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
Bay Area Students Aim to Win With 100% Solar Home
While some college students are soaking up solar rays at the beach this summer, students at Santa Clara University and California College of the Arts have found a different use for the sun’s energy.
Fremont Unified Could House Nation’s Largest School Solar Project
By next year the Fremont Unified School District could be host to the nation’s largest K-12 school solar project.
San Francisco to Get Its Own Cleantech Incubator
CalCEF plans to partner in any way possible with the project and that his fund would love to get some early stage seed companies in there as soon as possible.
NATIONAL NEWS
SunWize Completes Largest Texan PV Installation
SunWize Commercial Power Systems, the commercial installation division of SunWize Technologies recently completed a 337 kW DC solar electric system for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at its Dallas Medical Center.
FedEx Ground Plans Rooftop Solar Power System
FedEx Ground, the small-package shipping unit of FedEx Corp., today announced plans to install one of the nation’s largest rooftop solar-electric systems at its distribution hub in Woodbridge, N.J.
Spire Delivers Turnkey Solar Module Manufacturing Line to Sova in India
Spire Corporation has delivered a PV module assembly line to Sova Power Limited located in Durgapur, West Bengal, India. Stepping up into the green and renewable energy sector, Sova, along with Spire’s industry expertise and superior equipment line, will provide a state-of-the-art PV module assembly line in India.
ACE and JCP&L to Seek 61 MW of Solar Generating Capacity
As part of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ effort to support building new solar energy projects in New Jersey, Atlantic City Electric (ACE) and Jersey Central Power&Light (JCP&L) are conducting a Request for Proposal (RFP) to secure Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs).
Evergreen Solar Signs Contract Manufacturing Agreement with Jiawei Solar; Announces 2Q Results
Evergreen Solar has finalized its agreements with Jiawei Solarchina Co., Ltd., and the Wuhan Government’s Hubei Science & Technology Investment Co., Ltd. (“HSTIC”).
A Fuel Belching Nascar Track Has Big Plans to Go Solar
Pocono Raceway, which hosts two Nascar Sprint Cup races each year, plans to construct the world’s largest solar energy project at a sports facility.
Ohio Budget Tries to Boost Solar Power
Ohio’s latest budget seeks to put solar power in the financial reach of Ohio residents by addressing the cost of installation, the biggest barrier to the renewable energy technology’s large-scale deployment.
NREL Names Raffelle Director of National Center for Photovoltaics
Dr. Ryne P. Raffaelle has been named director of the National Center for Photovoltaics at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Sun Day Analysis: Renewables Account for 11% of US Energy Production
In April 2009 alone, renewable energy sources accounted for 11.1 percent of domestic energy production and exceeded the amount contributed by nuclear power, according to analysis done by the Sun Day Campaign
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Have Renewables Really Eclipsed Nuclear Power?
What about renewables? Overall, about 10% of U.S. electricity. But the vast majority of that comes from big hydroelectric plants—7%. Wind power, despite its exponential growth in recent years, still accounts for just 1.8% of U.S. electricity.
Are PV Manufacturers Coming Up for Air?
The capital markets are starting to thaw, silicon and wafer contracts are being renegotiated and some manufacturers are able to sell cheap product and still make a profit. But that doesn’t mean the rough waters have calmed yet.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
How PV Manufacturers Are Driving Down Costs
Now, the industry is in the midst of a solar-panel oversupply. That, combined with a big slowdown in project financing, has reduced global demand to a forecasted 3.75 gigawatts this year even as the industry’s production capacity reaches 11 gigawatts
First Solar: How Crucial Are Costs?
That’s because the company has had to essentially slash prices to stay competitive in Germany, its biggest market, which means the company’s outlook is still cautious. The collapse of prices for polysilicon makes First Solar’s rivals cheaper all the time.
TECHNOLOGY
Apollo Solar Awarded DOE Contract to Develop Smart Grid Inverter
Apollo Solar, which specializes in the design and manufacture of power electronics for solar energy systems, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a less expensive, more efficient Smart Grid Inverter to enhance the value of solar electric systems to home and business owners.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
China Shuts Small Plants
China’s government said it shut down many of its smaller and dirtier power plants nearly two years ahead of schedule, as the world’s biggest consumer of coal took advantage of the weak global economy to boost efficiency and cut pollution in its vast network of generators.
