A press release put out last week by consultancy Frost & Sullivan points to the "Global Solar Photovoltaic Market" hitting $6.49 billion in revenues in 2005, with revenue projections of $16 billion in 2012. It's so important they had to capitalize it, but clearly not important enough for F&S to really know what they're talking about. I just got off the phone with our man Travis Bradford, who told me "this is not being specific enough to be useful. In 2005 the market at the module level was probably something close to what they're saying, but that's just for the modules" not the entire market. And once Travis starts talking...

"I would be behind a clean coal powered testicle electrocution, if that would be possible."
I hear this is how Graham Hill motivates his minions.

• Greentech VC numbers are in for 2007. Global figures jumped 43 percent from 2006 to $3 billion. The U.S. made up $2.5 billion of that, bouncing nearly 80 percent from 2006. Deal volume in the U.S. was up 54 percent, accounting for 8 percent of all U.S. VC money. Once again, the Bay State's booming salted cod and pilgrim shoe innovation market took a distant second to California, raking in $273 million compared to $1.3 billion for the Galactic Confederacy.


• The end of an E.on. Literally. The German power giant has agreed to split up following pressure from the European Commission's competition regulators. E.on will sell its transmission and distribution network, and may spin off 20 percent of its generation capacity or "swap assets with a foreign competitor." The break up, which was done to avoid a possible €7 billion antitrust fine, was met with mixed signals across Europe - EDF and RWE will continue to fight unbundling plans from Brussels while Britain's National Grid is believed to be an interested buyer of E.on's networks. Wulf Bernotat wants to swap some assets


• Xcel Energy has announced plans to fix its wind problem. The western utility will be the first to incorporate grid storage-grade sodium sulphate batteries into a wind farm. Xcel has contracted with Japan's NGK Insulators for a 1 MW test battery, capable of discharging power over seven hours with no gaps at an 11 MW wind farm. The companies will receive a $1 million grant from Minnesota's Renewable Development Fund for the project. I usually store my farts in a bottle.


• Fed Chief Ben Bernanke told the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday he favors a reduction of the Brazilian ethanol tariff. As part of his plan to boost consumer spending, Bernanke argued allowing Brazilian sugarcane ethanol into the U.S. would reduce price pressures on corn and soybeans, stemming the precipitous increase in food prices. But it will probably never happen because, really, the last thing U.S. farmers need is competition.


• And finally today... Treehugger is like your cousin that everyone hates because he kills squirrels with sticks, but that everyone secretly laughs at because he kills squirrels with sticks. This is kind of like that.

Solaicx is a venture-backed startup hell bent on reducing costs in the PV supply chain. Since breaking ground on their new Portland, OR, factory in November, the company has worked 'round-the-clock to stabilize their innovative wafer manufacturing technology, with an eye towards full-scale commercial production in the first half of 2009. Solaicx was also one of Greentech Media’s top ten startups. I had the opportunity to talk with Bob Ford, the company’s CEO, a few days ago about his company’s progress, supply issues in the PV market, and the possibility of a solar shakeout. Bubbling silicon, after the jump.

Cilion, a venture-backed ethanol startup, has fallen at the intersection of a vc and policy love triangle. The company, which was founded in May 2006, is backed by Vinod Khosla, Richard Branson, and Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Companies. That would be the same Yucaipa Companies where Bill Clinton is a senior advisor. In September 2006, Khosla, Branson, and Burkle appeared with Bill at the Clinton Global Initiative fund raiser, shortly after Cilion announced it had raised $160 million. Though Yucaipa claims it invested less than five percent of its equity in the ethanol company, this is still a substantial amount given the amount of cash Yucaipa has under management. And then there's Hillary. Her Senate office has been busy in upstate New York clearing the way for that area's nascent ethanol industry.

• Shenzhen Topray Solar hit the ground running on its debut at the Shenzhen Stock Exchange this morning. The solar company's initial public offer price was pegged at RMB 10.79, but it opened the day at RMB 51.20, hitting a high of RMB 57.00 in intraday trading despite an analyst consensus of around RMB 45.00. Shenzhen Topray closed the day up 378 percent at RMB 51.62, netting the company nearly $60 million in its IPO. Shenzhen Topray is China's first solar cell maker to list domestically. We're still not quite convinced.


• Bloo Solar grabs a $100,000 NSF grant to continue its nanotech research. The company uses vertically-layered nano-scale bristles to increase solar cell surface area over 700 times. While Bloo is waiting until marriage to take venture funding, it plans on spending most of its NSF grant to develop a nano-scale hairbrush to keep its bristles full of volume and shine as it waits for potential suitors.


• All but confirming recent rumors, it looks like Tony Hayward will dump BP's renewable energy programs. BP's environmental group, which is valued between $5 billion and $7 billion, will be the first casualty as Hayward seeks to close the gap between his company and Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil, his chief competitors. Central to Hayward's turnaround plan is a goal of producing 4.3 million barrels of per day by 2012. Barrels of monkeys, that is.


• State governments are exploiting a loophole in federal law, allowing them to buy flex fuel vehicles without buying the flex fuel. Under the 1992 Energy Policy Act, 75 percent of new state cars must be able to run on alternative fuels, though the act doesn't require states to actually buy the alternative fuels that would run them. State governments have purchased more than 40,000 alternative fuel vehicles, though there are only 34 state flex fuel stations in 20 states. I guess there's more than one bridge to nowhere.


• And finally today... only in Oregon.

The House of Representatives voted 236-182 this afternoon to repeal $18 billion in subsidies and tax incentives for oil and gas companies.  The windfall will fund investment and production tax breaks greentech producers and consumers. If H.R. 5351 passes the Senate (possible...) and survives a presidential veto (virtually impossible...), the available funding would support, among other things, a plug-in hybrid vehicle credit, an alternative refueling station tax credit, an extension of the renewable energy production tax credit, and a long-term extension and expansion of the solar energy and fuel cell investment tax credit.  A more in depth analysis can be found here. So kids... time to save your jobs and light up the White House switchboard. (202) 456-1414.