It is time for the Solar Decathlon. And students are now preparing their knowledge about solar power and their designing skills once again. For this year, they are going to build a solar house.

The house is going to be built in Washington, DC’s National Mall. Students who will be joining the contest should start building their solar house wherever they are right now. And then come October this year, they will have to bring that house to Washington and put it back down there. There is going to be 20 entries to this Solar Decathlon competition.

Peter Secan is a student of architecture. He is also one of the students joining the contest. He said that they are going to be build a house based on the concept of homeostasis. He said, “The adaptive skin both protects and helps create an equilibrium.”

I do wish you the best of luck guys!

Source: www.azstarnet.com

Tags: National Mall, Solar, Solar Decathlon, Solar Decathlon contest, solar home, solar house, solar project, solar-power

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KAUAI, Hawaii, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ — DuPont today announced the installation of its largest photovoltaic solar energy facility at its Pioneer Hi-Bred Waimea Research Center in Kauai, Hawaii.

The Waimea photovoltaic installation is comprised of 1,500 panels - made from several DuPont photovoltaic materials — produced by Evergreen Solar and installed by REC Solar. The one-acre array is capable of generating about 85 percent of the energy needs of the research facility. It is expected to generate 706,205 kilowatt hours (kwh) annually, or enough power for 64 average-size homes. By using renewable energy, the facility will avoid the emissions (equivalent carbon dioxide) from approximately 100 cars annually, saving Pioneer about $200,000 per year in avoided purchased electricity costs. The installation was completed and fully operational in December 2008.

DuPont has already installed photovoltaic solar power systems for its R&D and business facilities in Wilmington, Del., and Taoyuan, Taiwan.

“This installation is a great example of our commitment to be both a key materials and technology supplier to the photovoltaic industry, and also a leader of solar power use,” said Marc Doyle, global business director - DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions. “Our products can help make clean renewable energy a reality while also powering our facilities as part of DuPont’s sustainability goals.”

REC Solar chief executive officer Angiolo Laviziano commented on the positive business and environmental reasons for companies to embrace solar power to meet their energy needs. “Companies like DuPont are turning to solar power because it makes good business sense and supports their environmental initiatives,” said Angiolo Laviziano, chief executive officer of REC Solar. “DuPont is an innovative business leader that has chosen the most reliable solar technology available today to maximize the amount of clean, renewable solar power generated at its Kauai facility.”

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a DuPont business, uses innovative technology to carry out crop seed research and development. Randal Francisco, President of the Kauai Chamber of Commerce, noted Pioneer recently celebrated their 40th year as part of Kauai’s business and agriculture community. “The Kauai Chamber of Commerce salutes and congratulates Pioneer Hi-Bred in its investment and commitment to renewable energy thereby reducing its dependence on fossil-fuel and returning energy back to Kauai’s power grid. It’s also economic sense that Pioneer Hi-Bred joins a growing list of Kauai Chamber of Commerce members such as Costco Wholesale Warehouse and Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa as Kauai companies who in the past year invested significant amounts of time and money to join Kauai’s ever growing list of businesses and residents who believe in the benefits of renewable energy and a sustainable Kauai future.”

Mattie Yoshioka, president and chief executive officer of Kauai Economic Development Board Inc. noted the enthusiasm of participants at its recent Kauai renewable energy conference, complimented Pioneer Hi-Bred International for continuing the momentum generated at the conference. “Pioneer is a committed member of the science and technology community on Kauai, and they are a demonstrated leader in advancing renewable clean energy here with the establishment of the largest ground solar panel installation on Kauai. What could be better for our island than a renewable energy project using one of Kauai’s best clean energy resources, sunlight.”

DuPont offers the broadest portfolio in the solar energy market with eight essential products. DuPont is a leading material and technology supplier to the photovoltaic industry with more than 25 years of experience in photovoltaic materials development. DuPont technologies enable higher power output with improved productivity and increased solar module lifetime. The company offers a broad and growing portfolio of materials solutions for both crystalline silicon and thin film cells and modules including:

* DuPont(TM) Elvax(R) EVA resins for the encapsulant sheet: cushions individual cells from impact and enables the transmission of sunlight to the cells;
* DuPont PV Encapsulant Sheets: Ranging from soft to structural, clear DuPont(TM) PV5200 and PV5300 Series encapsulant sheets offer proven safety and laminating performance, and deliver long-term protection for the most sensitive portions of photovoltaic modules;
* DuPont(TM) Teflon(R) fluoropolymer film for front sheets and flexible panels: offers mechanical strength and durability against cracking and abrasion, flexibility and nearly 100 percent transparency;
* DuPont(TM) Tedlar(R) polyvinyl fluoride films: delivers long-lasting UV and weather-resistant back sheets;
* DuPont(TM) Solamet(R) thick film metallization pastes: increases the efficiency and yield of solar cells;
* DuPont(TM) Rynite(R) PET thermoplastic resins: increases safety, eliminates corrosion, and provides long-lasting performance for junction boxes and structural supports in harsh environments;
* DuPont(TM) Kapton(R) polyimide film for thin film substrates: provides excellent electrical and thermal properties to thin film modules;
* DuPont Teijin Films (Mylar(R), Melinex(R) and Tetoron(R) polyester films) for backsheet interlayers: provides added protection from the environment;
* Kalrez(R) perfluoroelastomer parts from DuPont Performance Elastomers: provides excellent resistance to aggressive chemicals and high temperatures to help reduce the risk of unplanned maintenance.

DuPont - one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals 19 years ago - has broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal footprint reduction to include market-driven targets for both revenue and research and development investment. The goals are tied directly to business growth, specifically to the development of safer and environmentally improved new products for key global markets.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

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CARDIFF, Calif., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Blackhawk Financial, Inc., (Pink Sheets: BLWK) is providing this update to its shareholders in response to the numerous questions received since the recently announced acquisition by http://www.winsaint.com/eindex.html China Winsaint Solar (”Winsaint”). Blackhawk Financial was used as a public entity in order for Winsaint to go public via the OTC market and The Definitive Agreement has been signed. Any and all current shareholders of BLWK shares will now own and become shareholders of Winsaint. Any and all future investors that choose to buy BLWK shares in the open market prior to our name and symbol change will also own shares equally in Winsaint.

This is great news for shareholders of BLWK, due to the fact that the value of Winsaint greatly exceeds the value of Blackhawk Financial, Inc. Winsaint posted unaudited revenue of $46,000,000 with earnings of $3,900,000 this past year, with 2009 revenue expected to reach $90,000,000 with earnings of $15,000,000.

Winsaint manufactures high-end mono-crystalline solar wafers for customers inside and outside China. The company has established a solid base of recurring revenues and is now focused on expanding production by offering poly-crystalline solar wafers, a lower-end product with broad applications.

According to data from 2008 China Solar grade Wafer or Ingot Industry Research Report; in 2007 China solar wafer shipments were up 146.8% from 2006. In 2008 wafer shipments increase 99.4% and are expected to maintain double digit levels of growth in the coming years.

From time to time, the Company may issue news releases that contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. This material may contain statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. For those statements, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statement provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and any amendments thereto. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, goals, assumptions, or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be “forward-looking statements.” “Forward-looking statements” are based upon expectations, estimates and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated.

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CHANGZHOU, China, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ — Trina Solar Limited (NYSE: TSL) (”Trina Solar” or the “Company”), a leading integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products from the production of ingots, wafers and cells to the assembly of PV modules, today announced that its subsidiary, Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd., entered into a sales agreement with Spanish customer Gestamp Asetym Solar, S.L. (”GA Solar”). The agreement was signed during the recent World Future Energy Summit 2009 in Abu Dhabi, held on January 19-21.

Under the terms of this agreement, Trina Solar will supply GA Solar between 20 to 36 MW of PV modules for one year at pre-determined prices. Shipments under this agreement have recently been initiated.

“We are excited to have entered into this sales agreement which affirms our successful long-term supply partnership with GA Solar in the past,” stated Mr. Arturo Herrero, Vice-President of Sales & Marketing of Trina Solar. “GA Solar’s plan to implement new solar projects in markets such as Italy, Greece, the United States and the Middle East will be supported by their parent company’s presence in over twenty countries, and we believe that our experience in working with PV system integrators can play an important part in GA\’s expansion plan.”

“This agreement reinforces and confirms the strategic alliance between both companies,” declared Mr. Jose Maria Rodriguez Paraja, Strategic Development Director of GA Solar. “This association assures a high quality technical solution that will enable us to successfully approach diverse PV markets worldwide, thereby assuring our needed requirements are fulfilled in terms of reliability, competitiveness and excellence proven by Trina Solar in our recent years of partnership.”

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FOLSOM, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The California Independent System Operator Corporation (California ISO) hosted an international symposium at its Folsom headquarters to learn more about how to reduce barriers for solar power projects hoping to compete in the ISO energy markets. The gathering of more than 175 participants, many in person and others via phone and webcast, focused on better production forecasting for large solar power plants.

“Solar power is fast becoming a viable competitor to conventional power plants,” said ISO Senior Policy Issues Representative Jim Blatchford. “We learned from the wind industry that good forecasting makes it much easier to manage the ups and downs of wind production. We want to apply that same lesson to solar generation.”

Blatchford notes, however, that forecasting the sun is different than forecasting the wind. “Some of the tools will be the same, but there will be some significant differences, too. This symposium is helping us identify and develop the right forecasting tools before several thousand megawatts of new solar production come on line.”

One participant at the solar symposium, BrightSource Energy based in Oakland California, plans to develop more than 4,000 megawatts of solar thermal generation in California and Nevada. “The Mohave Desert is one of the best places in the world for solar thermal power,” said Senior Director of Transmission Bob Stuart. “There is an immense capacity there. And we’re very pleased the ISO convened this meeting because the end result should be a better understanding for all of us how solar power can participate and compete in California.”

The California ISO is committed to helping the state meets its’ Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS). The current goal of 20 percent will likely be increased to 33 percent. That is driving a large expansion of wind, solar and other renewable power resources. Wind and solar are intermittent resources, meaning electricity production can vary with the weather.

The California ISO is responsible for keeping the supply in constant balance with the demand for electricity. Demand constantly fluctuates with the weather, the time of day, the season and many other variables. California ISO systems read the grid every four seconds and adjust the energy supply to keep pace with demand. With more wind and solar coming on line, the supply side will also fluctuate. Accurate and timely forecasts of power production from these intermittent generators can help reduce the impact on grid operations.

“We learned a lot from this symposium,” said Grant Rosenblum, manager of renewable integration at the California ISO. “There are several distinct types of solar generation and each one has different operating and forecasting characteristics. We need to allow for those differences as we work to accommodate more solar and more renewables in general.”

The California ISO is a not-for-profit public benefit corporation charged with managing the flow of electricity along California’s open-market wholesale power grid. The mission of the California ISO is to safeguard the reliable delivery of electricity, and ensure equal access to 25,000 circuit miles of “electron highway.” As the impartial operator of the wholesale power grid in the state, the California ISO conducts a small portion of the bulk power markets. These markets are used to allocate space on the transmission lines, maintain operating reserves and match supply with demand in real time.

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The Rise & Shine is your daily source for all solar-industry news. Brought to you by Sweet Solar Home and the Experts at SunRun.

CALIFORNIA NEWS

SunPower Lays Off 60 Employees
The solar panel maker follows a slew of solar companies in cutting staff in recent months. SunPower plans to release its quarterly earnings later today.

Xantrex Inverters Used in Water District Solar Energy System in California
Xantrex Technology Inc., a subsidiary of Schneider Electric, supplied four Xantrex GT Series Three Phase Grid Tie Solar Inverters for a utility-scale solar power installation in Valley Center, California.

CalSEIA?S Priorities for 2009
For 2009, they will focus on unfinished business from 2008 and will also address local permitting issues and simplifying incentives, among other items.

NATIONAL NEWS

DuPont Installs PV System at Research Facility
DuPont has completed the installation of its largest photovoltaic solar energy facility at its Pioneer Hi-Bred Waimea Research Center on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.

Rifle Goes Solar, and Goes to Battle for More
Rifle is joining other municipalities this week in asking the state Public Utilities Commission to review those regulations and boost the amount of power that on-site solar arrays can provide.

Austin Considering Major Solar Plan
Austin’s municipal electric utility wants to set aside 300 acres for a solar panel array to be built and owned by San Francisco-based Gemini Solar Development Co.

UTILITY INDUSTRY & REGULATORY NEWS

SEPA Releases Utility Solar Tax Manual
The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has made available the Utility Solar Tax Manual, which is designed to provide timely clarity regarding solar tax credit changes for the utility and solar industries.

The Real Reason PG&E Wants to Own Solar Projects: Startups Are Risky
Last week the CEO of northern California utility PG&E, Peter Darbee, made one of the strongest pronouncements yet that it plans to invest in and own solar projects ? rather than solely buy power from solar developers.

APS Report Charts Clean Energy Future
Over the next two decades, APS customers could receive significantly more of their electricity from clean energy sources under a comprehensive Resource Plan filed today with the Arizona Corporation Commission.

FINANCIAL NEWS & MARKETS

SunPower’s Quarterly Profit Shot Up Five Fold
SunPower reported Thursday a five-fold jump in net income in the fourth quarter and a huge surge in revenue, and it expects revenue and profits to grow in 2009.

Wall Street Feeling Downbeat on Solar
As the economy continues to tank, equity analysts are lowering their estimates for key solar market players such as SunPower and First Solar.

Clean Energy Needs $515B Annually by 2030
Global investment in clean energy must reach $515 billion per year by 2030 ? triple that of last year?s investment? in order to avoid the catastrophic impact of climate change,? according to a report from the World Economic Forum and New Energy Finance.

New Energy Finance Sees 2009 as Year of Consolidation for Clean energy
In summary, 2009 will be characterized by a confusing mix of consolidation and optimism.

TECHNOLOGY

PV Powered Introduces the IntelliString Line of Smart Combiner Boxes
The IntelliString smart string combiner box was developed to provide PV system integrators with a reliable and easy way to implement string monitoring that is affordable enough to use on every commercial PV system.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Trina Solar Signs Sales Agreement With GA Solar
Under the terms of this agreement, Trina Solar will supply GA Solar between 20 to 36 MW of PV modules for one year at pre-determined prices. Shipments under this agreement have recently been initiated.

German Renewable Sector Aims to Triple Market Share
Germany’s renewable energy sector aims to triple its share of power generation to 47 percent by 2020, the BEE industry association said on Wednesday.

Are you in California and interested in solar for your home? Call us at 877.SUN.MOJO or visit our website to learn more.

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ROSEVILLE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Solar Power, Inc. (“SPI”) (OTCBB:SOPW), a vertically integrated designer, manufacturer, and installer of photovoltaic (“PV”) energy systems announced today that it has received an additional order from a German solar integrator for the company’s 200-watt solar modules. On January 6th, SPI announced that an initial supply of the modules was shipped to the integrator during December, 2008. The initial product supply was well received from a quality and performance perspective, forming the basis for the order now in place.

“This order is significant as SPI continues to aggressively develop inroads into the European market,” said Bradley Ferrell, President of SPI’s Commercial Sales Division. “Our customer was obviously very happy with the performance and quality of our products in their initial trials, and has elected to engage with us on an ongoing basis. We believe our recent IEC certification and this order provide validation for our global sales, marketing and product development strategies. As a leading manufacturer and supplier in the world market for PV energy systems, we also believe our product quality and innovations, uniquely position us to continue to build global market share,” Mr. Ferrell concluded.

Product innovations and a growing body of well known commercial clientele continue to distinguish SPI. In 2007, SPI introduced its minimal or non-penetrating SkyMountTM commercial racking system for commercial roof-mounted arrays. SkyMount was most recently used at The STAPLES Center and the Nokia Theatre Live in Los Angeles, enabling the installation of more than 2,500 solar modules in just one week. SPI’s Peaq´TM elevated solar array systems, introduced earlier this month, now provides commercial enterprises with a means to significantly extend the footprint available to them for PV solar arrays in order to meet both financial and energy generation goals, while providing customers protection from heat and inclement weather.

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HUNT VALLEY, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Representatives from McCormick and Company, Inc. [NYSE:MKC], Constellation Energy [NYSE:CEG] and state and local government joined together recently to recognize the completion of one of the largest solar power installations in Maryland.

A celebration was held in McCormick’s Hunt Valley Distribution Center on January 21 to recognize the completion of a project that brought solar power to the roofs of that building and the adjacent McCormick Spice Mill. The project was performed by Constellation Energy’s Projects & Services Group and resulted in the installation of 2,100 Solar World 175 watt crystalline solar panels and 92,000 square feet of lightweight, flexible thin-film photovoltaic material. The system is expected to generate approximately one megawatt of electricity supplying energy equivalent to the electricity used by about 110 homes in a year. It is estimated that McCormick’s electricity costs for these buildings will be reduced by approximately 30 percent in the first year alone, and the electricity produced by the system will reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing about 150 vehicles from the road annually.

“We at McCormick are excited by this project because it is one of our most visible sustainability projects to date, but I’m proud to say that our commitment to the environment goes back many, many years,” said McCormick President and CEO Alan Wilson. “These solar panels provide renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gases within the community and provide McCormick with energy cost savings — the classic win-win. We are an agriculturally-based business and are mindful of the environment and take measures to preserve and protect those resources.”

Greg Jarosinski, president and CEO of Constellation Energy’s Projects and Services Group, also offered remarks at the celebration.

“This project is an example of the right forces coming together at the right time to address the issues of energy and environment, and doing it in a way that makes economic sense,” Jarosinski remarked.

Others who addressed the gathering included Malcolm Woolf, Director of the Maryland Energy Administration; David Iannucci, Executive Director of the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development, and David Carroll, Director of the Baltimore County Office of Sustainability.

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FORT WORTH, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Entech Solar (OTCBB:ENSL.OB), a leader in concentrating solar energy systems, announced today that Sean Rooney has been named Chief Operating Officer for the Company.

Mr. Rooney joined Entech Solar in February 2008 as Vice President of the Company’s EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) Operations. Since then, he has implemented a new model for project management which has resulted in over five megawatts of solar projects being completed on schedule with high customer satisfaction. With the Company’s shift in strategy away from flat-plate projects to the production and installation of Entech’s proprietary concentrating solar systems, Mr. Rooney’s role has been expanded to include all manufacturing operations as well as its EPC business. His successful turnaround of the Company’s EPC installations made Mr. Rooney the ideal candidate to address the challenges facing Entech’s manufacturing operations.

“Although our engineering team has made progress in addressing the process and supply-chain issues discussed on the Company’s third quarter earnings conference call, the factory is not yet producing product suitable for certification,” stated Frank Smith, Entech Solar CEO. “Sean will bring the same sense of urgency, purpose, and discipline to our manufacturing challenges that he provided to our EPC projects at Fresno, Denver, Valley Center, and Ocean City. This appointment is part of the ongoing transformation of Entech from a research and development organization to a vertically integrated, product-driven, manufacturer and installer of advanced concentrating solar systems. Once we have established our manufacturing capability and achieved certification, we will have two channels to market – product sales to other integrators and management of our own EPC projects that incorporate Entech modules. Sean will have responsibility for the operations portion of our vertically integrated value chain.”

Mr. Rooney added, “I am very pleased to take on this critically important responsibility for the Company. Following my recent relocation from New Jersey to Texas, I am eager to provide leadership to our manufacturing operations.”

The Company is also augmenting its manufacturing team with additional personnel and training. Entech Solar has retained experts and is training existing staff in Six Sigma methodology to address process and supply-chain issues in a systematic, data-driven approach, employing best-in-class practices. Both of these developments support Entech Solar’s dedication to commercializing its concentrating solar ThermaVolt™ system.

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Currently silicon-based solar cells are flooding the market. Industry pundits can foresee a hopeful future for low-cost, flexible solar cells. If we can make solar devices other than silicon based materials then they can be used for all sorts of applications beyond just the traditional solar panels on house rooftops. It will be [...]
Posted in: Batteries, Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power

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