Solar Power Rundown for Wednesday, March 10

Here’s what’s on tap this morning: a slew of solar school projects; a new solar-installation contest from panel-maker Canadian Solar; a 200-megawatt deal between SunPower and Southern California Edison; and, wrapping it up, a few notes from CERAWeek, including a Saudi oil titan’s take on the future of global energy demand.

So what’s with all these schools installing solar panels? In the past 48 hours, the following projects have been announced:

• A Texas middle school will use a $2 million federal stimulus grant to install solar panels, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram. If all goes as planned, the Carroll School District’s new middle school will be home to a 500-kilowatt solar electric system. The installation is expected to save the district $76,000 a year in energy costs.
• Also is Texas solar news, a solar energy demonstration installation being developed by Texas Southern University at the school’s Houston campus received national endorsement from the Energy Committee of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, via MarketWatch. The project’s solar contractor, Evolution Solar, was informed that the project received the endorsement because of the university’s status as a Historical Black University, and because of the company’s “past performance in minority executive advancement.”
• In Lumberton, New Jersey, residents voted more than 2-to-1 in favor of putting solar installations atop the district’s schools, reports the Cherry Hill Courier-Post. To be in place by late September, the projects will “slash the district’s energy bills.”
• Bakersfield College in California has plans to cover a large parking lot with solar panels, via Bakersfield.com. In addition to generating 2.1 million kilowatt-hours annually, the solar installation will provide much-needed shade for 756 parking spaces. Solar in California just keeps chugging, it seems, in all sectors. The college selected SunPower Corp. as their solar energy contractor.
• Finally, see Margaret Collins’ post, “Solar Comes to Schools in Lebanon and Florida,” for yet more examples of how solar power is being applied in the education sector.

In industry news, Canadian Solar (NASDAQ:CSIQ) has announced a contest for solar installers, project designers, developers and electrical crews, relays PRNewswire. As far as I can tell, it works like this: (1) Procure and install Canadian Solar panels for your project; (2) Take some snazzy pics of your work; (3) Enter the contest online, (4) Sit back and await fame and fortune — the grand prize is one mmMMillion dollars! (Note: Actual grand prize is $3,000). We welcome readers’ thoughts on this promotion.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ:SPWRA, NASDAQ:SPWRB) today announced it will sell to Southern California Edison (SCE) enough solar panels to generate 200 megawatts — or 80 percent — of the capacity needed for the utility’s large solar installation program, relays MarketWatch.

Finally today: Speaking at CERAWeek — the annual conference of Cambridge Energy Research Associates, which is being held this week in Houston — Saudi-Aramco CEO Khaled Al-Falih expressed his view that a bulk of global energy demand will continue to be met with fossil fuels for decades to come, via the Fort Worth Star Telegram.”I don’t think any of us will see, at any time in our lives, fossil fuels meeting less than 70 percent of total energy demand,” he said. We mentioned Mr. Al-Falih in a previous installment of the Rundown. Not surprisingly, he had pretty much the same to say at Davos.

You can follow the goings-on at CERAWeek via their Twitter account. They’re also streaming a number of the discussions on their website.

That’s all for now — be sure to stay plugged in to solar energy news and info with GetSolar. See you back here tomorrow.