• Friday, November 20, 2009 Latest Update: 4:41PM

Greentech Solar

Featured Content:

Growth, Market Share and Dynamic Change in The PV Inverter Industry

The PV inverter market, once short of innovation, has seen a surge of investment in the last few years.  Spurred by startup advances, established firms like SMA, Satcon, and National Semiconductor are developing new distributed PV electronics technologies in-house or through acquisition. This Special Report from Greentech Media, sponsored by Enphase Energy, takes a look at the state of innovation in the inverter market, VC investment activity, and the emerging leaders in the $2.4 billion PV inverter market.

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As the price of PV falls, the technology will become more competitively priced in Europe and the U.S. before its prices are competitive in China.

Hot Startup »

Solar Startup Solasta Seeks Next Round

The solar firm was founded in 2006 with A round funding from Kleiner Perkins and claims its process could increase the efficiency of conventional amorphous silicon PV by up to 150 percent.

Manufacturing

  • India Wants 20GW of Solar by 2020

    The government approves a $19 billion program to boost manufacturing and generation, but getting to that goal might not be so easy.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 20, 2009
  • Swapping CIGS for Silicon

    AQT plans to launch production of its thin-film cells that will look like conventional silicon cells but at much cheaper price, its CEO says.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 20, 2009
  • MiaSolé Begins Shipping CIGS Panels

    The CIGS thin-film maker has kept a low profile for most of the past year. Now it has something to brag about: customers and plans to boost production.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 18, 2009
  • Is China a Friend or Foe to the U.S.?

    Duke Energy’s David Mohler addresses concerns about the utility’s growing number of deals with Chinese companies, while President Obama meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 17, 2009
  • Is the DOE Loan Guarantee a Good Deal?

    The sought-after renewable energy loan guarantee program is underway, but it may not pan out as a cost-effective way to borrow money.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 17, 2009
  • Here Comes China’s $3B, ‘Golden Sun’ Projects

    China’s finance ministry has selected hundreds of projects totaling nearly $3 billion in costs for its subsidy plan to dramatically boost the country’s solar energy production.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 16, 2009
  • Solar Research Hits the Sunshine State

    University researchers in Florida are exploring ways to use sun’s power for desalination and killing germs in water. Other ideas possibly on the way involve module containing a solar cell and a LED and lithium-ion battery.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 16, 2009
  • Roundup: Suntech on Chinese Roofs, Yingli’s Self Sufficiency, More CIGS

    China has approved the first batch of rooftop projects under a program to subsidize installations. Meanwhile, Hemlock plans to increase silicon supply.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 13, 2009
  • Solar Market Declines for First Time Ever

    Global demand for solar cells and panels is likely to drop 17 percent in 2009, says Navigant Consulting. Market recovery won’t come quickly.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 12, 2009
  • Applied Materials: Plans for Layoffs, Cautious Outlook on Solar

    The factory equipment maker expects to break even or better for its solar business next year, but remains cautious about solar market recovery.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 11, 2009
  • Solar Industry Lobbies for Manufacturing Tax Credit, Cash Grant

    A new federal bill introduced this week would make it eligible for solar energy equipment makers to apply for a cash grant for factory construction.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 11, 2009
  • China Solar Power Buys ThinSilicon, Enters Amorphous Silicon Fray

    CSP just began commercial production in China and sees acquisitions as key in competing against crystalline silicon and other thin film players.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 10, 2009
  • Konarka Runs ‘Solar Curtain Wall’ Pilot

    The organic solar cell developer teams up with Arch Aluminum & Glass to test colored solar panels for building wall construction.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 10, 2009
  • Ampulse Raises $8M to Marry Silicon With Thin-Film Production

    UPDATE: Ampulse’s new board member, Daniel Leff of Globespan Capital Partners, says Ampulse is on a “radically different cost curve.” The startup’s technology deposits a thin layer of monocrystalline silicon on a flexible sheet of metal.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 3, 2009
  • LDK Solar Shares Dive as Q-Cells Demands Money Back

    The German solar cell maker said LDK failed to deliver silicon wafers as promised, and is in legal dispute over the deposit it made to secure the supply back in 2007. UPDATE: LDK says Q-Cells wrongly terminated the contract. 

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang November 2, 2009
  • SPI: Solar Quandaries and Strategies

    Another Solar Power International has come and gone. This year was cautiously optimistic as the industry has begun to recover from a shaky 2008.

    Solar

    Frank Smith October 30, 2009
  • Is Energy the Key to China’s Brand Name Dreams?

    China is moving from supplying equipment to building energy parks in the U.S. and financing them.

    Solar

    Michael Kanellos October 29, 2009
  • Masdar PV: First Commercial Project and Factory Expansion

    The startup amorphous-silicon thin-film maker, backed by Abu Dhabi, plans to ship panels with two layers of amorphous silicon next year.

    Manufacturing

    Ucilia Wang October 29, 2009
  • What the Solar Industry Wants in a Climate Change Bill

    The Solar Energy Industries Association is asking members to pony up for a big political battle against oil and coal industries.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang October 27, 2009
  • Green Jobs: Trickling In?

    U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis outlines her department and other federal agencies’ efforts to create green jobs, but the full impact of these programs isn’t likely be felt until 2010.

    Solar

    Ucilia Wang October 27, 2009
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