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
Good Candidate for Solar Power? L.A. County Map Shows Hot Spots
Los Angeles County officials launched a new “solar mapping” website this week that lets residents and business owners determine whether their properties would benefit from solar power.

Sungevity Lines Up Solar Software Customers
Akeena Solar’s Andalay AC panels were installed at a new housing development offering low-income housing to veterans and low-income families

Sterling Vineyards is Certifiably Green
Sterling Vineyards is proud to announce that its landmark winery has been certified a Napa Valley Green Winery.

Trifecta of Conergy Solar Energy Solutions Brings Eos Estate Winery Earth-Friendly Answers to their Power Needs
Earth-friendly Eos Estate Winery is not only harvesting some of the finest grapes in California’s renowned Central Coast wine country, it’s harnessing a trifecta of solar energy solutions to meet its energy needs, making it among the first energy-sustainable wine brands in the U.S.

Verdegaal Brothers and Conergy Break Ground on High-Performance Solar Energy Solution to Address Hot, Dusty Agricultural Conditions
First Solar’s thin film solutions are proving increasingly popular in California’s sun-drenched Central Valley because of how well they perform in hot, dusty and low or diffused-light conditions.

NATIONAL NEWS
SunRun Expands ‘Solar-As-A-Service’
The company, which provides low-cost solar power in California and Arizona, is expanding service to Massachusetts.

PSE Grants Bring Solar Power to Four Local Schools
Puget Sound Energy’s work in bringing renewable energy demonstration systems to the classroom takes another step forward in 2009 with the utility announcing that 4 schools are recipients of $26,700 grants.

Senate Passes Solar Incentive Bill
Texas would develop a $500 million solar energy rebate program to help make it easier for homeowners and businesses to tap into the power of the sun under a bill passed in the Senate on Tuesday.

Exelon Plans to Build Solar Power Plant on Chicago
Company would rely on Energy Department loan guarantees for $60 million project

Wal-Mart to Double Amount of Solar Energy Use
Wal-Mart plans to announce for Earth Day on Wednesday that it will as much as double the size of its solar-power initiative in the next 18 months by putting rooftop solar arrays on 10 to 20 stores and distribution centers in California.

Whole Foods to Triple Stores Powered with Solar Energy
Whole Foods Market is to triple the number of stores with solar panels, extending its commitment to offset 100 percent of its use of non-renewable electricity and investing in energy reduction opportunities while retrofitting existing stores with energy efficient lighting, equipment and mechanical components.

Insurers Offer Rewards for Going Green
Your insurance company may give you a break if you go green.

Light Cycle: Recycling PV Materials
The extraordinary development of the photovoltaic market over recent years has emphasized the need for a sustainable method for disposal of PV modules once they reach the end of their life.

Renewable Energy Plays Big Role on Earth Day
In San Francisco, the city’s Budget & Finance Committee will be voting on what would be California’s largest solar photovoltaic power project – a 5-megawatt, 25,000 panel system covering the equivalent of 12 football fields on the rooftop of the Sunset Reservoir at Ortega Street and 24th Avenue.

UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Small-scale Energy Bills Get Backing
The Vermont House and Senate each passed different energy bills Tuesday that advocates say will pave the way for a flood of small-scale renewable energy projects across the state.

FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Ausra Gets $25.5 to Pursue New Dreams
The California startup plans to use the money to develop and market equipment for generating steam from solar power. The company had once hoped to build large solar power plants and sell electricity to utilities.

First Solar Secures Financing for 53 Megawatt Solar Power Plant
More than 80 percent of the required project capital is financed through non-recourse debt from a consortium of banks.

Solar Stocks in for a Dose of Reality After Runup
Solar stocks have skyrocketed since March on optimism about government efforts to stimulate demand for the clean energy source, but analysts warn that with earnings season beginning, investors in the high-flying sector are in for a strong dose of reality.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
President Obama to Head to Iowa for Earth Day
President Barack Obama is going on the road to pitch his energy plan — as well as environmentally friendly jobs production — in a hard-hit Iowa town.

EPA Releases Analysis of Climate Bill
Just days after declaring that carbon emissions were a threat to human health, the Environmental Protection Agency has given high marks to a wide-ranging energy and climate bill that was recently put forward by the House Energy Committee.

TECHNOLOGY
SRS Energy to Debut Sole Power Tile
SRS Energy will launch the Sole Power Tile, the first building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing product designed for curved roofing systems, at the American Institute of Architects 2009 National Convention and Design Exposition.

Innovations: Engines, Gases, and the Solar Pyramid
Startups in the solar and automotive space were among the companies that pitched their ideas and sought funding at a Dow Jones conference.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Conergy to Take Legal Action Against Former Management Board Members
The Supervisory Board of Conergy AG has ascertained various breaches of duty by the former Management Board.

Aleo Solar to Supply 2MW Solar Project
aleo solar AG is to supply solar modules for a 2 MW solar farm in Geiselhöring, Bavaria (district of Straubing-Bogen). A building permit has been issued and the grid connection of the solar power station is expected in July.

OPEL Plans 2.4MW HCPV Spanish Project
OPEL International’s Spanish partner, BETASOL has expanded its high concentration photovoltaic opportunity in Spain and has obtained a bank guarantee of more than US $1,500,000 (€1,187,500) for a new HCPV solar project.

Applied Materials Wins Thin-Film Court Battle Against Oerlikon
Applied Materials has won a battle against European-based OC Oerlikon Balzers AG in a dispute over IP related to thin-film solar technology.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 at 7:52 am and is filed under Solar Industry News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.