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
EPA Praises Macy’s Stores in Hawaii and California
The EPA said Monday in a Washington news release that the company’s Hawaii and California stores are generating more than 10 million kilowatt-hours of solar power annually.
Roofing Giant Johns Manville Enters Solar Market
Johns Manville, which has set up a new company to market eco-friendly roofing materials products. Will flat Walmart roofs become solar generators?
Parsons Partner with TSK on Solar Power
Parsons announced this week that it has partnered with Spanish-based TSK to bring Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technology applications to companies in North America and the Middle East.
Solar Power International 2009 Announces Keynote Speaker Robert F Kennedy Jr. and Annual CEO Panelists
Kennedy is Joined by Top Solar and Electric Power Leaders to Discuss Key Market Challenges and Opportunities Amid a Global Race to Bring Solar Energy to Scale.
NABCEP Elects New Chair and Appoints New Board Member
The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) is pleased to announce two new appointments. Don Warfield has been elected Chair, and Jeff Spies has been elected to the Board.
U.S. Military Leads Green Charge
The U.S. military is not just setting standards in the areas of advanced weaponry. It’s also leading the renewable energy charge. It’s involved in solar, geothermal and wind projects and its stake in the field will continue to grow.
Evergreen Solar and Ex-In Bank Offers Low-Interest Loans for Solar Projects Outside of United States
The program is intended to spur the export of U.S.-made renewable energy products and is part of a mandate in Ex-Im Bank’s Congressional Charter.
Initiative Would Boost Renewable Electricity Standard in Michigan
The initiative would require that 30% of electricity come from renewable energy sources by 2025. Legislation passed last year requires that 10% of Michigan’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2015.
PA Governor Introduces New Tax Credit for RE Production Projects
The Alternative Energy Production Tax Credit Program provides a tax credit of 15% of the net cost of alternative energy production projects incurred between July 9, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2008.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Contract Silicon Price Falls 50%, Close to Spot Price
Many solar cell and panel makers have renegotiated or canceled contracts, leading to prices that make it possible for panel makers to sell their products at below $2 per watt, said New Energy Finance.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Leadership on Climate Bill by Markey will Help Create Jobs, Meet Nation’s Clean Energy Needs
Solar energy industry poised to expedite development of vast solar energy resources in U.S.
DOE Close to Awarding Stimulus Bucks for Batteries, Possibly this Week
More than 100 companies have lined up for the so-called Electric Drive Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative’s $2.4 billion, which is set to be divided into just 32 to 35 or so grants in seven different categories.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Venture Capital gets Back in the Cleantech Game
A report issued Wednesday by Ernst & Young LLP says venture capital investment in the clean-technology sector totaled about $572 million from April to June. That’s still less than the money invested during the second quarter of 2008 but suggests that the worst may be over for solar, wind geothermal and other cleantech businesses.
Accel Partners Offers Solar Start-Up More than Just Cash
SunRun LLC hopes that with the help of its new online media-savvy investor Accel Partners, it will be able to make solar a product of mass appeal.
Suntech to Announce Second Quarter 2009 Financial Results on August 20, 2009
Suntech management will host a conference call that day at 8:00a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (which corresponds to 8:00p.m.Beijing/Hong Kong time and 12:00p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on August 20, 2009) to discuss the company’s results.
SolarWorld AG Cuts Prices by 30%
SolarWorld, like virtually all major producers, has added a lot of capacity recently. Reports said the company ran full in the first half. The industry is experiencing tremendous overcapacity at present. As one would expect, the result is that the industry severely cutting prices.
TECHNOLOGY
Mitsubishi Unveils Poly-Si Solar Cell with 18% Efficiency
The company has developed a polycrystalline Si solar cell whose area is 15 x 15cm, thickness is 100?m and photoelectric conversion efficiency is 18 percent.
Draker Releases its Innovative Performance Monitoring System for Systems up to 250kw with a Single Production Meter
The Sentalis 800™ was designed to provide the accuracy, reliability, and longevity required for commercial power systems even in harsh remote environments.
Conductive Ink Solar Panels Capture Sun Power for Soldiers
According to 2nd Lt. Christopher A. Vaiana of the Directorate’s Nonmetallic Materials Division, AFRL/RX provided guidance and funding to develop a special “conductive ink” that can be used to make printed organic photovoltaic solar cell panels on very thin, flexible surfaces using ink-jet printing.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
India to Unveil 20GW Solar target Under Climate Plan
The target, which would help India close the gap on solar front-runners like China, is part of an ambitious $19 billion, 30-year scheme that could could increase India’s leverage in international talks for a new U.N. climate pact in December, one of several measures meant to help cut emissions.
Egat Set to Spend on 250MW of Renewables
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) is ready to spend THB 22 billion [US $644 million] on the establishment of renewable-energy-driven power plants with a combined capacity of 258 megawatts (MW). Egat will use its own cash flow to fund project development.
France’s Poweo Allowed to Build 12MW Solar Plant
Poweo, which already has a solar power capacity of 3 MW and a wind and hydraulic power capacity of 71 MW, aims to bring its renewable energy share to 25 percent of its energy mix.
Terna to Invest 250-350 mln Euros on Solar Plants
Terna will set up a company called Sungrid that will develop 70-100 megawatts of installed photovoltaic capacity, it said in slides accompanying its first-half results.
Astroenegy and Solco Start Marketing Thin Film Modules
Astronergy, a Chint company, and Solco Ltd are combining to bring Astronergy’s range of high quality panels to Australia. This includes Astronergy’s second-generation amorphous / microcrystalline silicon tandem thin film PV (a-Si/µc-Si) modules.
