MANUFACTURE AND GENERATE CLEAN ENERGY LOCALLY. RECIRCULATE YOUR ENERGY DOLLARS LOCALLY. It’s a concept that’s pretty hard to argue. Most recognize that taking advantage of the Sun's energy addresses greenhouse gas emissions, but this post isn’t aimed at making more sweeping claims that solar will save the planet. Rather, what’s often overlooked is that manufacturing clean energy locally yields economic benefits to the community.

Applied Materials has sponsored the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, but is also lending its technical and monetary support to two California schools that teamed together for this year’s contest, Santa Clara University and the California College of the Arts. Their entry, Refract House, is a “zero-energy” house that will compete in a number of challenges on the National Mall in October.

Over the past 40 years, Applied Materials has been at the center of two of the biggest revolutions of our time – the computer revolution and communications revolution.  These technology waves have forever transformed the way we live our lives, the way we interact with one another and the way we understand the world around us. 

Long the symbol of a good idea, tungsten (also known as wolfram – but that’s another story) light bulbs have been deemed a bad idea by the European Union. As of today the EU has officially banned the sale of frosted tungsten light bulbs with the idea of moving to more energy efficient lighting. Also, clear bulbs over 100W must be transitioned to more efficient types by 2012.

Last week we announced that Applied Ventures, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, made a strategic investment in Tera-Barrier Films, a newly incorporated spin-off from the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s (A*STAR) Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE).

Applied Materials Chairman and CEO Mike Splinter greeted Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in front of a demonstration of the world's largest and most powerful solar panel as she visited the company's Sunnyvale, Calif. campus for a briefing with Silicon Valley CEOs.

Applied Chairman and CEO Mike Splinter visited with fifth grade students at Grant Academy in San Jose earlier this week to talk to them about renewable energy and the importance of math and science in preparing for a career in the clean tech industry.

Across the U.S. high school students are taught American history, and who can forget the famous midnight ride in 1775 of Paul Revere sounding the alarm off to early American colonists of British soldiers marching to their towns. Revere’s warning symbolizes the start of the American Revolutionary War.