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Hoku Inks Silicon Agreement with Suntech

Hoku Materials, a subsidiary of Hoku Scientific, Inc. (NasdaqGM:HOKU), which was established to manufacture polysilicon for the solar market, has signed a long term silicon supply agreement with China’s solar manufacturer Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE:STP). The 10-year, $678 million agreement begins in mid-2009 and is subject to the achievement of milestones. Hoku is building a plant capable of producing 2,000 metric tons of polysilicon per year in Pocatello, Idaho. In January, Hoku announced it signed a 7-year polysilicon supply contract with SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. for $370 million. About Hoku Scientific, Inc. Hoku Scientific develops and manufactures fuel cell membranes and membrane electrode assemblies for stationary (including residential and back-up power applications) and automotive proton exchange membrane fuel cells. It is expanding its business to manufacture polysilicon and install solar modules for the solar market. Website: [sorry this link is no longer available]     

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BioFuel Energy Lowers IPO Price

Biofuel Energy Corp. (Nasdaq: BIOF) went public Monday, raising $55 million for its ethanol business. The IPO price was cut to a maximum of $10.50 a share, down from the original $16-$18 per share. The number of shares sold was also cut by about 45 percent from the 9.5 million the company initially filed to sell. The offering price gives Biofuel Energy an initial market cap of about $340 million. The lower prices reflect the crowded ethanol market – and BIOF has no revenue. The company plans to use the proceeds to pay down debt and for construction costs for various plants. BioFuel Energy will also sell 4.25 million shares in a private placement to affiliates of Greenlight Capital Inc., Third Point LLC and its chairman, Thomas Eleman, making the total capital raise about $94 million. The company plans to build five large dry-mill ethanol plants on corn-belt sites where Cargill, Inc has a strong local presence and, in most cases, adjacent to grain storage facilities owned by or affiliated with them.

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Computer Industry Launches Climate Savers Computing Initiative

Intel Corp (Nasdaq: INTC) and Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) joined with Dell, EDS, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HP, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft, PG&E, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and more than 25 other organizations to launch the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. The coalition has set aggressive energy efficiency targets for computers and components worldwide. Its goal is to achieve efficiencies of 90% by 2010, up from 50% today for computers and 66% for servers. By 2010, the Climate Savers Computing Initiative will cut greenhouse gas emissions in an amount equal to removing more than 11 million cars from the road or shutting down 20, 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants — a significant step in reducing the emissions affecting our planet, said Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’ Digital Enterprise Group. The coalition is asking businesses and individuals around the world to join with them to institute better power management of their computing equipment and tp purchase energy-efficient computers. Initial companies who intend to participate in the initiative represent both the demand and supply side of the computer industry, including computer manufacturers and chip makers, as well as environmental groups, energy companies, retailers, government agencies and more. The group […]

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San Francisco Solar Web Mapping Portal Launched

A new solar mapping Web portal estimates the solar potential for every commercial and residential roof in San Francisco, and allows building owners to visualize the potential environmental benefits and monetary savings that would result from installing solar energy panels on their property. Developed by CH2M HILL Enterprise Management Solutions and the City and County of San Francisco’s Department of the Environment, it uses Google Maps as a visualization platform. Users can enter a San Francisco address and see an aerial view of that address. By clicking on the image of the building, users are provided with the following information: — The estimated amount of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy that could be installed on the roof; — The estimated amount of solar PV energy that could be generated at that site; — Potential electricity cost reduction resulting from the solar PV installation; — Estimated cost of installing a solar PV system, before and after state and federal incentives; — Potential carbon dioxide/greenhouse gas (CO2) reduction as a result of installing a solar PV system; — Case studies of other San Francisco businesses and homeowners who have already installed solar PV systems and their stories; and — Information about how to […]

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House Bill Would Create Greenhouse Registry

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) has has introduced a bill that would require companies to begin tracking and reporting their greenhouse gas emissions. The Greenhouse Gas Accountability Act of 2007 would require companies to report greenhouse gas emissions by entity and by facility. “To construct a comprehensive economywide global warming policy, we have to know what we are currently emitting, who is emitting it, and data on where in the economy it makes sense to regulate,” Engel said. “A comprehensive registry will give us all the data we need to craft future legislation and intelligently decide how to allocate credit in a cap-and-trade system.” The greenhouse gas emission reports would not only help policymakers create climate change legislation, but by requiring the report by entity and facility, it would allow the public to hold companies accountable for their actions to address global warming, he said.

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Paris Looks to Bicycles to Cut Congestion

Paris is embarking on a bike-sharing plan, Velib (free bike in French), to cut congestion. The city plans to park over 10,000 bicycles at 750 stations by July 15, and plans to double that by 2008. Riders will be able to take bikes from one station and drop them off at another. The concept is being revived after a failed run in various European cities in the 1960s. The best known case was Amsterdam, which stopped the program because bikes were stolen or too beaten-up to ride. To solve those problems, many cities are partnering with advertising firms which, in exchange for city-wide advertising, will equip bikes with anti-theft systems. Bikes will have a lock and an alarm which will go off if the bike isn’t returned to a station. Riders will also have to pay a security deposit. To rent a bike, people will isert a credit card or pre-paid card into a terminal and then unlock it from the station. When they’re done they can return it to any station. If the bike is used for less than a half hour, it’s free. After that, it costs 1 euro ($1.33) for every 1/2 hour. It costs five euros […]

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