Sharp Solar, a subsidiary of Sharp Electronics, is a

solar energy Solar energy is the radiant energy from the Sun's sunlight, light and heat, which can be harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating) and solar architecture. It is a ...

products company owned by

Sharp Corporation is a Japanese electronics company. It is headquartered in Sakai, Osaka, and was founded by Tokuji Hayakawa in 1912 in Honjo, Tokyo, and established as the Hayakawa Metal Works Institute in Abeno-ku, Osaka, in 1924. Since 2016, it is majority o ...

and based in

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

, Japan.

Products

The company produces thin film modules and mono and poly- crystalline silicon

solar cell A solar cell, also known as a photovoltaic cell (PV cell), is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by means of the photovoltaic effect.

s. Sharp's photovoltaic (PV) modules are used for many applications, from satellites to lighthouses, and industrial applications to residential use. Sharp Solar manufactures PV modules in multiple locations, though it shut down solar panel production at its factories in Wrexham, Wales and Memphis, Tennessee in 2014.

History

Sharp began researching solar cells in 1959 with mass production first beginning in 1963. Production capacity amounted to 324 MW in 2004. In 2010, they were the #1 producer of PV cells, in terms of revenues."Solarbuzz Raises Global Photovoltaic 2010 Market Forecast to 15.2 GW"
, ''SolarBuzz'', 29 June 2010

Timeline

1959: Started development of solar cells
1963: Began mass production of solar cells
1963: First to supply ocean buoy with solar power cells
1966: Installed solar on lighthouse
1967: Began development of solar space applications
1976: "Ume" satellite successfully launched with solar cells on board
1980: Released first solar calculator
1981: Began operations at Shinjo Plant (now Katsuragi)
1988: Reached 11.5% cell conversion for amorphous silicon solar cells
1992: Reached 17.1% cell conversion for polycrystalline solar cells
1992: Achieved world's highest cell conversion efficiency of 22%
1994: Commercialization of residential solar power system (grid-connected)
2000: Became global leader in solar cell manufacturing
2001: Obtained UL (U.S.) and TUV (EU) certification for PV modules
2002: Developed the industry's first string power conditioner
2003: Space PV module installed on Satellite Observatory "Free Flyer" (SFU)
2003: Began producing PV modules in the United States
2003: Began producing PV modules in Europe
2005: Developed solar cells that admit light and can be used as building materials for windows
2005: Began mass-producing thin film solar cells
2006: Katsuragi plant expands its annual production capacity to 600 megawatts, the world's highest at that time
2007: Expanded production capacity of PV modules to 200 megawatts in Europe
2008: Became first PV manufacturer in the world to achieve cumulative production of 2 GW
2008: Achieved industry's highest conversion efficiency for a polycrystalline PV module of 14.4%
2009: Launched thin film modules globally
2010: Launched world's highest efficiency Solar PV panel with greater than 32.5% efficiency
2010: Investment made into 2.8 GW annual production capacity

References

External links

* {{Solar power in the United States Solar energy companies of Japan Solar Electronics companies of Japan Photovoltaics manufacturers Manufacturing companies based in Osaka Energy companies established in 1959 Electronics companies established in 1959 Renewable resource companies established in 1959 Japanese companies established in 1959

Products

History

Timeline

See also

References

External links