Solar Cells Info

by Yuri Kageyama, Tokyo, Dec 31, 2008
Source: Associated Press
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/
ALeqM5j6YAsF3SOqHlP0vYQgSsJ8YaR9LgD95E6O680

Toyota Motor Corp. is secretly developing a vehicle that will be powered solely by solar energy in an effort to turn around its struggling business with a futuristic ecological car, a top business daily reported Thursday.  The Nikkei newspaper, however, said it will be years before the planned vehicle will be available on the market. Toyota’s offices were closed Thursday and officials were not immediately available for comment. (more…)

By Michael King • Post-Crescent staff writer • December 21, 2008
Source. PostCrescent.com
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20081221/APC0101/812210506/1979/APC04

George Dearborn believes the town of Menasha will become a renewable energy leader by example with the installation of a large solar system next spring.  Dearborn, the town’s community development director, said last week’s action by the Town Board to award a $240,453 contract to Energize LLC, Winneconne, will give the town three large solar installations on the west side.  “We’re anxious to make this happen,” Dearborn said.  Energize owner Jim Funk said the 25.2-kilowatt system would be the largest in the Fox Cities and one of the largest solar installations north of Milwaukee. (more…)

By Andy Vuong. The Denver Post / 31 Dec 2008
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11339744

Ilan Caplan and his wife, Amy Berkowitz Caplan, had solar panels installed on their home in Lowry a year ago. (Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post ). Ilan Caplan took the plunge last December and had 14 solar panels installed on the roof of his 2,900-square- foot home in Lowry.  The 2.87-kilowatt photovoltaic system — enough to generate about 75 percent of his family’s power needs — cost about $9,000 after rebates from Xcel Energy. He also received a $2,000 tax credit from the federal government.  Caplan has saved nearly $1,000 on utility bills and estimates that the cost of the system will be recovered in just more than seven years.  “I wished we would’ve done it earlier,” said Caplan, a finance director for a wind-power company based in California. (more…)

WorldWater & Solar Technologies Completes Solar Installation at Valley Center Municipal Water District
Ewing, N.J. – January 5, 2009
http://www.worldwater.com/PDFdocuments/Valley-Center-Complete.pdf

WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp. (OTC BB: WWAT.OB), developer and marketer of proprietary high-horsepower solar systems, today announced that it has completed installation of a 1.1 MW solar power system for the Valley Center Municipal Water District (VCMWD) of Valley Center, California. (more…)

Source: Ohio.com / Jan 07, 2009
http://www.ohio.com/news/ap?articleID=1403197&c=y

Ohio is taking another step in its attempt to turn the state into a hub for the renewable energy industry by offering grants to increase the use of solar and wind power.  The new program isn’t big, but development officials say it will help an industry that could create thousands of jobs in Ohio.  The state says the $3.5 million program for residential projects will lead to 260 wind turbines and 200 solar hot water systems. (more…)

By Elaine Rundle, Jan 7, 2009,
source: Govtech.com
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/579331

Cities wanting to remove the guesswork from solar power installations are turning to friendlier technology for citizens. Since typing a street address into a Web site is all it takes to determine how much solar power can be obtained from a rooftop installation, who wouldn’t take a look?  An exemplar is the San Francisco Solar Map that lets residents view buildings that are equipped with solar power. Users also can type their address into the Solar Map site to get an analysis of how much solar power their roof could harness.  (SF Solar map site URL:  http://sf.solarmap.org/) (more…)

Toledo is fighting to become a leader in solar power.
Toledo, OH, December 15, 2008
Source: Vindy.com
http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/dec/15/toledo-turns-to-solar-panels-to-revive-city/

The smell of fresh paint drifts through an almost-empty warehouse. Near the back, researchers inspect a solar panel that’s lighter and more flexible than traditional models.  Within the last year, the number of employees at Xunlight Corp. has grown from 16 to 64. And there’s plenty of room for more. It’s among nine companies — from one of the world’s biggest solar panel makers to a handful of startups — that are turning this Rust Belt city battered by job losses into a research hub for converting sunlight into energy. “This is our chance,” said Xunming Deng, a physics professor who founded Xunlight. (more…)

by Max Jarman – Dec. 13, 2008
Source; The Arizona Republic
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/
articles/2008/12/13/20081213biz-amtech1213.html

Substantial growth in sales of its solar-cell production equipment led to a much improved revenue and profit picture reported Wednesday by Amtech Systems Inc.  The Tempe-based producer of equipment used to make semiconductors and solar power cells said its revenue more than doubled to $26.8 million in its fourth quarter that ended Sept. 30. (more…)

By Nichola Groom, Los Angeles, Dec 18, 2008
Source: Reuters/Guardian UK
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/8165544

As dismal as 2008 has been for solar stocks, next year doesn’t look any brighter.  Funding for solar projects and factory expansions remains scarce, prices on panels are falling faster than expected as supplies jump, and a dramatic drop in oil prices has tempered investor appetite for renewable energy stocks.  There is palpable optimism, however, that the new U.S. presidential administration will move rapidly on legislation to boost demand for alternative energy sources. Still, it remains to be seen how quickly that would get done and what form it will take.  “It will be a tumultuous year for most solar companies,” said Karina Funk, an analyst with Winslow Green Funds in Boston. (more…)

Source: Business Standar Reporter
Chennai/ Bangalore December 17, 2008, 20:24 IST

SEMI, the global industry body of the microelectronic, display and photovoltaic (PV) industries, has formally marked its presence in India by setting up an office in Bangalore.  Having the solar photovoltaic market as its initial area of focus out of India, SEMI will form a PV advisory committee comprising executives from major solar cell, module, equipment and material manufacturers to support various SEMI initiatives in India, Paul Davis, executive vice-president of SEMI, said. (more…)