Rise & Shine: June 18, 2009
The Rise & Shine is your daily source for all solar-industry news. Brought to you by Sweet Solar Home and the Experts at SunRun.
CALIFORNIA NEWS
Is PG&E Overestimating the Amount of Solar?
In solar installations, the inverter capacity is invariably larger than the actual potential output. As a result, PG&E’s measure of a solar system output is about 13 percent higher than what other utilities would rate the same solar system, he said.
Why California Doesn’t Have a Germany-Style Solar Feed-in Tariff
Some California solar insiders voiced skepticism about whether a German-style feed-in tariff would be the end-all policy for the state.
Socal Edison’s Major PHotovoltaics Program up for Vote
The fate of Southern California Edison Co.’s major solar photovoltaics program is due to be decided imminently, as the state’s utilities commission sorts through competing proposals.
One Block Off the Grid Sets New Lowest Price Record for Residential Systems
HelioPower, a solar power design and installation firm in California and Nevada, today has signed the first solar power project in the 1BOG solar group purchase program in San Diego.
NATIONAL NEWS
How Solar Thermals Could Move into Homes
It’s only a matter of time before devices and appliances used to capture the sun’s heat will begin to perform a wider variety of tasks.
HelioVolt Snags First Solar Exec for CEO, Hopes to be Commercial Someday
This morning, HelioVolt says former First Solar COO Jim Flanary will join the company as its new CEO.
Minshew Elementary Fitted with New Solar Panel
McKinney residents and Minshew Elementary families in particular can now go online to view how much energy is being generated daily by the school’s new photovoltaic [PV] solar electricity system.
Registration Opens for Solar Power International ’09 in Anaheim, CA
Largest B2B Solar Event Expected to Draw 25,000 People from 90 Countries.
Budget Includes Plan to Convert City Facilities to Solar Power
Bosanic said the most exciting project is a $14 million plan to convert municipal facilities to solar power, which could save the city an estimated $300,000 annually and mean a 2-mill tax break for residents.
Solar Firm Chooses Norcross
Suniva’s manufacturing facility to cost $75 million.
Solar Panel Plan Deemed Inefficient Use of Grants
A plan to put solar panels on the Wauwatosa Public Works Building roof has been moved to the back burner because officials favor energy improvements with a greater return on investment.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
SUN DAY Analysis: Renewable Electrical Generation Sources Soar
Non-hydro renewables grow by over 12% in 2009 as fossil based electricity generation plummets.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Yingli Green Energy Prices Follow-on Public Offering
Yingli Green Energy announced that its follow-on public offering of 18,600,000 American Depositary Shares, each representing one ordinary share of Yingli Green Energy, was priced at $13.00 per ADS.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Speculation on Solar Future Hits Overdrive
The global credit crisis has spawned predictions of massive restructuring in the photovoltaic sector and a shift towards an industry dominated by a few giant-sized vertically integrated PV majors.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Senate Panel Approves Energy Bill
The measure would require utilities to produce up to 15 percent of electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar power by 2021.
US Senator Introduces Bill to Help Manufacturers Retool for Clean Energy Economy
The IMPACT Act, based on Apollo Alliance’s GreenMAP, would create 2.5 million jobs and invest in domestic clean energy manufacturing.
DOE to Invest $49M in 24 Solar Projects and Solar Training
The competitively-selected projects will be eligible for a total of up to $22 million in Recovery Act funds, which will be matched by more than $50 million in cost-shared funding from private partners.
TECHNOLOGY
Solarmer Energy Picks Up Speed in Flexible Solar Panel Development
Solarmer’s flexible plastic solar panels, made using inexpensive organic materials, are lightweight, transparent, aesthetically pleasing, and environment friendly.
SoloPower’s PV Modules Now Certified
SoloPower says it has become the first U.S.-based manufacturer of flat-plate, copper indium gallium diselenide PV modules to have its product certified under the ANSI/UL 1703 standard.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
India’s Big Push for Solar Power (and Coal)
India is aiming for 20 gigawatts of solar power by 2020, with as much as 200 gigawatts by 2050.
A Power Equipment Maker’s Smorgasbord Solar Strategy
After making backup power systems for about 20 years, Taiwan’s Powercom decided to march into the solar market with not only power-converting devices but also polysilicon, solar cells and panels.
Trina Solar Signs Sales Agreement with Enfinity
Under the terms of this agreement, Trina Solar will supply Enfinity with approximately 15 MW of PV modules, with shipments scheduled in the current second quarter.
Senate Delay May Mean no Solar Rebate
The Australian government axed its $8,000 rebate for solar panels last week, and a new, smaller rebate will not start until the RET laws have passed parliament.
REC Sells Solar Vision in South Africa
REC announced today that the ownership of Solar Vision (PTY) Ltd., which has until recently been a fully owned subsidiary of REC, are no longer defined as core business for REC and has consequently been sold through a management buyout.
Suntech Opens World Class PV Module Testing Facility in Collaborations with Underwriters Laboratories
Suntech has opened the first state-of-the-art PV module testing laboratory in China to be awarded the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Witness Testing Data Program (WTDP) Certificate.
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