DOCSLIB.ORG

Solarscorecard.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Solarscorecard.Pdf w w w S OLARS CORECARD .COM The industry is already dedicated to the goal our vision of environmental sustainability - we hope As the global economy transitions toward more renew- that it will be able to meet the high able sources of energy, solar photovoltaics (PV) will “environmental standards it has set for itself. play an increasingly prominent role. Because the generation of electricity from solar power produces no greenhouse gas emissions, it is widely considered to be “clean” energy. However, the solar PV industry still faces serious issues that must be addressed if the industry is to be truly “clean and green” and socially just. These include po- tential environmental, health, and safety (EHS) hazards responsibility for the impact of their products. We plan to update the scorecard resulting from the manufacture and disposal of solar annually to reflect the dynamic nature of the industry. panels. In addition, the industry must ensure safe and equitable working conditions throughout solar supply SVTC will continue to support and engage the solar PV industry on these issues. chains. The industry is already dedicated to the goal of environmental sustainability—we hope that it will be able to meet the high environmental standards it has set for In January 2009, the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition itself and develop a strong reputation for corporate responsibility. (SVTC) launched a campaign to address these issues with the release of Toward a Just and Sustainable We envision a solar PV industry that: Solar Energy Industry. This report detailed the hazards 1. Pursues innovative approaches to reducing the toxic chemicals used in panel related to the manufacturing and disposal of solar PV manufacturing. panels. 2. Implements and monitors equitable labor standards throughout its supply chains. SVTC’s 2010 Solar PV Company Survey and Score- 3. Takes responsibility for the environmental and health impacts of solar prod- card builds on the recommendations of that report. In ucts throughout their lifecycles, including adherence to a mandatory policy for 2009, we surveyed over 200 solar PV companies to ob- responsible recycling. tain a clearer picture of industry practices and standards related to environmental health and safety, sustainability, Responsible recycling is essential to the future of the solar PV industry—without and social justice. Our research revealed that approxi- it, improperly discarded panels will become a new wave of toxic electronic wa- mately 30 percent of the companies surveyed were in sate (e-waste), and many valuable materials will be lost. While a voluntary take- commercial production and the remainder were in pilot back program called PV Cycle exists in the European Union (E.U.), there are no production or the research and development stage. The laws in the E.U., the U.S., or anywhere else in the world, that require solar panel survey results are summarized here, and we have also manufacturers to take back their panels and recycle them responsibly. In addition, compiled a scorecard that evaluates solar PV companies no existing laws support companies that demonstrate good recycling practices. based on their responses. For the solar PV industry to be truly sustainable, a regulatory framework must be This is the first solar PV scorecard, and it is an initial put in place that supports sustainable practices, including reductions in the use of step in measuring companies’ commitment to take toxic materials and mandatory takeback and recycling by industry. 1 Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition | SolarScorecard.com | 2010 the purpose of the survey The goal of SVTC’s Solar PV Company one who wants to be sure that the solar We want to ensure that the solar PV Survey is to encourage a truly just and PV panels they purchase are produced by industry does not leave the same legacy of sustainable solar PV industry. We com- companies that are responsible stewards waste and injustice that has characterized piled a list of solar PV companies based throughout product lifecycles. The survey the electronics industry. Most e-waste is on trade show literature, web searches, also enables companies to see where they sent to landfills, improperly recycled in and industry association directories. We rank relative to their competitors and prisons, or exported to developing nations sent out the survey in October 2009, col- where they need improvement. such as India, Nigeria, Ghana, and China lecting results through January 2010. The for dismantling. Many of the communities survey addressed a range of critical issues, We see this as a first step in working together to including extended producer responsibil- share information to improve practices that ity, supply chain monitoring, green jobs, protect communities, workers, and the environment. chemical use, and lifecycle analysis. “ We asked companies to self-report on We greatly appreciate the efforts of the where such dangerous low-tech disman- toxic chemical use and reduction and on companies that chose to respond fully to tling is done are experiencing serious how they address worker justice and envi- the survey. We see this as a first step in health problems due to high levels of ronmental health. Based on the responses, working together to share information, to lead, indium, and other toxic compounds. we have rated companies using the Solar improve practices, and to protect com- While solar PV panels have much longer PV Company Scorecard. The scorecard munities, workers, and the environment. life spans than typical consumer e-waste, serves as a resource for institutional pur- This collaboration will help build a firm it is essential that we act now to ensure chasers, investors, and consumers—any- foundation for the long-term growth of long-term sustainability. the sector. overview of the solar PV industry The solar PV industry is expected to grow monly manufactured, but emerging thin new types of panels incorporated into significantly over the coming years. Sup- film solar PV modules based on cadmium facades and rooftop shingles and tiles. ported by government tax incentives and telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium All of these technologies raise questions the rapid introduction of new technolo- selenide (CIGS), and other newly devel- regarding the environmental and worker gies, cumulative solar PV module installa- oped materials are poised to gain market impact of the manufacturing and recycling tions grew by 42 percent in 2009, adding share as they become more cost effective. processes. Thin films utilize novel chemi- 6,370 MW1 to bring total global installa- The development of thin film solar PV cal compounds and manufacturing pro- tions to 21,500 MW by the end of 2009.2 will be hastened further with the rise of cesses (such as nanotechnology) for which building-integrated PV, which integrates there is little data about worker safety or Conventional solar PV modules based on solar panels into building design through community health impacts. crystalline silicon remain the most com- conventional rooftop panels or by using 1 Electric power industries like solar PV use watts, kilowatts (kW), and megawatts (MW) to measure 2 http://www.solarbuzz.com/Marketbuzz2009-intro.htm the peak electric power production of their PV modules and systems, as well as to quantify factory http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNACO1047.htm production and capacity. Solar modules measure peak power output in watts. 1 kW equals 1,000 watts http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/1071386/global_solar_photovoltaic_market_report_2009 and is the unit used to denote the size of rooftop systems and arrays. 1 MW is equivalent to one million watts and is the typical unit used to measure solar PV power plants or factory output. 1 MW can provide power to 700 to 1,000 homes. 2 Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition | SolarScorecard.com | 2010 the key Scoring Criteria for Module Manufacturers: SVTC used a 0 to 100 point scale. Points were awarded in the following four areas. This company is an This company has taken This company responded to This company did not This company currently has industry leader and is some big steps toward the survey but has not taken respond to our invitation to a takeback program and has on the right track. creating a clean solar PV any significant steps toward participate in the survey. policies against exporting industry. A few more com- creating a clean solar PV waste and using prison mitments to the environ- industry (or did not com- labor to dismantle end-of- ment and workers will help pletely fill out the survey). life panels. the sun come out. the standards Extended Producer Supply Chain Monitoring Chemical Use Disclosure Responsibility (EPR) and Green Jobs and Life-Cycle Analysis Corporate claims about being and Takeback Green jobs protect workers from Solar PV manufacturing currently “green” are increasingly com- EPR requires that manufacturers be exposure to toxic chemicals and relies on a number of hazardous or mon—but there are few ways responsible for the impacts of their ensure a living wage. There is toxic chemicals. By using lifecycle for the public to confirm those products on the environment and no guarantee that companies are analysis, risk assessment, and other claims. Transparency is impor- on communities throughout product providing green jobs if they do not tools, the solar PV industry can tant to verify whether compa- lifecycles. monitor their supply chains. move away from the most toxic and nies are implementing EHS hazardous inputs. In the E.U., using standards, takeback programs, Requirements Requirements a risk assessment framework, the and responsible recycling. for a ‘Sunny’ Score for a ‘Sunny’ Score Restriction on Hazardous Substanc- By providing information on Company has a takeback and re- Company requires suppliers and es (ROHS) directive lists maximum their practices, companies can cycling program that is adequately sub-suppliers to follow a code of concentrations of several toxic demonstrate their performance financed and free to the consumer.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Beyond Solyndra: Examining the Department of Energy's Loan Guarantee Program Hilary Kao
    William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review Volume 37 | Issue 2 Article 4 Beyond Solyndra: Examining the Department of Energy's Loan Guarantee Program Hilary Kao Repository Citation Hilary Kao, Beyond Solyndra: Examining the Department of Energy's Loan Guarantee Program, 37 Wm. & Mary Envtl. L. & Pol'y Rev. 425 (2013), http://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmelpr/vol37/iss2/4 Copyright c 2013 by the authors. This article is brought to you by the William & Mary Law School Scholarship Repository. http://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmelpr BEYOND SOLYNDRA: EXAMINING THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM HILARY KAO* ABSTRACT In the year following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011, the renewable and clean energy industries faced significant turmoil— from natural disasters, to political maelstroms, from the Great Recession, to U.S. debt ceiling debates. The Department of Energy’s Loan Guarantee Program (“DOE LGP”), often a target since before it ever received a dollar of appropriations, has been both blamed and defended in the wake of the bankruptcy filing of Solyndra, a California-based solar panel manufac- turer, in September 2011, because of the $535 million loan guarantee made to it by the Department of Energy (“DOE”) in 2009.1 Critics have suggested political favoritism in loan guarantee awards and have questioned the government’s proper role in supporting renewable energy companies and the renewable energy industry generally.2 This Article looks beyond the Solyndra controversy to examine the origin, structure and purpose of the DOE LGP. It asserts that loan guaran- tees can serve as viable policy tools, but require careful crafting to have the potential to be effective programs.
    [Show full text]
  • Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaics - Wikipedia 1 of 13
    Cadmium telluride photovoltaics - Wikipedia 1 of 13 Cadmium telluride photovoltaics Cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaics describes a photovoltaic (PV) technology that is based on the use of cadmium telluride, a thin semiconductor layer designed to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity.[1] Cadmium telluride PV is the only thin film technology with lower costs than conventional solar cells made of crystalline silicon in multi-kilowatt systems.[1][2][3] On a lifecycle basis, CdTe PV has the smallest carbon footprint, lowest water use and shortest energy payback time of any current photo voltaic technology. PV array made of cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar [4][5][6] CdTe's energy payback time of less than a year panels allows for faster carbon reductions without short- term energy deficits. The toxicity of cadmium is an environmental concern mitigated by the recycling of CdTe modules at the end of their life time,[7] though there are still uncertainties[8][9] and the public opinion is skeptical towards this technology.[10][11] The usage of rare materials may also become a limiting factor to the industrial scalability of CdTe technology in the mid-term future. The abundance of tellurium—of which telluride is the anionic form— is comparable to that of platinum in the earth's crust and contributes significantly to the module's cost.[12] CdTe photovoltaics are used in some of the world's largest photovoltaic power stations, such as the Topaz Solar Farm. With a share of 5.1% of worldwide PV production, CdTe technology accounted for more than half of the thin film market in 2013.[13] A prominent manufacturer of CdTe thin film technology is the company First Solar, based in Tempe, Arizona.
    [Show full text]
  • AS You Sow on Creating Greener Solar PV Panels
    AS You Sow on Creating Greener Solar PV Panels Andrew Burger. March 28, 2012 Advocating solar PV manufacturers adopt a set of industry best practices, a new survey and report highlights the environmental benefits of using solar photovoltaic (PV) energy as compared to fossil fuels, while at the same time criticizing ongoing, outsized government support for fossil fuel production. “Even though there are toxic compounds used in the manufacturing of many solar panels, the generation of electricity from solar energy is much safer to both the environment and workers than production of electricity from coal, natural gas, or nuclear,” stated Amy Galland, PhD and research director at non-profit group As You Sow. “For example, once a solar panel is installed, it generates electricity with no emissions of any kind for decades, whereas coal-fired power plants in the U.S. emitted nearly two billion tons of carbon dioxide and millions of tons of toxic compounds in 2010 alone.” Based on an international survey of more than 100 solar PV manufac- turers, the best practices in As You Sow’s report, “Clean & Green: Best Practices in Photovoltaics” aim to protect the employee and community health and safety, as well as the broader environment. Also analyzed are investor considerations regarding environmental, social and govern- ance for responsible management of solar PV manufacturing business- es. The best practices listed were determined in consultation with sci- entists, engineers, academics, government labs and industry consult- ants. Solar PV CSR survey and report card “We have been working with solar companies to study and minimize the environmental health and safety risks in the production of solar panels and the industry has embraced the opportunities,” Vasilis Fthenakis, PhD and director of the National PV Environmen- tal Health and Safety Research Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory and director of the Center for Life Cycle Analysis at Columbia University, explained.
    [Show full text]
  • Laying the Foundation for a Bright Future: Assessing Progress
    Laying the Foundation for a Bright Future Assessing Progress Under Phase 1 of India’s National Solar Mission Interim Report: April 2012 Prepared by Council on Energy, Environment and Water Natural Resources Defense Council Supported in part by: ABOUT THIS REPORT About Council on Energy, Environment and Water The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) is an independent nonprofit policy research institution that works to promote dialogue and common understanding on energy, environment, and water issues in India and elsewhere through high-quality research, partnerships with public and private institutions and engagement with and outreach to the wider public. (http://ceew.in). About Natural Resources Defense Council The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world’s natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Chicago; Livingston and Beijing. (www.nrdc.org). Authors and Investigators CEEW team: Arunabha Ghosh, Rajeev Palakshappa, Sanyukta Raje, Ankita Lamboria NRDC team: Anjali Jaiswal, Vignesh Gowrishankar, Meredith Connolly, Bhaskar Deol, Sameer Kwatra, Amrita Batra, Neha Mathew Neither CEEW nor NRDC has commercial interests in India’s National Solar Mission, nor has either organization received any funding from any commercial or governmental institution for this project. Acknowledgments The authors of this report thank government officials from India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), and other Government of India agencies, as well as United States government officials.
    [Show full text]
  • Lsoar Value Chain Value Chain
    Solar Private companies in black Public companies in blue Followed by the founding date of companies less than 15 years old value chain (1 of 2) This value chain publication contains information gathered and summarized mainly from Lux Research and a variety of other public sources that we believe to be accurate at the time of ppggyublication. The information is for general guidance only and not intended to be a substitute for detailed research or the exercise of professional judgment. Neither EYGM Limited nor any other member of the global Ernst & Young organization nor Lux Research can accept responsibility for loss to any person relying on this publication. Materials and equipment Components and products Balance of system and installations Crystalline silicon photovoltaic GCL Silicon, China (2006); LDK Solar, China (2005); MEMC, US; Renewable Energy Corporation ASA, Norway; SolarWorld AG, Germany (1998) Bosch Solar Energy, Germany (2000); Canadian Solar, Canada/China (2001); Jinko Solar, China (2006); Kyocera, Japan; Sanyo, Japan; SCHOTT Solar, Germany (2002); Solarfun, China (2004); Tianwei New Energy Holdings Co., China; Trina Solar, China (1997); Yingli Green Energy, China (1998); BP Solar, US; Conergy, Germany (1998); Eging Photovoltaic, China SOLON, Germany (1997) Daqo Group, China; M. Setek, Japan; ReneSola, China (2003); Wacker, Germany Hyundai Heavy Industries,,; Korea; Isofoton,,p Spain ; JA Solar, China (();2005); LG Solar Power,,; Korea; Mitsubishi Electric, Japan; Moser Baer Photo Voltaic, India (2005); Motech, Taiwan; Samsung
    [Show full text]
  • Bankrupt Companies
    The List of Fallen Solar Companies: 2015 to 2009: S.No Year/Status Company Name and Details 118 2015 Enecsys (microinverters) bankrupt -- Enecsys raised more than $55 million in VC from investors including Wellington Partners, NES Partners, Good Energies and Climate Change Capital Private Equity for its microinverter technology. 117 2015 QBotix (trackers) closed -- QBotix had a two-axis solar tracker system where the motors, instead of being installed two per tracker, were moved around by a rail-mounted robot that adjusted each tracker every 40 minutes. But while QBotix was trying to gain traction, single-axis solar trackers were also evolving and driving down cost. QBotix raised more than $19.5 million from Firelake, NEA, DFJ JAIC, Siemens Ventures, E.ON and Iberdrola. 116 2015 Solar-Fabrik (c-Si) bankrupt -- German module builder 115 2015 Soitec (CPV) closed -- France's Soitec, one of the last companies with a hope of commercializing concentrating photovoltaic technology, abandoned its solar business. Soitec had approximately 75 megawatts' worth of CPV projects in the ground. 114 2015 TSMC (CIGS) closed -- TSMC Solar ceased manufacturing operations, as "TSMC believes that its solar business is no longer economically sustainable." Last year, TSMC Solar posted a champion module efficiency of 15.7 percent with its Stion- licensed technology. 113 2015 Abengoa -- Seeking bankruptcy protection 112 2014 Bankrupt, Areva's solar business (CSP) closed -- Suffering through a closed Fukushima-inspired slowdown in reactor sales, Ausra 111 2014 Bankrupt,
    [Show full text]
  • Mintz Levin Project Finance Greenpaper
    whitepaper Renewable Energy Project Finance in the U.S.: An Overview and Midterm Outlook Renewable Energy Project Finance in the U.S.: An Overview and Midterm Outlook I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Wind, solar and geothermal energy projects in the United States are typically paid for using an approach known as “project finance.” This is a structure employed to finance capital-intensive projects that are either difficult to support on a corporate balance sheet or that become more attractive when financed on their own. Project financing structures will vary on a project-by-project basis, but renewable energy projects in the U.S. utilizing project financing generally rely upon a mix of direct equity investors, tax equity investors and project-level loans provided by a syndicate of banks. Turbulence in the financial markets began disrupting the flow of project financing (both equity and debt) into renewable energy projects in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of 2008. Nearly two years later, the availability of project financing has improved considerably due to the thawing of the lending markets, with a return to longer tenors on term-debt, and legislative support mechanisms introduced as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)—particularly the ITC cash grant. In this report, we provide an update on the current terms and availability of project financing for large-scale wind, solar and geothermal projects in the U.S. and forecast the amount of project financing we expect to be sought by the sector through 2012. In analyzing where this financing is likely to come from, we address the potential impacts of the upcoming expiration of the cash grant and changes to the tax equity supply—two main themes in the renewable energy project financing arena at present.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support
    U.S. Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support Michaela D. Platzer Specialist in Industrial Organization and Business January 27, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R42509 U.S. Solar PV Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support Summary Every President since Richard Nixon has sought to increase U.S. energy supply diversity. Job creation and the development of a domestic renewable energy manufacturing base have joined national security and environmental concerns as reasons for promoting the manufacturing of solar power equipment in the United States. The federal government maintains a variety of tax credits and targeted research and development programs to encourage the solar manufacturing sector, and state-level mandates that utilities obtain specified percentages of their electricity from renewable sources have bolstered demand for large solar projects. The most widely used solar technology involves photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, which draw on semiconducting materials to convert sunlight into electricity. By year-end 2013, the total number of grid-connected PV systems nationwide reached more than 445,000. Domestic demand is met both by imports and by about 75 U.S. manufacturing facilities employing upwards of 30,000 U.S. workers in 2014. Production is clustered in a few states including California, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Domestic PV manufacturers operate in a dynamic, volatile, and highly competitive global market now dominated by Chinese and Taiwanese companies. China alone accounted for nearly 70% of total solar module production in 2013. Some PV manufacturers have expanded their operations beyond China to places like Malaysia, the Philippines, and Mexico.
    [Show full text]
  • Current Loan Guarantee Commitments
    Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program: Current Loan Guarantee Commitments Passed as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program has $34 billion in authority to give loan guarantees to innovative technologies. 1 The 1705 program also had about $2.4 billion in Recovery Act funds to pay for the credit subsidy cost for renewable and energy efficiency projects, but those funds expired on September 30, 2011. So far, the DOE has finalized $16.13 billion worth of loans and committed $10.65 billion. Below is a list of applicants that have a committed or finalized loan; there are other companies that are in the process of applying for a loan and at least one company that has rejected the loan terms offered by the DOE. Nuclear Power Facilities Current DOE loan guarantee authority for the financing of nuclear projects is set at $18.5 billion with an additional $4 billion now identified for uranium enrichment (see see front-end nuclear cycle below).1 President Obama is requesting more. In both his FY2011 and FY2012 budgets, he included an additional $36 billion in loan guarantee authority for nuclear reactors. If his FY2012 budget is approved, loan guarantee authority for nuclear reactors would total roughly $50 billion. This authority is under the 1703 program. So far, only one nuclear company, Southern Company, has been offered a conditional commitment. Constellation Energy was in extensive negotiations with the DOE over a loan guarantee but backed out after citing the “unreasonably burdensome” cost associated with the loan guarantee the DOE offered and claimed that it would “create unacceptable risks and costs for our company.”2 Other nuclear companies are currently under review for a loan guarantee and rely on reactor designs that are currently in use in Japan.
    [Show full text]
  • The Seeds of Solar Innovation: How a Nation Can Grow a Competitive Advantage by Donny Holaschutz
    The Seeds of Solar Innovation: How a Nation can Grow a Competitive Advantage by Donny Holaschutz B.A. Hispanic Studies (2004), University of Texas at Austin B.S. Aerospace Engineering (2004), University of Texas at Austin M.S.E Aerospace Engineering (2007), University of Texas at Austin Submitted to the System Design and Management Program In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Engineering and Management ARCHIVES MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE at the OF TECHNOLOGY Massachusetts Institute of Technology February 2012 © 2012 Donny Holaschutz. All rights reserved The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereqfter reated. Signed by Author: Donny Holaschutz Engineering Systems Division and Sloan School of Management January 20, 2012 Certified by: James M. Utterback, Thesis Supervisor David . McGrath jr (1959) Professor of Management and Innovation and Professor of neering SysemsIT oan School of Management Accepted by: Patrick C.Hale Director otS ystem Design and Management Program THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Table of Contents Fig u re List ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 T ab le List........................................................................................................................................................7 Executive
    [Show full text]
  • A New Energy Economy
    A BLUEPRINT FOR A New Energy Economy Report authored by Todd Hartman Photo, Above Mike Stewart looks over an array of solar panels at the Greater Sandhill Solar Project being constructed by SunPower Corporation outside of Alamosa. Photography by Matt McClain unless otherwise indicated Design by Communication Infrastructure Group, LLC No taxpayer dollars were used in the production of this report. On the Cover The light of the setting sun reflects off solar panels at SunEdison’s 8.2-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant outside of Alamosa. A LETTER FROM GOVERNOR RITTER A Letter From Governor Ritter Dear Reader, In four years as Governor of Colorado, I have made it a top priority to position Colorado as an economic and energy leader by creating sustainable jobs for our residents, encouraging economic growth for our businesses, and fostering new innovations and new technologies from our public, non-profit and private institutions. We call it the New Energy Economy, and it is built on the recognition that the world is changing the way it produces and consumes energy. By harnessing the creative forces of advancing the diversified energy resources In Colorado, we’ve elected to join that race, world, and give them the knowledge that we entrepreneurs, researchers, educators, that we turn to today, and will increasingly and together, we believe America can win worked with their futures in mind in hopes foundations, business leaders and policy do so in the future: solar, wind, geothermal, it. Colorado is proof positive that we can that they will do the same. makers, we have in Colorado created biomass, small hydro, Smart Grid and other create new opportunities for new forms of Sincerely, an ecosystem that is supporting private elements of the emerging new energy world.
    [Show full text]
  • US Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing
    U.S. Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support Michaela D. Platzer Specialist in Industrial Organization and Business May 30, 2012 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R42509 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress U.S. Solar PV Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support Summary Every President since Richard Nixon has sought to increase U.S. energy supply diversity. In recent years, job creation and the development of a domestic renewable energy manufacturing base have joined national security and environmental concerns as rationales for promoting the manufacturing of solar power equipment in the United States. The federal government maintains a variety of tax credits, loan guarantees, and targeted research and development programs to encourage the solar manufacturing sector, and state-level mandates that utilities obtain specified percentages of their electricity from renewable sources have bolstered demand for large solar projects. The most widely used solar technology involves photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, which draw on semiconducting materials to convert sunlight into electricity. By year-end 2011, the total number of grid-connected PV systems nationwide reached almost 215,000. Domestic demand is met both by imports and by about 100 U.S. manufacturing facilities employing an estimated 25,000 U.S. workers in 2011. Production is clustered in a few states, including California, Oregon, Texas, and Ohio. Domestic PV manufacturers operate in a dynamic and highly competitive global market now dominated by Chinese and Taiwanese companies. All major PV solar manufacturers maintain global sourcing strategies; the only U.S.-based manufacturer ranked among the top 10 global cell producers in 2010 sourced the majority of its panels from its factory in Malaysia.
    [Show full text]