Sun rises on renewable power for outback
(Sydney Morning Herald) It can be hot under the outback sun. But it is unlikely that anywhere gets as hot as it does at three new solar power stations pumping out electricity in the Northern Territory. Built at a cost of $7 million, they supply power to several thousand people in Hermannsburg and Yuendumu, west of Alice Springs, and Lajamanu, south-west of Katherine. From dawn to dusk, 30 dish-shaped mirrors, 14 metres wide, track the sun as it arcs its way over the red dust. Light striking the mirrors is reflected onto solar cells mounted at a focus point above the dishes. "It concentrates the sunlight 500 times," said Julia Birch, the sustainability manager for Solar Systems, the Melbourne company that built the three stations.

Namibia: Govt to Force Use of Solar Tech
(AllAfrica.com) The government is working on measures that will compel public institutions and parastatals to use solar water heaters. The Ministry of Mines and Energy has made progress in formulating a policy that will ensure that all institutions heat their water with solar energy and not conventional electricity, as is the case at the moment. Mines and Energy Permanent Secretary Joseph Iita told New Era last week that this would be an energy saving measure, which will ensure that the country for industrial use saves energy that is being wasted at present.

A Bright Day for Solar?
(Motley Fool) Last week, fellow Fool Stephen Ellis wrote a persuasive article called "Solar Is Hot! Well, Maybe Not," in which he spelled out some reasons why investors might want to proceed with caution when considering an investment in Energy Conversion Devices. The gist of his argument lay in the fact that the company was trading at a value of eight times its sales. It was a well reasoned argument, and I agree with his assessment of the company Stephen also pointed out that although the company's sales have come primarily from its solar division, 2007 earnings are expected to drop nearly $20 million.