Rise & Shine: August 12, 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
Acro Energy Presents New Residential Solar Financing Plan
The program offers an unsecured, same-as-cash loan of up to $45,000 for solar systems installed by Acro Energy in California for approved customers.
NATIONAL NEWS
Harvard University to Install Solar Energy Array
The 500 kW solar array — nearly 2 ½ football fields in length — will be installed on the flat roof of 311 Arsenal, a 370,000 square-foot commercial rental property built in 1816 that currently houses businesses ranging from the Athenahealth and the Boston Sports Club to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Massachusetts Real-Estate Development Goes Solar
groSolar is designing the 347 kilowatt project, expected to begin installation in September. The project will consist of close to 2,000 roof-mounted photovoltaic panels and will power 100 percent of the common areas in the Princeton Crossing apartment community on Heritage Drive in Salem.
SEIA Congratulates New Jersey on its 4000th Solar Installation
NJ is No. 2 in the nation for solar due to strong leadership and policies.
For Solar Power Plans, the Boring Stuff Can Be the Sticking Point
Raising hundreds of millions of dollars, engineering just the right design and brokering decade-long deals for cutting edge technology with cautious utilities, sound like pretty big hurdles to building massive solar power plants in the deserts. But it can actually be the boring stuff — permitting and siting of solar plants and transmission lines — that are causing significant roadblocks to getting these plants built.
Applied Materials Sees Trends Improve
Applied Materials Inc. swung to a quarterly loss, but joined the ranks of technology companies reporting improved demand, driven by makers of chips and displays that use its manufacturing equipment.
Solar Funding Available Through State Program
Earthsponse, a Central New York-based renewable energy solutions company, has announced its involvement in a new program funding solar installations across New York State.
Sunworks Solar to Build Large Scale Solar Energy Project
SunWorks Solar Systems, Florida’s leading solar system supplier has signed a letter of intent to design, develop and install a large-scale solar energy project in Central Florida.
Solar America Cities Train the Trainer Programs Looks to Help Create Green Jobs
Ensuring that Americans are being trained to move into the renewable energy workforce is a major hurdle for the industry in today’s sagging economy.
Adjusting to New Solar Parking Meters in Austin
A kind of sticker shock in Austin is leading some drivers puzzled over paying to use new solar parking meters.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Xcel Selects Green Power
The utility goes to the PUC with a proposal to add 980 megawatts from solar and wind generation.
Smart Grid Requires New Profit Motives
Getting the utilities and regulatory agencies on board requires ample amounts of carrots (financial incentives) and sticks (limiting carbon emissions), according to energy efficiency experts Portland Energy Conservation Inc (PECI).
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Solar Cell Manufacturing Capacity Expected to Reach 17GW This Year
Solar cell manufacturing capacity is predicted to grow 56% in 2009 to 17 GW, according to a new report from DisplaySearch.
Flowserve Expands Presence in the Solar Power Generation Market
The Flowserve pumps will be used at plants employing two different concentrated solar power (CSP) designs.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Poll Position: New Zogby Poll Shows 71% Support for Waxman-Markey
A new poll shows strong support for energy and climate legislation percolating in Congress.
US Government Continues to Fund Renewable Energy R&D
Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) made yet another round of funding announcements for renewable energy projects and initiatives again showing its ongoing commitment to the greening of the American economy.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Spire to Hold Second-Quarter 2009 Conference Call on August 14
On the call, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Roger G. Little and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Christian Dufresne will discuss Spire’s second-quarter 2009 results, as well as the Company’s business outlook and growth strategy.
TECHNOLOGY
Inside the Labs with Applied Materials
Forget what some analysts say, says Charlie Gay at Applied Materials. Amorphous silicon is here for good.
Centrotherm Photovoltaics Achieves 13% Thin Film PV Efficiency for Mass Production
Centrotherm photovoltaics AG, has succeeded in raising its thin-film PV cell efficiency to 13% based on its own equipment and process know-how.
Plastics That Convert Light to Electricity Could Have a Big Impact
Researchers the world over are striving to develop organic solar cells that can be produced easily and inexpensively as thin films that could be widely used to generate electricity.
Imeasure Systems Releases iPhone Based Shade Analysis Tool
Sun Tracker uses the compass and inclinometer functions of the Apple iPhone to trace the local skyline. Together with built-in sun positioning algorithms, Sun Tracker can perform on-site shade analysis in seconds, the company says.
Solexant’s Nanocrystal Solar Cell Won Prestigious R&D 100 Award
The editors of R&D Magazine have named Solexant Corp., developer of third-generation ultrathin-film PV technology, a winner of its 47th Annual R&D 100 Awards for the most technologically significant products introduced in the past year.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Tokuyama to Construct 6,000 Ton Polysilicon Facility
The new factory will be constructed at the Samalaju Industrial Park. Construction of the new factory is scheduled to commence early in 2011, and the start of operations is scheduled for spring 2013.
TSMC Approves $50M for Solar Investments
Top contract chip maker TSMC said on Tuesday it would allocate $50 million for possible investments in solar energy-related areas, as part of its efforts to diversify into the solar market.
Suntech Power Energizes Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi with solar Energy
Suntech has been selected by Aldar Properties PJSC to supply over 1,120 solar panels for a 292 kW solar system for The Shams Tower, an iconic building on Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi
India Expects to Invest $21 Billion in Renewable Energy
India expects 1 trillion rupees ($21 billion) of investments over a five-year period ending March 2012 for renewable-power generation, the chairman of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. said Monday.
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