Rise & Shine: September 29, 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
Borrego Solar Awarded 2.4MW PPA Contract
The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) has approved a 20-year agreement with Borrego Solar, a national solar power contractor based in El Cajon, to construct and maintain a photovoltaic system that will provide about 2.4 megawatts of green energy across the district.
Minturn Huller Breaks Ground on 540kW Solar System
Cenergy Power has begun construction on a 540kW solar system for the Minturn Huller’s facility in the California Central Valley.
NATIONAL NEWS
Alternate Energy Scramble on Across West
In Utah, state officials are fielding various combinations of energy proposals, a list that includes solar and geothermal installations and an energy storage project that would turn salt caverns into a kind of giant battery.
Rooftop Solar: ProLogis Turns Warehouses Into Clean Energy
That brings ProLogis’ rooftop total to 11 megawatts of solar power, but so far the group has tapped only 2% of its roof space.
Sierra Nevada Corporation Wins Solar Project Contract
Sierra Nevada Corporation President, Eren Ozmen, announced today Sierra Solar I (SSI) LCC has won the Nevada Army National Guard’s Super Solar Phase I project to collaborate on solar energy generation projects at three National Guard sites.’
OPEL Solar Inc. Continues to Expand US Sales Force
OPEL Staffs for its Vision of the U.S. Solar Market’s “Green” Growth.
PV Powered Expands MW Scale Application Engineering Capabilities, Adds Industry Veterans
PV Powered, Inc., industry leader in solar inverter reliability, performance, installability, and serviceability announces the addition of Marc Johnson to the position of Senior Applications Engineer.
Sustainable Energy Fund Receives Green Power: Turn it On! Award
PennFuture Honors College-Level Solar Photovoltaic Program.
Alpha Energy Helps Colleges Go Green
A national leader in turnkey photovoltaic systems and member of The Alpha Group, Alpha Energy recently installed a 21kW solar power system installation for Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA to be commissioned on October 3.
AMAT Awarded Multi-Year Service Contract from ENN Solar
Applied Materials Inc. has signed a five-year contract with ENN Solar Energy Co. Ltd. to support ENN’s solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing facility in Langfang, China, which features an Applied SunFab Thin Film Line.
Solar Firm Eyes Former Hynix Plant
Hynix is reportedly in talks with a South Korean company which produces solar cells.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Solar Energy Procurement Options for Utilities
Solar procurement options range from the traditional resource procurement options to more innovative and aggregated techniques.
5 Next Steps for Smart Grid Standards
The 90-page plan is actually just a very early step in the smart grid standardization process. Here are five more steps that need to happen to put the industry on the right path.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
China Leads Way for Solar Energy
“If the U.S. doesn’t get serious, China’s going to own this industry,” said Applied Materials spokesman David Miller.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Third Major utility Pulls Out of Chamber
Exelon, a power company that operates the country’s largest fleet of nuclear reactors, announced today that it would withdraw from the United States Chamber of Commerce because of differences with the chamber’s climate policy — making it the third major utility to do so in just over a week.
Solar Plan Ignites Some Environmental Concerns
An Obama administration plan to build huge new solar energy plants in the Southwest is causing heartburn in the environmental community.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
SolarCity and US Bank Expand Solar Project Fund to US $100M
The fund, originally announced in June, will be expanded to finance US $100 million in solar projects in 2009.
U.S. Solar Stocks Knocked by German Demand Fears
U.S.-listed solar shares sank on Monday, cutting into gains earlier this month as investors feared Germany’s new coalition government could trim support for the industry.
TECHNOLOGY
RoseStreet Labs Demonstrates Tandem Nitride/Silicon Solar Cell
Utilizing the same nitride material technology as solid state lighting and blue lasers, RSLE fabricated and tested a working photovoltaic cell that couples a silicon solar cell with a nitride thin-film.
Bosch Unwraps New Module Protoypes
Bosch Solar Energy AG has unveiled three prototypes of new crystalline and thin-film modules.
Solar-Hydrogen House in Florida Combines New, Old
To make a sufficient amount of hydrogen, the house needs a hefty array of photo voltaic solar panels.
Solargy Systems Developing High Output Solar Panels
Solargy Systems Inc. “SLGS-PK”. Solargy Systems Inc has indicated it is developing high output solar panels of 500 watts and possibly as high as 1000 watts at the same cost of standard 200 or 300 watt panels.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TerniEnergia Completes Three Megawatt PV System
Italian system integrator, TerniEnergia has completion testing of a photovoltaic system which has a capacity of 3 MWp. It has been installed in Santa Sofia at Narni (TR).
TerniEnergia to Exceed 2009 Solar Targets
Italian renewable energy company TerniEnergia is set to exceed its 2009 target for new solar installations and may review 2010 and 2011 goals aiming to expand in the rapidly growing market, its chairman told Reuters.
Italy Plans Gradual Cut for Solar Incentives
Italy plans to reduce solar energy incentives to save money, but would do it gradually to ease the impact, Industry Ministry Undersecretary Stefano Saglia told Reuters on Monday.
Schott Expands PV Guarantee to 30 Years
Solar energy group Schott Solar AG has announced that it is extending guarantee conditions for its photovoltaic modules, offering a 25-year performance guarantee on glass-foil modules and a 30-year guarantee on double glass modules.
Aleo Solar Presents its Two Millionth Solar Module to Uwe Seeler
German silicon cell solar module producer aleo solar has presented its recently produced two-millionth solar module to German football legend Uwe Seeler as a donation for his Uwe Seeler Foundation.
Solar-Power Incentives in Germany Draw Fire
Industry Executive Urges Cutting Government Subsidies in Campaign Against Asian Rivals.
Germany Solar Industry Counts on New Government Backing
Germany’s solar industry can look ahead to continued state support despite a victory by center-right parties that are widely expected to cut subsidies, senior sector figures told Reuters on Monday.
German Election Leads to 2010 Boom for Solar?
The newly elected center-right coalition could cut the country’s solar incentive, causing developers to hurry up and complete their projects before new policy is in place.
Townsville Solar City Project First Anniversary
Environment Minister Peter Garrett today joined project leaders, council representatives and others to celebrate the first year of the $32 million Townsville Solar City initiative.
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