Intelligence Brief

Emcore identifies areas of improvement

2 September 2009

Emcore has identified that it has to work on its product design and manufacturing cost in order to combat rival technologies.
 
This will be a major challenge going forward as the selling price of competing technologies has gone down considerably. This is due to weak demand and over capacity in the industry.
 
Another challenge for the CPV industry is related to demonstrating performance. The new technology is viewed as a risk rather than an advantage in the current economic environment. Emcore says it is often asked to provide performance heritage of utility side installation.
 
The company is the final qualification stage for its Gen-III CPV systems. In terms of developments of its offerings, Emcore indicated that its technology platform of IMM, which can be used for CPV terrestrial applications, can achieve efficiency levels of approximately 45% when the company establishes these on platform for use and a 500 to 1,500 times concentrated illumination for terrestrial applications. However, it added that the focus initially is on commercialising the IMM technology through space programmes. This will be followed by application of the same manufacturing process for terrestrial applications.
 
Emcore photovoltaic’s business accounted for $16.1 million or 42% of the company’s total revenue in the third quarter.
 
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