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
Dow Invests $50M in BIPV
Dow Chemical has invested in a machine that could enable solar energy materials to be incorporated directly into the design of commercial and residential building materials more easily.
Ohio Schools Offering Masters in Renewable Energy
Several Ohio universities are offering the state’s first masters degree program in renewable energy in to address the need for clean and economical energy sources and create new business opportunities.
Solar Power System to be Built in Prince George’s County
Three Washington, D.C. area companies are to construct one of Maryland’s largest solar power systems at the headquarters of John E. Kelly & Sons Electrical Construction in Prince George’s County.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Credit Crunch Burning Solar Industry
The credit crunch is taking a toll on the United States- nascent solar industry, scuttling big renewable energy projects and curtailing expansion plans, solar executives said Wednesday as they proposed the inclusion of green incentives in the Obama economic stimulus plan.
Sencera Receives Additional $5.2 Million Equity Investment
Additional investment in thin film start-up, Sencera has been triggered following its successful deposition of single-junction silicon solar cells with a 7% STC conversion efficiency.
Conergy Raises 400 Million
The company is to receive gross issue proceeds of EUR 399.3m. The company says that this means that, one year after beginning its restructuring, Conergy is gaining a capital structure which provides a solid foundation for the further development of the Conergy group.
Solar World CEO: ’08 Sales
SolarWorld remains on track to report a 25% increase in sales and a 30% increase in adjusted earnings before interest for full-year 2008, CFO Philipp Koecke says.
TEL Venture Capital Makes Further Investment in Solar Industry
Tokyo Electron’s U.S. investment arm, TEL Venture Capital, has invested an undisclosed sum in Unidym, the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) manufacturer.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Proposal Ties Economic Stimulus to Energy Plan
Congressional officials working with the Obama administration said the stimulus program was likely to involve tax breaks or subsidies for a variety of clean energy projects, including solar arrays.
Solar Energy Industries Association Announces Policy Priorities for Obama Administration, 111th Congress
SEIA has outlined the key policies that President-elect Obama and the Congressional leadership must address to expand the use of solar energy and help put over 1 million Americans back to work by 2011.
TECHNOLOGY
Fraunhofer ISE Produces Solar Cells Exceeding 20% Efficiency Printed by Optomec Aerosol Jet
The Aerosol Jet printed solar cells achieved efficiencies of over 20% when combined with Light Induced Plating (LIP) and Annealing, versus an average efficiency for screen-printed mono-crystalline front junction silicon solar cells in the range of 16-18%.
Oerlikon Solar Brings Micromorph to Mass Production
Oerlikon is the world’s first manufacturer to implement Oerlikon’s micromorph technology for the mass-production of thin-film silicon solar modules. Oerlikon’s tandem-junction micromorph process will enable Inventux to produce up to 33 MWp of highly efficient, cost-effective thin-film PV solar modules per year.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Solar-Fabrik AG Signs Agreement with JA Solar
Solar-Fabrik AG has entered into an agreement with JA Solar for the supply of 30 MW of solar cells. The agreement initially has a term of one year, though both firms have expressed an interest in extending it.
ARISE Signs Four-Year Contract with Asola
Under the terms of the contract, which runs through December 31, 2012, ARISE will supply approximately 80MW of PV cells to Asola on a take-or-pay basis based on industry-standard pricing established for the life of the agreement. The value of the contract is approximately C$200 million.
Solar Wafer Maker SAS Hits Record Revenue for 40 Months Straight in November
Sino-American Silicon Products has reported self-estimated revenue of NT$871 million for November 2008, a record figure for the 40th consecutive month.
China Solar Wafer Supplier LDK Urged to Cut Prices
Gintech Energy, a Taiwan-based maker of crystalline silicon solar cells, has asked LDK Solar, a China-based producer of solar-grade crystalline silicon wafers, to lower its product prices to facilitate the existing cooperation between LDK and Taiwan’s solar cell makers, according to industry sources.
Suntech and A+F Complete Two Solar Power Plants in Spain
Suntech announced that it recently completed two solar power plants in Spain in collaboration with a+f GmbH. Suntech supplied approximately 50% of all modules utilized in an 8.5MWp solar plant in Alange and a 7.4MWp solar plant in Alconera.
Emcore Concentrator Photovoltaic Solar Technology Deployed in China
Emcore, a company focused on solar photovoltaic technologies, deployed its first major concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) system into XinAo Group Co. Ltd.’s new solar energy unit in Langfang City, in the Hebei Province of northern China.
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