Solar Energy News

Praxair Electronics to Supply SANYO Solar

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:33:00 +0000

DANBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Praxair Electronics, a division of Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX), has been awarded a contract by SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. to supply its new manufacturing facility in Salem, Oregon, with bulk argon and nitrogen.

SANYO Electric will construct a new plant for the manufacture of solar ingots and wafers in Salem’s Renewable Energy and Technology Park. The plant is scheduled to begin operations in October 2009 and to be in full operation by April 2010 with a production capacity of approximately 70 MW, bringing SANYO Electric’s total for ingot and wafer production capacity in America to approximately 100 MW.

“We chose Praxair Electronics for its proven track record of supply reliability and its bulk-gas production capacity,” said Scott Landrigan, SANYO Electric’s director of facilities.

“Praxair provides gases and sputtering targets to over 40 photovoltaic component manufacturers around the world,” said Mark Murphy, president, Praxair Electronics. “We are pleased to have been selected to supply argon and nitrogen to SANYO Electric’s new state-of-the-art facility in Salem and to continue our contribution to alternative energy market growth.”

SANYO Electric will provide the fundamental materials, ingots and wafers, necessary to manufacture SANYO’s proprietary HIT® solar cells and modules.

Kendall-Jackson Winery Taps GE for Energy Efficiency

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:32:00 +0000

SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Just as wine is often best enjoyed years after its original bottling, Kendall-Jackson Winery expects to see the benefits of an energy-efficient lighting solution for years to come. The California winery aims to save more than $100,000 annually in energy and maintenance costs as a result of an energy efficiency program that features innovative new lighting from GE Consumer & Industrial.

"We are taking a holistic approach to increasing energy efficiency," explains Robert Boller, vice president of sustainability for Kendall-Jackson. "Beyond changing out the lights, we are hoping to be an example of environmental stewardship. Making smart choices at every decision point allows us to have the lowest environmental impact with the highest efficiency."

Kendall-Jackson's Kittyhawk location, a central production and storage facility, provided the main stage for the lighting retrofit. The 11.5-acre location includes a high-bay area that contains mostly barrels and cased goods, and a low-bay area that houses production and bottling operations. The facility's previous lighting design relied on a 400-watt metal halide system throughout.

Building a team of energy-focused leaders

A focus on quality led Kendall-Jackson to engage Energy Industries and GE in 2008 to develop ideas for energy-focused projects. The team identified Kendall-Jackson's lighting as a primary target and met with lighting engineers at the GE Lighting and Electrical Institute in Cleveland to formulate the best possible lighting solution.

"Our meeting of the minds effectively closed the loop on all the brainstorms, debates and discussions that Kendall-Jackson conducted in search of the optimal solution," says John Strainic, global lighting product general manager, GE Consumer & Industrial.

The result was a customized approach segmenting each area according to use, incorporating GE's combined lamp-ballast solution with MetalOptics’ Greenbay™ fixtures, a high-intensity fluorescent solution that couples energy savings with environmental savings by significantly reducing packaging, material waste, weight, floor space requirements and installation times.

Kendall-Jackson opted for the GE T5 Watt-Miser® system with shatter-resistant covRguard® technology in more active areas such as bottling and blending, and GE Ecolux® T8 fluorescent lamps in case goods and barrel storage areas. NEMA Premium® UltraStart™ high-efficiency ballasts from GE are at work in all locations.

"This segmented lighting design allows Kendall-Jackson to maximize functionality while minimizing energy costs," explains Eric Leber, Regional Manager of Energy Industries. "Areas with lower light requirements were adjusted to meet their exact application and provide even greater returns."

The path to even greater efficiency

"At Kendall-Jackson, our business principles hinge upon hard work, integrity, an uncompromising desire for quality and the long-term stewardship of the land," says Boller. "We see this lighting retrofit as a milestone in our energy efficiency program."

Kendall-Jackson has the lighting systems in all the production areas of its Kittyhawk facility on controls. For example, it uses sensor shields in certain areas to limit false activations, so forklifts operating up and down the aisles won’t trip fixtures even ten feet away. “That translates to more energy savings,” notes Boller. In addition, Kendall-Jackson is considering how Energy Industries and GE's breadth of experience in areas such as efficient lighting, solar, wind, motors and drives could further increase the energy efficiency of its operations.

The successful lighting upgrade at Kendall-Jackson’s Kittyhawk location is now serving as the model for additional lighting upgrades across more than a dozen facilities, including wine tasting rooms, warehouses, offices and exterior applications.

"We are continuing to identify and shape the best long-term energy solutions for Kendall-Jackson," says Boller. "There’s so much more that we’re looking to accomplish."

About Kendall-Jackson Winery

Family-owned Kendall-Jackson Winery has crafted quality wines for nearly three decades. To learn more about Kendall-Jackson wines, please visit www.kj.com.

About Energy Industries

Energy Industries, LLC is a national energy project development company that provides comprehensive energy-efficiency and renewable energy solutions to its corporate clients. Specializing in "whole building" programs, the company helps businesses significantly reduce energy consumption through intelligent system design and equipment upgrades. Energy Industries uniquely combines energy-saving measures with photovoltaic renewable energy for holistic energy programs. Headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, the company has offices throughout the West Coast. For more information about Energy Industries visit www.energy-industries.com.

About GE Consumer & Industrial

GE Consumer & Industrial spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliances, lighting and integrated industrial equipment, systems and services. Providing solutions for commercial, industrial and residential use in more than 100 countries, GE Consumer & Industrial uses innovative technologies and ecomaginationSM, a GE initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that help customers and consumers meet pressing environmental challenges, to deliver comfort, convenience and electrical protection and control. General Electric (NYSE: GE), imagination at work, sells products under the Monogram®, Profile™, GE®, Hotpoint®, SmartWater™, Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Entellisys®, Tetra®, Vio™ and Immersion® commercial brands. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.

Applied Materials to Demonstrate the Power of Scaling Solar Technology at Intersolar North America Show

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:31:00 +0000

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Applied Materials, Inc., the world’s largest supplier of solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing equipment, will showcase its strategy to make solar power affordable for everyone, everywhere, at the Intersolar North America event in San Francisco next week. “Scale” is the key – scaling up power output through higher efficiency and bigger panels while scaling down cost through faster processing, tighter process control and lower material costs.

Applied is widely known for its award-winning SunFab™ Thin Film Line that produces panels with the world’s highest power output. Delivering more than 460 watts, each of these 5.7m2 panels has over three times the output of any other thin film glass panel on the market. When used for large-scale applications, these panels can provide an entire manufacturing ecosystem, linking solar panel producers, utility companies and communities to attract local investment and create jobs for generating clean solar energy at a competitive cost.

Applied also serves over 40% of the crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV module manufacturing market with its broad portfolio of wafer and cell processing systems. By focusing on key steps of the c-Si fabrication process, Applied is working on providing new integration and automation solutions to enhance cell manufacturing. New breakthroughs in the high-speed processing of ultra-thin wafers: wafer slicing, film deposition and integrated backend processing will enable lower manufacturing costs and superior cell properties.

Applied’s experts, including prominent industry figures Dr. Charles Gay and Dr. Winfried Hoffmann, will participate in Intersolar North America’s technical program. They will share advances in fabrication technology and help attendees navigate public policy and implement sustainable manufacturing practices. A complete list of Applied’s presentations can be found at www.appliedmaterials.com/2009_Intersolar_NA/index.html.

Visit Applied’s booth #8011 on the second floor of the Moscone Center’s West Hall during Intersolar North America.

Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) is the global leader in Nanomanufacturing Technology™ solutions with a broad portfolio of innovative equipment, service and software products for the fabrication of semiconductor chips, flat panel displays, solar photovoltaic cells, flexible electronics and energy efficient glass. At Applied Materials, we apply Nanomanufacturing Technology to improve the way people live. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

Solar Century to Drive Development of Sustainable Energy with DS ENOVIA SmarTeam

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:30:00 +0000

VÉLIZY, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dassault Systèmes (DS) (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, today announced that UK environmental energy system design and engineering firm Solar Century successfully implemented out-of-the-box ENOVIA SmarTeam Engineering Express and Design Express for SolidWorks in just two months. Saving time and money, this PLM solution will enable Solar Century to easily synchronize, analyse and deliver information within and beyond the enterprise.

Solar Century is designing, installing and maintaining tailor-made solar systems for homes, offices, commercial and agricultural buildings. Promoting the uptake of renewable technologies, Solar Century is experiencing rapid business expansion with consequent increased demands on its own infrastructure. As one of the leading providers of solar photovoltaic solutions, Solar Century needed to measure and report project progress in relation to business expectations more efficiently, and make decisions based on reliable information. After benchmarking several solutions, Solar Century chose ENOVIA SmarTeam Engineering Express.

Engineering Express, preconfigured and simple to implement, provides a full PLM solution for mid-sized companies. Solar Century faced the challenge to integrate the management of product and process data, including change orders (workflows), documentation, bills-of-materials, quotations, material specifications, as well as immersive management of SolidWorks models from the CAD application. Because it is based on standard MS apps, Engineering Express could be quickly adapted to these needs and is easy to maintain. Solar Century also appreciated that the time for implementation and the financial investment were smaller than those required by traditional PLM applications.

Engineering Express also facilitates the concurrent collaboration between Solar Century and its strong network of partners, increasing productivity by eliminating the need to complete one part of a project before another can be initiated.

“Like many growing companies, Solar Century was running a range of diverse business management software which was not effectively connected. This led to some operational inefficiencies which needed to be addressed,” said Mat Burgess, Solar Century’s development manager. “By partnering with UK Dassault Systèmes VAR Design Rule, we introduced the flexible ENOVIA SmarTeam-based methodology that provides the tools to efficiently manage all future business expectations.” As their business activities extend, Solar Century modifies and expands the solution accordingly, in a gradual and phased manner.

Design Rule Managing Director Bob Hiller commented, “Inevitably, companies that quickly grow from a small base have the same issues to deal with as larger companies and many outgrow their IT infrastructure even before it has delivered any real business benefits. To deal with Solar Century’s plans, an ENOVIA SmarTeam solution that matches the business’ current and future requirements has been deployed in less than two months.”

“In today’s challenging economic conditions, more and more forward-thinking mid-sized companies recognize the need for tools that will let them adapt their products from both the top and bottom lines, not only by reducing production costs but also by adding innovation,” remarks Alex Zeltcer, VP ENOVIA Value Channel, Dassault Systèmes. “ENOVIA SmarTeam Engineering Express was designed specifically for these companies, and meets their budgets, schedules and most importantly, their objective to produce excellent products.” Moreover, Solar Century’s selection of ENOVIA SmarTeam demonstrates the viability and potential of PLM for mid-sized companies in growth industries.

A live e-Seminar entitled “Achieving Powerful Gains with Dassault Systèmes PLM, featuring Solarcentury” will be delivered by Mat Burgess, Solar Century Development Manager on Wednesday 15 July, 11 am ET. To register, click on http://www.plmv5.com/enoviaeseminar/?ref=exeem3dstfg062909

City of Dover, Delmarva Power, Partnering for 10 MW Solar Park

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:29:00 +0000

DOVER, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The City of Dover and Delmarva Power are finalizing agreements that would lead to the construction of a 10 megawatt, solar power plant on the city’s Garrison Oak Technology Park, to be named Dover SUN Park. Dover’s Utility Committee will be reviewing one of the foundational contracts, a solar energy purchase agreement, at its regularly scheduled Committee meeting July 13, 2009 at 5pm followed by a recommendation to City Council.

The Dover SUN Park would be the first, utility-scale, solar power plant in the region and would be owned by White Oak Solar Energy, LLC, an affiliate of LS Power. The project would supply enough clean power for more than 1,700 homes and create about 150 local jobs during construction. In addition to Delmarva Power, the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC) and the state’s Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) are also considering participation in the project.

“This is a very exciting project for the City of Dover, the State of Delaware and our nation as we all work together to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by investing in clean energy,” said Dover Mayor Carleton E. Carey, Sr. “Dover’s leadership in this project demonstrates not only our commitment to renewable energy but also the wisdom of the State’s legislators who allowed for the creation of voluntary renewable energy programs. We look forward to finalizing this agreement with LS Power and working with Delmarva Power, as well as other utilities, and state and federal agencies.”

“Dover also wishes to recognize Pace Global Energy Services for its guidance and expertise – Pace represents our interests and has managed the process for all participants and stakeholders,” Mayor Carleton said.

Delmarva Power President Gary Stockbridge said: ““The Dover SUN Park, when finalized and combined with our four wind energy projects, will go a long way toward ensuring Delmarva Power meets the state of Delaware’s clean energy goals, which is for 20 percent of our power supply to come from renewable sources by 2019.

“Delmarva Power is extremely proud to partner with the City of Dover and LS Power for such a ground-breaking renewable energy project,” Stockbridge said.

Dover has already initiated reduction of its carbon footprint by constructing a 5kW photovoltaic solar array at its Electric Administration building; a second photovoltaic solar array at the Dover Power plant is currently planned. Dover has also upgraded its power plants to utilize a cleaner fuel mix. The City recently began offering to all residents a free residential energy audit, where they will come to your home and, with the aid of a thermal image camera, identify cost effective upgrades to conserve energy. In experimenting with energy efficiency, the city also has installed LED street lights which can be viewed along Walker Road.

Delmarva Power ranks among the first of its Mid-Atlantic Region peer utilities to meet the aggressive, renewable energy goals mandated by any one state. For instance, the company expects to be receiving energy for the first of its three new land-based wind farms by the end of this year; the solar project to be completed in 2010; and the offshore wind project to be up and running between 2012 and 2014.

The SEU and Dr. John Byrne are thanked for innovative suggestions and efforts to support this project. As Senator Harris B. McDowell notes, \"The Dover SUN Park is exactly the sort of initiative we need to move our State toward a sustainable energy future and the SEU is proud to promote its development.\"

The proposed Dover SUN Park resulted from a request for proposals initiated by the City in March 2008 seeking power-generating sources that were reliable, cost competitive and environmentally prudent. Following nine months of careful analysis, in December Dover selected a leading developer, LS Power, as its partner in planning and constructing the 90-acre solar pv project, the largest planned for the region to date. Dover, Delmarva Power, DEMEC, the SEU and LS Power with support from the State legislative and executive branches have been developing this project for the last six months to be a model of cooperation in the pursuit of innovative solutions to our collective energy and climate challenges. The Dover Sun Park will be the first tenant within the 389 acre Garrison Oak Technology Park, owned by The City of Dover.

Solar Power and Energy Efficiency Will Be Topics of NSHP-Sponsored Workshop at Warmington's The Gardens at 9th Street in San Jose

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:17:00 +0000

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Saturday, July 18, The Gardens at 9th Street between Jackson and Taylor near downtown San Jose will host a solar energy workshop at 2 p.m. This fun and informative event is open to the public and will focus on how to save money and live comfortably using solar power and energy efficiency. Solar power is a sustainable source of energy that reduces global warming by significantly cutting air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and empowers homeowners to lower their utility cost while protecting the environment.

As a California Green Builder Gold Star-rated collection of new homes, The Gardens at 9th Street offered by Warmington Residential California includes a solar electric option as well as many other environmentally friendly and resource efficient features making them 35 percent more efficient than the current building energy standards require. This limited edition collection of 44 single-family detached homes features three floor plans ranging in size from 1,934 to 1,961 square feet for prices that begin in the $700,000s.

The Gardens at 9th Street is an ideal venue for promoting the benefits of solar energy and the efficiency of new homes in general compared to older homes. This collection includes an optional photovoltaic solar electric system, radiant barrier roof sheathing, tankless water heaters, and high efficiency 13 SEER central air conditioning in addition to a variety of other features and appointments that make The Gardens at 9th Street one of the most resource efficient new home neighborhoods now selling in San Jose.

Presented by solar provider Petersen Dean Roofing and Solar Systems and ConSol, energy efficient and green energy consultants, and sponsored by the California Energy Commission’s New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP), this solar energy workshop will highlight the benefits of new solar homes that save homeowners money on their utility bills and help protect the environment. Solar technology reduces a home’s utility bill by up to 60 percent and may even help homeowners earn credits during peak summer months that can be used to help offset their electric bills in the winter months.

“Petersen Dean is thrilled to support Warmington Residential California in their quest to increase market awareness for solar and energy efficiency,” said Aaron Nitzkin, Executive Vice President of Petersen Dean. “This event is the perfect opportunity for consumers and prospective homebuyers to not only learn more about solar and energy efficiency, but to also see firsthand some of the cutting edge technologies being used in residential new construction today.”

The solar energy workshop will begin at 2 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., radio station KISS FM 98.1 will host a live remote on site with giveaways, raffle prizes and refreshments. Attendees are encouraged to come early, tour the models at The Gardens at 9th Street, and enter to win a ‘Green Home Makeover’ courtesy of Go Solar California, a joint effort between the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission. For details go to www.gosolarcalifornia.org.

The Gardens at 9th is located at 608 N. 9th Street. Visit www.TheGardensat9th.com for a map and driving directions.

The Gardens at 9th Street is just minutes from downtown San Jose. Located near restaurants, Japantown, retail centers and mass transit, this collection of single family detached homes presents the ultimate urban lifestyle with a traditional flair. Spacious homes offer up to four bedrooms and are situated around paseo style community gardens.

Solar Manufacturing Adds Sales Support for Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas Region

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:16:00 +0000

SOUDERTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Solar Manufacturing recently formed a relationship with Matt Burnett of Texas Vacuum Solutions in Humble, Texas, to support the Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas region for the company.

Burnett has many years of experience in the vacuum furnace industry. Burnett will be responsible for furnace sales, service and installation in that region. He resides in Houston, Texas, and is an active member of the Lion’s Club and has served as a volunteer fireman.

Solar Manufacturing, Inc. is part of Solar Atmospheres family of companies. With combined sales of $50 million, the Solar Companies are progressive leaders in the global thermal processing industry as service providers and manufacturers. To learn more about their diverse product line, visit their website at www.solarmfg.com.

GT Solar Wins 2009 American Business Award for Best Overall Company - Up to 2,500 Employees

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:15:00 +0000

MERRIMACK, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GT Solar, a global provider of specialized equipment and technology for the solar power industry, today announced that it has won the 2009 American Business Award for Best Overall Company of the Year - Up to 2,500 Employees. GT Solar was also named a finalist in the Fastest-Growing Company of the Year category for similarly sized companies.

The only national, all encompassing awards program honoring great performances in business, the American Business Awards is presented by The Stevie Awards, the organizer of some of the world’s leading business recognition events. This year’s American Business Awards attracted more than 2,600 entries from companies of all sizes and virtually every industry.

“We are honored to receive this prestigious award, which is a tribute to the efforts of the entire GT Solar team,” said Tom Zarrella, GT Solar’s president and chief executive officer. “GT Solar remains committed to providing comprehensive services, best-in-class delivery, and industry-leading technology to the solar power industry. We will continue to work with our customers to bring solar energy to the masses by achieving cost parity with conventional power sources.”

Additional information about The American Business Awards, including 2009 event pictures and videos, can be found at www.stevieawards.com/aba.

SolFocus Raises over $77 Million in Series C Funding

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:15:00 +0000

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SolFocus, the leading developer of Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) systems, today announced that it has closed its Series C Funding round having raised $77.6 million. The company is completing its transition from pilot production to full scale commercialization, with the expansion of manufacturing from 0.5MW in 2008 to over 10MW to be shipped this year, with capacity for over 50MW going into 2011. The funds raised in this C Round will be used to support the rapid manufacturing ramp in the company’s transition to volume production. SolFocus announced a first close on the C Round in January of this year, at which time it had raised $47 million. Since that first close the company has raised an additional $30.6 million, bringing the total round to $77.6 million.

“Closing a round of investment with more than $77 million is no small feat in this challenging fund-raising environment, and a good indication of market expectations for SolFocus in 2009 – the year of CPV commercialization,” said Mark Crowley, Chief Executive Officer and President. “The investment will allow SolFocus to align its operations, engineering, and project management with the demands of global manufacturing and deployment.”

The C Round was led by Apex Venture Partners, a Chicago-based venture firm focused on investments in companies with high potential for value creation in a variety of sectors including technology, software, IT infrastructure and telecommunications. “The strength of a firm like Apex Venture Partners as the round lead was instrumental in our ability to exceed our fund-raising target,” commented SolFocus VP of Finance Bob Raybuck. “The strong product and market position of the company was also confirmed by the combination of existing and new investors joining the round.” Follow-on participants in the round included New Enterprise Associates (NEA) who led the A and B Rounds for the company, NGEN and Yellowstone Ventures. New investors in the round include Demeter Partners, affiliates of Advanced Equities, and others. Advanced Equities, Inc. served as the financial advisor to SolFocus on the financing.

“SolFocus has the right mix of innovation and execution to deliver on its promise of low-cost solar energy in high-sun regions around the world,” commented Wayne Boulais of Apex Venture Partners. “The challenge for new technology in today’s tight capital markets is intense, but we believe that SolFocus has demonstrated its ability to move forward on a deliberate path that will allow the company to meet these challenges and excel.” Mr. Boulais is a General Partner at Apex Venture Partners, and has been elected to the SolFocus Board of Directors.

The SolFocus CPV design employs a system of reflective optics to concentrate sunlight 650 times onto small, highly efficient solar cells. The SolFocus 1100S uses approximately 1/1,000th of the active, expensive solar cell material compared to traditional photovoltaic panels. In addition, the cells used in SolFocus CPV systems have over twice the efficiency of traditional silicon cells. In solar-rich locations, such efficiency can accelerate the trajectory for solar energy to reach cost parity with fossil fuels.

The funding builds upon a series of commercial milestones for SolFocus: the release of the SolFocus 1100S system in November; the largest CPV installation in Europe currently underway in Greece; the first certification of a CPV system to IEC 62108 standards, and the 15X capacity expansion of the company’s manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona.

California Energy Supplier PG&E Picks SOLON For PV Solar Plant

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:14:00 +0000

BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. energy supplier Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), headquartered in San Francisco, California, has commissioned the SOLON Corporation (GER:SOO1) in Tucson, Arizona, to build a photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 2 megawatts (MW) in California. The pilot power plant project is part of a five-year program in which PG&E expects to develop 250 MW of solar photovoltaic power in California. SOLON Corporation is a fully owned subsidiary of SOLON SE in Berlin.

Serving 15 million people in Northern and Central California, PG&E is one of the largest gas and electricity utilities in the U.S. PG&E awarded the SOLON Corporation a contract to produce photovoltaic modules and build a 2 MW power plant, which is planned to be completed in December 2009, in a multi-stage bidding process involving several top North American solar companies. The project installation will be performed by Silverwood Energy Inc, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB) based in San Diego, California (www.silverwoodenergy.com). Silverwood Energy has installed over 22 MW of solar power in California to date.

The power plant is a pilot project for PG&E aimed at enabling the utility to develop more photovoltaic power plants in the future. As part of its solar energy initiative, PG&E plans to use photovoltaic power to deliver more than 1,000 gigawatt hours of electricity each year by 2015. This would be enough to supply up to 150,000 households. The program is one of the largest photovoltaic projects in the U.S. It targets mid-sized power plants of 1 to 20 MW, mounted on the ground or on rooftops. Award of the contract will give SOLON Corporation the opportunity to work closely with PG&E to gain a better understanding of their solar program goals.

SOLON Corporation was founded in 2007 as part of SOLON’s initiative to develop the U.S. market. The subsidiary has built its own production facilities where it manufactures UL-certified solar modules for the U.S. market.

Solar-Powered A650 Aviation and Obstruction Light Combines Low Cost with Powerful Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:13:00 +0000

VICTORIA, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Carmanah Technologies (TSX: CMH) today introduced its most versatile and highest value solar-powered light to date: the A650 aviation and obstruction light. Featuring a groundbreaking user interface, replaceable battery pack, intelligent-deployment capability and up to 10 candela of intensity (steady-on), the A650 is ideal for taxiway and apron-edge lighting, emergency airfield and helipad lighting, airfield construction barricade lighting, and obstruction lighting.

Free from wiring or external power requirements, the self-contained A650 aviation light combines a quick and easy installation with impressive versatility and ease of use. A sophisticated on-board interface provides convenient access to configurable settings such as intensity levels and flash codes, while a built-in system status capability indicates overall battery health and geographical location (latitude and longitude). An intelligent-deployment feature enables the A650 to automatically adjust its optical intensity to suit the solar characteristics of its exact geographic location — an industry first. Incorporating an efficient optical design for maximum visibility, the A650 light includes more than 250 flash patterns, and can be ordered in a choice of blue, red, yellow, green or white light outputs. With no bulbs to wear-out, the LED-equipped A650 offers years of reliable, maintenance-free operation, and the replaceable battery pack can extend the product’s service life beyond five years for considerable cost savings over time.

As an environmentally responsible alternative, the solar-powered A650 aviation light is assembled with safe, recyclable materials in strict accordance with the European Union’s guidelines for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronic equipment (RoHS). Long-term durability, reliability and performance are assured by a three-year product warranty.

Designed to meet applicable ICAO and photometric FAA L-861T Taxiway specifications, the A650 light is suitable for permanent primary lighting, temporary lighting during airfield construction or upgrades, emergency backup lighting, or expedited portable lighting for quick deployment during emergency or humanitarian-aid operations. Designed and tested to the toughest industrial and military standards, Carmanah solar-powered lights ensure a dependable year-round solution.

Industry proven for reliable operation in a range of environments, Carmanah solar-powered LED aviation lights are installed at some of the world\'s busiest airports, including Chicago O\'Hare International Airport, Dubai International Airport, Gatwick International Airport, Singapore Changi International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The Carmanah A650 solar-LED light is available now from Carmanah Technologies. For more information, visit carmanah.com.

Solarmer Breaks World Records for Plastic Solar Technology

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:57:00 +0000

EL MONTE, CA--(Marketwire - July 7, 2009) - Solarmer Energy, Inc., a leading developer of plastic solar panels, is now the world record holder for plastic solar cell and plastic solar panel efficiencies. At this year's Large-area, Organic and Printed Electronics Conference (LOPE-C), Solarmer announced that they have achieved 6.77% plastic solar cell efficiency, certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and 3.9% plastic solar panel efficiency, certified by the Newport Corporation, which are the highest performances recorded to date by these organizations.

Solarmer's Materials Development team, led by Dr. Jianhui Hou, made the polymers used for both record breaking devices. "We're extremely pleased with the progress we're making and excited about what's yet to come," says Dr. Hou. "These achievements are more evidence that Solarmer's portfolio of polymers is the strongest and most diverse in the industry."

From July 14th to 16th, Solarmer will exhibit the record breaking plastic solar panel along with others to the 15,000 trade visitors at Intersolar North America 2009 in San Francisco, California. Demonstrations will include a solar messenger bag, GPS navigation system, and cell phones.

"Solarmer has made great progress developing plastic solar panels, but we could not have done it without our academic partners, University of Chicago and the University of California, Los Angeles," says Woolas Hsieh, Founder and President of Solarmer Energy, Inc. "I'm glad and proud we're advancing plastic solar technology towards commercial success."

Imminent Grid Parity to Create Solar Boom in California

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:54:00 +0000

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - July 7, 2009) - Solar energy has had an image as an impractical high-cost luxury. However, falling costs and time-of-use electricity pricing have now begun to make solar competitive. Proximity to "grid parity" varies by location, and is closest for commercial rooftop installations in California. Grid parity isn't a single-point in time, and parity for utility-scale generation remains a decade or more away. However, near-term viability in select applications will drive the thin edge of the wedge that leads to cost reduction and future universal grid parity, says a new report from Lux Research, entitled the "The Slow Dawn of Grid Parity."

"The solar industry is coming of age, and the metrics for judging solar technologies are shifting," said Ted Sullivan, Senior Analyst at Lux Research, and lead author of the report. "Instead of upfront capital cost for adding generation capacity -- or cost per watt peak ($/Wp) -- the new standard is the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE)." Presented as cost per kilowatt-hour ($/kWh), LCOE measures the total lifetime cost of a solar installation. This shift enables a more direct comparison to conventional generation types, and enables more rigorous analysis of solar technology on the basis of life-cycle costs, payback period, and return on investment.

The report also provides executives and investors with data on the internal rate of return (IRR) of new solar installations by geography, application, and technology. "IRR is determined by comparing the LCOE in different countries, applications and technologies against the specific subsidies and available retail rates of electricity," explained Sullivan. "The higher the IRR, the higher the demand in that country, and the more attractive the investment. In subsidized markets, the internal rate of return can reach well in excess of 10%, actively fueling demand."

Lux Research's report derives its intelligence from conversations with twenty utilities, project developers, financiers, and tax experts. Among its conclusions:

--  Select applications nearly enable grid parity today. Solar will
   converge with grid electricity rates in some situations, such as commercial
   roof decks in California at costs approaching $0.45/kWh. But grid parity
   comparable with utility generation costs around $0.08/kWh remains a decade
   away for solar in most markets.
  
--  Subsidies are still the primary demand driver for new installations.
   Even where solar is far from grid parity, ongoing subsidies allow
   investors, businesses, and homeowners to earn positive IRRs from solar
   installations. These IRRs will boost demand, fueling further increases in
   scale and enabling the industry to continue cutting costs and innovating.
   This should drop future solar LCOEs and further accelerate grid parity.
  
--  Premature views of grid parity could be counterproductive. Mounting
   fiscal pressure on debt-ridden governments could turn the political tide
   against solar subsidies, particularly if politicians take the simplistic
   stance that grid parity is a current reality.

"The Slow Dawn of Grid Parity" is part of the Lux Solar Intelligence service. Clients subscribing to this service receive continuous research on solar industry market and technology trends, ongoing technology scouting reports and proprietary data points in the weekly Lux Research Solar Journal, and on-demand inquiry with Lux Research analysts.

OPEL International and Partner Complete Phase One of Commercial HCPV Installation

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:51:00 +0000

SHELTON, CONNECTICUT and TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 7, 2009) - OPEL International Inc., (TSX VENTURE:OPL), a leading global developer and supplier of high concentration photovoltaic ("HCPV") and other solar products, including ground-based and rooftop tracker systems, and its Spanish partner, BETASOL, today announced that the first phase of a four-phase, 440 kilowatt (kW) utility grade solar photovoltaic power plant has been completed in Spain. This initial phase, which is generating 110 kW, represents one of the first HCPV installations supplying commercial electricity to the power grid and is already generating revenue for BETASOL.

OPEL built this installation with its Mk-I high concentration panels (HCPVs) mounted on dual axis trackers. The balance of the installation is expected to be done during the third quarter of 2009. When the project is fully completed, it will supply electricity to over 350 households.

OPEL's partner, BETASOL, a Spanish company, specializes in building utility grade solar farm installations and their subsequent sale to investor groups. Solar farms are a collection of solar panels mounted on trackers that convert solar energy into electricity. This utility grade solar farm is located in the Province of Tarragona in Spain, a prime area for solar deployments.

"The successful completion of the initial 110 kW phase of this HCPV system represents one of the first commercial grade installations using HCPV technology generating revenue in Spain, and we view it as a continued expansion of OPEL's leading edge solar concentrating technology," said Robert Pico, CEO of OPEL International.

"We are excited about the operational completion of this HCPV solar power plant, which is now delivering electricity to the power grid in Spain, and we are pleased to share this success with our partner, BETASOL," Pico added. "This installation has attracted great interest of potential customers in both Europe and Africa. Our HCPV technology promises to deliver cost effective solar generated power to many markets across Europe and Africa."

"We at BETASOL are very pleased to have this project now providing renewable solar electricity to the power grid using HCPV, one of the advanced solar technologies in the world today," said Jesus Cabetas, Managing Director of BETASOL. "Our partnership with OPEL using its HCPV panels greatly improved the system's efficiency, thus making the rate of return provided by the Spanish feed-in tariff structure even more attractive to investors."

"OPEL's Mk-I HCPV panel design is a cost competitive solution concentrating light from the sun more than 500 times on to very high efficiency multi junction solar cells," said Frank Middleton, Vice President of Marketing for OPEL International. "This product has conversion efficiencies up to twice those of silicon solar panels and more than three times that of thin film solar panels, making it an optimum solution, especially in sunny climates such as the Mediterranean basin and the South Western United States."

OPEL will continue to report on its progress with this leading solar technology as it completes the other phases of this project.

Pall Corporation Showcases Technologies for the Solar Energy Industry at Intersolar North America 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:45:00 +0000

EAST HILLS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pall Corporation (NYSE:PLL), a global leader in filtration, separation and purification, will showcase economical and eco-friendly products and systems for the photovoltaic (PV) industry at Intersolar in San Francisco. These products are designed to help increase yield and reduce reworking times in solar cell production processes.

Pall will feature its fully automatic Water Reclaim System for recovering over 90% of deionized water used during silicon ingot shaping. The system efficiently and economically removes the resultant silicon fines without the need for chemical additives, providing essentially particle-free water for cost-effective recycling. A major supplier of shaping and grinding tools for the solar industry highly recommends this reclaim system.

In addition, Pall will display its range of products for the filtration and purification of process gases used in Czochralski (CZ) ingot pullers and in sputtering, thermal deposition and distribution equipment. By providing highly efficient filtration (as fine as 3 nanometer particle retention) and very effective molecular contamination removal, these products help PV manufacturers reduce or eliminate defects in silicon thin films and monocrystalline ingots. They are manufactured with less raw material and energy than standard filters and purifiers and use environmentally friendly packaging.

Another exhibit will highlight Blowback Filtration Systems for the protection of CZ ingot puller vacuum pumps. There will be a display of innovative filters and uniquely designed housings for chemical and water filtration. The system and products provide long-term service without the interruption of frequent change-outs, increasing uptime and reducing maintenance costs for solar cell producers.

Pall Microelectronics supports the solar energy, semiconductor, data storage, fiber optic, advance display, solar and materials markets with a comprehensive suite of contamination control solutions for chemical, gas, water, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and photolithography processes.

Visit the Pall booth at Intersolar NA: #8148, West Hall, Moscone Center, San Francisco, July 14 -16.

34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference Sees Record Attendance

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:44:00 +0000

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Organizers of the 34th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), the industry’s most respected global gathering of leading PV scientists and engineers, today reported the highest conference attendance numbers in the history of the event. This year, 1,348 scientists, policy-makers, industry executives, and others—excluding exhibitors—attended the PVSC, slightly higher than last year and nearly double the number of attendees of the preceding IEEE PVSC in Orlando, Fla. in 2005.

The 2009 PVSC chairman Tim Anderson, distinguished professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida, said, “In contrast to the many other industry conferences that have been crippled this year by the global recession, we think the turnout of the global solar community for the 2009 PVSC is a clear indication that the prospects for solar energy have never been brighter.”

Anderson added, “Academia, industry and policy are aligned and continue to press along and rapidly advance the industry.”

This year’s PVSC was held in Philadelphia in June and was co-located with Solar Energy Industries Association’s PV America. The PVSC’s keynote speakers included Penn. Gov. Edward G. Rendell, DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy CTO Dr. Sam Baldwin, Deutsche Bank Senior Analyst Stephen O\'Rourke, among many others. There were 140 exhibitors and 654 technical presentations on topics ranging from various solar technologies, to modules and system components, to space technologies, manufacturing, materials, testing and much more.

The 35th IEEE PVSC will take place in June 2010 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Technical abstracts will be accepted beginning in October, with a deadline of Feb. 15, 2010. Exhibitor and attendee registration will open in March 2010. A Web site for the conference will be available soon.

SolarCity Introduces Affordable Solar Financing Option for Small, Medium and Large Businesses

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:44:00 +0000

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SolarCity®, whose residential solar lease (SolarLease™) has become one of the nation’s most popular ways for homeowners to go solar, today announced an affordable new solar financing option for businesses of all sizes. SolarCity’s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) can allow even small and medium-sized businesses, churches and schools to adopt solar power for no money down and pay less than they previously paid for electricity. The SolarCity PPA also allows organizations to lock in predictable electricity rates to protect themselves from rising energy costs. SolarCity’s PPA is a unique, full-service solar option — the company provides financing, design, installation, monitoring and maintenance. While PPAs have typically been used to finance massive solar farms, SolarCity’s PPA can finance commercial solar systems as small as 20 kilowatts (approximately 2,000 square feet), or up to 1,000 kilowatts (approximately 100,000 square feet) or more, with generating capacity suitable for organizations of many different types and sizes.

“Historically, it has been difficult to create a solar financing option that generates immediate savings for smaller commercial installations,” said Lyndon Rive, SolarCity’s CEO. “SolarCity has made it possible by eliminating middlemen and by creating the infrastructure and economies of scale that allow us to lower the cost of installation for commercial projects.”

SolarCity has applied a number of key innovations to create the industry’s most affordable PPA. The company created a new fund with U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation last month that can finance PPAs for a wide range of commercial installations. SolarCity has also developed proprietary software to analyze the potential solar production, financials and environmental impact for each business, manage thousands of ongoing projects simultaneously, and scale and automate key processes to reduce costs. The company has leveraged experience gleaned from working with more than 500 different building departments to create additional operational efficiencies. Finally, SolarCity proactively monitors system performance via its SolarGuard® monitoring service, troubleshoots issues if they arise, and absorbs the cost of operation and maintenance. SolarGuard also provides a Web link that businesses can use to display their solar production and resulting environmental benefits for employees and customers.

Baker Marble and Granite, a 17-employee manufacturer and installer of kitchen and bathroom countertops, chose the SolarCity PPA to install a 52-kilowatt solar system on the roof of its Oakland, Calif., showroom. The company has paid $2,400 less for solar electricity in 2009 than it would have paid for electricity had it not installed solar.

“Before we found SolarCity, we’d wanted to adopt solar for a long time, but taking out a loan or using our capital to cover the large upfront cost didn’t make sense for us,” said Latham Woodward, owner of Baker Marble and Granite. “SolarCity’s power purchase agreement is the only solar option I’m aware of that can allow a business like ours to save money immediately. Our solar system offsets most of our electricity needs, and costs us less each month than our old electricity bills did.”

California businesses that own their facilities and have at least 5,000 square feet of unshaded roof space are generally excellent candidates for SolarCity’s PPA. For questions or additional information about the program, business owners should contact SolarCity directly at 888-SOL-CITY or 888-765-2489, visit www.solarcity.com/commercial, or send email to info@solarcity.com to schedule a free consultation.

Veeco Announces Upcoming Investor Events

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:43:00 +0000

PLAINVIEW, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO) today announced the following upcoming Investor Relations events:

Earnings Release Date:

Second quarter 2009 financial results will be distributed after the market closes on Monday, July 27, 2009. A conference call reviewing these results has been scheduled for 5:00pm ET that day at 1-800-779-5739 using passcode VEECO. The call will also be webcast live on the Veeco website at www.veeco.com. A replay of the call will be available beginning at 8:00pm ET that same evening through midnight on August 17, 2009 at 866-489-8055, using passcode 727200909, or on the Veeco website.

Upcoming Investor Conference:

Veeco management is scheduled to present on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 5:00pm ET at the Canaccord Adams Global Growth Conference. The presentation will be broadcast live via web cast and available on the Veeco website at www.veeco.com. Presentation material will be posted to the Veeco website no later than 8:00AM ET the morning of the presentation.

GWS Technologies, Inc. Announces Project Manager for Alternative Energy Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:42:00 +0000

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GWS Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: GWSC) an alternative energy company developing renewable energy solutions, announced today that it has retained Gus Shouse as its Project Manager for development of the company’s planned solar farms and other alternative energy projects.

“Mr. Shouse brings us incredible knowledge, expertise and experience in project management, design and construction of photovoltaic solar systems, wind turbine installations, and other renewable energy technologies,” said GWS’ President and CEO Richard Reincke. “He has a proven track record for managing large-scale power generation projects, bringing them in on-time and under budget.”

“The Interstate 10 corridor between Buckeye and the California state line has some of the best solar land in the world, and GWS and its partners have projects planned squarely in this prime zone,” Mr. Shouse said, citing new rules that require utilities to generate more power from renewable resources: 15 percent in Arizona by 2025 and 33 percent in California by 2020. “When you factor in state and federal subsidies, and the billions in economic stimulus money earmarked for solar power, I predict GWS has a very bright future.”

Mr. Shouse has over 35 years’ experience as an electrical contractor and project manager. Among his other achievements in the electrical industry, in 2005-2007 he managed the construction of a 31,000 square foot structure and 400 kW photovoltaic system for Timberland Manufacturing in Ontario, California; an 800 kW on-site cogeneration and heat recovery system for Morgan Stanley’s 21-story building in Glendale, California; a transitional power system for the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; a 1.2 MW on-site cogeneration facility for the United States Post Office Distribution facility in San Bernardino, California; and a 17 acre methane recovery facility at the SWACO (Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio) landfill, installing a 70 kW micro-turbine site and providing engineering assistance for a bio-fuel plant.

From 1972 to 1993 Mr. Shouse owned and managed Community Electric Service, Inc., a member of the National Electrical Contractors Association which operated several divisions: Commercial Property, Industrial, Mining, Utilities, Service, Lighting, Direct Generation and Hospitals. He also served as president of CES, Inc., a residential electrical contracting company which wired over 10,000 residential units in Southern California annually. From 1993 to 2003 Mr. Shouse was the Chief Operating Officer and Licensed Contractor for Western Electrical Services, Inc., which installed over 15 cogeneration systems in California. Mr. Shouse was appointed to the State of California Contractors Licensing Board; was the National President of the National Electrical Craftsmen and served as a Board member for twelve years. He was also appointed by President Reagan to serve on a review committee to address remediation for damages caused by Hurricane Hugo and prepare a report to Congress for estimation of costs to rebuild and repair vital infrastructure. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Global Energy Operations for USA Green Energy LLC and is managing the design and engineering of a new concentrated solar 300MW facility in Arizona.

Ascent Solar Exceeds 10% Module Efficiency Milestone

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:41:00 +0000

THORNTON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTI), a developer of state-of-the-art flexible thin-film solar modules, today announced that it has achieved its initial target module efficiency goal of 10.0% for its flexible Copper, Indium, Gallium, Selenide (CIGS) monolithically integrated modules.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has independently verified that the modules measured as high as 10.4% in conversion efficiency. The modules tested at NREL were standard 429 cm2 modules produced by the company’s 1.5MW production line that was put into commercial production in the first quarter of 2009.

Dr. Prem Nath, Sr. Vice President of Production Operations for Ascent Solar, stated, “This is a significant breakthrough in demonstrating our ability to manufacture monolithically integrated flexible CIGS modules with greater than 10% module efficiency in commercial production. Ascent’s high-volume 30MW commercial plant is scheduled to commence initial production at the beginning of 2010. Module efficiency of 10.0% is a vital element for our low-cost-per-watt manufacturing goal in high volume and will establish Ascent Solar as a leader in the production of lightweight flexible photovoltaics used for portable power and building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products.”

Dr. Harin S. Ullal, Senior Project Manager for the National Center for Photovoltaics at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, stated, “Ascent Solar has made progress in advancing the state-of-the-art flexible, lightweight thin-film CIGS PV technology. NREL has independently verified module conversion efficiency of more than 10.0% for several thin-film CIGS monolithically integrated modules deposited on flexible, lightweight plastic substrates.”

Evolution Solar Explores China Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:09:00 +0000

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Evolution Solar Corporation (PinkSheets: EVSO) has sent representatives to China to explore potential opportunities there and to consider strengthening the Company’s existing presence in China. As the Company has developed, it has become increasingly clear that China will be a leader in the development of new solar products (such as thin-film solar) and a major consumer as well.

EVSO seeks to convert relationships it has developed in China into a major component of its business strategy. This trip is aimed at establishing top level strategic relationships with solar companies in China and at evaluating possible locations for a new Chinese headquarters.

“We see growth coming both through acquisitions and through strategic relationships with leaders in the solar industry in China,” stated Robert Kaapke, CEO of Evolution Solar Corp. “The Company is entering an exciting new phase of development with these two new foundations for growth.”

EVSO expects to incorporate products produced by, Sun Power (Nasdaq: SPWRA), First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR), Trina Solar LTD (NYSE: TSL), and LDK Solar Co. LTD (NYSE: LDK).

Haywood Dorland Energy Capital, LLC, Invests in SolFocus, Inc., the Leading Developer of Advanced Concentrator PV Solar Technologies

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:09:00 +0000

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Haywood Dorland Energy Capital, LLC, a private equity firm, announced today that it has made an indirect equity investment in CPV solar energy company, SolFocus, Inc. SolFocus is the leader in concentrator PV solar power technology development. Haywood Dorland, led by Steven Pottle, focuses on funding solar panel and general solar power companies and projects. The investment was completed through an investment vehicle formed by Advanced Equities, Inc. SolFocus has previously received funding from New Enterprise Associates, NGEN Partners and Yellowstone Capital, Inc., which are leading investors in solar energy companies, including solar panel manufacturers.

As noted by Steven Pottle, the Managing Principal of Haywood Dorland Energy Capital, LLC, “SolFocus has developed leading concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar panel technology which combines high-efficiency solar cells (approaching 40%) and advanced optics to provide solar energy solutions which are scalable, dependable and capable of delivering on the promise of clean, low-cost, solar energy. This is a key strategic solar energy investment that will be followed by others, including ones in different solar panel technologies, as we continue to build our portfolio of operating assets and financial investments.\"

Shaw Awarded Task Orders for Photovoltaic and Energy Efficiency Improvement at U.S. Navy Installations

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:08:00 +0000

BATON ROUGE, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SGR) today announced Atlantic Contingency Constructors, LLC (ACC) has been awarded four task orders under a U.S. Navy Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract for global contingency construction awarded in 2006. ACC is a joint venture between Shaw’s Environmental & Infrastructure Group and AECOM Government Services, Inc. The work performed under the task orders will be for the improvement, design and construction of sustainable energy systems at Navy installations in the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Mississippi and Texas.

The task orders, totaling up to $100 million, are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and this amount will be included in the company’s fourth quarter fiscal year 2009 backlog of unfilled orders.

ACC will perform building and lighting efficiency surveys to optimize the performance of various photovoltaic (PV) systems that will be designed and constructed as part of these task orders. The systems may include rooftop- , carport- and ground-mounted systems, as well as solar ventilation preheat and other solar energy systems.

“Federal government agencies continually are moving toward using renewable energy to power their operations and need solutions that address the challenge of fulfilling energy demand with cost-effective solutions and minimal environmental impact,” said George Bevan, president of Shaw’s Environmental & Infrastructure Group. “Shaw’s expertise in design and construction will help the U.S. Navy achieve a more sustainable, cost-effective energy system to meet their current and future needs.”

The Shaw Group Inc. is a leading global provider of technology, engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, fabrication, manufacturing, consulting, remediation and facilities management services for government and private sector clients in the energy, chemicals, environmental, infrastructure and emergency response markets. A Fortune 500 company with fiscal year 2008 annual revenues of $7 billion, Shaw is headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., with offices and operations in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. Shaw is the power sector industry leader according to Engineering News-Record's list of Top 500 Design Firms. For further information, please visit Shaw's Web site at www.shawgrp.com.

Mitsubishi Electric Identifies ARRA-Eligible Products

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:07:00 +0000

CYPRESS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mitsubishi Electric U.S. Group Holdings has identified its energy, building services and transportation products and technologies that may qualify for federal stimulus funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The products include power generation and transmission; rail transportation; heating and cooling; elevators and escalators; solar panels; water treatment; display technologies; and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

With sales, engineering, and manufacturing locations throughout the United States, the Mitsubishi Electric U.S. companies are especially well-positioned to assist with infrastructure modernization projects.

“Substantial funds are being invested in key ARRA projects to modernize federal, state, and local facilities; create smart grids to efficiently meet growing energy needs; apply alternative power sources like solar and wind; build high-speed rail lines; and rebuild water infrastructure systems,” said Roger Barna, chairman of Mitsubishi Electric’s North American Business Development group. “We’re pleased to offer a range of product solutions that are very relevant to the goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“We’ve maintained a solid presence in the United States for more than 35 years and also believe strongly that our U.S. workers, products and technologies are positioned to make significant contributions toward rebuilding our social infrastructure and assisting in the transition to a clean energy economy.”

Mitsubishi Electric has been a key provider of energy infrastructure to U.S. electric utilities for decades, and is the preferred provider of thousands of business and property owners for energy-efficient climate control systems, elevators and escalators, power supplies and controls. Through a variety of products, Mitsubishi Electric U.S. contributes to energy efficiency and long-term cost savings in high-performance green buildings, school and data center modernizations, education facilities, low-income housing, federal buildings, and more.

Mitsubishi Electric’s ARRA-eligible offerings include:

* High-efficiency solar panels that use 100% lead-free solder
* Inverter-driven, energy-efficient, split-ductless Mr. Slim, City Multi and Lossnay heating, cooling and energy recovery ventilation systems
* Non-toxic, chemical-free ozone water treatment systems for industry and municipalities of all sizes, including packaged, portable systems for smaller cities
* Redundant uninterruptible power supplies that manage energy usage and ensure maximum cost-efficiency
* High-voltage electricity transmission and distribution equipment including power circuit breakers, transformers, gas-insulated substations for cities and utilities
* Machine-room-less and inverter driven elevators that save space and actually generate electricity during operation
* Building automation systems that help reduce energy consumption and waste
* Inverter-based rail propulsion, train management and climate control systems that are already used in U.S. commuter rail cars and high-speed rail networks worldwide
* Energy-efficient display and projection technologies that deliver stunning images using comparatively low power and environmentally friendly materials

Mitsubishi Electric’s U.S. companies are members of leading environmental or quality assurance organizations including the U.S. Green Building Council, AHRI and ASHRAE, and many of its products have been certified by, or meet the standards of, EnergyStar, RoHS, LEED, SEER, ISO9001, ISO14001 and QS-9000.

The corporation has also strengthened its commitment to the environment through its “Environmental Vision 2021 Plan.” Vision 2021 offers a framework that defines long-term initiatives to realize a sustainable society, setting 2021 as the target year and commemorating Mitsubishi Electric’s 100th anniversary as a formal entity. Vision 2021 ensures Mitsubishi Electric U.S. will develop cost-effective and efficient products now and well into the future.

Coverage from Green Technology and Renewable Energy Media Bolsters Popularity of BioSolar’s Environment-Friendly Solar Module Components

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:07:00 +0000

SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioSolar, Inc. (OTCBB:BSRC) has garnered media coverage in numerous high-profile publications following its recent announcement that the company will be shipping its first commercial product, BioBacksheet-C™, in the second half of 2009. BioBacksheet-C is a protective covering in the back of virtually all photovoltaic solar cells designed to replace expensive and hazardous petroleum-based film with a bio-based film.

“It’s no secret that solar panels, while capable of producing clean renewable energy, are themselves laden with potentially harmful materials. One California company says it has developed products that will make panels more environmentally palatable,” reported Sustainable Industries of BioSolar’s line of proprietary BioBacksheet™ protective coverings on June 18.

The same article mentions BioSolar has been working with several unnamed solar panel manufacturers to test its products before transitioning into production mode by the end of 2009 for its cotton- and castor oil-derived materials that “match plastic’s durability and can be used in existing panel manufacturing facilities.”

The Sustainable Industries feature coverage was also distributed by internationally renowned Reuters News Syndicate and Matter Networks, the media network dedicated to creating, aggregating, and syndicating actionable news and information about the clean technology and sustainability revolution, further underscoring the validity of BioSolar’s contribution to the renewable energy industry.

“Designed specifically for cost-sensitive, economical photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, the BioBacksheet-C is expected to be instrumental in driving down the cost per watt of solar power,” said Dr. David Lee, BioSolar’s chairman and CEO, in the June 24 Commodity Online news report. “Currently designed for silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic solar panels, the first commercially available BioBacksheet-C is highly water resistant and contains high dielectric strength material combined with cellulosic film.”

The Daily Green reports that though all solar cells require protective backing, it is contradictory for these backings to comprise petroleum in any amount saying, “Solar has to be green all the way through.”

In the same article, Dr. Lee explains, \"Oil prices go up and down a lot, and putting a huge new demand on the petroleum industry as solar production increases is just not a good idea.\" He added that his company’s solar panel components consist of cotton, castor beans and other proprietary bio-based ingredients to help reduce the industry’s dependency on petroleum.

The Daily Green also reports that while the bio-film will be on the market in the latter part of 2009, other products are in the research and development stage, and the company is working on other bio-based PV module parts, including a replacement for the glass top layer of most panels.