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
Solaria Commences Shipments of Solar Modules
The new modules provide electric utilities, project developers and system integrators with the most cost effective and reliable PV module for large scale solar installations.

NATIONAL NEWS
Phoenix Solar Signs Thin Film Accord With California Company
Phoenix Solar AG signed an agreement with MiaSole Inc. of Santa Clara, California, to take delivery of thin-film panels that generate electricity from the sun, helping to expand the German company’s sales product range.

Empire to Install Arizona’s Largest Commercial Solar Rooftop System
2.4 Megawatt SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile Solar Power Chosen for Phoenix Warehouse.

SolarBridge Spans Gaps in Solar With New $15M
The company produces a small component of photovoltaic systems, but could make a big difference in how solar is used.

Stealthy Solar Startup Senergen Shuts Down
Next-generation solar company funded by VantagePoint and Trident Capital shuttered before it even gets to unstealth.

FIT Coalition Launches North America Campaign
The FIT Coalition this week announced that it intends to push for the largest comprehensive Feed-in Tariff (FIT) in North America.

UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Senators Hear About SmartMeter Woes
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers have experienced the vast majority of problems with SmartMeters in California, though a company official told a state Senate committee Monday that the problems affect fewer than 1 percent of people who have had the meters installed.

Independent Tests of SmartMeters Needed
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced last week that it would test its new SmartMeters side by side with the old-style meters to allay customers’ fears that the new meters overstate electricity use. Right idea, wrong tester.

PG&E Details Technical Problems with SmartMeters
After months of denying any technical problems with its SmartMeter program, PG&E publicly detailed a range of glitches Monday affecting tens of thousands of the digital meters.

Solar Power Heats Up as Costs Drop, Electric Rates Rise
The Midwest gets plenty of sunshine — more than Germany, which uses more solar power than any other country. Kansas City has the same percentage of annual sunshine as San Antonio, for example, and Dodge City, Kan., has as much as Miami

FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Sharp Forecasts Highest Profit in 3 Years
Sharp Corp beat market expectations with a forecast for annual operating profit to more than double to its highest in three years, after it swung to a quarterly profit on strong sales of display and solar panels.

Engyco Says IPO on Track, Underpinned by Spanish Solar Tariffs
Engyco said it’s pushing ahead to raise as much as 1 billion euros ($1.33 billion) in a initial stock offering, supported by a new report on rates paid in Spain for solar power.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Iberdola, EDP Units Rise After Minister’s Comments
Iberdrola Renovables SA and EDP Renovaveis SA rose after Spanish Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian said his government won’t impose “retroactive” cuts on the price of renewable power.

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures and BP Solar Partner on 37 MW of PV Systems
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) and BP Solar signed an agreement yesterday to construct solar projects totalling 37.1 MW in Italy.

SunEdison to Develop Solar PV Program for Remington
SunEdison, a division of MEMC Electronic Materials, will construct up to fourteen roof-top solar photovoltaic projects with capacity totaling up to 3 Megawatts for The Remington Group, one of the leading real estate developers in Ontario.

Oncor Extends Solar Photovoltaic Incentive Program
Oncor announced an extension to its Solar Photovoltaic (PV) program, which offers incentives for the installation of qualifying Solar PV systems.

CLP to Set Up Thai Solar Farm, Wind Plants in India
CLP Holdings Ltd., Hong Kong’s biggest electricity producer, will build a solar farm in Thailand and set up three wind projects in India as the utility turns to clean energy sources to generate power.

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
Dollars and Daggers in California’s Energy
In California, a state where government-by-ballot-proposition has been raised to a high art, energy companies are pouring millions of dollars into efforts to protect their interests.

Camp Tamarancho to Receive New Solar Panels
Novato solar company SPG Solar Inc. plans to install a new solar panel system for free this weekend at Camp Tamarancho, a Boy Scout camp outside Fairfax.

Near Blythe, Historian Sees Solar Plants as Threat to Desert Carvings
Three major installations are planned in the vicinity of Blythe.

NATIONAL NEWS
Sharp Inaugurates PV System on Manufacturing Plant
This system, comprised of 790 Sharp solar modules, is one of the largest solar arrays in Tennessee.

Mercury Solar Teams Up With NREL on Testing
NREL will extract data for its own long-term research from Mercury Solar System’s solar test-bed, the first solar photovoltaic testing facility in the Northeast.

BrightView Systems Named Solar Energy “Cool Vendor” by Leading Analyst Fir
Enterprises considering the use of on site solar power generation, vendors in the PV industry and investors will benefit from this insight into some of the up and coming solar players.

Pew Report Says Air Force is Going Green
The Air Force has cut its energy consumption by 20 percent in the past six years, but it still has work to do, according to a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Mercury News Interview: DickSwanson, Founder & President of SunPower
Silicon Valley reveres its pioneers. And in the solar industry, Dick Swanson, the founder and president of San Jose-based SunPower, is a true technology legend.

UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Mayor’s Green Energy Goals Could be in Jeopardy After Electric Rate Battle
The city’s lack of funds to buy clean-burning energy can be traced back to a 2006 decision by the Villaraigosa administration.

New England to Upgrade Electric Grid to Cut Bills
Power companies in New England are beginning work on a nearly half-billion-dollar plan to upgrade the region’s electric grid to make way for appliances that can shut down to reduce electric bills, improve energy conservation and connect to wind and solar energy.

MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Making America a 21st Century Solar Power
Solar Power presents opportunities in the United States that cannot be overstated.

FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Ex-Im Bank to Speed Financing of US Solar Exports
The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has launched its new “Solar Express” product that the banks said will provide streamlined financing for U.S. exports to small solar-energy projects that could be approved in as few as 60 days.

FRV to Invest 125M Euros in 37W of PV Projects
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) and BP Solar have signed an agreement to develop and build solar photovoltaic (PV) projects totalling 37.1 megawatts (MW) in Italy. FRV will invest €125 million [US $167 million] for these new projects.

$15M VC Round for Microinverter Firm SolarBridge
New funding gets the ACPV module startup to production—and provides a path to cash-flow positive.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Chevron and GreenGulf Sign Agreement to Study Solar Energy in Qatar
he research will be performed at Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP).

Solar Industry Divided Over EU Toxic Substances Law
The European solar industry has begun a campaign to exclude photovoltaic solar panels from the recast directive on the restriction of certain hazardous substances (RoHS), which is currently being debated by the EU institutions.

DuPont and Oerlikon Launch New Photovoltaic Encapsulant
Choosing or creating the right material not only speeds module production, but can significantly improve long-term power output and module durability.

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
SunPower and Flextronics Partner on 75 MW US Module Assembly Plant
The SunPower and Flextronics partnership is expected to create approximately 100 new jobs this year, and produce 75 megawatts of SunPower solar panels annually.

Solar Panels Stolen from Roof of Pacifica School
Police say sometime between March 24 and April 5 thieves pulled off 108 panels from the school’s roof.

NATIONAL NEWS
Panda Solar Ventures and Con Edison to Develop Utility Scale Projects
The agreement initially calls for the development of two solar photovoltaic farms, between 15-20 megawatts in size, with the prospect of additional solar projects to be announced at a later date.

McCormick Adds More Solar Power from Constellation Energy
This will be the largest single rooftop solar installation in Maryland, and is the second solar installation developed for McCormick by Constellation Energy.

Solar Power to the People, With a Lot of Public Help
In a business arrangement becoming common for solar projects like this, the project developer, Solar Power Partners, installed, owns and operates the system.

IKEA Installing 600kW of Solar PV at Arizona Store
Pending remaining governmental permits, installation of solar panels on the roof of the store will begin in May, with completion expected in the fall.

Catalog Offers Mail Order Home: This One’s Solar
Real Goods Solar Inc. has been selling solar panels for homes for years, but its latest mail-order catalog goes one step further: The Louisville (LOO’-iss-vil), Colo., company offers a whole solar house, with a choice of traditional or cedar siding.

US Solar Industry Urges Action on the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day
Resolve to take action says Rhone Resch: install solar energy, signing Solar Bill of Rights and extending Treasury Grant Program are three ways to make a difference now

UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Commission Approves 500 MW Solar Program
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today authorized a five-year solar photovoltaic program to develop up to 500 megawatts of solar PV facilities in the range of 1 to 20 MW in Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) service area.

Villaraigosa Blames Bureaucrats for DWP’s Resistance to Change
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had unusually sharp words Wednesday for unidentified high-level bureaucrats within the city’s Department of Water and Power.

MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Solar Industry Leaders Push to Overcome Technical and Market Barriers
More than 300 solar industry executives spent Earth Day at a summit dedicated to “Accelerating the Solar Economy.”

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
What Ails Solar and Wind? Not Enough Lobbyists
Washington D.C.-General Wesley Clark today called upon the solar and wind developers of the United States to hire consultants from K Street.

Sungevity Calls for Solar PV’s Return the White House
This week, Sungevity and a coalition of other companies and solar industry groups called on the Obama Administration to install solar panels on the roof of the White House for good.

TECHNOLOGY
Solar Cell Film Creation Advanced Reported
U.S. and South Korean scientists say they’ve made a breakthrough in the use of continuous flow microreactors to produce thin film absorbers for solar cells.

REC Introduces Peak Energy Module
Sandvika, Norway-based REC has released the Peak Energy Module, the company’s first commercial product to be produced at its new manufacturing facility in Singapore.

Trina Launches Utility Scale Solar Photovoltaic Module
Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Trina Solar Ltd., has released a new utility-scale solar module: TSM-PC14. The company will formally unveil the new TSM-PC14 in May at Solarexpo 2010 in Verona, Italy.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
United Solar Develops a Taste for Coca-Cola in Italy
United Solar Ovonic, and ContourGlobal today announced plans to co-develop rooftop solar systems for buildings in Italy owned and operated by Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company S.A. (CCH).

Renovalia Says Spain Won’t Cut Existing Rates
Renovalia Energy SA, the Spanish renewable-power producer, sees no chance of the government reducing rates earned by existing clean-energy plants, co-owner Juan Domingo Ortega said today.

German Coalition Agrees on Solar Power Cuts
Germany’s ruling coalition will only make slight changes to planned reductions in solar power incentives, sources told Reuters late Thursday, with the brunt of the cuts to remain unchanged.

Is China Putting the Brakes on its Solar Program?
With international demand picking up, the Chinese government will likely curtail its domestic plans.

The Rise & Shine is your daily source for all solar-industry news. Brought to you by Sweet Solar Home and the Experts at SunRun.

NATIONAL NEWS
Online Vt. Atlas Aim to Promote Renewable Energy
People curious about installing a solar electric system can find their location on the map, roughly measure annual sunshine and find links to local companies that do solar installations.

Earth Day 2010: Solar Panels Provide Electricity, Profit for Homeowners
Spinney, who participates in the SunRun program, loves the lower electric bills.

For a 40th Anniversary Earth Day Gift, Solar Companies Offer Free Solar System to the White House
A group of solar manufacturers, installers, and solar advocates from across America are offering the White House a unique Earth Day gift: Free solar power systems.

New York Gets US $40M in PACE Funds
The programs are entirely voluntary. There is no requirement for municipalities to create PACE programs, or for homeowners to participate in them.

Wisconsin Warms to Solar Energy Development
Wisconsin ranks eighth in the nation in solar installations with 724

Businesses Wait for Green Energy Payback
In recent years, several federal and state programs have emerged to help owners cover part of the cost of pricey alternative-energy investments such as solar panels and wind turbines.

Furniture Maker’s Solar Plans Will Boost Bottom Line
A Holly Springs furniture company is going green in a big way, and getting some national attention for it.

Echo Molding Celebrates One Year Anniversary of their Solar Power Installation
Echo Molding Inc., an industry leader in injection molding, is celebrating the one year anniversary of their solar energy system installation.

UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
GE to Study Impact of High Solar Energy Penetration on the Grid
GE researchers are working with Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest electric utility, to understand how large amounts of solar can best be integrated into today’s grid. APS, along with four partners, including GE, recently was awarded a $3.3 million High Penetration Solar Deployment grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Duke Energy Selects 10 Additional Sites for Innovative Solar Program
The company launched the program in October 2009, when roof space was leased from four large manufacturing and commercial facilities for placement of solar panels. Today, the company is advancing the program by announcing 10 new sites.

PG&E to Run SmartMeter vs. Analog Test
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced Wednesday that it will test its controversial SmartMeters side by side with older analog meters at 150 homes, in the utility’s latest effort to defuse public suspicions about the new devices.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Obama’s Gambit to Marry US Policies on Environment and Energy
The president has integrated energy security goals with environment policy, focusing on renewable power. But his effort won’t succeed, analysts say, unless Congress agrees to put a price on carbon emissions.

FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Amonix Secures $129.4 Million in Private Equity Financing
Amonix, Inc., a manufacturer of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power systems, has raised a $129.4 million Series B financing round led by Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Construction Starts on 4 MW of PV Systems in Puglia, Italy
Etrion Corporation, a Canadian energy company, announced today an update on the construction of its initial 4 megawatt (MW) solar power project in Puglia, Italy.

Trina Partners with Enfinity for Solar Rooftop Projects
The Belgian-Euro Pavilion will use about 700 Trina modules for the 160kW system.

Ontario’s FIT Program: Domestic Content and Other Conundrums
On Thursday evening, April 29, Ontario Solar Network will host its inaugural monthly networking event in which leaders within the province’s solar energy industry will discuss Opportunities & Challenges in Ontario’s FIT Program.

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
South San Francisco Unified Considers Solar Project to Save Money
South San Francisco Unified is joining a growing list of school districts considering or already pursuing solar power in the hopes of achieving millions of dollars in reduced utility costs and new revenue over the long haul.

MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Solar Power Sales Will Almost Double This Year, Isuppli Says
Global sales of solar power panels will jump 94 percent this year as developers rush to install systems before cuts in government incentives, according to industry publisher Isuppli.

Home Solar Panels Doubled Electric Output Last Year
Homes generated twice as much power from rooftop solar panels last year than  in 2008,  says a new report by the solar power industry.

Solar Industry Created 17,000 Jobs, 441 MW in 2009
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the good news for solar.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Renewable Funding to Support Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Programs in Santa Fe, NM, Santa Barbara County, CA, and State of Louisiana
PACE allows property owners to avoid upfront costs of renewable energy and energy efficiency retrofits, repay through assessment on property over time

FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
A Big Bet on Solar Technology
The venture firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and other investors are making a big bet on Amonix, a company in Southern California that has spent 20 years developing concentrating photovoltaic power systems that resemble gigantic solar panels.

Energy Conversion Devices to Announce Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2010 results on Monday May 10, 2010
In conjunction with the release, ECD management will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Monday, May 10.

Canadian Solar Updates Expectations For Q1 2010
Canadian Solar today announced that based on selected unaudited financial results, it now expects PV module shipments in the first quarter of 2010 to be approximately 189 MW to 191 MW, with gross margins at 13% to 13.5%.

BP to Invest $8B in Alternate Energy Through 2015
In the UK, BP Alternative Energy Chief Executive Katrina Landis told Reuters that the company expects to invest $1.3 billion in alternative energy in 2010, and will invest a total of $8.0 billion through 2015.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
German Government Approves Solar R&D Subsidy
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet approved plans on Wednesday to grant 100 million euros in support for the solar power industry to overcome resistance in parliament to its plans to cut state-mandated incentives.

Spain May Cut Rates for Existing Solar Plants, Government Says
Spain is studying whether to cut prices paid for renewable energy retroactively, a step that would reduce the estimated returns of clean-power projects already in operation.

Italy Rumored to be Considering Quarterly Solar Subsidy Adjustments
Such measures could have a positive influence on the solar industry by allowing more flexible and timely modification of feed-in tariff (FIT) rates, according to industry sources.

OPEL Solar, Inc. and Tecneira, S.A. Launch Partnership with 1 MW Solar Plant
OPEL Solar, Inc., a developer and supplier of high concentration photovoltaic solar panels and other solar products, including ground-based and rooftop tracker systems, has signed an agreement with Tecneira, S.A., the Portugal renewable energy company of the ProCME Group.

Suntech Supplies Solar Panels to Sydney’s Town Hall
Suntech just announced that it has supplied the Town Hall building in Sydney, Australia, with a 48kW rooftop installation.

Etrion Provides SunPower Construction Update for 4MW Solar Project in Italy
Etrion Corporation announced today an update on the construction of its initial 4 megawatt (MW) solar power project in Puglia, Italy.

Solar in France
Recurrent Energy of San Francisco said Tuesday that it will partner with a French firm to develop solar power projects throughout France.

16 Spectacular Solar Arrays You Must See
Explore the gallery below to see 15 more of the world’s most impressive solar arrays.

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
County Studies Solar Plant at Palmdale Airport
Solar power could generate energy without interfering with plans for facility, which closed in 2008, officials say.

County’s Solar Power Systems Are on a Tear
When the sun shines in San Diego County, more than 3,600 power systems quietly turn its light into electrons.

Plugging in to a Leaner, Cleaner Energy Future
The $25 million warehouse, known as ICE II, has solar panels on the roof, super-thick foam walls and LED lighting to keep the temperature at around 0 degrees.

Interest in Rooftop Solar Surges to 500MW in California Last MOnth
Molly Sterkel, CSI project manager for the California Public Utilities Commission, says the 50MW is an indication of strong state wide demand for solar incentives “despite the slow pace of economic recovery in the building sector”.

NATIONAL NEWS
Empire to Install Arizona’s Largest Commercial Solar Rooftop System
The 2.4-megawatt SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile system chosen for this rooftop represents approximately 6.5 acres of solar panels. The installation is scheduled to begin immediately.

NCMPA1 and Duke Energy Partner on Commercial Solar Project in Shelby, NC
NCMPA1, which serves the city of Shelby, will buy all of the output from the one-megawatt (MW) Shelby Solar Project under the terms of a 20-year power purchase agreement with Duke Energy Generation Services (DEGS), a Duke Energy Commercial Businesses unit.

One Block Off the Grid (1BOG) Introduces New Orleans Solar Group Purchase Campaign
Homeowners interested in solar power will be eligible for a discounted rate of $6.65 per watt through local installer South Coast Solar, as well as free education, support and online tools.

SolarWorks NJ Awarded 1.5MW PV Contract
The system is estimated to generate approximately 2,227,620 kilowatt hours per year.

Solar Plans Knocked in New Mexico
A New Mexico power utility’s plan to go green through solar power is running into opposition from those who say it will wind up costing consumers too much.

Clean Energy Depot Opens the Largest Solar Panel Distribution Center on East Coast US
Clean Energy Depot Inc. opens the largest solar panel distribution center on east coast U.S. Unlike most of other distributors, we have large in stock solar panels.

Alteris Renewables and SunPower Partner to Put Solar on Habitat for Humanity Home in Millbury MA
Alteris Renewables and SunPower, lead by Alteris’ Worcester-county solar energy specialist Greg Coppolino, have recently donated the installation of a 2.76kW Sunpower solar electricity system using 12 Sunpower 230-WHT modules and a SPR-3000 inverter.

Yuma Goes Solar with Shade Panels
The sunshades will be solar panels that will provide the electricity needed to keep the lights on and computers humming at the airport’s passenger terminal.

Mayo Installing Solar Panels
Mayo Clinic is going solar. The clinic announced plans Monday to install 500 solar panels. It is a move becoming part of a grown trend.

Los Alamos Lab Schedules Energy Town Hall
Speakers also will discuss such topics as solar energy, biofuels, smart grid technology and Los Alamos lab’s perspective on renewable energy.

Acro Energy Strengthens its Management Team with Darren Rawson
Rawson is responsible for Acro’s California sales and operations.

FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Evergreen Solar Announces Selected Preliminary First Quarter 2010 Results
Shipments for the first quarter of 2010 increased to a new Company record of approximately 35.4 megawatts.

Solar Thin Films, Inc. Reports Annual Financial Results
Revenues Increase by More Than 153% to $8,720,938; Net Loss Is Reduced by More Than 97% to $202,860.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
OSolar Receives 1 MW Tracking System Order
OSolar Ltd., a photovoltaic engineering company, is expanding its global presence with a long-term strategic partnership with Longyuan (Beijing) Carbon Asset Management Technology Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of China Guodian Group.

Centrosolar Expands Manufacturing Capacity
The official opening event to mark the production start was attended by representatives of the company and Reinhard Bütikofer, Deputy Floor Leader of the Greens in the European Parliament.

Recurrent Energy and BlueWatt Sign Joint Development Agreement for Rooftop Distributed Solar Power Projects in France
Under the terms of the agreement, BlueWatt shall seek to develop and co-invest in rooftop based solar power projects with major real estate firms in France.

Ninggui City Could be First Solar Powered City in China
A Chinese tellurium mining company, Apollo Solar Energy, has signed a non-binding letter of intent with the Ningguo Municipal Government to begin a joint venture to design, build and run a 30×50 square kilometre solar city in Anhui Province, China.

Renewable Energy to Sell Solar Panels from Singapore Plant
Renewable Energy Corp. ASA, the Norwegian maker of solar-energy components, plans to sell solar panels made at its plant in Singapore to India, South Korea, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand, Chief Operating Officer John Andersen said in an interview by videoconference from Oslo today.

Saudi Arabia Solar Announcement
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, plans to become an expert in another, cleaner field of energy by investing in solar power, the country’s oil minister said in an interview.

Solar Energy: Enormous Ontario Potential
Canadian scientists say solar power production in southeastern Ontario can potentially produce nearly the same amount of power of all U.S. nuclear reactors.

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
Twentieth Century Fox Selects Solar Power, Inc. for 158 kW Solar System
Solar Power, Inc. has been contracted by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation to design and install a 158 kW DC solar photovoltaic system at the Fox Studios Lot located in Century City, California.

Solar Industry Goes Through Shakeout
For more than a year, the Bay Area’s solar power industry has endured a brutal shakeout.

Solaria Announces New Appointments
Solar module manufacturer, Solaria Corporation has announced the appointments of Bruce Dickinson as Vice President of Sales and Stri Zulch as Vice President of Marketing. Dickinson was most recently Director of Business Development and Sales Leader at Chevron Energy Solutions.

SolarCity Opens Fourth Installation Office in Southern California
The company says its crews work on 20 installations or more on a typical day in Southern California. It also has offices in Culver City, Santa Ana and San Diego.

NATIONAL NEWS
NJ Solar Outlook is Partly Cloudy
While rebates, federal tax credits and energy credits have fueled the industry’s steady growth, the goal now seems to be to reduce or eliminate those incentives and have solar stand on its own.

Matinee Energy Signs a Solar Energy MOU with Hyundai Heavy Industries and LG Electronics
Matinee Energy, Inc. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding and formed a strategic alliance with Hyundai Heavy Industries Company Ltd. and LG Electronics, Inc. , both of Korea.

MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
PV Inverter Market Sees 30% Growth During 2009
The PV inverter market saw record shipments of more than 8 GW during 2009 according to market analysts, IMS Research.

Breakout Year Expected as Solar Sector Posts 37% Growth
The solar industry is expecting 2010 to be a “breakout year”, as new figures showed strong growth in 2009, despite the recession – particularly in the residential market.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Tax Cuts, Renewable Energy Grants Attract Unlikely Allies
They might seem like strange traveling companions, but solar power companies and chemical manufacturers are riding the same bandwagon to urge Congress and the Obama administration to expand tax cuts and grants for clean energy.

Senate Leaders Says No Agreement on Clean Energy
A massive bill laying out sweeping renewable energy goals for Wisconsin could be in serious trouble as the legislative session winds down.

Green Diplomacy at its Most Basic Level
Efforts are quickly gathering momentum, particularly in European countries and the United States, to make embassies more environmentally friendly in climate-conscious times.

TECHNOLOGY
China and Korea Join to Develop New Nanomaterials for Flexible Solar Cells
The project will focus on nanotechnology for developing new flexible solar cells.

Harnessing Solar Power on a Smaller Scale
Graetzel got the idea for dye-sensitized cells from green leaves – nature’s mini solar panels – that absorb light which is quickly photosynthesized into energy.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
LDK Solar Reaches 2 GW Wafer Production Capacity
LDK Solar today announced that it reached the milestone of 2.0 gigawatts (GW) annualized capacity at its wafer plant.

Germany Likely to Finalize 2011 Solar Subsidy Cuts at Upcoming Review
With the new rate set to take effect on July 1, a final decision is very likely. Speculations of the rate slash ranges from 16% to under 10%.

Solar Mission to Award Projects Based on Tariff Discounts
Solar project developers offering the best discount on a tariff to be notified by the electricity regulator will figure higher in the pecking order during the allocation of identified projects under the Solar Mission programme.

China, Southeast Asia Need to Invest Extra $1.6T for Sustainable Energy by 2030
China and Southeast Asia need to boost investment in renewable energy by $1.6 trillion to slow growth in greenhouse gas emissions over the next 20 years, the World Bank said Monday.

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
Can the US or California Institute a Feed-in Tariff?
The “Renewable Portfolio Standard in California has failed.” The way to grow the PV market in the U.S. is with a Feed-in Tariff, according to the FIT Coalition.

German Solar Firms Get Warm Welcome in California Market
California hopes to use 33 percent renewable energy by 2020, making it an attractive market for Geman solar companies.

NATIONAL NEWS
Spire Solar Systems Leverages Rapidly Growing Northeast Market
The solar power systems will be located on the big box retail facilities owned by BJ’s in Ledgewood, NJ; Flemington, NJ; South Attleboro, MA and Leominster, MA. Electricity will be provided to BJ’s under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Tioga Energy.

UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
New Hampshire Senate Approves Increased Net Metering
Current law limits the size of eligible generators to 100 kW. The new legislation allows generators up to 1 MW.

Nearly 5% Electric Rate Hike Approved by DWP Board
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s appointees at the Department of Water and Power approved a 4.8% electric rate increase Thursday, with utility officials warning that the political standoff over the issue had put the city’s renewable energy goals in jeopardy.

Leno Bill Would Let Rate Payers Weigh in Before PG&E Claims Profits
The measure would require ratepayer approval before a public utility company can transfer profits to their shareholding company.

PUC Waited too Long to Tell PG&E to Back Off
The scolding that Pacific Gas & Electric Co. just got for its over-the-top campaign urging Marin ratepayers to opt out of the new public power authority was much deserved, if overdue.

Belvedere and Fairfax First to Sign Up for 100%Renewable Electricity
Belvedere and Fairfax have become the first two municipal governments in Marin to sign up for Marin Clean Energy’s so-called “deep green” option, which guarantees their electricity will come from 100 percent renewable sources.

MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Solar Growth Slows With Homes a Glaring Exception
A new report from a solar industry group found that the pace of solar installations slowed last year amid the economic downturn.

Solar Power Firms Add 481MW in 2009
U.S. solar power developers including Toledo-born First Solar Inc. and SunPower Corp. added 481 megawatts of the renewable energy last year, according to the Solar Energy Industry Association.

Solar Industry Revenue Spikes 36%in 2009, Says Trade Troup
And California continues to dominate, according to an annual report released Thursday morning by the trade group.

Growing Pains
The price of solar panels is falling fast enough to hurt Western manufacturers, but it is not yet low enough to make the sun a competitive source of electricity.

FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
SunPower Secures Three-Year, $350 Million Letter of Credit Facility
The new facility, which initially provides for a maximum issuance of $350 million in letters of credit but, at the agreement of the parties, may be increased to a maximum of $400 million.

Worldwide Energy and Manufacturing USA Announces Record Revenue for Fiscal Year 2009
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, net income before tax was $0.78 million compared to net income of $4.18 million in the same period of 2008.

GT Solar Jumps Most in 4 Months as Analyst Sees Sales Doubling
GT Solar International Inc., a supplier of equipment to solar-cell manufacturers, surged the most since December after an analyst at Wunderlich Securities forecast sales will double in two to five years.

TECHNOLOGY
Norwegian Solar Grade Silicon Looks for Bright Future
A Norwegian producer of solar-grade silicon, Elkem Solar, has combined basic and applied research to develop production methods that cut costs and consume less energy than conventional silicon production.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Conergy Erects 3 MW PV System
Conergy AG has erected in India one of the largest photovoltaic plants in the country. With the 3-megawatt-strong power plant, Conergy will contribute to the power supply of the local rural population around the city of Itnal situated in the province of Karnataka.

Sino-American Silicon May Enter US Solar Module Market
Sino-American Silicon Products Inc. of Taiwan plans to enter the U.S. market for solar modules amid reports that the Obama Administration will start to push clean-energy bill after winning Congressional approval on the health care bill.

Iberdola Signs 50MW PPA with We Energies
We Energies will purchase 50 megawatts (MW) of energy from Iberdrola Renewables’ Barton Wind Power Project in operation near Kensett, Iowa.

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
Enphase Microinverters Power 221kW Solar System for San Francisco Affordable Housing
Enphase Energy’ss microinverter technology is powering two solar systems installed on San Francisco affordable housing properties Hayes Valley North and Hayes Valley South. Combined, the two systems produce 221kW of power.

Affordable Housing Goes Downtown
High-rise living with expansive bay and city views, ample outdoor terraces, easy access to public transit and, most importantly, deeply affordable rents are what await 229 low-income households next month when a 23-story tower opens in downtown San Diego.

NFL Hall of Fame Ronnie Lott to Inspire Industry Leaders at Solar Leadership Summit Dinner
SolarTech Commits to Lott’s Non-profit Organization, All Stars Helping Kids, Motivating Students for Future Solar Energy Careers.

NATIONAL NEWS
Kohl’s Department Store Announces Plans to Go Solar at 10 Colorado Stores
The largest retail host of solar power in North America, today announced plans to convert 10 of its 23 Colorado Kohl’s stores to solar power by the end of this year.

Solar Thin Films Inc Acquire BudaSolar Technologies Co
The agreement is the first phase of the Dalian City Industrial Park Project targeting the development of a complex, vertically integrated production center with cumulative PV production capacity of 1GW to be achieved in 10 phases.

Oerlikon Doing Well With Tandem-Junction a-Si
“By the end of the year, our customers will be in a position to compete with First Solar, the PV Industry’s cost leader.” What is Oerlikon Solar doing differently?

Geogenix JoinsWith NJR Home Services to Provide Easy, Affordable Solar Energy
GeoGenix, an industry leader in residential and commercial solar installations, has been selected by NJR Home Services (NJRHS) to provide installation and maintenance of renewable energy systems through the company’s new solar leasing program.

Solar America Cities Effort to Expand
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) this week announced that it will make available up to $10 million in funding over 5 years for two organizations to help accelerate the adoption of solar energy among local governments.

BP Solar Completes year Long Restructuring
BP Solar confirmed that it has completed it restructuring efforts that included stopping production at its facility in Maryland. Silicon casting, wafering, and cell manufacturing at the plant ended in late March.

UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Los Angeles Businesses Contemplate Ambitious Solar Feed-in Tariff Scenarios
This particular group is pretty bullish on the idea. In fact, their study encourages the county to start what it is describing as the largest solar feed-in tariff programs in the United States.

Oncor Putting $6.9M More Into Popular Solar Panel Program
Oncor Electric Delivery is pumping $6.9 million more into its program to provide rebates for installation of solar photovoltaic panels at homes and businesses.

MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Does Solar Have a Future in Tomorrow’s Market?
The solar market may be booming at the factory, but there’s a lot of work left to do in the trenches.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
SEIA Submits Testimony for House Ways and Means Committee Hearing
Despite recession, the solar industry added new jobs in 2009, but Congress must do more to drive job growth in 2010 and beyond.

FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
9REN Approves 94M Euros of Further Photovoltaic Investment for 2010
The board of directors of 9REN Asset has earmarked a further €91 million to roll out a further 25 MW of photovoltaic arrays across Italy and Spain.

Renewed Appetite for IPOs Set to Boost Solar and Wind Power
The biggest revival in stock prices since the Great Depression is reigniting interest in initial public offerings by environmental companies, spurring businesses from China to California to issue new shares.

Why I Am Short First Solar
A technology, to be a really great investment, must do two things. It must change part of the world in a useful way (a big part of the world is better, of course, but you can be surprisingly profitable in small niches), and it must keep the competition out.

TECHNOLOGY
Further Software Developments for Optimizing PV Plant Profitability
The improved application will be on show at Intersolar in June.

Innovative Cable Tray Makes the Solar FlexRack Even Easier to Deploy
Once the racks are installed, the next challenge is wire management. And once again, the Solar FlexRack makes it easy with its new and innovative cable tray system.

Solar & Wind Material Advancement On Tap
Saflex, a business unit of Solutia, is launching a solar encapsulate that it claims helps increase the efficiency of the solar module while reducing material usage.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
LDK Solar Receives Module Order from Phoenix Solar
LDK Solar has signed a contract to supply solar modules to Germany-based Phoenix Solar AG. Under terms of the agreement, LDK Solar will deliver approximately 20 megawatts (MW) of solar modules during the second calendar quarter of 2010.

EOS Energia to Build 10 MW of Photovoltaic Greenhouses
EOS Energia will manage the design, procurement and construction of these greenhouses and 10 MW of solar modules and it will ensure these plants will be connected this year.

Proinso Awarded 7.5 MW of Solar Farm Contracts in Greece
Spanish company, Proinso specializing in the distribution of modules, inverters, trackers and fixed structures for photovoltaic systems, has been awarded the supply of various solar photovoltaic farms in Greece that will together amount to more than 7.54 MW of installed capacity.

Yingli Green Energy Announces Business Updates
Yingli Green Energy provided updates on Fine Silicon, its in-house polysilicon manufacturing facility with a designed annual production capacity of 3,000 MT.

Trina Solar Introduces New “Design Series” with Black Modules
The Company has developed a high efficiency black module, the first of several new PV modules in the “Design-Series”, which aims to blend seamlessly with dark- colored rooftops, offering customers sleek design as well as aesthetically pleasing and reliable solutions for residential and commercial applications.

Suntech, Trina Solar Sign $11.7B Loan Deals
Suntech and Trina have signed framework agreements with China Development Bank (CDB) [CHDB.UL], giving them access to a combined 80 billion yuan ($11.72 billion) in loans.

Egypt in Talks with Masdar on Solar Power Plan
The Egyptian government is in talks with Abu Dhabi state-owned clean energy firm Masdar to help fund a solar power plant along the eastern Red Sea coast, an official has revealed.

Solar Power: India Inc Lines Up RS 100,000-Crore Plants
Punj Lloyd Delta Renewables is just four months old.

Ontario Solar Academy Redefines Solar Training within Canadian Context
Ontario Solar Academy graduates latest crop of students from its 5-Day PV Design and Installation Training Course.

Proinso &Mecasolar Awarded 7.5MW of PV Contracts
The agreements include the supply of 2.65 MW of 2-axis trackers from Mecasolar, a company who together with Proinso forms part of Grupo OPDE.

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
Tofu Manufacturer House Foods America Goes Solar
House Foods America Corporation, one of the largest fresh tofu manufacturers in the United States, has contracted Blue Oak Energy to install a new 215kW photovoltaic solar array on their state-of-art manufacturing facility in Garden Grove, California.

Solar Powered Plans for Lafayette BART Station
All the talk of solar-powered gadgets and gizmos here at EastBayDaze must be rubbing off as we are hearing of plans to install a solar carport at the Lafayette BART station.

Borrego Solar Systems and Sunwheel Energy Partners Bring More Than 645kW of Solar Energy to Five Affordable Housing Sites
Borrego and Sunwheel Energy Partners today announced a partnership to bring more than 645 kW of solar energy to five affordable housing facilities across Southern California.

NATIONAL NEWS
Company Installing Solar Power for Free in Colorado
SunRun Pays For Install; Homeowner Pays For Power.

Two New Enemies: Solar and PACE
A program designed to make energy efficiency cheap has pit solar installers against retrofitters. The problem is that solar panels generally can’t qualify for PACE funding until other fixes have been accomplished.

Massachusetts Awards $4M Stimulus Money to 56 Solar Project
Massachusetts has awarded $4 million in rebates from the second round of its Commonwealth Solar Stimulus program to 56 solar power projects representing 4MW of generating capacity.

Energy Conversion Devices Wins Contract from Lidl Supermarket
Energy Conversion Devices today announced that its United Solar Ovonic subsidiary has been selected to install flexible light weight UNI-SOLAR(R) brand solar photovoltaic laminates on mutiple logistics buildings operated by Lidl, a European discount supermarket chain that operates more than 8,000 stores.

Helio Micro Utility Acquires Simple Energies
Helio Micro Utility (Helio mU) announced the acquisition of Simple Energies LLC, a renewable energy project development company with a 50-megawatt (MW) global pipeline.

NABCEP Releases Job Task Analysis for New Photovoltaic Technical Sales Certification
The new credential will target those involved in the non-installation aspects of the sale and commissioning of a PV system.

From the Inevitability Dept: Dow Debuts Solar Shingles
Dow Chemical says it is ready for its thin-film solar roofing shingles to go on sale next year — one of the first technologies to make solar panels and roofs one and the same, and a step toward increasing the affordability and physical appeal of going solar for residential consumers.

UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
State Needs to Keep Closer Eye on SmartMeter
Why didn’t PG&E conduct a more thorough pilot test before installing 5 million SmartMeters in California? What was the oversight role of the California Public Utilities Commission?

MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Research and Markets: Bulgaria Solar PV Market Eastern Europe’s Most Lucrative PV Destination
Bulgaria is the new found hotspot for solar PV technology in the world. In 2009, the country became one of the fastest growing solar PV markets in the world with an expected cumulative PV installed capacity of 86.41 MW.

Who is Winning the Clean Energy Race?
Whereas Chinese investment in clean energy jumped by 50% from $23.1 billion to $32 billion, American investment in renewable energy fell by 42% to $18.6 billion due to recessionary pressure.

FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Tenesol Announces Financial Results for 2009
The TENESOL group, specialists in solar photovoltaic energy, showed strong growth and improved profitability in 2009. Compared to 2008, the Group achieved a 29% increase in profit in 2009 on a turnover of €249 million.

Renewable Energy Helps Fuel Dow Above 11,000
The rebound in investor and trader confidence seems to be taking renewable energy and clean technology stocks with it.

TECHNOLOGY
Saflex Collaborates with Oerlikon Solar to Develop New Reflective Solar Encapsulant
The new product, called Saflex® Radiant White PA27, represents a new class of value-added encapsulants and is based on collaboration between Oerlikon Solar and Saflex to rapidly drive thin film PV technology towards grid parity.

Staying Out of the Shadows
PV*SOL Expert, the professional tool for PV system calculation from Valentin Software, has been improved to enable better modelling of shadows and shading. The improved tool is now also available in five languages: English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Phoenix Solar Completes 400 kWp PV System
Singapore based Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd, has completed Singapore’s largest photovoltaic plant built with thin-film modules with a peak output of 380 kilowatts (kWp) on the new company building of Applied Materials Inc. in Singapore.

LDK Solar’s Acquisition Strategy Doesn’t Have a Bright Future
Chinese solar-panel maker LDK Solar (LDK) is looking to contain costs and improve margins by controlling more of its value chain, from wafers to solar modules.