Solar markets shrink as worldwide budget worries widenWhen Corning Inc. recently landed its first order for photovoltaic glass, the sale raised hopes that the new product will quickly become a moneymaker for the Twin Tiers' largest employer.
That's not likely to be the case, especially in the short term, because of geopolitical difficulties that will likely disrupt the solar energy market this year.
Photovoltaic glass serves as a base for thin-film semiconductor materials in modules that convert sunlight to electricity.
Corning Inc. says its entry in the market is half as thick as well as 50 percent stronger than the glass usually found in photovoltaic modules. Even more important, the Fortune 500 company says, is that it can increase the efficiency -- the output of electricity --by 20 to 30 percent.
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