Thin film solar firm Nanosolar says it will be able to save tens of millions of dollars, and expand its business in California and create new jobs, thanks to a new manufacturing tax incentive bill signed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday. Read more »
SpectraWatt, a maker of crystalline silicon solar cells spun out of Intel back in 2008, has dusted itself off after funding troubles and manufacturing delays, and now says it has the capital necessary to finish work on its first factory, allow for capacity expansions and continue […] Read more »
First Solar, the thin-film solar giant, has just linked up with the mega-giant of all solar projects: the Desertec Industrial Initiative. The Arizona-based company announced this morning that it has become an “associate partner” in the ambitious project, which by 2050 aims to supply 15 percent […] Read more »
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Opera Mini 5 hit the Android Market this morning, offering another browser choice. It’s a solid beta effort, but how does it compare to the native Android browser? And who should use it? I can think of one situation where it has a definite advantage. Read more »
When First Solar snagged a 550-megawatt deal with Southern California Edison last year, the thin-film solar giant’s utility contracts amounted to more than its actual production capacity, BNET pointed out. As utilities continue racing to get renewable energy projects onto their books ahead of state mandates […] Read more »
First Solar, the thin film solar darling, has lined up another customer for the power generated at its planned Desert Sunlight project in Riverside County, Calif: Pacific Gas & Electric. Under a power purchasing agreement announced this morning, the California utility plans buy more than half […] Read more »
Rooftop solar companies are breathing a sigh of relief – and are getting ready to install more projects in New York and California. That’s because legislatures in the two states have passed new rules that boost net metering, an arrangement that allows customers with small-scale solar […] Read more »
In the first year that Macworld Expo San Francisco did not see Apple attend, the speculation leading up to the show was centered on what Macworld Expo would be like without its best known exhibitor. David Pogue gave us a look at the world without Apple, […] Read more »
First Solar posted stronger than expected revenue and profit in the final quarter of 2010, defying some of the bearishness that had hounded the stock in recent months and suggesting that the company is managing its way through a time of rising competition from more efficient solar modules. But weaker margins and unchanged guidance are giving some investors pause. Read more »
How to Beat China on Clean Energy: IHS CERA Chairman Daniel Yergin says China’s advantages over the U.S. on green energy have been overplayed. “They’re going to have the same advantage they have on everything else. And that is that low-cost manufacturing. To compete with the […] Read more »
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3TIER, a startup based in Seattle, Wash., has a deceptively simple goal: Help accelerate renewable energy projects by providing access to reliable information. To do that, the company has just launched a new online “prospecting” tool, which lets users dive deep into a mass of data […] Read more »
As 2009 drew to a close, solar companies faced uncertainty as to whether the new year would bring recovery or a continuation of challenges stemming from oversupply and difficult financing. But Rhone Resch, head of the trade group Solar Energy Industries Association, or SEIA, expressed optimism […] Read more »
Update: Petra Solar, which develops pole-mounted solar systems for electric utilities, announced Monday that it has raised $40 million in funding led by Craton Equity Partners and Espírito Santo Ventures with participation from existing investors including OnPoint Technologies, a venture fund for the U.S. Army. Petra Solar […] Read more »
Hit the ground running in 2010. That appears to be the game plan for Semprius, a semiconductor technology company that is developing solar concentrator photovoltaics (CPV), systems that use mirrors and lenses to concentrate sunlight onto highly efficient solar cells. Just a month into the new year, […] Read more »
That mystical unicorn we knew as the Apple tablet is here. But will you be purchasing an Apple iPad? After reviewing all of the specifications and pricing, I’m personally not sure it’s right for me at this point. In fact, I’m thinking this is more of […] Read more »
The Department of Energy announced $12 million in funding Wednesday for the development of cutting-edge, low-cost photovoltaic technology — and in the process pulled back the curtain a bit on the secretive solar startup Alta Devices. The stealth-mode company, which has funding from venture firms including Kleiner […] Read more »
If you own a home or business out West and have been scrounging for the cash to install a solar system on your roof this year, California utility Pacific Gas & Electric and solar installer and financier SolarCity might be able to help. Pacific Venture Capital, […] Read more »
For a while there, it looked like 2010 might be the first banner year for solar stocks since 2007. It still could be, although this week is showing that, if solar does make a comeback this year, it’s not going to happen with out some sudden […] Read more »
Premium Movie Channel Epix Coming To Cox; the cable provider confirms it has reached a deal to carry Epix, the premium movie channel started by Viacom, Lionsgate and MGM last year. (The Business Insider) Net Neutrality Hearing Totally Comcastic; During a hearing last Friday, a three-judge […] Read more »
If you’re a Gmail user who’s coveted third-party Outlook email productivity add-ons like Xobni or Gist, you might like to check out Webyog’s new MailBrowser. It’s a free plugin for Firefox and IE (with Chrome support on its way) that aims to extend the contact and attachment management […] Read more »
NEA Closes Biggest Fund Since 2007: New Enterprise Associates said today it has closed a fund with nearly $2.5 billion in committed capital — the largest single fund raised since 2007. The VC firm began making investments from the fund in May and has already made […] Read more »
Reva’s Low-Volume EV Scheme: Reva Electric Car Co., the Indian automaker developing an electric vehicle with General Motors, plans to set up four overseas automaking ventures that may be profitable building as few as 5,000-10,000 cars a year. — Edmunds Green Car Advisor So Long Copenhagen, […] Read more »
Meet Qinetiq: A British defense technology company, Qinetiq, is testing a new type of lithium-ion battery based on lithium-ion iron-sulfide chemistry for hybrids and electric vehicles that could be substantially cheaper and more powerful than existing batteries. — Technology Review Tioga, SunDurance Bag NJ Solar Schools […] Read more »
Like many web workers, I take a lot of notes in client meetings and on phone calls, but have yet to leave my yellow legal pads behind despite being a longtime Microsoft OneNote and Evernote user. The biggest reasons are that I am a slow typist, […] Read more »
Amonix, a developer of 20-ton concetrating photovoltaic solar systems for utility-scale projects, has bought San Francisco startup Sunworks Solar, a developer of thin-film solar panel factories. Founded in August 2008 (just ahead of the fourth-quarter downturn), Sunworks sought to create a “platform” for utility-scale solar developments, […] Read more »
Companies usually offer investors guidance to help sharpen their outlook over the coming months. But a day after First Solar, a leading thin-film solar module maker, spent nearly two hours talking with investors and analysts about its prospects in 2010, the future seemed to be more […] Read more »
Dan Bricklin’s Note Taker App lets you take quickly take notes on the go by sketching onto your iPhone’s/iPod touch’s screen using your finger. Because scribbling small notes would be difficult, the app lets you write using large gestures, then shrinks your notes to fit onto […] Read more »
Is the solar industry heading into a recovery in 2010? Or will the oversupply of solar modules that helped make 2009 such a challenging year for most solar companies drag on another year? As the new year approaches, the outlook seems as unclear as ever. On […] Read more »
According to information gathered from parts suppliers for Apple’s iPhone 3GS, the handset is headed for a record quarter. Apple’s Taiwanese suppliers for the iPhone’s components have reported a 31 percent increase in volume of orders placed for the parts. Read more »
GE Chief Calls for Swift, Certain Climate Policy: “What’s most important for the U.S. is that we go from Copenhagen, go into 2010, and have the courage to act on clean energy,” General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt told a conference on renewable energy at Clemson University […] Read more »
Although it was expected that Motorola Droid would see an update around December 11, there’s a new mandatory software update available today. Information from the Verizon support site for Droid breaks out the following fixes and enhancements in software version AP:ESD56/BP:C_01.3E.01P — which just rolls off the […] 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 »
It looks like utilities are poised to drive the U.S. solar market in coming years, based on a new report from Emerging Energy Research that predicts utilities will add 21.5 GW of photovoltaic capacity by 2020, up from only 77 MW of utility-driven PV projects in […] Read more »
The solar PV industry is currently dominated by silicon-based cell technology, but modules made of organic solar cells are seen as one of the most promising emerging technologies that could eventually become a serious competitor. That’s the hope of Heliatek, a German startup developing solar cells using […] Read more »
The passage of the EU’s Telecoms Reform package yesterday and a new survey from UK ISP Talk Talk cast new doubts about so-called “three strikes” copyright laws against file sharers, but that doesn’t stop Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman Jim Gianopulos from suggesting that the U.S. need […] Read more »
Solyndra, the well-funded maker of tube-shaped solar panels based in Fremont, Calif., has just scored a deal with Milan, Italy-based solar integrator Sun System. Under an agreement that Solyndra says could be worth up to $105 million over several years, Sun System will use the 4-year-old […] Read more »
It’s always a bad idea to compute without protection, but methods vary according to personal preferences. I’m a padded gear bag kind of guy myself, but you’re just carrying a netbook, that can be overkill. So how does one protect a naked netbook? These Hard Candy […] Read more »
Thin-film solar PV maker First Solar has been aggressively buying solar projects, hoping to drive down project costs while spurring demand for its solar modules during the economic downturn. But First Solar isn’t in the business of holding onto these projects over the long term. In […] Read more »
It’s that time again — when the year-end roundups start rolling in. On the Time 50 Best Inventions of 2009 list published today, green energy innovations are out in force. Some of the 10 green picks on the list of 50 inventions, like the YikeBike electric […] Read more »
Meet the Tesla Roadster Sport: Model updates to the Tesla Roadster for 2010, including push button controls and a touch screen for checking battery statistics, make “the previous generation car seem like something hacked together in a garage.” — CNET’s Car Tech China Solar Snaps Up […] Read more »
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