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
SunWize Empowers Neighborhoods to Go Solar
The SunWize Neighborhood Solar Program is designed to promote solar energy by encouraging people to band together and realize a volume discount on their systems.
Solar, Wind Industries Head to Washington
With more than $11 billion in subsidies up for grabs, Congress and state governor’s offices are getting lots of attention from lobbyists as the solar and wind energy industries maneuver for the lions’ share.
BrightSource Snags Chevron Deal in Stealthy Move into Solar Stream
The startup, known for its huge contracts to build solar thermal power plants for utilities, now does installations for solar steam.
Clean Energy Taking Root in Connecticut
Early next month, when the students of Avon Old Farms School return for their fall semester, an image of a new Connecticut will greet them as they arrive on campus – a $1.4 million array of solar panels one of the largest on any school in New England.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Solar Panel Prices Likely to Become Even Lower as Pressure Intensifies
A steep fall in the price of solar panels has chipped away at manufacturers’ profits this year, and relief is unlikely to come soon, as many in the industry believe pressure will intensify and push prices even lower into 2010 and perhaps even 2011.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Limited Government Proponent Calls for Smart Grid Invention
The Lexington Institute has published a paper that neatly summarizes the smart grid challenges, and concludes that “Just as the grid of today required presidential initiative, the smart grid will take a high-level policy push, too.”
Smart Grids Can Give People Power to Cut Electric Bills
Like other utilities across the nation, Allegheny Energy is experimenting with technologies called “smart grids” to find solutions to age-old problems — inefficient energy usage and rising electric costs.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
More Stimulus Dollars Delivered to States for Renewables
Under DOE’s State Energy Program (SEP), states and territories have proposed statewide plans that prioritize energy savings, create or retain jobs, increase the use of renewable energy, and reduce carbon pollution.
Fight Climate Change Fast
The U.S. House of Representatives has finally passed climate change legislation, but the national debate on this issue continues to be based on a false assumption: that any major reforms will inevitably take decades to make a serious dent in greenhouse gas pollution.
Clean Energy Quest Worries Coal, Oil State Leaders
The cap-and-trade energy bill now before Congress establishes incentives for new technologies such as wind and solar power and new fuels such as diesel from algae. But it holds little appeal to Gulf Coast and Appalachian states.
Demand for Tariffs in Global-warming Legislation Splits Allies
Midwestern Democrats, who want duties placed on countries who don’t limit greenhouse gas emissions, are at odds with Obama.
Pass U.S. Climate Law, Then Strengthen: Waxman
The United States can follow California’s lead of raising climate change goals over time, a congressional leader on global warming initiatives said on Friday.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
OPEL International Files Second Quarter 2009 Financials
Revenue grew slightly over the second quarter of2008, as it continued to achieve its objectives as outlined in the Company’s MD&A.
CPV Developer Circadian Solar Secures Further 2M in Funding
Circadian Solar, formally known as AdvanceSis, has announced approval of a £2 million (€2.3 million) investment by offshore investment company Seven Spires Investments Ltd (SSIL) to continue developing its concentrated photovoltaic technology.
Entech Solar to Host Annual Shareholders’ Meeting
During the meeting and the question and answer sessions, the Company will not discuss or respond to questions which may constitute material information that has not been previously disclosed.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
New Belgium Brewing Announces On-Site Solar Array
The 200 kW system will produce 16% of New Belgium’s peak electrical load and 3% of their total electrical energy use.
Construction Starts on Rooftop PV System on Bosch Parking Structure
Today marks the start of construction on a 955 kWp rooftop photovoltaic plant on the Bosch parking structure at New Trade Fair Centre, Stuttgart, by ersol Solar Energy AG (ersol), a member of the Bosch Group, and Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH (Airport Management Company).
Europe’s Saharan Power Plan: Miracle or Mirage
A 400 billion euro plan to power Europe with Sahara sunlight is gaining momentum, even as critics see high risks in a large corporate project using young technology in north African countries with weak rule of law.
