Solar Cells Info

Tampa, Florida, August 6, 2008
Source: Environmental News Service ENS

Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is planning to install a solar system that can generate enough clean energy to power the zoo’s Skyfari sky ride and will be connected to the electric grid through the zoo’s main power system.  The zoo will partner with Tampa Electric and the University of South Florida’s Power Center for Utility Explorations to develop, design and test the 15-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system.
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By Michael DeLoreto, Trenton, NJ, Oct 24 2008
Source: PolitickerNJ.com
http://www.politickernj.com/mdeloreto/24827/
gusciora-eyes-solar-power-new-schools

In light of the New Jersey Energy Master Plan’s call for 30 percent of the state’s energy to be produced from renewable sources by 2020, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora has introduced legislation which would mandate that new school construction include solar panels as part of the design.  Gusciora said using solar power in schools would not only help the state meet its energy goals, but also would save taxpayers money and promote growth in the “green jobs” sector. (more…)

By Jodi Weigand, Pittsburg Tribune-Review, October 25, 2008
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_595132.html

The sun is setting on Pittsburgh to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars it received 10 months ago for solar energy initiatives.  The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the city $450,000 in 2007 through the Solar America Initiative. The grant is aimed at lowering the cost of solar electricity.  The money is to be used for planning solar energy projects, educating officials on building and zoning regulations and informing residents, said Jim Sloss, Pittsburgh’s energy and utilities manager. (more…)

By Craig Rubens, GigaOm, October 23, 2008
Source: New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2008/10/23/
23gigaom-duke-halves-solar-rooftop-plan-to-50m-13307.html

Duke Energy has decided to cut in half its $100 million distributed solar rooftop program after the utility was criticized during the permitting process by the Vote Solar Initiative and Wal-Mart, among others, the state Utility Commission over cost recovery and monopolistic practices. The new program will spend $50 million to install 10 megawatts of solar panels in North Carolina. Under the new plan the average customer will pay an extra 8 cents per month as opposed to an extra 34 cents under the original proposal. (more…)

By Matt Nauman, San Diego, October 20, 2008
Source: San Jose Mercury News
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10770837?source=most_emailed

The United States is poised to become the world’s largest user of solar power in the next decade, experts say, thanks in part to Silicon Valley innovation and the country’s vast land area and amount of sunshine.  And that title will bring an unexpected benefit: Manufacturing jobs arriving in the United States rather than being shipped overseas. Solar companies have determined that it makes economic sense to manufacture close to your market, because among other factors it reduces shipping costs. (more…)

The Company’s Most Powerful Solar Panels to Date with Performance Ratings over 90%
Marlboro, MA, Oct 14, 2008
Source: Evergreen Solar Inc, press release/BusinessWire
http://www.evergreensolar.com/app/en/investors/

Evergreen Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESLR) will introduce its new American-made ES-A Series Solar Panels at its booth #1115 during Solar Power International in San Diego, October 14-16, 2008. This new line of 200, 205 and 210 W solar panels features the most powerful products Evergreen Solar has ever produced. With a -0, +5W power specification, the ES-A Series also provides the best power tolerance currently available in the industry. (more…)

Raises Contractual Backlog to more than 1 Gigawatt
Marlboro, MA, Oct 16, 2008
Source: Evergreen Solar Inc, press release / BusinessWire
http://www.evergreensolar.com/app/en/investors/

Evergreen Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESLR), a manufacturer of STRING RIBBON(TM) solar power panels with its proprietary, low-cost wafer manufacturing technology, announced it has signed two new long-term sales contracts totaling more than 160 MW. The first is with Mainstream Energy Corporation and AEE Solar, Inc., a leading wholesale distributor in North America; the second contract is with, one of the top-tier general trading companies in Japan.. The combined contracts extend the company’s total contractual backlog to more than 1 GW. Shipments under these contracts will begin in 2009 and continue through 2012. (more…)

San Francisco, CA. – Oct. 20, 2008
Source: GreenVolts press release
http://www.greenvolts.com/news_and_events/press/2008/10/20/

GreenVolts (www.greenvolts.com), a leader in concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) technology, today announced that it was the recipient of a $250,000 grant from the California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program. GreenVolts’ proposal, entitled Low Cost Installation of Concentrating Photovoltaic, was rated highest among all applicants to this highly competitive grant program. (more…)

Proprietary panels designed to provide higher electricity output per rooftop and significantly reduced installation costs.
Solyndra announces more than $1.2 billion in customer contracts.
Fremont, CA, October 7, 2008
Source: Solyndra Inc, press release
http://www.solyndra.com/News/Press-Release-01

Solyndra, Inc. today announced a new solar photovoltaic (PV) system for the commercial rooftop market. Solyndra’s PV system is designed to generate significantly more solar electricity on an annual basis from typical low-slope commercial rooftops with lower installation costs than conventional PV flat panel technologies. Commercial rooftops represent a vast, underutilized resource and huge opportunity for generating solar electricity. Since its founding in 2005, Solyndra has been developing technology and ramping manufacturing capacity to produce its proprietary CIGS-based thin film PV system. Solyndra is currently shipping its systems, comprised of panels and mounting hardware, to fulfill more than $1.2 billion of multi-year contracts with customers in Europe and the United States. (more…)

Fremont, CA, Oct 23, 2008
Source: Solyndra Inc, press release/BusinessWire
http://www.solyndra.com/News/Press-Release-102308

Solyndra, Inc., a manufacturer of proprietary photovoltaic (PV) systems designed to optimize solar electricity production on commercial rooftops, announced it has signed a new long-term sales contract with solar integrator GeckoLogic GmbH, based in Wetzlar, Germany. The Euro-based contract value equates to approximately $250 million and extends through 2012. The GeckoLogic contract is part of Solyndra’s previously-announced total contractual backlog of approximately $1.2 billion. The solar panels for these contracts will be manufactured at Solyndra’s facilities in Fremont and Milpitas, California. (more…)