BP Solar Closes Thin Film Operations [RE-wrenches]

[matthew tritt]

Peter, I also have had very good success with Unisolar PVL installs. The
customers like it and the performance is definitely staying well within
specs after 1.5 years. No change at all actually. Like you, I also get lot's
of bad-mouthing of Unisolar from people who know nothing about the product.
Even though I'm not a big fan of the shingle format because of roof
penetration issues, the PVL seems like the ideal solar module for new roofs.
And the performance in high temperatures is better than crystalline modules.

I wonder if BP backed out of the program because of Unisolar patent issues?

Matt
----- Original Message -----
From: <asap at podnine.com>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 07, 2002 5:32 PM
Subject: RE: BP Solar Closes Thin Film Operations [RE-wrenches]


> Have two installations with US shingles, both up to spec and owners are
> happy, but both are only year old installs.  I hear from some (mostly
folks
> that don't know) that "thin-films" won't last--I hear this every other
time
> in conversation about UniSolar or other thin-films.  I always ask them,
why
> do you say that?  I even put a quick 238 watts of the shingle stuff on my
> garage roof too--cuz I had to replace some comp shingles and had some PV
> shingles left over--this is basically a 20 year shingle product that
happens
> to produce electricity at the same time.  How can anyone knock it!?
>
> I know it's a bitch to make a warranty claim, but the plan is nobody will
> have to.  UniSolar is banking on the strength of their warranty.  I know
> this because I almost always have had to pull it out to make a sale for
> UniSolar products.  I don't mind cuz I know it works.  In fact, I think it
> blows away a lot of other crystalline products, particularly for my
coastal
> installs or inland flush mounted...
>
> I don't believe UniSolar/Bekaert/ECD/etal receives federally funding. Does
> anybody know for sure?  I think they're doing well in fact--because of a
> successful product.
>
> Thin-film dead?  What about Dunasolar's and SMUD projects and long
history?
> and their lowest cost on market?  Maybe Joel was right, they're just not
> that forward thinking at BP and they have shot themselves--through their
> Millenia module--into their feet.  What IS indeed the real story?  It IS a
> huge move financially and otherwise for BP, and their must be a more
> definitive statement in there somewhere.  I haven't seen anything
convincing
> yet.  So I can certainly understand the concern, and how rumours about
> good/bad technologies get started.
>
> Peter
> ASAP POWER!
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Lane, Energy Conservation Services [mailto:tom at ecs-solar.com]
> Sent: Saturday, December 07, 2002 6:28 AM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: Re: BP Solar Closes Thin Film Operations [RE-wrenches]
>
>
> Is thin film technology a dead end road.  Is it time to abandon thin
> technology as a viable large scale power technology. I would like to know
of
> any large scale thin film technology that have monitored results from a
> third party independent source that is more than 5 years old . My
suspicions
> are that like the early days of the widespread solar thermal commercial
> cooling systems 1980 to 1985 THAT WERE ALL I REPEAT ALL A MISERABLE
FAILURE
> that there has been a cover up of massive failures in this thin film
module
> and roofing technology because it is so easy to get government grants for
> this futuristic technology . When I try to get reports on the SOLAR SOURCE
> house in  ATLANTA ( Mr..Primm   sent roger there undercover ) or any
Where
> else that is more than five years old ----- there is no monitoring and no
> one who can give me an answer . Does the emperor have any clothes after
five
> years or is this thin film power module  and roofing technology a black
hole
> for government funding and organized grant writers to waylay the  growth
in
> money coming into the solar industry .  GATOR TOM Message -----
> From: "Joel Davidson" <joeldavidson at earthlink.net>
> To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
> Sent: Friday, December 06, 2002 7:14 PM
> Subject: Re: BP Solar Closes Thin Film Operations [RE-wrenches]
>
>
> > BP announces that it is not "a company with a longer term strategy and
> vision."
> > See http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=3207
> >
> > Joel Davidson wrote:
> >
> > > I think the people at NREL are right. See the NCPV Hotline 11-28-2002
> Special
> > > Edition for the National Center for Photovoltaics' statement
concerning
> the BP
> > > Solar announcement to stop making thin film at
> > > http://www.nrel.gov/ncpv/hotline.html#latest
> > >
> > > Also see http://www.ecoworld.org/Home/articles2.cfm?TID=259
> > >
> > > I'd like to talk to Sir John Browne, Chairman of BP, about moving the
> thin film
> > > factory equipment to Los Angeles and letting this Yank give it a try.
> Anyone
> > > know his direct phone number?
> > >
> > > Joel Davidson
> > >
> > > Bill Brooks wrote:
> > >
> > > > Joel,
> > > >
> > > > "What a wonderful world this could be...." Ironic isn't it. The good
> news is
> > > > that any money they extorted out of those lawsuits they lost in
their
> a-Si
> > > > manufacturing venture when they couldn't make it work. Maybe that's
> what
> > > > just desserts are... I guess sueing wasn't the path to big profits.
> > > >
> > > > Bill.
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Joel Davidson [mailto:joeldavidson at earthlink.net]
> > > > Sent: Monday, November 25, 2002 6:04 PM
> > > > To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> > > > Subject: Re: BP Solar Closes Thin Film Operations [RE-wrenches]
> > > >
> > > > Some of you may remember that Solarex sued APS (former owner of the
> > > > Fairfield, CA building that BP now occupies) and sued Siemens Solar
> and sued
> > > > Utility Power Group (Mike Stern's amorphous PV company) for
infringing
> on an
> > > > old RCA amorphous silicon PV patent that Solarex had licensed.
Solarex
> won
> > > > the law suit, forced those three companies to shut down their aSi
> operations
> > > > and then started pushing Millennium Modules thanks to the $0.75/W
> subsidy
> > > > that Virginia gave to them.
> > >
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