Solar Cells Info

December 19, 2006 / Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
source. Advent Solar press release
http://www.adventsolar.com/fileuploads/236477436458aaf82561bb.pdf

It is the dawning of a new day for solar…
Advent Solar is proud to announce its partnerships with three of the top PV system integrators in Europe:  Enerpoint S.r.l. of Italy, MHH Solartechnik GmbH of Germany, and SunConnex International BV of the Netherlands. Advent’s newly developed partnerships will allow customers across Europe to have abundant access to Advent Solar’s exciting new and highly aesthetic PV technology.
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BUDAPEST, Hungary, Dec. 13, 2006
Source: PrimeNewswire
http://www.primenewswire.com/?d=110390

Solar Thin Films, Inc. (Pink Sheets:SLTF) (the “Company” or “Solar Thin Films”) announced that its majority owned subsidiary Kraft Rt. (“Kraft”) will reach an important target on December 18, 2006, by completing its second shipment of thin film photovoltaic production equipment to China for Terra Solar North America Inc. (“Terra Solar”), a major customer of the Company. Terra Solar is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Terra Solar Global. This shipment is part of an order Kraft received from Terra Solar in December 2005, for an aggregate purchase of approximately $5 million USD relating to the manufacturing of a 2.5 megawatt (MW) amorphous silicon photovoltaic production line.
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Kathmandu, Dec 26, 2006
Source: ZeeNews
http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=344276&sid=SAS

A solar electrification project implemented with an Indian grant of over Rs two crore has helped light homes in Nepal`s eastern village of Jaljale. Some 4,500 villagers residing in 630 houses of Jaljale have benefited from the project. Each of the houses are now equipped with a solar panel, a maintenance-free battery and home lighting system of 75 watts, consisting of 4 lighting instruments of 12 watts each.
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By Talea Miller, NewsHour Extra /12.26.06
Source: PBS Feature story
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec06/green_12-26.html

A growing number of cities, businesses and school districts are discovering the benefits of “green” buildings that are environmentally friendly and reduce energy waste. This month, council members passed a bill to make Washington, D.C., the first major city to require all developers to design certified energy efficient buildings. Mayor Anthony Williams is expected to sign the bill into law. Elements of green design include water-free urinals, solar panels and recycled building materials that reduce waste and conserve water and energy.
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New gear at two Round Rock schools provides lessons in math, biology.

By Bob Banta
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/12/26/26Solar.html

ROUND ROCK — Penny Smeltzer views the new solar panels at Westwood High School as a chance for her statistics students to engage in some high-level mathematical forecasting.  Chris Delbar thinks that the sun-generated electricity could launch her Westwood chemistry students into a field of study that could make the planet a lot healthier.  “There’s an old saying that we must take care of the environment because we borrow it from our children,” Delbar said. “These panels will motivate us to learn more about renewable energy.”
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Public Utilies Commission wants to award credits to owners of solar units

By Katherine Conrad  / Mercury News /December 26, 2006
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/16319161.htm

California property owners are poised to gain yet another reason to go green.  In a decision closely watched by the solar industry, the California Public Utilities Commission recently signaled its intent to award the ownership of credits earned from renewable energy sources to the residential and commercial owners of such systems — and not to the utility companies.
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BANGKOK, Dec 26 (TNA)
source: ETNA English News
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=26849

Thailand’s first solar-powered bus was announced Tuesday with fanfare suggesting it not only is suitable for public transport in cities, but is also noise- and air-pollution free. Dr. Anond Bunyaratvej, the secretary-general of the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), presided at a press conference to announce the success of developing the country’s first solar-powered bus.
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By Jack Uldrich /December 22, 2006
Source:
http://www.fool.com/news/2006/12/22/suntech-power-danger-or-opportunity.aspx

The Chinese character for the word “crisis” has been said to include two elements that, individually, represent the terms for danger and opportunity. I don’t know whether this is true, but I do know that this saw can be a useful way to assess risky situations like the investment opportunity lurking in Suntech Power (NYSE: STP). To some, it might be considered a dangerous investment; to others, an opportunity. Who’s right?

Dangerous?
Suntech, a manufacturer of photovoltaic solar cells that’s based in China, is now one of the world’s largest solar companies and is a serious player in the emerging industry, along with BPSolar (owned by BP (NYSE: BP)), Kyocera (NYSE: KYO), Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDSa), Sharp, and Q-Cells.

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By Masaki Kondo TOKYO, Bloomberg / December 20, 2006
source: chinapost.com
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/archives/business/20061220/98014.htm

Sanyo Electric Co., the world’s biggest maker of rechargeable batteries, said it will invest 19 billion yen (US$161 million) in solar cell production over the next two years as demand is increasing. Sanyo expects production capacity to double to 350 megawatts in the fiscal year starting April 2008, the Osaka-based company said in a statement Tuesday. Output of panels will probably total 260 megawatts next year, matching a forecast the company provided first in June.

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Himanshu Pandya / December 25th, 2006
source: financialnirvana.com
http://energy.financialnirvana.com/2006/12/25/everyone-is-going-solar/

According to DigiTimes, Taiwan based AU Optronics Corp. (NYSE: AUO) is getting into the Solar business. The company is said to have recruited a team of specialists to produce thin-film solar cells. AU Optronics Corp. engages in the design, development, manufacture, assemble, and marketing of thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels and other flat panel displays. The solar cell manufacturing is similar in nature and would only require an investment of $7.7 million to produce thin-film solar cells on a glass substrate base line.

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