Event - Venture Summit West

This event will take place on February 12, 2014, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. The summit content will include discussions and educational tracks focused on cleantech. The Second annual Venture Summit West, presented by youngStartup Ventures, is the premier industry gathering connecting venture capitalists, corporate VCs, angel investors, technology transfer professionals, senior executives of early stage and emerging growth companies, university researchers, incubators and premier service providers.

Event - Clean and Cool 2013

This event will take place from November 30 to December 7, 2013 in Colorado. Clean and Cool Mission Colorado is an entrepreneur mission to help the UK’s most promising early stage and innovative cleantech SMEs do business in the US faster.

Video - NASA uses IPCC Data to Project Temperature and Precipitation Increases

New data visualizations from the NASA Center for Climate Simulation and NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio show how climate models -- those used in the new report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- estimate how temperature and precipitation patterns could change throughout the 21st century. The Summary for Policymakers, the first official piece of the group's Fifth Assessment Report, was released Fri., Sept. 27.

Event - Clean Energy Conference and Exhibition: ICCE 2013

Clean Energy Conference and Exhibition: ICCE 2013 will take place Monday September 9 - Wednesday September, 11, 2013 in Ottawa, Ontario. ICCE 2013 will take place on the banks of the majestic Ottawa, Rideau and Gatineau Rivers. Ottawa is one of the most beautiful G8 capitals in the world. Ottawa is also rich in culture and heritage with its many national institutions, parklands, waterways and historic architecture.

America Surpasses a Solar PV Milestone and Keeps Going

NPD Solarbuzz reports that due in part to state incentive programs, the US has installed more than 1.8 gigawatts (GWs) of solar photovoltaics (PV) in the first half of 2013, pushing the nation beyond 10 GWs. Solar PV is a semiconductor technology used for generating electricity by converting the the sun's rays into electricity. America joins Germany, Italy and China which have already produced more than 10 gigawatts of solar power.

The performance of US solar in the first half of 2013 exceeds the growth of solar in the first half of 2012 (1.8 GWs compared to 1.3 GWs). The Utility-scale market was responsible for at least 45 percent of solar PV installations.

Breakdown of Solar Demand in Q1 & Q2 2013

According to NPD Solarbuzz analyst Michael Barker, Germany, China, Japan, and the US accounts for more than 60 percent of solar demand in the first half of 2013. China and Japan alone are responsible for 45 percent of global demand in the second half, up from just 10% three years ago.

According to the quarterly report from NPD Solarbuzz, nearly half of the demand in the first half came from large-scale utility and commercial ground-mount applications, with just 20 percent from residential rooftops. The rest of solar demand came from non-residential rooftop installations like businesses and off-grid applications.

Deutsche Bank Revises its PV Forecasts for 2013

As reported in REnew economy, Deutsche Bank has revised upward its outlook for the global solar PV industry. The bank is predicting that the global solar market will be 45 GW by 2014. As of the start of 2013 the global solar PV industry had risen to approximately 40 GW.

Duetsche's forecasts have been revised upward based on strong demand from Japan, US, India, and China. We are also seeing increasing solar PV demand from emerging markets like Chile, the Middle East, and South East Asia.

Event - Cleantech Forum Europe 2013

Cleantech Forum Europe 2013 will take place on 04/16/2013 - 04/18/2013 at the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall in Bilbao Spain.

As the sense of economic malaise and a confidence crisis deepens, we are all in urgent need of a lift. We are hungry for new voices and new leaders with new ideas, for new companies, alliances and partnership models, to show us a new path toward economic growth and job creation. Cleantech Forum Europe 2013 will venture to the heart of these challenging issues.

Event - Future of Wind Energy in BC

BC Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA) Vancouver Chapter and Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) are hosting a speaker event on Wednesday April 10th, 2013 at the Bill Reid Gallery, 639 Hornby Street in Vancouver, about the future of wind energy in British Columbia. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. The evening will feature presentations by experts on wind energy, energy policy and sustainability issues in BC to incite discussion and learning about the future of wind energy in British Columbia.

Event - SOLAR 2013

SOLAR 2013 opens April 16-20, 2013, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland. The American Solar Energy Society(ASES) presents America’s longest-running solar conference series, now in its 42nd year. SOLAR 2013 will examine how mainstream renewable energy technologies are saving money today for small and large businesses, homeowners and utility companies. We’ll look at policy initiatives that can streamline permitting and financing, and explore the road forward as renewable installations double annually. This year a special session will examine the relationship between extreme weather events and renewable energy. We’ll also be asking our two German plenary speakers what the US can learn from Germany’s rapid conversion to renewable energy.

Solar Increasingly Sustainable Even Without Subsidies

According to a new analysis by Deutsche Bank, the global solar market will be self sustaining by the end of 2014. As many who supported renewable energy subsidies have argued, they are a short term measure to help fledgling industries grow to a size where they no longer needing subsidies to continue performing. The report showed that roof top solar has strong demand in India, China, Britain, Germany, India, and the United States. Grid parity has already been achieved in India, Italy, Germany.

Deutsche bank points to strong demand in subsidised markets such as Japan, the UK. In the US, the introduction of favourable legislation, including giving solar installations the same status as real estate investment trusts, strong pipelines in Africa and the Middle east, and unexpectedly strong demand in countries such as Mexico and Caribbean nations means that its forecasts for the year are likely to rise.

Jinko Solar: Silicone Procurement at the Heart of its Success

Jinko Solar is well positioned to capitalize on the solar market in 2013 as it has the best balance sheet among their competitors. They are insulated from the high costs of silicone that is adversely impacting their peers. The higher costs of silicone have put upward pressure on the manufacturing costs associated with PV but Jinko is one of the very few solar companies that are well positioned. Jinko's low price leadership is attributable to four primary factors:

Ambitious Growth Predicted for Solar in 2013 and 2014

Over the next two years solar power can be expected to move closer to grid parity. In 2012, despite obstacles, solar power continued to grow. In 2013 and 2014 we should see surprisingly strong growth in the photovoltaic (PV) industry.

One of the major obstacles faced by solar PV manufacturers is the higher costs of silicone which has increased the costs of manufacturing associated with solar PV.  But by the end of the year costs are expected to stabilize and pricing will improve by early in 2014.