Going solar is currently very costly (I priced some panels for my home - $8000 per panel). Newer thin film technologies aim to use lower cost alternatives - materials and commercial production processes that could produce solar collectors at a more reasonable cost than silicon based solar cells. Popular Science Magazine featured a product called the Nanosolar Powersheet as one of 2007 Innovations of The Year. In addition to providing solar collection without a panel, Nanosolar uses no expensive silicon and relies instead upon a “semiconducting ink” made of a mixture of copper, indium, gallium and selenium nanoparticles that are printed onto aluminum.

Some of the other companies working with thin film technologies are:

• BioSolar, Inc.- (OTCBB:BSRC)
• China Solar Energy Holdings Limited (HKG:CHINASOLAR)
• Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENER) (Uni-Solar Division)
• ErSol Solar Energy AG (FRA:ES6l)
• First Solar, Inc. (FSLR)
• Flisom
• Solar Applied Materials Technology Co. (TPO:1785)
• Solar Thin Films, Inc. (SLTF.PK) (thin film equipment manufacturer)
• Wurth Solar
• XsunX, Inc. (OTCBB: XSNX)

Recent Congressional debate on energy policy:

1. Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) -
   Sets a modified standard that starts at 9.0 billion gallons in 2008 and rises to 36 billion gallons by 2022. Title emphasis is on production of biofuels, but shifts focus from corn based ethanol to cellulosic biofuels. (see
   Many Limitations Of Ethanol As A Viable Fuel Alternative)
2. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE).
   Establish new targets in the 35 miles per gallon range for the combined fleet of cars and light trucks by model year 2020.
3. Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS).
   Each retail supplier that sells more than one billion kilowatt-hours (kwh) per year would have to meet a minimum electricity production requirement from renewable resources. Minimum standard would start at 2.75% in 2010 and rise steadily to a peak of 15% in 2020. (Not included in PL 11-140. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007)
4. Offshore Oil and Gas Royalties
   Establish royalties, or alternative payments, for certain federal leases established in 1998 and 1999. The leases didn’t include price thresholds that require companies to pay royalties to the Federal Government when the price of oil and gas exceeds a certain level. (Not included in PL 11-140. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007)
5. Repeal of Oil and Gas Tax Incentives
   Repeal of two tax subsidies in order to offset the estimated cost to implement the CAFE provision. The early efforts attempted to have repeal ~$22 billion of oil and gas subsidies that were designed to offset the cost of supporting a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy tax incentives, but these efforts were defeated.
6. Renewable Energy Electricity Production Tax Credit (PTC)
   Extend the PTC, for 4 years, and expand to include additional resources.
7. Other Tax Incentives.
   Extension of several investment tax credits covering solar energy and energy efficiency in residential and commercial sectors.
8. Energy Efficiency Equipment Standards
   Standards for residential refrigerators, freezers, refrigerator-freezers, metal halide lamps, and commercial walk-in coolers and freezers.
9. Loan Guarantees
   New loan authority to a wide variety of projects.

Source: CRS Report for Congress: Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

Other items of interest in the law, Titles VI, subtitles B and D:

• Geothermal Energy
  DOE is directed to support programs of R&D, demonstration, and commercial
  application to expand the use of geothermal energy (i.e develop advanced prospecting tools to locate and develop hidden geothermal resources; demonstrate advanced exploratory drilling technologies and techniques with industry partners) . Authorizes sum of $100 million.
• Energy Storage for Transportation and Electric Power
  Directs DOE to conduct a cost-shared RD&D program to support energy storage systems for electric drive vehicles, stationary applications, and electricity transmission and distribution. An Energy Storage Advisory Council will be created, with responsibility for preparing a five-year research plan, and DOE will establish four energy storage research centers managed by the Office of Science. DOE is required to conduct energy storage demonstration projects. Authorizes sum of $3 billion.

(USN&WR)

“When the consulting firm McKinsey recently mapped out a possible pathway for U.S. carbon dioxide cuts at a cost that would not break the economy, almost 40 percent of the potential savings came from energy-efficiency steps that also would save people money.”

With energy star appliances we are doing a better job of reducing energy use of large appliances, however the home continues to evolve with larger tv’s and other smaller electrical gadgets being added on a regular basis. The Energy Information Administration estimates that our energy use will continue to grow, rising from the 4.75 quadrillion BTUs today to 5.88 quadrillion BTUs by 2030.

Source: US News

1. Renewable Energy Stocks
   (www.renewableenergystocks.com/Companies/Renewable Energy/stock_list.asp)
   Companies organized by category (solar, wind, geothermal…) with brief description
2. Alternative Energy Stocks
   (www.altenergystocks.com/stocks.html)
   Stocks listed with symbol, company name, last price / change % (links to yahoo finance) and brief note.

According to MIT Technology Review a shortage in silicon is “almost over.”

“High demand generated by government subsidies worldwide and a shortage of processed silicon have kept prices for solar-generated power much higher than average electricity prices over the past few years.”

New capacity to produce silicon is coming online and should increase production from the  15,000 tons of silicon available for solar cells in 2005,  to 123,000 tons by 2010.

Source: MIT Technology Review