Solar Basics/How Glass Fits into the Solar Market

摘要

In just one hour's time, the amount of energy from the sun that shines upon the earth's surface exceeds the energy consumption of all of mankind in an entire year. The solar market has been growing at approximately 30 percent year-over-year for the past decade in an attempt to capture this renewable energy resource. As businesses look to recession-proof their operations, many are examining what role they can play in the solar boom. Understanding solar energy is perhaps the most difficult initial hurdle for any company trying to find its place in the market. To understand the business behind solar energy, it helps to first understand the different technologies involved. The phrase "solar energy" is a catch-all for several different types of technology that harness the sun's radiation and convert it to energy. At a first-level, energy producing1 solar can be broken down into two categories, photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP).