Your daily dose of Photovoltaic Technology Developments and Solar News

By Paula Mints, Navigant Consulting, Inc., Palo Alto, California, USA

ABSTRACT
The photovoltaic industry was once, and for quite some time, the unappreciated renewable technology. Perceived as too expensive without subsidies to reduce the price of ownership, and sometimes as an energy choice primarily for environmental zealots, the industry has continued, nonetheless, to grow at a compound annual rate of 34% over the past 30 years. Growth at this rate would be envied by any industry, and certainly deserves recognition, particularly as it has come with significant problems and has been extremely difficult to achieve. Now, with worldwide consensus on global warming along with sufficient evidence that fossil fuels are rapidly depleting, solar electricity is finally earning some respect – but the industry still has perception problems to solve.

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Mark Osborne, Photovoltaics International

ABSTRACT

The 2nd Photovoltaic Fab Managers' Forum at the International Congress Centre, Dresden, Germany in early March, 2008 brought together PV business leaders from the realms of manufacturing and supply to discuss the key issues necessary for the future sustained growth of the industry. The event, co-hosted by SEMI and SolarWorld, attracted 262 PV professionals, 56 of which were directly involved in photovoltaic manufacturing.

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This article reviews Siemens’ history in the field, positions the potential portfolio, and describes the approach to the industry today. Siemens has been involved in the solar industry since the 1980s. Read more >>