Offshore wind innovation trending, but watch for foundation M&A to heat up

Offshore wind innovation and the corresponding patent filings have seen a significant uptick in the past seven years after a slow start back in 1990. The acute focus of innovations on CapEx and OpEx reduction has resulted in a significant number of important developments in the areas of foundations, construction techniques, vessels as well as service business models.

As the offshore wind industry begins to see a state of maturity and normalcy with annual capacity additions, there is a need to see further innovations in annual energy production (AEP) enhancement. The next generation of component developments which are already in the innovation pipeline will likely enable another step change in the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) but will level out over the next 10 years as we max out the technology maturity scale.

As floating foundations and tension leg platforms (TLPs) become the norm, new vessels with increased capacity and flexibility are christened, and turbine power ratings and rotor diameters reach new peaks, the next 10 years are likely to see a 21% CapEx reduction and 37% OpEx reduction from average 2016 levels.

Pick on any of the images here for larger more readable versions.

But in the past 27 years, there have been only a few innovations focused on AEP enhancement other than new turbine models with increased capacity. This has resulted in average LCOE reductions of over 46% since 2000 alone, but the offshore wind sector has been overly focused on innovations directed towards CapEx and OpEx reduction at the expense of AEP enhancement.

As of the end of 2016, MingYang leads in offshore wind innovation, but the company is solely focused on the Chinese market with 100% of their patents filed there. More than 67% of their patented innovations are focused on jacket and tripod foundations, with very few of their patented innovations moving beyond low-rate production at this stage.

A combination of Siemens and Gamesa, including the Adwen technology, because they are a wholly owned Gamesa subsidiary, comes in at #2, and could rightly achieve #1 status before the end of 2017. They have a good distribution of technology development and more than 36% of their innovations are being implemented for commercial use.

Guodian United Power takes the #3 spot ahead of MHI Vestas Offshore Wind (MVOW) who has assumed a portion of the innovation portfolio of Mitsubishi as a result of the joint venture (JV). GE Renewable Energy comes in at #5 with an innovation portfolio that mainly comprises the acquisition spoils from Alstom. Envision Energy arrives on the list at #6 due to their two-bladed prototype development in Denmark, but with only a modest handful of offshore innovations beyond that typhoon-class turbine.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries still retains a rather sizable innovation portfolio making them #7 overall, due to their ongoing developments of the hydrostatic drivetrain and their domestic pursuits in Japan. They have kept in reserve a number of key patents on offshore foundation technology which were not transferred to the MHI Vestas JV, but for which MVOW does retain a license.

Sinovel comes in at #8 but their pace of patent filings has also slowed substantially since 2014 mainly due to the limiting of most of their discretionary budget spend after the AMSC litigations as well as a domestic market slowdown. Senvion lands at #9 overall, with an innovation portfolio that has some breadth but is nevertheless scaled in accordance with their overall commercial market share. Goldwind rounds out the top 10, but just like Ming Yang, their innovation portfolio is solely focused on the Chinese market and comprises no high-value intellectual property (IP) at this time.

Europe is leading China and the U.S. in offshore wind innovation development, but China is likely to see a significant increase and firmly hold #1 after 2017 as their offshore market is only in its infancy. The pace of innovation did slow thanks to the 2012-13 global wind market dip, but the results indicate a positive trend for 2016 and beyond which will be confirmed once all the patent filings are made public.

Globally, the entire offshore wind industry has spent U.S.$49.5M to date on patent protection, with an average CAGR of 30% in the past 12 years. Expenditure on IP protection by companies on the offshore wind industry is expected to escalate, with U.S.$100M to be spent by 2021 and U.S.$200M by 2025 with an average CAGR of 16% during that time-frame.

Annual expenditure has leveled off at only U.S.$6.7M per annum in 2016 after having enjoyed an average of 30% up until the market drop in 2013. Beginning in 2017, we anticipate the market will resume the R&D and corresponding IP investments with double-digit growth until another plateau around 2022 due to global market penetration of offshore wind technology.

While the turbine OEMs in offshore have seen some significant consolidation in the past few years, the disparity between ownership of high-value intellectual capital of the offshore wind OEMs and the rest of the value chain is likely to create M&A opportunities. Foundation suppliers are likely to become the biggest target of the offshore turbine OEMs as developers look for turnkey solutions. OEMs will want to retain control of valuable and commercially viable IP on floating foundations and TLPs.

source: http://www.windpowerengineering.com

Global capacity nears 500GW

WORLDWIDE: The global wind industry added 54GW of new wind capacity in 2016, taking the worldwide total to 487GW, according to the latest annual figures from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

Global wind capacity nears 500GW (pic: GWEC)

The total is a 13% fall on the record year in 2015, with most regions installing less in 2016 than the previous year.
Only Europe improved slightly on its 2015 figures. It added 13,926MW, just 121MW more than 2015.
Once again, China added the largest amount in 2016 with 23.3GW of new capacity — although this is down from the more than 30GW added in 2015.
The US followed with an additional 8.2GW, with Germany (5.4GW), India (3.6GW) and Brazil (2GW) making up the rest of the top five markets.
India set a new national record, adding 3,612MW of new installations, taking the country's total to 28.7GW, GWEC's report said.
"We have great expectations for the Indian market, and we look forward to seeing offshore making a contribution in India in the next few years," said GWEC secretary general Steve Sawyer.

Country	Added Capacity in 2016	Cumulative Capacity, end of 2016
China	23,328MW	168,690MW
USA	8,203MW	82,184MW
Germany	5,443MW	50,018MW
India	3,612MW	28,700MW
Brazil	2,014MW	10,740MW
France	1,561MW	12,066MW
Turkey	1,387MW	6,081MW
Netherlands	887MW	4,328MW
UK	736MW	14,543MW
Canada	702MW	11,900MW

Top ten markets in 2016 by added capacity, and their cumulative totals. Source: GWEC

Offshore

China overtook Denmark in offshore capacity, claiming third spot, with an added 592MW offshore.
Denmark failed to add any capacity offshore in 2016, but has a solid pipeline with the 406MW Horns Rev 3, the 350MW of nearshore projects, and 600MW Kriegers Flak all making progress.
Globally, 2.2GW of new offshore capacity was installed, driven by Germany, the Netherlands and China. This was down from the 3.4GW added in 2015.

Country	Added Capacity Offshore in 2016	Total Cumulative Offshore Capacity
Germany	813MW	4,108MW
Netherlands	691MW	1,118MW
China	592MW	1,627MW
UK	56MW	5,156MW
South Korea	30MW	35MW
US	30MW	30MW

source:http://www.windpowermonthly.com

Gamesa to supply turbines for Indonesia’s first wind farm

Gamesa has entered into a turbine-supply agreement with PT UPC Sidrap Bayu Energi, a joint venture owned by UPC Renewables, PT Binatek, and AC Energy Holdings. The contract is for 75 MW for the first wind farm ever to be commissioned in Indonesia, a high-potential wind market.

This order marks the first time Gamesa will install its G114-2.5 MW turbines in Asia-Pacific.

This order also constitutes a sales and product milestone for Gamesa because it marks the first time its G114-2.5 MW model will be installed in Asia-Pacific. These turbines will reach up to 2.625 MW under certain technical conditions.
With optimized models for medium and low-wind speed locations, Gamesa’s 2.5-MW turbine’s higher nominal capacity can deliver higher outputs at a lower cost of energy.
Specifically, Gamesa will commission 30 of these turbines at the Sidrap wind farm, located on the island of Sulawesi. The machines are slated for delivery during the third quarter of this year and the project is due to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2018.
This project is part of the Indonesian government program to reach 35 GW by 2019, combining traditional and renewable sources. Longer term, Indonesia’s goal is to have 23% of output generated from renewable sources by 2025.
 source:http://www.windpowermonthly.com

Gamesa wins first order for 2.625MW turbine

 

Gamesa will deliver 20 machines to Gunkul Engineering for the Mittraphap project in Nakhon Ratchasima, southern Thailand.
The project is being built by PowerChina Zhongnan Engineering and is due online in early 2018. Gamesa will service the turbines for ten years.
It is the first time the uprated G126 has been contracted for a project. Gamesa has received a number of orders for the G114-2.625MW turbine, most recently from Iberdrola in Mexico.
The developer said the order was its third in Thailand, and Gunkul is now a repeat customer. In September 2016, Gamesa won a deal from the developer to provide 33 G114 turbines, with 2MW and 2.1MW ouputs, for a project in central Thailand.
Those turbines will be installed with a tip height of 210 metres, making them the tallest in Asia, Gamesa claimed.
source: http://www.windpowermonthly.com

Turkish company inks renewable energy deal with Pakistan for 200-megawatt solar power plant

Indian workers install solar panels at the Gujarat Solar Park at Charanka in Patan district, about 250 kilometers from Ahmadabad, India, April 14, 2012. (AP Photo)

Pakistan's largest province Punjab and a leading Turkish energy company on Wednesday inked an agreement for the construction of a 200-megawatt solar power plant.
The deal -- the second in less than two weeks -- was signed by the Punjab government and Zorlu Enerji Holding in the provincial capital Lahore during a ceremony presided by Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a statement from the Punjab government said.
Under the deal, the statement added, ZEH will set up a 200-megawatt solar power plant at Quid-e-Azam solar park in Bahawalpur by December 2017.
The two sides late last month had also inked a deal for the establishment of another 100-megawatt power plant in Bahawalpur by June 2017. The provincial authorities did not reveal the cost of the two deals.
In his remarks, at the signing ceremony, the Punjab chief minister said the recent energy contracts were testimony of the growing economic cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey
source: http://solarenergy.com

President Pranab Mukherjee to launch solar power project at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday

President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the first phase of a solar power project in the President’s Estate on Friday, an official release said. The project would generate 670 KW of solar power through rooftop solar panels installed on seven buildings in the President’s Estate, it said. “The savings in electricity bills resulting from this project is expected to be more than approximately Rs 80 lakh per year. The generation of solar power will result in significant reduction in carbon footprint and make the Estate more energy efficient,” it added.
As part of the inaugural event, a day-long exhibition showcasing various aspects of energy conservation and green energy is also being held. Painting and science model competitions as well as a “Nukkad Natak” on the theme of energy efficiency/solar power will be organised on the occasion. A life-skill training course for girls of classes 11 and 12 of Dr Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya will be also launched on the occasion, it added.
source: Reuters

National Grid considering shift away from one and two year grid balancing tender contracts

National Grid is considering moving away from one and two year contracts within its grid balancing tenders, which according to the system operator’s UK director do not reflect the transition needed within the energy system in the future.
Speaking at this week’s Energy Storage and Connected Systems conference, Cordi O’Hara suggested that the current financing durations for storage and other balancing technologies such as demand side response are limited by the short term contracts.
“At the moment the system operator is incentivised largely by one or two year schemes by the regulator to balance the network. Beyond that there is no understanding of how we will be held to account for economic and [efficiency] test as a system operator.
“There are arguments to suggest we should move away from one and two year incentivisation timelines that don’t necessarily reflect the transition that we’re going to face on the network and the need to build the new flexibility tools of the future,” she said.
O’Hara pointed to the National Grid’s recent four year Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR) tender, which saw battery storage projects win nearly all of the 200MW capacity, as an example of when the contract “landed on a fair and reasonable duration for that point in time.”
“But there’s more work to be done and where those contract durations sit within the various markets needs to be explored.
“This is a difficult area that we are trying to work through at the moment, be assured I am having the right conversations about duration of contracts in the longer term of the system operator,” she added.
A number of short term contracts have been awarded to storage projects in recent auctions, with only four projects winning 15 year contracts within the 500MW of battery storage capacity contracted in the T-4 2016 auction in December.
The lack of long term security for large scale storage projects has been identified repeatedly as a barrier for the investment community when considering a move into the battery market. Many consider that without longer-term incentives, investors will remain sceptical of the technology’s financial viability as long as prices remain high.
Speaking at last week’s Solar Finance and Investment Europe conference, Ancala Partners’ director Lee Mellor said: “In terms of the revenue streams, there's quite a good visibility up to four years but after that…there's no certainty of what the revenue profile will look like.”
source: http://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk

Major UK solar investors pessimistic over current battery storage opportunity

Listed funds in the UK which own a significant portion of the country’s utility-scale solar PV assets are not currently convinced by battery storage’s feasibility, but remain primed to deploy the technology at scale when the time is right.
Four of the UK’s largest listed funds with solar interests spoke at last week’s Solar Finance & Investment Europe conference in London to provide an update on their activities and while interest in the booming secondary solar market took centre stage, attention quickly turned to the future and the potential role for battery storage within their operations.
Retrofitting utility-scale storage applications on the UK’s solar assets – which now top 12GW in capacity – has long been considered as an ideal way to both ease grid frequency fluctuations and help smooth generation peaks caused by solar’s intermittent load profile.
Owners of generation assets could theoretically shift their load profile to peak demand times for more significant profits, while frequency response tenders such as EFR and FFR, as well as various capacity market auctions, offer the potential for projects to ‘stack’ revenues to make them more viable financially.
There is also considerable interest from the market, and recent research compiled by Solar Media’ in-house research team found that the country’s battery storage pipeline stands at circa 2.3GW, with a large portion of these installations being lined-up to be retrofitted onto existing generation assets.
But those present at the event took a dim view of the storage market’s current prospects and insisted that the technology was not currently right for listed funds to adopt.
Matt Black, investment director at Foresight, said it would be some time before listed funds adopted storage en masse and his view was echoed by James Armstrong, founding partner at Bluefield, who said: “We’ve got the generation capacity. We don’t have to take the risk [of deploying storage].”
Michael Bonte-Friedheim, chief executive of NextEnergy Capital, remarked that investors are currently not satisfied with the technological risks associated with storage against what is still regarded as an uncertain set of returns, and even went as far as to suggest that early investors in battery storage stood to lose money.
While the T-4 capacity market auction offered contracts for battery storage assets lasting 15-years, other tenders have been limited in length to one or four years. While the support mechanisms are valued, it’s considered that until longer-term incentives are offered investors will remain sceptical of the technology’s financial viability as long as prices remain high.
“The only way storage will work for us is if we can use existing grid connections and stack revenues…load shifting is not worthwhile,” Bonte-Friedheim said.
But while their immediate potential was questioned, all listed funds present insisted that battery storage would remain on their radar and that they would be primed to roll it out to their sites whenever the investment made sense.
Both Armstrong and Bonte-Friedheim said they considered battery storage to be a “free hit”, meaning that they would not miss out by refraining from being an early adopter and would still be able to reap the benefits as soon as the cost reductions made investments economical.
source: www.solarpowerportal.co.uk

REC Solar installs Exosun trackers on Hawaii’s largest PV plant

The Waianae solar plant, developed by Eurus Energy America, with project design and construction by REC Solar, situated in Waianae, West Oahu, is the largest PV plant in Hawaii.
It has been equipped with 264 Exotrack HZ single-axis trackers which orient 127,160 modules toward the sun throughout the day to significantly increase the plant’s energy yield and thereby contribute to providing cheaper, cleaner power to the Hawaiian population.
Installed in a coastal area with strong winds with unique meteorological characteristics and slopes up to 15%, this project is yet another showcase for Exosun to prove the robustness and adaptability of its solar tracking technology.
The Exotrack HZ’s balanced structure consisting of few and lightweight parts enabled swift installation and will require minimal O&M. The solar plant will produce approximately 72,900 MWh of clean energy annually
source: http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com

US Wind Power Capacity Exceeds Hydro for First Time, AWEA Says

Installed wind power capacity in the U.S. at the end of last year outpaced hydroelectric capacity for the first time ever, according to the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) U.S. Wind Industry Fourth Quarter 2016 Market Report, released today.
Speaking this morning during a live Facebook broadcast from General Motors’ assembly plant in Arlington, Texas, AWEA CEO Tom Kiernan said that the total U.S. installed wind power capacity is now more than 82,000 MW, exceeding the 80,000 MW of installed hydroelectric capacity. Total installed wind capacity at the end of 3Q16 was 75,716 MW.
According to AWEA’s report, the U.S. wind industry installed 6,748 MW of new wind power capacity in 4Q16, the second strongest quarter for installations on record.
Kiernan said that about 18,000 MW of wind capacity is in the development pipeline, representing about $60 billion in investments over the next six years.
Also speaking during the broadcast, Rob Threlkeld, global manager-renewable energy for GM, said that half of the power used at the company’s Arlington facility comes from wind energy. He added that all of the facility’s power will come from wind in 2018 as the result of a power purchase agreement it signed last year with Renewable Energy Systems for energy from the planned 150-MW Cactus Flats wind farm in Concho County, Texas.
Threlkeld added that GM last year made a commitment to power all of its operations with renewable energy by 2050.
“To put that into context, it’s 350 facilities, across 59 countries,” he said. “To give you another perspective on just how large that is, we use just over 9 TWh of electricity to build our vehicles and power our offices, technical centers and warehouses around the world.”
New Capacity
Kiernan said that wind farms now are installed in 41 states.
“North Carolina just put on the grid the state’s first wind farm,” he said.
The Amazon Wind Farm U.S. East, powered by Avangrid Renewables, began commercial operations this month, according to a Feb. 9 statement from Avangrid Renewables. Located in Perquimans and Pasquotank counties in northeastern North Carolina, the project has 104 2-MW wind turbines. Expansion of the project is possible, but no concrete plans are in place at this time, a spokesperson for Avangrid told Renewable Energy World.
As the result of a contract with Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company, the energy generated by the project will be delivered into the electrical grid that supplies both current and future AWS Cloud data centers.
Avangrid Renewables, which will own and operate the project, is a unit of AVANDRID, formed in 2015 by the merger of Iberdrola USA and UIL Holdings Corp. Iberdrola S.A. owns about 81 percent of AVANGRID.
Key Takeaways
According to AWEA’s report, project developers signed 816 MW of power purchase agreements during 4Q16, contributing to a total of 4,040 MW of signed agreements during 2016. Project developers also announced 6,345 MW in combined new activity during 4Q16, with 3,793 MW in new construction announcements and 2,552 MW in new advanced development.
Nineteen states commissioned a total of 47 projects during 4Q16, with Texas leading at 1,790 MW, followed by Oklahoma (1,192 MW), Kansas (615 MW), North Dakota (603 MW) and Iowa (551 MW), the report said.
source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com

BELECTRIC completes 3.8 MW solar PV plant in Chile

BELECTRIC reference solar PV plant

BELECTRIC (Kitzingen, Germany), an international EPC company for solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants, completed its second PMGD compliant project, located in El Boco, Chile.

The 3.8 MW PV plant was built by BELECTRIC Chile with close support of the German affiliate, which also provides the O&M services.

For the 3.0 MW_AC PV project in El Boco BELECTRIC utilizes advanced thin-film technology from First Solar and an inverter system manufactured by SMA.

The Chilean PMGD (Pequenos Medios de Generacion Distribuidos) programme offers solar PV investors a stabilized price for generated electricity with reduced financial risks and is essentially similar to a feed-in tariff.

BELECTRIC Chile is currently developing a portfolio with up to 100 MW PV capacity, which has been offered to investors.

The solar PV power plant El Boco was built for Mineria y Montages CONPAX, a construction company in Chile. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Global Energy Services completes its first PV plant in Jamaica

Global Energy Services (GES, Erandio, Spain) completed the construction of its first utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Jamaica.

The 28 MW plant is a big step ahead for the renewable industry in the Caribbean country. Jamaica´s commitment to renewable energy should avoid the current high fuel dependency of the country.

After some wind installation projects in Jamaica, this is the first PV Project executed by GES in the country.

“This first PV plant in Jamaica is an important milestone for GES, because of the scope of the project and the great potential of the renewable energy in the country,” comments Luis Ares, GES’ Chief Operation Officer
source: http://www.solarserver.com

Mosaic announces it has met its goal of USD 1 billion in solar loans

Mosaic (Oakland, California, U.S.), an U.S. provider of solar loan financing solutions for homeowners, on February 8^th, 2017 announced it has closed the first securitization of its residential solar loan portfolio.

The Mosaic Solar Loans 2017-1 transaction (“MSAIC 2017-1”) resulted in proceeds of USD 138.95 million and received a “Green Bond” designation based on the standards published by the International Capital Markets Association and pursuant to a report issued by Sustainalytics U.S., Inc.

Mosaic has originated over USD 1 billion in solar loans since inception and expects to be a frequent issuer in the securitization markets, the company emphasizes.

Consumers shift away from solar leases to benefit from ownership of residential solar systems

This is the first securitization of consumer loans secured by residential rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems by Mosaic. Solar loans are a growing asset class that is gaining market share as consumers shift away from solar leases and increasingly choose to benefit from ownership of residential solar systems.

“This is a huge step forward for the solar loan sector as well as for Mosaic,” said Billy Parish, Founder and CEO of Mosaic.

The offering consists of a single tranche of USD 138.95 million rate notes rated “A” by Kroll Bond Rating Agency. The notes are modeled to a weighted average life of 4.06 years and are backed by a collateral pool of USD 177.9 million of loans with an average FICO score of 746. The deal generated overwhelming investor demand and achieved an oversubscription level of 5.6 times the offering size. Final pricing at 4.50% yield with a 4.45% stated coupon was well inside of initial price talk. The deal settled on February 2^nd, 2017.

Guggenheim Securities and BNP Paribas acted as joint-lead bookrunners for the offering. Guggenheim Securities acted as sole structuring agent
source: http://www.solarserver.com

City Solar Power Potential and Road Network Size Linked

Scientists could estimate a city's solar power potential by analyzing the size of its road network, a new study finds.
Inspired by studies on the relationships between blood vessel networks and a body's size and metabolic rates, study author Sara Najem, a physicist at Lebanon's National Center for Remote Sensing in Beirut, investigated what connections might exist between different elements of a city's infrastructure, such as its road network and its solar potential. "I am always seeking to draw analogies between living systems and cities," Najem says. Najem will detail her findings in the journal Physical Review E.
A city's solar potential depends in part on the arrangement of its buildings, which influences each structure's insolation, or the amount of sunlight it receives, as well as shadows cast on it by neighboring structures. The arrangement of a city's buildings, in turn, depends in part on its road network, which controls and constrains where and how many buildings are constructed.
Najem analyzed the road networks and the number of buildings in 10 cities: Beirut; New York; Boston; San Francisco; Boulder, Colorado; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Portland, Oregon; Washington, D.C.; and Vitacura and Lo Barnechea in Chile. She simulated the amount of sunlight rooftops in these cities received based on the footprints of their buildings and their elevations, areas and topography.
The researcher found that the greater the total length of road network was for a given area, the greater its solar potential. She also found that buildings within any given 2.5-kilometer radius often have similar architectural styles, and so have comparable solar potential.
Normally, one would think that the potential solar power of a city depends on its latitude more than anything, Najem says. “However, it seems that the built environment around the road network plays out to balance other effects,” she says.
These findings could lead to new tools to analyze the solar potential in urban areas to plan energy management policy making and sustainable growth, Najem says. Future research can investigate whether a similar effect is seen in rural areas, she adds.
source: http://spectrum.ieee.org

PAY-AS-YOU-GO SOLAR COMES TO NIGERIA

 
Investment in companies offering pay-as-you-go solar systems has mushroomed in recent years, to $223 million last year from virtually nothing in 2012, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. There was a 40 percent increase between 2015 and 2016 alone.
"The Lumos investment is the next milestone in an industry that is rapidly growing," said Koen Peters, executive of Global Off-Grid Lighting Association, a trade association. "There's a lot of unmet demand, and once companies establish themselves, it's a big blue ocean."
Rural Nigerians are among the 1.2 billion people on the planet who are not connected to an electric grid. The pay-as-you-go solar model could help hasten energy access for the world's poor and make new coal- and gas-fired power plants and transmission lines less necessary, according to experts. That makes them a tool in the climate change fight, like other distributed energy or microgrid solutions.
The world's nations agreed to deep decarbonization in the Paris climate agreement and getting developing nations such as Nigeria to "leapfrog" over fossil fuels is seen as crucial to that goal. The idea runs counter to the theme some large fossil fuel corporations promote: that the world's poor need cheap and plentiful fossil fuels in the mix of lower-cost, low-carbon solutions.
Amara Nwankpa, director of the Public Policy Initiative at Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Foundation, a Nigerian nonprofit with a focus on governance and the environment, said he's not surprised Nigeria is a target market. Nigerians spend between $10 billion and $13 billion every year for kerosene and diesel fuels, he said. "Any part of that annual expenditure for fossil fuels that you can repurpose for renewables would be attractive for investors."
The way it works is simple. Lumos customers pay an initial fee their solar kit, which comes with a Chinese-manufactured, 80-watt solar panel and a yellow box that contains a battery device and eight sockets, as well as a satellite link. Lumos kits, which are light enough for an individual to carry home or on a motorcycle, come with instructions for mounting the panel on a rooftop.

Photo courtesy of Lumos

Customers buy credit for electricity by sending a text message and the payment gets deducted from their prepaid balance with the mobile operator. Once 1,500 days of use are paid for, the customer owns the kit and can get the power for free.
Half a dozen other companies, operating mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, have products that vary by size, method of payment or some other factor, but the basic pay-as-you-go formula is the same. U.K.-based Azuri Technologies and Germany-based Mobisol, for instance, offer comparable service to consumers in countries including Kenya and Rwanda.
"Reducing cost first for consumers is so important," said Kristina Skierka, campaign director of Power for All, a San Francisco-based group that advocates for decentralized renewable energy. But so is getting power for free after several years. "All the companies in this sector are using the money these consumers are already spending on fuel and throwing it down the drain."
The allure for Lumos' investors is its relationship with mobile provider MTN, which has 39 percent of the mobile market in the country. MTN advertises the Lumos kits, sells them in its stores and provides customer service through its call center.
"We avoided the headache of building a marketing and distribution system across Africa," said Ron Margalit, a principal at Lumos. "MTN already knows how to reach the masses."
Lumos has sold 30,000 kits in rural Nigeria, and said it aims to sell as many as 10 million over the next five years, at a cost of $2 billion. (The Nigerian government, for comparison, has set a goal to electrify 10 million rural households, mostly by connecting them to the national grid at a cost of more than four times that.) In 2015, Nigeria got 82 percent of its electricity from fossil fuel sources, mostly natural gas.
In addition to the $50 million raised by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a federal agency whose clean energy portfolio could be in jeopardy as President Donald Trump seeks to roll back climate policies and slash the federal budget, $40 million was raised by a consortium of private companies, including Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Fund, VLTCM and Israel Cleantech Ventures.
Until a year ago, startups such as Lumos were attracting mostly the attention of philanthropists and impact investors focused more on development goals than profits.

source:https://insideclimatenews.org

Solar Power Taking Hold in Nigeria, One Mobile Phone at a Time

A fast-growing energy solution is springing up in Nigeria, Africa's largest country, where three-quarters of people still have little or no access to electricity. Off-grid solar-powered kits, consisting of a single rooftop solar panel and a suitcase-sized battery, are beginning to electrify rural homes, powering small appliances, mobile phones and fans using the nation's abundant sunshine.
The do-it-yourself kits are replacing candles, kerosene lighting and diesel generators that are costly and have health and safety risks. But what is making them increasingly popular is how easy they are to pay for.
The systems—already prevalent in Kenya, Rwanda and India—are being sold in Nigeria by Lumos, a five-year-old startup based in the Netherlands. They cost about $75 upfront and then customers pay for the electricity they plan to use through pre-paid cash mobile phones, which have been revolutionizing commerce across Africa. No bank accounts or credit cards are required.
Lumos, which works with mobile giant MTN, announced in December it raised $90 million, with $50 million coming from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a U.S. government agency. The investment doubled the world's previous largest investment in off-grid solar energy sector, to Off Grid Electric.
source: https://insideclimatenews.org

Siemens achieves breakthrough with 3D printed gas turbine blades

Siemens has achieved a breakthrough by finishing its first full load engine tests for gas turbine blades completely produced using Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology. The company successfully validated multiple AM printed turbine blades with a conventional blade design at full engine conditions. This means the components were tested at 13,000 revolutions per minute and temperatures beyond 1,250 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, Siemens tested a new blade design with a completely revised and improved internal cooling geometry manufactured using the AM technology. The project team used blades manufactured at its 3D printing facility at Materials Solutions, the newly acquired company in Worcester, UK. Materials Solutions specializes in high performance parts for high temperature applications in turbomachinery where accuracy, surface finish and the materials quality is critical to ensure operational performance of the parts in service. The tests were conducted at the Siemens testing facility in the industrial gas turbine factory in Lincoln, UK.

Siemens finished its first full load engine tests for conventional and completely new designed gas turbine blades produced using Additive Manufacturing technology.

"This is a breakthrough success for the use of Additive Manufacturing in the power generation field, which is one of the most challenging applications for this technology," said Willi Meixner, CEO of the Siemens Power and Gas Division. "Additive Manufacturing is one of our main pillars in our digitalization strategy. The successful tests were the result of a dedicated international project team with contributions from Siemens engineers in Finspång, Lincoln and Berlin together with experts from Materials Solutions. In just 18 months they completed the entire chain from component design and AM material development to new methods for lifing simulations and quality controls. With our combined know-how in 3D printing, we will continue to drive the technological development and application in this field," added Meixner.
The blades were installed in a Siemens SGT-400 industrial gas turbine with a capacity of 13 megawatts (MW). The AM turbine blades are made out of a powder of high performing polycrystalline nickel superalloy, allowing them to endure high pressure, hot temperatures and the rotational forces of the turbine's high speed operation. At full load each of these turbine blades is travelling at over 1,600 km/h, carrying 11 tons or equivalent to a fully loaded London bus, is surrounded by gas at 1,250 °C and cooled by air at over 400 °C. The advanced blade design tested in Lincoln provides improved cooling features that can increase overall efficiency of the Siemens gas turbines.
Additive Manufacturing is a process that builds parts layer-by-layer from sliced CAD models to form solid objects. Also known as '3D printing' it especially provides benefits in rapid prototyping. "This exciting technology is changing the way we manufacture by reducing the lead time for prototype development up to 90 percent," said Meixner. "Siemens is a pioneer in Additive Manufacturing. We can accelerate the development of new gas turbine designs with an increased efficiency and availability and can bring these advancements faster to our customers. This new flexibility in manufacturing also allows Siemens to develop closer to the customer's requirements and also to provide spare parts on demand."
Siemens has a broad knowledge in essential areas like materials sciences, automation, manufacturing and process know how and is thus in a great position to shape the future in the 3D printing industry. The successful test of the advanced blade design is the next step in order to use the full potential of AM. Siemens is developing unique gas turbine designs which are only possible with AM and extends its serial production for printed turbine equipment. With an experience of more than 100 years in the energy market, Siemens converts the new design possibilities to specific solutions for its customers.
Siemens extensively uses AM technology for rapid prototyping and has already introduced serial production solutions for components in the gas turbines' compressor and combustion system. In February 2016 Siemens opened a new production facility for 3D printed components in Finspång, Sweden. The first 3D printed component for a Siemens heavy-duty gas turbine is in commercial operation since July 2016.
source:http://www.siemens.com

Jimmy Carter brings massive solar array to his hometown

 
Building on a clean energy legacy that includes installing the first thermal solar panels on the roof of the White House, former President Jimmy Carter is bringing the renewable energy revolution to his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
The 92-year-old, who served as the 39th president from 1977 to 1981, recently leased 10 acres of farmland outside Plains for the construction of a 1.3-megawatt (MW) solar array. Developed by SolAmerica, the installation is projected to generate over 55 million kilowatt hours of clean energy in Plains — more than half the town's annual needs.
“Rosalynn and I are very pleased to be part of SolAmerica’s exciting solar project in Plains," Carter said in a statement. "Distributed, clean energy generation is critical to meeting growing energy needs around the world while fighting the effects of climate change. I am encouraged by the tremendous progress that solar and other clean energy solutions have made in recent years and expect those trends to continue.”
source: http://www.mnn.com

Almost 90% of new power in Europe from renewable sources in 2016

Renewable energy sources made up nearly nine-tenths of new power added to Europe’s electricity grids last year, in a sign of the continent’s rapid shift away from fossil fuels.
But industry leaders said they were worried about the lack of political support beyond 2020, when binding EU renewable energy targets end.
Of the 24.5GW of new capacity built across the EU in 2016, 21.1GW – or 86% – was from wind, solar, biomass and hydro, eclipsing the previous high-water mark of 79% in 2014.
For the first time windfarms accounted for more than half of the capacity installed, the data from trade body WindEurope showed. Wind power overtook coal to become the EU’s second largest form of power capacity after gas, though due to the technology’s intermittent nature, coal still meets more of the bloc’s electricity demand.

eland and Lithuania all set new records for windfarm installations. 

source: https://www.theguardian.com

UPS to invest USD 18 million in on-site solar PV

 

UPS (Atlanta, GA, U.S.) on February 7^th, 2017 announced plans to significantly escalate its investment in solar energy as an owner/operator of solar photovoltaic (PV) assets starting with at least eight of its facilities in the U.S.

The installations will be completed by the end of 2017. The estimated USD 18 million investment will provide a nearly five-fold increase in the amount of power generated from solar at UPS facilities today.

UPS expects additional solar deployments to occur over the next several years as it identifies suitable opportunities.

The completion of these projects will expand UPS’s owned solar power generating capacity by almost 10 megawatts.

“Solar technology is a proven way to effectively and efficiently provide long-term power to our facilities,” said Bill Moir, director of Facilities Procurement, UPS. “We have a significant number of facilities that are well positioned to deploy solar at scale and increase our sustainable energy options for our buildings and electric vehicles.”

UPS announced to purchase over 26,000 solar PV panels during the expansion. Once installed, each building will effectively produce 50 percent of its daily energy use via the sun. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

First Solar awarded 140 MW PV module supply contract for Sun Metals PV project in Australia

 

First Solar, Inc. (Tempe, AZ, U.S.) on February 8^th, 2017 announced it has been awarded the PV module supply contract for the 140 MW Sun Metals solar farm in North Queensland (QLD), Australia.

According to First Solar, it will be Australia’s largest solar PV project once constructed, and utilize more than 1,167,000 First Solar advanced thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules to produce approximately 270,000 megawatt-hours of solar power in its first year of operation.

Situated 15 kilometers south of Townsville, the project will supply electricity to the Sun Metals zinc refinery, which is a member of the Korea Zinc Group and a world leader in metal processing technology.

RCR Tomlinson Limited will manage the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the project. Construction is scheduled to commence in April 2017. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Sweden Sees Red Over Google and Ikea’s Green Goals

 


The quest to supply everything from data server halls, insurance companies to large furniture stores with green electricity has flooded the Nordic region with wind power and crashed a $100 million renewable-certificates market.
While that’s good for the environment and the image of companies from Google Inc. to Ikea Group, the growth in renewable energy has been faster than Sweden and Norway expected. That’s pushed certificate prices down 45 percent this year, undermining the incentive to invest in new wind power projects.

Renewable Certificates Prices at Broker SKM

It’s a case of too much, too soon for the Swedish Energy Agency, the market regulator, which never really planned for expansion at this rate. Taking into account a typical wind turbine’s life of about 20 years, its preference was always for a major build-out by the end of next decade, just before state-owned utility Vattenfall AB starts to close six 1980s-era nuclear reactors.
With renewable capacity needed to meet a 2020 target either already in place or under construction, every additional investment will just add to a surplus, according to Nena AS, an industry consultant in Oslo.
“It’s like watching a python dying from starvation after devouring a pig that is too large for it to digest,” said Fredrik Bodecker, chairman of Bodecker Partners AB, an energy markets adviser in Malmo, Sweden.

Power Glut

Sweden and Norway plan to add 28.4 terawatt-hours of renewable generation by 2020, or enough to meet 10 percent of their joint annual power demand. In the renewable-certificates market, green energy producers receive securities that suppliers must buy to match customer demand. The surge in capacity hasn’t been met by increases in consumption, hence the surplus and plunging prices.
Google, which operates a data server hall in Finland, has signed at least six deals in the past two years to buy power at a fixed price directly from wind parks in Sweden and Norway. The company didn’t respond to a request for comment.
“There is just such an insane amount of wind power projects that should not really be built,” said Joachim Jernas, a senior analyst at Nena. “During 2016, decisions to build 7.1 terawatt-hours of wind power in Norway and Sweden were made.”

Green Ikea

After spending an undisclosed sum on 46 wind-power plants in Sweden between 2011 and 2015, Ikea now generates enough to supply its 20 department stores with green electricity. There are no plans for further expansion in the Nordic region, according to Jonas Carlehed, a sustainability manager at the retailer.

While Norway has decided to phase out its involvement in the certificate system by 2020, Sweden is extending its participation for 10 years and will add another 18 terawatt-hours of renewable generation by 2030. The additional capacity will further expand a regional glut as investors have pledged to build at least three new wind farms in Norway able to generate 3 terawatt-hours a year, according to Nena. A terawatt-hour can supply 200,000 homes for a year.To slow down wind power development after 2020, the Swedish Energy Agency proposes to keep subsidy levels low until the end of the next decade by adjusting demand in the system, said Roger Ostberg, an analyst at the regulator. Such a plan could discourage investors seeking stable, long-term returns, according to Paul Stormoen, the managing director of OX2’s wind power development.
source: https://www.bloomberg.com/

SoftBank Near First Closing of $100 Billion Tech Fund

SoftBank Group Corp. is aiming to close the first round of investment in its planned $100 billion technology fund by the end of this month, giving Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son an enormous war chest to go on the hunt for deals, according to people familiar with the matter.
The initial investments will likely include $45 billion from Saudi Arabia and $25 billion from SoftBank, as well as $1 billion each from Apple Inc., Qualcomm Inc. and Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. Abu Dhabi investor Mubadala Development Co. may join the first round, though it could also wait until a later time, they said. The initial round is likely to exceed $80 billion and the timing of the closing may still change, said one of the people. It’s not yet clear when the remainder of the planned financing would be raised.
Son announced plans for the Vision Fund in October, vowing to become the biggest investor in the technology industry over the next decade. He has already been among the most acquisitive, buying Sprint Corp. for $22 billion and ARM Holdings plc for $32 billion along with stakes in hundreds of startups. The new fund will give him cash to cut even larger deals as he aims to capitalize on emerging trends like artificial intelligence and the so-called Internet of Things.
“When I first founded this company, all I could think about is how to stretch the finances until the end of the month,” Son said Wednesday after his company’s earnings announcement. “Recently, the span shifted to 10 and 30 years ahead. I’m now seriously thinking about how to make sure that SoftBank group can grow for the next 300 years.”
A spokesman for SoftBank declined to comment. Son said the fund is in its “final stages.”
The 59-year-old billionaire is finding renewed energy after long saying he planned to retire in his 60s. Last year, he publicly changed his mind and said he wants to remain in charge indefinitely, leading to the departure of his one-time heir apparent Nikesh Arora.
SoftBank may announce deals within days of the fund’s first closing, one of the people said. The company has had preliminary discussions to make an investment in WeWork Cos., a New York-based startup for sharing office space, said the people, cautioning a deal may not be finalized. WeWork, with more than 140 locations around the world, was most recently valued at $16 billion.
SoftBank has also agreed to invest $1 billion into OneWeb Ltd., a startup based in Exploration Park, Florida that aims to provide internet connectivity from satellites. Son said Wednesday that the deal would go into the new fund.
“All the vision in the world is for naught when you don’t have finances,” said Satoru Kikuchi, an analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. “The fund is a great scheme, considering the limitations of SoftBank’s balance sheet. It could be much more than an investment vehicle, becoming an embodiment of Son’s philosophy.”
Son built his reputation making risky bets in telecommunications and technology. He bought the third-largest wireless operator in Japan, turning it into a fierce competitor for the market leaders. He also backed startups such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., putting an initial $20 million into the Chinese e-commerce company for a stake that exceeded $70 billion.
He is assembling the Vision Fund because he sees even greater opportunities ahead. He cited as examples the leaders of the so-called sharing economy, Uber Technologies Inc. and Airbnb Inc.
"Uber is redefining the transportation industry now; Airbnb is doing it to the hotel industry. You can expect that to happen in every single industry,” he said Wednesday. “There is a big bang coming and it’s too good of a chance to pass up. We need to be in a position to face it head on. SoftBank Vision Fund’s role is to get us there.”
Son’s focus may well be the U.S. after he met with President Donald Trump in December and pledged to create 50,000 new jobs by investing $50 billion in startups and new companies. He said OneWeb and Sprint will add about 8,000 jobs, contributing toward that goal.
Son hasn’t given many details on how the fund will be deployed, once it is raised. It is likely to be a mixture of many investments on the scale of OneWeb with a handful of very large deals. "This won’t be a typical fund,” he said. “Most of our investments will range between 20 and 40 percent, making us the largest shareholder and board member, in a position to discuss strategy with the founders.”

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Son has said that the ARM acquisition last year, his largest ever, is aimed at capitalizing on the Internet of Things, or the idea of integrating computer technologies into everything from refrigerators to roads and clothes. He also sees promise in bringing the internet to regions of the world that haven’t been connected yet. That was part of the attraction to OneWeb, which is aimed at using satellites to provide coverage in remote areas.
source: https://www.bloomberg.com

Wind Overtakes Coal Power in Europe as Turbines Head Offshore

Wind farm developers installed more power than any other form of energy last year in Europe, helping turbines to overtake coal in terms of capacity, industry figures show.
European wind power grew 8 percent, to 153.7 gigawatts, comprising 16.7 percent of installed capacity and overtaking coal as the continent’s second-biggest potential source of energy, according to figures published Thursday by the WindEurope trade group. Gas-fired generation retained the largest share of installed capacity.
With countries seeking to curb greenhouse gas emissions that causes climate change by replacing fossil fuel plants with new forms of renewable energy, investment in wind grew to a record 27.5 billion euros ($29.3 billion) in 2016, WindEurope’s annual European Statistics report showed.

“Wind and coal are on two ends of the spectrum,” said Oliver Joy, a spokesman for WindEurope, in an e-mail. “Wind is steadily adding new capacity while coal is decommissioning far more than any technology in Europe.”
The group underscored that wind, which only produces power intermittently, hasn’t yet overtaken coal share in total power generation.
European wind investment increased 5 percent in 2016 from a year earlier driven by the offshore segment that attracted 18.2 billion euros, the report said. That offset a 29 percent investment decline in the onshore market.
source :https://www.bloomberg.com

South Australia suffers another weather-induced blackout

South Australia was hit by a short power outage late on Wednesday as searing heat led to a spike in electricity use, just months after a major blackout hit industry and forced a review of energy security in the renewables-dependent state.Load-shedding, which began on Wednesday evening, lasted for about half an hour and affected around 40,000 people, the country's electricity market operator said in a statement, adding that it would investigate the issue.
"South Australia has been a basket case when it comes to energy policy," Federal Minister for the Environment and Energy Josh Frydenberg told Sky News. He added that the state's experiment into renewable energy had failed.
South Australia, which is heavily dependent on wind and solar energy, was crippled by several outages late last year, after heavy winds knocked out an interstate power connector and cut power to residents and industry.
BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam copper mine was left without power for two weeks, forcing the miner to cut output, while the future of Alcoa's Portland aluminum came under threat after the crippled plant had to scale down to a third of its production capacity.
Broader issues about the transition to renewable energy are being reviewed by Australia's federal and state governments. State energy supplier Electranet said it was looking at options for building high-voltage electricity interconnectors it could link with other states.
source: http://www.reuters.com

BRIEF-Surana Telecom & Power unit commissions commercial ops of solar power plant at Uttar Pradesh

* Unit Aryavaan Renewable Energy has successfully commissioned commercial operation of solar power plant at Uttar Pradesh
* Says for sale of power, the company has entered into long term PPA with Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL)
* Commissioning at a cost of 280 million rupees Source text: bit.ly/2k5Zvmd Further company
source: http://www.reuters.com

Bernreuter Research: Polysilicon imports foreshadow Chinese solar PV rally; Volumes even higher than a year ago

Shares of main polysilicon exporters into China 2012–2016. South Korea (blue) has overtaken the United States (black) as the largest polysilicon exporter to China. Source: Chinese customs statistics

Sharply increasing polysilicon imports into China foreshadow a new installation rally in the world’s largest photovoltaics (PV) market ahead of the feed-in tariff cut on July 1^st, 2017, according to Bernreuter Research (Wuerzburg, Germany).

“The upper part of the PV value chain obviously anticipates an installation rush that could be even stronger than what we saw in China in the first half of 2016,” says Johannes Bernreuter, head of the polysilicon market research firm and author of the Polysilicon Market Outlook 2020.

According to the Chinese customs statistics, polysilicon imports reached a new monthly record high of 14,449 metric tons (MT) in December 2016.

Data signal a strong polysilicon demand

The current trend resembles the development one year ago. Polysilicon imports into China jumped from a low of 7,504 MT in October 2015 to 10,028 MT in November 2015 – an increase of 33.6% – and further rose to a peak of 13,866 MT in March 2016.

The surge between October and November 2016 was even stronger: Polysilicon imports skyrocketed by 56.5% from 8,680 MT to 13,584 MT.

Part of this rapid increase can be explained as a reaction to the low domestic production volumes in September and October 2016, when many Chinese manufacturers shut down their polysilicon plants for maintenance in view of the collapsed spot price.

However, domestic production quickly recovered from 12,600 MT in October to a new high of 18,000 MT in December. Moreover, the international spot price average has steadily been rising from its historic low of 12.65 US$/kg in early October to more than 16 US$/kg now.

“These data signal a strong polysilicon demand,” says Bernreuter.

The main profiteers of the high import volumes are the three South Korean manufacturers OCI, Hankook Silicon and Hanwha Chemical. Within four years, the Korean share in total polysilicon imports into China has more than doubled from 24% in 2012 to 50% in 2016.

“OCI and Hankook have benefitted from low import duties of 2.4% and 2.8%, respectively, while U.S. manufacturers have effectively been shut out from the Chinese market by prohibitive duty rates of 53.6% to 57%,” explains Bernreuter.

However, the high Korean import volumes have prompted resistance from Chinese manufacturers. They accuse the Korean importers of a dumping margin of almost 34% and have applied for a mid-term review of the duty rates at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

On November 22^nd, 2016 the ministry announced that it had started the review.

“Chinese producers are now fueling speculation on higher duty rates for Korean imports in order to drive up the spot price,” says Bernreuter. He expects that the international spot price will climb towards US$ 17/kg in the first half of 2017 before it drops again. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Etrion connects first half of 9.5 MW Aomori solar PV project in Japan

Etrion reference solar PV plant

Etrion Corporation (Geneva, Switzerland), an independent solar power producer (IPP), on February 8^th, 2017 announced that the first two sites of the Aomori solar photovoltaic (PV) project totaling 5.3 MW have been connected to the grid and will start recognizing revenues following testing by the end of February 2017.

These first two sites, built by Hitachi High-Technologies, were completed on time and on budget. Aomori is a 9.5 MW utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power project with four sites in the Aomori prefecture of Japan.

The remaining two sites under construction are expected to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2017 as originally planned.

Each Aomori site has a twenty-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Tohoku Electric Power utility and will receive ¥36 per kilowatt-hour of solar power produced (approximately USD 0.35 per kWh).

Once fully operational, the Aomori solar PV project is expected to produce approximately 10.7 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of solar power. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Utility-scale PV in Australia: FRV’s 125 MW Lilyvale solar project secures PPA with Ergon Energy

 

Global utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) developer, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV, Madrid, Spain) on February 7^th, 2017 announced it has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Ergon Energy, the Queensland Government-owned electricity retailer, for the output from its proposed 100 MWac (125 MWdc) Lilyvale solar photovoltaic (PV) project.

The PPA, which will see Ergon Energy purchase 100 percent of the solar power and all large scale renewable energy certificates (LRECs) generated by the Lilyvale Solar Farm, will be effective once the solar facility begins operation – which is expected to be towards the end of 2018.

The PPA will run until the end of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) scheme in 2030.

The announcement is the third PPA FRV has signed in Australia within the last 12 months, following PPAs with Origin Energy for the Moree Solar Farm in NSW and the Clare Solar Farm, near Ayr in North Queensland.

The proposed Lilyvale solar farm is located 50 kilometres North East of Emerald in the Queensland Central Highlands region, known for its many coal mines and cattle farming industry.

The project’s location near to major existing network infrastructure makes it ideal for connecting the solar farm to the national electricity grid and it is expected to power approximately 45,000 homes. 

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Solar Power And Electric Vehicles To Halt Growth In Oil And Coal By 2020

The Tesla Motors "Gigafactory" in Nevada, will more than double global Li-ion battery production, one reason battery prices are falling so rapidly. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

After a terrible couple of years, this looks like a good time for the fossil fuels sector. Oil prices are on the up again, President Donald Trump promises to sweep away many of the restrictions the industry had imposed upon it during the Obama Administration, the former head of ExxonMobil is Secretary of State and there is even talk of watering down fuel economy requirements.
Trump has pushed through executive orders to revive the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines and he has even promised to revive the moribund US coal industry, causing shares in coal miners to soar. But a new report suggests that demand for coal and oil could peak by 2020 thanks to dramatic falls in the cost of solar power and electric vehicles.
The report, Expect the Unexpected: The Disruptive Power of Low-carbon Technology, co-authored by the Grantham Institute for the study of Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College, London and the Carbon Tracker Initiative, says that the big energy companies are seriously under-estimating the speed at which low-carbon technologies are advancing and they could be left with stranded assets unless they change their approach .
The growth in sales of electric vehicles could cut demand for oil by 2 million barrels per day as soon as 2025, the report says – the same amount that caused the oil price to collapse in 2014-15. The market for EVs is currently growing by 60% year-on-year and there are already more than 1 million on the roads. Battery costs fell by 73% to $268/kWh in the seven years to 2015 according to the US Department of Energy, and Tesla, the electric car maker, predicts they will reach $100/kWh by 2020.
Carbon Tracker says that EVs will be cheaper than conventional internal combustion engines from 2020 and could have a fifth of the road transport market by 2030. Add in growth in hydrogen cars and petrol/electric hybrids, and conventional ICEs could account for less than half the market. By 2050 EVs sales could hit 1.7 billion (69% of the market) while ICEs would make up just 12%.
This could displace 25m bpd of oil by 2050, in stark contrast to the continuous growth in oil demand the industry expects. BP’s 2017 outlook expects EVs to make up just 6% of the market in 2035.
 meanwhile, Carbon Tracker says that solar PV could supply almost a quarter (23%) of global power generation in 2040 and 29% by 2050, entirely phasing out coal and leaving natural gas with just a 1% market share. By contrast, ExxonMobil sees all renewables supplying just 11% of global power generation by 2040.
The cost of solar PV is 85% lower than it was seven years ago and the study suggests that it will become “materially cheaper than alternative power options globally” leading to the addition of more than 5000GW of capacity between 2030 and 2040. “In such a scenario of rapid change, the mass stranding of downstream fossil fuel assets is highly likely,” it says.
The report argues that the use of Business-As-Usual scenarios should be retired and that scenarios should now apply, as a minimum, the latest cost reduction projections for solar PV and EVs, along with emissions commitments nations have made in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Climate Agreement, to reflect the current state of the low-carbon transition.
“This new “starting point” scenario more accurately reflects the current state of play and finds that coal demand could peak in 2020 and fall to half of 2012 levels by 2050. Oil demand could be flat from 2020 to 2030 then fall steadily to 2050,” the report asserts. Most major oil and gas companies do not expect coal to peak before 2030 and none see peak oil demand occurring before 2040.
But Luke Sussams, senior researcher at Carbon Tracker, says: “Electric vehicles and solar power are game-changers that the fossil fuel industry consistently underestimates. Further innovation could make our scenarios look conservative in 5 years’ time, in which case the demand misread by companies will have been amplified even more.”
The report’s authors say that the speed of technological changes means that PV and electric vehicles could take 10% of fossil fuels’ market share within just 10 years. “This may not sound much but it can be the beginning of the end once demand starts to decline,” they write. “A 10% loss of power market share caused the collapse of the US coal mining industry and Europe’s five major utilities lost more than €100 billion in value from 2008 to 2013 because they were unprepared for an 8% growth in renewable power, of which solar PV was a big part.”
source: http://www.carbontracker.org