Applied Materials Blog

Given the increasing discussion around cap-and-trade in the United States (U.S.) in the lead up to COP15, many members of the media have been asking for Applied’s perspective on the impact of a "price" for carbon on business. Politics aside, it's important to recognize that while carbon may not currently have a "price" it does have a cost — we're just not accounting for it.

It would be tough duty to be a judge for the Tech Awards, the annual global technology competition sponsored by Applied Materials. Every one of the laureates, as they call the amazing group of finalists each year, made it through a rigorous judging and application process, lead by Santa Clara University, to the final awards gala in San Jose, California. Every one of them is worthy of an award.

The New York Times is out today with their Special Section on the "Business of Green".  The section is well worth a read.  In particular, Applied's Mark Pinto is featured in a piece about the COP15 and the role that governments must play in helping make renewables a meaningful part of the global energy mix.  Pinto was also featured earl

 

 

China’s move to solar was highlighted in a USA Today article, including comments from Applied’s Chief Technology Officer Mark Pinto and U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Chu observed, that once China’s central government decides on a policy, it can execute quickly through the nation’s handful of state-owned utilities. In sharp contrast, in the United States there are thousands of electric utilities and massive regulatory and environmental hurdles to overcome. Check it out.

I can’t resist one last update on the Solar Decathlon. Last week Team California took third place in the Solar Decathlon, a huge win, considering their size vs. some of the other schools. The Santa Clara University students should be proud of their results, especially in architecture, where they had set a specific goal to improve.

Appropriately, it was a warm, sunny afternoon in Washington, D.C. as the 2009 Solar Decathlon officially kicked off yesterday with a full color guard ceremony complete with several hundred solar devotees and the Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu.