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
California Initiatives Boost Renewable Power
The CPUC voted to oppose prop 7, saying it would create an “excessively rigid, and potentially unworkable structure” for future renewable energy development. Critics say the initiative would exclude all projects that produce less than 30 MW of electricity.
Proposition 7, Campaign Donors At A Glance
The biggest donors are Peter Sperling, VP of Apollo Group, $5.2M; and former San Francisco County Supervisor Jim Gonzalez, $101,500. Those opposed are PG&E, $13.8M; Edison International, $13.7M; and Sempra Energy, $104,000.
Community Invited to Solar Awareness Expo
Trilogy by Shea Homes, the country’s first national green home builder, is hosting a Solar Awareness Expo at Trilogy at La Quinta on Saturday. The event will also offer presentations from BP Solar Systems and OCR Solar & Roofing.
Green Plan Would Put Solar Panels on City Hall
San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom’s latest foray into greening the city will put solar panels on City Hall, wastewater pools in Civic Center Plaza, and a garden on top of the main library.
Green Conference, Former VP Comes to San Jose
West Coast Green at San Jose McEnery Convention Center is the largest environmentally friendly home and garden show in the country. Al Gore is scheduled to be a keynote speaker on Saturday.
Committee Extols Virtue of Solar Power
“Most people say ‘it’s got to be a Design Review Board nuisance,’” said committee member George Webb, “but it’s really not. It’s basically a $160 permit and you are done.”
Solar Workshop Teaches Students New Skills for Careers in Alternative Energy
The first in a series of solar panel workshops which will provide training and a general overview of the physical and electrical installation of the panels took place at the Evans campus in SF on Sept. 20.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Net Metering or Feed In Tariff? Can They Coexist?
Working to improve the CSI net-metering program and adding 750 MW of solar electricity to the grid, as proposed in the SB 1714 FIT will create more jobs, generate electricity where it’s needed and deliver real environmental benefit.
“Smart” Appliances Save Energy
General Electric Co.’s Louisville-based Consumer & Industrial division plans to introduce “smart” appliances next year that can coordinate operations with power companies, reducing electric consumption — and lowering bills — during periods of high energy use.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Thin Film Solar Firm Sencera Completes Equity Investment
Sencera, a developer of PV modules and thin-film systems, has completed a three-stage, $15.6M equity investment. The money will fund the company’s first 35 MW module factory in North Carolina.
A Green Credit Crunch
If there appears to be little immediate collateral damage from the financial crisis for green tech startups, there are longer-term consequences. Solar power plants, wind farms and other large-scale renewable energy projects require billions of dollars in bank financing.
MARKETS & MARKET RESEARCH
W.V. Energy/Climate Survey: Most Do Not Favor More Subprime Investments in Carbon Based Fuels
If elected officials in Charleston and D.C. are going to invest in energy through subsidies, tax breaks and other incentives, the focus should shift from coal and nuclear to wind and solar, energy efficiency, and hybrid cars, according to a new survey of 605 West Virginia adults.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Tax Breaks in the House
The House on Thursday introduced a $57B measure to extend and expand tax breaks, putting it on a collision course with the Senate. The House bill, which appears headed for a vote Friday, has about $15 billion in tax incentives for investments in renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, geothermal and water power
At Clinton Powwow, McCain, Obama Echo Each Other On Energy
Both candidates spoke yesterday at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. Among the small differences, Sen. McCain seemed to stress supply-side solutions more though he studiously avoided mentioning drilling while Sen. Obama focused more on alternative energy and conservation.
TECHNOLOGY
Envision Solar Creates LifeVillage Module Structures with Self-Contained electricity and Water Treatment
Envision is claiming a trademark of the term and design of the LifeVillage, a modular self-contained “infrastructure in a crate” that can provide critical utilities in even the most remote areas of the planet
New eSolar VP Sees Past, Future of Solar Thermal
Craig Tyner, former IEA and Sandia Labs solar-thermal researcher, says the decades-old technology is finally seeing market and technology align.
Cadmium: The Dark Side of Thin Film?
The panels being built today have an estimated lifespan of 30 to 40 years and then are largely discarded. The problem is that some thin-film PV solar cells contain hazardous substances like cadmium that can pose a health risk if the solar panel is simply thrown out after it?s done soaking up the sun.
Solmetric SunEye Adds New Languages, Viewing in Google Earth
Solmetric Corporation announced new features available in its Solmetric SunEye shade analysis tool.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Endesa Opens 12.3MW Solar Plant
Endesa has announced that its 12.3-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) plant at the Guadarranque industrial estate in Spain is now online.
SolFocus Completes CPV Installation at ISFOC Solar Plant
SolFocus announced the completion of its CPV installation at the Institute of Concentration Photovoltaic Systems’ (ISFOC) 3 MW municipal power production facility in Spain.
Solar Cell Market Expands at up to 40%
the global market for solar cells is expanding at between 30% and 40% a year, allowing sufficient room for growth for both entrenched and new players
Solon Sees Significant Decline in System Prices for 2009
Solon will attempt to replace a crumbling market in Spain with new business in Italy, France and Greece amid an anticipated environment of falling PV system prices.
Newly Formed CPV Consortium to Set Standards
A handful of companies installing a 3-megawatt project for the Institute of Concentration Photovoltaic Systems in Spain have formed a new industry association.
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