News & Events

Become the solar valley. Leaders got together in San Jose today.

Lisa Kim: NBC 11's Garvin Thomas is live in San Jose tonight. Where executives say the future is bright.

Garvin Thomas:  Lisa, the blueprint is in place. The brains. Sun of San Jose is responsible for this array. It's a tracking array. You get 30% more energy out of it. They also came up with a technique where they put all the contacts on the rear side freeing up the front side. so the technology, we have that covered, which is good. Because today's big announcement has to do with everything that's not the technology. We're gathered here, it's like a semi conductor.

Japan and Germany are the two largest solar markets in the world. if the U.S. wants to catch up, companies will have to work together. 

Tom McCalmont:  “The analogy would be SemiTech 20-year-old organization has had great success. we want to bring that same kind of organization to solar power.

So today was born the Solar Center for Excellence in Silicon Valley. Not to work on technology, but to work on everything else, all with one goal, make solar easier and cheaper.

Tom McCalmont, CEO REgrid: “We're looking at issues like building permits.  These are mundane issues.  How do we connect systems with a grid more effectively and simply?  Assuring we have a trained work force so we can get the tens of thousands of workers that we need for this industry.

The tracking array out here, this is the type of array that's meant to be covering a large area that you might see in the desert somewhere, not in somebody's backyard. But if you did, it would take one panel to your small house, two if you have extra square footage.