SolarWorld
Encyclopedia
SolarWorld is a German
company dedicated to the manufacture and marketing photovoltaic products worldwide by integrating all components of the solar value chain, from feedstock (silicon
) to module
production, from trade with solar panel
s to the promotion and construction of turn-key solar power plants. The group controls the development of solar power technologies at all levels in-house.
SolarWorld AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
.
. In 1998, these activities were transferred to the newly founded SolarWorld AG, which went public on 11 August 1999.
Shell
divested its crystalline silicon solar business activities to SolarWorld.
SolarWorld has received German Sustainability Award in the category of "Germany’s Most Sustainable Production 2008".
(headquarters), Freiberg
, Sweden
, Camarillo, California
, and Hillsboro, Oregon
(US headquarters).
The business also has a facility in Hillsboro, Oregon
. The newer Hillsboro factory was purchased in 2007 from a Japan's Komatsu Group.
It is the largest solar cell manufacturing facility in North America.
SolarWorld AG has sales offices in Germany, Spain, USA, South Africa and Singapore.
s). SolarWorld CEO Frank Asbeck is supporting a 10 percent to 15 percent drop for the incentives in 2010; the current policy calls for an 8 percent to 10 percent declines.
developed by the FH Bochum SolarCar Team.
On 19 November 2008, SolarWorld AG announced a bid to buy German automaker Opel
from General Motors. The bid was for 1 billion Euro, 250 million being paid in cash and 750 million being paid in bank credits. SolarWorld specified conditions such as Opel should be split from General Motors. Solarworld announced that it intends to create the first electric automotive OEM
. However, GM rejected the bid saying "Opel is not for sale".
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
company dedicated to the manufacture and marketing photovoltaic products worldwide by integrating all components of the solar value chain, from feedstock (silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
) to module
Photovoltaic module
A solar panel is a packaged, connected assembly of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells...
production, from trade with solar panel
Photovoltaic module
A solar panel is a packaged, connected assembly of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells...
s to the promotion and construction of turn-key solar power plants. The group controls the development of solar power technologies at all levels in-house.
SolarWorld AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
Frankfurt Stock Exchange
The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is the world's 12th largest stock exchange by market capitalization. Located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange is owned and operated by Deutsche Börse, which also owns the European futures exchange Eurex and the clearing company...
.
History
SolarWorld was founded in 1988 as individual company by engineer and chief executive officer Frank Asbeck, and engaged in projects to produce renewable energyRenewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
. In 1998, these activities were transferred to the newly founded SolarWorld AG, which went public on 11 August 1999.
Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
divested its crystalline silicon solar business activities to SolarWorld.
SolarWorld has received German Sustainability Award in the category of "Germany’s Most Sustainable Production 2008".
Facilities
Within the SolarWorld Group many specialized workers are employed in the enterprise's units located in BonnBonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
(headquarters), Freiberg
Freiberg, Saxony
Freiberg is a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, administrative center of the Mittelsachsen district.-History:The city was founded in 1186, and has been a center of the mining industry in the Ore Mountains for centuries...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Camarillo, California
Camarillo, California
Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at the 2000 census. The Ventura Freeway Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at...
, and Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
(US headquarters).
The business also has a facility in Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
. The newer Hillsboro factory was purchased in 2007 from a Japan's Komatsu Group.
It is the largest solar cell manufacturing facility in North America.
SolarWorld AG has sales offices in Germany, Spain, USA, South Africa and Singapore.
Grid parity
SolarWorld has called for lowering Germany's lucrative solar incentives (feed-in tariffFeed-in Tariff
A feed-in tariff is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies. It achieves this by offering long-term contracts to renewable energy producers, typically based on the cost of generation of each technology...
s). SolarWorld CEO Frank Asbeck is supporting a 10 percent to 15 percent drop for the incentives in 2010; the current policy calls for an 8 percent to 10 percent declines.
Vehicles
SolarWorld is the main sponsor of the SolarWorld No. 1 solar carSolar car
A solar vehicle is an electric vehicle powered completely or significantly by direct solar energy. Usually, photovoltaic cells contained in solar panels convert the sun's energy directly into electric energy. The term "solar vehicle" usually implies that solar energy is used to power all or part...
developed by the FH Bochum SolarCar Team.
On 19 November 2008, SolarWorld AG announced a bid to buy German automaker Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
from General Motors. The bid was for 1 billion Euro, 250 million being paid in cash and 750 million being paid in bank credits. SolarWorld specified conditions such as Opel should be split from General Motors. Solarworld announced that it intends to create the first electric automotive OEM
OEM
OEM means the original manufacturer of a component for a product, which may be resold by another company.OEM may also refer to:-Computing:* OEM font, or OEM-US, the original character set of the IBM PC, circa 1981...
. However, GM rejected the bid saying "Opel is not for sale".