UPDATE 1-Sharp Solar to bring thin-film solar to U.S. soon

By Bernie Woodall SAN DIEGO, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Sharp Corp (6753.T: ), one of the world's biggest makers of silicon-based solar cells, said on Monday it would introduce next generation thin film solar cells in the U.S. market in August 2009. The lower cost of thin film solar is seen by Sharp and its competitors as the best way to create utility-scale solar panel arrays because they can produce power cheaper than traditional photovoltaic panels. Sharp is "already working with prospective U.S. customers in preparation for these large-scale deployments," said the company, which announced its plans at the Solar Power International conference being held in San Diego this week. "As the U.S. solar market grows, deployments of multi-megawatt utility projects and large-scale commercial... [read full story]