![]() First Solar uses thin film technology based on Cadmium Telluride (CdTe). Having the lowest cost per watt has given First Solar the upper hand in very large installations in Germany, Italy, China and the US. ![]() Its low module cost per installed watt is the best in the industry. Since 2006, First Solar has come on very strong. It is not meant to be a comprehensive survey and companies not mentioned should not be deemed to have poor technologies.įirst Solar, with headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, is one of the two largest solar companies in the world as measured by 2012 module mega-watts installed and first as measured by stock market capitalization. This section presents a number of US companies each with different technologies and strategies to give the reader a feel for the breath of technology that makes up the solar industry. The 10 Largest Solar "Module" Manufacturers - 2012Ĭ-Si = Crystalline Silicon, a-Si = Amorphous Silicon, CdTe = Cadmium Telluride Having an internal supply of material shields companies from the up and down swings of the spot markets and provides an opportunity to "brand" their products. Major players want to be totally integrated from wafers to modules and even end user sales and installation. Pure cell manufacturers are moving into modules, which is basically low tech assembly, but it also gives them a low cost material advantage. Wafer companies are moving into cells because they have a cost advantage using their own wafers. manufacture all three stages of production - wafers, cells, and modules. There is a general trend for companies to vertically integrate, i.e. The top 10 in 2012 accounted for 40% of market share, while the top 10 in 2011 accounted for 46% of market share. Six of the top 10 panel producers are Chinese and during 2012 well over 50% of all solar panels shipped were manufactured in China. First Solar dropped to number two while Yingli moved up to number one on the top 10 list. Listed below per IHS are the top ten "module" installation companies in 2012. 2012 Top Solar "Module" Manufacturers Worldwide
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