Motech Industries Inc (茂迪) led shares of Taiwanese solar cell makers higher in Taipei trading yesterday after Japan said it planned to offer subsidies and tax breaks to encourage households to install more solar panels.
Motech, the nation’s biggest solar cell maker, jumped 6 percent to close at NT$249, its biggest gain since May 5, on the over-the-counter GRETAI Securities Market. Gintech Energy Corp (昱晶能源), the No. 2 maker, advanced 1.8 percent to NT$231.50, while E-Ton Solar Tech Co (益通光能) climbed 5.2 percent to NT$378.
Solar cells are made from silicon wafers and are used to convert sunlight into electricity.
Japan plans to offer subsidies and tax breaks as early as next year to encourage households to install solar panels as part of efforts to cut greenhouse gases.
The government will also promote the use of biofuels, geothermal energy and hydrogen fuel by oil refiners and gas companies, a trade ministry committee said in a statement released in Tokyo yesterday.
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announced on June 9 that Japan aims to reduce gases blamed for global warming by as much as 80 percent by 2050. Japan plans to boost installation of solar panels tenfold by 2020.
Details of how much the government will pay for the incentives have yet to be worked out. The committee estimates the cost of installing panels is ¥2.3 million (US$21,300) per household. It predicts the cost will halve in five years because subsidies will boost demand and spur competition, bringing down prices.
Between 1994 and 2005, Japan provided as much as ¥70,000 to households in subsidies for installing solar panels. A revival would help kick-start the industry, which had a setback when the subsidies ended, the report said.
Japan’s greenhouse emissions rose 6.2 percent in the year ended March last year from the level in 1990, the environment ministry said.
Quanta Computer Inc (廣達) chairman Barry Lam (林百里) is expected to share his views about the artificial intelligence (AI) industry’s prospects during his speech at the company’s 37th anniversary ceremony, as AI servers have become a new growth engine for the equipment manufacturing service provider. Lam’s speech is much anticipated, as Quanta has risen as one of the world’s major AI server suppliers. The company reported a 30 percent year-on-year growth in consolidated revenue to NT$1.41 trillion (US$43.35 billion) last year, thanks to fast-growing demand for servers, especially those with AI capabilities. The company told investors in November last year that
Intel Corp has named Tasha Chuang (莊蓓瑜) to lead Intel Taiwan in a bid to reinforce relations between the company and its Taiwanese partners. The appointment of Chuang as general manager for Intel Taiwan takes effect on Thursday, the firm said in a statement yesterday. Chuang is to lead her team in Taiwan to pursue product development and sales growth in an effort to reinforce the company’s ties with its partners and clients, Intel said. Chuang was previously in charge of managing Intel’s ties with leading Taiwanese PC brand Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), which included helping Asustek strengthen its global businesses, the company
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