photovoltaics
Baltimore-based Constellation Energy is making an equity investment in residential solar-energy firm Astrum Solar. The investment, specific terms of which were not disclosed, is aimed at supporting the company’s future growth and expansion efforts. “An investment from a highly respected Fortune 500 energy company such as Constellation … signals the
photovoltaics
A power purchase agreement (PPA) is allowing a New Jersey-based organization to add solar energy to its historic headquarters without having to pay any upfront costs. Kyocera Solar, NJ Solar Power and Solar Power Partners today announced the completion of a 1.16-megawatt (MW) solar energy system at The Masonic
photovoltaics
China’s aggressive push into the world’s solar energy markets is taking another jump forward with China Sunergy’s announcement of a planned one-gigawatt (GW) expansion in its solar cell production capacity. The company plans to invest 1.8 billion yuan ($278 million) in an expansion project in China’
photovoltaics
Tucson Electric Power (TEP) is on track to add what will be its largest single source of solar energy yet. And that’s just one step on its planned roadmap for expanding its solar power resources seven-fold over the next three years. Plans for a 25-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) array in
photovoltaics
An effort known as Project Amp aims to install solar panels on industrial buildings across the US and feed the electricity generated into the nation’s power grid. The project, which has just received a conditional $1.4 billion loan commitment from the US Department of Energy (DOE), would be
photovoltaics
Construction has started on what will be one of the largest solar energy parks in Bavaria, Germany. Set for completion by the end of 2011, the installation of 120,000 solar modules will produce about 28 megawatts of green energy, enough to supply power to up to 32,000 people.
photovoltaics
A technology that combines solar energy generation with smart-grid communications has won the top title in two categories of TechAmerica Foundation’s American Technology Awards. New Jersey-based Petra Solar’s SunWave system is a smart-grid-enabled photovoltaic module that can be mounted directly onto utility distribution and streetlight poles to deliver
photovoltaics
A $359 million conditional loan guarantee from the US Department of Energy (DOE) will pave the way for a unique photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant in Arizona. Mesquite Solar 1, to be located in Maricopa County about 45 miles west of Phoenix, will be one of the first utility-scale PV
photovoltaics
Retail and real estate markets in the US might still be sluggish, but the solar energy industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors around. The total capacity of grid-connected solar-electric installations now exceed 2.85 gigawatts (GW), enough to power nearly 600,000 US homes, according to the Solar Energy
photovoltaics
A company that makes lightweight plastic solar panels is practicing what it preaches by installing its technology at its own facility in Massachusetts. According to Konarka Technologies, the deployment in New Bedford is the largest organic photovoltaic (OPV) installation of its kind. It’s also the first-ever , semi-transparent OPV curtain
photovoltaics
New Jersey’s Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) aims to develop 80 megawatts (MW) of solar power over the next three years as part of its “Solar 4 All” program. That amount of energy would be enough to meet the electricity needs of about 13,000
photovoltaics
Construction of a 150-megawatt (MW) solar plant — a greater capacity than any photovoltaic plant (PV) in operation today — is set to begin in Arizona next month. When it’s completed in early 2013, Sempra Generation’s Mesquite Solar 1 is expected to produce enough electricity to power 56,000 average-size