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
BP Solar and Petra Solar Co-operate on Solar AC Systems for Utilities
BP Solar and Petra Solar, Inc. today announced plans to cooperate in the development of Alternating Current (AC) solar module products, initially targeting distributed utility-scale projects.
Amonix Expands HCPV Manufacturing Capacity to 30MW
Utility-scale high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) systems manufacturer Amonix Inc. announced this week the expansion of its Seal Beach California facility manufacturing capacity.
PG&E Net Metering Cap to be Raised
This week Governor Schwarzenegger secured a commitment from PG&E to increase the amount of solar net metering allowed in its territory from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent of peak demand.
County Wins Big Share of Solar Funds
San Diego County has snagged 20 percent of $800 million in federal stimulus-backed financing for government solar projects nationwide.
NATIONAL NEWS
CT Raises Income Limits for its Solar Lease Program
The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) this announced that more Connecticut residents will now be able to qualify for financial assistance under the CT Solar Lease Program, which is largely funded by CCEF.
Solar Electric Facility O&M: Now Comes the Hard Part
What is often missing is cogent discussion on solar’s trailing edge: operations and maintenance.
SolarTech Sims to Simplify Solar Financing
SolarTech, an initiative of Silicon Valley Leadership Group formed to create a Solar Center of Excellence in Silicon Valley, recently announced its plan to help make PPAs simpler to implement.
How to Get Noticed: A Solar Industry Quandary
Executives from Sharp, groSolar, SunPower, among others, discuss how their industry could get more attention from consumers and D.C.
Rooftop Solar Isn’t Just for Photovoltaics Anymore
A group of solar startups are working to put concentrating solar-thermal systems – more commonly seen in large solar projects in the desert – on roofs too.
Prospects for Solar: “It’s Like Watching the Internet Mature in 1995”
Whereas the industry’s growth is now limited by demand, Fleming said, it may soon be limited by supply: companies may not be able to keep up with all the people knocking on their doors ready to buy.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Pay Me Later: First Solar Battles Rising Receivables
First Solar, the Arizona thin-film solar powerhouse, has many friends in the investosphere and was recently given a boost when it was added to the S&P 500 Index.
TECHNOLOGY
Solmetric PV Designer Software Calculates Shade Adjusted Output
Solmetric Corporation has released the Solmetric PV Designer, a software tool that enables solar PV designers to optimize module layout and energy production in a partially shaded environment.
AE Introduces Solaron 250 Inverter; Announces Alliance with SGEG in China
With a power level of 250 kW, the company says its Solaron 250 is ideal for commercial rooftop installations.
NSP’s “Perfect Cell” said to Harvest More Solar Energy
Taiwanese solar cell manufacturer Neo Solar Power (NSP) announced at Solar Power International 2009 that it has begun production shipment of 156mm full-square mono-crystalline solar cells, named “Perfect Cell.”
Firestone Building Products Branches Into Solar Energy
This new division will provide products, systems and services that will help in the development of solar energy on commercial buildings.
PV Trackers New Solar PV Tracking Solution Could Cut Installation Costs by a Third
PV Trackers has launched a new reliable tracking solution which it claims can cut installation costs by a third and enable systems to be up and running almost twice as fast as those of the competition.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Solarig Breaks Ground on Eight PV Projects in Italy
Solarig Group began construction this month on eight photovoltaic parks in the regions of Puglia and Piedmont in Italy, a country that offers attractive legislation for this type of project.
Terra Mundus Breaks Ground on 5.67MW PV System
Terra Mundus Sueddeutschland GmbH has succeeded in launching the large-scale photovoltaic plant, project “Koeching II”, a 5.67 MW free standing renewable energy plant in the municipality of Aldersbach in Lower Bavaria.
Masdar PV: First Commercial Project and Factory Expansion
The startup amorphous-silicon thin-film maker, backed by Abu Dhabi, plans to ship panels with two layers of amorphous silicon next year.
Aleo Solar AG Enters the Israeli Photovoltaics Market
This year, the sun-soaked Mediterranean country will see the installation of aleo modules with a rated output of more than 200 kilowatts.
Is Energy the Key to China’s Brand Name Dreams?
China is moving from supplying equipment to building energy parks in the U.S. and financing them.
