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
PG&E Raises Electricity Rates
PG&E increased their rates an average of 6% on Wednesday to cover a spike this year in the price of natural gas. PG&E says a second rate increase anticipated in January probably won’t be needed after natural gas prices dropped.
Traditional Medicinals Opens Up World?s Biggest Solar Powered Tea Factory
Traditional Medicinals took a giant leap forward and has completed an installation that makes it the world’s largest solar powered tea factory. The install was done by Akeena Solar.
Pinn Bros. Fine Homes is Unveiling Nations? Largest 100% Solar Master-Planned Community
Pinn Bros. is building the largest solar powered master-planned community, located in Brentwood, CA, which still exceed state energy standards by 35%. Pinn Bros. is partnering with OCR Solar & Roofing to install a solar electric system by BP Solar.
National News
Quinnipiac University Developing Wind & Solar Initiatives
Quinnipiac University will install 1,232 photovoltaic solar panels on the roof of the 475,000-square-foot Crescent residence hall
Weekend Events Hint at Solar Future
The Detroit-based Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association are holding a 3-day photovoltaic training event.
National Grid to go Solar in Revere, Everett, Haverhill, and Dorchester
National Grid is planning to install solar power facilities at four sites near Boston.
PSE Customers Reach Solar-Power Milestones
Puget Sound Energy has announced that its customers are generating the greatest amount of solar energy to date and receiving the highest level of incentive payments ever made by the utility
Utility Industry & Regulatory News
A Big Sum of Small Differences
U.S. consumers have direct or indirect control over 65% of the country’s greenhouse-gas emissions, according to new statistics tallied by consultant McKinsey & Co. The figure for consumers in the rest of the world is just 43%.
Utilities Plan Hit by Credit Markets
Disruptions in credit markets are jolting the capital-hungry utility sector, forcing companies to delay new borrowing or to come up with different — and often more costly — ways of raising cash.
Houston Taking on Global Warming
America’s energy capital is seeking to slash emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases that contribute to climate change under the plan.
Government & Politics
Does Climate Change?s Cause Matter? Not to Palin.
Joe Biden and Sarah Palin agreed that climate change is real, but differed on whether human activity was its root cause in Thursday’s U.S. vice presidential debate.
House to Vote on Solar ITC, Bailout This Morning
Today, the Senate-passed Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 is scheduled to hit the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote that will determine the fate of the solar investment tax credit (ITC).
International News
Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd to Build PV System in Singapore
Phoenix Solar AG?s subsidiary will plan and build a photovoltaic system with a peak output of 181 kilowatt for the Swiss biotech company Lonza Biologics Tuas Pte Ltd (Lonza).
Yingli Green Energy Receives Two European Module Orders
Yingli Green Energy has entered into new PV module sales contracts with leading German PV players GeckoLogic GmbH and Sinosol AG.
BP Solar Halts Expansion
Citing “very intense” global competition, BP Solar this week called an end to its $97 million expansion in Frederick, which was expected to create 70 jobs.
Canadian Solar Commissions Ingot and Wafer Plant
Canadian Solar Inc. says it has completed and commissioned phase I of its ingot and wafer plant on schedule, giving the company an annualized ingot and wafer capacity of 60 MW.
Solar Thin Films Buy Hungary-based Equipment Manufacturer
Solar Thin Films Inc., through its Kraft Elektronikai Zrt subsidiary, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire BudaSolar Technologies Co. Ltd., which designs and markets turnkey systems for the production of thin-film amorphous silicon solar modules.
Japanese Selling Homes with Solar Power Pre-Installed
Kobe, Japan, is doing its part to utilize green, clean technology that could power development as well as the needs of humans. A new residential neighborhood development in Kobe features houses equipped with solar panels.
