Intersolar 2010 concluded this past Friday, and there is much to discuss. While a more insightful analysis is on the way, as promised in last week's article, here is more data and chatter from the conference rooms and trade show grounds.

Upstream

* Module producers: See mostly flat pricing through the third quarter of the year. Believe that the fall in demand in Q3 on account of the feed-in tariff cuts will only be incremental. Some, however, foresaw around 5% increases.

* LDK CEO Xiaofeng Peng: LDK is planning on developing projects exclusively in China in an attempt to drive the PV market in that country. The reason, he said, was that there were very few experienced PV EPCs in China, which necessitated downstream movement by a leading upstream company. Says he believes amorphous Si technology has a future, and claims his own family has invested between $400 million and $500 million in Best Solar's amorphous business.

* Trina Solar: The Czech Republic will be 4% to 6% of Trina's expected sales in 2010. The U.S. will constitute around 14%. Claims the playing field for Chinese companies vis-a-vis the rest of the world is level, which is met with skepticism by most in the room.

* First Solar President Bruce Sohn: "CIGS looks promising."

* Scaremongering by some thin-film companies about the environmental hazards of CdTe and its possible banning by the EU (this despite the following assertion by a Brookhaven National Laboratory study: "CdTe PV modules do not present any risks to health and the environment during their use, and recycling the modules at the end of their useful life completely resolves any environmental issues")

* Schott Solar: Planning on shifting production to China (multiple reliable sources outside the company)

* Oerlikon Solar: Selling tandem-junction equipment for EUR 1.20/Wp at present

Downstream

* Phoenix Solar: Will be opening a U.S. subsidiary in the next month

* Sharp: Planning to sell complete tandem-junction utility-scale systems for $2.50/W by the end of the year (unconfirmed rumor)

* Matt Cheney, ex-CEO of project developer Renewable Ventures: Starting a new company (CleanPath Ventures) whose intent is to take large-scale PV projects that are "effectively distressed assets" to completion and bridge the projects towards long-term owners.

Markets

* Malaysia: Planning to implement a feed-in tariff by the end of the year. The level has yet to be determined, and no proposals are yet in place.

* Italy: Feed-in tariff as it stands now will have a 14-month grace period in it, just as the current one does, with a 3 GW cap for the next three years.