US solar panel maker SunPower Corporation (SunPower) yesterday agreed to acquire SunRay Renewable Energy (SunRay), a leading European solar power firm for approximately $277 million, aiming at expanding its activities in Europe and the Middle East. SunPower will acquire SunRay from its shareholders, which include its management and Denham Capital, a leading global private equity… Read more »
Akeena Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq:AKNS), a leading installer of solar power systems and designer of AC solar panels, today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009. “2009 was a turning point for Akeena Solar as we diversified our revenue streams by launching the distribution sales of Andalay AC solar panels. Our… Read more »
Vestas Wind Systems has secured an order to help produce 33 new turbines for a New Hampshire wind farm, a contract that experts say should help sustain work at its Windsor plant. The Weld County operation, where the blades will be constructed, temporarily halted turbine work in December in light of weak sales. “The turbines… Read more »
A month after United Technologies Corp. announcing that it closed on a $270 million deal to acquire nearly half of a California wind turbine manufacturer, the chief financial officer says the conglomerate is interested in other investments in alternative energy. CFO Greg Hayes said at an analysts meeting Thursday that the acquisition of Clipper Windpower… Read more »
China Datang Corp, the country’s second-largest power producer, plans to float shares of its renewable energy unit in a Hong Kong IPO, which is expected to raise at least $1 billion, sources close to the deal said. Analysts expect a potential wave of issuance from the nation’s power producers at a time when valuations of… Read more »
DEK Solar is reflecting on an extremely positive Q4, having sold a record number of photovoltaic metallization lines in China. Most recently, the solar screen printing specialist completed a contract to supply a high-profile turnkey provider in the region with a large number of new metallization lines. DEK Solar’s current success in China is being… Read more »
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) this week at a workshop in Turkey, said that Turkey must exploit its huge wind energy resources if it wants to meet its increasing power demand while becoming less dependent on energy imports. The workhop on integrating wind power was held in Ankara and organized by the European Wind… Read more »
With a surplus of both land and sunshine, Texas could easily be the nation’s leader in solar power generation but needs more help from state leaders, advocates said Wednesday. A coalition of environmentalists, politicians and more than 80 businesses held events around the state to release a letter urging Gov. Rick Perry and the Texas… Read more »
Funds from the $787 billion stimulus package and other federal assistance kept growth in the renewable energy sector strong in 2009, a trend that will probably persist as federal investment continues to pay off over the coming year, industry leaders said in a teleconference Tuesday. The picture was especially good for the solar industry, which… Read more »
Renewable Energy Corp. ASA, the Norwegian maker of solar-energy components, fell to a record low in Oslo trading after predicting lower earnings this quarter. Renewable Energy, known as REC, fell 6.87 kroner, or 20 percent, to 27.61 kroner, the lowest since the initial public offering in May 2006.Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization will… Read more »
Defying the impact of a depressed economy on market movements, the Linde Gases Division of The Linde Group closed 2009 with more than 6GWp (Gigawatt peak) of production capacity across its global photovoltaic (PV) customer base. Linde demonstrated increased market traction securing multiple new contract wins and renewals with leading thin-film and crystalline manufacturers worldwide… Read more »
Austin Energy has devised a new approach for incentivizing solar power among its commercial, multifamily, and non-profit customers. The municipal electric utility said the new approach saves $2.4 million over the life of the program compared to the old way of administering the program for those customers. Rather than provide an upfront rebate on the… Read more »
Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) (Nasdaq: ENER), the leading global manufacturer of thin-film flexible solar laminate products for the building-integrated and commercial rooftop markets, today announced financial results for the second quarter of its fiscal year 2010. Total consolidated revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2010 were $52.9 million compared to $103.1 million in… Read more »
* Stimulus funds powered most renewables to expand in 2009 * Energy groups stress domestic job creation * Call for federal energy standard, extended tax credits By Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) – U.S. industry executives from the wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass sectors pushed on Tuesday for a federal renewable… Read more »
A new bill modeled in part on successful solar energy programs in New Jersey and California was introduced in Congress last week with support from both of the Garden State’s Senators and U.S. Rep. Albio Sires. The bill – which has the somewhat clunky title of the 10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons… Read more »
International Battery, a U.S. manufacturer and developer of large-format lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, is partnering with system integrator HNU Energy to assess the effectiveness of storing solar energy using new, more-efficient battery technology. If successful, the solar power generation and energy storage project in Maui, Hawaii, could pave the way for small businesses and others that… Read more »
Vestas Wind Systems A/S, the world’s biggest maker of wind turbines, lowered its full-year forecast after wind park developers delayed or canceled orders because of a lack of financing. Vestas expects 2010 sales of 7 billion euros ($9.6 billion), compared with a previous range of 7 billion to 8 billion euros, the Randers, Denmark-based company… Read more »
The world’s largest nuclear plant builder, Areva SA, is diversifying into solar power with the aim of becoming an industry leader, as it acquires U.S.-based solar thermal player Ausra, the company said on Monday.”This market is set to have 20 gigawatts by the year 2020. Areva has an objective to be a world leader in… Read more »
The Michigan Public Service Commission has approved two grants totaling about $1.7 million for studying the development of offshore wind technologies in the state. Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center and the University of Michigan’s Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute are getting $1.3 million for jointly researching offshore wind and ice data… Read more »
Ten years ago energy pundits said Portugal was wasting its rich renewable energy sources; now, the country generates 35.9% of its electricity from wind and solar energy. Portugal’s wind energy industry has led the country’s shift away from fossil fuels. Recently, the Portuguese wind industry displaced Spain as the wind industry that provides the second-largest… Read more »
It started as just an idea, but now the thought of a wind farm in mid-Missouri could become a reality. Mark Chamberlin is a chicken and dairy farmer who originally had the idea to put a wind turbine on his property. “You always have a lot of time to think when you’re in tractors,” Chamberlin… Read more »
Massive renewable energy projects undertaken by the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries could turn them into solar energy exporters along with their large hydrocarbon exports, according to a veteran Arab energy analyst. “After oil, Arab countries could start exporting solar energy,” said Nicolas Sarkis, Director of the Paris-based Arab Petroleum Research Centre (APRC), which… Read more »
Israeli solar energy developer Arava Power said on Sunday it signed long-term contracts with 15 agricultural cooperatives to build mid-size solar fields at an investment of 2 billion shekels ($533 million). The fields will produce a total of 100 megawatts of solar energy using photovoltaics, for an average of 6.5 megawatts per field. Arava said… Read more »
A special three-part series in last week’s San Jose Mercury News, entitled “The Cleantech Revolution,” highlighted the enormous economic opportunity in the clean-tech sector and warned that the U.S. is quickly falling behind while Asia seeks to gain global market dominance.In its analysis of the clean technology market, the Mercury’s rhetoric is grand and its… Read more »
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar journeyed out into Nantucket Sound on a Coast Guard vessel last week to signal the Obama administration’s readiness to put some muscle behind wind energy. To do that, Salazar has to resolve a battle over building a wind farm on 25 square miles of open water that has driven a rift… Read more »
President Obama is spending $2.1 million to help Suntech Power Holdings build a solar-panel plant in Arizona. It will hire 70 Americans to assemble components made by Suntech’s 11,000 Chinese workers. That gap shows the challenge Obama faces as he works to create “green” jobs. Asia makes more than half the world’s wind and solar… Read more »
The world’s wind power capacity grew by 31 per cent in 2009, according to statistics released by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). The boost added 37.5 GW to total global wind power installations, bringing the figure up to 157.9 GW. One third of these additions were made in China, which experienced yet another year… Read more »
New Energy Husum, in cooperation with the World Wind Energy Association, is hosting the 1st World Summit for Small-scale Wind – Turbines, with participants and speakers from 11 nations. Leading experts from Egypt, Argentina, Belgium, China, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, Mali, Spain and the USA will be presenting an overview of the use and potential… Read more »
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has welcomed the publication of the European Energy Regulators (ERGEG) draft strategy on the role of Regional Initiatives towards a single energy market in Europe. “Regional Initiatives are a very good step forward, but the final aim remains the creation of a single European market for energy, which should… Read more »
Husum’s New Energy trade fair, which with around 16,000 visitors last year – well over half of which were trade visitors – making it one of the best visited events in the renewable energy sector, announces an increase in exhibition space of over fifty percent for the exhibition in March 2010.In 2009 there were 148… Read more »
Solyndra, Inc., a manufacturer of innovative cylindrical photovoltaic (PV) systems for commercial rooftops, today announced that Umwelt-Sonne-Energie GmbH (USE Projects), an authorized reseller, has completed the largest collective Solyndra project to date. The project consists of 1.9 MWp of generation capability installed on 10 rooftop sites in Belgium owned by a large international food retailer…. Read more »
Fidelis Energy Inc. (PINKSHEETS: FDEI) (“Fidelis” or the “Company”) wishes to advise that Company management will be in attendance at the 1st International Conference and Exhibition on Photovoltaics, Solar, Thermal, Solar Architecture, Equipment, Materials and Systems at the World Trade Centre, Mumbai, India, during March 4-6, 2010. Fidelis Energy executives will meet to discuss the… Read more »
Hamlin Energy Solutions, a division of Hamlin Companies, furnished and installed 52 Uni-Solar 136 photovoltaic panels for a historical property, Morey Residence, in Durham, NC. This 7,000 watt solar power rooftop system is estimated to generate approximately 10,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy each year, and 200 carbon free megawatt hours over 20 years. Rajendra… Read more »
Intel has contracted for new solar electric installations at its sites in Oregon, Arizona, California and New Mexico. The new installations will generate approximately 2.5 megawatts of clean solar energy. About 800 kilowatts of the total will be generated at Intel in Oregon, adding to a 100 kilowatt electric photovoltaic system at Intel’s Jones Farm… Read more »
Data released Tuesday by the American Wind Energy Association show that Michigan’s efforts to diversify into wind energy face some significant headwinds Orders for new wind turbines have slowed dramatically and the state lagged far behind others last year in the installation of wind turbines, the association’s report shows. And any hope that production of… Read more »
Claims that wind turbines cause health problems will be discussed at a conference in Cardiff later. “Wind turbine syndrome” was dismissed last year by a panel of experts, commissioned by the American and Canadian Wind Energy Associations. They said headaches, nausea and panic attacks “were more likely associated with annoyance to low sound levels”.Environment Minister… Read more »