twampus

As Intel Joins the Solar Sector, Is There Room for Everyone?

i think you are reading the hype wrong. IF the PV space future was going to bear gangbuster profits, they would bring existing mothballed small sites online and they would use this product line as a vehicle for growth on their fully depreciated capital equipment. this would grow production a lot faster than building a new site. seriously, if anyone could make Si based PVs, it would be intel. they're a juggernaut in Si, manufacturing, and the brand would sell itself at a premium. I see this between the lines: "yes, it could be profitable, on the order of 5-20%, which is a big step down in margins." i really could not envision intel walking away from major growth opportunity in their core competency unless they saw insufficient upside. solar will either commoditize rapidly or never meet intel margin expectations, intel makes these decisions often - just ask the memory folks that work for Numonyx.