Solar Energy Companies Research Articles

SOLAR ENERGY APPLICATIONS IN FLOATING HOTELS FROM MANAGERS POINT OF VIEW

This research aims to study solar energy applications in floating hotels. In order to achieve this aim, the current research adopted a deductive approach using the personal interviews with managers who are working in floating hotels in Luxor and Aswan sample of the research and with engineers who working in solar energy companies. A total of 52 personal interviews were conducted with the manager's which represent sample of the research. The findings of the filed study showed that the level of awareness of managers with solar energy applications is poor and there is no strategic vision from hotel management of using solar energy applications. The results also showed that the high prices of solar technology and the lack of space needed to place solar cells on floating hotels are considered the main obstacles for the use of solar energy applications.

'An Analysis of Tesla’s Business Ventures in the Energy Field'

This paper involves discussing Tesla’s business model through analyzing both its effective as well as ineffective business ventures. With regards to the positive aspects, Tesla has been an effective leader in the electric vehicle market. In addition, Tesla has had initial success in investing in solar energy through its acquisition of solar energy company SolarCity. (Merced, Michael, “Tesla and SolarCity Shareholders Approve Merger,” New York Times, November 17, 2016) However, while this acquisition was initially successful, overall SolarCity has proven to be economically ineffective. (Muoio, Danielle, “Elon Musk has a brilliant plan to change your roof,” Business Insider, November 6, 2016, “Two Years In, Tesla’s SolarCity Deal Looks Increasingly Like A Bad Bet, Forbes, September 25, 2018”) Ultimately, Tesla’s investing in the electric vehicle market has been more successful than the company’s investing in the solar energy field, due to SolarCity not being efficient for Tesla. (“Two Years In, Tesla’s SolarCity Deal Looks Increasingly Like A Bad Bet”) Finally, I will also discuss ways for how Tesla can improve financially.

Technology development strategies and policy support for the solar energy industry under technological turbulence

This study examines effective technology development strategies—diversification and collaboration—for solar energy companies facing technological turbulence. It used patents and financial data over a five-year period (2008–2012) for 50 solar photovoltaic (PV) technology firms. This study shows that adopting a strategy of technological diversification and R&D collaboration exerts a positive effect on firm performance. In addition, the relation between R&D collaboration strategy and firm performance is strengthened under technological turbulence. This study contributes to the field of sustainable innovation management, as well as energy policy under technological turbulence, through an empirical analysis.

ENVIRONMENTAl IMPACTS OF THE USES OF SOLAR ENERGY IN EGYPT STUDY USING GIS AND REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES

Solar energy is one of the most important energy resources in the world and is one of the most important sources of renewable energy because it is one of the main strategic options to meet the future needs of local and global energy, as it is available in most of the world. As well as it is a clean energy that does not pollute or harm the environment. Distribution of solar energy on the surface of the earth varies according to earth rotation around the sun and the difference between the distances between them throughout the year .Thus, magnitude and intensity of solar radiation on the earth’s surface varies greatly from one season to one another according to the distance between the earth and the sun distinguished by different incident angles throughout the day and the year. Density of the clouds plays an important role in obscuring and reducing amounts and intensity of solar radiation and hence it reduces amount of potential energy, which is revealed by maps of spatial distribute of solar radiation and maps of the potential energy in Egypt. In this study factors affecting solar radiation were analyzed and the potentials energy was estimated. The study included the analysis a questionnaire of the solar energy companies of (20) companies to reach a number of objectives, including to reveal to what extent the Egyptian culture in the field of solar energy, especially from the trend of establishing solar power plants in Egypt and the use of solar energy in various areas instead of traditional energy, some of the obstacles faced by investors in the field of solar energy in Egypt and how to overcome these obstacles in the near future have been cleared from the questionnaire. The questionnaire revealed as well that there is noticeable increase in using solar energy instead of conventional energy. Therefore, solar power stations are involved in a variety of activities such as industry, lighting, cooking, farming, water pumping,...etc. These activities ascertain the importance of solar energy to achieve sustainable development and environmental security. In that manner, the future strategic plan of Egypt, which known as 2030, mainly emphasizes on increasing usage of renewable energy generally, and solar energy in specific in the major projects.

Evidential probability of signals on a price herd predictions: Case study on solar energy companies

Many investors fail due to following prices. An imitating herd in the stock market influences not only people's wealth but economic stability. This research proposes a notion of price herd which simulates price behavior and its practice. Based on this concept, a model evidentially solving the signal probabilities of the price herd to predict its behavior is proposed. Empirically, the model is applied in the financial database, available from Taiwan Economic Journal, to analyze the solar energy industry during 2009–2014. In the results, it successfully identifies the herding signal, predicts the price downward 43% (0.99 close to the reality) in 2011, discloses a debtor herd beyond investors, and reveals the rational behavior of the price herd. Its technique centers in the prediction of information cascade, the induction of dominance-based rough set approach, and the approximations and granules of rough set theory.

글로벌 태양광기업의 위기극복전략 연구 : 기업 인수합병과 구조조정을 중심으로

Korean solar energy are currently suffering bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation of operation, lay-off or other similar event and most of the conglomerate are also downsized or discontinued operations in the industry. This study aims to assist Korean solar energy in making decision to overcome the current industrial crisis through looking into the Korean companies growth, encounter with the crisis and strategies to survive. The main research topic in this study is a comparison between respective effect of M&A and restructuring on corporate value to understand such effects on solar energy companies. In this study, we utilized a variety of research methodologies, including dummy regression analysis, binary analysis of variance, analysis of cross addition to T-test was carried out empirical analysis. As a result, it seems that the who chose an M&A are facing a better situation in terms of survival and market share despite the ongoing crisis. Through this study, it could be found that, for a technology company, an M&A would be a better option than restructuring to grow and overcome a crisis.

The Solutions to Some Key Problems of Solar Energy Output in the Belt and Road

With the advent of the information age and the implementation of the national strategy of The Belt and Road, more and more business management tends to be informative and automatic. Many solar energy companies find traditional rental management program cannot fully meet their needs. This article introduces a photovoltaic energy lease management and analysis system based on windows platform and puts forward some reasonable solutions to some key problems in the process of the software development. It tries to design a database to achieve the safe and reliable storage, transmission and management of data in the management of photovoltaic energy leasing by the combination of B / S mode and C / S mode. For the current difficulties of business in lease accounting, a scientific and reasonable photovoltaic energy lease solution is proposed. Through the design of an IC card, it is easy to control photovoltaic devices and data collection. According to collecting user data, it can make a statistics analysis of various customers, cards, equipment, power consumption, power generation and then generate different types of tables and charts; it can also provide data regression analysis, gray prediction, and analyze the potential demands for the products. With the proposed of The Belt and Road great strategy, photovoltaic energy equipment will soon go to the international market, and in order to promote the use of Photovoltaic energy equipment, it is necessary and urgent to design such a software with different languages version.

Joint business model innovation for sustainable transformation of industries – A large multinational utility in alliance with a small solar energy company

Whereas existing business models for sustainability research have mainly focused on business model activities and sustainability outcomes for separate firms, we observe that alliances between small and large firms can influence a large firm’s learning and dissemination of sustainable technologies, thereby contributing to the sustainable transformation of mass markets. According to the theoretical framework and a case study, large firms appear to choose a race-to-learn mode of appropriating most of the learning in the alliance, leaving small firms with limited learning outcomes. Within the framework, the race-to-learn mode is the optimal strategy for large firms in a joint innovation process concerning a new technology. However, for a joint innovation process concerning a business model for sustainability, the incentives for large firms to adopt a cooperative innovation mode become considerably stronger. The framework and the case study indicate that a number of factors influence the learning outcomes and longevity of joint business model innovation, leading to different modes of joint business model innovation for sustainability processes.

An evidential analysis of Altman Z-score for financial predictions: Case study on solar energy companies

Altman Z-score has been a well-accepted model of predicting survivals and failures of manufactures since 1968. However, short of an underpinning theory causes a wide gap between asking and responding sides, which still has no effective solution. This research proposes a rough set approach to inducing granular evidence and solving evidential coefficients of financial ratios for the distressed companies. Empirically, the proposed approach is applied to a financial database, Taiwan Economic Journal, to analyze the solar energy industry during 2009–2014. The result shows the inferential evidence successfully serves as a basis for financial analysis and discloses that the profit efficiency of the distressed companies in Taiwan's solar energy industry had been declining.

Redefining a stakeholder relation: Finnish energy “prosumers” as co-producers

Energy innovations have enabled micro-scale energy production that is challenging energy companies’ business models and operating environment. This article examines micro-producers of energy as energy “prosumers”—hybrid producers and consumers—and as a challenge to the current logic of energy companies’ stakeholder relations. The data consists of interviews and participant observations of Finnish private solar panel owners and energy company representatives. The relationship between energy prosumers and the energy company is found to be a co-producing stakeholder relation that is issue-centric, not organization-centric. Energy prosumers have heightened expectations of how they should be acknowledged by the energy company, particularly concerning reciprocity. The article clarifies the role of the energy prosumer as a new type of stakeholder and connects prosumer relations to the notion of co-production. Thus, the article offers valuable information for energy companies when they update their business models to embrace prosumer relations and community involvement.

The impact of subsidies on overcapacity: A comparison of wind and solar energy companies in China

Determining the level of subsidy is an important measure in addressing overcapacity in Chinese renewable energy enterprises. In this article, we employ a threshold regression model to analyze the impacts of government subsidies on the overcapacity of wind and solar energy companies. Our findings indicate the separate subsidy thresholds for solar and wind energy companies. The results reveal that even where the subsidy falls into a relatively effective interval, it will still intensify the risk of overcapacity in solar energy companies, but can help address overcapacity in the wind energy companies. The paper concludes that the level of subsidies should be unique for each industry, and suggests a prudent reform of the subsidy policy for the solar energy enterprises.

Which Subsidy Mode Improves the Financial Performance of Renewable Energy Firms? A Panel Data Analysis of Wind and Solar Energy Companies between 2009 and 2014

The effectiveness of subsidies in improving the performance of renewable energy firms has aroused significant research attention in recent years. As subsidy modes may affect corporate financial performance,we have chosen companies specializing in wind and solar energy in the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets as samples.The relationships between the subsidy modes and financial performance of these two types of companies are investigated with a panel data model. Results of the total sample indicate that both indirect and non-innovative subsidy have significant effects on the financial performance of renewable energy companies. The regressive coefficient of the former,however, is a negative value, which illustrates that taxation, bonus, and other market-based mechanisms impair corporate profitability. Moreover, the influence of innovative subsidy is weak, which means that the subsidy used for research and development, technical demonstration, and other innovations of renewable energy enterprises have failed to effectively enhance corporate financial performance. In terms of sub-industries, the direct subsidy for wind energy companies has achieved a significant effect. Incomparison, the indirect subsidy and innovative subsidy acquired by solar energy companies have notably reduced corporate profitability. Thissuggests an urgent reform of subsidy policy for this industry is needed. The government should consider differences in the effects subsidies have for wind and solar energy companies when improving subsidy policy. In addition, market-based subsidy mechanisms should be perfected, and the structure of innovative subsidies should be ameliorated.

Guidelines for Integrating Solar Energy in Sicily’s Buildings

Abstract Wise utilization of today’s new solar energy technologies provides buildings with new aesthetic value which is no longer in conflict with efficiency in solar energy conversion. We outline the criteria for incorporating solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal (ST) technologies in the building design in Sicily’s built environment. Better education in solar energy and in solar architecture of architects and civil engineers, as well as better communication efforts of solar energy companies, will be instrumental to afford the long-awaited local and global boom in the adoption of building-integrated PVs.

Sustainable business models for wind and solar energy in Romania

Abstract Renewable energy has become a crucial element for the business environment as the need for new energy resources and the degree of climate change are increasing. As developed economies strive towards greater progress, sustainable business models are of the essence in order to maintain a balance between the triple bottom line: people, planet and profit. In recent years, European Union countries have installed important capacities of renewable energy, especially wind and solar energy to achieve this purpose. The objective of this article is to make a comparative study between the current sustainable business models implemented in companies that are active in the wind and solar energy sector in Romania. Both sectors underwent tremendous changes in the last two years due to changing support schemes which have had a significant influence on the mechanism of the renewable energy market, as well as on its development. Using the classical Delphi method, based on questionnaires and interviews with experts in the fields of wind and solar energy, this paper offers an overview of the sustainable business models of wind and solar energy companies, both sectors opting for the alternative of selling electricity to trading companies as a main source of revenue until 2013 and as the main future trend until 2020. Furthermore, the participating wind energy companies noted a pessimistic outlook of future investments due to legal instability that made them to reduce their projects in comparison to PV investments, which are expected to continue. The subject of the article is of interest to scientific literature because sustainable business models in wind and photovoltaic energy have been scarcely researched in previous articles and are essential in understanding the activity of the companies in these two fields of renewable energy.

Maximum Zero

This article focuses on the research and development projects to ensure homes and office buildings implement the concept of zero net energy, i.e. self-sufficient in energy buildings. Net-zero commercial construction has doubled since 2008. Reducing energy consumption on the inside depends on ultra-efficient appliances, high-performance heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, geothermal heat pumps, and lighting controls. Impressive advances are occurring in the field of solid-state lighting technology, which has the potential to reduce U.S. lighting energy usage by nearly 50%. The solar-energy technology company Vivint partnered with Garbett Homes to take on one of the biggest challenges for net-zero housing: creating designs that work in cold climates. The house that Vivint and Garbett built in Herriman, Utah, attained a Home Energy Rating System score of zero, indicating that the home is completely self-sustaining. The Habitat for Humanity house, in particular, shows how affordable zero net energy homes can be – especially for lower income homeowners.

Constructing Employability Indicators for Enhancing the Effectiveness of Engineering Education for the Solar Industry

The aim of this research is to establish a set of employability indicators that capture the competency requirements and performance expectations that solar energy enterprises have of their employees. In the qualitative component of the study, 12 administrators and 32 engineers in the industry were interviewed, and meetings with focus groups were conducted to formulate a questionnaire for a survey of Taiwanese solar energy companies for the confirmation and prioritisation of the employability indicators. On the basis of the results of the quantitative component, an interpretational model relating competence, job performance, working attitude, and employability for solar corporation recruitment and training purposes as well as for school curricular development was developed. The interpretation model formulated effectively interprets the relationship between solar enterprises’ expectations and students’ employability. The research contributes a framework for the selection and cultivation of talent, as well as providing a basis for fundamental development of the solar engineering curriculum.

Porter’s Diamond: National Competitiveness in Solar Energy Industry

Porter’s diamond theory on national competitiveness has been widely used (for example Dagmar Recklies, 2001; George, Galanos & Manasis, Giannis, 2010 and Oz, Ozlem,2002) in determining the factors that the national has, which are favorable to the given industry in a given country, that also lead to individual firms success both at local and international level. The factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries and firm’s strategies, structures and rivalry are the determinants of the national competitiveness, of which they are influenced by the government and chances. This paper has used Porter’s diamond theory to determine the relationship between the national advantages and industrial success in a given national which lead to individual firm being successful internationally. The study has been done with reference to Norway as a National and the firm case Elkem AS, the solar energy company in solar energy industry which has its origin in year 1904 in Norway but now with operations in other part of the world. Given these determinants from the theory, the national is important in ensuring success of a certain industry, which eventually will lead to success of individual firm in a given industry internationally.

MORE SOLAR SILICON

PLUMMETING OIL PRICES are making renewable energy less financially attractive at the moment, and a global credit crunch is confounding business plans. Undaunted, Wacker Chemie says it will build a nearly $1 billion plant in Germany to make hyperpure polycrystalline silicon, a major component of solar electricity cells. Wacker will build the 10,000-metric-ton-per-year facility at its Nunchritz site in Saxony and integrate the plant with its existing silicone fluids and polymers operations there. When it reaches full capacity at the end of 2011, the polysilicon plant will employ 450 people. Wacker says it will also raise the capacity of an ongoing expansion at its Burghausen production site in Bavaria, Germany, from 7,000 to 10,000 metric tons. As energy costs slide and cash gets harder to come by, however, prospects for solar energy companies aren’t as bright as they once were. For instance, Schott Solar, a German maker of photovoltaic components, abandoned its $900 million ...

Hot Chips 20: Three Days of the Very Best in Highperformance Chips and Technologies, At Stanford University, 24–26 August, 2008

The 20th annual Hot Chips conference at Stanford University's Memorial Auditorium on August 24-26, 2008 will offer a tutorial on the challenges of solving the "memory wall" and a plenary address by Standford's Sebastian Thrun on "Cars that Drive Themselves." A second keynote by Dr. Richard Swanson will relate the history and technology of SunPower, a leading solar energy company.