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Technology Stocks : Energy Conversion Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tom Hoff who wrote (8151)	2/7/2006 12:16:50 PM
From: Krowbar	Respond to of 8393

Tom, Thanks for the input. Have you heard anything about Wal-Mart wanting more installations? It was mentioned on the yahoo board, but I would like verification. It was my understanding that the installation in McKinney, Tx. was to be monitored for 2 years before deciding whether to do more. Wow, 250 mW a year in 3 years would mean 10 machines just for SIT. We need to get rolling now. Del

To: Tom Hoff who wrote (8151)	2/7/2006 10:52:21 PM
From: alfranco	Respond to of 8393

Tom, Thanks for sharing those tasty tidbits. Scuttlebutt for years has been that SIT could buy all of Unisolar's output by itself and your bits add more to that... likewise that SIT would gladly like a plant themselves. So much Unisolar scuttlebutt like Merriman's bold one that DOE funding may be coming plus 25MW to 100MW in the same footprint... this may all come to pass but we know the timeline will be years for such. Just let's you know that the analysts are smoking the same stuff some of us here are<g>. What I'm wondering is what business model does ECD want to use to expand Unisolar? Franchise with investors(Hoyerswerda?), site-specific-JVs with geographic/product specific licensing(Tianjin?), shelf financing to get beyond the first 100MW and then an IPO to grow further &/or bring in an overall JV partner? Or a mix of the above? I hope the business plan comes from rigorous study of all,of the presumably many, options and has broad input from all members of management on this major business decision. Right now, with the silicon shortage, PV customers are going to go to vendors they are unfamiliar with, such as Unisolar, and if pleased with the results then Unisolar may gain market share and more longterm OEMs incorporating our PV rolls into their custom BIPV products. Once they bond<g> with Unisolar, it won't be easy to find another supplier which brings us back to SIT's opportunity and dilemma. They need Unisolar as much or more now as Unisolar needs them. It's time for ECD to deliver a plan for Unisolar's growth for all the stakeholders sakes... not trial balloons but a rigorously studied business plan. Regards, Al