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Cleantech

Japan plans to close its last nuclear reactor this weekend, a move that will take nuclear power out of its energy supply for the first time since 1966. Among those who will celebrate that will be solar companies as Japan gets ready to boost its … Read More »

In the wake of one of the world’s largest nuclear power disasters in history last year in Japan, the country is re-thinking its energy policy and looking to provide incentives to boost clean power starting this July. Our charticle: Read More »

 
 

Research firm Lux Research has named the top ten global makers of solar modules — which make up solar panels — by production for 2011. Read More »

Power electronics that can boost energy production from solar panels has emerged in recent years as a favorite among venture capital investors. On Monday, that trend continues with the announcement that an Israeli startup, SolarEdge, has raised $37 million from VCs. Read More »

Chevron is really bearish on cleantech investing

Most of the oil giants have made small investments in cleantech and Chevron’s investment arm, Chevron Technology Ventures, was no exception. Bu Chevron has been moving away from making any cleantech investments, and hasn’t invested in a cleantech startup in two years, according to its President. Read More »

Remember that gigawatt solar farm called Blythe in California that turned down a $2.1 billion federal loan guarantee? That project and 1.25 GW of other solar farm proposals are being sold by Solar Millennium to Solarhybrid, the two German companies said Thursday. Read More »

Japan passes law to boost clean power generation

Japan has long supported solar energy development, but the nuclear disaster this spring pushed it to expand its clean power supplies. That effort reached a milestone on Friday when its lawmakers approved a program that will require its utilities to buy renewable electricity at government-set prices … Read More »

One day lights will be as digital as our cell phones. I was reminded of this coming trend after using Sharp’s remote-controlled LED lightbulb that fits in a standard light socket. Read More »

Lowe’s To Support Sungevity’s Solar Services

Big box stores have tried to market solar electric equipment and installation services for years, but they haven’t seen good results. Lowe’s is hoping to change that by offering services from Sungevity and investing in Sungevity. Read More »

Japan’s massive earthquake, tsunami, and now nuclear disaster, is starting to shine a spotlight on just how important the country is in terms of clean energy technology, from solar to electric cars. Read More »

While many Silicon Valley thin-film solar companies have finally moved into commercial production, here comes Solar Frontier, a division of Japanese oil refiner Showa Shell, who has leapt over everyone to open a near-gigawatt factory and has drawn customers such as GE. Read More »

Banks are willing to invest in putting solar panels on rooftops, but not surprisingly, are only willing to back established project developers. The latest example is Rabobank’s $50 million construction loan to SunEdison. Read More »

More Must Reads

Inverter maker Power-One has bought venture-backed Fat Spaniel Technologies, adding to a list of renewable energy acquisitions this year. The deal is necessary for Fat Spaniel which has endured a tough market. Read More »

Why develop your own project pipelines when you can just buy them? That seems to be a strategy among large solar electric equipment manufacturers such as Sharp, which announced Tuesday its plan to buy Recurrent Energy for about $305 million in cash. Read More »

Oil giant Chevron has an itch to test out early stage solar technology. This morning Chevron plans to show off a solar test bed in Bakersfield, Calif., dubbed Project Brightfield, that will use seven “emerging pre-commercial” solar photovoltaic technologies. The companies providing the technology range from … Read More »

The photovoltaic industry has taken a hit this year, shrinking in size compared with 2008 as a result of the economic crisis, tight credit markets and changes in Spain’s generous incentive policy. The good news is that the PV industry has now passed through its first “cycle” … Read More »

A year ago, it seemed like gigawatt-sized solar factories were just around the corner, with companies such as Sharp and Royal Dutch Shell subsidiary Showa Shell Sekiyu unveiling plans to build 1 GW thin-film solar plants. And back then, predictions like the one … Read More »

Chip giant Intel Corp. unveiled a 10-kilowatt solar installation near its New Mexico manufacturing plant this weekend, launching its latest foray into clean energy for power-hungry data centers. While energy generated by the array’s 64 Sharp solar panels will feed into the local electricity grid … Read More »

Intel solar spinoff SpectraWatt has put its plans to build a factory in Hillsboro, Ore., on hold after being unable to get enough financing, The Oregonian reported this week. CEO Andrew Wilson told the newspaper that SpectraWatt is searching for an existing building that it … Read More »

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is making an effort to be greener in 2009, officially kicks off this morning — and already the eco-announcements are piling up. Electronics makers are claiming their hardware is more energy efficient than the next, manufacturers are launching recycling … Read More »

As the semiconductor industry prepares to post a rare drop in revenues, with another decline expected next year, it’s no wonder that many chip companies are shifting their hopes to solar power. Last month, Hemlock Semiconductor announced plans for a $3 billion expansion of its … Read More »

Japan will renew subsidies for residential solar power equipment next month, officials with the country’s ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced this week. The $99.6 million package of incentives pledged for the first quarter of 2009 came not a day too soon for electronics … Read More »

There’s a new power couple in the thin-film industry. Japan’s Sharp announced plans yesterday to invest at least ¥100 billion yen ($1.05 billion) in a venture with Italy’s Enel to manufacture thin-film solar cells and build … Read More »

There could have been a drinking game for the opening night of the Solar Power International convention: Take a shot when you hear “credit crunch” or “tax credits.” The current financial turmoil and the renewal of the tax credits for solar permeated both media … Read More »

Japanese consumer electronics maker and solar giant Sharp plans to boost its thin film manufacturing capacity six fold. The company is still working on reaching its goal of 1 gigawatt of production capacity by 2010 but Toshishige Hamano, a vice president in Sharp’s solar-battery division, … Read More »

For all the chatter about Chinese solar stocks, Japan has long been the world’s leading producer of photovoltaics. Of course, given the number of investments Chinese companies are making in capacity, they are likely to overtake Japan in a few years. But for now, Japan … Read More »

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