It’s no secret anymore that Solyndra makes cylinders covered with flexible, thin solar cells. But I guess few know that Solyndra’s tube solar panels can also be used in agriculture as shades in greenhouses.
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Archive for February, 2011
BMW Plans to Manufacture At Least 30,000 i3 Electric Cars
Posted in February 28th, 2011
by Mihai Sandru in Solar Power
German car maker BMW has recently announced that it plans to sell around 30,000 units of its i3 electric car in order to serve the growing market. BMW’s newest two models, i3 and i8, will be launched by the end of 2013.
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Washington, D.C. Cuts Promised Solar Rebates
Posted in February 28th, 2011
In the District of Columbia, the city’s Renewable Energy Incentive Plan has been diverted to help prop up the budget.
Like many municipalities across the nation, D.C. is in crisis, and the $2-million-per-year fund that was supposed to last through 2012 to help residents pay for residential solar PV rooftops has been canceled.
It’s not much of a surprise anymore. Similar actions took place in 2010 in such diverse places as Long Island, New York; Florida; Arizona; and California. Many of the changes were rate reductions, due to oversold solar or states having met a step-down rate for installation.
Some were actual cuts, but only because the program was sold out within minutes of being offered. In Washington, D.C. the cuts were an actual breach of promise, leaving 51 residents on the hook for about $700,000 worth of solar installations that they likely can’t afford and wouldn’t have made without the city’s backing.
D.C.’s action is reminiscent of the recent solar rebate cut by Xcel Energy, Inc. in Colorado – another abrupt cut that left customers and solar companies aghast. The entire scenario is beginning to look like a frontal attack on what President Barack Obama has consistently referred to as the “clean energy economy.”
Ever since the midterm elections, however, and the takeover by Republicans – who now dominate both the U.S. House and a majority of state legislatures – the fall of the solar house of cards begins to look more like an engineered event than a natural disaster.
Political reality suggests that Republicans are firmly in the fossil fuel-energy camp – a suggestion reinforced by the fact that fossil fuels garner at least $557 billion per year in subsidies, even though coal-fired power plants are shown to cost $345 billion each year in terms of peripheral (health and environmental) costs.
It’s no surprise that many solar aficionados are asking themselves whether 2011 will be the sunset year for solar energy, and if that is the result of a particular agenda or merely the side effect of a lousy economy.
Photo Credit: Allan Henderson via Flickr CC
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LDK Solar Closes Offering of RMB 1.2 Billion US$-Settled Senior Notes due 2014
Posted in February 28th, 2011
XINYU CITY, China and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) (“LDK Solar”), a leading vertically integrated manufacturer of photovoltaic products and a leading manufacturer of solar wafers in terms of capacity, announced today the closing of US$-settled 10.00% senior notes due 2014 in the aggregate principal amount of RMB 1.2 billion (the “Notes”) being offered and sold outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Notes will bear interest at the rate of 10.00% per annum from February 28, 2011, payable semi-annually in arrears on February 28 and August 28 of each year, beginning on August 28, 2011. The Notes will mature on February 28, 2014 and will be guaranteed by certain of LDK Solar’s offshore subsidiaries. LDK Solar intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to repay certain of its existing indebtedness with remaining maturities of up to one year.
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GridPoint Renewable Energy Solution Saves HOLT CAT 40 Percent on Electricity Costs
Posted in February 28th, 2011
SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — GridPoint, Inc., an established leader for smart energy solutions and HOLT CAT®, the Caterpillar® Equipment and Engine dealer for South, Central, North and North East Texas, today announced the powering of a 59 kW photovoltaic solar array at HOLT CAT’s new San Antonio training and support facility.
HOLT is aiming for Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification on the new facility. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building was designed and built using strategies that improve performance across environmental metrics.
The training center currently boasts a 59 kW system comprised of 240 solar panels capable of producing 79,304 kWh of electricity annually. HOLT is planning to install additional panels to bring the system to a total of 103 kW in the coming months. Upon completion the system will produce 137,739 kWh of energy annually.
“Based on our estimated power usage, the solar panels will generate almost 40 percent of our electricity needs,” said Allyn Archer, President and COO of HOLT CAT. “The offset will significantly reduce our operating costs and help us attain Silver LEED status.”
The GridPoint solar energy solution was custom-designed for the HOLT facility using a state-of-the-art racking system. Utilizing clamps and solar wedge technology, the solar panels were installed without a single roof penetration. The innovative mounting system can withstand a 110 mph wind load and more than 30 pounds of pressure per square foot.
“We are proud GridPoint’s solar energy solution helped HOLT CAT meet its LEED goal. They are a great example of corporate sustainability and environmental leadership,” said Jeff Ross, senior vice president of GridPoint.
The solar energy solution integrates with GridPoint’s advanced monitoring to record and display the current and historical energy production of HOLT’s operation. The Web-based portal displays consumption data, current weather conditions; environmental contribution toward reduction of greenhouse gasses; and monetary savings achieved by its solar electric generation in day, week, month, year and lifetime increments.
GridPoint provides solar energy solutions for enterprises that include design and engineering, project management, monitoring, and procurement and installation of assets including solar panels, inverters and racking. The company’s renewable energy customers include local, state and federal municipalities as well as major restaurants and retailers.
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