Rise & Shine: November 13, 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
Renewable Energy: California Says it Won’t Be Cheap or Easy
Serving 33% of California’s energy needs with renewable sources will require an infrastructure build-out on a scale and timeline perhaps unparalleled anywhere in the world.
REI Roofs Some Bay Area Stores with Solar Panels
The Washington-based outdoor retailer has installed photovoltaic panels at three Bay Area stores, in San Francisco, San Carlos and Santa Rosa.
Construction Begins on County’s Largest Solar Power Project
Construction of the county’s largest solar project began Wednesday as crews lifted the first of 1,800 solar panels to the top of Soquel High School, where 40 percent of the campus’ electricity will be generated by the sun.
UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS
IEA Pains Dire Picture of Energy Supply and Demand
The world will need to invest $26.3 trillion over the next 22 years in order to boost energy supplies to meet an expected 45 percent increase in demand, reports the agency.
Former Energy Secretaries: Cap and Trade is Bad for Business
3 former secretaries discussed their opinions about necessary energy and climate change policy, and at least 2 of them agree that a cap-and-trade system in the U.S. would be bad for business.
FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS
Phoenix Solar AG Announces Third Quarter 2008 Results
German system integrator, Phoenix Solar AG has reported more than double total revenues for its domestic and international business for the period from 1 July to 30 September 2008.
aleo solar AG Boosts Revenue in First Nine Months
aleo increased revenue by 61.6% in the first 9 months of 2008. The proportion of international revenue amounted to 53.2%. EBIT increased by 68.2% to EUR 18.0 million, while the EBIT margin remained stable at 7.0% (6.8%). Earnings per share almost doubled.
JA Solar Posts Losses, Blames Lehman
The Chinese solar cell maker recorded losses from its investment and fund-raising deals with Lehman. JA Solar also cut forecasts in light of the weakened euro and slumping economy.
After 45% Profit Drop, Applied Materials to Cut 12% of Staff
The chip and solar equipment maker said the poor economy is affecting all of its operations, but the impact is less immediate on its solar business.
Polysilicon Pricing to Begin “Precipitous Plunge” in 2009
At fault, according to the research firm, are “fundamental imbalances in the solar supply chain.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Joint News Conference: Renewable Energy Industries Poised to Lead Economic Recovery
President-elect Obama and many members of the 111th Congress have expressed a desire for quick action to support growth in renewable energy investment, recognizing the key role that renewables can play in addressing some of our nation’s most pressing challenges.
Lawmaker Says Action on Warming will Take Time
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said that while every effort should be made to cap greenhouse gases, the economic crisis, the transition to a new administration and the complexity of setting up a nationwide market for carbon pollution permits preclude acting in 2009.
TECHNOLOGY
GeneSiC Semiconductor Gets US $1.5M from DOE
The U.S. DOE awarded GeneSiC 2 grants for the development of high-voltage silicon carbide (SiC) devices that could serve as key enablers for wind- and solar-power integration with the nation’s electricity grid.
Schott, Merck Lead Organic Solar Photovoltaics Consortium
SCHOTT and Merck will work to develop increase the efficiency of organic components to at least 10%, as well as demonstrating that these cells can be produced using a cost-effective printing process.
Sunovia and EPIR Announve the Successful Down-Conversion of Ultraviolet Light to Visible Light
Optical down-conversion enhances solar cell efficiency by converting the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light into visible light which can be used more effectively by the solar cell.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Conergy Sells Two Thin Film Projects
Both plants were planned and developed by the Conergy subsidiary EPURON, with financing provided by a German regional bank. Together, both thin-film plants generate a total output of some 9 megawatts.
UK Reaching Clean Energy Goals in Doubt
A major report has cast doubts on the ability of the UK to meet its own energy demands over the coming years. In a survey conducted by the BBC, 13 of 31 energy experts agreed with the statement that in the next decade, the island nation faces an unacceptable risk of blackouts.
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