Solar Cells Info

Sylvestre Tetchiada 3/9/2007
Source: FInancial Express
http://www.financialexpress-bd.com/index3.asp?cnd=3/9/2007&section_id=4&newsid=54858

For Merline Momo Azeufac, a teacher at Balefock village in western Cameroon, the days of fearing nightfall while correcting pupils’ work are over. She’s no longer hostage to the poor light provided by kerosene lamps.
“I always had sore eyes, and also a headache because of the smoke,” Azeufac told IPS. “Imagine that I used to correct about a hundred exercise books in bad lighting conditions…But this hasn’t been a problem since we had solar power.”

At the end of 2006, Balefock received four solar panels to produce power, under a grant from the Rural Entrepreneurship Foundation (REF). This non-governmental organisation (NGO), based in the Cameroonian capital of Yaoundé, was responding to a request from the Balefock Public School Parents’ Association.
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First-ever solar-powered salmon fishery will be operating this summer at Lummi Island in Anchorage
Laine Welch,  March 10, 2007
Source: Anchorage Daily News
http://www.adn.com/money/story/8699195p-8599623c.html

The first-ever solar-powered salmon fishery will be operating this summer at Lummi Island, home to the world’s only remaining reefnet fishery. It’s located at the northeast tip of the San Juan archipelago in Washington state, near Bellingham.  Reefnetting is perhaps the oldest form of net fishing in the world. Called “the original and still the best in selective fishing” by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, it was done centuries ago by Native Americans using cedar canoes and cedar nets.
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Clean-Energy Trends Report 2007
Source:
http://www.cleanedge.com/reports-trends2007.php

The following is an excerpt from Clean-Energy Trends 2007.

Maybe it was the changing global climate, or perhaps the changing business climate, that fueled clean-energy markets in 2006. More than likely, it was both of these, among several other factors, that pushed markets for solar, wind, fuel cells, biofuels, and other energy technologies along their inexorable upward march.

We have reached the point where the steady and rapid growth of clean energy has become an old story. Each year, it seems, brings an ever-higher plateau of success. This appears to be the future of clean energy: a rolling series of technology breakthroughs, landmark corporate investments, industry consolidation, and the not-infrequent emergence of new and sometimes surprising players entering the field.
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By Gary Robbins, March 9, 2007
source:  The Orange County Register
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/article_1609822.php

An anonymous donor has given UC Irvine $3.9 million to create a Center for Solar Research, enabling the school to more actively join state and federal efforts to develop cleaner-burning fuels.  UCI has long conducted studies on hydrogen fuel cells and nuclear energy. But it has done comparatively little work on harnessing the power of the sun.   “Solar energy research is a tremendous growth area and this donation is a big catalyst for us,” said John Hemminger, dean of UCI’s School of Physical Sciences, which will run the new center.
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By Tim O’Connor Senior Writer    / 6 March 2007
source: Purdue Univ Exponent
http://www.purdueexponent.org/index.php?module=article&story_id=4690

Countless hours of work, $200,000 and a multidisciplinary team will soon produce better ways to harness the power of the sun.  The Purdue Solar Racing team is working on a brand new car in preparation for the 2008 North American Solar Challenge, a cross-country race.  The car will cost about $200,000, twice as much as the 2005 model it’s replacing. Despite the budget increase, Purdue’s car will still have trouble competing with rivals like Michigan and Stanford that can afford more efficient and more expensive solar cells.
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9 March 2007
Source: Semiconductor Today
http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/NEWS_2007/MAR_07/SIA_090307.htm

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the selection of 13 industry-led solar technology development projects for funding of up to $168m (over fiscal 2007-2009). The aim is to accelerate the commercialization of US-produced solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The funding is the first to be made available as part of President Bush’s Solar America Initiative (SAI), which is a component of the Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI) announced in his 2006 State of the Union Address.
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SolarWorld AG surpasses own 2006 forecast with group sales of 515 million EUR and profits of 130 million EUR –  SolarWorld AG / Final Results

Feb 12, 2007
Source: SolarWorld AG press release
http://www.dgap.de/link.php?von=19970101&typ=adhoc&isin=DE0005108401&sprache=en&a=10&v=en&id=68828

In fiscal year 2006 SolarWorld AG profitably expanded and internationalized  its group-wide business volume both through organic growth along the entire solar value chain and also through the acquisition of the Shell solar activities. In comparison with the previous year group sales rose by 45 per cent to 515   (previous year: 356) million EUR which was more than forecast. Without taking into consideration one-off effects like the lucrative Shell solar acquisition the group generated earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of 118 million EUR. The after-tax annual result adjusted for these effects amounted to 73 (previous year: 52) million EUR which, as predicted by the Board of Management, was 40 per cent above the previous year.
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1 March 2007
Source: SolarWorld group press release
http://www.dgap.de/link.php?von=19970101&typ=adhoc&isin=DE0005108401&sprache=en&a=10&v=en&id=70067

In Hillsboro in the US federal state of Oregon SolarWorld AG is beginning
to establish an integrated solar silicon wafer and solar cell production
which will reach a capacity of 500 MW until the year  2009 thus at the same
time building the largest solar factory on the American continent. At a
price of only 30 million EUR the solar technology group succeeded in taking
over the silicon wafer production of the Japanese Komatsu Group which had
invested some 600 million EUR at the Hillsboro location – in the immediate
vicinity of the world’s largest factory of the chip manufacturer Intel –
but had never gone into production with the new facility due to a weak
demand situation in the chip industry. The SolarWorld Group will further
develop the new site with an investment of 300 million EUR. The federal
state of Oregon will support these investments with funds from its
Anti-Global-Warming-Program. Following this acquisition the SolarWorld
Group will shift its solar crystallization activities from Vancouver to
Hillsboro and already start up production in the summer of 2007. In the
first stage of the expansion capacities will be enhanced to 100 MW. At the
same time the group will double the capacities of its specialized solar
module factory at the Camarillo/California production site to 100 MW.
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Pennington,N.J.-(Business Wire), March 5, 2007
Source: Worldwater & Power Corp. press release

WorldWater & Power Corp. (OTC BB: WWAT), developer and marketer of proprietary high-power solar systems, today announced that it has been awarded a contract worth $5.7 million by Bayshore Recycling Corp. for installation of a 700 kilowatt system at the company’s Keasbey, New Jersey, headquarters. Bayshore, a large regional recycler of construction debris, will utilize the solar installation to power a significant portion of its operations. The firm recycles concrete, asphalt, brick, block, and slag, which are processed and transformed into marketable products. The contract is subject to finanacing by the customer and approval of a rebate by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
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Pennington, N.J., February 20, 2007 (BUSIMESS WIRE)
Source: Worldwater & Power Corp. press release
http://www.worldwater.com/pages/worldwaternews.html#outlook2007

WorldWater & Power Corp. (OTC BB:WWAT.OB-News), developer and marketer of proprietary high-power solar systems, today provided guidance for 2007. The company, which estimates 2006 revenue of $17 million, expects to see sales nearly double this year – to $30-$35 million, representing 5 megaWatts of electricity. The company has a steady backlog of solar projects and is bidding on an active pipeline of opportunities. Seasonality will be similar to 2006, with higher revenue expected to be realized in the latter half of the year. However, each quarter is expected to show strong comparisons over 2006. The seasonality reflects both normal demand trends and a shift in the company’s focus to larger, multi-megaWatt projects. In addition, WorldWater anticipates showing a profit for the full year – a major accomplishment – as it leverages increasing opportunities and takes a growing share of the solar market.
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