DuPont expects to grow PV sales over 50 percent in 2010

WILMINGTON, USA: DuPont expects its photovoltaic sales to grow over 50 percent this year as the solar industry experiences strong growth as a result of increased market demand for new installations in Europe, North America and parts of Asia.

DuPont now expects its sales into photovoltaics to exceed $1 billion in 2011, which is a year ahead of plan, and has set a new goal to exceed $2 billion in sales by 2014.

"Our focus on delivering materials innovations that are essential to the photovoltaic industry's future growth is paying off for our customers and for DuPont," said David B. Miller, president, DuPont Electronics & Communications. "We not only have the materials that provide superior performance and reliability to photovoltaic modules, but also the ability to match those products to the specific, individual needs of our customers and we are aggressively expanding to supply those materials in the volumes required by this high growth industry."

In 2009, DuPont sales to the photovoltaic market exceeded $550 million - an increase of over 25 percent from the previous year - and outperformed the broader industry, which experienced significantly lower growth, estimated to be 10 percent or less. DuPont's growth is supported by new innovations that improve module efficiency and lifetime, and enable new photovoltaic technologies and applications, which ultimately accelerate the industry's drive to bring costs down in line with other forms of energy.

"We have seen strong demand that has led us to continue our trend of growing faster than the market due to several successful new product introductions and share gains based on a strong portfolio of materials-based offerings to global leading photovoltaic cell and module manufacturers," said Miller.

"We expect our growth momentum to continue because materials innovations are essential to delivering improved efficiency, longer lifetimes, and lower overall system costs to consumers."