In an email subsequently released to the media, Steve Jobs informed the Apple team that he will take a medical leave of absence to focus on his health. Jobs will continue as Apple's CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.
Tim Cook, chief operating officer, will be responsible for all of Apple’s day to day operations.
Apple recently made a stir in the photovoltaics sector when it won a patent for a mobile device that derives power from a solar panel in a "plug-and-play" configuration. The patent shows that the solar panel would be removable and could be used to charge the device or batteries/accessories.
The company also influenced the MEMS microphone sector in 2010 with incorporation of MEMS microphones into the iPhone 4.
The PV and MEMS sectors will watch carefully to see how Apple's technology and design decisions are affected with Jobs on this medical leave. The Associated Press reports that Cook spent significant time at IBM before joining Apple, where he has taken the reins twice due to Jobs' medical leaves (2004 and 2009).
Showing posts with label solar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solar. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Thursday, August 19, 2010
PV supply chain, costs face changes in Q3
Photovoltaic module production costs are going down, but raw materials costs are rising. What does this mean for the solar module sector, which encompasses the silicon or thin film PV panel and external components like the inverter? Photovoltaics World's top article this week deals with changes in the solar module landscape.
In his article, "What's happening with PV module costs, pricing?" IMS Research analyst Sam Wilkinson says higher materials costs, particularly for Si photovoltaic wafers, are to be expected in Q3 2010. "That will give some advantage back to thin-film PV players (like First Solar) and slow the Si PV cost-reduction slide, at least temporarily."
Wilkinson also states that factory-gate selling prices are declining, though exchange-rate differences eliminate this effect at the end of the supply chain.
The point about Europe in this article -- Europe accounted for 82% of PV installations in 2Q10 -- stands in stark contrast to "traditional" building materials trends. Holcim, major cement supplier, blamed weakness in the European market for much of its stock decline and weak sales (Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports that Holcim dropped the most it has since March 30, 2009.)
Companies mentionned in Wilkinson's article include First Solar (FSLR: Mixed results, cost/W takes another dive, 2009 modules: First Solar tops, Japan flops) and Solarfun (Chinese Solarfun finds new distributor in Japan, Solarfun sees strategic investment from Hanwha Chemical).
Read What's happening with PV module costs, pricing? here.
In his article, "What's happening with PV module costs, pricing?" IMS Research analyst Sam Wilkinson says higher materials costs, particularly for Si photovoltaic wafers, are to be expected in Q3 2010. "That will give some advantage back to thin-film PV players (like First Solar) and slow the Si PV cost-reduction slide, at least temporarily."
Wilkinson also states that factory-gate selling prices are declining, though exchange-rate differences eliminate this effect at the end of the supply chain.
The point about Europe in this article -- Europe accounted for 82% of PV installations in 2Q10 -- stands in stark contrast to "traditional" building materials trends. Holcim, major cement supplier, blamed weakness in the European market for much of its stock decline and weak sales (Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports that Holcim dropped the most it has since March 30, 2009.)
Companies mentionned in Wilkinson's article include First Solar (FSLR: Mixed results, cost/W takes another dive, 2009 modules: First Solar tops, Japan flops) and Solarfun (Chinese Solarfun finds new distributor in Japan, Solarfun sees strategic investment from Hanwha Chemical).
Read What's happening with PV module costs, pricing? here.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Solar energy in Haiti
Infrastructure in Haiti is still decimated, 6 months after a massive earthquake struck the island. At Intersolar North America this week, SolarWorld donated an in-kind grant of solar panels totaling 100 kilowatts to support the solar electrification of five health clinics for Partners In Health (PIH) in Haiti. The grant was awarded to the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF). Read the full press release on Photovoltaics World: http://www.electroiq.com/index/display/pv-wire-news-display/1222536430.html
Actor Larry Hagman, who played an oil man on the TV show "Dallas," was at the Intersolar event to voice his support of photovoltaics initiatives. Listen to what he has to say in this interview with Debra Vogler: The case for solar energy from actor Larry HagmanGet all the latest news and information from Intersolar North America at http://www.electroiq.com/index/photovoltaics/intersolarna2010.html
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Welcome to the editors' blog on ElectroIQ.com
Here, you'll find opinions and analysis on the day's news, tradeshow updates, information about the ElectroIQ.com electronics manufacturing portal site, and more. ElectroIQ.com is the website for Solid State Technology (semiconductors), Photovoltaics World (photovoltaics), Advanced Packaging (packaging) and Small Times (nanotech/MEMS).
Bloggers include Pete Singer, editor-in-chief; Debra Vogler, senior technical editor; Bob Haavind, editor-at-large; James Mongomery, news editor; and Meredith Courtemanche, digital media editor.
Bloggers include Pete Singer, editor-in-chief; Debra Vogler, senior technical editor; Bob Haavind, editor-at-large; James Mongomery, news editor; and Meredith Courtemanche, digital media editor.
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