SHARP SOLAR STORY Part 8

Vast amounts of natural energy from the sun

The sun is a source of vast amounts of virtually inexhaustible energy. A comparison of the volume of energy generated by natural sources in a single second shows hydropower generating 500 million kilocalories, tidal energy generating 700 million kilocalories, geothermal energy generating 7.7 billion kilocalories, and solar energy generating 42 trillion kilocalories per second, clearly in a class of its own.

The amount of solar energy reaching the surface of the earth is approximately 1 kW per square meter per second. If converted into usable energy, it is said that a single hour of solar energy could supply the world's energy needs for a year. Against the backdrop of global warming and increased energy consumption, clean solar energy, which produces no CO2 emissions, is becoming an increasingly vital alternative to fossil fuels.

Solar power generation is expanding on a global basis

Worldwide shipments of solar cells surpassed 3,700 MW in fiscal 2007, a year-on-year increase of approximately 50.9%. On a regional basis, Japan retained a top-level position with production equivalent to 920 MW. European production was 1,062.8 MW; US production was 266.1 MW. (Combined production of Asia and other regions was 1,484.1 MW.)

From both technological and implementational perspectives, Japan is a leader in solar power. Looking at solar energy implementation by country, Germany, which has aggressively pursued a feed-in tariff (mandated purchase of generated electricity)*1 program, captured the top spot in 2005, but Japan continues to lead the world in production of solar cells.

Sharp supplies the world's solar power industry with modular solutions

In addition to a U.S. production base in Tennessee, which began production of solar cells in 2003, Sharp established Sharp Manufacturing Company of UK (SUKM) in Wales in early 2004. In Europe, where feed-in tariff systems have been adopted by 20 countries, the number of solar power generation installations is increasing rapidly. At SUKM, annual production has expanded steadily, from an initial 20 MW to 220 MW in 2007. And in Japan, Sharp is constructing a 21st century manufacturing facility in Sakai-City, Osaka. Scheduled to go online in 2010, the facility will have the potential of annual production capacity up to 1GW, equivalent to 250,000 Japanese households' worth.

Sharp to participate in solar power venture with Italy's Enel SpA

Sharp has reached an agreement with Enel SpA, Italy's largest power company, to establish a joint venture in the spring of 2009. The venture aims to develop multiple photovoltaic power plants with a total capacity of 189 MW by the end of 2012. The power plants will be constructed mainly in southern Italy, a region that will play a key role in the Mediterranean Solar Plan *3 that was adopted at the Union for the Mediterranean *4 summit held in July 2008. The plants will utilize thin-film solar cells, which offer superior power generating efficiency in warm climates. Sharp, Enel, and a third European manufacturing company plan to construct a thin-film solar cell plant in Italy, with the potential to expand annual production capacity to around 1 GW. The initial phase of development targets a production system with an annual capacity of 480 MW, with operations scheduled to start in mid-2010. Through participation in this and other similar projects with power companies, Sharp is pursuing an integrated global solar business model, ranging from production of thin-film solar cells to operating of solar generating facilities, with the goal of becoming a total solar solutions provider.

*1: Feed-in tariff: A program that mandates purchase of electricity generated by solar cells or other renewable sources at premium rates.
*2: Based on one 4kW solar power generation system per home.
*3: Mediterranean Solar Plan: In addition to the initial goal of developing solar power generating facilities with a capacity of 20 GW by 2020, the Union for the Mediterranean has established the long-term goal of constructing power generating facilities in the Sahara Desert with a total capacity of 100GW by the year 2050, with power transmission over a network of high-capacity power lines connecting North Africa and various European countries.
*4: The Union for the Mediterranean: A community of 43 countries in total, consisting of all 27 EU member countries and 16 non-EU countries in the Middle East and Africa that border the Mediterranean sea.

References
PV News
Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association

Thin-film solar cell installation
(Fliegl Fahrzeugbau GmbH, Germany)

Silicon is the semiconductor material most commonly used for solar cells. When exposed to sunlight, atoms of silicon split into positive and negative electrons, which generate an electrical charge. Silicon solar cells can basically be categorized into crystalline silicon and thin-film silicon types. Crystalline silicon solar cells are produced by slicing high-purity refined silicon into layers, while thin-film silicon solar cells are produced by depositing a thin film of vaporized silicon onto a glass substrate.

Recently, resource-saving low cost thin-film solar cells are becoming the focus of increased attention. The technology for deposition of silicon film on a glass substrate is very similar to the manufacturing process for LCD panels, and Sharp has begun development of next-generation thin-film solar cells by maximizing technology developed for the production of LCD TVs.