The Rise & Shine is your daily source for all solar industry-related news.
CALIFORNIA NEWS
Progressive Solar Plan Pitched By Galt Mayor
The mayor’s goal is to make solar panels more affordable for average Galt homeowners. To do so, he’s asked the council to follow in the city of Berkeley’s green footsteps.
Green Rush to Finance Solar
SunRun, one of the first PPA-based residential distributed power companies in California, offers a standard agreement providing electricity at 13.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for 18 years.
First Solar Powered Multiplex Cinema in US
The Fairfax 5 Theater (in Fairfax, CA) just installed a 27 kw PV system.
New Jersey re-energizing solar rebate program
New Jersey will restart its solar rebate program and subsidize residential solar energy projects through 2011.
Solar energy system offers a ray of hope to cash-strapped Clark Planetarium
From the article: “The 144 solar panels has saved county taxpayers $10,000 in electric bills and avoided dumping 125 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere” in Salt Lake City, UT.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Oklahoma Commission Approves OG&E Renewable Program
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission voted 3-0 to approve Oklahoma Gas & Electric’s renewable energy program, including construction of a high-capacity transmission line to improve the grid.
Your Roof as a solar power plant?
Duke Energy unveiled plans for a pilot program that will test whether or not 850 North Carolina homes can collectively produce the energy of a small solar power plant.
Lawmakers move to entice solar industry with tax credits
State lawmakers OK’d legislation Wednesday to offer up to a $25 million refundable tax credit to solar industry companies that agree by Saturday, Nov. 1, to locate in Michigan.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Thin Film Solar Companies Raise Hundreds of Millions in Funding
Director of Lux Research says that thin film panels have an installed cost of $6.45 per watt as compared to $6.63 per watt for silicon panels.
Holy Solar Thin-Film Funding: SoloPower Raises $200M?
Thin film solar player SoloPower has raised a grand ol’ $200 million to scale manufacturing up at a 100-MW-per-year plant .
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
The Spanish Solar PV Industry is Paralyzed Or Destroyed
The Spanish Ministry of Industry had granted a 300 MW cap for 2009, including 200 MW for rooftop and 100 for ground. The country’s Renewable Energy Producers Association have suggested the Ministry to moderate the solar PV industry’s current growth in the country and establish a new goal of 600 MW for 2009.
Growing PV Industry At Global Country Level
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Global Solar Photovoltaic Industry Analysis and Forecasts” report to its offering.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
New Package Would Extend Tax Breaks for Renewable Energy
The leaders of the Senate Finance Committee are trying yet again to extend tax breaks for renewable energy, revealing on Thursday another attempt to break a continued logjam.
Power Politics
Former speaker of California’s state assembly and one-time candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, Bob Hertzberg thinks renewable energy needs to reduce its dependency on government handouts.
TECHNOLOGY
Akeena Solar Upgrades the Only Integrated Solar Panel
This year, Akeena kicked solar installation up a notch by moving past the panel and upgrading the rest of the racking and wiring. The system now comes with a prefabricated combiner box.
PanelClaw makes mounting solar on a flat roof a snap
“Three people can install 16 solar panels under 20 minutes with the Polar Bear mounting system.
Flexible Nanoantenna Arrays Capture Abundant Solar Energy
Researchers have devised an inexpensive way to produce plastic sheets containing billions of nanoantennas that collect heat energy generated by the sun and other sources.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Trina Solar Signs Sales Agreement With The Belgian Company Invictus NV
Trina Solar will supply Invictus with 20MW and 30MW for 2009 and 2010, respectively, with an option to purchase additional 10MW for each year.
Q-Cells, LDK Solar Eyeing 5GW of Wafers Over Decade
LDK has signed an 11-year processing service agreement to process upgraded metallurgical grade solar-grade silicon provided by Germany-based Q-Cells AG into wafers.
