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Innovative R&D and service
Corporate Responsibility Practice
Sustaining the Role of Energy Supplier
In recent years, the frequency of global warming and extreme weather events has increased, prompting nearly 200 countries at COP28 to commit to “move towards energy systems free of unabated fossil fuels .” About 100 countries pledged to triple the use of renewable energy and double energy efficiency by 2030, contributingto limiting global warmingto1.5 degrees Celsius. This demonstrates the growing emphasis on renewable energy worldwide as countries face the challenges of energy transition. In this dynamic and challenging environment, SAS has implemented vertical integration within the solar industry, extending its operations from solar materials, cells, and modules to photovoltaic power plants , including maintenance and management, green energy sales, energy storage, and the energy IoT. The Company strives to provide customers with the best green energy solutions and respond to the energy transition trend. SAS also invests in developing second and third-generation semiconductor materials to explore new business opportunities and sales channels. Our main service scope currently focuses on supplying energy materials, including solar materials and wafers for related industries. These products can be made into solar cells and modules. SAS continues to invest in the renewable energy market and have established a renewable energy electricity sales business to provide green electricity for our needs and external demands.Our semiconductor business offers GaN power semiconductor solutions for consumer, communication, and automotive applications, emphasizing energy efficiency and environmental sustainability to support our carbon reduction goals.
In the highly competitive market, SAS-related products and services not only adhere to stringent legal and regulatory standards but also align with the most sustainable practices. By actively promoting green energy to its suppliers and customers, SAS is driving the industry towards a more sustainable future.Beyond continuous investment in the green energy and semiconductor industries, SAS has independently committed to being environmentally friendly and sustainable. The Company announced its goal to use 100% renewable energy by 2050, aiming to lead the related industry chain in valuing and transitioning to clean energy.
Continued Innovation and Development of Cutting- Edge Products and Technologies
To support national policies and achieve the 2025 goal of 20 GW solar photovoltaic installation capacity, SAS focuses on innovative research and development of new-generation technologies, aiming to produce high-efficiency solar cells and pursue energy conservation, carbon reduction, and sustainable operation goals. In 2022, SAS upgraded its production line for the first time, maintaining the existing M6 production line while actively developing and mass-producing large-size M10 solar cell processes. The introduction of CELCO P+ process technology allows for a mass production efficiency of 23.4%, translating to an annual power generation capacity of 370 MW and carbon reduction equivalent to 229,440 tons. In 2023, SAS won Taiwan Excellent PV Award in the battery category from the Bureau of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs. SAS has achieved mastery in solar cell design, pioneering advancements in key technologies. As the Taiwanese market gradually shifted to large-size solar products starting in 2023, SAS has not only improved the efficiency of the M6 process but also independently designed and developed M10 large-size solar cells for mass production, offering a diverse range of options to the market. Looking ahead, SAS is committed to developing N-type TOPCon solar cells, a cuttingedge technology that boasts higher efficiency and stability due to its exceptional carrier lifetime and resistance to light-induced degradation. This will increase power generation per unit area and reduce installation costs. This strategic move strengthens our position in the international market and enables us to deliver superior green energy options to both domestic and international customers.
R&D award records over the years
Continuous Product Innovation
Leveraging extensive R&D expertise, SAS continues to build on its research and development achievements. This includes the ongoing development of silicon material applications and the enhancement of ultrahigh efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells. In response to customer demands for various solar cell products, SAS has developed solar cells that meet these needs. Commencing in 2024, the Company will upgrade its production lines to develop ultrahigh efficiency large-size N-type TOPCon monocrystalline silicon solar cells (M10), with an expected conversion efficiency of 24.50%.
SAS has prioritized “Enhancing Innovation Capability” and “Strengthening Confidentiality Mechanism” as key management strategies. The company not only fosters innovation through independent research and development but also actively seeks collaboration or strategic alliances to stimulate technological advancement. To safeguard its intellectual property, SAS has implemented robust measures to control business secrets and establish specifications for the use of electronic mail and electronic storage devices to ensure that key technologies remain confidential , preserving the company’s competitive edge. SAS passed the audit of the Taiwan Intellectual Property Management System (TIPS) in 2023 to further improve the Company’s intellectual property management.
Strategic deployment into the renewable energy market
With the continued development of the global renewable energy power generation industry, SAS will continue to cultivate the solar energy industry as we have done for many years. In 2015, SAS began devoting to the solar power industry through our Hsu-Hsin Branch in Yilan. In 2020, our Yilan Branch established a Power Station Development Department, expanding the scope of the Group’s renewable energy services to include power generation, maintenance and operation, energy storage, and green energy. SAS is committed to achieving vertical industry integration and expanding our solar energy business so as to transform the company into one of the main professional suppliers of green energy solution in Taiwan. SAS constantly seeks the next growth momentum and hopes to pursue sustainability and growth together with customers and suppliers.
SAS Group not only continued its investment in green energy industries, but also made a commitment to environmental sustainability in August 2021, pledging to adopt 100% renewable energy by 2050. By leveraging our long-term commitment to and understanding of the green energy industry, SAS Group established Sustainable Energy Solution Co., Ltd., (SES) a subsidiary that strives for both energy and business sustainability. The goal is to assemble enterprises that need to use renewable electricity and assist them in providing professional solutions with respect to law, border trade, global supply chains, or self-declarations. In 2022, SES obtained the license to sell electricity, officially becoming a member of the renewable electricity market for trade liberalization. Nevertheless, we will keep pace with global trends in the adoption of renewable energy, and continue to meet the group’s renewable energy targets and strive for net-zero emissions.
Improve the Renewable Energy Construction and Maintenance Management Quality
Due to the number of solar power plants invested, held, and commissioned for construction by SAS, the number of solar power plants under management continues to grow. To improve the overall management quality and efficiency, SAS completed the development and implementation of an online “Solar Engineering Management System” in 2022. This system establishes a comprehensive database and operational history for solar power plants from construction to grid integration over 20 years. Through data accumulation and analysis, as well as the introduction and refinement of a third-party evaluation system, SAS continues to optimize the quality and scope of its renewable energy services.
Customer and Product Services
Customer Service
SAS is firmly committed to providing its customers with the best services and is deeply convinced that an excellent service quality is the key to improving customer satisfaction and consolidating customer loyalty. SAS adheres to a philosophy of sustainable operation. In addition to maintaining business performance, the company also places great emphasis on listening to customers’ opinions and satisfying customer demands to earn their long-term support and achieve sustainable operation goals.
SAS is a premier manufacturer of solar wafer and battery. Since 2019, the company has focused on developing innovative applications leveraging silicon material technology and providing advanced process technology and product services. Our goals are to fulfill customer product needs, prioritize customer satisfaction through professionalism, adopt a customer-centric perspective, provide comprehensive services tailored to the customer requirements to achieve customer satisfaction and foster long-term sustainability.
Product quality and customer satisfaction
SAS has long been firmly committed to the goals of “customer satisfaction, requirements conformity, total quality control, and continued improvements” to increase customers’ confidence in SAS products and services. Providing high-quality services and products to satisfy customers is the company’s core mission. Professional teams are set up to take charge of product development, costs, manufacturing, quality, and customer services. Professional services are provided in response to customer problems and feedback in a rapid and active manner to assist customers handling and resolving problems to earn their trust and satisfaction.
SAS schedules regular meetings with customers to maintain excellent communications with customers and conduct discussions on production and sales quality and engineering technologies. The company develops new-generation products in cooperation with customers and enhances product power conversion through technical discussions with the supply chain. It further optimizes the usage of social resources to reduce environmental pollution. The ultimate goal is to ensure in-depth cooperative relationships with customers and higher customer satisfaction with our products, technologies, and services.
SAS therefore conducts customer satisfaction surveys on a bi-annual basis. Upon collection and organization of customer opinions, dedicated teams convene exclusive meetings to formulate strategies and directions of improvement with customer opinions as the main indicator. Regarding items with relatively low to zero satisfaction, the company conducts followup interviews with customers to clarify issues. Shortcomings will be analyzed, and improvement strategies formulated to transform the concept of enhanced customer satisfaction into concrete action, hoping to earn the trust and praise of even more customers. The goal is to become our customers’ best collaborative partner and to work with our customers in sustainable operations and development.
Product Services
SAS adheres to the cells production with high-efficiency conversion, as well as constant innovation and development of high-efficiency products. SAS can fast integrate up- and down-stream technology development capacity through supply chain integration and technology interchange. The time required for product launch is shortened; product reliability, enhanced; and quality confidence, increased, to more efficiently align products to the demands of end users. In terms of quality, SAS has stringent procedures, processes, and controls in handling customer information collection, product design and development, and manufacturing processes. Outstanding and stable product quality is ensured via systematic management at all phases. SAS also convenes production morning, operation weekly, quality monthly management review, and annual review meetings to ensure continuous product improvements. PDCA is constantly carried out to enhance products and services, reduce costs and expenditures, and give back to society.
Customer Privacy and Information Protection
Customer privacy
SAS is dedicated to providing exceptional customer service while placing the utmost importance on protecting customer privacy and confidentiality. Relevant agreements are signed with customers to protect their classified information. Meanwhile, all staff members are required to strictly abide by SAS IPR policies and protect confidential information of customers during business dealings in a rigorous manner.
In providing services, SAS not only offers professional advice to clients but also places significant emphasis on protecting information confidentiality and customer privacy due to the complex nature of the industry. We routinely enter into confidentiality agreements with our clients to protect mutual interests. Internally, SAS strictly promotes and requires adherence to its intellectual property policies and regulations to protect customer confidential information, ensuring that business can be conducted without concerns and providing peace of mind for customers. Regular audits are conducted to prevent any potential data breaches. With the implementation of reporting mechanisms and audit management measures, SAS received no complaints or penalties from customers or regulatory authorities in 2023. This has enhanced the Company’s reputation and accumulated intangible assets for SAS.
Protection of Intellectual Property
In 2010, SAS adopted the Taiwan intellectual property management system (TIPS) and has since successively passed the basic certification (2010-2011) and advanced certification (2012-2015) and
obtained the AA-level certification in 2016. The company will remain committed to the protection and
management of intellectual property. In recent years, the company has continuously strengthened
its confidentiality management system and gradually structured a data classification system, defined
confidentiality levels for internal and external documents, established different labeling and circulation control methods, and established electronic equipment usage specifications. SAS has introduced a cloud virtual desktop, centralized data backup management, outgoing email inspection systems, and restrictions on electronic storage device use. Additionally, the company conducts regular reviews of folder permissions, requires key employees to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and has implemented robust procedures to address information security concerns during employee departures. We have completed the electronic TIPS internal audit form and regularly review stakeholders’ expectations and internal and external issues in the TIPS system. In terms of the patent management system, we will continue to optimize the patent proposal system. Even more importantly, SAS organizes regular intellectual property training to reinforce the staff’s understanding and awareness of confidentiality management’s importance and shape a corporate culture concerned with confidentiality management. The goal is to apply excellent intellectual property management to safeguard the rights and interests of the company and its customers, improve customer trust, and increase product market share.
Product Accountability
Product Safety and Accountability
Due to the wide range of silicon material application products and to ensure the products comply with the EU RoHS (restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment) international regulations and customer requirements for hazardous substances, SAS requires all its products to be tested by a certified unbiased third-party laboratory. In 2023, all SAS
products met EU RoHS requirements. To ensure product safety and non-toxicity, SAS requires that raw materials suppliers and packaging materials provide regular hazardous substance inspection reports issued by a certified third-party impartial unit laboratory to meet the product safety and non-toxicity requirements and strengthen its commitment to environmental friendliness and protection.
In addition, SAS is fully aware of the risks associated with solar cells and backend modules such as environmental impact of chemical substances used in manufacturing processes, risks of product use in different environments, and risks at different stages after the end of the product life cycle. Although there are no regulations or international standards for product labeling related to solar cells; after considering various factors, SAS still conducts comprehensive labeling of products regarding their composition, hazardous substances, and safety in use so that customers can. There were no product labeling nonconformities reported by stakeholders in 2023. In terms of marketing and sales, SAS explains in detail the potential risks of products through media, such as product specifications, and complies with regulatory, environmental, and customer requirements in each sales region.
Value chain
Adhering to the principle of integrity, SAS has grown into a globally recognized company. From its establishment to the vertical integration of the solar industry chain, SAS’s business scope extends from solar cells and modules to photovoltaic project maintenance, green electricity matching, and beyond, positioning it as a global provider of professional green energy solutions.
SAS identifies key materials with potential operational risks, including silicon raw materials, dopants, silicon wafers, and conductive paste. Due to geopolitical and economic scale factors, silicon raw materials and wafers cannot be fully sourced in Taiwan. Therefore, SAS adopts risk control strategies such as supplier diversification, material reserves, and increasing the reuse ratio of silicon raw materials. SAS has also established a supply chain code of conduct for suppliers to follow,suppliers must fully comply with the laws and regulations of their operating countries/ regions and adhere to business practices in health, safety, labor, environment, business ethics, and management systems. They must follow the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) Code of Conduct, avoid conflict minerals, commit to meeting domestic and international standards (RoHS, REACH, WEEE), and prioritize procuring environmentally certified products.
SAS also actively encourages suppliers to implement energy management and carbon reduction mechanisms, greenhouse gas inventory certification, and the use of green electricity or renewableenergy, aiming to jointly achieve the 2050 net-zero emissions goal.
Localized supply chain
SAS has its main production base in Taiwan and has therefore been actively cooperating with Taiwanese suppliers to implement the goal of supply chain localization. In 2023, the Chunan Branch, Yilan Branch, and Hsu-Hsin Branch had a total of 554 suppliers. 513 local chemical manufacturers accounted for 92.6% of the procurement amount, and their procurement amount accounted for 64.3% of the total procurement amount.
However, as mentioned above, due to the influence of geographical location and economic scale, our key materials – silicon raw materials and silicon wafers, cannot be fully obtained from Taiwan. If silicon raw materials and silicon wafers are not included in the calculation of the procurement amount, our local procurement amount accounted for 75.2% of the total purchase amount (excluding silicon raw materials and silicon wafers); Moreover, in terms of suppliers related to the life cycle of SAS silicon products, there were 219 suppliers, of which 187 were local chemical manufacturers (85.4 %), with their procurement amounts representing 62.9% of the total product life cycle expenditure.
