Rise & Shine: February 10, 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
DRI Energy Inaugurates Anaheim’s Largest PV System
DRI Energy designed and installed a 500kW system for SA Recycling, a world leader in the metal recycling and processing industry.
CalFirst Would Help Los Gatos Area Homeowners finance Energy Efficiency Projects
A program that would allow homeowners to finance energy efficiency improvements through their property tax bills may get the OK this week.
Legislation Establishes PACE Program in San Francisco
The program makes $150 million in bonding capacity available to private property owners to finance renewable energy improvements, water conservation and energy efficiency through a voluntary special property tax.
NATIONAL NEWS
Mercury Solar Systems Acquisition of EOS Enery Solutions
The acquisition strengthens Mercury’s local footprint and reach on the Eastern seaboard which now spans Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York (Westchester, Long Island and New York’s five boroughs), and Connecticut.
Con Edison Calls for More Solar Power
Con Edison has filed a proposal with the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to support the development of 25 megawatts (MW) of solar energy resources in New York City by 2015.
Solar Distinction to Set Up 25 MW Manufacturing Plant
Solar Distinction Inc. will build a state-of-the-art photovoltaic manufacturing plant in Albuquerque. The plant will employ 300 within two to three years with a potential of up to 500 thereafter.
Evergreen Solar Ships 11.9MW in Last Quarter
The average selling price was US $2.32 per watt, raising the firm’s product gross margins to 11.9% from 7.1%.
Spire Ranked 9th Fastest Growing Public Company in Massachusetts
Spire has been ranked number nine on the Boston Business Journal’s Book of Lists 2010 as one of the Fastest-Growing Public Companies in Massachusetts over the last three years.
SoloPower Settles Lawsuit with Founder
The suit settles for nothing, but the founder gets bought out.
Solar Roundup: HelioVolt. Hoku. Petra. Amonix. ECD
According to the Austin Business Journal, HelioVolt, a once well-funded and well-regarded CIGS PV aspirant, has delayed its job creation commitments by two years in an attempt to preserve some local funding and save face.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Siemens Touts Growth in Renewable and the Value of the American Market
Since acquiring the Danish wind turbine company Bonus Energy in 2004, the German industrial giant Siemens AG, has become one of the larger players in the wind power game with roughly 7 percent of the market.
2010 Outlook for Renewable Energy
Today, top executives in the renewable energy sector gathered to applaud 2009’s strong renewable energy development but emphasized the need for Congress to swiftly enact key policies to continue accelerated growth across the entire sector in order to add jobs and boost economic growth in 2010.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Cleantech to Benefit from Jobs Bill, Not Climate Bill
As the dust settles from Massachusetts Senate election, one thing is clear for cleantech: proposals attached to the jobs bill have much better chance of becoming law than those in the climate bill.
Wind, Solar Groups Push US Renewable Energy Standard
U.S. industry executives from the wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass sectors pushed on Tuesday for a federal renewable energy standard, which they said would foster economic growth and create jobs.
Energy Policy Must Have Some Old, Some New
President Barack Obama says the country must develop cleaner energy technologies while at the same time still relying upon traditional power sources like nuclear and coal.
Big Year Ahead for Solar Industry, if it Can Woo Congress
As 2009 drew to a close, solar companies faced uncertainty as to whether the new year would bring recovery or a continuation of challenges stemming from oversupply and difficult financing
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Evergreen Solar Announces Fourth Quarter Results
Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2009 were $74.5 million, compared to $77.7 million (inclusive of $2.2 million of fees from Sovello) for the third quarter of 2009.
Nexamp Secures $6.5 Million in Venture Financing
This financing will enable Nexamp to further expand its clean energy solution offerings and its presence nationwide.
Energy Conversion Devices Posts Fiscal 2Q Loss
Shares fell 73 cents, or 8.2 percent, to $8.16 in morning trading after touching a 52-week low of $8.01.
Solar Capital Shares Drop in Trading Debut
Shares of investment company Solar Capital Ltd. dropped in its market debut Tuesday after it raised less money than it had hoped for in a weak market for IPOs.
Good Energies Invests in Massachusetts Clean Energy Firm
Amid a state-wide feud over the job creation spin-offs of President Obama’s stimulus package, a Massachusetts clean energy design and construction company announced Tuesday that it has raised $6.5 million in venture financing to help underwrite a national expansion strategy.
REC ASA – 4th Quarter and Full Year 2009
Revenue for the full year 2009 amounted to NOK 9,156 million, which was also a 12 percent increase from 2008.
TECHNOLOGY
SBM Solar’s Non Glass C-Si Solar Certified by UI
SBM Solar said that its non-glass PV modules are 40% lighter than glass, capable of withstanding rain, hail, high winds, and lightning, customizable in shapes, sizes, and colors, as well as equipped with 14 watts of C-Si solar cells per square foot.
IBM’s New Solar Cell: It’s CTZSS!
It doesn’t really roll off the tongue as easily as CIGS, but IBM says that its new solar cell could potentially lower the price of solar power in the future.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Financial Crisis Paves the Way for Chinese Solar Giants
What did not kill the Chinese companies made them stronger, especially in terms of product cost and market access.
Japan’s Solar Panel Sales rise to Record on Subsidy
The figure is the highest since 1981, when the group started releasing data. Domestic sales more than doubled to 483.96 megawatts, while exports fell 2.4 percent to 903.07 megawatts.
Spain Plans New Cut in Photovoltaic Solar Subsidies
New regulation for solar feed-in tariffs is being prepared, but the spokesman couldn’t say when and by how much the government plans to lower the subsidies.
Australia Solar Program Costs Rise A$850 Million, Review Says
Australia’s household solar panel program cost almost seven times as much as expected with an A$850 million ($745 million) rise in expenses as demand outstripped supply, the Australian Financial Review reported.
Solar Power Inc Enters Sales Agreement with Spain’s Annerher S.L. to Establish More Dealers
Under the terms of the agreement, Annerher will represent the Yes! Solar PowerTM dealer program and sales of the Company’s Yes! Energy SeriesTM residential photovoltaic (PV) solar products and integrated solutions, as well as SPI’s commercial solar solutions.
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