SOLAR

Oil and gas producer Algeria is to build a plant to manufacture solar panels as part of a plan to draw 5 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2015, state media reported.

Petrochemicals group Sasol, the world's leader in making motor fuel from coal, plans to reduce its carbon footprint by capturing its emissions, producing solar power and making its plants more efficient.

Chinese solar companies Suntech Power Holdings Co and Trina Solar Ltd posted higher-than-expected earnings on Thursday and said demand for the clean energy systems was rebounding after a dismal year.

Phoenix Solar AG, one of Europe's largest solar power developers, is in talks to partner with a Chinese firm to push its business in China, said a company executive.

India's cabinet on Thursday approved its first solar power plan, pledging to boost output from near zero to 20 gigawatts (GW) by 2020 as part of its plan to fight global warming.

Japan's Sanyo Electric Co Ltd said on Tuesday it plans to more than quadruple its solar cell production capacity to 1,500 megawatts by 2015 to become one of the world's top three solar cell makers.

Leonora Walet, Asia Green Investment Correspondent

Sanyo Electric Co Ltd plans to ramp up investment in its battery and solar business as the world's largest maker of rechargeable batteries moves closer to being acquired by Japan's Panasonic Corp, a senior executive said in an interview on Thursday.

A solar car made by students from Japan's Tokai University was on Wednesday named the winner of a 3,000 km (1,864 miles) race across the Australian outback which aimed to show that green cars can also be mean.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co, a unit of PG&E Corp, said it will buy 500 megawatts (MW) of solar power from units of NextEra Energy Resources and Abengoa Solar.

Utility company Duke Energy Corp said it agreed to develop commercial solar power projects in the United States with ENN Group, a private Chinese energy company.

European solar equipment makers are slowly emerging from the crisis that has hit the sector, quarterly results will show, but the outlook beyond 2009 will be uncertain due to tight credit and oversupply.

Ascent Solar Technologies Inc said it achieved a new efficiency milestone on some of its solar modules, sending its shares up as much as 6 percent.

JA Solar's founder has resigned as vice chairman of the board and will leave the company, the solar power player said on Monday, saying he will pursue other business interests.

The U.S. military is tackling a new mission in the field of alternative energy, moving to power up a 500-megawatt solar facility at Fort Irwin's sprawling desert complex in California.

German industrial conglomerate Siemens agreed to buy Israel's Solel Solar Systems Ltd for about $418 million to expand its business with solar thermal power plants.

Watching his sons kick around a makeshift ball made from tightly bound plastic bags, Ugandan handyman Jackson Mawa marvels at the way business has improved since he bought a solar-powered mobile phone.

Watching his sons kick around a makeshift ball made from tightly bound plastic bags, Ugandan handyman Jackson Mawa marvels at the way business has improved since he bought a solar-powered mobile phone.

California is heating up its push for clean energy, as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approved a new subsidy for solar power on Monday and joined forces with the federal government to fast-track renewable energy projects.

Solar thermal power company eSolar Inc said on Friday it granted South African company Clean Energy Solutions exclusive rights to represent and distribute eSolar's concentrating solar power technology across seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The long-awaited smart grid for U.S. power could play a major role in rolling out renewable energy like wind and solar, the top U.S. power regulator said on Wednesday.