Silicon, Sun and Money
When I was a wee lad in highschool I considered for the briefest of moments enrolling into a Uni of NSW engineering degree that specialised in solar power. It would appear that solar power is where it's at:
FEW people in Australia outside the confines of the solar engineering laboratories at the University of NSW have ever heard of Shi Zhengrong - but yesterday the Chinese-born Australian citizen was named as one of the eight richest men in the country.
Dr Shi, chairman and chief executive of the Chinese company Suntech Power, established his solar-power panel manufacturing enterprise in 2001 and, according to the Forbes annual billionaires list, he is now worth $US2.2billion ($3billion).
A couple of years out of highschool I read a number of articles discussing new methods of mass-producing silicon. If I had had the cash, I would have bought shares in a silicon-producing company. Back then, and probably today as well, the technologies for refining silicon were largely inefficient according to these articles. This, coupled with the fact that the world's silicon demand for electronics and solar-cells is growing exponentially, makes for a very lucrative silicon business indeed.
Now if I could get some cash and another bright idea for the next big technology, just perhaps I could make a pretty penny or two. Actually, my money is on Aussie uranium mining but that's no secret nowadays.
FEW people in Australia outside the confines of the solar engineering laboratories at the University of NSW have ever heard of Shi Zhengrong - but yesterday the Chinese-born Australian citizen was named as one of the eight richest men in the country.
Dr Shi, chairman and chief executive of the Chinese company Suntech Power, established his solar-power panel manufacturing enterprise in 2001 and, according to the Forbes annual billionaires list, he is now worth $US2.2billion ($3billion).
A couple of years out of highschool I read a number of articles discussing new methods of mass-producing silicon. If I had had the cash, I would have bought shares in a silicon-producing company. Back then, and probably today as well, the technologies for refining silicon were largely inefficient according to these articles. This, coupled with the fact that the world's silicon demand for electronics and solar-cells is growing exponentially, makes for a very lucrative silicon business indeed.
Now if I could get some cash and another bright idea for the next big technology, just perhaps I could make a pretty penny or two. Actually, my money is on Aussie uranium mining but that's no secret nowadays.
posted by Engels at 10:20 am
2 Comments:
Where's my hover car?
Haha. I recall your rant at uni. They've been talking it up since the 50's.
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