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
Philly Folder Maker Makes Big Bet on Solar
A Philadelphia company that calls itself “proud to be old-fashioned” on its Web site is trying to remain competitive by doing something that is anything but—installing one of the region’s largest solar systems.
Duke Energy, China Firm Ready to Tap into Solar Market
Duke Energy Corp. expects to launch its first joint solar projects with China’s ENN Group in the first half of next year.
PSE and G Receives Green Light to Expand Solar Loan Program
PSE&G received approval from state regulators to expand its innovative solar loan program by approximately $143 million to finance the installation of an additional 51 megawatts of solar energy systems on homes, businesses and municipal buildings throughout its electric service area.
Energizer Licensees ICP Solar and Universal Power Group Join Forces
ICP Solar Technologies announced that it has partnered with Universal Power Group in a third-party logistics and supply arrangement designed to leverage ICP Solar’s broad product line and UPG’s sourcing and distribution expertise.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
Surplus Stocks of Solar Panels Reach a Peak in mid 2009
A new report by iSuppli Corp shows that the surplus of solar panels that plagued the PV industry at the beginning of the year has dropped due to surprisingly buoyant demand in Germany.
Cheap Solar: Plunging Silicon Gives Asian Solar Companies an Edge, HSBC Says
Solar prices have already collapsed, but they still have plenty of room to keep falling.
Solar Glut is Temporary, Demand to Catch Up by 2012
The oversupply problem plaguing the solar panel industry may be coming to a close.
Solar Emerges from a Dark Period
The outlook for the solar industry might not be glowing, but its a lot brighter than it was a year ago when financing and demand dried up.
Mainstream Visions
The green revolution goes beyond financing research and development. It is also helping to create a robust national market for existing technologies and shovel-ready projects.
SolarCity CEO Says Solar Installation Biz Splitting Into Big Guys and Little Guys
Solarcity CEO Lyndon Rive said in an interview Friday that he is seeing a growing market schism between the thousands of small, local solar panel installers and a “half a dozen or so” national players that can provide “a trusted brand focusing on scale and services.”
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
SunPower Investigates Possible Accounting Errors
SunPower Corp. said Monday an investigation is under way into whether its manufacturing operations in the Philippines made unsubstantiated accounting entries during the first three quarters of 2009.
STR Holdings Posts Decline in 3Q Earnings
Photovoltaic products company STR Holdings Inc. said Monday its third-quarter profit fell 11 percent as an oversupply of solar modules cut demand and offset the benefit of lower expenses.
Canadian Solar 3Q More than Doubles, Shares Jump
Canadian Solar Inc. on Tuesday said its third-quarter profit more than doubled on a hefty foreign currency exchange gain, boosting shares in premarket trading.
European Investment Bank Provides €80M Loan for Concentrated Solar Power Project
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a €80 million loan to GEMASOLAR 2006 SAU to finance the construction and commissioning of a concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in Fuentes de Andalucía (province of Seville).
ReneSola Announces Third Quarter 2009 Results
Net revenues for Q3 2009 were US$140.9 million, an increase of 70.6% from US$82.6 million sequentially, exceeding guidance. Net revenues for Q3 2008 were US$215.8 million.
First Energy Bank to Build $US1B Saudi Solar Plant
Bahrain-based First Energy Bank plans to build a $US1 billion polysilicon plant in Saudi Arabia with a local partner to cater to rising regional investments in solar power, the company said.
TECHNOLOGY
Dow and Caltech Announce Next Gen PV Research Initiative
Dow Chemical and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have announced that they recently signed a multi-year research collaboration that is strategic to both organizations’ interests in solar energy.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Belgium’s Enfinity, Titan Enery to Build 1GW of Solar PV in India’s Andhra Pradesh
Enfinity and Titan Energy Systems are to collaborate on developing, financing and constructing 1 GW of solar photovoltaic installations on 3000 acres of land in Andhra Pradesh, India in the coming five years.
Eneco to Buy Econcern’s Belgian Solar Power Unit
Dutch utility Eneco said on Monday it would buy the solar energy company Ecostream Belgium, part of the Dutch company Econcern which was declared bankrupt in June, but did not disclose any financial details.
European Commission Projects 80% Renewable Energy by 2050
The conference showed a broad consensus that renewable energy will be the mainstream source of Europe’s energy supply by 2050.
Car Manufacturer to Proceed with 10 MW Photovoltaic System
Early next year, Spanish car manufacturer, SEAT will initiate the ‘SEAT al Sol’ project, generating clean electric power at the company’s Martorell factory.
Sanyo Sets Out Manufacturing Capacity Plans
Sanyo Electric has completed its third factory building (Bldg. C) of Nishikinohama Factory (Kaizuka City, Osaka), already the “mother factory” for SANYO’s photovoltaic system business.
Australian Government Provides Solar Energy to Communities
The Australian Government is spending GHC 45,000 towards the installation of solar energy systems in 20 selected off-grid rural communities in Brong-Ahafo Region.
