In what I hope becomes the new trend, large corporations are competing to see who has the biggest…solar system. Several months ago, Google announced that it was going to install 1.6MW, since then Tesco has announced plans for a 2MW system, and now Applied Materials, Inc., has announced that it will install over 1.9 megawatts of solar. “Nice stock price, but how large is your solar array?”

“When the project is complete we will have a silent, non-polluting 1.9 megawatt power plant on what is currently open roof space and parking areas, and a great hedge against future energy cost increases,” said Mike Splinter, CEO of Applied Materials. “As we pursue our strategy to significantly drive down the overall solar cost-per-watt we feel it is important to lead through example and that installations of this size will help lower consumer cost and spur overall market growth.”

Applied Materials will start installing panels later this year. Once completed in 2008, Applied Materials’ system will generate over 2,330 megawatt hours annually — the equivalent of powering 1,400 homes. The company has reduced its overall Bay Area electricity consumption by approximately 20% on a normalized basis over the last couple of years as part of its commitment to dramatically reducing its carbon footprint.(via)

It makes sense, as Applied Materials is soon to be in the business of making large amounts of solar panels. It has been selected by Moser Baer India Limited to develop and install in New Delhi, India, the world’s first Generation (Gen) 8.5 Thin Film Solar Module Production Line. This first Gen 8.5 line will manufacture photovoltaic solar modules using ultra-large 5.7m2 substrates (2.2m x 2.6m). These glass panels, which are four times bigger than today’s largest solar panel substrates, are expected to drive down panel production costs and help reduce the overall cost of solar electricity.

“This contract represents a significant collaboration between companies in the U.S and India to establish the first truly modern solar facility in India using semiconductor manufacturing processes,” said Mr. Ravi Khanna, CEO, Moser Baer Photo Voltaic Business. “We are focused on developing and manufacturing innovative products that are intended to significantly reduce electric power and utility costs and provide a cost-effective option for clean renewable energy. In light of its extensive experience in providing process expertise to chipmakers and large area substrate manufacturing technology to the flat panel display industry, we are confident Applied Materials can help us rapidly realize our plan to get to a 200 megawatt factory by 2009.” Applied’s Thin Film Solar Module Production Line is expected to have initial capacity of 40 megawatts per year. They are also opening a new plant in Spain with a similar operating capacity, also for thin film.

So is this the new trend? I sure hope so, I would love to see all the brain power and money that has gone into developing computers and putting that drive towards developing solar and wind and other renewable energy technologies. If we had as many people working on solar as we do on Ipods, there is a good chance every single one of us could afford a solar power home by now.

This video is a bit old but shows the CEO of AMAT talking about their solar plans.