SPG Solar Completes Project For Sonoma County Water

SPG Solar, Inc. (SPG) announced today the commissioning of a 500kW AC kilowatt commercial photovoltaic (solar energy) system for the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA).

"The Agency is proud to have the wastewater treatment plant partially powered by the sun," said Cordel Stillman, Capital Projects Manager for the Sonoma County Water Agency. "It is our goal to continue providing exceptional sanitation services while protecting the environment by utilizing renewable energy sources."

The state-of-the-art system is made up of 3,312 Sharp 180-watt modules and one SatCon 500kW inverter, ground mounted in three sections on the face of a reclamation pond that serves SCWA Airport-Larkfield-Wikiup sanitation zone treatment plant, located just north of Santa Rosa, CA. The system performance will be monitored by SPG's proprietary SunSpot(R) with a display kiosk for real time production measurement.
"The Agency is proud to have the wastewater treatment plant partially powered by the sun," said Cordel Stillman, Capital Projects Manager for the Sonoma County Water Agency. "It is our goal to continue providing exceptional sanitation services while protecting the environment by utilizing renewable energy sources."

"We are proud to have engineered and constructed this high performance system that will help reduce global warming by displacing over 32 million pounds of carbon dioxide and provide enough power to supply 3,325 homes over a 25-year period" said Dan Thompson, President and CEO of SPG Solar.

"Sonoma County has the ideal climate for solar and we are bringing our proven quality of work and expert personnel to provide the highest performing solar energy systems in the industry to the Sonoma County Area," said Thompson. "SPG Solar began in 2001 with one office and a handful of employees. Today, we have 5 offices throughout Northern and Southern California, totaling over 90 employees."

SPG's new Sonoma County office and warehouse facility spans over 10,000 sq. feet and currently employs regional Energy Consultants, a Regional Superintendent, full-time installation crews, and an administrative support team.

About SPG Solar, Inc.
SPG Solar, Inc. (SPG) is the renewable energy industry's leading integrated developer, designer, and installer of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for homes, businesses, agriculture and large-scale commercial and government facilities. SPG Solar was founded in 2001 in response to California's rolling blackouts and skyrocketing energy prices and is committed to building the highest-performing solar PV systems with the highest return on investment. For more information, visit www.spgsolar.com.

GE Accelerates Solar Energy Investment

NEWARK, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) today announced it is accelerating its solar energy research program with the help of an $8.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of President Bush’s Solar America Initiative. U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Karsner and other representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) visited GE Energy’s Newark, Del. solar manufacturing facility today to highlight the company’s selection for the initiative and to discuss the future of solar energy in the U.S.

Last week, the DOE announced funding for 13 solar technology development projects, including one to be led by GE, that would help decrease the cost of manufacturing and distributing solar electricity. The Solar America Initiative is part of President Bush’s Advanced Energy Initiative. The funding is subject to award negotiation and appropriation from the U.S. Congress.

According to the DOE, the funding for the first year of GE’s project is expected to be roughly $8,100,000, with approximately $18,600,000 available over three years if the GE-led team meets its goals.

GE Energy will be heading an alliance of companies, universities and researchers that are collaborating to accelerate the large-scale commercialization of solar technology into products that are cost competitive with retail electricity rates without the need for government assistance. The GE-led team’s commercialization strategy focuses on residential and commercial buildings that currently consume more than 60 percent of the electricity generated in the United States. By 2010, GE and its team will be positioned to deliver more than 200 megawatts (MW) of easily installed, GE-branded solar electric products and Brilliance* systems into the U.S. residential and commercial markets.

The alliance’s goal is to drive down the cost of electricity to make solar energy competitive with other power generation technologies, leading to widespread application in the United States.

In addition, balance-of-system technologies will be developed to support low-cost installation and increased energy yield and future enhancements to building energy management and power quality. All will support the development, commercial scale-up and customer delivery of complete solar systems.

Research will take place at both GE Energy’s facility in Newark, Del. and at the GE Global Research Center in Niskayuna, N.Y.

“We believe that GE’s participation in the Solar America Initiative will play a significant role in helping the United States solar industry grow rapidly,” said Victor Abate, vice president - renewables for GE Energy. “We are honored that the DOE chose GE Energy to be a part of this innovative program.”

GE’s alliance includes Renewable Energy Corporation (REC ASA), Solaicx, Xantrex Technology Inc., the University of Delaware’s Institute of Energy Conversion, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, Sandia National Laboratories and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

GE Energy’s vision for its solar business is to focus on performance improvements and technology developments. According to a study by the Solar Energy Industries Association and the Prometheus Institute, U.S. solar installations were projected to grow by 20 percent in 2006 to 120 MW-dc.

Solar power is among the renewable energy technologies that play a key role in ecomagination, GE’s corporate-wide initiative to address challenges such as the need for cleaner, more efficient sources of energy, reduced emissions and abundant sources of clean water. Under ecomagination, which was launched in May of 2005, GE will invest $1.5 billion annually in research in cleaner technologies by 2010, up from $700 million in 2004.

Austin No. 1 "Clean Tech" City

LAS VEGAS — In the 1970s and 1980s, cities across America bet their economic futures on recruiting banks, insurance companies and other white-collar employers to replace factory and farm jobs.

In the 1990s, it was the computer industry. Then came biotech firms. The latest rage in economic development: "clean energy" companies that do everything from building windmills and solar panels to turning cow manure into fuel.

"This is bigger" than previous growth industries, said Lara Valentine, who was hired by the Austin, Texas, Chamber of Commerce to lure clean energy companies to the Texas capital. "Everything we do in this world revolves around energy."

Austin, which became a hub for high-tech during the computing revolution, is fast gaining recognition as a nationwide leader in clean energy and other clean technology ventures.

Earlier this month, SustainLane, a group that tracks sustainable living in U.S. cities, named Austin the No. 1 city for clean tech...read more

13 Solar Tech Firms to Receive DOE Funding

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman today announced the selection of 13 industry-led solar technology development projects for negotiation for up to $168 million (FY'07-'09) in funding, subject to appropriation from Congress. These projects will help significantly reduce the cost of producing and distributing solar energy. As part of the cost-shared agreements, the industry-led teams will contribute more than 50 percent of the funding for these projects for a total value of up to $357 million over three years. These cooperative agreements, to be negotiated, will be the first made available as part of President Bush's Solar America Initiative (SAI), a component of his Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI), announced in his 2006 State of the Union Address. Secretary Bodman made today's announcement while visiting Konarka Global Headquarters in Lowell, Massachusetts, one of the selected solar energy project sponsors.

"Solar technology can play a crucial role in moving toward affordable net zero energy homes and businesses — which combine energy efficiency and renewable energy produced on-site. Efficient buildings with solar power generation can help reduce peak demand and ease the need for expensive new generating capacity, transmission, and distributions lines as our economy grows," Secretary Bodman said.

President Bush's AEI challenges Americans to change the way we power our nation. As an integral part of the AEI, the Solar America Initiative aims to bring down the cost of solar energy to make it competitive with conventional electricity sources in the U.S. by 2015. The SAI is also part of the President's commitment to diversify our energy resources through grants, incentives and tax credits and; aims to spur widespread commercialization and deployment of clean solar energy technologies across America, which would provide long-term economic, environmental, and security benefits to our nation.

The teams selected for negotiation have formed Technology Pathway Partnerships (TPP), which include companies, laboratories, universities, and non-profit organizations to accelerate the drive towards commercialization of U.S.-produced photovoltaic (PV) systems. These partnerships are comprised of more than 50 companies, 14 universities, 3 non-profit organizations, and 2 national laboratories. DOE funding is expected to begin in FY'07, with $51.6 million going to the TPPs.

In addition, the projects announced today will enable the projected expansion of the annual U.S. manufacturing capacity of PV systems from 240 MW in 2005 to as much as 2,850 MW by 2010, representing more than a ten-fold increase. Such capacity would also put the U.S. industry on track to reduce the cost of electricity produced by PV from current levels of $0.18-$0.23 per kWh to $0.05 - $0.10 per kWh by 2015 - a price that is competitive in markets nationwide.

As part of a broader effort to highlight the Bush Administration's bold energy initiatives, today, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Andy Karsner traveled to United Solar Ovanic in Auburn Hills, Michigan to highlight these selections and the Solar America Initiative. Tomorrow, Under Secretary for Science Dr. Raymond L. Orbach will travel to Boeing in Sylmar, California to discuss today's selections and meet with representatives from the solar industry.

Teams Selected For Funding under the Solar America Initiative

Amonix- A low-cost, high-concentration PV system for utility markets. This project will focus on manufacturing technology for high-concentrating PV and on low-cost production using multi-bandgap cells. Partners for the project include CYRO Industries, Xantrex, the Imperial Irrigation District, Hernandez Electric, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Spectrolab, Micrel, Northstar, JOL Enterprises, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and Arizona State University. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of the project is expected to be roughly $3,200,000, with approximately $14,800,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

Boeing- High-efficiency concentrating photovoltaic power system. This project will focus on cell fabrication research that is expected to yield very high efficiency systems. The partners for the project will be Light Prescription Innovators, PV Powered, Array Technologies, James Gregory Associates, Sylarus, Southern California Edison, NREL, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of California Merced. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of the project is expected to be approximately $5,900,000, with approximately $13,300,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

BP Solar- Low-cost approach to grid parity using crystalline silicon. This project's research will focus on reducing wafer thickness while improving yield of multi-crystalline silicon PV for commercial and residential markets. Project partners include Dow Corning, Ceradyne, Bekaert, Ferro, Specialized Technology Resources, Komax, Palo Alto Research Center, AFG Industries, Automation Tooling Systems Ohio, Xantrex, Fat Spaniel, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Recticel, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Central Florida, and Arizona State University. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of the project is expected to be approximately $7,500,000, with approximately $19,100,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

Dow Chemical- PV-integrated residential and commercial building solutions. This project will employ Dow's expertise in encapsulates, adhesives, and high volume production to develop integrated PV-powered technologies for roofing products. Partners include Miasole, SolFocus, Fronius, IBIS Associates, and the University of Delaware. Subject to negotiations, funding for the first year of the project is expected to be roughly $3,300,000, with approximately $9,400,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals

General Electric- A value chain partnership to accelerate U.S. PV growth. This project will develop various cell technologies — including a new bifacial, high-efficiency silicon cell that could be incorporated into systems solutions that can be demonstrated across the industry. Partners include REC Silicon, Xantrex, Solaicx, the Georgia Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, and the University of Delaware. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of the project is expected to be roughly $8,100,000, with approximately $18,600,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

Greenray- Development of an AC module system. This team will design and develop a high-powered, ultra-high-efficiency solar module that contains an inverter, eliminating the need to install a separate inverter and facilitating installation by homeowners. Research will focus on increasing the lifetime of the inverter. Partners include Sanyo, Tyco Electronics, Coal Creek Design, BluePoint Associates, National Grid, and Sempra Utilities. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of the project is expected to be roughly $400,000, with approximately $2,300,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

Konarka- Building-integrated organic photovoltaics. This project will focus on manufacturing research and product reliability assurance for extremely low-cost photovoltaic cells using organic dyes that convert sunlight to electricity. Partners for this project include NREL and the University of Delaware. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of the project is expected to be $1,200,000, with approximately $3,600,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

Miasole- This project will develop high-volume manufacturing technologies and PV component technologies. Research will focus on new types of flexible thin-film modules with integrated electronics and advances in technologies used for installation and maintenance. Project partners include Exeltech, Carlisle SynTec, Sandia National Laboratories, NREL, the University of Colorado, and the University of Delaware. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of the project is expected to be $5,800,000, with approximately $20,000,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

Nanosolar- Low-cost, scaleable PV systems for commercial rooftops. This project will work on improved low-cost systems and components using thin-film PV cells for commercial buildings. Research will focus on large-area module deposition, inverters, and mounting. Partners include SunLink, SunTechnics, and Conergy. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of the project is expected to be roughly $1,100,000, with approximately $20,000,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

Powerlight- PV cell-independent effort to improve automated manufacturing systems. This project will focus on reducing non-cell costs by making innovations with automated design tools and with modules that include mounting hardware. Partners include Specialized Technology Resources and Autodesk. Subject to negotiations, first-budget period funding for this project is expected to be approximately $2,800,000, with approximately $6,000,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

Practical Instruments- Low-concentration CPV systems for rooftop applications. This project will explore a novel concept for low-concentration optics to increase the output of rooftop PV systems. The project will also explore designs using multi-junction cells to allow for very high efficiency modules. Project partners include Spectrolab, Sandia National Laboratories, SunEdison, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Subject to negotiations, funding for the first year of the project is expected to be roughly $2,200,000, with approximately $4,000,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

SunPower- Grid-competitive residential solar power generating systems. This project will research lower-cost ingot and wafer fabrication technologies, automated manufacture of back-contact cells, and new module designs, to lower costs. Project partners include Solaicx, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, NREL, and Xantrex. Subject to negotiations, first-budget period funding for this project is expected to be approximately $7,700,000, with approximately $17,900,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

United Solar Ovonic- Low-cost thin-film building-integrated PV systems. This project will focus on increasing the efficiency and deposition rate of multi-bandgap, flexible, thin-film photovoltaic cells and reducing the cost of inverters and balance-of-system components. Partners include SMA America, Sat Con Technology Corporation, PV Powered, the ABB Group, Solectria Renewables, Developing Energy Efficient Roof Systems, Turtle Energy, Sun Edison, the University of Oregon, Syracuse University, the Colorado School of Mines, and NREL. Subject to negotiations, funding for the first year of the project is expected to be roughly $2,400,000, with approximately $19,300,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

DOW to Recieve DOE Funding

MIDLAND, Mich., March 9 (PRNewswire-FirstCall) -- A solar energy initiative led by Dow Building Solutions has been selected as a recipient of the $20 million Solar America Initiative Pathways Program by the U.S. Department of Energy.

As part of the cost-shared agreements, the industry-led teams will contribute more than 50 percent of the funding for these projects for a total value of up to $357 million over three years. These cooperative agreements are the first funding awards made available as part of President Bush's Solar America Initiative (SAI), a component of his Advanced Energy Initiative, announced in his 2006 State of the Union Address, and intended to make solar energy cost competitive by 2015.

Dow Building Solutions is a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company.

The Dow Building Solutions' project is built on Dow Chemical's extensive materials; engineering; and design and fabrication technology;and will enable solar energy generation materials to be incorporated directly into the design of commercial and residential building materials, such as roofing systems, exterior sidings and fascias, and more.

"Dow brings expertise with inventing new materials and processes to create value for our customers," said Dr. William F. Banholzer, corporate vice president and chief technology officer, The Dow Chemical Company. "For example, in the automotive industry we've helped replace dozens of parts once individually installed, into one integrated assembly - not only saving money, but increasing reliability and safety. We intend to apply the same innovation in materials and processes to create building-integrated products that will dramatically reduce the cost of solar energy."

The Dow project will further research and development efforts to build integrated photovoltaics, or BIPVs. BIPV products and technologies allow solar energy generation materials to be incorporated directly into the design of commercial and residential building materials, such as roofing systems, exterior sidings and fascias, and more. BIPVs eliminate the traditional trade-offs of solar cells because they serve both as the outer protective surface of the building and generate power.

"We are pleased to be selected for this partner funding," said Kostas Katsoglou, business president, Dow Building Solutions. "As energy costs continue to rise, it is evident more must be done to develop technology offerings around renewable energy generation. This infusion of capital into our solar R&D program will enable our world class material scientists and design engineers to design, develop and scale-up integrated PV product systems and manufacturing."

The teams selected for negotiation have formed Technology Pathway Partnerships (TPP), which include companies, laboratories, universities, and non-profit organizations to accelerate the drive towards commercialization of U.S.-produced solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. These partnerships are comprised of more than 50 companies, 14 universities, 3 non-profit organizations, and 2 national laboratories. DOE funding is expected to begin in 2007, with $51.6 million going to the TPPs.

In addition, the projects announced today will enable the projected expansion of the annual U.S. manufacturing capacity of PV systems from 240 MW in 2005 to as much as 2,850 MW by 2010, representing more than a ten-fold increase. Such capacity would also put the U.S. industry on track to reduce the cost of electricity produced by PV from current levels of $0.18-$0.23 per kWh to $0.05 - $0.10 per kWh by 2015 - a price that is competitive in markets nationwide.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of innovation, science and technology to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The company offers a broad range of products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $49 billion and employs 43,000 people worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise
expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at dow.com

DOE Awards Konarka Solar America Initiative (SAI) Funding

Lowell, Mass. – March 8, 2007 – Konarka Technologies, Inc., an innovator in development and commercialization of Power Plastic™, a material that converts light to energy, today announced the company is one of 13 selected industry-led solar technology projects to be awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of President Bush’s Solar America Initiative (SAI), a component of his Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI), announced in his 2006 State of the Union Address.
The SAI project sponsors, to receive up to $168 million (FY’07-’09) in funding, subject to appropriation from Congress, were announced today by U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman while visiting Konarka Global Headquarters in Lowell, Massachusetts.
“Solar technology can play a crucial role in moving toward affordable net zero energy homes and businesses – which combine energy efficiency and renewable energy produced on-site,” commented Secretary Bodman. “Efficient buildings with solar power generation can help reduce peak demand and ease the need for expensive new generating capacity, transmission and distributions lines as our economy grows.”
Konarka’s project will focus on manufacturing research and product reliability assurance for extremely low-cost photovoltaic cells using organic dyes that convert sunlight to electricity. Partners for this project include NREL and the University of Delaware. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of the project is expected to be $1,200,000, with approximately $3,600,000, available over three years if the team meets its goals.
These projects will help significantly reduce the cost of producing and distributing solar energy. As part of the cost-shared agreements, the industry-led teams will contribute more than 50 percent of the funding for these projects for a total value of up to $357 million over three years. These cooperative agreements, to be negotiated, will be the first made available as part of President Bush’s Solar America Initiative.
President Bush’s AEI challenges Americans to change the way we power our nation. As an integral part of the AEI, the Solar America Initiative aims to bring down the cost of solar energy to make it competitive with conventional electricity sources in the U.S. by 2015. The SAI is also part of the President’s commitment to diversify our energy resources through grants, incentives and tax credits and aims to spur widespread commercialization and deployment of clean solar energy technologies across America, which would provide long-term economic, environmental and security benefits to the nation.
Solar energy is a clean, abundant, widespread, and renewable energy source that can be used to increase electricity generating capacity while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions as compared to other energy conversion pathways. Photovoltaic-based solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. They are made of semiconductor materials similar to those used in computer chips. When sunlight is absorbed by these materials, the solar energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity. The process of converting light to electricity is called the photovoltaic effect.
Craig Cornelius, the technology manager of the Department of Energy Solar Energies Program, “Because of its potential to deliver very low cost solutions to the existing grid-tied markets, the DoE considers organic photovoltaics to be a vital element of our research and development portfolio. As well, with its manufacturability, high volume potential and desired material attributes, it can open up new applications for the market.”
For more information on the solicitation and facts about the Solar America Initiative, visit: www.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_america.
About Konarka Technologies, Inc. Konarka builds products that convert light to energy – anywhere. As the leading developer of polymer photovoltaic technology that provide a source of renewable power in a variety of form factors for commercial, industrial, government and consumer applications, Konarka has a broad portfolio of patents, technology licenses and an accomplished technical team. The Company's technology is focused on delivering lightweight, flexible, scalable and manufacturable products. Konarka Technologies is headquartered in Lowell, Mass., U.S.A., with European headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and research and development facility in Austria. For additional information, visit http://www.konarka.com.