SolarCity raises $14M of $42M round for home solar panels

July 1, 2011 11:37 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

Home solar-panel leasing company SolarCity has raised $14.8 million of a planned $42 million funding round, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SolarCity leases residential solar panels for a 15-year period, handling all the maintenance during …

First Solar snags nearly $4 billion in loan guarantees

June 30, 2011 11:21 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

Thin-film solar panel manufacturer First Solar has secured nearly $4 billion in conditional loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Energy for three solar panel projects.

The Department of Energy has awarded First Solar a $680 million conditional loan guarantee …

Flexible solar panel maker SoloPower raises $15M of $44M round

June 29, 2011 10:02 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

Flexible solar panel manufacturer SoloPower has raised $15 million of a targeted $43.8 million fifth round of funding, according to a new filing with the securities and exchange commission.

SoloPower manufactures photovoltaic cells, which capture sunlight and convert it to …

Solar installer Astrum Solar snags funding from Baltimore utility

June 27, 2011 1:02 PM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

Constellation Energy, a holding company for Baltimore Gas & Electric, said it’s investing an undisclosed sum in Astrum Solar, which will provide solar panels for around 1 million of the utility’s customers.

Astrum, one of the largest residential solar panel …

Solar panel micro-inverter maker Enphase looking to raise $51.5M ahead of IPO

June 24, 2011 10:08 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

Solar panel micro-inverter manufacturer Enphase Energy is looking to raise $51.5 million in a funding round and has raised around $14 million of that so far, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Solar panel micro-inverters …

U.S. DOE commits $1.4B partial loan guarantee to rooftop solar panel project

June 23, 2011 10:15 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

The U.S. Department of Energy announced Wednesday that it will offer a $1.4 billion partial loan guarantee to Prologis and NRG Energy to install rooftop solar panels on company warehouses.

The AMP Project will install around 733 megawatts worth of …

CleanPath opens $800M fund for solar projects

June 21, 2011 10:07 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

Renewable energy investment firm CleanPath announced today that it has raise an $800 million fund that will be used to invest in large-scale solar projects.

The projects will range from ones that will generate 5 megawatts worth of power to …

Alta Devices hits new record solar panel efficiency

June 20, 2011 11:46 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

Stealthy solar panel manufacturing startup Alta Devices announced today that it has produced solar panels that have broken previous efficiency rating records for solar panels.

Alta Devices said it was able to produce Gallium Arsenide solar panels that capture 28.2 …

Micro-inverter manufacturer SolarBridge raises $19M

June 20, 2011 11:25 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

Solar panel micro-inverter manufacturer SolarBridge Technologies announced today that it has raised $19 million in its third round of funding.

Solar panel micro-inverters transform a direct current generated by the photovoltaic cell on the panel into an alternating current. The …

Solar panel wafer manufacturer 1366 Technologies snags $150 loan guarantee

June 17, 2011 10:56 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

1366 Technologies, a company that manufactures silicon wafers that are used in solar panels, announced today that it has received a conditional commitment for a $150 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The company produces crystalline silicon …

Will solar power overtake fossil fuels in 10 years?

June 16, 2011 10:44 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

The amount of energy produced by photovoltaic panels could overtake that produced by fossil fuels like coal and natural gas in 10 years, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

The amount of solar energy hitting the …

U.S. hands out nearly $2B to solar thermal projects

June 15, 2011 10:52 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a pair of loan guarantees to two solar thermal power companies that amounts to nearly $2 billion.

Abengoa Solar picked up a conditional commitment for a $1.2 billion loan guarantee for its Mojave …

Google invests $280M in residential solar projects

June 14, 2011 10:18 AM Matthew Lynley
Matthew Lynley

Search giant Google is investing $280 million in SolarCity, a company that leases out solar panels to home owners, bringing its total investment in the clean technology sector up to $680 million.

The investment creates a new fund for residential …