Your daily dose of Photovoltaic Technology Developments and Solar News

It is a tale of two strategies when dealing with the U.S. solar markets, be they consumer or business markets. Both Akeena Solar and First Solar have announced their first quarter financial results recently. The scale of each company is worlds apart and their approaches to a growing market segment are at polar opposites, and it shows. These two companies cannot be directly compared; using these two companies is purely to highlight a growing trend among many solar companies of focussing on certain end-user segments of the solar market. Read more >>

Silicon solar cell producers should forget about the polysilicon shortages, while thin-film companies need not worry about silane supplies. Not because constrained supply issues are expected to ease and material costs to finally lower over the next two years, but because a potentially bigger concern is looming! Read more >>

At the PV Fab Managers’ Forum in Dresden this week, IBM outlined its plans for partnering with the PV manufacturing industry to improve technology and manufacturing processes. Rainer Klaus Krause, IBM’s ISC Innovation Champion, presented to a high level audience of Fab managers and solar manufacturing executives the strategy to partner with manufacturers and technology providers to help the industry achieve price parity more quickly. Read more >>

Excellent observations from Jo Ann McDonald over at Compound Semiconductor Magazine and interestingly a former Director of Corporate Communications at Emcore notes that the intended IPO of its CPV business division may be happening too fast for the company. Read more >>

Having announced very aggressive polysilicon production targets last year, LDK Solar turned heads, while also turning some market/financial analysts bearish on oversupply issues by 2010. Read more >>

Not your average eBay item up for grabs, rather a piece of photovoltaic technology history. Nanosolar, roll-to-roll Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide (CIGS) PV solar start-up, has put one of its first three production line commercially-produced PV modules (Panel #2) up for sale on eBay with a $10,300 starting price! Read more >>

Applied Materials can't seem to leave the solar equipment business alone at the moment, as it continues its acquisition trail. The latest is Baccini S.p.A for a cool $330 million in greenbacks. Read more >>

Applied Materials’ entry to the solar equipment manufacturing market just over a year ago is starting to make that market very interesting to watch and also to write about! Read more >>

As rumors go, this is not as far-fetched as it seems! Read more >>

An old automotive saying that well-built vehicles by Ford Motor Co. keep on going many years after competitors’ models have been scrapped can now be applied to old Ford assembly plants! Read more >>