Solar company Solyndra, which has been on a roller coaster ride of funding and political attention over the past two years, is now slowly ramping up production at its new factory. Will it survive, meet expectations and one day turn into a solar powerhouse? 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 »
Greentech startups captured four out of the five biggest U.S. venture capital rounds last year — and if it weren’t for Twitter, they might have landed all five. Read more »
Greentech marked its best year ever in 2010, and part of that is thanks to the wealth of activity across sectors during the fourth quarter. Global investment in clean energy surged, and while wind power remained the biggest greentech area, solar power saw the fastest growth. The energy efficiency sector appears to have more room for smaller players to make their mark amidst a rapidly maturing market. Meanwhile, China’s stance as a growing greentech giant continued to complicate its relationship with the United States. Companies mentioned in this report include General Electric, Intel, ZigBee, iControl, People Power and EnerNOC. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
With 2010′s numbers rolling in, it’s becoming increasingly clear that greentech investors are shifting attention from the supply side of the clean energy equation to the demand side of reducing energy use. Read more »
Venture capital investors continue their big love for solar, and despite a collective vow to be less irrationally exuberant about the sector, investors still are willing to hand out hefty amounts for buzzy startups. Read more »
Solar panel startup Stion plans to build a 500MW factory, potentially raise between $100 million to $150 million in an IPO in 2012, and fulfill at least 500MW of sales contracts, CEO Chet Farris tells us. Read more »
The greentech industry’s 2010 showing wasn’t so bad, especially for a year that saw the world recovering from a once-in-a-generation economic meltdown. But despite this, venture capitalists won’t be investing in the sector like they used to, solar startups won’t see a great growth year in ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Do not pass go, do not collect $24 million: That’s the card played by auto supplier Tenneco, which withdrew from a Department of Energy loan program in March 2010, less than six months after securing a coveted conditional loan commitment from the agency. Read more »
The world’s greentech industry is likely meeting the end of 2010 with a mix of relief and trepidation. Clouds are on the horizon for global investment in renewable energy, and VCs fret about realizing returns on their existing investments. Meanwhile, China boasts the world’s largest population ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Abound Solar is ending the year with glad tidings and good cheer — that is, $110 million in equity and a $400 million federal loan guarantee, almost all of which will fund an ambitious plan to build 775 megawatts of new manufacturing capacity. Read more »
Despite some of the trials and tribulations of thin film solar firm Solyndra, we’ve been curious to get a look at how they make the tubular panels. Solyndra just released this video, which shows some of the key steps. Read more »
The Obama administration is working on streamlining the DOE’s loan guarantee program, a spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) tells me this morning. The program will not be abandoned, but will be changed to run more smoothly, and take less time. Read more »
The stimulus package has been one of the largest injections of government funds into green tech in U.S. history. But along with the benefits that tens of billions of dollars brings — energy innovation, green jobs — there are also some very real dangers. Read more »
With Solyndra’s announcement this morning that it will lay off dozens of workers and close its first factory, the question over whether or not the DOE’s flagship loan guarantee to Solyndra was a mistake has been answered. And yep, it’s a disaster. Read more »
This year just hasn’t panned out for Solyndra. The company will close its first factory, delay expanding its gleaming new factory and lay off dozens of employees in order to cut costs and compete with low-cost solar panel makers, mostly from China. Read more »
First Wind Holdings has canceled its IPO, joining the ranks of greentech hopefuls that have found the recent economic climate — or perhaps, their own financials — too unfavorable to risk the public markets. Read more »
American solar companies say China doesn’t play fair, and that makes it difficult to compete at home and abroad. Here is our 4-step attack plan for what companies can do to get ready for their own fight. Read more »
After some intense lobbying by solar energy advocates, White House is making room for solar. In a blog post, Energy Secretary Steve Chu said solar panels and a solar water heater system will rise from the White House roof by the end of the Spring. Read more »
When Walmart decides to invest in emerging green technologies it offers considerable validation. That’s certainly the intention behind Walmart’s announcement that it will pay for solar electricity from installations that use thin film solar panels from MiaSole and First Solar and are installed by SolarCity. Read more »
One of the possible greentech IPOs on the horizon is looking a bit bullish. This week next-gen biofuel producer Amyris amended its S-1 saying it plans to raise up to $122 million in an IPO, up slightly from its previously planned max offering of $100 million. Read more »
BrightSource Energy is close to securing approval from the California Energy Commission for its first commercial project to build a solar thermal power plant, and it’s lined up a hefty federal loan guarantee. Is it time for it to go public? Read more »
Picking winners and losers is always a dicey exercise, but Lux Research took that plunge and issued a report this week, which points to likely revenue winners and IPO candidates over the coming year. The names that popped out include Amonix, Enphase Energy and Abound Solar. Read more »
Global Solar on Tuesday unveiled its new flexible solar panel that can be integrated into roofing membranes. The idea is that buildings and roofs can be built with the solar materials weaved right into them, lowering the cost and the time of the solar installation. Read more »
UPDATE: As it turns out, Juwi Solar really likes MiaSole. The German power project developer has inked a multiyear, 600-megawatt agreement that calls for MiaSole to ship 50 megawatts in 2011 and more in the following years. Read more »
Can the stimulus money really help to drive down the price of solar electricity by half in the next five years? Yes, according to a White House report on Tuesday touting the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. But think again. Read more »
Western Digital is introducing a new powerline home networking adapter today that’s specifically pitched as a way to get video into the living room. The WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit could be a good fit for people with Internet-ready TVs and set-top boxes. Read more »
Can cleantech companies cut millions of dollars from their capital needs by retrofitting old chip equipment to turn out brand-new products? If the advantages are anything close to what AQT Solar and Planar Energy claim, it very well could be the start of a new trend. Read more »
In the midst of recent turmoil at solar panel maker Solyndra, including swapping out its CEO and shelving its IPO plans, the VC-backed startup has some good news: a deal to sell 18 rooftop solar systems, (16.2 MW), to utility Southern California Edison (SCE). Read more »
Molycorp, a company that controls one of the largest deposits outside China of a group of metals used in many green technologies, is off to a rocky start on the public markets after raising $393.8 million in its IPO today. Read more »
Solyndra, the solar startup that ditched its IPO dreams last month, is now swapping out its CEO. Brian Harrison, the former President and CEO of flash memory maker Numonyx, B.V, has replaced founding CEO Chris Gronet as Solyndra’s new CEO. Read more »
In the second quarter of 2010, greentech startups scored record venture capital and increased spending despite a weak economy. Solar power retained its lead in greentech venture financing, while global investment for clean energy asset financing fell. China, meanwhile, underscored its rising might in the greentech industry, raising billions of dollars in green energy financing. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The Department of Energy has treated some companies unfairly in their bids to win loan guarantees for innovative energy tech, and risked “excluding some potential applicants unnecessarily,” according to a new report from the the watchdog arm of Congress. Read more »
Electric car maker Tesla officially delivered the biggest venture backed IPO of the quarter. What made the public debut different from some of the other venture-backed IPOs that happened this quarter? Well, among a variety of things, Tesla scored a $465 million loan from the government. Read more »
Greentech startups raising money in the second quarter of this year can thank a few things for the solid quarter of venture financing: corporations, the generally weak IPO market (Tesla was the exception), and the solar industry. Read more »
While thin film solar startup Solyndra teed up an IPO, and then had to ditch it earlier this month, other thin film solar firms are still solidly stuck in neutral. Everyone’s still waiting for the announcement from HelioVolt to say that it has moved into commercial production Read more »
Tesla Motors’ shares ended their first day of trading up 40.5 percent over their $17 offering price, at $23.89. The electric car maker saw most of its gains late in the day, when the stock surged as high as $25. Read more »
Like two mismatched bookends, Tesla and Solyndra mark this week with one positive and one negative impression of how well early stage, unprofitable, risky greentech firms will fare on the public markets this year. Read more »
For Solyndra, looks like going public isn’t such a good plan after all. The solar company says tonight it has opted to raise $175 million by selling convertible promissory notes from existing investors instead of doing an IPO. Read more »
The march of the chipmakers into solar continues. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. — a heavyweight in contract chipmaking — announced Wednesday that it has signed a licensing agreement and has invested $50 million in Silicon Valley thin-film solar startup Stion. Read more »
