Rise & Shine: November 10, 2008
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
The Gatsby Hollywood L.A.’s First Solar Powered Community
The Gatsby Hollywood an eco-friendly community development right in the heart of Hollywood is being developed by MasterCraft Homes is going to be L.A.’s first solar powered community.
Tips for Hiring a Reliable Contractor
A Company president Peter Be says you and other burned customers will have deposits refunded, but it could take up to six months while the company goes through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings
Silicon Genesis Starts Pilot Production of ‘Kerf-free’ PV Wafers
Silicon Genesis started production of the first ever kerf-free 150um solar-cell substrates at its new solar development and pilot production facility in San Jose, CA.
BioSolar to Begin Pre-Production Runs of its Breakthrough Solar Module Component
BioSolar will begin commercial production of its BioBacksheet over the next few months, and is gearing up for pre-production runs.
SunPower, Ecoware Sign 130MW Customer Agreement
SunPower will provide Ecoware with at least 130 MW of its high-efficiency solar panels over the next four years. Ecoware will begin receiving SunPower’s solar panels under the agreement in the first quarter of 2009.
NATIONAL NEWS
CertainTeed to Offer Solar Integrated Roofing Products
CertainTeed, one of the nation’s largest roofing manufacturers, has partnered with a solar technology developer to produce solar-integrated roofing products by 2010.
Is the Solar Industry Hurting the Environment?
Nitrogen Triflouride (NF3), a greenhouse gas used by the semiconductor industry to clean the chambers where silicon chips are produced, has 17,000 times the globe-warming capacity of CO2.
Splash of Green for the Rust Belt
From Pennsylvania to Michigan and Ohio, state and local governments are courting manufacturing companies that supply solar electricity plants
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
Warning of Blackouts if Wind, Sun Added to Grid
Adding electricity from the wind and the sun could increase the frequency of blackouts and reduce the reliability of the nation’s electrical grid, a report by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. says.
Al Gore’s 5 Steps to Deliver 100% Clean Power in a Decade
Gore is calling for 100 percent of U.S. electricity to be from renewable power within 10 years.
The End of the Road for SDG&E’s 900MW Renewable Energy Project
In 2005 SDG&E signed a joint initiative with the Phoenix-based Stirling Energy Systems. Their mutual goal was to install 900MW of Stirling solar power in the Southern California desert.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
GT Solar International Reports Results for Fiscal Year 2009 Second Quarter
GT Solar International, Inc, a global provider of specialized equipment and technology for the solar power industry, today reported results for its fiscal year 2009 second quarter, which ended September 27, 2008.
Sun Needs Credit to Shine
Solar PV players fall into 2 broad categories: Those who make and wholesale solar panels and those who buy and retail them. The former will need financing as oversupply and slow demand drive the prices they can charge down. The latter will need financing as slowed business activity cuts into their cash flow.
Deutsche Bank Downgrades Solar PV Stocks
Deutsche Bank downgraded a number of solar PV stocks from Buy to Hold, including First Solar, saying they view the solar PV company stocks as trading vehicles looking into 2009.
WorldWater & Solar Technologies Announces Third Quarter Results
Revenue for Q3 was $6.5M, compared with $4.4 million reported in Q3 2007. This increase was driven by the Company’s 1.2 MW solar installation for the Valley Center Municipal Water District of Valley Center, CA and the Denver International Airport project.
Six Startups Win Cleantech Contest
In the Renewables category, San Jose, CA-based Focal Point Energy won a $10,000 prize. Focal Point is developing a concentrator that uses the sun’s heat instead of light to generate electricity.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Energy Concerns a Major Factor in Voters’ Decision
Based on what voters heard, 49% felt that Obama has a better plan for investing in clean energy and creating new jobs, with 35% for McCain.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Yingli Green Energy Signs New Long Term Polysilicon Supply Agreement with Wacker Chemie AG
Wacker Chemie will supply Yingli with polysilicon from 2010 through 2017. The total amount of supplied is expected to allow Yingli to produce approximately 380 MW of PV modules.
Solarstrom Signs Contract with Yingli Green Energy
Yingli will supply solar modules with a total output of 36.8MW to Solarstrom starting in 2009.
Are you in California and interested in solar for your home? Call us at 877.SUN.MOJO or visit our website to learn more.