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WIKI ANALYSIS
| Table of Contents |
| Intro and Overview |
| Introduction |
| Company Overview |
| Trends and Forces |
| Key Trends and Forces |
| Competition |
First Solar is the world’s largest manufacturer of thin-film solar power modules. The company makes cadmium telluride (CdTe) glass substrate based thin film photovoltaic (PV) panels, which are used to convert sunlight into electricity. Although this new technology converts sunlight to electricity less efficiently than traditional silicon PV modules, thin film PV cells have an advantage in producing electricity under lower light conditions. The ability to produce electricity under a wider range of light conditions makes these cells attractive to utility companies who require stable large-scale, utility-sized renewable energy production. The company had revenues of $2,564 million in 2010.[1]
The company's modules have cost advantages over silicon PV cells, however production is heavily dependent on tellurium (Te) supply. It is the major component in First Solar's panels (which are made of Cadmium Telluride), and is one of the nine rarest elements on Earth. Statistically it has been reported that 160 to 215 metric tons of Te are mined each year, which means that First Solar requires 51% to 81% of the world supply of Te. If something happens to this supply or First Solar expands too quickly, there is no guarantee that global supply will hold up.[2]
In response to growing concerns over Global Climate Change, governments (State and Federal) in the United States and Europe have passed legislation to encourage the use of solar power, often through tax subsidies, while discouraging the use of dirtier forms of power. However, these incentives are by no means guaranteed and in some cases are designed to phase out as countries approach certain levels of solar usage.
Company Overview
First Solar's Financials
First Solar has demonstrated strong revenue growth over the past three years. Since 2004, it has more than doubled its revenue each successive year while turning a profit in 2008.
First Solar has continued to work on lowering the cost to manufacture solar modules. In 2008 costs were below $1 per watt and costs dropped to 75 cents per watt at the end of 2010.[1][3]
I somewhat doubt the data was taken home, at least intentionaly. In many IT shops today, desktop computers are being replaced by laptops, even for empoyees who don't travel a lot. One of the reasons for this is to facilitate telecommuting. So think of it in terms of, he downloaded the data to his desktop, and it got stolen. I don't know that this is the case, but it's a distinct possibility.You're never going to keep all the data locked up on servers. It's not practical. In my opinion the only real solution for this is for organizations to employ encryption of their hard drives as a standard.
I don't know about companies in India, but what you might do is look aronud for someone who has a system, then ask where they got it. If you have trouble finding anyone with a system, maybe it's not a very good deal.If the home is in a less-developed area, and all you would be powering is a light, and a radio or TV at night, then you might get by with the kind of system they use in some parts of Africa. It has a 40 or 80-watt panel, and basically a car battery. The appliances run right off the battery, and no charger or other devices are used. This sort of system costs $200-300 when implemented by a nonprofit organization I don't know what the cost if you were to try to set it up, yourself.On the other hand, it sounds like you're already connected to a power grid, and maybe already have a heavy appetite for energy in your house. A solar system with batteries tends to cost about $15 a watt in the USA, when hundreds or thousands of watts are involved. A system for a modest off-grid cabin will cost anywhere from $5000 to $30000, depending on the size.
References
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