(AP) PARIS Renewable energy has moved out of the fringe and into the mainstream, with investors worldwide pouring $71 billion of new capital into the sector in 2006, up 43 percent from the previous year, and more is expected, a U.N. report said Wednesday.
Fears about global warming, frustration over high oil prices and growing backing from governments have lured more investment money to renewable energy sources like wind, solar power and biofuels, the U.N. Environment Program said. About a fifth of 2006 investment was in the developing world.
Today renewable energy accounts for only 2 percent of the electricity around the world, however, the report said. Renewable energy makes up 18 percent of the world's investment in generating power.
The trend report analyzed venture capital, the stock market and acquisitions, studying how investment money on renewable energy is being spent around the world. Though high oil prices are helping drive interest in renewable technologies, the field is growing more independent of fossil fuel prices."
One of the new and fundamental messages of this report is that renewable energies are no longer subject to the vagaries of rising and falling oil prices," UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said. "They are becoming generating systems of choice for increasing numbers of power companies, communities and countries irrespective of the costs of fossil fuels."
After $71 billion invested last year, the report forecast $85 billion in new capital pouring into the sector in 2007.
Investment through public markets more than doubled in 2006 to reach $10.3 billion, it said. The biggest growth has been in venture capital and private equity investments, which hit $7.1 billion in 2006, more than twice as much as the previous year.
Developing countries are getting deeper into the renewable energy business, the report found. Investment in the developing world made up 21 percent of the total last year.
Nine percent of worldwide investment took place in China, where large reliance on coal is a world environmental concern and where the lack of oil in its territory is helping motivate efforts to find other energy sources. India is slightly behind China, while Latin America amounted to 5 percent of investment. Sub-Saharan Africa lags, but there is nonetheless interest there.
"The growth in the number of countries who are talking to us about renewables ?it's just unbelievable how that's kind of ballooned in the last 12 to 18 months," said Nick Gardiner, the director of energy at Fortis Bank and a member of the advisory board of UNEP's Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative.
"There's a lot of liquidity around, there's a lot greater understanding of projects now ... renewables is very much considered a mainstream activity, so investors are interested and looking."
Thursday, June 21, 2007
China Sunergy to commercialize production emitter cells
Nanjing, (ANTARA News/Xinhua-PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - China Sunergy Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: CSUN), a specialized solar cell manufacturer based in Nanjing, China, announced today that it has taken further steps to commercialize the production of its selective emitter cells. Selective emitter cells are an improved version of the P-type solar cells currently produced by most solar cell manufacturers.
Following extensive research and development, the Company has been able to achieve small-scale commercial production of its selective emitter cells and also deliver average conversion efficiency rate that has been well above 17 per cent.
Following these promising pilot production runs, China Sunergy is confident that it remains on track to achieve full scale commercial production of selective emitter cells in the second half of 2007.
As part of the move towards full commercial production of selective emitter cells, the Company has already placed an order with Italian based equipment manufacturer Baccini S.P.A. to purchase a printing machine that will allow it to conduct more scalable commercial production runs of these high-efficiency cells in the second half of the year.
The printing machine and other ancillary equipment are expected to arrive in late June and the installation and trial run to be completed sometime in July this year.
Commenting on the development, Lu Tingxiu, Chairman and CEO of China Sunergy said: "The commercialization of our selective emitter cells remains on track and I am pleased with the results our research and development team has achieved.
China Sunergy will continue to focus on developing the technologies required to produce highly-efficiency solar cells and on being an industry leader in this important part of the solar value chain."
Following extensive research and development, the Company has been able to achieve small-scale commercial production of its selective emitter cells and also deliver average conversion efficiency rate that has been well above 17 per cent.
Following these promising pilot production runs, China Sunergy is confident that it remains on track to achieve full scale commercial production of selective emitter cells in the second half of 2007.
As part of the move towards full commercial production of selective emitter cells, the Company has already placed an order with Italian based equipment manufacturer Baccini S.P.A. to purchase a printing machine that will allow it to conduct more scalable commercial production runs of these high-efficiency cells in the second half of the year.
The printing machine and other ancillary equipment are expected to arrive in late June and the installation and trial run to be completed sometime in July this year.
Commenting on the development, Lu Tingxiu, Chairman and CEO of China Sunergy said: "The commercialization of our selective emitter cells remains on track and I am pleased with the results our research and development team has achieved.
China Sunergy will continue to focus on developing the technologies required to produce highly-efficiency solar cells and on being an industry leader in this important part of the solar value chain."
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Japan cedes solar power lead to Germany; China closing gap
Kyodo News
Germany's solar power output was about twice that of Japan in 2006, according to a recent study conducted by a research organization.
Japan had long been a forerunner in solar power. But in 2005, Germany unseated Japan as the world's largest solar power generating country and the gap in output between the two is widening, according to the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies.
The results of the study by ISEP also suggests Japanese companies, which still control about 50 percent of the world's production of solar power generators, are facing increasingly tough competition from German and Chinese manufacturers.
"Japan's solar power generation will further fall behind other countries if we don't drastically review current energy policies," said Tetsunari Iida, executive director of the nonprofit research body.
Germany's output stood at 3.06 million kilowatts at the end of 2006, increasing by 1.15 million kw from the previous year, ISEP said.
In contrast, Japanese output last year grew by only 250,000 kw, or less than one-fourth of the growth in Germany, to total 1.67 million kw, the research body said.
Sharp Corp. is the world's top maker of solar power generators, with a 30 percent market share. But it did not see much of an increase in production volume from 2005 to 2006, while German and Chinese rivals showed a rapid expansion during the same period, ISEP said.
ISEP's Iida said the Japanese law requiring power firms to generate a certain amount of electricity by using new energy is not functioning.
In fiscal 1994, the government introduced subsidies for individuals purchasing solar power units. This helped the country become and stay the leading solar power country. But in fiscal 2005, the subsidies ended.
Germany's solar power output was about twice that of Japan in 2006, according to a recent study conducted by a research organization.
Japan had long been a forerunner in solar power. But in 2005, Germany unseated Japan as the world's largest solar power generating country and the gap in output between the two is widening, according to the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies.
The results of the study by ISEP also suggests Japanese companies, which still control about 50 percent of the world's production of solar power generators, are facing increasingly tough competition from German and Chinese manufacturers.
"Japan's solar power generation will further fall behind other countries if we don't drastically review current energy policies," said Tetsunari Iida, executive director of the nonprofit research body.
Germany's output stood at 3.06 million kilowatts at the end of 2006, increasing by 1.15 million kw from the previous year, ISEP said.
In contrast, Japanese output last year grew by only 250,000 kw, or less than one-fourth of the growth in Germany, to total 1.67 million kw, the research body said.
Sharp Corp. is the world's top maker of solar power generators, with a 30 percent market share. But it did not see much of an increase in production volume from 2005 to 2006, while German and Chinese rivals showed a rapid expansion during the same period, ISEP said.
ISEP's Iida said the Japanese law requiring power firms to generate a certain amount of electricity by using new energy is not functioning.
In fiscal 1994, the government introduced subsidies for individuals purchasing solar power units. This helped the country become and stay the leading solar power country. But in fiscal 2005, the subsidies ended.
AU alumnus to preside at opening of plant in China
6/19/07
Dr. Joel Moskowitz, a 1961 graduate of Alfred University, long-time member of its Board of Trustees, and founder of Ceradyne, Inc., will preside a ceremonies marking the opening of a 98,000-square-foot factory in Tianjin, the People's Republic of China, Wednesday (June 20, 2007).
The plant, which will be owned and operated by Ceradyne Technical Ceramics, will manufacture silica ceramic crucibles to be used in the manufacture of solar cells that will, in turn, allow "our customers… to produce 'clean and green' electricity in China and elsewhere," said Moskowitz.
"We believe this first Ceradyne manufacturing plant will be the beginning of a series of factories in China designed to manufacture advanced technical ceramics for a wide variety of solar, industrial and commercial applications,"Moskowitz noted. "We intend to use this modern factory as the base for additional manufacturing."
He said Ceradyne, Inc., the parent company, hopes to build additional manufacturing capacity in China to serve developing markets there. Once that demand has been met, he said, then Ceradyne Technical Ceramics will begin to address exports.
In his prepared remarks, Moskowitz notes the company's "intention is to fund these capital expenditures with cash generated by Ceradyne with no debt. We plan to have our factory run and managed by Chinese citizens. We are very pleased with long-time Ceradyne executive Ms. Lu Ning, and our Tianjin General Manager Dr. Shuhai Wang, who, coincidentally did his post-doctoral work at Alfred University in technical ceramics. This University, located in New York State, is the same school I graduated from many years ago in 1961, having studied technical ceramics."
In closing, Moskowitz will tell his guests, "We believe China is a major opportunity for us. We will invest capital and introduce advanced technical ceramics in China using this Tianjin facility as a base. We plan to hire Chinese employees and be a profitable, worthy, responsible corporate citizen."
Dr. Joel Moskowitz, a 1961 graduate of Alfred University, long-time member of its Board of Trustees, and founder of Ceradyne, Inc., will preside a ceremonies marking the opening of a 98,000-square-foot factory in Tianjin, the People's Republic of China, Wednesday (June 20, 2007).
The plant, which will be owned and operated by Ceradyne Technical Ceramics, will manufacture silica ceramic crucibles to be used in the manufacture of solar cells that will, in turn, allow "our customers… to produce 'clean and green' electricity in China and elsewhere," said Moskowitz.
"We believe this first Ceradyne manufacturing plant will be the beginning of a series of factories in China designed to manufacture advanced technical ceramics for a wide variety of solar, industrial and commercial applications,"Moskowitz noted. "We intend to use this modern factory as the base for additional manufacturing."
He said Ceradyne, Inc., the parent company, hopes to build additional manufacturing capacity in China to serve developing markets there. Once that demand has been met, he said, then Ceradyne Technical Ceramics will begin to address exports.
In his prepared remarks, Moskowitz notes the company's "intention is to fund these capital expenditures with cash generated by Ceradyne with no debt. We plan to have our factory run and managed by Chinese citizens. We are very pleased with long-time Ceradyne executive Ms. Lu Ning, and our Tianjin General Manager Dr. Shuhai Wang, who, coincidentally did his post-doctoral work at Alfred University in technical ceramics. This University, located in New York State, is the same school I graduated from many years ago in 1961, having studied technical ceramics."
In closing, Moskowitz will tell his guests, "We believe China is a major opportunity for us. We will invest capital and introduce advanced technical ceramics in China using this Tianjin facility as a base. We plan to hire Chinese employees and be a profitable, worthy, responsible corporate citizen."
Deli Solar (USA), Inc. Raises $2.75 Million in Private Financing
Posted : Tue, 19 Jun 2007 21:04:00 GMT
NEW YORK, June 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Deli Solar (USA), Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: DLSL.OB) , a substantial seller of hot water and space heating devices in the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), today announced that on June 14, 2007 it raised $2.75 million in a private placement from the sale of Series A Preferred Stock and Warrants with Barron Partners L.P. as the lead investor investing $2.55 million. The investors purchased an aggregate of (i) 1,774,194 shares of Series A Preferred Stock (ii) five year warrants to purchase 1,774,194 shares of Common Stock with an exercise price $1.90 per share, and (iii) five year warrants to purchase an additional 1,774,194 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $2.40 per share. Each share of Series A Preferred Stock is convertible into one share of Common Stock, subject to adjustment. Additional shares of Series A Preferred Stock (not to exceed 900,000) are required to be issued to the investors in the event that the Company fails to achieve certain income targets for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and 2008.
For more information about the terms of this financing please refer to the Current Report on Form 8-K being filed with the SEC on June 19, 2007.
About Deli Solar (USA), Inc.
Deli Solar (USA), Inc. is a domestic holding company owning all the equity capital of Bazhou Deli Solar Energy Heating Co. Ltd. and Beijing Deli Solar Technology Development Co., Ltd., located in the People's Republic of China. It is a substantial seller of hot water and space heating devices to customers in the PRC. Deli Solar (USA), Inc.
NEW YORK, June 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Deli Solar (USA), Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: DLSL.OB) , a substantial seller of hot water and space heating devices in the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), today announced that on June 14, 2007 it raised $2.75 million in a private placement from the sale of Series A Preferred Stock and Warrants with Barron Partners L.P. as the lead investor investing $2.55 million. The investors purchased an aggregate of (i) 1,774,194 shares of Series A Preferred Stock (ii) five year warrants to purchase 1,774,194 shares of Common Stock with an exercise price $1.90 per share, and (iii) five year warrants to purchase an additional 1,774,194 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $2.40 per share. Each share of Series A Preferred Stock is convertible into one share of Common Stock, subject to adjustment. Additional shares of Series A Preferred Stock (not to exceed 900,000) are required to be issued to the investors in the event that the Company fails to achieve certain income targets for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and 2008.
For more information about the terms of this financing please refer to the Current Report on Form 8-K being filed with the SEC on June 19, 2007.
About Deli Solar (USA), Inc.
Deli Solar (USA), Inc. is a domestic holding company owning all the equity capital of Bazhou Deli Solar Energy Heating Co. Ltd. and Beijing Deli Solar Technology Development Co., Ltd., located in the People's Republic of China. It is a substantial seller of hot water and space heating devices to customers in the PRC. Deli Solar (USA), Inc.
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