• Alan Frasz, President, Dovetail Solar and Wind
• Dr. Rick Schwerdtfeger, Senior Project Scientist, EMTEC

The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry worldwide has been growing by 30-40% per year for several years and has moved beyond the "cottage industry" status it had in the '70's and '80's. As traditional crystalline technologies improve and as new thin film technologies come on line, cost reduction is becoming a bigger and bigger issue. The supply chain for this industry has recently suffered setbacks due to the silicon shortage, but is rapidly recovering from that. Speakers in this session will provide ideas on how to develop the PV supply chain in Ohio, and how costs can be further reduced in the process.

• "Solar Energy in Ohio and the Supply Chain Feeding It" - Alan Frasz, Dovetail Solar & Wind

  Dovetail Solar and Wind, one of Ohio's oldest and largest renewable energy installation firms, will review its involvement in the implementation of solar and & wind systems over the past decade from a supply chain perspective. We will present how we currently source materials and services, and discuss where we see future opportunities for Ohio suppliers to increase participation.

• "Low Cost Alternatives for Concentrating Solar Power" - Mark Schuetz, Replex Plastics

  Replex Plastics discusses their participation in Ohio's concentrator solar energy supply chain. They are a low cost manufacturer of concentrating mirrors for use in solar energy collection, both for solar thermal and photovoltaic applications.

• "Supporting the Development of Renewable Energy Projects in the Federal Sector" - Robert Davis, Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization Center

  In this talk I will give an overview of the new Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, which will begin in June 2007 with funding from the Ohio Third Frontier Program. The Center has two major hubs at the University of Toledo and The Ohio State University and includes more than fifteen initial industry members. The additional not-for-profit members are the Edison Materials Technology Center, the Battelle Memorial Institute, Bowling Green State University, and Green Energy Ohio. Activities in PVIC will range from research, development, and commercialization in new photovoltaic materials and devices to systems designs and installation and finally to public outreach. I will describe the Center, its initial development activities, and its ties to the PV value chain in Ohio.

• "An Overview of the Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC) and the Photovoltaic Value Chain in Ohio" - Brenda Weatherspoon, ITB

  ITB has been supporting the DoD Armed Services and NASA in developing alternative materials and/or processes that are environmentally friendly and reduce the use of hazardous chemicals. This has led us into supporting agencies in developing renewable energy resources. In the last several years the Government has seen energy costs skyrocket and, in some cases, has had a direct negative impact in supporting primary missions. Federal agencies are finally taking significant steps in the development of renewable energy resources. Plans are being developed and projects initiated to install solar and wind farms on military installations. Projects are also on the horizon to develop hydrogen resources and utilize fuel cells. We will discuss some of the major thrusts and several ongoing projects, and look at the potential future opportunities within the Federal Government for the use of renewable energy resources.