Yole has released a new exclusive PV Fab database in May 2008. Updated daily, this database covers the entire PV industry value chain and describes 560 manufacturing plants. Yole's PV Fab Database is used by numerous industrial companies and analysts worldwide for direct business applications.

We take advantage of this new release to update you with some analysis extracted from this new Yole's report "PV Fab Database 2008".

Wafer based cells and modules
According to Gaetan Rull, analyst at Yole Developpement, "The production capacity for wafer based solar cells will increase 62% and reach 10GW in 2008." One of the reasons identified by Yole Développement, is the anticipation of the renewed availability of silicon that will start in late 2008 and will drastically increase in 2009-2010. Leaders have succeeded in securing long term supply agreements and want to be ready when poly-Si will be available.
Visibility on specific projects is reduced after 2010. Leading cell manufacturers have an-nounced their projects up to 2011 but medium and small companies have not disclosed their plans. Yole is tracking expansion projects on a daily basis and will update production capacities as soon as information is available.
Regarding modules activities, Germany, Spain, USA and China are leading and Japan consolidating.