Rise & Shine: March 16, 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 Angles for $75M to Expand Factory
The California company wants to add capacity to its second solar cell factory in the Philippines.
City Contemplates Solar Panels
Tracy is working with a company that will figure out how much it will cost to put solar panels on city property to cut the city’s energy use and costs.
PG&E to solar PV Suppliers: Pitch Us
PG&E is inviting solar suppliers to submit their information for a contract to supply materials for, and/or build, a 2-MW, ground-mounted solar pilot project near a PG&E substation.
Solar Prospects Dim, at Least for Near Terms
Applications for new solar projects have plunged in recent months in California as homeowners and business owners struggle to get credit and rein in spending on big-ticket items such as a rooftop full of solar panels.
Uncounted Votes Could Shift Los Angeles Election Outcome
The sizable chunk — more than one in six ballots — could alter the outcome of a controversial solar energy measure, known as Measure B.
Harnessing the Sun, With Help from Cities
Cities like Palm Desert lobbied to change state laws so that solar power systems could be financed like gas lines or water lines, covered by a loan from the city and secured by property taxes.
NATIONAL NEWS
Words of Caution on a Renewable Energy Financing Idea
“People talk about European feed-in tariffs as though they’re monocultural, but that could not be further from the truth,” said Julie Blunden, a vice president of SunPower, a solar panel manufacturer.
Stimulus Package Has Green for Clean Energy
Massive bill earmarks $80 billion for renewables. Small biz to play major role.
Oklahoma City Community College Offers Solar Training
A new solar photovoltaic technician program will be offered at Oklahoma City Community College this spring to train individuals interested in working with solar energy.
City to Make Way for Solar Panels But Not Wind Turbines
Although most Council members said they supported solar panels as long as they were on the backs of roofs, most Council members were against allowing wind turbines, which could be taller than 100 feet, in Hudson. In comparison, the city’s downtown water tower is 150 feet tall.
Optimism Abounds Throughout Renewable Energy INdustry
With almost twice the attendance of last year’s event and more than double the exhibitors, the show’s exponential growth in spite of a dismal economy is a testament to the strength of the renewable energy industry.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Battle Brewing Over Clean Energy Delivery Grids
The plan is raising concerns among state regulators, who see an intrusion on states’ rights, and property rights advocates, who fear an increased use of eminent domain to build the lines across private lands.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Greenpeace Energy Report Projects Cheap, Clean Power
More than 10 million coal-related jobs would disappear by 2050, it concludes, but they’d be more than replaced by 9 million efficiency-related jobs, 11 million solar-related jobs and 4 million wind-related jobs.
Solarbuzz Reports World Solar Photovoltaic Market Grew to 5.95 Gigawatts in 2008
Europe accounted for 82% of world demand in 2008. Spain’s 285% growth pushed Germany into second place in the market ranking, while the US advanced to number three. Rapid growth in Korea made it the fourth largest market in 2008, closely followed by Italy and Japan.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Entech Solar Enters into Agreement With Fraunhofer USA’s Center for Sustainable Energy Systems
Entech Solar will evaluate the feasibility of incorporating high-efficiency back-contact silicon solar cells into Entech’s 20x concentrating solar systems.
Q-Cells, LDK Solar Ask Approval to Form Joint Venture
Germany’s largest solar company, and LDK Solar Co., a Chinese maker of silicon ingots and wafers, have asked a German regulator for permission to form a joint venture.
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