What’s going on today in solar and renewable energy news? This:
A Morgan Stanley analyst yesterday offered a “buy” rating on First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), a leading thin-film solar maker based in Tempe, Ariz., via Eric Savitz of Barron’s. First Solar shares have come under pressure in recent weeks after the company said prices of silicon-based panels would continue to fall throughout 2010. Chairman Michael Ahearn’s decision in late February to sell 40 percent of his FSLR holdings didn’t help share prices, either. In the face of it all, the Morgan Stanley analyst offers optimism: “Based on conversations with the company’s customers in the US and Europe, we believe First Solar will be able to realize higher module ASPs [average selling prices] than the market expects.”
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday said it may require the oil and gas industry to report greenhouse gas emissions, via The Dallas Morning News. “Gathering this information is the first step toward reducing greenhouse emissions and fostering innovative technologies for the clean energy future,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “It’s especially important to track potent gases like methane, which traps more than 20 times as much heat as carbon and accelerates climate change. Once we know where we must act, American innovators and entrepreneurs can develop new technologies to protect our atmosphere and fight climate change.” If Republicans and Democrats can agree on one thing, it’s probably that the EPA should NOT be charged with regulating GHG emissions. How far the agency goes down the path to regulation before Congress legislates an alternative solution is anyone’s guess.
In other EPA-related news, Todd Woody of Green Inc. yesterday reviewed the top cities on building efficiency, as determined under the agency’s Energy Star ranking system. The top three spots went to Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and San Francisco, with Denver, Chicago and Houston not far behind. The energy that goes into heating, cooling and operating buildings represents nearly half of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. Together, the 3,900 buildings that were awarded Energy Star ratings in 2009 reduced carbon-dioxide emissions by more than 4.7 million metric tons and saved around $900 million in energy costs, according to the EPA.
Let’s keep this energy efficiency theme going: Tufts University will be recognized as a “Commercial/Business Leader for Energy Efficiency” at the Northeast Energy Efficiency Summit in Boston, Mass., on March 31, via Boston.com. The university’s energy efficiency measures have yielded annual energy savings of over six million kilowatt-hours (kWh) and cost savings of more than $600,000.
Related: check out the Tufts Energy Conference, coming up in mid-April. They’ve got a great set of speakers on board, including: ACORE Founder & Director Michael Eckhart and Cambridge Energy Research Associates Co-founder Joseph Stanislaw.
The New Hampshire state Senate yesterday overwhelmingly approved a measure to allow the state’s biggest utility, Public Service New Hampshire (PSNH), to install solar panels on a landfill in Manchester, via SeacoastOnline.com. The project could create as many as 60 jobs, though it’s not clear whether they would be construction jobs or long-term positions.
In solar industry news (I know, I know — it’s kind of boring…):
- A Colorado solar power company has purchased Bend, Oreg.-based PV Powered, according to OregonLive.com. Based in Fort Collins, Colo., Advanced Energy Industries Inc. picked up the inverter manufacturer for a cool $90 million.
- Flextronics (NASDAQ:FLEX) has signed an agreement to produce solar modules for Q-Cells, a German maker of solar panels, via SustainableBusiness.
- Finally, if you’re wondering what utility-scale solar installations will look like in the future, be sure to check out the following podcast from Renewable Energy World: “Is Solar Changing Utilities or Are Utilities Changing Solar?“
Finally today, seems the Chinese are whooping America’s butt in cleantech investment, or so it seems in this story from the Los Angeles Times: “U.S. clean energy investments hit $18.6 billion last year, a report from the Pew Charitable Trusts said, a little more than half the Chinese total of $34.6 billion. Five years ago, China’s investments in clean energy totaled just $2.5 billion.”
That’s all for today. Come back and join us tomorrow.
