SolarCity in largest residential solar project in US history - $ 1 Bn, 371 MW

SolarCity took a major step today in an initiative that could double the number of residential solar photovoltaic installations in the United States. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the offer of a conditional commitment for a partial guarantee of a $344 million loan to help secure financing for SolarCity’s “SolarStrong™” project. As part of the project, SolarCity plans to partner with the country’s leading military housing-privatization developers to install, own and operate up to 160,000 rooftop solar installations on as many as 124 military housing developments across 33 U.S. states. The project is expected to create more than $1 billion in solar projects and 371 megawatts of new solar generation capacity. USRG Renewable Finance, a subsidiary of U.S. Renewables Group, will serve as the lead lender for the project in partnership with BofA Merrill Lynch.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, in addition to our partners, U.S. Renewables Group and BofA Merrill Lynch. Without this group, we would not have been able to make the economics of this project work,” said Lyndon Rive, SolarCity’s CEO. “Now the solar industry has a debt model that can make distributed generation affordable on a massive scale.”

SolarCity, which currently employs more than 1,200 people in 11 states, will create new jobs and help jumpstart the renewable energy industry in up to 22 additional states, some of which have very little solar generation capacity today. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratories’ (NREL) Jobs and Economic Development Impact model, the SolarStrong installations would be expected to create nearly 6,000 direct job-years related to the installation and ongoing maintenance of the systems. SolarCity hopes to fill as many of the jobs as possible with U.S. veterans and military family members.

The SolarStrong projects will likely include installing solar on other privatized buildings on military bases, such as community centers, administrative offices, maintenance buildings and storage warehouses. The first SolarStrong-eligible project—a coordinated effort between real estate developer Lend Lease and SolarCity—is already underway at Hickam Communities at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. When completed, that project alone will provide renewable power to more than 2,000 military family homes.

“Thanks to the Energy Department’s leadership and resolve, we can now bring an unprecedented opportunity to privatized military housing across the U.S.,” said Aaron Gillmore, SolarCity’s vice president of solar development. “We believe the SolarStrong model will deliver the most affordable solar option available to military housing, and provide a template for financing large-scale residential solar projects well into the future.”

The SolarStrong project will help the Department of Defense (DOD), the single-largest energy consumer in the U.S., secure its energy needs from renewable sources operated in parallel with the utility grid. DOD has a stated goal to migrate to greater than 25 percent renewable energy generation by the year 2025.
www.solarcity.com

Yingli Green Energy, ECN and Amtech Join Efforts to Develop N-type MWT High Efficiency PV Cell and Module

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE) ("Yingli Green Energy" or the "Company"), a leading solar energy company and one of the world's largest vertically integrated photovoltaic ("PV") manufacturers, which markets its products under the brand "Yingli Solar", the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands ("ECN"), a leading solar research center in Europe, and Amtech Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASYS) ("Amtech"), a global supplier of production and automation systems and related supplies for the manufacture of solar cells through its solar division Tempress Systems B.V., today announced the achievements of a three-party research collaboration on the N-type Metal Wrap Through ("N-MWT") PV cell and module technology. This joint project was an extension of Project PANDA, which was kicked off in 2009. As of the date of this press release, a cell efficiency of 19.7% and a module efficiency of 17.6% have been achieved in the laboratory, respectively.

The N-MWT PV cell technology is expected to reduce up to 40% of the metal coverage comparing to standard crystalline cells, which leads to approximately 1.5% relative cell efficiency gain. ECN has also shown that the PV modules based on N-MWT technology can be made with thin cells at high yield, which demonstrates the potential to reduce the wafer thickness and silicon consumption, leading to a large cost reduction potential.

Mr. Jingfeng Xiong, Vice President of Technology of Yingli Green Energy, commented, "We are pleased to announce the new milestones of Project PANDA, which demonstrates our solid cooperation with leading technology institutes in solar industry. Together this joint project, we target to reach towards 20% cell efficiency and module efficiencies of 18% and more. The launch of N-MWT PV cell and module illustrates our mission to be a cost leader and provide the best product to customers at the same time."

"Thanks to our continuous investment in cutting edge technologies, we can further enhance our leading position in terms of high efficiency products," Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli Green Energy, commented. "High efficiency module is becoming much more attractive for project investors as the roof-top system segment has been enjoying a fast development speed. We are glad that we have the capability to meet customers' demand."

Mr. Robert Kleiburg, Technology Director of ECN, commented, "We are very pleased to combine our MWT technology with Yingli's years of experience to commercialize cutting edge technologies. This cooperation is in line with our long-term mission: transfer high-level knowledge and technology to the market."
www.yinglisolar.com

Renewable Energy India 2011: 10 reasons to attend

1 - South Asia’s largest B-2-B expo on renewable energy spanning 2, 20,000 square feet

2 - 660 exhibitors from 32 countries showcasing their latest products and services at the exhibition

3 - Cutting edge technologies on display from industry leaders in the fields of Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Wind, Bio and Energy Efficiency

4 - Opportunity for one-to-one business meetings forging collaborations, sourcing, technology transfers, JVs and investments

5 - Concurrent conference sessions with over 200 high profile global speakers from the industry and national & international governments

6 - Concurrent workshops by Cleantech Finland, Polish Chamber of Commerce, Canadian High Commission and Astonfield Renewables

7 - Panel discussion on “Indian Clean Energy Sector: A $20bn Opportunity”, moderated by Bloomberg New Energy Finance

8 - CTO / CEO conclaves to deliberate on the emerging opportunities in the Indian renewable energy sector

9 - Country Pavilions from Belgium, British Columbia, Canada High Commission, Korea and Poland, etc.

10 - 5 of the top 10 global solar PV companies will be present
http://www.renewableenergyindiaexpo.com

Nordex 37 MW Order in Spain - Sant Antoni - Eolia Renovables

Nordex has obtained an order from Eolia Renovables to supply 15 N100/2500 wind turbines. Eolia is one of the leading independent European generators of power from renewable sources. The company is calling in the turbines from a master agreement signed with Nordex in 2007. In addition to delivery of the machines, the order also includes turnkey installation of the wind farm. Furthermore, Eolia Renovables is taking advantage of the Nordex Premium Service.

The 37.5 megawatt wind farm “Sant Antoni” is being built in the Spanish region of Catalonia. Nordex plans to complete the infrastructure work and foundation construction by autumn so that the turbines can be set up in the course of this year. The annual energy yield is expected to be around 93,000 megawatt hours.

“Sant Antoni” is the first N100/2500 project in Spain and one of the largest Nordex wind farms there. “Caramonte”, with 22 N90/2500 machines, also ranks among the largest Nordex projects in Spain and belongs to Eolia as well.
www.nordex-online.com

Top 100 Green Companies - GoingGreen Competition Kick Off

AlwaysOn has officially kicked off its fifth annual GoingGreen Silicon Valley Top 200 Private Companies competition. The winners of this competition will be officially announced in mid September and honored at GoingGreen Silicon Valley 2011, September 27th - 28th, 2011, at San Francisco City Hall.
Nominate your favorite greentech companies and check out the list of companies that have already been nominated. This includes private companies that are demonstrating significant market traction and pursuing game-changing technology in the following sectors:
- Biotech, Biofuel, and Agriculture
- Clean Energy (not solar or biofuel)
- Data Center Efficiency
- Energy Management, Smart Grid, and Energy Efficiency
- Energy Storage Systems
- Green Automobiles and Transportation
- Green Materials and Green Building
- Resource Recovery and Waste Management
- Solar Energy
- Water Technology and Treatment

Nominate a company !
The companies that have been nominated to the 2011 AlwaysOn GoingGreen Silicon Valley 200 so far are listed below by category.

Biotech, Biofuel, and Agriculture

Amyris
Emeryville, CA
http://www.amyrisbiotech.com/

Chemrec
Stockholm, Sweden
http://www.chemrec.se/

Cobalt Technologies
Mountain View, CA
http://www.cobalttech.com/

CoolPlanetBioFuels
Camarillo, CA
http://www.coolplanetbiofuels.com/

Coskata
Warrenville, IL
http://www.coskata.com/

EdeniQ
Visalia, CA
http://www.edeniq.com/

Gevo
Pasadena, CA
http://www.gevo.com/

KmX
Oakville, Ont., Cananda
http://www.kmxcorp.com/

LS9
South San Francisco, CA
http://www.ls9.com/

Mendel Biotechnologies
Hayward, CA
http://www.mendelbio.com/

OPX Biotechnologies
Boulder, CO
http://www.opxbiotechnologies.com/

Sapphire Energy
San Diego, CA
http://www.sapphireenergy.com/

Solazyme
South San Francisco, CA
http://www.solazyme.com/

Synthetic Genomics
La Jolla, CA
http://www.syntheticgenomics.com/

ZeaChem
Lakewood, CO
http://www.zeachem.com/

Clean Energy (not solar or biofuel)

Accelergy
Palo Alto, CA
http://www.accelergy.com/

AltaRock Energy
Sausalito, CA
http://www.altarockenergy.com/

Bloom Energy
Sunnyvale, CA
http://www.bloomenergy.com/

CoaLogix
Charlotte, NC
http://www.coalogix.com/

FloDesign
Wilbraham, MA
http://www.flodesign.org/

GreatPoint Energy
Cambridge, MA
http://www.greatpointenergy.com/

Innwind
Stavanger, Norway
http://www.innowind.no/

Luca Technologies
Golden, CO
http://www.lucatechnologies.com/

Potter Drilling
Redwood City, CA
http://www.potterdrilling.com/

Sierra Energy
Davis, CA
http://www.sierraenergy.net/

Ze-gen
Boston, MA
http://www.ze-gen.com/

Data Center Efficiency

Green Platform
Mountain View, CA
http://www.greenplatformcorp.com/

MokaFive
Redwood City, CA
http://www.mokafive.com/

nlyte
Menlo Park, CA
http://www.nlyte.com/

Power Assure
Santa Clara, CA
http://www.powerassure.com/

Vantage Data Centers
Santa Clara, CA
http://www.vantagedatacenters.com/

Viridity Energy
Conshohocken, PA
viridityenergy.com

Energy Management, Smart Grid, and Energy Efficiency

Adura Technologies
San Francisco, CA
http://www.aduratech.com/

AlertMe
Cambridge, U.K,
http://www.alertme.com/

Array Converter
Cupertino, CA
http://www.arrayconverter.com/

BPL Global
Cranberry Township, PA
http://www.bplglobal.net/

Bridgelux
Sunnyvale, CA
http://www.bridgelux.com/

EcoFactor
Redwood City, CA
http://www.ecofactor.com/

eMeter
San Mateo, CA
http://www.emeter.com/

Enmetric Systems
Belmont, CA
http://www.emetric.com/

ENXSuite
San Bruno, CA
http://www.enxsuite.com/

Federspiel Controls
El Cerrito, CA
http://www.federspielcontrols.com/

Grid Net
San Francisco, CA
http://www.grid-net.com/

GridPlex Networks
Upper Darby, PA
http://www.gridplexnetworks.com/

Hara Software
Redwood City, CA
http://www.hara.com/

Illumitex
Austin, TX
http://www.illumitex.com/

Landis+Gyr
Zug, Switzerland
http://www.landisgyr.com/

On-Ramp Wireless
San Diego, CA
http://www.onrampwireless.com/

Recurve
San Francisco, CA
http://www.recurve.com/

Scientific Conservation
Berkeley, CA
http://www.scientificconservation.com/

Silver Spring Network
Redwood City, CA
http://www.silverspringnetworks.com/

SmartSynch
Jackson, MS
http://www.smartsynch.com/

SynapSense
Folsom, CA
http://www.synapsense.com/

Tendril Networks
Boulder, CO
http://www.tendrilinc.com/

Trilliant
Redwood City, CA
http://www.trilliantinc.com/

Verdiem
Seattle, WA
http://www.verdiem.com/

WiTricity
Watertown, MA
http://www.witricity.com/

Energy Storage Systems

Amprius
Menlo Park, CA
http://www.amprius.com/

Contour Energy Systems
Azusa, CA
http://www.countourenergy.com/

Deeya Energy
Fremont, CA
http://www.deeyaenergy.com/

EnerVault
Sunnyvale, CA
http://www.enervault.com/

EnStorage
Zichron Yaakov, Israel
http://www.enstorageinc.com/

Enxwuite
San Bruno, CA
http://www.enxsuite.com/

Glacier Bay
Union City, CA
http://www.glacierbaytechnology.com/

Ice Energy
Winsor, CO
http://www.ice-energy.com/

Leyden Energy
Fremont, CA
http://www.leydenenergy.com/

Porous Power Technologies
Lafayette, CO
http://www.porouspower.com/

Premium Power
North Reading, MA
http://www.premiumpower.com/

Sakti3
Ann Arbor, MI
http://www.sakti3.com/

Seeo
Los Altos, CA
http://www.seeo.com/

Simbol Mining
Houston, TX
http://www.simbolmining.com/

Green Automobiles and Transportation

Achates Power
San Diego, CA
http://www.achatespower.com/

Better Place
Palo Alto, CA
http://www.betterplace.com/

CODA Automotive
Santa Monica, CA
http://www.codaautomotive.com/

Coulomb Technologies
Campbell, CA
http://www.coulombtech.com/

Fisker Automotive
Irvine, CA
http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/

Getaround
San Francisco, CA
http://www.getaround.com/

Green Materials and Green Building

Calera
Los Gatos, CA
http://www.calera.biz/

CalStar Products
Newark, CA
http://www.calstarproducts.com/

Lunera
Redwood City, CA
http://www.lunera.com/

Serious Materials
Sunnyvale, CA
http://www.seriousmaterials.com/

Soladigm
Santa Rosa, CA
http://www.soladigm.com/

Resource Recovery and Waste Management

Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies
Vancouver, BC, Canada
http://www.ostara.com/

ReCommunity
Charlotte, NC
http://www.recommunity.com/

RecycleBank
New York, NY
http://www.recyclebank.com/

Solary Energy

Abound Solar
Fort Collins, CO
http://www.abound.com/

Agile Energy
San Bruno, CA
http://www.agileenergy.com/

Bloo Solar
Sacramento, CA
http://www.bloosolar.com/

BrightSource Energy
Oakland, CA
http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/

eIQ Energy
San Jose, CA
http://www.eiqenergy.com/

Enphase Energy
Petaluma, CA
http://www.enphaseenergy.com/

eSolar
Pasadena, CA
http://www.esolar.com/

Flexcell International
Hillsborough, NC
http://www.flexcellint.com/

Green Light Solar Industries
Lake Havasu City, AZ
http://www.greenlightsolarindustries.com/

HelioPower
Murietta, CA
http://www.heliopower.com/

Miasolé
Santa Clara, CA
http://www.miasole.com/

Nanosolar
San Jose, CA
http://www.nanosolar.com/

Pythagoras Solar
San Mateo, CA
http://www.pythagoras.com/

SolarCity
Foster City, CA
http://www.solarcity.com/

Solaria
Fremont, CA
http://www.solaria.com/

Solexant
San Jose, CA
http://www.solexant.com/

Sopogy
Honolulu, HI
http://www.sopogy.com/

Stion
San Jose, CA
http://www.stion.com/

Suniva
Norcross, GA
http://www.suniva.com/

SunRun
San Francisco, CA
http://www.sunrunhome.com/

Tioga Energy
Los Gatos, CA
http://www.tiogaenergy.com/

Wilson TurboPower
Woburn, MA
http://www.wilsonturbopower.com/

Water Technology and Treatment

AquaCritox
Cork, Eire
www.scfi.eu/aquacritox.html

BioPetroClean
Tel Aviv, Israel
http://www.biopetroclean.com/

Epuramat
Redwood City, CA
http://www.epuramat.com/

NanoH20
El Segundo, CA
http://www.nanoh2o.com/

Oasys Water
Cambridge, MA
http://www.oasyswater.com/

PMC BioTec
Exton, PA
http://www.pmcbiotec.com/

Nominate a company !
http://www.aonetwork.com/

SolarCity Provides Solar-Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Homeowners and businesses can install electric vehicle charging for as little as $1,500 with solar; Now more Americans than ever will be able to “drive on sunshine”, by charging their electric cars with solar power, and save up to 77 percent on fuel costs. SolarCity has partnered with industry pioneer ClipperCreek to provide electric vehicle (EV) chargers compatible with all new EVs. SolarCity will initially install ClipperCreek EV chargers through its 24 operations centers nationwide, making it the largest single provider of EV, solar and energy efficiency services in the U.S.

“SolarCity’s mission has always been to help homeowners and businesses adopt clean power while saving on energy costs,” said Lyndon Rive, CEO of SolarCity. “Electric cars are already among the cleanest-running vehicles on the road—charging them on solar makes them that much better. Tens of thousands of electric cars will be delivered over the next year alone, with hundreds of thousands expected over the next five years. We’re making it easier to power them with carbon-free electricity for zero emissions, and to dramatically reduce the cost of driving.”

Pricing for home or business installation of a ClipperCreek 240-volt Level II EV charger, including the charger, starts at $1,500. Charging at Level II is roughly five times faster than using a 120-volt wall outlet. For its solar and energy-efficiency customers, as well as those who wish to install EV chargers only, SolarCity can prepare a home or business to be EV ready even before delivery of an electric car.

Powering an EV with electricity generated from a home solar system can be 77 percent less expensive than powering a car with gas. An average San Francisco Bay Area resident paying the national average of $3.65 per gallon gas spends about $230 per month to fuel her gas-powered car. She’d pay $107 to power an equivalent-size EV with grid electricity, and, by leasing a solar system from SolarCity, only $54 to power the car with solar electricity for the same miles driven.

ClipperCreek pioneered EV charger safety features in the mid-1990s that have become the industry standard. Its UL-listed chargers are designed for use with the Chevy Volt, Ford Transit Connect, Nissan Leaf, Tesla Roadster and all SAE-compatible plug-In vehicles that are soon to be released from major and most new car companies.

“We are pleased to partner with SolarCity to help increase the number of homes and businesses that can run electric cars on renewable energy,” said Dave Packard, President of ClipperCreek, Inc. “Roughly 40 percent of residential EV owners have solar and we expect these environmental and economic benefits to expand with the coming proliferation of electric cars and increasing use of solar power.”

SolarCity installed the world’s first solar-powered enhanced electric car charging corridor, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, in 2009. The EV chargers, located at Rabobank branches along highway 101, support the new industry-standard J1772 protocol common to newer EVs.

SolarCity is also the North American distributor of EV chargers for Toyota Tsusho, which represents a public EV infrastructure of thousands of chargers.
http://www.solarcity.com/
http://www.clippercreek.com/

Cool Energy Receives Funding for Combined Heat and Power, joins Idealab Incubator

Cool Energy, Inc., a developer of clean energy power generation systems, today announced that it has joined the Idealab network of operating companies and received significant funding from Idealab.

Founded by Bill Gross in 1996, Idealab creates and operates pioneering technology companies. Based in Pasadena, CA, Idealab has created companies with breakthrough technologies in industries such as robotics, renewable energy, automotive design, search and Internet media and services, among others.

“Cool Energy’s technology is in a sweet spot for clean energy, enabling low-temperature waste heat recovery, and novel solar and biomass systems for distributed power generation,” said Bill Gross, Chairman and CEO of Idealab. “We are thrilled to be involved with a company that has the potential to make a real difference in the world.”

At the core of Cool Energy’s solutions is the SolarHeart Engine®, a low-temperature Stirling engine that creates electrical power from low-temperature heat sources. The main applications today are waste heat recovery (conversion of excess heat to electricity) and combined heat and power (CHP) systems for buildings and residences. In ongoing testing at a temperature differential of only 210ºC, the 3rd generation SolarHeart Engine has consistently produced 2000 watts of electric power, and reached a thermal to electrical conversion efficiency of over 16%. The 4th generation units are expected to produce up to 3000 Watts of electricity at temperatures up to 300°C, and larger units are in development

“Bill Gross and Idealab are great to work with,” said Sam Weaver, a founder and current CEO of Cool Energy. “They have years of experience in developing successful technology companies and have a complete understanding of renewable energy markets, and what choices are needed for solid growth and success."
http://www.coolenergyinc.com

* 11 investors have helped fund Cool Energy, according to an SEC filing made on Friday, July 15.

Nordex 52,5 MW Order in UK - Baillie - Statkraft

Nordex UK has obtained an order to supply 21 N90/2500 wind turbines. The customer is a joint venture company, majority owned by Statkraft, Europe´s leader in renewable energy. The 21 turbines are to be installed in the Scottish Baillie Wind Farm during August 2012. Statkraft has also signed a Premium Service Agreement with Nordex for five years.
Baillie Wind Farm is to be built near the north coast of Scotland so enjoys high average wind speeds over 9 m/s, requiring a robust machine certified for high-wind sites in accordance with IEC 1a. After raising the wind class suitability in the whole multi-megawatt product family, Nordex now offers the N90/2500 for these locations. "The N90/2500 is the most cost-efficient machine providing high wind yield at a tough site. In the UK and Ireland there are many invitations to tender for high-wind regions. This is why the IEC 1a certificate for the N90/2500 offers a major opportunity on the market," says Bryan Grinham, Managing Director at Nordex UK.
The Baillie Wind Farm was developed by Steven and Thomas Pottinger who remain partners with Statkraft and are developing further wind turbine sites in the area. To comply with the restrictions of 110 metres tip height, Nordex is setting up the 21 turbines on 65-metre towers. These are able to generate a yield of approximately 180 gigawatt hours a year, sufficient to meet the demand from some 39,000 British households.
"We are very pleased to be working with Statkraft for the first time. During the negotiations we showed once again that we are able to react flexibly to the complex requirements of a major utility. This is a good basis for future projects together," says Lars Bondo Krogsgaard, CSO Sales and Marketing at Nordex SE.
www.nordex-online.com

Opening of first tranche of 46 MW solar farm in Zerbst - Q-Cells and Getec

GETEC green energy AG, a member of GETEC Group and Q-Cells SE, one of
the leading photovoltaic companies in the world, will jointly realise
a 46 MWp solar plant. GETEC AG is the lessor of the complete land and
GETEC green energy AG is the investor of the first section of the
solar park, namely Zerbst I, amounting to a capacity of around 9 MWp.
This first section will be officially opened in Zerbst town in
Saxony-Anhalt today. Dr. Reiner Haseloff, Premier of Saxony-Anhalt,
symbolically turned on the switch to start the flow of electricity
generated from solar energy.

'The new solar power plant is 'Saxony-Anhalt pure'. It stands for a
climate-friendly energy supply in this State and for strengthening the
domestic solar and environmental sector,' Haseloff said during the
opening ceremony on the site of the former military air base in
Zerbst. More than 200 guests followed the invitation and were welcomed
by Dr. Karl Gerhold, spokesperson of GETEC Group.

The Zerbst solar park encompasses five sub-projects with a total
output of 46 megawatt-peak (MWp), making it one of the largest solar
parks in Germany. The first section, PV Zerbst I, has an output of
approximately 9 MWp. GETEC green energy AG commissioned Q-Cells for
the construction of the solar park.

The photovoltaic park is being constructed on the site of a former
military air base in the city of Zerbst, Saxony-Anhalt, with a total
area of 108 hectares. GETEC AG is the lessor of the land. With the
planned capacity of 46 MWp the Zerbst I-V solar park as a whole
corresponds to the annual demand of around 11,500 households (based on
average annual consumption of 4,000 kWh per household). Producing
climate-friendly solar electricity at this location reduces annual CO2
emissions by approximately 25,000 tons. The photovoltaic park is
slated for completion in September 2011.

GETEC green energy AG is a member of GETEC Group, which builds power
plants for the generation of energy from renewable sources. 'With the
solar park in Zerbst, we make a contribution to the transition in
energy supply already today. Not only is generating electricity from
renewable energy sources especially environmentally friendly, the
decentralised power production also makes us more independent of
global energy markets and saves natural resources,' so Chris Döhring,
CEO of GETEC green energy AG.

'We are pleased to realise the Zerbst solar park in cooperation with
GETEC. Not only are we prepared to implement the remaining
sub-projects, we can also provide long-term support for the solar park
as a whole,' said Nedim Cen, CEO of Q-Cells SE. 'The professional
planning, realisation and support of solar parks is amongst our core
competencies. In addition to our know-how, we count on our
high-quality solar modules for such tailor-made solutions.'

Q-Cells employs optimised, standardised system solutions for solar
parks in order to guarantee high electricity yields for the operator,
reduce the construction time and minimise ongoing operating costs. The
Zerbst solar park also follows this design principle. It took less
than two months to construct the first section.

Formerly used by the military, the air base in Zerbst is a good
example for the effective transformation of disused sites with a
sustainable usage concept, illustrating how unused areas are
reintegrated into nature and used for economically beneficial
purposes.

Cisco partners with Schneider Electric for Buildings Energy Efficiency

Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, announced at Cisco Live, Cisco's annual IT and communications conference, that it has teamed with Cisco to provide an innovative comprehensive energy management solution that monitors and manages energy consumption across all building domains. With this combined solution, building owners and managers, architects, contractors, and IT managers will now be able to optimize energy efficiencies and business operations to save energy.

Schneider Electric's comprehensive EcoStruxure(TM) active energy management architecture portfolio offers a single point of access that connects five domains of business expertise -- power, data centers, process and machines, building control, and physical security – all within an open and flexible technology framework. The EcoStruxure architecture integrates with Cisco EnergyWise(TM) embedded on the Cisco network infrastructure to provide a holistic building management solution, managing all energy-consuming building assets, such as HVAC, lighting, security and, for the first time, reduce energy waste generated from IT/IP assets, including PCs, phones, Catalyst switches, Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) endpoint devices and other IT devices.

With rising energy costs in buildings accounting for 42 percent of energy usage worldwide, there is an impetus to find ways of reducing energy consumption with these IP/IT devices within buildings and across the network.

"Looking for innovative ways to increase energy efficiency and enable business performance within buildings is what Schneider Electric does every day with thousands of customers worldwide," said Chris Curtis, president and CEO, Buildings Business, Schneider Electric. "Combining Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure architecture and Cisco EnergyWise provides organizations with the capability to go one step further and manage the energy consumption of IT/IP devices and PCs in the building management system domain for the first time. We are very excited about this opportunity and what our joint innovation will mean for reducing energy consumption in buildings across the globe."

For example, two schools in Europe used the combined solution from Schneider Electric and Cisco in a pilot project and are currently saving approximately 30 percent of their IT energy, resulting in an overall reduction of close to 6 percent of their overall energy spend. Delivering a rapid, measurable return on investment (ROI), the combined solution provides users with the ability to reduce overall IT operating costs by up to 30 percent and overall building costs by close to 9 percent; to meet regulatory and compliance mandates; and to accomplish corporate sustainability goals.
http://www.cisco.com/
http://www.schneider-electric.com/

Q-Cells Confirmed in 60 MW Solar Project in Ontario, Sponsored by Starwood Energy Group

Q-Cells, one of the world's largest photovoltaic companies, has been
issued a full notice to proceed with construction activities of a 10
Megawatt project as final part of a combined 60 Megawatt project in
Ontario, Canada. Q-Cells will implement this project on a turn-key
basis for Starwood Energy Group Global, LLC, a private investment firm
focused on energy infrastructure projects.

Investor of the project is Starwood SSM3, an affiliate of Starwood
Energy Group Global. The Starwood SSM3 project builds on the success
of Starwood SSM1, a 20MW AC project that came online in October 2010,
and Starwood SSM2, a 30MW AC project expected to be completed during
Q3 2011. The solar plant Starwood SSM3 is scheduled to be operational
by the end of 2011. Q-Cells acts as prime contractor as the company
already did in case of the two preceding projects and on top of that
delivers operations and maintenance services post-completion. The
combined 60 MW AC project, when complete, will be the second largest
in North America and among the largest in the world.

Starwood SSM3, once built, will provide power for up to 4,000 Ontario
homes, generating its power predominantly during the middle of the
day, a time of highest demand on the local power grid. The facility
will also reduce yearly carbon emissions by an amount equivalent to
displacing 1,900 cars and light trucks each driving 12,000 miles per
year or to planting more than eight million trees in Ontario's
forests.

'Our winning partnership with Starwood in Sault Ste. Marie
exemplifies Q-Cells' unique offering in blending its leading and
processes with local partnerships for the utility-scale market,' said
Marc van Gerven, Managing Director of Q-Cells North America. 'We look
forward to rolling out our market strategy and offering for the
commercial and residential markets with the same rate of success.'

'We are grateful to Q-Cells for their continued hard work on these
projects. We look forward to pursuing similar investments in the
Ontario renewable energy sector in the near future and applaud the
strong community and provincial support towards realizing a new green
energy economy in Ontario,' said Himanshu Saxena, Senior Vice
President of Starwood Energy.
www.q-cells.com

Nordex Commissions 150 MW Project in Colorado - Largest Project in Company History

Delivering on the potential that the American market holds for the
wind industry, Nordex USA, Inc. announced completion of the largest
project ever undertaken by Nordex Group. The 60 N90/2500 wind turbines
at Cedar Creek 2 are commissioned. The logistical challenges of
preparing and delivering a project of this size are significant. If
the blades and towers for the project were placed end-to-end, they
would stretch for 8 miles (13 km).

The wind farm, 20 miles north of New Raymer in Weld County in
northeastern Colorado, is jointly owned by BP Wind Energy and Sempra
Generation. The power produced by this 150 MW project, enough to
supply 45,000 American homes, has been purchased by Public Service
Company of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company, under a 25-year
agreement.

"We are pleased that BP chose Nordex turbines for Cedar Creek 2, one
of the largest projects in Colorado. Our relationship with BP dates
back to 2002 when Nordex first supplied turbines to one of their
refinery sites in the Netherlands," commented Ralf Sigrist, President
and CEO of Nordex USA, Inc. "As a growing global company it is
important for Nordex to build on its connections with existing
customers to continue our expansion in America."

The site's strong wind resource made it a perfect location for Nordex'
high-yielding N90/2500 wind turbine with 80 m tower height. Recognized
for its reliability, the machine is a stalwart in the company's
multi-megawatt Gamma generation – a proven product line with 11 years
of operating history and more than 1,500 turbines on the grid.

Nordex was responsible for the turbine supply and commissioning and
will continue to provide service and maintenance under a 5-year
contract. The mile-high altitude required some special adaptations,
including increasing the turbines' heat exchanging capacity.

Nordex has both completed and current American installations totaling
500 MW in several states, including Minnesota, Pennsylvania,
Wisconsin, Maryland, Iowa, and Idaho.
http://www.nordex-online.com

TXU Energy and SolarCity in $5M Solar Fund for Residential PV

TXU Energy and SolarCity, a leading solar and energy efficiency
provider, are expanding their partnership by establishing a $5 million
incentive fund to encourage and accelerate solar energy adoption in
Texas. The new solar fund will provide a $1,000 incentive for up to
5,000 new or current TXU Energy residential customers who sign up for
the solar offer.

The companies previously launched the first residential solar lease
offering in Texas in February 2010. The fund announced today is
available immediately in the Dallas, Fort Worth area and makes TXU
Energy's solar solutions even more attractive for interested
consumers.

"Our goal is to deliver innovative solutions that give customers more
choice and flexibility in managing their energy usage" said Jim Burke,
CEO for TXU Energy. "Through our partnership with SolarCity, the
national leader in solar services, we are making renewable energy even
more affordable to our customers"

TXU Energy and SolarCity's expanded partnership also offers a full
service solution that includes system design, financing, equipment,
installation, insurance, monitoring, warranty and a guaranteed amount
of solar power production.

Most customers will realize savings on their total monthly electricity
costs while adopting clean power and reducing their carbon footprint.

"By making solar more affordable, more homeowners are able to go
solar. Our solar offer is the best in the Texas competitive
marketplace, and as a full service solar provider, we provide
homeowners with unmatched service" said Lyndon Rive, CEO of Solar
City.

This is TXU Energy's latest in a string of innovations that help
customers better manage their energy use and control their electricity
expenses.
www.txu.com
www.SolarCity.com

PowerCost Monitor and People Power Help Homeowners Consume Less Energy

Blue Line Innovations makers of the proven PowerCost Monitor™, today announced a big step forward in choice and consumer engagement with their application partnership with People Power Company. The solution is live today and enables homeowners to see their real time electricity usage anywhere, anytime on iPhone and Android smart phones. People Power1.0 receives live data feeds every 32 seconds from the PowerCost Monitor™ WiFi Gateway, which is broadly available through Lowes, Amazon and other retailers.

Peter Porteous, CEO Blue Line Innovations, comments, “this is a huge step forward for consumers. As we know information is only the first baby step, what the consumer chooses to do with that information or what that data can enable in the home is the key. Early attempts such as the dashboards created by Microsoft Hohm™ or Google PowerMeter™ were terrific first steps but People Power1.0 takes the feature set and the opportunity for full family engagement to a whole new level. We have pioneered in this category since 2004, have over a 150,000 families using the PowerCost Monitor™ today and have terrific customer feedback and input. This partnership and mobile application really hits the mark”.

A full product overview and video can be found on the Blue Line website. People Power1.0 offers out of the gate today the following features with more layers to come;
• Real time energy use monitoring – now and trend charts. Real time rate structures are automatically loaded for the homeowner based on their specific utility or energy reseller.
• Energy Use Benchmarking – compare vs. others
• Set budgets and get recommendations. Track usage and progress against your own budget amounts and get real time alerts vs. end of month surprises
• Compete against friends – energy efficiency quizzes

“We are delighted to be partnered with Blue Line Innovations. We believe simplicity is key to a great customer experience and we love the fact that the PowerCost Monitor™ is proven and is easy to buy at any neighborhood Lowes. It's easy to install by anyone and does not require an electrician or an understanding of the breaker panel”, said Gene Wang, CEO People Power Company. "With People Power 1.0's easy set-up process on any Android or iOS device, customers are going to be excited about our Blue Line People Power solution to start managing their personal energy, anywhere, anytime” Porteous added, “this is another important step in bringing choice to our customer base. Our Blue Line strategy hinges on our unique and patent protected optical sensor. We are in the business of providing universal access to real time electricity data for both utilities and homeowners”.
http://www.bluelineinnovations.com
http://www.peoplepowerco.com

Consolidated Edison and Comverge Provide Energy Efficiency to New York City's Homeless Services

Comverge, Inc. (Nasdaq:COMV), the leading provider of Intelligent Energy Management solutions for Residential and Commercial + Industrial (C+I) customers, today announced it has partnered with Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison) to help New York City's Department of Homeless Services reduce energy cost by approximately $120,000 per year. By leveraging Comverge's intelligent energy management software and services, New York City's Homeless Services will be in a better position to achieve its energy efficiency goals, reduce daily energy costs, and become eligible for financial incentives. The new deal marks more than 7,200 customers that Comverge and Con Edison have partnered with to help reduce their energy consumption.

"Homeless Services is committed to conserving energy and investing in environmental efforts for New York City," said Todd Hamilton, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Facility Maintenance and Development for the Department of Homeless Services. "By partnering with Comverge and Con Edison, we were able to strike a balance of serving our clients while effectively managing energy."

Comverge and Con Edison worked closely together to design a program that helps Homeless Services facilities operate more efficiently; this program calls for facilities to install energy efficient measures to reduce energy use during times of peak demand. By securing rebate incentives and lowering use on unusually hot days, New York City' s Homeless Services is able to reduce daily energy usage and generate capital to offset operational costs without sacrificing the well being of those it provides services for.

"Comverge and Con Edison have a long history of helping the residents and businesses in New York save energy by delivering intelligent energy management products and services," said Chris Camino, executive vice president of sales and CMO, Comverge. "The flexibility of our solution allows us to turn our understanding of complex customer challenges into programs that fit specific needs. Whether it be a need to reduce cost and understand the profile of their energy usage or a desire to serve as an energy steward in the fight against global warming, Comverge and its utility partners deliver savings without sacrificing operations or comfort."

Wind Energy Foundation: Darlene Snow appointed Executive Director

Darlene Snow has been appointed Executive Director of the Wind Energy Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based organization founded in 2010 to educate the public about the benefits of wind power.

Bringing to the Foundation over 20 years of experience leading public education campaigns at several of the world's largest communications firms, Snow most recently headed up the Industry Affairs and Energy practices at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, where she created a number of award-winning campaigns as a senior vice president in the firm's Washington office.

Prior to Ogilvy, Snow led the technology practice at Edelman Los Angeles during the dot-com boom, working with a number of leading technology and Internet companies.

The Wind Energy Foundation is focusing in its first year on U.S. education programs, Snow said,. However, its scope is global, and the campaigns will ultimately be geared to reach an international audience. In addition to supporting research projects and wind education programs, the Foundation is a partner in WindMade™, a new labeling program for companies, facilities, and soon, products that source at least 25 percent of their electricity from wind energy.

"I am tremendously excited to take this opportunity to share the compelling story of how wind power is good for America," said Snow. "Having produced 35 percent of our nation's new electricity generating capacity during the last few years, wind energy is now a major player in the energy industry and enjoys tremendous public support, especially in communities powered by wind. What's exciting about the Foundation's education-centered mission is that the facts best tell wind's story. By educating the public on those facts and supporting research that will enable an ever-increasing body of information to come to light, the Wind Energy Foundation will provide an invaluable service—not only to wind energy—but to America and every country seeking to diversify into clean energy."

Virtually each stop along Snow's career has helped to make her an ideal fit for the executive director post. As a private consultant, Snow led several national initiatives for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Solid Waste. Earlier, she served as a national spokesperson on recycling and resource recovery programs at the National Solid Wastes Management Association. Snow began her career at Gershman, Brickner & Bratton (GBB), an environmental consulting firm specializing in solid waste project development. She has a B.S. degree in Environmental Resource Management from the Pennsylvania State University, where she served as president of the university EcoAction chapter.

"Darlene Snow brings a stellar combination of experience, skills and talents to the Wind Energy Foundation. As Executive Director, she will lead our campaign to educate America about the extraordinary benefits wind energy brings to the American people: homegrown and reliable electricity, jobs and economic development in every corner of the country, and a tremendous hedge against volatile fuel costs," said Don Furman, vice president of external affairs Iberdrola Renewables and chairman of the Foundation's board of directors.
http://windenergyfoundation.org/

Solar Impulse: Live return flight to Switzerland

All flight parameters live on:
http://www.solarimpulse.com/europeanFlights/google.php?id=23

http://www.solarimpulse.com/

Top 10 Green Giants 2011 - Greentech Media Selection

Greentech Media published its selection of top green giants for 2011 few months ago already.
The winners are:

1 - France
2 - ABB
3 - Samsung
4 - Waste Management
5 - NRG Energy
6 - DuPont
7 - Netflix
8 - Ford Motor Company
9 - Lockheed Martin
10 -Tata Group

GridPoint Renewable Energy Solution deployed in 15 Facilities in Texas

GridPoint, Inc., an established leader for smart energy solutions, announces it has been selected to design, engineer and install 15 solar arrays for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). The arrays, totaling 436 kW, will be distributed across the state at various TPWD state parks, fish hatcheries and other sites. Installation is scheduled to begin later this month with an estimated completion date of August 2011.

“TPWD is pleased to work with GridPoint as we strive to meet the key objectives for sustainable conservation outlined in the 2010 Land and Water Plan,” states Rich McMonagle, TPWD infrastructure division director. “GridPoint’s solar solution helps us to support conservation actions that mitigate anticipated climate change impacts to plants, fish and wildlife and encourage the development of renewable energy projects which do not adversely affect those communities.”

In 2010, TPWD updated the 2005 Land and Water Resources Conservation Plan with the goal of guiding the agency in conserving the state's natural and historic heritage and in providing public access to the outdoors. Later that year, TPWD was awarded a competitive federal stimulus grant for solar installations as part of the Distributed Renewable Energy Technology Program. TPWD is installing solar photovoltaic (PV) generation systems at its main headquarters in Austin and high-visibility state park, fish hatchery and wildlife management area locations throughout Texas, including:

State Parks: Lake Tawakoni State Park, Ray Roberts Lake State Park, Cooper Lake State Park, Cedar Hill State Park, Lake Arrowhead State Park, San Angelo State Park, Davis Mountain State Park, Choke Canyon State Park, Mustang Island State Park, Government Canyon State Park and McKinney Falls State Park

Fish hatcheries and WMAs: Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, Possum Kingdom Fish Hatchery, A.E. Wood Fish Hatchery, and Kerr Wildlife Management Area

“Partnering with TPWD allows GridPoint to assist this visionary public department in its commitment to the environment,” said Jeff Ross, senior vice president of GridPoint. “The installation of solar arrays encourages science-based solutions for natural resource conservation across Texas and is a prime example for parks and wildlife organizations nationally.”

The solar energy systems will also feature an intelligent monitoring solution to record, and in some cases display for visitors, the current and historical energy production. This information allows TPWD to closely monitor system performance through a Web interface.
http://www.gridpoint.com/

Energy Management Software Funded: Hara raises additional 25 M$

Hara, a leading provider of environmental and energy management software, announced that it has received $25 million in Series C funding, the company’s largest round, bringing total investment to $45 million. Participants include Energy Technology Ventures, a joint venture of GE (NYSE: GE), NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), and ITOCHU Technology Ventures (ITV), as well as existing investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), JAFCO Ventures and Nth Power and new backers Focus Ventures and Navitas Capital. The funding will allow Hara to accelerate global expansion and product innovation, to meet growing demand from Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies for solutions to help optimize energy and resource use while minimizing environmental impact.

Hara is adding new strategic investors as it advances its growth plans across industries including manufacturing, utilities and oil and gas. These investors include – through Energy Technology Ventures –world-renowned advanced technology, services and finance company GE; ConocoPhillips, the third-largest integrated energy company in the U.S.; NRG Energy, owner and operator of one of the largest power generation portfolios in the nation; and ITV, the venture capital arm of leading Japanese trading group ITOCHU which has also entered into a strategic partnership with Hara to serve clients in Japan. The funding supports Hara’s global focus as an industry leader and is a testament to the adoption, comprehensiveness and scalability of the Hara™ Environmental and Energy Management (Hara EEM) solution.

“We have high hopes for our investment in Hara because of its solid commercial traction, strong management team and proven innovation,” said Ricardo Angel, a GE Energy Financial Services venture capital executive also representing Energy Technology Ventures. “Hara’s energy and environmental management solution presents opportunities for collaboration across GE, NRG Energy and ConocoPhillips.”

Hara, which has secured more than 50 leading industry and government customers and demonstrated rapid innovation, was selected as a winner of the GE Ecomagination Challenge’s “Powering the Grid” program. The Ecomagination Challenge demonstrates GE’s global commitment to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative power-grid technologies through open collaboration, while providing financial support to develop and commercialize innovative technologies. Hara’s centralized management and decision making solution will enable the identification of innovative energy reduction and management technologies and capture related best practices, including those of other GE Ecomagination Challenge winners.

Ray Lane Becomes Chairman of the Board

KPCB managing partner Ray Lane joins Hara’s board of directors as chairman, where he will work closely with the leadership to drive the company’s global expansion. Lane brings more than 20 years of experience guiding the world’s top IT companies. Prior to joining KPCB in 2000, Lane served as president and chief operating officer of Oracle Corporation, where he oversaw multi-billion dollar revenue growth and core business expansion.

“Hara is already the established leader in the energy and resource management space and I have been impressed with the dramatic market momentum it has built over the past couple of years,” said Ray Lane. “Effective energy and environmental management is now a business imperative that requires full accountability from companies and their stakeholders across industries.”

“Hara has thrived by meeting the increasing demands of organizations looking to improve their bottom line by better managing their energy and resource consumption, and we continue to see tremendous growth opportunity in the market,” said Amit Chatterjee, CEO and founder, Hara. “Hara is thrilled to partner with industry and energy leaders who share our vision, and with Ray Lane’s technological, organizational and market insight, we will focus on continuing to aggressively scale our business in the U.S. and beyond.”
http://www.hara.com

Nordex wins 150 MW Blaiken Project in Sweden - Skellefteå Kraft, Fortum

Nordex has won the largest order awarded for an onshore wind project in Sweden to date: as of summer 2012 the turbine manufacturer will be building “Blaiken”, a 150 MW wind farm. The customers are Skellefteå Kraft, a leading energy supplier in Sweden and Fortum, one of the largest power utilities in Europe, based in Finland. Skellefteå Kraft and Fortum have placed a firm order for 60 turbines for “Blaiken” thus accelerating the originally intended call-off schedule of themaster agreement entered into last year. The N100/2500 machines will be fitted with Nordex’ new anti-icing system for rotor blades.

The successful development of the anti-icing system was a key criterion for the order. Nordex designed this system especially for sites where there is a risk of ice forming on the rotor blade. This can result in substantial production losses. An integrated heating system now prevents icing, thereby maximising the yield.

In autumn 2010 Nordex installed the first N100/2500 turbines with anti-icing in “Jokkmokksliden”, the forerunner project to “Blaiken”. The wind turbine manufacturer tested and optimised the system on the basis of three prototypes and one reference machine. “The cost-benefit ratio of anti-icing persuaded us to have all the turbines equipped with this innovative system,” says Risto Andsten,Vice President Renewable Energy, Fortum.

“Our new anti-icing system is the result of collaboration between different functions within our company, and we are pleased to now see the system put into commercial operation on one of thelargest projects in Europe. We are now able to offer an attractive option for all customers planning projects at locations with ice and frost,” says Lars Bondo Krogsgaard, Chief Sales Officer at Nordex SE.
http://www.nordex-online.com/

Energy Efficiency: Orion Awarded in Wisconsin

Orion Energy Systems, Inc. (NYSE Amex: OESX), a leading power technology enterprise, was honored to be recognized by Corporate Report Wisconsin as a 2011 Small Business Success Story. Orion Energy Systems was one of five awardees including Impromed, Centare Group, Precision Drawn Metals and Fontarome Chemical. Altogether, the Awardees were described by Corporate Report Wisconsin as ‘five of the most interesting small businesses in Wisconsin.’

David Folz of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce offered opening remarks and stressed the need for Wisconsin businesses to be innovative and creative like the award winners.

Corporate Report Wisconsin is a publication of Nei-Turner Media. President of Nei-Turner Media, Bill Turner, was on hand to introduce the award winners and stated, “When I saw the news with Obama visiting Orion, I said to our Publisher ‘We’ve got to find out about this company!’”

Kevin Crawford, Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs and Corporate Communications accepted the award on behalf of Orion Energy Systems. “Orion’s success comes from its founder and CEO’s vision and commitment,” remarked Crawford. “Neal Verfuerth is an innovator who knows how to bring product to market. He’s also committed to hiring the best talent possible and ‘bolting’ that talent on to the Orion machine,” Crawford continued. Crawford also praised the company’s philosophy to exceed customer needs quickly and adeptly. “Orion’s innovative solutions can help a company substantially cut its lighting costs. With lighting being typically 35 percent or more of a company’s total energy spend, reducing these costs impacts the bottom line in a big way,” stated Crawford. “Orion has achieved ‘grid parity’ for its 266,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing facility. There is no reason that the last power plant built in the United States shouldn’t be the last power plant built in the United States,” Crawford concluded.

Orion Energy Systems has accumulated numerous awards to date including the Platts Global Energy Award, Alliance to Save Energy Super Nova Award, Plant Engineering Product of the Year Award, and Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Award among others.

Corporate Report Wisconsin teamed up with the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh College of Business and DiRenzo & Bomier, LLC as sponsoring judges of the competition.

Orion Energy Systems, Inc. (NYSE Amex: OESX) is a leading power technology enterprise that designs, manufactures and deploys energy management systems – consisting primarily of high-performance, energy-efficient lighting platforms, intelligent wireless control systems and direct renewable solar technology for commercial and industrial customers – without compromising their quantity and quality of light. http://www.oesx.com

Vestas wins 102 MW Tehachapi Project from Brookfield and Coram

Vestas has received a 102 MW order for 34 V90-3.0 MW turbines for a wind-energy project in Tehachapi, California, USA, owned by Brookfield Renewable Power (“Brookfield”) and Coram California Development Management, LLC (“CCDM”).

The contract includes delivery and commissioning along with a two-year service and maintenance agreement. Delivery is scheduled for the second half of 2011 and commissioning is expected in late 2011.

“We look forward to working with Brookfield and Coram to bring cost-effective, predictable and clean wind energy to California,” said Martha Wyrsch, President of Vestas Americas. “The V90-3.0 MW is designed to operate in areas of medium-to-high winds, so it is the ideal turbine for this site.”

This project will provide direct and indirect economic benefits to Kern County with long-term jobs and property-tax revenues generated from the turbines.

“This high-quality wind-power project complements our strategy of expanding our renewable power presence in California,” said Kim Osmars, COO of Brookfield Renewable Power’s U.S. Operations. “This order represents an important project milestone, and completion of the facility is expected to bring Brookfield’s North American wind portfolio to more than 600 megawatts of installed capacity by the end of 2011.”

Brookfield recently began construction of the Granite Reliable Wind Project in New Hampshire, which is using 33 V90-3.0 MW turbines from Vestas.

Once this California project is finished, Vestas will have 1,255 MW of its industry-leading wind turbines throughout the state.

“Coram has been working on this development for several years and is proud to be working with Brookfield and Vestas to finally bring it to market,” said Brian O’Sullivan, President of CCDM. “We look forward to doing future projects with both Brookfield and Vestas.”
www.vestas.com

Solar Funding: Wells Fargo to invest $ 120 M in SunEdison Photovoltaic PPAs

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) and SunEdison LLC, a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR), announced an agreement by which Wells Fargo subsidiaries will invest up to $120 million to fund U.S. solar photovoltaic distributed generation power projects developed by SunEdison over the next year. The program builds on a SunEdison solar investment fund established in 2007 in which Wells Fargo invested more than $200 million in approximately 150 solar projects developed by SunEdison in eight states.

"Wells Fargo is excited to continue our relationship with SunEdison and expand our commitment to grow the U.S. solar market," said Barry Neal, head of Wells Fargo'sEnvironmental Finance Group. "The solar projects developed by SunEdison will help businesses and public entities better control their electricity costs, while expanding the use of renewable energy throughout the U.S."

Financing provided by Wells Fargo will enable SunEdison to cost-effectively provide a clean and reliable source of electricity to its customers, including corporations and municipalities. Under the power purchase agreement (PPA) model, SunEdison builds, manages, and operates the solar systems while its customers buy the energy produced at prices at or below retail rates. This allows customers to avoid upfront costs typically associated with solar projects.

"SunEdison makes investing in solar a smart choice," said Chris Bailey, SunEdison vice president of Project Finance, North America. “SunEdison has the experience and know-how that project investors and customers trust. SunEdison looks forward to growing its relationship with Wells Fargo as we continue to make solar a reality for our customers across the nation."

SunEdison, a leading worldwide solar energy services provider, has deployed over 400 solar projects totaling over 160MW in North America, and has developed over 100MW outside of North America.

Wells Fargo has provided more than $2 billion in tax equity financing for renewable energy projects since 2006, including funding for 30 wind projects, over 200 commercial-scale solar projects and one utility-scale solar thermal project.
www.sunedison.com

Energy Efficiency Education at Nichols School with QA Graphics' Dashboard

Nichols School Promotes Sustainable Education with QA Graphics’ Dashboard
Nichols School in Buffalo, NY, uses QA Graphics’ Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard to show real-time energy usage for the campus to educate the students about the school’s sustainable initiatives and efficient resource use.

QA Graphics®, provider of the award-winning Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard®, has created an educational display for Nichols School in Buffalo, New York, to help inform students about the campus’ sustainable initiatives and efficient resource use.

Nichols School, a coed college preparatory independent school serving students in grades 5-12, was named the winner of QA Graphics’ 2010 “Showcase Your School’s Green Efforts” contest. QA Graphics had called on schools nationwide to share why their school is sustainable, and worked with the national U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to reach out to state USGBC chapters for contest support and judging. Then, the public cast their vote to decide which school should be awarded with QA Graphics’ Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard, an interactive display the school can use to educate about sustainability and the environment.

“Nichols School was chosen for their dedication to environmental responsibility, education, and sustainability and we’re pleased to have named them as the winner of an Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard,” said Dan McCarty, president of QA Graphics. “It can enhance their green curriculum program, providing students, faculty, as well as parents with a creative approach to environmental education.”

The school has a comprehensive approach to promote campus sustainability, known as the Big Green Initiative, which is organized by a group of administrators, staff, faculty and students. “Our Big Green Initiative for environmental consciousness illustrates our commitment to sustainability and our dedication to helping our students become stewards of the environment,” said Rick Bryan, head of school at Nichols. “It is not enough to celebrate environmental awareness one day a year or only on paper. Nichols School is part of a movement to live green on a day-to-day basis, and we work diligently to weave this into daily life and curriculum at Nichols.”

The Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard serves as another means to encourage this environmental awareness. Displayed on a touchscreen in the Class of 1963 Center for Mathematics and Science building, it illustrates the campus’ efficient resource use and sustainable initiatives. Students can walk up to the display and see how much energy each of the six buildings on campus is using. A leaderboard also shows how each of the building’s resource use compares to one another. The Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard is also available online for parents and the community to access. It can be viewed at: http://eeed.nicholsschool.org/eeed/.

Students can interact with the display to learn how different sustainable features help the campus conserve resources, like the building management system, high-efficiency boilers, low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy efficient windows and lighting fixtures. They can learn about the school’s recycling and composting programs and see interactive demonstrations to understand how the campus’ daylighting, HVAC system and green roof help conserve resources. Students can also test their “green” knowledge with a quiz.

“Our Green Key Curriculum allows students to gain environmental consciousness and responsibility by incorporating what they’ve learned into their everyday lives,” said Joshua Ring, a science teacher at Nichols. “Environmental awareness is not enough; we want students to actually change their behaviors so that their interactions are future-looking and responsible.”

Faculty at Nichols is excited to have authentic data to use in the classrooms because of the relevancy it offers students. On Earth Day, Josh Ring and members of a school club, Students for Environmental Awareness and Action, used real-time electricity data provided by the Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard to form a contest called “Power Down Competition”. For half the school day, they reviewed energy usage among the six different buildings on campus as students competed to lower their electrical usage. The students calculated the percentage drop from a base value for each of the buildings and students in the building with the highest percentage drop were awarded prizes.

“The dashboard will allow also students to actively learn math by compiling building data,” said MaryAnne Hejna, math department chair at Nichols. “Students will study how electric needs vary on a day-to-day basis as well as on a seasonal cycle. The dashboard will collect this tangible data and infuse live math into daily classes for students to manipulate and learn from.”

For example, when working on a data set in an AP Statistics class, students can now use real numbers that pertain to their everyday lives at school. They can explore why certain buildings use more resources and speculate reasons for peak times and days for usage. They can explore why buildings with science and technology classes use more energy, and consider the distribution of different heating and cooling systems throughout the buildings on campus.

QA Graphics’ solution is used by schools, universities, restaurants, commercial businesses, government organizations and others to provide sustainable education. It has been named a 2010 top green building product by Environmental Design + Construction and Sustainable Facility magazines’ annual Readers Choice Awards as well as a 2010 top 10 green building product by Sustainable Industries magazine. It can contribute towards satisfying the USGBC’s Innovation in Design Green Education credit and a variety of points under The Green Building Initiative’s™ Green Globes®. To learn more about the Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard, visit http://www.qagraphics.com/eeed

Enecsys Solar Microinverters get $41 M to deploy

* Climate Change Capital Private Equity leads the funding round and joins existing investors Wellington Partners, NES Partners and Good Energies for the largest private equity raise by any European cleantech company, so far, in 2011 *

Enecsys Limited, the leader in reliable, long-life solar micro inverter systems for residential and commercial applications, has secured a further £25 million ($41 million) in equity financing to invest in its growth plan.

Enecsys was founded in 2003 and its patented technology was originally developed at Cambridge University in the UK. Solar inverters convert the DC power produced by solar photovoltaic (PV) modules into AC power for supply to the electricity grid. Enecsys micro inverters are installed on the rail behind solar modules, either one inverter per solar module or one for every two modules. The Enecsys micro inverter represents a breakthrough in inverter design for residential and commercial solar PV installations as its technology has, for the first time, eliminated components that limit inverter life. Additionally the Enecsys micro inverter enables solar PV systems to harvest between 5% and 20% more energy; it makes planning and installation of PV systems easier and safer due to the elimination of high voltage DC wiring, and it enhances system optimization by monitoring the performance of each solar module. Enecsys has recently launched its products in Europe and North America and the latest financing has been arranged to facilitate substantial expected growth.

Climate Change Capital Private Equity led this Series B equity financing with an investment of £11 million ($18 million). The balance, £14 million ($23 million), was secured from the existing Enecsys investors, Wellington Partners, NES Partners (formerly known as Bankinvest New Energy Solutions) and Good Energies, who together previously invested £8.5 million ($14.3 million) in Enecsys in a Series A financing in 2009. The latest financing round represents the largest private equity raise in the European cleantech sector so far this year.

Mossadiq Umedaly, Enecsys’ Executive Chairman, said: “We chose Climate Change Capital Private Equity, one of the largest and most experienced investors in clean power, because of their excellent fit with us and they have decided to invest in Enecsys after a thorough investigation of our business strategy, technology and product road map, management team and future prospects. We welcome Climate Change Capital Private Equity to our strong investor team and board. We also appreciate the confidence shown by our existing investors who have again participated in such a significant way in this financing round.”

Simon Drury, a Partner at Climate Change Capital Private Equity, who will join the board of Enecsys commented: “The ability for Enecsys to provide high performance, cost effective micro inverters with the reliability and life expectancy to match that of solar modules fundamentally changes the economic model of solar PV and will play an important role in growing the market for this clean power source. We are delighted to have the opportunity to participate in the company’s success.”

Bart Markus of Wellington Partners, an existing Enecsys investor, added: “We are pleased with the progress that Enecsys has made since our initial investment in 2009, and the opportunity the market currently presents to Enecsys is huge; as of today Enecsys has the only certified micro inverter solution in production in the European market, which represents 75% of the world’s residential solar market – this round of funding will allow us to accelerate the execution of this opportunity.”

Henrik Raunkjaer, Enecsys’ CEO commented: “The resources from this financing will be used to execute our growth strategy by accelerating our product development and cost reduction plan and expanding our global presence in sales, marketing, customer service and manufacturing to serve every major market.”
http://www.enecsys.com/

Offshore Wind delivers Green Growth in UK

Growth of up to 10% per year with up to 230,000 jobs in 2050 New economic analysis released today by the Carbon Trust reveals that the global offshore wind sector is set to grow by up to 10 per cent per year and the Carbon Trust expects the UK to capture around a 10% share of the global offshore wind market, which is estimated to be worth up to £170bn/year1 by 2050. The new analysis also concludes the sector could be employing up to 230,000 people in the UK by 2050. The research examined the potential of offshore wind to drive green growth in the UK, based on global deployment levels of up to 1150GW by 2050. It looked in detail at jobs and revenues by industry sector, including turbines, foundations, collection & transmission, installation and the operation and maintenance of offshore windfarms. It found that offshore wind could represent a gross contribution to UK GDP generated by business of up to £10bn2 a year, or £100bn cumulatively between 2010 and 2050. By 2050, the greatest contribution for the UK will be created by the operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms, followed by turbine manufacture and installation. The new data also concludes that offshore wind could create up to 230,000 jobs in the UK by 2050. Exports from the UK offers significant growth potential, generating up to 80 per cent of total jobs out to 2050. Benj Sykes, director of Innovations at the Carbon Trust, commented: “This analysis confirms that offshore wind is a strategically important economic asset for the UK that can deliver long term growth and energy security. The economic prize for the UK economy is vast and we have to grab it now. We are in an excellent position to be a global market leader. If we seize this green growth opportunity, the UK will benefit from hundreds of thousands of new jobs, a booming new export market and billions of pounds of business benefits.” The table below outlines the potential gross contribution to UK GDP generated by the offshore wind sector, based on a scenario of 1150GW deployed globally by 2050 broken-down into each of the five major component areas. This is based on assumptions about the feasibility of exporting from the UK to different geographies and about how much supply chain capability develops in the UK. http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/

The future of green jobs in the U.S. and China - Berkeley-Stanford

Berkeley-Stanford Cleantech Conference: Sputnik 2.0? The Pursuit of Green Jobs in China and the U.S. Conference

Keynote Speaker: U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu

Save the Date: Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9, 2011

Click Here for an Earlybird Discount

Friday, April 8, 2011: 4:30pm-7:30pm Berkeley-Stanford Cleantech Launchpad Business Plan ShowcaseWhite Plaza, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA Visit the Showcase Expo and vote for the winner of the Launchpad Cleantech Business Plan Competition: $10,000 in cash and prizes at stake (Enter Your Team! Submissions close March 15)http://www.cleantechlaunchpad.com/

Saturday, April 9, 2011: 10am-8pm The 7th Berkeley-Stanford Cleantech ConferencePG&E Auditorium, San Francisco, CA President Obama says the U.S. is at a Sputnik moment. BSCC7 brings together industry, academia, and policy to examine how China and the U.S. will create green jobs. cleantech.berkeley.edu or cleantech.stanford.edu

Q-Cells: World efficiency record for mass produced CIGS modules

Q-Cells SE, one of the world’s leading photovoltaics companies, achieved a world efficiency record for mass-produced CIGS thin-film solar modules manufactured via monolithic integration. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) has confirmed an efficiency of 14.7 per cent (aperture area) for a Q-Cells Q.SMART UF solar module manufactured by Q-Cells’ 100 per cent subsidiary Solibro GmbH.

The record efficiency, measured in February 2011 by the renowned Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, Germany confirmed a power output of 100.3 Watt peak (Wp) under standard test conditions. The Q-Cells Q.SMART UF solar module, with an area of 0,75 m², reaches a total area efficiency of 13.4 per cent. Moreover, with an aperture area of 0,684 m², the module's aperture area efficiency is 14.7 per cent. Q-Cells CIGS thin film technology now holds the world record for monolithically integrated photovoltaic modules based on the record efficiency table compiled by Progress in Photovoltaics*.

“In June 2010, Q-Cells achieved the previous efficiency world record of 13 per cent with the same type of CIGS solar module out of series production”, noted Gerhard Rauter, COO of Q-Cells. “With this new record – 13.4 per cent – Q-Cells proves one more time its technological leadership in the photovoltaic sector.” Q-Cells’ CIGS thin film modules are currently taking part in a number of reference installations and are exhibiting stable and outstanding energy yields (KWh/KWp). Even after one year of operation Q.SMART systems in different European regions of irradiation show improved performances. The Q.SMART UF achieved currently among the top performers in a benchmark at the test field of “Desert Knowledge Australia Solar centre”, a peak performance under extreme climate conditions. So far the Q.SMART UF is the highest-performing solar module in this international comparison. www.dkasolarcentre.com.au.
The Q.SMART UF is the unframed CIGS solar module from Q-Cells. It stands out for its performance and high quality. Due to its homogenous black surface it is a perfect fit on visual aesthetics and building integrated installations and suitable for private and small to medium-sized commercial and industrial rooftop and in-roof installations. The unframed modules stand out for their efficient self-cleaning, making them perfect for flat roofs and façade solutions.

Produced in the German city of Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Q.SMART UF exemplifies "Made in Germany" quality. The solar modules are designed for good response to temperature and low light, ensuring high energy yields. This is supported by the positive sorting +5/-0 watts, allowing deviations only to higher than expected levels. Advantageous cell geometry makes the modules especially efficient in the event of partial shading or a less-than-optimal positioning of the roof. The module features durable glass encapsulation with a proven edge seal for long-term stability, ensuring protection and resistance to environmental influences. Q-Cells currently offer two CIGS thin film formats: Q.SMART (framed), Q.SMART UF (unframed) and Q.SMART UF L (unframed large). The latter format is 25% wider than the former two so as to reduce the associated BOS costs on large rooftop and free-field installations.
http://www.q-cells.com