Rise & Shine: January 30, 2009
The Rise & Shine is your daily source for all solar-industry news. Brought to you by Sweet Solar Home and the Experts at SunRun.
CALIFORNIA NEWS
SunPower Lays Off 60 Employees
The solar panel maker follows a slew of solar companies in cutting staff in recent months. SunPower plans to release its quarterly earnings later today.
Xantrex Inverters Used in Water District Solar Energy System in California
Xantrex Technology Inc., a subsidiary of Schneider Electric, supplied four Xantrex GT Series Three Phase Grid Tie Solar Inverters for a utility-scale solar power installation in Valley Center, California.
CalSEIA?S Priorities for 2009
For 2009, they will focus on unfinished business from 2008 and will also address local permitting issues and simplifying incentives, among other items.
NATIONAL NEWS
DuPont Installs PV System at Research Facility
DuPont has completed the installation of its largest photovoltaic solar energy facility at its Pioneer Hi-Bred Waimea Research Center on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.
Rifle Goes Solar, and Goes to Battle for More
Rifle is joining other municipalities this week in asking the state Public Utilities Commission to review those regulations and boost the amount of power that on-site solar arrays can provide.
Austin Considering Major Solar Plan
Austin’s municipal electric utility wants to set aside 300 acres for a solar panel array to be built and owned by San Francisco-based Gemini Solar Development Co.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
SEPA Releases Utility Solar Tax Manual
The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has made available the Utility Solar Tax Manual, which is designed to provide timely clarity regarding solar tax credit changes for the utility and solar industries.
The Real Reason PG&E Wants to Own Solar Projects: Startups Are Risky
Last week the CEO of northern California utility PG&E, Peter Darbee, made one of the strongest pronouncements yet that it plans to invest in and own solar projects ? rather than solely buy power from solar developers.
APS Report Charts Clean Energy Future
Over the next two decades, APS customers could receive significantly more of their electricity from clean energy sources under a comprehensive Resource Plan filed today with the Arizona Corporation Commission.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
SunPower’s Quarterly Profit Shot Up Five Fold
SunPower reported Thursday a five-fold jump in net income in the fourth quarter and a huge surge in revenue, and it expects revenue and profits to grow in 2009.
Wall Street Feeling Downbeat on Solar
As the economy continues to tank, equity analysts are lowering their estimates for key solar market players such as SunPower and First Solar.
Clean Energy Needs $515B Annually by 2030
Global investment in clean energy must reach $515 billion per year by 2030 ? triple that of last year?s investment? in order to avoid the catastrophic impact of climate change,? according to a report from the World Economic Forum and New Energy Finance.
New Energy Finance Sees 2009 as Year of Consolidation for Clean energy
In summary, 2009 will be characterized by a confusing mix of consolidation and optimism.
TECHNOLOGY
PV Powered Introduces the IntelliString Line of Smart Combiner Boxes
The IntelliString smart string combiner box was developed to provide PV system integrators with a reliable and easy way to implement string monitoring that is affordable enough to use on every commercial PV system.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Trina Solar Signs Sales Agreement With GA Solar
Under the terms of this agreement, Trina Solar will supply GA Solar between 20 to 36 MW of PV modules for one year at pre-determined prices. Shipments under this agreement have recently been initiated.
German Renewable Sector Aims to Triple Market Share
Germany’s renewable energy sector aims to triple its share of power generation to 47 percent by 2020, the BEE industry association said on Wednesday.
Are you in California and interested in solar for your home? Call us at 877.SUN.MOJO or visit our website to learn more.
Click here to subscribe.