Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) President and CEO Rhone Resch today released the following statement on the introduction of climate legislation by Senators John Kerry (D-MA), and Joe Lieberman (I-CT):
“While we’re still analyzing the 987-page bill, we’re pleased with the effort to place a price on carbon, an essential step in stopping global warming and stimulating greater deployment of renewable energy sources like solar. But to really make a difference, we need to ensure that any allowances from this legislation are targeted directly at deploying renewable energy like solar – an energy source that 92 percent of the Americans say they want greater use of, now.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) today released an independent study projecting the positive economic impact of the Department of Treasury Grant Program (TGP) and the Solar Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit. The study found that extending the TGP by two years and including solar manufacturing in the industries’ existing tax credit would add 200,000 new domestic jobs to the solar workforce and supporting industries in the United States. Additionally, it would result in 10 gigawatts (GW) of new solar installations by 2016 – enough to power 2 million homes.
“The clean energy grant program created in last year’s stimulus bill allowed enough renewable energy to come on line to power four cities the size of Seattle and create over 140,000 new jobs,” said Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA). “Extension of the Treasury Grant program is essential to continuing our nascent economic recovery and moving to a cleaner, more distributed 21st century energy system. Tens of thousands of jobs hinge on continuing this successful program, including thousands of new solar jobs in Washington State in the next two years.  These are high-paying jobs that our economy needs.”

Registration has opened for Solar Power International 2010, the largest business-to-business solar conference and expo in North America. Presented by Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Solar Power International 2010 takes place October 12 – 14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. As the premier U.S. event for the global solar energy market, the 2009 show broke all previous records and conference organizers expect the event to reflect the continued growth of the global solar energy market.

This year’s agenda features dynamic keynotes, including an address by James Carville and Mary Matalin, the highly anticipated annual CEO Panel, and more than 35 breakout sessions covering the latest developments in policy, finance, markets and technology. The exhibit floor encompasses the complete range of solar energy technologies: photovoltaics, concentrating photovoltaics, concentrating solar power (also referred to as solar thermal electric), solar water heating, and space heating and cooling. Networking opportunities abound in the bustling exhibit hall, opening reception and ever-popular Solar Block Party, this year at LA Live. Unlike other solar conferences and expos in the U.S. – typically presented by for-profit entities – the proceeds from Solar Power International are reinvested by non-profit organizers SEPA and SEIA back into policy, research and education activities that support accelerated growth of the U.S. solar market.

“The U.S. solar industry weathered the broad economic challenges of 2009, growing revenue by 36 percent, expanding utility-scale capacity by 37 percent, and attracting $1.4 billion in venture capital in 2009,” said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO. “Solar is now poised for record growth in 2010 and beyond. Professionals who want to take advantage of this escalating growth will once again find Solar Power International to be the critical connection point in North America for expanding their business. By learning how to navigate the ever-changing U.S. policy landscape and connecting with key leaders in the industry, attendees will gain new customers and revenue possibilities.”

Solar Power International offers unparalleled opportunities to grow business and network with industry leaders. The show is a must-attend event for solar industry professionals, utility executives, investors, technical experts and policymakers, as it offers the ideal environment to build cooperative relationships with the most professional, knowledgeable product and service providers in the solar energy business. To make it simple to navigate the 1,000+ exhibitors in multiple halls, the trade show floor is organized by product category.

“As the only event that brings together the entire solar industry for face-to-face meetings and networking events, Solar Power International, now in its 7th year, has gained the kind of traction that makes it an essential part of doing business in the U.S. solar market,” said Julia Hamm, executive director of SEPA. “Industry veterans and newcomers alike meet face-to-face to jointly strengthen the industry’s position and create new business opportunities for the U.S. solar energy market.”

Solar Power International is focused on business-to-business interaction, however the conference again presents the popular “Public Night,” a free opening of the expo floor to local residents on Wednesday evening, Oct. 13, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 pm. At previous shows, Solar Power International’s Public Night has been an attractive draw for members of the public excited to learn about and implement the latest solar technology.

Registration, sponsorship, exhibitor and program information can be found at www.solarpowerinternational.com.

Source: Seia

Schoolchildren and villagers across Rwanda will receive solar power and more than $85,000 will go to gorilla conservation as part of the lasting legacy of World Environment Day 2010.

Rwanda, this year’s global host for WED, organized a vivid celebration in the Volcanoes National Park that brought together a Hollywood star, the Rwandan President, environmentalists and businesses alongside 30,000 people.

During the much-anticipated and widely acclaimed traditional Kwita Izina baby gorilla naming ceremony, this year’s People’s Choice name, ‘Zoya’, which was chosen online by around 3,400 people around the planet, was announced by Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle.

“WakaWaka”, the name given to another baby gorilla, was selected by children from around the world in a global online competition. The name was announced by UNEP Climate Hero and acclaimed wildlife photographer Luo Hong. WakaWaka means “to light up” in Swahili.

The naming ceremony was attended by Mr. Cheadle and Mr. Hong alongside Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Achim Steiner, United Nations Under Secretary General and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Mr. Steiner: “We are especially pleased by this year’s WED celebrations. Not only is Rwanda a pioneer in Green Economic growth with a true commitment to a cleaner development model, we have joined forces with partners to contribute to gorilla conservation and provide hundreds of solar lights for Rwandan villagers and schoolchildren. WED is not just about the here and now – it is about having a positive impact on our collective future.”

The WED Legacy Initiative, launched for WED 2010, was inspired by UNEP’s recent report, ‘The Last Stand of the Gorilla’, which estimated that if current trends continue, gorillas could be lost from their present range in The Greater Congo Basin in 10 to 15 years.

For every activity or positive environmental action organized and registered on the WED website, UNEP will contribute US$10 towards gorilla conservation through the ‘Take a Stand for the Gorilla’ initiative. As a result of the thousands of activities organized around the world by individuals, communities, NGOs, businesses and governments, UNEP’s WED Legacy fund drive has raised a total of US$50,000, with all the funds going to the Volcanoes National Park.

In addition, more than US$35,000 was generously contributed to the WED Legacy Project by UNEP partners inspired by the initiative:

• Mr. Luo Hong, President of the Beijing Holiland Enterprise Investment Management and a long-time supporter of UNEP’s International Children’s Painting Competition, donated US$20,000 towards the Legacy Project.

• The UNEP National Committee in the Republic of Korea donated US$10,000 raised from an online fund-drive involving Korean citizens.

• The Kenya Airways Rwanda Office is making a contribution of US$5,000.

• Supermarket chain Nakumatt in Rwanda will contribute 1 per cent of its gross sales for the whole month of June to the project.

Inspired by the Government of Rwanda’s pursuit of a low-carbon, green path to economic development, energy company Philips is also supporting UNEP’s WED Legacy Initiative with a donation of 300 solar home systems.

Fifty of the systems will go to the Rubaya Village in Gichumbi District, a pilot village of a joint poverty and environment project between UNEP and the government of Rwanda. The rest will be distributed to benefit schoolchildren in rural villages where there is no power, enabling them to do their homework at home and complete their education.

Mr. DP Smedema, the Chief Executive Officer of Philips Lighting Africa, said: “We are proud to be partnering with the United Nations Environment Programme for World Environment Day. As part of Philips’ broader drive to improve people’s lives, Philips is committed to making affordable, high-quality, energy efficient lighting available to areas where it is most needed. Solar-powered lighting solutions can make a true difference for the people in Rwanda.”

In a final wave of WED celebrations in Rwanda, Don Cheadle, who is an internationally respected humanitarian and environmentalist, was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme on 5 June. Mr. Cheadle, who starred in the acclaimed film Hotel Rwanda in 2004, is passionate about the link between natural resources and peace. He will advocate sustainable lifestyles, promote the greening of the entertainment industry and other sector, and take part in UNEP public outreach initiatives.

Notes to Editors:

About World Environment Day:

World Environment Day is the people’s day for environmental action. Under the theme ‘Many Species. One Planet. One Future’, this year’s event celebrated the incredible diversity of life on Earth as part of the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity.

This year’s global host, Rwanda – a country of exceptional biodiversity that has made huge strides on environmental protection – led the celebrations with three days of keynote events. Thousands of activities were also organized worldwide from Hong Kong to Abidjan, with beach clean-ups, concerts, exhibits, film festivals, community events and much more.

About the Kwita Izina gorilla-naming ceremony:

Kwita Izina, the uniquely Rwandan event to name baby gorillas born in the Volcanoes National Park in the past year, was introduced in 2005 with the aim of creating awareness for the conservation of the endangered mountain Gorillas.

This year, the ceremony at the foot of the Virunga Mountains was timed to coincide with World Environment Day on 5 June. For the first time ever, the global community was involved in the event, with more than 800 people voting online for the ‘People’s Choice’ gorilla name.

The winning name, Zoya, was chosen by 1,272 people out of 3,485 people voting online on the WED website from around the planet. Zoya, suggested by a UNEPandYou follower on Twitter, refers to ‘life’ and ‘light’ in several languages: it means ’shining’ in India, ‘alive’ in Greek, and ‘twilight’ in Iranian. Zoya narrowly beat the runner-up, Yoda – after the beloved Star Wars character – as well as Ijabo and Hitamo.

The WED website also featured a Kids’ Choice vote which was also announced at the Kwita Izina ceremony, with more than 424 children out of 1,146 voting for the winning name ‘Waka Waka’.

Source: UNEP

The U.S. market for small wind energy systems is prospering, expanding 15% in 2009 and accounting for about half of the units sold in the entire world, the American Wind Energy Association said today, highlighting findings from its annual Small Wind Turbine market study. Small wind systems are defined as those with rated capacities of 100 kilowatts (kW) or less, and are used primarily to power individual homes, farms, and small businesses.

“Americans and people around the globe want to take control of their energy future, and investing in a small wind turbine to generate your own electricity is one of the most rewarding ways to do so,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. “Wind works for people and for our planet in many different ways.”

“Federal and state incentives now make it much more affordable to invest in a small wind turbine, and the market expanded in 2009 thanks largely to those incentives, optimistic investors, and popular demand,” said AWEA Manager of Small Wind Systems and Legislative Affairs Ron Stimmel, author of the report. “We’ve also seen domestic manufacturing investment grow, with nine small wind turbine production facilities opened or expanded in the U.S in 2009. The U.S. small wind turbine market is by far the world’s largest, both in terms of installations and of manufacturing.”

Among key findings of the study:

• The U.S. small wind turbine market grew 15% in 2009, with 9,800 units sold and 20.3 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity;
• An estimated 100,000 small wind turbines are now installed in the U.S., bringing total small wind generating capacity to the 100-MW milestone;
• The U.S. market is the world’s largest — about half of all units and capacity added worldwide in 2009;
• The U.S. is the world’s leading manufacturer of small wind turbines: about two-thirds of all small wind systems sold in the world last year were made by U.S. manufacturers.
• The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) expanded the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for small wind turbines in 2009, allowing consumers to take 30% of the total cost of a small wind system as a tax credit. The ITC was perhaps the most important factor in last year’s small wind turbine market growth.
• In 2009—during the height of the economic recession–$80 million of private equity was invested into small wind turbine manufacturing companies, boosting to over $250 million the total equity invested over the past five years. This investment helped manufacturers increase production, lower costs, meet sustained demand, and even acquire competitors.

Source: American Wind Energy Association

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) today issued the following statement from AWEA CEO Denise Bode on the passage of a bill by the Ohio Legislature that lowers the inordinately high taxes on wind power that were in place in the state.

“This tax reform will encourage wind energy investment in Ohio, and it will create and protect thousands of manufacturing, construction, operations and maintenance jobs in the state,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. “Ohio is now much better positioned to attract wind power investment that will benefit local communities and boost orders for turbines and turbine components.”

“The wind industry wants especially to recognize and applaud the bipartisan spirit that ensured the success of this legislation, and the leadership of Sen. Chris Widener (R-Springfield), of Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Rep. Tom Leston (D-Warren), and of Gov. Ted Strickland for working together to advance this reform,” added Bode. “Wind works for Ohio because it is a source of clean energy and also a source of good jobs.”

Late Thursday night Sub Senate Bill 232 passed the House by a vote of 91-7 and the Senate concurred shortly after passage by a vote of 27-5 with a final reconciled bill headed to Gov. Ted Strickland’s desk before summer recess, according to the grassroots coalition Wind and Solar Jobs for Ohio.

Source: American Wind Energy Association

Washington D.C. — At the request of President Obama, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has been helping oversee BP’s “top kill” efforts from the BP Command Center in Houston. Below are two photographs from this week. Photo credit: Department of Energy.

Pictures at Department of Energy web page

As part of the Obama Administration’s ongoing commitment to transparency surrounding the response to the BP oil spill, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that Department is providing online access to schematics, pressure tests, diagnostic results and other data about the malfunctioning blowout preventer.

Secretary Chu insisted on making the data widely available to ensure the public is as informed as possible, and to ensure that outside experts making recommendations have access to the same information that BP and the government have. The site will be updated with additional data soon.

“Transparency is not only in the public interest, it is part of the scientific process,” said Secretary Chu. “We want to make sure that independent scientists, engineers and other experts have every opportunity to review this information and make their own conclusions.”

The information is posted at energy.gov/oilspilldata. It includes detailed raw data on the pressure readings within the blowout preventer, as well as rates and amounts of hydrocarbons captured by the top hat and by the riser insertion tube. There is also a timeline of key events and detailed summaries of the Deepwater well configuration, the blowout preventer stack tubes, and the containment system.

Source: Department of Energy

MADRID, June 8, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ — SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) announced today that it is building a 9.1-megawatt (AC) solar power plant in Alange, Badajoz, Spain for the Naturener Group. This will be the fifth solar power plant that SunPower has designed and constructed for Naturener Group to date, and one of the largest to be commissioned in Spain this year. SunPower will also provide operations and maintenance services under the agreement with Naturener.

“We are pleased to work with SunPower again and continue our development of renewable energy in the Spanish market,” said Rafael Sanchez-Castillo, CEO of Naturener Group. “SunPower’s turnkey services will ensure that the plant is operational by the end of the year, and their technology will maximize production of clean, renewable solar power for many years to come.”

At the 38-hectare site, SunPower will install its SunPower(TM) T0 Tracker technology, which requires only half the land area to produce the same amount of energy as conventional dual-axis trackers. The Tracker systems position solar panels to follow the sun during the day, delivering up to 25 percent more energy than fixed-tilt systems. Due to sophisticated backtracking algorithms, the system avoids panel shading while increasing energy production. In addition, a smart grid system will enable the solar plant and Naturener’s nearby hydraulic power plant to share a utility grid connection.

On the Trackers, SunPower will mount the company’s standard-efficiency Serengeti solar panels, which offer the same high quality, reliable energy delivery and 25-year warranty as SunPower’s high-efficiency panel offerings.

Construction on the plant will start this month and is expected to employ over 150 people locally.

“Naturener is a leader in renewable energy development, and SunPower’s long-standing partnership with them is a clear testament to our ability to consistently deliver the highest quality power plants quickly and cost efficiently,” said SunPower Vice President Gian Maria Ferrero. “With 225 megawatts of solar power plants operating today in Europe, SunPower has the experience and technology to ensure investors get the most value out of their solar assets.”

SunPower has more than 550 megawatts of solar systems installed or under contract. Previously for Naturener in Spain, SunPower designed and constructed solar power plants totaling 29 megawatts, located in the Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura regions.

Source: Sun Power Corp

The Obama Administration today announced a multi-agency

initiative to spur regional economic growth while making buildings more energy

efficient. Seven federal agencies today issued a combined Funding Opportunity

Announcement of up to $129.7 million over five years to create a regional research center

that will develop new building efficiency technologies and work with local partners to

implement the technologies in area buildings.

Buildings account for nearly 40 percent of U.S. energy consumption and carbon