Support solar manufacturing tax legislation

Solar panels have opened up a booming market for glass and glazing professionals. Most big names in the industry have entered the niche. Just in the recent past, Solutia, St. Louis, agreed to acquire Etimex Solar; the Dow Chemical Co. picked Midland, Mich., as the site for the first full-scale facility for its Dow Powerhouse Solar shingles; Cardinal Solar Technologies, part of Cardinal Glass Industries, Eden Prairie, Minn., opened a facility in Mazomanie, Wis., to grind, drill and temper two types of glass for use in PV; and Saint-Gobain, France, announced plans to boost its yearly sales related to solar power up to Eur 2 billion in five years and make acquisitions in the sector. First Solar, Tempe, Ariz., the market leader in commercial systems, is participating in the solar markets at a level of $1.9 billion; total market value for 2009 was $19.6 billion in 2009, according to a recent Research and Markets study.

Even non-core glazing players, such as Alcoa, Pittsburgh, and non-glazing companies, such as Chevron, San Ramon, Calif., are getting into the solar field. Alcoa has replaced the glass in parabolic troughs with reflective aluminum and integrated the mirror into a single structure. And Chevron has transformed an old refinery site in California into a test bed for seven advanced photovolatic technologies.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has done its share to help the solar industry. Companies like Abound Solar Inc., Loveland, Colo., picked up $12.6 million in tax credits from the U.S. Department of Energy, via the ARRA, through a competitive selection process that examines how many green jobs a firm creates, the cost-effectiveness of its operations, the speed at which it implements manufacturing processes, and the overall benefit in terms of greenhouse gas reduction.

The Solar Manufacturing Jobs Creation Act, H.R. 4085 in the House and S. 2755 in the Senate, would help the solar industry even more by expanding the commercial solar investment tax credit to include the purchase of solar manufacturing equipment. The improved tax incentive for solar manufacturing will create long-term growth and jobs. Passage of this bill would create a generally available and immediately reliable 30 percent credit for the tools to create solar panels, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Washington, D.C.

You can do your bit to help pass the act. Here's how:

--Call and write your senators and representatives. If they are a co-sponsor of the manufacturing tax credit, thank them for supporting the legislation and encourage quick passage of the solar manufacturing tax credit.
--If your senators and representatives are not a co-sponsor, call and/or write and request them to co-sponsor H.R. 4085 and S. 2755.

Help create new solar jobs, while improving your lot in this wildly expanding field.

—By Sahely Mukerji, Senior editor, Glass Magazine

It’s decision time

The first quarter has ended. Let’s review our goals. You are either on track to achieve your goal(s) for the year or you are not on track. So what are you going to do about it?

If you are on track, you run the risk of taking your success for granted. You begin to think it’s easy to reach your goals and this can lead to complacency. You have worked hard so far this year. You have been doing the basics and have stayed focused on the end result. It’s been said that yesterday’s successes can lull us into today’s complacency, which is the foundation of tomorrow’s failure.

If you are not on track to reach this year’s goal(s), you have to make a decision. You have to answer one of the following questions:
1) The goal you set is still viable; you need to refocus on it. Are you going to recommit to the original goal?
2) Your original goal is no longer realistic. Redefine the original goal to make it more relevant and obtainable. Will you take the time to do this and commit to the updated goal?

If you do not consciously answer one of these two questions, you need to understand that you have unconsciously made a decision to give up on your goal(s) and possibly to even quit setting goals altogether.

It’s easy to focus on the immediate and lose sight of the long term. I need to get this job; I need to make this bank payment; I need to get this ordered. All of these are daily necessary items that distract us from looking at the big picture. It takes effort and concentration to look past “obstacles” and focus on the end result. If you do not focus on the end result, you cannot celebrate its achievement.

At this time of year there are several external influences that impact our race toward achievement. The weather is warmer. The colorful flowers are blooming and the grass is green again. Daylight Savings Time has made the day seem longer. People are spending more time outside. This is a very positive time of year. It is vital that we use the external influences to gain lost ground or get ahead in the race to reach your goal(s).

Every spring the activity level at our company increases because of these external influences. We get more “pep in our step.” Our expectations increase. Our attitude improves because we have emerged from the winter hibernation. As the leader at our company, it is my responsibility to remain focused on our long term goal(s). As a leader, it is my job to let my associates focus on the immediate tasks of everyday business, yet keep them on track so we will achieve the long term goal(s).

Do you expect to win?

Stay committed to your decision but flexible in your approach.

—Bill Evans, president, Evans Glass Co., Nashville