NetworkNewsWire Editorial Coverage: Since the downturn of gas
prices in September 2014, focus on alternative energy has largely
been placed on the backburner. This trend has reverberated across
numerous industries. In the automotive market, for example, sales
of hybrid electric vehicles in the United States have been on a
steady decline since topping out in 2013, with the U.S. Department
of Energy reporting a 28 percent decrease to under 385,000 units
sold in 2015 (1). One segment that has been able to more
successfully navigate this evolving market landscape, however, has
been the solar energy sector. Driven by innovative market leaders
such as SolarWindow Technologies, Inc. (WNDW)
(WNDW
Profile), Corning, Inc.
(GLW), Tesla, Inc. (TSLA),
Canadian Solar, Inc. (CSIQ) and First
Solar, Inc. (FSLR), global solar power capacity continues
to expand. Roughly two-thirds of worldwide solar capacity has been
installed since January 2011, according to research by Green Tech
Media (2).
Despite this expansion, the North American solar market still
has plenty of room to grow. In the U.S. alone, there are roughly 5
million commercial structures that currently consume approximately
40 percent of the nation’s electricity. The vast majority of that
power generation capacity is still linked to fossil-fueled power
plants, leading to the creation of considerable greenhouse gas
emissions. Combatting this environmental hazard remains a priority
for global leaders, regardless of energy costs. For proof, look no
further than Congress’s 2015 decision to extend the solar tax
credit at its current rate, which applies to both residential and
commercial systems, through 2019 (3).
With a sustainable market established, leading players in the
solar power sector are now relying on cutting-edge technologies and
groundbreaking ideas to grab market share. SolarWindow
Technologies, Inc. (WNDW) is taking a new approach to
power generation. While most standalone solar power installations
on commercial structures are placed on rooftops, typical building
footprints severely limit the number of photovoltaic (PV) units
that can be installed in that fashion. Conversely, SolarWindow is
developing a transparent, electricity-generating coating to be
applied to standard window glass. In addition to providing
significantly more space for PV cells on large commercial
structures, the company’s developmental product offers a lower
threshold for sun than traditional solar panels, meaning that power
generation could be possible with a much smaller input of
sunlight.
SolarWindow’s power model data puts this lower threshold into
perspective. For a PV system installed on a 50-story building in
Phoenix, Arizona, the company estimates that its
first-of-their-kind electricity-generating windows could power an
equivalent of 130 homes (4). The next most efficient
chemistry included in the study, amorphous silicon, could power the
equivalent of just 11 homes, per company data. As for the
environmental impact of SolarWindow’s developmental system, the
company estimates that a single installation could prevent the
equivalent of 2.2 million miles of CO2 vehicle pollution, about
10-times more than a traditional solar power generation system.
The ongoing development of SolarWindow’s advanced technology
into tangible, marketable products is being driven by a diverse
leadership team with experience spanning a full range of related
sectors. The company’s award-winning researchers and engineers have
authored more than 1,000 scientific publications, and Dr. Alastair
Livesey, one of SolarWindow’s founding directors, specialized in
the commercialization of new energy breakthroughs at the world’s
largest producer of flexible solar panels as recently as 2012.
Bolstered by the expertise of Kelly Provence, an Interstate
Renewable Energy Council-certified commercial and PV design and
installation guru, along with Dr. Christopher Harris, an
intellectual property and technology licensing specialist,
SolarWindow Technologies has a team in place to rapidly advance its
developmental PV products from the design room to the production
floor and beyond.
Another company that has capitalized on the surge in solar power
installations is Corning, Inc. (GLW), the
manufacturer of specialty glasses and related products. Corning’s
forays into the solar space have come in multiple shapes and sizes.
Recently, the international behemoth owned a 50-percent stake in
Dow Corning, a joint-venture with The Dow Chemical Company (DOW)
focused on the manufacture of silicone products. These products are
widely implemented in solar panel and PV applications due to their
renowned UV stability and moisture resistance. Corning sold its
position in Dow Corning to Dow Chemical for $4.8 billion and other
considerations in December 2015. Perhaps one of the most well-known
product innovations related to this joint-venture was Dow’s solar
shingle line, the Powerhouse Solar System 2.0. Similar to
SolarWindow’s inventive technology, Dow’s Powerhouse system
implemented building-integrated photovoltaics, which combine solar
modules with construction materials. Unlike SolarWindow’s
developmental product, however, Dow’s solar shingles generated
electricity much less efficiently than stand-alone solar modules,
leading to the company’s discontinuation of the product line in
July 2016 (5).
While Corning has made moves toward shrinking its presence in
the solar power space in recent years, Tesla, Inc.
(TSLA) has spent the past couple of years increasing its
footprint in the alternative energy market. On April 30, 2015, the
electric car manufacturer introduced its groundbreaking Powerwall
home battery system. In late 2016, Tesla pushed the envelope once
again when visionary CEO Elon Musk introduced not only a second
generation Powerwall system, but the company’s PV-integrated Solar
Roof, which is set to hit the market later this year. Tesla’s take
on the building-integrated photovoltaic segment may seem familiar
to followers of Dow Chemical, but Musk and his team, including the
members who were brought over as part of the company’s 2016
acquisition of SolarCity, have already hyped a few key differences
that they expect will help Tesla’s Solar Roof stand out from the
competition. “First of all, I’ve never seen a solar roof that I
would actually want… they're weird,” Musk noted in a November 2016
conference call (6). “Every one of them that I’ve seen
is worse than a normal roof, without exception. So unless you’re
going to beat a roof on aesthetics, why bother?” Much like the
design of SolarWindow’s aesthetically-polished PV coating, Tesla’s
Solar Roof is expected to be both functionally superior to existing
solar shingles and visually appealing.
SolarWindow and Tesla may be pushing the solar power industry
toward the future with their design-stage offerings, but the sector
is also populated with mainstays that are striving to capitalize on
its sustained growth. Canadian Solar, Inc. (CSIQ)
is currently one of the world’s largest solar power companies and a
leading manufacturer of solar PV modules serving more than 90
countries around the globe. At the end of 2016, Canadian Solar
boasted a module manufacturing capacity of 5.8 GW, but the
company’s recent financial performance has clocked in well below
analyst targets. Investopedia attributed this slump to “weak
fundamentals and a technical breakdown,” among other factors
(7). Despite these struggles, Canadian Solar has
continued to confirm its presence at the top of the competitive
solar energy space in recent weeks. Earlier this month, the company
announced its reception of $20 million in unsecured funding from
the China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Cooperation and
Development Fund in support of the development of numerous eligible
installations in Brazil. Additionally, Canadian Solar secured its
first Power Purchase Agreements with the Solar Energy Corporation
of India, a public sector undertaking of the Government of India,
further expanding the company’s presence on the global stage.
First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) is another company
capitalizing on a position at the top of the solar energy market.
As a vertically integrated provider of comprehensive PV systems
with assets spanning the sourcing of raw materials through to
end-of-life module recycling, First Solar was named one of “The
World’s Top 4 Alternative Energy Companies” in an article published
by Investopedia earlier this month (8). Just last year,
First Solar made headlines when it announced a massive
restructuring initiative that both altered its product roadmap and
accelerated the research and development of its highly-anticipated
Series 6 module (9). The move, which included the
cancellation of its Series 5 modules, is expected to put First
Solar in a challenging position throughout this year ahead of the
anticipated 2018 launch. However, the proposed benefits of the
company’s Series 6 line, including a manufacturing cost that’s
about 40 percent less than the current Series 4 modules and
conversion efficiencies in excess of 18 percent (as compared to
16.5 percent for Series 4), reiterate the importance of innovation
to the future of the alternative energy market.
Investing in solar power may not be as sexy as it was a few
years ago, but the work being done by industry innovators like
SolarWindow Technologies, Tesla, and First Solar is setting the
stage for a brighter tomorrow. According to the U.S. Energy
Information Administration, solar power is on course to be the
fastest-growing renewable energy source through 2018, with total
utility-scale capacity forecast to increase by 44 percent during
the two-year period ending on December 31, 2018 (10).
The Solar Energy Industries Association suggests that, by 2021, the
U.S. solar market could triple in size to power the equivalent of
22 million homes (11). With widespread agreement about
the market’s huge potential, now is a great time to put the solar
power industry’s most encouraging players on your investment
radar.
For more information on SolarWindow Technologies visit: SolarWindow
Technologies (WNDW)
Editorial Sources
(1) http://www.afdc.energy.gov/data/10301
(2) http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/chart-2-3rds-of-global-solar-pv-has-been-connected-in-the-last-2.5-years
(3) http://news.energysage.com/congress-extends-the-solar-tax-credit/
(4) http://solarwindow.com/powermodel/
(5) https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/dow-chemical-sheds-solar-shingle-business
(6) https://it.businessinsider.com/tesla-solar-roof-solar-city-features-2017-2/
(7) http://www.investopedia.com/news/dark-clouds-over-canadian-solar-2017-csiq/
(8) http://www.investopedia.com/investing/top-alternative-energy-companies/
(9) https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2017/01/03/first-solars-series-6-gamble-will-likely-pay-off/
(10) https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/report/renew_co2.cfm
(11) http://www.seia.org/research-resources/smi-2016-year-review-numbers
About NetworkNewsWire
NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is an information service that provides to
users (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers,
(2) enhanced press release services, and (3) a full array of social
communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and
content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing
journalists and writers, NNW is uniquely positioned to best serve
private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience
of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. NNW
has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key
syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the
overload of information in today’s market, NNW brings its clients
unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. NNW is
where news, content and information converge.
NetworkNewsWire (NNW)
New York, New York
www.NetworkNewsWire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the
NetworkNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by NNW,
wherever published or re-published: http://NNW.fm/Disclaimer
DISCLAIMER: NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is the source of the Article
and content set forth above. References to any issuer other than
the profiled issuer are intended solely to identify industry
participants and do not constitute an endorsement of any issuer and
do not constitute a comparison to the profiled issuer. The
commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by NNW are
solely those of NNW. Readers of this Article and content agree that
they cannot and will not seek to hold liable NNW for any investment
decisions by their readers or subscribers. NNW and their respective
affiliated companies are a news dissemination and financial
marketing solutions provider and are NOT registered broker-dealers,
analysts, investment advisers, hold no investment licenses and may
NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.
The Article and content related to the profiled company
represent the personal and subjective views of the Author, and are
subject to change at any time without notice. The information
provided in the Article and the content has been obtained from
sources which the Author believes to be reliable. However, the
Author has not independently verified or otherwise investigated all
such information. None of the Author, NNW, or any of their
respective affiliates, guarantee the accuracy or completeness of
any such information. This Article and content are not, and should
not be regarded as investment advice or as a recommendation
regarding any particular security or course of action; readers are
strongly urged to speak with their own investment advisor and
review all of the profiled issuer’s filings made with the
Securities and Exchange Commission before making any investment
decisions and should understand the risks associated with an
investment in the profiled issuer’s securities, including, but not
limited to, the complete loss of your investment.
NNW HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and
such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations,
plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words
such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should",
"expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected".
You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude
of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances,
events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the
forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results
may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking
statements as a result of various factors, and other risks
identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and
other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the
forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue
reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this
release are made as of the date hereof and NNW undertake no
obligation to update such statements.
DISCLOSURE: In compliance with Section 17(b) of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, please be advised that since March 8,
2017, NNW has received and will continue to receive, pursuant to an
agreement between NNW and Omnicor Media LLC (OMNICOR) $15,000 per
month from OMNICOR, a third-party, on behalf of WNDW for Brand
Awareness Distribution, Corporate Communications, News and
Editorial Syndication, Press Release Enhancement and Social Media
Solutions provided by NNW, until such time as such agreement is
terminated by NNW or OMNICOR. NNW also has been paid for the
preparation, publication and distribution of this Article and
content. This payment was made by OMNICOR, which has been engaged
by SolarWindow Technologies, Inc. to provide SolarWindow
Technologies, Inc. with name branding, investor outreach and other
services; and, in consideration for which OMNICOR, represents that
it has been paid a total of $757,740.63 since 3/31/2016, of which
$562,740.63 constituted third party expenses. NNW have not received
any equity-based compensation for its services and none of NNW’s
members, executives, or employees own shares or have received any
equity-based compensation of the profiled issuer. NNW is not now
and cannot be deemed a direct or indirect beneficial owner of any
equity or other securities of SolarWindow Technologies, Inc. NNW’s
compensation disclosure is incorporated herein and appears in full
at http://NNW.fm/Disclaimer
NNW has not received any equity-based compensation for its
services and none of NNW’s members, executives, or employees own
shares or have received any equity-based compensation of the
profiled issuer. NNW are not now and cannot be deemed a direct or
indirect beneficial owner of any equity or other securities of the
issuer.
Source:
NetworkNewsWire
Contact:
NetworkNewsWire (NNW)
New York, New York
www.NetworkNewsWire.com
212.418.1217 Office
Editor@NetworkNewsWire.com
Solarwindow Technologies (PK) (USOTC:WNDW)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2024 to Oct 2024
Solarwindow Technologies (PK) (USOTC:WNDW)
Historical Stock Chart
From Oct 2023 to Oct 2024