Happy Friday, everyone. We’ll skip the banter this morning and cut straight to the chase…

Energy news this week has been dominated by a terrible oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Late yesterday, British Petroleum (BP) acknowledged that oil is seeping at a rate of 5,000 barrels per day — far faster than previously estimated. Welders are working to fashion a giant dome, which will be used to cap the well. But, according to experts, it may be 90 days before the flow of oil is stopped. The U.S. Navy has joined the response effort. Meanwhile, the White House announced it will place on hold plans for new offshore drilling rights until full investigation has been completed. When all is said and done, this Gulf spill could be larger and more damaging than the infamous Exxon Valdez spill in 1989. See pictures of the accident and ensuing mayhem, via Time.

BYD, the Chinese battery maker (not to be confused with PYT, the Michael Jackson classic) is coming to Los Angeles, California. The Chinese company will open a new U.S. headquarters in L.A., possibly at the site of a former car dealership at 1800 S. Figueroa Street, via the Contra Costa Times. Now, I don’t know BYD’s chairman, Wang Chuan-fu, but I sure like how he talks. Speaking about the company’s plans to open an HQ in America, he said “BYD stands for build your dreams. We have three dreams for here.” Let’s hope one of those dreams is creating super-efficient, low-cost batteries for the next generation of electrified cars in America. Imagine filling up your car with energy that comes at least partly from the sun.

This is the kind of story I love: a family-owned hardware store in Orange City, Florida, is installing a 10-kilowatt solar electric system atop its 6,000-square-foot building, via the Daytona News Bulletin.

The City of Cupertino, California will work with Siemens, the engineering firm, to lower its utility bills, via San Jose Mercury News. Among the items listed under the $2.1 million contract, Siemens will retrofit the city’s streetlights and irrigation system. Granted, these aren’t the sexiest of energy-efficiency upgrades. But every kilowatt-hour saved is a kilowatt-hour earned… These small measures really add up.

Atlantic City, New Jersey is putting solar on poles, via PressOfAtlanticCity.com. Atlantic City Electric will “begin testing a new way to power up the power grid: solar panel systems installed on utility poles.” Under a $515 million New Jersey solar energy plan, the state’s main utility, PSE&G, set out to install similar solar panel systems atop 200,000 utility poles across its service territory.

In Arizona solar news, APS — the state’s largest utility — is looking for somebody, anybody, to build a renewable energy project between two and 15 megawatts in size, via the Phoenix Business Journal. Requests for proposal (RFPs) are due June 24; a bidders conference is scheduled for May 20. APS is soliciting RFPs in an effort to meet its obligations under Arizona’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS). Had enough with the acronyms? Well, I’ve got one more for you.

T.G.I.F. Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend — we’ll see you back here on Monday.

The solar news recap will be short and sweet today, folks — particularly because First Solar seems to be the only game in town this morning…

In solar stocks news, FirstSolar (NASDAQ:FSLR) topped Wall Street profit estimates for Q1 and raised its 2010 forecast, via Reuters. FSLR shares were up, like, 13 percent in mid-day trading. Also noteworthy:

• Over the course of Q1, the Tempe, Arizona-based maker of thin-film solar managed to reduced its manufacturing costs by three cents, to 81 cents per watt.
• As we relayed in yesterday’s Rundown, First Solar is set to buy NextLight Renewable Power, a solar energy developer with a number of projects in the hopper. The deal will add 1.1 gigawatts (gW) worth of solar panels to the 1.4-gW already in First Solar’s project pipeline.

Investors did not respond as enthusiastically to Akeena’s first quarter results, via Barron’s. The Los Gatos, California-based solar design and installation company (NASDAQ:AKNS) reported revenues of $6.5 million, down from $7 million in the last quarter of 2009 and $7.6 million from the first quarter of 2009.

In Oregon solar news, Solar Nation — a Portland-based solar installer — today announced the final installation and commissioning of a 188-kilowatt (kW) solar electric installation at the Rogers Machinery Company, Inc., via Business Wire. Comprised of 1,074 solar panels and covering nearly 15,000 square feet of roof space, the solar array will supply over half the electricity demand of the company’s Portland, Oregon facility.

The quest for low-cost, reliable energy storage continues… Finance and Commerce yesterday published a brief, interesting story on really, really big batteries – so big they’d crush the Energizer Bunny in a heartbeat. Companies featured in the article include Xcel Energy and General Electric.

Finally today: in broader energy news, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is worse than originally thought — and it’s getting worse. The U.S. Coast Guard is preparing to set fire to the slick before it reaches the Louisiana coastline. Experts say that burning the oil is the best way to limit damage to the marine environment (to say nothing of atmospheric pollution), but a controlled burn of this scale has never been tried before.

Thanks for reading. We’ll see you back here tomorrow.

April 29, 2010 could be the date looked upon years from now as a turning point in U.S. renewable energy policy and production.

Nearly a decade after the 2001 proposal, a slew of court victories and state approvals, and a largely favorable environmental impact analysis report by the federal government, the Cape Wind was yesterday approved for construction yesterday by U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. The 130-turbine wind farm — to be sited at Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound off the shore of Cape cod, Massachusetts – will be developed by Energy Management Inc. At peak generation, the entire project is expected to generate 468 megawatts (mW) of electricity, enough energy to meet 75 percent of energy needs in Cape Cod.

Proponents of the Cape Wind project, such as Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Communications Director for Cape Wind Mark Rodgers, say that the wind farm will boost the Massachusetts economy and give the state a reliable, in-state source of electricity. It will also improve the air quality of Cape Cod, which the American Lung Association says has the worst quality of air in Massachusetts.

Critics argue that the project is too costly, with construction cost estimates ranging from $ 1 billion to as high as $2.6 billion. Other arguments focus on the project’s potential aesthetic and environmental impacts. According to to the Cape Cod Times, lawsuits aimed at blocking construction are almost an inevitability.

The road thus far, to federal approval, has been a long one. Seventeen different federal and state agencies were required to sign off on the proposal under the National Environmental Policy Act and the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act. The first signs of approval came in 2004 when all agencies returned with positive draft environmental impact statements.

Wednesday’s momentous decision came two months after Secretary Salazar announced that he was considering a decision on the Cape Wind project.

Offshore wind farms are roughly twice as expensive as land wind farms, but have significant advantages. The most energy-consuming communities are mostly located along the coasts. Offshore wind farms can provide those communities with wind power without having to build extensive, over-land transmission lines. Ocean breezes are also stronger than inland winds, and if built far enough off the coast, the turbines will not shield the view from locations in Cape Cod that have become tourist destinations based on the scenic views they provide.

The Cape Wind project is not only a major milestone for the country, but also for Massachusetts, which has enacted a number of pro-solar policies, including provisions for solar energy rebates, favorable net-metering standards and solar access laws.

We’re back after a brief hiatus yesterday. Here’s what’s on tap for today’s solar power and energy news: the nation may (finally) get its first offshore wind energy installation, though there’s still a long way to go; a nasty oil slick the size of Jamaica — the result of a tragic accident on the part of BP, the oil company, and Transocean, a rig operator — is making its way ashore; Solar Power Partners, a California solar company, raises some cash; as of last Thursday, a new batch of Vermont solar rebates is available; and FirstSolar (NASDAQ:FSLR) moves to acquire a solar project developer. Keep reading for more details…

Solar Power Partners, one of the country’s biggest independent solar power producers, has raised some funding – as much as $215 million, according the press release. Based in Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco, the California solar company will use the mix of construction debt, long term debt and tax equity, along with corporate funding, to pursue “aggressive, nationwide growth in both commercial and utility markets.”

Good news for Vermonters who want to install solar panels! As of April 22, the Green Mountain State has more Vermont solar rebates available, thanks to $5.2 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund. Homeowners can fetch a solar rebate worth $1.50 per installed watt of solar power for systems up to 10 kilowatts (kW) in size. Stay tuned to GetSolar for more details.

British Petroleum’s blob this way cometh… From the front of this morning’s Wall Street Journal: “The Gulf of Mexico oil slick grew and headed to the coast. Officials considered setting fire to the slick, which had grown to 100 miles by 45 miles, in hopes of preventing it from hitting the shoreline. BP, which contracted to use the rig that caught fire April 20, has so far failed to shut down the gushing crude. As BP defended its handling of the spill, papers show it argued against proposals for stricter safety rules.”

If you’re like me, you probably haven’t heard of Moser Baer India Ltd. (Say what?) Which probably means you don’t know that the company is the world’s second-biggest maker of blank DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. Well, according to BusinessWeek, the disc maker wants to become a solar-panel maker. Why? The company’s CFO, Yogesh Mathur, has a pretty straightforward answer: “Growth in photovoltaics dwarfs our main business.”

In Colorado solar news, a Carbondale-based company wants to put a solar installation on a landfill in Eagle, Colorado, via Vail Daily. Under the plan — which is broadly called a community-based or cooperative approach — individual homeowners would buy into the solar installation and, in return, would be able to take advantage of Colorado solar rebates and the 30-percent federal tax credit.

Did someone say downstream acquisition? FirstSolar (NASDAQ:FSLR), a Tempe, Arizona-based maker of solar thin film, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire NextLight, a developer of utility-scale solar installations in the American Southwest, via MarketWatch.

Finally today, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar may OK the country’s first offshore wind energy project,via Bloomberg. The Cape Wind project — a $1 billion, 468-peak-megawatt wind installation about five miles off Cape Cod in Massachusetts — has been nothing short of contentious since the plan was first put forth nearly a decade ago. According to Bloomberg, Massachusetts “homeowners whose ocean views would be affected have spent $20 million over nine years to block the proposed wind farm.”

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading — we’ll see you back here tomorrow.

If you are a Massachusetts business owner, you may find this $20 investment to be the most valuable one you’ve ever made.

On Wednesday, May 5, the Center for Ecological Technology (CET) will host a commercial solar energy workshop at Hancock Shaker Village in Hancock, Massachusetts. Chris Vreeland, a renewable energy consultant, and James Barry, of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, will be on hand to help business owners and community leaders determine whether a solar energy system is a sound investment, both financially and environmentally. The discussion will center on commercial and government-owned systems ranging between 15 kilowatts (kW) and one megawatt (mW) in size.

Also on the class schedule is a fitting case study, given the seminar’s location. In January, Hancock Shaker Village joined forces with six other entities  – including businesses, schools and non-profits — to create a venture that could provide a model for future large-scale solar endeavors in Massachusetts. Dubbed the “Berkshire Bundle,” the various entities were together able, with leadership from EOS Ventures, a Massachusetts renewable energy company, to complete solar installations that would have otherwise been unfeasible if pursued individually. According to this article from iBerkshires.com:

EOS owns and operates the arrays set up at each entity, then sells the power back to the host at a contracted rate over 20 years with signifcant savings. The array at Hancock Shaker Village will produce more than a third of its energy and save an estimated $4,500 annually.

Taken together, the bundle represents 811 kilowatts (kW) of solar energy capacity, or 4,000 ground- and roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) panels. The system is expected to save over 4.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide over the next 25 years. Seminar attendees will be able to tour the village and get a close look at the new solar energy system.

For those interested, the seminar will also include information about solar hot water systems for commercial use and solar financing options in Massachusetts. Act now and register for the seminar before it fills up. Registration is $20.

Oceana High School in Pacifica, California has become the latest victim of solar theft, a crime that has become more common as the California solar energy industry continues to gain momentum.

The school was just two months away from putting into service a new rooftop solar electric system, worth $43,700, when thieves climbed onto the building’s roof and, according to San Jose Mercury News, made off with 108 solar panels — the first batch that had been installed.

Despite the increase in incidences of solar theft, particularly in Napa and Sonoma counties in California, very few of the thieves have been caught. Last fall, 25 panels worth roughly $30,000 were lifted from a Napa, California winery. And earlier in the year GetSolar ran a post, “Chico, CA: Hotbed of Solar Crime.” Police suspect that stolen panels are sold informally at cheaper rates.

Despite the setback, Oceana High School will continue to pursue its California solar installation. Luckily for school administrators, the solar contractor, Photon, is responsible for any lost or stolen parts of the solar energy system.

This isn’t the first time solar panels have been stolen from a Jefferson District School, which includes Oceana High. In September, about 40 vanished from another site.

The school district is offering an award of $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest.

• Learn more: Products to Prevent Solar Theft

Last week, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) detailed a plan it introduced last fall to install solar energy systems atop its medical centers. The VA’s initial announcement in November included solar installations at facilities in Texas, California, Nevada and Arizona that would amount to 1.7 megawatts (MW) of solar energy.

Adding to these initial solar installations, the VA last week unveiled a $20.2 million broader plan for solar panel installations at 18 medical centers in eight states and American Samoa, that together would total 3,020 kilowatts (kW) of solar energy. Depending on the structure of each facility, the solar energy systems will be ground mounted, sitting on rooftops or atop carports.

While we don’t yet know which solar installation company will be doing each system, we do know that REC solar, based in San Luis Obispo, is still included in the plan.

When it comes to renewable energy, Bethke Elementary in Louisville, Colorado is as green — and gold — as can be.

Located about 10 miles southeast of Boulder, the school has been recognized as one of the greenest school in the country, compiling a sustainable report card of achievements that includes: three Green Globe awards; a LEED Gold for Schools certification; and an A+ (99 out of 100) in environmental friendliness from Energy Star.

The school’s latest move is the installation of a new solar energy system courtesy of Bella Energy, a Colorado solar installer. The local installer donated $10,000 toward the new system, which will allow the school to solar power 11 percent of its energy needs. To celebrate Earth Day, the school unveiled the new 90-panel system at a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week. The system is expected to save more than 50,000 pounds annually of carbon dioxide from polluting the rocky mountain air.

Bethke Elementary has demonstrated its commitment to renewable energy measures since 2008, when it became the first school to benefit from Colorado’s Renewable Schools program, with help from Trees, Water & People (TWP), a Fort Collins, Colorado-based non-profit aiming to “protect, conserve and manage the natural resources.”

Learn more about TWP’s Renew the Rockies Program and how they have worked to install renewable energy systems at Colorado elementary schools.

Back to the grind, everyone… Here’s a burst of solar energy news to help you through the day.

In New York solar news, Thornwood Self Storage center has added a Westchester County solar installation to its 48,000-square-foot facility, via a press release on Earth Times News. The 82-kilowatt (kW) solar electric system is expected to offset nearly 69,000 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions a year, an amount that could otherwise be achieved by recycling 1.5 million aluminum cans. Finally, someone puts emissions-reduction numbers into a context I understand…

In Massachusetts solar news, the town of Lancaster may add a new energy-efficiency building code, which would allow it to pursue a $1 million state grant, according to the Worcester Telegram. The funds could be used to install solar panels on the town’s landfill and a number of municipal buildings. Lancaster Energy Commission member David Dunn had the following to say: “It’s not that I’m ‘green,’ I’m just frugal. Anything we can do to reduce energy will save the town money. This is an opportunity for the town to keep the tax rate from rising, for the town to survive.”

In Arizona solar news, a Tucson-area school will add a new solar installation over the summer, via ABC Tucson. The $2 million project is expected to reduce Continental Elementary School’s $112,000 annual electricity bill. This news comes after the Higley Unified School District, also in Arizona, last week approved an agreement to add a number of new rooftop solar installations, via Arizona Central.com.

SunEdison, a division of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE:WFR), announced on Friday that it will develop and construct as many as 14 rooftop solar installations for The Remingtong Group, via MarketWatch. Together, the solar installations will total three megawatts (mW) of solar generation capacity for the Canadian real estate developer. So many Arizona solar schools, so little time…

In broader energy news, President Obama on Sunday attended a memorial service for the 29 miners who lost their lives in a West Virginia coal mine on April 5, according to USA Today. In his eulogy, the President emphasized the miners’ hard work and stoicism: “Hour after hour they burrowed into coal, for electricity that lights a convention center, the electricity that powers our country, the electricity that powers the world. … These miners lived — as they died — in pursuit of the American Dream.” The April 5 explosion was America’s worst mining accident in nearly 40 years.

Renewable Energy World has an interview with Roger Little, the CEO of Spire Solar. If you’re a solar industry wonk, it’s worth a read, particularly because both Little and Spire have been prominent players in the industry for quite some time. Plus, the 69-year-old is a world-ranked triathlete, which is pretty awesome.

Finally today: Ed Fondiller, owner and director of a tennis resort in Saugerties New York, inaugurated a new Hudson Valley solar installation last week, via Mid Hudson News. This is just one of tens — perhaps hundreds — of solar installations that were added to the grid across the country last week in celebration of Earth Day. We managed to cover one: a Tucson, Arizona solar electric installation, courtesy of KXCI Community Radio and a generous local solar installer. But just click through to the picture of Fondiller smiling and standing proudly in front of the resort’s spankin’-new 486-panel solar system, and you’ll see why we’re including it here. He’s just so happy — congrats to him and his company!

That’s all for today — thanks, as always, for reading. We’ll see you back here tomorrow.

On Thursday, April 29, California solar installer SolarCraft is hosting a free information session for area businesses. To be held at Cline Cellars in Sonoma, California, the event will help business owners understand how they can save money with commercial solar installations.

The Northern California winery is a fitting location for the meeting, considering its operations are partly powered by 2,000 solar panels mounted atop the building, amounting to 411 kilowatts (kW) of power.

The session, entitled “Eliminating your Energy Bill: A Commercial Perspective,” will feature speakers aiming to enlighten local small business owners as to how a solar energy system can cut their monthly energy cost.

Representatives from Sonoma County and PG&E, the California utility company, will be leading the discussion about the benefits of renewable energy. All local business owners are encouraged to attend and learn how solar energy can lead to a more efficient business. You can see the list of speakers and RSPV here.