The US government last year announced a US$10 million award, dubbed the "L Prize," for any manufacturer that could create a "green" but affordable light bulb.

Around 11,000 people gathered in Berlin on 5 March to protest against further cuts to the support for solar photovoltaics (PV) in Germany from April.

The federal government spent $24 billion on energy subsidies in 2011, with the vast majority going to renewable energy sources, according to a government report.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday proposed expanding tax credits to make alternative-energy cars and trucks more appealing to buyers.

Japan's Sumco is in final talks with a turnaround fund backed by the country's major banks to raise JPY15 billion (US$186 million) by issuing preferred shares, a source familiar with the deal said on Thursday.

Rumors surfaced online today that claim TSMC has pulled the plug on their 28nm manufacturing lines and that the company started to test and tune the machines to improve yields.

Qualcomm has said it plans to buy back as much as US$4 billion of shares and raise its dividend by 16% to return cash to shareholders as earnings increase.

Hitachi has sold all 12.8 million shares of Elpida, spokesman Yuichi Izumisawa said by phone today, confirming an earlier Nikkei report.

A new trade organization, established by First Solar and rival CdTe thin film module producers and suppliers has been formed to promote and educate on the technology's attributes.

Rumored layoffs at Yahoo could offer a clue as to how the company's new CEO, Scott Thompson, plans to redirect the stumbling Internet giant.

Advanced Micro Devices has said it agreed to a negotiated wafer price mechanism with Globalfoundries for 2012 and also agreed to transfer its remaining ownership interest in that company to the firm itself.

China's premier warned that growth will slow this year in the world's second-largest economy as the government seeks to overhaul the country's "unbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable" development model.

At 1pm local time Monday March 5, thousands, including employees from around 50 solar companies, will converge in Berlin at the Brandeburger Tor to protest against harsh cuts to the proposed feed-in tariff legislation.

SMA Solar, Germany's top solar company, forecast sales and operating margins will fall significantly in 2012, blaming the German government's March 9 decision to slash state-mandated incentives for photovoltaic electricity.

Germany, the world's biggest solar- power market, may delay a plan to cut subsidies in the industry by at least three weeks to allow developers to complete projects, a lawmaker said.

Philips Electronics is optimistic about LED lighting sales as the technology gains popularity worldwide.