Solar Energy Investing

AZCentral.com reports that a solar land auction was held in Phoenix earlier this month as solar project proposals continue to grow in the state. Over 40 projects have been considered and, if built, they would create power for nearly 25 million homes. The rush to claim land is raising value for some properties that began to dip when economy hit a downturn last year.

TradingMarkets.com reports that the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has activated another solar project. This one, a 10-acre field of solar panels in Riverside County, will product 1 megawatt of power and 2.4 million kilowatt hours of clean energy a year.

LehighValleyLive.com reports that residents of Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvannia attended the opening of the town’s first solar energy project in late May. The farm contains 12 hillside solar panel. State officials are attempting to create more renewable energy sources since the state routinely spends around $30 billion a year to import energy from outside the state.

Examiner.com reports that a new photovoltaic solar array was unveiled in Denver. United States Representative Perlmutter dedicated the project that is located on top of the IBEW/NECA Green Training Center. The unit has an output of 18 kilowatts.

OilVoice.com reports that BP Solar has teamed up with RGE Energy AG to plan one of the largest solar projects to date. The photovoltaic plant is expected to have a capability of 46 megawatts and will be located in Koethen, Saxony-Anhalt. The project is also expected to house 210,000 photovoltaic modules.

KhaleejTimes.com reports that Abu Dhabi’s first solar energy plant was put on their grid earlier this month. The plant has an output of 10 megawatts and has an extremely low cost-efficiency in terms of projected power output for their photovoltaic installation.

Grist.org reports that a new solar energy demonstration plant has been unveiled by Skyline Solar. The plant can support up to 27 killowatts of energy and will be used to supply a bus depot with electricity in Silicon Valley.

Semi-ConductorToday.com reports that the Institue of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) in Taiwain has commenced operations. The institute’s lab will have testing services for many different aspects of Taiwan’s solar energy industry. They will also help local photovoltaic firms to gain certification.

AZCentral.com reports that Arizona State University will now house the new Energy Frontier Research Center. The anouncement was made by the White House. The center will be one of 46 scattered about the country and will conduct research on solar energy conversion as it relates to photosynthesis.

KingmanDailyMiner.com reports that a solar power plant is in the initial stages of planning. The plant is slated for location in Mohave County, Arizona near Red Lake. Officials say it could be among one of the largest projects of its kind and will have an output of aabout 340 megawatts of solar power.