Rise & Shine: September 30, 2008
The Rise & Shine is your daily source for all solar-industry news. Brought to you by Sweet Solar Home and the Experts at SunRun.
CALIFORNIA NEWS
Jay Leno is a Big Fan of Solar Panels
Jay Leno uses solar panels and wind turbines to produce electricity for the garage that houses his huge collection of cars.
NATIONAL NEWS
SEDOM Gets Halfway to Funding Rooftop Energy Project
The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation recently announced the awarding of a $267,000 matching grant for the installation of a photovoltaic roof panels that would be fitted atop the 40,000-square-foot SEDOM building.
Sunrise Solar Selected as a Finalist in $30M Solar Project
Sunrise Solar Corp. is in advanced negotiations to design and install a solar project in a major foreign capital city that could be worth $30 million.
Richland, WA Homeowner Sells His Solar Power
Waite worked with Richland to create a “net-metering” program that helps track how much power he generates and what gets banked with the city for future use. It also allows consumers to earn cash incentives offered by the state through 2014.
Hung Jury in Solar Energy Whistleblower Case
Jurors today announced they could not come up with a verdict in the case of a New Jersey Board of Public Utilities fiscal officer who said he was punished for complaining about mismanagement in a $125-million solar energy subsidy program.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
RGGI States First CO2 Auction Completed
All of the 12,565,387 allowances offered for sale on September 25, 2008 were sold at a clearing price of US $3.07 per allowance.
Gore’s Rebellion
Mr. Gore really got going and told his disciples to head — literally — to the barricades to “stop” coal.
SMUD Rates Customers on Energy Consumption
In the nation’s first experiment of its kind, SMUD has 35,000 randomly selected customers receiving a monthly “home electricity report” with bar graphs comparing their consumption with the neighborhood average.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Solar Power Partners Raises US $100M
Solar Power Partners, a CA startup that only had $6M in funding a year ago, has reached $100M in funding with some $60M more available for project financing.
Funding Roundup: Greentech Investors Diversify
Solar, biofuel and wind companies get cash, as well as firms involved in energy efficiency, energy storage, transportation and more.
eSolar Partners with Kleiner’s Solar Startup Sundrop Fuels
eSolar, the solar thermal startup using algorithms to produce low cost solar gear, has signed its first commercial contract with Sundrop Fuels.
Is the Sun Setting on Solar Energy?
While investors and analysts are still bullish on the sector’s long term prospects, the next year or two could see a major shake up in the crowded solar energy space.
Solar Stocks Clobbered; No ITC Extension Before Election
Solar stocks are getting an especially ugly drubbing on a very nasty for stocks overall, on news that Congress is unlikely to approve an extension to solar energy investment tax credits before the November election, and possibly not until a new president is sworn in early next year.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
US Renewable Energy Credits Bog Down in Congress
House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland told reporters Monday that the House would not have time to consider the Senate’s version of the renewable energy bill and urged the Senate to approve the legislation passed by the House.
Lawmakers at Impasse on Incentives for Renewable Energy
The House and the Senate conceded Monday that they were in a stalemate over proposals to provide tax incentives for the production and use of renewable energy, leaving the future of the nascent industry in limbo.
SEIA Calls on Congressional Leadership Not to Leave Until Tax Extender Legislation is Complete
As the CEOs of the nation’s leading renewable energy trade associations, we respectfully urge House and Senate leaders to remain in Washington until there is a successful resolution of the current impasse between the House and Senate on tax extenders legislation.
TECHNOLOGY
DOE to Provide Up to $17.6 Million for Solar Photovoltaic Technology Development
The DOE announced up to $17.6M for 6 early stage PV module incubator projects that focus on the initial manufacturing of advanced solar PV technologies. Including the cost share from industry, which will be at least 20%, the total investment will reach up to $35.4M.
Nippon Oil and Sanyo to Establish Thin Film Joint Venture
Nippon Oil and SANYO will explore the possibility of establishing a joint company to handle the expected expansion and development of the thin-film solar cell market.
Waste Not, Want Not: A New Approach to Solar
Vinod Khosla says he’s found a solution that doubles or even triples the energy yield from solar panels. He’s funding a company called PVT Solar, of Berkeley, CA where engineers are trying to harness wasted heat.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Neo Solar Seals 7 Year Deal with REC
REC will provide NSP solar wafers for the period from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2015.
Fotowatio Acquires Four Solar Plants
Fotowatio, one of Spain’s largest and most successful solar companies, announced today it acquired four solar photovoltaic power plants producing 32 megawatts of clean energy in Murcia, Spain.
Solarig Connects 3 MW Solar Project
SOLARIG recently connected to the grid its innovative solar plant incorporating solar tracking technology to obtain the best energy output.
JA Targets A Capacity of at Least 1GW by the End of 2009
Pure cell manufacturer JA Solar Co. Ltd. says it is expecting at least 1 GW of cell capacity by the end of 2009.
ABB Signs $36M Systems and Equipment Contract with LDK Solar
The agreement will see ABB supply electrical systems, equipment and project management services to LDK for its new polysilicon production plant in Xinyu City, China.
Solar Panels Installed on Vatican Roof
The first solar panels were installed Monday on top of the papal audience hall at Vatican City.
Kunming to Build Biggest Solar Energy Production Base in China
Kunming is aiming to become a solar energy demonstration city with the characteristics of a solar energy industry base in China.
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