In partnership with Panasonic, Northern California's Infineon Raceway is boosting its sustainability drive with a solar power system that now supplies 41 percent of the facility's electricity.
Completion of the installation is the latest development in the raceway's Accelerating Sustainable Performance program and will rival another component of the green campaign -- the sheep that crop the facility's grasslands -- as an attention-grabbing visual signature for Infineon's environmental efforts.
The 1,652 panels for the 353-kilowatt solar power system roost atop five sites at the 1,600-acre facility -- the main grandstand; the sound wall at Turn 10 of the twisting 2.5-mile track; the facility's main office; the Tech Center of the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, (which includes modular structures by green building innovators Project FROG); and the Raceway Cafe.
The 3,000 sheep, which are supplied by Rocky Mountain Wooly Weeders, graze on slopes above the raceway. They've lived on the property since 2008, when the facility added "green mowing" and other eco-friendly measures to activities that included comprehensive recycling, an effort begun in 2004.
To site the solar arrays, facility operators chose the locations that were best for capturing the sun's rays and people's attention, said Steve Page, Infineon Raceway's president and general manager. "We consciously set about identifying the most visible places on the property," said Page in a news conference on Saturday to announce that the solar energy system is on line and delivering power.
The announcement by Page and Jim Doyle, president of Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company, came on the weekend that NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series came to Infineon.
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, like other major pro sports in North America, is working to ease the environmental impacts its operations and push a green message out to its 70 million fans.
At Infineon, a 43-year-old facility that hosts a variety motor sports events 340 days a year, Page acknowledged that the intersection of environmental concerns and the racing industry may be difficult for some people to fathom.
"The idea of a motor racing facility launching a sustainability initiative may seem a bit counter-intuitive to a lot of people and I want to make sure I articulate the spirit of what we are doing," Page said. "It's very important for us to demonstrate that are options in the sustainable world where you don't have to compromise performance.
"The point we're trying to make is whatever assumptions you might have about someone in our industry, we have a very strong belief in operating as a sustainable business. It's something we want to wear very prominently and set an example to the folks who come out and use this facility."
The efforts at Infineon are being watched by its fans as well as others in the sports industry, said Doyle. He conceded, though, that when he first heard about the green vision for the facility, his initial thought was "it's kind of ironic when you think of a racetrack."
"But then I looked out the window and saw 1,000 sheep mowing the lawn," Doyle said. "That's real. These guys really mean it here."
Panasonic, the sponsor of the raceway's technology center, also provided a two-sided LED video board for the facility. With a display board that's almost 6 feet high and 17½ feet wide, the sign is visible from a nearby highway. It's made up of 57,600 LEDs, draws its power from a solar tracker and uses half the energy of its predecessor, which contained about 7,000 traditional bulbs.
The raceway and Panasonic estimate that the solar installation, not including the new sign, will save 34,000 barrels of oil over a 30-year period.
2011年6月29日星期三
SoloPower shoots for another $44M for thin film solar
Solar thin-film startup SoloPower has been raising money in earnest in order to set up a factory to mass produce its panels. And now the Silicon Valley company is aiming for a $43.75 million round and has so far lined up about $15 million, according to a filing Wednesday.
The company develops solar panels using copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) instead of conventional silicon to convert sunlight into electricity. SoloPower is among a cadre of CIGS solar panel manufacturers who have completed product development and either have recently started or planned to begin mass production within the next year or two. Its peers include Stion, Solyndra, MiaSole, Sulfurcell and Nanosolar. Q-Cells, based in Germany, also is a competitor and announced on Wednesday it has started selling its CIGS panels in North America.
SoloPower, which began raising the new equity round earlier this month, has been busy persuading investors that it’s a good bet. In March this year, it had raised about $13.5 million in equity while gunning for $20 million, according to another filing. In January this year, it also raised a $51.58 million round by selling equity and rights to buy shares later.
The company will need ample cash to build its first commercial-scale factory and boost sales and marketing efforts. It has a pilot line that could produce 10 MW of solar panels as of last fall, and company CEO Tim Harris told us then that the company was planning to add 75 MW within a year. That 75MW line turned out to be part of a plan to build a 300 MW manufacturing center in Oregon.
Soon after announcing its 300 MW manufacturing plan, the company received a loan guarantee offer of $197 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. In its announcement about the loan guarantee offer, SoloPower said it was planning a bigger, 400 MW factory in Oregon instead. The loan guarantee will help the company secure about 54 percent of the $364 million project cost, according to the DOE website. SoloPower has until Sept. 30 this year to finalize the loan guarantee and start construction.
Getting to market
SoloPower launched a set of flexible CIGS solar panels last year. Instead of using glass to protect the solar cells from moisture, flexible panels use special polymer materials to encase the cells. Flexible solar panels are lightweight and can be built into roofing materials. But since glass is such a solid protective material, many CIGS solar panel manufacturers have opted to use glass instead of the newer and more expensive polymer materials.
However, roofing materials with built-in solar cells haven’t taken off in the market yet. The vast majority of the solar panels, regardless of whether they use CIGS or silicon solar cells, are mounted on the rooftop or on the ground.
SoloPower and other CIGS manufacturers do hope that flexible panels will eventually become more popular and allow them to better differentiate their products from silicon solar panels. Silicon solar cells are thicker and more rigid, so they can’t turn into the kind of thin and flexible panels that CIGS solar cells can. But silicon solar cells can convert sunlight into electricity more efficiently.
CIGS solar panels, on the other hand, these days generally convert 10-12 percent of sunlight into electricity while silicon solar panels’ efficiencies are several percentage points higher. Q-Cells said its CIGS panels can do 13 percent. The most efficient line of silicon solar panels can do 20 percent and come from SunPower.
The company develops solar panels using copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) instead of conventional silicon to convert sunlight into electricity. SoloPower is among a cadre of CIGS solar panel manufacturers who have completed product development and either have recently started or planned to begin mass production within the next year or two. Its peers include Stion, Solyndra, MiaSole, Sulfurcell and Nanosolar. Q-Cells, based in Germany, also is a competitor and announced on Wednesday it has started selling its CIGS panels in North America.
SoloPower, which began raising the new equity round earlier this month, has been busy persuading investors that it’s a good bet. In March this year, it had raised about $13.5 million in equity while gunning for $20 million, according to another filing. In January this year, it also raised a $51.58 million round by selling equity and rights to buy shares later.
The company will need ample cash to build its first commercial-scale factory and boost sales and marketing efforts. It has a pilot line that could produce 10 MW of solar panels as of last fall, and company CEO Tim Harris told us then that the company was planning to add 75 MW within a year. That 75MW line turned out to be part of a plan to build a 300 MW manufacturing center in Oregon.
Soon after announcing its 300 MW manufacturing plan, the company received a loan guarantee offer of $197 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. In its announcement about the loan guarantee offer, SoloPower said it was planning a bigger, 400 MW factory in Oregon instead. The loan guarantee will help the company secure about 54 percent of the $364 million project cost, according to the DOE website. SoloPower has until Sept. 30 this year to finalize the loan guarantee and start construction.
Getting to market
SoloPower launched a set of flexible CIGS solar panels last year. Instead of using glass to protect the solar cells from moisture, flexible panels use special polymer materials to encase the cells. Flexible solar panels are lightweight and can be built into roofing materials. But since glass is such a solid protective material, many CIGS solar panel manufacturers have opted to use glass instead of the newer and more expensive polymer materials.
However, roofing materials with built-in solar cells haven’t taken off in the market yet. The vast majority of the solar panels, regardless of whether they use CIGS or silicon solar cells, are mounted on the rooftop or on the ground.
SoloPower and other CIGS manufacturers do hope that flexible panels will eventually become more popular and allow them to better differentiate their products from silicon solar panels. Silicon solar cells are thicker and more rigid, so they can’t turn into the kind of thin and flexible panels that CIGS solar cells can. But silicon solar cells can convert sunlight into electricity more efficiently.
CIGS solar panels, on the other hand, these days generally convert 10-12 percent of sunlight into electricity while silicon solar panels’ efficiencies are several percentage points higher. Q-Cells said its CIGS panels can do 13 percent. The most efficient line of silicon solar panels can do 20 percent and come from SunPower.
2011年6月26日星期日
Boosting solar energy in Tanzania
In Tanzania we have long suffered from power woes. Different reasons are given to justify power rationing but worldwide many private enterprises and townships have opted for solar and windmill power.
The Tanzania Solar Energy Association (TASEA) was officially registered in May 2001. Its mission is to develop and promote rational use of solar energy. The source of almost all renewable forms of energy such as direct solar energy, biomass energy, wind energy and hydropower is the sun.
Tanzania has a very good potential for power generation from renewable energy sources. Some renewable energy technologies are available in Tanzania. Their application covers from heating, lighting, electricity, cooking, refrigeration, transportation, drying and water pumping. However, much more has to be done to spread the use of solar power in Tanzania.
Last week I read about one Danny Kennedy who has made a dramatic impact in the solar power industry. He helped in turning the Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia into a green building following his work on clean energy that has been going on for the past few years.
Danny, like many environmentalist associations, shares a common concern about climate change and politics of industrialisation with the objective of preserving our planet for the future.
Danny has travelled to the US to set up a solar company that brings solar technology simply and efficiently to the broader public. His marketing line is that the sun's rays can turn any home into a solar powerhouse that could make things run in the house without electricity.
There is an often used quote saying that “The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” The objective is to be able to see that things that appear hopeless can be made otherwise through patience, intelligence and perseverance.
Danny’s new company is a response from his long-held passion to slow global warming with solar power. He is making it simple and easy to access, first for homeowners in America and as it scales and becomes cheaper, for the entire world. That is a win-win situation for everyone.
Anyone who has a home or business can cut out on their electricity bills by going solar. In Tanzania some firms deal in solar panels down one wonders why the technology has not picked up, like in some overseas countries. This would help alleviated the adverse effects of our power crisis especially because these solar installations are meant to be easy to install and are considered affordable.
There is no better way to feel empowered than to take control of one’s own electricity and take a stand against climate change with solar power.
Like Danny, I am sure we have many graduates who can team up with entrepreneurs to bring more solar energy to Tanzania homes, buildings and businesses that would help the country go greener and reduce global climate change.
The Tanzania Solar Energy Association (TASEA) was officially registered in May 2001. Its mission is to develop and promote rational use of solar energy. The source of almost all renewable forms of energy such as direct solar energy, biomass energy, wind energy and hydropower is the sun.
Tanzania has a very good potential for power generation from renewable energy sources. Some renewable energy technologies are available in Tanzania. Their application covers from heating, lighting, electricity, cooking, refrigeration, transportation, drying and water pumping. However, much more has to be done to spread the use of solar power in Tanzania.
Last week I read about one Danny Kennedy who has made a dramatic impact in the solar power industry. He helped in turning the Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia into a green building following his work on clean energy that has been going on for the past few years.
Danny, like many environmentalist associations, shares a common concern about climate change and politics of industrialisation with the objective of preserving our planet for the future.
Danny has travelled to the US to set up a solar company that brings solar technology simply and efficiently to the broader public. His marketing line is that the sun's rays can turn any home into a solar powerhouse that could make things run in the house without electricity.
There is an often used quote saying that “The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” The objective is to be able to see that things that appear hopeless can be made otherwise through patience, intelligence and perseverance.
Danny’s new company is a response from his long-held passion to slow global warming with solar power. He is making it simple and easy to access, first for homeowners in America and as it scales and becomes cheaper, for the entire world. That is a win-win situation for everyone.
Anyone who has a home or business can cut out on their electricity bills by going solar. In Tanzania some firms deal in solar panels down one wonders why the technology has not picked up, like in some overseas countries. This would help alleviated the adverse effects of our power crisis especially because these solar installations are meant to be easy to install and are considered affordable.
There is no better way to feel empowered than to take control of one’s own electricity and take a stand against climate change with solar power.
Like Danny, I am sure we have many graduates who can team up with entrepreneurs to bring more solar energy to Tanzania homes, buildings and businesses that would help the country go greener and reduce global climate change.
than 95 percent of the energy produced by solar panels
Nebraska is about to gain its first solar panel maker through a partnership between a startup company and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
University officials say they have joined forces with Rare Earth Solar, a new Nebraska company, in an exclusive licensing agreement to develop solar technology made with rare-earth elements.
Assistant UNL chemistry professor Chin Li "Barry" Cheung and company leaders have developed patent-pending technology for solar cells. Company co-founder Joseph Brewer says the technology will replace traditional semiconductor materials that are currently used.
Officials say the rare-earth elements are actually more available and less expensive than competing commercial materials.
The partnership was fostered by NUtech Ventures, a Lincoln nonprofit created to connect university researchers with the private sector.
University officials say they have joined forces with Rare Earth Solar, a new Nebraska company, in an exclusive licensing agreement to develop solar technology made with rare-earth elements.
Assistant UNL chemistry professor Chin Li "Barry" Cheung and company leaders have developed patent-pending technology for solar cells. Company co-founder Joseph Brewer says the technology will replace traditional semiconductor materials that are currently used.
Officials say the rare-earth elements are actually more available and less expensive than competing commercial materials.
The partnership was fostered by NUtech Ventures, a Lincoln nonprofit created to connect university researchers with the private sector.
2011年6月22日星期三
UPDATE 1-US DOE offers loan aid for solar panel project
The U.S. Energy Department on Wednesday said it has offered a partial guarantee for a $1.4 billion loan for a project that will install solar panels on industrial buildings throughout the country.
Known as Project Amp, the solar generation project will install about 733 megawatts of photovoltaic solar panels. The power generated by the panels would go directly to the electrical grid, instead of powering the buildings where the panels will be installed.
NRG Energy (NRG.N) has committed to be the lead investor for the first phase of the project, which will install panels on about 750 rooftops owned and managed by Prologis (PLD.N) over the course of the entire project.
NRG also has the right of first offer for the rest of the program and will provide development resources and project expertise.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC.N) will act as the sole financial advisor and lender for the transaction, which is being executed through the Energy Department's Financial Institutions Partnership Program.
The department will guarantee 80 percent of the $1.4 billion loan, Bank of America said in a statement.
Known as Project Amp, the solar generation project will install about 733 megawatts of photovoltaic solar panels. The power generated by the panels would go directly to the electrical grid, instead of powering the buildings where the panels will be installed.
NRG Energy (NRG.N) has committed to be the lead investor for the first phase of the project, which will install panels on about 750 rooftops owned and managed by Prologis (PLD.N) over the course of the entire project.
NRG also has the right of first offer for the rest of the program and will provide development resources and project expertise.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC.N) will act as the sole financial advisor and lender for the transaction, which is being executed through the Energy Department's Financial Institutions Partnership Program.
The department will guarantee 80 percent of the $1.4 billion loan, Bank of America said in a statement.
Silver Surge Makes ‘Headwind’ for Solar in Fossil Fuel Rivalry
Soaring silver prices are hampering the solar industry’s ability to compete with fossil fuels.
Panel makers consume about 11 percent of the world’s supply of silver, the metal in solar cells that conducts electricity. The metal has appreciated 74 percent to $35.30 a troy ounce on average so far this year from $20.24 for last year.
Prices for solar cells have dropped about 27 percent this year and would be even lower if each panel didn’t require about 20 grams of silver, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That’s pushing back the date when companies such as Solarworld AG (SWV) and LDK Solar Co. can deliver solar power at prices that are competitive with traditional energy.
“Global silver prices have gone up a lot, and solar cells use silver paste as the front-side contact material,” Shawn Qu, chief executive of Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ), which is based in China, said in an interview. “The increase of the silver costs will give us a challenge in efforts to reduce solar cell costs.”
Prices for photovoltaic solar panels were $1.49 a watt in June, compared with about $1.80 in January, New Energy Finance estimates, as manufacturers especially in China raised production and incentives were trimmed in Europe.
‘Headwind’
“Some companies are implementing measures to reduce silver consumption, but we believe rising silver prices could still act as a headwind,” Barclays Capital wrote in a note to clients.
The price of the silver paste that Canadian Solar uses to print circuits on the front of its solar cells more than tripled in the past year, Qu said. That adds about 3 cents to 4 cents a watt, or 2 percent, to the cost of the panels.
The company’s gross margins narrowed to about 15 percent in the first quarter from 17 percent in the prior quarter as the price of cells fell faster than the cost of production, the company based in Suzhou New District, China, reported in May.
A typical solar cell uses 0.10 grams of silver for each watt of generating capacity. That amounts to about 20 grams in a 200-watt panel, adding $23.52 to the cost of each panel, according to New Energy Finance. The cost for metal in each panel totals about 11 cents a watt, up from 5 cents a year ago, the London-based industry researcher estimates.
Slim Margins
Solar companies “have already seen their margins being reduced to next to nothing,” Jenny Chase, manager of New Energy Finance’s solar analysis, said in a report. “At these prices, silver accounts for around half of cell makers’ processing costs,” the roughly 18 cents it takes to turn a blank silicon wafer into a completed cell.
The surge in silver prices is squeezing margins for most solar companies, according to research by Barclays Capital. Silver prices reached a record high at $48.44 an ounce on April 28, and if it returns to that level it will account for 13 percent to 15 percent of the cost of producing each panel, the report said.
The global silver supply reached 1.06 billion ounces in 2010, up almost 15 percent from 922.2 million ounces in 2009, according to the Washington-based trade group Silver Institute.
Including advance purchases of the metal, solar companies consumed almost 11 percent of total silver production, according to Prismark Partners, a New York-based technology research company.
Solar companies and their suppliers are looking for ways to reduce the amount of silver used in cells. Canadian Solar’s Qu said his company is tweaking its manufacturing process to use thinner wiring on the front of solar cells.
Thin-Film Advantage
High silver prices may provide a competitive advantage to companies that make thin-film solar products such as First Solar Inc. (FSLR) A spokesman for Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar said the company’s cells are made with cadmium-telluride rather than the polysilicon used in typical photovoltaic cells, and do not use any silver.
The standard, 156-millimeter photovoltaic cell has about 280 milligrams of silver on the front, and a slight amount on the backside as well, said Walt Cheng, global business director for DuPont Microcircuit Materials, the unit of DuPont Co. that produces the silver metalization paste used to make the wiring.
The price of silver makes up 70 percent to 90 percent of the cost of DuPont’s paste, and the company passes on to customers fluctuations in the metal’s value. DuPont expects to introduce this year a version of its Solamet paste that reduces silver content by about 10 percent, and may eventually reach 20 percent.
“We are accelerating R&D to reduce silver content and investigate how we can effectively transfer technology internally from DuPont’s products in the automotive and display industries into photovoltaics,” Cheng said.
Smaller panel makers may have the most to lose from high silver costs.
“Solar manufacturers that are large-scale and have high- end tech can manage rising prices pretty well,” Cheng said. “Customers that are second and third tier have a harder time with higher silver prices. The strong module makers will get stronger.”
Panel makers consume about 11 percent of the world’s supply of silver, the metal in solar cells that conducts electricity. The metal has appreciated 74 percent to $35.30 a troy ounce on average so far this year from $20.24 for last year.
Prices for solar cells have dropped about 27 percent this year and would be even lower if each panel didn’t require about 20 grams of silver, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That’s pushing back the date when companies such as Solarworld AG (SWV) and LDK Solar Co. can deliver solar power at prices that are competitive with traditional energy.
“Global silver prices have gone up a lot, and solar cells use silver paste as the front-side contact material,” Shawn Qu, chief executive of Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ), which is based in China, said in an interview. “The increase of the silver costs will give us a challenge in efforts to reduce solar cell costs.”
Prices for photovoltaic solar panels were $1.49 a watt in June, compared with about $1.80 in January, New Energy Finance estimates, as manufacturers especially in China raised production and incentives were trimmed in Europe.
‘Headwind’
“Some companies are implementing measures to reduce silver consumption, but we believe rising silver prices could still act as a headwind,” Barclays Capital wrote in a note to clients.
The price of the silver paste that Canadian Solar uses to print circuits on the front of its solar cells more than tripled in the past year, Qu said. That adds about 3 cents to 4 cents a watt, or 2 percent, to the cost of the panels.
The company’s gross margins narrowed to about 15 percent in the first quarter from 17 percent in the prior quarter as the price of cells fell faster than the cost of production, the company based in Suzhou New District, China, reported in May.
A typical solar cell uses 0.10 grams of silver for each watt of generating capacity. That amounts to about 20 grams in a 200-watt panel, adding $23.52 to the cost of each panel, according to New Energy Finance. The cost for metal in each panel totals about 11 cents a watt, up from 5 cents a year ago, the London-based industry researcher estimates.
Slim Margins
Solar companies “have already seen their margins being reduced to next to nothing,” Jenny Chase, manager of New Energy Finance’s solar analysis, said in a report. “At these prices, silver accounts for around half of cell makers’ processing costs,” the roughly 18 cents it takes to turn a blank silicon wafer into a completed cell.
The surge in silver prices is squeezing margins for most solar companies, according to research by Barclays Capital. Silver prices reached a record high at $48.44 an ounce on April 28, and if it returns to that level it will account for 13 percent to 15 percent of the cost of producing each panel, the report said.
The global silver supply reached 1.06 billion ounces in 2010, up almost 15 percent from 922.2 million ounces in 2009, according to the Washington-based trade group Silver Institute.
Including advance purchases of the metal, solar companies consumed almost 11 percent of total silver production, according to Prismark Partners, a New York-based technology research company.
Solar companies and their suppliers are looking for ways to reduce the amount of silver used in cells. Canadian Solar’s Qu said his company is tweaking its manufacturing process to use thinner wiring on the front of solar cells.
Thin-Film Advantage
High silver prices may provide a competitive advantage to companies that make thin-film solar products such as First Solar Inc. (FSLR) A spokesman for Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar said the company’s cells are made with cadmium-telluride rather than the polysilicon used in typical photovoltaic cells, and do not use any silver.
The standard, 156-millimeter photovoltaic cell has about 280 milligrams of silver on the front, and a slight amount on the backside as well, said Walt Cheng, global business director for DuPont Microcircuit Materials, the unit of DuPont Co. that produces the silver metalization paste used to make the wiring.
The price of silver makes up 70 percent to 90 percent of the cost of DuPont’s paste, and the company passes on to customers fluctuations in the metal’s value. DuPont expects to introduce this year a version of its Solamet paste that reduces silver content by about 10 percent, and may eventually reach 20 percent.
“We are accelerating R&D to reduce silver content and investigate how we can effectively transfer technology internally from DuPont’s products in the automotive and display industries into photovoltaics,” Cheng said.
Smaller panel makers may have the most to lose from high silver costs.
“Solar manufacturers that are large-scale and have high- end tech can manage rising prices pretty well,” Cheng said. “Customers that are second and third tier have a harder time with higher silver prices. The strong module makers will get stronger.”
2011年6月19日星期日
Suntech CEO says to up panel capex to 2.4 GW by end-2011
Suntech Power Holdings , the world's largest solar cell maker, will raise its solar panel capacity to 2.4 gigawatts (GW) by end-2011, its chief executive said.
"We intend to produce wafers ourselves to 50 percent of (our) cell capacity," Suntech's Zhengrong Shi told Reuters on the sidelines of a Seoul summit on Monday.
Suntech has focused on increasing production of the silicon wafers used in its modules in order to cut its reliance on suppliers.
Shi added that it would raise funds to boost capacity through joint ventures, bank loans and its own capital. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)
"We intend to produce wafers ourselves to 50 percent of (our) cell capacity," Suntech's Zhengrong Shi told Reuters on the sidelines of a Seoul summit on Monday.
Suntech has focused on increasing production of the silicon wafers used in its modules in order to cut its reliance on suppliers.
Shi added that it would raise funds to boost capacity through joint ventures, bank loans and its own capital. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)
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