Canadian Solar's
Plenty of other solar names -- from First Solar
The Chinese module maker, which sources wafers from LDK Solar
In addition to sourcing cells from outside suppliers, Canadian Solar ramped up its internal production, leading to the nearly 11% sequential rise in shipments. A further expansion of solar cell capacity is under way this month, and the firm is also embracing some Trina Solar-
Rounding out the picture is the firm's move into upgraded metallurgical grade (UMG) silicon, which we looked at last quarter. Production of UMG-based "e-Modules" began in March, and units started shipping to both U.S. and European customers this month. UMG is a low-cost material that, like scrap silicon, can be blended with virgin polysilicon. If e-Modules are well-received, their contribution to Canadian Solar's future margins could be significant.
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