Comments on: Prospect of ATS solar spinoff sparks media buzz http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/10/05/prospect-of-ats-solar-spinoff-sparks-media-buzz/ Trends, happenings and innovations in the clean technology market Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:26:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/10/05/prospect-of-ats-solar-spinoff-sparks-media-buzz/comment-page-1/#comment-81 Anonymous Thu, 06 Oct 2005 14:35:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/10/05/prospect-of-ats-solar-spinoff-sparks-media-buzz/#comment-81 I've toured the Spheral Solar facility and have seen product. They haven't done a hard launch yet, so the product that is out there is in the hands of larger customers who are testing the technology and giving Spheral Solar feedback. As this is a new approach to making solar PV panels, the company is being very cautious and wants to make sure it has perfected the process before a full rampup. From what I've heard most of its planned output has already been pre-sold to Europe, but I can't be sure about that. I’ve toured the Spheral Solar facility and have seen product. They haven’t done a hard launch yet, so the product that is out there is in the hands of larger customers who are testing the technology and giving Spheral Solar feedback. As this is a new approach to making solar PV panels, the company is being very cautious and wants to make sure it has perfected the process before a full rampup. From what I’ve heard most of its planned output has already been pre-sold to Europe, but I can’t be sure about that.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/10/05/prospect-of-ats-solar-spinoff-sparks-media-buzz/comment-page-1/#comment-80 Anonymous Thu, 06 Oct 2005 11:26:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/10/05/prospect-of-ats-solar-spinoff-sparks-media-buzz/#comment-80 ...just curious, has anyone ever tried to get a spheral solar panel? I think these guys are super exciting (on paper/web) but the reality is that no one i know (green architects, designers, DIYers) has ever been able to get their hands on any of ATS' solar panels (myself included). Has always made me feel that this was someohow more about business then about ecological business (as opposed to say Stan and Iris Ovshinsky... who are totally from the heart!) =<a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/scalarparty" rel="nofollow">lee</a> …just curious, has anyone ever tried to get a spheral solar panel? I think these guys are super exciting (on paper/web) but the reality is that no one i know (green architects, designers, DIYers) has ever been able to get their hands on any of ATS’ solar panels (myself included). Has always made me feel that this was someohow more about business then about ecological business (as opposed to say Stan and Iris Ovshinsky… who are totally from the heart!)

=lee

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/10/05/prospect-of-ats-solar-spinoff-sparks-media-buzz/comment-page-1/#comment-79 Anonymous Wed, 05 Oct 2005 16:35:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/10/05/prospect-of-ats-solar-spinoff-sparks-media-buzz/#comment-79 Forget stocks, the panels themselves are one of the most stable long-term investments available if you live in a sun-soaked part of the world. Solar panels are solid-state devices. They need no maintenance aside from washing off the bird droppings. Most manufacturers will guarantee them to 80 % of their rated power for 25 years. If you live in the Southwest USA the rate of return is in the low teens amortized over 25 years. A young person could sink $100,000 into photovoltaics now and still be making money from that investment in forty years. Anyone can run the numbers for themselves in <a href="http://www.retscreen.net" rel="nofollow">RETScreen</a> if you don't believe me. Forget stocks, the panels themselves are one of the most stable long-term investments available if you live in a sun-soaked part of the world. Solar panels are solid-state devices. They need no maintenance aside from washing off the bird droppings. Most manufacturers will guarantee them to 80 % of their rated power for 25 years. If you live in the Southwest USA the rate of return is in the low teens amortized over 25 years.

A young person could sink $100,000 into photovoltaics now and still be making money from that investment in forty years. Anyone can run the numbers for themselves in RETScreen if you don’t believe me.

]]>