Solar Power Industry News

Cypress Soars on Solar Power Deal

Mike Turner — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:40:51 +0000

Shares of Cypress Semiconductor soared on Friday, spurred by the company’s announcement to buyback a large chunk of its convertible debt and by a blockbuster deal by Cypress’s majority-owned solar power subsidiary.

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U.S. lab claims solar conversion efficiency record

Mike Turner — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:36:44 +0000

LONDON — Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have claimed a world record in solar cell efficiency with a photovoltaic device that converts 40.8 percent of the light that hits it into electricity. This is the highest efficiency of any photovoltaic device to date, NREL said in a statement.

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World’s largest solar power plants slated for Calif.

Mike Turner — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:34:23 +0000

BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhuanet) — Two companies will build “milestone” solar power plants in Central California, according to media reports Thursday.

The plants will cover a total of some 32.5 square km (12.5 square miles) with solar panels and generate 800 megawatts of power during the middle of a sunny day, according to media reports Thursday.

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Pickens stands by energy plan despite oil drop

Mike Turner — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:33:20 +0000

Texas energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens said his plan to cut US oil use by converting cars to run on natural gas after boosting wind and solar power hasn’t suffered despite a 23 percent drop in crude prices since July.

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PG&E to buy power from solar farms on Calif. coast

Mike Turner — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:31:46 +0000

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said Thursday it has signed contracts to buy electricity from two huge solar power plants to be built near the Central California coast.

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SunPower Shrs Jump On Deal With PG&E

Mike Turner — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:30:37 +0000

Pacific Gas & Electric (PCG) this afternoon announced two contracts for a combined 800 MW of solar power. The two deals will provide 1.65 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to serve 239,000 residential homes. PG&E signed a deal for 550 MW of thin-film photvoltaic solar power with Topaz Solar Farms, a unit of OptiSolar, and a second deal for 250 MW with High Plains Ranch II, a unit of SunPower (SPWR).

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SCE’s solar-energy plan under fire for monopolizing market

Mike Turner — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:29:21 +0000

ROSEMEAD – Southern California Edison has long been a leader among utilities for its use of alternative power sources.

But the company’s plan to create a massive rooftop solar-energy generating complex in the Inland Empire has come under fire from solar companies, industry trade groups and others who argue it would give Edison too much of a monopoly on California’s solar market.

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Pacific Power installs solar power in at Universal Forest Products

Mike Turner — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:11:23 +0000

Pacific Power Management LLC of Auburn has completed the installation of a 500-kilowatt solar power system at Universal Forest Products Inc.’s manufacturing plant in Thornton.

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Conergy completes Asia’s largest Solar Power Plant in South Korea and gets commissioned with the turnkey construction of additional 4.35 MW

Mike Turner — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:08:59 +0000

Conergy Korea, subsidiary of the stock-listed company Conergy AG, announced today a framework agreement for a 4.35 MWp extension (worth approximately € 20 million) of Asia’s largest, recently completed photovoltaic plant (19.6 MWp) in SinAn, southwest of the Korean capital Seoul. Thanks to the perfect synergy between client DongYang Engineering & Construction Corporation and the renewable energy technology expertise of Conergy, the 19,6 MWp, € 90 million project was fully operational in June 2008, six months ahead of schedule. Based on this outstanding engineering achievement, DongYang appointed Conergy with the turnkey construction of an additional 4.35 MWp. The extension of Asia’s Largest Solar Power Plant to 24 MWp is expected to be fully grid-connected before the year is over marking a major milestone for Korea in becoming a worldwide leader in clean energy.

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Steady electronics, currency and booming solar boost Cookson

Mike Turner — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:11:50 +0000

LONDON — The Cookson Group plc (London) has seen an improvement in performance in the first six months of its financial year. At a constant currency rate revenue was £1,058 million (about $2,100 million), up 26 percent while trading profit was £113 million, (about $225 million) up 30 percent.

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