Saudi Arabia Going Solar With $109 Billion Investment

Posted on May 21, 2012 by quest

If you thought solar energy was just a passing fad and not really a serious contender for supplying power for an energy starved world, think again. The revelation that Saudi Arabia has announced a $109 billion plan to create a solar industry that will generate a third of the nation’s electricity within two decades, could silence many skeptics. When the world’s largest source of oil goes solar that should wake everybody up! The Saudi Arabian Market would provide significant opportunities for the Solar Industry. “We are not only looking for building solar plants,” Maher al-Odan, a consultant at the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, said in a recent interview. “We want to run a sustainable solar energy sector that will become a driver for domestic energy for years to come.” Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, hopes to have 41,000 megawatts of solar capacity by 2032 said al-Odan. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance the nation trails Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and the United Arab Emirates with only 3 megawatts of solar installations.

Five Star Equities releases regular market updates on the Solar Industry so investors can stay ahead of the crowd and make the best investment decisions to maximize their returns. Five Star Equities examines the outlook for companies in the Solar Industry and provides equity research on Trina Solar Limited TSL +1.93% and JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd.Trina Solar Limited is a leading manufacturer of high quality modules and has a long history as a solar PV pioneer since it was founded in 1997 as a system installation company.

JA Solar Holdings is a leading manufacturer of high-performance solar power products. The company sells its products to solar manufacturers worldwide, who assemble and integrate solar cells into modules and systems that convert sunlight into electricity for residential, commercial, and utility-scale power generation. Five Star Equities provides Market Research focused on equities that offer growth opportunities, value, and strong potential return.

Topaz Solar Farms The Worlds Largest To Date

Posted on May 21, 2012 by quest

Less than two weeks after its official groundbreaking ceremony, MidAmerican Solar and First Solar, Inc. marked another milestone at Topaz Solar Farms, located in San Luis Obispo County, Calif. On Wednesday, the first solar panel was installed on what is the largest solar project under construction in the world. When complete, the 550-megawatt AC project will include nearly 9 million photovoltaic panels.

To mark this significant event, the first solar panel was installed by Greg Abel, chairman, president and CEO of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, and Walter Scott, Jr., who serves on the boards of directors for Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and MidAmerican.

“The installation of this first solar panel is more than symbolic,” said Paul Caudill, president of MidAmerican Solar. “It represents nearly five months of hard construction work put in by a dedicated crew of craftspersons and on-site supervision, a large majority of whom live in the local area. They are helping us achieve our goal of safely and reliably delivering energy to our customer, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, all while adhering to our core value of respect for the environment.”The Topaz project will create approximately 400 construction jobs during its three-year construction period; will generate nearly $417 million in local economic impact, the majority of which will be generated during construction; and will provide California with renewable electricity. The Topaz project will provide enough energy to power approximately 160,000 average California homes.

Insight on US China Solar Tariffs

Costa Rica Hosts Sustainable Agricultural Forum

Posted on May 19, 2012 by quest

Last week, Dole Food Company, participated in the second annual Forum on Sustainability and Happiness in Costa Rica. This year, former U.S. President Bill Clinton provided the closing keynote, delivering a message on environmental sustainability. Dole’s Sylvain Cuperlier, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability introduced the Forum’s roundtable on sustainable agriculture. In this introduction, Cuperlier discussed the potential issues related to pesticide use, the need for a more pro-active response to climate change and the requirement to focus further on water use and soil conservation. He also highlighted some challenges specific to agriculture, like how the increasing market pressure on prices can be a constraint when it comes to extending sustainable production practices.

Cuperlier pinpointed some opportunities for collaboration, as well. Participation in multi-stakeholder initiatives aimed at exchanging best sustainable practices, through the Costa Rican platform and the World Banana Forum, was a central focus.”Our participation for the second time in the Forum was a great opportunity for Dole to reaffirm our leadership role in sustainability, while highlighting, with full transparency, the challenges and opportunities our industry can encounter along the way,” said Cuperlier. “These events are so valuable because they bring together some many stakeholders, new and established, to discuss issues that span such a wide variety of companies, industries and regions.”

Vega will further discuss Dole’s sustainability initiatives in the working group on Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture at Business for the Environment (B4E) Global Summit 2012, which will take place May 21-22 in Berlin, Germany. B4E is the leading international platform for dialogue and partnership solutions for the environment. The recommendations from the working groups organized in Berlin will be presented as official business input for decision-makers at Rio+20, the United Nations conference on Sustainable Development, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the end of June.

New Flights Into Costa Rica’s Ecotourism Haven

2012 LOHAS Forum And Eco Integrity

Posted on May 17, 2012 by quest

The LOHAS Forum, the nation’s premier gathering of thought leaders, investors and industry executives focused on the $290 billion LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) market, announced today the speaker lineup and full program for this year’s LOHAS Forum 2012. Now in its sixteenth year, the event will take place June 12 – 14 in Boulder, Colorado with interactive discussions focused on a broad portfolio of current issues including alternative energy, health and wellness, social justice, branding, green customer loyalty and effective ways to raise capital.

“The LOHAS community is looked at to pave the way for today’s consumers when it comes to the latest and greatest trends in healthy and sustainability – and it is events like the Forum that bring together the thought leaders in the space to facilitate open and creative dialogue,” said Ted Ning, director of the LOHAS Forum. “We could not be more excited for this year’s LOHAS Forum, as we will be turning Boulder into the ultimate eco-conscious hotspot and playing host to some of the most influential thinkers in sustainability.”

Speakers at LOHAS Forum 2012 include Chip Conley with Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Toni J. Bellafiore with American Honda Motor Company, Inc., Gopi Kallayil with Google, Jodi Berg with VitaMix, Sue Harvey Brown with Patagonia Footwear, Madeleine Buckingham with Mother Jones, Mary Jo Cook with Fair Trade USA, Tom Laforge with The Coca-Cola Company, among many others. LOHAS Forum 2012 will also feature a full schedule of interactive programming where attendees will be given access to thought leaders and industry experts with deep diving workshops, networking opportunities during daily receptions, meals and exercise activities; and intimate break-out sessions each afternoon. For the first time ever, this year’s LOHAS conference will integrate all the richness the city of Boulder has to offer. Attendees will not only be treated to an inspiring and powerful event, but will also get to dive head first into the cultural roots of Boulder.

U.S. Slaps High Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels

End Polluter Welfare Invest In Solar

Posted on May 10, 2012 by quest

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont along with Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota and others at his side said, “I am proud to be here today with Congressman Ellison, with my good friend and fellow Vermonter Bill McKibben, with Brent Blackwelder from Friends of the Earth and Ryan Alexander from Taxpayers for Common Sense.

We are here today not just to announce new legislation, but to send a message – and that message is that it is time to end the absurdity of taxpayers providing massive subsidies to hugely profitable fossil fuel corporations. In these difficult economic times, it is imperative that we support the taxpayers of this country and not the fossil fuel industry – one of the most powerful special interests in the world.”

Our federal government is set to give away over $110 billion in taxpayer dollars to the oil, gas, and coal industries over the next 10 years. That is totally absurd. When we have a $15.6 trillion national debt, we cannot afford it. When the five largest oil companies have made over $1 trillion in profits in the last decade, they don’t need it. When some of these same polluters have, in a given year, paid zero in federal income taxes and actually received IRS rebate checks worth millions, they don’t deserve it. When fossil fuels are the number one source of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, creating a planetary crisis of global warming that is already causing devastating extreme weather disturbances, we can’t ignore it. As people throughout our country are demanding that we invest in energy efficiency and sustainable energy, and when Congress has instead allowed key sustainable energy incentives to expire even as Big Oil reaps billions in subsidies, it is time to change our national energy priorities. So today, Congressman Ellison and I are introducing the End Polluter Welfare Act in the House and the Senate. Continue reading

Ecotourism Can Save Javan Rhino From Extinction

Yingli Solar To Power Rio’s Maracana Stadium

Posted on May 9, 2012 by quest

“Yingli Solar,”today announced its partnership with Light ESCO, EDF Consultoria, and the State of Rio de Janeiro to bring solar power to Brazil’s highest-profile football stadium, Estadio do Maracana. As the majority owner and project developer, Light ESCO is joining forces with EDF on the installation and construction, and will be supplying the energy produced to the State of Rio de Janeiro. “Sustainability is one of the key tenants in our vision for the 2014 FIFA World Cup,” said Federico Addiechi, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at FIFA. “We hope this landmark project will be the catalyst to spur other football stadiums that may install solar PV systems across Brazil, serving to increase the production and use of renewable power in the country.”

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to supply the most recognizable stadium in Brazil, and to work with two of the preeminent leaders of electricity generation and solar power in the country,” said Mr. Liangsheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli Green Energy. “Brazil is an important emerging market for Yingli, and we will continue to grow our presence here as the country’s solar energy potential blossoms.”Owned by the State Government, the stadium was opened in 1950 to host the 1950 FIFA World Cup™ and was the world’s largest stadium by capacity at the time. Currently seating 82,238 spectators, the arena will be the host facility for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ final game. Under today’s agreement, over 1,500 YGE 245 Series modules will be placed on a metal ring that will encircle the top of the stadium.

“As the global renewable energy sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Yingli is committed to helping Brazil and FIFA make it the greenest FIFA World Cup in history,” said Robert Petrina, Managing Director of Yingli Green Energy Americas, Inc. “We are pleased to be able to partner on such a historical project, and to provide a roadmap for other stadiums as we join together to leave a lasting, sustainable legacy in Brazil.”