High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e43569d4-e30f-11e0-bb55-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1YYPv5fmw The US solar power industry employs more than 100,000 people, twice as many as it did two years ago and more than the steel industry or coal mining, the industry's trade group has said.

Developers installed 69% more US solar power capacity in the second quarter than a year earlier, led by commercial and government projects.

GCT Semiconductor, a maker of mobile chips used in smartphones, wireless routers and other devices, plans to raise up to US$100 million in an initial public offering, according to documents filed on September 15.

China's solar power firms are emerging as the industry's dominant force after the collapse of foreign competitors, but the new market leaders are already struggling with low prices and overcapacity.

Samsung hopes it can entice developers to create apps that can connect televisions, phones, tablets and laptops. For the second year in a row, Samsung is hosting what it calls the Free the TV Challenge.

Calling for unity and an end to a "political circus" US President Barack Obama told Republicans to immediately pass a US$447 billion jobs plan to jolt the stalled economy and cheer a disillusioned nation.

The US's biggest industrial companies face an average bill of at least US$100m each over the next five years as they struggle to fill the skills gaps left by the looming retirement of "baby boomer" factory workers.

The US economy failed to add jobs in August.

The days of using light bulbs as a political football may be drawing to a swift and un-melodramatic close, now that the company Lighting Science Group has announced the development of a new 60-watt equivalent LED lightbulb that will retail for under US$15.00.

Retailers expect a sharp rise in the cost of the traditional 60W light bulb as European-wide legislation preventing their production or import takes effect on September 1.

A Silicon Valley maker of solar power arrays that was started with high hopes and $527 million in loans from the federal government said on Wednesday that it would cease operations.

A new report shows that China, considered the looming threat for competitors in the renewable energy business, may not stand a chance against the booming American solar sector.

Recession in rich countries has discouraged some would-be incomers from trying their luck. America, for instance, has seen a sharp decline in Mexicans trying to cross its southern border. Immigration to Europe has slowed. Some studies also suggest that increased inflows of migrants are a leading indicator of a pickup in growth.

A study sponsored by the solar power industry has concluded that the United States ran a trade surplus of $1.88 billion in solar technologies last year, as exports of raw material and factory equipment for the solar sector outpaced imports of finished solar panels.

Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens and Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer were among the six central bankers to receive the top grade from the Global Finance magazine. The others were Lebanon's Riad Salameh, Malaysia's Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Amando Tetangco of the Philippines and Taiwan's Fai-Nan Perng.

The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, said Friday that the economy is recovering and the nation's long-term prospects remained strong, an upbeat assessment that offered little indication of any plans for additional measures to boost short-term growth.

The price of gold has plunged 9.3%, after hitting a record US$1,913.50 an ounce on August 23, as markets became more upbeat about the economy.

No major injuries or extensive damage were reported after the 5.8-magnitude earthquake.

IKEA's San Diego, California store has officially commenced operation of its 252kW rooftop solar power system; the tenth solar installation the company has completed at its stores nationwide.

First Solar has officially opened its new factory in Mesa, Arizona at a ceremony on Friday morning. Module production at Mesa is expected to begin by Q3 2012 and will employ approximately 600 full-time staff.

SoloPower has received a $197m loan guarantee from the US Department of Energy (DOE) for the construction and operation of three solar module manufacturing facilities.

When it comes renewable energy solutions, sometimes nature has the best ideas. That was 13-year-old Aidan Dwyer's conclusion after a wintry hike in New York's Catskill Mountains, a trip that inspired him to build a unique and effective solar array design.

New data on the US economy, including a huge drop in a regional manufacturing survey, has heightened market fears of a new recession.

Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve did not offer ailing markets the short-term salve they were looking for Tuesday with an announcement of additional asset purchases in a bid to stimulate US growth, but the central bank did signal that its accommodative interest rate policy will remain in place until at least mid-2013.

Gold prices hit another record on August 9, slicing through the US$1,750-a-troy-ounce milestone as a massive sell-off in global equity markets drew safety-seeking investors to the metal.

S&P's decision to lower the US credit rating was proceeded last week by a downgrade of US debt by a less-known Chinese rating agency, Dagong Global Credit Rating Co. It was Dagong's second such downgrade, moves Xinhua painted as prescient.

The rating agency's move to downgrade US debt could make it a leader among rating agencies or blow up in its face.

Rebates for Los Angeles solar panel installations are 32% lower under the newly relaunched Solar Initiative Program, which will start accepting applications next month.