Solar Energy Developments - 9/26/2007

I continue to be surprised by the solar energy activity in Canada. Listening to some skeptics, you would think that solar energy won't work outside southern or southwestern U.S. In a previous article, I wrote about the Ontario Power Authority contracting with a solar producer to build two 10MW solar plants in Ontario. Now, it appears that Natural Resources Canada is putting up $1.5B to expand solar water heating in Ottawa. The rebate program is intended to spur innovation and creative financing of solar heating programs for commercial and residential use. This solar initiative is not unique in Canada, as several provinces are said to have similar programs.

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story;jsessionid=2E5D6828FB15AF55B69139D8ED1FB7E9?id=49980

In the U.S., "Solar Power, 2007", an industry conference taking place this week, is expected to be attended by 10,000 people. The growth of solar energy is increasing exponentially, reflected in the size of this energy converence in Long Beach, CA. Some of the more notable developments this past year have been the 1.6MW solar system installed at Google's corporate headquarters, solar systems installed atop many retail stores (WalMart, Target), a 64MW concentrated solar project in Nevada, and passage of the renewable portfolio standard and extended solar tax credit in the House of Representatives earlier this year. The conference, co-sponsored by the Solar Electric Power Assn. and the Solar Energy Industries Assn., has grown 600% since the first meeting in 2004. This growth is said to reflect "...the solar power industry's rapid acceleration and the general public's emerging interest in renewable energy."

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story;jsessionid=2E5D6828FB15AF55B69139D8ED1FB7E9?id=50044

With home sales and prices down and foreclosures up, one housing market is expanding in California - solar integrated homes. And because solar homes are beginning to outsell traditional homes, developers are starting to build more of them. The growth of solar in California is partially spurred by a "Million Solar Roof" program of rebates for commercial and residential installation of solar equipment. California's goal is to produce 3,000MW of new solar energy by 2017, and to cover half of its new roofs in solar equipment by 2015.

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/news/sbnews.cfm?id=14266