Solar Cells Info

Tapan Chakravorti, Ranchi October 9, 2007
Source:Business Standard
http://www.business-standard.com/economy/storypage.php?
leftnm=lmnu2&subLeft=2&autono=300667&tab=r

Paharsingh is a hamlet, situated about 52 km from Ranchi. The village has a population of only 87 people, belonging to the primitive Birhor tribe.  Till a few months ago, the village had no source of drinking water. The villagers had to collect water from a hand pump located in a far-off village.  However, their water woes came to an end when a solar water pump of 1,200W capacity was installed in the village. The initiative was taken by Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (JREDA), run by the Jharkhand government. The agency works with the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy.
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By Brandon Reed, Madrid, Oct 10, 2007
Source: Reuters UK
http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKL1051297620071010

Photovoltaic solar power plants are springing up throughout Spain, capitalizing on special tariffs for renewable energies and exceeding the government’s expectations.  With the current momentum, Spain will be over its target for 2010 of 400 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) power by next summer, possibly having somewhere between 800 MW and 1,200 MW, according to the Industry Ministry.  “We already have 80 percent of the target,” Industry Minister Joan Clos said at a European energy conference in Madrid earlier in October.
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14 Oct, 2007
Source: 7Days.ae
http://www.7days.ae/en/2007/10/14/sold-on-solar-power.html

Environmentalists, politicians and the media have been focusing on global warming and the necessity for us to be ‘greener’ for some time now, but how many of us have actually done anything to try and make a difference? A glance around this emirate quickly shows that over-sized 4×4 gas-guzzling cars are still the motor of choice on Dubai roads and that Dubai’s public is determined to continue its love affair with plastic, despite the fact that reusable grocery bags – the ‘greener’ option – are widely (more…)

Oct 15, 2007
Source: OneNews- Technology, TVNZ
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1320238/1404463

Reflective dishes may be the answer to make solar energy competitive with conventional sources of power, Israeli scientists say.  A global race is on to find energy alternatives as subsidies tip the balance in favour of renewable sources of power, which answer security and climate change concerns about fossil fuels. New-found demand for one such renewable source, solar energy, has sucked up supply of the silicon raw material, prompting a search for alternatives. A team at Israel’s Ben Gurion University believe they have found just that, in a far less known material that is more expensive than silicon but also more efficient when used with a reflective dish.
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by Donald Shoup, October 14, 2007
Source: San Francisco Chronicle /SFGate.com
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/10/14/EDIOSO3NR.DTL

On hot, sunny days when air conditioners threaten to overload the power grid, solar power generation makes a lot of sense. Solar panels produce the most electricity exactly when demand peaks, so they reduce the load on conventional power plants at the right time. Solar panels also cleanly and quietly produce power exactly where it is consumed, so they help to prevent power outages caused by overloaded transmission lines.
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Michael Chang, Hsinchu; Esther Lam, DIGITIMES, 3 October 2007
Source: DigiTimes
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20071002PD213.html

Sinoar has held the opening ceremony at its new thin-film solar production plant at Hsinchu, Taiwan. The company will soon enter volume production with annual capacity set at 15 peak megawatt (MWp) initially, according to the company.  The company’s first solar-cell production plant was built in 1989 with test production completed in 1991. The second plant will enter operation immediately, said the company adding that second-phase expansion is already underway. The company plans to add another 35MWp capacity at the plant in the future with annual capacity expected to exceed 50MWp in the third quarter of 2008.
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JIANGSU, China, Oct. 9, 2007
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=196781&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1060349

Canadian Solar Inc. (“the Company,” ”CSI,” or ”we”) and Ra Solar Espana today held the official opening of a 2.8MW solar farm project in Albacore, Spain. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries including the Dutch ambassador and the Director of Industry of Castilla la Mancha. The solar park, one of the largest photovoltaic plants in Spain, is expected to supply enough energy for 1,500 families. (more…)

Industry luminaries will meet this week at the annual Solar Power 2007 to celebrate booming business. But high costs remain a barrier to wider adoption.
By Martin LaMonica, Staff Writer, CNET News.com, September 25, 2007
Source: CNet News.com
http://www.news.com/Cutting-solar-panels-high-price-tag/2100-11392_3-6209791.html

For all the technical advances in the thriving solar power industry, the large up-front costs of solar electricity in the residential market remains a stubborn barrier to wide adoption. A number of companies, from installers to panel producers, are taking different routes to try to improve the economics of purchasing rooftop solar panels. Solar panel manufacturers and installers are introducing new products and services to lower the cost of installing solar electricity. Installation accounts for up to half the cost of solar power.
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Non-Profit Now Able to Serve 6,700 Additional Home-Delivered Meals a Year
San Francisco, CA, Sept. 13, 2007
Source. Pacific Gas & Electric Co., press release
http://www.pge.com/news/news_releases/q3_2007/070913.html

Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Project Open Hand today celebrated the unveiling of the non-profit’s new state of the art solar and solar thermal energy system. PG&E’s Bill Morrow was joined by San Francisco Treasurer Jose Cisneros, San Francisco Assessor Recorder Phil Ting, and San Francisco Commission on the Environment President Paul Pelosi, Jr. to celebrate with community members who could see live readings of the new system’s power generation and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions the system has avoided.
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Solar Arrays Provided to 65 Homes in Northern and Central California; Supplying 75 Percent of Each Family’s Electricity Use
San Francisco, CA, Sept 20, 2007
Source: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Press release
http://www.pge.com/news/news_releases/q3_2007/070920.html

Pacific Gas and Electric Company today announced a $1.2 million partnership with Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) to install solar electric systems on every Habitat-built home throughout PG&E’s northern and central California service territory in 2007. The first such partnership of its kind is part of PG&E’s commitment to provide affordable, renewable energy in the communities it serves. “As we work to meet the future of California’s energy needs, PG&E is committed to bringing clean and renewable energy to all of the communities we serve,” said Bill Morrow, president and CEO, PG&E. “By expanding our partnership with Habitat for Humanity International, we are sending a very clear message – solar energy can have very real financial and environmental benefits for all of our customers.”
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