Los Angeles Electricians

Green Technology Solutions and Mongolia

2011-03-08T04:19:00.002+02:00

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Green Technology Solutions, Inc. (OTCBB:GTSO) announced today that the Mongolian agent company for its JV with Rare Earth Exporters of Mongolia (REE) has executed a new land lease agreement in the mineral-rich province of Tuv.

“Currently, Mongolian trade is over-reliant on China, and their government would like to encourage more trade diversity”
The JV between GTSO and Rare Earth Exporters of Mongolia was formed last month for the purpose of expanding rare earth production and exports from the Asian nation. The acquisition of Mongolian mining claims and operations is key to the joint venture’s plans to develop stable sources of rare earths outside of China.

GTSO President and CEO John Shearer said Friday that the company looks forward with great anticipation to seeing the mineral yield estimate reports on the new property, which are being scheduled now. GTSO management expects the new property to be especially rich in yttrium, tantalum, niobium, thorium and zirconium. These rare earths are vital to worldwide manufacturing of everything from consumer electronics to superconductors.

“We’re in a celebratory mood at GTSO headquarters,” Shearer said. “This lease is a big step forward in our plan to help solve the global rare earth supply crisis while instituting cleaner mining technology to minimize environmental contamination.”

The new site is located in the Erdenesant district of Mongolia’s Tuv province. The district surrounds the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator, where the joint venture’s new operations office is located. Dorj Atantogos, the JV’s director of Mongolian operations, signed the agreement.

Ulan Bator is Mongolia’s road and rail transportation hub. Mongolian rail is connected to the Trans-Siberian Railway in neighboring Russia. The joint venture plans to utilize that transportation infrastructure to convey Mongolian rare-earth mining products to the international seaport of Vladivostok, Russia, where it can be shipped to the U.S., Japan and South Korea without traveling through China.

“Currently, Mongolian trade is over-reliant on China, and their government would like to encourage more trade diversity,” Shearer said.

GTSO and its Rare Earth JV plan to strictly adhere to Mongolian law in its development efforts. Rare Earth Exporters of Mongolia’s transportation strategy can be seen at http://www.rareearthexporters.com/mission.html.

In addition to advanced weaponry and defense systems, rare earths are essential to the production of clean energy technologies such as permanent magnets, hybrid and electric car batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and energy-efficient lighting. Domestic usage and environmental concerns in China are leading to fewer mining permits, fewer exports and rising prices. GTSO formed the joint venture with REE in order to capitalize on these market dynamics.

The vast majority of China’s rare earths are mined in the country’s Inner Mongolia region, which lies along the southern border of the nation of Mongolia. Many experts believe that Mongolia, a former Soviet state, contains rare earth deposits that rival those of China.

Green Technology Solutions commercializes clean and renewable mining technology and products in a sector that includes Molycorp, Inc. (NYSE:MCP), Siemens (NYSE:SI), United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) and Koninklijke Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG).

About Green Technology Solutions, Inc.

Green Technology Solutions, Inc. (GTSO) is an OTCQB publicly traded company. OTCQB is the middle tier of the OTC market. OTCQB companies report to the SEC or a U.S. banking regulator, making it easy for investors to identify companies that are current in their reporting obligations. GTSO acquires, develops and implements the newest clean mining technology to enable our partner clients to expand operations throughout the world. Environmental restrictions represent the largest restriction to mining industry growth and operations. GTSO focuses on overcoming these environmental restrictions with brilliant cutting-edge clean mining technology.

For more information, please visit http://www.GreenTech-Solutions.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements that include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipate" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition, description of anyone's past success, either financial or strategic, is no guarantee of future success. This news release speaks as of the date first set forth above and the company assumes no responsibility to update the information included herein for events occurring after the date hereof.

BlueChip Energy

2011-03-02T02:38:00.000+02:00

PRLog – Mar 01, 2011 – Lake Mary, Florida - BlueChip Energy (BCE) a provider of complete solar energy solutions for residential, commercial, government, and utility applications, today announced that it will be exhibiting at Renewable Energy and Photovoltaics World Conference & Expo, taking place from March 8-10, 2011 at the Tampa Convention Center.

The company’s executive team and business development group will be on hand in Booth 1007 to meet with attendees, exhibitors, and the media. The company will be discussing utility scale projects, solar farms, and its Advanced Solar Photonics (ASP) production line of high efficiency PV solar modules manufactured in the USA.

Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America has been the event leading the way for the renewable industry for eight years. The event draws more than 4,000 renewable energy power professionals and 250 exhibiting companies.

The Conference and Expo features insightful discussions and presentations during technical sessions related to technology, markets, business strategies and policy covering the wind, solar, biomass, hydro, geothermal, ocean/tidal/wave, bio-power, bio-fuels and hydrogen energy sectors. On hand will be thousands of experts in the technologies and trends on the forefront of the renewable industry’s future.

# # #

About BlueChip Energy: BCE is a fully-integrated solar PV power generator, occupying all segments of the solar power value chain, from manufacturing of solar panels and balance of systems components, to the sale of turnkey solar power plants – and solar electricity -- to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. BCE develops, finances, constructs, operates, and monitors solar plants for companies and individuals. The company is also a licensed provider of renewable solar energy as a qualifying power production facility of 80 MW, with the right to sell electricity to a utility.

UK Solar Panel Installation

2011-02-27T02:33:00.002+02:00

PRLog – Maidstone, Kent, An amazing new technology is here and ready to be used. Solar panels are used to harness the inherent energy that the sun provides and convert it into usable power for your home, office, or appliance. This form of energy had been speculated and talked about for years, but it is now finally here Solar panels are becoming extremely popular and they are expected to have massive growth in 2011.

Solar panels are now very popular and one of the primary reasons that this technology has become so popular. The entire world has taken notice of the ease of use that these systems allow the user. They are both easy to understand in regards concept and design, as well as being exceptionally easy to install.

In the UK people have begun to appreciate the cost effectiveness of these units and as a result the market for solar panels has soared. There is projected to be massive growth in 2011. With energy costs skyrocketing and people seeming out alternatives the alternative energy market is going boom.

The first thing to understand about the solar panels is that they are very simple to install and most anyone can have the units put up in a simple weekend. They are also very durable and will not be found to be fragile. This is a leading reason why they have become so popular.

Because solar panels do not have moving parts and the do not need to have constant maintenance many homeowners are attracted to them. You do not need to be an engineer or someone who is especially mechanically inclined in order to benefit from them. While solar panels are scientifically and conceptually advanced, they do not require any form of advanced knowledge in order to reap the benefits from owning one.

The market for solar panels is likely to grow in leaps and bounds much like that of the television when it was first introduced or even the computer. Because of the cost of energy production governments are looking into alternatives and regular people are feeling the pressure to find an alternative.

When one looks at the global problems associated with conventional energy production, oil has created conflicts between nations as well as being not at all ecological friendly, then it should come as no surprise that solar panels are becoming more and more popular and in demand.

This form of energy is great for the environment and it is also something that can improve dramatically the tensions that are taking place around the globe. As global tensions escalate the need for solar panels as an energy source becomes more and more clear.

For anyone who is interested in getting in on the ground floor, now is the time. Much like other innovations that took over the marketplace, solar power panels time is coming. Especially in the UK, Solar panels are the future. Economic forecasts have speculated that in 2011 there will be a surge in sales for solar panels. As more and more people are looking to retrofit their homes with alternative power there will be a huge demand for the materials that are necessary to build these systems.

Now is the best time for installation. The sooner you have means for renewable energy installed in your home, the sooner you can start contributing towards a greener planet and reserving energy. Not to mention that you will notice a difference in energy bills almost immediately. Obviously, going ahead with the work before the summer starts will mean more time to stock on valuable energy before the days get shorter again.

Contact:
Paul Simms
Solar Panels Quotations
174 Merton Road
Maidstone, Kent ME15 8LW
01622 208336
info@solarpanelsquotations.co.uk
http://www.solarpanelsquotations.co.uk

Solar Panel Costs

2011-02-23T02:29:00.001+02:00

PRLog (Press Release) – Feb 18, 2011 – How Much Does It Cost For Solar Panels

Fossil fuels are the main source of energy supply to the world. But fossil fuels are not renewable sources of energy and are emitting ton of pollution. The pollution has direct relation to global warming and acid rain which in time will destroy almost everything it touches. The price of fossil fuels are going up in recent years. These are some of the reasons to consider and start thinking of renewable energy such as solar energy.

Solar energy is the light and heat from the sun. It is free, clean and efficient energy source that can be easily harnessed to electricity or heat. With the technology advances and reducing prices for solar technology have open the gates for solar power to homeowners and businesses. The solar power is produced by taking sunlight and converts it into electricity. This is normally done by solar panels. There are two types of solar panels, solar photovoltaic and solar thermal. Solar photovoltaic is to convert the sunlight into electricity, and solar thermal is to absorb sun energy directly as heat energy.

How much does the solar power cost? Is it affordable or too expensive to the average homeowners or businessman? When it comes to costs of solar power, a lot of people simply do not know how to make the estimation. If you are planning to install solar power, you need to look into short and long term costs compare to the savings. The truth is the initial costs are quite expensive, but the long-term costs are relatively cheaper than normal energy sources. This is because solar panels can last at least 15-20 years with very low maintenance. Get Internet #1 - How Much Does It Cost For Solar Panels @ http://energycure01.webs.com and start cutting your bills now!

Solar power costs are determined by two main factors; material costs and installation costs. The material costs include solar panels, batteries, inverters, grid tie system, cables and connectors. The solar panels are the main part of solar power system. A silicone based photovoltaic solar panel can cost around $300 to $900 or $3 to $12 per watt. For low cost options, you can consider used solar panels which are still efficient enough to generate good quantity of energy, or with some research and effort, you can build a solar panel for as low as $200. How many solar panels are enough to power your house? It is all depends on how much electricity needs and how much direct sunlight you get from your location. You can look at your recent electric bills to get the average electricity needs and get the sun maps on internet.

The costs of installation are vary depending on whether you do it yourself or hire a professional installer. The cost of using professional installer is around $10 - $12 per watt, but if you install the solar power system by yourself, it is probably cost around $4 - $5 per watt. So, finding a way to do it yourself is the great solution.

The initial cost is expensive but many countries around the world are offering tax rebates and incentives to offset the investments and encourage homeowners to switch from not renewable energy to renewable energy. Get Internet #1 - How Much Does It Cost For Solar Panels @ http://energycure01.webs.com and start cutting your bills now!

Installing Solar Panels

2011-02-20T04:42:00.000+02:00

PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 23, 2011 – Solar Panel Shingles Cost

While solar shingles offer great rewards as well as advantages over conventional solar cells, there are unique challenges inherent in the installation of such a roof. Careful planning is required, and attention must be paid to the wiring of your solar shingles. To simplify your installation process, we provide this guide to installing a photovoltiac solar shingle roof.

Solar shingles offer not only better aesthetics compared to conventional solar panels, but also a less complicated attachment to the home. Unlike solar panels, which require a mounting rack to be installed on top of the roof, solar shingles are stapled directly onto the roof. If you view the cost of ordinary roofing shingles you would have to buy anyway as a sunk cost, you find that you are only adding the difference in price between ordinary and solar shingles to your cost, in addition to also saving on the cost of mounting racks for conventional solar panels. Get Internet #1 - Solar Panel Shingles Cost @ http://energycure01.webs.com and start cutting your bills now!

Careful planning is required before you proceed with the installation of your solar roof. Factors you must consider include: the layout of your roof; the number of tiles you will need to generate the amount of power you need; and how the wires will be routed through the house to the power control panel and inverter.

Solar cells must be wired in series in order to deliver high voltage to the inverter. In this wiring arrangement, the positive terminal of each element is wired to the negative terminal of the next, in contract to parallel wiring in which each element is placed on a different branch of the same wire. In a serial wiring arrangement, the voltages of each element add.

To install your solar shingles, staple them onto the roof in an overlapping pattern just like ordinary roofing shingles. When installing conventional shingles, you would be done at this step, however in the case of photovoltiac shingles you also have to wire them. A typical arrangement entails the placement of wire holes drilled through the roof every 3 ½ inches along a line of overlapping tiles It is wise to use a template and draw outlines of each hole in chalk before proceeding with the actual installation of shingles. Get Internet #1 - Solar Panel Shingles Cost @ http://energycure01.webs.com and start cutting your bills now!

Swiss PhotoSolar

2011-02-18T03:23:00.002+02:00

Feb 16, 2011 – Phono Technologies Switzerland will of course be onsite as well. Phono Technologies Switzerland will use the EcoBuild trade fair to introduce its line of photovoltaic panels PhonoSolar and also completed projects of solar power plant. PhonoSolar panels are used for example at the 9th largest photovoltaic power plant in the world – FVE CZECH Vepřek with a total output of 35.10 MWp. This power plant has 186,960 PhonoSolar panels installed.

EFEKTIM, a.s. will also be introduced at the trade fair along Phono Technologies Switzerland AG. It is a company with more than 40 years of tradition – it is one of the top specialists focused on designing, implementing and servicing photovoltaic, wind, hydro and gas incinerating power plants. EFEKTIM operates all over Europe, Africa, near East and newly in USA. It is a renowned expert in the field of engineering, design, optimization, development, financing, testing and ensuing servicing and monitoring of photovoltaic power plants.

EcoBuild 2011

London will again be the stage for the largest trade fair focusing on permanent sustainability in energy, construction and architecture. EcoBuild 2011 will introduce its visitors to new trends in the field of energy and innovations in research and technological development. Ecobuild exhibitors, one of which is also the PhonoSolar brand, will offer current innovations and products from the area of renewable energy sources.

EcoBuild trade fair is one of the most significant trade fairs in the area of sustainable development, construction and architecture. It will welcome more than 1,300 exhibitors and over 40,000 visitors at the start of March 2011. At the same time there will be almost 100 free seminars held at the London trade fair which will provide practical advice on implementation of sustainable development into everyday life.

Phono Technologies Switzerland AG

Phono Technologies Switzerland is a top international solar energy company. It specializes in the manufacture of PhonoSolar photovoltaic panels, PhonoWind wind micro-turbines and together with its partners offers the implementation of photovoltaic power plants.

Additional information and contact
We cordially invite everyone with interest in renewable energy sources, experts and laymen alike, to visit our stand no. N1460. We will keep you further updated on information around the EcoBuild trade fair and the exhibit of Phono Technologies Switzerland.

Phono Technologies Switzerland AG
Sandgrube 29
CH-9050 Appenzell
Switzerland
Web: www.phonosolar.co.uk

Korea to Manufacture High Quality Polysilicon

2011-02-17T02:31:00.002+02:00

SEOUL, South Korea and ST. PETERS, Mo., Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Samsung Fine Chemicals (SFC) and MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. (NYSE: WFR) announced today a joint venture agreement between SFC and MEMC's affiliate, MEMC Singapore, to produce high purity polysilicon in Ulsan, Korea.
Through a 50/50 capital investment, the joint venture will build and operate a new facility on an existing SFC property in Ulsan. The facility, which is expected to begin production in 2013, will have an initial capacity of 10,000 metric tons (MT) of polysilicon annually, and have the potential to expand to satisfy rapidly growing demand over time.
The collaboration seeks to provide polysilicon to support growth initiatives as well as minimize business risk by ensuring cost and quality competitiveness through the combination of MEMC and SFC's advanced technology and processing infrastructure. SFC's core competence is in chlorination processes and high purity purification technology. MEMC is a world leader in semiconductor and solar technology, with over 50 years of expertise in polysilicon and wafers.
Commenting on the agreement, Hyun-min Hong, Executive Director of SFC's Strategic Planning Division, said, "This joint venture signals SFC's entry into the fast moving renewable energy market and establishes a new engine for long-term growth."
Ken Hannah, President of MEMC Solar Materials, added, "We are very excited about bringing MEMC's polysilicon technology to Korea. This partnership supports MEMC's internal growth commitments, and gives us yet another tool to support our customers in the region with some of the best products and services in the industry."
About Samsung Fine Chemicals
SFC is a chemical affiliate of Samsung Group and a producer of electronic materials such as Laser Printer Toner, BT Powder, and Liquid Crystal Polymer, as well as specialty chemicals used for a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical coating materials and construction additives. SFC is reinforcing the business portfolio by expanding into environmental friendly products such as biodegradable polymer, and renewable energy materials. SFC's common stock is listed on the Korean Stock Exchange under the symbol "004000.KR" and is included in the KOSPI 200 Index. For more information on SFC, please visit www.sfc.samsung.co.kr.
About MEMC
MEMC is a world leader in semiconductor and solar technology. MEMC has been a pioneer in the design and development of silicon wafer technologies for 50 years. With R&D and manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe and Asia, MEMC enables the next generation of high performance semiconductor devices and solar cells. Through its SunEdison subsidiary, MEMC is also a developer of solar power projects and a worldwide leader in solar energy services. MEMC's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "WFR" and is included in the S&P 500 Index. For more information about MEMC, please visit www.memc.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements, including that the facility is expected to begin production in 2013; and that the facility will have an initial capacity of 10,000 metric tons (MT) of polysilicon annually. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include the ability of the parties to reach expected capacity; delays or interruptions in bringing the plant online; the timely availability of required permits and authorizations from governmental entities and third parties; the ability of the parties to perform their obligations under the joint venture agreement; and other risks described in MEMC's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the 2009 fiscal year and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the first, second and third quarters of 2010. These forward-looking statements represent MEMC's judgment as of the date of this release. MEMC disclaims, however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Quantum Solar Power Working on Cells

2011-02-16T03:56:00.001+02:00

Quantum Solar Power Corp. ("Quantum") (OTCBB: QSPW) is in the development stages of a solar cell technology that could alter the solar power industry's dependence on rare elements.
A rapidly growing sector of the solar cell market is thin-film photovoltaics, so called because of their thin layers of photovoltaic material deposited on a substrate, sometimes only nanometers thick. Although less efficient than silicon PV (most efficient), thin film is growing rapidly due to its lower manufacturing costs. This growth however may be limited by the use of exotic materials in thin-film device manufacture. Leading thin-film devices are based upon CdTe (Cadmium Telluride) and CIGS (Copper indium gallium selenide) technologies that utilize the rare elements indium ($285 per kg in Jan 2009 now $530 per kg), tellurium ($150 per kg in Jan 2010 now $295 per kg) and gallium ($450 per kg in Jan 2010 now $750 per kg). These elements are scarce globally and critical to current thin-film production. Current global electrical consumption is 10 terawatts (ten trillion watts). If thin-film PV solar power is to replace fossil fuel generated power in the future, it must be scalable to this level of production. Given the current limits on the elements used in its production, thin-film PV faces major challenges in its effort to compete with conventional power generation. Additionally, thin-film PV competes for these rare element resources with flat panel LCD TV's and other electronics. Research suggests there may be less than ten years supply remaining of indium alone.
Quantum believes their emerging NGD™ (Next Generation Device) technology will provide high efficiency solar cells with prices competitive with coal generated electricity without the use of any rare elements. According to Quantum's Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Andras Pattantyus-Abraham, "We are extremely excited about the advancements we have made in the past several months. By eliminating the semiconductor layer in conventional PV as the primary absorber of photons, our patent-pending NGD™ would replace the need for rare elements that limit the terawatt-scale deployment of current photovoltaics." Daryl Ehrmantraut, Quantum's CEO, stated, "The sophisticated quantum-level processes employed by Quantum's NGD™ research has a real possibility to finally break down the competitive barrier between solar power and fossil fuels."
About Quantum Solar Power Corp.
Quantum Solar Power Corp. is a U.S. public company based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, engaged in developing and commercializing a revolutionary new solar power technology. Quantum NGD™ is expected to achieve results that will realistically replace coal generated electricity with solar power production, which is the "holy grail of the industry." Quantum Solar Power Corp. is found on the web at: www.quantumsp.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and Quantum's future results that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and constitute "forward looking information" within the meaning of U.S. securities laws. These statements include statements about Quantum's planned technological development plan and are based on material factors and assumptions including Quantum's management's current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections about the industry in which Quantum operates and the beliefs and assumptions of Quantum's management. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "targets," "goals," "projects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "continues," "may," variations of such words, and similar expressions, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to projections of Quantum's future financial performance, Quantum's anticipated growth and potentials in its business and other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict, including the risk that Quantum's technological development plan may not be successful, and those risks identified in Quantum's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2010. Therefore, actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Quantum undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Investor Relations:
Teatyn Enterprises, Inc.
Steve McGuire
ir.@quantumsp.com
(604) 574-7555
(855) 832-8961 (toll free)
www.quantumsp.com/investors

Media Relations Contact:
Quantum Solar Power Corp.
Erik Cathcart
ejc@quantumsp.com
+1 (505) 216-9780

Solar Money Tied Up in Congress

2011-02-15T02:22:00.002+02:00

The Department of Energy's new SunShot Initiative to make solar energy as cheap as coal has given fresh hope to industry enthusiasts. And it may even give life to a nearly dead effort in Congress to put solar panels and water heaters on 10 million of America's roofs by 2020.

The 2010 legislation by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hasn't had much momentum since the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved it in July, and November's Republican gains in Congress has not helped the measure along. But experts say Energy Secretary Steven Chu's SunShot Initiative may give the Ten Million Solar Roof Act new political legs.

Shayle Kann, managing director of solar research at GTM Research, said that the DOE plan could make the Sanders' bill more politically palatable, because it would drive down the cost of solar installations. The legislation aims to finance the installation of up to 40,000 megawatts of new solar energy.

"These are two parallel but distinct programs. They could play together very well because — to the extent that the SunShot initiative is successful — it will lower the [financial] incentives that are required per project for the Ten Million Solar Roof Act," he told SolveClimate News.

"Any program designed at reducing the cost of solar installations will be a service to any deployment program by lowering costs" to the government, Kann said.

Jared Blanton, a spokesperson for the national Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), said that the solar energy plans are aligned because "they both are focused on removing needless regulatory barriers that prevent Americans from going solar."

The DOE initiative unveiled on Feb. 4 aims to accelerate research and development in its solar energy programs — valued at around $200 million annually — to reduce the total installed cost of solar electricity to $1 per watt by 2020, a 75 percent drop from today's rates.

The idea is that unsubsidized solar power could then compete with the wholesale rate of electricity generated by fossil fuels that emit climate-changing greenhouse gases.

As part of the program, the agency also awarded $27 million to nine solar technology companies that are trying to make solar more affordable.

"Magic will occur when [solar] becomes cost-competitive with any form of energy," Chu said at a Feb. 9 renewable-energy conference in Washington. "And when that happens without subsidies, it is going to shoot all over the country and all over the world."

'SunShot' Puts New Energy Into Solar Bill

SunShot, a name inspired by President John F. Kennedy's 1960s "moon shot" goal, will work with government agencies, the energy industry and research laboratories to reduce installation costs, spur growth in the solar energy market and pave the way for new U.S. manufacturing.

The initiative offers Sanders a chance to breathe new life into his bill after it was approved by the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee last year. The senator sits on that committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee, and he also chairs a green jobs subcommittee. The legislation has 16 co-sponsors — all Democrats.

"I look forward to working with the Obama administration to incorporate elements of the new solar initiative into the Ten Million Solar Roofs Act to make the legislation even stronger," Sanders said in a Feb. 4 press release. "We have an opportunity to create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and make America the world leader in solar energy."

Flagstaff Solar Pool Heater / 800.292.7648

2011-02-14T03:09:00.000+02:00

Flagstaff Solar Pool Heater

A Suntrek Solar Pool Heater is engineered for maximum performance and all our solar heaters are scientifically designed with unique “continuous turbulent flow” water channels. We utilize this innovative design to improve the transformation of sun energy into solar thermal energy for heating your pool’s water. The material used for Suntrek’s thermal heaters is a specially formulated EPDM elastomer, which under normal operating conditions will have a useful life of more than 20 years with a Suntrek heater warranty for 15 years. The Suntrek solar heater becomes virtually a permanent part of your pool adding considerable value to your home.

Flagstaff Solar Pool Heating

Suntrek Solar Pool Heating Systems are custom designed for installation by our Suntrek crew or our personnel will assist you in the design of your own solar pool heating system. No matter who is responsible for installing your solar pool heater the following three steps will begin the process of preparing your home for your solar pool heater.

1. The process begins by measuring the average length and the average width of your pool in order to determine the total surface area required for your solar pool heater. For example, if your pool is 20 ft. x 30 ft this equals 600 square feet of solar swimming pool and if you have a spa this square footage must also be included.

2. The second step is to calculate your solar pool coverage. For every square foot of solar pool surface area in your property, you will need at least 50% in solar square footage. This is the suggested minimum size based on typical solar heating performance in Flagstaff and past customer satisfaction. Larger solar pool panel systems can be used to gain even higher temperatures and a longer swimming season. For most applications 80% coverage is optimum for comfortable swimming temperatures and a maximum solar pool swim season.

3. The third step is to consider all possible locations for installing your solar collectors at your home. You can use any sloped roof that does not face to the north with the most effective angle orientations towards the south, west, east and flat. Suntrek collectors may be placed on any roof or patio cover and it is permissible to place Suntrek solar panels on more than one roof area to gain the desired total square footage. Direct Flagstaff sunshine hitting the solar panel collectors is what produces heat for solar pools.

Solar Heating Your Pool in Flagstaff

Suntrek’s solar pool heating system heats your pool water by setting up a detour of the pool water from the pool’s filter to the solar heater during the pool’s daily filtration cycle that heats the pool for free with no additional operating costs. Just set your time clock to run the filter cycle during the hours the sun shines by turning the solar valve to the on position or the off position or even easier – install a Compool PVT-2S solar valve that is used to control water flow to the solar collectors in your Flagstaff home. The solar valve has a drain down feature which allows water in the collectors to automatically drain back into the pool at night when used with the Suntrek Compool LX220 solar control system.

Solar Meeting Next Saturday

2011-02-13T06:44:00.001+02:00

San Bernardino, CA, February 12, 2011 --(PR.com)-- The American Institute of Renewable Energy (AIRE) is offering a free solar and weatherization seminar on Saturday, February 19th, 2011. The seminar is entitled FR-101: Solar and Weatherization Training: Free Solar & Weatherization Seminar. Attendees will learn about the renewable energy and solar energy technical aspects, careers, job markets, solar training, weatherization training, solar certifications, government policies, the American Recovery and Grant Program under the Reinvestment Act (ARRA) 2009, and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The seminar will also cover the Weatherization and Energy Efficiency Industries. Attendees will learn about Building Performance Institute's (BPI) standards, job markets, careers, certifications, and government policies.

In order to attend this seminar, one must preregister to save a seat since spots are limited. Please visit AIRE's website, and click on "Upcoming Training Sessions" and choose the session FR-101: Solar and Weatherization Training: Free Solar & Weatherization Seminar. The seminar will give valuable information to those who want to enter the solar and weatherization industries and receive specialized training.

The American Institute of Renewable Energy (AIRE) is an alternate energy research, development training and technology company. AIRE is committed to developing a skilled workforce to bring integrated engineering and advanced technological solutions to provide clean affordable renewable energy to people, communities and countries worldwide. To become a part of the skilled workforce necessary to creating a greener environment, we invite you to come to our seminar and learn more about the opportunities available.

Media Contact:
Veronica Vargas
Toll Free (888) 543-2473 ext. 304
http://www.aire-online.com/

Maryland Transit Authority Awards Solar Contract

2011-02-10T03:06:00.002+02:00

Pepco Energy Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM | PowerRating) and a leader in energy savings performance contracting, has been awarded a $6.2 million, 15-year energy savings performance contract by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA).

Pepco Energy is installing energy conservation measures to help reduce the MTA's energy consumption. These measures include lighting retrofits, occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting. Pepco Energy will also install a rooftop solar photovoltaic solar array for the Northwest Bus Division of the MTA.

"The Maryland Transit Administration constantly looks for ways to maximize energy efficiency in all of our operations," said Ralign T. Wells, MTA Administrator and Chief Executive Officer. "Governor Martin O'Malley has encouraged all state agencies to go green and reduce government expenses, and the MTA is leading by example," said Wells.

The MTA also received funding from the local utility rebate program and the Maryland Energy Administration Project Sunburst Grant Program to help finance the project.

The comprehensive energy conservation measures will impact more than 1 million square feet, which includes MTA property and building space at various Local Bus, Metro Subway and Light Rail and MARC Facilities.

"Pepco Energy is excited to work with the Maryland Transit Administration in revamping its energy infrastructure to improve its energy efficiency and increase user comfort," said John Huffman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pepco Energy.

"The Maryland Transit Administration will save more than $560,000 every year, or $9.4 million over the contract term," said Vern Hartsock, MTA Deputy Director of Engineering. "The project will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2,800 metric tons annually and will decrease energy costs by approximately 13 percent."

Construction began in January 2011 and is due to be complete in August 2011.

About Pepco Energy Services, Inc.

Pepco Energy Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), provides commercial, institutional, government and industrial customers with competitive energy efficiency services, including renewable energy and combined heat and power. Visit www.pepcoenergy.com for more information.

Pepco Energy Services, Inc. is not the same company as Potomac Electric Power Company, and prices and services of Pepco Energy Services, Inc. are not set by the Public Service Commission.

Information contained in this news release may include forward-looking statements, which should be considered in light of the risks inherent in the business of Pepco Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, as discussed in public documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE Pepco Energy Services, Inc.

Idaho Working on Regulations

2011-02-09T03:26:00.001+02:00

State regulators tightened rules governing the price that big utilities must pay for electricity generated by small wind and solar energy projects, a victory for Idaho Power Co. and PacifiCorp that contend the current system was being abused and hiking costs for customers.

Qualifying wind and solar projects can now be no larger than 100 kilowatts, down from 10 megawatts, according to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission decision.

In the late 1970s, Congress required utilities to buy electricity from small power producers at special rates that were based on the cost the utilities could avoid if they had to generate the power themselves. That amount is determined in Idaho by the Public Utilities Commission and is potentially more attractive than prices that wind or solar companies could independently negotiate with the utilities.

Now, Idaho Power Co., Spokane, Wash-based Avista Corp. and PacifiCorp's Utah-based Rocky Mountain Power contend sophisticated, well-financed developers such as General Electric Co. and Shell Wind Energy are breaking up their otherwise large wind farms into small, 10 megawatt projects to qualify for the good rates - essentially gaming a system originally designed to help small, independent power producers.

"The commission's order takes the first steps toward addressing large developers who are taking large wind farms and chopping them into bite-sized pieces," said Idaho Power spokeswoman Stephanie McCurdy on Tuesday. "It also is the first step in making sure that our customers don't pay too much for the energy on our system."

The Boise-based utility said it's been overwhelmed by these fragmented projects that are contributing to higher costs for its customers. It estimates it could have 1,100 megawatts of wind power on its system within just a few years - more than it needs during low-usage days.

For instance, GE has built 122 wind turbines producing a maximum of 183 megawatts of power in southern Idaho. They can be operated as a system. But because the project has been broken up into 11 different sites, Idaho Power must buy the power at the mandated rates.

Going forward, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission ruling will affect at least 18 different projects proposed by four different companies, including the wind energy business of Dutch energy giant Shell.

Shell Wind Energy spokesman Tim O'Leary didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Though solar energy companies have been less active in Idaho, state regulators included their projects under the reduced cap, too. Like wind power, solar energy is also an intermittent electricity producer, regulators wrote, meaning it must be backed-up by other sources of power generation, such as the $427 million natural gas fired power plant that Idaho Power is building in southwestern Idaho.

The new rules will be in effect until the issues raised by the three electric utilities can be resolved, regulators said.

"The commission is supportive of all small-power producers . including wind and solar, and it is not the commission's intent to push small wind and solar QF projects out of the market," according to an IPUC press release.

Utilities, power producers and environmental groups that intervened in the case were told to prepare for a new round of hearings starting in early May at which regulators aim to devise a new rate structure that satisfies utilities' concerns, while once again allowing small wind and solar projects up to 10 megawatts to again qualify.

Ben Otto, a representative of the Idaho Conservation League, said he was disappointed that solar companies were included in the move, since their development in Idaho has been so minimal. However, Otto said the regulators' decision was a "measured response" to big wind developers that have taken advantage of the system.

"Big companies were coming in and using a mechanism that was intended for small independent power producers," he said. "So that gives me heartburn."

WindTamer Corporation Announces First Power on Demand

2011-02-08T02:05:00.000+02:00

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- WindTamer Corporation ("WindTamer" or the "Company") (OTC Bulletin Board: WNDT) announced today that its first Power on Demand energy storage and power management system, designed to lower peak energy demand, is now installed and operational at Advanced Glass Industries. Advanced Glass Industries operates a 35,000 square-foot facility in Rochester, New York and is one of the world's largest suppliers of precision machined and molded optical glass blanks.

Together with WindTamer's mobile Renewable Energy Trailer developed for military applications, the commissioning of the first Power on Demand system extends WindTamer's reach into the rapidly developing energy storage and power management sector and also marks the Company's increasing utilization of solar energy in its mix of product offerings.
Power on Demand is a proprietary patent-pending system that is designed to utilize energy inputs from multiple sources together with a custom-designed battery storage bank to reduce grid demand and provide power when customer loads are high, thereby smoothing power demand on the grid and lowering electricity costs to the customer. The energy can be generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar and also from fuel cells and the grid itself, depending on the available energy resources at a given site. Each Power on Demand system is custom designed by WindTamer's engineers with options to blend in renewable energy inputs to best utilize the resources at the customer's location.
The system is designed to include a proprietary 'smart monitoring' technology developed by WindTamer that, among other things, monitors the power usage of the site in real-time and determines when to release energy from the battery system so as to optimize the battery life and maximize the value of the overall system to the customer.
The Power on Demand system designed for and operating at Advanced Glass Industries' manufacturing facility integrates one WindTamer 8.0GT wind turbine, 3Kw of solar energy, 182kWh of usable energy storage and more than 100kW of power distribution capability. The system architecture was developed to reduce peak demand by offsetting peak energy costs. Renewable energy sources provide supplemental power to building loads and battery-based energy storage was implemented to handle peak loads that require additional power.
Mark Matthews, WindTamer's Vice President of Sales and Marketing and one of the designers of the Power on Demand system, said that, "We are extremely pleased to have installed and commissioned our first Power on Demand system, and we are especially excited about the impact this will have on WindTamer's sales prospects going forward. By having this system operating at a customer facility we are now in a position to demonstrate in a real-world setting the superior return on investment Power on Demand can provide for both wind and solar installations."
Mr. Matthews added that, "Our engineering team has also done an excellent job of keeping the Power on Demand system modular, scalable and flexible so that we will be able to offer a solution that accepts renewable energy inputs based on the available renewable resources at a given location and then customize the system for optimal savings."
WindTamer's CEO William Schmitz said, "It would be difficult to overestimate the significance of the commissioning of this system for our Company and its shareholders. As I have previously stated, we see Power on Demand as a major driver of our growth in 2011 and beyond. This product expands our potential customer base exponentially because it dramatically reduces the payback period to the customer, which makes Power on Demand an extremely attractive value proposition to a much wider variety of large energy users who deal with peak usage pricing."
Mr. Schmitz added that he expects some of the larger Power on Demand systems in the sales pipeline will be priced in the mid-to-high six figures.
About WindTamer
WindTamer Corporation (http://www.windtamerturbines.com/) is a developer, manufacturer and supplier of wind turbines, solar energy systems and custom-designed renewable energy storage and power management systems. The WindTamer diffuser-augmented wind turbine utilizes a patented technology for the production of electrical power. The WindTamer Power on Demand system utilizes inputs from multiple energy sources including wind, solar, fuel cells and the grid itself in conjunction with a custom-designed battery storage system and a proprietary smart monitoring technology that releases energy at optimal times to reduce peak power demand, thereby lowering electricity costs for large energy users who deal with peak usage pricing. WindTamer also manufactures a mobile trailer-mounted Renewable Energy Trailer that generates wind and solar energy to an onboard storage unit for military and other applications.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. WindTamer Corporation cautions investors not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect WindTamer's analysis only as of today's date. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be correct, and actual results could differ materially. WindTamer undertakes no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements. Further information on these factors, and other factors that could affect WindTamer's financial results, is included in WindTamer's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the latest Annual Report on Form 10-K.
SOURCE WindTamer Corporation

Solar Firm Gets Funding Commitment

2011-02-05T02:04:00.001+02:00

MILPITAS, Calif., Feb. 3, 2011/PRNewswire/ -- DayStar Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: DSTI), a developer of solar photovoltaic products based on CIGS thin-film deposition technology, today announced it has entered into a $5 million securities purchase agreement with Socius CG II, Ltd., a subsidiary of Socius Capital Group ("Socius"). Daystar also announced the additional extinguishment of debt in exchange for shares of common stock as the company continues to restructure its balance sheet and pursue a strategic partnership.
DayStar's CEO, Magnus Ryde commented, "This flexible financing arrangement, with a proven partner in Socius Captial, will strengthen our balance sheet and will better position us as we continue our discussions with potential strategic partners. The partnerships we are pursuing, if consummated, could include joint ventures, licensing agreements, contract manufacturing agreements, a reverse merger with or an acquisition of DayStar."
Under the agreement, Daystar has the right over a term of two years, subject to certain conditions, to require Socius to purchase up to $5 million of redeemable Series B Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock"). With each purchase, Socius will receive two-year warrants to purchase shares of the company's common stock valued at 35% of the Preferred Stock amount. The exercise price of the warrants will equal the closing bid price of the company's common stock on the preceding day. In addition, Socius will be entitled to exercise an additional investment right for 60 days after each sale of Preferred Stock to purchase common stock valued at 100% of the amount of the Preferred Stock, at a per share price equal to the exercise price of the warrants associated with the sale of Preferred Stock.
DayStar also announced that it has extinguished an additional $3.6 million in debt from its balance sheet through the conversion to equity of certain convertible notes payable, as well as agreements with vendors to settle their liabilities in exchange for shares of DayStar's common stock. DayStar CEO, Magnus Ryde, commented, "We are pleased to have eliminated another $3.6 million in debt from our balance sheet. We appreciate the continued support of our vendors and other stakeholders. We have nearly completed our balance sheet restructuring and other activities to enhance our ability to pursue strategic transactions."
Details of the agreements with vendors, note holders, and the securities purchase agreement are set forth in Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC.

Arizona Bullish on Solar

2011-02-02T03:11:00.000+02:00

PHOENIX - Attending a renewable-energy company's grand opening Monday, Gov. Jan Brewer said Arizona will become the U.S. leader in solar manufacturing and technology.

"I believe Arizona is the destination in the nation for solar companies to locate and expand," she said.

Brewer, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and other dignitaries were on hand as Camarillo, Calif.-based Power-One Inc., the world's second-largest manufacturer of devices that convert power produced from batteries and solar panels, launched a 122,000-square-foot facility near Sky Harbor International Airport. Forty people are working there to start.

The Plant t is expected to employ 350 people in the next five years and could eventually have 1,000 workers.

"There's a great employee base here, but we also chose Arizona because of the solar corridor that the governor has created," Richard Thompson, Power-One's CEO and president.

Thompson said the potential to collaborate with Arizona State University also attracted the company to Phoenix, and he credited the Arizona Commerce Authority, which Brewer created last year to have business leaders help guide the state's economic future and attract companies.

Brewer said, "This new facility that we're opening today is proof that my new Arizona Commerce Authority is producing results with an aggressive, more-competitive approach."

Gordon said Power-One will help get Arizonans back to work.

"It's about buying power, and it's about employing other people," he said.

The plant will be able to eventually produce photovoltaic panels to capture and convert the sun's energy and wind inverters that can produce enough electricity for 2 million homes.

Alex Levran, president of renewable energy solutions for Power-One, said the company has collaborated with Arizona State University to develop innovative technologies.

"We chose to work with ASU because they have very good development programs and design programs," he said.

Sandra D. Kennedy, a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission, said the state's combination of abundant sunshine and existing manufacturing firms makes it a prime location for renewable-energy companies.

Solar Technology Being Promoted Again

2011-01-30T02:35:00.001+02:00

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- New research has established that sophisticated new solar energy production methods make it far and away the cheapest and least hazardous energy source, certainly cheaper and safer than nuclear power.

The latest findings come through research by a British market leader in renewable energy production following on from studies at Duke University in Durham, N.C.

The nuclear power generation industry and its various lobbies have successfully campaigned for the nuclear option as the most economical for consumers planning for large increases in demand for electricity.

Outside the United States, too, nuclear power generation has won new friends in recent years despite controversies over nuclear energy's dual use -- the other as a weapon of mass destruction.

Ken Moss, chief executive officer at U.K. solar power developer and producer mO3, said: "The generation game has changed so much over the last decade that electricity generated from solar energy will be cheaper than electricity generated from nuclear plants, including the new ones planned to be set up in Britain.

Suntech and Siemens Photovoltaic Deal

2011-01-28T01:30:00.000+02:00

MUNICH, Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Siemens Energy has signed a framework agreement with Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), the world's largest manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) modules. The photovoltaic modules to be supplied under this umbrella agreement are for several projects in Europe.
"Siemens is offering EPC solutions for photovoltaic plants," said Martin Schulz, Vice President Photovoltaics Siemens Renewable Energy Division. "With Suntech we have a bankable partner to provide reliable photovoltaic plants to our customers." In the last seven months Siemens has secured orders for photovoltaic plants with a combined capacity of over 80 MW from six different countries. As EPC contractor, the company handles the turnkey construction of solar power plants combining in-house components such as inverters or transformers and independent panel sourcing as well as local sourcing.
Jerry Stokes, President of Suntech Europe, stated: "We are excited to establish a strategic cooperation with a strong partner such as Siemens. We have already started executing on the agreement for projects developed throughout Europe. Siemens' global presence facilitates joint projects in Europe as well as in other parts of the world."
Photovoltaic plants are part of Siemens' Environmental Portfolio. In fiscal 2010, revenue from the Portfolio totaled about EUR28 billion, making Siemens the world's largest supplier of ecofriendly technologies. In the same period, our products and solutions enabled customers to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 270 million tons, an amount equal to the total annual CO2 emissions of the megacities Hong Kong, London, New York, Tokyo, Delhi and Singapore.

Federal Dollars for Arizona Solar

2011-01-25T06:00:00.000+02:00

It takes dollar power to get solar power. In these recession-scarred times, it also takes some federal backup power.

The U.S. Department of Energy is stepping in for the second time to provide a crucial loan guarantee for an Arizona solar-power plant.

The Agua Caliente Solar Project in Yuma County is in line for a $967 million loan guarantee. The Solana plant in Gila Bend was earlier offered a $1.45 billion guarantee.These aren't loans or grants. They simply remove a barrier that kept gun-shy lenders from putting money into huge energy projects. Taxpayers would assume the tiny risk of default on two plants that have built-in markets: The Yuma plant will supply Pacific Gas & Electric, which serves Californians, and Solana will supply Arizona Public Service.

Arizona will benefit from a boost in employment, mostly in short-term construction jobs but also some in operations and maintenance. And a new factory will make solar mirrors for the Solana plant. The federal loan guarantees are critical for the supply side of Arizona's solar industry.

But it's just half of the equation. Our state's renewable-energy standard, adopted by the Arizona Corporation Commission, requires regulated utilities to produce 15 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2025.

That's the demand side. For bright prospects in solar, Arizona must have a steady, predictable increase in local demand.

Solar Power for the Farm

2011-01-21T01:51:00.001+02:00

Sunvalley Solar, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: SSOL | PowerRating), a leading provider of solar power technology and solar integration systems, announced that it has re-signed a commercial solar installation contract with Long Life Farms in Thermal, California.

The IIDU has changed it's solar incentive plan from a one time lump sum payment to a monthly performance based payment spread over 5 years. Due to this change, Sunvalley successfully renegotiated the contracts with Long Life Farm. The new incentive plan, offers Long Life Farm better terms, payment structure and tax benefits.

The new 148.58 Kilowatt solar power systems comprised of 1,564 solar panels from Tianwei Solarfilms and one 100KW plus one 35KW solar inverter from PV Powered. The total contracted value is approximately $680,496. The contract is supported by ~$325K of solar incentive rebates from the local utility company and ~$204K of Federal Tax Cash Grants from the Federal Treasury Department.

The solar system is expected to generate 254,784 Kilowatt hours of electricity annually. During the peak months of May through October the system will generate surplus power and earn credits with Imperial Irrigation District Utility, offsetting the less sunny winter months.

The installation for Long Life Farms will begin in early 2011.

Solar Power is Money for Electricity

2011-01-20T04:21:00.000+02:00

nvironmental Advantage: Solar power is one of the most benign electricity resources. Solar cells generate electricity without air or water emissions, noise, vibration, habitat impact or waste generation.
Fuel Risk Advantage: Unlike fossil and nuclear fuels, solar energy has no risk of fuel price volatility or delivery risk. Although there is variability in the amount and timing of sunlight in the day, season and year, a properly sized and configured system can be designed to insure high reliability while providing a long-term, fixed-price electricity supply.
Location Advantage: Unlike other renewable resources such as hydroelectric and wind power, solar power is generally located at a customer's site due to the universal availability of sunlight. As a result, solar power limits the expense and energy losses associated with the transmission and distribution from large-scale electric plants to the end-users. For most residential consumers seeking an environment-friendly power alternative, solar power is currently the only viable choice being a ubiquitous source.
Environmental Legislations: Alternative energy companies are increasingly benefiting from new legislation in the U.S. stipulating installation of renewable sources of electricity generation as mandated by Renewal Energy Standards (RES). At the federal level, Congress has extended the 30% federal investment tax credit (ITC) to both residential and commercial solar installations until December 31, 2016.
Also, under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) passed in February 2009, the U.S. Treasury Department implemented a program to issue cash grants in lieu of investment tax credit for renewable energy projects.
Subsidy Programs: Governments, most notably China, Japan, Canada, U.K., Australia, India and the Middle East, have increased their financial support for solar projects. China is aiming at increasing its installed solar power capacity to 20 GW by 2020 from 305 MW capacity at the end of 2009. Specific solar energy stocks under our coverage that stand to benefit from this environment with a Zacks #1 Rank (short-term Strong Buy rating) include China Sunergy Co. Ltd. (Nasdaq: CSUN), LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) and JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (Nasdaq: JASO).
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WMECO to Build 2nd Solar Facility

2011-01-17T20:38:00.002+02:00

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo) today announced plans to develop its second large-scale solar energy facility. The selected site is on Cottage Street in Springfield will accommodate some 17,000 solar panels, producing up to 4.2 megawatts (MW) of solar energy.
WMECo officials joined local officials in announcing the agreement to develop the capped landfill into a large-scale solar energy facility. Upon completion, the Springfield facility will join WMECo’s Silver Lake Solar Facility as two of the largest in the region.

“The Springfield facility continues to build on the experience we gained in developing our recently completed project in Pittsfield. Our approach enables us to deliver large scale solar at a level of cost effectiveness that no one would have thought possible a few short years ago.” said Peter J. Clarke, WMECo president and chief operating officer.

“Our solar program helps stimulate development of large scale solar facilities and the demand for regional construction and engineering services. Our use of a capped landfill creates a new and viable use for an otherwise challenged property within our home city,” Clarke said.

"We are delighted to partner with WMECO to advance this important solar project,” said Mayor Domenic Sarno. “My Administration has been working to advance this project and other important conservation and sustainability efforts to take a lead in the 'green' economy. I look forward to growing the City's partnership with WMECO," he said.

The project will bring $22M of construction to the region and is expected to contribute several hundred thousand dollars of annual property tax revenue to the city of Springfield. Springfield is one of the two Gateway Communities in WMECo’s service territory and is home to some 65,000 WMECo customers.

The Commonwealth has a goal to install 250 megawatts of solar by 2017. Under the landmark Green Communities Act (GCA), each Massachusetts electric utility may own up to 50 MW of solar generation, subject to approval by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU).

WMECo was the first utility to receive DPU approval and is currently authorized to install 6 MW of solar. Local permitting for the project is underway and WMECo expects to begin construction in the second quarter of this year. Construction of the Springfield facility will complete the initial 6 megawatt authorization received from the DPU.

Western Massachusetts Electric Company, a Northeast Utilities company (NYSE:NU), serves approximately 200,000 customers in 59 communities throughout western Massachusetts and is committed to the environment, economic development and the health of the communities it serves. For more information about WMECo, visit our Web site at www.wmeco.com.

China Solar Company Buys US Company

2011-01-12T00:46:00.001+02:00

Chinese-based LDK Solar, Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) reached an agreement to purchase 70 percent of U.S.-based Solar Power, Inc. (SPI), a photovoltaic manufacturer and installer. Under the agreement, LDK will pay $33 million for the majority ownership stake in SPI, allowing the company to focus on large installations in the U.S. and the Americas.
LDK’s investment will allow SPI greater access to financing for developing large-scale photovoltaic projects in the United States.
“It’s going to allow us to focus on the marketing sales and development of large-scale solar in the United States,” said SPI Vice President of Marketing Mike Anderson. He added that the company is focused on utility scale systems and large-scale distributed generation systems.
In a press release, LDK said it made the investment to accelerate the development of SPI’s project pipeline, which it projects will add “downstream benefit” to LDK.
Under the agreement, LDK will take over the manufacturing of SPI’s panels, which were previously made in Shenzhen, China. It also will purchase some of SPI’s manufacturing equipment and take over SPI’s manufacturing facility.
“They’re going to manufacturer our panels to our specs,” said Anderson. He added that they’re also going to produce some of the company’s racking products, like its Skymount. “They’re going to be SPI branding so none of that’s going to change.”
Anderson said he did not know if LDK would use SPI’s specs in making their own panels.
An additional benefit, according to Anderson is best in class pricing.
“Something, heretofore, we wouldn’t have been able to get on our own,” he said.
LDK said, “SPI will maintain a separate logistical team in Shenzhen to enhance project development, design and related project management functions at a new location in Shenzhen.”
Neither company has a manufacturing facility in the U.S.
“Both companies have an interest in opening a plant here in the U.S., but we don’t have any plans as of yet,” Anderson said.
Under the agreement, Anderson said SPI’s corporate structure will remain the same.
However, LDK CEO Xiaofeng Peng will become chairman of SPI’s board. And Jack Lai, LDK’s chief financial officer, will also join SPI’s board.

Kaiser Permanente Adds Solar

2011-01-11T03:34:00.002+02:00

Kaiser Permanente's Santa Clara Medical Center has gone live with solar power, becoming one of the country's first major medical centers to receive a significant amount of its energy from the sun.
"Kaiser Permanente has a long history of energy conservation and environmental stewardship, and our use of solar and other forms of renewable energy further demonstrates our ongoing commitment to improving the overall health and well-being of our members and the communities we serve," said Gregory A. Adams, group president, regional president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan/Hospitals, Inc. in Northern California.

Kaiser Permanente agreed in March to install solar power systems at 15 of its California facilities — deploying a total 15 megawatts of solar energy — by the end of 2011. The agreement with Recurrent Energy, a solar project developer and generating company providing clean electricity to utilities and large energy users, launched one of the largest sustainable energy programs in U.S. health care.

Solar panels at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara will produce 8.5 percent of the power used at the medical center — or enough to provide electricity for 136 homes for one year.

Installing solar panels on Kaiser Permanente hospitals, medical offices and other buildings is the first step in a comprehensive plan to use onsite renewable energy sources to power Kaiser Permanente's buildings nationwide. A focus on renewable energy sources is just one aspect of the organization's industry-leading work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the use of harmful chemicals, and promote sustainable food choices.

Kaiser Permanente's investment in solar power will reduce the organization's reliance on the public power grid and help it diversify its energy sources. The 15 megawatts of solar power will produce an average of 10 percent of the electricity at each of the facilities, which also include the Vallejo Medical Center in Northern California, and medical offices in Lancaster and La Mesa in Southern California.

This is enough to provide electricity for about 1,900 homes a year.

Kaiser Permanente agreed to purchase the solar power through power purchase agreements with San Francisco-based Recurrent Energy, which will own and operate all of the solar power systems. Kaiser Permanente also will retain all the Renewable Energy Credits awarded for these solar projects.

"These solar agreements are a major step toward our goal of including a wide array of renewable sources in our energy portfolio," said John Kouletsis, director of strategy, planning and design for Kaiser Permanente's National Facilities Services department. In the future, energy sources could include thermal energy, wind and fuel cells in addition to solar.

This move is the latest in Kaiser Permanente's long history of energy conservation and environmental stewardship. Sustainable design and construction practices, including the use of energy-saving infrastructure and non-toxic materials, help Kaiser Permanente to build green and stay on budget.

Through its green building efforts, Kaiser Permanente:

Saves more than $10 million per year through energy conservation strategies. A leader in environmental health care and construction, Kaiser Permanente has committed to significantly reducing its use of fossil fuels and slowing energy growth over the next 10 years.
Will use sustainable design and construction practices to complete roughly 6.7 million square feet of new construction in the next seven years.
Eliminated the purchase and disposal of 40 tons of harmful chemicals.

Kaiser Permanente first used solar power when it opened one of the country's "greenest" hospitals in Modesto, Calif., in 2008. That hospital's solar-panel array generates enough electricity to power 25 homes annually.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.6 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter .

Solar Energy Partnership for Colorado

2011-01-07T03:03:00.000+02:00

Denver, Jan. 4, 2011 – SolSource Energy Solutions, one of Colorado’s leading solar engineering, procurement and construction companies, has recently partnered with Sun Energy Funding, a local provider of residential leasing and financing for solar energy. The new partnership will provide Colorado residents with the benefits and savings of solar without the large installation costs.

SolSource was approached by Sun Energy because of SolSource’s reputation within the industry for high quality solar installations and deep Colorado business roots. SolSource and Sun Energy were both founded in Colorado and both have made a commitment to help Colorado residents save money with energy efficient homes.

“Many homeowners recognize the benefits of solar energy, but feel that it is out of reach because of the large initial cost. By partnering with SolSource we can help Colorado residents attain solar energy, by supplying them with different financing options that meet their needs.” said Erik Bowman, CEO of Sun Energy Funding.

Sun Energy Funding was founded by a team of veteran solar installers after they recognized there was a gap in the market and a need for financing options. Sun Energy partners with top tier solar integrators to provide leasing and financing options for residents interested in installing solar systems.

“We are excited for the partnership with Sun Energy Funding because it will help make solar more affordable and available for homeowners,” said Jeff Scott, president and founder of SolSource, “We are hoping to complete 30 residential leasing projects with Sun Energy in 2011.”

To learn more about solar and available financing options, visit www.solsourceinc.com.

About SolSource, Inc.
Founded in 2004, SolSource is a solar design and installation firm providing solar electric, solar thermal hot water, and air heating systems throughout Colorado and nationwide. SolSource’s experience covers commercial, business, government, school and residential projects. Its clients include Buckley Air Force Base, Fossil Ridge High School, the Pepsi Center, University of Colorado at Boulder, Blue Mountain Arts corporate office, and more than 600 residential homes, including the home of SolSource President, Jeff Scott. For more information please visit www.solsourceinc.com.

About Sun Energy Funding
Founded in 2010, Sun Energy Funding is a Colorado-based company that provides residential leasing and financing options that allow consumers to save money through solar energy alternatives. The founders of Sun Energy bring over 50 years experience with backgrounds in solar installation, construction, finance and business development. The company remains dedicated to Colorado through its 100 percent local funding and employment. For more information please visit www.sunenergyfunding.com.

Solar Energy Development for Mongolia

2011-01-06T03:10:00.000+02:00

First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR | PowerRating) and China Guangdong Nuclear Solar Energy Development Co., Ltd. (CGN SEDC) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the development of Phase 1 of the previously announced solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. The agreement represents an important step forward for the Ordos project, following First Solar's MOU with the Ordos Government in September, 2009, and the Chinese government's recent approval of the pre-feasibility study for Phase 1 in September 2010. First Solar President Bruce Sohn and CGN SEDC President Han Qinghao signed the MOU at a ceremony in Beijing today.

Under the terms of the MOU, First Solar and CGN SEDC will work together to execute the 30 MW AC first-phase demonstration project. CGN SEDC will be the majority project owner and operator, performing the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) functions for the project. First Solar will supply its advanced thin-film solar PV modules to the project and will support CGN SEDC with EPC and O&M advisory services.

"First Solar is honored to be working on the Ordos project with CGN SEDC, a company with demonstrated leadership, expertise and experience. We look forward to working together to make the Ordos project a reality and to contributing to China's renewable energy goals and market development," said Sohn.

"We are very pleased to be partnering with First Solar, a global leader in solar PV technology, in developing the first significant solar project to adopt advanced thin-film technology in China," commented Han Qinghao.

The Ordos project represents the first large-scale solar collaboration between China and the United States and an example of China-U.S. bilateral cooperation on renewable energy.

About First Solar, Inc.

First Solar manufactures solar modules with an advanced semiconductor technology and provides comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) system solutions. The company is delivering an economically viable alternative to fossil-fuel generation today. From raw material sourcing through end-of-life collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on creating cost-effective, renewable energy solutions that protect and enhance the environment. For more information about First Solar, please visit http://www.firstsolar.com.

About China Guangdong Nuclear

Solar Energy Development Co., Ltd. of China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGN SEDC) was established in August 27, 2009. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, CGN SEDC focuses on solar power investment, construction, operation and maintenance, and is actively involved in related industries. By the end of 2010, CGN SEDC completed construction of solar facilities capable of producing 20MW, and is currently in the process of constructing facilities with a capacity of 70 MW. For more information about CGN-SEDC, please visit http://www.cgnsedc.com.cn.

For First Solar Investors

This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Those statements involve a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including risks associated with the company's business involving the company's products, their development and distribution, economic and competitive factors and the company's key strategic relationships and other risks detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. First Solar assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.

SOURCE: First Solar, Inc. and CGN SEDC

China

Huang Xue

+8610-5816-2555

Xue.Huang@bm.com

or

First Solar, Inc.

United States

Alan Bernheimer

602-414-9361

media@firstsolar.com

or

Europe

Brandon Mitchener

+49-6131-1443-399

media@firstsolar.com

New Solar Idea in Asia

2011-01-04T03:36:00.001+02:00

Japanese highway companies may rent space to solar panel makers and power producers to reduce the road operators’ debt, the Daily Yomiuri newspaper reported, without saying where it got the information.

The plan will focus on sparsely populated areas along the 9,000-kilometer (5,590-mile) national network, the report said. Companies renting the space may include solar panel makers Sharp Corp., Toshiba Corp. and Kyocera Corp., as well as Japan’s power companies, according to the newspaper.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry hopes to introduce by 2012 a system where electricity companies buy the full amount of renewable energy, including solar, produced by households and corporations, the report said.

Editors: John Viljoen, Clyde Russell.

To contact the reporter on this story: Stuart Biggs in Tokyo at Sbiggs3@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net.

Solar Company to Wisconsin

2010-12-31T02:21:00.001+02:00

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle today announced that W Solar Group Inc. will receive up to $28 million in Enterprise Zone tax credits from the Department of Commerce) to establish a manufacturing facility in Wisconsin and locate its corporate headquarters and research and development facilities in Dane County.
The company expects to create about 620 jobs between its headquarters, R&D and manufacturing facilities. The project represents a capital investment of more than $300 million.
The U.S. and international solar markets are expected to grow rapidly in the years ahead. Wisconsin is a national leader in solar installations. Among the companies the Department of Commerce has assisted are Cardinal Glass, 5NPlus, PDM Solar, ZBB Technologies and Helios.
“W Solar Group was attracted to Wisconsin early in our search for a project location,” Chris Hamrin, president and chief executive officer W Solar Group Inc., which will move to Wisconsin from Chatsworth, Calif. “We are impressed with the high quality workforce, extensive supply chain, and the commitment to producing world-class products. Making Wisconsin our home is the right decision, and W Solar’s goal is to be a great addition to the Wisconsin economy. Wisconsin’s role as a leading manufacturing state with hard-working people also contributed to our decision to make the Badger State the place to grow our company.”
The company has made a commitment to purchase materials and services from Wisconsin suppliers in an effort to create or retain additional jobs.
W Solar Group has a highly efficient technology for producing thin film solar panels on a large scale and at a lower cost than its competitors. The projected global market for solar panels will increase more than tenfold over the next decade, and the company anticipates about half of its production will be exported to overseas markets.
“I am really happy to announce the state will provide $28 million in Enterprise Zone tax credits to help W Solar establish a manufacturing facility in Wisconsin and create more than 600 jobs,” Doyle said. “W Solar choosing to locate its manufacturing facility in Wisconsin is a testament to the hard work we’ve done over the past eight years to build a strong sector of our economy around clean energy and high end manufacturing. This investment will create new business opportunities and jobs at suppliers throughout the region.”
Doyle has used the Enterprise Zones credits to help retain and create jobs at Quad/Graphics, Bucyrus

New Solar Technology Mimics Plant Life

2010-12-27T04:19:00.001+02:00

A prototype solar device has been unveiled which mimics plant life, turning the Sun's energy into fuel.

The machine uses the Sun's rays and a metal oxide called ceria to break down carbon dioxide or water into fuels which can be stored and transported.

Conventional photovoltaic panels must use the electricity they generate in situ, and cannot deliver power at night.

Details are published in the journal Science.

The prototype, which was devised by researchers in the US and Switzerland, uses a quartz window and cavity to concentrate sunlight into a cylinder lined with cerium oxide, also known as ceria.

Ceria has a natural propensity to exhale oxygen as it heats up and inhale it as it cools down.

If as in the prototype, carbon dioxide and/or water are pumped into the vessel, the ceria will rapidly strip the oxygen from them as it cools, creating hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide.

Hydrogen produced could be used to fuel hydrogen fuel cells in cars, for example, while a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide can be used to create "syngas" for fuel.

It is this harnessing of ceria's properties in the solar reactor which represents the major breakthrough, say the inventors of the device. They also say the metal is readily available, being the most abundant of the "rare-earth" metals.

Methane can be produced using the same machine, they say.

Refinements needed
The prototype is grossly inefficient, the fuel created harnessing only between 0.7% and 0.8% of the solar energy taken into the vessel.

Most of the energy is lost through heat loss through the reactor's wall or through the re-radiation of sunlight back through the device's aperture.

But the researchers are confident that efficiency rates of up to 19% can be achieved through better insulation and smaller apertures. Such efficiency rates, they say, could make for a viable commercial device.

"The chemistry of the material is really well suited to this process," says Professor Sossina Haile of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). "This is the first demonstration of doing the full shebang, running it under (light) photons in a reactor."

She says the reactor could be used to create transportation fuels or be adopted in large-scale energy plants, where solar-sourced power could be available throughout the day and night.

However, she admits the fate of this and other devices in development is tied to whether states adopt a low-carbon policy.

"It's very much tied to policy. If we had a carbon policy, something like this would move forward a lot more quickly," she told the BBC.

It has been suggested that the device mimics plants, which also use carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to create energy as part of the process of photosynthesis. But Professor Haile thinks the analogy is over-simplistic.

"Yes, the reactor takes in sunlight, we take in carbon dioxide and water and we produce a chemical compound, so in the most generic sense there are these similarities, but I think that's pretty much where the analogy ends."

Arizona Solar Project Gets Fed OK

2010-12-23T02:52:00.001+02:00

The first solar power plant in the United States capable of storing its own energy will service around 70,000 consumers in Arizona, the energy secretary said.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced his department provided solar energy company Abengoa Solar with a $1.45 billion loan guarantee to build what's described as the largest solar power plant of its kind in the world.

"As today's announcement and other recent announcements of completed loan guarantees for wind and solar projects demonstrate, the department's loan program is gaining momentum, creating jobs in communities across the country while putting us on the path to a clean energy future," the secretary said in a statement.

The facility will produce enough energy to meet the demands of 70,000 households, the Department of Energy said.

The project company said the 250-megawatt facility "will include six hours of molten salt thermal energy storage capability, which will allow energy to be dispatched as needed during cloudy periods and after sunset."

Neither the Department of Energy nor Abengoa Solar gave any indication as to when the project would go commercial or when development would start.

Nevada Solar Project Gets OK to Proceed

2010-12-21T01:34:00.002+02:00

A solar energy project that will generate enough electricity for 75,000 homes in Nevada has been approved by the federal government.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project in Nye County is the ninth large-scale solar facility approved by the Obama administration in an effort to encourage renewable energy development on public lands in the West.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says construction of the 110-megawatt plant will create up to 500 jobs. Once finished, it will employ 50 in operations and management positions.

The project 13 miles northwest of Tonopah was proposed by Solar Reserve's Tonopah Solar Energy of Santa Monica, Calif.

It will encompass about 2,200 acres on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management.

Lancaster Baseball Going Solar

2010-12-19T19:13:00.001+02:00

Some teams shoot for the moon. The Class A Lancaster JetHawks are targeting the sun.

Based in Lancaster, Cal. a city gunning to become known as the Alternative Energy Capital of the World, the JetHawks broke ground this week on a solar panel project designed to fulfill 98 percent of the energy needs at 14-year-old Clear Channel Stadium and save a projected $48,000 annually.

The JetHawks, an affiliate of the Houston Astros, are installing 1,500 4-by-6-foot solar panels atop a carport that is nearly 700 feet long. The concept is designed to store sunlight for use at night games at the 4,600-seat, city-owned ballpark. The project is expected to be completed this month.

Lancaster, a community of 146,000 in northern Los Angeles County, is planning the installation of solar energy devices at several other municipal facilities, including city and its performing arts center.

Clear Channel Stadium will be the first minor-league baseball stadium in California to go solar.

"Things like this take it out of the fringes and into the mainstream," Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parries told the Los Angeles Daily News. "It becomes an American ideal when the ballpark is operated by solar energy."

But while they're at it, they might want to look at harnessing wind energy as well.

The JetHawks ballpark is most famous for high winds, which routinely blow 40 mph during night games and can add 30 or more feet to the distance of fly balls.

By Seth Livingstone

Rural School Goes Solar

2010-12-18T04:53:00.001+02:00

Even before Town Meeting voted to make Natick a Green Community in the spring, the town has been looking for opportunities to use green technologies around town.

But this year the town has started use the $175,000 boost from the state to lay the groundwork for more green energy projects in Natick.

Natick has opened a relationship with the company Ameresco, which will install, own and operate a photovoltaic solar array on the roof of Kennedy Middle School. The town has agreed to buy the electricity the solar panels generate at between $.03 and $.06 per kilowatt hour, much lower than the current rate of $.18, and saving the town more than $15,000 per year in electricity costs.

In return, Ameresco gets $74,000 from the state Green Communities grant, and rights to trade the state and federal energy tax credits. The solar array will be placed on Kennedy’s roof in the summer of 2011.

Part of Natick’s deal with Ameresco is to explore similar opportunities on the other town-owned buildings according to Bob Bois, the town’s conservation agent.

“Phase two is to evaluate solar and to select solar sites on the other 18 or 19 town buildings, or a solar generation site at the gravel pit,” Bois said.

The Natick Community Organic Farm, which has been using solar greenhouses to grow salad greens through the winters for decades, has had solar panels on the barn roof since 2008. Before the panels were installed, the farm’s electricity costs exceeded $8,000, executive director Lynda Simkins said. This year, the electricity costs at the farm are closer to $2,700, she said.

“It’s been very beneficial for us; it’s very beneficial to put these alternative energy projects on public land, so the community can see them,” Simkins said.

The new Natick High School and the new Senior Center are also being built with energy efficiency as a top priority. The high school is striving for a platinum-level LEED certification - the highest possible designation - and has several energy saving methods planned.

The school will have it’s own solar array, and will feature a “gray water” system that captures an estimated 600,000 gallons of rainwater a year to use for flushing toilets and other non-drinking uses. Rooms in the new school will have smart controls that will shut off lights and regulate temperature, and the building will maximize sunlight for day lighting and heat.

Peter Sanchioni, Natick’s superintendent of schools, said much of the reason the district chose to model the new high school on the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman was it’s incredible energy efficiency.

“It’s going to cost us less than the current building, thanks to these systems,” Sanchioni said. “We looked at all the models, and this was one of the most energy efficient buildings out there.”

Bois said the town is also exploring the possibility of having an electric car charging station at the new high school; Boise said Natick is looking at several different locations for a charging station, planning for future needs of electric-only vehicles.

Replacing the current fleet of vehicles is another large opportunity for the town to save on energy costs, Bois said. There are 17 vehicles currently in use that will be replaced by either a hybrid/electric vehicle, or a more fuel efficient model.

The town is also replacing older fixtures with more efficient lighting, upgrading motors in water pumps and finding other opportunities to get more energy efficient.

Bois said the town has reduced its energy use by 8 percent since 2005, and greenhouse gas production by 7 percent.

“We’ve taken on the cause, and pushed the envelope,” Bois said. “Those to projects are an example of walking the walk.”

US Approval for Solar Development

2010-12-16T23:47:00.001+02:00

The U.S. government gave preliminary approval for solar energy projects at 24 sites on federal land in six states, potentially accelerating the development process.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the Environmental Protection Agency, announced the "solar energy zones" during a conference call today.
Approving sites before energy companies seek permission to build on them means developers may avoid such expensive and time-consuming steps as evaluating the potential impact upon the environment and identifying the best use of existing transmission lines.
“We are working hard to rapidly and responsibly develop renewable energy on public lands,” Salazar said today on a conference call. The sites could support up to 24,000 megawatts of solar power on 214,000 acres, he said.
Salazar last month began a similar study of optimal areas to place wind turbines off the Atlantic Coast, resolving potential conflicts with state and environmental regulators over shipping lanes, bird migration paths and tourism.
The streamlined process for approving solar parks on federal may help developers such as BrightSource Energy Inc. and NTR Plc’s Tessera Solar, which are building some of the 1,800 megawatts of projects approved by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management in the past two months.
For solar projects, federal agencies evaluated 675,000 acres for potential development in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
Environmental groups objected to some of the sites, saying they are too close to national parks or could endanger sensitive wildlife populations. One such area is the 110,000-acre Iron Mountain zone, which is located between the Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert National Preserve.
The Wilderness Society studied the 24 areas initially suggested by the Bureau of Land Management and identified just five zones where it supported solar development.

Malaysia Solar Panels

2010-12-15T02:33:00.002+02:00

IPOH: Malaysia is currently fine-tuning a blueprint to attract high-value capital intensive investments in solar energy production.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Government was working on building strong research and development (R&D) to support innovation in the solar production value chain.

Government agencies will provide the necessary support platform to identify research areas, he said before officiating at the ground-breaking ceremony of Twin Creeks Malaysia Sdn Bhd's RM1bil high-power solar cells production plant in the Kanthan Industrial Area here yesterday.

He said the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry had established a solar R&D laboratory to innovate the next generation thin film and crystalline solar technology.

At the same time, the ministry via Sirim is also establishing a shared solar test centre, which will provide product certification required and lowering the individual cost of establishing solar manufacturing operations, he added.

Muhyiddin pointed out that solar had been identified in Malaysia's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) roadmap as a major growth area for the country.

By 2020, earmarked Entry Point Projects for the solar industry are expected to provide Gross National Income of RM13.9bil and creating 55,000 jobs, he said.

However, it will require about RM28bil in private investments and a further RM2.9bil in public investments, he added.

Muhyiddin said the solar industry has vast potential for growth.

Solar energy is becoming more economically attractive as technology improves and the cost of electricity generated by fossil fuels rises, he said.

It is more economical in the long run to generate solar power even though the starting cost is high, said Muhyiddin.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia had already attracted several companies manufacturing solar panels and providing raw materials to be used in the industry.

Malaysia is an attractive country as we offer good and customised incentives and we also have adequate skilled manpower, he said.

He also noted that Twin Creeks' foray into Perak was another development that has potential and that the state could be the hub to produce solar energy in the future.

Twin Creeks Malaysia is a joint venture (JV) between US-based Twin Creeks Technologies Inc, Perak State Development Corp and a state government subsidiary, The Red Solar (M) Sdn Bhd.

Red Solar executive chairman Datuk Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff said the JV was signed in June this year to manufacture solar cells, using Twin Creeks' patented technology.

Rais Hussin, who is also Twin Creeks Malaysia chairman and director, said Red Solar would be the exclusive distributor for the solar cells and panels produced by Twin Creeks Malaysia for the country and South-East Asia.

Phase one of the plant would begin with a production capacity of 100 MW in 2012, which would be raised to 500 MW in 2014.

The plant will create 1,000 jobs involving 500 semi-skilled workers, 200 in engineering and the rest in management and supervision.

Twin Creeks Malaysia planned to continue with the second phase construction of the plant in 2015 on 15ha stretching to Perak Hi-Tech Park.

Solar Projects for New Jersey

2010-12-12T19:46:00.000+02:00

Solar energy is the cool, new kid in the Lehigh Valley and northwest New Jersey right now.

Roughly 20 solar energy projects have been proposed or finished in the region during the last year."(We) have more projects going on now than we ever have," said Jennifer Beattie, a marketing coordinator for Vanguard Energy Partners, a New Jersey-based company that opened a Bethlehem office in June.
Residents, worried about solar farms' effect on their property values and other issues, are less-excited about the trend.

Read the complete report: Several of region’s solar power projects spurring opposition.

Immobile solar panels serve the purpose, but solar panels that track the sun are more space-efficient and equally effective, according to Leo Day, of Quality Industrial Services.

His company represents MGK Solar, the Brookville, Pa.,-based business.
"Most of the systems that you see out there are fixed systems ... that’s what they’re used to seeing," he said, referring to people who express concerns about the footprint created by a solar farm. "They don’t really know of anything else. What I’m trying to do is offer an option."

Solar Tax Credits and Politics

2010-12-11T02:59:00.001+02:00

Solar and wind advocates hailed the United States Senate’s move Thursday night to extend for another year a key incentive program for big renewable energy projects. But they warned that another provision of the tax compromise under consideration could devastate the industry.

First the good news for green energy proponents: If the tax bill passes in its present form, developers will be able to receive through 2011 a federal cash grant to cover 30 percent of the cost of solar power plants, wind farms and other large renewable energy projects.

Enacted as part of the 2009 stimulus package, the Treasury cash grant “1603” program was offered as an alternative to a 30 percent investment tax credit that few developers had use for as they typically have no profits to offset. And so-called tax equity investors who would buy those credits from renewable energy developers in exchange for financing their projects largely disappeared as the recession took hold.

The cash grant program is set to expire at midnight on Dec. 31, which led California and federal regulators to green light nearly 3,000 megawatts’ worth of solar power plants over the past three months, with two more projects expected to be approved next week.

But that building boom is likely to go bust unless the cash grant program is extended.

“An extension of the program will keep our U.S. industry growing and help achieve the industry’s goal of installing enough new solar energy to power 2 million new homes each year by 2015,” Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, a Washington, D.C., trade group, said in a statement Friday. “The program has allowed the solar industry to grow by over 100 percent in 2010, create enough new solar capacity to power 200,000 homes and double domestic solar employment to more than 93,000 Americans.”

Of course, this time next year, the solar and wind industries would find themselves in the same exact position. Congress’ failure in past years to enact a long-term extension of a production tax credit for wind developers, for instance, led to a cycle of boom and bust as the tax credit would expire and then later be revived for another year or two.

The industry views cash grants as a more efficient way to fund renewable energy projects than the complicated tax equity market. But in any event, Resch told me last month that if the cash grant is extended another two years, the tax equity market should have recovered enough to provide sufficient financing for solar power plants and wind farms.

Now the bad news: As part of the tax compromise, the Senate is considering allowing companies to claim 100 percent depreciation on capital equipment purchased for the next two years. So far, no concrete language has been written into the bill but the idea is to goose the economy by spurring big-ticket purchases of machinery that can be written off a company’s taxes in one year rather than, say, a decade.

Entrepreneurs like Lyndon Rive, chief executive of SolarCity, a Silicon Valley solar installer, fear that tax equity investors will lose whatever appetite they had for renewable energy projects if they can buy assets that can be depreciated immediately.

“The solar industry is tiny compared to other capitalized assets corporate America buys,” Rive said in an interview. “They won’t buy them because they won’t need to buy them. It will depress demand for solar assets.”

The wouldn’t be a problem next year if the cash grant is extended but would be devastating in 2012 if 100 percent depreciation is available but the cash grant is not, according to Rive.

“It’s great for corporate America but it will be death for solar – it will be worse than financial crisis,” he said.

Solar Promotion in Southern California

2010-12-08T02:37:00.000+02:00

Acro Energy Technologies Corp. has joined Wells Fargo to help bring solar energy to Southern California homeowners.

Through the end of the year, Acro Energy and Wells Fargo are offering up to $1,000 in incentives to qualified Southern California homeowners who advance funds from a home equity loan or line of credit in the amount of $15,000 or more to finance the installation of a solar power system.

In addition, Acro Energy is extending to these homeowners its "Instant Solar" rebate program, which pays up to an additional $1,000 towards a customer's electric bills between the time he or she signs a residential solar contract and the completion of the solar system installation. Currently, the offer is limited to customers located in Southern California.

"We're excited to have been selected for this program and to be able to offer even more financing options to our customers," said James Tong, vice president of marketing at Acro Energy. "It's also a big win for everyone when Wells Fargo is promoting solar; it helps counter common misconceptions that solar is unproven or prohibitively expensive."

Sanyo Solar Panels for Europe

2010-12-05T01:34:00.002+02:00

TOKYO, Dec. 3, 2010 (Kyodo News International) -- Sanyo Electric Co. (OOTC:SANYY) said Friday it will market its new HIT solar cell panels with enhanced energy conversion efficiency in Europe in February next year.

The cell conversion efficiency of the new product is the world's highest at 21.6 percent, 0.5 point higher than Sanyo's conventional products, according to the Panasonic Corp. (NYSE:PC) group firm.
The company has decided to sell the HIT -- short for heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer -- panels first in Europe, where there are many schemes in which electric utilities are obliged to buy renewable electricity as well as high demand for efficient products.

The company has not decided on when to market the product in Japan, it said.

On the global market size of solar cells, Sanyo expects power output to grow to 21 gigawatts in fiscal 2015 from 9 gigawatts in fiscal 2009 ended in March this year due to more demand in such emerging markets as India and China.

New Solar Technology

2010-11-30T22:48:00.001+02:00

Glen Allen, Virginia: Industry analyst firm NanoMarkets has just published a new report titled, “Thin-Film Photovoltaics Materials Markets, 2011 and Beyond.” The report is part of NanoMarkets ongoing coverage of thin-film and organic PV markets and includes its latest projections on materials sales for thin-film silicon (TF Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe) and CIGS PV.

The report states that despite the end of the silicon shortage and ongoing economic woes, the TFPV materials markets will generate $5.9 billion ($US) in 2016 compared to $2.1 billion in 2011. Additional details for the report are available at
http://www.nanomarkets.net/market_reports/report/thin-fi ...

About the report:
This report provides the latest in NanoMarkets’ ongoing coverage of the markets for materials for the thin-film photovoltaics (TFPV) space. NanoMarkets is unique in its coverage of the materials used in TFPV and we have been providing insightful analysis in this space for more than four years.

In this report NanoMarkets:

• Offers a clear assessment and quantification as to where the money will be spent on the major materials that go into TFPV in the next eight years.

• Identifies the materials strategies of the key cell and module players in TFPV, as well as the product/market strategies of the key materials firms supplying into this segment.

• Includes eight-year forecasts of volumes and revenues for the materials used by the three main thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) technologies; CIGS, thin-film silicon, and CdTe.

• Provides market analysis of both the absorber and electrode materials, as well the latest materials-related PV developments such as the use of nanocrystalline silicon, PV inks, flexible substrates and advanced antireflection materials and barrier films.

This report analyzes and quantifies the opportunities for materials in the TFPV space. In addition to providing eight-year forecasts of the core absorber materials, it also forecasts electrode, substrates and encapsulant markets.

The report also provides detailed profiles of the major firms influencing this space including: 5N Plus, Air Liquide, American Elements, Apollo Solar Energy, Applied Materials, Dow Corning, DuPont, Evonik, Indium Corporation, Linde, Oerlikon, Praxair, Redlen, Sputtering Materials, Ulvac, Umicore and Voltaix.

Solar Carports

2010-11-28T04:07:00.002+02:00

You know those ugly solar panel structures you park your car under? They're kind of a big deal.
Solar carports have been popping up in school parking lots across the state and the Bay Area is leading the way.
They work just like solar panels on rooftops, converting sunlight into electricity. And in addition to providing some shade, they managed to crank out about 20 megawatts of electricity in 2010, the New York Times reports.
The Milpitas Unified School District is one of about 75 elementary, high school and community college campuses in California with solar carports.
The district relies on them for 75 percent of its electricity needs in an entire school year.
Over a 20-year period, Milpitas could save millions of dollars thanks to the carports, a fact that has drawn a lot of interest.
“I’ve gotten calls from Hawaii, from Canada, from all over California,” said John Cimino, director of maintenance, operations and transportation for the district.
Schools are paying for the systems through partnerships with banks and intermediaries like Chevron, which in turn sell the electricity back to the schools, picking up some tax incentives on the way.
Google actually started the solar carport trend back in 2007. The Mountain View-based company put solar panels in its parking lot before it was cool, then the schools caught on.
As word spreads, carports may soon be as common as playgrounds. But California isn't stopping with a few solar parking lots.
The largest solar plant in the world is scheduled to go up in the Mojave Desert soon. The Blythe Solar Power Project is expected to double America's solar output and power 300,000 homes.

Solar Panels for the UK

2010-11-24T00:57:00.001+02:00

MARLBORO, Mass., Nov 23, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Evergreen Solar, Inc. (nasdaqgm:ESLR), a manufacturer of String Ribbon(R) solar panels with its proprietary silicon wafer technology, today announced it has received the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certificate from the United Kingdom's British Board of Agrement, qualifying the company's ES-A series panels for solar projects supported by the Renewables Cash-Back Scheme.

The 'Renewables Cash-Back Scheme' has been active in the UK since April 2010. Homeowners and communities who install low carbon electricity, including solar panels, are paid for the electricity they generate, even if they use it themselves. Solar projects are required to use MCS certified panels installed by MCS accredited installers to be eligible for funding.

In May 2010, Evergreen Solar announced that its ES-A series panels received IEC 61701 salt mist certification making the panels ideal for coastal installations. Given the fact that the UK has more than 31,000 kilometers (19,000 miles) of coastline, Evergreen Solar's ES-A panels are well-suited for UK-based projects.

"The MCS certification is a major step forward in expanding our business in the UK and a testament to the quality and workmanship of Evergreen's solar panels which are known for delivering more electricity with less impact on the environment," said Peter Rusch, Evergreen Solar's Vice President of Sales for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. "And given the fact that many UK solar projects will be installed on or near the coast, our IEC 61701 salt mist certification is likely to make the ES-A series the panel of choice for these projects."

The MCS is an internationally-recognized quality assurance scheme which demonstrates the quality and reliability of products by satisfying rigorous standards. Product certification involves testing of products and an assessment of the manufacturing processes, materials and staff training.

About Evergreen Solar, Inc.

Evergreen Solar, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets String Ribbon(R) solar power products using its proprietary, low-cost silicon wafer technology. The Company's patented wafer manufacturing technology uses significantly less polysilicon than conventional processes. Evergreen Solar's products provide reliable and environmentally clean electric power for residential and commercial applications globally. For more information about the Company, please visit www.evergreensolar.com. Evergreen Solar(R) and String Ribbon(R) are registered trademarks of Evergreen Solar, Inc.

Carson City Gets Solar Panel

2010-11-20T03:19:00.001+02:00

Officials dedicated on Thursday a row of photovoltaic solar panels that now line the second story of the parking garage behind the state legislative building in Carson City.

The project, supported with part of the $8 million in federal stimulus given to the state for renewable energy improvements, included replacing fluorescent lamps with LED lights in the parking garage, which will save the state about $30,000 a year in energy costs. The solar panels will save $7,000 each year.

The project broke ground in September by contractor Reliant Electric, which is based in Reno.

Jim Groth, the director of the Nevada State Office of Energy, said the stimulus money is being used to retrofit 124 state buildings with renewable energy upgrades statewide.

“Nevada is in the top five states for expending those funds, putting the monies into local contractors here,” Groth said. “And people talk about whether the stimulus is working or not working. It was pretty hard to deny when you come up and you talk to actual contractors working on the job that wonder where else they'd be if they weren't working on the facility. And the outcome will be savings to the state.”

NV Energy also provided a one-time rebate to the state of about $150,000 for the solar panels and about $20,000 for the new lighting, which automatically dim or brighten with motion sensors.

The annual power savings for the lighting and solar projects are estimated to be 300,000 kilowatt hours and 60,000 kilowatt hours respectively.

At the ceremony, Gus Nunez, the manager of the state Public Works Board, held a paper detailing energy usage for the capital from last month. It showed monthly energy usage of about 150,000 kilowatt hours in September had fallen to about 64,000 kilowatt hours in October when the new LED lights were turned on. He said he expected more savings now that the solar panels are up and running, too.

“Here's the real thing,” he said. “It's proof.”

Total to Build Solar Panels

2010-11-17T02:52:00.000+02:00

French company Total has launched a project to build a photovoltaic panel production and assembly unit at Composite Park in north-eastern region of Moselle, France.

The plant will house two production lines for a total capacity of 50 megawatt peak (MWp) representing about 220,000 photovoltaic panels per year that will have a surface area of 2,800sq m.

The construction is slated to commence in early 2011 and the first line (25MWp) is expected to come on stream towards the end of the year.

Total Gas & Power president Philippe Boisseau said that this project adheres to the company's strategy of positioning itself within the entire photovoltaic solar chain.

"The production unit, situated near our French, German and Northern European customers, allows us to strengthen our market capabilities," Boisseau said.

The company said that the new unit will create around 80 jobs in the region.

New Solar Design

2010-11-16T02:41:00.001+02:00

HyperSolar, Inc. (HYSR 0.12, -0.01, -7.69%) , the developer of a breakthrough technology to magnify the power of the Sun to significantly increase the power output of solar cells, today announced that new design models show potential magnification of 300%.

"We are very excited about this breakthrough by our development team," said HyperSolar's CEO, Tim Young. "Considerable work has been done in the solar industry to make solar cells more efficient. However, we believe that a critical advancement will be to actually control the delivery of sunlight onto solar cells. At HyperSolar, we are developing the world's first thin and flat light magnification layer for direct application on top of standard solar cells to increase their power output." Mr. Young continued, "We are encouraged by our recent results. Our plan is to move to the prototype stage early next year and then to a commercial product."

HyperSolar's innovative thin and flat light magnification layer employs thousands of very small light collectors on the surface that funnel light into a proprietary light routing network in the middle that carries light to a smaller output area on the bottom where a solar cell can be attached. Instead of using 3 solar cells to cover an area on a solar panel, only 1 solar cell is needed underneath a 300% HyperSolar layer. This allows solar panel manufacturers to reduce the number of expensive solar cells in their panels, by 66%, and dramatically reduce the cost per watt of their solar panels.

Mr. Young added, "The higher the light magnification in the HyperSolar layer, the higher the power magnification of the attached solar cell. As part of our development plan, we are exploring various designs and microphotonic elements to increase the magnification by as much as 400% in the final product."

About HyperSolar, Inc.

HyperSolar is developing a breakthrough technology to magnify the power of the Sun to significantly increase the power output of solar cells. Based on innovative microphotonics and low cost manufacturing processes, HyperSolar is developing the world's first thin and flat light magnification layer for direct application on top of standard solar cells to increase cell power output by as much as 400%. With HyperSolar as the top layer, manufacturers can use significantly fewer solar cells in the production of solar panels, thereby dramatically reducing the cost per watt of electricity. To learn more about HyperSolar, please visit our website at http://www.HyperSolar.com

SOURCE: HyperSolar, Inc.

Solar Panels for Canadian School

2010-11-11T02:08:00.001+02:00

Campbell River's Timberline Secondary School was one of 24 schools throughout the province to receive solar panel funding in an announcement from the Environment Ministry Friday. Highland Secondary School in Comox is another.

The solar panels will focus the sun's energy to heat water and improve energy efficiency at 24 schools, nine colleges and universities, and five hospitals across B.C. thanks to $2.8 million in capital funding from the Public Sector Energy Conservation Agreement (PSECA) and its partners, Terasen Gas, SolarBC, and Natural Resources Canada.

"In 2010, B.C. will have the first carbon-neutral public sector in North America where every student will enter a carbon-neutral school and every patient will be cared for in a carbon-neutral hospital," said Minister of State for Climate Action John Yap.

"At the same time, these projects are helping to grow B.C.'s emerging solar technology market and create new jobs for British Columbians."

The main focus is on education and supporting growth in the solar technology sector.

Solar Panels for Grocery Store

2010-11-10T05:50:00.000+02:00

LEXINGTON, Ky., Nov 09, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- EnergyOne Technologies, Inc., a provider of renewable energy solutions, announced they have signed a letter of intent with the Canyon Lake Grocery Market, to provide up to 400 megawatts of solar energy and .500 megawatts of energy storage. EnergyOne will lease the market's rooftop and install a .200 megawatt solar system capable of generating up to 1.2 megawatts of power per day which is enough energy to offset the markets daily needs. Excess power generated during the day will be directed into the energy storage units and be available for use at night. EnergyOne will own, operate and maintain the solar panels and energy storage systems, and sell the energy to the market under a 20 year power purchase agreement. EnergyOne will also retrofit the markets lights and appliances with LEED approved energy efficient equipment cutting their electric bill in half.

EnergyOne CEO, Francis Zubrowski, reiterated the company's commitment to work with the grocery market industry to develop innovative solutions that reduce our customer's energy costs and benefit the environment. Zubrowski praised the market owner's creative approach in addressing the markets growing energy needs and their commitment to the environment.

EnergyOne estimated the cost of the project to be approximately $2.5 million. The company would be eligible for up to $2.25 million in tax credits and rebates. Upon completion of the design, application and permitting process, EnergyOne projects it could start construction in spring of 2011. VS Technology will join the project team to provide energy storage oversight. A megawatt is enough power for about 800 U.S. homes, according to the Energy Information Administration.

One of our most important responsibilities is to communicate with shareholders in an open and direct manner. Comments are based on current management expectations, and are considered "forward-looking statements," generally preceded by words such as "plans," "expects," "believes," "anticipates," or "intends." We cannot promise future returns. Our statements reflect our best judgment at the time they are issued, and we disclaim any obligation to update or alter forward-looking statements as the result of new information or future events. All State Properties Holdings, Inc. urges investors to review the risks and uncertainties contained within its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Solar Panels in England

2010-11-08T18:24:00.001+02:00

Eighty-six glass panes on the roof of the Carriage Museum at Arlington Court, near Barnstaple, have been replaced with photovoltaic panels.

The trust said the panels will reduce electricity bills at the attraction.

It also hopes to generate an income of about £2,270 a year by selling the solar energy produced to electricity suppliers.

Royal carriages
Ana Chylack, Arlington Court's property manager, said: "We have worked hard across the property to reduce our energy consumption and it has already really made a difference to our bills."

The panels will generate up to 6.3 megawatt hours of electricity a year, saving about £600 on electricity bills.

The trust said the panels would also help protect the carriages by reducing the amount of ultraviolet light they are exposed to.

It said ultraviolet light could damage delicate fabric and wood.

The museum currently houses 46 horse-drawn carriages, including former royal ones.

Arlington Court is the 25th National Trust property to embrace green energy.

The organisation said it was hoping to cut its total energy consumption by 20% by 2020 and to switch to using renewable energy.

Another Solar Energy Advocate

2010-11-07T02:09:00.001+02:00

BIG power companies are making massive profits and paying more in dividends to governments than ever before... while consumers suffer with higher power bills in the midst of recession.

The NSW Auditor-General's report on NSW electricity companies released recently shows electricity entities gave over $1.4 billion to the Government in tax and dividends for 2009-10, up $200 million from the year before. It also showed electricity agencies' combined after-tax profit was a whopping $1.2 billion, about 50 per cent up on their $847 million in 2008-09. This is without a huge uptake of solar energy systems or solar power kits.

Pre-tax profits of distributors leapt from $661 million in 2008-09 to $965 million and generators' profit from $307 million to $465 million.

The Auditor-General's report also revealed one of the drivers of peak energy demand forcing up prices was the Labor Government's desalination plant. It said other factors included the federal Government's call to drop the Emissions Trading Scheme.

"Consumers will unfortunately face price rises of up to 42 per cent over the next three years, partly for infrastructure and partly for renewable energy targets." said Aaron Murray, Managing Director of Cleaner Energy, one of the most prominent Residential Solar System specialists on the Gold Coast, Australia.

"By switching to a Cleaner Energy Solar Power Kit, you can not only save money, but actually earn revenue from the power companies. Some of our clients earn upto $600 per year from their excess electricity." said Murray.

Imagine a life without an electricity bill, and opening the mail to receive your electricity check? Wake up! Call Cleaner Energy to discuss the options with a solar expert on 1800751338.

Solar Energy for Colorado

2010-11-03T01:58:00.000+02:00

Colorado Springs Utilities put the project out to bid and heard back from 21 solar power providers, Romero said. Ultimately, the utility and Air Force Academy chose SunPower, the country’s largest manufacturer of traditional crystalline photovoltaic solar panels.
SunPower combines high-efficiency panels, operating at 22 percent efficiency, with a special sun-tracking technology to maximize energy production, SunPower President Jim Pape said.
He told a crowd of Air Force and town dignitaries at the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday that he felt they made the right choice in this very competitive bidding process.
He is confident the SunPower technology will make a big difference in the solar array’s production and that SunPower will outshine the 20 competitors they beat out for the contract. He said that if Colorado Springs Utilities and the Academy had partnered with anyone else, they likely would have been celebrating a four-megawatt system rather than a six-megawatt one.
“The difference is a big one,” Pape told the crowd.
Air Force Academy General Mike Gould congratulated those who brought the project to fruition.
“This is cool,” Gould said. “This is probably the best way I can think of to spend American Recovery and Reinvestment money.”
He said the project will reduce the Academy’s fossil fuel consumption by 11 percent, generate enough energy to power 1,600 four-person homes, make the Academy an example among Air Force bases around the world of how green energy can make a difference and save the base “half a million dollars a year, while we’re at it.”

Solar Energy Consolidation

2010-10-29T04:30:00.000+02:00

RainChief Energy (RainChief) (otcqb:RCFEF) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Vancouver-based JayDoc Capital Corporation (JayDoc).

As a result of the JayDoc acquisition, RainChief has entered into and will now be focused on the financing and development of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy projects in European Union countries. Specifically, the Company will invest in feed-in-tariff (FiT) environments, like Italy, which create long-term, low-risk revenue streams that facilitate high-leverage financing (80/20 debt-to-equity) with non-recourse project loans. Future growth will be driven by the strategic development and/or acquisition of additional solar power facilities under long-term contract in markets with high retail electricity prices and strong solar irradiation, with the ultimate goal of producing low-cost, clean electricity at attractive returns.

To aggressively develop this unique business opportunity, RainChief has established operational partnerships for the assessment, development and management of turn-key PV solar projects. The combined group will bring together highly professional organizations with expertise in all relevant aspects of renewable energy project development. The organizations have extensive experience in this specialized sector and combine technical and financial expertise with on-the-ground knowledge and regulatory awareness. The operational partners also provide RainChief with in-depth knowledge of the incentive framework and the approval process required for official authorized PV projects in Italy and other jurisdictions. Additionally, the group has the professional background to determine authorized sites for potential project development and to source and manage bankable EPC contractors with a proven record of PV project design, engineering and construction.

Terms of the acquisition by RainChief "Purchaser" of JayDoc "Target" include a business combination whereby the Purchaser purchases all of the securities from the Target in exchange for an aggregate of four million (4,000,000) restricted (Rule 144) common shares of the Purchaser (being one Purchase Share for each three issued Target Shares), paid pro rata, and an additional six million (6,000,000) restricted escrowed common shares (Escrow Shares) of the Purchaser (being 0.05 Purchaser Shares for each Target Share) paid pro-rata (the "Acquisition"). The Escrow shares will be subject to a standard form escrow agreement and will have a total of five (5%) percent release pro-rata with each one (1) megawatt of solar capacity brought into commercial delivery to the grid. An additional six (6) million warrants will be issued to Target subject to a five (5%) percent release pro-rata per megawatt exceeding 20 megawatts. The Escrow Shares and warrants will become eligible to vote on an as earned basis and all Escrow Shares not released within ten (10) years will be cancelled. The warrants are exercisable at $0.02 per share of the Purchaser and expire five years from the date of issue.

"This is an exciting move for our company," stated RainChief President Brad Moynes. "It positions us in a new energy sector with partners that bring experience and professional knowledge to the acquisition and development of PV solar projects. We will be announcing a number of partners in the very near future."

Forward-Looking Information:

This press release contains certain "forward-looking information." All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future constitute forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the possibility of unanticipated costs and expenses. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

Mojave Project Breaks Ground

2010-10-28T03:40:00.001+02:00

IVANPAH, Calif. — The first solar energy project on federal land has broken ground in California’s Mojave Desert.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other officials joined in Wednesday’s ceremony for the Ivanpah project, located in eastern San Bernardino County about five miles from the Nevada border.

The project, headed by BrightSource Energy, will have three generating plants, built in stages between now and 2013. Its 346,000 billboard-sized mirrors will focus the desert sun on steam turbines, producing enough electricity for 140,000 homes.

$1 Billion Solar Plant Approved

2010-10-27T02:18:00.002+02:00

The United States has approved a permit for the largest solar energy project in the world - four massive plants at the cost of one billion US dollars each in southern California.

"The Blythe solar power plant will consist of four 250-megawatt plants, built on public lands in the sun-drenched Mojave desert," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said on Monday.

"When completed the project is expected to generate up to 1000 megawatts of energy. That's enough electricity to power up to 750,000 average American homes and to make Blythe the largest solar power plant facility in the world."

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The total capacity will be roughly equal to the turbine output of a nuclear power plant or a large modern coal-fired power plant, according to Solar Millennium, the company developing the facility.

Solar Millennium plans to begin construction on Blythe this year, the company says on its website. At the height of construction, the project is expected to create more than 1000 jobs.

The Blythe facility is one of a raft of renewable energy projects that have been approved in recent weeks by the Interior Department.

Earlier this month, Salazar approved the first five renewable energy projects on public lands, four in California and one in Nevada, both states that have been hard hit by the economic downturn.

Two weeks ago, Salazar inaugurated the world's largest wind tower manufacturing plant in the working class town of Pueblo, Colorado, which will be run by Danish company Vestas Wind Systems.

One week earlier he signed a lease for the first major offshore wind farm, off the coast of New Jersey.

Federal Money for California Energy Project

2010-10-26T01:06:00.001+02:00

The U.S. Interior Department has approved a permit for the $6 billion, 1,000 MW Blythe parabolic solar trough project and the 663.5 MW Calico solar power plant on federal lands in the California desert. The Blythe project would be one of the largest solar power plants in the world.

The Blythe project is being developed by Solar Trust of America, a joint venture between Germany's Solar Millennium AG and Ferrostaal AG. The project is one of nine large solar-thermal power plants the California Energy Commission has approved or plans to approve by the end of the year. Others include the Calico project, Imperial Valley and the Chevron Lucerne Valley solar projects, which were also given approval by the Interior Department. The Silver State solar power plant in Nevada was approved in early October.

Blythe Solar will cover 7,025 acres on a site 216 miles east of Los Angeles. The facility will use parabolic mirrors to focus the sun’s energy onto tubes that carry heated oil to a boiler, which sends steam to a turbine. Solar Millennium LLC. agreed to fund conservation measures protecting the desert tortoise and Mojave fringe-toed lizard in return for permission to build the Blythe project on public land.

Federal approval would allow the companies to start work on the plants this year to take advantage of government incentives that would reduce project costs. To receive cash grants in exchange for unused tax credits, companies must break ground on projects or spend 5 percent of construction costs by year's end.

More Solar Energy in Southern California

2010-10-23T03:02:00.000+02:00

Solar services company SunEdison is to provide two megawatts of solar generating capacity at three City properties in Huntington Beach, Southern California.
The deal will involve no upfront costs to the City, with SunEdison financing, constructing, monitoring and maintaining the three carport canopy photovoltaic power plants.

The company, which has its HQ in Beltsville, Maryland, will sell power to the City via 20-year power purchases from the installations at the Huntington Beach Civic Center, Central Library and City Yard.

Construction is expected to begin in spring of 2011, SunEdison said.

Aaron Klemm, Energy Project Manager for Huntington Beach, said: “We evaluated a number of ways to meet our municipal solar capacity goal. The Power Purchase Agreement model made the most sense for us as there are no upfront capital or maintenance requirements from the city, and we receive very competitive power prices.”

DOE
Initial research and consultation on the solar carport canopy developments was funded by the US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program.

The three systems are expected to generate more than 63 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean solar energy over 20 years, enough energy to power over 5,900 homes for a year.

“SunEdison makes solar a reality for public sector clients like the City of Huntington Beach,” said Brian Jacolick, General Manager, Americas for SunEdison. “With smart solar programs, proven experience and strong financing capabilities, SunEdison is the clear choice for government solar solutions.”

Australian Solar Power

2010-10-21T01:41:00.001+02:00

AGL Energy has warned Australian consumers that power bills are likely to increase. The higher prices have been driven by the popularity of solar panels. Consumers have embraced the photovoltaic panel technology, which is subject to a generous government subsidy. Federal Climate Change Minister Greg Combet has dismissed criticism that renewable energy policies have created an excessive financial burden. Consumers without solar energy will be left to meet the growing cost of energy.

Publication Date: 21 October 2010

AGL ENERGY LIMITED - ASX AGK

AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED - ASX ORG

ENERGY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

INTEGRAL ENERGY AUSTRALIA

ENERGY USERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

RIO TINTO LIMITED - ASX RIO

BHP BILLITON LIMITED - ASX BHP

ENERGY SUPPLY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Electric Conference in Texas Nov 7

2010-10-20T02:42:00.001+02:00

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct 19, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Electric Power Engineers of Austin is among more than 50 Texas business and government leaders speaking at Texas Renewables 2010 (www.texasrenewables.org), Texas' premier business-to-business meeting for anyone in or wanting to be in the Texas renewable energy industry. The conference takes place November 7-10 in San Antonio and is hosted by CPS Energy.

After returning from Solar Power International (SPI), the largest solar power event in North America, Electric Power Engineers Inc. recognized with renewed conviction the opportunities in Texas. Hala N. Ballouz, president and CEO, Electric Power Engineers Inc. cited the exponential growth in solar project activity among renewable generation developers in the last few months. "Our business is doing nearly as many studies and designs for solar power as for wind projects. Participating in the SPI conference in LA this week certainly emphasized how this industry has exploded. The solar power industry in Texas is ready, the developers are at work and the electric grid is looking to embrace it. To capture this wave and release its energy, we should work together to ensure our legislature passes standards and incentives that are specific to solar generation."

Texas Renewables 2010 provides the venue for forming valuable B2B alliances and keeping industry sectors informed on the latest business developments, regulations, federal and state grants and other renewable energy business opportunities. The conference starts Nov. 7th with the Texas International Business Connections Forum and continues with over 50 speakers, including dozens of industry leaders and these key government officials:

Welcome by San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro Introduction keynote: Texas House Speaker, Joseph Straus (invited) Keynote Luncheon speaker PUC Chairman Barry Smitherman Brian Lloyd, deputy director, budget, planning & policy, Office of the Governor, the State of Texas Dan Woodfin, director of system planning, ERCOT Dub Taylor, director, SECO Jess Totten, director of policy, PUC Doug Ridge, manager, Texas Industry Cluster Initiative, Office of the Governor, the State of Texas Dwain Rogers, deputy commissioner renewable energy, Texas General Land Office

While at SPI Russel Smith, executive director, TREIA and co-organizer of Texas Renewables 2010 noted, "Since the last legislative session, Texas has moved from a tiny blip on the worldwide solar industry's radar screen of business development potential to a flashing signal that can't be ignored. The buzz in the exhibit hall at SPI was that if the Texas Legislature passes a solar incentive program, a significant non-wind portfolio standard, or both, we will see Texas move quickly into the top tier of states for solar development. Interest in Texas Renewables 2010 was high."

Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association (TREIA) www.treia.org, is the oldest renewable energy non-profit trade organization in Texas whose work promoting development of renewable resources and their wise use has spanned a quarter of a century.

SOURCE: Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association

Evolution Selling Solar Panels

2010-10-19T02:07:00.002+02:00

THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Oct 18, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Evolution Solar Corp. (pinksheets:EVSO) cheered a new report on Thursday that claims new solar power installations in the U.S. this year could double the capacity installed in 2009.

The Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research released the report at Solar Power International, a conference and trade show in Los Angeles. The U.S. Solar Market Insight report compiled data from the first half of 2010, which forecasts that the domestic solar industry could achieve a new milestone this year by installing a gigawatt of new capacity by year's end. That figure would more than double the 441 megawatts added in 2009.

"This report just confirms what we already know: that solar energy is gaining traction in the United States," said EVSO President and CEO Robert Hines. "Now that U.S. public policy has become stable and friendly towards solar, more and more people are taking a serious look at this revolutionary technology."

The domestic solar industry has avoided the malaise plaguing the overall economy thanks in part to an federal investment tax credit for renewable energy that will stay in place through the end of 2016. Unsurprisingly, California led states in solar capacity added in the first six months of 2010, followed by New Jersey, Arizona and Florida.

"Due to ever-improving solar technology, the costs associated with generating electricity using photovoltaic panels are becoming increasingly affordable," Hines said. "We expect that the price gap between solar power and power generated from traditional fuels will continue to narrow. The development of a cleaner, more efficient and renewable energy industry is already creating thousands of jobs across the country."

In Houston, Evolution Solar is partnering with Texas Southern University to install eight AmpleSun thin-film photovoltaic panels on the campus that are intended to serve as a cornerstone of the new TSU Green Technology Center. The project will be Evolution Solar's first array featuring the AmpleSun panels in the U.S. The company also recently completed construction on a solar demonstration project in the City of Brookshire, Texas. These projects should help Evolution Solar acquire new business in a sector that is growing to compete in the energy industry, which includes First Solar (FSLR 145.71, -1.36, -0.93%) , Exxon Mobile Corp. (XOM 66.10, -0.18, -0.27%) Altera Corp. (nasdq:ALTR) and Xilinx, Inc. (XLNX 26.34, -0.14, -0.53%) .

About Evolution Solar Corporation

Evolution Solar Corporation (EVSO) commercializes leading-edge alternative solar energy technologies and related photovoltaic technologies, equipment and next-generation appliances. Evolution Solar is an emerging industry leader capitalizing on its understanding of solar technology and supporting the development of alternative energy plans for large corporations and government organizations. Evolution Solar is also an expert consultant agency to organizations in their strategic and procurement plans for alternative energy contracts with public utilities.

For more information, please visit http://www.evolutionsolar.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements that include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipate" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition, description of anyone's past success, either financial or strategic, is no guarantee of future success. This news release speaks as of the date first set forth above and the company assumes no responsibility to update the information included herein for events occurring after the date hereof.

Solar Power for Arizona

2010-10-18T03:55:00.001+02:00

Salt River Project and Iberdrola Renewables have signed a 25-year power purchase agreement for 20 megawatts of solar photovoltaic energy from a Pinal County facility. SRP will purchase all of the solar energy produced at the Copper Crossing Solar Ranch, which is expected to be online by June 2011.

The solar energy will be produced using photovoltaic panels and will produce an amount of energy equal to that needed to serve about 3,100 SRP customers’ homes.

“From wind power to solar, our partnership with Iberdrola Renewables has resulted in thousands of SRP customers benefiting from clean, renewable energy,” said SRP General Manager Richard Silverman.

“Iberdrola Renewables is delighted to partner for the third time with SRP, this time for one of the largest utility-scale projects in Arizona,” said Martin Mugica, executive vice president of Iberdrola Renewables. “SRP has been a leader in bringing clean, renewable energy to Arizona, by purchasing the output of the first commercial-scale wind farms in the state and now with this, one of Iberdrola Renewables’ first solar projects.”

SRP has purchased property located between Quail Run Lane and Attaway Road, and between Judd Road and Bella Vista Road, and will lease a portion of the property to Copper Crossing for the development of the solar facility. The property is adjacent to the Abel receiving station.

Iberdrola Renewables’ experience as one of the nation’s leading wind power project developers and operators has prepared the company to develop and deliver a variety of solar technology solutions. The power purchase agreement with SRP, from what is expected to be one of Iberdrola Renewables’ first solar projects in the U.S., signals the company’s expansion into the solar power business for its utility customers, and it does so with a long term contract from a repeat customer.

The new solar plant will be the third large renewable power project in which SRP has partnered with Portland, Oregon-based Iberdrola Renewables – the Dry Lake Wind Farm Phase 1 was dedicated as Arizona’s first commercial-scale, wind power project in October 2009, and Phase 2 is scheduled to be complete by early 2011.

Iberdrola Renewables also announced a 30 MW solar power sale in Colorado yesterday, for another project slated to begin construction this year. The two combined renewable power purchase agreements mark the worldwide renewables leader’s entrance into the U.S. solar power sector. With a proven track record in wind power, the company plans to bring these 50 megawatts of emission-free solar power to commercial operation by the end of next year.

Salt River Project is the third-largest public power utility in the country and serves more than 930,000 electric customers through a variety of resources including solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and hydroelectricity. In 2004, SRP’s Board of Directors voted to require that 15 percent of the energy generated comes from sustainable resources by 2025. Today, SRP’s sustainable portfolio is 6.5 percent of the total power provided to our customers.

Iberdrola Renewables, Inc. is an American company, headquartered in Portland, Ore., with over 850 employees. It is part of the Iberdrola Renovables global group, the world's leading provider of wind power with more than 11,000 MW of renewable energy in operation around the world, and more than 3,800 MW of that wind power located in the U.S., now bringing its expertise into the solar industry. www.iberdrolarenewables.us

Hawaii Financial Incentive for Solar

2010-10-16T01:14:00.001+02:00

Hawaii property owners who install solar power panels on their rooftops will get paid for their excess homegrown electricity under a Wednesday ruling by state regulators.

The decision allows both homeowners and businesses to sell power to the electric utility and get paid nearly as much per kilowatt hour as residents pay to use retail energy.

Those who sign up for the program will get paid 21.8 cents per kilowatt hour of solar power fed into the electric grid, according to the ruling by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission. That compares with an average of 25.3 cents per kilowatt hour paid last month by Oahu customers of Hawaiian Electric Co.

"This is an option for people who generate more energy than they use," said Scott Seu, vice president for energy resources at Hawaiian Electric, which serves most of the state's power needs along with its subsidiaries, Maui Electric Co. and Hawaii Electric Light Co. "It's for anybody who has a fair amount of open space that's not being used."

Hawaii, the nation's most fossil-fuel dependent state, is one of the first regions in the country to institute this policy, known as a feed-in tariff. It guarantees renewable energy producers a fixed price for their power for 20 years.

It's part the state's goal of getting 70 percent of its power from clean sources by 2030 - 40 percent from renewables and 30 percent from efficiency improvements.

"You're going to see a lot more renewable energy projects happen a lot quicker," said Darren Kimura, chief executive for Sopogy, a Honolulu-based concentrated solar power company.

Similar feed-in tariff systems have been created in other parts of the country, including Vermont, Oregon, parts of Wisconsin and Gainesville, Fla.

The Hawaii ruling sets rates for small and mid-sized renewable energy producers to sell solar, wind and hydropower. Sign-up for the program starts Oct. 27 on Oahu, and Nov. 24 on the Big Island and Maui.

It allows for electric grids on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island to add up to 5 percent to their current power output - an additional 60 megawatts on Oahu and 10 megawatts on each of the other two islands. The decision doesn't cover Kauai, whose grid is run by Kauai Island Utility Cooperative.

Currently, electric customers statewide may reduce their power bill by providing energy to the grid. But they aren't paid for producing more energy than they use.

Hawaii may see its solar energy production triple from its current level of about 27 megawatts statewide, said Hawaii Energy Administrator Ted Peck.

"It's a gold rush," Peck said. "The intent is to add new systems and new renewables."

The decision caps project size limits at 5 megawatts for the island of Oahu and 2.72 megawatts for Maui and the Big Island.

Solar Rodeways Wins a Contract

2010-10-15T02:52:00.002+02:00

It looks like the future may be paved with solar panels after all.

In early August, we told you about an out-of-the-box green tech company, named Solar Roadways, that had the audacious plan to replace America’s asphalt roads with textured, glass solar panels that could collect energy, distribute it and simultaneously serve up LED-powered signs (see video below). According to Solar Roadways’ founder Scott Brusaw, the idea is to install a massive solar panel network laid out end-to-end from California to New York that would dramatically change the energy landscape and the country’s literal landscape.

Sounds like a pipe dream, right?

At least that was my first impression— I wondered how the United States with its shoddy infrastructure (asphalt upkeep is hard enough) and burgeoning deficit could pay the $4.4 million per mile of road (per Bursaw’s calculations) to fulfill Brusaw’s vision. But I guess I was wrong. The collective web spoke and of the 3,500-plus applicants in GE’s Ecomagination Challenge, Solar Roadways won the first Challenge Award and $50,000— the equivalent of 10, 12′x 12′ panels.

Akin to the audience choice award, this Challenge prize was based on the community’s vote— roughly 74,000 submissions.

For those unfamiliar with the GE Ecomagination Challenge, it’s a partnership between GE and venture capital firms, Emerald Technology Ventures, Foundation Capital, KPCB and RockPort Capital, to invest $200 million in green tech technologies and startups. The core of the contest is five Innovation Awards, worth $100,000 each, which will be announced in early November. GE may also offer commercial relationships to the applicants.

Still far from the Innovation Award or a lucrative contract with GE, Solar Roadways hasn’t won the homecoming crown just yet. However, Bursaw told us on Thursday that the buzz around the Ecomagination challenge and their recent win has brought new eyeballs (about a 5x increase) to the website and the startup’s Facebook and Myspace pages. The win also doesn’t hurt the company’s chances in securing future funding. On top of the $50,000, Solar Roadways has already secured $100,000 from the Federal Highway Administration and is currently applying for a $750,000 FHWA contract.

Nine hundred thousand will not get Bursaw anywhere near his end goal— and Bursaw acknowledges that his dream would take several decades to complete, if it’s even possible— but he says there are smaller, pragmatic ways to deploy Roadways’ technology. For instance, the company has talked to national retailers like Wal-Mart about putting their panels in parking lots and powering the adjacent store/restaurant with solar energy. Of course, there are about 1,000 steps to go before Bursaw even gets there, like designing the glass structure and texture, improving traction, testing durability, manufacturing the panels on a large scale, etc.

So for now, I’ll believe it when I drive on it.

Duke Energy Financing Solar Projects

2010-10-14T02:46:00.001+02:00

Duke Energy says it has formed a partnership with two other companies to build and finance solar projects across the United States.

Duke Energy Generation Services, a nonregulated commercial unit that develops power projects, will join Integrys Energy Services in jointly owning rooftop and smaller ground-mounted photovoltaic solar arrays. The projects will sell electricity to commercial, government and utility customers under long-term agreements.

Smart Energy Capital, a Mount Kisco, N.Y., firm focused on solar power, will develop and arrange financing for the projects.

The arrangement will allow renewable energy to be delivered close to where it will be used, with reliable financing, the companies said. Over the next two years, Duke and Integrys expect to invest up to $180 million in capital for projects of 500 kilowatts and larger, and will operate the installations.

Solar Innovation Continues

2010-10-12T23:35:00.002+02:00

Enphase Energy Inc., the leader in solar microinverter systems, today announced that its microinverter technology will power 4.5MW of solar projects developed and operated by Main Street Power, a national solar developer, and financed by Morgan Stanley, a leading global financial institution.

The projects will be installed across approximately 36 sites, with system sizes ranging from 30kW to more than 300kW. The clean energy generated by the projects will be sold by Main Street to the San Diego Unified School District through a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA). Morgan Stanley will provide the financing for the projects, enabling the school district to immediately begin saving on energy costs.

"We included Enphase in our proposal because it offered substantial cost savings in system design, operation and maintenance, while also increasing energy harvest and system reliability," said Eric Hinckley, senior vice president of Main Street Power. "In addition, the Enphase Microinverters eliminated the need for a pad-mounted central inverter and high-voltage DC wiring, which improves safety and security for the schools."

Installing a pad-mounted central inverter in a high-traffic area can expose a solar system to tampering, vandalism and damage. Enphase Microinverters are installed directly under solar modules on the rooftop, so they do not require vulnerable ground-based equipment.

Outside their security benefits, Enphase Microinverters simplify solar system design by eliminating DC components, string design and inverter sizing for the solar system. In addition, Enphase Microinverters improve system performance by maximizing the power production of individual solar modules and increasing overall system availability to greater than 99.8 percent.

"We have been working with Enphase for more than a year, gaining insight into the company's technology, operations and capital structure," said Martin Mobley, vice president of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated. "We are impressed with the performance and reliability that Enphase provides commercial solar systems."

"Enphase is quickly proving its value in medium- and large-commercial solar projects," said Jeff Loebbaka, vice president of worldwide sales, Enphase Energy. "Our collaboration with partners like Main Street and Morgan Stanley is helping us to improve our offering and to make microinverters a more attractive product at increasingly large scales."

About Enphase Enphase Energy provides solar energy management systems for residential and commercial markets. The company offers a system that includes high efficiency microinverters, communications and Web-based monitoring and analysis. The systems increase energy harvest, improve system reliability and simplify design, installation and management. Founded in 2006 and based in Northern California, the company is led by veterans from the solar and high-tech industries and backed by industry leaders. For more information about Enphase, please visit www.enphaseenergy.com.

Solar Panel Installation Sometimes Not Enough

2010-10-12T00:35:00.001+02:00

What if the guy installing your new solar panels could also fix your ducts and fit your home for energy-efficient lights? SolarCity, the largest provider of residential solar power in California, is now also the first provider to offer home energy efficiency improvements. It's a move that should cushion SolarCity's bottom line, as well as that of its customers.
As part of SolarCity's Home TuneUp option, solar lease customers can opt for a detailed home efficiency evaluation and a package of energy-saving home improvements. During the program's rollout period (about two months), SolarCity will offer minor improvements--including duct leakage fixes, programmable thermostats, energy efficient lights--for free. Simple improvements are done on the same day as the solar installation and home efficiency evaluation, but major upgrades (such as a new HVAC system) are done later. SolarCity will charge for parts.
"A lot of these upgrades will have to happen anyway," explains SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive. "We end up replacing things when they break, and it's often a time of severe discomfort. For example, HVAC systems have a certain lifespan, and they break when it's really cold or really hot. We explain this to customers."
The Home TuneUp is currently only available in California, but SolarCity plans to roll it out to other markets in the coming months. "There are solar companies that outsource this kind of thing," Rive says. "We just send more people."

Sun State is Solar State

2010-10-10T00:52:00.002+02:00

BROOKSVILLE - Lisa and Lauren Daughrity remember a time when they used to hang their clothes to air dry instead of using the dryer and always had to monitor how much they ran the air-conditioning.

Now thanks to Lisa's husband Bill, she and daughter Lauren, 16, can beat the Florida heat with a cool house and enjoy having dry clothes in an hour.

Bill Daughrity, a retired computer programmer and landlord, decided he wanted his family to enjoy luxuries like air-conditioning and dryers while also cutting down on his electric bill, so instead of just turning off lights when leaving a room or keeping the air-conditioning at a constant 78 degrees, Daughrity took it a step further and installed solar panels in his yard.

"It's great. Now I can run the dryer and the AC freely," Lisa Daughrity said.

After spending last summer researching the advantages of solar panels on the Internet, Bill Daughrity bought 44 panels and various supplies to install them, such as grid-tied inverters and steel, from around the country.

Daughrity filed for a permit that allowed him to install the panels himself and spent two months mounting the panels on a 30 degree tilt in order to get the maximum amount of power throughout the year.

Together, the panels generate 4,000 watts, each running at 205 watts, more than enough for Daughrity to power his house.

Energy from the sun goes through the panels to the grid-tied inverters that convert the energy to run the air-conditioning, refrigerator, televisions and other electric appliances. Any excess energy generated goes back through the inverters and back onto the power lines.

On a cloudy day, the panels produce less power, but Daughrity said he uses the excess energy that the panels produce on sunny days.

"Right now I'm producing more than I use," said Daughrity, who lives northeast of Brooksville off Danmar Avenue.

When there is a power outage, the solar panels will still convert energy but the inverters will automatically shutdown out of safety to electricians who may be checking the power lines.

Daughrity installed a switch that will disconnect his inverters from the main power lines so he can still power his house while not running the risk of hurting someone.

"This would be good for power outages if you want to keep running the refrigerator and so on," he said.

Daughrity said the total cost for purchasing and installing the panels himself was about $32,000. However, the federal government gave Daughrity 30 percent back of what he spent on the panels. Also, the state doesn't tax on environmental purchases like solar panels.

So he spent about $22,000 out of pocket.

"There are incentives to go green," he said. "I have a lot of money invested in this. It will pay off in about 12 years."

Daughrity said a bad economy and high electric bills was his incentive to install the solar panels.

During the winter, his electric bill went as high as $250 a month. Now Daughrity has gotten his bill down to as low as $27 a month.

"It saves us a lot of money that can go towards other things," he said.

Although installing solar panels and inverters is costly, Daughrity said even a few panels can make a difference.

"Anything anybody can do to help offset the fuel we burn has got to help," he said.

Daughrity said he bought 24 Kyocera and 20 Evergreen solar panels from Sun Electric in Miami and miscellaneous equipment from Sunny Boy Inverters, Northern Arizona Sun and Wind and Tampa Steel.

For questions about solar energy, Daugrity can be reached at wldinvestment@bellsouth.net.

SolarFun Gets Investor Funds

2010-10-08T23:55:00.000+02:00

SHANGHAI, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. ("Solarfun") (Nasdaq: SOLF), a vertically integrated manufacturer of silicon ingots, wafers and photovoltaic ("PV") cells and modules in China, announced the closing of Hanwha Chemical Corporation's ("Hanwha Chemical") strategic investment in Solarfun. According to the terms of the agreement, Hanwha Chemical purchased 36,455,089 ordinary shares from Solarfun at a price of RMB14.51 (US$2.144) per ordinary share, which corresponds to a price of US$10.72 per American Depositary Share ("ADS"). The total proceeds to Solarfun amounted to approximately US$78 million, which Solarfun currently expect to use to fund its expansion plans and for general corporate purposes. Hanwha Chemical (009830.KS) is a leading global chemical company headquartered in Korea.
In addition, Hanwha Chemical has completed the acquisitions from Good Energies II LP ("Good Energies") and Yonghua Solar Power Investment Holding Ltd. ("Yonghua") of a total of 120,407,700 Solarfun ordinary shares and 1,281,011 Solarfun ADSs, representing all of the ordinary shares and ADSs held by them. Immediately after the closing of the purchase of ordinary shares and ADSs from the Company, Good Energies and Yonghua, Hanwha Chemical owned approximately a 49.99% interest in Solarfun.
In connection with the transaction, Hanwha Chemical and Solarfun entered into a shareholders agreement that provides for, among other things, certain governance rights for Hanwha Chemical, including board representation, consent rights and registration rights, and certain obligations of Hanwha Chemical, including transfer restrictions and standstill arrangements. As a result, effective September 16, 2010, Mr. Yonghua Lu and Mr. John Breckenridge resigned as directors and Mr. Terry McCarthy and Professor Rongqiang Cui resigned as independent directors of Solarfun. On the same date, three designees from Hanwha Chemical, Mr. Ki-Joon Hong, Mr. Dong Kwan Kim and Mr. Wook Jin Yoon, were appointed as directors of Solarfun.
Ki-Joon Hong is the CEO of Hanwha Chemical Corporation. Prior to his current position, Ki-Joon was the CEO of Hanwha's pharmaceutical and refinery businesses. Under his leadership, Hanwha Chemical entered into solar energy and secondary battery businesses and also actively expanded its overseas operations, forming a joint venture in Saudi Arabia and building a PVC factory in Ningbo, Zhejiang. He received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Seoul National University.
Dong Kwan Kim is the Managing Director, Corporate Strategy of Hanwha Corporation. His responsibilities include formulation and execution of the Hanwha Group's solar strategy across the entire value chain from polysilicon to downstream operations. Dong Kwan brings extensive leadership and strategic development experience to Hanwha with his background as an officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force. He received a B.A. in Government from Harvard University.
Wook Jin Yoon is the Director of the investment management team at the Management & Planning headquarters of Hanwha Group. Before assuming his current responsibility, he was the president of Hanwha Investment & Trust Company. He graduated from Seoul National University with a B.A. in Economics.
About Solarfun
Solarfun Power Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: SOLF) is a leading manufacturer of solar PV cells and modules in China, focusing on delivering high quality and reliable products at competitive prices. Solarfun produces its monocrystalline and polycrystalline products at its internationally certified, vertically-integrated manufacturing facilities. Solarfun partners with third-party distributors, OEM manufacturers, and system integrators to sell its modules into large-scale utility, commercial and governmental, and residential/small commercial markets. Solarfun maintains a strong global presence with local staff throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. Solarfun embraces environmental responsibility and sustainability by taking an active role in the photovoltaic cycle voluntary recycling program. For more information, visit: www.solarfun-power.com. SOLF-G
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and actual results may differ materially from such estimates depending on future events and other changes in business climate and market conditions. Solarfun disclaims any obligation to update or correct any forward-looking statements.
For further information, please contact:

Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd.

Investor Contact:
Paul Combs
V.P. Strategic Planning
Building 1, 18th Floor
1199 Minsheng Road, Shanghai, PRC 200135
P. R. China
Tel: 86-21-3852 1533 / Mobile: 86 138 1612 2768
E-mail: paul.combs@solarfun-power.com

Christensen

Kathy Li
Tel: +1 480 614 3036
E-mail: kli@ChristensenIR.com

Tip Fleming
Tel: +852 9212 0684
E-mail: tfleming@ChristensenIR.com

Solar Project Approved on Federal California Land

2010-10-08T01:19:00.001+02:00

BrightSource Energy Inc. won approval from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar for the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, the first large-scale solar energy project on U.S. public lands to use “power tower” technology.

BrightSource plans to start construction on the 392- megawatt Ivanpah plant in December and complete work in 2012. The project will use pole-mounted mirrors, or heliostats, to reflect the sun’s rays to boilers mounted on top of towers, heating the water inside to more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (538 degrees Celsius). The resulting steam will then be piped to an electricity-generating turbine.

The approval comes two days after Salazar granted leases to Chevron Corp. and Tessera Solar for solar power projects on federal land in California totaling 754 megawatts.

Edison’s Southern California Edison utility in August won permission to buy 117 megawatts from the Ivanpah solar plant being developed in California’s Mojave Desert by closely held BrightSource. PG&E Corp. was approved to buy 275 megawatts from the project. A megawatt is enough power for about 800 typical U.S. homes, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The Ivanpah plant will be located on federal property controlled by the Bureau of Land Management in Ivanpah, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Needles, California, in San Bernardino County.

Standard Solar Applauds White House Decision

2010-10-07T02:01:00.002+02:00

Solar power is an efficient and cost-effective way to power a home,” said Tony Clifford, CEO of Standard Solar. “The fact that it will now be used on the home of the President further signals the government’s acknowledgement of that fact, as well as President Obama’s commitment to renewable energy.”

In 2008, Standard Solar installed a solar electric system on the Department of Energy’s Forrestal Building, adjacent to the National Mall, making it the first government agency to adopt a roof-mounted solar array demonstrating the viability of solar energy for tens of thousands of commercial and government building rooftops. The 205-kilowatt system provides up to 8% of the Forrestal Complex’s energy during peak demand hours and generates approximately 215 megawatt hours of clean electricity each year. More information on this project can be found here: http://www.standardsolar.com/Commercial/Case-Studies/CASE-STUDY--U-S--Department-of-Energy-Headquarters.aspx

Government incentives and tax credits have helped make solar energy systems more affordable solutions for homeowners and businesses. The decision to install solar panels and a solar hot water heater on the roof of the White House Residence was announced Tuesday, as October’s National Energy Awareness Month gets underway.

About Standard Solar

Standard Solar, Inc. is a leader in the full-service development, construction, integration, financing and installation of solar electric systems. Dedicated to making solar solutions more accessible to consumers, businesses, institutions and governments, the company is leading the way to energy independence. Since 2004, Standard Solar has been the partner of choice to make solar energy financially accessible, helping customers through financing options, including Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and navigating expanded federal and state and local tax credits. The company’s Standard Energy Solutions (SES) division provides energy auditing and retrofitting services for energy improvement projects. Ranked the 73rd Fastest Growing Private Company in America in 2010 by Inc. magazine, and the highest ranking renewable energy company on the list, Standard Solar is headquartered in Rockville, MD. For more information, please visit www.standardsolar.com.

Georgia on Solar Move

2010-10-06T02:00:00.001+02:00

The Solar Purchase Tariff will allow Georgia Power to purchase an additional 1.5 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity from customers at 17 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for generating facilities designed to produce less than 100 kilowatts. Customers who sell solar under the new tariff must agree to share all cost and operational information with Georgia Power so that the company can gain experience in solar electricity generation.
The company will also issue a request for proposals (RFP) for an additional 1 MW of solar capacity with no project size restriction. Georgia Power will consider solar proposals in this RFP with a price of 15 cents per kWh or less.
Georgia Power will use this solar energy to supply the Premium Green Energy product. Customers can purchase 100-kilowatt-hour blocks of Premium Green Energy with a 50 percent solar component for $5 per block or Standard Green Energy, generated from biomass sources, for $3.50 per block.
Since Georgia Power began the Green Energy program in October 2006, nearly 4,200 customers have committed to purchase approximately 3.8 million kilowatt-hours of green energy, or enough electricity to power approximately 3,800 homes using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month.
"Since we began offering customers a 50 percent solar option, we've added almost 1,000 new blocks of the Premium Green Energy product to the program," said Angela Strickland, director of Energy Efficiency. "By increasing our solar capacity in the program to 5.4 MW, we hope to keep pace with the significant growth of solar purchases by our customers both now and in the future."
Georgia Power will continue to offer its Renewable-Non Renewable Resources (RNR) tariff to customers who use their solar facilities to either offset their electricity bill or who sell the power back to Georgia Power at the company's solar avoided cost.
Georgia Power's Solar Purchase Tariff and revised RNR tariff will go into effect Jan. 1, 2011.
Georgia Power customers can sign up to buy Green Energy at http://www.georgiapower.com/greenenergy.
Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation's largest generators of electricity. The company is an investor-owned, tax-paying utility with rates well below the national average. Georgia Power serves 2.3 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties.

Free Solar Event in Los Angeles October 13, 2010

2010-10-05T02:24:00.002+02:00

LOS ANGELES, Oct 04, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Solar Power International 2010, the largest business-to-business solar conference and expo in North America, opens its doors to the public on Oct. 13, from 5:30 -- 8:30 p.m. During this free event at the Los Angeles Convention Center, those attending Public Night can browse solar products from more than 1,100 exhibitors, learn about the latest solar energy technology for their home or business, and attend free educational workshops about everything from home installation to climate change. Attendees can also find out about solar jobs at the Job Centers located in both South and West Halls of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

In previous years, SPI's Public Night has been a popular event, drawing more than 5,000 people interested in learning about the latest solar technology. This is a unique opportunity for southern Californians to learn about the many different ways of capturing and using solar energy, all under one roof. The expo floor is segmented by product category, making the show easy to navigate for individuals or business owners looking to go solar.

"Our annual Public Night is an important part of our show program, since it's one of our biggest opportunities to educate the public about the benefits of solar energy," said Brian Tully, executive director of Solar Energy Trade Shows. "We hope people leave Public Night with ideas about how to get involved, whether it's using solar energy for their home or business, or getting a job in the growing solar industry."

Session topics for SPI's free educational workshops include:

Solar Water Heating 101 for Homeowners: Solar water heating is a well-established option to reduce a home's energy bills and carbon footprint. There are great incentives for solar water heating equipment and a growing number of vendors ready to install home systems. This session presents how solar water heaters work, what options are available, and how to proceed with a residential solar water heating energy project. Presented by: Los Angeles Renewable Energy Society California Solar Initiative Public Forum: California has set a goal to create 3,000 megawatts of new, solar-produced electricity by 2017. The CPUC's California Solar Initiative program provides incentives to existing residential and business customers when installing solar systems. This forum provides an overview of the progress of the program, upcoming changes and a panel discussion. Presented by: California Solar Initiative Solar Electricity 101 for Homeowners: Solar PV is quickly becoming a mainstream option for homeowners. Yet the technology options are many and it is challenging to assess the economic proposition presented by solar installers. Which technology is right for which home? What should homeowners expect once the system is installed? This session presents what the technology is, how it works, what options are available, and how to proceed with a residential-retrofit energy project. Presented by: California Solar Energy Industries Association Climate Presentation, Problems and Solutions Based on "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Our Choice" by Al Gore: The Climate Project's (TCP) mission is to educate the public about the harmful effects of climate change and to work toward solutions at a grassroots level worldwide. Each TCP presenter delivers a version of Gore's slideshow based on his best-selling books and the Academy Award-winning documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth." As part of this select group of 1,200 individuals in the U.S. chosen to become TCP presenters, Jeff completed the TCP training program in 2007. Less time is spent on defending the climate science and more solutions are now presented in the slideshow, since climate change is now more widely understood and accepted. Presented by: Jeff Wolfe, PV division chair of SEIA, The Climate Project- trained presenter

Solar Power International 2010 is the largest and most comprehensive business-to-business solar industry event in North America and the premiere destination for global and local solar companies conducting business in the U.S. On Thursday, Sept. 23, Trade Show Executive named Solar Power International the fastest growing show that exhibitors are flocking to, as well as Show to Watch in the coming years. For the 27,000+ attendees from 90 countries expected to attend, the event features 200 industry speakers, more than 35 break-out sessions, and dozens of half- and full-day educational training workshops. The conference is a must-attend event for solar industry professionals, utility executives, investors, engineers and policymakers.

The event is presented by the Solar Electric Power Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association, nonprofit groups based in Washington, D.C.

Additional information about Public Night, registration, sponsorship, exhibitors and programs can be found at www.solarpowerinternational.com.

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is an educational non-profit organization dedicated to helping utilities integrate solar power into their energy portfolios. With more than 700 utility and solar industry members, SEPA provides unbiased utility solar market intelligence, up-to-date information about technologies and business models, and peer-to-peer interaction. From hosting national events to one-on-one counseling, SEPA helps utilities make smart solar decisions. For more information, visit www.solarelectricpower.org.

Solar Energy Industries Association Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA is working to build a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. www.seia.org

SOURCE: Solar Power International

Solar Boat Going Around the World

2010-10-04T02:47:00.001+02:00

A large solar solar-powered yacht called Planet Solar has set out on a 31,000 mile trip around the globe. It is estimated it will maintain an average speed of 7.5 knots per hour. At that speed it should take about 160 days to travel around the planet.
The boat’s top is covered with 5,780 square feet of photovoltaic solar panels with a capacity of 93.5 kilowatts of electricity. The boat is a catamaran 101 feet in length. It cost about $13 million to construct and was funded by Rivendell Holding AG, a Swiss company renewable energy investment company.
If successful, the venture will demonstrate solar power is a real-world, seaworthy technology for long voyages, and that the shipping industry can replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. (Toyota’s car-carrying Auriga Leader employs solar panels to generate up to ten percent of its energy while docked.)
A spokesperson for the Solar Planet project said, “Our society is too dependent on fossil fuels, which are in limited supply and which are causing measurable negative effects on the earth’s atmosphere. It’s now time to demonstrate the potential that renewable energies have to offer in the area of mobility.” (Source: Wired)
The unusual, and large yacht was constructed in Kiel, Germany in just 14 months. It is capable of accommodating up to 40 occupants, but for the very long journey, just four will be the crew. They have a website which constantly updates their position using Google Maps.

Solar Race Concludes

2010-10-03T06:55:00.001+02:00

Pretoria - Sun, batteries, petrol and hydrogen started an epic 4 000km race and ten days later on Sunday, the second Solar Challenge Race came to Pretoria with numerous records by vehicles powered by alternative energy having been broken.

Described as the one of the world's toughest alternative energy races, the 10-day SA Solar Challenge saw Japan's Tokai University with their 162kg solar powered car set a new record for the event when it travelled 4 061km purely on solar energy.

Race Director Winstone Jordaan said the Japanese also set the South African record for the longest distance travelled in one day on solar energy at 565.3km.

The race also saw a bunch of Pretoria enthusiasts set the solar powered record for a South African team by travelling 1 845.4km for the event. They also went on to set the solar record for the distance travelled a South African team in one at 125km.

The University of Johannesburg also set a new alternative energy record by travelling 1 845.4km in one event in their vehicle which was powered by a combination of petrol and hydrogen.

There are two categories which teams can enter - the Challenge Class and the Adventure category. The former has very strict criteria and covers all solar-powered vehicles. Adventure class is open to all road vehicles using alternative fuel technologies, not only solar power.

Jordaan said he would like to see the 2012 event attract more entrants, especially from other South African universities researching alternative energy sources.

The vehicles travelled to Cape Town, stopping in Bloemfontein and Beaufort West during stage one. Stage two saw the teams travel from Stellenbosch to Pretoria, via George, Grahamstown, Kokstad, Richards Bay and Badplaas back to Pretoria.

Solar Energy Research Data Available

2010-10-02T00:03:00.001+02:00

LONDON, Oct 01, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Market Publishers Ltd informs that new in-demand research reports on various US markets by IBISWorld are available in its catalogue.

Solar Power Generation in the US. This research covers a detailed analysis of the Solar Power Industry in the US, including an overview of the market and its key growth trends, statistics, forecasts, the competitive environment as for market shares and the key issues facing the industry. Performance metrics, competition, products and key US markets are discussed in detail ... http://marketpublishers.com/report/industry/energy/solar_power_generation_in_the_us.html

Wind Power Generation in the US. This study provides a deep insight into the Wind Power Industry in the US and opens up information on its key growth trends, statistics, forecasts, competitive environment. Market shares, major market players and their products are analysed along with main statistic data on the industry and major challenges faced by manufacturers ... http://marketpublishers.com/report/industry/energy/wind_power_generation_in_the_us.html

Generic Pharmaceutical & Medicine Manufacturing in the US. Generic pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturers are engaged in the development of prescription and OTC drug products that are used to prevent or treat illnesses in humans or animals. This report incorporates a thorough analysis of the Generic Pharmaceutical & Medicine Manufacturing in the US industry, including key growth trends, statistics, forecasts, the competitive environment including market shares and the key issues facing the industry ... http://marketpublishers.com/r/G748016EDD0EN.html

Brand Name Pharmaceutical & Medicine Manufacturing in the US. Brand name drugs are products with patent protection from competition. Today industry operators are significantly engaged in the research and development of new drugs. This study addresses major issues concerning the industry in US, its size, growth, key challenges and development trends, competition and key market players ... http://marketpublishers.com/r/B0BCE663DA8EN.html

Computer Manufacturing in the US. Companies in this industry manufacture, design or assemble personal computers (PCs), laptops, handheld computers and servers. This study offers information on monitors, mice, keyboards and printers market segments. It provides a deep analysis of the Computer Manufacturing in the US industry, covering key growth trends, statistics, forecasts, the competitive environment including market shares and the key issues facing the industry ... http://marketpublishers.com/report/technologies_electronics/computers/computer_manufacturing_in_the_us.html

More new reports by IBISWorld can be found at http://marketpublishers.com/members/ibisworld/info.html

SOURCE: Market Publishers Ltd

Long Island Solar Homes

2010-10-01T00:13:00.000+02:00

More than 25 solar, wind and geothermal-powered green homes will be open to the public for free visits on Saturday, October 2nd from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of the National Solar Tour & Green Buildings Open House on Long Island. Tour visitors can learn about solar and other forms of clean energy and energy efficiency directly from the people in their community, watch electric meters run backwards, and see the actual savings on utility bills.These Island-wide open houses feature solar energy or have other green building features. The National Solar Tour & Green Buildings Open House is organized on Long Island by the non-profit Renewable Energy Long Island (reLI) with support from LIPA and by the American Solar Energy Society at the national level. Last year’s tour attracted 150,000 visitors nationwide and has been billed as the largest public renewable energy education event in the world.

“Whether you want to lower your electric or heating bills, make your home more comfortable, or just do the right thing and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, the best way to find out what you can do is to talk directly to home owners who have already done it”, said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Long Island (reLI). “It’s your once-a-year chance to see dozens of green building features in action and get straight answers directly from fellow homeowners – that’s what our self-guided tour is all about.”

One home available to tour, the Dalglish residence in East Patchogue, was custom built and features a 1.8 kW solar electric system, a geothermal heat pump, passive solar heating, air radiant floors and structurally insulated panels (SIPs), which together have cut the owners’ energy bills considerably.

“We made up seven challenges when building our home, and we stuck to them,” said Campbell Dalglish of East Patchogue. “Our challenges were for the home to be energy efficient, environmentally friendly, sustainable, small but spacious, have a healthy home interior, be of mass appeal and be affordable. The design that came out of these challenges has changed our way of living and thinking and we love it.”

Another site that visitors can tour is the DeCarlo residence in West Islip. This home features a 10kW photovoltaic system, EnergyStar appliances, and high efficiency central A/C units.

“I have had my system since March 2004,” said Joseph DeCarlo of West Islip. “In my case the solar electric system paid for itself in just over 4 years. The best part is that there is virtually zero maintenance on the system. How many products can you buy that have that kind of track record?”

The self-guided tour is free of charge but visitors will need to obtain a free Visitors Pass from reLI. Every visitor will receive a free copy of the LI GreenGuide, a 64-page publication with articles on green jobs, energy audits, solar and wind energy, green technology, local farming and “The Green Yellow Pages,” a directory of more than 350 Long Island green businesses and organizations.

The Visitors Pass and more information on the tour and clean energy technologies & incentives are available at RenewableEnergyLongIsland.org or by calling (631) 329-8888.

California Says Yes Again to Solar Power

2010-09-30T00:23:00.001+02:00

SACRAMENTO, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Solar projects on track for approval by California will double the state's ability to generate electricity from solar power, state officials say.

Since August, four major solar projects including a 7,000-acre solar farm billed as the world's largest have won approval from the California Energy Commission, which is expected to OK two more this week, USA Today reported Wednesday.

The solar farms, which use mirrors to concentrate the sun's power to produce heat and generate electricity, could eventually produce enough electricity to power 675,000 homes, the newspaper said.

California has ample sunshine and will need it to meet its big renewable-energy goals. Last week state regulators passed measures requiring one-third of electricity sold in California to come from renewable sources by 2020.

The size of the projects shows how aggressively the state is embracing solar power.

"These are the first projects of this size in the U.S.," Rhone Resch, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, says. "They're a sign to the rest of the country that solar is here, not a technology of the future."

California's aggressive push for solar is also being driven by an approaching federal deadline for stimulus funds.

Renewable-energy projects must be started by Dec. 31 to get federal cash grants in lieu of tax credits equal to 30 percent of the projects' costs, USA Today reported.

Solar Roof Tiles

2010-09-29T02:31:00.002+02:00

"SRS Energy has received tremendous response from homeowners around the globe that have chosen not to invest in a solar power system due to the unsightly aesthetics associated with conventional solar panels," said JD Albert, CEO of SRS Energy. "We are excited to partner with This New House and support their effort in educating homeowners about cutting-edge technology and products."
The SRS Energy Sole Power Tile™ is the first curved solar power product to obtain UL certification and a listing on the California Energy Commission's list of approved solar modules. In July, Sole was installed on the Sunset Magazine Dream Remodel home in Los Gatos, California. SRS Energy began commercial shipments in August and is featured on the ELLE DECOR magazine 2010 Showcase Home in San Francisco, California.
This New House is a new magazine-style series on DIY Network, where co-hosts Amy Matthews and This Old House's Kevin O'Connor bring viewers inside homes that feature innovative building materials. Matthews explores a Sole Power Tile installation in Northern California as part of episode 'Big Heat From Deep Cold.' In addition to the superior aesthetics achieved by preserving the timeless roofline, Matthews highlights the vastly improved and simplified installation. "It's just so complicated to install solar panels on barrel tile roofs," states Matthews. "Up till now, you had to drill through the tile which is brittle and prone to cracking, in order to mount the racks for traditional solar panels. Plus they wreck the roofline, which is a big reason why homeowners go clay barrel in the first place." The segment initially aired on September 16th, and will run again September 29th, October 2nd, October 28th, and October 29th. For show times and more information on This New House, visit http://www.diynetwork.com/this-new-house/show/index.html.
About SRS Energy
SRS Energy develops, manufactures, and markets building integrated photovoltaic ("BIPV") roofing tiles that look, install, and perform like premium steep sloped roofing products. SRS Energy is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, visit www.srsenergy.com
Contact: Abby Nessa Feinstein
267-515-5895 x102
afeinstein@srsenergy.com

Sharp Gets Another Solar Supply Contract

2010-09-28T00:26:00.000+02:00

Sharp Electronics Corporation, a subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation, a World Leader in Solar Electricity, announced a supply agreement for the 58 MW (DC) (45 MW ac) Avenal photovoltaic solar power facility. When completed, Avenal will be among the largest of its kind in the world.

Avenal consists of three adjacent projects, all located on agricultural land near the city of Avenal in Kings County, Central California. The Avenal Solar Power Facility was developed by Eurus Energy, a global renewable energy development company and is jointly owned by Eurus and NRG Solar, a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy (NRG 20.70, -0.05, -0.24%) . All three projects will utilize thin film solar modules from Sharp, a global leader in solar electricity. Ryan Company, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quanta Services (PWR 19.30, -0.08, -0.41%) , will perform engineering, procurement and construction for the project.

The power produced by Avenal, enough to power approximately thirty six thousand homes when operating at peak capacity, will be purchased by PG&E under 20-year power purchase agreements approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

Construction on the first two projects, Sun City (25 MW DC) and Sand Drag (24 MW DC) will begin immediately and a third, Avenal Park (8 MW DC), is expected to begin construction soon thereafter. When all three are commissioned in mid 2011, they will displace over 225,000 pounds of NOx, 630,000 pounds of SOx and 70,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, the equivalent of removing nearly 20,000 cars from the road. It's expected the project will create up to 200 total jobs during construction and up to 5 permanent jobs.

"This project is one of the largest solar power installations in the world, and one of the largest Sharp has supplied to date. It also marks a significant step forward for California's renewable energy efforts and we are proud that our cutting edge thin-film modules will help deliver clean power to the residents of California," said Eric Hafter, senior vice president for the Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group. "Together with Eurus Energy America and NRG Solar, we are turning land that once used photosynthesis to convert the sun's rays to produce food for our communities into a farm that uses photovoltaics to convert the sun's rays into clean energy for the same communities."

The Sharp thin-film solar panels utilized for the project feature Sharp's tandem-junction design that captures a wider part of the solar spectrum. The panels will be manufactured in the Sharp plant in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. This plant is one of the greenest manufacturing sites in the entire world. Thin-film solar cells have a structure in which thin layers of silicon are deposited onto a glass substrate, enabling a dramatic reduction in the amount of silicon used. The production processes are simpler, thereby lowering production costs.

"Eurus Energy America is excited to team with Sharp on this historic solar installation," said Mark Anderson, president & CEO, Eurus Energy America. "We look forward to growing our portfolio of renewable generation assets and furthering our strong relationship with Sharp, a highly reliable partner with a high quality line of thin-film products."

"With nearly 50 years in the solar electricity business and a commitment to the industry that is supported by one of the world's most advanced solar panel manufacturing facilities, Sharp stands ready to supply the growing market for large scale solar installations," said Kozo Takahashi, CEO and Chairman, Sharp Electronics Corporation.

"Sharp's expertise and experience will be an important contribution to the success of Avenal in adding zero-emission solar power in California and in helping the state meet its ambitious renewable portfolio standard by the end of the decade," said Tom Doyle, President of NRG Solar. "As the current owners of the largest PV site in the state, we are looking forward to joining with our partners on Avenal, Eurus, Sharp and Quanta and the state of California to develop a site that adds more than twice that solar capacity to the state's portfolio."

About Sharp Sharp Electronics Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation, a worldwide developer of one-of-a-kind home entertainment products, appliances, networked multifunctional office solutions, solar energy solutions and mobile communication and information tools. Leading brands include AQUOS(R) Liquid Crystal Televisions, 1-Bit(TM) digital audio products, SharpVision(R) projection products, Notevision(R) multimedia projectors, Insight(R) Microwave Drawer appliances, SuperSteam(TM) ovens, Plasmacluster(R) air purifiers and the OnEnergy(TM) solar system. For more information visit Sharp Electronics Corporation at www.sharpusa.com.

About Eurus Energy America Eurus Energy America (www.eurusenergy.com) is the wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eurus Energy Holdings and is responsible for North American renewable energy development and investment, currently comprising approximately 600 megawatts in wind power generation. Eurus Energy Holdings, owned by Tokyo Electric Power Company and Toyota Tsusho Corporation, is a global developer, owner and operator of renewable energy facilities, including both wind and solar, with more than 1,900 megawatts worldwide. Eurus Energy America, headquartered in San Diego, California, has been active in the renewable energy sector in the United States for over twenty years, beginning operations of its first renewable power projects in California in 1987.

About NRG and NRG Solar NRG Energy, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, owns and operates one of the country's largest and most diverse power generation portfolios. Headquartered in Princeton, NJ, the Company's power plants provide more than 24,000 megawatts of generation capacity -- enough to supply more than 20 million homes. NRG's retail business, Reliant Energy, serves 1.6 million residential, business, commercial and industrial customers in Texas.

NRG Solar is responsible for developing, constructing, financing and operating a multi-technology portfolio of solar power assets in North America. NRG owns the largest operating photovoltaic solar project in California, a 21 MW facility in Blythe. The solar power generated at Blythe alone will displace approximately 27,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually -- the equivalent of taking over 4,800 cars off the road.

A past recipient of the energy industry's highest honors -- Platts Industry Leadership and Energy Company of the Year awards, NRG is a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a group of business and environmental organizations calling for mandatory legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More information is available at www.nrgenergy.com.

Solar is Getting Popular

2010-09-27T01:20:00.001+02:00

Across the nation, businesses and homeowners are adopting solar power to reduce their carbon footprint and help the environment.

In California, for example, hundreds of businesses have adopted solar power. California is one of the country's hottest solar markets, thanks to a bevy of rebates and incentives. A guideline requiring that utilities in the state buy 33 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020 has contributed to California's solar build-up, too - and the California Air Resources Board made that guideline an official rule this week.

The new rule, ARB chairman Mary D. Nichols said, "will help clean our air and bring new solar and wind energy facilities to California with thousands of jobs in construction, operation and spin-off industries."

Just this week, Frito-Lay North America announced that it would install even more solar capacity at its manufacturing plant in Modesto, California.

The plant has used solar thermal collectors since 2008 to heat cooking oil - and now, it's installing a 1-megawatt solar photovoltaic system, as well. The array will reduce the facility's use of grid-sourced energy by as much as 25 percent.

Frito-Lay's Modesto plant is already LEED Gold-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The building, Frito-Lay Modesto technical manager Thomas Melead said, is using "innovative technologies and renewable energy such as solar power to helpminimize [its] impact on the environment."

It's not just companies that are looking to reduce their impact on the environment, though.

In California and elsewhere, homeowners are installing solar power systems to reduce their fossil-fuel consumption and help make the world a little greener.

One such homeowner is Robert Stonerock, an Orlando-area physician who moonlights as the president of the Florida Renewable Energy Association. The Orlando Sentinel recently profiled Stonerock, who went 100 percent solar at his 6,930-square-foot home.

His house has a solar pool heater, two solar water heaters and a 20.8-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array. By using only solar power, Stonerock saves between $300 and $350 per month on energy. He estimates that his solar equipment will one day pay for itself - but that's not the reason he adopted it.

"I want to be able to say, 'I did my part to protect the environment by using renewable resources,'" Stonerock said to the Sentinel.

For companies and individuals alike, going solar can help the environment - and maybe save some money in the process.

Another Solar Project to Benefit Kids

2010-09-26T05:33:00.003+02:00

The project is expected to cut energy costs 30 percent and will be used to teach school children and the public about generating power in ways less harmful to the environment.

"This solar project used products made in Michigan, employed Michigan workers, and we will reduce our electrical costs and greenhouse gas emissions," said Kip Miller, chief naturalist at the popular park in Berrien Township.

The 9.5-kilowatt system is photovoltaic, which means it converts solar radiation into direct-current electricity. The direct-current power is converted to alternating current, which is required for most purposes.

The system does not use batteries but is connected to the power grid. Any power it generates that is not used goes into the grid and earns credits.

A kiosk inside the nature center demonstrates real-time energy data on a flat-screen TV. The public and students can see how much power is being generated at a particular time.

The system has been in operation for several weeks. On Friday, second-graders on a field trip from Mars Elementary School in Berrien Springs got a lesson in solar power and renewable energy.

Miller said that while the system is expected to generate 30 percent of the center's power overall, the actual amount produced hits 50 percent at times. Berrien County officials estimate that the system will cut energy costs $1,500 to $2,000 a year.

General contractor was Turtle Island Wind and Solar, a Cassopolis-based renewable energy company. The solar panels blend in with the nature center's metal roof and are barely noticeable. They were made by Uni-Solar, of Greenville.

Michael Topash, owner of Turtle Island Wind and Solar, said the silicon that makes up the solar cells in the roof panels is flexible, lightweight and long-lasting.

Money for the project came from the state's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. The program, which aims to create and retain jobs, save energy and cut greenhouse gas emissions, is supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the so-called stimulus bill.

Amy Butler, director of the state Bureau of Energy Systems, part of the Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, said the state has obligated $17.6 million to 128 energy grant programs.

The projects provide "a great opportunity" for the bureau to work with counties, townships and other local governments to cut energy costs and create jobs, she said.

The awards generally range from $50,000 to $140,000 for individual cities, townships or villages, and up to $650,000 for single counties and multi-jurisdictional units.

The state requires grant winners to collect, track and report data on energy savings, cost savings and job creation.

Solar Homes Open House

2010-09-25T00:22:00.001+02:00

Visitors can see high and low-tech energy-savings ideas installed and in use

Lafayette — Three local homes will be open to the public on Saturday, Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s (NESEA) annual “Green Buildings Open House.”

The homes are located at 19 Fox Hill Road and 40 Pelletown Road in Lafayette and at 15 Price Road in Augusta.

Many homes across New Jersey are open to the public that day, free of charge, so the public can talk with homeowners who have made a commitment to reduce their use of fossil fuels and discover the ways people are conserving energy, saving money and protecting the environment.

This event is also part of the American Solar Energy Society’s annual National Solar Tour and is an opportunity for the public to learn first-hand how incorporating green building design and equipment can help to dramatically reduce electrical and heating costs, increase energy conservation and generate surplus clean energy.

About the homes

A contemporary solar home will be on view at 19 Fox Hill Road in Lafayette. This home features a 5 KW solar electric system, a solar hot water system, passive solar space heating, earth sheltering and a two story sun space, which result in energy savings of 80 percent compared with a conventional home.

Nearby, at 40 Pelletown Road, the public can visit a newly installed 7.3 KW solar electric system, which is mounted on a new energy saving metal roofing.

A few minutes away at 15 Price Road in Augusta, visitors can see a dramatic 10 KW wind turbine and 10 KW ground mounted solar electric system which provide almost all of the electricity needed for this home.

Tours are popular

Last year, thousands of people toured over 600 energy-efficient buildings from Pennsylvania to Maine to experience the variety of ways that are being used to conserve energy, save money on energy bills and help reduce the carbon footprint of their homes or other buildings.

A complete list of Green Buildings Open House sites and events is available at www.nesea.org/openhouse/listings/.

Examples of green features that are used in homes and buildings that will be open during this event include passive solar heating (advantageous placement of windows); solar hot water collection and storage; radiant floor heating; the generation of electricity by using photovoltaics (solar panels) or wind turbines; use of energy-saving appliances and techniques (super-insulation and sealing air spaces); use of sustainable and healthy building materials, and the use of water-saving fixtures.

Available at each host site will be NESEA’s Sustainable Green Pages, which lists organizations and individuals that offer sustainable products and services in the Northeast that include quality building practices, energy services and transportation. In addition, state and federal incentives (tax credits, grants, rebates and discount utility rates) are available at www.dsireusa.org for renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies. Check www.EnergyStar.gov for Federal tax-credit information on qualified appliances and products.

California Says Yes to Solar Power

2010-09-23T23:33:00.001+02:00

SACRAMENTO - A 370-megawatt solar field in rural northeast San Bernardino County unanimously cleared the California Energy Commission on Wednesday, the latest in a string of projects on a fast track to qualify for federal stimulus money by the end of the year.

Unlike the others, the development involves environmentally sensitive land and would displace a protected species, the desert tortoise, which is threatened with extinction.

The $2 billion project, located in the Ivanpah Valley near Primm, Nev., was approved over the objections of environmental groups and others, who contend that allowing energy development on undisturbed wildlife habitat is unnecessary, because other land is available that has equal solar potential. Oakland-based BrightSource Energy, the project's developer, should be required to build elsewhere, several speakers told the energy panel.

But all five commissioners embraced the project, citing the prospect of generating clean energy and hundreds of construction jobs.

"I believe it's a very good day for California. The benefits far outweigh the impacts," Commissioner Jeffrey D. Byron said.

Commissioner Robert B. Weisenmiller said the project will help California meet a state target of getting 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources.

"It is critical for us to reduce our fossil fuel dependence," Weisenmiller said. "It's also important not to just deal with the environmental issues, but we must deal with the California economy. When you look at San Bernardino (County), unemployment there is at least 15 percent, and that's ignoring people who've stopped looking for jobs."

BrightSource plans to build three fields of solar panels that will produce heat to generate steam and create electricity for consumers in Southern and Central California. Construction is anticipated to start this year.

The plan still needs approval from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management; the agency is expected to decide by mid-October.

BrightSource officials say their project would create almost 1,000 jobs at the peak of a 48-month construction process. Ninety workers would be needed to run the operation once all three phases are completed.

Despite the location's proximity to Nevada -- Las Vegas is about 40 miles away -- workers will be from California, BrightSource officials say. The company signed labor agreements with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Riverside and San Bernardino counties and its statewide counterpart.

Project critics said Wednesday's vote opens the door for more industrial-level development in undisturbed desert areas.

David Lamfrom, California desert field representative for the National Parks Conservation Association, said it will harm desert tortoises and encroach on the neighboring Mojave National Preserve with glare and other spillover effects.

"Pristine, tortoise-rich habitat ... is not the right place for this project," he said in an e-mail Wednesday afternoon. "What message are we sending if we sacrifice lands and species we have legally committed to protect when we all know a better alternative exists?"

That alternative, he said, is "hundreds of thousands of acres of disturbed lands prime for renewable energy development, close to communities that use the energy and desperately need the jobs."

The company has said that trying to find the 5.6 square miles needed for the project on disturbed lands isn't realistic because such properties are scattered and privately owned, meaning that potentially several owners would have to be persuaded to sell.

BrightSource officials said they have taken care in the project's design to reduce harm to the environment. The company scaled down the arrays' footprint and eliminated four of the seven 450-foot heating towers initially planned.

Contrary to environmentalist claims, only a small part of the project area will be bulldozed, company spokesman Keely Wachs said last week.

Posts that support the mirrors will be pounded into the ground with pile drivers, leaving much of the native plant life intact, he said.

Tom Hurshman, a BLM staff member who is overseeing the project, said the construction and maintenance on the BrightSource site will leave it unsuitable as habitat for wildlife.

According to an environmental report posted by the Energy Commission earlier this year, 91 percent of the project's footprint would have "long-term disturbance."

The project calls for 173,500 "heliostats," each consisting of a post with two 7.2-by-10.5-foot mirrors, the report said. The mirrors would be arranged in circular arrays to focus heat on towers where electricity is generated.

Some of the land within the arrays would have to be cleared for a network of maintenance roads.

The plant life below the mirrors would be regularly mowed to a height of 12 to 18 inches, which probably would kill most of the creosote bushes in the area, Hurshman said.

The company will have to control any invasive weeds, the report said.

The commission, which approved solar developments near Blythe and Barstow earlier this month, is scheduled to vote on five more large projects by the end of the year.

The 250-megawatt Genesis Solar Energy project west of Blythe and the 709-megawatt Imperial Valley Solar project near Calexico are on next week's agenda.

SunPower Building Again

2010-09-23T00:03:00.001+02:00

SunPower today announced that the company has been selected to design, build, operate, and maintain the 10-megawatt Dover SUN Park, in Dover, Del. for White Oak Solar Energy, L.P., a wholly owned subsidiary of LS Power Group. The solar park, which is expected to be operational next summer, will deliver emission-free solar power to the regional utility grid operated by the city of Dover.

SunPower will install SunPower(R) Tracker(R) systems at the 103-acre site, with SunPower E19 solar panels, the most efficient solar panels on the market today. The Tracker follows the sun's movement during the day, increasing sunlight capture by up to 25 percent over conventional fixed-tilt systems, while significantly reducing land use requirements.

"SunPower sun-tracking technology is fast to install and reliably delivers clean power during peak demand periods, making solar a competitively-priced choice for power plant applications," said Steve Vavrik, managing director at SunPower. "Forward-thinking organizations such as LS Power and their local partners are maximizing their long-term production of clean, renewable solar power with SunPower's high-efficiency, high-performance power plants."

White Oak is selling the energy and environmental attributes from the Dover SUN Park through long-term agreements with the City of Dover, Delmarva Power and Light, Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation and the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility.

About SunPower

Founded in 1985, SunPower Corp. (SPWRA 12.60, -0.02, -0.16%) (SPWRB 12.27, +0.04, +0.33%) designs, manufactures and delivers the planet's most powerful solar technology broadly available today. Residential, business, government and utility customers rely on the company's experience and proven results to maximize return on investment. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit www.sunpowercorp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that do not represent historical facts and may be based on underlying assumptions. The company uses words and phrases such as "expected" to identify forward-looking statements in this press release, including forward-looking statements regarding the expected commencement of operation of the Dover SUN Park. Such forward-looking statements are based on information available to the company as of the date of this release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some beyond the company's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties such as: (i) construction difficulties or potential delays in the project implementation process; (ii) unanticipated delays or difficulties securing necessary permits, licenses or other governmental approvals; (iii) the risk of continuation of supply of products and components from suppliers; (iv) unanticipated problems with deploying the system on the site; and (v) other risks described in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 3, 2010 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 4, 2010, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company's views as of any subsequent date, and the company is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any responsibility to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SunPower(R) is a registered trademark of SunPower Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE SunPower Corp.

Japan's Sharp to Buy San Francisco's Recurrent Energy, Inc.

2010-09-22T02:24:00.002+02:00

Sharp Corp. said on Tuesday it will pay $305 million for San Francisco-based Recurrent Energy Inc., which develops solar projects.
Osaka-based Sharp makes solar panels and other electronics. Sharp was the world’s third-largest producer of solar panels in 2009, according to Photon International. The firm employs 65,000 people.
Buying Recurrent’s pipeline means Sharp will move into project development just like its solar panel competitors San Jose-based SunPower Corp. and San Francisco-based Suntech, among others.
Among Silicon Valley projects Recurrent has been involved in include systems installed at 15 Kaiser Permanente facilities, including its Santa Clara medical center.
Recurrent CEO Arno Harris said Recurrent will continue to operate under its own name as a subsidiary of Sharp and that all of Recurrent's employees will remain with the company.
Harris said the company needed to seek a partner with a deep balance sheet that could provide the capital to develop such a huge project pipeline. Recurrent sought the advice of Morgan Stanley.
"We decided a strategic sales made the most sense," Harris said.
Recurrent has 1.3 gigawatts of solar projects in its pipeline with only a few megawatts actually installed and producing power. Large solar projects can take years to plan, develop and get to bid and acquiring Recurrent’s pipeline is a good way for Sharp to get a jump on the development business.
Harris started the company in 2006 and landed its first highly visible project, 5 megawatts on San Francisco’s Sunset Reservoir and on the roof of Pier 96 in 2008. That project took several years to get final approvals and is nearly finished.
Meanwhile, Harris and Recurrent amassed tons of other projects, including buying a pipeline of up to 350 megawatts that the company purchased from UPC Solar. Recently it landed winning bids to develop 60 megawatts of solar for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
The company found its niche in commercial projects averaging 2 to 20 megawatt near power lines. The strategy means Recurrent can build projects in about 18 months to 2 years, shorter than many large scale projects that have to site transmission lines and may be delayed by inadequate panel supply.
Recurrent has a suppply agreement with Yingli Solar and Harris said that agreement would not be affected by the acquisition.
"We're not obligated to purchase Sharp products for our projects," said Harris.

Read more: Sharp buys Recurrent for $305 million - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal

The Ultimate Solar Spy Plane

2010-09-21T00:31:00.002+02:00

Boeing is developing a solar-powered unmanned aircraft that will be able to fly non-stop for more than five years.

The SolarEagle is designed to soar in the upper atmosphere for years on end, constantly sending surveillance and intelligence information back to the ground.

Darpa, the US military’s has given Boeing an $89 million contract to develop a Solar Eagle demonstaror vehicle which will make its first flight in 2014.During testing, the SolarEagle demonstrator will remain in the upper atmosphere for 30 days, harvesting solar energy during the day that will be stored in fuel cells and used to provide power through the night.

The aircraft will have highly efficient electric motors and propellers and a 400-foot wing for increased solar power and aerodynamic performance.

‘SolarEagle is a uniquely configured, large unmanned aircraft designed to eventually remain on station at stratospheric altitudes for at least five years,’ said Pat O'Neil, Boeing Phantom Works program manager for Vulture II.

‘That's a daunting task, but Boeing has a highly reliable solar-electric design that will meet the challenge in order to perform persistent communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions from altitudes above 60,000 feet.’

SolarEagle is being developed by Phantom Works, Boeing’s research and development arm.

Phantom Works is also working on a fighter-sized, unmanned, advanced technology demonstrator called Phantom Ray, scheduled to make its first flight in early 2011.

And it is working on a hydrogen-powered demonstrator called Phantom Eye, a High Altitude Long Endurance aircraft designed to stay aloft for up to four days, also scheduled to make its first flight in 2011.

In July a British-designed, solar-powered aircraft to managed to shatter the endurance record for an unmanned plane.

The Zephyr, designed by British defence firm QinetiQ, completed two weeks of non-stop flight above a US Army range in Arizona before finally coming in to land.

Electric Companies Like Solar Money

2010-09-20T00:32:00.002+02:00

Sachs Electric, St. Louis’ largest electrical contractor, is looking to shore up $100 million in revenue through the launch of a new subsidiary, Sachs Alternative Energy Inc., that caters to the renewable energy market, specifically the $3 billion solar market.
The new company, which launched in June, will debut at the Solar Power International trade show in October in Los Angeles.
“Given how quickly this industry is growing, we felt it was imperative that a new company was formed that could solely focus on this new market,” said Steve Gorman, president of Sachs Alternative Energy.
“It couldn’t be a be better time to go solar,” said Monique Hanis, spokeswoman for Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), a nonprofit trade group in Washington, D.C. “It’s been growing consistently over the last five years, and industry revenue last year grew 36 percent despite the recession.”

Read more: Sachs Electric goes with solar to energize revenue - St. Louis Business Journal

Local Community Installing Solar

2010-09-19T07:08:00.002+02:00

Towering cedar, fir and maple trees leave the southeast Olympia home of Dan and Barb Scavezze in the shade much of the day, making their roof a poor candidate for an array of solar panels.

That didn’t stop them this summer from joining a growing number of South Sound residents who have turned to the power of the sun to help power their homes.

Working with contractor Kirk Haffner of South Sound Solar, the Scavezzes built a pergola in their backyard and equipped it with 12 solar panels that have the potential to provide about 50 percent of their electricity.

Solar-power installations detached from the roof are growing in popularity, Haffner noted. Some are driven by lack of sun exposure for the home, and some are driven by roof designs that can’t support the weight of the solar panels.

The Scavezze solar system and 18 others will be on display during the 2010 South Sound Solar Tour, set for Sept. 25.

The Scavezze family is no stranger to green living. Members said they were among the first to buy a hybrid Prius when Toyota rolled the model out. Barb is the co-chairwoman of the Olympia Climate Action Group and outreach manager for Thurston Energy, a nonprofit organization helping homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient.

“It’s something I’m passionate about,” she said of renewable energy and sustainable living.

“She kind of drags me along,” joked Dan Scavezze, an information technologist for the state Department of Ecology.

The Scavezzes invested $25,000 in their solar system, including the pergola. They expect the energy savings and the power they sell back to Puget Sound Energy that they don’t use – along with a state sales tax exemption for the system and a federal tax credit for investing in solar – will pay for the project in about 10 years.

“So far, we’ve put more power back into the grid than we’ve used,” Dan Scavezze said. The utility credits them 15 cents per kilowatt-hour when the system is producing more electricity than the house is using.

Through 2009, 35 PSE customers in Thurston County were signed up for the utility renewable-energy credit, according to a report by the state Department of Revenue. The number now stands at 62, according to PSE officials.

“The number of solar installations is definitely growing,” Haffner said. “Olympia is a unique area with a strong environmental consciousness; even in an economic recession, people are still willing to invest in solar.”

The Scavezzes can track their solar system’s performance online. The hourly, daily, weekly and monthly graphs are like a weather report. As expected, on sunny days, production jumps. But even on the rainy, cloudy days this week, the system was cranking out enough electricity to run some of the appliances and lights in the home.

The modified pergola – part of the roof is covered – replaced a gazebo that used to adorn their backyard.

“The neighbors think the pergola is beautiful, and it’s really pleasant to look at from the house,” Barb Scavezze said.

Also on next Saturday’s solar tour is the residence of Dennis and Anne Mills on Olympia’s west side.

For nearly a year, the Millses have produced some of their own energy from six solar panels mounted on a 500-pound steel pole situated in a sunny spot on their 1-acre, richly landscaped property. Some 16 feet off the ground, the solar rack automatically moves from east to west during the day, tracking the sun.

It will take 20 or more years for the $15,500 system to pay for itself. But that’s not the point, Dennis Mills said.

“Payback time didn’t figure into my value system,” the 66-year-old college professor said. “Ann and I wanted sustainable, renewable energy. This is clean, quiet and contributing to the grid, reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

The Millses installed a solar hot-water system in 2008 but had to postpone plans for the solar electric system to pay for replacement of a failed septic system.

Those on the tour who stop by the Mills residence will hear this advice:

“Start with solar hot water; you’ll immediately see a difference in your utility bill,” Dennis Mills said. “The nice thing about solar is you can take it one step at a time.”

John Dodge: 360-754-5444 jdodge@theolympian.com

Solar Projects Help the Economy

2010-09-18T01:55:00.001+02:00

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Sustained growth and declining costs are driving Pennsylvania’s solar market to generate an ever-increasing amount of clean, renewable energy, which is saving consumers money, according to Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger.

The secretary said that in 2009, the share of solar energy generation among Pennsylvania’s power pool increased by 350 percent, attracting $1.4 billion into state’s economy last year alone.

“The cost of solar power is plummeting, making solar power increasingly a sound alternative for businesses and families that seek to stabilize and control their electricity costs,” said Hanger. “Right now, thanks to sharply lower solar power prices, it is a great time to consider solar power for a home or business.”

The median installed costs for small business and residential photovoltaic (PV) projects in the state dropped from about $9 per watt in 2008 to as low as $6 per watt in August; the lowest-cost projects are as much as $1 per watt less than this most recent figure.

Rebate
Large solar projects of one megawatt or more now cost about $4.50 per watt. The lower costs can be attributed in part to the PA Sunshine Solar Rebate Program, which reimburses up to 35 percent of the purchase and installation costs for residential and small business PV and solar hot water systems.

Since the program’s opening in May 2009, more than 2,000 projects have been installed, representing nearly 20 megawatts of new capacity. An additional 2,300 projects, representing 53 megawatts of capacity, have been applied for or are under construction.

“Since energy from the sun is free, lower equipment costs lead to lower electricity costs,” said Hanger. “The cost of electricity from the latest generation of projects in Pennsylvania is between 12 to 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, and that price is locked in for the 25-year life of the panels.

“Today the cost of electricity from a utility company to a small business or home ranges between 10 and 14 cents per kilowatt-hour. But how much will electricity cost two years from now? How about five, 10 or 25 years from now? For families and businesses using solar power, they know their electricity will not be more than what they are paying for solar today. For those businesses and families not using solar, most likely prices for electricity will go up and possibly by a substantial amount.”

Pollution
Hanger also noted that solar power emits zero air pollution, which cuts soot, smog, mercury and heat-trapping pollution that can sicken and kill Pennsylvanians.

Power grid
In addition, solar power helps to keep the power grid reliable by providing more power on the hottest days of the year when very high demand can cause brownouts and blackouts.

For more information, visit http://www.depweb.state.pa.us, or call DEP’s Office of Energy Technology and Deployment at 717-783-8411.

Kohl's More Solar Stores

2010-09-17T00:05:00.002+02:00

Kohl's Department Stores (KSS 50.19, -0.45, -0.89%) today announced that the company reached a new milestone in its industry-leading solar program by activating the solar panels at its 100th solar location in Mays Landing, N.J. earlier this month. Kohl's also announced plans to expand its solar program into Pennsylvania. The company currently has solar panels at select stores and distribution centers in California, Wisconsin, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Oregon and Colorado.Solar is an integral component of the company's energy management efforts and commitment to be carbon neutral by the end of 2010. The company estimates that energy management programs have helped prevent nearly $50 million in electricity costs. Over the last four years, accounting for rate variations, proactive energy management initiatives have translated into an improvement in energy efficiency of more than 20 percent, primarily in stores.

"We are pleased to have reached this milestone within three years of activating our first solar powered location in 2007," said Ken Bonning, Kohl's executive vice president of store planning and logistics. "Our 100 solar locations, commitment to build 73 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified locations and 500 ENERGY STAR stores demonstrate our ongoing commitment to sustainability with meaningful results. We will continue to strive toward advancing environmental solutions that will lead to a cleaner, healthier environment for our communities and ensure we are doing business in a way that makes sense for our associates and customers."

Kohl's Expands Solar Program into Pennsylvania

Construction of solar arrays on the rooftops of seven Pennsylvania stores began in August and is expected to be completed by March 2011. The eight locations combined are expected to generate more than 2.3 megawatts of power annually. On average, the 1,400 panels per location will supply nearly half of each store's energy, supply enough energy to power 36 homes annually and prevent the emissions of more than 9 million pounds of carbon dioxide over 20 years.

Kohl's commitment to renewable energy has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with Green Power Leadership awards for the last three years, including 2009 Green Power Partner of the Year and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. The company also ranks first in retail, second overall and second among Fortune 500 companies on EPA's quarterly listings of top green power purchasers.

For additional information about Kohl's environmental initiatives, including geographic listings of solar, ENERGY STAR and LEED-certified stores, visit www.kohlsgreenscene.com.

About Kohl's Department Stores

Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl's (KSS 50.19, -0.45, -0.89%) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. By the end of September, Kohl's will operate 1,089 stores in 49 states with a commitment to environmental leadership. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl's has raised more than $150 million for children's initiatives nationwide through its Kohl's Cares(R) cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.kohls.com.

More Solar for California Desert

2010-09-16T00:58:00.002+02:00

LOS ANGELES, Sept 15 (Reuters) - The world's largest solar
power plant cleared an important hurdle on Wednesday, laying
the groundwork for a dramatic expansion in solar energy
generation in the United States and around the world.
The proposed $6 billion-plus plant in Blythe, California,
being developed jointly by Chevron Corp. (CVX.N) and Solar
Millennium AG (S2MG.DE), won clearance for construction by the
California Energy Commission.
The plant would generate up to 1,000 megawatts of energy
daily.
By comparison, for all of last year, the United States
installed about 481 megawatts of solar energy, according to the
Solar Energy Industry Association. The largest solar plants to
date are in the 200 to 350 megawatt range.
The Blythe plant essentially groups four 250-MW plants,
with the first slated to start generating electricity in 2013.
The total pricetag is estimated at above $6 billion.

Arizona Schools Going Solar

2010-09-15T00:38:00.000+02:00

PRINCETON, N.J. & PHOENIX, Sep 14, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- As students attend classes in several Arizona school districts this fall, the schools will be featuring on-campus solar arrays specially designed to meet their own electricity needs while providing the school's faculty with new teaching tools. This clean solar energy program has been conceived by Arizona's Kennedy Partners, LLC and co-developed by Kennedy, NRG Solar, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG 21.64, -0.01, -0.05%) , and in conjunction with Pinnacle West, APS and public officials across the state.

As a first stage of the program, NRG Solar and Kennedy Partners are building 12 large solar pavilions at schools which are part of the Continental Elementary School District in Green Valley, south of Tucson and the Gila Bend Unified School District, southwest of Phoenix. Additionally, NRG and Kennedy Partners are currently working on similar large scale projects at Payson Unified School District, northeast of Phoenix, and Arlington Elementary School District, west of Phoenix. This unique public/private partnership allows the schools to benefit not only from available utility incentives but also from the federal and state tax benefits.

The solar cells on these pavilions will collectively generate more than 2.5 megawatts (MW) of power for the schools, roughly the same amount of power consumed by more than 2,000 homes. In reducing greenhouse gases, this is the equivalent of taking more than 550 passenger vehicles off Arizona's roads.

In addition to providing electricity for the schools, the solar pavilions and their solar panels will give students the opportunity to learn about emission-free solar power generation and participate in the development of America's clean energy future. NRG and Kennedy Partners will construct the solar pavilions as carports adjacent to the school buildings. Future installations could also supply shade for playgrounds, sidewalks or whatever best fits the needs of the individual school.

"With this project, we're not only creating clean, renewable solar energy, we're investing in the imagination of youths across Arizona," said David Crane, President and CEO of NRG Energy. "The solar pavilions, which can be sized to provide customized clean energy solutions for each school, give students a dynamic, new learning experience while helping Arizona to meet its growing energy needs cleanly and sustainably."

"To Help Arizona school districts control energy costs, I directed $20 million of the State Energy Program monies be dedicated to upgrade energy efficiencies and add renewable energy programs," said Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona. "An important aspect of these school projects is that they will be designed and constructed by Arizona companies and built by Arizona workers. These projects are good for Arizona school districts and they are good for the State of Arizona."

This is NRG Solar's first venture into distributed generation and builds on the Company's growing portfolio of utility-scale solar developments across the U.S. Southwest.

Under the terms of the agreement, NRG will support the project development and provide investment capital for the installation and operation of the solar pavilions. NRG Solar will continue to work with Kennedy Partners under a joint development agreement on similar solar-powered projects within Kennedy's substantial portfolio of school and government projects as well as commercial and institutional entities throughout the Southwest.

"Our School District and Government clients are very excited about developing these capital improvement projects on their sites with no capital cost," said John Kennedy, Managing Principal of Kennedy Partners, a project management firm in Phoenix, Arizona specializing in the development of renewable energy projects for schools, governments and not-for-profit entities. Kennedy's unique approach establishes an ownership path with no capital expense for their clients.

These partnerships are part of a growing presence for NRG in Arizona. NRG has signed a power purchase agreement with Tucson Electric Power for a 25 megawatts (MW) photovoltaic field to provide natural peaking power across Arizona, and recently acquired one of the newest district cooling systems in the U.S., providing chilled water to commercial buildings, office complexes, municipalities, universities and sport complexes in the Phoenix central business district. The Company has also recently announced the acquisition from US Solar of a portfolio of solar development projects on nine sites in California and Arizona ranging in size from 20 MW to 99 MW with the potential to be operational between 2011 and 2013.

"NRG Solar's increasing focus on Arizona is a natural evolution for the Company," said Tom Doyle, President of NRG Solar. "Few states have the incredible solar potential that Arizona does and we will continue to look for partnerships that help make solar generation more and more integral to meeting the growing need for clean energy."

Solar projects support NRG's commitment to increase its portfolio of low and no carbon generation assets with diverse technologies including new nuclear generation, onshore and offshore wind, biomass projects and a commercial-scale carbon capture project for fossil-fueled generation.

NRG Solar is responsible for developing, constructing, financing and operating a multi-technology portfolio of solar power assets in North America. The Company has more than 1,150 MW of projects under development with strong solar resources, potential for long-term power off take agreements with load-serving entities and established easily accessible connections to power grids.

"Adding these schools as well as future distributed generation projects to NRG Solar's growing portfolio of utility-scale solar projects will further establish NRG's position as a leading developer of solar generation capacity, large and small," said Doyle.

About NRG

NRG Energy, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, owns and operates one of the country's largest and most diverse power generation portfolios. Headquartered in Princeton, NJ, the Company's power plants provide more than 24,000 megawatts of generation capacity--enough to supply more than 20 million homes. NRG's retail business, Reliant Energy, serves 1.6 million residential, business, commercial and industrial customers in Texas. A past recipient of the energy industry's highest honors--Platts Industry Leadership and Energy Company of the Year awards, NRG is a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a group of business and environmental organizations calling for mandatory legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More information is available at www.nrgenergy.com.

About Kennedy Partners

Kennedy Partners is a Program and Project Management firm with offices in Phoenix, Arizona. Kennedy has worked with dozens of Arizona School Districts and Governments in the planning, design and construction of their major capital projects. Currently, the Kennedy Partners team is working to develop solar renewable energy projects on over 50 School and Government sites across Arizona which will result in approximately 30MW of distributed generation. These projects are all capital neutral to the host site and to the greatest extent possible, are placed on elevated pavilions so as to provide shade as well as electricity.

Safe Harbor Disclosure

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions and include NRG's expectations regarding NRG's solar development initiatives and forward-looking statements typically can be identified by the use of words such as "will," "expect," "believe," and similar terms. Although NRG believes that its expectations are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct, and actual results may vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated above include, among others, general economic conditions, hazards customary in the power industry, weather conditions, competition in solar power markets, the volatility of energy and fuel prices, failure of customers to perform under contracts, inability to maintain partnering relationships, and changes in the wholesale power markets, changes in government regulation of markets and of environmental emissions.

NRG undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The foregoing review of factors that could cause NRG's actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements included in this news release should be considered in connection with information regarding risks and uncertainties that may affect NRG's future results included in NRG's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

SOURCE: NRG Energy, Inc.

For NRG Energy:
Media:
Meredith Moore, 609-524-4522
David Knox, 713-795-6106
Lori Neuman, 609-524-4525
or
Investors:
Nahla Azmy, 609-524-4526
Stefan Kimball, 609-524-4527
Erin Gilli, 609-524-4528
or
For Kennedy Partners:
Mark Rafferty, 623-374-2478
John Kennedy, 623-374-2478

California Wine Expanding Solar Energy

2010-09-14T01:42:00.000+02:00

GEYSERVILLE, Calif., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Constellation Wines U.S., the country's leading premium wine company, announced today a major expansion of its solar energy initiative as part of its ongoing commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The company plans to invest in three new solar energy installations across California at its Clos du Bois winery in Geyserville; Ravenswood winery in Sonoma; and Estancia winery in Monterey County. The projects build on the company's solar initiative which began in 2009 with the inaugural installation at the Gonzales winery in Gonzales, Calif. Approximately 17,000 solar panels will be installed at the four wineries by the end of 2010, making the initiative the largest solar footprint in the U.S. wine industry.

Solar Technology Continues to get Better

2010-09-13T04:31:00.001+02:00

Germany is hardly the world’s sunniest country. Yet for the past decade, its homeowners have put so many photovoltaic panels on their roofs, that last year they accounted for more than half of installations worldwide.

The German example demonstrates the power of policy, since a range of generous subsidies has driven the market. However, other factors lie behind the rise of solar power as a competitive form of energy.

First, the cost of the technology has fallen, partly because of increased production in China, where the price of photovoltaic equipment has dropped sharply.

But in addition, manufacturing techniques have improved and volumes have increased to meet growing demand, with European companies establishing large facilities in Singapore and Malaysia.

“Once prices go down, they stick,” says Jonathan Johns, director of Climate Change Matters. “And it’s easier technologically to reduce prices in solar than in other technologies. With wind, you have more conventional mechanical moving parts, as well as steel and other inputs.”

Solar power’s advantage is not limited to the cost of the equipment, however. The localised nature of solar power generation – on rooftops and in back yards – allows for the use of net metering, a system that lets consumers feed excess energy back into the electricity grid.

Innovative payment mechanisms have also helped increase the uptake of solar power by the commercial sector. In the US, this has been facilitated by the power purchase agreement model developed by SunEdison, an energy services company.

Under power purchase agreements, energy services companies install solar panels on the roofs of large factories or big-box retail stores such as Walmart and own and operate the technology, selling electricity to the building owner at prices that are lower than those offered by the utility.

The building owner has no capital investment or maintenance costs and can lock in rates for a certain period of time.

“It allows companies to go solar – which looks great on their annual report – and to save money,” says Rhone Resch, president and chief executive of the Solar Energy Industries Association. “And best of all, it becomes a physical hedge against rising electricity prices.”

These kinds of deals – as well as the introduction of smart grids and net metering – have helped solar power become more competitive in the US, which has until recently lagged behind Europe in fostering this energy source.

“In states that are employing smart-grid technology and structured pricing, solar is cost-effective,” says Mr Resch. “And in places such as California you see solar already being cost-effective on the commercial side, too.”

Of course, talk of solar power’s grid parity refers to its competitiveness against retail rather than wholesale prices.

For while a rooftop solar panel is relatively cheap to install and can immediately generate power for the building owner, other forms of renewable energy such as wind require transporting power from locations that are often far from where the energy will be used.

The same applies to fossil fuel sources. “With coal-fired and gas-fired power, it has to go into the grid, be transported around with losses and then be bought with a mark-up to cover the cost of capital of all that grid equipment,” says Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

“With a panel, you stick it on the roof and then you don’t buy retail power.”

Gil Forer, global cleantech leader at Ernst & Young, agrees. “When you talk about grid parity, it matters where you look – do you look at the point of sale or the point of generation?”

“At point of generation, it’s still difficult to compete with coal. But from the point of sale, which is the customer perspective, we are in a very competitive position between solar and fossil fuel sources.”

However, despite these advantages, a critical element underpinning solar power’s competitiveness is regulatory support in terms of subsidies.

These kinds of certainties have fostered investment. As a result, the more mature markets for solar power tend to be found where subsidies have been most generous – in US states such as California and countries such as Germany and Spain and parts of Japan.

Mr Resch cites the US example as demonstrating the power of policy to drive markets.

Following an uncertain regime of tax credits for many years, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act guaranteed a federal tax credit for solar power until 2016.

“That resulted in an increase of more than 100 per cent in the residential solar market in 2009 despite the recession,” he says.

Given the power of policy, the question for governments is how and when to reduce subsidies, which are costly. Spain’s reduction of its solar power subsidy in 2008 dented the industry. And the crisis in public finances has prompted renewed discussions of a reduction.

Meanwhile, Germany has made subsidy cuts for solar power, albeit smaller ones than originally proposed. “The challenge for regulators will be managing the transition,” says Mr Johns.

But while experts and analysts acknowledge the importance of policy decisions on energy, most agree that solar power is likely to continue to increase its market share.

The International Energy Agency estimates solar electricity could represent 20 to 25 per cent of global electricity production by 2050.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.

Solar Power on Telecom Towers

2010-09-12T19:04:00.000+02:00

Solar-power company Azure Power aims to build a 100-megawatt (Mw) solar power capacity in the next three-five years and is in initial discussions with mobile phone operators and other industrial houses to offer commercial solar power.

The company plans to invest about Rs 1500 crore in the project, Chief Executive Officer Inderpreet S Wadhwa told Business Standard.“Currently, we are generating 1 Mw of solar power from our Punjab plant. Another 1 Mw will come up in a month. Apart from this, we are already in the process of adding 25-30 mw of solar power in other states,” he said.
Currently, Azure has agreements with state-power utilities for solar power supply. To move beyond this, the company has also started preliminary discussions with one of the telecom player and industrial houses for providing solar power.

If the agreement goes through, the company would install solar panels on the telecom towers, which would enable mobile firms to save costs, especially in rural areas.

“We are working on the business model for selling solar power commercially. We expect to bag a deal by next year,” Wadhwa added.

The company, which had raised $10 million (Rs 46.47 crore) from World Bank arm International Finance Corp in March. The company is also part-funded by venture capitalists Helion Venture Partners and Foundation Capital, Wadhwa said without giving out details.

Apart from 2 Mw plant in Punjab, the company is setting up a 10-Mw plant in Gujarat, another 10 Mw in Karnataka and Rajasthan each and 2 Mw in Haryana.

The government has recently announced National Solar Mission, which aims at setting up over 20,000 mw of solar power generation capacity in three stages by the end of the thirteenth Plan period ending 2022. Currently, the solar power capacity of the nation stands at 4 mw.

“To generate 1 mw of solar power, it costs about Rs 17 crore, but we expect the prices to decrease in the future and by 2017, solar power would be able to compete with retail thermal selling prices,” he said.

More Solar for California

2010-09-11T00:47:00.001+02:00

WALNUT, Calif., Sept 10, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Sunvalley Solar, Inc. , a leading solar power technology and solar system integration company, announces the completion and full operation of a 20,520W solar system in Arcadia, California.

The solar system, designed and installed by Sunvalley, provides approximately 20,520W of clean electric power to the commercial end user. The array consists of 72 pieces of SST285-72M CEEG SST mono-crystalline PV modules mounted on racks and four PV Powered 3 phase inverters, and a PV Powered data-monitoring package. The data, displayed on a large LCD monitor, allows the general public to view solar energy being generated and consumed.

"Sunvalley, in promoting its Green Community Program across the greater Los Angeles area, helps clients decrease both their cost for electricity and their carbon footprint. This project represents an excellent start for our Green Community Program. We believe that making energy choices that are good for the environment goes hand-in-hand with improving the lives of those living in our communities," said James Zhang, CEO of Sunvalley Solar, Inc.

About Sunvalley Solar, Inc.

Sunvalley Solar, Inc. is a leading solar system solution provider that offers comprehensive solar energy technology, system design, installation, equipments, and technical support for electrical contractors, builders, homeowners, businesses/commercial buildings, and government entities that assist them in the lowering of utility bills, reducing environmental impacts, and increasing energy reliability and independence through solar energy. Located in Los Angeles, California, Sunvalley Solar, Inc. is committed to reducing the world's carbon foot print from traditional energy sources to make renewable sources, such as solar, the nation's mainstream source of power.

To learn more, visit www.sunvalleysolarinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statement: The statements in the press release that relate to the Company's expectations with regard to the future impact on the Company's results from acquisitions or actions in development are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements in this document may also contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and factors include, but are not limited to, future capital needs, changes, and delays in product development plans and schedules, or market acceptance.

SOURCE Sunvalley Solar, Inc.

Copyright (C) 2010 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Solar Electric Boilers to be Installed

2010-09-10T04:25:00.002+02:00

DANVERS, Mass. & OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BrightSource Energy, Inc., developer of utility-scale solar thermal power plants, announced today that it has signed a series of contracts with Riley Power Inc., a subsidiary of Babcock Power Inc., for three boilers to be operated at its 392-megawatt Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in California’s Mojave Desert. The Ivanpah project will couple Riley’s solar receiver steam generators with BrightSource Energy’s Luz Power Tower solar thermal technology to produce superheated steam of up to 550 degrees Celcius.“One of the core advantages of our Luz Power Tower technology is that it uses a conventional Rankine cycle to create the world’s highest temperature and highest capacity solar powered steam,” said Israel Kroizer, Chief Operating Officer, BrightSource Energy, and President of BrightSource Industries (Israel) Ltd. “By setting the bar for solar steam quality, we’re able to produce reliable and low-cost power that meets our customers’ needs.”

BrightSource Energy’s proven Luz Power Tower (LPT) technology produces electricity the same way as fossil fuel power plants – by creating high temperature steam to turn a conventional turbine. However, instead of using fossil fuels to create the steam, BrightSource uses thousands of mirrors called heliostats to reflect sunlight onto a boiler filled with water that sits atop a tower. When the sunlight hits the boiler, the water inside is heated and creates high temperature steam. The steam is then piped to a conventional turbine which generates electricity. In order to conserve water, the steam is then air-cooled and piped back into the system in a closed-loop, environmentally friendly process. This fully integrated approach takes advantage of high operating efficiencies and low capital costs to provide reliable and low-cost carbon-free energy.

Riley Power’s state-of-the-art solar receiver steam generators are based on their conventional and proven boiler technology. Each solar receiver steam generator is designed to produce superheated steam at high pressure and temperatures in order to generate hundreds of thousands of pounds per hour of superheated steam. “Our innovative technologies and decades of boiler experience are combining to provide BrightSource with a highly efficient solar boiler. Whether the heliostats are in full sunlight or varying cloud conditions, Riley’s solar boiler is designed to be robust and reliable,” stated Angelos Kokkinos, president of Riley Power Inc. “At Babcock Power we focus on providing our customers with innovative renewable energy solutions through our bpigreen® initiative, embracing a cleaner environment in everything we do.”

Babcock Power’s bpigreen® program focuses on new boilers, heat exchangers and air quality control systems in the “Green Power” Renewables markets, serving electric generating plants using biomass, waste-to-energy, thermal solar, and other renewable fuels.

About the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System

The approximately 3,600 acre project located in San Bernardino County, California, will consist of three separate solar thermal power plants and provide power under separate contracts with Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE). PG&E will purchase approximately two-thirds of the power generated at Ivanpah and SCE will purchase approximately one-third. In all, BrightSource has contracted with PG&E and SCE to deliver 2,610 megawatts of electric power.

When constructed, the Ivanpah project will be the world’s largest solar power project, nearly doubling the amount of solar thermal electricity produced in the U.S. today. Ivanpah will:

generate enough clean energy to power 140,000 homes
reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by more than 400,000 tons annually, the equivalent of taking more than 70,000 cars off the road
provide more than 1,000 local union jobs at the peak of construction; 650 jobs annually on average for its three year construction period
provide $650 million in employee wages over its first 30-year life
BrightSource’s Ivanpah project has reached a number of significant milestones over the past six months. On August 12, the California Public Utilities Commission approved BrightSource’s contract with Southern California Edison for 117 MW of power to be produced at Ivanpah. On August 6, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for BrightSource’s Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. On August 4, the company announced that a California Energy Commission (CEC) siting committee issued a proposed decision recommending approval of the project. BrightSource expects to have all of the final permits to commence construction in fall 2010. In February, BrightSource received a conditional commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy for $1.37 billion in loan guarantees to support the financing of the Ivanpah project.

About BrightSource Energy, Inc.

BrightSource Energy, Inc. provides clean, reliable and low cost solar energy for utility and industrial companies worldwide. The BrightSource Energy team combines nearly three decades of experience designing, building and operating the world’s largest solar power plants with world-class project development capabilities. The company now has contracted to sell 2610 megawatts of power to be generated using its proprietary solar thermal technology. BrightSource Energy’s solar plants are designed to minimize their impact on the environment and help customers reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Headquartered in Oakland, Calif., BrightSource Energy is a privately held company with operations in the United States, Israel, and Australia. To learn more about BrightSource Energy and solar thermal energy, visit www.brightsourceenergy.com.

About Babcock Power Inc.

Babcock Power Inc., www.babcockpower.com, through its subsidiaries, is one of the world’s leading suppliers of technology, equipment, and services to the power generation industry. Babcock Power subsidiary companies include; Vogt Power International Inc. (Louisville, KY), Thermal Engineering International (USA) Inc. (Santa Fe Springs, CA), Babcock Power Environmental Inc., Riley Power Inc. and Babcock Power Services Inc. (Worcester, MA), Boiler Tube Company of America (Lyman, SC), and TEi Construction Services, Inc. (Duncan, SC).

Investment Money for Solar Continues

2010-09-09T01:45:00.001+02:00

Concentrators for photovoltaic modules may still be a zero billion dollar market, but money from investors continues to flow in.

Solaria, which combines a silicon solar cells and a concentrator in a single package, says it raised $20 million more today, bringing the total to $65 million.

Solaria's technology is based on dicing or "singulating" a standard crystalline silicon wafer and mounting these strips on a substrate with a lensing system that essentially halves the requirement for silicon. The lensing and concentration is integrated into the rolled cover glass, representing a significant change from an earlier acrylic sub-assembly design.

So think of it as solar meets processed meat meets reading glasses. The company is run by Dan Shugar, who helped found Powerlight (bought by SunPower) and has worked in solar since 1988.

Elsewhere:

--Lawrence Berkeley National Labs has come out with a study that examines the impact of more solar on the grid. It concluded that geographic diversity helps stabilize the impact of variable sources. In other words, solar becomes more dependable as it becomes more pervasive. Read more here.

--The California Energy Commission gave the green light to the 250 megawatt solar thermal project proposed by Spain's Abengoa. The CEC earlier in August recommended that the construction go-ahead be given. Construction could begin before the end of the year.

The plant, located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles in San Bernadino County, will rely on parabolic mirrors and liquid-filled tubes to concentrate heat and generate power. It's the old fashioned architecture for solar thermal plants, but it's also the predominant one. Parabolic troughs account for 94 percent of systems in the ground and 95 percent under construction.

The project is one of nine solar thermal projects slated to go before the CEC. The projects-which will provide 4.3 gigawatts of power if built-need to obtain approval before the end of the year to qualify for stimulus dollars.

The eight other projects are: the 250 MW Beacon Solar Energy Project; the 1,000 MW Blythe Solar Power Project; the 850 MW Calico Solar Project; the 250 MW Genesis Solar Energy Project; the 709 MW Imperial Valley Solar Project; the 370 MW Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System Project; the 500 MW Palen Solar Power Project; and the 150 MW Rice Solar Energy Project.

Over 30 thermal projects are on the books nationwide, according to solar thermal expert Brett Prior at GTM Research.

--Canadian Solar has become an official sponsor of the San Francisco Giants, thereby deepening the solar-sports connection. Earlier this year, Yingli sponsored the World Cup. Roller Derby teams in the Bay Area have been scouring for a sponsor.

--JA Solar said it signed contracts to sell 500 more megawatts in 2011. Last month JA said it would increase production capacity to 1.8 gigawatts from the previous target of 1.5 gigawatts by the end of the year.

--Finally, SunPower said it would plant 200 megawatts of solar in Italy in 2011, nearly double the 108 megawatts SunPower will plant this year.

New Stable Silicon for Solar

2010-09-08T01:17:00.000+02:00

CORNING, N.Y., Sep 07, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Corning Incorporated and Oerlikon Solar (SIX: OERL) announced today that they have achieved a record-breaking 11.9 percent stabilized conversion efficiency in a silicon-tandem, research-size photovoltaic cell. Results were confirmed by the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Based on the unique combination of Oerlikon Solar's world leading Micromorph(R) technology and Corning's thin specialty glass, the resulting solar cell's energy conversion efficiency exceeds the current 11.7 percent industry record, set in 2004, and was achieved without the use of antireflective coating.

Increasing conversion efficiency, or the rate at which sunlight energy is converted into electric current, is a key industry challenge. This milestone for Micromorph(R) tandem technology is particularly significant in the advancement of thin-film photovoltaics, a rapidly progressing segment of the fast-growing solar energy industry.

The newly developed photovoltaics research cell combines the advanced light-trapping capabilities of Corning's specialty glass and Oerlikon Solar's proprietary Micromorph(R) technology, utilizing a zinc oxide low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) front contact.

"The 11.9 percent efficiency achievement is an important step forward in thin-film innovation for our customers," said Dr. Jurg Henz, chief executive officer, Oerlikon Solar. "We look forward to continued work with Corning on a roadmap to advance this technology to cell efficiencies of 12 percent and beyond."

"We are thrilled with the milestone reached through this very strong collaboration between Oerlikon Solar and Corning," noted Dr. Gary Calabrese, vice-president, Science and Technology and director, Corning Photovoltaic Glass Technologies. "More importantly, we are strongly encouraged by the great opportunities that these advancements make possible for the photovoltaics industry as the combined efforts of these two companies move forward to achieve even higher efficiencies with silicon tandem."

More information and research details will be presented by Dr. Julien Bailat of Oerlikon Solar at the 25th Annual European Photovoltaics Solar Energy Conference (PVSEC) and the 5th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WPEC-5) in Valencia Spain on Sept. 7. A presentation on the topic of photovoltaics glass reliability will also be presented by Dr. James Webb of Corning Incorporated at the same conference on Sept. 8.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995), which are based on current expectations and assumptions about Corning's financial results and business operations, that involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include: the effect of global political, economic and business conditions; conditions in the financial and credit markets; currency fluctuations; tax rates; product demand and industry capacity; competition; reliance on a concentrated customer base; manufacturing efficiencies; cost reductions; availability of critical components and materials; new product commercialization; pricing fluctuations and changes in the mix of sales between premium and non-premium products; new plant start-up or restructuring costs; possible disruption in commercial activities due to terrorist activity, armed conflict, political or financial instability, natural disasters, adverse weather conditions, or major health concerns; adequacy of insurance; equity company activities; acquisition and divestiture activities; the level of excess or obsolete inventory; the rate of technology change; the ability to enforce patents; product and components performance issues; retention of key personnel; stock price fluctuations; and adverse litigation or regulatory developments. These and other risk factors are detailed in Corning's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the day that they are made, and Corning undertakes no obligation to update them in light of new information or future events.

About Oerlikon Solar

Oerlikon Solar (http://www.oerlikon.com/solar/) designs and manufactures field-proven equipment and end-to-end manufacturing lines for the mass production of environmentally sustainable thin film silicon solar modules. With its amorphous and high-efficiency Micromorph(R) tandem technology, Oerlikon Solar has dramatically increased the efficiency of thin film silicon and created innovative end-to-end manufacturing solutions for thin film PV, enabling new entrants in the fast-growing, global PV manufacturing business. Oerlikon Solar leads the thin film solar equipment sector with 12 factories in production in seven countries, more than 2.5 million modules produced and 450 MW of capacity produced worldwide.

About Corning Incorporated

Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) is the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. Drawing on more than 150 years of materials science and process engineering knowledge, Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. Our products include glass substrates for LCD televisions, computer monitors and laptops; ceramic substrates and filters for mobile emission control systems; optical fiber, cable, hardware & equipment for telecommunications networks; optical biosensors for drug discovery; and other advanced optics and specialty glass solutions for a number of industries including semiconductor, aerospace, defense, astronomy and metrology.

Sunpower Corporation's Power Plant Available for Europse

2010-09-07T00:07:00.002+02:00

VALENCIA, Spain, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- At the European Photovolatic Solar Energy Conference, SunPower Corporation (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB), today announced that its SunPower Oasis™ Power Plant (SunPower Oasis) product, a fully integrated, modular solar power block, is now available in Europe. SunPower Oasis scales from 1-megawatt ac (MW) distributed installations to large central station power plants and provides a cost-effective way to rapidly deploy utility-scale solar projects, streamlining the development and construction process.
SunPower Oasis is engineered from the ground up to optimize use of available land. Each power block integrates the SunPower® T0 Tracker with SunPower's high-efficiency, 425-watt utility solar panel, pre-manufactured system cabling, the Oasis smart inverter, and the Oasis operating system. SunPower Oasis also features the SunPower advanced Tracker Monitoring and Control System (TMAC™) for wireless control of the power plant. The power block kits are shipped pre-assembled to the job site for rapid field installation, and offer the highest capacity factor and the most reliable long-term performance.
"SunPower Oasis is a ground-breaking, utility-scale solar solution that optimizes energy production, installation speed, material cost, and long-term reliability," said Gian Maria Ferraro, vice president and general manager, SunPower Europe. "With this revolutionary new product, we have the ability to design and scale to any size power plant, supporting the shape complexities of the European sites."
The SunPower Oasis operating system is designed to support future grid interconnection requirements for large-scale solar power plants, such as voltage ride through and power factor control. It also features utility-standard SCADA operation and analytical tools, which include intelligent sensor and control networks for optimized power plant operation.
"SunPower Oasis meets the needs of utilities, investors, developers, and the local community," said Howard Wenger, president, SunPower Utility and Power Plants. "SunPower's proven technology and experience is reflected in this new product which will substantially lower the cost of power plant ownership by significantly reducing balance of systems, development and operational costs."
SunPower has installed more than 120 ground-mounted power plants globally, representing more than 300 MW of operating power generation. The SunPower Oasis power plant, first announced in the U.S. earlier this year, is now available in the EU for design and development, with construction expected to start in the third quarter of 2011. Additional information about the product can be found at www.sunpoweroasis.com.
About SunPower
Founded in 1985, SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) designs, manufactures and delivers the planet's most powerful solar technology broadly available today. Residential, business, government and utility customers rely on the company's experience and proven results to maximize return on investment. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit www.sunpowercorp.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that do not represent historical facts and may be based on underlying assumptions. The company uses words and phrases such as "will" "future," and "expected" to identify forward-looking statements in this press release, including expectations regarding (a) SunPower Oasis's ability to optimize energy production, installation speed, material costs, and long-term reliability, and streamline the development and construction process, (b) SunPower Oasis's ability to support future grid interconnection requirements for large-scale solar power plants, such as voltage ride through and power factor control, (c) SunPower Oasis's ability to substantially lower costs by reducing balance of system, development and operational costs, and (d) SunPower Oasis's expected construction start date in Europe in the third quarter of 2011. Such forward-looking statements are based on information available to the company as of the date of this release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some beyond the company's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties such as: (i) the price the company pays for its supply of raw materials, components, and solar panels, (ii) construction difficulties or potential delays, including permitting and transmission access and upgrades, and the company's ability to successfully begin construction of SunPower Oasis in the EU in the third quarter of 2011; (iii) evolving regional permitting, financing, grid interconnection, technical, and other customer or regulatory requirements, and SunPower Oasis's ability to satisfy such requirements; and (iv) other risks described in SunPower's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 3, 2010 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 4, 2010, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company's views as of any subsequent date, and the company is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any responsibility to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SunPower and Oasis are trademarks or registered trademarks of SunPower Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Princeton New Jersey Gets Solar Panels

2010-09-06T06:51:00.001+02:00

PRINCETON — Starting next week, PSE&G will begin installing about 60 solar panels on utility poles throughout the township.

When done, the 2½-foot by 5-foot panels will be part of a project that includes 200,000 pole-mounted solar units generating 40 megawatts of solar energy.

The energy generated by the 200-watt structures flows into the power grid, which services all customers. Energy costs for the average residential consumer will increase by about $1.20 in the first year.

Part of PSE&G’s Solar 4 All program, the solar panels will be placed on poles that are open to the sun, are in good condition and don’t have excessive amounts of wire on them, said Township Engineer Bob Kiser.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved the program in July 2009, citing the benefits of increasing renewable energy sources in the state. PSE&G expects to invest $515 million in the project before its completion in 2013.
That figure also includes the cost of constructing several large solar farms and rooftops in Trenton, Linden and other cities. The larger projects are expected to generate another 40 megawatts of new solar power.

PSE&G expects the assembly and installation of the panels and solar farms also will benefit consumers by creating jobs. NJBPU Director of the Office of Clean Energy Mike Winka estimated that 200 contractors had presided over thousands of installations.

The Princeton project is expected to take approximately two weeks.

New Jersey Solar Power in Homes

2010-09-05T05:06:00.002+02:00

PulteGroup, a company based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., is not the only builder offering solar-equipped homes in New Jersey. But it is among the first to start offering solar units as a standard feature in every house in a development, and to tot up the ways that buyers can earn as much as $30,000 over 15 years.

Those earnings will come in four ways, according to Paul Schneier, the president of the company’s metropolitan New York and New Jersey division: savings of more than half on electricity bills, a onetime federal tax rebate of at least $6,000, an annual break on property taxes, and income from the sale of the credits back to utility companies.

Like 26 other states, New Jersey is requiring its utility companies to generate an increasing percentage of electric power through the use of renewable sources of energy like sun and wind. It has established a credit-purchase program so companies can meet the requirements while they build up enough solar-generating power of their own. (New Jersey officials estimate that will take at least 10 years.)

According to Mr. Schneier, the state is a leader in the developing market for investors and utilities wanting to buy these credits, called Solar Renewable Energy Credits. Each credit certifies that 1,000 megawatts of power have been produced by solar energy.

The credits are bought and sold in an online marketplace. New Jersey’s credits have emerged as a particularly hot property, because electric rates are comparatively high here, making each megawatt of power worth more.

“The system is complicated,” said Douglas Fenichel, a spokesman for K. Hovnanian Homes. When Hovnanian put solar technology on its list of options at its Jockey Club age-restricted development in Oceanport, he said, “We found people didn’t really understand it.”

Buyers were generally interested in sustainable construction, Mr. Fenichel said. But it was hard to explain the savings and how they would be reaped by buyers. In the end, the developers decided to make solar standard instead of optional in all 44 Jockey Club units. The development sold out six months ago.

“It was not until the first resident stood there watching his meter going backward, generating electricity that would go back to the power company, that I think it really sunk in,” Mr. Fenichel said.

Mr. Schneier of the PulteGroup noted that buyers on a fixed income — or thinking about retiring — may be attracted to the idea of owning a solar system. “Of course, now, though, everyone is starting to think about cutting costs any way they can,” he added.

Several builders, as well as individual homeowners around the state, are moving to install solar panels on the roofs of their buildings, along with support technology to meter productivity.

In New Brunswick, for instance, Ironstate Development is retrofitting Riverwalk Commons, an apartment building, with rooftop technology that will power lighting in common areas and the garage.

The cost of the units has been the prevailing issue holding back more widespread use, said Michael Winka, the director of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Office of Clean Energy. At River Pointe, the cost to the developers of installing the standard 2.25 kilowatt unit, which at current rates would earn about $1,330 in credits per year, is about $20,000. An optional upgrade to a 3.1 kilowatt system, which would earn about $2,000 per year, would cost the buyer $10,000. Mr. Schneier said that solar equipment adds to resale value.

On the other hand, Mr. Winka said that most solar power systems start to wear out after about 10 years. In addition, both he and Mr. Schneier said that the market for energy credits could not be expected to remain strong indefinitely, as utility companies are pushing ahead with developing their own solar plants.

The reimbursement at River Pointe on a house bought right now would shape up like this, according to the PulteGroup’s calculations:

¶$6,000 to $10,000 in federal tax credits, depending on the size of the solar unit.

¶Roughly $450 in reduced energy costs the first year, depending on use and house size (floor plans range from 1,600 to 2,700 square feet). Savings would rise in proportion to rising energy costs.

¶Solar technology is exempted from property tax, saving $341 or $451 a year, depending on the size of the unit.

¶Proceeds from the sale of energy credits, $1,333 or $2,000 a year.

There are already 150 residents at River Pointe, a community of single-family houses with yards that are maintained by the homeowners’ association, a community clubhouse and other amenities. A total of 550 units are planned.

A model unit with the solar panels and technology installed is newly completed and open to house hunters.