Rise & Shine 7.16.09
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
California Sets Pace for Solar Power
The solar capacity in California grew by a third from 2007 to 2008. It now represents about two-thirds of the national total.
City Leads California in Solar Installations
The sun might seem to shine a little brighter in San Diego today with the release of an independent analysis that shows the city has the most solar roofs and greatest solar-power capacity in place statewide.
Solar Energy Surges in California
When it comes to per capita installations, little old Nevada City tops the list, with nearly 1 in every 5 households hosting a solar system. City of Industry, outside L.A., has the most capacity per capita, with 1.5 kilowatts installed per person.
Premier Power Signed Contracts for More than 1MW of Solar Rooftop Installations in Spain This June
These commercial rooftop projects will utilize crystalline modules provided by General Electric and cylindrical thin film provided by Solyndra. This 1MW of installations will be installed only on commercial rooftops, which remain the majority of the current installation market in Spain.
Niners’ Plan for New Stadium Includes Green Roof
The San Francisco 49ers have unveiled design details on their proposed $937 million stadium south of San Francisco that would seat 68,500 and include solar panels and a green roof, as they move forward with plans to relocate to the South Bay city of Santa Clara.
NATIONAL NEWS
Pennsylvania Provides $23M in Funding for Seven Solar Projects
Governor Edward G. Rendell today said Pennsylvania will triple its solar capacity with nearly $23 million in new grants and loans for companies throughout the state that are embracing the renewable energy industry.
Green Jobs Coming to U.S. from Afar
A growing number of U.S. jobs in the wind and solar business are here thanks to companies outside the country. Sarah Gardner reports on why overseas companies are moving in.
Prism Solar Technologies Receives $1.5M Manufacturing Grant from the NY State Energy Research and Development Authority
The program provides New York consumers with greater access to renewable, clean energy, and energy-efficient products by assisting manufacturers to further develop or expand current manufacturing operations within the State.
Intersolar: The 1GW Solar Factory, a Dream Deferred
The pullback on the gigawatt-factory trend is simply a sign of the economic times
Intersolar: When it Comes to Solar Panels, Spire CEO Says Supersize ‘Em
The giant panels would be about 3 feet by 12 feet in size and produce about 1 kilowatt of power each, or about five times the surface area and power output of standard panels today.
Martifer Solar’s 50MW Automated Module Production Line Completed
Both Spire and Martifer are fully satisfied with the performance of the Portuguese company’s photovoltaic (PV) factory. The fully automated turnkey module manufacturing line uses robotic systems for material handling and processing.
National Semi’s Green Ambitions
The 50-year old company says it can boost the performance of solar modules with chips. After that, it’s on to smart grid, says CEO Brian Halla.
Chasing First Solar: Why Oerlikon, Applied Materials Think They Can Catch Up
But the two make gear to produce solar material from an older technology, amorphous-silicon, and as a result, some in the industry wonder whether they will ever be able to catch up to First Solar.
Solar Alchemy: Voltaix Gets $9M for Thin Film Chemicals
An investment firm headed by the co-founder of Norwegian solar firm REC has placed its first bet on solar by investing in Voltaix.
Hawaii Quickly Transitions to Solar Hot Water
To date, the program has led to the installation of more than 50,000 hot water heaters. Last year Hawaiian Electric paid rebates of $1,000 to more than 8,200 customers at who converted to solar powered heaters.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Renewable Energy Standards Advance in Four States
The states of Kansas and West Virginia recently adopted their first mandatory requirements for renewable energy use through so-called renewable energy standards, while Maine and Nevada have boosted the requirements under their renewable energy standards.
Contraversial Power Line Project Canceled
The Transmission Agency of Northern California ad hoped by 2014 to connect power lines from yet-to-be-developed wind and solar farms in northeastern California to power-thirsty urban areas elsewhere in Northern California.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Asian Nations Could Outpace U.S. in Developing Clean Energy
India, South Korea, China and Japan are pouring money into renewable energy industries, funding research and development and setting ambitious targets for renewable energy use.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
DOE to Provide up to $52.5 Million for Concentrating Solar Power Research
The U.S. Department of Energy will provide up to $52.5 million to research, develop, and demonstrate Concentrating Solar Power systems capable of providing low-cost electrical power both day and night.
Reality Check: How Much Impact can the Feds Have on Solar?
The investment community isn’t as bullish on federal grant and loan guarantee programs as company execs. At least one analyst expects the shipment of solar energy equipment worldwide to fall 25 percent.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
AC Module Startup GreenRay Raises Series A Financing
GreenRay Inc., a Massachusetts-based startup, today announced that it completed its Series A financing round. The round was led by the Quercus Trust of Newport Beach, California. New York-based 21Ventures co-invested.
Premier Power Announces New up to $12M Line of Credit with Umpqua Bank
Premier Power will be able to borrow up to $12 million in aggregate, comprising of an initial $7 million line of credit, which may be increased to up to $12 million upon further mutual agreement by the parties following Premier Power’s acquisition of a new subsidiary. The new credit facility is for general working capital needs.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Yingli Opening Offices in New York, California
Yingli is opening two U.S. regional headquarters in New York and San Francisco, marking the company’s latest bid to expand its business in North America.
Solidmarks Receives 2.7MW Project Order
SOLIDMARKS is a joint venture between Germany based Mage Solar GmbH and IDEEMASUN energy GmbH in 2.7 MW project in Northern Italy.
DEGERenergie to Enter U.S. Market, Start North American Production
The company, which currently operates two warehouses in North America in California and Ontario, says it is completing site selection for its production facility, which will be located in either California or Arizona.
China Merchants CDI to Invest CDI to Invest CNY 15mm in Solar Energy Film
The fund firm announces that its wholly-owned subsidiary Shenzhen Tianzheng Investment Co., Ltd. has inked an agreement with Wuhan Rixin Technology Co., Ltd., a solar energy solution provider in China, deciding to pour CNY 15 million into the latter.
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