Solar power has high return on investment, report says

Posted 104 days ago — Read Full Story

According to a report by SBI Energy, the return on investment for solar power is better than for any other source of renewable energy, thanks to big technological improvements expected to drive down costs. The report said the cost of solar energy is expected to be $1 per watt by 2020, with the typical payback period down to three to five years instead of seven to 10 years.The "Global Solar Inverters Markets" report by SBI said the cost of large solar power will decrease by half about e

Solar power could provide 30 percent of energy in next 20 years

Posted 108 days ago — Read Full Story

According to the president and CEO of the Solar Electric Power Association, Julia Hamm, solar power has the potential to be the largest job creator in the United States by 2026, and could provide 30 percent of the nation's energy in 2031, according to a report by Green Prophet's website.The website said Hamm spoke at the Solar Power International Conference and Exhibition in Dallas, where she also predicted the United States would have a clean energy policy by 2031 and the majority of Am

Study shows solar jobs growing about 10 times faster than other industries

Posted 112 days ago — Read Full Story

According to the Solar Foundation's new report, "National Solar Jobs Census 2011: A Review of the U.S. Solar Workforce," the solar power industry is seeing hiring on the rise with more than 100,000 now employed.The study said the industry's growth rate of 6.8 percent is much higher than the anticipated 0.7 percent job growth in the economy as whole,.and is especially positive compared with the 2 percent net job loss within the fossil fuel economy."The solar industry has gr

North Carolina solar firm could see 100 new jobs next year

Posted 115 days ago — Read Full Story

With large growth in the amount of power it put out this year, Strata Solar in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, could be hiring for 100 new solar power and green energy jobs in the next year, according to the Durham Herald-Sun.Strata plans to install about 10 megawatts of solar energy this year, but the company said it's looking to have 30 megawatts installed in 2012, the news source reported. Markus Wilhelm, the founder and CEO of the company, said growth of both jobs and solar power output is

Solar power inverter manufacturers suffering less in economy

Posted 116 days ago — Read Full Story

The inverter solar power market is set to be better off financially in the near future compared to other solar power manufacturing sectors, a Reuters report said. Solar inverter products are hard to make, the article said, but manufacturing levels have stayed relatively stable during tough times."There is more internal design for an inverter company, so while it's easy to make an inverter, it is relatively hard to make a good inverter," Jon Sigurdsen, renewable fund manager at DnB

Solar market could be more than $70 billion by 2017, report says

Posted 117 days ago — Read Full Story

The growing market for solar power could keep expanding, according to a new report from Global Industry Analysts. A report by the group on solar panels shows the market is currently forecasted to reach $71.8 billion by 2017, driven primarily by demand for renewable energy in the United States and developing markets.GIA said after making a comeback in 2010, the solar panel market could be challenged by planned subsidy cuts in European cities. At the same time, the industry will see growth in othe

Solar power a bright spot for Arizona economy

Posted 118 days ago — Read Full Story

During a sluggish economy, solar power has been one of the few economic bright spots for Arizona, Barry Broome, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, wrote recently in the Arizona Republic.Broome wrote that with more than 400 companies manufacturing, installing and distributing solar power, the future can only get better. Last year, there were 6,300 new jobs added to about 22,000 existing jobs in the clean technology field. He said the state currently has about 160 megawatts

New Jersey surpasses California for commercial solar power

Posted 125 days ago — Read Full Story

According to a new report by the Solar energy Industries Association, New Jersey has surpassed California as the largest commercial solar power market. Solar power has grown in 2011 considerably in the East Coast state.SEIA said the commercial solar market in New Jersey jumped 170 percent from the first quarter of this year to the second quarter, and as a result, photovoltaic installations in the state now account for 24 percent of the entire U.S. This number was at 15 percent at the end of Marc

Leading Solar Distributor, groSolar, Selected to Represent Xunlight

Posted 126 days ago — Read Full Story

Toledo, OH – One of the solar electricity industry’s most established and trusted solar product procurement & logistics firms, groSolar, has been selected to represent Xunlight, manufacturer of cutting edge and highly reliable flexible thin film solar modules. This is the first thin film groSolar has elected to represent, simply because of Xunlight’s quality products. Xunlight is now available to groSolar’s 1,500 plus independent dealers across the nation, most of whom are independent solar c

IKEA uses solar power in California stores

Posted 129 days ago — Read Full Story

With solar power becoming more popular in California by the day, popular Swedish furniture seller IKEA officially plugged in the store's solar power system at the San Gabriel Valley store in Covina, California.The store features a 57,000-square-food photovoltaic array, which has 451-kilowatts of power and features 2,002 solar panels. The program will produce about 651,800 kilowatt hours of power each year, thereby reducing the equivalent of 495 tons of carbon dioxide, the the same as powerin

Large solar power firm announced for Florida's Panhandle

Posted 131 days ago — Read Full Story

A new large solar power farm, designed to generate enough electricity for 32,00 homes, is planned to be built in the Florida Panhandle by National Solar Power, according to news sources.The $1.5 billion, 400-megawatt solar panel array will be constructed in Gadsden County, Florida, just west of Tallahassee. The project is expected to create 400 construction jobs over the next five years and 120 permanent employees with an average salary of $40,000. Construction is slated to begin in early 2012 i

First Solar to work on Imperial County solar project

Posted 132 days ago — Read Full Story

First Solar has been selected by Tenaska Solar Ventures to be the technology provider and engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the Imperial Solar Energy Center South Project in Imperial County, California.The 950 acre plan will have a capacity of 130 megawatts of electricity. The company said it will have enough electricity to meet the power needs of at least 44,000 Californian homes, and it will produce energy to be sold under a 250-year power-purchase agreement to San Diego

Company tries to give homeowners inexpensive solar option

Posted 133 days ago — Read Full Story

Westinghouse Solar said that a new all-in-one rooftop solar power kit will help reduce the price of solar panels for homeowners and make it affordable. The solar kit will include panels, a racking system, roof brackets, fasteners and more. The company said all that needs to be added is wiring to the rooftop and a circuit breaker at the home's residential service panel."What has been lost in the recent news about the solar industry is that solar panels are less than half the price they w

Wells Fargo announces protect to finance multi-site solar power project

Posted 137 days ago — Read Full Story

In an announcement this week, Wells Fargo said project financing for the deployment of 53.5 megawatts of multi-site solar power for Sun Edison, a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic.There are two remaining plants expected to begin operation before the end of 2011, with the total of 53.5 megawatt solar project expected to be one of the largest photovoltaic solar power projects in the U.S.Wells Fargo has provided more than $200 million to finance the installation phase of the projects. The company said

Drop in cost of solar power could speed up

Posted 143 days ago — Read Full Story

A new study by the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows that the cost of solar power in the U.S. had a significant decrease in 2010 and through the first half of 2011."The solar power industry is the fastest growing industry in America," said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. "We are delivering strong economic returns and good jobs at increasingly competitive prices, as this National Lab report shows."

New Jersey solar company looks to have West Coast presence

Posted 147 days ago — Read Full Story

New Jersey solar power giant Petra Solar may look west to help line roadways in California with some of their signature pole-mounted panels, according to the New York Times.Petra is growing confident of the future success in California, according to the report, as there have been concerns about building solar power facilities in environmentally protected areas. Petra would be focusing more on an urban-based solar power system.Shihab Kuran, the CEO of Petra, told the New York Times the company fi

Samsung predicts $70 billion global solar power cell market by 2020

Posted 152 days ago — Read Full Story

Samsung SDI Co. said it expects the global solar power cell market will be worth $70 billion by 2020, which is more than double last year's $30 billion.Choi Chang-sik, executive vice president of the company's solar energy division, told Reuters in an interview that the growing aversion to nuclear power after Japan's radiation crisis and rising oil prices will make the demand for solar panels increase.While the solar market is currently weighted down by excess supply and aggressive C

First Solar announces 100 megawatt agreement with Indian power company

Posted 153 days ago — Read Full Story

Indian billionaire Anil Ambani's company Reliance Power will buy solar powers from First Solar, the second biggest maker of equipment in the world. The agreement will be for a 100-megawatt project backed by U.S. funding.First Solar will deliver 40 megawatts of advanced thin-film modules to Reliance by the end of the year for the project in Jaisalmer, which will supply renewable electricity to Mumbai. The deliver of the remaining 60 megawatts of panels will be made by 2012, First Solar said.

NextEra secures $935 million for solar power project

Posted 158 days ago — Read Full Story

California will see a new solar power project built by the largest wind-energy producer in the United States, as NextEra Energy Resources LLC have secured $935 million in project bonds.The Genesis project, run by NextEra's Genesis Solar LLC and located in Riverside County, California, will have a 250 megawatt capacity, the company said. It will enter into operation in 2014 and will supply power to California Utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company.The U.S. Department of Energy laid out a lo

Solar companies offering rebates to customers

Posted 160 days ago — Read Full Story

Florida Power & Light is reopening the application period for its 2011 solar rebate program. With $5 million remaining in its funding, FPL is allowing applicants to apply for solar rebates until funding runs out."These incentives can help make investments in distributed renewable energy generation more affordable, and we are pleased that more of our customers will now be able to take advantage of the program this year," said Marlene Santos, FPL's vice president of customer serv

Evergreen Solar files for bankruptcy, shows competitiveness of solar industry

Posted 173 days ago — Read Full Story

Although many solar energy companies have been flourishing, there still have been some that are struggling. Evergreen Solar, a U.S. polysilicon wafer manufacturer, recently filed for bankruptcy saying it owes creditors $485 million.Evergreen Solar plans to sell itself at auction in an attempt the get the money it owes creditors. The closing of the company's plant will result in the loss of 800 jobs. Evergreen Solar recently received incentives for opening a plant in the state of Massachusett

GM invests $7.5 million in solar power

Posted 192 days ago — Read Full Story

General Motors will invest $7.5 million into Sunlogics PLC, an integrated global solar energy systems provider, to create 310 jobs for the solar power company to create its corporate headquarters and open a manufacturing facility near Detroit.There will also be a manufacturing facility in Ontario. The Southeastern Michigan facility is reported to create 200 jobs, with the Canada facility creating about 110."Global solar energy use is predicted to more than double by 2016, so we believe that

Company looks to spend $5.8 million on solar, wind in next three years

Posted 194 days ago — Read Full Story

The world's largest wind-energy producer is looking to become larger, as NextEra Energy will look go spend $5.8 billion in the next three years on wind and solar power projects.NextEra's Energy Resources unit will spend between $2.3 billion and $2.7 billion through 2014 on solar power projects and $2.7 billion to $3.1 billion on wind farms, said Lewis Hay, chief executive officer of the company during a conference call. Projects will supply electricity for contracts the company has alrea

Apple, Samsung evaluating the possibility of solar devices

Posted 194 days ago — Read Full Story

Technology giants Apple and Samsung have been looking into the possibility of devices available using primarily solar power, according to a report from DigitimesBoth companies are looking into the use of Taiwan-based solar firms in their supply chains, the website reports, but the markets will need a longer time to develop, according to the Taiwan solar power firms.While Apple has no solid plans to release any kind of solar-based product, Samsung will release a solar-powered netbook in August. T

Arizona solar power tower to be world's second tallest building

Posted 195 days ago — Read Full Story

A new solar power tower to be built in La Paz County, Arizona, will generate more than 1 million megawatt hours and be the world's second largest building.The plans for the building are being made by EnviroMission, who will look to break ground next year. The building will use turbines to force air heated by the sun up through 2,600-foot chimney to create electricity. It will create enough solar power for 150,000 homes according to company president Chris Davey."It doesn't use water

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