In partnership with Panasonic, Northern California's Infineon Raceway is boosting its sustainability drive with a solar power system that now supplies 41 percent of the facility's electricity.
Completion of the installation is the latest development in the raceway's Accelerating Sustainable Performance program and will rival another component of the green campaign -- the sheep that crop the facility's grasslands -- as an attention-grabbing visual signature for Infineon's environmental efforts.
The 1,652 panels for the 353-kilowatt solar power system roost atop five sites at the 1,600-acre facility -- the main grandstand; the sound wall at Turn 10 of the twisting 2.5-mile track; the facility's main office; the Tech Center of the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, (which includes modular structures by green building innovators Project FROG); and the Raceway Cafe.
The 3,000 sheep, which are supplied by Rocky Mountain Wooly Weeders, graze on slopes above the raceway. They've lived on the property since 2008, when the facility added "green mowing" and other eco-friendly measures to activities that included comprehensive recycling, an effort begun in 2004.
To site the solar arrays, facility operators chose the locations that were best for capturing the sun's rays and people's attention, said Steve Page, Infineon Raceway's president and general manager. "We consciously set about identifying the most visible places on the property," said Page in a news conference on Saturday to announce that the solar energy system is on line and delivering power.
The announcement by Page and Jim Doyle, president of Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company, came on the weekend that NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series came to Infineon.
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, like other major pro sports in North America, is working to ease the environmental impacts its operations and push a green message out to its 70 million fans.
At Infineon, a 43-year-old facility that hosts a variety motor sports events 340 days a year, Page acknowledged that the intersection of environmental concerns and the racing industry may be difficult for some people to fathom.
"The idea of a motor racing facility launching a sustainability initiative may seem a bit counter-intuitive to a lot of people and I want to make sure I articulate the spirit of what we are doing," Page said. "It's very important for us to demonstrate that are options in the sustainable world where you don't have to compromise performance.
"The point we're trying to make is whatever assumptions you might have about someone in our industry, we have a very strong belief in operating as a sustainable business. It's something we want to wear very prominently and set an example to the folks who come out and use this facility."
The efforts at Infineon are being watched by its fans as well as others in the sports industry, said Doyle. He conceded, though, that when he first heard about the green vision for the facility, his initial thought was "it's kind of ironic when you think of a racetrack."
"But then I looked out the window and saw 1,000 sheep mowing the lawn," Doyle said. "That's real. These guys really mean it here."
Panasonic, the sponsor of the raceway's technology center, also provided a two-sided LED video board for the facility. With a display board that's almost 6 feet high and 17½ feet wide, the sign is visible from a nearby highway. It's made up of 57,600 LEDs, draws its power from a solar tracker and uses half the energy of its predecessor, which contained about 7,000 traditional bulbs.
The raceway and Panasonic estimate that the solar installation, not including the new sign, will save 34,000 barrels of oil over a 30-year period.
2011年6月29日星期三
SoloPower shoots for another $44M for thin film solar
Solar thin-film startup SoloPower has been raising money in earnest in order to set up a factory to mass produce its panels. And now the Silicon Valley company is aiming for a $43.75 million round and has so far lined up about $15 million, according to a filing Wednesday.
The company develops solar panels using copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) instead of conventional silicon to convert sunlight into electricity. SoloPower is among a cadre of CIGS solar panel manufacturers who have completed product development and either have recently started or planned to begin mass production within the next year or two. Its peers include Stion, Solyndra, MiaSole, Sulfurcell and Nanosolar. Q-Cells, based in Germany, also is a competitor and announced on Wednesday it has started selling its CIGS panels in North America.
SoloPower, which began raising the new equity round earlier this month, has been busy persuading investors that it’s a good bet. In March this year, it had raised about $13.5 million in equity while gunning for $20 million, according to another filing. In January this year, it also raised a $51.58 million round by selling equity and rights to buy shares later.
The company will need ample cash to build its first commercial-scale factory and boost sales and marketing efforts. It has a pilot line that could produce 10 MW of solar panels as of last fall, and company CEO Tim Harris told us then that the company was planning to add 75 MW within a year. That 75MW line turned out to be part of a plan to build a 300 MW manufacturing center in Oregon.
Soon after announcing its 300 MW manufacturing plan, the company received a loan guarantee offer of $197 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. In its announcement about the loan guarantee offer, SoloPower said it was planning a bigger, 400 MW factory in Oregon instead. The loan guarantee will help the company secure about 54 percent of the $364 million project cost, according to the DOE website. SoloPower has until Sept. 30 this year to finalize the loan guarantee and start construction.
Getting to market
SoloPower launched a set of flexible CIGS solar panels last year. Instead of using glass to protect the solar cells from moisture, flexible panels use special polymer materials to encase the cells. Flexible solar panels are lightweight and can be built into roofing materials. But since glass is such a solid protective material, many CIGS solar panel manufacturers have opted to use glass instead of the newer and more expensive polymer materials.
However, roofing materials with built-in solar cells haven’t taken off in the market yet. The vast majority of the solar panels, regardless of whether they use CIGS or silicon solar cells, are mounted on the rooftop or on the ground.
SoloPower and other CIGS manufacturers do hope that flexible panels will eventually become more popular and allow them to better differentiate their products from silicon solar panels. Silicon solar cells are thicker and more rigid, so they can’t turn into the kind of thin and flexible panels that CIGS solar cells can. But silicon solar cells can convert sunlight into electricity more efficiently.
CIGS solar panels, on the other hand, these days generally convert 10-12 percent of sunlight into electricity while silicon solar panels’ efficiencies are several percentage points higher. Q-Cells said its CIGS panels can do 13 percent. The most efficient line of silicon solar panels can do 20 percent and come from SunPower.
The company develops solar panels using copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) instead of conventional silicon to convert sunlight into electricity. SoloPower is among a cadre of CIGS solar panel manufacturers who have completed product development and either have recently started or planned to begin mass production within the next year or two. Its peers include Stion, Solyndra, MiaSole, Sulfurcell and Nanosolar. Q-Cells, based in Germany, also is a competitor and announced on Wednesday it has started selling its CIGS panels in North America.
SoloPower, which began raising the new equity round earlier this month, has been busy persuading investors that it’s a good bet. In March this year, it had raised about $13.5 million in equity while gunning for $20 million, according to another filing. In January this year, it also raised a $51.58 million round by selling equity and rights to buy shares later.
The company will need ample cash to build its first commercial-scale factory and boost sales and marketing efforts. It has a pilot line that could produce 10 MW of solar panels as of last fall, and company CEO Tim Harris told us then that the company was planning to add 75 MW within a year. That 75MW line turned out to be part of a plan to build a 300 MW manufacturing center in Oregon.
Soon after announcing its 300 MW manufacturing plan, the company received a loan guarantee offer of $197 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. In its announcement about the loan guarantee offer, SoloPower said it was planning a bigger, 400 MW factory in Oregon instead. The loan guarantee will help the company secure about 54 percent of the $364 million project cost, according to the DOE website. SoloPower has until Sept. 30 this year to finalize the loan guarantee and start construction.
Getting to market
SoloPower launched a set of flexible CIGS solar panels last year. Instead of using glass to protect the solar cells from moisture, flexible panels use special polymer materials to encase the cells. Flexible solar panels are lightweight and can be built into roofing materials. But since glass is such a solid protective material, many CIGS solar panel manufacturers have opted to use glass instead of the newer and more expensive polymer materials.
However, roofing materials with built-in solar cells haven’t taken off in the market yet. The vast majority of the solar panels, regardless of whether they use CIGS or silicon solar cells, are mounted on the rooftop or on the ground.
SoloPower and other CIGS manufacturers do hope that flexible panels will eventually become more popular and allow them to better differentiate their products from silicon solar panels. Silicon solar cells are thicker and more rigid, so they can’t turn into the kind of thin and flexible panels that CIGS solar cells can. But silicon solar cells can convert sunlight into electricity more efficiently.
CIGS solar panels, on the other hand, these days generally convert 10-12 percent of sunlight into electricity while silicon solar panels’ efficiencies are several percentage points higher. Q-Cells said its CIGS panels can do 13 percent. The most efficient line of silicon solar panels can do 20 percent and come from SunPower.
2011年6月26日星期日
Boosting solar energy in Tanzania
In Tanzania we have long suffered from power woes. Different reasons are given to justify power rationing but worldwide many private enterprises and townships have opted for solar and windmill power.
The Tanzania Solar Energy Association (TASEA) was officially registered in May 2001. Its mission is to develop and promote rational use of solar energy. The source of almost all renewable forms of energy such as direct solar energy, biomass energy, wind energy and hydropower is the sun.
Tanzania has a very good potential for power generation from renewable energy sources. Some renewable energy technologies are available in Tanzania. Their application covers from heating, lighting, electricity, cooking, refrigeration, transportation, drying and water pumping. However, much more has to be done to spread the use of solar power in Tanzania.
Last week I read about one Danny Kennedy who has made a dramatic impact in the solar power industry. He helped in turning the Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia into a green building following his work on clean energy that has been going on for the past few years.
Danny, like many environmentalist associations, shares a common concern about climate change and politics of industrialisation with the objective of preserving our planet for the future.
Danny has travelled to the US to set up a solar company that brings solar technology simply and efficiently to the broader public. His marketing line is that the sun's rays can turn any home into a solar powerhouse that could make things run in the house without electricity.
There is an often used quote saying that “The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” The objective is to be able to see that things that appear hopeless can be made otherwise through patience, intelligence and perseverance.
Danny’s new company is a response from his long-held passion to slow global warming with solar power. He is making it simple and easy to access, first for homeowners in America and as it scales and becomes cheaper, for the entire world. That is a win-win situation for everyone.
Anyone who has a home or business can cut out on their electricity bills by going solar. In Tanzania some firms deal in solar panels down one wonders why the technology has not picked up, like in some overseas countries. This would help alleviated the adverse effects of our power crisis especially because these solar installations are meant to be easy to install and are considered affordable.
There is no better way to feel empowered than to take control of one’s own electricity and take a stand against climate change with solar power.
Like Danny, I am sure we have many graduates who can team up with entrepreneurs to bring more solar energy to Tanzania homes, buildings and businesses that would help the country go greener and reduce global climate change.
The Tanzania Solar Energy Association (TASEA) was officially registered in May 2001. Its mission is to develop and promote rational use of solar energy. The source of almost all renewable forms of energy such as direct solar energy, biomass energy, wind energy and hydropower is the sun.
Tanzania has a very good potential for power generation from renewable energy sources. Some renewable energy technologies are available in Tanzania. Their application covers from heating, lighting, electricity, cooking, refrigeration, transportation, drying and water pumping. However, much more has to be done to spread the use of solar power in Tanzania.
Last week I read about one Danny Kennedy who has made a dramatic impact in the solar power industry. He helped in turning the Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia into a green building following his work on clean energy that has been going on for the past few years.
Danny, like many environmentalist associations, shares a common concern about climate change and politics of industrialisation with the objective of preserving our planet for the future.
Danny has travelled to the US to set up a solar company that brings solar technology simply and efficiently to the broader public. His marketing line is that the sun's rays can turn any home into a solar powerhouse that could make things run in the house without electricity.
There is an often used quote saying that “The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” The objective is to be able to see that things that appear hopeless can be made otherwise through patience, intelligence and perseverance.
Danny’s new company is a response from his long-held passion to slow global warming with solar power. He is making it simple and easy to access, first for homeowners in America and as it scales and becomes cheaper, for the entire world. That is a win-win situation for everyone.
Anyone who has a home or business can cut out on their electricity bills by going solar. In Tanzania some firms deal in solar panels down one wonders why the technology has not picked up, like in some overseas countries. This would help alleviated the adverse effects of our power crisis especially because these solar installations are meant to be easy to install and are considered affordable.
There is no better way to feel empowered than to take control of one’s own electricity and take a stand against climate change with solar power.
Like Danny, I am sure we have many graduates who can team up with entrepreneurs to bring more solar energy to Tanzania homes, buildings and businesses that would help the country go greener and reduce global climate change.
than 95 percent of the energy produced by solar panels
Nebraska is about to gain its first solar panel maker through a partnership between a startup company and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
University officials say they have joined forces with Rare Earth Solar, a new Nebraska company, in an exclusive licensing agreement to develop solar technology made with rare-earth elements.
Assistant UNL chemistry professor Chin Li "Barry" Cheung and company leaders have developed patent-pending technology for solar cells. Company co-founder Joseph Brewer says the technology will replace traditional semiconductor materials that are currently used.
Officials say the rare-earth elements are actually more available and less expensive than competing commercial materials.
The partnership was fostered by NUtech Ventures, a Lincoln nonprofit created to connect university researchers with the private sector.
University officials say they have joined forces with Rare Earth Solar, a new Nebraska company, in an exclusive licensing agreement to develop solar technology made with rare-earth elements.
Assistant UNL chemistry professor Chin Li "Barry" Cheung and company leaders have developed patent-pending technology for solar cells. Company co-founder Joseph Brewer says the technology will replace traditional semiconductor materials that are currently used.
Officials say the rare-earth elements are actually more available and less expensive than competing commercial materials.
The partnership was fostered by NUtech Ventures, a Lincoln nonprofit created to connect university researchers with the private sector.
2011年6月22日星期三
UPDATE 1-US DOE offers loan aid for solar panel project
The U.S. Energy Department on Wednesday said it has offered a partial guarantee for a $1.4 billion loan for a project that will install solar panels on industrial buildings throughout the country.
Known as Project Amp, the solar generation project will install about 733 megawatts of photovoltaic solar panels. The power generated by the panels would go directly to the electrical grid, instead of powering the buildings where the panels will be installed.
NRG Energy (NRG.N) has committed to be the lead investor for the first phase of the project, which will install panels on about 750 rooftops owned and managed by Prologis (PLD.N) over the course of the entire project.
NRG also has the right of first offer for the rest of the program and will provide development resources and project expertise.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC.N) will act as the sole financial advisor and lender for the transaction, which is being executed through the Energy Department's Financial Institutions Partnership Program.
The department will guarantee 80 percent of the $1.4 billion loan, Bank of America said in a statement.
Known as Project Amp, the solar generation project will install about 733 megawatts of photovoltaic solar panels. The power generated by the panels would go directly to the electrical grid, instead of powering the buildings where the panels will be installed.
NRG Energy (NRG.N) has committed to be the lead investor for the first phase of the project, which will install panels on about 750 rooftops owned and managed by Prologis (PLD.N) over the course of the entire project.
NRG also has the right of first offer for the rest of the program and will provide development resources and project expertise.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC.N) will act as the sole financial advisor and lender for the transaction, which is being executed through the Energy Department's Financial Institutions Partnership Program.
The department will guarantee 80 percent of the $1.4 billion loan, Bank of America said in a statement.
Silver Surge Makes ‘Headwind’ for Solar in Fossil Fuel Rivalry
Soaring silver prices are hampering the solar industry’s ability to compete with fossil fuels.
Panel makers consume about 11 percent of the world’s supply of silver, the metal in solar cells that conducts electricity. The metal has appreciated 74 percent to $35.30 a troy ounce on average so far this year from $20.24 for last year.
Prices for solar cells have dropped about 27 percent this year and would be even lower if each panel didn’t require about 20 grams of silver, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That’s pushing back the date when companies such as Solarworld AG (SWV) and LDK Solar Co. can deliver solar power at prices that are competitive with traditional energy.
“Global silver prices have gone up a lot, and solar cells use silver paste as the front-side contact material,” Shawn Qu, chief executive of Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ), which is based in China, said in an interview. “The increase of the silver costs will give us a challenge in efforts to reduce solar cell costs.”
Prices for photovoltaic solar panels were $1.49 a watt in June, compared with about $1.80 in January, New Energy Finance estimates, as manufacturers especially in China raised production and incentives were trimmed in Europe.
‘Headwind’
“Some companies are implementing measures to reduce silver consumption, but we believe rising silver prices could still act as a headwind,” Barclays Capital wrote in a note to clients.
The price of the silver paste that Canadian Solar uses to print circuits on the front of its solar cells more than tripled in the past year, Qu said. That adds about 3 cents to 4 cents a watt, or 2 percent, to the cost of the panels.
The company’s gross margins narrowed to about 15 percent in the first quarter from 17 percent in the prior quarter as the price of cells fell faster than the cost of production, the company based in Suzhou New District, China, reported in May.
A typical solar cell uses 0.10 grams of silver for each watt of generating capacity. That amounts to about 20 grams in a 200-watt panel, adding $23.52 to the cost of each panel, according to New Energy Finance. The cost for metal in each panel totals about 11 cents a watt, up from 5 cents a year ago, the London-based industry researcher estimates.
Slim Margins
Solar companies “have already seen their margins being reduced to next to nothing,” Jenny Chase, manager of New Energy Finance’s solar analysis, said in a report. “At these prices, silver accounts for around half of cell makers’ processing costs,” the roughly 18 cents it takes to turn a blank silicon wafer into a completed cell.
The surge in silver prices is squeezing margins for most solar companies, according to research by Barclays Capital. Silver prices reached a record high at $48.44 an ounce on April 28, and if it returns to that level it will account for 13 percent to 15 percent of the cost of producing each panel, the report said.
The global silver supply reached 1.06 billion ounces in 2010, up almost 15 percent from 922.2 million ounces in 2009, according to the Washington-based trade group Silver Institute.
Including advance purchases of the metal, solar companies consumed almost 11 percent of total silver production, according to Prismark Partners, a New York-based technology research company.
Solar companies and their suppliers are looking for ways to reduce the amount of silver used in cells. Canadian Solar’s Qu said his company is tweaking its manufacturing process to use thinner wiring on the front of solar cells.
Thin-Film Advantage
High silver prices may provide a competitive advantage to companies that make thin-film solar products such as First Solar Inc. (FSLR) A spokesman for Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar said the company’s cells are made with cadmium-telluride rather than the polysilicon used in typical photovoltaic cells, and do not use any silver.
The standard, 156-millimeter photovoltaic cell has about 280 milligrams of silver on the front, and a slight amount on the backside as well, said Walt Cheng, global business director for DuPont Microcircuit Materials, the unit of DuPont Co. that produces the silver metalization paste used to make the wiring.
The price of silver makes up 70 percent to 90 percent of the cost of DuPont’s paste, and the company passes on to customers fluctuations in the metal’s value. DuPont expects to introduce this year a version of its Solamet paste that reduces silver content by about 10 percent, and may eventually reach 20 percent.
“We are accelerating R&D to reduce silver content and investigate how we can effectively transfer technology internally from DuPont’s products in the automotive and display industries into photovoltaics,” Cheng said.
Smaller panel makers may have the most to lose from high silver costs.
“Solar manufacturers that are large-scale and have high- end tech can manage rising prices pretty well,” Cheng said. “Customers that are second and third tier have a harder time with higher silver prices. The strong module makers will get stronger.”
Panel makers consume about 11 percent of the world’s supply of silver, the metal in solar cells that conducts electricity. The metal has appreciated 74 percent to $35.30 a troy ounce on average so far this year from $20.24 for last year.
Prices for solar cells have dropped about 27 percent this year and would be even lower if each panel didn’t require about 20 grams of silver, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That’s pushing back the date when companies such as Solarworld AG (SWV) and LDK Solar Co. can deliver solar power at prices that are competitive with traditional energy.
“Global silver prices have gone up a lot, and solar cells use silver paste as the front-side contact material,” Shawn Qu, chief executive of Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ), which is based in China, said in an interview. “The increase of the silver costs will give us a challenge in efforts to reduce solar cell costs.”
Prices for photovoltaic solar panels were $1.49 a watt in June, compared with about $1.80 in January, New Energy Finance estimates, as manufacturers especially in China raised production and incentives were trimmed in Europe.
‘Headwind’
“Some companies are implementing measures to reduce silver consumption, but we believe rising silver prices could still act as a headwind,” Barclays Capital wrote in a note to clients.
The price of the silver paste that Canadian Solar uses to print circuits on the front of its solar cells more than tripled in the past year, Qu said. That adds about 3 cents to 4 cents a watt, or 2 percent, to the cost of the panels.
The company’s gross margins narrowed to about 15 percent in the first quarter from 17 percent in the prior quarter as the price of cells fell faster than the cost of production, the company based in Suzhou New District, China, reported in May.
A typical solar cell uses 0.10 grams of silver for each watt of generating capacity. That amounts to about 20 grams in a 200-watt panel, adding $23.52 to the cost of each panel, according to New Energy Finance. The cost for metal in each panel totals about 11 cents a watt, up from 5 cents a year ago, the London-based industry researcher estimates.
Slim Margins
Solar companies “have already seen their margins being reduced to next to nothing,” Jenny Chase, manager of New Energy Finance’s solar analysis, said in a report. “At these prices, silver accounts for around half of cell makers’ processing costs,” the roughly 18 cents it takes to turn a blank silicon wafer into a completed cell.
The surge in silver prices is squeezing margins for most solar companies, according to research by Barclays Capital. Silver prices reached a record high at $48.44 an ounce on April 28, and if it returns to that level it will account for 13 percent to 15 percent of the cost of producing each panel, the report said.
The global silver supply reached 1.06 billion ounces in 2010, up almost 15 percent from 922.2 million ounces in 2009, according to the Washington-based trade group Silver Institute.
Including advance purchases of the metal, solar companies consumed almost 11 percent of total silver production, according to Prismark Partners, a New York-based technology research company.
Solar companies and their suppliers are looking for ways to reduce the amount of silver used in cells. Canadian Solar’s Qu said his company is tweaking its manufacturing process to use thinner wiring on the front of solar cells.
Thin-Film Advantage
High silver prices may provide a competitive advantage to companies that make thin-film solar products such as First Solar Inc. (FSLR) A spokesman for Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar said the company’s cells are made with cadmium-telluride rather than the polysilicon used in typical photovoltaic cells, and do not use any silver.
The standard, 156-millimeter photovoltaic cell has about 280 milligrams of silver on the front, and a slight amount on the backside as well, said Walt Cheng, global business director for DuPont Microcircuit Materials, the unit of DuPont Co. that produces the silver metalization paste used to make the wiring.
The price of silver makes up 70 percent to 90 percent of the cost of DuPont’s paste, and the company passes on to customers fluctuations in the metal’s value. DuPont expects to introduce this year a version of its Solamet paste that reduces silver content by about 10 percent, and may eventually reach 20 percent.
“We are accelerating R&D to reduce silver content and investigate how we can effectively transfer technology internally from DuPont’s products in the automotive and display industries into photovoltaics,” Cheng said.
Smaller panel makers may have the most to lose from high silver costs.
“Solar manufacturers that are large-scale and have high- end tech can manage rising prices pretty well,” Cheng said. “Customers that are second and third tier have a harder time with higher silver prices. The strong module makers will get stronger.”
2011年6月19日星期日
Suntech CEO says to up panel capex to 2.4 GW by end-2011
Suntech Power Holdings , the world's largest solar cell maker, will raise its solar panel capacity to 2.4 gigawatts (GW) by end-2011, its chief executive said.
"We intend to produce wafers ourselves to 50 percent of (our) cell capacity," Suntech's Zhengrong Shi told Reuters on the sidelines of a Seoul summit on Monday.
Suntech has focused on increasing production of the silicon wafers used in its modules in order to cut its reliance on suppliers.
Shi added that it would raise funds to boost capacity through joint ventures, bank loans and its own capital. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)
"We intend to produce wafers ourselves to 50 percent of (our) cell capacity," Suntech's Zhengrong Shi told Reuters on the sidelines of a Seoul summit on Monday.
Suntech has focused on increasing production of the silicon wafers used in its modules in order to cut its reliance on suppliers.
Shi added that it would raise funds to boost capacity through joint ventures, bank loans and its own capital. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)
BP Partner Fotowatio Plans More Australia Solar Power Projects
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, BP Plc (BP/)’s partner in an Australian solar-power project that was awarded A$306.5 million ($324 million) in government funding, said it is considering additional ventures in the country.
“We don’t see this as the only opportunity in Australia,” Javier Huergo, Fotowatio’s head of business development, said by phone today from Sydney. “We think this will demonstrate solar can become an important part of the generation mix and will be ready for the moment when there’s a stable political framework that permits developers to make long-term decisions.”
Madrid-based Fotowatio, BP and Pacific Hydro Pty won funding to construct a 150-megawatt solar plant in the state of New South Wales, the Australian government said on June 18. The companies plan to build one of the world’s largest plants using photovoltaic panels to turn sunlight into power, Huergo said.
Australia, which has set a target of generating 20 percent of its power from renewable energy sources by 2020, also said it would provide A$464 million to a solar project in Queensland led by a unit of Paris-based Areva SA. That venture proposes a 250- megawatt solar thermal and gas hybrid power plant, according to the statement released by Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s office.
Fotowatio and BP aim to begin construction of the 150- megawatt venture in the first quarter of 2012 and to have the plant fully operating by the end of 2015, Huergo said. Fotowatio, which plans to keep more than 50 percent of the project, expects partial commissioning before the end of 2015, he said.
Utilities Talks
The venture is in “advanced talks with some of the major utilities” over the supply of power from the plant, he said. The partners will also rely on debt, plus A$120 million of funding from the New South Wales government, Huergo said.
The Fotowatio-BP development is estimated to cost A$923 million, the Australian government said. Construction expenses are expected to be A$600 million to A$700 million, Huergo said.
BNP Paribas SA, Banco Santander SA and National Australia Bank Ltd. (NAB) are among eight banks that agreed to help finance the New South Wales solar venture, Huergo said in February. Fotowatio has a total of about 275 megawatts of solar power capacity in operation and under construction, he said today.
Fotowatio plans to add solar capacity in Australia if the government maintains stable policy to stimulate development of renewable energy technologies, he said. “The goal is a sustainable long-term solar industry in Australia and to show Australian citizens that solar is reliable,” he said.
Gillard wants to impose a price on carbon emissions starting next year to curb greenhouse gas pollution in a country that burns coal to generate more than 80 percent of electricity.
Together, the two solar projects getting Australian funds are expected to produce enough power to provide electricity to more than 115,000 homes a year, the government said.
“We don’t see this as the only opportunity in Australia,” Javier Huergo, Fotowatio’s head of business development, said by phone today from Sydney. “We think this will demonstrate solar can become an important part of the generation mix and will be ready for the moment when there’s a stable political framework that permits developers to make long-term decisions.”
Madrid-based Fotowatio, BP and Pacific Hydro Pty won funding to construct a 150-megawatt solar plant in the state of New South Wales, the Australian government said on June 18. The companies plan to build one of the world’s largest plants using photovoltaic panels to turn sunlight into power, Huergo said.
Australia, which has set a target of generating 20 percent of its power from renewable energy sources by 2020, also said it would provide A$464 million to a solar project in Queensland led by a unit of Paris-based Areva SA. That venture proposes a 250- megawatt solar thermal and gas hybrid power plant, according to the statement released by Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s office.
Fotowatio and BP aim to begin construction of the 150- megawatt venture in the first quarter of 2012 and to have the plant fully operating by the end of 2015, Huergo said. Fotowatio, which plans to keep more than 50 percent of the project, expects partial commissioning before the end of 2015, he said.
Utilities Talks
The venture is in “advanced talks with some of the major utilities” over the supply of power from the plant, he said. The partners will also rely on debt, plus A$120 million of funding from the New South Wales government, Huergo said.
The Fotowatio-BP development is estimated to cost A$923 million, the Australian government said. Construction expenses are expected to be A$600 million to A$700 million, Huergo said.
BNP Paribas SA, Banco Santander SA and National Australia Bank Ltd. (NAB) are among eight banks that agreed to help finance the New South Wales solar venture, Huergo said in February. Fotowatio has a total of about 275 megawatts of solar power capacity in operation and under construction, he said today.
Fotowatio plans to add solar capacity in Australia if the government maintains stable policy to stimulate development of renewable energy technologies, he said. “The goal is a sustainable long-term solar industry in Australia and to show Australian citizens that solar is reliable,” he said.
Gillard wants to impose a price on carbon emissions starting next year to curb greenhouse gas pollution in a country that burns coal to generate more than 80 percent of electricity.
Together, the two solar projects getting Australian funds are expected to produce enough power to provide electricity to more than 115,000 homes a year, the government said.
2011年6月14日星期二
Philippines stands to benefit from ADB solar energy initiative
The Philippines stands to benefit from the Asian Development Bank’s Asia Solar Energy Initiative (ASEI), which aims to help build an impressive $9-billion, 3,000-megawatt portfolio of solar power in the region over the next three years.
According to the recent ASEI primer released by the ADB, the Manila-based lender reiterated intentions of including the Philippines on the list of countries where potential projects might be implemented next year, the second year of the program.
“The Philippines has in place some manufacturing capacity for solar panels and (there are) plans to use this to develop solar energy power generation, which has been identified as a future objective,” the ADB said.
To assist the Philippines, the Clean Technology Fund had allocated $400 million as early as November 2009 for the project (Investment Plan for Philippines), which was envisioned to include 100 MW of solar power generation.
Launched in May last year, the ASEI would make available a range of projects and knowledge sharing mechanisms to attract other development banks, commercial banks and the private sector to invest in these projects.
In addition to direct financing, ASEI would set a target of raising $500 million from donor countries to bring down the high up-front capital costs of investing in solar energy and design other innovative ways to attract private sector investment.
Based on the objectives of the ASEI, solar capacity in the Asia-Pacific region was expected to reach 1,000 MW by the end of 2011 and 3,000 megawatts by the end of its third year in May 2013.
“Today, Asia and the Pacific is characterized by very high rates of economic growth, far outpacing the global average, and continuing population growth. These two factors pose a formidable challenge to ensuring access to adequate and clean energy supplies at affordable prices, especially for the region’s national governments to meet their economies’ ever-increasing energy demands,” the ADB primer stated.
“These growing pressures, coupled with climate change and energy security considerations, are now driving the region to recognize and to promote national policies for solar energy applications amid the rapid decline in solar energy generation costs,” it explained.
Fortunately, large parts of Asia and the Pacific were said to be endowed with high levels of solar insolation and have significant solar energy generation potential for both large-scale grid and off-grid applications.
“As a decentralized form of energy, solar energy holds promise in providing power to the millions of people in the region with no access to traditional energy supplies. As an added and perhaps more important benefit, rapid and sustainable development of solar energy applications in the region is key to accelerating solar energy’s global march to achieving grid parity,” the ADB added.
An ADB study projected that energy demand for Asia and the Pacific would grow by an average of 2.4 percent until 2030, more than double the world’s average over the same period.
One of the biggest challenges confronting policymakers in the region is how to provide adequate, affordable access to clean energy for a large, growing population. Added to this are issues of energy security and pricing, especially for the poorest, as well as energy delivery, especially across diverse terrain and climate conditions, according to the ADB.
“These struggles present vast opportunities for solar energy development in the region. Solar energy also offers substantial solutions to help address the energy challenges confronting Asia and the Pacific,” the ADB said.
According to the recent ASEI primer released by the ADB, the Manila-based lender reiterated intentions of including the Philippines on the list of countries where potential projects might be implemented next year, the second year of the program.
“The Philippines has in place some manufacturing capacity for solar panels and (there are) plans to use this to develop solar energy power generation, which has been identified as a future objective,” the ADB said.
To assist the Philippines, the Clean Technology Fund had allocated $400 million as early as November 2009 for the project (Investment Plan for Philippines), which was envisioned to include 100 MW of solar power generation.
Launched in May last year, the ASEI would make available a range of projects and knowledge sharing mechanisms to attract other development banks, commercial banks and the private sector to invest in these projects.
In addition to direct financing, ASEI would set a target of raising $500 million from donor countries to bring down the high up-front capital costs of investing in solar energy and design other innovative ways to attract private sector investment.
Based on the objectives of the ASEI, solar capacity in the Asia-Pacific region was expected to reach 1,000 MW by the end of 2011 and 3,000 megawatts by the end of its third year in May 2013.
“Today, Asia and the Pacific is characterized by very high rates of economic growth, far outpacing the global average, and continuing population growth. These two factors pose a formidable challenge to ensuring access to adequate and clean energy supplies at affordable prices, especially for the region’s national governments to meet their economies’ ever-increasing energy demands,” the ADB primer stated.
“These growing pressures, coupled with climate change and energy security considerations, are now driving the region to recognize and to promote national policies for solar energy applications amid the rapid decline in solar energy generation costs,” it explained.
Fortunately, large parts of Asia and the Pacific were said to be endowed with high levels of solar insolation and have significant solar energy generation potential for both large-scale grid and off-grid applications.
“As a decentralized form of energy, solar energy holds promise in providing power to the millions of people in the region with no access to traditional energy supplies. As an added and perhaps more important benefit, rapid and sustainable development of solar energy applications in the region is key to accelerating solar energy’s global march to achieving grid parity,” the ADB added.
An ADB study projected that energy demand for Asia and the Pacific would grow by an average of 2.4 percent until 2030, more than double the world’s average over the same period.
One of the biggest challenges confronting policymakers in the region is how to provide adequate, affordable access to clean energy for a large, growing population. Added to this are issues of energy security and pricing, especially for the poorest, as well as energy delivery, especially across diverse terrain and climate conditions, according to the ADB.
“These struggles present vast opportunities for solar energy development in the region. Solar energy also offers substantial solutions to help address the energy challenges confronting Asia and the Pacific,” the ADB said.
Sustainability Board Holds Energy Forum
Members of the public were invited to learn about alternative energy at a forum hosted Monday night by the New Castle Sustainability Advisory Board.
The forum, held at the Chappaqua Library, was called “Save Money and The Environment," and hosted by board member Steven Wolk. It featured a panel of energy experts from Blueprint Energy Group, Earth to Air Systems and Mercury Solar Systems.
The focus of the meeting was to introduce and answer the public’s questions about three types of alternative energy being made available to homeowners. In presentations, the audience was given information about Geothermal Systems, Solar PV (photovoltaic) technology and micro CHP (Combined Heat and Power) systems.
“By being here tonight, you are saying you are interested in saving the environments for future generations,” said Wolk. “There is no such thing as clean coal.” He argued that fossil fuels cost taxpayers financially, in the way of health care
John Kulacz from Earth To Air Systems talked about geothemermal power.
In a geothermal system, the Earth’s crust is used as a heat transfer. During the summer, your house would be cooled by sending heat down into the ground, while in the winter, heat would be brought up in a closed loop system that requires no water, anti-freeze or water pumps. It can be hooked up to your current heating system.
“Al Gore chose Geothermal over any other system in the world," Kulacz said. “It’s the least understood technology.”
It was explained that a geothermal system can reduce heating and cooling costs by 80 percent and can last 25 or more years. In addition, this system can raise your home’s value and comes with a 30-percent tax credit from the Federal government. However, a geothermal system is not cheap to install. It is estimated that a newly installed system with all new duct work would cost around $60,000. However, according to Kulacz, the system will pay itself back with energy savings in three to five years.
According to Ben Waller from Mercury Solar Systems, the Solar PV system, out of the three presented had the biggest tax incentive with a 30-percent tax credit from the Federal government and a 25-percent tax credit from the state. Solar energy is so popular that there is a push to get The New York Solar Jobs Act of 2011 finalized before the end of the legislative session.
In a Solar PV system, solar panels take light from the sun and convert it to energy. However, the energy from the sun converts into direct current (DC) energy so it is sent down to a converter to change it into alternating aurrent (AC) that is used in the house. In the solar PV system, you would still be connected the power grid for times when there is no sunlight.
The weakness, however, of a Solar PV system in the Westchester area is the multitude of trees and shade.
One audience member was concerned about a strong storm blowing the solar panels off the roof.
“The house will blow away before the panels will,” responded Waller. The panels are rated for 120mph strong winds, those equal of a category 4 hurricane.
The last presentation came from Matthew Fairy of Blue Project Energy Group about micro CHP or Co-Gen systems. In a CHP system, heat and energy are generated in one process, by using the heat generated by making the energy, rather then letting it go to waste. In essence, a CHP system is like a personal power plant. It was stated that these systems have an 85-percent efficiency rate.
“Transmission wastes about 50-70 percent of the energy produced at the power plant.” Fairy said. “Grand Central Station has been using a Co-Gen [CHP] system for years now.”
The meeting was very informative and members of the community like Rick Waller enjoyed it.
“I will be honest, I was expected to be bored and I wasn’t," said Rick Waller, who is Ben Waller's father. "It was really interesting stuff."
He added, “If I was a young home owner and I had a payback period, I would go for it.”
The forum, held at the Chappaqua Library, was called “Save Money and The Environment," and hosted by board member Steven Wolk. It featured a panel of energy experts from Blueprint Energy Group, Earth to Air Systems and Mercury Solar Systems.
The focus of the meeting was to introduce and answer the public’s questions about three types of alternative energy being made available to homeowners. In presentations, the audience was given information about Geothermal Systems, Solar PV (photovoltaic) technology and micro CHP (Combined Heat and Power) systems.
“By being here tonight, you are saying you are interested in saving the environments for future generations,” said Wolk. “There is no such thing as clean coal.” He argued that fossil fuels cost taxpayers financially, in the way of health care
John Kulacz from Earth To Air Systems talked about geothemermal power.
In a geothermal system, the Earth’s crust is used as a heat transfer. During the summer, your house would be cooled by sending heat down into the ground, while in the winter, heat would be brought up in a closed loop system that requires no water, anti-freeze or water pumps. It can be hooked up to your current heating system.
“Al Gore chose Geothermal over any other system in the world," Kulacz said. “It’s the least understood technology.”
It was explained that a geothermal system can reduce heating and cooling costs by 80 percent and can last 25 or more years. In addition, this system can raise your home’s value and comes with a 30-percent tax credit from the Federal government. However, a geothermal system is not cheap to install. It is estimated that a newly installed system with all new duct work would cost around $60,000. However, according to Kulacz, the system will pay itself back with energy savings in three to five years.
According to Ben Waller from Mercury Solar Systems, the Solar PV system, out of the three presented had the biggest tax incentive with a 30-percent tax credit from the Federal government and a 25-percent tax credit from the state. Solar energy is so popular that there is a push to get The New York Solar Jobs Act of 2011 finalized before the end of the legislative session.
In a Solar PV system, solar panels take light from the sun and convert it to energy. However, the energy from the sun converts into direct current (DC) energy so it is sent down to a converter to change it into alternating aurrent (AC) that is used in the house. In the solar PV system, you would still be connected the power grid for times when there is no sunlight.
The weakness, however, of a Solar PV system in the Westchester area is the multitude of trees and shade.
One audience member was concerned about a strong storm blowing the solar panels off the roof.
“The house will blow away before the panels will,” responded Waller. The panels are rated for 120mph strong winds, those equal of a category 4 hurricane.
The last presentation came from Matthew Fairy of Blue Project Energy Group about micro CHP or Co-Gen systems. In a CHP system, heat and energy are generated in one process, by using the heat generated by making the energy, rather then letting it go to waste. In essence, a CHP system is like a personal power plant. It was stated that these systems have an 85-percent efficiency rate.
“Transmission wastes about 50-70 percent of the energy produced at the power plant.” Fairy said. “Grand Central Station has been using a Co-Gen [CHP] system for years now.”
The meeting was very informative and members of the community like Rick Waller enjoyed it.
“I will be honest, I was expected to be bored and I wasn’t," said Rick Waller, who is Ben Waller's father. "It was really interesting stuff."
He added, “If I was a young home owner and I had a payback period, I would go for it.”
Bills back trend of rental solar panels
More and more Coloradans are opting to lease solar energy systems for their homes to avoid the large up-front cost of buying solar panels.
To facilitate the practice, Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., is backing a bill to reduce the risk to companies that want to rent solar equipment.
Meanwhile, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill Friday to reduce the permitting fees that local governments charge installers.
Colorado already ranks as a top market for the solar business. The state government provides a number of loans, tax exemptions and rebates for system installation. The state also has the third-highest number of solar installers affiliated with the American Solar Energy Society, according to FindSolar.com.
However, solar panels still remain largely out of reach for residential ownership. Prices for a complete system can range from $10,000 to $40,000 even after state and federal rebates and incentives, according to Cooler Planet, a Seattle renewable-energy company.
To address this problem, several companies have started to offer solar power financing services, where instead of buying panels, homeowners use company-owned equipment and pay for the power they use.
Although there are no savings guarantees, customers often will pay less for the leases and the electric bills than they previously paid for electric bills alone.
“This business model is making it so that solar is affordable for millions of Americans,” said Susan Wise, a spokeswoman for SunRun, one of the nation’s largest solar-power service companies, which also provides service in Colorado.
“This is just a much better way to go solar,” she said. “You don’t actually want the equipment. You just want the clean power.”
SunRun doubled the number of customers it serves from 5,000 to 10,000 between early 2010 and 2011, Wise said.
Close to half of all solar customers in Colorado use a solar lease-type model, as opposed to owning their own panels, according to Neal Lurie, the executive director of Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association.
“I think that solar-related financing programs, including solar leases, are going to see significant growth in the months ahead,” Lurie said. “This model barely existed just a couple years ago. The fact that they have close to 50 percent of solar customers participating in solar leases reinforces the fact that it just makes it easier for customers.”
Udall wants to encourage further growth in the solar market, which currently accounts for just 1 percent of the nation’s electricity supply.
Along with Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., he sponsored legislation that would allow the Department of Energy to ensure the value of leases for residential solar energy panels. Whitehouse introduced the bill, S. 1126, on June 1.
The bill allows companies that lease solar panels to pay a premium to join the program, and they would be protected if homeowners defaulted on the cost of the lease or the system didn’t produce enough energy. Because the companies would pay a premium, the cost of the program to the taxpayers would be zero.
The senators hope the program would encourage more companies to offer such leases and bolster the solar-energy market.
“By making solar energy more accessible to people, you stimulate manufacturing, you create jobs, you also create an interest in solar energy,” Udall spokeswoman Jennifer Talhelm said.
At the state level, Wise said that rebates and other incentives are making it possible for solar leasing to exist.
“We still very much need subsidies in order to make this work,” she said.
Wise said that in the future, the industry’s goal is to be subsidy-free.
A major area that needs to be addressed is inconsistencies in solar permitting practices from municipality to municipality, Wise said. Such differences, on average, add about $2,500 per installation.
“If you can streamline permitting processes across the industry and have a standard process with online submission forms you will significantly reduce the cost of solar,” she said.
Efforts are under way at both the national and the state level to address this issue. The Department of Energy and the White House are enlisting local governments to design a streamlined permitting process that they would encourage cities to adopt.
In Colorado, Hickenlooper on Friday signed into law legislation that would ease the state’s permitting process. It limits the cost of solar permits and related fees to the local government’s actual cost to issue the permit, not to exceed $500 for a residential installation.
“I think this is ground-breaking legislation that is likely to become a national model that other states will follow,” said Lurie with Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association.
To facilitate the practice, Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., is backing a bill to reduce the risk to companies that want to rent solar equipment.
Meanwhile, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill Friday to reduce the permitting fees that local governments charge installers.
Colorado already ranks as a top market for the solar business. The state government provides a number of loans, tax exemptions and rebates for system installation. The state also has the third-highest number of solar installers affiliated with the American Solar Energy Society, according to FindSolar.com.
However, solar panels still remain largely out of reach for residential ownership. Prices for a complete system can range from $10,000 to $40,000 even after state and federal rebates and incentives, according to Cooler Planet, a Seattle renewable-energy company.
To address this problem, several companies have started to offer solar power financing services, where instead of buying panels, homeowners use company-owned equipment and pay for the power they use.
Although there are no savings guarantees, customers often will pay less for the leases and the electric bills than they previously paid for electric bills alone.
“This business model is making it so that solar is affordable for millions of Americans,” said Susan Wise, a spokeswoman for SunRun, one of the nation’s largest solar-power service companies, which also provides service in Colorado.
“This is just a much better way to go solar,” she said. “You don’t actually want the equipment. You just want the clean power.”
SunRun doubled the number of customers it serves from 5,000 to 10,000 between early 2010 and 2011, Wise said.
Close to half of all solar customers in Colorado use a solar lease-type model, as opposed to owning their own panels, according to Neal Lurie, the executive director of Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association.
“I think that solar-related financing programs, including solar leases, are going to see significant growth in the months ahead,” Lurie said. “This model barely existed just a couple years ago. The fact that they have close to 50 percent of solar customers participating in solar leases reinforces the fact that it just makes it easier for customers.”
Udall wants to encourage further growth in the solar market, which currently accounts for just 1 percent of the nation’s electricity supply.
Along with Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., he sponsored legislation that would allow the Department of Energy to ensure the value of leases for residential solar energy panels. Whitehouse introduced the bill, S. 1126, on June 1.
The bill allows companies that lease solar panels to pay a premium to join the program, and they would be protected if homeowners defaulted on the cost of the lease or the system didn’t produce enough energy. Because the companies would pay a premium, the cost of the program to the taxpayers would be zero.
The senators hope the program would encourage more companies to offer such leases and bolster the solar-energy market.
“By making solar energy more accessible to people, you stimulate manufacturing, you create jobs, you also create an interest in solar energy,” Udall spokeswoman Jennifer Talhelm said.
At the state level, Wise said that rebates and other incentives are making it possible for solar leasing to exist.
“We still very much need subsidies in order to make this work,” she said.
Wise said that in the future, the industry’s goal is to be subsidy-free.
A major area that needs to be addressed is inconsistencies in solar permitting practices from municipality to municipality, Wise said. Such differences, on average, add about $2,500 per installation.
“If you can streamline permitting processes across the industry and have a standard process with online submission forms you will significantly reduce the cost of solar,” she said.
Efforts are under way at both the national and the state level to address this issue. The Department of Energy and the White House are enlisting local governments to design a streamlined permitting process that they would encourage cities to adopt.
In Colorado, Hickenlooper on Friday signed into law legislation that would ease the state’s permitting process. It limits the cost of solar permits and related fees to the local government’s actual cost to issue the permit, not to exceed $500 for a residential installation.
“I think this is ground-breaking legislation that is likely to become a national model that other states will follow,” said Lurie with Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association.
2011年6月12日星期日
Tax cut on solar panels to light up more homes
Players in the solar energy market last week won a reprieve when the government removed tax on imported raw materials for the manufacture of solar panels.
The move is also expected to reduce the cost of acquiring the units for consumers, eliminating one of the stumbling blocks against adoption of green energy. It will also reduce demand on the national electricity grid which is currently under pressure from increased investments especially by the manufacturing sector.
“To encourage local manufacturing, I propose to grant duty remission on inputs for the production of solar panels,” said Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta in last week’s Budget statement.
Solar panels are duty free while the imported raw materials for the manufacture of the same attract duty at 25 per cent and 10 per cent which in effect makes local manufacture unattractive. This comes as a boost to solar equipment dealers who are gearing up to boost supplies in anticipation of high demand thanks to policy changes that require property developers to install the systems on housing units.
Growing demand
Builders had shied away from the expensive installation costs that range from Sh100,000 for low energy consuming homes to Sh500,000 per unit for high consumers, especially units fitted with water heating systems.
Market players said demand will grow as prices of raw materials go down, inclining producers to expand operations.
“This will boost production as capacity to produce still remains,” said Guy Jack, the managing director of Chloride Exide, a solar solutions vendor.
The tax remission is also expected to impact positively on institutions such as schools, hospitals and other institutions, greatly reducing the burden on the national grid.
However, local companies involved in the trade will have to raise their production capacities to match the new opportunities.
Total Electricity consumption grew 6.0 per cent with the number of connections under the Rural Electrification Programme rising by 22.3 per cent to stand at 251,056 nearly a year ago as at June, last year.
Among the players in the solar energy sector are Kenital Solar Energy, All Solar, Solargen Power, and Think Solar Technics.
The measure is aimed at managing the rising demand for electricity whose least cost option, hydro power, requires heavy capital investment while renewable alternatives like wind and geothermal are too expensive to set up.
Water heating systems take up to a quarter of power in homes, while solar provides a cheaper alternative in the first three to five years after investment, depending on the technology used.
Last year, water heating used 1,254 Ghw of electricity or 24 per cent of Kenya’s total power consumption of 5,155 Ghw.
The move is also expected to reduce the cost of acquiring the units for consumers, eliminating one of the stumbling blocks against adoption of green energy. It will also reduce demand on the national electricity grid which is currently under pressure from increased investments especially by the manufacturing sector.
“To encourage local manufacturing, I propose to grant duty remission on inputs for the production of solar panels,” said Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta in last week’s Budget statement.
Solar panels are duty free while the imported raw materials for the manufacture of the same attract duty at 25 per cent and 10 per cent which in effect makes local manufacture unattractive. This comes as a boost to solar equipment dealers who are gearing up to boost supplies in anticipation of high demand thanks to policy changes that require property developers to install the systems on housing units.
Growing demand
Builders had shied away from the expensive installation costs that range from Sh100,000 for low energy consuming homes to Sh500,000 per unit for high consumers, especially units fitted with water heating systems.
Market players said demand will grow as prices of raw materials go down, inclining producers to expand operations.
“This will boost production as capacity to produce still remains,” said Guy Jack, the managing director of Chloride Exide, a solar solutions vendor.
The tax remission is also expected to impact positively on institutions such as schools, hospitals and other institutions, greatly reducing the burden on the national grid.
However, local companies involved in the trade will have to raise their production capacities to match the new opportunities.
Total Electricity consumption grew 6.0 per cent with the number of connections under the Rural Electrification Programme rising by 22.3 per cent to stand at 251,056 nearly a year ago as at June, last year.
Among the players in the solar energy sector are Kenital Solar Energy, All Solar, Solargen Power, and Think Solar Technics.
The measure is aimed at managing the rising demand for electricity whose least cost option, hydro power, requires heavy capital investment while renewable alternatives like wind and geothermal are too expensive to set up.
Water heating systems take up to a quarter of power in homes, while solar provides a cheaper alternative in the first three to five years after investment, depending on the technology used.
Last year, water heating used 1,254 Ghw of electricity or 24 per cent of Kenya’s total power consumption of 5,155 Ghw.
Fight for solar power heats up
During the past three years, solar energy has blossomed in Pennsylvania, creating a green sustainable energy source and new jobs, but a hiccup in the state requirements could have a detrimental effect on the industry.
Pennsylvania’s solar industry exploded when state tax incentives were initiated in 2009, called the PA Sunshine Program combined with the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act enacted in 2004, also known as the AEPS Act.
The PA Sunshine Program, a four-tiered rebate program, is designed to be an incentive for residential and small commercial business to install solar panels.
“Currently we are in the fourth tier,” said Mike Pitcavage, president of Endless Mountain Solar in Wilkes-Barre. “The Sunshine Program is estimated to end late this summer.”
Under the AEPS Act, utility companies are required to purchase a growing percentage of electricity generated by solar facilities, called solar renewable energy credits. The goal is to reach .5 percent of electricity produced by solar energy by 2020.
Solar Renewable Energy Credit, or SREC, is one megawatt of power generated by a solar facility. Businesses and homeowners can increase the return on their solar panels by selling excess SRECs to electric companies.
According to Vote Solar, a nonprofit solar advocacy group, there are about 71 megawatts of solar energy being generated in Pennsylvania. This is enough to satisfy the state’s solar requirements over the next three years, said Pitcavage.
“It is basic economics, supply and demand,” Pitcavage said.
A.J. Bittner, president of Keystone Energy LLC. in Luzerne, still maintains a sunny outlook on the industry. The end of solar is not near, he said.
“The tax credits and rebates did what they were supposed to do,” Bittner said. “It is just that the industry is beginning to outpace the portfolio.”
The Sunshine Program did create new jobs and is providing a clean, renewable form of energy, he said. Pitcavage estimated 600 solar companies popped up in Pennsylvania and about 5,000 new jobs were created.
“The system just needs to be reworked,” Bittner said.
Pitcavage said part of the problem, is the AEPS Act does not require Pennsylvania utilities to purchase SRECs generated within the state.
“Currently, solar energy credits from Ohio and Washington, D.C. are being purchased by Pennsylvania utility companies,” Pitcavage said.
Lissette Santana, spokesperson from electric company PPL, confirmed recently her company purchased 25,000 SRECs for an eight-and-a-half-year period for $149 per SREC.
When asked where the solar credits were from, she responded, “it was one winning bidder, location is undisclosed.”
Pitcavage and Bittner have noted the selling price utility companies are paying for SRECs have dropped as a result.
Pocono Raceway President Brandon Igdalsky, has seen this drop first hand. Overseeing the largest solar farm at a sporting venue in the world, the Pocono Raceway solar farm has 40,000 solar panels and produces enough energy to power the race track facility and 1,000 local homes.
“Our system is expected to generate roughly 3.6 to 3.8 million kilowatt hours each year,” Igdalsky said.
Igdalsky said the prices of SRECs have dropped from $300 to $80. New Jersey, for example, is selling SRECs for $655, and Massachusetts for $525.
“One main reason for this is Pennsylvania allows out-of-state systems to register to sell their SRECs in PA,” Igdalsky said.
To fix this problem state Rep. Chris Ross, R-Chester, proposed Bill 1580 to increase the amount of solar energy utility companies are required to purchase between the years 2012 and 2015.
Katy Gresh, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Environmental Protection, said “Pennsylvania taxpayers and ratepayers have offered extraordinarily generous support for the solar industry over the past several years, both through the AEPS mandate and through the $180 million in grants and rebates included in the 2008 Alternative Energy Investment Act.”
She said as good as the programs have worked, other factors need to be considered.
“While we want to see continued growth of this and other energy industries across the commonwealth, we need to keep in mind that all costs associated with the solar renewable energy credit market are passed on to ratepayers. We will continue to monitor this situation going forward, and we will seek to strike the appropriate balance that is sustainable both for this industry and for ratepayers.”
Pitcavage said he would also like to see Pennsylvania utilities only buy SRECs generated within the state. This could boost the price of SRECs up again and make Pennsylvania’s solar market more competitive with neighboring states.
“Solar created in Pennsylvania should stay in Pennsylvania,” Bittner said. “Why should utility companies charge PA customers fees for energy created in other states?”
Despite this, Igdalsky firmly believes the $18 million solar farm was worth the investment.
“It was a good business move,” he said. “For one it was the right thing to do. We have shown the sports world and fans that solar can be done and done right.”
Pitcavage said he has heard of several solar companies and specially trained solar technicians migrating to New Jersey where the market is strong. He plans on weathering this drop and stay in the area.
Bittner said with any new industry, glitches arise, but believes solar will be around for a long time.
Pennsylvania’s solar industry exploded when state tax incentives were initiated in 2009, called the PA Sunshine Program combined with the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act enacted in 2004, also known as the AEPS Act.
The PA Sunshine Program, a four-tiered rebate program, is designed to be an incentive for residential and small commercial business to install solar panels.
“Currently we are in the fourth tier,” said Mike Pitcavage, president of Endless Mountain Solar in Wilkes-Barre. “The Sunshine Program is estimated to end late this summer.”
Under the AEPS Act, utility companies are required to purchase a growing percentage of electricity generated by solar facilities, called solar renewable energy credits. The goal is to reach .5 percent of electricity produced by solar energy by 2020.
Solar Renewable Energy Credit, or SREC, is one megawatt of power generated by a solar facility. Businesses and homeowners can increase the return on their solar panels by selling excess SRECs to electric companies.
According to Vote Solar, a nonprofit solar advocacy group, there are about 71 megawatts of solar energy being generated in Pennsylvania. This is enough to satisfy the state’s solar requirements over the next three years, said Pitcavage.
“It is basic economics, supply and demand,” Pitcavage said.
A.J. Bittner, president of Keystone Energy LLC. in Luzerne, still maintains a sunny outlook on the industry. The end of solar is not near, he said.
“The tax credits and rebates did what they were supposed to do,” Bittner said. “It is just that the industry is beginning to outpace the portfolio.”
The Sunshine Program did create new jobs and is providing a clean, renewable form of energy, he said. Pitcavage estimated 600 solar companies popped up in Pennsylvania and about 5,000 new jobs were created.
“The system just needs to be reworked,” Bittner said.
Pitcavage said part of the problem, is the AEPS Act does not require Pennsylvania utilities to purchase SRECs generated within the state.
“Currently, solar energy credits from Ohio and Washington, D.C. are being purchased by Pennsylvania utility companies,” Pitcavage said.
Lissette Santana, spokesperson from electric company PPL, confirmed recently her company purchased 25,000 SRECs for an eight-and-a-half-year period for $149 per SREC.
When asked where the solar credits were from, she responded, “it was one winning bidder, location is undisclosed.”
Pitcavage and Bittner have noted the selling price utility companies are paying for SRECs have dropped as a result.
Pocono Raceway President Brandon Igdalsky, has seen this drop first hand. Overseeing the largest solar farm at a sporting venue in the world, the Pocono Raceway solar farm has 40,000 solar panels and produces enough energy to power the race track facility and 1,000 local homes.
“Our system is expected to generate roughly 3.6 to 3.8 million kilowatt hours each year,” Igdalsky said.
Igdalsky said the prices of SRECs have dropped from $300 to $80. New Jersey, for example, is selling SRECs for $655, and Massachusetts for $525.
“One main reason for this is Pennsylvania allows out-of-state systems to register to sell their SRECs in PA,” Igdalsky said.
To fix this problem state Rep. Chris Ross, R-Chester, proposed Bill 1580 to increase the amount of solar energy utility companies are required to purchase between the years 2012 and 2015.
Katy Gresh, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Environmental Protection, said “Pennsylvania taxpayers and ratepayers have offered extraordinarily generous support for the solar industry over the past several years, both through the AEPS mandate and through the $180 million in grants and rebates included in the 2008 Alternative Energy Investment Act.”
She said as good as the programs have worked, other factors need to be considered.
“While we want to see continued growth of this and other energy industries across the commonwealth, we need to keep in mind that all costs associated with the solar renewable energy credit market are passed on to ratepayers. We will continue to monitor this situation going forward, and we will seek to strike the appropriate balance that is sustainable both for this industry and for ratepayers.”
Pitcavage said he would also like to see Pennsylvania utilities only buy SRECs generated within the state. This could boost the price of SRECs up again and make Pennsylvania’s solar market more competitive with neighboring states.
“Solar created in Pennsylvania should stay in Pennsylvania,” Bittner said. “Why should utility companies charge PA customers fees for energy created in other states?”
Despite this, Igdalsky firmly believes the $18 million solar farm was worth the investment.
“It was a good business move,” he said. “For one it was the right thing to do. We have shown the sports world and fans that solar can be done and done right.”
Pitcavage said he has heard of several solar companies and specially trained solar technicians migrating to New Jersey where the market is strong. He plans on weathering this drop and stay in the area.
Bittner said with any new industry, glitches arise, but believes solar will be around for a long time.
2011年6月8日星期三
New Albuquerque lab speeds up testing; certification of solar panels
It's torture for the subjects: From being smacked with 50 mph ice chunks to sweating it out in a 185-degree chamber for hours at a time.
No alarm necessary — the subjects are lifeless solar panels. But, in time, their ordeal should pay off for everyone involved.
The CFV Solar Test Laboratory opened last month at Mesa del Sol in Albuquerque, offering testing and certification services for manufacturers of solar panels to more quickly, and at lower cost, enter worldwide markets.
Unique in New Mexico, the lab is one of the few in the country that can certify for both North American and international standards.
"You not only have us becoming a production location, but now the testing and certification location for at least part of the world," said Bernalillo County Commissioner Art DeLaCruz, who worked with the county Economic Development Department on efforts to land the lab at Mesa del Sol. "That's critical because it continues to send out the message that we are the place for solar."
The state of New Mexico contributed $750,000 and Bernalillo County $250,000 to support the lab and the Fraunhofer Research and Development Facility, which is located together with the lab in the former Advent Solar complex. The two companies will evenly share the money.
CFV rents about 28,000 square feet of the building for offices and an indoor lab with a climate chambers and a solar simulator for performance measurements. It also has an outdoor testing area with different trackers and fixed racks to test various PV technologies.
"For all intents and purposes, we are open for business," said CFV manager Martin Plass. "I would like to process a full load (of orders) within the next two to three months."
The lab is jointly owned by four groups — CSA Group, VDE Testing and Certification Institute, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems.
"Solar panels are high-voltage electrical devices — often being placed in very close proximity to people in offices and homes — that must be properly tested and certified as being safe and effective in generating power," said Ash Sahi, president and CEO of the CSA Group in a statement announcing the lab's opening and describing its mission.
CFV offers both North American certification according to UL 1703 safety standards, and IEC certification, which is the international standard for PV modules, said Plass, a German native who has lived in the States for 20 years and became an American citizen last October.
The process involves running PV panels through a series of standardized tests, which vary depending on whether they're for the heavy-on-safety North American certification or more performance-oriented international certification and on the types of PV modules being tested — regular crystalline silicon, thin film or concentrating photovoltaics, Plass said.
"(They're) the kind of tests every manufacturer has to go through before they can really market their modules," Plass said. "If they don't get this certification test, they will get less money when they sell the modules. So, it's a de facto requirement, not a legal requirement."
In addition to standard certification tests, the lab will offer testing specifically requested by a manufacturer.
"Let's say a manufacturer gives like a 20-, 25-year warranty on their panels," Plass said. "So they're often interested to know a little bit better how reliable their panel is going to be and how long it is going to hold up."
Testing falls into several categories. There are climate chamber tests to determine a module's performance under the stresses of various environments, such as the dry climate in the desert or hot, humid conditions of a jungle. In the temperature cycling test, for example, a module is cycled minus 40 degrees F. to 185 degrees F. to determine if the module sustains any degradation, Plass said.
Another is the humidity freeze test, where the module is rapidly moved from high temperature, 85-percent humidity to minus 40 to see if any moisture freezes and cracks the sealing of the module.
Mechanical tests include firing 1-inch-diameter ice balls into panels at 50 mph to simulate the effects of a hail storm and using sandbags to apply 100 pounds of pressure per square foot to modules to simulate a snowload.
Then, there's the breakage test, which is specific to the UL certification.
"That's where we actually use a wrecking ball," Plass said. "It's like a punching bag filled with lead weights. We crash that from different heights (into the module). We want to see if it breaks into small pieces, or the whole thing kind of maintains its integrity. It's a safety test where we can evaluate if any big piece could fall off the roof and hurt someone."
There are a number of other safety and electrical tests as well, such as plunging the module into liquids to check for current leakages that might be dangerous, or scratching the panel to see if it exposes electrical wiring.
"Say it got installed poorly or installers scratched the module," Plass said. "We want to ensure that any normal damage a module wouldn't cause the module to become dangerous."
Plass said the lab has nine full- and two part-time employees, and is looking to add two more full-time people in the near future. "I think once we get the full volume of tests, we're probably going to add another four or five," he said.
Plass said his much of his previous working career was spent in the paper machine industry as a planning and product manager.
"It's very capital intensive and as product manager, I was very involved in developing the right equipment and figuring our prices," he said. "That's a big benefit I can bring in right now to set up the center."
The R&D facility, operated by Fraunhofer CSE and Fraunhofer ISE, is focusing on long-term PV module reliability, increased performance and reducing costs. It will eventually employ 15 to 20 people.
No alarm necessary — the subjects are lifeless solar panels. But, in time, their ordeal should pay off for everyone involved.
The CFV Solar Test Laboratory opened last month at Mesa del Sol in Albuquerque, offering testing and certification services for manufacturers of solar panels to more quickly, and at lower cost, enter worldwide markets.
Unique in New Mexico, the lab is one of the few in the country that can certify for both North American and international standards.
"You not only have us becoming a production location, but now the testing and certification location for at least part of the world," said Bernalillo County Commissioner Art DeLaCruz, who worked with the county Economic Development Department on efforts to land the lab at Mesa del Sol. "That's critical because it continues to send out the message that we are the place for solar."
The state of New Mexico contributed $750,000 and Bernalillo County $250,000 to support the lab and the Fraunhofer Research and Development Facility, which is located together with the lab in the former Advent Solar complex. The two companies will evenly share the money.
CFV rents about 28,000 square feet of the building for offices and an indoor lab with a climate chambers and a solar simulator for performance measurements. It also has an outdoor testing area with different trackers and fixed racks to test various PV technologies.
"For all intents and purposes, we are open for business," said CFV manager Martin Plass. "I would like to process a full load (of orders) within the next two to three months."
The lab is jointly owned by four groups — CSA Group, VDE Testing and Certification Institute, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems.
"Solar panels are high-voltage electrical devices — often being placed in very close proximity to people in offices and homes — that must be properly tested and certified as being safe and effective in generating power," said Ash Sahi, president and CEO of the CSA Group in a statement announcing the lab's opening and describing its mission.
CFV offers both North American certification according to UL 1703 safety standards, and IEC certification, which is the international standard for PV modules, said Plass, a German native who has lived in the States for 20 years and became an American citizen last October.
The process involves running PV panels through a series of standardized tests, which vary depending on whether they're for the heavy-on-safety North American certification or more performance-oriented international certification and on the types of PV modules being tested — regular crystalline silicon, thin film or concentrating photovoltaics, Plass said.
"(They're) the kind of tests every manufacturer has to go through before they can really market their modules," Plass said. "If they don't get this certification test, they will get less money when they sell the modules. So, it's a de facto requirement, not a legal requirement."
In addition to standard certification tests, the lab will offer testing specifically requested by a manufacturer.
"Let's say a manufacturer gives like a 20-, 25-year warranty on their panels," Plass said. "So they're often interested to know a little bit better how reliable their panel is going to be and how long it is going to hold up."
Testing falls into several categories. There are climate chamber tests to determine a module's performance under the stresses of various environments, such as the dry climate in the desert or hot, humid conditions of a jungle. In the temperature cycling test, for example, a module is cycled minus 40 degrees F. to 185 degrees F. to determine if the module sustains any degradation, Plass said.
Another is the humidity freeze test, where the module is rapidly moved from high temperature, 85-percent humidity to minus 40 to see if any moisture freezes and cracks the sealing of the module.
Mechanical tests include firing 1-inch-diameter ice balls into panels at 50 mph to simulate the effects of a hail storm and using sandbags to apply 100 pounds of pressure per square foot to modules to simulate a snowload.
Then, there's the breakage test, which is specific to the UL certification.
"That's where we actually use a wrecking ball," Plass said. "It's like a punching bag filled with lead weights. We crash that from different heights (into the module). We want to see if it breaks into small pieces, or the whole thing kind of maintains its integrity. It's a safety test where we can evaluate if any big piece could fall off the roof and hurt someone."
There are a number of other safety and electrical tests as well, such as plunging the module into liquids to check for current leakages that might be dangerous, or scratching the panel to see if it exposes electrical wiring.
"Say it got installed poorly or installers scratched the module," Plass said. "We want to ensure that any normal damage a module wouldn't cause the module to become dangerous."
Plass said the lab has nine full- and two part-time employees, and is looking to add two more full-time people in the near future. "I think once we get the full volume of tests, we're probably going to add another four or five," he said.
Plass said his much of his previous working career was spent in the paper machine industry as a planning and product manager.
"It's very capital intensive and as product manager, I was very involved in developing the right equipment and figuring our prices," he said. "That's a big benefit I can bring in right now to set up the center."
The R&D facility, operated by Fraunhofer CSE and Fraunhofer ISE, is focusing on long-term PV module reliability, increased performance and reducing costs. It will eventually employ 15 to 20 people.
Schools to get more solar panels
A long-awaited plan to equip more San Diego schools with solar power will begin next week as students leave the classroom for summer vacation.
Some 23,000 solar panels will be attached to 80 rooftops throughout the San Diego Unified School District. Electric car ports will be installed at six campuses.
The district entered into a contract with Solana Beach-based AMSOLAR last year to build 5 megawatts of solar power.
The new energy system will produce solar power equivalent to 64 percent of the energy consumption at the 20 campuses, and it will generate 11 percent of the district’s total energy. The electricity will would supplement the district’s existing 4.17 megawatts of solar power, increasing the number of schools and facilities that rely on the sun for energy from 28 to 48. A megawatt can power about 1,000 homes.
The district expects to save between $13 million and $20 million against its energy costs over the life of its 22-year contract with AMSOLAR.
San Diego Unified will buy $35 million worth of solar-generated electricity from the company in lieu of purchasing it from San Diego Gas and Electric.
Meanwhile, the energy project could fuel lessons and educational demonstrations. Through its nonprofit foundation, the solar energy provider will work with schools to promote solar awareness and education.
Originally set to begin last fall, the solar panel installation is set to be finished by early 2012.
Schools that are in line to relieve solar panels are: Baker, Benchley-Weinberger, Boone, Edison, Emerson-Bandini, Encanto, Freese, Gage, Johnson, Sherman, and Valencia Park elementary schools. Clairemont, Kearny, Lincoln, Madison, Mission Bay, Morse, Scripps Ranch and University City high schools are also on the list, as is the district’s Revere Center.
Some 23,000 solar panels will be attached to 80 rooftops throughout the San Diego Unified School District. Electric car ports will be installed at six campuses.
The district entered into a contract with Solana Beach-based AMSOLAR last year to build 5 megawatts of solar power.
The new energy system will produce solar power equivalent to 64 percent of the energy consumption at the 20 campuses, and it will generate 11 percent of the district’s total energy. The electricity will would supplement the district’s existing 4.17 megawatts of solar power, increasing the number of schools and facilities that rely on the sun for energy from 28 to 48. A megawatt can power about 1,000 homes.
The district expects to save between $13 million and $20 million against its energy costs over the life of its 22-year contract with AMSOLAR.
San Diego Unified will buy $35 million worth of solar-generated electricity from the company in lieu of purchasing it from San Diego Gas and Electric.
Meanwhile, the energy project could fuel lessons and educational demonstrations. Through its nonprofit foundation, the solar energy provider will work with schools to promote solar awareness and education.
Originally set to begin last fall, the solar panel installation is set to be finished by early 2012.
Schools that are in line to relieve solar panels are: Baker, Benchley-Weinberger, Boone, Edison, Emerson-Bandini, Encanto, Freese, Gage, Johnson, Sherman, and Valencia Park elementary schools. Clairemont, Kearny, Lincoln, Madison, Mission Bay, Morse, Scripps Ranch and University City high schools are also on the list, as is the district’s Revere Center.
2011年6月6日星期一
GCC uses solar power to save
Solar power is helping Guam Community College lower its power costs, and marking a shift toward a more renewable future for the college.
At a press conference yesterday, Bill Hagen, whose family owns Pacific Solar & Photovoltaics, congratulated GCC for its role as the largest civilian producer of renewable energy on island.
The college has undertaken significant renovations to its campus, and with the help of the federal government, built its first LEED-certified building, and has a second in the works. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a designation developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to provide standards for green building design and construction.
The college boasts more than 200 solar panels that currently produce about 250 kilowatt hours per day, which is enough to run 2,500 110-watt light bulbs per hour, said Hagen.
A second set of solar arrays that are still in the works will double the energy production by the end of the year.
The solar generation will save GCC about $2,700 per month, or $31,000 every year, according to a press release issued by GCC.
Hagen said that the solar panels are designed to be typhoon-proof and can run for approximately 25 years.
The LEED-certified buildings and solar panels were made possible through funding provided by the federal government, which has emphasized renewable energy in the past few years, said Okada.
"We know that across the nation everybody's looking at renewable energy projects," said Okada.
She said as an institution that focuses on career training, GCC is also looking to provide training in the renewable energy industry.
"It's an emerging market, so this is something (that) as people become more energy conscious, we'll start to provide training associated with those particular occupational areas," she said.
Sen. Dennis Rodriguez Jr., chairman of the committee on health and economic development, attended the event, and said he was inspired by the school's efforts to add renewable energy to their power. He said he is hoping to mimic many of the schools efforts in new government buildings to help push Guam away from a reliance on fossil fuels to a more sustainable future.
At a press conference yesterday, Bill Hagen, whose family owns Pacific Solar & Photovoltaics, congratulated GCC for its role as the largest civilian producer of renewable energy on island.
The college has undertaken significant renovations to its campus, and with the help of the federal government, built its first LEED-certified building, and has a second in the works. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a designation developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to provide standards for green building design and construction.
The college boasts more than 200 solar panels that currently produce about 250 kilowatt hours per day, which is enough to run 2,500 110-watt light bulbs per hour, said Hagen.
A second set of solar arrays that are still in the works will double the energy production by the end of the year.
The solar generation will save GCC about $2,700 per month, or $31,000 every year, according to a press release issued by GCC.
Hagen said that the solar panels are designed to be typhoon-proof and can run for approximately 25 years.
The LEED-certified buildings and solar panels were made possible through funding provided by the federal government, which has emphasized renewable energy in the past few years, said Okada.
"We know that across the nation everybody's looking at renewable energy projects," said Okada.
She said as an institution that focuses on career training, GCC is also looking to provide training in the renewable energy industry.
"It's an emerging market, so this is something (that) as people become more energy conscious, we'll start to provide training associated with those particular occupational areas," she said.
Sen. Dennis Rodriguez Jr., chairman of the committee on health and economic development, attended the event, and said he was inspired by the school's efforts to add renewable energy to their power. He said he is hoping to mimic many of the schools efforts in new government buildings to help push Guam away from a reliance on fossil fuels to a more sustainable future.
GE Buys Stake In Solar Power Plant Builder eSolar, Licenses Technology
Does General Electric chief Jeffrey Immelt aim to be the new sun king?
GE made another move into the nascent solar industry on Monday, taking a stake in California solar power plant builder eSolar and licensing its technology.
The global behemoth said it will integrate eSolar’s solar thermal technology into its new 510-megawatt, high-efficiency natural gas-powered plant, the FlexEfficiency 50, which GE unveiled in May.
In April, GE said it would build the United States’ largest solar panel factory, moving to compete with industry leaders such as First Solar as well as low-cost Chinese manufacturers.
The FlexEfficiency 50 is designed to ramp up and down quickly in response to fluctuations in energy production from intermittent sources of renewable energy such as wind farms and solar power plants. GE said integrating eSolar’s technology will boost a FlexEfficiency power station’s efficiency from 61 percent to 70 percent.
“When we look at the long-term future of power generation, we see the importance of integrating natural gas and renewable energy sources in new and innovative ways to provide energy that is cleaner, more cost effective and more reliable,” Paul Browning, chief of GE’s thermal products division, said in a statement.
GE will also build standalone solar power plants that deploy eSolar’s “power tower” technology. The investment, the size of which was not disclosed, is a boost to eSolar, a Pasadena, Calif., startup founded by serial technology entrepreneur Bill Gross.
Gross and his colleagues devised algorithms and imaging technology to control thousands of small mirrors called heliostats that focus the sun’s rays on a water-filled boiler atop a tower. The heat creates steam that drives an electricity-generating turbine.
ESolar built a 5-megawatt demonstration power plant in the desert northeast of Los Angeles in 2009 and subsequently signed a deal with NRG Energy to build projects in California and elsewhere.
When eSolar was unable to obtain federal loan guarantees to finance construction of the NRG projects, the deal fell apart and NRG replaced its solar thermal technology with photovoltaic panels like those found on residential rooftops.
Gross previously told me that he never really wanted to get into the power plant business, preferring to license eSolar’s technology to deep-pocketed developers who could take on the onerous tasks of licensing and financing multibillion-dollar solar projects.
MetCap Energy Investments, a Turkish investor and power plant builder, joined GE in making the investment in eSolar. The first generation of the FlexEfficiency is designed for the European market and MetCap’s involvement could signal a move into Asian and Middle Eastern markets.
GE made another move into the nascent solar industry on Monday, taking a stake in California solar power plant builder eSolar and licensing its technology.
The global behemoth said it will integrate eSolar’s solar thermal technology into its new 510-megawatt, high-efficiency natural gas-powered plant, the FlexEfficiency 50, which GE unveiled in May.
In April, GE said it would build the United States’ largest solar panel factory, moving to compete with industry leaders such as First Solar as well as low-cost Chinese manufacturers.
The FlexEfficiency 50 is designed to ramp up and down quickly in response to fluctuations in energy production from intermittent sources of renewable energy such as wind farms and solar power plants. GE said integrating eSolar’s technology will boost a FlexEfficiency power station’s efficiency from 61 percent to 70 percent.
“When we look at the long-term future of power generation, we see the importance of integrating natural gas and renewable energy sources in new and innovative ways to provide energy that is cleaner, more cost effective and more reliable,” Paul Browning, chief of GE’s thermal products division, said in a statement.
GE will also build standalone solar power plants that deploy eSolar’s “power tower” technology. The investment, the size of which was not disclosed, is a boost to eSolar, a Pasadena, Calif., startup founded by serial technology entrepreneur Bill Gross.
Gross and his colleagues devised algorithms and imaging technology to control thousands of small mirrors called heliostats that focus the sun’s rays on a water-filled boiler atop a tower. The heat creates steam that drives an electricity-generating turbine.
ESolar built a 5-megawatt demonstration power plant in the desert northeast of Los Angeles in 2009 and subsequently signed a deal with NRG Energy to build projects in California and elsewhere.
When eSolar was unable to obtain federal loan guarantees to finance construction of the NRG projects, the deal fell apart and NRG replaced its solar thermal technology with photovoltaic panels like those found on residential rooftops.
Gross previously told me that he never really wanted to get into the power plant business, preferring to license eSolar’s technology to deep-pocketed developers who could take on the onerous tasks of licensing and financing multibillion-dollar solar projects.
MetCap Energy Investments, a Turkish investor and power plant builder, joined GE in making the investment in eSolar. The first generation of the FlexEfficiency is designed for the European market and MetCap’s involvement could signal a move into Asian and Middle Eastern markets.
2011年6月1日星期三
Canadian Solar to build 600 MW solar cell plant in China
Canadian Solar Inc said it would build a 600 megawatt photovoltaic cell production factory in Suzhou in Eastern China, a day after the solar panel maker announced plans to set up a wafer plant in the same area.
The company said it would build the factory with state-owned enterprise Suzhou New District Economic Development Group Corp and Suzhou Science and Technology City Development Co Ltd.
Canadian Solar, which will contribute about 61 percent of the equity, said the construction of the new factory was expected to start immediately after local permits were obtained.
Ontario, Canada-based Canadian Solar said it would increase production at the factory in 2012.
On Tuesday, Canadian Solar said it formed a joint venture to build a 600 MW wafer plant in Suzhou, with a unit of polysilicon producer GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd.
Canadian Solar shares closed at $9.85 on Tuesday on Nasdaq.
(Reporting by Vaishnavi Bala in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
The company said it would build the factory with state-owned enterprise Suzhou New District Economic Development Group Corp and Suzhou Science and Technology City Development Co Ltd.
Canadian Solar, which will contribute about 61 percent of the equity, said the construction of the new factory was expected to start immediately after local permits were obtained.
Ontario, Canada-based Canadian Solar said it would increase production at the factory in 2012.
On Tuesday, Canadian Solar said it formed a joint venture to build a 600 MW wafer plant in Suzhou, with a unit of polysilicon producer GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd.
Canadian Solar shares closed at $9.85 on Tuesday on Nasdaq.
(Reporting by Vaishnavi Bala in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
Solar Energy Systems
In a single hour, more sunlight strikes the earth than all the energy consumed by humans in an entire year. Over 120,000 trillion kWh of energy strikes the earth every day. There are thousands of companies around the globe manufacturing products that harness that power and turn it into a viable energy source.
Marc Doyle is global business director at DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions. Dupont has more than 25 years of experience in photovoltaic (PV) materials development, applications know-how, manufacturing expertise and global market access. “Our products are key to the manufacture of both crystalline silicon and thin film solar cells and modules. They include films, resins, encapsulation sheets, flexible substrates and photovoltaic metallization, performance seals for solar cell manufacturing equipment, wet-etch additives for semiconductor texturing and metallic sodium,” Doyle said.
DuPont intends to increase the efficiency and lifetime of crystalline silicon and thin film PV solar modules, and reduce overall photovoltaic system costs so that solar power is more cost-competitive with other forms of electricity. Doyle explained that, “Key challenges where materials matter lie in raising the efficiency of solar cells and modules, extending the reliable power output of modules for 25-plus years, and lowering overall system costs to help PV power. The solar industry is growing fast. We estimate there was 132 percent growth in 2010 versus 2009 and 20 percent growth per year over the next several years is expected.
“DuPont continues to expand R&D and manufacturing capabilities to support this trend. We’ve made a $295 million dollar investment to expand production capacity for DuPont™ Tedlar® polyvinyl fluoride film, a critical material for PV back sheets, and we’re doubling capacity for DuPont Solamet® photovoltaic metallization pastes.”
OPEL Solar Inc.
OPEL, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets high-concentration photovoltaic panels and dual and single-axis solar trackers for related photovoltaic and concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems for solar energy applications worldwide. Michael Mount, director, reported that OPEL Solar’s advanced trackers increase the energy production of any type of PV panel by following the sun’s path. The additional energy can be up to 45 percent more than a fixed PV installation.
Mount said, “We’re a small but rapidly growing company with installations throughout Europe, North America and Asia. We develop solar power on brownfields, using OPEL Solar trackers and PV panels, as we believe that landfills provide an excellent opportunity to turn sites of limited development potential into green power projects. We’re working on brownfield projects in four states.”
According to Mount, the solar industry has benefited from a number of national and regional incentives which have created unprecedented industry expansion in the last few years. “Incentives have been designed to encourage development of green energy, and in particular, solar energy, but the incentives vary in amount, duration and by country and region.
“Although the industry has experienced notable expansion recently, industry growth would have expanded faster under better economic conditions. A lack of energy legislation passage has also been a challenge for the solar industry. After the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), there was significant progress in Congress toward clean energy legislation, but the fossil fuel lobby proved formidable; and, once again, diminished the potential of the passage of a Clean Energy Act. If a Federal Clean Energy mandate were to occur, then the solar industry might become instantly ‘bankable,’ and we would see spectacular growth in the industry’s revenues and job creation,” said Mount.
He added, “The PV industry has been focused on reducing the price of energy production to a cost at or below that of conventional generation technologies, i.e., ‘grid parity.’ In recent years, cost reductions have been driven by reduction in the price of PV panels, which have dropped to less than half of what they were five years ago. Equipment manufacturers also continue to provide small increases to the solar equipment efficiencies, but PV trackers can provide a superior method to greatly improve the energy production of PV systems in moving solar power costs closer to grid parity. Solar trackers have been successfully used for many years in the European solar industry but solar trackers have only recently become the standard for large utility scale projects in the United States. Large commercial projects in the States and Canada are now adding solar trackers to improve their project economics.”
Solyndra LLC
According to David Miller, corporate communication director, “Solyndra makes a unique solar panel system for large commercial and industrial rooftops composed of 40 tubes that collect light around a 360 degree surface and benefit from reflective cool roofs. Simple installation and lightweight products equals projects that are completed quickly and at a low cost.”
Miller also said that their 200 Series products require no tools for installation. “The lightweight panels install without penetrations or array grounding, making this the easiest and fastest-to-install rooftop solar system yet. The product is ideal for older or ‘value engineered’ buildings, as the low, distributed roof load is 2.8 pounds per square foot. Snap-together mounts dramatically lower labor costs and shortens project times for large rooftop solar installations. This reduces business disruption and makes moving the system for future roofing; retrofit or ownership changes a simple process. Rooftops can pose a variety of challenges for solar installations and Solyndra systems are designed specifically for the rooftop environment with superior performance in wind, with soiling and in snowy climates,” he said.
“The commercial rooftop market is a huge, untapped market that allows commercial building owners to monetize otherwise wasted assets−their rooftops. As utilities race to meet renewable energy targets, more folks are turning to rooftop solar, which provides tremendous benefits as a source of clean, distributed power. Rooftop systems go in fast and don’t require the expensive transmission network and permitting issues from solar out in the desert for example. Solyndra is committed to a green manufacturing cycle, our products are designed for the environment from start to finish and we participate in a recycling program that ensures our products are fully recycled at end of life,” Miller said.
Marc Doyle is global business director at DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions. Dupont has more than 25 years of experience in photovoltaic (PV) materials development, applications know-how, manufacturing expertise and global market access. “Our products are key to the manufacture of both crystalline silicon and thin film solar cells and modules. They include films, resins, encapsulation sheets, flexible substrates and photovoltaic metallization, performance seals for solar cell manufacturing equipment, wet-etch additives for semiconductor texturing and metallic sodium,” Doyle said.
DuPont intends to increase the efficiency and lifetime of crystalline silicon and thin film PV solar modules, and reduce overall photovoltaic system costs so that solar power is more cost-competitive with other forms of electricity. Doyle explained that, “Key challenges where materials matter lie in raising the efficiency of solar cells and modules, extending the reliable power output of modules for 25-plus years, and lowering overall system costs to help PV power. The solar industry is growing fast. We estimate there was 132 percent growth in 2010 versus 2009 and 20 percent growth per year over the next several years is expected.
“DuPont continues to expand R&D and manufacturing capabilities to support this trend. We’ve made a $295 million dollar investment to expand production capacity for DuPont™ Tedlar® polyvinyl fluoride film, a critical material for PV back sheets, and we’re doubling capacity for DuPont Solamet® photovoltaic metallization pastes.”
OPEL Solar Inc.
OPEL, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets high-concentration photovoltaic panels and dual and single-axis solar trackers for related photovoltaic and concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) systems for solar energy applications worldwide. Michael Mount, director, reported that OPEL Solar’s advanced trackers increase the energy production of any type of PV panel by following the sun’s path. The additional energy can be up to 45 percent more than a fixed PV installation.
Mount said, “We’re a small but rapidly growing company with installations throughout Europe, North America and Asia. We develop solar power on brownfields, using OPEL Solar trackers and PV panels, as we believe that landfills provide an excellent opportunity to turn sites of limited development potential into green power projects. We’re working on brownfield projects in four states.”
According to Mount, the solar industry has benefited from a number of national and regional incentives which have created unprecedented industry expansion in the last few years. “Incentives have been designed to encourage development of green energy, and in particular, solar energy, but the incentives vary in amount, duration and by country and region.
“Although the industry has experienced notable expansion recently, industry growth would have expanded faster under better economic conditions. A lack of energy legislation passage has also been a challenge for the solar industry. After the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), there was significant progress in Congress toward clean energy legislation, but the fossil fuel lobby proved formidable; and, once again, diminished the potential of the passage of a Clean Energy Act. If a Federal Clean Energy mandate were to occur, then the solar industry might become instantly ‘bankable,’ and we would see spectacular growth in the industry’s revenues and job creation,” said Mount.
He added, “The PV industry has been focused on reducing the price of energy production to a cost at or below that of conventional generation technologies, i.e., ‘grid parity.’ In recent years, cost reductions have been driven by reduction in the price of PV panels, which have dropped to less than half of what they were five years ago. Equipment manufacturers also continue to provide small increases to the solar equipment efficiencies, but PV trackers can provide a superior method to greatly improve the energy production of PV systems in moving solar power costs closer to grid parity. Solar trackers have been successfully used for many years in the European solar industry but solar trackers have only recently become the standard for large utility scale projects in the United States. Large commercial projects in the States and Canada are now adding solar trackers to improve their project economics.”
Solyndra LLC
According to David Miller, corporate communication director, “Solyndra makes a unique solar panel system for large commercial and industrial rooftops composed of 40 tubes that collect light around a 360 degree surface and benefit from reflective cool roofs. Simple installation and lightweight products equals projects that are completed quickly and at a low cost.”
Miller also said that their 200 Series products require no tools for installation. “The lightweight panels install without penetrations or array grounding, making this the easiest and fastest-to-install rooftop solar system yet. The product is ideal for older or ‘value engineered’ buildings, as the low, distributed roof load is 2.8 pounds per square foot. Snap-together mounts dramatically lower labor costs and shortens project times for large rooftop solar installations. This reduces business disruption and makes moving the system for future roofing; retrofit or ownership changes a simple process. Rooftops can pose a variety of challenges for solar installations and Solyndra systems are designed specifically for the rooftop environment with superior performance in wind, with soiling and in snowy climates,” he said.
“The commercial rooftop market is a huge, untapped market that allows commercial building owners to monetize otherwise wasted assets−their rooftops. As utilities race to meet renewable energy targets, more folks are turning to rooftop solar, which provides tremendous benefits as a source of clean, distributed power. Rooftop systems go in fast and don’t require the expensive transmission network and permitting issues from solar out in the desert for example. Solyndra is committed to a green manufacturing cycle, our products are designed for the environment from start to finish and we participate in a recycling program that ensures our products are fully recycled at end of life,” Miller said.
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