All About Solar | Green Energy News

December 10, 2006 – Vol. 11 No. 38

ALL ABOUT SOLAR.

This week’s news.

It may seem that the solar photovoltaics industry is rushing full steam ahead, given the number and size of solar projects built in recent months. But in truth it’s only running at part throttle. The global demand for polysilicon to make solar cells has been outstripping supply: There’s been a shortage of solar cells compared with the demand.

According to a research article from Sun and Wind Energy Magazine, that shortage is about to end, and when it does fasten your seat belts. Solar will begin to soar.

Sun and Wind says that major producers - Hemlock Semiconductor (US), Wacker Polysilicon (Germany), REC Silicon (US) and Tokuyama (Japan) are increasing their production capacity rapidly. Further, a number of small producers in Russia and China are set to begin providing polysilicon to the market in 2008. The print magazine surveyed 20 companies for the market study. Visit Sun and Wind Energy at http://www.sunwindenergy.com/

Here’s a perfect match and a spin-off business opportunity for thousands of companies around the globe: Roofing installation and solar energy integration. (Roofing companies are familiar with products that keep buildings dry and are equipped to work at dangerous heights. Sunny rooftops are, of course, a common place to install solar systems.)

BP Solar has announced that it has signed an agreement with Old Country Roofing (OCR), California’s largest roofing company, to offer its client base of more than 100 homebuilders, as well as homeowners, turnkey, building-integrated solar electric systems.

The program will put to work BP Solar’s EnergyTile (tm), a solar photovoltaic product designed to integrate neatly with cement roofing tiles. Old Country will handle design, installation, warranty and customer service for the solar systems.

For a builder or homeowner the agreement should ease the process of installing a solar system. In one contract Old Country will manage and coordinate all the specialized tasks needed for a system installation including weather proofing, installing compatible non-solar roofing materials and connecting the solar system to the home’s electrical system.

(Typically those tasks might be handled by separate contractors with the usual headaches well known to builders and homeowners. The one stop solar/roofing model is one that roofers around the country should look at for opportunities.)

In 2005 Old Country installed more than 12,000 roofs. If 2007 is just as busy from January 2007 on, when the BP solar roof tiles will be officially offered, that’s 12,000 possibilities for new residential solar systems in California. Eighty-seven percent of new solar powered homes in the US are built in that state. Visit BP Solar at http://www.bpsolar.us and Old Country Roofing at http://www.oldcountryroofing.com/