Rise & Shine: December 2, 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
Real Goods Solar to Install Low Cost Solar Energy at Bay Area Affordable Housing Communities
The PV systems will be financed through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), enabling these properties to use solar-generated power without the upfront capital costs or operational expenses.
West Valley College to Spend $8.7M to Add Solar Panels to Campus
The project is expected to cost $8.7 million, about $2.5 million of which will be paid for through Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, being issued by the IRS.
Owens Lake as Solar Power Plant?
The DWP seeks to build a 660-acre pilot project on the dry lake bed — and avoid doing an environmental impact report.
Funding for Solar Burns Out
$8.7 million of the $9.5 million available has been reserved or handed out by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, prompting the agency to suspend GoSolarSF indefinitely for virtually all new applicants. The program’s solar subsidies were previously available to anyone, but now only low-income residential applicants can qualify.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Oregon is Tops in Net Metering, Interconnection
This third edition of the report finds that, although net metering and interconnection policies still vary widely, states have made significant strides in adopting the best practices that drive renewable energy market growth and job creation.
Big Utility to Close 11 Plants Using Coal
A large Southern utility said Tuesday that it would close 30 percent of its North Carolina coal-fired power plants by 2017, a step that represents a bet that natural gas prices will stay acceptably low and that stricter rules are coming on sulfur dioxide emissions, which cause acid rain.
Fla. PSC Sets Stronger Energy Conservation Goals
The Public Service Commission set 10-year energy conservation goals Tuesday that are significantly stronger than Florida’s major electric utilities had proposed but well short of what environmentalists wanted.
NM Report Says Transmission Key to Renewable Power
New Mexico has huge potential to produce electricity from renewable sources but a small window to develop transmission lines to deliver that power to customers, a lawmaker said Tuesday after listening to a report on the issue.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Exxon Sees Faster Growth for Wind, Solar Today Than Year Ago
Exxon today expects wind, solar and biofuels to grow slightly faster than it did a year ago. And it expects oil and coal to grow slightly slower.
Global Concentrated PV Market Worth 266 Million Dollars by 2014
Europe is expected to command the maximum market share at 59.3%, followed by the Americas, which are expected to hold 32% of the global concentrated photovoltaic market.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Google to Move into Clean Energy Project Investing
How exactly Google plans to do that, Reicher didn’t elaborate, but Reicher has made similar comments before about how Google wants to become more active in helping clean power project.
Dutch Investors to Buy Aldesa Solar Plants
This deal offers entry to the Spanish solar market without taking on major completion risk.
TECHNOLOGY
Innovation Puts Next-Generation Solar Cells on the Horizon
In a world first, a Monash University-led international research team has developed an innovative way to boost the output of the next generation of solar cells.
Solarmer’s 7.9% Efficient Plastic Solar Cell NREL Certified
The company started to develop plastic solar panels as part of emerging organic photovoltaic industry in 2006.
SMA Inverters Take Top Honors at Solar Decathalon
The future of solar technology was on display at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, held in Washington D.C., where teams utilizing SMA inverter technology took four of the top five spots, including two-time overall winner Team Germany.
Leading Solar Cell Manufacturer Expands Production With SOLARIS
The SOLARIS, which offers various advantages with its revolutionary coating technology was introduced to the market just a few weeks ago.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Suntech Signs 17MW Deal with Pure Energies
The MOU, which also provides a framework for module supply from Suntech to Pure energies through 2011, is focused on bringing solar systems to Ontario’s rapidly growing residential solar market.
Perenjori Clamours for Solar Station
The Government’s energy retailer Synergy has called for expressions of interest in solar generation projects which can feed into the south-west interconnected system.
Atlantic Wind and Solar Signs LOIs for Rooftop Solar Systems
These discussions are entered into with the express purpose of investigating and exploring the feasibility both technologically and financially of a custom designed Renewable Energy Power System.
Suniva Solar Cell Technology Powers India’s First Large Scale Solar Project
Suniva has announced the completion of its collaborative project with Titan Energy Systems Ltd. to create India’s first large-scale project in Jamuria, West Bengal.
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