Five percent? That’s the EIA’s projected global increase in renewable energy generation by the year 2035. You’d think that nearly 30 years of technological, business and environmental inroads would make a bigger dent in the world’s future energy mix.

Aren’t we supposed to be living the solar dream by then? Won’t we be driving to the beach in algae-powered vehicles? Won’t we all revel in our views of majestic wind turbines? The utopian vision of our energy future may not exist in our lifetimes, but it has to have a better outlook than the one released this week.

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Once an empire, Greece is now confronted with maybe the country’s most harsh economic crisis since its birth in ancient times. However, solar power seems to represent part of Greece’s salvation, just like Archimedes’ solar rays once saved them from the enemy.

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Canadian Solar Inc. on October 2nd, 2011 announced that the Company supplied its high quality solar photovoltaic (PV) modules for Germany’s largest solar power plant.

Built by GP JOULE GmbH the open-space solar power plant has a specified output of 70 MW and occupies a 152 hectare surface in the Southern Brandenburg region of Eastern Germany.

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South Africa opens request for proposals for 1.65 GW of PV, CSP

The South African Department of Energy (DoE) has opened competitive solicitation process for renewable energy development, including 200 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) and 1.45 GW of solar photovoltaics (PV).

The program will also solicit 100 MW from projects 1-5 MW in size, which can be PV, wind, biomass or biogas. It will not use the renewable energy feed-in tariff (Refit) published by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa in 2009.

“The abandonment of the Refit has raised anxiety levels among potential developers, which warned that the absence of a predetermined tariff would raise the risks associated with the roll-out of renewables projects in South Africa,” stated the South African Alternative Energy Association.

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Riverside 550 Megawatt Solar Project

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has just approved the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, a 550-megawatt (MW) solar power project to be built in the California desert east of Palm Springs. The solar-photovoltaic facility will create more than 630 jobs at peak construction and infuse an estimated $336 million into the local economy. When built, Desert Sunlight will generate enough energy to power over 165,000 homes.

“The Desert Sunlight Solar Farm is the largest photovoltaic facility Interior has approved thus far and, when built, will help power our nation and economy,” Secretary Salazar said. “With 12 large-scale solar projects approved in the last 18 months, we continue to make significant strides in spurring innovation, job-creation, and investment in the private sector while strengthening America’s energy security.”

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PV project developer Etrion narrows losses, increases electricity sales in 2Q 2011

Etrion Corporation (Geneva, Switzerland) released its financial results for the second quarter of 2011, reporting USD 17.8 million in revenues and a net loss of USD 2.1 million.

The company also reports that it generated 29.3 million kWh of electricity from its five solar photovoltaic (PV) plants during the quarter, more than double its first quarter 2010 sales.

“With a fully-funded solar portfolio of 60 MW, Etrion has substantial revenues and cash flows from operations,” stated Etrion CEO Marco Northland. “Our solar parks have been producing almost 10% above budget, and we look forward to increasing cash flow as we add additional capacity.”

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SunPower, First Solar, environmentalists reach agreement on 700 MW of PV projects

SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California, U.S.) and a subsidiary of First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, U.S.) announced that they have reached a settlement agreement with three environmental groups on two large solar photovoltaic (PV) plants under development in Central California.

The agreement between Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, Center for Biological Diversity and the solar companies should remove barriers to the development of the 250 MW California Valley Solar Ranch and the 550 MW Topaz Solar Farm.

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New Energy Technology’s Spray-On Solar Cells Applied on Flexible Plastic Material

The United States is one step closer to building a giant solar power project that will bring 400 new green jobs to Arizona. Dubbed Agua Caliente, the new 290-megawatt solar facility will be based on two new technologies that are expected to improve the predictability and reliability of the energy produced by solar power plants and supplied to the  grid.

These technologies (fault ride-through and dynamic voltage regulation) are new to the solar industry, so their implementation in the Agua Caliente project could make them industry standards throughout the U.S..

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Last week, there was much mumbling and grumbling over Yosemite’s decision to chop down thousands of trees to improve its picturesque views, but don’t start hating the beloved park just yet. In fact, on the very same day we reported the park’s tree chopping decision, Yosemite officials flipped the switch on a $5.8 million solar array — the largest solar installation in a national park ever. The 672 kW system consists of 2,800 PV panels and will be able to provide 12 percent of the park’s total energy needs.

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Sempra to build another solar power plant in Boulder City

After building the country’s largest photovoltaic power plant in Boulder City, California-based Sempra Generation is coming back to Southern Nevada with even bigger plans.

The company announced plans Thursday to build a 150-megawatt solar energy plant on 1,100 acres in the El Dorado Valley in Boulder City. The new installation, dubbed Copper Mountain Solar 2, will produce nearly triple the amount of electricity generated at the nearby photovoltaic plant Copper Mountain Solar 1, which was opened in 2010.

The addition will generate enough energy to power 45,000 homes, according to Sempra. The cost of the project was not disclosed. Construction is expected to begin in early 2012 and wrap up by 2015, employing about 175 construction workers at any time.

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