Rise & Shine: July 9, 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
Increase to California Net Metering Cap Moves Forward
The California State Senate Energy Utilities, & Communications (EU&C) Committee this week voted 9-1 to pass AB 560, a bill that would raise the state’s net energy metering cap to 5%. The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations committee for review and, if passed, on to a vote in the full Senate.
Rebates Credited with Heating up Demand for Solar
An official with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission says since a rebate program called GoSolarSF was offered in July of last year, 850 households and businesses applied for financial assistance to help pay for solar panels.
California Energy Supplier PG&E Picks SOLON
PG&E has commissioned the SOLON in Tucson, Arizona, to build a photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 2 megawatts (MW) in California.
Startup Tackles Rising Solar Panel Theft
Gridlock Solar Security developing system to detect theft, set off alarm.
San Francisco Tree Policy Stifles City’s Solar Program
State and local governments are encouraging everyone to go green and yet sometimes the government’s own policies stand in the way. Officials won’t prune trees to make way for solar if it means harming the tree.
Grid Parity is Imminent in California
Proximity to grid parity is closest for commercial rooftop installations in California.
NATIONAL NEWS
Tucson Water Plans Solar Plant
A planned 1-megawatt solar plant in Avra Valley stands to help Tucson Water conserve energy, though it isn’t likely to save the utility any money.
SSFM International Awarded US Navy Solar Engineering Contract
Using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii awarded a $403,633 architect-engineer contract to SSFM International, Inc., of Honolulu.
Inovateus Solar Signs Agreements with Module Suppliers
Inovateus Solar has signed an agreement to install at least 10 megawatts of Uni-Solar photovoltaic modules within the next three years. Inovateus Solar has signed three more agreements with Kyocera, Solyndra and inverter manufacturer, Solectria Renewables.
Tennessee Gov. Signs Clean Energy Future Act
Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen today signed into law the Tennessee Clean Energy Future Act of 2009. Separately, the 2009-2010 state budget authorizes the Volunteer State Solar Initiative.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Printed PV Poised for Positive Growth
Although other areas of printed electronics have languished, printed photovoltaics has continued to establish itself as both a real business and one of the few hopes for printed electronics, according to a new report from NanoMarkets.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
SolFocus Raises US $77M in Series C Funding
The company is completing its transition from pilot production to full scale commercialization, with the expansion of manufacturing from 500 kilowatts in 2008 to more than 10 megawatts (MW) to be shipped this year and capacity for more than 50 MW going into 2011.
Mind the Gap: LDK Solar and Cheap Silicon
LDK Solar’s recent travails provide a vivid illustration of why profitability is so elusive in the solar sector.
TECHNOLOGY
Ascent Solar Exceeds 10% Module Efficiency
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has independently verified that the modules measured as high as 10.4% in conversion efficiency.
Solarmer Breaks Efficiency Record for Plastic Solar Panels
Solarmer Energy Inc. says it has become the world-record holder for plastic solar cell and plastic solar panel efficiencies.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The Start of Something Big?
A meeting on July 13th might get the ball rolling. Munich Re, the world’s largest reinsurance company, has invited 20 large companies to join it in forming a consortium called Desertec. If all goes well, this will eventually build a legion of solar power stations in Africa and Arabia, and connect them to Europe.
Taiwan Government Initiatives to Stimulate Green Energy Industry
Taiwan will change all of its 700,000 traffic signals to LEDs and by 2011, the island aims to complete the construction of Asia’s largest solar power plant.
France EDF Started Construction of 93 Mwp During the First Half of 2009
EDF Energies Nouvelles stepped up the development of its solar photovoltaic segment during the first half of 2009 by launching the construction of 93 MWp in new projects.
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