Rise & Shine: November 10, 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
SolarCraft Clientele to be Honored for Excellence in the North Bay
Novato-based SolarCraft announced that the North Bay Business Journal will honor two of their solar energy clients as the North Bay’s Top Projects.
SF Supervisor to SolarCity: Where’s That Job Training Program?
A spat over SolarCity’s promise to provide job training highlights San Francisco’s struggle to create ‘green’ jobs.
SunPower Completes 1MW Solar Tracking System at UC Merced
System Expected to Produce 20 Percent of Campus Electricity Supply.
NATIONAL NEWS
MARS and PSEG Solar Source Celebrate Completion of New Solar Garden
Red, Yellow and Ms. Green M&M’S® Spokescandies mingled with government officials and executives from MARS and PSEG today at an event in Hackettstown celebrating the completion of a new solar garden.
Owens Corning and SunEdison Commission 440kW PV System
Under a long-term solar power services agreement (SPSA), Owens Corning will use a PV solar system at its Kearny facility that is financed, constructed and to be maintained by SunEdison.
Phoenix, SolarCity, National Bank, APS Team to Fund Solar Systems
National Bank, SolarCity, and APS are teaming on a $25 million effort to land more solar systems on the city’s residential rooftops, with a backup to potential leases provided by the city of Phoenix.
Country Curtains Unveils Largest Solar Energy System in South Berkshire County
Dedication ceremony on November 13 at Country Curtain’s headquarters in Lee Massachusetts.
Satcon Selected for Largest Urban Solar Power Plant in US
Partners with SunPower to Deliver 10 Megawatts of Solar PV for Exelon City Solar in Chicago.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
PG&E Sued Over New SmartMeters, Soaring Bills
SmartMeters, which Pacific Gas and Electric Co. have been installing throughout its territory, are the subject of a lawsuit by a Bakersfield man who blames them for his soaring electric bills.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
US Solar Manufacturers Struggling to Compete
Two recent announcements from the U.S. solar industry indicate that low-cost manufacturing capacity in China is affecting the viability of production in North America.
Solar Manufacturer Predicts Rollup of US Solar Market
Acro Energy’s CEO Harry Fleming has predicted that the solar industry is due for a roll up, with smaller companies merging to take advantage of the industry’s growth.
The Next Phase for Solar
It had to happen sooner or later. The combination of drastically lower prices for solar panels and the huge potential for industry growth is attracting the next level of industry players – the consolidators.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Energy Agency Warns of Falling Investment
The global financial crisis has led to a dangerous drop in energy investment around the world which could choke off the nascent economic recovery, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday.
GT Solar International, Inc. Reports Results
Revenue for the second fiscal quarter totaled $104.2 million, compared with $140.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2009. Revenue for the second fiscal quarter included $62.4 million in the PV segment and $41.8 million in the polysilicon segment.
AES Solar Energy Closes on €25 Million Non-Recourse Financing
The loans were extended by the Spanish branch of the European ethical and sustainable bank Triodos Bank, N.V.
Hybrid c-Si/TF Startup Pulls Down $8M Funding
Ampulse Corp., whose technology combines crystalline silicon (c-Si) and thin-film PV, has closed an $8M Series A round of funding, led by Globespan Capital Partners and El Dorado Ventures.
REC ASA – Purchase Own Shares
REC has, as part of the employee share purchase program approved by the Annual General Meeting May 19, 2009, purchased 274,540 own shares at an average price of NOK 34.91 per share.
10 Greentech Startups Vying for Cash on the East Coast
What do 10 young companies building technologies as varied as fuel cells, solar manufacturing, battery subscription services, and coal gasification technology all have in common?
TECHNOLOGY
Joule Unveils Solar to Biodiesel Process
Joule is advancing a new, photosynthesis-driven approach to producing renewable fuels.
Japan May Build a Solar Station n Space by 2030
Under the plan, known as the Space Solar Power System (SSPS), floating photovoltaic dishes several square miles across would hover in geostationary orbit outside the Earth’s atmosphere as soon as 2030.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
AES Solar Finances 4.3MW PV Project in Greece
AES Solar Energy Ltd recently closed a €25 million non-recourse debt facility for the Iktinos project, a 4.3 MW photovoltaic facility located in Florina, Greece.
Sunfilm Delivers Thin Film Modules to 700kWp Installation
This project was contracted by Sunova AG, Grasbrunn, who is partner in several roof projects throughout Europe.
Enfinity And Titan Energy Systems Plan Construction of 1 GW of PV Installations in Andhra Pradesh
Enfinity, a global renewable energy developer, and Titan Energy Systems, a manufacturer of PV modules, today announced their collaboration on developing, financing and constructing 1 GWp of PV installations on 3000 acres of land in Andhra Pradesh in the coming 5 years.
Solar Development in Germany Surges to Record, New Energy Says
Power companies will build a record amount of solar-energy capacity in Germany this year, or two- thirds more than they added in 2008, seeking to take advantage of subsidies, New Energy Finance said.
EU Cadmium Ban Would Seriously Hurt First Solar
The European Union is considering tightening a ban on hazardous chemicals. The ban would significantly cripple First Solar (FSLR) and other companies that make solar panels with cadmium as a key ingredient.
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