Press Releases

Real Goods Solar Selected by Leading Production Homebuilder to Bring Solar to New Communities   Real Goods Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq:RSOL), a nationwide leader of turnkey solar energy solutions, has been selected by a leading production homebuilder to deploy solar in certain of its new communities, beginning in California and with an eye towards broader deployment to other solar friendly states. …

Environmental, Small Business and Farm Leaders Welcome President Obama’s Vow to Reduce Threat Sixty-five percent of Americans think that climate change is a serious problem and a substantial majority support President’s Obama using his authority to reduce its main cause, dangerous carbon pollution, according to a national poll of 1,218 registered voters conducted immediately after last night’s State of the …

Largest Solar Installation in Tennessee, U.S. Powered by JA Solar‘s PV Modules JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq:JASO) (“JA Solar” or the “Company”), one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-performance solar power products, today announced the completion of the delivery of 9.5 MW of PV modules to the Volkswagen Solar Park, adjacent to the Volkswagen manufacturing plant at Chattanooga, …

Breakthrough For Hawaiian Solar Power Announced By Clean Energy Groups Barriers should come down for homeowners, businesses wanting to add rooftop solar Honolulu, HI — Today, national organizations Earthjustice and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC) commended the Hawaiian Electric (HECO) utilities’ path-breaking plans to enable more rooftop solar systems to connect to the grid. The utilities and clean …

Sierra Club, Earthjustice File Legal Challenge to Protect Solar Tax Credit in Hawai‘i State tax proposal would slam the brakes on solar energy, Hawai‘i jobs Today, the Sierra Club, represented by Earthjustice, filed a legal challenge in state circuit court to the Hawai‘i Department of Taxation’s recent decision to cut back on tax credits for residents and businesses that install …

With pricing for photovoltaic (PV) polysilicon declining at an accelerated rate in August, there are no signs that the glut plaguing the industry has abated, behooving Tier 1 suppliers to consider reducing production in order to stabilize market conditions. PV polysilicon prices last month fell at a faster rate than they did in July, continuing a losing streak that started …

— FuelCell Energy Solutions, GmbH Acquires Select Assets from MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH — European Joint Venture With Fraunhofer IKTS to be Finalized by June 30,2012 FuelCell Energy, Inc. a leading manufacturer of ultra-clean, efficient and reliable fuel cell power plants, today announced that its German subsidiary, FuelCell Energy Solutions GmbH, is acquiring select assets from MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, a subsidiary …

According to EnergyTrend, the green energy research division of TrendForce, the announcement of Italy’s solar subsidy cut scheduled to take effect by late July has driven the installed solar capacity to surge, and most Chinese solar companies are packed to capacity in order to supply the climbing demand. Taiwanese solar companies’ shipments remain stable due to the OEM orders from …

PV America 2012 West Celebrates The inaugural PV America West conference and trade show concluded on March 21 with more than 160 exhibitors showcasing the products and technologies driving the PV solar energy industry in the western region in 2012. Presented by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)® and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), the show offered an extensive …

According to EnergyTrend, the research division of TrendForce, Germany’s ruling coalition has come to a consensus regarding the nation’s revised photovoltaic subsidy policy. In addition to partial subsidy adjustments, an installation cap is also being implemented. According to EnergyTrend research, the German government has laid out the initial progressive feed-in-tariff (FiT) reduction schedule for 2012-2017. If the number of installations …

Valley of the Sun YMCA to Activate 1.6 Megawatt (MW) Multi-Facility Solar Program Across 16 Arizona Y-Locations ~Local Officials Join Valley of the Sun YMCA, Scout Solar, and Centrosolar America for Ribbon Cutting Dedication in Scottsdale, Arizona~ Today, the Valley of the Sun YMCA, Scout Solar, LLC, Centrosolar America, and the City of Scottsdale celebrated the deployment of 66.55 kilowatts …

New Report Finds U.S. Solar Energy Installations Soared by 109% in 2011 to 1,855 Megawatts Today, GTM Research and SEIA® release U.S. Solar Market Insight: Year-­in-­Review 2011, analyzing the industry’s record growth and what lies ahead in 2012 and beyond. The U.S. solar energy industry installed a record 1,855 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2011, more than doubling …

Dramatic increase in solar use witnessed over two decades Washington, D.C. March 19, 2012 2012 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). During that time, solar energy has advanced from a niche resource with limited applications to a significant energy source for electric utilities and their customers across the U.S. In 1992, a new organization was …

New Energy Technologies, Inc. and US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory Develop ‘Invisible Wires’ for Transporting Electricity on SolarWindow(TM) New Energy Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: NENE), a developer of innovative technologies for generating sustainable electricity, announces that Company and NREL scientists collaboratively developing New Energy’s SolarWindow(TM) technology – capable of generating electricity on see-through glass – have successfully collected …

SoloPower Sets Record for Flexible CIGS Solar Panel Efficiency SoloPower Flexible Panel Measured at 13.4% Aperture Efficiency by National Renewable Energy Laboratory SoloPower, a San Jose, California-based manufacturer of flexible thin film solar cells and modules, announced today that its next generation panel has achieved an aperture area efficiency of 13.4%, a record for flexible copper, indium, gallium and (di)selenide …

Bosch Solar Energy, Spotlight Solar and Southern Energy Management Collaborate on High Visibility Installation Solar Trees on Discovery Place Science Museum Capture the Sun and the Imagination Down the road from the offices of Bosch Solar Energy, Spotlight Solar and Southern Energy Management, people are stopping to look at a remark-able new solar installation on the parking lot of Discovery …

SolarCity Raises $81 Million in Growth Capital from Group Led by Silver Lake Kraftwerk and Valor Equity Partners Investor consortium also includes Elon Musk, Nicholas J. Pritzker and Shea Ventures SolarCity® today announced that it has raised $81 million in equity financing. The round was co-led by Silver Lake Kraftwerk and Valor Equity Partners, and included investments from Nicholas J. …

Formerly HCL CleanTech, Company Unveils New Brand and CEO; Officially Announces the Closing of $30 Million in Private Financing and $75 Million Loan Package from the State of Mississippi REDWOOD CITY, Calif.— March 6, 2012—Virdia, formerly HCL CleanTech, a leading developer of cellulosic sugars, today announced major company milestones, including a new brand and CEO, its latest funding round, and …

Wind Energy Industry Boosted by Booming Repowering Market LONDON, UK (GlobalData), 8 March 2012 – Installed wind capacity is set to increase as wind power markets are expected to witness massive growth in multiple regions, following a temporary decline caused by the global recession, a new report by market intelligence experts GlobalData has found. The new report* shows that the …

$30,000 Lemelson-MIT Collegiate Student Prizes Awarded to Inventive Students at Three Leading Universities CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (March 7, 2012) – Miles C. Barr today received the prestigious $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for his innovative solar technologies and creativity. Barr received his Ph.D. from the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2012 and a Master of …