Germany's Siemens (NYSE: SI) broke ground on a new wind turbine manufacturing plant in Shanghai, marking the company's entry into China's wind energy market. Siemens Wind Power Blades (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., with an initial investment of RMB 581 million (EUR 64 million), is expected to begin operation in the second half of 2010. The new production site will initially produce blades for 2.3 and 3.6 megawatts (MW) wind turbine plants, and plans include produce turbine nacelles at a later stage.

However, Reuters reported this week that foreign wind turbine makers--such as Vestas (VWS.CO), Gamesa (GAM.MC) and Suzlon (SUZL.BO)--are complaining that despite efforts to meet state regulations, they are unable to win contracts in the fast-growing wind market. The government requires the turbine makers to source and build 70% of their equipment in China, but officials said there is no discrimination against foreign firms.

Siemens (NYSE: SI) also announced it is acquiring a 25% stake in German renewable energy developer BGZ AG. The company develops, finances and operates renewable power facilities like wind, solar and biomass power plants. In 200, BGZ generated about EUR 50 million in revenue and has installed more than 950 MW of wind power capacity. Financial terms were not disclosed. A new company jumped into the electric vehicle market this week. Coda Automotive announced plans to sell an all-electric, four-door sedan in California by the fall of 2010. The vehicle will be called the Coda, and the company said it will have a 100-mile range and sell for about $45,000 before federal and state incentives. It will be manufactured in China by state-owned Harbin Hafei Automotive, and it will be powered by lithium-ion batteries made by Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint-Stock Co. Coda Automotive said the vehicle will fully charge in six hours when plugged into a 220V outlet.

Sustainable business leader Herman Miller (Nasdaq: MLHR) is diversifying beyond furnishings. The company's subsidiary Convia, Inc. has developed a high-tech, flexible-use wiring system that aim to reduce real estate and building operating costs. The technology integrates a facility's power delivery and other infrastructure and technology applications, including lighting, HVAC, and occupancy and daylight harvesting sensors into an energy efficient, easy-to manage platform. The company announced a strategic partnership to embed the technology into wire and cable management systems designed by Legrand North America.

Danotek Motion Technologies opened a manufacturing center in Canton, Michigan for wind turbine generator. The company makes a uniquely designed, variable speed turbine generator that has drawn venture capital from the GE (NYSE: GE) and StatoilHydro (NYSE: STO), among others. The company says its Permanent Magnet Generators are more efficient and reduce wear-and-tear on equipment, saving $1 million dollars per turbine over the life of the system.

GE Energy Financial Services (NYSE: GE) has signed an agreement with EarthFirst Canada Inc. (TSX: EF, EF.WT) to consider purchasing the Dokie Ridge Wind Project, which is the largest wind farm project under construction in British Columbia. GE has agreed to form a partnership with Plutonic Power Corporation (TSX: PCC), which will own and operate the project. Phase 1 of theis partially build and will have a capacity of 144 megawatts (MW). The entire project is planned for 300 MW.

Lithium-ion battery maker Boston-Power, Inc., announced plans to build its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Auburn, Massachusetts. The facility is expected to create 600 new jobs. The company also unveiled a battery called Swing that is designed for Plug-in Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles (PHEV/BEV). The company currently manufactures batteries for electronics in China. Boston-Power is seeking approximately $100 million under the U.S. Department of Energy's advanced battery and cell manufacturing grant program, which was established as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Landis+Gyr, a company focused on smart grid solutions for utilities, announced a five-year advanced metering contract with AEP Texas, which is a unit of American Electric Power(NYSE:AEP). Under the agreement, Corpus Christi-based AEP Texas will deploy 700,000 of Landis+Gyr's Gridstream meters across its Texas service territory. The meters allow two-way connectivity with home area network devices and will allow AEP Texas to send energy consumption information and real-time pricing to consumers.

Reprinted with permission from SustainableBusiness