Recording of Wednesday, June 19, 2024 | The smarter E Europe| Exhibition Program | Language: English | Duration: 17:20 .

VDMA Session Highlights Gigawatt Scale Solar Module Factories and EU-Based Activities with Presentation from FuturaSun's Lisa Hirvonen on Vertical Integration and Global Expansion Plans

The session at VDMA focuses on gigawatt-scale solar module factories for residential and utility scales in the EU, during a challenging period for such ventures. Florian Buchholz from ISC Consens introduces Lisa Hirvonen of FuturaSun. Lisa explains that FuturaSun, founded in 2008 and based in Cittadella, Italy, is an Italian manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) modules with exclusive property of their own factory located in China. The company has expanded to over 70 countries globally and includes a diverse team supporting markets worldwide. FuturaSun aims for vertical integration through its ongoing industrial development plan designed to create a more efficient PV supply chain. Despite industry challenges post-2023 due to price issues and overcapacities, the year marked significant growth milestones including establishing their own cell manufacturing plant planned to produce up to 12 gigawatts of N-type XPC cells by July next month. Expansion plans include acquiring Solartix—a startup focused on PerlSky's concept—and constructing new facilities both within Europe and China’s Jiangsu province where current operations are headquartered. This strategic bridging approach between European roots and Chinese capabilities underscores Futurasan’s commitment towards integrating robust global practices into their operational ethos.

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Talk of session: GW-scale Solar Module Factories for the Residential and Utility Scale Markets

The International Technology Roadmap for Photovltaics outlines projected developments in module technology. The current global manufacturing capacity is rapidly approaching the terawatt (TW) levels by 2024, with most of the output serving the residential and utility markets. What technological advancements are global players working on? How will product quality impact systems? What are the main technology goals for the coming years, and what are companies' perspectives on emerging technologies such as tandem cells and modules?

Further Talks of this session:

IBC4EU: Low Cost IBC Cells and Modules Made in Europe - a Horizon Europe Project's Take

To Talk

Reshoring Wafer Manufacturing

To Talk

HoloSolis: A 5GW European Cell and Module Factory

To Talk