[Vision2020] Investor Alert: Nanosolar: Global Warming

Tue Sep 19 10:41:51 PDT 2006

Roger et. al.

Thanks for the info...

http://www.newscientisttech.com/article.ns?id=mg19125696.300&feedId=earth_rss20

I just read a short article that refers to the subject you mention, at the
link above.  It sounds promising, but does not appear to be a
practical means to removing millions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere as a
solution global warming, at least not in the short term.  When this
technology can take CO2 out of the atmosphere and make economically
competitive fuels in significant amounts, then maybe...Or even if the fuel
was not economically competitive, large scale CO2 sequestration might be
tried using this method.

There are suggestions from some climate scientists that the same process
that causes temperature reductions resulting from volcanic emissions placing
particulates and aerosols into the atmosphere could be used to slow global
warming, by deliberately injecting "stuff" into the atmosphere to induce
cooling.  A rather difficult and expensive project, with numerous unknowns,
that would have to be repeated over and over to have long term effects,
given that the cooling would only last a few years.

Anyway, wide spread implementation of a new much cheaper thin film solar
cell might result in reducing CO2 emissions from coal fired electricity
plants in the USA, which supply about 50% of US electricity.

Nanosolar web site and article about:

http://www.nanosolar.com/about.htm

http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=18186&hed=Thin+Film+Solar+To+Go+Large&sector=Industries&subsector=Energy
#

 <http://www.redherring.com/PrintArticle.aspx?a=18186&sector=Industries#><http://www.redherring.com/PrintArticle.aspx?a=18186&sector=Industries#>

Thin Film Solar To Go Large

Nanosolar and Conergy say they are working together to make large thin-film
solar power plants that will be competitive with grid electricity.
August 25, 2006

Nanosolar <http://www.nanosolar.com/> said Friday that it has signed an
agreement with Conergy <http://www.conergy.com/> to develop large-scale
solar power systems using thin-film technology.

That's a coup for Nanosolar, a Red Herring
100<http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=12095&hed=The+Hottest+Private+Companies+in+North+America>company,
because Conergy is the world's largest solar-electric system
integrator. Its IPO was the second-largest in tech last year (see Big Deals:
IPOs <http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=15143&hed=Big+Deals%3a+IPOs>
).

"Conergy [is] throwing its vast systems expertise and distribution expertise
behind Nanosolar's ultra-low-cost cell technology," said CEO Martin
Roscheisen.

Conergy didn't return calls by press time.

Under the agreement, Nanosolar and Conergy will develop a new solar-electric
system design and a new panel design that will work together in a "highly
coordinated and very unique way" to produce the cheapest solar power yet, he
said.

Solar power is attracting plenty of attention as companies with new
technology try to grab a piece of a market that CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets
analyst Michael Rogol expects will grow from $12 billion in 2005 to $19
billion in 2006, $39 billion in 2008, and $72 billion in 2010 (see Solar
Energy's Bright
Future<http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=16118&hed=Solar+Energy%e2%80%99s+Bright+Future>
).

Thin films are promising because they use little to no silicon—an advantage
since the high-grade silicon needed for PV is scarce. Even without today's
shortage, silicon has been the costliest part of a traditional cell. And
light, flexible thin films could tap into lucrative new applications like
consumer electronics and clothing (see Solar's Going
Thin<http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=16017&hed=Solar%e2%80%99s+Going+Thin>
).

They have historically proven difficult and expensive to manufacture on a
large scale, less efficient at converting sunlight into electricity, and
short-lived. But startups with new technologies believe the problems can be
overcome, and the potential is great.

*Fat Savings from Thin Films?*

Still, most other companies developing thin-film solar technology are
focusing on smaller applications to take advantage of the thin nature of
thin films.

Why take a thin technology big? Nanosolar says it's about savings, not size.

"Thin films are necessary because large-scale deployments with silicon cells
are already not economic any more," Mr. Roscheisen said, adding that the
collaboration will result in the first solar power systems that can produce
electricity at the same price as peak power from the electrical grid.

Nanosolar has a thin-film technology that it claims is 10 times as
cost-efficient as traditional cells, and a printing-based manufacturing
technique that it says will bring the price down to less than a dollar per
watt, competitive with natural gas and peak electricity prices (see 10
Cleantech Companies to Watch:
Nanosolar<http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=12562&hed=10+Cleantech+Companies+to+Watch%3a+Nanosolar>
).

The company raised eyebrows in June when it raised $75 million from some big
names in the industry, an amount the startup said would actually be worth
$100 million when combined with government subsidies (see Nanosolar Gets
$100M for PV<http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=17341&hed=Nanosolar+Gets+%24100M+for+PV>).
Incidentally, the investors included Grazia Equity, an original backer of
Conergy.

Nanosolar had previously raised $20 million in venture capital and $10.5
million in grants (see Nanosolar Raises
Funding<http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=12313&hed=Nanosolar+Raises+Funding>
).

*Competition*

Nanosolar isn't the only company working on thin films, of course.

Many other thin-film startups, including Innovalight, Konarka, Miasolé, and
HelioVolt, have also received funding in the last year (see Nano Solar Firm
Gets Funding<http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=16704&hed=Nano%20Solar%20Firm%20Gets%20Funding>,
Konarka Raises $20M in
Funds<http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=15727&hed=Konarka+Raises+%2420M+in+Funds>,
Energy Innovations Gets
Cash<http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=12464&hed=Energy+Innovations+Gets+Cash>).

In February, Royal Dutch
Shell<http://studio.financialcontent.com/Engine?Account=redherring&PageName=QUOTE&Ticker=SC><http://studio.financialcontent.com/Engine?Account=redherring&PageName=QUOTE&Ticker=SC>sold
its crystalline silicon business to SolarWorld, choosing to focus on
thin-film technology instead. In December, Honda Motor said it will enter
the thin-film business and mass-produce cells by 2007.

And Ron Kenedi, head of North and South American operations for Sharp, the
No. 1 solar manufacturer, told Red Herring he sees thin films becoming
mainstream in two to three years (see Sharp's Key to Success in
Solar<http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=15601&hed=Sharp%e2%80%99s+Key+to+Success+in+Solar>
).

But Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association,
indicated that Nanosolar does have a chance at taking thin technology big.

"What you have is a very innovative cell manufacturer who is partnering with
a very innovative system integrator and module designer," he said. "My guess
would be that they will come up with a very innovative and cost-effective
product."

*Contact the Writer: *jkho at redherring.com

---------

Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett

On 9/18/06, lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:

> Ted and others interested in Global Warming
>
> New Scientist has an article on some potential new  future technology
> (Solar Alchemy Turns Fumes Back Into Fuel)
> It is on how chemists are hoping to convert carbon Dioxide into useful
> fuel with a little help form the sun.
> Web site: newsletter at mail,newscientist.com
>
> Roger
>
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