JinkoSolar 1500V Eagle PV modules now available for delivery in North America

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China), on April 27^th, 2016 announced that its 1500-volt Eagle PV modules, manufactured with its strategic partner DuPont’s Tedlar polyvinyl fluoride film-based backsheets, have received UL1703 certification by Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

Following certification, the modules have immediately become available for use in solar energy installations across North America.

With its modules now in the market, JinkoSolar will be able to meet the growing demand for higher-voltage systems, which lower overall costs, reduce levelized cost of energy, and enable a better return on investment, the company notes.

These modules pass potential induced degradation tests at 85 degrees Celsius and 85% relative humidity.

Panel compatible with commonly used racking and tracking systems

The Eagle module is a framed panel compatible with commonly used racking and tracking systems in the North America market. “DuPont Tedlar is the only backsheet material proven to protect solar panels in the field for more than 30 years in harsh environmental conditions such as desert, jungle, coastal, and mountain climates,” reads the press release.

“DuPont Tedlar PVF film-based backsheets offer the optimal balance of weatherability, adhesion, and mechanical strength – properties required for long module lifetime. They provide extended durability and electrical insulation, which make them ideal components for JinkoSolar’s 1,500-volt Eagle modules, now poised to accelerate the growth of the North American PV market,” said Alex Bradley, Principal Investigator, DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions.

“JinkoSolar has quickly become the brand of choice for utility-scale installations due to our high quality modules and unmatched after sales services. I believe that JinkoSolar’s 1,500-volt Eagle modules are by far one of the most robust products in the North American market,” added Nigel Cockroft, General Manager of JinkoSolar (U.S.) Inc. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

New report: UK to adopt 200 MW of energy storage assets to stabilise the grid

Due to the increasing share of renewables in Great Britain’s generation mix, National Grid will contract 200 MW of energy storage assets to stabilise the grid this year, contracts which represent one of the emerging revenue streams for storage detailed in Clean Horizon’s (Paris, France) new study.

Opportunities to enter the emerging energy storage market

Solar photovoltaic (PV) project developers in Great Britain have felt the need to diversify their activities as renewable generation sources are being gradually integrated within the electricity market with the fading out of renewable support schemes, which makes solar projects less attractive.

Therefore, the invitation to tender for the provision of 200 MW of a new ancillary service launched this month by National Grid was perceived by many of them as an opportunity to enter an emerging market close to their core competencies: energy storage.

In this context, the study “Market Segment Watch: Great Britain” by Clean Horizon analyses the different emerging revenue streams associated with the various applications for energy storage assets in GB: from residential batteries, to grid scale projects providing power and energy services (such as frequency regulation or balancing mechanism participation) through medium size energy storage systems for commercial and industrial electricity consumers.

“This survey confirms our intuition that energy storage is bound to play a major role for renewable integration in Great Britain,” says Michael Salomon, CEO of Clean Horizon.

For this study, Clean Horizon interviewed more than 15 project developers, plus some key distributed network operators to better understand the difficulties faced in the development of such energy storage projects.

Developers prefer frequency regulation and triad avoidance

These interviews show trends within the market: for instance, frequency regulation is the preferred application for 52% of the project developers interviewed, then comes triad avoidance with 16% of interests. Based on the market research, the report gives recommendations to various stakeholders such as technology vendors, integrators and solar developers.

This market study first points out that the two extremes of the ladder, residential and grid scale energy storage systems, have already developed in the UK.

Some early adopters buy storage solutions at the residential level and the Enhanced Frequency Response tender is very likely to provide a favourable business case for large-scale storage.

The medium-scale market is influenced by two progressive changes: first, the number of consumers being exposed to specific distribution and transmission charges is set to increase in the coming year due to the electricity settlement reform launched by Ofgem.

Second, the transmission charges will increase of 15% on average each year until 2020. Those two factors lead Clean Horizon to think that the commercial and industrial segment will be the next one to adopt energy storage massive
source: http://www.solarserver.com

TerniEnergia connects 82.5 MW Paleisheuwel PV plant to the South African grid

TerniEnergia S.p.A. (Terni, Italy), a renewable energy company and one of the main system integrators in the photovoltaic (PV) sector in Italy, on April 26^th, 2016 announced that the first of the two “giant” photovoltaic (PV) worksites in South Africa, on behalf of a leading Italian utility, has been completed.

The PV plant has been connected to the national transmission grid managed by Eskom.

TerniEnergia Projects PTY Ltd, a South African subsidiary of TerniEnergia SpA, has completed the construction of the PV plant in Paleisheuwel with a total installed capacity of 82.5 MWp.

The worksite of Paleisheuwel, which is spread over an area of 240 hectares, has employed more than 500 workers in the various functions for the installation of 611,000 PV panels, with a capacity between 125 Wp and 140 Wp
source: http://www.solarserver.com

Mercom expects global solar PV installations to reach approx. 66.7 GW; China to install 18.5 GW in 2016

Mercom Capital Group (Austin, TX, U.S.) forecasts global solar photovoltaic (PV) installations to reach 66.7 GW with China, the United States, Japan and India to make up the top four solar markets in 2016.

“Solar installations are forecasted to grow year-over-year globally despite recent headwinds in the sector with solar stocks, yieldcos, bankruptcies and the negative perception surrounding solar public companies,” commented Raj Prabhu, CEO and Co-Founder of Mercom Capital Group.

“Solar has grown from just 2.6 GW in 2007 to a forecasted 66.7 GW in 2016 showing impressive resiliency along the way as it becomes one of the fastest growing new generation sources around the world.”

China installed 7.14 GW in Q1, 2016

China installed 15.1 GW of solar in 2015, retaining its top spot as the largest solar installer in the world. Mercom forecasts China to install 18.5 GW in 2016. The additional 5.3 GW installation quota combined with the expected rush to meet FiT deadlines in the first half of the year should help China exceed 2015 installation numbers.

China’s Q1, 2016 installation figures of 7.14 GW confirm that it is off to a fast start. China recently reduced the FiT by up to 11 percent based on regions. To address the subsidy payment issues and raise additional revenue, the renewable energy surcharge has been increased by 27 percent, and an on-grid power tariff for commercial and industrial customers has been reduced to tackle shortages in the renewable energy fund.

To address curtailment issues, the government has proposed a policy of guaranteed purchase of renewable power which it plans to implement gradually.

Mercom forecasts U.S. PV installations to reach 13.5 GW in 2016

The unexpected extension of the U.S. Investment Tax Credit (ITC) in December 2015 has completely changed the dynamics of the U.S. solar market.

Mercom forecasts a conservative 13.5 GW of solar installations in 2016 as vendors are indicating a slower first quarter – at least in terms of new projects – as developers are taking their time to line up suppliers and negotiate contracts. This of course may change in the second half of the year.

10.5 GW PV deployment expected in Japan

Japan is expected to install around 10.5 GW of solar this year. Its current solar installation goal is 28 GW by 2020.

Japan cut the feed-in tariff in March of 2016 by 11 percent. While the country started off with an overly generous FiT in 2012 of ¥42 (~$0.387)/kWh, it is now down to ¥24 (~$0.221)/kWh. Japan continues to struggle with grid connection, curtailment issues, and an undeveloped pipeline. Of the approved pipeline, only about 15 percent has been installed. Japan is also looking to implement solar auctions in order to cut subsidy costs.

India is expected to install over 4 GW in 2016 which will bring it to the fourth spot globally. India currently has a pipeline of over 21 GW under development and in pending auctions as the country targets its installation goal of 100 GW by 2022.

Aggressive bidding in its recent auctions has caused some concerns to the viability of these projects due to unrealistic low bids.

The top three solar markets in Europe are again expected to be the U.K., Germany and France.

Proliferation of solar auctions around the world is an important development over the last 12 months with subsidy costs from solar becoming an issue in many countries.

Germany completed three auctions in 2015, the U.K. and Japan are looking at a similar model, France is conducting solar auctions, and China is also contemplating auctions. India and South African solar policies are primarily based on auctions while Brazil and Mexico are also largely auction-based. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Intersolar North America expands conference offerings, off-site tours, networking opportunities

Intersolar North America, the most attended solar industry exhibition and conference dedicated to the North American market, will feature an expanded conference program, including four conference tracks and access to the co-located ASES conference SOLAR 2016.

Over the course of three days, conference speakers will discuss the key technologies in the areas of solar and energy storage, financial tools and legislative actions driving the North American solar market, and the solar industry’s worldwide growth.

The event will be held July 11–13 at the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco, and program registration is now available online. In honor of Intersolar’s 25^th anniversary, a 25 percent discount is available on all conference registrations until May 6^th.

With more than 200 reputable solar executives confirmed to speak, attendees will learn about the new technologies and financing options innovating and improving the North American solar energy market, as well as the drivers behind the global expansion of solar. Confirmed program tracks include:

• Markets, which includes sessions on global PV markets, such as “Emerging Markets Across the Americas: Mexico / Chile / Brazil”, “A Sustained Boom Across North America?”, “Asia’s Support Policies,” and “Net Metering: Present and Future”, among other sessions, including Asset Management Sessions and the popular Growth Company Forum.
  
• PV Technologies, which includes panels such as “Crystalline Silicon PV: Addressing the Future”, “PV Plants: Design, Reliability and Monitoring”, “Balance of Systems: Inverter – the Pacemaker of PV Power Plants”, and “The Future of PV: Executive Panel”.
  
• Smart Renewable Energy, which will feature the sessions “Building a Smarter Grid”, “Grid Structure & Big Data”, and “State Approaches to Distributed Energy Sources”.
  
• Finance, which will offer discussions like “Improving the Bankability and Investability of Solar”, “Smart Energy Asset Management”, and “Advanced Topics for New Business Models and Operations”.   

Several conference sessions, such as “The Future of PV: Executive Panel” and “Hot Spots of the U.S. Storage Market” will cover the broad policy, financing and technical trends shaping the solar and energy storage industry.

Intersolar North America organizers drew on the input and expertise of its roster of conference partners to develop this year’s program. This year’s partners are the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA), American Solar Energy Society (ASES), Fraunhofer ISE, Greencity Freiburg, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), Joint Forces for Solar, NAATBatt International, the North California Solar Energy Association (NorCal Solar), Solar Energy International, NABCEP and the Sunspec Alliance.

Key information on the rapidly evolving U.S. solar market

“Year after year, Intersolar is a major event for North America’s solar industry. CALSEIA is proud to partner with Intersolar event organizer to bring the latest news on financing, net metering and smart grid technologies to this international stage,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of CALSEIA. 

“We have designed sessions at Intersolar 2016 to provide attendees with key information to help them master the rapidly evolving U.S. solar market.”

Private Tesla factory tours

Additionally, due to popular demand, Intersolar North America has expanded the number of its special events and site tours. These events provide valuable networking opportunities, in addition to showcasing landmark Bay Area solar installations, as well as some of the companies moving the solar and energy storage industry forward.

Attendees can register for private Tesla factory tours, tours of San Francisco solar sites, a SF Bay Area sailing tour, and a trip to a solar-powered winery, which benefit CALSEIA and NorCal Solar. New this year is the Sol Systems Run for the Sun, a 5k benefitting CALSEIA.

A full schedule for the Intersolar North America conference program, including off-site events, is available online.

Registration for the Intersolar and ees North America conferences brings added value this year in the form of access to the co-located SOLAR 2016. All Intersolar and ees conference attendees (either the full three-day package or one-day ticket) can gain access to concurrent tracks at the other event free of charge.

ees North America upgraded from a program track to a standalone event

After a successful debut at last year’s Intersolar 2015, where conference panels drew standing-room only crowds, ees North America has been upgraded from a program track to a standalone event. ees North America’s 2016 program tracks, curated with NAATBatt and other industry partners, will discuss emerging policies promoting adoption of renewable energy solutions and showcase the latest energy storage and management technologies.

“This year’s ees program includes an inside look at the energy storage technologies transforming our relationship with solar energy,” said James Greenberger, executive director of NAATBatt International.

“From financing to applications, panels at ees in 2016 will share how developers can maximize profits with innovative energy storage solutions.”

Additionally, Intersolar is proud to announce that the 2016 conference will also be held in conjunction with the American Solar Energy Society’s (ASES) SOLAR 2016.

ASES SOLAR 2016 will discuss the advancement of renewable energy in the United States, and share cutting-edge research contributing to the advancement of the PV, solar thermal, and energy storage industries. The powerhouse combination of Intersolar North America, ees North America, and SOLAR 2016 will provide attendees with the most comprehensive overview of factors driving solar industry growth. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Solar PV research institutes optimize cell concepts

Several research institutes are now also actively working on modern cell concepts such as PERL (Passivated Emitter and Rear Locally diffusion) or IBC (Interdigitated Back Contact) which can be produced more cost-effectively with the help of APCVD coatings, SCHMID Group (Freudenstadt, Germany) announces.

“Our APCVD systems are very sophisticated and have proven their value in the mass production of IBC solar cells. Therefore, researchers will certainly find other ways to achieve high efficiency breakthrough cell concepts with this technology,” says Dr. Christian Buchner, Vice President of the SCHMID Group.

And this is precisely what research institutes are working on. The globally active SCHMID Group's APCVD system can apply boron and phosphorus diffusion sources in varying thicknesses and concentrations to provide flexibility in the design of modern emitters on all base materials. Moreover, it is possible to harmonize the dopant sources for a codiffusion with one another in a way that one high-temperature step is sufficient, the company emphasizes.

Contrary to other methods, the coating with APCVD (Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) is cost-effective and yet flexible, since multiple injection heads in series enable the application of the source layer and the cap layer in a single pass.

The principle: gases stream out of separate channels, and when they come into contact with preheated wafers, they deposit a homogeneous glass layer. The wafers to be coated pass through the APCVD system in five parallel tracks. Thus, a throughput of up to 4,000 wafers per hour is achieved. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Ecoplexus Inc. commissions 54 MW of additional solar PV assets in the U.S.

Ecoplexus Inc. (San Francisco, CA, U.S.), a developer of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, announced that it has commissioned six solar PV projects, totaling 54 megawatts (MW) in North Carolina.

The six PV projects, reaching USD 79 million in project value, represent the completion of Ecoplexus' second and third portfolios in North Carolina.

54 MW of clean energy is enough to provide power to over 5,000 homes. These projects will be added to Ecoplexus' growing IPP asset base.

Currently, the Company has an additional 36 MW under construction in the U.S. and Japan. Overall, Ecoplexus anticipates financing and constructing a total of 120 MW in 2016 across its countries of operation. Ecoplexus also manages a development pipeline of approximately 1 gigawatt (GW) across twelve states and internationally. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

RES Distributed announces 15 MW solar PV project for Central Texas

RES Distributed, a wholly owned subsidiary of Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES, Broomfield, Colorado, U.S.), on April 25^th, 2016 announced an agreement with Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC, Johnson City, TX, U.S.) to develop, construct and manage a 15 MW distributed portfolio of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the Texas Hill Country.

Long-term PPA signed

PEC will purchase the solar power output from the multi-site facility once it is brought online in 2017 under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) signed with RES Distributed.

PEC, established in 1938, is one of the largest member-owned electric cooperatives in the United States.

15 sites hosting up to 998 kW solar PV arrays

The Pedernales Electric Community solar PV project will consist of fifteen sites across PEC's service territory with each site hosting up to 998 kW solar array. Construction of the facilities will begin later this year and is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

RES announced its entry into the distributed energy market in 2015 to offer customer-sited, community solutions for local utilities through the use of solar, energy storage, and demand side management technologies. The PEC agreement is a significant milestone for RES Distributed as the project will be one of its largest solar portfolios to date.

“PEC is excited to partner with RES for its community solar program,” said Ingmar Sterzing, PEC's vice president of Power Supply and Energy Services.

“Once completed, these installations will allow all interested members to directly participate in a solar program that will provide the Cooperative with a cost-effective rate for all its member-owners.” 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Noy Fund & TSK Group to replace Abengoa in Shikun & Binui's Ashalim CSP project

Shikun & Binui Ltd. (Ramat Gan, Israel), a global construction and infrastructure company, on April 25^th, 2016 announced that it has signed an agreement under which the Noy Fund and the TSK Group will replace Abengoa for the building of the NIS 4B Ashalim concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in Israel.

The total cost of the Ashalim Power Station will be approximately USD 1.1 billion. The plant is expected to have a total generating capacity of 110 MW, making it one of the largest thermo-solar power plants globally. All of the electricity will be sold to the Israel Electric Company under a 25-year agreement that begins as soon as the plant becomes operational.

Shikun & Binui will continue to hold 50% of the Concessionaire, while the remaining 50% will be held by the Noy Fund and the TSK Group, with 40% held by the Noy Fund and 10% by the TSK Group.

In addition, the TSK Group will hold 32.5% of the CSP project's Building Contractor. TSK is a global group with significant experience in the building and operation of large engineering and infrastructure projects, and is a world leader in the field of thermo-solar energy installations. Based on the agreement, Shikun & Binui's holdings in the project's General Contractor will increase to 67.5%.

Abengoa will continue to serve as one of the project's sub-contractors

Both the Noy Fund and the TSK Group will assume, each according to its relative holding, all of the rights and responsibilities previously borne by Abengoa (as defined in the project's agreements, including the Financial Closing Agreement) as a shareholder in the Concessionaire, the Building Contractor and the Operating Contractor. Abengoa will continue to serve as one of the project's sub-contractors in a limited capacity.

Completion of the deal is contingent upon receipt of the required approvals from the Israeli government and financing entities.

As previously reported, the CSP project will continue to move ahead in line with its original timetable with completion expected in 2018, as initially planned.

The project has been financed by a consortium of Israeli and international banks, including the American Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the European Investment Bank (EIB), Israel's Bank Leumi and Israel's Bank Hapoalim.

The CSP plant will employ some of the world's most advanced technologies, including an energy storage facility that will enable electricity production to continue uninterrupted even during cloudy days and at night. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

IKEA UK, Solarcentury launch solar PV offer for UK homeowners

IKEA UK on April 25^th, 2016 announced a new-look home solar offer featuring IKEA branded 

 “Solar Shops” in store. The announcement coincides with new research by IKEA UK which reveals that a third (33%) of UK homeowners would like to invest in solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for their home.

Solarcentury (London, UK), one of the oldest solar PV companies in the world, has been appointed as IKEA UK’s business partner to provide solar expertise and to supply local installers from its trusted network for IKEA customers purchasing solar for their homes
source: http://www.solarserver.com

SolarMax Group presents new solar energy storage system at Intersolar Europe

The SolarMax Group (Ellzee, Germany) will present its new storage solution “MaxStorage TP-S” for the very first time at Intersolar Europe, taking place from June 22–24, 2016 in Munich.

The new system solution has a modular construction, uniting lithium-ion battery storage, a battery management system, a tried and tested inverter and the new “MaxWeb XPN” energy manager.

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Over 100 MW of Sungrow solar PV inverters connected to UK grid during Q1, 2016

Solar PV inverter manufacturer Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. (Hefei, China) on April 25^th, 2016 announced that more than 100 MW of its inverters have been connected to grid in the UK during Q1 of 2016.

This takes Sungrow’s total PV inverter installations in the UK to over 260 MW.

The units deployed were a mixture of string and central inverters, the company notes.

With a maximum inverter efficiency of 98.7% and a 10 feet compact design, SG2000/2500 is widely deployed in the Chinese, Indian, and British markets.

The unit incorporates Anti-PID functionality for negative grounding PV systems, and has an operating temperature range of -35 to +60℃. Offering a DC/AC ratio of 1.4, the system provides high energy yields, and is specifically built for large ground mounted PV plants.

In order to better meet customers’ demands, Sungrow also provides the SG2000/2500-MV, which incorporates 4 units of the SG500/630MX PV central inverters, the MV transformer, MV switchgear and relevant accessories, into a standard 20 feet container.

The SG60KTL is Sungrow’s most popular string inverter product, and is designed with integrated string monitoring functionality.

“Sungrow always focuses on technical innovation with over 35% of our employees in the R&D department. We will offer better products and services to the UK’s customers,” said Professor Cao Renxian, CEO of Sungrow. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

TMEIC to supply 1,500V solar inverters for a 30 MW PV project in the U.S.

Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation (TMEIC, Tokyo, Japan) on April 25^th, 2016 announced its first order of the newest solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters in the “Solar Ware^” Samurai Series from juwi Inc. (Boulder, Colorado, U.S.).

juwi's 30 MW Bison solar PV project in Wellington, Colorado includes 12 units of the Samurai inverter Series 1,500Vdc, 2,700 kW/2,700 kVA inverters.

PV plant located in Northern Colorado will provide solar power equivalent to the average annual use of approximately 7,800 homes. Commissioning is planned for the third quarter of 2016.

“We are excited about the opportunity to supply our newest Samurai Series PV inverters for juwi's Bison Solar project in Colorado,” Donn Samsa, TMEIC general manager renewable energy, said.

juwi has selected TMEIC inverters in its design of several solar projects in 2015. The Bison solar PV project will be their first order for TMEIC's 1,500V inverter.

The new 1,500V PV inverter builds upon the Samurai Series patented multilevel inverter technology, offering maximized and optimized efficiency, with a wide MPPT range. The series also offers flexible DC-input configuration to meet complex array configurations and an advanced hybrid cooling system for desert environments. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Saudi Arabia announces 9.5 GW renewable energy target under new King Salman Renewable Energy Initiative

As part of a wide-ranging economic and social policy vision for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 

deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, son of King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, on April 25^th, 2016 announced the first cornerstones for the deployment of renewable energy in the country. 

The “Saudi Arabia Vision 2030” paper states an “initial” target of 9.5 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy, Apricum GmbH (Berlin) reports. However, no specific quotas for solar and wind are mentioned in the paper.

source: http://www.solarserver.com