VALENCIA, Spain, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ — European Union Photovoltaic Solar EnergyConference — Advent Solar, Inc., a manufacturer of innovative solar cells and modules, today announced that it has reached a key milestone in the company’s rapid growth strategy. Enerpoint, MHH Solartechnik and SunConnex have agreed to purchase and distribute Advent Solar(R) Ventura(TM) Technology, the solar industry’s only comprehensive cell-to-module solar architecture. Under this agreement, Advent Solar and its European partners will deploy over 250 megawatts (MW) of Ventura-based solutions in Europe through 2013.

“Advent Solar is focused on helping the solar industry move closer to grid parity by providing innovative solar solutions that maximize efficiency and increase energy output,” said Peter Green, president and CEO of Advent Solar. “Our partnerships with Enerpoint, MHH Solartechnik and SunConnex are key elements of our long-term growth strategy in Europe and demonstrate our commitment to moving solar energy from an alterative technology to a mainstream solution.”

Advent Solar will provide solar solutions based on Ventura Solar Technology through its relationships with established European solar installers, integrators and distributors, including:

— Enerpoint S.p.A.: a leading photovoltaic (PV) company, based in Milan, Italy, and active since 2001 in the distribution of highly selected and qualified components for PV systems towards installers and investors. Enerpoint is also specialized in engineering, procurement and contracting of high power PV systems for investors.

— MHH Solartechnik GmbH: a systems integrator based in Germany. MHH Solartechnik supports all phases of PV projects from planning and yield optimization to actual on-site implementation. The company conducts business in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.

— SunConnex B.V.: a PV-focused distributor based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. SunConnex supports their partners with a multinational team of specialists who have experience with multi-MW installations, on-grid and off- grid projects, and building integrated systems throughout Europe and overseas.

“By extending our existing relationships with Enerpoint, MHH Solartechnik and SunConnex in Europe to include solutions based on Advent Solar Ventura Technology, we are expanding the adoption of innovative solar technology into the European market,” said Naresh Baliga, vice president of marketing for Advent Solar. “These partnerships will help us drive growth in the main countries deploying photovoltaic solar solutions, such as Germany, Italy and Spain, as well as emerging markets throughout Europe.”

Advent Solar launched Ventura Technology at the 2008 European Union Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Valencia, Spain. Ventura Solar Technology provides a system-level design approach by combining Emitter-Wrap Through (EWT) back-contact cells with semiconductor device manufacturing methods to create a highly scalable platform for module manufacturing. Ventura Technology enables Advent Solar to develop solar cells and modules that deliver high energy output by optimizing silicon light capture,and dramatically improving cell and module-level connectivity to minimize resistive losses. The architecture provides higher cell-to-module efficiency, while using thinner silicon wafers to reduce costs.

Advent Solar will provide additional information regarding Ventura Technology and its recently extended partnerships at booth 4/C 12 during the European Union Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference.

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MIDLAND, Mich., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Dow Corning has demonstrated a manufacturing process featuring new developmental silicone materials that significantly increases the production rate of solar panels, effectively lowering the cost per watt of solar power.

“This technology represents a real step-change in the industry, and will help make solar power a viable and sustainable energy option globally,” said Gaetan Borgers, global industry director, Dow Corning Solar Market Business Unit.

The manufacturing process works in conjunction with developmental Dow Corning(R) PV-6100 Encapsulant series, which provides a clear laminate to protect each solar cell in a panel and can replace commonly used ethyl vinyl acetate resin. The silicone-based material provides higher watt efficiency, longer module life, and optimum UV resistance. Equipment for the new process requires less capital and less factory space.

The process and encapsulant series are being piloted by select solar partners in the new Dow Corning Solar Application Center in Freeland, Michigan and are expected to be commercially available in mid-2009.

“We’ve made significant progress in the past year in being able to take technology from the lab to production scale,” said Eric Peeters, global executive director, Dow Corning Solar Market Business Unit. “This solution is an example of our commitment to finding the best technical approaches for helping our customers meet their solar solution development challenges.”

One of the only companies in the world able to provide silicon-based solutions throughout the entire photovoltaic value chain, Dow Corning is investing to expand its portfolio of total solution packages for solar cell manufacturing, module assembly and installation. Solution packages are
built on high-performance silicone products such as encapsulants, adhesives, coatings, potting agents and sealants, as well as next-generation solar grade silicon.

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NANJING, China, Aug. 29 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ — ET Solar Group Corp. (“ET Solar”), a Nanjing-based solar power solution provider and integrated manufacturer of photovoltaic products including ingot, wafer, module, and state-of-the-art dual-axis tracking systems with manufacturing facilities located in Taizhou, China, announced today a master agreement for the turn-key construction of solar power plants for Wattner Group of Cologne (“Wattner”), a German initiator of closed-end energy and infrastructure funds.

Under the agreement, ET Solutions AG, the solar power solution arm of ET Solar, will deliver solar installations to Wattner worth of 200 million EUR. The solar power plants will be realized primarily in Southern Europe within the next 5 years.

Wattner procures solar power plants turnkey with an annual volume of at least 20 million EUR adding up to a total power of 50 MWp throughout the life span of the contract. This power is sufficient to light up 15,000 households. “Wattner opted for ET Solar because we possess the unique combination of profound manufacturing experience and in-depth EPC knowledge v(Engineering- Procurement-Construction). The cooperation with investment partners such as Wattner is key for our development and expansion plans in international markets,” said Xinghua Wang, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of ET Solar.

The agreement covers the complete lifespan of the solar construction fund Wattner SunAsset 1. This publicly raised fund has now also made its first investment decision with the “Solarpark Penig”, an installation with ca. 12,000 solar panels. “The site, near the municipality of Penig in Saxony, Germany, and the size of the project is ideal considering the ongoing placement of Wattner SunAsset 1,” said Ulrich Uhlenhut, Managing Director of Wattner AG.

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Recently, the Democratic Party held the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver Colorado. With constant news coverage highlighting various tensions, strategies, and historical significance of this year’s election, the underlying green theme may have been overlooked. There actually was a lot of time and focus placed on making this convention as green as possible.
The Democratic Party [...]

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According to CNN, both Senators Obama and McCain are touting solar energy, harnessed through solar panels like the ones found on Al Gore’s home.
“Touting” according to The American Heritage College Dictionary is “to solicit customers, voters, or patronage in a brazen way; One who solicits customers brazenly or persistently.” Well, they both have their plans laid [...]

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