In manufacturing, viability hinges on production yield. In energy devices, viability hinges on conversion efficiency.   Less is less   The notion that higher conversion efficiency is better than lower efficiency is intuitive. With higher efficiency, more is produced from the same resource. Higher efficiency does have higher inherent value. What is often counter-intuitive, however, is that low-price scenarios can produce dramatic...

Part 1: Correcting the Context Last week, AMAT announced that it would ‘restructure’ its SunFab business. Official reasons for closing the product line provided by AMAT Chairman and CEO Mike Splinter included “competitive pressures from crystalline silicon… (that) did not allow the market to take off.” Splinter also pointed a finger at government policy uncertainty, capital availability and utility-scale adoption. Even though I...

This document has been prepared to provide a summary of the key aspects of the Ontario FIT and its Domestic Content requirements with an emphasis on solar PV installations. Download (right-click,...