Alphabet's X Division Gives Birth To MALTA Inc., An Energy Storage Company.

Alphabet's X division harbors a multitude of experimental ideas. Project Malta was one of them. Malta utilizes easily obtainable abundant materials including salt, anti-freeze and steel to store power at grid scale.
Malta uses the laws of thermodynamics grid-scale energy storage that relies on molten salt to store  energy be they renewable or fossil, as heat in molten salt and as cold in low-temperature anti-freeze until it's needed. The future is bright for Malta as renewable energy, the kind that needs storage, is in the rise.
What is more, Malta is working on a pilot plant, backed by $26 million from its first funding round, with backers like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg.
Malta’s solution is to store electricity as heat in high temperature molten salt and cold in a low temperature liquid for days, or even weeks, until it’s needed. The key insight behind Malta is that electricity can be stored as heat in high temperature molten salt and cold in a low temperature liquid for days, or even weeks, until it’s needed. Malta uses cheap, common materials — like salt, steel, anti-freeze, and air. Using molten salt to manage energy is not a novel idea. We today have a quite a few projects using such technology. But new products through the same idea, benefits all of us.
Malta Inc

Philomathia Foundation and The University of California, Berkeley Brings Together Experts To Discuss Pathways to a Sustainable Energy Future

BERKELEY, Philomathia Symposium— Can we emulate the ability of green plants to harness solar energy? Can we create intelligent materials, buildings and even entire communities that generate their own energy? Will a price on greenhouse gases reduce emissions? Can the technology that produced an inexpensive anti-malaria drug also be used to extract fuel from agricultural waste?

An international all-star lineup of experts in solar and biofuel energy, climate science, urban design and other areas of research critical to sustainable energy technologies will gather in Berkeley for a public symposium Oct. 1-2 to answer these and other pressing questions. The goal is to lay out the best course of action for a clean, green energy future.
Sponsored by the Philomathia Foundation and hosted by the University of California, Berkeley, the event, which is free upon registration, will be held at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in downtown Berkeley and will feature presentations on cutting-edge developments in four key energy-related areas: supply, demand, policy and environment.
Keynote speakers in order of their presentations are Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the National Research Council; Chris Field, co-chair of the International Panel on Climate Change's Working Group Two; Arun Majumdar, director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy; Arthur Rosenfeld, dubbed California's "Godfather of energy efficiency" for having helped save the state billions of dollars in energy costs; Dian Grueneich, a commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission; and Steven Koonin, under secretary for science at the U.S. Department of Energy.
International presenters include Li Junfeng from the People’s Republic of China, deputy director-general of the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission; and Farooq Abdullah, India's Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy.
The Philomathia Symposium at Berkeley: Pathways to a Sustainable Energy Future was organized by Graham Fleming, UC Berkeley's Vice Chancellor for Research.
"The provision of sustainable energy is the defining problem of the 21st century, one that presents a challenge of unprecedented scale," Fleming said. "The decisions that we make now will influence the planet for thousands of years, and dictate our quality of life in both the near and long term."
Symposium presenters from Berkeley include leaders in their fields: Paul Alivisatos, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab); Jay Keasling, CEO of the Joint BioEnergy Institute; Severin Borenstein, co-director of UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at the Haas School of Business; William Collins, head of Berkeley Lab's Climate Science Department; David Culler, chair of UC Berkeley’s Computer Science Division; Harrison Fraker, UC Berkeley professor of architecture and urban design; Inez Fung, faculty director of UC Berkeley's Berkeley Institute of the Environment; and Dan Kammen, founding director of UC Berkeley's Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory.
To learn more about the symposium, link to the symposium Web site.
To register to attend, visit the registration Web site.

Solar Powered Car From Toyota.

Either to bring itself up in this struggling financial world, Toyota is said to be planning, working on a solar powered car. I assume more like plugin electric car with Solar panel option! I can think of a flattened solar cell wrapped Prius.
The Nikkei newspaper, which published the news about this futuristic car, however, said it will be years before the planned vehicle will be available on the market. No one has been able to contact Toyota regarding the news.

Toyota is already using solar power at its Tsutsumi plant in central Japan to generate part of the electricity used by the plant. This small solar power will reduces 740 tons a year of carbon dioxide emissions and is equal to using 1,500 barrels of crude oil.

Another push that Toyota might receive in solar energy and battery related technology will be coming along when its partner in developing and producing hybrid batteries, Panasonic Corp., takes over Japanese rival Sanyo Electric Co.

Tags: Sanyo Electric, Panasonic, hybrid batteries, Nikkei newspaper, Toyota, Toyota Prius, carbon dioxide emissions, solar cell, Solar Powered Car

General Motors To Install Largest Rooftop Solar Power Plant in Eastern USA.

General Motors to Add 1.2 Megawatt Rooftop Solar Installation at Baltimore Powertrain Plant

• Installation will be one of the largest on the East Coast
• First GM global manufacturing plant to be landfill-free and have solar installation

Baltimore, Maryland – General Motors announced today it will add a 1.2 megawatt solar power installation to the roof of its transmission assembly plant in White Marsh, Maryland.

The system will be deployed under an agreement with SunEdison, North America’s largest solar energy services provider. Under the agreement, SunEdison will finance, install, operate and maintain the system.

When fully operational in the third quarter of 2009, the system will be one of the largest rooftop solar installations on the East Coast. The system will consist of more than 8,700 solar panels and will sit on approximately 300,000 square feet of roof space.

The installation will generate about 1.4 million kWh of clean renewable solar energy, which is equivalent to the demand of about 140-150 U.S. households with an average annual consumption of 10,000 kWh. Additionally, the installation will enable GM to displace about 20 percent of the plant’s current power purchased from the local utility with a renewable energy resource, while reducing the plant’s utility bill.

“This project will help GM reduce costs while serving as a clean, renewable energy source,” said John R. Buttermore, GM Powertrain Vice President of Global Manufacturing. “Through innovation and commitment, GM is making a significant, positive impact on the environmental issues facing our world.”

The White Marsh plant reached landfill-free status in 2007, because it no longer sends any production waste to local landfills. All the waste generated at the facility is entirely recycled or reused. The Baltimore plant is GM’s first global manufacturing facility to operate landfill-free and have a solar power installation.

The State of Maryland has made an aggressive commitment to developing and promoting renewable energy sources and the GM project has support from the highest levels of the state government.

“Maryland is quickly becoming a national leader in sustainable energy alternatives,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “We’re proud that GM is making this clean energy pledge at their Baltimore County plant, demonstrating their commitment as responsible corporate citizens to the long-term future of the environment we share as Marylanders.”

GM currently has two of the largest solar power installations in the United States on the roofs of its Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana, California parts warehouses. Upon completion later this year, GM also will have the world’s largest rooftop solar power installation at its Zaragoza, Spain car assembly plant.

“GM is making significant progress in reducing the impact our facilities have on the environment,” said Elizabeth A. Lowery, GM vice president, Environment, Energy and Safety Policy. “Our expanding commitment to renewable energy sources, like solar power, is part of our coordinated global effort to reduce energy use, water consumption, waste and CO2 emissions.”

Additionally, GM is one of the largest corporate users of landfill gas in the U.S. Landfill gas is the natural by-product of the decomposition of solid waste in landfills. GM is one of the largest users of renewable energy as well. Last August General Motors received the Corporate Energy Management of the Year Award from the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). The award recognizes the company’s worldwide leadership in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The GM Powertrain Baltimore transmission plant builds the Allison A1000 six-speed automatic transmissions which are featured in the award-winning Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickups. The plant built 189,000 of Allison A1000 six-speed transmissions in 2007. It also builds the Hybrid 2 mode transmission currently used in the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and GMC Yukon Hybrid.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 266,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

CONTACT(S):
Dan Flores
GM Corporate News Relations
work: 313-665-4629
cell: 313-418-2374
daniel.flores@gm.com

John C. Raut
GM Baltimore Communications
work: 443-425-1531
cell: 443-286-3686
john.raut@gm.com

Tags: General Motors, solar power, Solar News, SunEdison

Conergy Completes Asia’s Largest Photovoltaic Plant .

19.6 MW project completely on the grid; expansion to 24 MW already ordered

Large projects in 2008: 81 MW realised up to now, additional 40 MW still in the worldwide project pipeline

Hamburg / Seoul, Korea – The Conergy Group has successfully completed the construction of what is currently Asia’s largest photovoltaic plant. The 90 million Euro project, with a peak power output of 19.6 MW, is located in the South Korean city of SinAn, southwest of the capital Seoul. Commissioned by the Dongyang Engineering & Construction Corporation, Conergy set up the plant as a turnkey solution and brought it on grid six months ahead of schedule. Dongyang has engaged the Hamburg-based solar energy company now with the expansion of the plant to a total of 24 MW – an add-on order valued alone at around EUR 20 million. Conergy intends to complete this on site yet by the end of the year.

Conergy’s CEO Dieter Ammer: “Just a few weeks ago we successfully sold the fourth largest photovoltaic plant in the world with “El Calaveron” in Spain. The quick completion of the photovoltaic plant in SinAn shows that despite our restructuring we can continue to book large operating successes – and the focus on our downstream core business was absolutely the right decision for our company.”

230 experts have been working around the clock since 12 May last year on the 600,000 m² construction site in SinAn to erect this Korean lighthouse project. In the meantime, the 19.6 MW plant is completely on grid and producing 27,000 MWh yearly of clean electricity – enough energy for more than 6,000 households. At the same time SinAn is saving 20,000 tons of CO² yearly.

Jihun Kim, CEO of Conergy Korea: “The construction of what is currently Asia’s largest photovoltaic plant is pioneering for the renewable energies industry in our country. With its completion we are ringing in a new era of Korean energy supply.” The government in Seoul had created the prerequisites for this in 2002. Since then, Korea has been seen as one of the large growth markets for renewable energies in Asia. In 2007 alone, 134 solar energy systems were connected to the public power grid – compared to 2006 a growth of 163%. In total, up to the present day more than 160 MW of solar energy has been installed in Korea, including now “SinAn” as a milestone among the large projects.

Large projects in 2008: 81 MW realised up to now, additional 40 MW still in the worldwide project pipeline

Elsewhere in the world too, the Hamburg-based solar energy company is making good progress with its large projects: In 2008 up to now the Conergy Group was able to complete photovoltaic plants worldwide with a total volume of 81 MW. Since its founding, the company has now successfully concluded large projects with a total output of in total more than 400 MW – including photovoltaic plants with an output of 160 MW and wind farms with an output of 250 MW.

Yet by the end of 2008, Conergy intends to conclude additional regenerative large projects with a total output of around 40 MW. Numerous plants are already in the worldwide project pipeline for future years, including solar projects with up to 300 MW in Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, the US and Korea. The company continues to plan wind farms in Germany, Australia, France and Turkey. 1,000 MW alone are to be realised via the joint venture with the Australian company Macquarie Capital. In Turkey the Conergy Group submitted 3,000 MW for approval the end of April. With this the Conergy Group is one of the world’s leading companies in the development, project planning and financing of large regenerative projects.

Tags: Conergy Group, solar electric power plant, solar energy, South Korean City Of SinAn, Asia’s largest photovoltaic plant

Sanyo Commisions New Shiga Factory for HIT Solar Cell Modules Production.

Tokyo, August 5, 2008 ---- SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (SANYO) announces that it has completed construction of the Shiga Plant at its Shiga facilities (Ohtsu City, Shiga Prefecture) which was constructed for the assembly of HIT solar cell modules as part of continuing plans to expand and develop its Solar business.
The Shiga Plant will have an initial production capacity of 40 MW, and SANYO will consider expanding the production capacity of the factory upon further review of market trends and demand.
SANYO currently produces HIT solar cells at two factories, a t the Nishikinohama Factory (Kaizuka City, Osaka) and Shimane SANYO Electric Co. (Unnan City, Shimane Prefecture). The modules, or panels, are then assembled at two domestic facilities (Nishikinohama Factory and the Tokyo Plant) and two overseas facilities (Hungary and Monterrey (Mexico) Factories). With the new operation at the Shiga Plant which will be one of the major bases for module production, SANYO will respond to domestic market demands, including increases in demand in the future.

HIT (Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin-layer) hybrid solar cells are created by combining amorphous silicon and crystalline silicon and using an intrinsic semiconductor.

SANYO Commences Operation of the New Shiga Factory for Solar Module Production

Tags: solar energy, SANYO, Shimane SANYO Electric Co, Nishikinohama Factory, HIT solar cell modules, Heterojunction

Lease Solar Power In San Francisco From SolarCity, For Less Than Your Cable Bill

SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, 2008 -- SolarCity, California's No. 1 residential solar power company, today announced one of the nation's most affordable solar power financing options for San Francisco residents. SolarCity's SolarLease options incorporate incentives from San Francisco's groundbreaking GoSolarSF program, and can allow many San Francisco homeowners to use clean, renewable solar power for less than they currently pay for electricity.

For example, SolarCity can provide 2.4 kilowatt systems for monthly lease payments starting at $25 per month for eligible San Francisco installations on approved credit. A 2.4 kilowatt system can typically reduce a $100 monthly electricity bill to $40 in San Francisco. In this example, the $65 cost of the combined lease payment and new electricity bill create a net monthly savings of $35. The lease structure - with fixed lease payments that increase 3.5 percent annually - is designed to allow customers to save money immediately, and continue to save over the life of the lease as electricity rates increase.

SolarCity custom designs each solar system to the homeowner's needs, based on roof space, electricity usage and other factors, so lease terms will vary for each customer. Interested San Francisco residents can estimate their potential savings by using SolarCity's solar calculator, available online at http://solarlease.solarcity.com.

"This program gives San Francisco residents a way to lower their electricity bills at a time when energy costs are skyrocketing. There's no longer any need to wait for affordable clean power options," said Lyndon Rive, SolarCity's CEO. "Congratulations to the city of San Francisco for creating the most affordable solar program in the country."

The $3 million GoSolarSF program is expected to help 300-500 San Francisco homeowners to migrate to clean solar power this year. Eligibility requirements and other details of the GoSolarSF program are available online at http://sfwater.org/detail.cfm/MC_ID/12/MSC_ID/139/MTO_ID/361/C_ID/3910. The most affordable SolarLease pricing options will only be available while the incentive lasts, so interested homeowners should contact SolarCity as soon as possible at 1-888-SOL-CITY or www.solarcity.com.

Tags: solar energy, Solar Lease, SolarCity

MIT's new 'window' on Solar Energy With "Solar Concentrators", An Edge On Solar

Organic solar concentrators collect and focus different colors of sunlight. Solar cells can be attached to the edges of the plates. By collecting light over their full surface and concentrating it at their edges, these devices reduce the required area of solar cells and consequently, the cost of solar power. Stacking multiple concentrators allows the optimization of solar cells at each wavelength, increasing the overall power output. Photo / Donna Coveney

CAMBRDGE, Mass. -- Imagine windows that not only provide a clear view and illuminate rooms, but also use sunlight to efficiently help power the building they are part of. MIT engineers report a new approach to harnessing the sun's energy that could allow just that.

The work, to be reported in the July 11 issue of Science, involves the creation of a novel "solar concentrator." "Light is collected over a large area [like a window] and gathered, or concentrated, at the edges," explains Marc A. Baldo, leader of the work and the Esther and Harold E. Edgerton Career Development Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering.

As a result, rather than covering a roof with expensive solar cells (the semiconductor devices that transform sunlight into electricity), the cells only need to be around the edges of a flat glass panel. In addition, the focused light increases the electrical power obtained from each solar cell "by a factor of over 40," Baldo says.

Because the system is simple to manufacture, the team believes that it could be implemented within three years—even added onto existing solar-panel systems to increase their efficiency by 50 percent for minimal additional cost. That, in turn, would substantially reduce the cost of solar electricity.

In addition to Baldo, the researchers involved are Michael Currie, Jon Mapel, and Timothy Heidel, all graduate students in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Shalom Goffri, a postdoctoral associate in MIT's Research Laboratory of Electronics.

"Professor Baldo's project utilizes innovative design to achieve superior solar conversion without optical tracking," says Dr. Aravinda Kini, program manager in the Office of Basic Energy Sciences in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, a sponsor of the work. "This accomplishment demonstrates the critical importance of innovative basic research in bringing about revolutionary advances in solar energy utilization in a cost-effective manner."

Solar concentrators in use today "track the sun to generate high optical intensities, often by using large mobile mirrors that are expensive to deploy and maintain," Baldo and colleagues write in Science. Further, "solar cells at the focal point of the mirrors must be cooled, and the entire assembly wastes space around the perimeter to avoid shadowing neighboring concentrators."

The MIT solar concentrator involves a mixture of two or more dyes that is essentially painted onto a pane of glass or plastic. The dyes work together to absorb light across a range of wavelengths, which is then re-emitted at a different wavelength and transported across the pane to waiting solar cells at the edges.

In the 1970s, similar solar concentrators were developed by impregnating dyes in plastic. But the idea was abandoned because, among other things, not enough of the collected light could reach the edges of the concentrator. Much of it was lost en route.

The MIT engineers, experts in optical techniques developed for lasers and organic light-emitting diodes, realized that perhaps those same advances could be applied to solar concentrators. The result? A mixture of dyes in specific ratios, applied only to the surface of the glass, that allows some level of control over light absorption and emission. "We made it so the light can travel a much longer distance," Mapel says. "We were able to substantially reduce light transport losses, resulting in a tenfold increase in the amount of power converted by the solar cells."

This work was also supported by the National Science Foundation. Baldo is also affiliated with MIT's Research Laboratory of Electronics, Microsystems Technology Laboratories, and Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies.

Mapel, Currie and Goffri are starting a company, Covalent Solar, to develop and commercialize the new technology. Earlier this year Covalent Solar won two prizes in the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition. The company placed first in the Energy category ($20,000) and won the Audience Judging Award ($10,000), voted on by all who attended the awards.

Written by Elizabeth Thomson, MIT News Office

Photos available upon request

Contact: Teresa Herbert
therbert@mit.edu
617-258-5403
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags: Solar Energy Research, solar energy, solar concentrator, solar power, MIT, Covalent Solar, MIT News

Arizona State University Boost Arizona’s Renewable Energy Industry And Protect The Environment With Solar Power Laboratory.

Tempe, AZ – Arizona State University is strengthening its commitment to boost Arizona’s economic development prospects in the renewable energy industry by establishing the Solar Power Laboratory to advance solar energy research, education and technology.

Prominent scientists and engineers are being hired to lead the endeavor to improve the efficiency of solar electric power systems while making them more economically feasible.

“The Solar Power Laboratory will further build up the university’s already formidable solar energy research and develop collaborations with the energy industry to accelerate expansion of the state’s economy,” said ASU President Michael Crow.

The effort is a major part of ASU’s response to the Arizona Board of Regents’ Solar Energy Initiative, aimed at encouraging research and development to meet future needs for renewable energy sources, Crow said.

In addition to spurring economic opportunity, advances in solar power systems will help Arizona protect its environment by enabling more widespread use of this clean-energy source, Crow said.

The laboratory will be a collaboration partnering the university’s Global Institute of Sustainability and Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering.

Christiana Honsberg, Stuart Bowden and George Maracas have been hired for the venture. Honsberg will be chief scientist, Bowden will be industrial liaison, and Maracas will be chief operating officer.

Honsberg and Bowden are coming to ASU from the University of Delaware, where they worked in the most extensive university solar research program in the United States.

Maracas has made his mark with more than 25 years of accomplishments in engineering research, research management and technology commercialization.

“Our goal is for ASU to have the pre-eminent academic solar energy research, development and training program in the United States, and one of the top such programs in the world” said Jonathan Fink, director of the Global Institute of Sustainability. “The establishment of the Solar Power Laboratory and the hiring of Honsberg, Bowden and Maracas combined with our ongoing research efforts help us meet this objective.”

The lab’s goal in large part will be to support a significant facet of the economic development objectives of Arizona and the Southwest, Fink said, noting that expansion of the solar energy industry has been identified as an economic priority by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, the state Department of Commerce, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Science Foundation Arizona.

“ASU and the state of Arizona have a number of exciting economic development and research opportunities associated with renewable energy,” he said. “These three new faculty members will play key roles in making sure that these efforts are successful.”

Honsberg is considered a pioneer in photovoltaics – the solar cells that convert sunlight into energy. She helped establish the Center for Photovoltaic Engineering at the University of Delaware, which developed the first undergraduate degree in photovoltaic engineering.

Delaware’s photovoltaics center also won the largest solar energy research grant in the country – $50 million from the U.S. Department of Defense.

Bowden has been working at the University of Delaware’s Institute of Energy Conversion. He is credited with helping make major strides in improving the efficiency of silicon and crystalline silicon solar cells and the cell manufacturing process.

Honsberg and Bowden previously were at the University of New South Wales, Australia, working in one of the strongest academic solar energy programs in the world.

Maracas is returning to ASU after leaving 14 years ago to work with Motorola Inc., where he founded the company’s Molecular Technology Lab and Motorola Life Sciences, and held director positions in Motorola’s advanced technologies and nanotechnology research operations. He had 30 patents issued during his time with the company.

Maracas also has been president of two companies providing technical and management consulting services to industry and government in nanotechnology, medical diagnostic devices and biotechnology.

Honsberg will be a professor and Bowden an associate research professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering. Maracas will be a professor in electrical engineering and ASU’s School of Sustainability. He had previously been an electrical engineering faculty member at ASU for about 10 years before leaving for private industry in 1994.

Through their work in the new laboratory, “We hope to unify the various solar energy-related research efforts throughout the university and to develop industry collaborations,” explained Stephen Goodnick, ASU’s associate vice president of Research and Economic Affairs.

Solar power groups such as the university’s Advanced Photovoltaics Center and Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory will be affiliated with the new lab under the Global Institute of Sustainability.

The lab “will bring together other ASU researchers, from materials engineering, physics, chemistry, electrical engineering and architecture” to collaborate on projects, Goodnick said.

“For four decades, ASU has been a leader in research related to virtually all aspects of solar energy”, Fink said, including creation of new materials and devices for generating electricity from sunlight, improved methods of photovoltaics testing, design of advanced power systems, and laying the groundwork for sound energy policies

“To build on these accomplishments and, more importantly, increase the chances for Arizona to attract more international solar companies, we decided ASU needed to bring in new faculty members who have outstanding reputations in the global solar industry,” Fink said.

Maracas brings extensive experience in working with private industry, and the accomplishments of Honsberg and Bowden “are well-known to the solar industry on both sides of the Pacific,” he said.

“In a technical community replete with creative engineers and scientists, Christiana Honsberg stands out as a talent of unique vision,” said Craig Cornelius, a former director of the U.S Department of Energy solar energy program and leader of its Solar America Initiative.

For years, the energy department “has turned to Honsberg to lead its most ambitious investigations of high-efficiency photovoltaics,” Cornelius said. “She will be a great addition to ASU’s growing franchise in solar research.”

Zhengrong Shi, who worked with Honsberg and Bowden at the University of New South Wales, is the founder and CEO of Suntech, the largest solar energy company in China and one of three largest in the world.

Shi ranks Honsberg and Bowden “clearly among world leaders in their respective fields in photovoltaics. Their strong links to [the University of New South Wales] and Suntech will provide great opportunities for research and development collaboration with ASU.”


# # #

SOURCES:
Jonathan Fink, jonathan.fink@asu.edu
Director
Global Institute of Sustainability
(480) 965-4797

Stephen Goodnick, stephen.goodnick@asu.edu
Associate Vice President
Research and Economic Affairs
(480) 965-1225

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Joe Kullman, joe.kullman@asu.edu
Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering
(480) 965-8122 direct line
(480) 773-1364 mobile
www.fulton.asu.edu/fulton/

Karen Leland, karen.leland@asu.edu
Global Institute of Sustainability
(480)965-0013
http://gios.asu.edu

Tags: solar energy, Solar Research, Arizona State University, Solar Power Laboratory, renewable energy, energy research, Global Institute of Sustainability

Sharp Solar Goes On HSBC's Tallest Corporate Headquarter Building In Europe

HSBC's Canary Wharf office tower is the tallest corporate headquarter building in Europe to feature solar panels. Covering 617 square metres of the roof of the building, it is also the largest installation of photovoltaic panels on a corporate office in London.

HSBC's energy saving measure illustrates the bank's latest commitment to reducing its impact on the environment since it became carbon neutral in 2005.

At 213 metres (700 feet) high, building engineers developed fixing techniques for the 422 solar panels to withstand wind speeds of up to 140 mph.

The panels - manufactured by Sharp Solar in the UK - will generate approximately 1,550,000 kilowatt hours of green electricity over the building's lease - enough energy to power 20 average UK homes per year. Since 2004, HSBC has decreased its energy consumption at the headquarter office building by seven per cent, or 20 per cent per full time employee - a significant reduction for a corporate building of its size.

"This installation showcases innovation and demonstrates that renewable technologies of this scale can be delivered successfully. If every headquarter building around the world invested in solar panels, it would significantly accelerate the transition towards a low carbon economy and we hope to become a catalyst for this," says Simon Martin, Head of Group Corporate Sustainability, HSBC Holdings Plc.

HSBC expects to save a further 3 per cent (1,750,000 kilowatt hours) of its total energy consumption in its global headquarter building over the next two years through energy efficient measures. This includes improving the efficiency of the buildings air conditioning system.

These energy efficient initiatives are part of the bank's US$90 million Global Environmental Efficiency Programme, launched last year, to introduce renewable energy technology, water and waste reduction programmes and employee participation across its 10,000 offices around the world.

For further press information or photography, please contact: Jennifer Storemski 020 7992 5786 or Jennifer.r.storemski@hsbc.com

Tags: HSBC, solar panels, Sharp Solar, energy efficient initiatives, renewable energy technology

Duke Energy Will Purchase The Entire Electricity Output Of The Nation's Largest Photovoltaic Solar Farm

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Duke Energy Carolinas today announced it will purchase the entire electricity output of the nation's largest photovoltaic solar farm to be built in Davidson County, N.C., north of Charlotte.

Under agreements signed with SunEdison, customers of Duke Energy Carolinas are expected to receive more than 16 megawatts of power from the solar farm beginning no later than Dec. 31, 2010. The agreements run for 20 years.

“We said we wanted to lead the way in the development of more renewable energy and we meant it,” said Keith Trent, group executive and chief strategy, policy and regulatory officer. “Today’s agreements, coupled with the other significant initiatives across our company, clearly demonstrate that renewable energy has an important place in our power generation portfolio.”

The SunEdison agreements are a result of a request for proposals, or RFP, that Duke Energy issued in April 2007. It was the first RFP of its kind in North Carolina and was specifically designed for potential renewable providers.

In addition to purchasing renewable energy from other providers, Duke Energy is advancing plans for its own distributed solar generation program. Distributed generation is energy created close to where it is used, rather than being produced in large power plants and sent to customers over the power grid. The company plans a filing with the North Carolina Utilities Commission in the near future that will seek approval for the program, and the authority to recover its investment. Under the plan, Duke Energy would install and operate distributed solar generation on customer rooftops and other spaces.

Duke Energy is also adding wind power to its generation portfolio. In April 2008, a wind farm in Indiana began supplying 100 megawatts of power to Duke Energy customers. In 2007, Duke Energy Generation Services entered the wind energy business and expects to have its first projects (about 180 megawatts) online later this year. Other wind development projects of more than 3,000 megawatts are planned in eight different western and southwestern states.

In 2007, Duke Energy supported the development of the new Renewable and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) in North Carolina. It requires the utility to satisfy 12.5 percent of its customers’ power needs with renewables or energy efficiency by 2021. Specific solar requirements are implemented in 2010. By 2018, at least two-tenths of one percent of total retail sales must come from solar energy. In Ohio, the company also supported that state’s new advanced energy portfolio standard, which sets a requirement of 12.5 percent of a utility’s sales to be met with renewable energy sources by 2025.

Broader use of renewable energy is part of Duke Energy’s comprehensive plan to create a sustainable energy future for the Carolinas while the company continues to work to reduce its environmental footprint. The plan includes building new power plants; robust energy efficiency programs to reduce demand; and supporting state and federal energy policies that encourage the development of new technology. Together, these initiatives will allow Duke Energy to continue to meet customers’ need for power in an environmentally sound way.

Duke Energy's Carolinas’ operations include nuclear, coal-fired, natural gas and hydroelectric generation. That diverse fuel mix provides nearly 21,000 megawatts of safe, reliable and competitively priced electricity to more than 2.3 million electric customers in a 24,000-square-mile service area of North Carolina and South Carolina.

Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power companies in the United States, supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 4 million U.S. customers in its regulated jurisdictions. The company has approximately 35,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Midwest and the Carolinas, and natural gas distribution services in Ohio and Kentucky. In addition, Duke Energy has more than 4,000 megawatts of electric generation in Latin America, and is a joint-venture partner in a U.S. real estate company. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com.

Sun Edison LLC is North America's largest solar energy services provider and operates across a global marketplace. SunEdison provides solar-generated energy at or below current retail rates to a broad and diverse client base of commercial, municipal and utility customers. For more information about SunEdison, please visit www.sunedison.com.

Tags: solar farm, SunEdison, Duke Energy, wind farm, renewables

Solar investment tax credit extended with Energy and Job Creation Tax Act of 2008

Politico's Matt Wuerker's perfect depiction of the challenges facing extension of the solar investment tax credits

"I applaud the House of Representatives for passing a long-term extension of the solar investment tax credit. This legislation secures America's clean-energy future by closing a tax loophole enjoyed by hedge-fund managers on their 'Cayman Island' income.

"For the Senate, the choice is now clear: they can either protect tax loopholes for privileged investment managers, or create tens of thousands of green-collar jobs in a troubled economy. Most Senators will find it very hard to turn their back on workers in their home state.

"As Memorial Day approaches, gas prices and utility rates are soaring, making it clear that Congress must take action to protect our country's economic and energy future. Allowing the solar tax credit to expire is an enormous tax increase that will cost thousands of American jobs and billions in economic investment. Without this bill our national energy security will continue to be jeopardized by skyrocketing fuel prices from unreliable suppliers. Now is the time to act and secure our energy future."


Background Resources:
"Economic Impacts of the Tax Credit Expiration," Study by Navigant Consulting


Text of the House Bill H.R. 6049

Summary of the House Bill H.R. 6049:

Letter from Governor Schwarzenegger to Congressional Leadership,May 13, 2008
"As Congress moves forward on legislation to extend tax credits, I must highlight three critical concerns for California. The extension of federal credits related to incentives for research and development, renewable energy and energy efficiency and a continuation of the 'patch' for the alternative minimum tax are hugely important to the health of the California economy."

"Dumb as We Wanna Be" by Thomas Friedman, New York Times, April 30:
"While all the presidential candidates were railing about lost manufacturing jobs in Ohio, no one noticed that America's premier solar company, First Solar, from Toledo, Ohio, was opening its newest factory in the former East Germany -- 540 high-paying engineering jobs -- because Germany has created a booming solar market and America has not."

See May 15 Marketplace Radio piece "Stalled Energy Policy Slows Business"

See Politico's Matt Wuerker's perfect depiction of the challenges facing extension of the solar investment tax credits. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand megawatts.

Tags: solar energy, energy tax breaks, Energy and Job Creation Tax Act of 2008, solar investment tax credit

Solar Financiers, Angels of the Sun

We hear a lot of news and projects based of solar energy as our weblog (in a very small way) but there are much bigger projects and groups doing many a things every day. But there are another group of people or companies, who stay behind nudging all these deserving people with much needed support and making some money doing so. Just like angels in the back ground. In fact they ARE angels, I would call them Solar Financiers. Clean Power Finance is one of them. We will be writing about such companies more in the future. But for now, here is a news release from Clean Poer Finance that tells a energy saving story.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) April 25, 2008 – Clean Power Finance has been selected by Conergy - the world’s foremost leader in renewable energy solutions - as its Preferred Financing Partner for residential, off-grid and small commercial systems. In addition, Conergy plans to deliver a co-branded version of Clean Power Finance’s web-based software suite, CPF Tools, to their vast network of solar integrators.

“To be selected by Conergy, a world leader in renewable energy, is a powerful endorsement for Clean Power Finance,” said Joseph Brakohiapa, president and CEO of Clean Power Finance. “Our end-to-end solar sales solution will provide Conergy dealers with productivity tools and financial services to drive customer projects from interest to installation.”

Up until now, solar integrators have relied on the customer to proactively research and secure their own finance solutions from traditional banks that may or may not be versed in the cost and benefits or the underlying value of renewable energy solutions. CPF Tools integrates financing options into the solar quote, resulting in a fundamental shift in the way renewable energy is sold. By delivering an accurate, professional proposal that spotlights a monthly payment and environmental benefits, Clean Power Finance aims to take solar from the domain of the enthusiast to the millions of cost-conscious, green-minded consumers in mainstream America.

“Clean Power Finance is transforming the sales and financing process by delivering accurate solar estimates that present the customer with a predictable monthly payment,” said Anthony Fotopoulos, managing director for Conergy Americas. “It is this type of integrated and practical financing solution that will offer consumers one-stop shopping and make buying solar easier.”

The Conergy co-branded version of CPF Tools will be introduced to installers at ASES Solar 2008 on May 3. A sophisticated web-based software suite, CPF Tools streamlines the sales process as it flows from access to prospective customers to management of job quotes to live updates on financing status. As Conergy’s “Preferred Financing Partner,” Clean Power Finance will deliver this end-to-end solution to Conergy dealers servicing residential and small commercial customers. These solar professionals will join a community of users that already represents over 20 percent of solar installers nationwide.

Working with a network of 150 lenders, Clean Power Finance can deliver financing solutions to both residential and commercial customers across all 50 states. Financing options available include unsecured loans, equity-based financing, and leasing options (bank-owned equipment). In addition, Clean Power Finance is a leader in the innovation of new financing products that will ultimately make solar more affordable and easier to buy for households and businesses alike. By integrating financing into the solar sales quote and proposal, Clean Power Finance can offer the customer a comprehensive picture of solar benefits, including cash flow analysis, internal rate of return, levelized cost of energy, total lifecycle payback, system resale value, and greenhouse gas reduction.

CPF Tools is available to solar integrators, distributors and manufacturers today. Financing tools are free, and customized estimation, quoting, and proposal generation is available for as low as $49.95/month to Conergy dealers nationwide.

tag: solar energy, Solar Financiers, Clean Power Finance, Conergy,

Weihai 'Green' City project, BP Solar's Solar Cities Concept Goes To China.

Australia's market leader, BP Solar, was responsible for taking the Solar Cities concept to China, and will be part of a team managing the project's feasibility study.

Brooke Miller, Regional Director of BP Solar Australasia said "We will use the experience we have gained in Australia's Solar Cities programme to develop a comprehensive road map that can assist model cities in China, such as Weihai, in addressing their present and future energy challenges.

"Today, almost every city, and every urbanized country in the world is facing the growing challenge of meeting its peak energy needs, while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions".

"Australia has been at the forefront of developing new technologies and innovative programs that can address this challenge. It makes sense that local industry joins with Government to support our neighbours in the development of a sustainable energy future for the region," she said.

"This project aims to deploy solar technologies at commercial scale, providing a practical example of how bilateral agreements can provide a critical first step in developing a low carbon future."

Through Australia's own Solar Cities initiative, BP Solar has gained considerable experience in the development of successful Solar Cities projects, from Blacktown in the western suburbs of Sydney to the city of Adelaide in South Australia, and across to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

"With a population that dramatically increases in summer due to its popularity as a tourist destination, Weihai has its own distinct peak power challenges. Using technology that is available today, the opportunity exists to develop a truly unique solar city model that not only meets these challenges but transforms Weihai into a showcase for other Chinese cities and indeed the world.

"As a direct consequence of the Federal Government's support for the Solar Cities concept, seven Australian cities will demonstrate how the power of the sun can address their peak energy challenges, reduce the requirement for investment in electricity infrastructure and cut emissions. We look forward to completing the feasibility study and adding the city of Weihai to this list," said Brooke Miller.

Weihai 'Green' City project

• Weihai is based in China's Shandong province
• The Weihai Green Energy City project proposes to transform Weihai into the largest solar city in the world
• The project aims to deploy up to 100MW of solar PV, solar thermal, and energy efficiency applications, thus creating a 'showcase' of solar technologies and energy efficiency of global and national significance.
• The project aims to deliver mutual benefit to both Australia and China.

BP Solar Australia

• BP Solar is Australia's market leader with approximately 35% market share and almost 250 employees at its Sydney Olympic Park facility.
• In 2005, BP Solar's annual PV production capacity in Australia was expanded by 25% from 40MW to 50MW in an effort to accommodate growing demand.
• BP Solar's Sydney Olympic Park facility recorded over AU$90 million in export sales in 2007.

BP Solar

• Part of BP Alternative Energy, BP solar is a global company with over 2300 employees.
• BP Solar designs, manufactures and markets products which use the sun's energy to generate electricity for a wide range of applications in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.
• With over 30 years of experience and installations in more than 160 countries, BP Solar is one of the world's leading solar companies having 228MW annual manufacturing capacity in 2007, plus another 700MW capacity under construction.
• BP Solar has solar cell and module manufacturing plants in Sydney, Australia; Bangalore, India; Madrid, Spain; and Frederick, MD, USA; and module manufacturing in Xi'an, China. In Frederick it also has casting and wafering facilities.
• BP Solar invests more than $10m annually in photovoltaic research and development.

tag: solar energy, Solar Cities, BP Solar, Solar Cities initiative, Weihai 'Green' City project, solar PV, solar thermal, energy efficiency applications, solar technologies, Alternative Energy,

EDF EN announces the completion of a new solar farm in New Jersey

Escondido, CA. - enXco, an EDF EN Company, announces the completion of development and construction of the 143 kW solar project located on the grounds of the Black River Farm equestrian training facility in Ringoes, New Jersey in Hunterdon County. The project consists of a combination of 63 kW roof mounted and 80 kW ground mounted Evergreen Solar PV panels. Additionally, it features Sunflow Monitor, a web-based monitoring system provided by Noveda Technologies. The solar project will generate electricity for the farm on a net metering basis. enXco serves as the owner, financier, and co-developer. Atlantic Solar Assets, a subsidiary of Clean Energy Holdings co-developed the project with Vanguard Energy Partners, LLC / New Jersey Solar Solutions as installer.

The Black River Farm Solar Project marks the commencement of solar development for enXco in the New Jersey market. David Kirkpatrick, enXco's Director of New Business Development, stated "enXco's solar development team is very pleased with the work done by Vanguard Energy Partners, LLC / NJ Solar Solutions and Atlantic Solar Assets. We look forward to future opportunities to help New Jersey meet their renewable portfolio standards."

Amy Jorgenson, President of Black River Farm, said "When planning construction of the new barn at our training center we wanted to look at the economic feasibility of renewable energy. We quickly became satisfied that this was a good way to protect us against the uncertainty of rising energy costs. It helps with our long-range business planning to know that before too many years this system will pay for itself and provide us with free electricity for many years after that."

New Jersey's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requires that 22.5% of the state's electricity will come from renewable sources by 2021. Solar energy represents 2.12% of the total requirement – a goal that represents the nation's largest solar commitment relative to population and electricity consumption.

tag: solar energy, New Jersey's Renewable Portfolio, Vanguard Energy Partners, Evergreen Solar PV panels, Sunflow Monitor, enXco,

Asphalt, Another Solar Energy Source.

By ARTHUR MAX The Associated Press

SCHARWOUDE, Netherlands – If you've ever blistered your bare feet on a hot road you know how asphalt absorbs the sun's rays. Now, a Dutch company is siphoning the heat from roads and parking lots to heat homes and offices.
As climate change rises on the international agenda, the system built by the civil engineering firm Ooms Avenhorn Holding BV doesn't look as wacky as it might have 10 years ago when it was first conceived.
Solar energy collected from a 200-yard stretch of road and a small parking lot helps heat a 70-unit, four-story apartment building in the northern village of Avenhorn. An industrial park of some 160,000 square feet in the nearby city of Hoorn is kept warm in winter with the help of heat stored during the summer from 36,000 square feet of pavement. The runways of a Dutch air force base in the south supply heat for its hangar.
And all that under normally cloudy Dutch skies, with only a few days a year of truly sweltering temperatures.
The Road Energy System is one of the more unusual ways scientists and engineers are trying to harness the power of the sun, the single most plentiful, reliable, accessible and inexhaustible source of renewable energy – radiating to earth more watts in one hour than the world can use in a whole year.
But today, solar power provides just 0.04 percent of global energy, held back by high production costs and low efficiency rates.
Solar advocates say that will change within a few years.
Other renewable sources have drawbacks: Not every place is breezy enough for wind turbines; waves and tides are good only for coastal regions; hydroelectricity requires rivers and increasingly objectionable dams; biofuels take up land needed for food crops.
"But solar falls everywhere," says Patrick Mazza, of Climate Solutions, a consultancy group in Seattle, Wash.
Compared with other energy sources, "solar comes out as the one with the real heavy lift. It's the one we really need to get at," he said in an interview.
Ooms' thermal energy system is too expensive and inefficient to solve the world's energy problems. In fact, it was actually a spin-off of a method to reduce road maintenance.
A latticework of flexible plastic pipes, held in place by a plastic grid, is covered over by asphalt, which magnifies the sun's thermal power. As cool water in the pipes is heated, it is pumped deep under the ground to natural aquifers where it maintains a fairly constant temperature of about 68 F. The heated water can be retrieved months later to keep the road surface ice-free in winter.
The same system pumps cold water from a separate subterranean reservoir to cool buildings on hot days.
Though it doubles the cost of construction, the system's first benefits are a longer life for roads and bridges, fewer ice-induced accidents and less need to repave worn surfaces.
"We found we were gathering more energy in summer than we needed, so we asked a building contractor what we can do with the extra energy," said Lex Van Zaane, the commercial manager. The answer was to construct buildings near the tarmac and pipe hot water under the floor.
The water usually isn't hot enough on its own, and must go through an electricity-powered heat pump for an extra boost, Van Zaane said. The installation cost is about twice as much as normal gas heating, but the energy required is about half of what would otherwise be needed. That translates into lower monthly heating bills and a 50 percent savings in carbon emissions.
Rooftop solar water heaters have been standard in some countries for decades. In 1954 Bell Labs created the first photovoltaic cells, which use sunlight to create electric current.
But it is only in the last decade that researchers have begun raising the efficiency of photovoltaic cells to economically generate electricity, and new technologies aim to make them commercially competitive without subsidies from taxpayers.
Experimental technologies involve new methods to concentrate the sun's energy by using mirrors or lenses, or devices that track the sun's path across the sky. New materials are being developed to make better cells. And scientists are working with electrochemical cells using a liquid rather than a solid component to absorb light.
"The prospect of relying on the sun for all our power demands is finally becoming realistic," says report in New Scientist.
tag: Solar Energy Source, asphalt, Ooms, Avenhorn, global energy, biofuels, hydroelectricity, Climate Solutions, photovoltaic, photovoltaic cells,

GE Money Through GEOSmart Finances Yes! Solar Solutions At Yes! retail energy outlet in Sacramento, California

KETTERING, Ohio, Dec 26, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- GE Money and Yes! Solar Solutions(TM: 107.70, -1.17, -1.07%), a retail outlet for solar-powered modules and panels, today announced a new multi-year relationship to provide revolving and installment consumer loans on solar products. Loans are provided through the GEOSmart Financing program, managed by GE Money's Sales Finance unit and are available through the Yes! retail energy outlet in Sacramento, Calif.

"Installing a solar power system is equivalent to prepaying for 40 years of power at a fraction of the cost you currently pay," said Jeff Winzeler, president for Yes! Solar Solutions. "We're excited to offer the GEOSmart Loan program, making it more convenient and easily affordable for homeowners to make a positive impact on their homes and the environment."

"The advantages of using solar power are compelling," said Bruce Christensen, vice president and general manager, Home Improvement industry, GE Money - Sales Finance. "At GE, we're committed to doing our part in providing earth-friendly products and services, and we're excited to partner with Yes! Solar Solutions on this new financing program tailored for consumers purchasing renewable energy products."

Yes! Solar Solutions plans additional energy outlet franchise locations throughout California. Consumers visiting these outlets can learn how sunlight is converted to electricity, as well as how the solar systems are installed and the economic and environmental benefits they deliver.

The Yes! energy outlet has been designed to educate, involve and engage homeowners with Yes! Solar Solutions' proprietary solar power systems, which are designed to reduce or eliminate their electricity expense year round. In addition to home energy systems, the retail outlet carries a solar-centric product line, which includes educational products, fun and entertaining solar-powered devices, and many daily use items as well. The Yes! solar solutions retail facility provides visitors with a unique and informative experience and provides them with a single source for solar energy solutions.

Tags: Yes! Solar Solutions, GEOSmart , GE Money

Fletcher to Get Largest Residential Solar Thermal Power Plant

Blue Ridge Now is reporting that the sun will heat and cool 400 units of what's being called the largest use of residential solar thermal technology in the country.
The Rivercane development will open many doors to "green" living for residents of its town homes, condos and "live-work" studios, with homes above commercial spaces.
Residents will pay an estimated $100,000 to $300,000 for units where the heat, air conditioning and hot water comes from the sun. They may work in the adjacent Fletcher Business Park, run and bike on an extension of the Fletcher Greenway and play in a creekside park the developer plans to donate to the town.
The 38-acre project site lies along Cane Creek between Cane Creek Industrial Park Drive and Mills Gap Road in the broad valley. Ringed by views of the distant Black and Blue Ridge ranges and closer Burney Mountain, the property has sat vacant for decades since it served as a runway for the old Asheville airport.
The News Article is Here.

Tags: solar thermal technology, solar energy

Solar Utility ( Pirelli Ambiente and Global Cleantech Capital) Provide clean Solar energy for Alessano

Milan - 23 Nov 2007 14:50 CET
The agreement with Solar Utility will allow for production for 30 years in the town of Alessano (Lecce) of a quantity of solar energy equal to the consumption of more than 600 families

Milan, 23 November 2007 - Solar Utility SpA , a 50/50 joint venture between Pirelli Ambiente and the fund Global Cleantech Capital (GCC) , signed today a convention with the town of Alessano (Lecce) for the realization and management of photovoltaic plants , with an investment of about 5.5 million euros , in line with the business plan. The company has already guaranteed supply of the photovoltaic modules needed for realization of the project.

The solar panels will be installed on buildings and lands owned by the town of Alessano, thanks to a thirty year agreement. The total power installed will amount to about 1.1 MegaWatts and will allow for the annual production of "clean" electricity for more than 1,600,000 kiloWatthours, equivalent to the energy consumption of more than 600 families .

The investment in Alessano will accelerate Solar Utility's forecast growth plan. With this agreement, Solar Utility launches its program for investment in South Italy, where there is a high level of solar exposure.

The agreement with Solar Utility will allow the town of Alessano to reach significant economic savings, such as cutting to zero the electrical bills of municipal buildings, thanks to the large size of the panels installed, and recognition of a royalty on the production of electricity, without using any public money.

Solar Utility is a 50/50 joint venture between Pirelli Ambiente and Global Cleantech Capital which invests in photovoltaic plants destined to owners of public, commercial and industrial buildings, supplying them in exchange with "green" energy at competitive prices. In addition, Solar Utility can assign photovoltaic plants to investors interested in stable returns in the long run, as guaranteed by the Italian incentive scheme "Conto Energia" of 19 February 2007.

Pirelli Ambiente is the Pirelli Group Company operating in the business of providing solutions for the environment and for sustainable development . Pirelli Ambiente can offer to the market a vast range of solutions with low environmental impact and high-tech contents of the highest order. The company is focused on products and processes that are increasingly eco-compatible and on innovative solutions.

Global Cleantech Capital is a leading investor in the energy and cleantech sectors in Europe and North America. GCC focuses on solar energy, green buildings, wind energy, bio-energy and advanced materials in efforts to grow renewable energy production capacity, as well as energy efficiency, thus driving the decrease in carbon footprint.

Tags: solar energy, Alessano, Lecce, Solar Utility SpA, Pirelli Ambiente, Global Cleantech Capital, solar panel

Santa Cruz City School System Awards 950 kW Solar Project to UPC Solar

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UPC Solar, a leading solar power development company, today announced an agreement to build solar crystalline PV systems for seven Santa Cruz City Schools totaling 950 kW of installed capacity. Won in a competitive bidding situation, UPC Solar was awarded seven of the 9 schools on which Santa Cruz City Schools will have solar power systems built.

The project will be designed, installed, owned and operated by UPC Solar under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Santa Cruz City Schools District. The systems will provide 90% of each school’s total annual electricity requirements and 100% of the most expensive “peak demand” requirements. Importantly, the projects will avoid annual greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions by 1,774,008 pounds, Nitrogen Oxides (NO_x) emissions by 613 pounds and Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂) emissions by 91 pounds.

“This agreement represents an important contribution to the environment as well as an important cost savings to the school system,” noted Richard C. Moss, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services Santa Cruz City Schools. “The Santa Cruz City School system is also providing an important leadership message regarding the environment to the students, parents, school staff and the local community. We’re excited to have the Santa Cruz City School system as one of our long-term green energy customers,” said Morten Sissener, President and CEO, UPC Solar.

Tags: UPC Solar.solar energy, Santa Cruz City School system