIQ)
• Hoku (HOKU)
• China Sunergy (CSUN)

Comments

[finance ninja:]

Actually the article is really correct and I agree with the author. These solar stocks are hot, growth is predictable in the future, and many of these big companies have very low PEG scores under 1.00. All these stocks are basically growth/value warren buffett stocks.

check out more on HOKU blogging at
financeninja.wordpress...

2007 Dec 30 07:58 AM

[User 133692:]

Agreed, and some of you guys ought to be looking at new guys on the block, e.g., Solar Power, Inc. (sopw.ob), who are flying fast under the radar. sopw's sales and margins exceed those of akns, which has been a darling on the street, yet its price is less than 1/2 that of akns!

2007 Dec 30 12:30 PM

[tessant:]

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2007 Dec 30 01:26 PM

[tessant:]

my network is heavily weighted in solar info. check it out...videos, articles, research reports...

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2007 Dec 30 01:27 PM

[jmmx:]

just a style point - before you introduce a term such as "thin-film" you should define it! There appears to be a missing paragraph before "A key force driving..."

2007 Dec 30 01:38 PM

[User 69581:]

Missed the key company, ESLR with the best technology in the industry.

2007 Dec 31 05:49 AM

[Mark Anthony:]

The growth of silicon based solar companies have no limit. But the growth of FSLR has an extremely tight limit which is already beginning to have an effect. As a matter of fact, not only I do not expect further growth of FSLR, I fully expect that this company go out of business altogether in two years, due to competing demands depriving FSLR of its critical tellurium supply.

Read this article:
www.seekingalpha.com/a...

2008 Jan 02 01:55 AM