Germany May Cut Rates 18% for Solar-Power Producers
Germany’s government aims to reduce rates earned by solar-power producers by 17 percent to 18 percent [instead of the schedule drop of around 10 percent] to lower consumer prices and spur solar-panel makers to compete more (...) “Cuts of such magnitude could lead to a booming demand in the first quarter and afterwards to a market shakeout because small and financially weak companies with a narrow product focus might not be able to cope,” said analysts. (...) Germany’s move would follow France, which on Jan. 13 cut tariffs for power from rooftop solar panels by 24 percent. The French government said it wanted to avoid overheating an industry that was expanding faster than other renewable energies. Spain made similar cuts in 2008 for similar reasons. (...) [In the Stock exchange] Solarworld slumped as much as 6.5 percent in Frankfurt trading, the biggest intraday drop since Sept. 1. Q-Cells fell as much as 7.5 percent while Solon SE lost as much as 8 percent.

Estudantes portugueses premiados em Bruxelas por veículo solar
Três estudantes da Escola Básica Integrada de São Domingos, Covilhã, foram distinguidos em Bruxelas com o primeiro prémio de um concurso europeu sobre eficiência energética, pelo seu projecto de um veículo movido a energia solar. (...) O concurso foi organizado pela FuturEnergia, um projecto de cooperação entre a associação dos produtores de plástico, e a European Schoolnet, rede de 31 ministérios da Educação da Europa, tendo a cerimónia de entrega dos prémios tido lugar no Parlamento Europeu, por iniciativa da eurodeputada portuguesa Edite Estrela, que entregou os galardões.

A propósito do terramoto no Haiti, a relembrar outra das vantagens da energia solar
(...) O epicentro do terremoto estava apenas a 16 quilómetros de Porto Príncipe. Cerca de 4 milhões de pessoas vivem dentro e ao redor da cidade, que foi atingida por abalos sísmicos secundários até 5,9 graus de magnitude após o tremor principal. Meios de comunicação normais foram cortadas, estradas foram bloqueadas por escombros e árvores, a energia eléctrica foi interrompida e o abastecimento de água estava escasso. As únicas luzes visíveis na cidade eram as de semáforos movidos a energia solar.

43% composite split-spectrum concentrator solar cell efficiency
One way of improving photovoltaic efficiency is to subdivide the solar spectrum into small energy ranges and to convert each range with an appropriate bandgap cell. Most implementations use monolithic or mechanical cell stacks, with earlier approaches based on steering different wavelengths to non-stacked cells recently re-explored. The present work extends this by putting measurements on a more rigorous basis and by improving the composite experimental efficiency of selected cells to beyond 43%, the highest reported for photovoltaic conversion.

Solar start ups and venture capital

Eric Wesoff from Greentech Media has recently listed the about 200 solar start up companies. It makes an interesting reading.
He then on goes on and picks the winning strategies... he has called it the solar start up blood bath in 2010.

Martifer Solar ganha contrato de 30 milhões em Cabo Verde
A Martifer Solar assinou um contrato no valor de 30 milhões de euros com o Ministério da Economia, Crescimento e Competitividade de Cabo Verde para o fornecimento e instalação de dois parques de energia solar nas ilhas do Sal e Santiago, informou a empresa do grupo Martifer em comunicado. (...) As centrais fotovoltaicas têm um prazo de conclusão de sete meses e, segundo a Martifer, quando forem inauguradas serão "as duas maiores centrais fotovoltaicas do continente africano". A de Santiago terá uma potência de 5 megawatts (MW), enquanto a do Sal contará com 2,5 MW.

Shell accused of abandoning solar power buyers in the developing world
Shell has become embroiled in a major row with the World Bank and green energy companies after allegations that it is unfairly refusing to honour warranties on solar power systems sold to the developing world. A widespread breakdown of its equipment in Sri Lanka and elsewhere has left the oil firm accused of abandoning a responsibility to impoverished communities while damaging the prospects of the wider renewable power sector in a world desperate to reduce carbon emissions following the Copenhagen climate change summit.