NewEnergyNews: SUN AND WIND AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CORNING CHEMISTRY/

NewEnergyNews

Gleanings from the web and the world, condensed for convenience, illustrated for enlightenment, arranged for impact...

The challenge now: To make every day Earth Day.

YESTERDAY

THINGS-TO-THINK-ABOUT WEDNESDAY, August 23:

  • TTTA Wednesday-ORIGINAL REPORTING: The IRA And The New Energy Boom
  • TTTA Wednesday-ORIGINAL REPORTING: The IRA And the EV Revolution
  • THE DAY BEFORE

  • Weekend Video: Coming Ocean Current Collapse Could Up Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: Impacts Of The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current Collapse
  • Weekend Video: More Facts On The AMOC
  • THE DAY BEFORE THE DAY BEFORE

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 15-16:

  • Weekend Video: The Truth About China And The Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: Florida Insurance At The Climate Crisis Storm’s Eye
  • Weekend Video: The 9-1-1 On Rooftop Solar
  • THE DAY BEFORE THAT

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 8-9:

  • Weekend Video: Bill Nye Science Guy On The Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: The Changes Causing The Crisis
  • Weekend Video: A “Massive Global Solar Boom” Now
  • THE LAST DAY UP HERE

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 1-2:

  • The Global New Energy Boom Accelerates
  • Ukraine Faces The Climate Crisis While Fighting To Survive
  • Texas Heat And Politics Of Denial
  • --------------------------

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    Founding Editor Herman K. Trabish

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    WEEKEND VIDEOS, June 17-18

  • Fixing The Power System
  • The Energy Storage Solution
  • New Energy Equity With Community Solar
  • Weekend Video: The Way Wind Can Help Win Wars
  • Weekend Video: New Support For Hydropower
  • Some details about NewEnergyNews and the man behind the curtain: Herman K. Trabish, Agua Dulce, CA., Doctor with my hands, Writer with my head, Student of New Energy and Human Experience with my heart

    email: herman@NewEnergyNews.net

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      A tip of the NewEnergyNews cap to Phillip Garcia for crucial assistance in the design implementation of this site. Thanks, Phillip.

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    Pay a visit to the HARRY BOYKOFF page at Basketball Reference, sponsored by NewEnergyNews and Oil In Their Blood.

  • ---------------
  • WEEKEND VIDEOS, August 24-26:
  • Happy One-Year Birthday, Inflation Reduction Act
  • The Virtual Power Plant Boom, Part 1
  • The Virtual Power Plant Boom, Part 2

    Tuesday, December 16, 2008

    SUN AND WIND AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CORNING CHEMISTRY

    Dow Corning and Owens Corning. Cookware and chemistry? Not anymore. They’re in the energy business now.

    Dow Corning is expanding its function as a polysilicon supplier to the solar energy industry and Owens Corning, a major supplier of glass fiber materials for wind turbine blades, has signed on to Boone Pickens’ drive for more wind development. That’s how investment in New Energy stimulates the national economy.

    The partnership between Owens Corning and Pickens involves more than wind. A well-known wind energy and natural gas advocate, Pickens has added a call for increased home and building energy efficiency to his
    Pickens Plan.

    From Owens Corning: “At the foundation of the T. Boone Pickens and Owens Corning collaboration is the understanding that any effective energy policy for the nation must include provisions for achieving greater energy efficiency in buildings.”

    Owens Corning is a world leader in building materials systems and glass fiber reinforcements.

    Dow Corning will partner with Hemlock Semiconductor to increase their manufacturing capacity in Michigan and Tennessee for polysilicon. They are preparing to supply more solar even as demand for panels and the price of silicon is dropping. Why?

    Rick Doornbos, president/chief executive officer, Hemlock Semiconductor: "When the global markets are down, we view that as actually the time for the strongest companies to step forward…We believe that long term trends in the solar industry continue to be very attractive…"

    With stimulus package funds and stimulative federal policy expected from the incoming Obama administration, economies of scale are expected to drive the cost of solar energy-generated electricity down to grid parity, a price level competitive with traditional grid supply sources. When that happens, there will be no end to demand. Dow Corning/Hemlock will be ready.

    Gary Homan, vice president of sales and marketing, Hemlock: "We are confident that over the next several years major solar manufacturers will in fact have reached parity relative to fossil-based power. We are preparing for what we believe is a very rapidly expanding solar industry once grid parity is achieved…"

    A plant expansion in Michigan will employ 800 for construction and ~ 300 permanently. The Tennessee plant will require 1,000 construction workers and employ ~ 800.

    Homan, Hemlock: "With the current environment in the U.S., with the green movement that's underway, there will be a significant increase in sales [for Hemlock] into the U.S. market…"

    What globalization? As domestic polysilicon suppliers, Dow Corning/Hemlock expect to go head-to-head with imported Chinese supplies and beat them. On the other hand, about a third of Hemlock is owned by Japanese companies. (Dow Corning owns the rest.)

    Law Of INTENDED Consequences: Bringing the cost of silicon down means computers and flatscreen TVs will be cheaper. Increasing the volume of efficiency measures nationally will bring the cost of materials down and make efficiency measures more affordable. Owens Corning, Dow Corning, T. Boone Pickens, the people of the U.S. and the global climate all profit.


    click to enlarge

    Owens Corning Joins Forces with T. Boone Pickens to Advance Energy Independence; Collaboration Marks Significant Expansion of the Pickens Plan; Plan Now Calls for Energy Efficiency in Buildings
    December 15, 2008 (PR Newswire/COMTEX via MarketWatch)
    and
    Dow Corning, Hemlock To Invest Up To $3 Billion In Polysilicon Growth
    Yuliya Chernova, December 15, 2008 (Dow Jones via CNN Money)

    WHO
    Dow Corning Corp.; Hemlock Semiconductor LLC (Rick Doornbos, president/chief executive officer; Gary Homan, vice president of sales and marketing); T. Boone Pickens, chief spokesman, The Pickens Plan; Owens Corning (Mike Thaman, chairman/chief executive officer)

    WHAT
    - Dow Corning and Hemlock plan to invest up to $3 billion in new polysilicon manufacturing to serve customers in the solar industry.
    - Dow Corning will begin producing monosilane gas for thin-film solar panels (and liquid crystal displays) in a facility adjacent to the polysilicon factory.
    - Owens Corning endorsed the T. Boone Pickens Pickens Plan.

    Pickens is right about this: Wind is a resource that needs to be developed and will serve the nation. (click to enlarge)

    WHEN
    - Construction starts immediately. The Michigan expansion will start production in late 2010 or early 2011. The new Tennessee plant will be ready to go in early 2012.
    - Polysilicon has lost ~40% of its price in the last 1-to-2 months.
    - Pickens and Owens Corning formalized their partnership in a public “signing ceremony” December 15 at the Owens Corning headquarters.

    WHERE
    - The Dow Corning/ Hemlock new polysilicon manufacturing facilities will be built in Michigan and Tennessee.
    - The Dow Corning monosilane gas production will be adjacent to the polysilicon factory in Hemlock, Mich.
    - Hemlock's biggest markets are in Europe and Asia.
    - The Owens Corning world headquarters is in Toledo, OH.

    WHY
    - Dow Corning/ Hemlock will invest $1.2 billion for 10,000 metric tons of added annual production to their polysilicon factory in Hemlock (now at 19,000 tons of capacity) and will invest $1 billion in a new, 13,000-ton annual capacity (expandable to 21, 000 tons) polysilicon factory in Clarksville, Tenn.
    - Some to the capital is assumed to come from pre-purchases of silicon. Financing also involves stakeholders in Hemlock (Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., 24.5% , and Mitsubishi Materials Corp., 12.25%)
    - The move into silane is the result of a growing thin-film market and anticipated further growth.
    - The addition of energy efficiency to the Pickens Plan and the subsequent partnership with Owens Corning emphasizes the call for energy efficiency in the Obama energy plan.

    From Hemlock Semiconductor: Keeping people working. (click to enlarge)

    QUOTES
    - Gary Homan, vice president of sales and marketing, Hemlock: "Hemlock and its customers will be sharing the financing costs…Outside capital will be involved, but much of the costs will be shared. The majority will be handled this way,"
    - Rick Doornbos, president/chief executive officer, Hemlock Semiconductor: "We ended up choosing the location in Tennessee for a variety of reasons…including access to very attractive energy costs, the overall business climate, access to a quality labor pool and financial incentives that were offered…"
    - Mike Thaman, chairman/chief executive officer, Owens Corning: "Buildings consume 40 percent of our nation's energy. That's more than industry or transportation. Energy efficiency in homes and buildings is critical to the achievement of true energy independence…As the leading provider of glass fiber for wind blades, we were initially drawn to the Pickens Plan based on his vision for wind power in America. We applaud Mr. Pickens for also recognizing the importance of energy efficiency in solving our nation's energy challenges. We're hopeful our endorsement of this Plan, through our financial resources and employee involvement, will encourage other companies to support the plan as well."
    - T. Boone Pickens: "Owens Corning shares the same concerns that millions of Americans share: reducing our dependence on foreign oil, which has threatened our security, economy and environment. I am delighted to welcome Mike Thaman and Owens Corning to our Plan…Today's announcement is a big step forward. By increasing the energy efficiency in our nation's homes and buildings, the U.S. can save the equivalent of more than one billion barrels of oil per year, or more than 2.7 million barrels per day. Properly insulating residential and commercial buildings makes tremendous sense and will be a significant part of any energy plan being developed by the new Administration."

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