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There are approximately 360 Italian and foreign companies operating in the various business areas of the Italian photovoltaics market constituting the sector’s value chain. More than 37,000 plants have been constructed in Italy to date reaching a capacity of 495MW (Source: GSE). Furthermore, thousands of local operators are involved primarily in the installation phase of the plant in the residential segment and more than 350 banks and credit institutions are active in financing plants (Source: Milan Polytechnic Energy & Strategy Group). Foreign companies producing silicon on a worldwide level include:

Principal Silicon Producers Worldwide   

                                                                                                                                          

Country	Company	Group Turnover 2007 (mln€)	Area polysilicon Returns 2007(mln€)	Production capacity 2007	Production capacity 2008	Wafer production
USA	Helmok Semiconductor Corporation	n.a.	n.a.	14.500	19.000	No
Germany	Wacker Chemie	3781,3	456,9	10.000	14.500	No
Norway	REC	834,63	313,65	6.000	13.500	Yes
USA	MEMC	1.305,48	293.73	6.000	8.000	Yes
Japan	Tokuyama Specialty Products	1.953,70	643,07	5.000	5.200	No
Japan	Mitsubishi Materials	10.543,85	583,08	1.800	n.a.	No
Japan	Osaka Tatanium Technologies	340,82	1.300	1.300	1.400	No

Source: 2008 Energy Strategy Report

To date no Italian companies are active in the production of polysilicon; there is only one foreign company which does so, namely MEMC, and is present in Italy at the Novara and Merano production plants. Thanks to the introduction of the Energy Account, some Italian companies have now become active in the photovoltaics market, launching integration projects in the production of polysilicon.

Initiatives of Italian Companies in the Silicon Business Area          

                                                           

Company	Year of establishment	Location	Production capicity - forecast 2010	Parent Company
Silfab	2007	Borgofranco d'Ivrea (TO)	5.000 t (600MW)	Helios Technology
Estelux	2007	Ferrara (FE)	4.000 (480 MW)	Solon
Italsilicon	2007	Sulmona (AQ)	3.000 ( 350 MW)	Solarday

Source: 2008 Energy Strategy Report

n terms of production capacity, there are no significant differences in size between integrated producers (producers of cells and modules) and sole producers of cells; by contrast, module producers are smaller in capacity and on a worldwide level are all present on the Italian market with a trade or production subsidiary (e.g., Solon).

Installed capacity (KW)

Company	Italian establishment	Country	Turnover  2007(mln€)	Production capacity of cells 2008 (MW)	Production capacity of modules 2008 (MW)	Production capacity of cells 2007 (MW)	Production capacity of modules 2007 (MW)
Suntech Power	Foreign company with Italian branch	China	915,7	1.000	1.000	540	540
Sharp Eletronics	Foreign company with Italian branch	Japan	21.832,70	710	710	710	710
SunPower	Foreign company with Italian branch	USA	526,3	414	90	214	90
Yingli Solar	Foreign company	China	377,5	400	400	200	200
Trina Solar	Foreign company	China	365	365	350	110	150

Total turnover for Sharp, not solely for the Solar Division

Source: 2008 Energy Strategy Report

Main Integrated Producers Worldwide

One of the most important worldwide integrated producers of particular note is the Japanese company Sharp, the world leader in the production of photovoltaic cells; the company possesses decades of experience in the photovoltaics market and has invested in research and development for over 40 years. To date, the company produces more than a quarter of photovoltaic panels on the world market, and has been the leading world producer for the last seven years, responsible for approximately 26% of production worldwide and 20% in Europe. Since 2002, Sharp Italia has chosen Enerpoint as a trader across Italy.

In May 2008, Sharp signed a strategic agreement with Enel for the construction of a production plant for thin-film panels and the installation of plants up to 161 MW by 2011.

Main module producers worldwide

                                                       

Company	Italian establishment	Country	Production capacity of modules 2008 (MW)	Production capacity of modules 2007 (MW)
Solon	Foreign company with Italian productive branch	Germany	500	210
Aleo Solar	Foreign company with Italian productive branch	Germany	180	90
Centrosolar	Foreign company with Italian productive branch	Germany	150	85
Ibersolar	Foreign company with Italian productive branch	Spain	120	nd

Source: 2008 Energy Strategy Report

Main Cell Producers Worldwide

Installed capacity (KW)

Company	Italian establishment	Country	Returns 2007 (mln€)	Production capacity of cells 2008 (MW)	Production capacity of cells 2007 (MW)
Q-cells	Foreign company	Germania	858,9	760	516
Gintech Energy Corporation	Foreign company	Taiwan	143	560	210
JA Solar	Foreign company	Cina	250,8	500	225
Motech Industries	Foreign company	Taiwan	326,2	450	240
China Sunenergy	Foreign company	Cina	55	350	192

Source: 2008 Energy Strategy Report

There is only one domestic company that produces cells, namely Omniasolar; in 2008, the company produced cells for an amount of less than 1 MW as opposed to a production capacity equal to 10mW.
The main world producers of specialised cells are from South-East Asia, (the top five companies for production capacity have their registered office in China and Taiwan with only one, Q-Cells, in Europe. None of these companies, however, has a registered office for production in Italy.
The most recent business cases involving foreign and Italian companies include U.S. Applied Materials, the manufacturer of photovoltaic modules which purchased the Venetian Baccini in 2007 for its industrial automation expertise and in particular for substantial competence in the assembly and testing of photovoltaic modules phase. Furthermore, the Italian-run Anglo-American investment fund Mercatech is investing €50 million in converting the former Electrolux plant in Scandicci (Florence), which will no longer produce refrigerators but photovoltaic cells and panels.

Main operators in distribution and istallation

                                                                                                                           

Company	Italian establishment	Country	Turnover  2007(mln€)	Production capacity of cells 2008 (MW)	Production capacity of modules 2008 (MW)	Production capacity of cells 2007 (MW)	Production capacity of modules 2007 (MW)
Suntech Power	Foreign company with Italian branch	China	915,7	1.000	1.000	540	540
Sharp Eletronics	Foreign company with Italian branch	Japan	21.832,70	710	710	710	710
SunPower	Foreign company with Italian branch	USA	526,3	414	90	214	90
Yingli Solar	Foreign company	China	377,5	400	400	200	200
Trina Solar	Foreign company	China	365	365	350	110	150