A Comprehensive Guide to the Photovoltaic Technology Equipment and Materials Industry

Business Wire, July 30, 2008

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cb59fe/photovoltaic_techn) has announced the addition of the "Photovoltaic Technology Equipment and Materials Report" report to their offering.

Complete kit to evaluate your own opportunity in the photovoltaic market

The most important objective for today's photovoltaic (PV) market is to reduce the ratio of manufacturing cost to power output, and more specifically for solar modules, the manufacturing cost per kWh. With this in mind, technical solutions are required to reach grid parity and make PV a competitive energy source.

Equipment and materials suppliers are partnering with cell manufacturers to cut cost down together. Investments in cell production capacity at an unprecedented level across multiple geographies will help manufacturers to benefit from learning and scale effects. However, innovation on equipment and material is a key parameter to sustain the growth of the PV industry.

Increase technical performances to provide more efficient and time stable cells is the solution to leverage manufacturing cost. Along the value chain, numerous solutions are expected by PV manufacturers.

PV industry has its own identity but can benefit from manufacturing solutions existing in various industry, semiconductor, display, printing, glass...

Since our last report, industry landscape has considerably changed:

- A large number of companies invested into polysilicon manufacturing established players Hemlock, MEMCO Wafer manufacturers, LDK, PV CrystaloxO but also new entrants such as DC Chemical, HokuO

- We observed how the entrance of Applied Materials, Oerlikon Solar and Ulvac impacted on a-Si based modules production capacity.

- CdTe technology driven by First Solar demonstrated its economical strength and allowed the company to plan a GigaWatt factory.

- A large number of start up rose funds to build CIGS plants based on various patented manufacturing process. Centrotherm and Veeco were the first suppliers to provide solutions for CIGS large scale production.

Key features:

Using our technology approach, we describe the industry providing our readers a technical dimension usually unmet in market reports. Technology innovation plays an important role in the development of the PV industry.

In order to provide an opportunity and risk evaluation, we clarify the situation and describe:

- Market context

- 9 PV technologies

- Manufacturing process

- Description and market of 16 types of equipment

Equipment and material manufacturers will find all needed elements for either a PV industry entrance or densification. The report offers a full description of photovoltaic market, technologies, manufacturing processes, equipment and materials and it also includes key figures, analyses and useful tools for strategic decisions.

Scope of the report:

- Description of main technologies

- A large part of the report is exclusively focusing on market opportunities for main manufacturing equipment

Who should buy this report?

Both established PV established players and new entrants will quickly recoup "PV Technology and Equipment and Materials" purchase.

This report offer high value to:

- Marketing executives of equipment and materials companies will find key figures for their strategic plans and offer design.

- Sales and business development managers will have market potential (# of machine/year) and operational tools (equipment/techno; techno/market segments).

- Technical directors will find global overview of all processes with a benchmark on main equipments. They will find all relevant information to evaluate the customization of their equipments or materials and even find new opportunities

- Investors will get a complete overview of turnkey solution providers

Key Topics Covered:

- Market description and forecast

- Market per geography

- Supply chain and business model

- Focus on main players

- Value chain

- Production capacity and equipment park

- Technologies and process

- Industrial park estimation

- New equipment

- List of Charts

Some of the Companies Mentioned:

- Air Liquide

- Akrion

- ATV Technologie

- Energosolar

- Fraunhofer ISE

- Komax Systems

- Metalor

- OTB Engineering

- RENA

- SCR Engineering

- Spire

- Thieme

- GCL Silicon

- LDK Solar

- P.Energy

- Sanyo

- Sierratherm

- SVCS

- Veeco

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cb59fe/photovoltaic_techn