Solar Power World

Solar CEOs have a lot to say at tradeshow roundtable

Solar CEOs have a lot to say at tradeshow roundtable At the recent Solar Power International trade show and conference in California, several company executives and one state commissioner gathered to discuss the state of the solar industry. Marc Gunther from Fortune magazine led the discussion through topics of policy, what would be needed to drive the industry forward, the ambitious SEIA and SEPA goal to add 10 GW of solar power to the U.S. by 2015, and other issues affecting... Read More

Solar Industry Prices May Be Coming Down Sharply

According to a chief solar analyst as iSuppli Corp., the solar industry is facing a permanent ratcheting down of price structures that will change the face of the industry. While predicting a strong rebound in demand for solar panels this year, with a 64% increase in installed watts, PV faces such steep price declines that companies will need to accelerate their cost-reduction programs, said Henning Wicht, senior director and principal analyst for photovoltaic systems at... Read More

Solar Not Forgotten In Obama’s Proposed 2011 Budget

The proposed 2011 budget that was proposed by President Barack Obama does not exclude investments in clean energy, but subsidies for the oil, coal and gas industries were.Specifically, the president’s FY 2011 budget request includes the following:Lending authority to support approximately $40 billion in loan guarantees for innovative clean energy programs;More than $108 million in new funding to advance and expand research in the areas of wind, solar and geothermal... Read More

Solar Power In Germany Faces Subsidy Cut

Germany, the world’s biggest market for solar cells, is poised to slash its subsidies for solar power by as much as 17 percent, Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle said on Tuesday. Electricity produced by solar power in Germany is sold at a minimum price guaranteed by the government to help producers compete with firms using fossil fuels and nuclear power that can produce power much more cheaply. This guaranteed price has already been reduced gradually—the subsidy was already... Read More

Solar Energy CEO’s Sound Off on the State of their Industry

At the recent Solar Power International 2009 show in Anaheim, the CEOs of five solar power companies assembled to discuss the state of their industry and predict how they see their business evolving over the next few years. NBC correspondent Anne Thompson lead the discussion with: Jerry Wolfe, CEO of groSolar Ron Kenedi, VP Solar Energy Solutions Group at Sharp Electronics Tom Wemer, CEO SunPower Corp. Zhengong Shi, chairman and CEO of Suntech Power and Freeman Ford, chairman... Read More