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HOT TOPICS
- The Accelerator Conundrum
- The Startup Velocity Question
- Platform as a Service
- Man and Superman
- Web 3.0 = (4C + P + VS)
- The Future: End of Capitalism
- Capitalism 2.0
sunpower
Leadership Profile: Tom Werner (Part 11)
In order to have a mass market which could potentially consume all residential market (and expansion of commercial markets) places, awareness and motivation (incentive) must exist among the consumers. Further advocacy would also help grow the energy production market by utility companies. SM: What is the level of awareness and motivation in the marketplace to
Leadership Profile: Tom Werner (Part 10)
The core of SunPower’s success has been its dominance of the high efficiency solar cell. Tom breaks down the marketplace by product type, and explains where SunPower fits into the picture. SM: Is your technology the most efficient on the market today? TW: We are the highest efficiency in the world, although Sanyo is close.
Leadership Profile: Tom Werner (Part 9)
After discussing German and Japanese markets, Tom visits the North American markets with a particular emphasis on California. Of particular interest is the amount of growth which is expected, spurred in part by governmental policy and incentive programs. We use that discussion as a catalyst to have some quick discussions on the current and projected
Leadership Profile: Tom Werner (Part 8)
Germany has a political environment, influenced by voters, which is very supportive and progressive about solar energy. This has resulted in creating a very large and solid marketplace which SunPower has been able to capitalize on. SM: What has been driving Germany’s big focus on solar? Is that part of their energy policy? TW: When
Leadership Profile: Tom Werner (Part 7)
SunPower went public in 2005, which is a monumental moment for most firms. It is always interesting to take note of firms who do not press the IPO, rather they wait for banks to begin courting them. Tom revisits that timeframe and explains SunPower’s progression during that period in thehistory of the company. SM: You
Tapping Into the Sun
In India, the scorching tropical sun is worshipped as a God. These days, it appears that countries like Germany and Japan, and more recently, sunny California are following suit. Solar energy, one of the purest forms of alternative energy, is making headways in becoming a major market phenomenon. I have recently been speaking with Tom
Leadership Profile: Tom Werner (Part 6)
The later half of 2004 marked the beginning of production operations. SunPower began producing solar cells, a result of $150M of capital investments. On the books, this timeframe represents the greatest period of loss in the company’s history, due largely to the development of the new production lines. It was, of course, necessary. SM: What
Leadership Profile: Tom Werner (Part 5)
Tom joined SunPower in 2003, and the IPO occurred in 2005. Here we review the steps the company took in that timeframe which led to not only a successful IPO, but also laid the foundation for its current success. SM: Between the time you showed up and the IPO, what was happening to the business
