日本石油批发商在国内燃油需求下降的情况下，正在通过加强他们太阳能电池组件的贸易的方式来赚取更多的利润。
日本石油公司，一个捷信控股公司，在今年三月份专门成立一个子公司，来满足硅片产能渐增的需求。这些硅片，做为太阳能电池的主要材料，将出售给日本和全世界各地的太阳能电池制造商，出光兴产公司还生产透明电极材料，让更多的太阳能量转换为电力。而科斯莫石油公司也正在开发应用于太阳能电池的多晶硅材料。
TOKYO (Nikkei)--Japanese oil wholesalers are strengthening their solar-cell component businesses to earn more from the growth sector at a time when domestic demand for fuel oil is declining, according to a report in Sunday's Nikkei.
Nippon Oil Corp., a core unit of JX Holdings Inc. (5020.TO, JXHLY), is increasing silicon wafer production at Space Energy Corp., which it turned into a subsidiary in March, by 17% to an amount worth 240,000 kilowatts in fiscal 2010.
Those silicon wafers, a key material for solar cells, will be sold to Japanese and foreign solar cell makers.
Idemitsu Kosan Co. (5019.TO) has developed a polycarbonate resin that retains strength even after 3,000 hours of exposure to rain and sunlight and hopes to sell the material as protection for a device that links solar cells.
The company also manufactures transparent electrode materials that allow larger amounts of solar energy to be converted into electricity. It aims to generate 5 billion yen in sales worldwide from electrode materials, including those for liquid crystal display panels, in fiscal 2015.
Cosmo Oil Co. (5007.TO), for its part, is developing polycrystaline silicon for use in solar cells, with the goal of launching sales of it in fiscal 2012.
