NRG Energy Inc. on Monday said it bought the 21 megawatt Blythe solar energy project in California from First Solar Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

The outlook for the solar industry might not be glowing, but its a lot brighter than it was a year ago when financing and demand dried up, abruptly ending what some might consider a golden age.

Green exchange traded funds, ETFs, and mutual funds  provide the average investor an easy entrée into the nascent and sometimes volatile world of carbon conscious investing.

First Solar reported quarterly sales that fell well short of what the Street was expecting, punishing the company's stock in late trading Wednesday.

Stocks ended lower Friday as a dismal jobs report capped a string of disappointing economic reports this week, which cast doubt on the recovery. It was the market's second straight down week in which stocks have lost more than 3 percent.

Stocks tried to push higher Friday as the dollar's retreat helped the market but investors remained worried about the recovery in the wake of some disappointing economic reports.

Stocks opened lower Friday after disappointing reports on jobs and manufacturing.

Stock index futures plunged as September nonfarm payroll declines were far worse than Wall Street estimates.

More factories that make materials used in solar panels have opened, and the global demand for them has fallen, reports the New York Times.

With cheap loans, electricity and labor, Chinese companies are pulling ahead in the race to go solar, reports the New York Times.

The glass is half full again in Toledo. The Ohio city once known as the glass-making capital of America is trying to forge a new identity as a solar-energy, green jobs metropolis of the future.

The solar energy industry will grow faster than expected during the next few years as American utilities invest heavily in large-scale solar farms, analysts with Barclays Capital said in a research note.