CTF Solar to supply production equipment for a 100 MW CdTe solar PV module factory in China

 

On the occasion of this year’s SNEC in Shanghai CTF Solar (Dresden, Germany) and its shareholder China Triumph International Engineering Co., Ltd. (CTIEC) signed several supplier contracts for the delivery of production machines for a 100 MW CdTe solar photovoltaic (PV) module factory in Chengdu, China.

CTF Solar is responsible for the technology, specification, design, equipment selection and procurement and further manages the installation, facilitation and ramp up of the factory. Beside CTF Solar delivers the coating technology.

250 Wp CdTe PV modules will be produced in the Chengdu thin-film module factory. The factory is to be seen in the long-term business plan of China National Building Material Company (CNBM), shareholder of CTIEC, to build and sell 15 GW of thin-film factories worldwide, reads the press release.

Next to the solar parks EPC business CTF Solar and CTIEC design and construct turnkey CdTe PV production facilities including factory buildings, production lines, and all necessary equipment and services. CTF Solar will offer this service commercially from next year onwards. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Chilean utility Colbún awards 15-year PPA to Total, SunPower; Construction of a 164 MW PV plant

 

On May 26th, 2016 utility Colbún S.A. (Santiago, Chile)announced the award of a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to Total and SunPower for 500 gigawatt hours (GWh) of solar power per year, with the construction of a 164 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant.

The decision resulted from a competitive tender process, in which more than 13 companies participated submitting more than 20 power purchase agreements alternatives.

"This contract is a further step towards strategy optimizing our generation mix and strengthening our market position," said Thomas Keller, CEO of Colbún.

Colbún is the second largest generation company in Chile's Central Interconnected System (SIC) and has promoted the development of more than 350 MW of NCRE power generation projects, including solar, mini hydro and wind technologies.

"As a world leader in the solar industry, we are proud to launch a new solar project with Colbún, delivering 500 gigawatt hours per year of reliable, cost-effective clean power," comments Bernard Clément, senior vice president of Business & Operations, of the New Energies division of Total. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Trina Solar Q1, 2016 results: 1.4 GW shipped; Year-over-year growth in revenue

 

Trina Solar Limited (Changzhou, China) on May 25^th, 2016 announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended March 31st, 2016.

The company shipped solar photovoltaic (PV) modules totaling 1,423.3 MW in the quarter, consisting of 1,370.4 MW of external shipments and 52.9 MW of shipments to the Company's own downstream PV projects. Total module shipments decreased 19.9% sequentially and increased 38.7% year-over-year.

Net revenues were USD 816.9 million, a decrease of 15.1% from the fourth quarter of 2015 and an increase of 46.4% from the first quarter of 2015.

Gross profit was USD 139.7 million, a decrease of 23.8% from the fourth quarter of 2015 and an increase of 39.2% from the first quarter of 2015.

Gross margin was 17.1%, compared with 19.1% in the fourth quarter of 2015 and 18.0% in the first quarter of 2015.

"This quarter was a good start to the year. We posted strong year-over-year growth in major financial and operational metrics, particularly with revenue and net income up 46.4% and 91.3%, respectively”, comments Jifan Gao, Chairman and CEO of Trina Solar.

“Total module shipments during the quarter increased 38.7% year-over-year to 1.42 GW, which was largely driven by demand from our key markets in the U.S., China, and India. Our shipments in Europe were up two-fold sequentially as a result of our strategic shift in Europe.”

Trina Solar connected a total of 101.7 MW of utility-scale PVprojects to the grid during the quarter, bringing the total of grid-connected operating projects to near 1 GW.

"In the first quarter, we acquired a cell factory in the Netherlands and also brought our facility in Thailand online as scheduled, using our 'Honey' state-of-the-art high-efficiency assembly line method”, Gao added.

Trina Solar expects total 2016 shipments between 6.30 GW and 6.55 GW

The Company expects to ship between 1.50 GW and 1.60 GW of PV modules in Q2, 2016, of which 40 MW to 50 MW of PV modules will be shipped to the Company's downstream PV projects, from which revenues will not be recognized.

The Company reiterates its 2016 total PV module shipment guidance of between 6.30 GW and 6.55 GW, of which 220 MW to 260 MWwill be shipped to the Company's downstream projects, from which revenues will not be recognized.

PV project guidance lowered

The Company updates its 2016 guidance of global solar power project connections to between 400 MW and 500 MW from the original guidance of 750 MW to 850 MW, including 15% to 20% of DG projects in China. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

GOLDBECK Solar completes 50 MW PV power plant in Melksham, England

 

GOLDBECK Solar GmbH (Hirschberg, Germany) connected the Sandridge Solar Park to the grid on schedule at the end of March. The 49.6 MWp ground-mounted plant in Melksham (Wiltshire, UK) was constructed within 4 months.

In addition to overseeing the plant’s construction, GOLDBECK managed the planning and implementation of the associated 132 kV substation. The project was fully financed by GOLDBECK, the company reports.

Solar modules from S-Energy and Canadian Sola

This is the largest photovoltaic project constructed by the general contractor to-date, with Parley Solar Park in Bournemouth (37.3 MWp) being its next largest. Main project components include inverter stations from Schneider and solar modules from S-Energy and Canadian Solar.

“GOLDBECK continues to demonstrate the reliability and customer-oriented flexibility of its technological spectrum,” commented Joachim Goldbeck, Managing Director of GOLDBECK Solar GmbH.

The company has already  constructed more than 500 PV power plants, with approximately 600 MWp in operation.
source:http://www.solarserver.com

IRENA: Renewable energy employed 8.1 million people in 2015

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has published a new report. “Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review” presents the status of renewable energy employment, both by technology and in selected countries.

In this third edition, IRENA estimates that renewable energy employed 8.1 million people around the world in 2015 (excluding large hydropower). This is a 5% increase from the number reported the previous year.

In addition, IRENA conducted a second global estimate of large hydropower employment, showing approximately 1.3 million direct jobs in the sector.

Growth in jobs slowed down

While the growth in jobs slowed down compared to previous years, the total number of jobs in renewables worldwide continued to rise, in stark contrast with depressed labour markets in the broader energy sector.

Countries with the highest number of renewable energy jobs were China, Brazil, the United States, India, Japan and Germany.

Solar PV the largest renewable energy employer

Solar PV was the largest renewable energy employer with 2.8 million jobs worldwide, an 11% increase over 2014. Solar PV employment grew in Japan and the United States, stabilised in China, and continued decreasing in the European Union. Wind power witnessed a record growth year. Strong installation rates in China, the United States and Germany resulted in a 5% increase in global employment, to reach 1.1 million jobs. 

 source:http://www.solarserver.com

Wind power is blowing back against a fifth year of contracting Greek credit as banks keep funding renewable energy projects that deliver secure cash flows.

Greek banks are preparing to finance as much as 1.3 GW of new wind power even as their lending to companies shrank for a 58th-straight month in April, according to Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, a law firm advising on deals. Even as the country’s debt crisis forced lenders to plug a 14.4 billion-euro ($16.1 billion) hole in their balance sheets, renewable wind energy has remained attractive for investment banks and developers.
“It’s the only sector that never suffered a slowdown even though we’ve had the difficulties,” said Ellie Kakoullou, head of structured finance at Alpha Bank AE in Athens. “The one sector that the banks have continually financed post-Lehman, through the Greek crisis and today as well, is the wind energy sector.”
Clean energy is being prioritized in Greece, where the economy shrank 0.4 percent in the first quarter and businesses are still groping for stability after six years of political and economic turmoil. The energy ministry has guaranteed renewable generators that all of the power they supply will be bought. Even as consumption slumped with the economy, clean energy plants are still running at full capacity.
“It was the first industry with a project finance structure so the banks know it and feel comfortable in this industry,” according to Dimitris Assimakis, partner at Norton Rose Fulbright. “There’s not so much else to do in Greece in terms of project finance. The banks want to earmark all the funds they got from the recapitalization to sectors of economy with a productive effect.
Up to 50 wind projects with a combined capacity of 1.3 GW are under development in Greece and have to be commissioned by March 2018 in order to lock in government contracted feed-in tariffs, according to Assimakis. It may cost as much as $2 billion if they are all built, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Alpha Bank, Eurobank Ergasias SA and the National Bank of Greece are financing Athens-based developer Terna Energy SA’s wind park with 120 million euros of debt to go along with 60 million euros of equity, according to Terna spokesman Konstantinos Lamprou. The St. George facility will have an installed capacity of 73 MW once complete in the third quarter.
There are three other wind projects with planned capacities over 100 MW expected to reach financial close by early next year, according to Alpha Bank’s Kakoullou, who said her lender has also allocated as much as 250 million euros for smaller-sized projects.
“It’s one of the most attractive and safe sectors to finance. The risk profile is very strong, there’s good credit and large players,” Kakoullou said by phone. “It’s booming and will be for the next five to 10 years.”
Eurobank will probably lend around 100 million euros to wind projects in 2016, according to Yiannis Saratsis, head of project finance. He’s working on two to three “very big” deals that are expected to reach financial close before the end of the year.
It’s unlikely that developers will build all 1.3 GW of contracted projects as loan maturities shrink and banks raise their expectations for equity participation to 30 percent from 20 percent, Saratsis said. “Getting finance now isn’t as easy as it was in 2010” for developers “with a wind capacity that is not excellent or a sponsor that doesn’t have that much equity to spend,” he said.
Development banks such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank are also getting involved in Greek clean energy deals.
“We understand that Greek banks are still actively financing renewables projects in Greece and we will also be happy to work alongside them,” said Sabina Dziurman, EBRD regional director. The London-based development bank started operating in Greece last February after a request from the authorities in Athens.
Greece’s government is also working on new guidelines that is likely to boost investment by shifting from feed-in tariffs to feed-in premiums set by competitive auctions, according to Assimakis, who expects the new program to be implemented by July. Projects that already have power purchase agreements will be grandfathered from the previous program.
source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com

Senator Landrieu Suggests More ‘Common Sense’ Approach Be Applied to Offshore Oil, Gas and Wind Regulations

 
A key theme that emerged during the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) WINDPOWER 2016 tradeshow was how people, companies and products are transitioning from the oil and gas industry into the wind industry. No doubt the downturn in oil prices and the show’s location in Louisiana are two reasons for the heightened interest in moving from one energy industry into another. An oil and gas lawyer remarked that he was at the show looking for a job in the wind industry because he was tired of the “boom and bust cycle” that has plagued the oil market for years.
With a five-year PTC in place for wind power, hopefully its boom and bust cycles are over. If companies can bring down costs enough by 2021, wind power should be well-positioned to grow steadily into 2030 and beyond.
In an interview, former Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu said there is “a lot of synergy to be had between those industries.” She added, “some of the companies that I’ve met here are doing that transition as we speak.”
For years the renewable energy industry pointed to subsidies that fossil fuels receive enviously. Could the movement of companies and people from oil to wind spur oil

On April 29th, HUAWEI and BSP Solemnly held the FusionSolar Day in the Peninsula Hotel, the Peninsula Hotel of Bangkok. More...

“If the wind folks are having regulatory issues, well join the club, because the oil and gas folks are having regulatory issues,” Landrieu said. “Maybe we can ask for more common sense to be applied with the regulatory agencies when dealing with both offshore oil and gas as well as offshore wind.”
One regulator, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) said that it has recently broken down some of the fences between the fossil and renewable sides of its organization.
“I would most certainly recommend for them to cross pollinate in the agency because on the ground offshore people are already doing that,” said Landrieu.
When it comes down to it, the bottom line is what matters to companies in the energy space, said Landrieu. “People are interested in making money. If they can make it from wind, they'll make it, if they can make it from oil and gas they’ll do that,” she said.
Louisiana has a long history in the energy sector and Landrieu doesn’t want to see that end.
“I would love to see Louisiana positioned as a leader in the future energy revolution as much as we have been in the past and as much as we are in the present,” she said.
source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com

GE Looks to Power, Renewable Energy as Oil Slump Crimps Profits

 
General Electric Co.’s top executive sees power generation and renewable energy buoying profits as the industrial giant struggles with persistent challenges in the oil and gas market.
The non-petroleum energy units could boost sales by at least 10 percent this year as the company sees “strong” order prospects for equipment and services, Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt said Wednesday. The recent acquisition of Alstom SA’s power business will add about 5 cents a share to earnings this year and potentially more than 20 cents in 2018, he said.
“There’s still a lot of business out there on power generation,” Immelt said in a presentation at the Electrical Products Group conference in Longboat Key, Florida. “We see commitments, we see pipeline, we see big deals underway.”
Immelt, 60, is banking on GE’s industrial businesses spanning energy, aviation and health-care equipment to see it through a “slow-growth and volatile” global economy. GE is on track to boost operating earnings to at least $2 a share by 2018 from $1.31 last year, he said, repeating an earlier forecast. Profit this year will be $1.45 to $1.55 a share.
Renewed Focus
GE has shed consumer and finance businesses to renew focus on industrial manufacturing, while also building a complementary software division. The sale of more than $200 billion of lending assets is about 80 percent complete, Immelt said.

 

Oil and gas will be a drag this year as the slump in crude prices weighs on customers. Sales in GE’s oil unit will fall as much as 20 percent this year, while operating profit will decline about 30 percent, the company said.
The oil market could stabilize next year before beginning to recover, Immelt said. During the downturn, GE will look to make opportunistic acquisitions, but the company doesn’t need “to do anything dramatic,” he said.
The deal for Alstom, which closed in November, strengthened GE’s weak grid business and made GE a top renewable-energy company at “the right moment in time,” Immelt said. Government incentives are driving growth in that market, he said.
GE aims to expand digital sales to at least $6 billion this year with an emphasis on software that can improve productivity. The company appears to be “ahead of peers in terms of its digital ambitions,” Julian Mitchell, an analyst with Credit Suisse, said in a note.
Immelt, who gave the final presentation at the conference, emphasized GE’s concrete results with a dig at unidentified competitors promoting their own digital strategies.
source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com

BMW South Africa Rolls Out Solar Carport

BMW South Africa on May 20 unveiled its first solar carport that will be rolled out locally starting in July.
The company said that its BMW i solar carport supplies an average of 3.6 kW of solar power to the BMW i Wallbox, which is used to show a live readout of how much power is being generated by the sun and charge electric and plug-in hybrid BMW models.
“With the rollout of the BMW i solar carport, the BMW Group is demonstrating its commitment of shaping the future of individual mobility — not only with ground-breaking products and services, but also with the global as well as local involvement in the expansion of home and publicly accessible charging infrastructure for electrically powered vehicles,” Tim Abbott, CEO of BMW Group South Africa and Sub-Sahara, said in a statement. “With innovative services like the solar carport, BMW is the first vehicle manufacturer to offer such a broad-based EV smart charging product to reduce costs for customers.”
BMW said that BMW South Africa will expand the installation of the solar carport in major city centers in South Africa this summer for public charging. Customers and fleet companies will also be able to order the solar carport for home and office charging.
source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com

Saudi Arabia to Revive Its Solar Power Program at Smaller Scale

 

Saudi Arabia is seeking to revive its stalled solar-power program, scaling back more ambitious targets it set four years ago after making little headway in transforming the energy supply of the world’s biggest oil exporting nation.
The kingdom plans to install 9.5 GW of renewable energy under its Vision 2030 program announced last month, about a quarter of the previous goal. The new target is about 14 percent of the country’s current generating capacity and is achievable because of a plunge in the cost of solar PV, government officials said.
“Solar should be the fundamental solution for Saudi Arabia,” Ibrahim Babelli, the country’s deputy minister for economy and planning, told reporters at a conference in Dubai.
The goals reflect work by Prince Mohammed bin Salman to overhaul the economy of Saudi Arabia, selling off a stake in the state owned Saudi Arabian Oil Co. to diversify away from fossil fuels as a primary revenue source. The desert kingdom relies on oil and natural gas for almost all of its power generation, sapping what it earns from crude it could export.
The energy ministry is working to establish the framework for the new renewable energy plan and needs more time to complete its planning, said Babelli, who directed strategy at the body previously responsible for renewable energy policy. Currently, the nation has almost no solar power.
source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com

Intersolar Europe puts spotlight on French PV market

The French government is aiming to double the share of renewable energy in France by 2040 and is launching one of the largest energy projects in Europe with calls for PV tenders and direct marketing of solar power.

This is why Intersolar Europe, together with the German-French Office of Renewable Energy (DFBFEE), is devoting a special event to the topic at the exhibition.

On June 23, 2016, speakers are set to discuss the future of the French market at the Innovation and Application Forum. To complement this, a workshop run by the French solar research institute INES will take place in the morning.

Almost 1GW of solar PV deployed per year

Until now, France was situated in the midrange of the European PV markets, with almost 1GW deployed per year and a cumulative nominal power of slightly more than 5GW. However the country boasts excellent conditions: The high global radiation in the south and a population density of only half that of Germany are ideal for exploiting solar energy.

The French government has recognized this potential and plans to double the share of renewable energies to over 32% by 2040. The mainstay of this transition is solar energy. The French Energy Minister, Ségolène Royal expects a volume of 800 megawatts of photovoltaics to be put to tender in 2016, which could be increased to 1,450 MW in 2017 and the two years after that. The plans envisage a total installed capacity of 36 to 43 GW by 2023.

France to introduce a direct marketing system for solar power

Like Germany, France also intends to introduce a direct marketing system. What impact this will have on the German and French photovoltaics market is the topic of 

 

discussion at two events held at the Innovation and Application Forum at Intersolar Europe 2016. Additionally, around 40 French companies are set to present themselves individually or in shared booths at the exhibition and the accompanying ees Europe — the continent’s largest exhibition for batteries and energy storage systems.

Lectures and discussions: Fresh impetus for the solar market

The German-French Office of Renewable Energy (DFBEE) is holding a round of lectures and discussions focusing on tenders and direct marketing on June 23, 2016. The discussion will see speakers examining how predictive tools can be used to optimize direct marketing. They will also turn their attention to France’s new subsidization strategies for photovoltaics, and comment on the opportunities and challenges for direct marketing of solar power. Additionally, the speakers are set to evaluate the pilot round of tenders and offer recommendations for future designs for tenders. A closing discussion invites participants to explore the possible consequences of the calls for tenders for the German and French photovoltaics markets.


Workshop: Innovation from France

The French research institute INES (Institut National de l’Energie Solaire) will be running a workshop on Thursday morning. It presents an insight into how photovoltaic technologies, modules and systems can be used effectively in the electric power supply for buildings and contemporary mobility solutions. Referencing their own innovations, they will also explain how photovoltaic installation costs can be saved while increasing system capacity and utility for the end customer.  

source: http://www.solarserver.com

 

DKB announces first green bond; Proceeds to go exclusively towards funding solar and wind power projects

 

Deutsche Kreditbank AG (DKB, Berlin, Germany) will launch a medium-term green bond worth EUR 500 million to exclusively fund solar and wind power projects in Germany.

“The green bond pool consists exclusively of financing for solar and wind power projects onshore in Germany. It will be the first entirely green bond issued by a German commercial bank”, says DKB CEO Stefan Unterlandstättner.

“Launching this bond is the logical next step in our business model. Our portfolio includes the financing of renewable energy projects to the tune of more than EUR 9 billion. Nobody else in Germany can say that.” DKB's lending portfolio also contains further sustainable financing worth some EUR 30 billion.

“There's great interest in bonds whose issue proceeds are used to finance environmental and climate protection projects,” said Unterlandstättner.

DKB plans to use the launch to broaden the diversification of its refinancing on the capital markets and lay the foundations for an additional major funding stream. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

 

Sumitomo Corporation announces 59.9 MW PV project in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan

 

Sumitomo Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) will be implementing a solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the Migita/Ebi and Mano districts of the city of Minamisoma in Fukushima Prefecture via Solar Power Minamisoma-Kashima Co., Ltd. (SPC).

A group of financial institutions assembled by Mizuho Bank, Ltd. as the arranger will provide SPC with financing, while Toshiba Corporation and Taisei Corporation will be responsible for EPC.

Expected to cost about 22 billion yen in total, the PV project will entail erecting a mega-solar power facility with a generation capacity of 59.9 MW as well as related facilities on a plot of land belonging to Minamisoma (approximately 110 hectares) affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Construction is already underway as of May 2016, and commercial operation is expected to begin in March 2018. The PV plant will generate the equivalent power usage of approximately 20,000 general households, and will utilize the fixed price purchasing system to provide electric power to retail power companies.
source:http://www.solarserver.com

Yingli commercializes PID resistant dual glass PV module

 

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Ltd. (Baoding, China) on May 24^th, 2016 announced that it has successfully commercialized its TwinMAX 60 cell high-efficiency dual glass solar photovoltaic (PV) module (including the standard series and the bifacial series) and TwinMAX 72 cell dual glass module (standard series).

The bifacial series monocrystalline modules will be installed on a 50 MW PV project in Datong, Shanxi province, which was rewarded to Yingli under China's "Top Runner" program.

The TwinMAX module is a frameless module that is comprised of two layers of 2.5mm thick tempered glass, which replaced the conventional back sheet and glass structure. Specifically, TwinMAX bifacial series modules integrate technology from Yingli's state of the art PANDA n-type monocrystalline solar cells with cell efficiency that could reach as high as 20.5% and average module efficiency that could be over 17%.

The TwinMAX bifacial series modules can generate from both the front and rear sides of the cells, allowing power yields up to 30% more than traditional monocrystalline modules.

TwinMAX modules possess strong durability and resistance to PID (Potential Induced Degradation) and are able to perform well under various harsh environments such as exposure to high temperature and humidity, salt mist and sand.

"We are excited to introduce and offer one of the most advanced products in the industry to our customers with the commercialization of our TwinMAX module," commented Dr. Dengyuan Song, Chief Technology Officer of Yingli. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

 

Solar energy student contest in Dubai to build on regional commitments made at COP21

 

Intersolar, the world’s leading solar event, has officially launched the “Young Leaders’ Innovation Challenge” taking place this September in Dubai at Intersolar Middle East event. The contest aims to encourage students across the MENA region to contribute to commitments made through the Paris Agreement at COP21.

“The Young Leaders’ Innovation Challenge is intended to create links between academic research and applied science at a time when the United Arab Emirates seeks to make good on its goal to increase its share of renewable energy to 24 percent by 2021,” said Hadi Tahboub, Vice President at MESIA.

Under the patronage of H.E. Eng. Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, the nationwide competition attracted academic teams from across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and Qatar.

The teams will demonstrate how 25 percent reduction in energy consumption can be achieved by retrofitting renewable energy technologies to a government building of their choice.

Over 13 universities have joined the contest including Masdar Institute, Khalifa University and Petroleum Institute from UAE, Sultan Qaboos University from Oman, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology from KSA, and many more.

The winning entries will be selected by a prestigious panel of jury members, including officials from Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA), DWTC, Dubai Municipality, First Solar, Green Technologies, Masdar, and Clean Energy Business Council, amongst others respectful entities.

Teams have until 31 July 2016 to submit their entries. At Intersolar Middle East in September, the winner team will receive a prestigious reward which includes a cash prize and an opportunity to exhibit their project and represent the Middle East in front of global leaders at the 2017 edition of Intersolar Europe in Munich, Germany.

“The physical environment and attitudes toward sustainability in the United Arab Emirates make it an ideal hotbed for creating a world-class renewable energy sector, and we see great value in taking that message to the world through the Young Leaders’ Innovation Challenge,” said Hadi Tahboub, Vice President at MESIA

The 2016 edition of Intersolar Middle East is taking place from 19 – 21 September 2016 at Dubai World Trade Centre. Intersolar Middle East is part of a world series of exhibitions that has been pushing the solar industry to innovate and install a new energy infrastructure for more than 25 years. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

SolarCity and NRDC paper: Rooftop PV provides net benefit to all Nevada utility customers

 

Rooftop solar PV generation provides 1.6 U.S. cents of benefit per kilowatt-hour of energy generated, producing USD 7 million in benefits annually for all Nevada utility customers, according to a study released on May 24^th, 2016 by SolarCity Corporation (San Mateo, CA, U.S.) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC, New York City, US).

If environmental and health externalities are included, the benefits of rooftop solar increase to 3.4 cents per kWh, and USD 14 million annually.

The peer-reviewed paper, "Distributed Energy Resources in Nevada", is the first to quantify all the rooftop solar cost and benefit variables identified by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

The paper recommends policymakers and regulators develop advanced grid planning procedures that incorporate these benefits into the utility ratemaking process, which would enable Nevadans to see the benefits on their electricity bills and ensure that the state transitions to a cleaner, more affordable, and resilient grid.

"This study confirms what Nevadans already intuitively know: the thousands of rooftop solar systems across the state benefit all Nevadans, and the state should have policies which encourage the deployment of more distributed energy," said Jon Wellinghoff, Chief Policy Officer of SolarCity.

"As Nevada policymakers are planning the energy grid of the future, we encourage them to consider the potential of distributed energy resources to build a smarter, more resilient grid to power our economy with affordable clean energy."

"A close examination of the costs and benefits of rooftop solar generation in Nevada confirms that a continued partnership between customers and their utility to promote investment in clean energy benefits everyone," said Noah Long, Director of the Western Energy Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

SolarCity and NRDC found when all costs and benefits are quantified, rooftop solar provides USD 7 – 14 million worth of benefits forNevada utility customers. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

SMA commissions a solar PV hybrid system on the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius

SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA, Niestetal, Germany)) and its subsidiary SMA Sunbelt Energy GmbH have commissioned a solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid system on the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands, to completely electrify the island with the smart combination of utility-scale PV, battery storage and diesel generators.

The project is designed to generate enough clean solar power to cover more than 23% of St. Eustatius’ annual electricity demand of 13.5 GWh.

Up until March 2016 the island´s power supply was fully based on diesel gensets. By integrating 1,9 MWp of PV power and 1 MW of batteries with the SMA Fuel Save Controller 2.0, the local utility company is now able to reduce its fossil fuel consumption significantly by up to 30 percent and save more than 800.000 liters of diesel fuel and 2,200 tons of CO2 per year.

In 2010, St. Eustatius became a special municipality of the Netherlands. The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs decided to make the island and the Statia Utility Company (STUCO) less dependent on imported fossil fuel oils by financing a solar power plant.

“We were looking for fossil fuel reduction and at the same time for a solution with both very low maintenance and also stand-alone operation,” Fred Cuvalay, CEO of STUCO, summarized the technical challenges.

“SMA provided a hybrid system solution exactly tailored to our needs, which is extremely user-friendly.”

“The project fully integrates three different energy sources on a large scale that work together in a harmonized manner: solar power, battery storage and diesel gensets,” said Volker Wachenfeld, Executive Vice President SMA business unit Off-Grid and Storage.

The Sunny Central Storage 1000 integrated into the SMA Medium Voltage Power Station 1000 enables a measured solar fraction of up to 88% during sunshine hours and supports the grid with stability functions such as frequency regulation, ramp-rate control for smoothing PV power fluctuations and optimization of diesel genset operation.

“Rapid movement of clouds in this region, in particular, leads to extreme fluctuations in solar power generation which constrains the integration of large-scale photovoltaics into diesel-based grids,” Wachenfeld commented on one of the challenges.

“That's why using large-scale storage systems is meaningful for this application as they minimize the impact of fluctuating energy sources on diesel generators.”

Local system integrator, Eco Energy N.V. from Curaçao, was responsible for installation of the PV plant. Its experience on Caribbean logistics and high quality workmanship played an important role in realizing this project successfully within the ambitious schedule of 9 months.

The installation in St. Eustatius is the first project of its kind in the entire Caribbean region and will likely serve as an example of what’s possible to neighboring islands.
source: http://www.solarserver.com

JinkoSolar supplies PV modules totaling 122 MW for a project in Chile

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China) on May 25^th, 2016 announced that it has supplied 122 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to Pattern Energy Group LP (Pattern Development), for its Conejo solar PV project in Chile.

Pattern Development, an independent power producer bases in San Francisco (CA, U.S), will also be the owner of this project.

Located in the municipality of Taltal, in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile, the Conejo PV project is one of the largest solar power projects in Chile.

22-year PPA with Minera Los Pelambres

The project has signed a 22-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Minera Los Pelambres, an affiliate of Antofagasta Minerals, and will be connected to the Sistema Interconectado Central transmission system.

The project is expected to be completed in the second half of 2016 and will cover approximately 65% of Los Pelambres' electricity demand.

"Our relationship with Pattern Development further strengthens our leading position in this important emerging market," Gener Miao, Vice President Global Sales and Marketing of JinkoSolar commented. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Parabolic Trough Power Plant

 

Concave mirrors and lenses have been used for ages to concentrate the sun’s rays on a single point and therefore multiply its strength. Mirrors with a parabolic cross-section are especially suited to this purpose because they can also focus the outer rays towards the middle. If a mirror is designed in the form of a trough, the solar radiation, concentrated about forty times, can be focused on an absorber tube with a heat-conducting fluid inside.

The best use for these tube collector thermal solar power systems is for domestic water heating and heating support. A well-known high-tech system is the parabolic trough power plant in the Californian Mojave Desert. It has a total of 2.3 million square meters of mirror surface area and produces 354 megawatts of electricity. To improve their performance they can be rotated about their roll axis. The heat-conducting fluid is heated up to 400 ºC and by means of a turbine and generator then produces electric current. Similar large plants are also planned at Crete, Egypt and India and should be able to deliver electricity at a price of about $ 0.07 (0.08 €) per kilowatt-hour.

The Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung (ZSF)) in Stuttgart, Germany operates an experimental plant in Almeria, Spain with oil as the heat-conductor and heat-storage fluid.

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)

The segment of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is finally beginning to emerge in the marketplace after more than 20 years of R&D and fancy showcase projects, due to the vision of leading solar technology and material developers. Exciting new products that incorporate PV modules into actual building materials such as curtain walls, windows, and roofing shingles are now available from a variety of developers in the BIPV supply chain.

Earlier generations of PV for buildings utilized solar panels mounted directly onto the building roof with minimal aesthetic considerations. This concept was replaced by building-integrated PV systems, where the PV modules actually came to replace parts of the building envelope, providing functional considerations and lowering costs. More recently, thin-film PV technologies have begun to enable the seamless integration of PV onto buildings, and will likely succeed in markets where their superior flexibility, minimal weight, and improved ability to perform in variable lighting conditions gives them a significant competitive advantage over conventional solar technologies.


A definition of BIPV and BAPV

There is some confusion regarding the definition of BIPV within both the PV industry and the building industry. GTM Research defines BIPV as building-integrated PV, which requires that the building team along the entire supply chain - including architects, building designers, engineers, building owners and utility companies - work together to design and build the photovoltaics into the building’s very "skin" as an element, from the inception of the project onwards. BAPV, on the other hand, is defined as building-applied PV. In this process, the photovoltaics are a retrofit, added to the building after construction is completed.


Solar roofing; solar tiles and shingles

A number of BIPV developers are active in the solar roofing market segment, including United Solar Ovonics, Dow Solar, Applied Solar, Corus Colors, and the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium. Perhaps the most popular integrated system in the U.S. consists of PV modules using mono- or polycrystalline cells to replace conventional cement tiles. These PV tiles are installed on roofs in a way that blends in with cement tiles, following the contours of the roof. In many cases, one module can replace up to three or four tiles, and reduce the number of necessary connections. The PV array weighs less than the cement tiles, but the roof has to be engineered for the correct weight and compliant with local and national roofing requirements, since it represents the first line of defense against the weather.


Solar Wall Applications

Recent years have seen a rapidly growing interest among contemporary architects in the use of curtain walls to create innovative, attention-grabbing building façades. With new concerns about the environment and a focus on developing affordable building envelopes, the curtain wall represents a microcosm of the issues that are important to architecture: climate responsiveness, energy use, the intelligent utilization of resources, and advancements in digital design and fabrication.

 

source:http://www.solarserver.com

The world's first metro to run on solar energy powered by Total and SunPower

 

Total and SunPower Corp. on May 23^rd, 2016 announced that SunPower has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the supply of 300 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year of solar power to Metro of Santiago, Chile.

With this agreement, Metro of Santiago will become the first public transportation system in the world to run mostly on solar energy. Metro of Santiago currently serves 2.2 million passengers per day.

The power will be generated from the El Pelícano solar project, a 100-megawatt (AC) PV plant near the municipalities of La Higuera (Coquimbo Region) and Vallenar (Atacama Region). Construction of the PV plant will begin this year, with expected operation by the end of 2017.

"This contract is expressing Chile's commitment for a sustainable world. We are proud to partner with Metro in developing a new way of powering public transportation systems through competitive, reliable and clean energy," says Bernard Clément, senior vice president of Business & Operations, of the New Energies division of Total.

"Solar is an ideal energy source for Chile because of the country's high solar resource and transparent energy policies,” added. Eduardo Medina, executive vice president, global power plants, SunPower.

SunPower will design and build the PV project and provide operations and maintenance once it is operational.

The company will construct a SunPower “Oasis^” power plant system at the site. The Oasis system is a fully-integrated, modular solar power block that is engineered for rapid and cost-effective deployment of utility-scale solar projects while optimizing land use. The technology includes robotic solar panel cleaning capability that uses 75 percent less water than traditional cleaning methods and can help improve system performance by up to 15 percent. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

EDF Energies Nouvelles commissions the 50 MW Zmorot solar PV plant in Israel

 

EDF Energies Nouvelles (Paris, France) on May 23^rd, 2016 announced the commissioning of the 50 MWp Zmorot solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant by its local subsidiary EDF EN Israël.

The PV facility, one of the most powerful in the country, was inaugurated by the French Prime Minister during his official visit to Israel, together with Israeli Ministers of the Environment Protection and of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water and Antoine Cahuzac, Chief Executive Officer of EDF Energies Nouvelles.

Located in the Negev desert, the Zmorot PV plant benefits from optimal insolation conditions for the generation of solar power.

The Zmorot facility extends over an area of more than 60 hectares and consists of 200,000 PV panels supplied by French producer Photowatt.

With an installed capacity of 50 MWp, Zmorot generates solar power to cover the annual electricity needs of around 30,000 inhabitants for 20 years.

The solar power plant was built as part of the Israeli government’s objective to reach a 17% share of renewables in its energy mix by 2030. 

With the commissioning of this new solar photovoltaic facility, EDF EN Israel now operates 11 solar power plants in the country. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Market research: Australian solar PV installers primarily install commercial energy storage systems

 

Australian solar PV installers are focusing more and more on energy storage systems, according to a new study by German market researcher EuPD Research (Bonn).

41% of the participants of the "Australian PV InstallerMonitor 2015/2016" already offer storage solutions to their customers. A further 26% want to include energy storage in their portfolio this year.

The installers who will not offer battery storage claim financial reasons (high prices and low margins) as the main obstacles.

According to the study, the Australian PV storage market currently focuses on commercial systems. More than half (56%) of the survey participants primarily install storage solutions in the system size segment of 12kWh and more.

Only a small amount of the installers install residential systems. Furthermore, nearly all installations (96%) from the sample group has installed came in combination with a new PV system - the retro-fit segment is virtually no factor at the moment.

  source:http://www.solarserver.com

New report: Solar plus storage to reduce electricity costs for rental housing in California

 

Battery storage is emerging as an effective new strategy for reducing electricity costs for affordable multifamily rental housing in California, according to the report “Closing the California Clean Energy Divide: Reducing Electric Bills in Affordable Multifamily Rental Housing with Solar+Storage”.

Battery storage systems not only provide economic returns today, they can also preserve the value of solar in an evolving policy and regulatory environment.

Because batteries empower owners of solar photovoltaics (PV) systems to take control of the energy they produce and when they consume it, storage can deliver deeper cost reductions that can be shared among affordable housing owners, developers, and tenants.

California has installed numerous integrated solar and battery storage projects; however, few have served low-income tenants or owners of affordable rental housing.

This disparity is due to many factors, including a lack of information about the economics of these systems in multifamily housing.

To provide that needed information, Clean Energy Group, California Housing Partnership, and Center for Sustainable Energy, with analytical support from Geli, are embarking on a series of reports on solar and storage in California affordable multifamily rental housing.

The report examines the utility bill impacts of adding battery storage to stand-alone solar in affordable rental housing facilities in California’s three investor-owned utility service territories, each with different rate structures. It is the first such report on these technologies in this sector in California. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Brazil targets 7 GW of utility-scale solar PV and 1.32 GW of distributed PV installations by 2024

 

Brazil doubled its solar targets for both utility-scale and distributed generation in January. The 2024 target under the official 10-year energy plan (PDE) is for 7 GW of utility-scale solar and 1.32 GW of distributed PV installations.

According to the Latin America PV Playbook of GTM Research, 1.4 GW of distributed PV could be achieved as early as 2020, especially given strong support for the segment in Brazil through the ProGD policy.

Distributed energy generation connections grew by 308% in Brazil in 2015. This is according to the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL), Brazil’s top energy regulator, and these figures include micro-generation and mini-generation.

The state of Minas Gerais has the most micro- and mini-generation systems with 333 connections, followed by Rio de Janeiro (203) and Rio Grande do Sul (186).

ProGD is a distributed generation development program for energy. It was launched by Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and is aimed at encouraging even more consumers to generate their own power from renewable energy sources, with a particular emphasis on solar energy.

DG installations on private residences, in industrial setups or in the agricultural sector

According to the MME, by 2030 roughly 2.7 million Brazilian consumers could have distributed generation installations either on private residences, in industrial setups or in the agricultural sector. This would be the equivalent of 23.5GW of clean energy production.

The National Energy Plan running until 2050 predicts that 18% of Brazilian homes will host PV systems by 2050. These installations are expected to generate around 45 terawatt-hours of energy and this would meet 13% of the country’s electricity demand.

Stakeholders will be meeting at Intersolar South America

Distributed generation (DG) could trigger investments worth more than BRL100 billion (USD 25.6 billion) by 2030, according to the MME. Against this backdrop, DG is expected to become an attractive investment for homeowners, as well as manufacturers of PV modules and inverters. All of these stakeholders will be meeting at Intersolar South America in Sao Paulo in August, at the largest solar event in Latin America.

DG is a key feature of the Intersolar South America conference as well as the exhibition. On the first day of the event the conference will include talks from key stakeholders from the private and public sector.

The primary topics of discussion will include the pros and cons of a regulated and an unregulated market as well as the main obstacles facing the Brazilian net-metering program, which includes taxation, grid connection procedures, and financing.

The number of newly installed DG plants in Brazil has reached record levels in recent years. This has mainly been driven by rising electricity prices, decreasing technology costs, and the new regulatory framework.

The opportunities this has created have attracted a large number of new players to the market. This will also be addressed in a special session on financing DG, which will take place on Thursday, August 25. This session will focus on key challenges, given the scarcity of competitive or low-cost financing. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com