News and Research on Trina Solar Limited (TSL)
Business Description
Trina Solar Limited operates as an integrated solar-power products manufacturer in China. The company integrates the manufacture of monocrystalline ingots, wafers and solar cells for use in its solar module production. The company sells and markets its products worldwide, including various European countries, such as Germany, Spain and Italy.
As of December 31, 2006, the company had an annual module manufacturing capacity of 59.8 megawatts (MW). It uses toll manufacturers by providing wafers to them and receiving solar cells from them in return. It also sells a portion of its ingots to toll manufacturers and purchase wafers from them in return.
Products
The company designs, develops, manufactures and sells solar modules. Solar modules are arrays of interconnected solar cells encased in a weatherproof frame. It produces standard solar modules ranging from 160 watts (W) to 185 W in power output. The company’s solar modules are built to general specifications, as well as to its customers’ specifications for use in a range of residential, commercial, industrial and other solar power generation systems. Its solar modules are sealed, weatherproof and able to withstand high levels of ultraviolet radiation and moisture. The company primarily sells its modules under its own brand.
Subsidiaries
The company’s subsidiaries include Top Energy International Limited; Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd; and Sun Era Industries Limited.
Suppliers
In January and February 2007, the company entered into two contracts for the procurement of polysilicon with Wacker Chemie AG and DC Chemical.
The company has developed collaborative relationships with various international and domestic manufacturers of solar cells, including Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., Q-Cells AG, Motech Industries, Inc. and DelSolar Co., Ltd.
In December 2006, the company entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Q-Cells AG, pursuant to which Q-Cells AG agreed to provide technical assistance to the company during the ramp-up phase of its solar cell production lines. The company also agreed to supply Q-Cells AG with a certain amount of monocrystalline wafers to be processed into cells for its module assembly facility.
Customers
The company sells most of its products to distributors, wholesalers and system integrators, including Corporación Zigor S.A., Scatec AS, SKR Energie GmbH, Schüco International KG, Conergy AG, Phönix SonnenStrom AG, Enerpoint srl, Enercat, Enerpal and Ensol.
Competition
The company competes with other module manufacturing companies, such as Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., Ltd., BP Solar International, Inc., ErSol Solar Energy AG, Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and Sunways AG. Its competitors have also become vertically integrated, from silicon wafer manufacturing to solar power system integration, such as Renewable Energy Corporation ASA and SolarWorld AG.
History
Trina Solar Limited was founded in 1997.
