Solar Cells Info

Nuying Huang, Taipei; Esther Lam, DIGITIMES, 31 August 2007
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20070830PD222.html

The persistent shortage of polysilicon may reach an equilibrium in the first half of 2008 at the earliest, as both new comers and existing players all plan for expansion in 2008, said E-ton Solar Tech company general manager Chin-Yao Tsai.  M.Setek from Japan and DC Chemical from Korea, the two new comers in polysilicon production who are both acknowledged by industry players for their relatively strong competitiveness in the industry, both plan for new supply in 2008, Tsai said. M.Setek plans to have an annual output of 5,200 tons of polysilicon in 2008 while DC Chemical plans for 3,000 tons in annual output. More polysilicon supply is also going to be available from some China-based makers, he noted.
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* Booming demand for solar energy systems spurs photovoltaic production
* Innovative thin-film technologies on the advance
* Productronica exhibitors display technologies for the complete photovoltaic production chain from silicon to ready-to-operate solar modules in the “MicroNanoWorld” exhibition area

Source:
http://www.presseagentur.com/mmi/detail.php?pr_id=1450&lang=en

Electricity costs are increasing, and consumers are looking for alternatives. In 2005 alone, solar energy systems with an overall output of 912 megawatts (MW) were installed in roofs and in open areas in Germany compared to only 597 MW in the previous year (Source: PHOTON International). This makes Germans the world champions in matters of “green electricity”, because systems for a total of 290 MW were installed in Japan and for 100 MW in the USA in the same period, for example.
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By Sally Apgar, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
West Palm Beach, FL, September 1, 2007
Source: South Florida Sun Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/
sfl-flpsolartrain0901pnsep01,0,6274584.story

WEST PALM BEACH – People are waiting on the “Solar City” train platform. One is a businessman, sporting a 1950s-era brown fedora. His gray suit jacket hangs over his left arm and a brown briefcase dangles from his right hand. He looks almost like he’s sweating in the hot sun. A long-legged boy in a red T-shirt and shorts is lounging on a wooden bench, hot dog in hand.
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Aliso Viejo, CA., August 20, 2007
Source. XSunX.com press release
http://www.xsunx.com/news.aspx?news=58

XsunX, Inc. (XSNX), a  developer of advanced manufacturing systems and thin-film photovoltaic solar modules, sees building interest for its solar modules currently being offered on a pre-production basis. “Our product is a thin-film amorphous solar module on a glass panel and targets what we believe to be an ideal spot in the market.  What we are seeing is a growing demand for modules delivering 100 watts or more of peak power with superior climate and low light performance characteristics,” stated Kurt Laetz, VP of Global Sales for XsunX. (more…)

Denvar, Colo., July 5, 2007
Source: Coenergy.com press release
http://www.conergy.us/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-267/236_read-7783/

Conergy has reached an agreement to become a key North American channel partner for Day4’s high efficiency solar modules. The agreement guarantees at least 2 MW of modules for calendar year 2007 and considerably more for 2008. Day4 modules are produced with proprietary technology that results in high module efficiency at an economical price. The majority of Day4 solar modules, which are manufactured in Canada, have been allocated to the European market where feed-in tariffs create consumer demand for high efficiency modules.
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August 26, 2007
Source: WashingtonPost.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
2007/08/25/AR2007082500173.html

Solar power, which is much more expensive than other forms of power generation, would become more competitive if lawmakers tax or price carbon-dioxide emissions.   “Electricity prices could go up 50 percent over the next 10 years. Then solar will be cheaper than the grid,” said Jesse W. Pichel, a senior analyst at Piper Jaffray, who expects rising oil and coal prices and falling solar costs as companies innovate the way semiconductor chip firms did. For now, solar relies heavily on government subsidies, including a $2,000 federal tax credit for installations, supplemented by generous aid in places like California, New Jersey and the District.
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Kerry A. Dolan, FORBES, Aug 16, 2007
Source: Forbes.com
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/08/16/
financing-solar-energy-tech-07egang-cz_kd_0816solarfinance.html

For lots of good reasons, more corporations are turning to solar power installations: lower electricity bills, generous state rebates, the 30% federal investment tax credit and the overall “green” sheen that comes with putting solar panels on an otherwise unadorned corporate roof.  But one common roadblock to going solar is the sizable upfront installation cost. Depending on the size of the installation, it can run $600,000 or more per commercial rooftop.
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By Paul Davidson, USA TODAY
Source: USA Today /Aug 26, 2007
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2007-08-26-solar_N.htm

Solar power has long been the Mercedes-Benz of the renewable energy industry: sleek, quiet, low-maintenance.  Yet like a Mercedes, solar energy is universally adored but prohibitively expensive for most people. A 4-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system costs about $34,000 without government rebates or tax breaks.  As a result, solar power accounts for well under 1% of U.S. electricity generation. Other alternative energy sources, such as wind, biomass and geothermal, are far more widely deployed.

The outlook for solar, though, is getting much brighter. A few dozen companies say advances in technology will let them halve the price of solar-panel installations in as little as three years. By 2014, solar-system prices will be competitive with conventional electricity when energy savings are figured in, Deutsche Bank (DB) says. And that’s without government incentives.
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Aug 27, 2007 /Tyler Hamilton, Energy Reporter
Source: The Star.com
http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/250043

The Cleantech Network released an insightful report last week that paints a rosy picture of the clean-technology sector, highlighting 2006 as a year of significant expansion.  “The year 2006 proved to be even more exciting than 2005,” the report states. “Total venture investment rose; M&A (mergers and acquisitions) and IPO (initial public offerings) remained robust; public policies gained clarity and purpose; and innovators showed they were up to the task of developing and marketing new and better ways to conserve natural resources.”  Among the highlights of the report is that investment in clean-tech companies rose 70 per cent, to $3.9 billion (U.S.) in 2006, with clean-energy-related investments such as solar and biofuels accounting for more than $3 billion of that.

Amid all the hype – and the hype, at this point, may be justified – it’s fair to ask whether all clean-tech investments are created equal.  Some investors have strong views on this, including Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures and a long-time partner with venture capital titan Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (the firm that made early and successful bets on Google, Amazon.com and AOL). (more…)

Scientists are researching new ways of harnessing the sun’s rays which could eventually make it cheaper for people to use solar energy to power their homes.
Source: Science Daily, Aug 24, 2007
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823100023.htm

The experts at Durham University are developing light-absorbing materials for use in the production of thin-layer solar photovoltaic (PV) cells which are used to convert light energy into electricity. The four-year project involves experiments on a range of different materials that would be less expensive and more sustainable to use in the manufacturing of solar panels. Thicker silicon-based cells and compounds containing indium, a rare and expensive metal, are more commonly used to make solar panels today. (more…)