solar energy, photovoltaics and solar technology news articles 
Az SMART project aims at drawing solar and other renewable energy companies to Arizona
A major research effort led by Arizona State University and initially funded through a grant from Science Foundation Arizona is analyzing how best to use solar and other sustainable energy throughout the state. A top official from the U.S. Department of Energy, Undersecretary Kristina Johnson, recently visited the project, and other VIPs are coming soon. The hope is that the Az SMART project will provide an example for other states to follow in President Obama’s plan to reduce emissions, reduce foreign oil dependence and create jobs in a clean technology economy. The project includes tools ... [more]
Mitsubishi Electric's free CPD-Accredited Guide to photovoltaic technology explores the issues around solar power
According to the latest figures from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), Europe leads the world in the use of photovoltaic systems, with 16GW of capacity installed up to 2009 - around 70% of the world's total PV power. Within Europe, Germany is at the forefront of solar energy use, with almost 10GW of installed power. 3.8GW was installed in 2009 and Government tariffs have been an important driver for the German market. With the UK photovoltaic market set to grow following the introduction of the Government's Feed In Tariff (FIT) earlier this year, Mitsubishi Electric ha... [more]
Restaurant owners can transform a parking lot into a clean electrical generator with CleanCharge solar charging stations
Envision Solar International, Inc. has launched the Quick Service Restaurant (QSRs) initiative featuring Solar Groves® solar parking arrays and CleanCharge™ solar charging stations for parking lots. CleanCharge is the first initiative to bring shade, clean solar energy and electric vehicle charging stations to QSR parking lots. The Envision Solar CleanCharge vehicle charging system provides restaurants with a Solar Grove, − an array of Solar Trees® − equipped with an electric vehicle and hybrid electric vehicle charging station. The Solar Trees provide shade for diners’ vehicles... [more]
Kyocera manufactures solar modules in San Diego to serve the US market
Solar energy has become Kyocera's fastest-growing business globally, with the company expanding production capacity aggressively to meet growing worldwide demand. Kyocera has begun manufacturing solar modules in San Diego, Calif., to serve the U.S. market's growing demand for clean, sustainable solar electric generating systems. The U.S. module production line will support a new milestone for Kyocera's solar energy business - global production volume targeting 1,000 megawatts of solar cells per year by March 2013. The new solar manufacturing line has an initial production target of 30 megaw... [more]
6 MW solar system installed at Aerojet's Sacramento Site
Aerojet, Solar Power, Inc. and SMUD have completed the 2.4 megawatts (MW) expansion of the existing 3.6 MW solar system at Aerojet’s Sacramento, Calif. facility. The site is located within the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and has now increased its capacity to 6MW, making it the largest single-site industrial photovoltaic solar electric generating facility in California and one of the largest in the country. The installation of this array was made possible through the public-private partnership that was created by Aerojet, SMUD, Solar Power, Inc. and the EPA last year. Th... [more]
