If you believe that solar energy is good enough only to cook rice in solar cooker or heat water as solar water heaters, you need to look further. Solar energy can also provide you the much-needed respite from heat by running air conditioners.
For the first time, all 40 air conditioners in the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB)'s new building will run on solar energy. The building will be inaugurated today.
GPCB's would the first 100 per cent solar building wherein electricity generated through sunlight will also power as many as 600 fans and 1,000 CFL tube lights besides the A/Cs. After investing Rs 1 crore in the power system, the GPCB claims that the investment made will be recovered in five years! The investment is inclusive of a 10-year operation and maintenance contract for the building. The solar panels set up atop the building over 2,000 sq meters space will generate 80 KW energy.
According to member-secretary, GPCB, Hardik Shah, the peak consumption of the building will be 72 hours, while non-peak consumption is estimated to be around 65 KW. The excess power will be supplied to the Torrent Power grid.
"We will be generating around 1,16,800 units per year against which our consumption would be 84,000 units. The remaining units will go the grid," Shah said. GPCB is likely to get anything between Rs 9 to Rs 15 per unit of solar energy sent to the grid. "This would be a net zero energy building," he added.
Besides using solar power, there will be green plantation along the periphery of the compound as well as proper garden and landscaping, which will be done by the forest department.
GPCB also aims to conserve water in this building. There are two separate recharge wells through which rain water will be harvested. "Approximately, 750 cubic metre of rain water is expected to be recharged into the underground aquifiers every monsoon season," Shah added.
The present building of the pollution watchdog will be used as a research centre, resource centre with a library as well as a training institute. National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) has certified GPCB as a national laboratory.
2012年4月4日星期三
A Competitor Emerges for Solar Panels
Of all the types of energy embraced by the green community, “combined heat and power” probably has the clunkiest name. But proponents hope that C.H.P. systems, which can be installed in homes, will one day compete with better-known technologies like solar panels.
The idea is to capture two forms of energy at once, namely heat and electrical power (which is why the technology is sometimes called cogeneration). Large systems exist on college campuses like the University of Warwick in England and also at hospitals, chemical factories and even airports. These systems use the heat left over from generating electricity to produce either hot water, which circulates through pipes to nearby buildings to provide heat, or steam, which can be used for industrial purposes.
Because the process of making electricity wastes a lot of energy, combining heat and power generation leads to greater efficiencies, said Jürgen Weiss, head of the climate practice at the Brattle Group, a consulting firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“The idea of C.H.P. is to make electricity and not waste the heat that gets generated in the process, but rather to use it for something useful,” Mr. Weiss said. That means lower utility bills and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
In recent years, engineers have started designing more residential-scale systems. These may be about the size of a refrigerator and can fit into a basement. In Britain, a system run by a Stirling engine may cost more than 6,000, or $9,500, including installation, and in Germany — where heating systems are generally more expensive — a C.H.P. system may run from 15,000 to 20,000, or $19,800 to $26,400, according to Delta Energy & Environment, a research company based in Edinburgh. Delta said it would often take homeowners 10 years to make back the cost, in the form of lower utility bills. Getting prices down will be critical, experts say.
The small systems work best in cold climates, where homes need plenty of heat. They are often fueled by natural gas and make a bit of noise, but the extra electricity they produce can be sold into the power grid. Big-name automakers like Honda Motor and Volkswagen have applied their technology to help develop small-scale systems, sometimes known as micro C.H.P.
Small systems are gaining traction in Japan after the nuclear disaster last year, which led officials to order that nearly all of the country’s reactors be taken offline. Orders have “increased dramatically” since that event and are likely to rise even more sharply in the future, according to a recent report by Pike Research, a research and consulting group in Boulder, Colorado. Honda has sold micro-C.H.P. systems in Japan since 2003 and said last year that about 108,000 households were using its units, called the Ecowill.
The home systems in Japan tend to be much smaller than those in Germany or the United States, according to Kerry-Ann Adamson, a research director for smart energy who is based in London for Pike.
Elsewhere in the world, the picture is mixed. In the United States, a basic obstacle is lack of knowledge, said Daniel Bullock, director of the Gulf Coast Clean Energy Application Center, a U.S. Department of Energy group based in a Houston suburb that promotes C.H.P. and related sources of energy.
“Most people don’t even know about C.H.P.,” Mr. Bullock said. As a result, he added, “People are willing to pay a lot more money for solar panels than what a C.H.P. system would cost.”
The low price of natural gas in the United States — a result of the plentiful supplies created by the hydraulic fracturing boom — may make the systems more appealing, Mr. Bullock said, though homeowners, lacking the negotiating power of large industrial users, may not reap the full benefit of the lower gas prices.
In Europe, Delta Energy & Environment forecasts that 40,000 to 70,000 units a year will be sold by 2015, but “an outcome with substantially lower sales is possible,” said Jon Slowe, a director for the company, adding that Britain and Germany are using incentives to push the hardest for micro-C.H.P. technology.
Germany has a target of getting 25 percent of its power from C.H.P. systems of all sizes by 2020. A draft proposal now under consideration would increase incentives for the systems, although Ulrich Fikar, a spokesman for the industry group Cogen Europe, said it was “not ambitious enough for micro-C.H.P.”
The idea is to capture two forms of energy at once, namely heat and electrical power (which is why the technology is sometimes called cogeneration). Large systems exist on college campuses like the University of Warwick in England and also at hospitals, chemical factories and even airports. These systems use the heat left over from generating electricity to produce either hot water, which circulates through pipes to nearby buildings to provide heat, or steam, which can be used for industrial purposes.
Because the process of making electricity wastes a lot of energy, combining heat and power generation leads to greater efficiencies, said Jürgen Weiss, head of the climate practice at the Brattle Group, a consulting firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“The idea of C.H.P. is to make electricity and not waste the heat that gets generated in the process, but rather to use it for something useful,” Mr. Weiss said. That means lower utility bills and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
In recent years, engineers have started designing more residential-scale systems. These may be about the size of a refrigerator and can fit into a basement. In Britain, a system run by a Stirling engine may cost more than 6,000, or $9,500, including installation, and in Germany — where heating systems are generally more expensive — a C.H.P. system may run from 15,000 to 20,000, or $19,800 to $26,400, according to Delta Energy & Environment, a research company based in Edinburgh. Delta said it would often take homeowners 10 years to make back the cost, in the form of lower utility bills. Getting prices down will be critical, experts say.
The small systems work best in cold climates, where homes need plenty of heat. They are often fueled by natural gas and make a bit of noise, but the extra electricity they produce can be sold into the power grid. Big-name automakers like Honda Motor and Volkswagen have applied their technology to help develop small-scale systems, sometimes known as micro C.H.P.
Small systems are gaining traction in Japan after the nuclear disaster last year, which led officials to order that nearly all of the country’s reactors be taken offline. Orders have “increased dramatically” since that event and are likely to rise even more sharply in the future, according to a recent report by Pike Research, a research and consulting group in Boulder, Colorado. Honda has sold micro-C.H.P. systems in Japan since 2003 and said last year that about 108,000 households were using its units, called the Ecowill.
The home systems in Japan tend to be much smaller than those in Germany or the United States, according to Kerry-Ann Adamson, a research director for smart energy who is based in London for Pike.
Elsewhere in the world, the picture is mixed. In the United States, a basic obstacle is lack of knowledge, said Daniel Bullock, director of the Gulf Coast Clean Energy Application Center, a U.S. Department of Energy group based in a Houston suburb that promotes C.H.P. and related sources of energy.
“Most people don’t even know about C.H.P.,” Mr. Bullock said. As a result, he added, “People are willing to pay a lot more money for solar panels than what a C.H.P. system would cost.”
The low price of natural gas in the United States — a result of the plentiful supplies created by the hydraulic fracturing boom — may make the systems more appealing, Mr. Bullock said, though homeowners, lacking the negotiating power of large industrial users, may not reap the full benefit of the lower gas prices.
In Europe, Delta Energy & Environment forecasts that 40,000 to 70,000 units a year will be sold by 2015, but “an outcome with substantially lower sales is possible,” said Jon Slowe, a director for the company, adding that Britain and Germany are using incentives to push the hardest for micro-C.H.P. technology.
Germany has a target of getting 25 percent of its power from C.H.P. systems of all sizes by 2020. A draft proposal now under consideration would increase incentives for the systems, although Ulrich Fikar, a spokesman for the industry group Cogen Europe, said it was “not ambitious enough for micro-C.H.P.”
2012年3月31日星期六
A Bright Future for Solar Panels
The future of solar panels is looking even brighter. New research by Cambridge University scientists has led to the development of a more efficient solar cell.
Currently, solar cells capture part of the sun's light. Much of the energy of the absorbed light is lost as heat, meaning a maximum of 34% of the sunlight is converted to electrical power. However, Cambridge scientists have made a breakthrough which could allow 44% of solar energy to be converted. More work needs to be done to realise the full benefits of the scientists' findings, but even using today's solar PV panels is providing huge savings for businesses and householders.
Boston Council in Lincolnshire recently installed solar panels on the roof of a leisure complex at a cost of GBP 105,167. The investment is expected to recover its costs within nine years and generate a profit of at least GBP 260,000 over the next 25 years. Boston Borough Council leader Peter Bedford said the energy-saving income generated may also be higher than anticipated - closer to 80 or 90 per cent rather than the 50 per cent allowed for, so the energy saving may be more.
He said: "Our investment in solar PV represents a good deal for the council, providing low-carbon clean energy and also making the facility less vulnerable to future energy price increases at a time of global insecurity."
Homeowners can make comparable savings by installing solar panels. Energy suppliers such as British Gas pay for any excess electricity generated as it's fed back to the National Grid. You can even earn money for every kilowatt hour of electricity you generate through the Government's Feed-in Tariff (also known as Clean Energy Cashback), even if you use it.
An average system is 3 kWp and will cost around GBP 10,000 (including VAT at 5%). Most domestic PV systems cost around GBP 3,000 to GBP 3,500 per kWp installed. A 3 kWp system can generate over 2,500 kilowatt hours of electricity a year. If your system is eligible for the Feed-In Tariff scheme it could generate savings and income of around GBP 670 per year.
Solar energy is going to become more efficient and even cheaper to install. According to Jenny Chase, an analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, solar power is now cheaper than diesel 'anywhere as sunny as Spain'.(i) The economy of scale through increased global use will soon mean cheaper solar panels and electricity for everyone.
Currently, solar cells capture part of the sun's light. Much of the energy of the absorbed light is lost as heat, meaning a maximum of 34% of the sunlight is converted to electrical power. However, Cambridge scientists have made a breakthrough which could allow 44% of solar energy to be converted. More work needs to be done to realise the full benefits of the scientists' findings, but even using today's solar PV panels is providing huge savings for businesses and householders.
Boston Council in Lincolnshire recently installed solar panels on the roof of a leisure complex at a cost of GBP 105,167. The investment is expected to recover its costs within nine years and generate a profit of at least GBP 260,000 over the next 25 years. Boston Borough Council leader Peter Bedford said the energy-saving income generated may also be higher than anticipated - closer to 80 or 90 per cent rather than the 50 per cent allowed for, so the energy saving may be more.
He said: "Our investment in solar PV represents a good deal for the council, providing low-carbon clean energy and also making the facility less vulnerable to future energy price increases at a time of global insecurity."
Homeowners can make comparable savings by installing solar panels. Energy suppliers such as British Gas pay for any excess electricity generated as it's fed back to the National Grid. You can even earn money for every kilowatt hour of electricity you generate through the Government's Feed-in Tariff (also known as Clean Energy Cashback), even if you use it.
An average system is 3 kWp and will cost around GBP 10,000 (including VAT at 5%). Most domestic PV systems cost around GBP 3,000 to GBP 3,500 per kWp installed. A 3 kWp system can generate over 2,500 kilowatt hours of electricity a year. If your system is eligible for the Feed-In Tariff scheme it could generate savings and income of around GBP 670 per year.
Solar energy is going to become more efficient and even cheaper to install. According to Jenny Chase, an analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, solar power is now cheaper than diesel 'anywhere as sunny as Spain'.(i) The economy of scale through increased global use will soon mean cheaper solar panels and electricity for everyone.
2012年3月19日星期一
Is Solar Power for Data Centers a Bad Idea?
Solar power has become the hot new accessory for major data centers. In the past several years, arrays of photovoltaic solar panels have been announced for data centers from Apple, Facebook, Cisco and Emerson Network Power.
But do these solar arrays make sense, given the current economics of solar energy and the volume of power required to support a modern data center? James Hamilton of Amazon Web Services, who often presents on data center economics at industry conferences, challenges the wisdom of solar in a new blog post.
“I love solar power, but in reflecting carefully on a couple of high profile data center deployments of solar power, I’m really developing serious reservations that this is the path to reducing data center environmental impact,” Hamilton writes. “I just can’t make the math work and find myself wondering if these large solar farms are really somewhere between a bad idea and pure marketing, where the environmental impact is purely optical.”
Solar power hasn’t been widely used in data centers because it takes a very large installation of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to produce even a fraction of the energy required by most data centers. Some arrays, like the one at Facebook’s Oregon facility, provide power for office space rather than the servers n the data center itself. Looking at solar output data at different geographies, Hamilton says the output of these arrays – even Apple’s proposed 20 megawatt facility in North Carolina – just doesn’t add up.
While praising Facebook for its efficiency, Hamilton says the array in Prineville is “very close to purely marketing expense.” So what are the economics of solar from a marketing perspective? It’s probably not an accident that the flurry of on-site solar arrays appeared after Facebook took a public relations beating from Greenpeace, which launched a high-profile “Unfriend Dirty Coal” campaign to protest the low volume of renewables in the power sourcing for the Facebook facility in Prineville.
But seeking to appease Greenpeace with solar panels seems a foolhardy undertaking, as evidenced by the environmental group’s reaction to Apple’s announcement of its 20-megawatt solar array. Rather than praise Apple for its commitment to on-site solar for its data center, Greenpeace used the release of the “new iPad” to bash the company for relying upon coal-sourced energy from the local utility.
“Apple could apply the innovative spirit so evident in its latest iPad to its iCloud by powering it with renewable energy like wind and solar,” said Greenpeace Senior Policy Analyst Gary Cook. “Or, it could continue to lag behind the rest of the industry by sticking with coal, a 19th-century technology that poisons communities and the climate.”
Like Hamilton, Cook argues that the solar array is inconsequential given the overall energy used by Apple. “While Apple has been more than happy to draw the media’s attention to how large the solar farm is, it has kept its lips stapled firmly shut when it comes to just how much coal will still be required to power the cloud,” Cook writes in Greenpeace’s response to the Apple solar announcement.
So if the economics don’t work, and Greenpeace isn’t impressed, what’s the future for solar in the data center? When it comes to renewables at data center scale, hydro power remains the best option.
But do these solar arrays make sense, given the current economics of solar energy and the volume of power required to support a modern data center? James Hamilton of Amazon Web Services, who often presents on data center economics at industry conferences, challenges the wisdom of solar in a new blog post.
“I love solar power, but in reflecting carefully on a couple of high profile data center deployments of solar power, I’m really developing serious reservations that this is the path to reducing data center environmental impact,” Hamilton writes. “I just can’t make the math work and find myself wondering if these large solar farms are really somewhere between a bad idea and pure marketing, where the environmental impact is purely optical.”
Solar power hasn’t been widely used in data centers because it takes a very large installation of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to produce even a fraction of the energy required by most data centers. Some arrays, like the one at Facebook’s Oregon facility, provide power for office space rather than the servers n the data center itself. Looking at solar output data at different geographies, Hamilton says the output of these arrays – even Apple’s proposed 20 megawatt facility in North Carolina – just doesn’t add up.
While praising Facebook for its efficiency, Hamilton says the array in Prineville is “very close to purely marketing expense.” So what are the economics of solar from a marketing perspective? It’s probably not an accident that the flurry of on-site solar arrays appeared after Facebook took a public relations beating from Greenpeace, which launched a high-profile “Unfriend Dirty Coal” campaign to protest the low volume of renewables in the power sourcing for the Facebook facility in Prineville.
But seeking to appease Greenpeace with solar panels seems a foolhardy undertaking, as evidenced by the environmental group’s reaction to Apple’s announcement of its 20-megawatt solar array. Rather than praise Apple for its commitment to on-site solar for its data center, Greenpeace used the release of the “new iPad” to bash the company for relying upon coal-sourced energy from the local utility.
“Apple could apply the innovative spirit so evident in its latest iPad to its iCloud by powering it with renewable energy like wind and solar,” said Greenpeace Senior Policy Analyst Gary Cook. “Or, it could continue to lag behind the rest of the industry by sticking with coal, a 19th-century technology that poisons communities and the climate.”
Like Hamilton, Cook argues that the solar array is inconsequential given the overall energy used by Apple. “While Apple has been more than happy to draw the media’s attention to how large the solar farm is, it has kept its lips stapled firmly shut when it comes to just how much coal will still be required to power the cloud,” Cook writes in Greenpeace’s response to the Apple solar announcement.
So if the economics don’t work, and Greenpeace isn’t impressed, what’s the future for solar in the data center? When it comes to renewables at data center scale, hydro power remains the best option.
2012年2月2日星期四
Solar panel returns could be cut by 80pc
The Government is proposing to make full payments from "feed-in tariffs" conditional on homes meeting energy efficiency standards. The change would come into effect on April 1.
Currently, householders receive 43.3p per kWh of electricity generated. The Government will cut this rate for new installations to 21p in April, after an attempt to impose the cut sooner was thrown out by the courts. Unless that ruling is overturned on appeal, anyone who completes their installation before 3 March will still receive the higher rate.
But the proposal to link the payments to the overall energy efficiency of the property could see some solar panel owners receive just 9p – which is 79pc less than 43.3p – if their homes fail to meet the standard. The Government is still consulting about the plans, which would not affect installations completed before April.
The Energy Saving Trust said: "Where a domestic property does not meet these energy efficiency requirements, the solar PV [photovoltaic] installation may receive the lower tariff of 9p/kWh."
It added: "The Government is consulting on two alternative proposals: that the owner or occupier should bring the property up to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of level C or above; or that the owner or occupier of a building should undertake all the measures that are identified on an EPC as potentially eligible for Green Deal finance, with no additional finance required.
"The Government wants to ensure that PV is considered as part of a whole house approach which prioritises energy efficiency."
A spokesperson for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said: “It makes sense that, if someone is putting solar panels on their building, the property is energy efficient too. We consulted on the best ways of doing this by linking tariffs to specified minimum energy efficiency requirements and proposed introducing such a requirement from April 1. We’ll publish our final proposals by Feb 9.”
Despite losing its legal case in the Court of Appeal last week, the generation tariff rate for units installed after December remains at 21p per kWh as DECC is now escalating its appeal to the Supreme Court. If this case is unsuccessful home owners who installed units between December and March this year will revert to the higher tariff and will receive backdated payments so they are not out of pocket.
But those installing units now should not assume they will automatically get this higher rate.
Currently, householders receive 43.3p per kWh of electricity generated. The Government will cut this rate for new installations to 21p in April, after an attempt to impose the cut sooner was thrown out by the courts. Unless that ruling is overturned on appeal, anyone who completes their installation before 3 March will still receive the higher rate.
But the proposal to link the payments to the overall energy efficiency of the property could see some solar panel owners receive just 9p – which is 79pc less than 43.3p – if their homes fail to meet the standard. The Government is still consulting about the plans, which would not affect installations completed before April.
The Energy Saving Trust said: "Where a domestic property does not meet these energy efficiency requirements, the solar PV [photovoltaic] installation may receive the lower tariff of 9p/kWh."
It added: "The Government is consulting on two alternative proposals: that the owner or occupier should bring the property up to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of level C or above; or that the owner or occupier of a building should undertake all the measures that are identified on an EPC as potentially eligible for Green Deal finance, with no additional finance required.
"The Government wants to ensure that PV is considered as part of a whole house approach which prioritises energy efficiency."
A spokesperson for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said: “It makes sense that, if someone is putting solar panels on their building, the property is energy efficient too. We consulted on the best ways of doing this by linking tariffs to specified minimum energy efficiency requirements and proposed introducing such a requirement from April 1. We’ll publish our final proposals by Feb 9.”
Despite losing its legal case in the Court of Appeal last week, the generation tariff rate for units installed after December remains at 21p per kWh as DECC is now escalating its appeal to the Supreme Court. If this case is unsuccessful home owners who installed units between December and March this year will revert to the higher tariff and will receive backdated payments so they are not out of pocket.
But those installing units now should not assume they will automatically get this higher rate.
2012年1月12日星期四
Solar energy finds a home on Iron Range
The sun continues to shine on Minnesota’s fledgling solar panel industry even as high-profile bankruptcies in the business capture headlines and as China muscles in on markets.
More than 100 contractors, renewable energy experts, civic leaders and local residents toured Silicon Energy’s new solar panel manufacturing plant here on Wednesday to see how the Iron Range’s newest industry is growing. The event was sponsored by the Northeast Region Clean Energy Resource Team, an organization that promotes renewable and sustainable energy.
The Silicon Energy plant here started production in earnest in November and now employs 15 people assembling solar panels designed for homeowners, the military, small businesses and schools.
Silicon Energy started in 2007 with a home office and production plant outside Seattle and chose the Iron Range for their first expansion. So far they have weathered a slow economy and intense competition from inexpensive Chinese solar panels by promoting quality over cost.
While the race to produce the cheapest solar panels helped bankrupt three big U.S. manufacturers last year, Minnesota’s two panel makers say they have a plan for the long haul.
“Most of the (solar panel) industry is going down the road of cheaper, cheaper, cheaper. But we’re going in another direction,” said Gary Shaver, Silicon Energy president, at Wednesday’s event. “You can call it a niche market, if quality is a niche. But we’re trying to sell quality to everyone because in the long run it makes better economic sense.”
The company’s hallmark is durability, with the guts of the sunlight-to-electricity system sealed between two panels of glass. The panels are virtually unbreakable, withstand severe weather and shed snow faster than competitors’ units. The company claims to have the only 40-year durability rating in the business, with no exposed metal parts to rust or plastic to crack.
Their target market is the Twin Cities, but they also are shipping across the Iron Range and as far as Indiana.
“It’s the highest-quality, best looking panel on the market,” said Rebecca Lundberg, a Twin Cities solar installation contractor. “You’ve got a local company that makes a beautiful product, and that’s good for Minnesota.”
Shaver said he’s pleased with the slow but sure startup to the company’s Minnesota expansion and vowed to expand the company at a sustainable rate, adding additional lines and workers as demand picks up.
Silicon Energy received ample public incentives to build the 25,000-square-foot plant here. The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board offered a $1.5 million loan. The IRRRB also approved a $3.6 million loan to the Economic Development Authority of Mountain Iron to construct the plant for the company. Silicon Energy is the first tenant in the city’s Renewable Energy Park.
The Mountain Iron plant is the second solar manufacturer in the state, behind TenKsolar that opened in Bloomington in August 2010.
Joel Cannon, CEO of TenKsolar, said his business continues a “lumpy” pattern of growth despite an industry shakedown last year that saw Solyndra of California, Evergreen Solar of Massachusetts and SpectraWatt of New York all file for bankruptcy, with Solyndra’s $527 million federal loan package spurring public outcry.
Those companies may have been hardest hit because of the growth of low-cost Chinese panels, but also because their products didn’t stand out in the crowd, Cannon noted.
“The companies that saw problems, I think, didn’t really have a panel that differentiated them from anyone else. They also had very high capital costs and couldn’t compete with their high cost profile,” Cannon said. “This is a $60 billion industry globally and the growth is still there. It’s only going to get better for companies that have a product that stands out.”
TenKsolar had more than $10 million in sales last year and has grown from 50 to 140 employees in the Minneapolis suburb. The company specializes in compact units for rooftops of businesses and institutions. And TenKsolar officials say their system can produce 50 percent more energy per square foot of rooftop than conventional solar panels.
“We really don’t compete with Silicon at all. Our niche is flat-roof installations and they focus on residential,” Cannon said.
Minnesota now has more than 700 solar electric systems installed across the state, up from just 50 in 2002, according to the state Department of Commerce. But the move to solar has been slow. The problem isn’t our weather. Minnesota has about as much solar energy as many southern cities when averaged across the year. And solar panels actually work better on cold, sunny days then on hot days, Shaver said. Snow also makes a good reflector.
Solar’s big drawback has been high startup costs and competition against Minnesota’s relatively cheap electricity rates. With most of Minnesota’s electricity coming from older coal-fired and nuclear plants, our electricity costs as little as 6 or 8 cents per kilowatt hour for businesses, Cannon said. That compares to as much as 18 cents in eastern states, 35 cents in Hawaii and as high as $1 in Los Angeles during peak times, Shaver noted.
“We’re competing well down into the low teens without subsidies. And we hope to have that down to about 8 cents by 2013,” Cannon told the News Tribune.
But when federal and state subsidies are included, solar can make sense even now. There’s a 30 percent federal tax credit for solar systems, and accelerated depreciation adds to the tax benefits. Moreover, Twin Cities’ based Xcel Energy offers a 60 percent rebate for made-in-Minnesota solar systems that helped lure both manufacturers to the state.
Other smaller utilities also offer lesser incentives that help bring the cost down, including Minnesota Power, which offers a $2 per watt incentive up to $2,000.
With zero emissions, local jobs and financial incentives, both companies say Minnesota is poised for solar growth.
“We think we can compete right now,” Shaver said. “Especially when you look at all the benefits of solar.”
More than 100 contractors, renewable energy experts, civic leaders and local residents toured Silicon Energy’s new solar panel manufacturing plant here on Wednesday to see how the Iron Range’s newest industry is growing. The event was sponsored by the Northeast Region Clean Energy Resource Team, an organization that promotes renewable and sustainable energy.
The Silicon Energy plant here started production in earnest in November and now employs 15 people assembling solar panels designed for homeowners, the military, small businesses and schools.
Silicon Energy started in 2007 with a home office and production plant outside Seattle and chose the Iron Range for their first expansion. So far they have weathered a slow economy and intense competition from inexpensive Chinese solar panels by promoting quality over cost.
While the race to produce the cheapest solar panels helped bankrupt three big U.S. manufacturers last year, Minnesota’s two panel makers say they have a plan for the long haul.
“Most of the (solar panel) industry is going down the road of cheaper, cheaper, cheaper. But we’re going in another direction,” said Gary Shaver, Silicon Energy president, at Wednesday’s event. “You can call it a niche market, if quality is a niche. But we’re trying to sell quality to everyone because in the long run it makes better economic sense.”
The company’s hallmark is durability, with the guts of the sunlight-to-electricity system sealed between two panels of glass. The panels are virtually unbreakable, withstand severe weather and shed snow faster than competitors’ units. The company claims to have the only 40-year durability rating in the business, with no exposed metal parts to rust or plastic to crack.
Their target market is the Twin Cities, but they also are shipping across the Iron Range and as far as Indiana.
“It’s the highest-quality, best looking panel on the market,” said Rebecca Lundberg, a Twin Cities solar installation contractor. “You’ve got a local company that makes a beautiful product, and that’s good for Minnesota.”
Shaver said he’s pleased with the slow but sure startup to the company’s Minnesota expansion and vowed to expand the company at a sustainable rate, adding additional lines and workers as demand picks up.
Silicon Energy received ample public incentives to build the 25,000-square-foot plant here. The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board offered a $1.5 million loan. The IRRRB also approved a $3.6 million loan to the Economic Development Authority of Mountain Iron to construct the plant for the company. Silicon Energy is the first tenant in the city’s Renewable Energy Park.
The Mountain Iron plant is the second solar manufacturer in the state, behind TenKsolar that opened in Bloomington in August 2010.
Joel Cannon, CEO of TenKsolar, said his business continues a “lumpy” pattern of growth despite an industry shakedown last year that saw Solyndra of California, Evergreen Solar of Massachusetts and SpectraWatt of New York all file for bankruptcy, with Solyndra’s $527 million federal loan package spurring public outcry.
Those companies may have been hardest hit because of the growth of low-cost Chinese panels, but also because their products didn’t stand out in the crowd, Cannon noted.
“The companies that saw problems, I think, didn’t really have a panel that differentiated them from anyone else. They also had very high capital costs and couldn’t compete with their high cost profile,” Cannon said. “This is a $60 billion industry globally and the growth is still there. It’s only going to get better for companies that have a product that stands out.”
TenKsolar had more than $10 million in sales last year and has grown from 50 to 140 employees in the Minneapolis suburb. The company specializes in compact units for rooftops of businesses and institutions. And TenKsolar officials say their system can produce 50 percent more energy per square foot of rooftop than conventional solar panels.
“We really don’t compete with Silicon at all. Our niche is flat-roof installations and they focus on residential,” Cannon said.
Minnesota now has more than 700 solar electric systems installed across the state, up from just 50 in 2002, according to the state Department of Commerce. But the move to solar has been slow. The problem isn’t our weather. Minnesota has about as much solar energy as many southern cities when averaged across the year. And solar panels actually work better on cold, sunny days then on hot days, Shaver said. Snow also makes a good reflector.
Solar’s big drawback has been high startup costs and competition against Minnesota’s relatively cheap electricity rates. With most of Minnesota’s electricity coming from older coal-fired and nuclear plants, our electricity costs as little as 6 or 8 cents per kilowatt hour for businesses, Cannon said. That compares to as much as 18 cents in eastern states, 35 cents in Hawaii and as high as $1 in Los Angeles during peak times, Shaver noted.
“We’re competing well down into the low teens without subsidies. And we hope to have that down to about 8 cents by 2013,” Cannon told the News Tribune.
But when federal and state subsidies are included, solar can make sense even now. There’s a 30 percent federal tax credit for solar systems, and accelerated depreciation adds to the tax benefits. Moreover, Twin Cities’ based Xcel Energy offers a 60 percent rebate for made-in-Minnesota solar systems that helped lure both manufacturers to the state.
Other smaller utilities also offer lesser incentives that help bring the cost down, including Minnesota Power, which offers a $2 per watt incentive up to $2,000.
With zero emissions, local jobs and financial incentives, both companies say Minnesota is poised for solar growth.
“We think we can compete right now,” Shaver said. “Especially when you look at all the benefits of solar.”
2011年12月29日星期四
Solar power use expands in South America
Latin America is investing more in solar power but, in line with International Energy Agency warnings, needs to do so intelligently and without multiplying costs.
Poverty-stricken Honduras is the latest home to solar energy projects in Central and South America that are driven by U.S. service providers but fitted out with Chinese-made equipment.
Colorado's Onyx Service and Solutions Inc. said it will install its newest solar energy project in Latin America, made up of Chinese-manufactured solar panels and associated equipment, at West Bay Lodge Project in Roatan, Honduras.
Onyx Management is also using Honduran personnel for the installation which fulfills a need for electricity supply expansion in the Central American country.
Honduras was severely affected by a coup in 2009 that triggered an international diplomatic, political and economic isolation of the country. Recovery has been slow despite assistance from the European Union and the United States.
The West Bay Lodge installation follows a deal reached in October to power the resort, part of the government's plan to regenerate the economy with tourism. The West Bay Beach is the most popular tourist destination on the Island of Roatan, and an international tourist destination.
Onyx said in deciding on the project it took a different course than most other solar companies, choosing to forgo competition against coal-fired electricity producers or depending on government subsidies to make a profit.
After a detailed research of the worldwide markets for power, Onyx said, it focused on sectors that relied on costly diesel generated electricity such as that in Roatan at present but offered opportunity for greater profit margins. Onyx is developing multiple solar power projects in Honduras, one as large as 22 megawatts, and Panama. The company is developing solar power distribution in Colombia and Peru.
Solar power generation and distribution is set to grow in Latin America and has enabled U.S. renewable energy companies to position in the area.
Last month scientists at Notre Dame University in Indiana announced they devised an inexpensive "solar paint" that can produce energy.
The paint, dubbed Sun-Believable, may someday be applied to homes to generate electricity from light to power appliances and equipment inside.
The paint uses semiconducting nanoparticles to produce energy from sunlight.
"We want to do something transformative, to move beyond current silicon-based solar technology," chemistry Professor Prashant Kamat of the university's Center for Nano Science and Technology said.
"By incorporating power-producing nanoparticles, called quantum dots, into a spreadable compound, we've made a one-coat solar paint that can be applied to any conductive surface without special equipment."
When the paint is brushed onto a transparent conducting material and exposed to light it creates electricity, the researchers said.
"The best light-to-energy conversion efficiency we've reached so far is 1 percent, which is well behind the usual 10 to 15 percent efficiency of commercial silicon solar cells," Kamat said.
"But this paint can be made cheaply and in large quantities. If we can improve the efficiency somewhat, we may be able to make a real difference in meeting energy needs in the future."
The International Energy Agency said a more intelligent use of solar energy could help meet a growing percentage of the world's energy needs.
Enough sunlight reaches the Earth in 90 minutes to meet the world's energy needs for a year if harnessed appropriately, the IEA said in a report from its headquarters in Paris.
"While solar energy resources are abundant, their use currently represents only a tiny fraction of the world's current energy mix," said report author Cedric Philibert.
"But this is changing rapidly and is being driven by action to improve energy diversification and security, mitigate climate change and provide energy access."
The IEA warns that concerns over cost have led some governments to make hasty policy decisions that could force a reversal of any gains in the use of solar energy.
The agency calls for "comprehensive and fine-tuned policies" that back a growing portfolio of solar technology. Given the right conditions, the IEA said, solar power could become a competitive energy source within 20 years.
"Integrating all solar technologies in a system-oriented policy approach will unlock the potential of solar energy within the broader set of low-carbon technologies needed for a future sustainable and more secure global energy mix," Paolo Frankl, head of the IEA's Renewable Energy Division, said in a statement.
Poverty-stricken Honduras is the latest home to solar energy projects in Central and South America that are driven by U.S. service providers but fitted out with Chinese-made equipment.
Colorado's Onyx Service and Solutions Inc. said it will install its newest solar energy project in Latin America, made up of Chinese-manufactured solar panels and associated equipment, at West Bay Lodge Project in Roatan, Honduras.
Onyx Management is also using Honduran personnel for the installation which fulfills a need for electricity supply expansion in the Central American country.
Honduras was severely affected by a coup in 2009 that triggered an international diplomatic, political and economic isolation of the country. Recovery has been slow despite assistance from the European Union and the United States.
The West Bay Lodge installation follows a deal reached in October to power the resort, part of the government's plan to regenerate the economy with tourism. The West Bay Beach is the most popular tourist destination on the Island of Roatan, and an international tourist destination.
Onyx said in deciding on the project it took a different course than most other solar companies, choosing to forgo competition against coal-fired electricity producers or depending on government subsidies to make a profit.
After a detailed research of the worldwide markets for power, Onyx said, it focused on sectors that relied on costly diesel generated electricity such as that in Roatan at present but offered opportunity for greater profit margins. Onyx is developing multiple solar power projects in Honduras, one as large as 22 megawatts, and Panama. The company is developing solar power distribution in Colombia and Peru.
Solar power generation and distribution is set to grow in Latin America and has enabled U.S. renewable energy companies to position in the area.
Last month scientists at Notre Dame University in Indiana announced they devised an inexpensive "solar paint" that can produce energy.
The paint, dubbed Sun-Believable, may someday be applied to homes to generate electricity from light to power appliances and equipment inside.
The paint uses semiconducting nanoparticles to produce energy from sunlight.
"We want to do something transformative, to move beyond current silicon-based solar technology," chemistry Professor Prashant Kamat of the university's Center for Nano Science and Technology said.
"By incorporating power-producing nanoparticles, called quantum dots, into a spreadable compound, we've made a one-coat solar paint that can be applied to any conductive surface without special equipment."
When the paint is brushed onto a transparent conducting material and exposed to light it creates electricity, the researchers said.
"The best light-to-energy conversion efficiency we've reached so far is 1 percent, which is well behind the usual 10 to 15 percent efficiency of commercial silicon solar cells," Kamat said.
"But this paint can be made cheaply and in large quantities. If we can improve the efficiency somewhat, we may be able to make a real difference in meeting energy needs in the future."
The International Energy Agency said a more intelligent use of solar energy could help meet a growing percentage of the world's energy needs.
Enough sunlight reaches the Earth in 90 minutes to meet the world's energy needs for a year if harnessed appropriately, the IEA said in a report from its headquarters in Paris.
"While solar energy resources are abundant, their use currently represents only a tiny fraction of the world's current energy mix," said report author Cedric Philibert.
"But this is changing rapidly and is being driven by action to improve energy diversification and security, mitigate climate change and provide energy access."
The IEA warns that concerns over cost have led some governments to make hasty policy decisions that could force a reversal of any gains in the use of solar energy.
The agency calls for "comprehensive and fine-tuned policies" that back a growing portfolio of solar technology. Given the right conditions, the IEA said, solar power could become a competitive energy source within 20 years.
"Integrating all solar technologies in a system-oriented policy approach will unlock the potential of solar energy within the broader set of low-carbon technologies needed for a future sustainable and more secure global energy mix," Paolo Frankl, head of the IEA's Renewable Energy Division, said in a statement.
2011年12月5日星期一
Solar panel users climb through roof
MORE than a million Australians now live in houses powered by solar panels and the nation is on track to generate one-fifth of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, a report released overnight at the United Nations climate change talks in South Africa shows.
The Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, announced work had begun on linking Australia's emissions trading scheme, which starts in July with a fixed carbon price, with similar schemes in Europe and New Zealand.
Australia needs to link its carbon scheme to international markets to stop the price of carbon permits soaring. Mr Combet said allowing heavy-polluting companies in Australia to buy and sell carbon permits abroad was the best way to keep permit prices down because competition would promote the cheapest way to cut emissions.
Mr Combet announced Australian officials would work with European and New Zealand counterparts ''to promote deep, liquid and integrated carbon markets''. One effect of Australia's carbon price is to make renewable energy cheaper when compared with fossil fuels and the annual Clean Energy Australia report showed strong growth in the past year.
About 9.6 per cent of Australia's energy was produced from renewable sources in the 12 months until September, up from 8.7 per cent the year before.
Hydroelectricity made up the biggest proportion of renewable energy mix but wind and solar power were growing quickly.
Driven by state feed-in tariffs, rooftop solar panel installation grew exponentially, with just over 500,000 households and an estimated 1.2 million people now meeting at least part of their daily energy needs from the sun.
The number of panels has grown 35 times over since 2008, the Clean Energy Council's report shows, based on data from the electricity grid broken down into the different postcodes, though the breakneck growth is expected to slow as tariffs are reduced.
''There will be a slowdown in the short term but the medium and long-term outlook is for very strong growth for household solar systems,'' the director of the Clean Energy Council, Kane Thornton, said.
Solar power has already reached ''grid parity'' - where a household pays the same price per kilowatt of energy for either solar or coal-fired energy - in some parts of NSW and Queensland. Full grid parity across most of Australia is expected to be a year or two away.
In Durban, Mr Combet was set to meet overnight with New Zealand's Minister for International Climate Change Negotiations, Tim Groser, as well his US and Japanese counterparts.
The European Union's emissions trading scheme, covers about 40 per cent of the 27-member bloc's greenhouse gas emissions. The European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard said: ''We look forward to working with Australia on international action to develop carbon markets.''
The opposition spokesman on climate change, Greg Hunt, said the plan to link with overseas carbon trading schemes had ''been re-announced in various ways at various times''.
The Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, announced work had begun on linking Australia's emissions trading scheme, which starts in July with a fixed carbon price, with similar schemes in Europe and New Zealand.
Australia needs to link its carbon scheme to international markets to stop the price of carbon permits soaring. Mr Combet said allowing heavy-polluting companies in Australia to buy and sell carbon permits abroad was the best way to keep permit prices down because competition would promote the cheapest way to cut emissions.
Mr Combet announced Australian officials would work with European and New Zealand counterparts ''to promote deep, liquid and integrated carbon markets''. One effect of Australia's carbon price is to make renewable energy cheaper when compared with fossil fuels and the annual Clean Energy Australia report showed strong growth in the past year.
About 9.6 per cent of Australia's energy was produced from renewable sources in the 12 months until September, up from 8.7 per cent the year before.
Hydroelectricity made up the biggest proportion of renewable energy mix but wind and solar power were growing quickly.
Driven by state feed-in tariffs, rooftop solar panel installation grew exponentially, with just over 500,000 households and an estimated 1.2 million people now meeting at least part of their daily energy needs from the sun.
The number of panels has grown 35 times over since 2008, the Clean Energy Council's report shows, based on data from the electricity grid broken down into the different postcodes, though the breakneck growth is expected to slow as tariffs are reduced.
''There will be a slowdown in the short term but the medium and long-term outlook is for very strong growth for household solar systems,'' the director of the Clean Energy Council, Kane Thornton, said.
Solar power has already reached ''grid parity'' - where a household pays the same price per kilowatt of energy for either solar or coal-fired energy - in some parts of NSW and Queensland. Full grid parity across most of Australia is expected to be a year or two away.
In Durban, Mr Combet was set to meet overnight with New Zealand's Minister for International Climate Change Negotiations, Tim Groser, as well his US and Japanese counterparts.
The European Union's emissions trading scheme, covers about 40 per cent of the 27-member bloc's greenhouse gas emissions. The European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard said: ''We look forward to working with Australia on international action to develop carbon markets.''
The opposition spokesman on climate change, Greg Hunt, said the plan to link with overseas carbon trading schemes had ''been re-announced in various ways at various times''.
2011年11月30日星期三
Carillion warns of job cuts due to slashing of solar energy subsidies
Construction company Carillion has warned 4,500 staff their jobs are at risk because of government plans for a dramatic cut in solar energy subsidies.
The company has begun a statutory 90-day consultation period in its energy services division prior to the anticipated slashing of feed-in tariffs.
The tariffs, known as FITs and paid by energy companies to households and communities who produce electricity via solar panels on their roofs, would be more than halved under government proposals.
Ministers are also proposing cutting the subsidies by 12 December instead of April 2012, the date the solar industry is calling for.
It is feared the changes could pose problems for Carillion, whose business includes a project to install and manage 30,000 solar panels for local authority and social housing. It is understood that the number of redundancies at the firm, which employs 50,000 staff worldwide, will be well below 4,500, but Carillion said it was too early to speculate on what the final figure would be.
The company said in a statement: "As a result of the government's changes to feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaic installations, Carillion Energy Services proposes to accelerate and widen [its restructuring] programme.
"Our solar business was growing strongly, but we expect the government's plans for much larger and earlier than expected cuts to feed-in tariffs to reduce the size of the solar PV market significantly. In order to react to the effects of this on our business, we have launched a statutory 90-day consultation process with our people on how we can reshape our business.
"Until the consultation process is complete it is too early to speculate on how many people will be affected, especially as we will explore all opportunities for redeployment."
The plans to slash financial incentives for installing solar panels has provoked anger from green groups, with Friends of the Earth planning to mount a legal challenge.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change acknowledged the proposed changes would be "very difficult" but insisted it wanted an enduring future for the solar industry.
"If we left things as they are, the FIT budget would be eaten up entirely, and that would be even worse for those in this sector and those working on other technologies too," a spokesman said.
"We believe solar PV can have a strong and vibrant future in the UK and we are proposing changes to ensure a lasting FITs scheme to support that future."
The company has begun a statutory 90-day consultation period in its energy services division prior to the anticipated slashing of feed-in tariffs.
The tariffs, known as FITs and paid by energy companies to households and communities who produce electricity via solar panels on their roofs, would be more than halved under government proposals.
Ministers are also proposing cutting the subsidies by 12 December instead of April 2012, the date the solar industry is calling for.
It is feared the changes could pose problems for Carillion, whose business includes a project to install and manage 30,000 solar panels for local authority and social housing. It is understood that the number of redundancies at the firm, which employs 50,000 staff worldwide, will be well below 4,500, but Carillion said it was too early to speculate on what the final figure would be.
The company said in a statement: "As a result of the government's changes to feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaic installations, Carillion Energy Services proposes to accelerate and widen [its restructuring] programme.
"Our solar business was growing strongly, but we expect the government's plans for much larger and earlier than expected cuts to feed-in tariffs to reduce the size of the solar PV market significantly. In order to react to the effects of this on our business, we have launched a statutory 90-day consultation process with our people on how we can reshape our business.
"Until the consultation process is complete it is too early to speculate on how many people will be affected, especially as we will explore all opportunities for redeployment."
The plans to slash financial incentives for installing solar panels has provoked anger from green groups, with Friends of the Earth planning to mount a legal challenge.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change acknowledged the proposed changes would be "very difficult" but insisted it wanted an enduring future for the solar industry.
"If we left things as they are, the FIT budget would be eaten up entirely, and that would be even worse for those in this sector and those working on other technologies too," a spokesman said.
"We believe solar PV can have a strong and vibrant future in the UK and we are proposing changes to ensure a lasting FITs scheme to support that future."
2011年10月18日星期二
Energy Conversion Devices Subsidiary to Supply Solar Cells to GP Solar
United Solar is a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices Inc. The company has more than 25 years of experience in the solar industry and is the world’s largest producer of flexible solar panels with a lightweight, durable product that provides more total energy production than any other solar panel on the market. It was been awarded nearly 70 U.S. patents for its technology.
The company today announced a new customer relationship under their Open Solar initiative. The customer is GP Solar which is a GP Batteries company from Hong Kong. The initial order is for 600 kilowatts of UNI-SOLAR photovoltaic (PV) cells. United Solar initiated the Open Solar program to drive wide-scale acceptance of its technology, and the integration of its laminates and solar cells cost effectively into everyday applications.
GP Solar is deploying UNI-SOLAR PV technology with the introduction of its unique GP Solar Charger. The Charger combines UNI-SOLAR PV cells with GP Solar’s nickel-metal-hydride rechargeable batteries.
UNI-SOLAR’s unique, triple-junction, thin film cell architecture produces more real-world power than competitive products, differentiating products like the GP Solar Charger from the competition. Other United Solar products under the Open Solar program include building integrated PV roofing, solar-powered military shelters, and solar-powered consumer bags and chargers.
The company today announced a new customer relationship under their Open Solar initiative. The customer is GP Solar which is a GP Batteries company from Hong Kong. The initial order is for 600 kilowatts of UNI-SOLAR photovoltaic (PV) cells. United Solar initiated the Open Solar program to drive wide-scale acceptance of its technology, and the integration of its laminates and solar cells cost effectively into everyday applications.
GP Solar is deploying UNI-SOLAR PV technology with the introduction of its unique GP Solar Charger. The Charger combines UNI-SOLAR PV cells with GP Solar’s nickel-metal-hydride rechargeable batteries.
UNI-SOLAR’s unique, triple-junction, thin film cell architecture produces more real-world power than competitive products, differentiating products like the GP Solar Charger from the competition. Other United Solar products under the Open Solar program include building integrated PV roofing, solar-powered military shelters, and solar-powered consumer bags and chargers.
2011年9月25日星期日
Toledo-area solar firms shining bright through some dim spots in market
The Toledo firm faced setbacks, including dozens of layoffs, this year when an Italian customer delayed receipt of a large order of solar panels. Since then, Mr. Deng said, his small business has slowly climbed back, securing new customers and considering a partnership with another solar firm that could lead Xunlight to expand its production beyond traditional solar panels.
Mr. Deng said Xunlight’s retooled strategy could make the company stronger.
“The industry has changed and is changing, and we have to constantly rethink and constantly look for various opportunities to broaden our product line and attract new customers,” he said.
Althoughsolar experts say the domestic market for photovoltaic panels is growing, Toledo-area solar firms are working to overcome hurdles at the state, federal, and global levels. Companies such as Xunlight, First Solar Inc., which has its only U.S. manufacturing plant in northwest Ohio, and Willard & Kelsey Solar Group LLC of Perrysburg face an economic downturn, numerous competitors worldwide, and the potential end of renewable-energy policies and subsidies that help drive panel sales.
Can the local operations withstand the pressures?
Rick Stansley, director of strategic business development at the University of Toledo, said each of the localsolar companies has the wherewithal to do so.
“All in all, I would say that we are doing relatively well with respect to our business enterprises,” he said.
Among the issues facing localsolar companies is a proposed repeal of Ohio’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, which requires 25 percent of electricity sold in the state to be produced from alternative resources by 2025. Further, a loan guarantee program from the U.S. Department of Energy that helps companies gain financing for advanced energy projects is to expire at the end of this month.
The debate of the federal loan guarantee program has been heightened by the collapse of Solyndra Inc., a Californiasolar panel manufacturer. The company received $535 million in federal-loan guarantees before filing for bankruptcy this month, and Solyndra faces a Justice Department investigation and a congressional probe.
Solyndra’s downfall has led some lawmakers to contest federal aid for othersolar manufacturers. U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (D., Calif.) argued last week that loans to solar panel makers are poor bets, and that foreign competition and other pressures could lead to the “collapse of the solar panel manufacturing business in America.”
But Thomas Kimbis, general counsel for theSolar Energy Industries Association in Washington, contends that the most financially fit and strategically oriented firms stand to benefit as the United States becomes one of the world’s fastest-growing solar market.
“The competition in the market is so fierce that only the strongest companies are going to survive, especially in economically poor conditions and with policy uncertainty,” said Mr. Kimbis, who is also vice president of strategy and external affairs for the trade association.
Mr. Deng said Xunlight’s retooled strategy could make the company stronger.
“The industry has changed and is changing, and we have to constantly rethink and constantly look for various opportunities to broaden our product line and attract new customers,” he said.
Although
Can the local operations withstand the pressures?
Rick Stansley, director of strategic business development at the University of Toledo, said each of the local
“All in all, I would say that we are doing relatively well with respect to our business enterprises,” he said.
Among the issues facing local
The debate of the federal loan guarantee program has been heightened by the collapse of Solyndra Inc., a California
Solyndra’s downfall has led some lawmakers to contest federal aid for other
But Thomas Kimbis, general counsel for the
“The competition in the market is so fierce that only the strongest companies are going to survive, especially in economically poor conditions and with policy uncertainty,” said Mr. Kimbis, who is also vice president of strategy and external affairs for the trade association.
2011年9月21日星期三
Future of solar is in USA
The future of solar is not in China. They are the present: 185 Chinese solar panel makers relentlessly driving down costs by 30 percent a year.
The future ofsolar is right here in America: Using smart technology to get the most out of what the Chinese sell us.
That is not as easy — or as bad — as it sounds.
Twenty years ago, nuclear power plants were running at 50 percent of capacity. For all the theory about making energy “too cheap to meter,” the nuclear industry was better at building plants than actually making them generate power.
They figured it out. Today nuclear power plants in the United States run at 90 percent capacity.
Solar today is where nuclear was: Solar plants are not producing energy as well as they could.
Google was among the first to find out. In 2007, Google built a 1.65 megawattsolar energy system. That is about two football fields with about 10,000 panels.
In 2009, Google did an experiment where it doubled the energy it was getting from its panels: Google cleaned them. Eight months later, Google cleaned them again and increased energy by 37 percent.
The people at Google are just about the smartest and most forward-thinking on earth. They had no problem admitting how little they knew about their own system.
Google figured out that 10,000 panels are really 10,000 separate energy generating systems. But like most everyone else, Google used one monitor to add up the energy from all 10,000 panels. But they had no information about how individual panels were performing — if at all.
When energy output went down, they did not know if it was due to bad panels, hungry raccoons, errant golf balls, bad wires, hot roofs, dirty dirt, clouds or any of the other thousand natural shockssolar systems are heir to.
They were guessing. And Google knew it: “It would be difficult to detect manufacturer defects or accidental damage by data analysis alone, unless the damage impacts (something more than) 20 percent of thesolar panels in that building.”
Translation: They knew when the panels were on and when they were off. And that is about it. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.
Every business student learns that on day one.Solar managers know it too. But until recently, they did not have the tools to see what was going on in their larger solar arrays. That is changing.
And as that spreads through the industry, that will be like adding free energy capacity.
That is just one example of how the future is blooming. We are starting to learn how much we can improve the way we distribute power in smart grids. Or how we use energy around the house and in our cars. And when alternative energy is the solution. Or not. And how water and energy are connected, and if we conserve one, we save the other.
Solar and alternative energy today is a new business - really only about five years old. Solyndra and poor panel performance are history.
The future of
That is not as easy — or as bad — as it sounds.
Twenty years ago, nuclear power plants were running at 50 percent of capacity. For all the theory about making energy “too cheap to meter,” the nuclear industry was better at building plants than actually making them generate power.
They figured it out. Today nuclear power plants in the United States run at 90 percent capacity.
Google was among the first to find out. In 2007, Google built a 1.65 megawatt
In 2009, Google did an experiment where it doubled the energy it was getting from its panels: Google cleaned them. Eight months later, Google cleaned them again and increased energy by 37 percent.
The people at Google are just about the smartest and most forward-thinking on earth. They had no problem admitting how little they knew about their own system.
Google figured out that 10,000 panels are really 10,000 separate energy generating systems. But like most everyone else, Google used one monitor to add up the energy from all 10,000 panels. But they had no information about how individual panels were performing — if at all.
When energy output went down, they did not know if it was due to bad panels, hungry raccoons, errant golf balls, bad wires, hot roofs, dirty dirt, clouds or any of the other thousand natural shocks
They were guessing. And Google knew it: “It would be difficult to detect manufacturer defects or accidental damage by data analysis alone, unless the damage impacts (something more than) 20 percent of the
Translation: They knew when the panels were on and when they were off. And that is about it. If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.
Every business student learns that on day one.
And as that spreads through the industry, that will be like adding free energy capacity.
That is just one example of how the future is blooming. We are starting to learn how much we can improve the way we distribute power in smart grids. Or how we use energy around the house and in our cars. And when alternative energy is the solution. Or not. And how water and energy are connected, and if we conserve one, we save the other.
2011年9月12日星期一
How China dominates solar power
In four years, the solar manufacturing sector shifted from being led by a geographically dispersed number of companies to one dominated by Chinese companies. In 2006, there were two companies from China in the list of top ten cell producers. In 2010, there were six, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. There are currently only two non-Asian manufacturers in the top ten, and those companies -- First Solar and Q-Cells -- have shifted a lot of their production to Asia.
So what happened? How did the Chinese come to completely dominate the solar industry in such a short period of time?
Bryan Ashley, the Chief Marketing Officer for Suniva, an American company that produces high-efficiency solar cells in Georgia, doesn't mince words.
"The Chinese strategy is very clear. They are engaging in predatory financing and they're trying to drive everybody else out of the market. When you've got free money you can out-dump everybody below cost," Ashley said in an interview with Climate Progress.
That "free money" Ashley refers to is the cheap debt provided by the
Chinese Development Bank (CDB). Here's how the CDB works its magic.
The CDB was originally set up as a "policy bank," to operate as an arm of the Chinese central government, doling out public funding to support central government development programs. Now it is a "joint stock company with limited liability" that often reports to China's national cabinet on certain policy issues. This allows the Chinese government to get involved in CDB activities and direct loans toward projects officials want to support.
Unlike most regular commercial banks, CDB raises most of its money
via long-term bonds. Funders cannot take that money back out until the term is up, so the bank can make longer-term loans to Chinese companies. CDB also gives borrowers very low interest rates, and, if the borrower cannot pay back the loan, it may be back-stopped by the Chinese government.
This makes it easier, cheaper, and a lot less risky for solar companie to obtain financing.
In 2010 alone, the bank handed out $30 billion in low-cost loans to the top five manufacturers in the country. (See chart above.) This has enabled China's solar producers to grow to GW scale in a very short period of time, turning the country into a leading exporter of solar and pushing down prices dramatically.
From a project development perspective, those steep price drops are a very good thing. But manufacturers trying to make product outside of China and other Asian countries are getting hit hard.
"Free money is impossible to compete with," said Ashley. "Even when global demand went down they were able to keep producing, producing, producing," said Ashley. "And now they're dumping. If something isn't done, there will be no American product left on the market."
Allegations of solar panel dumping have been made before in Europe and the U.S., but they have never been proven. In 2009, Suntech CEO Shi Zengrong explained in a conference call that his company was selling panels below marginal costs. But he reversed his statement shortly after, saying he misunderstood the reporter's question.
With Chinese producers in a far more dominant position than in 2009 and a slew of solar manufacturing facility closures announced in the U.S. in recent months, concerns about dumping have resurfaced. Just yesterday, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to President Obama asking him to investigate whether or not Chinese companies are selling product below cost in order to push American producers out of the market. He also called on the administration to implement a trade tariff on Chinese modules:
Letting that happen is unacceptable. Please know that if your administration is unwilling to take the appropriate steps, with haste, I will advance a legislative effort, as provided by the U.S. trade remedy laws, to ensure that the American solar industry is not harmed by unfair trade.
Wyden's letter comes after the high-profile bankruptcies of American solar manufacturers Solyndra and Evergreen. While a variety of technological and market-based factors contributed to the demise of these companies, the Chinese competition -- driven by cheap, easy debt -- played a central role.
Remarkably, even with all the pressure from China, the U.S. is a net exporter of solar products to the country. A new report issued by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association shows that America had a $247 million solar trade surplus with China in 2010, mostly because of polysilicon and equipment shipments.
"Yeah, that's great. But we're just sending the raw materials and buying back the finished goods," explained Suniva's Bryan Ashley. "That's a going-out-of-business strategy. Pretty soon they'll figure out how to produce quality polysilicon and they'll be doing it all themselves. We need to re-learn how to make things in this country."
Ashley would like to see a Buy America provision for certain
So what happened? How did the Chinese come to completely dominate the solar industry in such a short period of time?
Bryan Ashley, the Chief Marketing Officer for Suniva, an American company that produces high-efficiency solar cells in Georgia, doesn't mince words.
"The Chinese strategy is very clear. They are engaging in predatory financing and they're trying to drive everybody else out of the market. When you've got free money you can out-dump everybody below cost," Ashley said in an interview with Climate Progress.
That "free money" Ashley refers to is the cheap debt provided by the
Chinese Development Bank (CDB). Here's how the CDB works its magic.
The CDB was originally set up as a "policy bank," to operate as an arm of the Chinese central government, doling out public funding to support central government development programs. Now it is a "joint stock company with limited liability" that often reports to China's national cabinet on certain policy issues. This allows the Chinese government to get involved in CDB activities and direct loans toward projects officials want to support.
Unlike most regular commercial banks, CDB raises most of its money
via long-term bonds. Funders cannot take that money back out until the term is up, so the bank can make longer-term loans to Chinese companies. CDB also gives borrowers very low interest rates, and, if the borrower cannot pay back the loan, it may be back-stopped by the Chinese government.
This makes it easier, cheaper, and a lot less risky for solar companie to obtain financing.
In 2010 alone, the bank handed out $30 billion in low-cost loans to the top five manufacturers in the country. (See chart above.) This has enabled China's solar producers to grow to GW scale in a very short period of time, turning the country into a leading exporter of solar and pushing down prices dramatically.
From a project development perspective, those steep price drops are a very good thing. But manufacturers trying to make product outside of China and other Asian countries are getting hit hard.
"Free money is impossible to compete with," said Ashley. "Even when global demand went down they were able to keep producing, producing, producing," said Ashley. "And now they're dumping. If something isn't done, there will be no American product left on the market."
Allegations of solar panel dumping have been made before in Europe and the U.S., but they have never been proven. In 2009, Suntech CEO Shi Zengrong explained in a conference call that his company was selling panels below marginal costs. But he reversed his statement shortly after, saying he misunderstood the reporter's question.
With Chinese producers in a far more dominant position than in 2009 and a slew of solar manufacturing facility closures announced in the U.S. in recent months, concerns about dumping have resurfaced. Just yesterday, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to President Obama asking him to investigate whether or not Chinese companies are selling product below cost in order to push American producers out of the market. He also called on the administration to implement a trade tariff on Chinese modules:
Letting that happen is unacceptable. Please know that if your administration is unwilling to take the appropriate steps, with haste, I will advance a legislative effort, as provided by the U.S. trade remedy laws, to ensure that the American solar industry is not harmed by unfair trade.
Wyden's letter comes after the high-profile bankruptcies of American solar manufacturers Solyndra and Evergreen. While a variety of technological and market-based factors contributed to the demise of these companies, the Chinese competition -- driven by cheap, easy debt -- played a central role.
Remarkably, even with all the pressure from China, the U.S. is a net exporter of solar products to the country. A new report issued by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association shows that America had a $247 million solar trade surplus with China in 2010, mostly because of polysilicon and equipment shipments.
"Yeah, that's great. But we're just sending the raw materials and buying back the finished goods," explained Suniva's Bryan Ashley. "That's a going-out-of-business strategy. Pretty soon they'll figure out how to produce quality polysilicon and they'll be doing it all themselves. We need to re-learn how to make things in this country."
Ashley would like to see a Buy America provision for certain
2011年7月14日星期四
NRG Energy Scores Solar Victory for Washington Redskins
The team colors of the Washington Redskins, as any diehard fan can tell you, are burgundy and gold. But soon they will add a touch of green to the mix.
NRG Energy, a Princeton-based energy company, plans to integrate new solar power installations into FedEx Stadium and its parking lot in September, providing a portion of the electricity to power the stadium on game days and all of its electricity needs on non-game days.
Not only will the solar panels provide the electricity to power the stadium, the company also will install 10 electric vehicle-charging stations in the parking lot. NRG is one of the biggest promoters of plug-in electric vehicles, developing an infrastructure for electric vehicles in and around Houston, TX, under a pilot program.
When completed, the Princeton company expects to install three types of 8,000 solar panels in a parking lot. Besides generating power for the stadium, the panels will provide covered parking to protect fans from inclement weather and enhance the tailgating experience on game days, officials said.
"It will take 8,000 solar panels and a lot of expertise to deliver this win to the Redskins -- we’re getting it done," said David Crane, president and chief executive officer of NRG Energy.
NRG is a diversified energy company with more than 25,000 megawatts of generating capacity, including natural gas, nuclear and coal plants. In recent years, it has expanded its portfolio to include solar and wind projects, as well as building the nation’s first privately funded infrastructure system for plug-in electric vehicles.
"There is nothing like homegrown, in this case stadium-grown energy," said Fred Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of the FedEx Corp. and part owner of the Washington Redskins. "Solar can be a very smart investment. I am pleased to see FedEx moving in this direction and increasing its energy independence."
NRG’s subsidiary, Reliant Energy, will be the official provider for all the electricity to power the Redskins in their home stadium. Reliant is one of the largest retail electricity providers in the Texas market and is expanding its commercial and residential businesses to several states in the Northeast, as well as Maryland.
NRG Energy, a Princeton-based energy company, plans to integrate new solar power installations into FedEx Stadium and its parking lot in September, providing a portion of the electricity to power the stadium on game days and all of its electricity needs on non-game days.
Not only will the solar panels provide the electricity to power the stadium, the company also will install 10 electric vehicle-charging stations in the parking lot. NRG is one of the biggest promoters of plug-in electric vehicles, developing an infrastructure for electric vehicles in and around Houston, TX, under a pilot program.
When completed, the Princeton company expects to install three types of 8,000 solar panels in a parking lot. Besides generating power for the stadium, the panels will provide covered parking to protect fans from inclement weather and enhance the tailgating experience on game days, officials said.
"It will take 8,000 solar panels and a lot of expertise to deliver this win to the Redskins -- we’re getting it done," said David Crane, president and chief executive officer of NRG Energy.
NRG is a diversified energy company with more than 25,000 megawatts of generating capacity, including natural gas, nuclear and coal plants. In recent years, it has expanded its portfolio to include solar and wind projects, as well as building the nation’s first privately funded infrastructure system for plug-in electric vehicles.
"There is nothing like homegrown, in this case stadium-grown energy," said Fred Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of the FedEx Corp. and part owner of the Washington Redskins. "Solar can be a very smart investment. I am pleased to see FedEx moving in this direction and increasing its energy independence."
NRG’s subsidiary, Reliant Energy, will be the official provider for all the electricity to power the Redskins in their home stadium. Reliant is one of the largest retail electricity providers in the Texas market and is expanding its commercial and residential businesses to several states in the Northeast, as well as Maryland.
2011年3月28日星期一
Redlands: Solar panels going in at sewer plant
Construction has begun on a photovoltaic array that will provide renewable energy to Redlands' wastewater treatment plant.
Use of the solar panels at the sewer plant at the end of Nevada Street will allow the city to be less reliant on electricity from Southern California Edison, city spokesman Carl Baker said. The savings are expected to amount to more than $36,000 annually, he said.
The project, expected to be completed by early May, is being built on a former brine pond that has been paved over and can't be used for other development, he said.
"This is a way of using that property in a productive fashion. Otherwise it would have sat fallow," he said.
The solar plant is the city's first and fits in with the Community Sustainability Plan, adopted March 1 by the City Council. The plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote growth based on sustainable business practices and energy-efficient technologies.
The solar project is being funded through an allocation grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, which is an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding source.
Additional funding is coming from the California Solar Incentive Program, which has allocated up to $250,000 worth of rebates based on the levels of energy produced by the panels over the first five years of use.
The wastewater treatment plant also is the site of a larger energy proposal. In February, the Redlands City Council agreed to negotiate with North American Biomass Co. for a project that would use gas from the wastewater treatment plant and adjacent landfill to generate electricity to power the wastewater plant.
That project also could include a gasification reactor to turn trash to energy.
Use of the solar panels at the sewer plant at the end of Nevada Street will allow the city to be less reliant on electricity from Southern California Edison, city spokesman Carl Baker said. The savings are expected to amount to more than $36,000 annually, he said.
The project, expected to be completed by early May, is being built on a former brine pond that has been paved over and can't be used for other development, he said.
"This is a way of using that property in a productive fashion. Otherwise it would have sat fallow," he said.
The solar plant is the city's first and fits in with the Community Sustainability Plan, adopted March 1 by the City Council. The plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote growth based on sustainable business practices and energy-efficient technologies.
The solar project is being funded through an allocation grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, which is an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding source.
Additional funding is coming from the California Solar Incentive Program, which has allocated up to $250,000 worth of rebates based on the levels of energy produced by the panels over the first five years of use.
The wastewater treatment plant also is the site of a larger energy proposal. In February, the Redlands City Council agreed to negotiate with North American Biomass Co. for a project that would use gas from the wastewater treatment plant and adjacent landfill to generate electricity to power the wastewater plant.
That project also could include a gasification reactor to turn trash to energy.
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