Rise & Shine: January 7, 2010
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
Large Solar Plant Woes: Will it Open the Door for Smaller Projects?
Permitting delays and a new regulation in California could open the door for “distributed” large scale solar projects.
NATIONAL NEWS
PSE&G Selects Sites and Developers for 12 MW of Solar Projects
Approximately 150 jobs will be created when installation begins. A public information session is planned for Edison residents tomorrow night and similar sessions are planned for other towns later this month.
NM Getting ‘Green Jobs’ Grant
New Mexico’s two U.S. senators, Democrats Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, say the state will share approximately $10 million to support job training programs that will help dislocated workers find jobs in expanding green industries.
Rural Schools to Get $5M for Solar
The Arizona School Facilities Board is working out the final details of supplying $5 million to rural districts to purchase solar systems.
Western Riverside Co. Regional Wastewater Authority Dedicates 1MW SunPower Solar Power System
SunPower designed and built the high-efficiency system, and financed the system with Wells Fargo through the $100 million sale leaseback program announced by the companies in June of 2009.
Michigan Poised for Solar Explosion in 2010
Michigan Solar Solutions, a local leader in alternative energy, is predicting an explosion in the solar industry in Michigan for 2010.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
SD Regulators OK Rate Increase for Xcel Energy
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday approved a settlement allowing Xcel Energy Inc. to increase its overall electric rates by about 5.5 percent for residential and commercial customers in the state.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Insights Into the Voluntary Renewable Energy Market
Now renewable energy is on the minds of everyday consumers and is being discussed in the strategy room of leaders in corporate sustainability.
Recession Hits America’s Solar Industry
The recession is having a glaring impact on America’s solar power industry. Demand for solar products has dropped globally, prices have plummeted.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Clean Power Finance Announces First Close of $6.9M Financing
The company will use this funding to expand the software feature set and to extend recent successes in solar PV into other energy technology verticals.
Innovalight Raises Additional $18 Million to Expand Silicon Ink Manufacturing
This new round of capital will be used to expand the company’s proprietary silicon ink production for customers.
Report: Cleantech VC Investment Falls in 2009
Venture capital investors have cautiously begun backing a broader array of clean technology companies.
Morgan Solar Raises Cash for Concentrators
Morgan Solar, a Toronto-based startup developing acrylic solar concentrators, told us today it has raised $8.2 million in its first round of venture-capital funding.
TECHNOLOGY
Microinverters Are the Largest Upgrade for Solar Systems
Homes and businesses joining the solar revolution will be getting a power boost, thanks to state-of-the-art technology that not only will increase solar panel efficiency but also make it easier to install, monitor and service the energy systems.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
S.A.G. Solarstrom Secures 20M for 13.6MW Czech Project
After this bridge loan, which was arranged at short notice by youmex AG, is repaid, S.A.G.expect to conclude negotiations on long-term final financing of the project, which represents an investment of over €60 million.
Canadian Solar Begins Ontario Plant Site Selection
The company will nail down decisions on the specific site, cost and size in the first quarter of 2010 and begin construction soon thereafter.
Moracco to Invite Bids for Solar Station in Feb
Morocco will invite bids for construction of its first solar power station at the end of next month as part of a $9 billion solar energy project, its energy minister said on Wednesday.
Japan Wants to Set up Solar City
Japan says it wants to set up at least one solar city in India out of the 34 that the government is planing to develop during the Eleventh Plan Period.
First Nations Community Awarded for Large Solar Installment
Sum-SHA-Thut, an installation by Canadian solar energy company Home Energy Solutions, was named ‘Solar Project of the Year’ at the 2009 Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) conference.
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