The solar market has grown far beyond what most analysts had predicted even 5-10 years ago, and Applied Materials has played a key role in driving down the costs of solar modules by helping to improve efficiencies and through advances in solar cell manufacturing technology.

However, while falling module prices have made solar somewhat more affordable, the net system installed cost is still very high, especially in the residential and commercial markets. As anyone who has tried installing a solar system on their rooftop knows, the final, installed price is still high, largely because of the balance of system (BOS) – all the upfront costs associated with a photovoltaic system except the module* – hasn’t declined at the same rate as the modules prices. If we could lower the BOS cost, we believe a great deal of pent-up demand could be unleashed.

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Recognizing the need for research and development as well as education and training for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) in India to be successful, the ministry of New and Renewable Energy created the "National Center for Photovoltaic (PV) Research and Education" (NCPRE) at the IIT Bombay campus.

Professor Devang V. Khakhar, Director at IIT Bombay formed an advisory committee comprising of eminent members from both academia and industry, to oversee the center’s direction. Dr. Madhusudan Atre, president of Applied Materials in India was recently appointed as a member of this prestigious committee.

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Already the country’s leading producer of oil and gas and wind energy, Texas has an opportunity to take the lead in generating solar energy too. It’s the perfect triple play. Texas has more sun than any other state, ample land resources for large scale and distributed solar installations, and a tremendous need for domestic energy generation. Solar is an ideal solution and the market is growing exponentially in markets where a favorable regulatory scheme exists. So how can we jump start this industry in Texas?

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Yingli Green Energy granted Applied Materials its "Special Contribution Award" for excellence in optimizing the efficiency and productivity of its solar photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturing operations in Baoding, Hebei province, China.

Applied Materials was one of only two equipment manufacturers among Yingli’s 200 suppliers to win this prestigious award. This was the highest honor given to Yingli’s business partners during its 1st Supplier Conference held recently in Baoding, China.

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The photovoltaics industry has to be increasingly frugal with its raw materials in order to survive in the price war. The role model, as is often the case, is the microelectronics industry.

Applied Materials Baccini, considered one of the leading equipment providers, was featured in the latest issue of Sun & Wind Energy Magazine. The following is a short excerpt of the article.

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