Here’s your solar energy digest for Friday, February 5:

Sharp has expanded its manufacturing facility in Memphis, resulting in a “hiring blitz,” according to the Memphis Business Journal. Responding to growth in demand for solar panels, the company added nearly 200 jobs last year and boosted the Memphis plant’s production capacity by over 130 percent, from 60 megawatts to 140 megawatts. Sharp has benefited from Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit funding, which it received in January through the federal recovery act.

Bernie Sanders — an Independent Senator from Vermont and America’s only openly socialist Senator — isn’t exactly what you’d call “in the political mainstream.” But if he wants to make 10 million solar roofs across the U.S. then, well, we support his ambition. Apparently, so do the nine other senators who are co-sponsoring Sanders’ bill, which is entitled “10 Million Solar Roofs & 10 Million Gallons of Solar Hot Water Act” (Presumably, the bill’s title is a play on California’s Million Solar Roofs Initiative.) For more details on the senator’s plan, and some great quotes, check out this interview with Grist’s David Roberts.

Clearly established states’ rights is one of the things that makes America great. It’s also often a source of frustration for an industry when individual states make opposing decisions. Case in point: Just as the Arizona legislature will be reviewing a bill that could weaken that state’s renewable energy standard, comes news via Solar Industry that Colorado Governor Bill Ritter wants to strengthen his state’s standard.

Then again, if Congress fails to pass a cap-and-trade climate policy bill, they may instead opt to pass a national renewable energy standard (RES), rendering moot much of the foregoing. On this topic, Environmental Leader reviews a new report from Navigant Consulting suggesting an RES would benefit southeastern and manufacturing states.

Banks are once again being “lured by sexy solar, wind energy projects,” according to BusinessWeek. After a sluggish year in renewable energy project finance in 2009, cash may be available at levels not seen since 2008.

Finally, WSJ.com’s Stuart Weinberg reports that Ontario needs to clarify its feed-in tariff (FIT) rules. At issue is a rule requiring that at least 50 percent of the goods and services used in large solar installations originate in Ontario. Strict requirements on local procurement, it turns out, can spook investors and hinder projects.

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend. Stay tuned.