Solar Energy

Cost to Produce Solar Cells Brought Below $1 per Watt

By Chris de Morsella on March 15, 2009 2 Comments $1 per watt, advanced semiconductor technology, environmentally responsible, First Solar, fossil fuels, grid parity, Inc., Mike Ahearn, renewable electricity, renewable energy, solar cell manufacture, solar electricity, solar modules, solar photovoltaic, solar PV, sustainable energy

Earlier this month, First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) announced that it has reduced its manufacturing cost for solar modules in the fourth quarter 2009 to 98 cents per watt, becoming the first solar cell manufacturing company to break the $1 per watt price barrier. This is a major price milestone for the solar photovoltaic manufacturing sector and represents a significant step towards achieving what is known in the industry as as grid parity, the price level where the per watt cost for solar electricity reaches the current averaged cost of electricity on the grid a goal First Solar plans to reach by 2012.

Salazar Calls for Solar and Wind Energy Zones

By Tracey de Morsella on March 9, 2009 Comments Off on Salazar Calls for Solar and Wind Energy Zones ken salazar, renewable energy zones, solar;, wind

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar wants to create renewable energy zones to spur solar and wind energy projects, and build power lines to get the electricity to markets. In an interview with The Associated Press, Salazar said that while some regions of the country as well as offshore areas have great potential for wind energy and solar, there isn’t a clear plan to develop the resources.

German Company Investing $1 Billion in Solar Energy Plant in Tennessee

By Chris de Morsella on February 28, 2009 Comments Off on German Company Investing $1 Billion in Solar Energy Plant in Tennessee Chattanooga, chlorine, Clarksville, Germany, green collar job, Hemlock Semiconductor, hyperpure polycrystalline silicon, OLIN Corp, polysilicon, Rudolph Staudigl, solar cell feedstock, solar energy, solar panels, solar resources, southwestern United States, Tennessee, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, Wacker Chemie AG

Wacker Chemie AG will build a $1 billion plant in southeastern Tennessee that is estimated to create 500 green collar jobs in the region to manufacture hyperpure polycrystalline silicon, primary material used in the manufacture of solar panels. The company has purchased a 550-acre site about 30 miles northeast of Chattanooga. purchasing the site in Chattanooga will enable it to quickly build up its production capacity outside of the Euro zone in order to meet the projected growth in demand for solar cell feedstock in the US market.