Solar News: SolarCity Corp (SCTY)’s Renewable Energy, First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) & SunPower Corporation (SPWR)’s Academic Program

Solarcity Moves Up In Market Cap Rank, Passing Cliffs Natural Resources (Forbes)
In the latest look at stocks ordered by largest market capitalization, Russell 3000 component SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY) was identified as having a larger market cap than the smaller end of the S&P 500, for example Cliffs Natural Resources Inc (NYSE:CLF), according to The Online Investor. …But comparing market capitalization (factoring in those share counts) creates a true “apples-to-apples” comparison of the value of two stocks. In the case of SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY), the market cap is now $3.06B, versus Cliffs Natural Resources Inc (NYSE:CLF) at $3.02B.

First Solar Sets World Record in Solar Cell Efficiency (DailyFusion)
First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR), an American manufacturer of f thin film photovoltaic (PV) modules, has announced yesterday it set a new world record for cadmium-telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) module conversion efficiency, achieving a record 16.1 percent total area module efficiency in tests confirmed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The new record is a substantial increase over the prior record of 14.4 percent efficiency, which the company set in January 2012. Separately, First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) also set a record for CdTe open circuit voltage (VOC), a critical parameter for PV performance, reaching 903.2 millivolts (mV) in NREL-certified testing.

SunPower Solar Science Academy Inspires Students Across California (4-Traders)
Approximately 250 students from ten California school districts are participating in this summer’s SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR) Solar Science Academy, an academic program launched last year by SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR), a global solar technology and energy solutions company. The project- and work-based learning program is delivered over the course of one week in each participating district, immersing district students and teachers in a solar-focused curriculum that emphasizes science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).