[August 2010 Issue]

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

MARKET UPDATE

The U.S.-China Clean Energy Relationship

Debunking the myths about U.S.-China clean energy relationship

Feed-In Tariff Reductions Mark Transition Phase for Europe’s Photovoltaic Markets

The period from 2010 to 2012 is shaping up to be one of significant transformations for the Europe PV industry as it confronts regulatory incentive revisions, expanding market development opportunities and scaling competition from better financed and more robust power players.

POLICY & LEGISLATION

Ontario: Poised for Solar Revolution

With ambitious green legislation, billions in investment, and rising consumer demand for PV technology, Ontario, Canada, is poised to lead North America’s solar revolution.

- BY JACOB TRAVIS

COVER STORY

Solar Buzzword: Utility-scale Solar

Among a variety of solar segments, utility-scale solar is emerging as a new trend all around the world. Global PV players talk about their government policies and today and tomorrow of the utility-scale solar.

- BY SARAH JEONG

GLOBAL LEADERS IN PV

Applied Materials: Solar PV Equipment Innovator

Dr. Charlie Gay, President of Applied Solar, a leading worldwide supplier of both crystalline silicon (c-Si) and thin-film PV cell equipment, shares the success story of the PV cell equipment giant.

- BY JEANNY LIM

GLOBAL MARKET REPORT

How Utilities Are Managing Solar Adoption

Utilities at all levels of the generation, transmission, and distribution value chain could reshape the solar industry’s demand curve and restructure the value chain if they were able to justify a commitment to building solar capacity.

- BY TED SULLIVAN

International PV Thin Film Market Dynamics

EuPD Research brings the information about the global thin-film market.

- BY EUPD RESEARCH

The Business of PV in 2010

The “hot” solar energy industry wasn’t immune to the global recession last year and the financial market upheaval. And although 2010 is looking to shape up to be a better year, it won’t be without challenges.

- BY HENNING WICHT, GREG SHEPPARD

Unprecedented Solar Market in the U.S.

Over the past 5 years, the solar industry in the U.S. has seen unprecedented activity and focused interest.

- BY KEN SEXTON

Solar Needs Cross-industry Cooperation

Harry Fleming, the founder of Acro Energy, a solar integrator headquartered in Houston, Texas, talks about how cooperating with other industries work.

- BY JEANNY LIM

Taiwan Solar Market: Flexible to Changes

Motech Industries, the largest solar cell manufacturer in Taiwan, shares its technological achievements and views on the solar market.

- BY SARAH JEONG

BIPV-NEW TREND

Unlimited Possibilities through Building Integration

BIPV has until now been centered on aesthetic and multifunctional solutions; however, increasingly the focus is also on solutions that concentrate on industrial and commercial construction.

- BY WILLI ERNST

CELL & MODULE

What Is CIGS 2.0?

Dr. Michael Bartholomeusz, CEO at AQT, a developer of low-cost CIGS thin-film solar cells, introduces the company’s innovative approach to CIGS technology, dubbed CIGS 2.0.

- BY JEANNY LIM

PRODUCTION & INSPECTION

Automating Solar Manufacturing

This article addresses how the use of automation within the solar industry can provide the key components to maximize factory throughput, drive down costs and improve efficiencies.

- BY HAI CHANG

PRODUCTION & INSPECTION

Monitoring System for Thin-film Manufacturers

Ariel Ben-Porath, VP Marketing and Business Development of BrightView Systems, which introduced the first inline process control and optimization tool developed specifically for thin-film photovoltaics manufacturers, talks on the technological development and efficiency improvement.

- BY SARAH JEONG

COMPONENT & MATERIAL

Improving Wafering Cost of Ownership by Optimizing Mass Ingot Yield

This article examines a strategy for optimizing mass ingot yield that will increase the amount of waferable material per ingot thus improving yield and lowering the cost of the wafering operation.

- BY JEFF NESTEL-PATT, SCOTT KROEGER

POWER SYSTEM

Harvesting Maximum Solar Power

The photovoltaic industry is striving to become competitive with traditional energy production. Distributed solar power harvesting systems accelerate achievement of this goal.

- BY HANNAH MANN, AMIT ROSNER

Taitan Tracker, High Performance in Solar Trackers

Thanks to scarce deformations of its 3D structure, Titan Tracker achieves high cost efficiency and optimal performance in both flat photovoltaics and high Concentrating Photovoltaics (CPV).

DESIGN & INSTALLATION

Solar Training Course: Where Amateurs Become Professionals

Boots on the Roof, one of the leaders in renewable energy training, takes pride in providing expert training to the new green workforce that is even now materializing across the U.S.

- BY MARTIN HERZFELD

PV & LIFE

Harnessing the Future of Solar Energy, Today

Solar in schools is about much more than energy savings. It’s about demonstrating the value of clean, renewable power to the next generation of Americans.

- BY JIM WALTERS, KAREN BECK

The Business of Green

Being Green is not just Kermit’s theme song anymore. It’s every one’s.

-BY MICHELLE LABROSSE, ERICA EDMOND