The Panasonic TC-P50V10 plasma flat-panel HDTV.
(Credit: Panasonic)Panasonic plans to invest $1 billion by 2012 to develop green technologies for the home that would include energy-monitoring systems, marking a major shift in the company's focus.
Panasonic President Fumio Ohtsubo said in an interview with the Bloomberg news service this week that growing consumer interest in more efficient products has led Panasonic to decide to develop new core businesses.
"Our growth is not enough . So we want to change our fighting ring from our current categories to a different field," Ohtsubo told Bloomberg.
The company plans to offer home energy management systems, as well as develop existing interests in lithium ion batteries for electric cars, solar panels, and smart appliances.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that the world's leading plasma-TV manufacturer is getting rid of its star product.
As one of its green product ideas, Ohtsubo told Bloomberg about a system in development that would allow people to monitor the electricity generation of their solar panels and the electricity use of their home appliances through their television sets.
One can't help but wonder if Panasonic's interest in a new core business was in any way influenced by the U.S. Department of Energy's decision to curb Energy Star seals for supersized televisions. Very large televisions could fall out of favor if an increasingly energy-conscious public relies on the Energy Star seal when deciding which products to purchase for their home.
It also remains to be seen if this means Panasonic is going to abandon its plasma TVs in favor of the increasingly popular LCD and LED-based LCD televisions. Panasonic already does make LCD televisions, in addition to plasmas.
New Jersey to approve deal to install 200,000 solar panels around the state on its utility poles.
(Credit: Petra Solar)It looks like those unsightly utility poles throughout New Jersey will be getting yet another accessory.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is set to approve on Thursday a $200 million contract between Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) and Petra Solar to install over 200,000 photovoltaic panels to tie in to the state's electrical grid.
Petra's SunWave solar panels, which have smart grid communication tools built-in, will be attached to utility and light poles that are owned and operated by PSE&G throughout the state.
The project to develop, install, and maintain the grid-connected solar system will create about 100 green jobs, according to both Petra and PSE&G.
"We are tripling in size and will start hiring immediately," Petra CEO Shihab Kuran said in a statement.
The installation is part of an initiative that PSE&G announced in February 2009 to bring solar panels to every town in its New Jersey coverage area.
The Petra Solar installation will be the "largest pole-attached solar installation in the world," according to PSE&G. But it's only part of the $515 million in 80 megawatts worth of solar energy projects that the New Jersey utility is expected to get approval for on Thursday.
PSE&G plans to implement solar installations on the rooftops of its offices and facilities throughout the state, as well as "solar gardens" on some of its properties. It was also approved to develop an additional 5 megawatts worth of solar power in New Jersey urban enterprise zones within its service area, and 10 megawatts in conjunction with third-parties wishing to participate in an installation on their properties.
"Our program will effectively double the size of New Jersey's installed solar capacity. That is more solar capacity than currently exists in any state other than California," Ralph LaRossa, PSE&G's president and COO, said in a statement.
LaRossa is referring to California's giant solar installation approved in February 2009, for the utility Pacific Gas & Electric to produce 500 megawatts worth of solar energy from distributed solar panels throughout the state.
Correction, 12:55 p.m. PDT March 19: Global Solar is not technically a subsidiary of Solon as was suggested by the analyst. According to Global Solar, Solon acquired a 19 percent stake in 2006. The remaining 81 percent is owned by a European venture capital investor.
One year ago, silicon, the most common material used in making solar panels, could not be supplied fast enough. It gave an opening to many new solar tech start-ups looking to pick up venture capitalist interest and cash.
While some technologies may not have been as efficient as traditional silicon solar panels, they had other qualities. Thin-film photovoltaic systems were very popular.
But now with a silicon supply glut that's going to get worse before it gets better, the game has changed. Solar venture capitalists will lean away from innovative technologies toward sure bets closer to commercialization, according to a report released Wednesday by Lux Research.
The report deciphers in company-by-company detail where the solar market stood before the 2008 fourth-quarter crash, and how it's affecting the development of new solar technologies. It predicts where the bottom of the solar market is, who will climb out of it, and when that will start to happen.
Overall, the solar market will go from $36 billion over 5.5 GW (gigawatts) worth of solar panels sold in 2008 to $29 billion over 5.3 GW in 2009, an illustration of the average decrease in price per watt. The silver lining, solar to grid parity and growth to $70 billion across 18.5 GW, will not be seen until 2013.
Investors may still bet on technologies like CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide), but only those under the auspices of a larger established parent company, according to Ted Sullivan, a senior analyst at Lux Research who oversaw the report.
"Nobody really comes out of this unscathed, but those who will be least harmed by this will be companies like First Solar. Even with crystalline silicon prices dropping as far as they are, First Solar is still cost competitive. They may have to reduce (their prices) a little but they still are the formidable," said Sullivan in a phone interview with CNET.
Minor players will collapse, leaving market share for others to pick up and grow.
"Players might get hurt on pricing, but emerge almost stronger from this because a lot of the second- and third-tier competitions will play out," said Sullivan.
Because of the interest from developers and solar installers, CIGS is still a viable solar technology to watch.
CIGS technology will grow from $321 million in revenue this year to $950 million in 2013 despite the fact that many of today's CIGS companies won't be there to see the turn around, according to the report.
Sullivan points to Q-Cells' subsidiary Solibro and Global Solar, which Solon has a stake in, as two CIGS companies that will likely survive because they are warrantable in the sense that they have the backing of strong companies.
Although six months ago suppliers could not keep up with the demand for silicon, makers of both traditional crystalline silicon and thin-film silicon solar panels have huge surpluses of inventory, according to the Lux Research report.
As in many industries, the economic crash of fourth quarter 2008 has left the solar industry with fewer consumers and inventory build-up resulting in a forced drop in prices.
Prices for commercial utilities purchasing solar panel systems, for example, have fallen from roughly $3.80 per watt to as low as $2.50 to $3.10 per watt, according to Lux Research report figures.
"Today, crystalline silicon producers like Suntech Power, Gintech Energy, Motech Industrial, and others are reportedly holding roughly up to 100 MW each in excess inventory, while thin-film silicon producers such as EPV Solar are reportedly stacking modules to the ceiling as storage space runs short," says the report.
Lux Research says that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that it can determine where the bottom is, based on its review and interviews of over 200 solar companies, as well as producers, installers, and project developers.
In crystalline silicon, Lux Research sees Sharp Electronics, Suntech, and Q-Cells in stronger financial positions and, therefore, able to instill faith in its warranties, making them more attractive to buyers. But companies like Yingli and ET Solar will be forced to discount to distract buyers from the perceived risk of an unproven company.
"Most surprising thing for me, within the crystalline, I tried to find the cut-off for those easily viable. People named companies like Yingli....Yingli? The bar was surprisingly high. They named only the best of the best not-bankable companies, which surprised me," said Sullivan.
SolFocus, a maker of concentrator photovoltaic systems, has signed a $103 million (80 euro) deal with Empe Solar, a Spanish group that promotes solar energy use.
SolFocus panels, made of mostly aluminum and glass, are 95 percent recyclable.
(Credit: SolFocus)Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems typically use lenses and mirrors to concentrate light on solar cells to maximize the amount of electricity they can generate.
SolFocus plans to install over 10 megawatts of CPV systems across southern Spain for Empe Solar between now and 2010 as part of the deal.
SolFocus has already completed three utility-scale projects in Spain.
The 10-megawatt installation would collectively generate enough energy to supply a town of 40,000 residents, and eliminate 27,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year if used to replace traditional fossil fuel energy generators.
It's the largest deployment of concentrator photovoltaic solar energy systems in Europe so far, according to a joint statement from SolFocus and Empe Solar.
Sunny Spain is to be the recipient of $103 million worth of CPV systems between now and 2010.
(Credit: SolFocus)"Empe Solar seeks only the most innovative solutions to reduce electricity production costs for our customers. SolFocus has proven its technology's value in our region, and we are confident it will enable us to quickly achieve our cost targets for carbon-free energy," Empe Solar partners Eduardo Goicoechea and Sebastian Sagues said in a joint statement.
The other claim to fame SolFocus makes is that its CPV systems themselves, which primarily consist of aluminum and glass components, are kind to the environment since they are 95 percent recyclable.
But SolFocus is not the only company touting good news Monday for solar technology. Cool Earth Solar announced earlier it's rolling out its solar balloon prototypes over the next two weeks.
Solyndra, a start-up making thin-film photovoltaic systems, has secured $600 million in funding.
It's additionally secured $1.2 billion in contracts from clients in the U.S. and Europe, the Fremont, Calif.-based company revealed Tuesday.
What start-up gets that kind of funding and client promise? Basically, one that's invented thin-film solar panels shaped like old-school fluorescent lightbulbs.
Solyndra's series of tubes offer a unique angle on solar power.
(Credit: Solyndra)Since 2005, Solyndra has quietly been developing a proprietary CIGS-based thin film photovoltaic (PV) system and a staff of more than 500 employees.
CIGS is a material that includes a combination of copper, indium, gallium, and selenide. It's now being used by quite a number of companies to make thin-film solar cells among other things.
Solyndra's cylindrical PV panels don't have to be spaced to leave room for rotation toward the sun as with flat solar panels. The panels are actually rows of cylindrical tubes which are installed horizontally and close to one another.
The tubes can "capture sunlight across a 360-degree photovoltaic surface capable of converting direct, diffuse, and reflected sunlight into electricity," according to Solyndra.
Solyndra panels consist of tubes that can absorb sunlight from all angles.
(Credit: Solyndar)The company also says that because of this unique shape and mounting system, more productive solar surface area can be packed onto one roof than with conventionally shaped panels. Subsequently, its system is able to generate "significantly more solar electricity on an annual basis" compared with flat panels, according to the company.
Because Solyndra's tube panels are lighter and allow wind to pass through them easily, there is less construction needed in terms of rooftop anchoring or shoring up a roof for significant weight-bearing. Because of this, according to Solyndra, its system is significantly cheaper to install than flat-panel systems
While solar power may not be considered the complete solution to U.S. energy woes, many commercial, industrial, and public facilities are looking at using solar photovoltaic systems as a supplement to their facilities' energy diets. In April, for example, the landmark Staples Center in Los Angeles announced it will be covering its 24,196-foot roof with photovoltaic modules.
Thin-film solar cells, particularly CIGS panels, have been attracting a lot of attention and funding. SoloPower, NanoSolar, and Ava Solar are thin-film solar companies that have announced funding in the hundreds of millions over the last few months. Even IBM is getting into CIGS solar cells through a partnership with a Japanese semiconductor equipment manufacturer.
Solyndra's funding comes from a mix of venture capital and private equity investments totaling $600 million to date. Solyndra investors include Virgin Green Fund, the Abu Dhabi-based Masdar, Rockport Capital Partners, and Argonaut Capital, according to a company spokeswoman.
The company has already been expanding its current plant, Venture Beat reported early Tuesday morning.
Solyndra counts Solar Power, the company contracted to do the Staples Center, and Phoenix Solar, a large solar power integration company in Europe, among its satisfied customers.
"By eliminating the need for roof-penetrating mounts and wind ballasts, PV arrays with Solyndra panels can be installed with one-third the labor, in one-third of the time, at one-half the cost. For commercial rooftops, PV module installation time can now be measured in days, not weeks. For flat commercial rooftops this is game-changing technology," Manfred Bachler, chief technical officer at Phoenix Solar, said in a statement.
Soon even more star power than usual will be absorbed by the Staples Center and Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
In an initiative to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the two venues, Solar Power Inc., or SPI, has been hired by AEG to install its line of photovoltaic solar-panel power systems on their roofs, beginning in October.
The Staples Center, which seats approximately 20,000, is home to the LA Lakers, LA Sparks, and LA Clippers basketball teams, the LA Kings hockey team and the LA Avengers arena football team, as well as host to concerts and events such as the Grammy Awards.
When installation is complete, approximately 24,196 feet of the Staples Center roof will be covered with 1,727 of SPI's photovoltaic modules, which include cells made by Motech Industries, adding up to a 345-kilowatt solar-power system.
The famous roof "surfboard," bearing the Staples logo, will not be removed, but rather will be incorporated into the new design, according to SPI.
The Nokia Theatre LA Live is a slightly smaller, 7,100-seat venue that has hosted the 2008 American Idol finals, the American Music Awards, the ESPY Awards, and numerous concerts. Approximately 836 photovoltaic modules will be installed, covering about 11,663 square feet of its roof and supplying a 167-kilowatt solar-power system.
"Our investment to purchase these state-of-the-art photovoltaic solar-energy systems for both Staples Center and Nokia Theater LA Live, making them the first facilities of their kind to do so at this level, reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that our venues are the most environmentally friendly in the industry," Zeidman said in a statement.
The solar installation can be added to the venues' list of "green efforts," which includes things like waterless urinals and energy-efficient fluorescent and LED lighting.
QuickerTek solar panels for MacBook Air fold up to a rectangle about 10.5 inches.
(Credit: QuickerTek)A new solar panel kit for the MacBook Air will both charge and power the laptop at the same time.
QuickerTek, a Wichita, Kansas-based company that sells accessories for Apple devices, calls its new portable solar power gadget the Apple Juicz MacBook Air Solar Charger.
The Juicz comes in three size and power options and has a one-year warranty, QuickerTek said Tuesday. As usual with solar energy, all that "free" power is going to cost you.
The smallest 19-watt Apple Juicz, which takes 14 hours to recharge the laptop, will sell for $500; the 8-hour, 29-watt model is $600 and the 5-hour, 58-watt model is $1,000.
In addition to laying out the initial money for the solar kit, you'll also need to shell out another $100 for a compatible MagSafe power adapter, or pay QuickerTek $25 to upgrade your existing power adapter. (For $500 to $1,000 you'd think they could throw in the adapter modification for free.)
You'll also need a bit of space to use these.
While each solar panel kit folds up into a rectangle about the size of a piece of paper, unfurling them for use requires room. The 19-watt model unfolds into 30 inches by 30.5 inches and the largest 58-watt model folds out to about 5 feet by 3.5 feet.
That doesn't sound like a big deal when you picture your green, conscientious self sitting outside this summer on a patch of grass, or at a picnic table, with your solar panel spread out beside you and passersby inquiring about your oh-so-ingenious gadget. In reality, how's this going to work when you're jockeying for space around an outdoor table at a coffee shop?
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