Rise & Shine: March 18, 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
Major California Solar Project Moves Ahead
California regulators on Wednesday recommended that the state’s first new big solar power plant in nearly two decades be approved after a two-and-half-year review of its environmental impact on the Mojave Desert.
CB Richard Ellis Goes Solar
The Los Angeles-based company launched its CBRE Solar program Wednesday, offering services such as solar power purchase agreements, project development and management services, and investment opportunities to clients in the U.S. and Canada.
SPG Solar Completes Large Scale Solar System for JMB Realty
One of the Most Powerful Urban Solar Systems in the Western United States.
Victor Valley College Goes Solar with SolFocus Power Plant
New Solar Plant Uses Earth-Friendly Concentrating Photovoltaic Technology to Supply 30 Percent of Campus Electricity Demand.
Southern California Edison Launches Request for Offers form Independent Power Producers for Solar Program
Last year, the California Public Utilities Commission approved SCE’s plan to generate hundreds of megawatts of emission-free solar power from the rooftops of large industrial buildings in SCE’s service territory.
NATIONAL NEWS
Akeena to Provide Installation Services for Lowe’s
Akeena Solar this week said that it will provide residential installation services for Lowe’s customers in 21 California stores.
Florida Alliance for Renewable Energy Hosts Conference
Energy Security, Job Creation, Investments, and the Family Farm will take center stage at this special event.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
PUC Listens to Proposition 16 Debate
Critics of a PG&E-backed ballot measure that would hamper public power efforts want California energy regulators to jump into the fray.
kWhOURS Aims to Modernize Energy Audits
In the system developed by kWhOURS, auditors can export their Excel spreadsheets or instantly plug it into benchmarking and analysis software like Energy Star and DOE-2.
California’s Smart Meter Battle: Google vs. Utilities
There’s a battle looming in California over smart meters and energy prices.
If You Modernize the Grid, Will Consumers Care?
Part of the problem is the nature of the product–electricity is the ultimate commodity that consumers in the U.S. simply expect to work.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Senators Share Emission Bill’s Details With Industry Groups
Lawmakers at the heart of Senate energy and climate negotiations revealed key details today of their legislative proposal during a closed-door meeting with major industry groups they are courting in hopes of winning over Senate moderates and avoiding an expensive advertising war.
Obama’s Nuclear Madness and the Future of “Clean”
Obama announced the first loan guarantee to the nuclear industry in nearly three decades – a conditional guarantee of $8.2 billion for two proposed nuclear power plants in Georgia.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Agile Energy Secures Funding from Good Energies
Agile Energy’s near-term pipeline consists of approximately 400 MW of solar projects.
Iosil Secures US $13.5M for Polysilicon Production
The investment will allow the company to its polysilicon production pilot facility in one of several locations under consideration.
TECHNOLOGY
Aluminum Maker Eyes Solar Industry
Alcoa, the aluminum giant, is testing a new type of solar technology that it believes will lower the cost of renewable energy.
Intermolecular’s PV Development: R&D in Hyper Drive
Dozens of photovoltaic process experiments on a single wafer.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Morocco: A Sunny Disposition
A solar-powered bonanza beckons. Morocco has virtually no oil or gas of its own and imports 98% of its energy.
Czech Parliament Approves Bill to Scale Back Solar Subsidies
The Czech lower house of parliament Wednesday approved a bill to allow the local energy regulator to sharply reduce the high fixed sale price for electricity produced at new photovoltaic solar generators.
Sahara Desert Solar Project Unlikely to Happen, Liebreich Says
A 400 billion-euro ($550 billion) plan by companies including Siemens AG and Munich Re to develop solar-electricity generators in the Sahara Desert is unlikely to come to fruition in its present form,
Suntech’s Dr. Shi Applauds Australian Feed-in Tariff
Chinese solar PV powerhouse, Suntech, has applauded the Australian state of New South Wales for its adoption of a feed-in tariff (FiT).
Q-Cells Declares 2009 Loss of $1.8B; CEO Resigns Amidst “Huge Loss of Confidence”
They were the number-one cell producer in the world in 2008. What went wrong?
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