Rise & Shine: November 13, 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
Milpitas Could Become a Solar City with the Local Government’s Help
One of the ways the City of Milpitas can help bring this hopeful development to fruition lies within its power and resources. We refer to a straightforward, simple idea of allowing homeowners to pay for the cost of a household solar improvement through the property tax system similar to the way sidewalks are paid for.
Inland Solar Project Tagging Large Union Workforce
The Ivanpah solar project, consisting of three thermal power plants completed in phases, is proposed to be built in San Bernardino County, about three miles west of the California/Nevada border.
NATIONAL NEWS
Fast-Tracked Solar Project Could Speed Mojave Desert’s Demise
The federal government’s determination that a 400-megawatt solar thermal power plant will not cause significant harm to a pristine strip of the Mojave Desert is a victory for those who want to place dozens of solar arrays on federal land in Southern California.
Hemlock Semiconductor Starts Construction on Polysilicon Plant
Hemlock Semiconductor celebrated the beginning of construction at its recently developed site in Clarksville, Tennessee yesterday, and gave guests a glimpse of what the new facility will look like when completed in 2012.
NRG, Houston Talks on Solar Plant Reach Impasse
NRG Energy Inc., the second-largest power producer in Texas, and Houston have reached an impasse in talks about a new 10-megawatt solar plant that may push the city to choose another partner for the investment.
Germany’s Energy Model a Local Hit
With an eye on jobs, Charlotte business leaders discuss the best ways to go green.
“We expect to collect some 7.000 tonnes of modules a year”
Renewable Energy Magazine recently caught up with Jan Clyncke, Managing Director of PV Cycle Association, to discuss the work of this new association which will start collecting and recycling photovoltaic modules next year.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
For Xcel Energy Customers, Microsoft Hohm is Now Live
The news is also important because it shows how companies are building ways for customers to start monitoring and managing energy consumption before smart meters get installed in larger numbers.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Incentives, Falling Cost and Rising Demand in China’s PV Market
Although China produces over 30% of the world’s solar photovoltaics (PV), installed PV in China only reached a total of 140MW in 2008, according to the state-owned newspaper, China Daily, accounting for less than 1% of the global market share.
Solar Market Declines for First Time Ever
Global demand for solar cells and panels is likely to drop 17 percent in 2009, says Navigant Consulting. Market recovery won’t come quickly.
Dow Corning Seeks India Solar Energy Market Glowing
Silicones manufacturer Dow Corning is seeking a long-term engagement with the Indian solar energy market.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Solar Manufacturing Jobs Creation Act to Expand Solar ITC Eligibility
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and U.S. Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI) today announced the Solar Manufacturing Jobs Creation Act. The bi-partisan legislation would create a tax credit to support solar manufacturing in the U.S.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Q-Cells Reports Third Quarter Results
The volume of cells sold to external customers rose by 87% to 103 MWp compared with the previous quarter.
S.A.G. Solarstrom Reports Third Quarter Results
EBIT amounted to €2 million in the third quarter (previous year: €1.1 million), meaning that group earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) increased over nine months to €2.4 million (previous year: €2.1 million).
Phoenix Solar Reports Third Quarter Results
In the three months from 1 July to 30 September 2009, domestic business in the Components & Systems segment was the dominant factor.
World’s Top Solar Cell Maker Posts Gloomy Results
Germany’s Q-Cells, posted a hefty loss in the first nine months of the year, it said on Nov. 12, amid tough competition from Asian manufacturers.
TECHNOLOGY
Researchers: “Upconversions” Creates “Super efficient” Solar Cells
Researchers at the U. of Sydney say they have come up with a way to boost solar cell efficiency limit of c-Si and a-Si solar cells to 50% under the standard solar spectrum — an increase of roughly a third — using a process called “upconversion.”
DSC: Where Is It Now?
The question most people ask about dye-sensitized solar cells is: Where is the technology at today?
Renewable Energy Magazine Interview
Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL), have devised an inexpensive way to produce plastic sheets containing billions of “nanoantennas” that collect heat energy generated by the sun and other sources.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Power Shift: Winners and Losers in the Energy Future, From the IEA
We mentioned yesterday the International Energy Agency’s outline of what the world’s energy future would look like over the next 20 years if it took serious steps to tackle climate change, rather than continuing on a business-as-usual course.
Greenvision Ambiente and the Marseglia Group Plan 13MW Solar Park
Greenvision ambiente and the Marseglia Group have, through their respective subsidiaries, Greenvision ambiente Photo-Solar and KM Energy, signed a letter of intent for the construction of a 13 MW photovoltaic park in Calabria.
Solargiga 300kW Photovoltaic Pilot Project Commences Power Generation
China monocrystalline silicon solar ingots and wafer manufacturer, Solargiga Energy announced that its 300kW photovoltaic pilot project has commenced power generation successfully, which is as another significant corporate development of the Group subsequent to achieving turnaround in net profit with a profit margin of over 17% in the third quarter of 2009.
New South Wales to Have Australia’s Largest FIT
This tariff is approximately four times the rate residential customers pay for electricity, and is available for all small consumers of electricity (below 160 MWh/year consumption).
Applied Solar Sees Potential in Rural Electrification
Applied Solar, part of the diversified Applied Materials group, sees a major opportunity unfolding in the country’s rural electrification which has the potential to rapidly empower those dependent on diesel gen-sets.
‘Solar City’ Anantapur Attracts 5 Solar Farms
Andhra Pradesh government has announced that an exclusive cluster for setting up solar farms, named ‘Solar City’, will be coming up at Kadiri in Anantapur district to give a fillip to solar power sector in the state.
Kerself Preparing to Expand to Bulgaria
Kerself said that its subsidiary Saem has approved the opening of a new company in Bulgaria to build photovoltaic solar plants.
Suntech Power to Develop 20% of 91MW Projects Under China’s Solar Rooftop Program
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. today announced that it expects to develop approximately 20% of the 91MW of solar projects that were approved under China’s Solar Rooftop Program.
Enfinity and Titan Energy Systems to Develop 1GWp Photovoltaic Installation in India
Enfinity, one of the world’s leading photovoltaic (PV) solar energy development companies, and PV module manufacturer Titan Energy Systems have announced a collaboration to develop, finance and construct 1 GWp of PV installations in Andhra Pradesh (India) over the next five years.
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