Energy Conversion Devices To Install Solar Roofing System at East Los Angeles College

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) (Nasdaq: ENER), a manufacturer of proprietary, thin-film amorphous silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) laminates, along with its wholly owned subsidiary Solar Integrated Technologies, announced today an agreement to install a 365kW building-integrated solar roofing system at East Los Angeles College (ELAC) as part of a contract with Chevron Energy Solutions, energy services provider for the ELAC project.

"This project provides us with a unique opportunity to help East Los Angeles College save money and prepare for a greener future," said Mark Morelli, president and CEO of ECD. "Our recent acquisition of Solar Integrated Technologies more vertically integrates our company and gives us the capabilities we need to install this UNI-SOLAR building-integrated membrane roof for ELAC."

In addition to installing a new, energy-efficient PV roofing system, the energy services contract bundles multiple energy efficiency improvements into a single package that includes upgrading the facilities' lighting, insulation and HVAC systems.

About Energy Conversion Devices

Energy Conversion Devices is a leader in building integrated and rooftop photovoltaics. The company manufactures, sells and installs thin-film solar laminates that convert sunlight to energy using proprietary technology. ECD's UNI-SOLAR(®) brand products are unique because of their flexibility, light weight, ease of installation, durability, and real-world efficiency. Through its Solar Integrated Technologies business, the company also designs, manufactures and installs rooftop photovoltaic systems which enable customers to transform unused space on the rooftop into a value-generating asset. For more information, please visit www.energyconversiondevices.com.

MARS and PSEG Solar Source Celebrate Completion of New Solar Garden

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Red, Yellow and Ms. Green M&M'S® Spokescandies mingled with government officials and executives from MARS and PSEG today at an event in Hackettstown celebrating the completion of a new solar garden. The project is the largest solar facility installed in New Jersey by a food manufacturing plant, and it is the first project completed by PSEG Solar Source, a subsidiary of PSEG.

The solar garden is comprised of more than 28,000 ground-mounted solar panels on 18 acres adjacent to Mars Chocolate North America's headquarters, where more than 1,200 associates work and M&M'S® Brand Chocolate Candies are manufactured. The solar garden provides 2 MW of power during peak hours, which is equivalent to approximately 20 percent of the plant's peak energy consumption. It will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,000 metric tons, equivalent to removing 190 vehicles from the road each year.

A long term partnership between Mars Chocolate North America and PSEG Solar Source will ensure the solar garden's success. PSEG Solar Source owns the system, which is located on Mars Chocolate North America's property, and Mars has contracted for the entire output of the system. juwi solar Inc., a solar energy company located in Boulder, Colorado, performed the engineering, procurement and construction services for the system and will also be providing the initial operation and maintenance services. Thin film panels were provided by First Solar.

"Sustainability is one of the most pressing concerns of our time. At Mars, we are aware of the scale of the challenge, and we are determined to be part of the solution," said Todd Lachman, president of Mars Chocolate North America. "As we celebrate with our partner, PSEG Solar Source, the opening of the largest solar garden in the State of New Jersey by a food manufacturer, we also celebrate our commitment to the environment and the communities in which we conduct business. The solar garden strengthens our pledge to serve as an environmentally-friendly corporate citizen, reinforcing our commitment to the town of Hackettstown and the state of New Jersey."

The solar garden project supports aggressive energy goals put in place by the State of New Jersey. Its Energy Master Plan calls for 20 percent of the state's energy to come from renewable sources by the year 2020. The state has made significant inroads in the last few years, installing more than 100 MW of solar energy, making it second only to California in terms of the amount of solar capacity installed.

"We are pleased with the completion and initial performance of the solar system and with the partnership with Mars that got us here," said Diana Drysdale, who heads PSEG Solar Source. "Large scale solar facilities are essential for New Jersey to meet its aggressive solar mandate and this project proves that they can be a very real part of the state's energy mix."

PSEG Solar Source currently owns two other utility-scale solar projects - one in Florida and another in Ohio. Those projects, done with juwi solar Inc, total 27 MW and are expected to be completed by the end of next year. These assets are the first in a planned portfolio of solar facilities throughout the U.S. to be developed, owned and operated by PSEG Solar Source.

Mars Chocolate North America also unveiled today significant renovations to its Hackettstown site, which includes corporate headquarters and manufacturing. The cutting-edge renovations are sustainable, and were designed to help retain existing staff, attract new talent and improve productivity. The colorful, open design encourages flexible, more efficient ways of working, including a variety of unassigned work spaces and conference rooms, each featuring unique seating arrangements - from booths with bench seats to café seating and upholstered chairs paired with small coffee tables.

With the environmentally friendly renovations completed, the company will apply for LEED Gold Certification. If granted, the Hackettstown building will be the first Mars legacy site to achieve LEED Certification. A few of the enhancements include the installation of water-conserving fixtures that reduce water usage by more than 30 percent; a reduction in energy use by 15 percent through the use of a newly upgraded Building Energy Management System, variable frequency drives and energy-efficient lighting and controls; an upgraded roof utilizing a highly reflective roofing material that offsets the direct heat gain to the building; and the utilization of more than 20 percent recycled content in materials, from carpet to ceiling tiles.

Joule Reports Breakthrough in Renewable Diesel Production Through Solar Power

HONOLULU--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Joule Biotechnologies, Inc. today announced a major step forward in its development of renewable fuels, achieving direct microbial conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into hydrocarbons via engineered organisms, powered by solar energy.

Joule is advancing a new, photosynthesis-driven approach to producing renewable fuels, avoiding the economic and environmental burden of multi-step, cellulosic or algal biomass-derived methods. The company employs a novel SolarConverter™ system, together with proprietary, product-specific organisms and state-of-the-art process design, to harness the power of sunlight while consuming waste CO₂. Its pioneering technology platform has already been proven out with the conversion of CO₂ into ethanol at high productivities, a process that enters pilot development in early 2010. With this latest feat of genome engineering, Joule is now capable of directly producing hydrocarbons – setting the stage for delivery of infrastructure-compatible diesel fuel without the need for raw material feedstocks or complex refining.

The breakthrough was made possible by the discovery of unique genes coding for enzymatic mechanisms that enable the direct synthesis of both alkane and olefin molecules – the chemical composition of diesel. Production was achieved at lab scale, with pilot development slated for early 2011.

“This achievement marks a critical step towards making renewable diesel fuel a reality at high volumes and competitive costs,” said Bill Sims, President and CEO, Joule Biotechnologies. “We are accelerating the pace to create a direct replacement for petroleum-based diesel that can use today’s storage and distribution methods, with a very high net energy balance, and without the depletion of natural resources incurred by biomass-to-liquid approaches. It won’t happen overnight, but this latest milestone opens the door to an industry-changing technology.”

According to OPEC’s 2009 World Outlook, world demand for middle distillate fuel, chiefly diesel, will grow faster than any other refined oil product to 34.2 million barrels per day by 2030. The U.S. currently consumes approximately 19 million barrels of fuel per day, with diesel accounting for three million of that amount.

Joule is directly targeting this opportunity with a production process that requires only CO₂ as opposed to raw material feedstocks, removing a costly component that can be subject to significant fluctuations in price and availability. Because its organisms are being engineered to directly secrete hydrocarbon molecules, Joule will avoid costly steps such as large-scale biomass collection, energy-intensive degradation, or other downstream refinement. In addition, Joule’s process requires just marginal, non-arable land, no crops and no fresh water.

David Berry, company founder and director, will discuss Joule’s latest developments at the BIO Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy during the plenary lunch session on Tuesday, November 10. Additional information about the conference is available at www.bio.org/pacrim.

Owens Corning and SunEdison Activate 440 Kilowatt PV Solar System in Kearny, NJ

TOLEDO, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), world leader in building materials and glass fiber reinforcements, and SunEdison, North America’s largest solar services provider, announced the activation of a 440 kilowatt (kW) roof-mount photovoltaic (PV) solar system at Owens Corning’s Kearny, New Jersey facility. The activation took place on Sept. 21, the day before SunEdison was awarded the first energy stimulus grant in the solar industry, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).

Under a long-term solar power services agreement (SPSA), Owens Corning will use a PV solar system at its Kearny facility that is financed, constructed and to be maintained by SunEdison. The new system will produce more than 522,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean, solar energy in the first year of operation alone. Over 20 years, the PV solar system in use at Kearny will produce more than 9.5 million kWh, enough energy to power 893 average U.S. homes for a year, according to SunEdison projections.

“A critical part of Owens Corning’s sustainability strategy is greening our operations,” said Frank O’Brien-Bernini, Owens Corning’s chief sustainability officer. “By using a zero-emissions solar system, we’re continuing our long-term commitment to operate in ways that are environmentally safe and energy efficient. This solar installation is expected to offset nearly 14 million pounds of carbon dioxide over the life of the agreement,” O’Brien-Bernini said.

“I’m proud of our people and what they’ve done to help further green our operations,” said Evelyn Cruz, Owens Corning plant leader for Kearny. “This is a great example of how commitment and teamwork can make a big difference in our community and in the world.”

Owens Corning makes fiberglass and foam insulation products that significantly improve the energy efficiency of buildings. Homes and commercial buildings consume 40 percent of the world's energy, including more than 70 percent of the electricity in the United States. Owens Corning is also the largest manufacturer of reinforcements used in the production of blades for wind turbines, a growing source of renewable energy,

According to Brian Jacolick, General Manager, North America for SunEdison, “The Owens Corning Kearny facility raises the profile of solar adoption in the United States. The company’s forward-thinking view of solar serves as a model for businesses who want to control high energy costs while preserving the environment. Owens Corning also takes the lead with this solar installation as one of the first sites to be funded by the Recovery Act’s Section 1603 (Grant-in-lieu of Investment Tax Credit). The grant is a great stimulus to solar adoption and renewable energy, and we are pleased that this first project was developed with an industry-leader like Owens Corning.”

"In this challenging economy, PSE&G's $105 million solar loan program provides financing that removes risk for customers who want to install affordable and pollution-free solar systems," said Al Matos, PSE&G's vice president for renewables and energy solutions. "We have a huge challenge facing us in New Jersey if we’re going to meet the state’s renewables goals for the year 2020. It's going to take partnerships like this one, a partnership of developers, utilities and government working collectively to meet the goal. Owens Corning has stepped up, and we congratulate them on the completion of their first solar project."

Owens Corning’s Kearny facility produces roofing shingles, including Duration, Duration Premium and Oakridge products. The facility is located at 1249 Newark Turnpike in Kearny.

AES Solar Energy Closes on €25 Million Non-Recourse Financing for Its First Photovoltaic Project in Greece

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AES Solar Energy Ltd (AES Solar), a joint venture between The AES Corporation and Riverstone Holdings LLC, announced that on October 20, 2009 one of its subsidiaries closed a €25 million non-recourse debt facility for the Iktinos project, a 4.3 MW photovoltaic (PV) facility located in Florina, Greece. The loan was extended by Landesbank Baden Wurttemberg (LBBW) of Germany in several tranches including an 18 year term tranche and three shorter term tranches. The financing has been syndicated to one other bank.

When completed, the project will be the largest solar PV installation in Greece and will provide enough renewable electricity to power over 400 homes. The project is expected to reach commercial operation in early 2010. It qualifies for the favorable regulated tariff under the Renewable Energy Sources Law 3468/2006 (“RES Law”) as well as a capital subsidy to support eligible project expenditures.

“We are very pleased to reach financial close on our first Solar PV deal in Greece. The credit markets remain challenging, but this project demonstrates our ability to raise non-recourse finance, even in a market where there are few precedents for such deals. This is the successful result of combining a well-structured project with committed people on both sides of the deal. We hope to accomplish further projects in Greece in the near future,” said Robert Hemphill, CEO of AES Solar.

“The regulatory environment in Greece may be highly attractive to investors on one hand but on the other hand it is rather complex to document sophisticated financing structures. AES Solar certainly is amongst the most experienced sponsors of energy related projects in the world. In such markets it is very important to have partners who have the team and the infrastructure enabling them to deliver,” said Alexander Bagiaos, Vice President at LBBWs Project Finance Renewables division.

Polycrystalline panels manufactured by Yingli are used in the project. This financing represents the largest project financing completed in Greece for solar installations to date.

Solar Energy Initiatives Announces Securing Land to Build a 100 Megawatt Solar Park in California

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Solar Energy Initiatives, Inc. (OTCBB:SNRY), executing on a grass roots campaign, “RENEW THE NATION”, to help redeploy a portion of the U.S. work force and focus on reducing the world’s dependence on fossil fuels by selling solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) technologies, today announced that the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Solar Park Initiatives, signed a contract securing land for the design, construction and operation of a solar park in California. Solar Park Initiatives will be responsible for providing engineering, permitting, construction, operations and maintenance as well as obtaining the financing of the solar park. Solar Energy Initiatives will procure the solar panels and balance of system for the project.

Solar Park Initiatives will begin preliminary work, including zoning, permitting, EPA approvals and other activities immediately with construction estimated to begin in late 2010. The contract possesses a 25 year life with additional renewal options. The 100 megawatt project will be constructed in various increments over a three year time frame.

“This endeavor represents strong validation that Solar Energy Initiatives and Solar Park Initiatives’ synergistic relationship is extremely capable of securing large scale contracts and expanding market presence,” stated, David Fann, Chief Executive Officer of Solar Energy Initiatives. “We believe that as Solar Energy Initiatives and Solar Park Initiatives continue to grow as market leaders and establish credibility with municipalities and landowners that both companies will secure additional contracts, increase our earnings and achieve our primary goal of improved shareholder value. Combined with our previously announced solar park in Western Texas we now have a combined 400 megawatts worth of projects that will begin in the next eighteen months.”

Mr. Michael Gorton has joined the team as Chief Executive Officer of Solar Park Initiatives stated, “We are pleased with the success we are having in gaining traction with the assistance of SNRY management team. Our priority is to review and attain additional solar park projects as we continue to gain traction as a leading developer of large scale solar parks. We look forward to implementing this large revenue contract and have several others we will be announcing in the near future..”

Solar Park Initiatives is a recent spin-off of Solar Energy Initiatives. SNRY’s shareholders of record, as of October 15, 2009, shall receive one common share of Solar Park Initiatives, Inc. for every two common shares of SNRY owned. The transaction is cash and tax free for all SNRY shareholders.