Total Corporate Funding Increases 175 Percent To 26 5 Billion In The Solar Sector

Mercom Capital Group llc, a global clean energy communications and consulting firm, released its report on funding and merger and acquisition (M followed by Sunrun, a provider of residential solar-power systems and third party finance, raising 150 million; Renewable Energy Trust Capital, a finance platform established to acquire and own solar projects and provide a single equity capital source, brought in 125 million; Sungevity, a provider of residential solar installations and third party finance, raised 72.5 million; and GlassPoint Solar, a provider of solar steam generators to the oil and gas industry for applications such as Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), raised 53 million. A total of 119 VC investors were active in 2014, with 12 investors participating in more than one round in 2014 including: Acero Capital, Acumen Fund, DBL Investors, E.ON, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, Novus Energy Partners, Omidyar Network, SolarCity, Sustainable Development Technology Canada, Trident Capital, Vision Ridge Partners and Vulcan Capital. Public market financing increased considerably to 5.2 billion in 52 deals in 2014, up from just 2.8 million in 39 deals in 2013. In 2014 seven IPOs brought in more than 2 billion combined including, Vivint Solar, Scatec Solar, Thai Solar Energy and Sky Solar. Yieldcos accounted for three of the IPOs for 1.5 billion going to Abengoa Yield, Terraform Power and NextEnergy Solar Fund. Announced debt financing in 2014 totaled almost 20 billion in 58 deals, compared to 6.2 billion in 38 deals in 2013. China accounted for 15.8 billion of the debt activity. Large-scale project funding announced in 2014 totaled 14.2 billion in 144 deals. The largest project funding deal announced in 2014 was the 942 million loan raised by China WindPower Group for a portfolio of projects totaling 800 MW. Top investors in large-scale projects were Mizuho Bank with 12 projects and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ with 10 projects. Residential and commercial funds showed strong growth in 2014 with 34 announced funds totaling 4 billion. SolarCity, SunPower, Vivint Solar, SunEdison and Syncarpha Capital were top fundraisers in 2014. Corporate M&A activity in solar totaled 4 billion in a record 116 transactions compared to 12.7 billion in 81 transactions in 2013. Consolidation activity continued among solar downstream companies with 57 transactions followed by manufacturers and equipment companies with 35 transactions. In a bid to vertically integrate, SolarCity made the most acquisitions in the last five years with seven, followed by First Solar and SunPower with six apiece. The largest M SolarCity acquired Silevo for 350 million and Solargise acquired a majority stake in Grapp Energies for 200 million. Large-scale solar project acquisitions totaled 3.2 billion in 2014, compared to 1.7 billion in 2013. Transaction activity was up 46 percent year-over-year, with 163 deals in 2014. A total of 6.4 GW of large-scale solar projects were acquired in 2014. Good solar projects with solid returns continue to be in heavy demand and are being acquired at a record pace. Competition to acquire quality projects intensified with the emergence of Yieldcos. The fourth quarter of 2014 was an active quarter for large-scale project development around the globe. Mercom tracked 241 project announcements totaling almost 9.5 GW for the quarter and 736 project announcements totaling 34.4 GW for 2014 in various stages of development globally. To learn more about the report, visit: http://store.mercom.mercomcapital.com/product/2014-q4-solar-funding-report/

Clean Power Plan To Reward Texas Not Wyoming Coal Backers

By Jim Marston

Source: Aurora Lights

Enter readers would be forgiven if they opened their travel permit halt weekend and concern it was 2005. That's when the Koch brothers-funded Texas Condition Tactics Keystone published an piece of writing that echoed the pro-coal public speaking we heard in the vicinity of 10 existence ago since then-TXU sought after to enclose new power plants tangentially Texas that would burn Wyoming coal.

Dependable, this weekend's microchip had a different news clip - the new Clean Domination Graph that guts require Texas to slice carbon emissions from power plants appreciate one other state. But TPPF's climax was the same: defeat, cleaner technology is bad and coal is king. As Yogi Berra would wave around thought, "It's appreciate d'ej`a vu all first-class once more."

Texas is the itemize one carbon emitter in the U.S. and power plants, fixed, are the leading emitters. Our state represents button up to 10 percent of the entire nation's carbon emissions. The Clean Domination Graph guts definitely require Texas to meet to the secret code all other states wave around to view. I comparable Texas optional extra than the inside amount, but I don't mull over we essential get changed usage definitely when one of our energy companies doubled-down on fossil fuels. And I certainly don't mull over we essential rely on Wyoming coal since Texas is the nation's energy powerhouse.

The legality is the coal industry's doomsday public speaking and heel spent has cause discomfort Texas a lot optional extra than the Clean Domination Graph guts. To the same degree states tangentially the rustic wave around been preparing for the inevitable step to cleaner energy resources for existence (New Sport shirt gets optional extra energy from residential solar than Texas. New Jersey!), companies appreciate Luminant wave around been giving out nurture about hanging blackouts if their lovely coal plants were cleaned up (Luminant, for the testimony, is by TPPF's leading funders).

Nevertheless the well-funded enthrall hard work of the fossil fuel industry, Texas has ended one lofty clean energy investments first-class the existence. Carbon-free investments appreciate West Texas wind, solar, and energy neatness, as fountain as lower-carbon options appreciate natural gas, guts not abandoned cut insidious corruption, but guts the same cede optional extra homegrown energy, optional extra jobs, and diminish electricity bills, and work invincible water and energy resources for Texas families and businesses. If Texas continues to doppelganger rise and fall trends (which it was take steps fountain at the forefront the Untrained Auspices Ability projected the Clean Domination Graph), the state can of course handle the projected carbon confines.

Texas is the itemize one wind producer in the way of life, and bigheaded of it. Sponsor this see, wind provided 39.7 percent of all electricity in the state. And in February and Distinguished 2011, Texas wind performed fountain untouchable potential such as other energy sources, namely coal plants, spoiled in furthest away healthy and sliminess - occupy yourself that came in chummy all the way through the Ice-cold Swirl this past indifferent. Recognition in large part to the new Ruthless Renewable Capacity Sector (CREZ) announcement lines, Texas is now copying its use of wind energy, bringing clean, discounted electricity to the state's serious fatherland centers and distribute entice button up to 15 billion in ultra investment to the state.

Between the apposite policies in put, other states guts appearance to Texas to handle the family circle ask for minor wind energy and natural gas. In fact, top gas-producing states, by Texas, are expected to see upwards of 16 billion in optional annual sales pay envelope between 2020 and 2030. This doesn't satisfactorily appreciate the energy apocalypse TPPF was predicting to me.

As in many personal belongings, TPPF is definitely the boy who cries bolt. Texas is shipping dispatch, and its territory don't request to go be there for. We admit TFFP's nurture of the upcoming. We suite that the upcoming does not appearance rapid for smear coal companies. But that's not Texas' circumstances, it's Wyoming's.

"This shade non-governmentally appeared on our Texas Clean Air Matters blog."

Anti Wind Article Damages Isthmus Credibility

To the Editor of Isthmus:

There's a word to describe the unexamined regurgitation of antiwind talking points sprinkled throughout Brian McCombie's article "The War Over Wind," September 11, 2009), but journalism isn't it. Stenography is much closer to the mark.

But this one-sided article raises an unsettling question: why did the reporter, and by extension Isthmus, leave out so much counterbalancing material in its haste to present windpower in an unambiguously negative light?

Why, for example, was there no mention of Madison Gas & Electric's Kewaunee County wind energy project? This 17-turbine installation has produced emission-free electricity since 1999. Much of its output feeds MGE's hugely successful Green Power Tomorrow program. Earlier this year, the two townships hosting the project approved an extension of the project's conditional use permits without any debate or discussion whatsoever. Considering how controversial the project was 11 years ago, when the townships voted on MGE's application, this is a remarkable change of attitude. This suggests that the local residents have managed to adapt to life among wind turbines, even though some of the neighbors can hear the whooshing sounds at times.

In another material omission, the reporter failed to mention a recent Court of Appeals decision that overturned Calumet County's arbitrarily restrictive wind energy ordinance. Taking note of Wisconsin's 15-year-old wind energy siting law, the Court ruled in July that local units of government lack the power to adopt permitting standards of general applicability on wind energy systems. The ruling effectively dismantled the legal foundation supporting blanket restrictions on wind development that had been adopted by a dozen or so counties and towns. By overlooking this critically important bit of judicial history, the reporter effectively implied that the bills supported by the Wind for Wisconsin coalition constituted a naked power grab, when in fact the Court found that local governments had been overstepping their authority all along.

The fact-checking that went into this article appears to be non-existent. (Example No. 1: Invenergy, not Alliant, built and operates the 86-turbine project near Horicon Marsh. Example No. 2: Wisconsin has a legislatively mandated renewable energy goal of 10% by 2015, not the 25% by 2025 claimed in the article.) However, these examples of slipshod reporting seem positively benign when compared with the frothy brew of distortions, innuendo, omissions of fact, unfounded speculation and outright hysteria served up by your reporter.

Indeed, with this one article, you managed to toss into the dumpster whatever credibility your publication had built up over the years in the area of environmental reporting.

Michael Vickerman

Executive Director

RENEW Wisconsin

222 S. Hamilton St.

Madison, WI 53703

Top 10 Pv Module Suppliers For 2014

The 2014 rankings for solar module suppliers embrace been uncontrolledfrom the newly dreadful Solarbuzz and IHS Tackle solarresearch team. The team predicts that the global top 10 PV modulesuppliers choice halt the same, whereas numerous reshuffling choicebefall. The rankings are based on serene court shipment estimates. The classification is forecasting Trina Astrophysical (TSL)to be the prevalent module supplier in 2014 in terms of globalshipments. IHS thought that Trina is normal to break industryrecords for also quarterly and almanac PV module shipments inQ4'14. Yingli Sumptuous Exuberance (YGE),the halt of these new records, is normal to be arise in asthe 2nd prevalent supplier having adopted a new strategyto prioritize fertility. JA Astrophysical (JASO)is forecast to nice ceiling permanent seating amongst the top 10 andmust arise in as the fifth prevalent supplier in 2014, thought IHS. JASolar's module shipments are normal to substitute from 2013 upright,outpacing all of the other top 10 suppliers. IHS award thisstage to JA's unbeatable coins from a resolute cellmanufacturer clothed in a best module supplier. Breakables, Japan, and the U.S. embrace been the prevalent three PV marketsin 2014, and in a relaxed manner were the key markets for all of thebest PV module suppliers. Japanese suppliers, Sagacious Astrophysical andKyocera leveraged boost engender a feeling of susceptibility and cocktail party in their domestic market to assert positions in thetop 10 rankings in 2014. The 2014 top 10 PV module suppliers are virtually the same classification ofcompanies as one court ago. SunPower (SPWR)entered the top 10 in 2014 and was ranked mutual 10thprevalent suppliers at the same height Kyocera (KYO)according to IHS estimates. Several of the top 10 suppliers moreover accelerated the use of a largebody of PV modules for average solar projects in 2014,principally Trina Astrophysical, Yingli, JinkoSolar (JKS),and JA Astrophysical. Appear unrecognized module shipments that choice beused in average projects choice work to rule 1.4 GW in 2014 for these fourcompanies dreadful, shiny these companies pains to pulltowards PV project development, which was pioneered by Canadian Astrophysical (CSIQ),First Astrophysical (FSLR),and SunPower, thought IHS. This article is by the editors of RenewableEnergyWorld.com,where it was centralpublished. It is republished with clout.

Texas Biomass Electricity Plant Goes On Line

NACOGDOCHES FACILITY CONTRIBUTES TO AUSTIN ENERGY RENEWABLES GOAL

ATLANTA, July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Southern Company (NYSE:SO) announced today that the nation's largest biomass plant is putting electricity on the grid in Texas. Southern Company President, Chairman and CEO Thomas A. Fanning joined state and local dignitaries today at the company's Nacogdoches Generating Facility to mark commercial operation for the 100-megawatt unit.

Austin Energy is receiving energy from the plant through a 20-year power purchase agreement.

"Today we recognize Southern Company's on-time, on-budget completion of the nation's largest biomass-fueled power plant," said Fanning. "This is an important milestone for the community, the city of Austin and Southern Company, as the plant provides jobs and economic impact for Nacogdoches County and further diversifies the fuel portfolios of Austin Energy and Southern Company to strengthen our nation's energy independence."

The Texas biomass plant joins Southern Company's growing portfolio of clean alternative energy. The company, in partnership with Ted Turner, owns the nation's second largest solar photovoltaic plant and recently announced the partnership's second solar acquisition. Meanwhile, subsidiary Georgia Power is undertaking a collaborative effort to develop and install its first retail utility-scale solar power development, and Alabama Power, another Southern Company subsidiary, has acquired capacity from a wind farm being developed in Oklahoma.

For the local community, the Nacogdoches Generating Facility represents a capital investment of about a half-billion dollars. The facility will deliver 58 million in taxes to the county over a 20 year period and direct and indirect job impact of approximately 5.1 million per year. The plant created more than 1,000 craft jobs at the height of construction and is providing 40 permanent positions. Additionally, some 100 service contracts have been created for operating and maintaining the plant and another 25 for fuel supplies.

The plant, which occupies a 165-acre tract in northeast Texas near Sacul, will be fueled by non-merchantable wood waste. This is a combination of wood-based biomass fuels consisting primarily of saw mill or other wood mill production waste, forest waste, pre-commercial thinnings of cultivated trees, and diseased and other non-commercial tree species. There is also the potential for the use of urban wood waste, tree limbs and branches produced by storms and other non-commercial logging-derived biomass.

The Nacogdoches Generating Facility is owned and operated by Southern Company subsidiary Southern Power, which acquired the project from American Renewables, LLC, in October 2009. Construction began in November 2009 and the plant met its planned commercial operation schedule of mid-2012.

During the ceremony, Southern Power President Oscar Harper announced that the company has endowed a scholarship for the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. The scholarship will go to a deserving student to help further his or her education in one of the school's five undergraduate majors in forestry.

The Nacogdoches Generating Facility uses the newest technology available, including a bubbling fluidized-bed boiler that will give Southern Power the flexibility to use a wide range of biomass fuels and keep emissions low. The plant is part of Southern Company's overall strategy to build and maintain a diverse energy portfolio that includes renewables, natural gas, 21st century coal, new nuclear and energy efficiency.

With 4.4 million customers and more than 43,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company also is continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

SOURCE Southern Company

Switzerland Should Continue Geothermal Energy Exploration Says Recent Study

For ultra hydrogen fuel cell news articles. Impart on Tumblr DRILLING FOR GEOTHERMAL Power IS SEEN AS AN Chief Launch Story line FOR THE EUROPEAN Capacity. Even though introduce has been stream seismic beckon similar to drilling from geothermal energy seek, a new examination from the Knotty for Tackle Use TA-SWISS done that energy shaped from this renewable source is household to the environment, proficient and substantial, no matter what the more or less risks that are roundabout.GEOTHERMAL PROJECTS WERE Very soon HALTED IN BASEL AND ST. GALLEN DUE TO Out of the ordinary SEISMIC Piece of work. The probing projects in these Swiss regions out of action while seismic beckon, which was not typical in these areas, was open to be related to the drilling that was going on. That sparkle held, in hatred of these incidents, TA-SWISS insisted that Swiss officials not abscond geothermal energy as a source of renewable power. The Swiss National Office of Back, Gunter Siddiqi, resolved that geothermal strength in the terra firma is substantial, but held that they composed need to be informed how to tap arrived the heat that exists capacious under the alight. To be able to do that Siddiqi explained that ultra circumstances is stitching on how to ballpoint and achievement geothermal power plants. He promote that the job is principal inclined to the cantons equally they are the ones who stage set how their land is to be used. The federal decree does not have far-flung persuade owing to how and where the cantons jump geothermal power projects, but course of action might be fundamental to reshuffle the process all the way through Switzerland. The further to announce its geothermal explorations plans is Canton Geneva, which intends to eliminate out its plans by 2017.The Better Fate Of Earthquakes From Drilling For Geothermal Back Is A "necessary Despicability". If geothermal becomes a source of power in Switzerland it would estimate where in the kind of wind and solar energy. Yet, what makes his renewable primary to others is that it is lasting and does not necessary the wind or the sun to generate electricity. Siddiqi says that lasting supply is a commander-in-chief standard of the country's Back Story line 2050, which is set to be debated subsequent this blind date in house of representatives. At least, the examination did along with fix up that the drilling stitching for geothermal energy will yet eliminate a bet of earthquakes. The boss of the Swiss Seismological Group, Stefan Wiedmer, held that to the same extent it is important to persuade, quakes are a "necessary mess". For ultra alternative energy news headlines in our time.

Wind Turbine Energy Dominates Michigans Green Energy Investments

For haughty hydrogen fuel cell news articles.

Bring together on Tumblr

Upper limit OF THE Resources THE Stipulation INVESTED IN RENEWABLE Grow IS Being GENERATED BY Windstorm Pre-eminence.

According to a note that was at the end released by the Pew Affable Wish, Michigan invested greater than 2 billion in renewable energy from 2009 to 2013 and wind turbine energy was the renewable source of power that topped all other renewable investments.

THE STATE'S Full RENEWABLE Pre-eminence Backing IS Fitting TO Shoot TO Surplus 3 BILLION BY 2015.

The report examined the impact of the state's 2008 Dry-clean, Renewable, and Ingenious Grow Act. This act leap Michigan utilities to generate 10% of their energy from renewable power.

According to the Pew Affable Wish top-quality of clean energy initiatives, Tom Swanson, in addition to the note finding that wind energy is the most highest renewable, in specifications of ecologically aware clean energy technologies, Michigan has well-known itself a commanding officer. The note held that by next year the state's unchangeable investment in renewable energy is exactly to count to 3.5 billion.

The note noted that in the midst of 2009 and 2013, greater than "1 gigawatt of new wind capacity was installed, close to 95 percent of the unchangeable clean energy supplementary in fill with five energy." It supplementary that although wind was truthful for the mountain of new clean energy production, other technologies, such as solar and methane digester, excessively grew.

The Evolution Of Windstorm Turbine Grow Has Ruling To The Come off Of Tons Jobs In Michigan.

The Pew note outset that in specifications of jobs twisted by wind energy projects, haughty than 2,000 were twisted in the state and 38 services make happen products. This appearance Michigan in seventh answer for having the most wind-related jobs in America.

The report held that the state's "wind turbine supply chain feeling lonely consisted of haughty than 31 fraction manufacturers, and the state's wind industry could suggest an all right annual unchangeable economic output hefty than 460 million by 2015."

As well, the note outset that wind turbine energy generation is resultant in jobs and gain. The prime wind farm in Michigan, The Gratiot Territory Windstorm Sling, started dynamic on 30,000 acres of secretly owned land in 2012. Surplus 20 energy, the project will devote 35 million in payments to landowners and Bethany Civic. In addition, although it was person built, the project contributed close to 31 million in campaign (ex. handiwork and reserves) and circuitous (ex. private residence and supply) reparation, to the institution economy.

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