Timminco Ltd. halted the production of solar-grade silicon at their Becancour facility in Quebec. Company's production process was expected to produce solar grade silicon at a cost equal to less than half that of traditional polysilicon producers.
The company had planned to produce 3,600 tonnes of solar-grade silicon in 2010, with plans to expand capacity to more than 14,000. In its last quarter, it saw silicon metal sales of $29.4-million, and lost $3.9-million on its solar-grade silicon operations.
Read the full story in The Globe and Mail
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Solar photovoltaic system: 5 ideas on how to hire a proper installer
The solar photovoltaic installation market has a tremendous number of participants; California alone has 80,000 solar installers. Are all photovoltaic installers created equal? Who is the most qualified candidate to do your rooftop PV installation? Price clearly is one of the most important considerations, but, there are other significant factors, neglecting which can cost you a lot of money down the road. In this article we will discuss 5 of the most important questions you should think about while searching for an installer for your solar Photovoltaic project.
Do they offer an array of a-la-carte services? A grid tie solar photovoltaic system may require a lot of project-related activities: proper sizing of the system, structural assessment of the roof, obtaining a municipal building permit, coordinating with local hydro, etc. Ideally, these features would be a-la-carte and your installer could offer them if they were needed. However, in this situation you will have the opportunity to save money by doing some of these tasks yourself.
Do they have an arrangement with manufacturers to service their products? If so, it may substantially reduce the possible system downtime and costs related to maintenance and repair.
Do they offer warranty, extended warranty and/or a maintenance plan? Even though solar photovoltaic systems are very reliable and require low maintenance, if you wish to have extra peace of mind and lock your maintenance costs, you may consider purchasing extended warranty and/or a maintenance plan. Your ideal installer should give you these options.
Do they offer roof warranty? Any kind of roof penetration (which is basically imminent for rooftop installation) almost definitely waives your roof warranty. Ideally, your solar PV installer has to offer you this warranty. (Tip: if your roof is old enough, re-do your roof and install the PV system simultaneously. It may save you significant money during installation and down the road).
How long have they been on the market? There is a risk that the installer may go out of business and will not honor the warranty. With a tremendous number of players (80,000 installers in California alone) this can be a quite possible scenario. To mitigate this threat, consider contractors which have been in solar or adjacent businesses (e.g. roofers, HVAC) for a long period of time. In this case, they’ve navigated through ups and downs of economic reality and have much better chances of making it through in the long run.
Here is your plan of action: Do your homework. Research installers websites and narrow down the list of contractors using the above mentioned criteria. Request quotes from 3-4 installers from your shortlist. Consider all aspects again (including price) and make an informed decision.
To learn more about solar photovoltaics visit Solar PV Installation.
Do they offer an array of a-la-carte services? A grid tie solar photovoltaic system may require a lot of project-related activities: proper sizing of the system, structural assessment of the roof, obtaining a municipal building permit, coordinating with local hydro, etc. Ideally, these features would be a-la-carte and your installer could offer them if they were needed. However, in this situation you will have the opportunity to save money by doing some of these tasks yourself.
Do they have an arrangement with manufacturers to service their products? If so, it may substantially reduce the possible system downtime and costs related to maintenance and repair.
Do they offer warranty, extended warranty and/or a maintenance plan? Even though solar photovoltaic systems are very reliable and require low maintenance, if you wish to have extra peace of mind and lock your maintenance costs, you may consider purchasing extended warranty and/or a maintenance plan. Your ideal installer should give you these options.
Do they offer roof warranty? Any kind of roof penetration (which is basically imminent for rooftop installation) almost definitely waives your roof warranty. Ideally, your solar PV installer has to offer you this warranty. (Tip: if your roof is old enough, re-do your roof and install the PV system simultaneously. It may save you significant money during installation and down the road).
How long have they been on the market? There is a risk that the installer may go out of business and will not honor the warranty. With a tremendous number of players (80,000 installers in California alone) this can be a quite possible scenario. To mitigate this threat, consider contractors which have been in solar or adjacent businesses (e.g. roofers, HVAC) for a long period of time. In this case, they’ve navigated through ups and downs of economic reality and have much better chances of making it through in the long run.
Here is your plan of action: Do your homework. Research installers websites and narrow down the list of contractors using the above mentioned criteria. Request quotes from 3-4 installers from your shortlist. Consider all aspects again (including price) and make an informed decision.
To learn more about solar photovoltaics visit Solar PV Installation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)