Ames-based PowerFilm has a new partnership with a company that makes lighting bars and other gear for emergency vehicles.
The agreement will allow Streamlight Inc. to add PowerFilm’s 14-watt flexible solar panels as an option for emergency responders and others looking for an auxiliary source of power for the lights, computers, radios and other electrical components that are now built into vehicles.
The Streamlight deal is the second vehicle partnership announced by PowerFilm. In January, the company said it would join with Textron Co. to make solar power an option for E-Z-GO golf cars and other electric vehicles.
In a statement announcing the Streamlight venture, PowerFilm President Tim Neugent said the company’s new solar panels provide enough supplemental power to the battery of an emergency vehicle “to ensure that the vehicle will start when needed and reduce the need to idle the vehicle, saving fuel and reducing emissions.”
Streamlight President Ray Sharrah said in an email that most solar panel makers “are targeting large commercial or residential installations using thousands of square feet of panel. PowerFilm’s focus on smaller products met our needs for vehicular mobile applications and their design proved itself in a year of field trials.” He said the Iowa company’s “solar technology is unequaled and provides us with amazing versatility.”
Streamlight will begin shipping PowerFilm products next month, Sharrah said.
The potential market is substantial, he said: “In the U.S. alone there are 18,000 law enforcement agencies. There are 25,000 vehicles in service in just state police and highway patrols. American auto manufacturers sell more than 50,000 new police cars a year. When we add this to industrial and utility vehicles and look internationally, it presents a considerable market need.”
2012年3月28日星期三
2012年3月11日星期日
As public attitudes change, can solar power work in the North Country?
Knowing we have months of cold, snowy, cloudy winter each year, St. Lawrence County homeowners might think using solar energy is a pipe dream in the North Country, but a Canton solar energy installer says it’s a viable, and burgeoning, alternative.
Scott Shipley of Northern Lights Solar Energy says the equivalent of southwestern sunlight isn’t needed to make home solar power a cheaper choice than NationalGrid electricity alone. The sunny days during most of the year make up for the dreary days of winter.
In fact, Shipley’s 4,000-kilowatt-hour-per-year home system, which has two large panels on the roof and a free standing panel on the ground, makes about 30 percent more energy than the household can use annually.
“The only thing that matters is the amount of sun that shines over the course of a year,” he explains. “It turns out the amount of sun we have over a year is not much different than the rest of the country.”
Shipley said he and most of his customers choose to stay “on-grid,” which means the energy his solar panels produce goes out into the National Grid and is used by everyone. It’s a kind of barter system; when it’s sunny, his panels produce more power than his home needs so the extra is given away to the grid. But when it’s cloudy and he needs more than the panels produce, he can draw extra from the grid.
Annually, this means big savings. Shipley said his household pays $17 a month for service fees, but saves about $600 annually compared to a traditional electric utility.
The initial cost outlay, if a homeowner chooses to buy the equipment rather than lease it, can be between $5,000 and $10,000, but NYSERDA and other agencies give incentives to help defray the expense.
Shipley said the important thing is to keep the cost in perspective. All of the cost is equipment, not in fuel. “It’s the cost of the system versus what you now pay for electricity,” he said.
With the incentives, Shipley said homeowners should see the system pay for itself in five to 15 years depending on the system.
“People need to think of it in terms of ‘what it costs to can your own tomatoes versus buying them.’ Is it cheaper?” he asked.
The silicon panels are very durable, too, he said. There are no moving parts and they’re designed to take worse weather than we have in the North Country.
“Nobody really knows how long they last,” Shipley said, noting panels first developed in the 1970s are still in use. Manufacturers will provide 20- to 30-year warranties.
Over a long period of time, the panels may not be as efficient as they once were, but he estimates they might only lose about 80 percent of their original power production.
Snow isn’t really much of an issue, either, Shipley said. While it does create shade initially, the panels are slanted and still heat up when it’s sunny out, causing the snow to slide right off.
So why don’t more people have at least some form of solar energy supply? Shipley said the public mind is finally starting to change. In addition to the cost savings, solar energy is also eco-friendly and reduces our dependence on pollution-causing forms of energy.
“It’s difficult to argue a more socially and environmentally responsible form of energy,” he said. People never hear about a solar power spill. But they hear about nuclear disasters in Japan, the Gulf oil spill and coalmining tragedies, not to mention air and ozone quality concerns caused by fossil fuels, he said.
“Solar energy is growing by leaps and bounds,” he said, noting his phone is ringing more and more these days with requests. “We are in the midst of a solar revolution.
Scott Shipley of Northern Lights Solar Energy says the equivalent of southwestern sunlight isn’t needed to make home solar power a cheaper choice than NationalGrid electricity alone. The sunny days during most of the year make up for the dreary days of winter.
In fact, Shipley’s 4,000-kilowatt-hour-per-year home system, which has two large panels on the roof and a free standing panel on the ground, makes about 30 percent more energy than the household can use annually.
“The only thing that matters is the amount of sun that shines over the course of a year,” he explains. “It turns out the amount of sun we have over a year is not much different than the rest of the country.”
Shipley said he and most of his customers choose to stay “on-grid,” which means the energy his solar panels produce goes out into the National Grid and is used by everyone. It’s a kind of barter system; when it’s sunny, his panels produce more power than his home needs so the extra is given away to the grid. But when it’s cloudy and he needs more than the panels produce, he can draw extra from the grid.
Annually, this means big savings. Shipley said his household pays $17 a month for service fees, but saves about $600 annually compared to a traditional electric utility.
The initial cost outlay, if a homeowner chooses to buy the equipment rather than lease it, can be between $5,000 and $10,000, but NYSERDA and other agencies give incentives to help defray the expense.
Shipley said the important thing is to keep the cost in perspective. All of the cost is equipment, not in fuel. “It’s the cost of the system versus what you now pay for electricity,” he said.
With the incentives, Shipley said homeowners should see the system pay for itself in five to 15 years depending on the system.
“People need to think of it in terms of ‘what it costs to can your own tomatoes versus buying them.’ Is it cheaper?” he asked.
The silicon panels are very durable, too, he said. There are no moving parts and they’re designed to take worse weather than we have in the North Country.
“Nobody really knows how long they last,” Shipley said, noting panels first developed in the 1970s are still in use. Manufacturers will provide 20- to 30-year warranties.
Over a long period of time, the panels may not be as efficient as they once were, but he estimates they might only lose about 80 percent of their original power production.
Snow isn’t really much of an issue, either, Shipley said. While it does create shade initially, the panels are slanted and still heat up when it’s sunny out, causing the snow to slide right off.
So why don’t more people have at least some form of solar energy supply? Shipley said the public mind is finally starting to change. In addition to the cost savings, solar energy is also eco-friendly and reduces our dependence on pollution-causing forms of energy.
“It’s difficult to argue a more socially and environmentally responsible form of energy,” he said. People never hear about a solar power spill. But they hear about nuclear disasters in Japan, the Gulf oil spill and coalmining tragedies, not to mention air and ozone quality concerns caused by fossil fuels, he said.
“Solar energy is growing by leaps and bounds,” he said, noting his phone is ringing more and more these days with requests. “We are in the midst of a solar revolution.
2012年2月29日星期三
Jury still out on future of solar power in commercial market
Solar panels being tested in Augusta and six other Georgia cities are performing well in varied climates, but defining their potential in a demanding commercial power market will take more time.
“So far we’ve seen slight differences around the state, based on humidity and weather conditions, but overall they are working pretty much as expected,” said Lynn Wallace, a spokeswoman for Georgia Power Co.
The 18-month project, launched in February 2011, is a joint effort with the Electric Power Research Institute aimed at testing the effect of various climates and environmental conditions on the solar photovoltaic power systems.
In Augusta, seven panels, each 3 by 5 feet, were installed a year ago near the Georgia Power operating center off North Leg. Similar clusters of panels were placed in Rome, Valdosta, Macon, Columbus, Savannah and Conley.
Each panel, under optimum conditions and full sun, can generate about 200 watts of electricity. The power produced is fed directly into Georgia Power’s grid.
The panels are able to convert sunlight into electricity in all locations, despite changes in elevation, temperature, wind speed, humidity and even the effect of salt air in coastal regions.
Predictably, however, clouds will inhibit the panels’ power production significantly.
“One of the things that is being studied is the variability of output,” Wallace said. “When we have a cloudy day we see the output go from 100 percent down to 20 percent.”
The study, aimed more at research and development at this point, will help the company determine how solar generation would fit into a portfolio now dominated by coal , nuclear generation , oil and gas and hydropower, according to a company fact sheet.
“We’re always looking at gathering data to see if solar is a viable option here in Georgia,” she said.
“So far we’ve seen slight differences around the state, based on humidity and weather conditions, but overall they are working pretty much as expected,” said Lynn Wallace, a spokeswoman for Georgia Power Co.
The 18-month project, launched in February 2011, is a joint effort with the Electric Power Research Institute aimed at testing the effect of various climates and environmental conditions on the solar photovoltaic power systems.
In Augusta, seven panels, each 3 by 5 feet, were installed a year ago near the Georgia Power operating center off North Leg. Similar clusters of panels were placed in Rome, Valdosta, Macon, Columbus, Savannah and Conley.
Each panel, under optimum conditions and full sun, can generate about 200 watts of electricity. The power produced is fed directly into Georgia Power’s grid.
The panels are able to convert sunlight into electricity in all locations, despite changes in elevation, temperature, wind speed, humidity and even the effect of salt air in coastal regions.
Predictably, however, clouds will inhibit the panels’ power production significantly.
“One of the things that is being studied is the variability of output,” Wallace said. “When we have a cloudy day we see the output go from 100 percent down to 20 percent.”
The study, aimed more at research and development at this point, will help the company determine how solar generation would fit into a portfolio now dominated by coal , nuclear generation , oil and gas and hydropower, according to a company fact sheet.
“We’re always looking at gathering data to see if solar is a viable option here in Georgia,” she said.
2012年1月30日星期一
Tariffs on solar panels from China would raise prices
US tariffs on solar panel imports from China would raise photovoltaic prices more than 25% and sharply cut new solar power installations, according to a new report funded by opponents of possible tariffs.
The Brattle Group, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based economic consulting and analysis firm, modeled the impact of tariffs on Chinese PV modules at the request of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy, a group mainly composed of solar power developers, as well as a handful of China-based solar panel manufacturers.
Tariffs would "slow the growth in domestic demand for photovoltaic systems by homeowners, commercial establishments and power producers, resulting in substantial job losses," the report said.
Hillsboro, Oregon-headquartered SolarWorld and six unnamed US solar-panel makers have filed antidumping and countervailing duty petitions alleging that Chinese solar panel makers received illegal subsidies from the Chinese government, allowing those firms to dominate the solar market.
SolarWorld, a subsidiary of German solar panel giant SolarWorld AG, is requesting that the US impose tariffs of up to 250% on Chinese solar panel imports to counteract the alleged subsidies. The case only includes crystalline polysilicon panels, not thin-film modules.
The Brattle Group modeled tariffs of 50% and 100% on Chinese solar panels and found a sharp impact on demand and pricing.
Brattle estimated that a 100% tariff would decrease total demand for solar installations to 3,159 MW by 2014 from 4,894 MW, while a 50% tariff would cut demand to 3,350 MW by 2014.
The price impact of tariffs would also be significant, according to the study. Residential modules, for example, would rise from 85 cents/watt in 2012 without a tariff to $1.07/watt with a 50% tariff and $1.17/watt with a 100% tariff. The study predicted higher tariff rates would have little additional impact, since "China is already effectively priced out of the US market at the 100%-tariff level."
The report also predicted the tariffs could lead China to retaliate against the roughly $863 million of polysilicon the US exports there.
The Commerce Department is scheduled to make a preliminary ruling on the case March 2, a spokeswoman for Commerce's International Trade Administration said Friday.
The International Trade Commission, which also must rule on the trade case, issued a preliminary decision in December in favor of SolarWorld, although China's solar companies strongly disputed the charges. China's government has threatened to take unspecified action against US firms if the US imposes tariffs on solar panels made there.
The Brattle Group, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based economic consulting and analysis firm, modeled the impact of tariffs on Chinese PV modules at the request of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy, a group mainly composed of solar power developers, as well as a handful of China-based solar panel manufacturers.
Tariffs would "slow the growth in domestic demand for photovoltaic systems by homeowners, commercial establishments and power producers, resulting in substantial job losses," the report said.
Hillsboro, Oregon-headquartered SolarWorld and six unnamed US solar-panel makers have filed antidumping and countervailing duty petitions alleging that Chinese solar panel makers received illegal subsidies from the Chinese government, allowing those firms to dominate the solar market.
SolarWorld, a subsidiary of German solar panel giant SolarWorld AG, is requesting that the US impose tariffs of up to 250% on Chinese solar panel imports to counteract the alleged subsidies. The case only includes crystalline polysilicon panels, not thin-film modules.
The Brattle Group modeled tariffs of 50% and 100% on Chinese solar panels and found a sharp impact on demand and pricing.
Brattle estimated that a 100% tariff would decrease total demand for solar installations to 3,159 MW by 2014 from 4,894 MW, while a 50% tariff would cut demand to 3,350 MW by 2014.
The price impact of tariffs would also be significant, according to the study. Residential modules, for example, would rise from 85 cents/watt in 2012 without a tariff to $1.07/watt with a 50% tariff and $1.17/watt with a 100% tariff. The study predicted higher tariff rates would have little additional impact, since "China is already effectively priced out of the US market at the 100%-tariff level."
The report also predicted the tariffs could lead China to retaliate against the roughly $863 million of polysilicon the US exports there.
The Commerce Department is scheduled to make a preliminary ruling on the case March 2, a spokeswoman for Commerce's International Trade Administration said Friday.
The International Trade Commission, which also must rule on the trade case, issued a preliminary decision in December in favor of SolarWorld, although China's solar companies strongly disputed the charges. China's government has threatened to take unspecified action against US firms if the US imposes tariffs on solar panels made there.
2012年1月18日星期三
Goslings to install biggest commercial solar panel system on Island
Wine and spirit distributor Gosling’s is set to install the largest commercial solar panel system in Bermuda to date.
Local company Alternative Energy Systems has been awarded the contract to engineer, design, supply and install a 570-panel photovoltaic (PV) solar energy system to generate electricity at its head office in Hamilton. The panels will be installed on the roof of the main warehouse, which will offset energy consumption produced by a bottling plant, retail space, executive offices and refrigerated storage located on the property.
The 136-kilowatt system, says Gosling’s, will produce more than 17,000 kilowatt hours or more than $6,500 worth of electricity per month based on today’s cost of electricity.
“As the price of energy continues to rise along with our awareness for environmental stewardship, we decided that Gosling’s needed to make a move toward renewable energy,” said Nancy Gosling, president and CEO of Gosling Brothers Ltd.
Solar energy is fast becoming a popular option for commercial retailers and private homes with the number of planning applications increasing year over year.
As reported in The Royal Gazette last week, a Government spokesperson said that 51 applications were made for solar developments in 2011, more than four-times the number submitted in 2009.
In 2011, a total of 51 applications were made for solar developments, with 39 having already been approved and others still going through the planning process.
With energy prices ever increasing, business is going strong, says Tim Madeiros, AES founder and CEO.
“Everything is booming, residential and commercial,” he said. “It’s got a lot of momentum. We have a lot of examples and client testimonials on the financial savings that they’ve seen and that is great for potential customers.”
Grocer Lindo’s was AES’s first commercial installation, which saw the completion of a 300-solar panel system in May 2011. The system produces approximately 11,340 kilowatts of energy per month, enough to handle between 40 and 60 percent of Lindo’s load requirements at any given time.
Gosling’s will also be the first commercial customer to finance a project in full through Butterfield Bank. According to the bank, they are currently the exclusive supplier of financing for AES-installed solar panels.
“This latest project carries great significance,” said Tim Madeiros, AES founder and CEO. “It’s two of Bermuda’s oldest establishments working together to take a modern approach to energy.”
“In working with Butterfield, we were able to obtain full financing, which was a huge factor in moving forward with the project,” said Ms Gosling, adding that the monthly payments are lower than the savings in electricity per month, which makes the system cash flow positive from the first month.
According to AES, in addition to the cost savings, Gosling’s solar energy system will save 3.8 million pounds of CO2 from entering Bermuda’s atmosphere.
Local environmental groups have applauded the move.
“Greenrock believes that solar power is a sensible investment for any business in Bermuda,” said Judith Landsberg, president of Greenrock. “The cost of electricity is inevitably going to continue to rise and solar panel technology has proven itself over decades as a low maintenance, reliable, and increasingly cost effective source of electricity. We salute Goslings for their sustainable thinking and AES as a leader in this field in Bermuda and hope that many more companies follow their lead.”
Local company Alternative Energy Systems has been awarded the contract to engineer, design, supply and install a 570-panel photovoltaic (PV) solar energy system to generate electricity at its head office in Hamilton. The panels will be installed on the roof of the main warehouse, which will offset energy consumption produced by a bottling plant, retail space, executive offices and refrigerated storage located on the property.
The 136-kilowatt system, says Gosling’s, will produce more than 17,000 kilowatt hours or more than $6,500 worth of electricity per month based on today’s cost of electricity.
“As the price of energy continues to rise along with our awareness for environmental stewardship, we decided that Gosling’s needed to make a move toward renewable energy,” said Nancy Gosling, president and CEO of Gosling Brothers Ltd.
Solar energy is fast becoming a popular option for commercial retailers and private homes with the number of planning applications increasing year over year.
As reported in The Royal Gazette last week, a Government spokesperson said that 51 applications were made for solar developments in 2011, more than four-times the number submitted in 2009.
In 2011, a total of 51 applications were made for solar developments, with 39 having already been approved and others still going through the planning process.
With energy prices ever increasing, business is going strong, says Tim Madeiros, AES founder and CEO.
“Everything is booming, residential and commercial,” he said. “It’s got a lot of momentum. We have a lot of examples and client testimonials on the financial savings that they’ve seen and that is great for potential customers.”
Grocer Lindo’s was AES’s first commercial installation, which saw the completion of a 300-solar panel system in May 2011. The system produces approximately 11,340 kilowatts of energy per month, enough to handle between 40 and 60 percent of Lindo’s load requirements at any given time.
Gosling’s will also be the first commercial customer to finance a project in full through Butterfield Bank. According to the bank, they are currently the exclusive supplier of financing for AES-installed solar panels.
“This latest project carries great significance,” said Tim Madeiros, AES founder and CEO. “It’s two of Bermuda’s oldest establishments working together to take a modern approach to energy.”
“In working with Butterfield, we were able to obtain full financing, which was a huge factor in moving forward with the project,” said Ms Gosling, adding that the monthly payments are lower than the savings in electricity per month, which makes the system cash flow positive from the first month.
According to AES, in addition to the cost savings, Gosling’s solar energy system will save 3.8 million pounds of CO2 from entering Bermuda’s atmosphere.
Local environmental groups have applauded the move.
“Greenrock believes that solar power is a sensible investment for any business in Bermuda,” said Judith Landsberg, president of Greenrock. “The cost of electricity is inevitably going to continue to rise and solar panel technology has proven itself over decades as a low maintenance, reliable, and increasingly cost effective source of electricity. We salute Goslings for their sustainable thinking and AES as a leader in this field in Bermuda and hope that many more companies follow their lead.”
2012年1月3日星期二
Solar Gardens a Offer Solar Power Without the Installation
The U.S. has seen a dramatic rise in interest in solar installations across the country, with a record added capacity through the first three quarters of 2011 and similar records projected for the rest of the year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
But many Americans still face difficulty taking advantage of the potential savings and stability offered by solar power because of limited access to solar systems. Now, though, a growing number of new options are available for financing solar installations, some of which can offer people access they might not have had otherwise.
One of the most important developments in the solar industry in recent years was the emergence of two financing options known as solar leasing and power purchase agreements. Both options allow home and business owners to add a rooftop solar installation with little or no money down up-front. Solar leases require fixed payments, the same as a standard loan, while a power purchase agreement obliges people to buy the electricity generated by a solar system for a fixed rate, sometimes with the option to eventually purchase the panels.
Each of these systems offers a means of long-term income and short-term business for solar installers, and they tap into an important and growing market segment. While residential solar installations have remains relatively stable, commercial solar installations have grown dramatically, in large part because of these new options.
But they do not provide access to solar for everyone. Homeowners who either are not allowed to add solar panels or lack good locations for such installations, renters and businesses that do not own their property all would still have no chance to invest in solar through these systems.
However, Forbes reports that a new type of solar financing has emerged that could provide an answer for this group. So-called solar gardens take the recent idea of group financing for solar projects and condenses it into a single project. Whereas solar leasing offers homeowners the opportunity to own a solar installation at low cost, solar gardens instead offer just the solar electricity.
The solar installer will build a large solar system on otherwise unused public property, potentially making use of undesirable lands such as landfills, and then sells limited shares in the plant panel-by-panel, similar to the way in which some communities have come to support local farms through co-ops.
While traditionally solar panels have helped reduce electricity bills through net metering, in which the power used by a home or business is offset by the power produced by the solar installation, solar farms instead rely on virtual net metering. In this system, the production of the solar farm is divided by the number of shares and the output in a month is divvied between members based on the number of shares they hold on the account itself.
"With the traditional solar leasing model, if you approach a typical institutional investor they’ll say what happens when Bob the homeowner defaults on his lease, what’s the salvage value? And they’ll assume zero," Lee Barken, energy and cleantech practice leader at consulting firm Haskell & White, told Forbes. "The elegance of the solar garden approach is that people buy in and pay a share, so if Bob stops paying his subscription, you don’t have to go remove his solar panels, you just sell his share to the next person."
The primary limitation of this method of financing at the moment is that not all states' laws allow for it. According to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, all but seven require net metering up to a certain level, but only Massachusetts and Colorado currently specifically allow virtual net metering, though California is considering making the change.
But many Americans still face difficulty taking advantage of the potential savings and stability offered by solar power because of limited access to solar systems. Now, though, a growing number of new options are available for financing solar installations, some of which can offer people access they might not have had otherwise.
One of the most important developments in the solar industry in recent years was the emergence of two financing options known as solar leasing and power purchase agreements. Both options allow home and business owners to add a rooftop solar installation with little or no money down up-front. Solar leases require fixed payments, the same as a standard loan, while a power purchase agreement obliges people to buy the electricity generated by a solar system for a fixed rate, sometimes with the option to eventually purchase the panels.
Each of these systems offers a means of long-term income and short-term business for solar installers, and they tap into an important and growing market segment. While residential solar installations have remains relatively stable, commercial solar installations have grown dramatically, in large part because of these new options.
But they do not provide access to solar for everyone. Homeowners who either are not allowed to add solar panels or lack good locations for such installations, renters and businesses that do not own their property all would still have no chance to invest in solar through these systems.
However, Forbes reports that a new type of solar financing has emerged that could provide an answer for this group. So-called solar gardens take the recent idea of group financing for solar projects and condenses it into a single project. Whereas solar leasing offers homeowners the opportunity to own a solar installation at low cost, solar gardens instead offer just the solar electricity.
The solar installer will build a large solar system on otherwise unused public property, potentially making use of undesirable lands such as landfills, and then sells limited shares in the plant panel-by-panel, similar to the way in which some communities have come to support local farms through co-ops.
While traditionally solar panels have helped reduce electricity bills through net metering, in which the power used by a home or business is offset by the power produced by the solar installation, solar farms instead rely on virtual net metering. In this system, the production of the solar farm is divided by the number of shares and the output in a month is divvied between members based on the number of shares they hold on the account itself.
"With the traditional solar leasing model, if you approach a typical institutional investor they’ll say what happens when Bob the homeowner defaults on his lease, what’s the salvage value? And they’ll assume zero," Lee Barken, energy and cleantech practice leader at consulting firm Haskell & White, told Forbes. "The elegance of the solar garden approach is that people buy in and pay a share, so if Bob stops paying his subscription, you don’t have to go remove his solar panels, you just sell his share to the next person."
The primary limitation of this method of financing at the moment is that not all states' laws allow for it. According to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, all but seven require net metering up to a certain level, but only Massachusetts and Colorado currently specifically allow virtual net metering, though California is considering making the change.
2012年1月2日星期一
Storehouses for Solar Energy Can Step in When the Sun Goes Down
If solar energy is eventually going to matter— that is, generate a significant portion of the nation’s electricity — the industry must overcome a major stumbling block, experts say: finding a way to store it for use when the sun isn’t shining.
That challenge seems to be creating an opening for a different form of power, solar thermal, which makes electricity by using the sun’s heat to boil water. The water can be used to heat salt that stores the energy until later, when the sun dips and households power up their appliances and air-conditioning at peak demand hours in the summer.
Two California companies are planning to deploy the storage technology: SolarReserve, which is building a plant in the Nevada desert scheduled to start up next year, and BrightSource, which plans three plants in California that would begin operating in 2016 and 2017. Together, the four projects will be capable of powering tens of thousand of households throughout a summer evening.
Whether the technology will be widely adopted remains to be seen, but companies like Google, Chevron and Good Energies are investing in it, and the utilities NV Energy and Southern California Edison have signed long-term contracts to buy power from these radically different new power plants.
One crucial role of the plants will be complementing solar panels, which produce electricity directly from sunlight. When the panels ramp down at dusk or on cloudy days, the plants will crank up, drawing on the stored thermal energy.
That job will become more important if photovoltaic panels, which have plunged in price lately, become even cheaper and sprout on millions of rooftops. As the grid starts depending more heavily on solar panels or wind turbines, it will need other energy sources that can step in quickly to balance the system — preferably ones classified as renewable.
Most utilities are trying to generate as many kilowatt-hours of renewable energy as they can to meet stiffer state requirements on incorporating more alternative energy, said Kevin B. Smith, the chief executive of SolarReserve.
“As we move forward, we’ll get more and more traction with the fact we can provide more capacity,” Mr. Smith said, referring to his company’s storage technology.
The Energy Department seems to agree: in September it gave SolarReserve a $737 million loan guarantee for its project in Nevada. The plant will generate 110 megawatts at peak and store enough heat to run for eight to 10 hours when the sun is not shining.
The public’s view on loan guarantees for solar projects has soured somewhat since the bankruptcy of Solyndra, a California company that received a $535 million loan guarantee to build a factory to make solar panels — only to see the market for the modules crash.
But the outlook has always been clearer for companies that make electricity, which, unlike solar modules, is generally presold by contract.
Technical details of the SolarReserve and BrightSource plants vary slightly, but both will use thousands of computer-operated poster-size mirrors aiming sunlight at a tower that absorbs it as heat.
SolarReserve absorbs the heat in molten salt, which can be used immediately to boil water, generating steam that turns a conventional turbine and generator. Hot salt can also be used to retain the heat for many hours for later use. BrightSource heats water that can be used immediately as steam or to heat salt for storage.
The plants rely on salt because it can store far more heat than water can. But once molten, it must be kept that way or it will freeze to a solid in part of the plant where it will be difficult to melt again. “You’ve made a commitment to those salt molecules,” said Paul Woolard, the chief executive of BrightSource.
The technology is not complicated, but the economics are.
The simplest, least expensive path for solar thermal is to turn the heat into electricity immediately. But the companies are a bit like the farmer who harvests the grain and stores it in a silo rather than shipping it straight to market on the expectation that prices will be higher later. They are betting that in revenue terms, the hour at which the energy is delivered will be more important than the amount generated.
The notion is that widespread adoption of solar panels — whether on rooftops or in giant arrays in the desert — will change the hours at which prices are highest.
Today, electricity prices usually peak in the late afternoon and evening on hot summer days. “Photovoltaic panels will do a pretty good job of chopping that peak” in the late afternoon, said Paul Denholm, a solar specialist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Boulder, Colo.
In other words, the new price peak will be pushed to later in the day, to just before and after sunset, when solar photovoltaic production is small or nonexistent, he and other experts say.
That challenge seems to be creating an opening for a different form of power, solar thermal, which makes electricity by using the sun’s heat to boil water. The water can be used to heat salt that stores the energy until later, when the sun dips and households power up their appliances and air-conditioning at peak demand hours in the summer.
Two California companies are planning to deploy the storage technology: SolarReserve, which is building a plant in the Nevada desert scheduled to start up next year, and BrightSource, which plans three plants in California that would begin operating in 2016 and 2017. Together, the four projects will be capable of powering tens of thousand of households throughout a summer evening.
Whether the technology will be widely adopted remains to be seen, but companies like Google, Chevron and Good Energies are investing in it, and the utilities NV Energy and Southern California Edison have signed long-term contracts to buy power from these radically different new power plants.
One crucial role of the plants will be complementing solar panels, which produce electricity directly from sunlight. When the panels ramp down at dusk or on cloudy days, the plants will crank up, drawing on the stored thermal energy.
That job will become more important if photovoltaic panels, which have plunged in price lately, become even cheaper and sprout on millions of rooftops. As the grid starts depending more heavily on solar panels or wind turbines, it will need other energy sources that can step in quickly to balance the system — preferably ones classified as renewable.
Most utilities are trying to generate as many kilowatt-hours of renewable energy as they can to meet stiffer state requirements on incorporating more alternative energy, said Kevin B. Smith, the chief executive of SolarReserve.
“As we move forward, we’ll get more and more traction with the fact we can provide more capacity,” Mr. Smith said, referring to his company’s storage technology.
The Energy Department seems to agree: in September it gave SolarReserve a $737 million loan guarantee for its project in Nevada. The plant will generate 110 megawatts at peak and store enough heat to run for eight to 10 hours when the sun is not shining.
The public’s view on loan guarantees for solar projects has soured somewhat since the bankruptcy of Solyndra, a California company that received a $535 million loan guarantee to build a factory to make solar panels — only to see the market for the modules crash.
But the outlook has always been clearer for companies that make electricity, which, unlike solar modules, is generally presold by contract.
Technical details of the SolarReserve and BrightSource plants vary slightly, but both will use thousands of computer-operated poster-size mirrors aiming sunlight at a tower that absorbs it as heat.
SolarReserve absorbs the heat in molten salt, which can be used immediately to boil water, generating steam that turns a conventional turbine and generator. Hot salt can also be used to retain the heat for many hours for later use. BrightSource heats water that can be used immediately as steam or to heat salt for storage.
The plants rely on salt because it can store far more heat than water can. But once molten, it must be kept that way or it will freeze to a solid in part of the plant where it will be difficult to melt again. “You’ve made a commitment to those salt molecules,” said Paul Woolard, the chief executive of BrightSource.
The technology is not complicated, but the economics are.
The simplest, least expensive path for solar thermal is to turn the heat into electricity immediately. But the companies are a bit like the farmer who harvests the grain and stores it in a silo rather than shipping it straight to market on the expectation that prices will be higher later. They are betting that in revenue terms, the hour at which the energy is delivered will be more important than the amount generated.
The notion is that widespread adoption of solar panels — whether on rooftops or in giant arrays in the desert — will change the hours at which prices are highest.
Today, electricity prices usually peak in the late afternoon and evening on hot summer days. “Photovoltaic panels will do a pretty good job of chopping that peak” in the late afternoon, said Paul Denholm, a solar specialist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Boulder, Colo.
In other words, the new price peak will be pushed to later in the day, to just before and after sunset, when solar photovoltaic production is small or nonexistent, he and other experts say.
2011年12月25日星期日
Western Australia Solar Power Safety Report Questioned
An audit of a small number of home solar power systems in Western Australia carried out by EnergySafety has raised concerns about the prevalence of shoddy installation quality. However, none of the installations posed an immediate electric shock or fire hazard and the nature and timing of the report has been called into question.
EnergySafety, a state government department, is responsible for the technical and safety regulation of all Western Australia's electrical industry and most of the gas sector.
Of the 260 inspection checklists reviewed by the agency, 50% of solar power installations were found to be defect free. 50% presented at least one defect; ranging from infractions such as incorrect or no labeling through to issues including incorrect wiring of DC isolating devices.
12% of installations inspected were found to have incorrect DC isolator wiring - considered a Category 1 defect. DC isolators disconnect the solar panels from the solar inverter and isolate the modules from cabling.
11% of installations had a Category 2 defect, which includes failure to provide adequate mechanical protection to cables.
27% of solar installs were found to have a Category 3 defect; either having no labelling or incorrect labelling of components and/or incorrect/missing safety instructions and warnings.
In its report, EnergySafety said while none of the sub-standard installations posed an immediate electric shock or fire hazard, or was disconnected as a result of the inspections, the defects identified require rectification. Inspector's Orders that required the electrical contractors responsible to rectify the defects were issued in each case.
The report was welcomed but also strongly criticised by the Sustainable Energy Association of Australia (SEA).
"...For a report that was based on work commenced in June 2011 to be issued on the day before the Christmas break to offer advice that has alarmed customers about a potential but low probability risk to contact their supplier is alarmist and irresponsible," said Professor Ray Wills, SEA Chief Executive.
Of the installations with Category 1 defects, Professor Wills questioned the provenance of these systems.
"What was the nature of the 31 installations that were faulty? Was every one of these installations done by different installers, or was there a cluster of faults with one or several particular business?"
An earlier survey carried out by SEA with a far larger sample - 5,000 systems compared to EnergySafety's 260 - paints a very different picture, with 18% of systems likely defective according to the EnergySafety definitions of Category 1, 2 and 3 issues.
"Fewer than 2.1% are likely to be suffering a Category 1 defect reported at 12% by EnergySafety," said Professor Wills.
According to solar solutions provider Energy Matters' CEO Jeremy Rich, the results of the audit need further scrutiny.
"I encourage EnergySafety to engage with the SEA and the industry, and then perform a follow up study," said Mr. Rich.
"As far as I am aware, the audit process from which the inspection checklists were sourced is a probabilistic method, where newer installers or installers with recent defects are sampled at higher rates than established installers with low inspection defect rates. As such, the data is not going to be representative of the entire installation sample - it will always demonstrate higher defect rates due to the nature of the sampling."
Mr. Rich also pointed out Energy Matters and most other solar installation companies have internal quality control programs in addition to ORER /Western Power audits to prevent the types of issues reported occurring.
EnergySafety, a state government department, is responsible for the technical and safety regulation of all Western Australia's electrical industry and most of the gas sector.
Of the 260 inspection checklists reviewed by the agency, 50% of solar power installations were found to be defect free. 50% presented at least one defect; ranging from infractions such as incorrect or no labeling through to issues including incorrect wiring of DC isolating devices.
12% of installations inspected were found to have incorrect DC isolator wiring - considered a Category 1 defect. DC isolators disconnect the solar panels from the solar inverter and isolate the modules from cabling.
11% of installations had a Category 2 defect, which includes failure to provide adequate mechanical protection to cables.
27% of solar installs were found to have a Category 3 defect; either having no labelling or incorrect labelling of components and/or incorrect/missing safety instructions and warnings.
In its report, EnergySafety said while none of the sub-standard installations posed an immediate electric shock or fire hazard, or was disconnected as a result of the inspections, the defects identified require rectification. Inspector's Orders that required the electrical contractors responsible to rectify the defects were issued in each case.
The report was welcomed but also strongly criticised by the Sustainable Energy Association of Australia (SEA).
"...For a report that was based on work commenced in June 2011 to be issued on the day before the Christmas break to offer advice that has alarmed customers about a potential but low probability risk to contact their supplier is alarmist and irresponsible," said Professor Ray Wills, SEA Chief Executive.
Of the installations with Category 1 defects, Professor Wills questioned the provenance of these systems.
"What was the nature of the 31 installations that were faulty? Was every one of these installations done by different installers, or was there a cluster of faults with one or several particular business?"
An earlier survey carried out by SEA with a far larger sample - 5,000 systems compared to EnergySafety's 260 - paints a very different picture, with 18% of systems likely defective according to the EnergySafety definitions of Category 1, 2 and 3 issues.
"Fewer than 2.1% are likely to be suffering a Category 1 defect reported at 12% by EnergySafety," said Professor Wills.
According to solar solutions provider Energy Matters' CEO Jeremy Rich, the results of the audit need further scrutiny.
"I encourage EnergySafety to engage with the SEA and the industry, and then perform a follow up study," said Mr. Rich.
"As far as I am aware, the audit process from which the inspection checklists were sourced is a probabilistic method, where newer installers or installers with recent defects are sampled at higher rates than established installers with low inspection defect rates. As such, the data is not going to be representative of the entire installation sample - it will always demonstrate higher defect rates due to the nature of the sampling."
Mr. Rich also pointed out Energy Matters and most other solar installation companies have internal quality control programs in addition to ORER /Western Power audits to prevent the types of issues reported occurring.
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.
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