Analysis Of Sunpower Corporation, An American Solar Energy Company Essay

Global climate change has fundamentally transformed the way civilization views the energy of the future. As evidence of the drastic consequences of nonrenewable energy has become more widely accepted, society has embarked on developing innovative solutions to the energy crisis. In areas that experience prolonged periods of sunlight, solar panels have become a sustainable and cost-effective form of renewable energy. The Mojave Desert, located in California and Nevada, has proven to be one of the most promising areas for solar development (The Nature Conservancy). Fortunately, BrightSource Energy has invested $2.2 billion in the construction of a solar farm in the Mojave Desert region (Cart, 2012). The development of solar projects creates a

Heritage Solar Review Summary Heritage Solar is owned and operated by two engineers who have more than 50 years of combined experience. Together their team has designed, installed and commissioned more than 650 solar systems in over 70 cities in Southern California. They are a SunPower Elite Dealer and their staff includes an NABCEP certified installer who oversees all installations and processes. Their team also includes engineers with decades of electrical hardware design and contracting experience. Additionally, each installation crew is lead by C-10 electrical contractors.

OVERVIEW The sun is the source of all life on Earth. In just one hour the sunlight hitting the earth’s surface provides enough energy to power the global economy for a full year (Brown, 2015). The sun will continue to burn for billions of years, making it an unquestionably reliable source for renewable energy. Modern-day photovoltaic (PV) solar cells rely on the photoelectric effect, a phenomenon where light is used to free electrons from a solid surface - usually silicon - to create electricity. PV panels are typically installed on homes and buildings, or in ground arrangements, sometimes called solar farms.

First Solar, Inc. located in Huntington Beach is a design and manufacturing company found in 1999 who produce photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, through the use of thin film semiconductors (Reuters, para 2). The company however, has a much earlier history than scribed. In 1984, inventor and owner of Solar Cells, Inc Harold McMaster manufactured solar cells from silicon (energyandcapital, para 2). However, as silicon became more expensive, McMaster decided to switch to cadmium telluride. This material was far more inexpensive than silicon which would eventually lead the company to thrive. So it thrived, as in 1999 the company was purchased by True North Partners, LLC and was named First Solar, Inc (energyandcapital, para 10). First Solar is the first solar company to flourish and create new solar innovations. Such as, producing 1 GW of solar electricity in a single year, breaking the one dollar per watt manufacturing overhead cost, and creating a photovoltaic module recycling program (FirstSolar, para 2). To put that into perspective clean technica explains that, “1GW of solar power can power up to 750,000 homes and about 2 coal-fired power plants” (Shahan, para 2). To evaluate whether First Solar is a smart investment decision, we will first take a look at growth & profitability of the company along with the corporate responsibility the company holds. We will also take into consideration energy efficiency as well as their support services. Based upon these factors a

The Cultural and Economic effect of Solar Panel Technology on our Society. Solar energy and its use isn’t new to the world. It has been used by various societies beginning from 7thCentury B.C, when the sun’s heat was concentrated by glass and mirrors to light fires. Today, we have everything from solar-powered buildings to solar-powered vehicles. By and large solar technology has some environmental, economic, psychological and ethical implications for our society. Actions taken by companies and individuals to increase the use of solar technology will create good local jobs, improve our environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil while doing what’s ethical and moral for our society.

Background The SunPower Company is an up and coming manufacturer and seller of photovoltaic (PV) panels. As a young company with a strong desire for innovation they operate in an atmosphere where competition is very high and SunPower and the competition continue to fight for market shares. For SunPower management team to promote its growth will need to make sound decisions to ensure it stays competitive with the market. As seen in 2008, with other solar companies already dominating the market, increasing sales was an imperative goal to achieve its main objective to maximize profit.

The future of solar energy technology is poised for significant growth in the 21st century (Union of Concerned Scientists). It has been said that more

The Solar Roller Coaster Yields The solar industry has been riding a roller coaster over the past decade. Beginning with stratospheric poly-silicon prices and growing demand, the industry first hit a period of robust governmental subsidies, and market and investor hype. Typically, one might have expected an era of growth and stability to follow. Instead, the industry was beset by the financial crisis, the elimination of feed-in tariffs and other subsidies by governments seeking to marshal resources or avoid defaults during the European debt crisis, cheap natural gas, the much-maligned inexpensive Chinese imports of solar panels, a plummeting price of poly-silicon and a steady drumbeat of bankruptcies seeking to re-set long term

Solar Energy Rossana Contreras Jennifer J. Reyes Sylvia Romero Luis Ramirez MIS 3310 - 180 Nohemi Villalobos G., MS IS 23 November 2015 Table of Contents Introduction 3 Background & History 4 Effects on People, Business & Society 9 Impacts of Solar Energy 11 Important Trends for Society, Education & Workplace 13 Solar Energy and the Government 16 Conclusion 19 Bibliography 20 Introduction The purpose of this research is to identify what Solar Energy is and how it influences the world in its entirety. The subtopics of this research paper include its history, effect on people, effect on business, effect on society and global implications. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Solar Energy is the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available (Solar Energy Industries Association). Technology has helped Solar Energy become accessible and to provide a different resource to the planet. Solar Energy Technology is becoming a fast growing industry and has been the root of many changes in the movement to promote an efficient global environment. This research will allow a better understanding of the benefits of solar energy and how it can be used to create a better future for society.

“Today, the industry’s production of PV modules is growing at approximately 25 percent annually, and major programs in the U.S., Japan and Europe are rapidly accelerating the implementation of PV systems on buildings and interconnection to utility networks.” (Florida Solar Energy Center, 2007)

Solar energy is not only abundant and renewable it is also sustainable and environmentally friendly. As a sustainable energy source, solar energy is able to meet the needs of the present without compromising

Photovoltaic (PV) cells are a great way to produce energy from the sun. A photovoltaic cell is a semiconductor that converts light into a direct current. This energy can be used in calculators, homes, street signs, stop lights, and many more everyday products. In 1839, Antoine-César Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect. The photovoltaic effect is when light falls on an electrode, producing voltage. Following Becquerel’s discovery Charles Fritts constructed an ultrathin semiconductor of gold in order to produce a current. Charles Fritts method was very inefficient because it only converted less than 1% of the light intake to electricity. Even though gold semiconductors is inefficient in today's technology it was a foreshadowing of a new renewable source of energy. In 1927, copper oxide was used as a semiconductor while copper was used for the casing of the semiconductor. This new material still only converted less than 1% of the light intake into voltage. In 1941 the inefficiency problem was helped by Russell Ohl, who created the silicon solar cell. The use of the silicon solar cell proved to be more productive as it raised converted 6% of light intake. In 1980, solar cells fabricated out of

How can solar power help us? That great ball of fire up in the sky that we call the sun is the ultimate source of much of the power that is generated and used by man. Solar power is full of potential and has many benefits of which some are obvious and a few others that are not so easily realized by us. In fact, the sun has

At the first glance, solar energy seems like the most practical solution to our energy needs. We receive heat from the sun, which provides us with energy needed to keep us going us on forever. It has been estimated that the Earth receives over 173,000 terawatts of energy every year, which is more than 10,000 times of what we need. Despite the abundance of solar energy, the challenge has always been collecting the energy. Although people were aware of photovoltaic cells (PV cells), solar panels have proven to be expensive to them firmly. The high costs of the solar panels and the high costs per square inch of the panels have made solar power economically unviable.

Introduction: SolarCity was founded in 2006 by brothers Peter and Lyndon Rive and are headquartered in San Mateo, California. Ever since 2007, SolarCity was the leading company for solar energy in California and holds its place as the number one residential installer in 2013 for the United States and also a second place for solar installation for the country. As the largest solar power provider, SolarCity is proud to provide clean energy for schools, homes, government and non-government organizations and businesses. The company serves not only in California, but in 18 other states and Washington DC, having 75 operating centers. SolarCity looks at their customer’s energy usage and provides improvements. As being the number one solar