2008 Taiwan Int’l Photovoltaic Forum and Exhibition Solar Prospects Soar with Energy-Saving Carbon-Cutting Solutions

TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Welcome to the brightest, cleanest, most dynamic show in the universe! It’s PV Forum & Exhibition Taiwan ’08 (2008 Taiwan International Photovoltaic Forum & Exhibition) and it turns the sun from October 7 to 8 across the TWTC. This Taiwan’s unique event, (organized by TAITRA - the Taiwan External Trade Development Council) unfolds with a world-class solar forum at the TICC (Taipei Int’l Convention Center) and the massive exhibition at TWTC Exhibition Hall 1 (Area A).

This year’s even builds upon the glowing success of last year’s show that generated an estimated NT$600 million worth of business. The current show hosts 155 manufacturers using 300 booth spaces, an increase of 109% and 172% upon the previous year. The combined forum-exhibition offers one of Asia’s most specialized industry events aimed at harnessing solar energy.

7 Zones cover every product & topic UNDER THE SUN!

The seven zones of the exhibition covers every facet of the industry embracing everything from: PV materials and solar cells, PV modules, System installation & balance of systems (BOS), PV application products, Processing equipment, Industry associations and the media. Products at the show range from solar cells and materials, which include mono/poly-crystalline silicon solar cells, solar cell wafers and ingots, amorphous silicon solar cells, solar cell panel/arrays and PV modules, to power generator systems including solar power supply systems, and much, much, more!

The Who’s Who in Solar

The venue is packed with the Who’s Who in solar, such notable global names as Q-Cells AG (world’s second largest solar cell manufacturer), Manz Automation and Jonas & Redmann (Germany), Dupont, Despatch and Spire Solar (U.S.A.), Nisshinbo Industries, Inc. (Japan), Braggone OY and ASYS Group (Singapore), Icos Vision Systems (Belgium), Sigmatek Corporation (U.K.), Korea Materials & Analysis and KD Valve from (Korea), Staubli (Hong Kong-SAR) and Guizhou Wylton Jinlin Electronic Materials Co. (China). Domestic exhibitors include E-TON Solar Technology, Gintech Energy, Green Energy Technology, Delta Electronics, Neo Solar Power, Powercom, COYO Corp., Lucky Power Technology, Nexpower Technology, Topco Scientific, and Solartech Energy.

PV Output Value to Exceed NT$100 billion

Solar cell development began in Taiwan in 1987 and in the two decades since, the sector has soared from early production of amorphous silicon solar cells to the manufacture of silicon solar cells. From 2003, global market demands have attracted global investment in Taiwan’s PV industry to spur R&D across the PV supply chain.

Output value of Taiwan’s PV industry has seen dazzling growth, soaring from NT$7 billion in 2005 to triple that amount in 2006 to around NT$21.2 billion (2% of the global value). The 2007 output value is estimated at NT$52 billion, and the 2008 figure is projected to exceed NT$100 billion, a twofold increase states the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s Photovoltaic Technology Center. It is expected that output value will reach NT$150 billion (6% of the global value) by 2010 and exceed NT$400 billion by 2015 (7% of the global value). Propelled by intense global demands, Taiwan’s PV industry is attracting huge investment, particularly with the continual expansion of crystalline silicon solar cell manufacturing which in 2008 is projected to achieve a 2,000+ MWp output.

World PV Industry Leaders Map the Future

The 2008 PV Forum plugs in Oct. 7 in Room 201 at TICC, after an opening ceremony hosted by Mr. Yuen-Chuan Chao, President & CEO of TAITRA, Mr. Yeh-Shiang Shih, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Dr. Chung-Wen Lan, Chairman of the Taiwan Photovoltaic Industry Association. With last year’s forum achieving dazzling success with 840 members of the PV industry, the Oct 7 event will be even better with a line up of global leaders and industry representatives offering insiders on the direction of the industry via simultaneous translation services in Chinese, English and Japanese.

All speakers are vital players in the PV industry, including Mr. Ernesto Macías Galán, Communication and External Affairs General Manager of Isofoton (world’s 7th biggest maker of poly-crystalline silicon modules) and President of EPIA, Mr. Erik Thorsen, President and CEO of Norway’s REC Group (world’s 3rd largest poly-crystalline silicon materials provider), Mr. Muramatsu Tetsurou, Executive Officer and Group General Manager of Solar Systems Group, Sharp Japan (world’s 2nd largest solar cell manufacturer), Mr. Lei Ting, Vice President of Suntech (China’s largest solar cell manufacturer), with key leaders from the Taiwan industry including Dr. Chin-Yao Tsai, Chairman & CEO of Auria Solar, Mr. Ellick K.J. Liao, President of Gintech, Mr. Henry Hu, General Manager of Lucky Power Technology, and Ms. Doris Hsu, President of Sino-American Silicon Products.

4 BIG Shows on Info & Communication offer Asia’s Top Sourcing Platform

In order to raise the international profile and influence of Taiwan’s electronics-related industries, TAITRA has organized TAITRONICS (the Taipei International Electronics Show), the Taiwan International RFID Applications Show (TAIWAN RFID) and the Taiwan Broadband Communication Exhibition (BROADBAND TAIWAN) in conjunction with PV Forum & Exhibition Taiwan ’08, to take place at TWTC NANGANG Exhibition Hall from Oct. 7 to Oct. 11, with over 40 sessions that feature scores of activities from forums, technical seminars to buyer procurement meetings. Together, these four all-star trade events on the information and communications sector offer the best venue with maximum scale, product range and venue service. The 1,200 exhibitors in 2,600 booths are expected to attract more than 70,000 buyers -- a record in Taiwan history for electronics industry trade shows.

Cap it off with a tour of the capital!

To WOW trade visitors, TAITRA has carefully designed half-day and one-day business tours during the show. The Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government, has also sponsored tickets to the TAIPEI 101 Observatory (also known as the “Empire State Building of Asia”). These outings will let you fully experience the uniqueness of Taiwan culture and landscape. For more details, see “Taiwan Biz Tour” at Visitors Service on the show website.

PV Forum & Exhibition Taiwan 2008 runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from Oct. 7 to 8 and will be open for international visitors, domestic industrial professionals with visitor passes, and the general public with ticket. (Ticketing service is available until 3 p.m. each show day. Tickets to the public are sold at NT$200 each.). During the exhibition period, visitors are encouraged to make full use of the free shuttle bus service, which stops at TWTC Exhibition Hall 1, TWTC NANGANG Exhibition Hall, MRT Kunyang Station and major hotels in Taipei City.

For more information about PV Forum & Exhibition Taiwan ‘08, see: http://www.pvtaiwan.com.