Something new is headed for the Southwest desert: solar power plants that can make electricity whether or not the sun is shining. Share and Enjoy:

Arizona solar farm known as Agua Caliente changes hands yet again, along with its power purchase agreement with PG&E. Share and Enjoy:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (UPI) — The first solar power plant in the United States capable of storing its own energy will service around 70,000 consumers in Arizona, the energy secretary said. Share and Enjoy:

PRESCOTT, Ariz., Dec. 17, 2010 – SunEdison, a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR), and Arizona Public Service Co., today announced the planned construction of a utility-scale photovoltaic solar power plant to be located two miles north of the Prescott Regional Airport. SunEdison will own and operate the plant with APS purchasing the entire output. APS estimates the 10 … Share and Enjoy:

DENVER – Abengoa Solar announced today that it has finalized $1.45 billion financing to build Solana, the world’s largest parabolic trough concentrating solar plant. This plant, with a total investment of around $2 Billion, will generate 250 net megawatts. Santiago Seage, CEO of Abengoa Solar, stated, “Solana is the first large scale CSP plant for Abengoa Solar in the U.S. read more Share and Enjoy:

Connecticut electricity producer NRG Energy, Inc. plans to acquire a 290-megawatt solar farm in Tempe, Arizona to create the largest photovoltaic site in the world. Share and Enjoy:

Arizona solar farm known as Agua Caliente changes hands yet again, along with its power purchase agreement with PG&E. Share and Enjoy:

SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SolarReserve, a U.S. developer of utility-scale solar power projects, today announced it has received two Certificates of Environmental Compatibility (CEC) from the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee for its Crossroads Solar Energy Project. The unanimous decision (11-0) from the Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee is a … Share and Enjoy:

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market announces a partnership with REC Solar to install roof-mount solar systems on nine Arizona stores. Share and Enjoy:

Arizona Public Service, a subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp., continues its push for more solar power generating facilities. Share and Enjoy:

Two more solar projects were announced in Arizona, joining a growing list of at least 15 scheduled to serve the three major utilities in the next two years. Share and Enjoy:

Work is now under way on a new plant that will provide power to more than 3,000 homes. Share and Enjoy:

First Solar Inc. won a contract to supply panels to India’s ACME Tele Power Ltd Share and Enjoy:

Our own Gary Held was interviewed at the Maricopa County Home Show in August. Here’s the video. Share and Enjoy:

Home Show

An ASU researcher concludes that to maximize the benefits of solar power, Arizona should export its energy. Share and Enjoy:

Recent changes in APS have caused incentive rebates to drop to $1.75 per watt! That’s a 50% drop from last year’s rebate of $3.00 per watt. The reason for the huge decrease in rebates comes from the high demand of Phoenix solar installations. Solar installations are now taking almost a year to complete due to the number of new installation requests. Share and Enjoy:

Goldwater Institute’s dogged challenge of renewable-energy regulations reaches the Arizona Court of Appeals Share and Enjoy:

Solar panel makers from Arizona to Shanghai face a price crunch in 2011 because they’re adding manufacturing capacity just as global demand is poised to fall, Axiom Capital Management Inc. said. Share and Enjoy:

Solar energy speculators want to build a solar tower facility in Arizona that would be more than thr Share and Enjoy:

EnviroMission (ASX: EVM) (OTCQX: EVOMY) has filed a notice of intent with the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee for an application for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility (“CEC”) Share and Enjoy:

Cowley Companies, a Phoenix real-estate investment firm, hired Empire Power Systems to build the $11.5 million system atop its 850,000-square-foot warehouse near 25th Avenue and Buckeye Road. Share and Enjoy:

EnviroMission Share and Enjoy:

Hefty tax credits and utility rebates have helped fuel asun-powered boom that has solar arrays sprouting up on rooftops andcarports in Tucson and across Arizona. Share and Enjoy:

National Bank of Arizona will throw the switch on a402-kilowatt, $2 million solar photovoltaic array at its SouthernArizona headquarters today. Share and Enjoy:

Arizona has been working the last few years to take advantage of one of it’s greatest natural resources, the sun. And, there are indications it’s working. KJZZ’s Dennis Lambert was joined with Barry Broome, President and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council to discuss the rise of solar development in Arizona. Share and Enjoy:

Expected to Provide 70 Percent of Center’s Electricity Demand; Largest Single-Rooftop Solar System in US SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 12 — SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) today announced that construction is underway on a 3.5-megawatt SunPower solar power system at Macy’s, Inc. online fulfillment center in Goodyear, Ariz. The system will deliver the equivalent of 70 percent of the 600,000 … Share and Enjoy:

Cowley Companies, a Phoenix real-estate investment firm, hired Empire Power Systems to build the $11.5 million system atop its 850,000-square-foot warehouse near 25th Avenue and Buckeye Road. Share and Enjoy:

The Blythe project is slated for more than 7,000 acres of public land near the Arizona border, some 225 miles east of Los Angeles. The project is the sixth solar power development approved by the Interior Department this month — all in California and Nevada. Share and Enjoy:

Say ” Willkommen in Bay Area!” to German clean-tech companies that are casting favorable eyes in our direction. First up, and the latest overseas solar enterprise to put its North American headquarters in San Francisco,… Share and Enjoy:

An Arizona company is flipping the switch on a huge solar system that will cut its electric bill by 40 percent.  Share and Enjoy:

A Power Purchase Agreement for the sale of electricity from the proposed EnviroMission Arizona Solar Tower development to the Southern California Public Power Authority has been placed on the agenda for approval at the next SCPPA board meeting on October 21, 2010. Share and Enjoy:

Town of Chino Valley Plans to Recognize Solar Panel Donation at Nov. 9 Town Hall Meeting TEMPE, AZ and BOSTON, MA /October 13, 2010 – The Town of Chino Valley in Arizona plans to make a green, renewable example to its community, thanks to TUV Rheinland PTL, LLC, North America’s largest solar and photovoltaic testing company. TUV Rheinland PTL has donated more than 50 solar panels for … Share and Enjoy:

A Power Purchase Agreement for the sale of electricity from the proposed EnviroMission Arizona Solar Tower development to the Southern California Public Power Authority has been placed on the agenda for approval at the next SCPPA board meeting on October 21, 2010. Share and Enjoy:

The Arizona-based solar panel maker said it will build two new factories to help meet demand. The plants, planned for the United States and Vietnam, will boost First Solar’s manufacturing capacity by nearly 500 megawatts when they are completed in 2012. The factories are in addition to planned facilities in Malaysia, Germany, and France. When all the plants are built, … Share and Enjoy:

TORONTO–(Marketwire – October 12, 2010) – W2 Energy, Inc. ( PINKSHEETS : WTWO ) is pleased to announce that The Arizona Research Institute for Solar Energy (AzRISE) has purchased a 10 kilowatt rotary SteamRay engine and generator system which will convert compressed air, natural gas and water vapor into electricity. Share and Enjoy:

SunPower Corp. today announced that construction is underway on a 3.5-megawatt SunPower solar power system at Macy’s, Inc. online fulfillment center in Goodyear, Ariz. The system will deliver the equivalent of 70 percent of the 600,000-square-foot building’s electricity demand, and is expected to be the largest solar system on a single rooftop in the U.S. when it is completed in March of 2011. Share and Enjoy:

Salt River Project and Iberdrola Renewables have signed a 25-year power purchase agreement for 20 megawatts of solar photovoltaic energy from a Pinal County facility. SRP will purchase all of the solar energy produced at the Copper Crossing Solar Ranch, which is expected to be online by June 2011. Share and Enjoy:

A Sempra Energy subsidiary has signed a deal to sell the electricity from a 150-megawatt wind farm in Arizona to Northern California’s Pacific Gas & Electric. Share and Enjoy:

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. has opened its 117,000-square-foot solar panel manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Arizona—its first in the United States. Share and Enjoy:

Winners of the race for the Arizona Corporation Commission willhelp shape energy policy in the state for years to come, as thestate looks to boost solar and other renewable energy sources whileplanning to meet future demand. Share and Enjoy:

Solar panels in Seattle? Makes about as much sense as sunscreen or shades. Share and Enjoy:

For the first time, federal land managers gave final approval Tuesday for the construction of two large solar installations on public lands that could power hundreds of thousands of homes with renewable energy. Share and Enjoy:

Power-One, a Camarillo-based renewable energy and equipment manufacturer, is opening a new plant in Phoenix to manufacture solar power inverters. Share and Enjoy:

Project at wastewater plant would not cost taxpayers. Some council members have concerns. Share and Enjoy:

PHOENIX—-Arizona Public Service Company’s drive to develop more solar energy took another step forward today with the announcement of an 18-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant to be located 70 miles southwest of Phoenix in Gila Bend. Share and Enjoy:

Sharp Corp., Japan’s biggest solar- panel maker, agreed to buy California’s Recurrent Energy for as much as $305 million to expand into building power plants as it faces more competition from Chinese panel manufacturers. Share and Enjoy:

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–REC Solar, a leading solar electric system provider in the U.S., has announced the completion of a 1.1 MW system for Castle Rock Vineyards, located in Delano, California. The premier grape grower’s ground-mounted system, utilizing 5,400 Kyocera 210 Watt modules, covers approximately four acres to become one of the largest installations for an … Share and Enjoy:

By Elisabeth Parker, Times Staff Writer Wednesday, September 22, 2010 Jon Butts rolls out a grill that uses the sun’s heat. He has spent $31,500 on the solar system that helps to run his Plant City farm. Jon Butts harvests all the energy he can from the sun. He uses it to heat his water, cool his food, power his golf carts and run an irrigation pump on his 54-acre farm in Plant City. He recently … Share and Enjoy:

Years ago, I travelled to Arizona to attend solar home tours. First it was Tucson, then a year or so later, Flagstaff and Prescott. Each one was a great experience. I met homeowners who benefitted from doing things differently. Best of all was their willingness to share their experiences with others. Share and Enjoy:

APS is installing solar panels for free on 200 Doney Parkhomes. Share and Enjoy:

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) held a public hearing at the end of August for the Conservation District Use Application for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST), the largest solar telescope in the world. Share and Enjoy:

Solar City, a company that designs, installs, and leases out solar power systems to home and business owners, announced that it will bring renewable electricity to some 30 Wal-Mart stores in California and Arizona. Chief executive and founder of Solar City, Lyndon Rive [pronounced like “five”] spoke with TechCrunch about helping Wal-Mart go greener, what his company looks for in solar technology … Share and Enjoy:

A supermarket chain has announced plans to install solar panels on the roofs of up to 30 stores to generate renewable power. Share and Enjoy:

Arizona’s renewable energy industry could be busy over the next 18 months since deadlines are looming to spend $499 million in federal stimulus funds for energy programs. Arizona governments and companies have been awarded the funds from the U.S. Department of Energy for a total of 81 projects. Share and Enjoy:

More home builders are putting solar panels on new homes and have come up with a novel way of making solar more affordable for buyers. Share and Enjoy:

Retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc plans to expand the use of renewable energy in its stores by installing thin-film solar panels in up to 30 of its locations. Share and Enjoy:

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Sept. 20 (UPI) — As many as 30 Walmart stores in California and Arizona will be outfitted with solar panels, many using a new thin film technology, the retailer said Monday. California – Arizona – Technology – Retailing – Business Share and Enjoy:

Boeing is developing an amazing new plane — an unmanned, solar-powered aircraft that can fly for five straight years without stopping. Share and Enjoy:

Shopping for discounts at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is about to become even more of a sunny activity. The world’s largest retailer is pairing with SolarCity Corp., the country’s market leader in solar installations, to add panels to 20 to 30 stores in California and Arizona. That’s in addition to the 31 Wal-Mart locations, all in California or Hawaii, that already have solar rigged up. That leaves … Share and Enjoy:

We’ve watched with increasing interest in recent years as Walmart works to shed its image as a heartless corporate behemoth and makes a legitimate attempt to embrace sustainability. The company has impressed us with its sustainability consortium, progressive recycling policies, and now a thin film solar initiative that will see panels installed on up to 30 Walmart sites in California and Arizona … Share and Enjoy:

Candidates for Arizona House District 16 offering their views on issues. Share and Enjoy:

TUCSON – A new piece of technology at the University of Arizona is turning heads and literally slowing traffic. This summer, a solar lighted crosswalk was installed at First Street and Mountain Avenue, believed to be the first of its kind in the region. Share and Enjoy:

Retail giant expands its solar program with panels from First Solar and MiaSole, giving a boost to thin-film technology at businesses. SolarCity will install, finance, and own the panels. Share and Enjoy:

A bright idea saves one valley school hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.  FOX 10′s Alexis Vance has more on what the change meant for students. Share and Enjoy:

The stimulus act hasn’t created an army of ”green-collar” workers in Arizona, yet, but most of the money for energy projects hasn’t been spent. Share and Enjoy:

Here are three examples of stimulus grants for energy projects in Arizona, what the projects aim to accomplish, and what has been accomplished so far. Share and Enjoy:

It’s Hotter in Phoenix: Arizona’s Capital As a Gay Travel Destination? Share and Enjoy:

A New Jersey-based power company will invest $100 million or more in solar projects for Arizona schools, allowing districts to cut their utility bills without paying anything up front for their power systems. Share and Enjoy:

PRINCETON, N.J. & PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As students attend classes in several Arizona school districts this fall, the schools will be featuring on-campus solar arrays specially designed to meet their own electricity needs while providing the school’s faculty with new teaching tools. This clean solar energy program has been conceived by Arizona’s Kennedy Partners, LLC and co-developed by … Share and Enjoy:

PINAL COUNTY – Central Arizona College has received a three-year, $2,182,003 federal grant to provide training in certificate and degree programs in biofuels production and solar installation. Share and Enjoy:

The solar services provider SunEdison had a few big announcements recently. This week, the company said it was awarded a contract to build a 14.5 MW solar PV plant at an Air Force Base in Arizona, as well as a contract to deploy 2.2 MW on rooftops in the province of Ontario. Share and Enjoy:

A 140% run-up in shares of a solar company can only mean one thing: profit-taking and shorts swoop in likes vultures on shares of Power-One. Share and Enjoy:

SAN FRANCISCO & HONOLULU—-SunRun, the nation’s leading home solar company, today announced that its solar power service is now available in Hawaii. The company allows homeowners to have rooftop solar panels installed for as little as $0 down and pay monthly for solar electricity. Share and Enjoy:

Prices for photovoltaic panels that convert sunlight into electricity may fall about 10 percent next year, less than analysts had previously forecast, as European demand increases. Share and Enjoy:

A consortium wants to invest $560 billion in Sahara solar panels Share and Enjoy:

SunEdison, a leading worldwide solar energy services provider and subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. , was awarded a ground-mounted 14.5 megawatt solar service contract with Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. Share and Enjoy:

Martin Giff/The Times of TrentonFile photo of NRG Energy at 211 Carnegie Center in West Windsor on Wednesday, July 08, 2009. NRG Energy announced today that together with Kennedy partners they are building 12 large solar pavilions on schools in… Share and Enjoy:

Editor’s Note: Scientific American ‘s George Musser will be chronicling his experiences installing solar panels and taking other steps to save energy in 60-Second Solar . Read his introduction here and see all posts here . At the rate things are going, the sun is going to become a red giant and engulf the inner planets before we ever get our solar panels. It took us months to navigate the … Share and Enjoy:

Spanish solar energy heavyweight Abengoa recently won a commitment of $1.45 billion from the United States’ Department of energy to construct what will be the world’s largest solar plant, a 280 MW behemoth in Arizona state. Share and Enjoy:

The deal may lead to a new bidding consortium, after a previous one involving Solar fell apart. Share and Enjoy:

( Arizona State University ) Arizona State University will combine expertise in electrical and materials engineering, bioengineering and physics in a new center to pursue discoveries and broaden education in the expanding field of photonics Share and Enjoy:

Beyond the orbit of Neptune reside countless icy rocks known as trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). One of the biggest, Pluto, is classified as a dwarf planet. The region also supplies us with comets such as famous Comet Halley. Most TNOs are small and receive little sunlight, making them faint and difficult to spot.Now, astronomers using clever techniques to cull the data archives of NASA’s Hubble … Share and Enjoy:

The Sahara gets twice as much sunshine annually as most of Europe. The European Union wants to get 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources within a decade. So why not build solar power plants across North Africa and ship the electricity north via… Renewable energy – Energy – European Union – Renewable – Power station Share and Enjoy:

With more than 300 days of sunshine a year here, it’s not surprising that the solar energy business is gaining a foothold. We met a Peoria man who’s just started using solar power in his home and he’s happy with the results. Share and Enjoy:

An Arizona website reveals household solar-power prices. Share and Enjoy:

The four candidates in the race for two Arizona House seats for legislative District 16 argue their work experience will lead to improvements in the economy, jobs and education for south Phoenix. Share and Enjoy:

Number of homeowners installing solar panels, water heaters has skyrocketed in past three years. Share and Enjoy:

A California company that makes electrical components for rooftop solar-power systems will bring 350 jobs to Phoenix starting next month, economic-development officials said Wednesday. Share and Enjoy:

State regulators unanimously approve the 250-megawatt project, to be set up in San Bernardino County. The go-ahead brings the state closer to approving 4,300 megawatts of solar power by the end of 2010. State regulators on Wednesday unanimously cleared the Abengoa Mojave Solar Project for construction, pushing California closer to approving 4,300 megawatts of solar power by the end of the year. Share and Enjoy:

Loading list… Kelly LoCascio, left, Tracy Rhoderick and Jeremy Freer, with Angel MedFlight, worldwide air ambulance, stand next to a Lear 35 in the Maintenance Handger at the Air Center in Scottsdale. Share and Enjoy:

For the next ten days Challenger Center will be reporting live from NASA’s Desert RATS in Arizona as humans use robots and rovers to learn what it would be like to live and work on another world. Share and Enjoy:

With great fanfare, an Arizona-based energy company signed a preliminary agreement with China last fall to build the world’s largest solar power plant in the Mongolian desert. China – Energy – Solar energy – Renewable – Solar Share and Enjoy:

Not a light bulb’s worth of solar electricity has been produced on the millions of acres (hectares) of public desert set aside for it. Not one project to build glimmering solar farms has even broken ground. Share and Enjoy:

With great fanfare, an Arizona-based energy company signed a preliminary agreement with China last fall to build the world’s largest solar power plant in the Mongolian desert. China – Energy – Renewable – Solar energy – Business Share and Enjoy:

Not a light bulb’s worth of solar electricity has been produced on the millions of acres of public desert set aside for it. Share and Enjoy:

Solar recharge products solve real problems, provide freedom for customers Share and Enjoy:

Not a light bulb’s worth of solar electricity has been produced on the millions of acres of public desert set aside for it. Not one project to build glimmering solar farms has even broken ground. Share and Enjoy:

ROACH DRY LAKE, Nev. — Not a light bulb’s worth of solar electricity has been produced on the millions of acres of public desert set aside for it. Not one project to build glimmering solar farms has even broken ground. Instead, five years after federal land managers opened up stretches of the Southwest to developers, vast tracts still sit idle. Share and Enjoy:

PHOENIX — On Wednesday, the Arizona Corporation commission launched “Arizona Goes Solar”, a new website that will serve as a one-stop shop for homeowners and businesses who want to learn more about how to adopt solar energy and technology. Share and Enjoy:

PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Arizona Public Service Co. has issued a request for proposal that seeks solar electric systems for five high-profile government and non-profit organizations. Share and Enjoy: