Manufacturer of monocrystalline solar wafers, solar cells and solar modules with turnkey system construction
Solarworld Industries GmbH
Bonn · Freiberg · ArnstadtNew on Amplifa
About Solarworld
Solarworld was a German industrial group in the solar sector that manufactured monocrystalline solar modules and was active in the international distribution of monocrystalline photovoltaic technology. The value chain spanned wafer production, solar cell manufacturing and fully automated module production through to the planning and construction of turnkey photovoltaic systems. The raw material was monocrystalline silicon. Production took place at the German sites of Freiberg (wafer and module manufacturing, among others through Solar Factory GmbH and Deutsche Cell GmbH) and Arnstadt (solar cell manufacturing); administration and sales were based in Bonn. Internationally, there was a production site in Hillsboro in the US state of Oregon, which was shut down in 2018. After the insolvency of Solarworld AG in May 2017, Solarworld Industries GmbH took over the German production facilities and the sales companies in Europe, Asia and Africa in August 2017. Solarworld Industries GmbH itself filed for the opening of insolvency proceedings in March 2018; production was discontinued in September 2018.
- Site
- Bonn
- Processes
- Wafer production, Solar cell manufacturing, Module production (fully automated), Manufacture of turnkey photovoltaic systems, Manufacture of monocrystalline solar cells and solar modules, Planning and construction of turnkey photovoltaic systems, Research and development, Distribution
- Materials
- monocrystalline silicon, Monocrystalline Silicon
- Founded
- 1988
- Industries
- Photovoltaics/Solar industry, Renewable Energies
- 01
Wafer production from monocrystalline silicon
- 02
Solar cell manufacturing
- 03
Fully automated module production
- 04
Distribution and construction of turnkey photovoltaic systems
Materials and Processes
Monocrystalline Silicon
Raw material for the production of solar wafers, solar cells and solar modules.
Sites
Bonn
DEAdministration and Sales
Freiberg
DEWafer and module manufacturing (Solar Factory GmbH, Deutsche Cell GmbH, Solar Factory III)
- Materials
- Monocrystalline silicon
- Fully automated module production
Arnstadt
DESolar cell manufacturing
- Materials
- Monocrystalline silicon
Hillsboro (Oregon)
USWafer, cell and module production (shut down in 2018)
- Materials
- Monocrystalline silicon
- Fully automated module plant
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wafer productionSemiconductor/Solar manufacturing | – | – | – | – | Silicon |
| Solar cell manufacturingSemiconductor/Solar manufacturing | – | – | – | – | monocrystalline silicon |
| Module production (fully automated)Assembly | – | – | – | – | monocrystalline silicon |
| Manufacture of turnkey photovoltaic systemsAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
History
- 1988
Frank Asbeck founds an engineering office for industrial plants in Bonn.
- 1995
Start of trading in photovoltaic modules, inverters, components as well as kits and system solutions.
- 1998
Founding of Solarworld and takeover of all solar business activities of the engineering office.
- 1999
IPO in November.
- 2000
Start of wafer production at the Freiberg site.
- 2001
Founding of Solar Factory GmbH in Freiberg.
- 2002
Inauguration of Deutsche Cell GmbH in Freiberg, first in-house cell production.
- 2003
Start of fully automated module production in Freiberg.
- 2004
Award as a prize winner in the Großer Preis des Mittelstandes (Grand Prize of SMEs) competition of the Oskar-Patzelt Foundation.
- 2005
Founding of the sales companies Solarworld California Inc. (USA) and Solarworld Ibérica S.L. (Spain).
- 2006
Expansion of production at the US site in Hillsboro through the acquisition of Shell Group's solar silicon activities.
- 2007
Purchase of a further plant for wafer and cell production.
- 2008
Takeover offer for the German Opel plants, rejected by General Motors.
- 2010
Inauguration of a new fully automated module plant in Hillsboro (USA), commissioning of a new solar wafer production facility and an R&D center in Freiberg, as well as participation in the joint venture Qatar Solar Technologies.
- 2011
Takeover of Solarparc AG, acquisition of lithium exploration rights in the Ore Mountains and commissioning of Solar Factory III in Freiberg.
- 2012
Sharp drop in revenue from €1.05 billion to €606 million; operating loss of €492.4 million.
- 2013
Acknowledgment of severe financial difficulties, debt waiver and capital cut.
- 2017
Insolvency of Solarworld AG in May; takeover of the German production facilities and sales companies by Solarworld Industries GmbH in August.
- 2018
Insolvency petition of Solarworld Industries GmbH in March; production discontinued in September.