Thin film Solar is coming! And the industry is already shaping up to be very global with partnerships being formed across Germany, Japan, Korea, Italy, China and the United States.
2009-11 is likely to be a very dynamic period for the first stage of growth in thin-Film Solar panels 'printed' on top of plastic materials. Planned production in the US, Europe and China is growing quickly with new megawatt (MW) plants coming online in the next 18 months. The biggest problem might be supply outpacing market adoption! Now we need to find enough companies and customers ready to integrate thin film in building materials like rooftops.
What happened?
US-based Air Products will supply China's Best Solar Hi Tech Co., Ltd, with on-site gases and equipment to support a new thin-film photovoltaic facility in Suzhou,
Last week Italy's largest power company Enel SpA announced a joint venture with Sharp to develop 189 megawatts of power generation by the end of 2012.
Meanwhile the US and Germany appear to be hedging their bets by investing in plants in both countries.
Who says that 'cleantech' needs to be about 'energy independence'?
Globally interdependent seems the best (and most likely) path forward.
Category: Energy
Year: 2010
Tags: energy, solar, thinfilm, photovoltaics
