Solar Power 2006, San Jose, CA

The Solar Power 2006 conference in San Jose was the largest solar conference event in United States history. This meeting marks a new awakening of the United States to Solar Power, since the peak in interest in it during the 1970s. This editorial reviews the highlights of the meeting, with an emphasis on the companies that participated, and the areas where further research is crucially needed. Primarily, the meeting was focused on a review of the industries currently involved in solar conversion-related manufacturing and development, and the factors that limit market introduction of products. Some of the key outcomes of the meeting include the realization that large-scale concentrating solar thermal installations, rather than photovoltaic (PV) systems, will likely dominate utility-scale energy production (i.e. system outputs of over 100 MWe). It was noted that there has been a steady cost reduction in silicon PV modules, and the goal of a PV module cost near US$1.44/W (in 2002 dollars) is expected around 2013, at which time there will have been a cumulative module production of over 10,000 MW. However, the current shortage of silicon feedstock (polysilicon) will drive PV research directions for many years to come. Many venture-capital funded start-up companies have arisen to develop commercial approaches to thin film solar cells and modules that use less silicon.