The Rise & Shine is your daily source for all solar industry-related news.
National News:
Apollo Solar Awarded $4.1M Contract to Develop Innovative Energy System – Apollo has been contracted by the U.S. DOE to provide development of less expensive, more efficient technologies to enhance the value of solar systems to home and business owners.
groSolar Planning Industry Event In Boston - Solar energy systems provider goSolar has announced The Speed of Solar @ groSolar ’08 conference, which will focus on funding and policy issues in the solar energy marketplace.
NP Capital Purchases Solar Energy Inc. - NP Capital Corp has purchased various assets including the website SolarEnergy.com and the name of Solar Energy Inc.
Utility Industry & Regulatory News
TVA Approves Largest Rate Hike in 34 Years – The reasons cited for the 20% increase is the skyrocketing cost of fuel and a 3-year drought that has greatly reduced TVAs ability to generate hydroelectric power.
Financial News & Markets
NanoSolar Increases Funding to Nearly $500M – As part of a strategic $300 million equity financing, Nanosolar has added new capital bringing its total funding to date to just below half a billlion U.S. dollars.
AVA Solar Completes $104 Million Equity Financing - AVA Solar has completed a 2nd institutional equity round of financing. The round as led by DCM and included Technology Partners, GLG Partners and Bohemian Companies as well as Invus, LP.
Day4 Energy Offers Turnkey Solution to Solar Power Investors – Day4 announced the strategic partnership with CERTUS Life Cycle AG (CLC) to finance photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems in Europe with a specific focus on the expanding Italian market.
Ikea launches Cleantech Fund – Ikea GreenTech plans to focus its investements in five areas: solar panels, alternative light sources, product materials, energy efficency and water saving and purification technologies.
Markets & Market Research
Photovoltaics Underestimated, Says SunPower Co-Founder – If the growth of PV installations were to continue at the current rate, they would be able to satisfy all U.S. electricity demands by 2040, according to Richard Swanson, co-founder of SunPower Corp.
Government & Politics
Pay Me: Will Congress Extend Wind, Solar Tax Breaks? - The credits have never lapsed, but they expire at the end of this year. Wind – and solar-power developers are going gangbusters to get their goods in the ground while the tax credits are still on the table.
International News
Suntech Reachces Polysilicon and Wafer Agreements with GCL Silicon – GCL Silicon will supply Suntech with 9,420 metric tons of polysilicon and 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of silicon wafers from 2008 to 2012.
Solarfun Signs Letter of Intent for Supply Agreement with Q-Cells – Solarfun has entered into a letter-of-intent for a three-year supply agreement with Q-Cells International, a 100% subsidiary of Q-Cells AG, the worlds largest independent manufacturer of solar cells.
Japan Proposes $4B to Cut Emissions – The country’s trade ministry has outlined a spending plan to support nucelar and solar power, carbon capture and sotrage, and other projects to meet Japan’s emissions goals.
