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
Supervisor Opposes Massive Solar Project in San Bernardino County
A solar energy project proposed for development on public land in the Mojave Desert would create jobs mostly for Las Vegas and electricity for San Francisco at the expense of the relatively pristine area of east San Bernardino County where it would be built, San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt said Friday.
NATIONAL NEWS
Solar Power Startup Ausra Looks to Sell Itself
Kleiner Perkins and Khosla Ventures-backed solar thermal start-up Ausra Inc is in talks to sell itself with three potential buyers, two sources familiar with the company told Reuters on Friday.
Sunovia Expands Solar Lighting Market Presence
LED lights are ideal for solar-powered applications as LEDs produce light using far less input energy than metal halide or high-pressure sodium sources.
Hemlock Starts Construction on Polysilicon Plant
Initially, the new site will have the capacity to manufacture greater than 10,000 metric tons of polysilicon, with the ability to expand production up to 21,000 metric tons.
Suntech Selects Arizona for First U.S. Manufacturing Plant
Suntech Power announced that its first U.S. manufacturing plant for the growing North American market would be located in the Greater Phoenix, Arizona area.
Solar Research Hits the Sunshine State
University researchers in Florida are exploring ways to use sun’s power for desalination and killing germs in water. Other ideas possibly on the way involve module containing a solar cell and a LED and lithium-ion battery.
Technipower Introduces ‘Instant Solar for Educational Market’
The Independent Day School of Middlefield, CT has purchased a 1.6 kW Instant Solar PV system for use as both a clean power generator and educational platform.
Pennsylvania releases Funding for Additional Solar Projects
Gov. Edward G. Rendell, D-Pa., has approved more than $23 million for 36 new solar and other alternative energy projects.
Aqua Pennsylvania Breaks Ground on 1.1MW Solar Farm
Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. has begun construction of a 1.1 MW photovoltaic solar farm at Aqua’s Ingram’s Mill Water Treatment Plant in East Bradford Township, which serves drinking water to the West Chester, Pa., area.
Whitman Reaches Broad Audience at the Solar Symposium for Schools
Symposium Discussing the Benefits of Solar Power for New Jersey Schools Receives Excellent Turnout
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Renewable Power in Search of an on-demand Technology
Utilities harnessing power from the wind and sun are up against a major challenge: how to store electricity so that it can be delivered to customers when the air is still and the sun has set.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Solar Panel Supply Glut Past Peak
The global glut of solar panels that has overwhelmed the industry for much of 2009 is past its peak as strong demand from Germany, the world’s largest solar market, eats up extra supply, according to a report issued on Friday by industry research firm iSuppli.
TECHNOLOGY
Argonne Touts Hybrid PV Cell with “Homegrown” Polymer
Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Labs say they have refined a technique to make solar cells by growing polymers inside tubes of semiconducting material, a method potentially much cheaper than conventional crystalline silicon or thin-film commercial processes.
Solar Shingle Named a Best Invention of 2009
The Dow Chemical Company’s Solar Shingle, has been named one of “The 50 Best Inventions of 2009″ by TIME magazine.
Dow Pursuing PV Research with Caltech
The Dow Chemical Co. and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have signed a multiyear research collaboration focused on solar energy.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Greenvision Ambiente and the Marseglia Group Plan 13MW Solar Park
Greenvision ambiente and the Marseglia Group have, through their respective subsidiaries signed a letter of intent for the construction of a 13 MW photovoltaic park in Calabria.
Sanyo to Double European Solar Panel Output Capacity
Sanyo Electric plans to raise its solar panel production capacity in Europe by 90% to the equivalent of 315,000kw next summer in order to speed its entry into a key market that has seen strong demand for residential-use products.
Suntech to Develop 18MW for China’s Solar Rooftop Program
Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. expects to develop approximately 20% of the 91 megawatts (MW) of solar projects that were approved under China’s Solar Rooftop Program.
India to Boost Funding for Solar Power
India plans to announce increased subsidies for solar-power generation, a senior government official said, as the country looks to scale up production of renewable energy and show it is committed to mitigating climate change.
China Selects 294 Solar Power Plants for Subsidy
China has identified 294 solar power projects with total generating capacity of 642 megawatts (MW) in its first pilot program.
Aleo Solar AG Emphasizes Strategy of Internationalization with Strong Market Share in Greece
aleo solar AG today announced an expansion to its international business in Europe: its market share in Greece is now 16 percent.
Suntech on Chinese Roofs, Yingli’s Self Sufficiency, More CIGS
China has approved the first batch of rooftop projects under a program to subsidize installations. Meanwhile, Hemlock plans to increase silicon supply.
Spanish PV Industry Association Calls for Reduction in Feed-in Tariff
The key is to enable consumers to produce and consume their own electricity, which ASIF calculates would enable the PV market in Spain to grow by 35%, without an increase in electricity prices.
