Iris Hellas-Φωτοβολταικά

Study: High-risk through water use in solar sector

PV Magazine — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 06:07:00 GMT

Market intelligence and consulting firm, Bridge to India has released a new report laying out the effects of solar PV deployment across India on regional water management. While the technology is often lauded for requiring little water compared to thermal energy generation (0.1 m³/MW against 2.2m³/ MW), Bridge to India says the former’s impact is exacerbated by the fact that solar plants are predominantly built in arid and remote regions.

In addition to the fact solar gravitates towards arid regions, as they promise higher irradiation levels, the market intelligence provider also found that India’s solar installations appear somewhat concentrated. As such, five states comprise 70% of the country’s installations, it says. For example, Karnataka accounts for 23% of solar installations, Telangana for 14% and Rajasthan for 12%, demonstrating the strong clustering of installations in these regions.

As water availability between, for example, Karnataka and Rajasthan varies greatly, so does the way solar O&M contractors handle water in these regions. While in Karnataka water is used more generously for module cleaning, contractors in Rajasthan are thriftier. Speaking with a range of O&M contractors from these regions, Bridge to India revealed that water use levels per module per cycle range between slightly above one liter, and can go as high as four liters.

According to the report, soiling effects can reduce a plant’s performance by as much as 3-6%, putting at risk the site’s economic viability. To reduce the effects to just 1% of operating assumptions, around two cleaning cycles per month are necessary to remove dust, dirt and bird droppings.

Resulting from this estimation, in conjunction with the installed capacity and knowledge of water availability in different states, the authors have mapped the state of water scarcity incurred by solar PV across India.

It estimates that 94% of India’s solar capacity is exposed to medium to high level water risk. Rajasthan, for example, is estimated to require 600,000 m³/year for module cleaning. The state is highly arid, and this water use reportedly further exacerbates the situation.

While Karnataka is located in a considerably more humid region than Rajasthan, the higher installation capacity here also requires more water use for cleaning. The 1,000,000 m³/year for module cleaning still places the state at medium to high risk, according to the scale established by Bridge to India.

Price hikes

Water scarcity in these regions has led to massive price hikes over the last years. In Rajasthan, prices for water have doubled over the last three to four years, due to rising demand. In Karnataka, meanwhile, water tariffs for industrial use reportedly multiplied 100 times in 2018.

Currently, the solar industry uses about 4,000,000 m³/year for 25 GW of installed solar capacity. However, India is on the path to increasing installations at a rate of about 10 GW per year. Bridge to India calculates that by the time the country has installed 65 GW, water consumption will have risen to 12,000,000 m³/year, which will further aggravate the problem.

Though solar PV is not the sole culprit here, the adverse effects for the industry are significant, as cleaning accounts for 26-35% of total O&M costs.

Resulting from the analysis, the authors elevate water mitigating cleaning solutions, such as robotic cleaning and anti-soiling coating to an imperative position. Reportedly, in India, around 3 GW of installations are eyeing various types of robotic cleaning, which is said to reduce water need by 50-100%.

By Bridge to India’s estimations, robot cleaning solutions would add around US$0.016/W, which translates into a CAPEX increase of 3%. This would be offset by virtue of a more stringent cleaning regime, however, resulting in 1-2% generation gains per year. The gain in conjunction with the reduced water use would result in amortization of the extra CAPEX in two to three years.

Anti-soiling coatings could pose a viable solution to the issue, according to the authors. Previously, “after-market” solutions have not received much popularity over concerns of assumed efficiency losses, and durability of the coating. Nowadays integrated solutions with a lifetime warranty are catching attention. Module costs could increase by around $0.005/W, and water consumption could be reduced by up to 35-50%. The authors highlight that there could be 1-2% increase of incremental power output depending on the location.

Proceedings available online for ISES Solar World Congress 2017 / IEA SHC Solar Heating and Cooling Conference 2017

ISES — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 06:36:00 GMT

The proceedings for the joint conference of the ISES Solar World Congress 2017 and the International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry are now available online.

The successful joint conference took place in Abu Dhabi during the week of 29 October – 2 November 2017 when nearly 500 renewable energy practitioners, researchers, project developers, academics, decision-makers and advocates representing 58 countries gathered to share the latest in technology advances, best practices, and case studies.

The proceedings of this exciting conference are now available online - they are open-access, uniquely searchable, each have their own DOI number and now are also part of ISES's proceedings database for all past conferences and events.

Find the proceedings here: SWC 2017/SHC 2017 Proceedings

India registered 21 GW installed solar capacity at the end of March

Photon Mag — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 07:27:00 GMT

A total of around 69,784 MW of renewable energy capacity has been installed in India as on March 31, 2018. This includes around 34,145 MW from wind, around 21,651 MW from solar, around 4,486 MW from small hydro power and around 9,502 MW from bio-power. These figures were provided by Shri R.K. Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Parliament of India).

In the financial year 2016-17 (April 1 to March 31), aggregate capacity of around 11,322 MW of renewable energy was installed in the country, and in FY 2017-18, aggregate capacity of around 11,887 MW was installed. »Thus, renewable energy installations in the country are progressively increasing and do not appear to be facing any major challenges at present,« says Singh. According to the minister, »the renewable energy sector in India is consistently growing and continues to remain attractive for investors from across the world.« Solar tariffs in India saw the lowest ever level of IND 2.44 ($0.035) per kWh in reverse auctions carried out by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) in May 2017, for 200 MW and again in July, 2018, for 600 MW.

The Government has set a target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by the year 2022 which includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from biomass and 5 GW from small hydro capacity. So far, 71.33 GW of renewable energy capacity has been installed in the country up to June 2018. To achieve the balance target of 103.67 GW, investment of around $76 billion has been estimated at present capital cost which includes $53.20 billion as debt and $22.80 billion as equity for the debt-equity ratio of 70:30 as per Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) norms.

Furthermore, the Indian Government has set a target of installing 40 GW of grid connected rooftop solar capacity in the country including Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) by the year 2022. As per the Delhi Solar Policy, 2016 notified by Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, the target has been set for installation of 1 GW of solar power by year 2020 and 2 GW of solar power by year 2025 in Delhi, said Minister Singh to a question in Lok Sabha (»House of the People«, the lower chamber of India's parliament).

Solar glass: European PV module manufacturers fear being “taken hostage”

PV Magazine — Sat, 21 Jul 2018 14:31:00 GMT

Currently, nearly all producers across the entire value chain find themselves facing fierce competition. In the face of massive overcapacity, and China’s announcement to slow down its PV market, prices have come under heavy pressure. Cutting costs and finding lucrative sales channels are, consequently, a must.

European producers in particular, have to go to great lengths to assert themselves in the market. And now they face another challenge: solar glass.

Tarrifs

Since 2014, the EU has imposed 80-100% tariffs on solar glass imports from China, to offset dumping and subsidies. These tariffs will be in force until at least mid-May 2019, and render solar glass from China economically uninteresting for European module makers. Now, a new anti-dumping proceeding against solar glass producers from Malaysia, is underway. The application was submitted by EU Prosun Glass.

Martin Holzbecher, Vice President of the association, confirmed to pv magazine that “massively ramped up imports from Malaysia to the EU at dumping prices” are the basis upon which the motion was filed. In his view, there are approximately 10 solar glass producers currently left in Europe.

Risk

However, module makers see the risk that Luxemburg-based Interfloat will build a monopoly through its solar glass making German subsidiary, GMB Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg GmbH. European manufacturers pointed out that the company is the last remaining solar glass producer that can deliver reliably.

Reportedly, Saint Gobain also produces solar glass intermittently, but is not as reliable. Meanwhile, Belgian-based solar glass producer, Ducatt had to declare bankruptcy in the wake of SolarWorld’s first insolvency in May 2017. If tariffs are now imposed on Malaysian solar glass, European module makers will be “taken hostage” by the remaining European companies, several module manufacturers told pv magazine.

They add that they do not see any alternatives to this scenario. Aside from GMB, only producers from China and Malaysia are currently capable of delivering solar glass of sufficient quality for mass production.

Interfloat declined to make a public statement on the allegations following a pv magazinerequest. Martin Holzbecher, who was an authorized signatory at GMB until August 2015, explains, “With 10 suppliers a monopoly situation is unlikely. The petition aims to eliminate unfair trade practices. Competitors should be playing on a level field again.”

Whether EU Prosun Glass will also file a motion to extend the existing tariffs on Chinese solar glass until after 2019, will not be decided before the end of the year.

However, the time is ticking for European manufacturers. Additionally, they claim to be disadvantaged by the fact that they have to pay tariffs on Chinese solar glass, but that such tariffs are not be imposed on Chinese module imports to the EU.

One of Germany’s biggest module manufacturers quantifies the pricing disadvantage, stating that this would cost between €1.40 and €1.50 per module, and thus between 0.5 and 0.75 euro cents per Watt. The CEO, who wishes to remain anonymous, explains further that he does not believe GMB will further increase its prices if anti-dumping tariffs against Malaysian solar glass are introduced.

He does, however, point out that the price gap is already very significant and that GMB quasi-obliges European module makers to make long-term commitments to GMB, as prices would be even higher otherwise.

Bernhard Weilharter, CEO of CS Wismar says, “Hitherto, we have omitted the use of glass from China because the punitive duties make its use uneconomical. Malaysia would have been an option – which we have not used so far – but is rendered moot now anyway.”

In general, he believes that the current legal framework is not very helpful for module makers in Europe. “The price gap between European and Asian producers has emerged largely from artificially expensive BOM (bill of materials). Due to the high degree of automation, the cost of labor does not have much of an impact on the module price.”

Looking at procurement costs of upstream products, Weilharter takes issue with the fact that the minimum import price of modules was reduced drastically, but remained high for cells. He talks specifically about polycrystalline PV modules. The minimum import price for modules has dropped by 13 euro cents per Watt over the last months. For cells, however, the minimum import price dropped by just 3 cents.

Against the backdrop of an internationally raging trade conflict, European module producers might face additional artificial price hikes. Import tariffs for aluminium and steel could also be raised, which would further increase the cost of modules.

Top 10 crystalline PV module manufacturer ranking

Pv Magazine — Sat, 21 Jul 2018 04:33:00 GMT

Record-breaking years seem to have become business as usual in the PV industry, and 2017 was no exception with global installations for the year brushing the 100 GW mark. Demand for new installations surpassed the expectations of most analysts, meaning supply conditions were tight across the supply chain, with prices even rising at some points during the year.

These conditions played into the hands of the biggest silicon module manufacturers, who after being rocked by oversupply conditions in 2016, were able to take advantage of stable prices and strong demand to improve their position, and plan major capacity expansions.

“The module market in 2017 worked to suppliers’ advantage,” comments Jade Jones, Senior Analyst, Solar Markets at GTM Research. “Strong demand in the China region, as well as Southeast Asian supply tightness due to the Section 201 threat [from the U.S.], allowed suppliers to capture healthy margins.”

The top 10

JinkoSolar maintained its place as the largest module manufacturer in 2017, producing just over 6.5 GW, an increase of more than 1 GW on the previous year. In spite of this increase, the company’s gross profit fell 22.7%, from CNY 3.87 billion ($583 million) to CNY 2.99 billion ($451 million). JinkoSolar cited lower module prices and higher material costs as the main reasons for this. “Our gross margin was 11.3% for the year, compared to 18.1% in 2016, partially as a result of increased collaboration with OEM partners to meet surging market demand, especially in the first half of 2017, and higher raw material costs,” states JinkoSolar CEO, Kangping Chen, commenting on the company’s 2017 financial results.

For the most part, 2017 was a stable year for the largest five manufacturers. While Jinko and other top-tier manufacturers were able to absorb these lower margins without too much trouble, there were casualties at the other end of the table. Yingli Green Energy hung on in ninth place, managing to ship more than 3 GW in full year 2017. In spite of this, the company posted a net loss of $510 million, and total liabilities of $3.2 billion. While it has persuaded many of these creditors to wait for the time being, Yingli’s 2017 financial reporting came with a notice stating, “Given the Company’s financial position, substantial doubt exists as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”

Technology trends

Having entered the ranking in ninth place last year, Longi Solar was able to climb all the way to fifth. As the company only produces mono c-Si products, this could be seen as a sign of market preference for the technology, which has quickly gained market share in recent years. Mono c-Si is strongly preferred in China’s Top Runner Program, and economies of scale achieved through this have allowed mono manufacturers to close the price gap.

“Mono’s market share will approach 50% this year,” says Corrine Lin. “But since the price gap between multi and mono is still too large, some non-Chinese demand has returned to mono c-Si modules recently.”

Also on the technology front in 2017, manufacturers focused on reducing cell-to-module losses. This meant that half-cut cell technology achieved a particularly fast ramp-up. And other module level innovations are still waiting in the wings, such as bifacial; five, six, or multi-busbar modules; as well as shingled modules.

“Although most of these technologies have been known for years, it has not been until recently that they have started to become mainstream and evolve into mass production,” says Karl Melkonyan. “In the next three years, both bifacial and half-cell modules have a chance to gain a significant share of the total module market, combined with new cell technologies, like passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) or n-type technologies including heterojunction (HJT) and interdigitated back contact (IBC).

And there is no sign of PV manufacturers’ push for higher efficiency solar modules ending any time soon. “Demand for higher efficiency products keeps increasing year-over-year despite the relatively higher manufacturing costs and prices of high efficiency modules,” continues Melkonyan. “In addition to policy drivers, such as the Chinese Top Runner Program, high efficiency products are also required for most of the residential and small commercial segments in premium markets such as Japan, the United States, as well as many European countries.”

The driving force

China, of course, is the leading player here both in terms of supply and demand. “In 2017 China reached its peak in global market share accounting for around 53%,” explains Karl Melkonyan, Senior Analyst, Solar Demand at IHS Markit. “Module manufacturers continued expansions in the country, bringing online nearly 10 GW of additional capacity during 2017.”

The 2017 installation boom in China led to supply shortages further up the supply chain, which in turn kept prices stable and capacities expanding. “In 2017, demand in China was much higher than module manufacturers anticipated, so there were a lot of capacity additions announced across the entire supply chain,” explains independent analyst Corrine Lin. “Chinese manufacturers were not ready for this boom. In Q2 and Q3 there were shortages further up the supply chain in polysilicon, wafer, and other module materials.”

Chinese installations were led by a rush to meet the June 30 cut-off date to receive the 2017 FIT rates. Unlike the previous year, when the same cut-off date caused a drop off in demand, and a major oversupply situation, 2017 installations continued into the second half of the year. China’s distributed generation segment also received a major kick-start in 2017, growing 255% over the previous year to install around 15 GW in the first three quarters alone, according to figures from Asia Europe Clean Energy Associates (AECEA).

Despite the tight supply conditions, China’s manufacturers were able to keep pace with this increase in demand, “During Q1 to Q3 2017, China achieved exceptionally high growth rates in terms of production output along its upstream supply chain. “According to the China PV Industry Association, module output increased 43%,” states AECEA’s September 2017 briefing paper. “[This suggests] that approximately 80% of domestic module output stays within China.”

USA

Though demand from China is the biggest factor in global module supply-demand stability, major events in other markets still played a significant role. The threat of tariffs served to shape demand in the U.S. over the year.

Since January 2018, a 30% tariff has been placed on crystalline silicon PV imports to the U.S., with a 2.5 GW exemption for cell imports. Anticipating this announcement, project developers began hoarding modules in the second half of 2017, further compounding the already tight supply conditions.

This exemption for cell imports has already spurred the announcement of several new module facilities in the U.S., and still leaves room for more. “The current 2.5 GW quota in place is enough for the current domestic suppliers without internal cell capacity,” explains Jade Jones. “It also leaves room for U.S. producers to expand module capacity or for foreign firms to build small module fabs in the next four years, with imported cells typically around 500 MW per year.”

Hanwha Q Cells recently announced plans for a 1.6 GW module facility in Georgia, to open in 2019 – which would be the largest such facility in the U.S. Earlier in the year, JinkoSolar announced that it would be opening a new 400 MW factory in Jacksonville, Florida; LG Electronics has plans for a 500 MW high efficiency line in Alabama; and several expansions have been announced by domestic U.S. producers including Mission Solar and SolarTech Universal. pv magazine estimates that around 4 GW of new module capacity has been announced for the U.S. since January.

“The 201 tariffs have had a couple of main effects: There has been more investment in U.S. manufacturing, mostly by foreign companies. Most of this investment wouldn’t have been possible without the threat or the imposition of tariffs,” says Jones.

Jones also points out that the recent acquisition of SolarWorld USA by SunPower likely would not have happened without the tariff announcement, and that, although module prices in 2018 are tumbling in the wake of China’s May 31 announcement, trade tariffs will prevent the U.S. seeing such low prices. “The Section 201 tariffs have given a lifeline to SolarWorld USA, one of the Section 201 petitioners. The company was acquired by SunPower, conveniently after SolarWorld backed SunPower’s IBC product exemption from 201 tariffs. They also place a fundamental floor on how low module prices can fall in the U.S. Module prices will fall in response to industry oversupply, but prices in the U.S. will continue to be the highest in the world.”

India

Though now firmly established as a solar world leader, and set to overtake the U.S. to become the world’s second-largest market in the near future – IHS Markit forecasts India to be responsible for 11% of solar demand by 2021, from its current level of 8% – India has remained well behind the East Asia region in terms of manufacturing.

“There was some capacity growth in India, from small additions (e.g. BHEL’s 200 MW cell and module ramp) to larger gigawatt expansions like that of Adani,” continues Jade Jones. “While many major Chinese suppliers have previously expressed interest in expanding manufacturing in the region, most held off in 2017.”

Given its huge appetite for solar, and the recent trade issues that have slowed its growth somewhat, most analysts expect Indian module manufacturing to ramp up over the coming years. This will most likely be led by the established Chinese manufacturers spreading their activities further afield.

“India’s domestic production capacity is not enough, and the market has had problems with trade war,” says Corrine Lin. “I think building a module manufacturing group is important. Chinese manufacturers will want to open factories, or start further cooperation with local producers.”

Indian manufacturer Adani announced plans to increase its capacity from 1.2 to
2 GW earlier this year, and leading mono c-Si producer Longi announced plans in early 2018 for 2 GW of new manufacturing capacity in India.

“Longi is making modest capacity investments in select markets to hedge against the risks of trade protectionism, while remaining focused on the Chinese domestic market,” stated Wenxue Li, President of Longi Solar, announcing the plan for production in India. “According to preliminary estimates, the new expansion will support $380 million in annual sales and roughly $19 million in net profit every year.”

Taiwan

Though they still have some advantages in terms of their reputation for quality, Taiwan’s cell and module makers have struggled to keep up with the price reductions achieved over in mainland China.

Previously a major exporter of high efficiency cells, Taiwanese companies have had to change strategy in order to survive. This change is evidenced in the upcoming merger between three of Taiwan’s largest PV manufacturers, Neo Solar Power, Gintech, and Solartech, to form a new company under the name United Renewable Energy Company (UREC).

This new company, along with other Taiwanese manufacturers, is expected to focus on its own domestic market, where significant solar ambitions combined with a lack of suitable land for project development likely mean high efficiency modules can be sold at higher prices. “The establishment of UREC will allow Taiwan’s solar cell industry to get rid of its role as foundries and further urge the green energy industry to root and grow strongly in Taiwan,” reads an October press release announcing the planned merger.

https://16iwyl195vvfgoqu3136p2ly-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/07023_Top_10-solar_module_manufacturers_20171-page-001.jpg

Tariffs in Greece’s PV tender hit €62.97 per MWh

PV Magazine — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 17:31:00 GMT

The winner in the first of a series of renewable energy auctions that will take place in Greece as part of its renewable energy plan, is the European Union’s policy.

It is the bloc that insisted on EU members’ auctioning renewable energy capacity above 500 KW; and Greece, which adopted the new policy belatedly and rather reluctantly, today bears the fruits.

Monday’s solar PV auction was split in two categories: The first concerned projects larger than 500 KW and up to 1 MW of capacity; and the second, projects larger than 1 MW and up to 20 MW of capacity.

Successful bidding prices in the first category ranged from €75.87 per MWh up to €80 per MWh, with the tender awarding a total of 53.48 MW of PV capacity across 83 projects.

The second auction category reduced the price for the generated power from sun in Greece further, with the lowest successful bid coming in at €62.97 per MWh, and the highest, €71 per MWh. Overall, the second category awarded a total 52.92 MW of new solar PV capacity over eight projects.

There was also a third auction category concerning wind energy projects. Overall, 170.92 MW of new wind power capacity was awarded across seven projects. The lowest successful bid in this category was €68.18 per MWh.

Winning projects

In more detail, the first auction category, comprising PV projects up to 1 MW, was dominated by Greek firm, Egnatia Energia. Egnatia Energia won around 34 MW of capacity across 46 projects, out of a total 53.48 MW awarded.

All but two of Egnatia’s successful bids were awarded a comparatively high tariff of €79 per MWh. The remaining two projects, meanwhile, saw tariffs of €77 and €76 per MWh, respectively.

In the second solar PV tender category, out of a total of eight projects, Germany’s ABO won five, worth around 45 MW of capacity, out of a total 52.92 MW been awarded.

ABO’s involvement is the reason Greece’s tender produced its lower bidding prices. The company can secure financing abroad, with low interest rates, and then invest in Greece.

Specifically, the tariffs for ABO’s winning bids ranged between €62.97 and €62.99 per MWh. The tariffs for the remaining three successful bids, which didn’t involve ABO, came in at €67.06, €69 and €71 per MWh, respectively.

The bidding price caps in the tender’s first and second categories were €85 per MWh and €80 per MWh, respectively.

Mixed feelings

Overall, Monday’s solar PV tender generated mixed feelings.

The tender was a success in that it produced lower prices than those seen in the pilot tender in December 2016.

It can also be considered a success when compared to the high feed-in tariff rates being awarded in Greece a few years ago (and which the government then retroactively cut).

However, the tender has failed to attract the stunning prices seen elsewhere around the globe recently. This is not strange given the country has been battered by an economic and political crisis for almost a decade, while the current government came close to leaving the European Union three years ago.

Even today, three years after the so-called Grexit crisis, Greece’s government still restricts the flow of capital.

Red tape

Under these circumstances, Greece has only one way forward now: To ensure red tape is restricted, so investors can quickly gather all the necessary documentation, so they can participate in the next tenders; and attract as many foreign investors as possible, allowing the new tenders to lower the bidding prices even further.

In September, the Greek regulator will announce the details of the next renewable energy tender, which is expected to take place by the end of the year. The required level of participation in the tender, set by the regulator, should remain the same.

The country’s forthcoming auctions should see lower bids than the ones experienced this week, to reflect the level of cost reductions seen elsewhere in the world. This won’t be possible via local financing alone.

Η επίσημη λίστα με τους επιλεγέντες και απορριφθέντες συμμετέχοντες στους διαγωνισμούς ΑΠΕ

Global solar investment drops due to low project costs, China policy change

PV Magazine — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 17:18:00 GMT

Wind and energy smart technologies, like electric vehicles and batteries are attracting increasing shares of the clean energy investment pie, with wind snapping up US$57.2 billion of the $138.2 billion invested in 1H 2018 – a 33% increase on the previous year – and energy smart technologies receiving $5.2 billion, up 64%.

While solar’s share is still substantial, at $71.6 billion, it saw investment fall 19% YoY, due to both “significantly” lower capital PV project costs, which result in less cash spent per MW installed; and China’s reductions to its PV feed-in tariffs and capacity allowances.

Out of the top 10 top investments, solar comprised the second largest – $881 million in debt for the 110 MW EIG Atacama 1STEG plant in Chile – and the second last – $112 million in VC- Series B / Second round to scale C&I finance solutions.

The China effect

Looking at China specifically, which accounts for the largest share of solar investments, finances dropped 29% from 1H 2017, to $35.1 billion. The second half of this year is expected to show the full effects of the decision, however, which include new global capacity additions falling for the first time in solar’s record.

Pietro Radoia, senior solar analyst at BNEF, commented, “It [the policy change] will also mean overcapacity in solar manufacturing globally, and yet steeper price falls.

“Before the Chinese announcement our team was already expecting a 27% fall in PV module prices this year. Now we have revised that to a 34% drop, to an end-2018 global average of 24.4 U.S. cents per watt.”

He added to pv magazine, “We anticipate a 22% PV supply glut even after polysilicon producers reduce their utilization rates and possibly halt of some less competitive capacity due to the sluggish demand.”

Regarding projects, Radoia told pv magazine that BNEF has seen project developers postponing and renegotiating their contracts, on the back of expectations that module prices will fall further.

“We heard of developers locking into $0.27/W module contracts for delivery in 3Q and 4Q in India and EU even before the policy headwinds in China. 4Q 2018 might turn out to be a hot market in terms of contract negotiations,” he said.

Overall, clean energy investment slipped 1% in the first six months of 2018, compared to the previous year, Q2 saw figures rise 8% to $76.7 billion. The top five investors, by country, were: China, the U.S., Europe, India and Australia.

Image

IRENA: EU can increase the share of renewables in its energy mix up to 34 percent by 2030

IRENA — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 07:20:00 GMT

For more than two decades, the European Union (EU) has been at the forefront of global renewable energy deployment. The adoption of long-term targets and supporting policy measures has resulted in strong growth in renewable energy deployment across the region, from a 9% share in gross final energy consumption in 2005 to 16.7% in 2015.

The REmap study by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), prepared in co-operation with the European Commission, identifies cost-effective renewable energy options for all EU Member States, spanning a wide range of sectors and technologies.

Key findings:

The EU could double the renewable share in its energy mix, cost effectively, from 17% in 2015 to 34% in 2030.
All EU countries have cost-effective potential to use more renewables.
Renewables are vital for long-term decarbonisation of the EU energy system.
The European electricity sector can accommodate large shares of solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power generation.
Heating and cooling solutions account for more than one third of the EU’s untapped renewable energy potential.
All renewable transport option, including both electric vehicles and biofuels, are needed to realise long-term EU decarbonisation objectives.
Biomass will remain a key renewable energy source beyond 2030.

Tapping the additional renewable energy potentials identified in the study would propel the EU further on a decarbonisation pathway compatible with the ‘well-below’ 2°C objective established in the Paris Agreement. The importance of both an EU-wide target and national-level commitments are critical, as is the faster deployment of renewables, feasible with today’s technology. Finally, substantial socio-economic and environmental benefits across the EU would be garnered from additional renewables deployment.

The study forms part of IRENA’s global REmap analysis, which sets out a practical roadmap for doubling renewables in the global energy mix.

https://irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2018/Feb/IRENA_REmap_EU_2018.pdf

Ενεργειακές Κοινότητες,NetMetering

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 07:53:00 GMT

Υπερψηφίστηκε επί της αρχής το ν/σ για ενεργειακές κοινότητες

Σχέδιο Νόμου μετά την ψήφιση των άρθρων

Τροπολογία 1444/167 16.1.2018 για την επέκταση του net metering στις υπόλοιπες τεχνολογίες ΑΠΕ

Irena: Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2017

IRENA — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 07:32:00 GMT

Broadly, the study finds:

Renewable power generation costs continue to fall and are already very competitive to meet needs for new capacity.
Competitive procurement – including auctions – accounts for a small fraction of global renewable energy deployment. Yet these mechanisms are very rapidly driving down costs in new markets..
Global competition is helping to spread the best project development practices, reducing technology and project risk and making renewables more cost-competitive than ever before.
In developed countries, solar power has become cheaper than new nuclear power.
The levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from solar photovoltaics (PV) decreased by 69% between 2010 and 2016 – coming well into the cost range of fossil fuels.
Onshore wind, whose costs fell 18% in the same period, provides very competitive electricity, with projects routinely commissioned nowadays at USD 0.04/kWh.
As installation accelerates, the cost equation for renewables just gets better and better. With every doubling of cumulative installed capacity for onshore wind, investment costs drop by 9% while the resulting electricity becomes 15% cheaper.
Solar PV module costs have fallen by about four-fifths, making residential solar PV systems as much as two-thirds cheaper than in 2010.

The IRENA Renewable Cost Database includes 15000 data points for LCOE from projects around the globe, representing over 1000 gigawatss (GW) of power generation capacity. An additional auctions database encompasses over 7,000 projects with nearly 300 GW of capacity.

Download report

China’s capacity additions approach 50 GW mark in 2017

PV Magazine — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 08:47:00 GMT

The country’s cumulative total represents a year-on-year increase of about 67%, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said in an online statement this week The figures indicate that around 23.97 GW of solar was completed from July to the end of November 2017, bringing total capacity additions for the first 11 months of the year to about 48.4 GW.

PV projects throughout the country generated a record 106.9 billion kWh of electricity in the January-November period, up 72% year on year, the NEA said. Utility-scale PV projects generated about 93.2 billion kWh of electricity, while distributed-generation solar installations produced 13.7 billion kWh.

The NEA noted that distributed-generation PV development expanded significantly in the first 11 months of 2017, with 17.2 GW of new capacity additions. The pace of deployment fell in the northwestern part of the country, where the curtailment of PV projects remains a problem, the government agency said. However, it claimed that deployment continued to rise in eastern and central China throughout the first 11 months of the year. It also said that it was satisfied by progress under its Top Runner program, as it has contributed to technological advancements and cost reductions.

In August, the NEA said that China had installed 24.4 GW of solar in the first six months of 2017. More recently, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) estimated that Chinese PV developers had completed roughly 43 GW of PV capacity in the nine months to the end of September.

In December, the Chinese government revealed its new feed-in tariffs (FIT) for different kinds of solar projects, effective from the beginning of this month.

India’s impressive solar achievements in 2017

PV Magazine — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 08:43:00 GMT

A capacity addition of 27.07 GW of renewable energy has been reported in India during last three and a half years, including 12.87 GW of solar, 11.07 GW of wind, 0.59 GW of small hydro and 0.79 GW of biomass.

In particular, the solar sector is on an exponential growth path, with PV installs reaching over 16.6 GW, including 863.92 MW from solar roof top projects.

The government has set an ambitious target of achieving 40% cumulative electric power through renewable energy sources by 2030, and an installation of 175 GW of renewable energy source by 2022 (predominantly solar and wind).

To achieve this, the government has enacted a number of measures, and is playing an active role in promoting them. These include generation-based incentives, capital and interest subsidies, viability gap funding, concessional finance and fiscal incentives.

Major installation programs for solar parks, solar roof top systems and solar pumps, among others, have also been launched in past two years.

Increasing demand

As the economy is prospering, the country’s energy demand is increasing. Out of the total power generation capacity installed – 331.95 GW – renewable energy contributes to around 60.98 GW.

A milestone, India recorded its biggest ever PV power capacity addition of 5525.98 MW in 2017, of which solar rooftops contributed 1.7 GW.

If realized, the 10 GW target set for 2017-2018 will take cumulative capacity over 20 GW by March 31, 2018 (financial year end).

As of December 2017, 23.65 GW had been tendered, out of which letters of intent for 19.34 GW have been issued.

Around 35 solar parks totaling 20 GW have been approved in 21 states. The target under the country”s Development of Solar Parks and Ultra-Mega Solar Power Projects scheme has also been increased to 40 GW, from 20 GW.

The Kurnool solar park in Andhra Pradesh emerged as the world’s largest, with the commissioning of 1 GW of capacity at a single location.

The competitive solar market also saw a decline in solar PV tariffs, to lowest level of INR 2.44 ($0.04)/kWh. The tariff increased slightly after that in other auctions, but stayed under INR 5 ($0.08)/kWh in 2017.

Furthermore, India has installed 63 solar micro grids totaling 1.89 MW under the country’s Solar Off-Grid and Decentralized Applications program. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has provided financial support for up to 30% of the costs of micro/mini-grids systems for installation in rural areas.

In the PV rooftop arena, 1.76 GW of capacity has been approved, with around 863.92 MW installed.

The government has taken many steps to boost PV rooftop installations. For example, in 2017, it unveiled its rent a roof policy, under which solar developers install PV arrays on rented roof space, and then offer leases to households to feed solar power to grid.

Concessional loans up to $1375 million have further been made available for PV rooftop projects. These loans have been offered from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the New Development Bank, and made available to the State Bank of India, the Punjab National Bank and the Canara Bank.

Overall in 2017, India achieved new milestones and a concrete footing for the further development of its renewable energy sector. If the momentum continues, it will easily achieve its goals.

Information about household energy prices in European Union

Eurostat — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 11:55:00 GMT

Across the EU Member States, the highest increase in household electricity prices in national currency between the first half of 2016 and the first half of 2017 was registered by far in Cyprus (+22.0%), followed by Greece (+12.8%), Belgium (+10.0%), Poland (+6.9%), Sweden (+5.5%) and Spain (+5.1%). In contrast, the most noticeable decreases were observed in Italy (-11.2%), Croatia (-10.2%) and Lithuania (-9.3%), well ahead of Luxembourg (-4.9%), Austria (-4.1%), Romania (-4.0%) and the Netherlands (-3.6%).

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/8489679/8-29112017-AP-EN.pdf/600c794f-c0d8-4b33-b6d9-69e0489409b7

Australia hits 1GW in 2017 as small-scale records tumble

PVTECH — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 11:33:00 GMT

https://www.pv-tech.org/images/made/assets/images/editorial/Screen_Shot_2017-12-11_at_14.51.20_750_415_s.png

Australia has commissioned 1GW of solar this calendar year in its quickest ever time, according to analysis from consultancy firm SunWiz, while multiple other small-scale PV records have been broken.

Data shows 893MW of sub-100kW PV commissioned in 2017 so far with an expected 1.05GW by the end of the year. Meanwhile, more than 114MW of systems over 100kW have already been commissioned in 2017. Combined these figures tally to more than 1GW by the end of November. This means Australia is “certain” to exceed its previous best of 1.058GW in 2012, said SunWiz.

A record amount of C&I rooftop solar has been installed, with 285MW by November and this already surpasses the previous best of 228MW of 2016.

The country has also seen the record number of sub-100kW solar systems registered in a month, with 122MW of STCs in November alone.

New South Wales saw its largest ever amount of PV registered in any month, while the average size of sub-100kW systems in Australia has grown to 6.7kW, which SunWiz said indicates the increasing proportion of commercial solar in the mix – yet another record.

Other records included:

Proportion by volume of system in the 75-100kW range
Commercial system sizes in every sub-range

To finish it all off, Australia has also seen the world's largest battery installed in record time.

Italy installed 323 MW of solar in first nine months of 2017

PV Magazine — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 07:07:00 GMT

Italy saw the addition of 323 MW of new PV systems in the first nine months of 2017, according to provisional numbers released by the Italian renewable energy association Anie Rinnovabili, which relies on data provided by the country’s grid operator Terna.

This result represents a 13% growth compared to the same period in 2016 and a 31% increase from the first nine months of 2015. In the third quarter of this year, new additions totaled 89.9 MW, up 6% from the same quarter of 2016.

In September, approximately 32.2 MW of new PV systems were connected to the grid in Italy, up from 26.3 MW in August.

September’s result still gives the category for PV plants over 1 MW the largest share in this year’s ranking with around 66.9 MW of newly installed power, followed by PV systems with a capacity between 4.5 kW and 6 kW (47.4 MW), PV systems ranging in size from 20 kW to 100 kW (44.9 MW), solar installations with a power of 10 kW to 20 KW (42.1 MW) and solar power generators with a capacity between 100 kW and 200 kW (32.5 MW).

The region with the largest share so far this year is Lazio, where several new large-scale PV plants are located, with 81.4 MW, followed by Lombardia (41.9 MW), Veneto (30.5 MW) and Emilia Romagna (30.5 MW).

According to the latest official statistic released by the energy agency Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE), Italy had approximately 19.28 GW of installed PV capacity at the end of 2016. This means that the country should have reached approximately 19.6 GW of installed solar capacity at the end of September.

India has installed 810 MW rooftop solar to date

PV Magazine — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 07:06:00 GMT

The committee shared the rooftop status and initiatives at the meeting of Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament for Ministry of Power and New & Renewable Energy, chaired by MNRE minister RK Singh held in Guwahati on October 31.

About 810 MW of solar rooftop systems had been installed as of October 31, and 2,363 MW aggregate capacity have been sanctioned in the country so far. The installations came in residential, industrial, commercial and institutional sectors.

The government has targeted to install 5 GW of grid-connected solar rooftops by 2017-18. However, the current installations stand approximately 83% behind the target.

The committee has proposed a new rooftop scheme considering the poor performance in this sector, which aims at removing the existing operational difficulties.

The Government of India had pledged to install 40 GW grid-connected solar rooftops by 2022, and in revision, it has scaled-up the budget from INR 6 billion ($93 million) during the 12th Five Year Plan to INR 50 billion ($773 million) to be installed up to 2019-20. This will provide financial assistance for the installation of about 4200 MW solar rooftops in the country (2100 MW with subsidy and 2100 MW without subsidy)”.

The government also provided a 30% subsidy for the residential and institutional (hospitals, educational institutions etc.) rooftop sectors. However, still it is seriously behind the target values, and it asked to revise the rooftop targets.

Therefore, earlier in July, the standing committee on Energy gave a serious viewpoint on the Ministry’s 40 GW of grid-connected rooftop solar PV projects. The group concluded to reconsider the target, conduct public awareness programs, simplify the process of subsidy distribution, mandate compulsory roof-top solar on new buildings, and adopt a single window clearance system for approvals like connectivity, net-metering, electricity inspection, limitation in sanctioned load, etc.

They also singled out the net-metering policy as the key driver for solar roof-top systems, as it reduces aggregated technical and commercial (AT&C) losses and needs for large tracts of land. It even helps DISCOMs to avoid buying expensive peak power. Therefore, the concept of cross-subsidy should be reconsidered so that net-metering for all users will make more financial sense, clear installation guidelines, and proper implementation training of DISCOM’s staff should be devised.

However, it is still in discussion, and there is no decision on target revision yet. It seems government is ambitious about the target, and would implement new schemes to raise the rooftop sector in India.

Solar fastest growing energy source in 2016, finds latest IEA report

PV Magazine — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 16:32:00 GMT

The Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) has today published a new report that states solar PV was the world’s fastest-growing energy source in 2016.

Regularly criticized for its conservative estimates on renewable energy deployment and forecasted growth, the IEA has, in its Renewables 2017 report, suggested that renewable energy can reach 1,000 GW globally by 2022 – equalling half of the world’s current coal power capacity and doing so in a vastly shorter timescale.

The report found that solar PV capacity grew by 50% in 2016, driven by sustained growth in China, the U.S. and India. Based on this strong performance, the IEA has raised its renewables forecast for 2017 by 12% on last year. “What we are witnessing is the birth of a new era in solar PV,” said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. “We expect that solar PV capacity growth will be higher than any other renewable technology through 2022.”

The IEA expects China, the U.S. and India to continue dominating the renewables landscape, and forecasts that two-thirds of all new renewable capacity through 2022 will be installed in these three nations. By 2022, installed renewable electricity will reach more than 8,000 terawatt hours, the IEA said – the equivalent of the power consumption of China, India and Germany combined.

This growth will mean that renewables meet 30% of the world’s power needs by 2022, up from 24% in 2016. “The growth in renewable generation will be twice as large as that of gas and coal combined,” said the report. However, despite the IEA suggesting that renewables will continue to close the generation gap with coal by half in five years, many climate experts still feel that the IEA continues to underestimate renewables’ potential.

“2016 was another record high year of renewable installs and unexpectedly large renewable energy cost deflation, again highlighting the IEA’s continued underestimation of both these two trends driving the increasingly global market transformation,” said Tim Buckley, director of energy finance studies at IEEFA, an Australian energy analyst.

Paolo Frankl, the IEA’s head of renewable energy, warned that despite the tumbling costs of solar and wind power, there remains a risk that record-low prices could prove off-putting for developers, and thus the IEA continues to err on the side of caution.

“Renewables may well become even cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives over the next five years,” Frankl said. “However, be careful because this does not automatically mean they are competitive and investment will flow. That depends on the risk of investment and whether remuneration flows make a project bankable or not.”

On the same day of the report’s publication, France’s EDF was part of a consortium that won a tender in Saudi Arabia to develop a solar project for just $0.0178/kWh – by far the lowest price ever seen for PV. A further six bids accepted were all under $0.03/kWh for solar, suggesting that there remains strong appetite to develop PV as cheaply as possible, provided the conditions are suitable.

India, China and the U.S.

The contrasting fortunes of the three largest solar markets – Japan being edged from the top table by India this year – highlight how the solar industry ebbs and flows. The IEA report found that China accounted for almost half of 2016’s global solar PV expansion, with data showing a similar story this year. China’s solar thirst is driven by concerns about air pollution and capacity targets set out in the country’s 13th five-year plan to 2020. Grid integration remains a key challenge for China, the IEA added.

India’s eye-catching growth is spurred by the National Solar Mission, which has targeted a goal of 100 GW of solar by 2022. “India’s move to address the financial health of its utilities and tackle grid-integration issues drive a more optimistic forecast,” said the IEA. “By 2022, India’s renewable capacity will more than double. This growth is enough to overtake renewable expansion in the EU for the first time.”

In the U.S., current political uncertainty stemming from the Suniva Section 201 case could, the IEA said, alter the economic attractiveness of renewables, thus hampering growth out to 2022. Frankl, though, believes that the vastly reduced cost of solar and wind will likely limit the impact wrought by President Trump. “There is a risk that the U.S. ITC imposes tariffs on imports of Chinese solar panels,” Frankl said. “But at the moment our forecast remains strong.”

https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2017/october/solar-pv-grew-faster-than-any-other-fuel-in-2016-opening-a-new-era-for-solar-pow.html

http://www.iea.org/renewables/

India H1 solar installs surpass last year’s 12 month total, finds Mercom report

PV Magazine — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 06:24:00 GMT

India’s soaring solar sector has seen more than 4.8 GW of new capacity installed in the first six months of 2017 alone – already outstripping the 4,038 MW record of 2016, reports Mercom Capital Group.

The analysts expect India to add some 10,500 MW of solar in 2017, but warns that uncertainty over the Goods and Services Tax (GST) could see growth slow in 2018. “We have reduced the 2018 forecast by approximately 15% due to uncertainty surrounding GST rates, which has resulted in a slowdown in tenders and auctions,” said the Mercom Capital Report.

Solar modules are to attract a GST rate of 5%, but the government has flip-flopped over the tax rate for other solar components, initially stating that the 5% GST would apply to all solar-related products, but since stating that rates of either 18% or 28% would likely be levied. This means that many balance of systems (BOS) components such as inverters, storage and cabling could now attract the higher rate.

These additional costs, allied to the government’s inconsistency, have shaken confidence among investors – something that has been noted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), which is putting pressure on the finance ministry to levelized the 5% GST for all solar equipment.

“Government agencies have created an environment of chaos and uncertainty surrounding these rates,” stated the Mercom Capital report. “It has brought auction and PPA signing activities to a standstill as nobody wants to move forward without knowing what the GST rates are going to be.”

The report also warns that record-low prices could also put the brakes on solar growth in 2018, with some developers adopting a wait-and-see approach as they hold back investment in the hope of achieving lower tariffs. This trend has already led to the cancellation, postponement and re-tendering of some solar capacity. According to the report, close to 1 GW of tenders were cancelled between April and June.

http://irishellas.com

Lithium-ion predicted to dominate even in ‘longer duration’ global market

Energy Storage News — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 06:22:00 GMT

There is a global trend towards longer duration energy storage and even in this segment, lithium-ion batteries are expected to dominate the market over flow batteries and other technologies, an I.H.S Markit analyst has told Energy-Storage.News.

The research firm issued its bi-annual Grid-Connected Energy Storage Tracker to its clients at the end of July, predicting the rise of grid-connected systems from an installed base of less than 4GW today to hit 52GW by 2025.

The company found that 1.3GW was deployed worldwide in 2016, expected to rise by 2020 to 4.7GW and then 8.8GW by 2025, corresponding to annual revenues of US$1.5 billion rising to US$7 billion in that time, a compound annual growth rate of 16%.

Leading regional markets

I.H.S Markit identified three leading regions that are driving forward in energy storage deployment fastest: California, where subsidies such as the SGIP (Self-Generation Incentive Program) and a mandate for investor-owned utilities to procure 1.35GW of energy storage, coupled with a corresponding growth in PV and other distributed energy technologies have lead the way; South Korea, where utilities, many government-owned, have been procuring large-scale frequency regulation projects directly and are moving on to renewables-integration projects, with I.H.S expecting more than 300MW annual growth from 2018 onwards; the much-talked about Australian market, where high electricity costs and relatively low grid reliability have pushed the solar PV market forward and energy storage is now following, with large-scale storage tenders and high profile projects such as Tesla’s in South Australia and Lyon Group’s 640MWh tender.

By country, six leaders were picked out for now and for the near future: the US, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Australia and the UK. The former will enjoy compound annual growth rates of 21% between 2017 and 2025, with 1.2GW of grid-connected systems forecast to be deployed in 2020.

Technology trending towards long(er) duration energy storage

In general terms, after a recent period of growth in single-application energy storage deployments, from frequency regulation and other grid-balancing and ancillary services markets to self-consumption of solar PV generation, I.H.S is expecting to see an increase in uptake of solar-plus-storage projects and utility deployment of dispatchable resources to meet capacity requirements.

One knock-on effect of this increase in dispatchable solar PV, in particular, will be a rise in the duration requirements of energy storage plants.

“At the moment it’s mainly around somewhere between 2-6 hours, that’s where a lot of growth is going to be,” Jansen said.

“It’s interesting because in the past we’ve attributed that opportunity specifically to non-lithium-ion technologies. But what we’ve seen over the past year or so is that for four hour systems, lithium-ion is becoming competitive.”

The tracker refers to a 70% drop in lithium battery prices since 2012, predicting that sub-US$200/kWh systems will be on the market by 2019. This price drop, coupled with some recent real-world examples of lithium being used for capacity projects with longer durations, mean that while flow batteries and other long duration energy storage technologies might seem the natural fit for such projects, in practise, lithium-ion will likely continue to dominate. Jansen gave the example of the Aliso Canyon procurements in the US, where several energy storage projects have been deployed to help deal with capacity shortfall and energy security issues. As Jansen pointed out, the majority of those projects sit in the four-hour duration segment of the market.

These peaking capacity projects “showed lithium-ion can be active in that type of segment”, Jansen said. Meanwhile, other installations and tenders in locations like Hawaii and Australia point in a similar direction, with dispatchable solar enabled by utility-scale battery energy storage in various projects.

“In a sense, that scale of project is something that flow batteries and other technologies haven’t achieved yet. So if you can prove that the four-hour systems there are working well and competitively, then it points in the direction that in the long term, lithium-ion will also in that four hour segment be the dominant technology – that’s what we’re forecasting,” Jansen said.

Energy-Storage.News asked if this was a quirk of the market – whether better informed customers might take more time in choosing between lithium-ion and other alternatives, especially when flow battery makers have long touted the suitability of their systems to provide much longer durations of energy storage than even four hours, at a theoretically lower cost over the lifetime of the systems. One CEO of a flow energy storage manufacturer, Scott McGregor of RedT, even said recently that the optimum installations would be hybrids that combine the power capabilities of lithium with the energy capacity of redox flow.

“I think the main thing at the moment is that it’s more competitive on price,” Jansen said of lithium's dominance.

“If you actually look at some of the earlier barriers for storage development, let’s say even [for] lithium-ion, a lot of the problems were companies not being bankable, warranties not being guaranteed.

“The only technology at the moment moving into a space where you’re able to get secure funding, bankable projects because you have big companies behind it, you’re starting to have warranties and actually re-insurance of warranties. The only technology that can currently achieve that is lithium-ion.

“So if you’re an investor, or project developer or even a utility that’s going to buy the electricity, you’ll want a guarantee that you’ll get 20 years of electricity at that price, the likelihood is that you’re going to go for a proven lithium-ion battery manufacturer and a proven integrator who ideally have a big company behind them rather than going for a start-up style flow battery company that has been struggling for the past five years to get projects and get anyone to insure the system.”

Ultimately, Jansen said, it was likely to be natural that investors and utilities would be somewhat risk-averse in taking on new technologies and suppliers and would see lithium-ion as a relatively safe choice.

Spain’s auction allocates 3.5 GW of PV capacity

PV Magazine — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 05:59:00 GMT

Around 3,516 MW of solar projects were selected in Spain’s renewable energy auction for large-scale solar and wind power plants held by the Spanish Ministry of Energy, Tourism and the Digital Agenda.

According to provisional data provided to pv magazine by Elisa Noli, the spokeswoman of Spanish solar association UNEF, the share of wind power, which is traditionally Spain’s largest renewable energy source, was just 720 MW.

Cobra, a unit of Spanish industrial group ACS, achieved the largest share of PV with 1.55 GW of assigned projects, followed by X-Elio (455 MW), Endesa (338 MW), Forestalia (316 MW), Gas Natural Fenosa (250 MW), Solaria Energía (250 MW), Prodiel (182 MW), Greenalia (133 MW) Alter (50 MW), Gestamp Wind (24 MW) and Alten (13 MW). Projects selected in the auction must begin delivering power to the country’s grid on Jan. 1, 2020. More details about the auction will likely be provided by the ministry tomorrow.

Overall, the Spanish government has allocated around 4.22 GW through the auction, although it was originally planned to assign 3 GW of contracts. This was due to the auction’s bidding rules, which allow for an increase in allocated capacity in the case of bids being tied between developers. However, this must not come at an additional cost for the government.

“This is an historical day for the PV sector,” commented UNEF president Jorge Barredo. “PV has obtained this result thanks to the high levels of competitiveness that its technology has reached. Not only solar energy is a key ally against climate change, but it also contributes to reduced power prices for consumers. For this reason, the result of today’s auction is very important.”

Unlike the previous 3 GW auction, which was held in May and had unfavorable rules for PV that made wind prevail in the case of a tie between the bids, this auction has made possible the contracting of PV power projects as the Spanish government accepted to raise the maximum discount that can be offered by project developers for both wind and solar projects. As a result, PV has likely won more projects in the latest auction due to the fact that the discounts haven’t reached the maximum allowable value.

In May’s auction, which was the first of its kind for renewable energies in Spain, 99% of the allocated capacity was for wind power projects.

Iris Hellas

EC proposes new minimum import price scheme for Chinese PV

Renewables Now — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 14:42:00 GMT

The European Commission (EC) has arrived at a new mechanism for setting the minimum price for solar imports from China through September 2018, and has proposed separate rates for mono- and multi-crystalline cells and modules.

Taking into account feedback from interested parties, the EC has accepted the fact that the current minimum import price (MIP) for photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, adjusted quarterly, is no longer adequate. The new measure of choice is a variable duty MIP, distinguishing between mono- and multi-crystalline products, according to a statement on Wednesday.

The commission is proposing starting rates, which will be gradually converging to current solar prices, based on data by Taiwanese market intelligence agency PV Insights. The EC noted that most of the interested parties that helped in its review have mentioned PV Insights as a reliable source of price statistics, with SolarWorld (ETR:SWV) being an exception.

The table shows the proposed starting MIPs for separate products in a draft released by the EC. The level for the quarter to September 2018 corresponds to global prices in the first quarter of 2017.

Rates in EUR/W

to Sept ‘17 Q4‘17 Q1‘18 Q2 ‘18 Q3 ‘18

multi-crystalline modules 0.415 0.394 0.372 0.351 0.330

mono-crystalline modules 0.463 0.442 0.421 0.400 0.380

SolarPower Europe on Thursday attacked the proposal, saying that the MIP level proposed for July 2018 is still well above today's world market prices. It is not happy with the full time lag of 18 months for reaching the "true market price of solar" in Europe, said Christian Westermeier, president of the trade group.

According to the EC, the aggressive drop in solar prices could not be sustained for much longer. It expects that prices in September 2018 would not be significantly lower than currently, but will still provide some residual protection to the solar industry in the EU.

“[..] the mechanism allows the convergence towards world market prices in a relatively short timeframe,” the EC states in the proposal.

SolarPower Europe’s Westermeier further warns that the new MIP plan could slow all solar investment in Europe, as developers could be tempted to delay projects until the end of the measures.

Netherlands to extend net metering to 2023

pv Magazine — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 08:19:00 GMT

The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Henk Kamp has announced that the net metering scheme for residential renewable energy power generators will likely be extended to 2023.

In a letter sent to the local Parliament, the minister has submitted a possible route towards stimulation of residential solar in the Netherlands beyond 2020-2023, which is based on a study conducted by the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Ministerie van Economische Zaken).

The study has provided five different scenarios for the future of net metering, and is intended to showcase the effects these would eventually have on tax income levels for the state budget, long-term sustainability of a new scheme, and the relative impact on possible residential market development in years to come.

One of the authors of the report, Marc Londo, who is professor at the University of Utrecht, a senior consultant at ECN Policy Studies and a substantive strategist at the NVDE (the Dutch Association for Renewable Energy), told pv magazinethat in all the scenarios presented by the study, self-consumption will remain permitted, and that a new cabinet, which is currently being formed following the elections that were held in mid-March, will have to decide which option to choose among the five alternatives proposed by the research institute.

Under a first scenario (A), which will maintain the current situation and full net metering policy, electricity that is fed into the grid and consumed at a latter stage has the same value, equal to the full consumer price. This means that it does not matter whether electricity is self-consumed directly or first fed into the grid: both have the same value. A second scenario (A1) would allow the maintaining of net billing on the fiscal part of the power price but would allow utilities to pay a price lower than the retail price for electricity fed into the grid, with the the market authority allowing this buy-back price to be 70% of the utility’s retail price.

Under a third scenario (B), the fiscal net metering would be limited to a certain percentage of all electricity fed into the grid and consumed in a later stage. Above this limitation, the value of the produced electricity is only the buy-back price of the utility.

Under a fourth scenario (C), net metering would be fully abolished, both in the utility’s price and in the fiscal part. Instead, the PV owner gets a governmental buy-back subsidy on top of the utility’s buy-back price. A final scenario (D) would envisage that net metering would also be fully abolished, but that the PV owner would get an investment subsidy.

“Net metering will be maintained until 2023,” said Marc Londo, “but thereafter scenarios C and D seem to be the most appropriate instruments to provide a stable incentive for solar-PV in households, balancing the various interests that are at stake.”

According to Peter Segaar, owner of solar website www.polderpv.nl and analyst of Dutch solar market trends, the scheme, in its basic principles, would remain the same as the original mechanism introduced in the new Electricity Law introduced in July 2004. “It is important to keep in mind,” Segaar told pv magazine, “that on average, taxation income by the Dutch State involves over 70% of the variable kWh price in residential contracts (excluding the fixed grid costs for customers with a small grid connection, and also the yearly, fixed energy tax return provided by the Ministry of Finance). This is the main reason why, with the strong residential market (already over 1 GW of capacity by the end of 2015, and this year approaching a level of 1.5 GW), net metering has become a political issue in the public discussions.”

According to official statistics released by the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), approximately 1,051 MW of the 1,515 MW of PV power connected to the grid in the country at the end of 2015 consists of residential PV capacity, 69% of total accumulated market volume. “The exact volume of non-residential net-metering solar installations, however, remains unknown,” explained Segaar.

Other provisional figures released by the CBS in May of this year confirm that Netherlands solar market had its largest growth last year, and that it hit the 2 GW milestone at the end of December.

Newly installed PV capacity for 2016 was approximately 525 MW. This compares to 477 MW in 2015, 302 MW in 2014 and 377 MW in 2013. Cumulative PV capacity installed at the end of December 2016 reached 2,040 MW.

China added 24 GW PV capacity in H1 2017

Photon Mag — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 08:14:00 GMT

China added in the first half of 2017 PV capacity of about 24.4 GW, an increase of 9 percent year over year, according to the consultancy Asia Europe Clean Energy (Solar) Advisory Co. Ltd. (AECEA), citing the China PV Industry Association (CPIA). During Q2 2017 approximately 17.19 GW were added, in June alone 13.15 GW. During H1 2017 cell production output increased by 28 percent compared to the first half of previous year, reaching 32 GW, whereas module output increased by 25.9 percent reaching 34 GW.

Total installed solar PV power generation capacity amounts to 101.82 GW, made up of 84.39 GW (utility-scale) and 14.73 GW (distributed) solar PV. As of today, China is just approximately 3 GW away from its 13th Five-Year-Plan (2016-2020) target of 105 GW, says the consultancy.

http://www.aecea.com.de/mediapool/134/1345433/data/2016_04_10_China_Briefing_Paper_Solar_Market_Development_Frank_Haugwitz_AECEA.pdf

Indian rooftop solar market growing at over 80% annually

BRIDGE TO INDIA — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 14:07:00 GMT

BRIDGE TO INDIA has released its latest edition of the India Solar Rooftop Map report. As per the report, India added 678 MW of rooftop solar capacity in FY 2016-17, growing at 81% Y-o-Y. Total installed rooftop solar capacity reached 1.4 GW as of March 2017. Strong market fundamentals including falling costs and improving debt financing mean that the market will continue strong growth trajectory for many years to come.

• Commercial and industrial customers (C&I) remains the biggest market segment as economic viability is most pronounced for such customers;

• OPEX model has been gaining market share, doubling from 12% in FY 2014-15 to 24% last year and large public sector procurement programs will drive further growth in this market in the next few years;

• Yearly capacity addition is expected to scale up to over 2 GW by 2019 and over 3 GW by 2020 presenting attractive growth opportunities for all market participants;

With 65% of total installed capacity, C&I remains the biggest market segment. These consumers account for more than 50% of India’s total power demand and make savings of up to 50% through rooftop solar systems as their grid tariffs are typically between INR 7-10 (US₵ 11-16)/ kWh. Public sector segment is also expected to show robust growth in the coming years because of a strong government push combined with 25-30% capital subsidy. In contrast, the residential segment is expected to grow relatively slowly because of poor economic viability and lack of financing solutions.

OPEX (or BOOT) business model, where a third-party investor owns and builds the system under a long-term PPA with the site occupant, saw new capacity addition of 162 MW in FY 2016-17, accounting for 24% of total market (up from 12% in FY 2014-15 and 19% in FY 2015-16). This market is fairly consolidated as access to capital remains tight and on-the-ground execution is challenging. Top five developers account for over 60% market share - CleanMax Solar (24%), Cleantech Solar (12%), Azure Power (11%), Amplus Solar (8%) and Rattan India (5%). Going forward, we believe that this model will continue to grow but will be increasingly driven by tender-based public sector projects.

As seen previously, EPC for rooftop solar continues to be highly fragmented with over 1,000 registered installers and 35 largest players accounting for less than 35% market share. Only three companies have more than 2% market share - Tata Power Solar (6.4%), Sure Energy (2.5%) and Fourth Partner (2.2%).

In the inverter market, just two companies account for over 60% market share - Delta Electronics (36%) and SMA (including Zever Solar, 25%). ABB, KACO and Fronius are other noteworthy suppliers with about 5-6% market share each. An increasing market share for ABB and entry of companies such as SolarEdge and Huawei may result in minor changes in the leaderboard in future.

Overall, we believe that rooftop solar market in India is beginning to realize its potential. Annual market size greater than 1 GW in the current year will be an important milestone for the market. We expect India to build a total rooftop solar capacity of 13.2 GW by 2021.

Brazil to surpass 13GW of solar under government’s 10-year forecast

PVTECH — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 13:26:00 GMT

Brazil has released its long-awaited 10-Year Energy Expansion Plan proposition, PDE 2026, projecting the country to reach more than 13GW of solar PV deployment by 2026.

Brazil’s energy agency EPE and the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) unveiled the draft, which is up for public consultation until 6 August.

There was no PDE publication last year due to changes in both the government and EPE. The industry has been in great anticipation of the government energy projections given that they direct how much capacity will be procured in forthcoming renewable energy auctions and other related policies.

Ultimately, EPE expects non-hydro renewables to reach up to 48% of the energy mix by 2026.

Under a reference scenario, the new PDE plans for large-scale solar to reach 9,660MW by 2026, up from just 21MW in 2016. Combining this 9,660MW with the deployment of 3.5GW of distributed generation PV, the overall installations for solar would surpass 13GW by 2026.

Previous PDE’s had projected just 7GW overall by 2024, so the new plan delivers a more positive outlook for the sector, Rodrigo Sauaia, president of Brazilian solar association, ABsolar, told PV Tech.

However, rather than the 13GW of government projections, ABsolar is still recommending that the target be 14GW of utility-scale PV, plus the additional capacity of up to a million distributed generation PV systems.

The new PDE also includes different projections under various scenarios for the first time. For example, under a scenario of significant reduction in investment costs for solar in the coming years, the government nearly doubles its annual deployment expectations from 1GW to 1,877MW from the year 2023 onwards. This change would bring additions of large-scale PV to a huge 10.5GW just between the years 2020 to 2026.

As PV tech has already outlined, Brazil is expected to surpass 1GW of installations this year. PDE 2026 also projects the country to reach more than 2GW by the end of 2018.

Sauaia said: “This would really put Brazil on the map in terms of being one of the strongest emerging markets in the world for solar energy.

“There was a lot of uncertainty and tension in the air regarding this document, and the results so far seem positive for the solar sector. They are not exactly what the sector expected, but Brazil is also facing a complex macroeconomic scenario, which affects all electricity sources. But what we see very clearly is that this coming decade will be the decade whereby PV will be ramped up in the Brazilian electricity mix.”

Sauaia also said the PDE offers more clarity in the medium term by setting the annual additions figures at a steady 1GW, which will benefit the PV supply chain. However, he again cited ABsolar’s preferred goal of 2GW of additions per year instead of 1GW. Actual solar additions will depend on policy, regulations, taxation, financing availability and electricity prices in Brazil, he added.

Discovering the third generation of bioplastics

NanoWerk — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:44:00 GMT

The ongoing revolution in packaging is the use of 100% organic materials obtained from the leftovers of agricultural production. An expert from the Italian National Research Council (CNR) says that in the early 2020s these bioplastics may become as competitive as traditional ones, even if not suitable for all uses.

What if we could turn the waste from the world’s crops into a biomaterial suitable for packaging? This is not science fiction. Today plastics can be made with the waste from tomato production, for example. Or with the unused organic elements of coffee, spinach or cauliflower plants. In this way, oil derivatives and other first-generation organic polymers can be replaced by renewable and sustainable 100% organic raw materials.

These bio-materials are being studied by the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) based in Genoa, Italy. “The main advantage is their biodegradability, in addition to the opportunity offered to stimulate the process of a circular economy,” explains Giovanni Perotto, researcher at the Smart Materials lab of IIT. “One possible result could be a shopping bag similar to traditional polyethylene ones, but which is organic and sustainable. If we think about it, it does not make sense today to use plastic that lasts for millennia for a product we use for only five minutes”.

The innovation doesn’t involve producing a completely organic polymer, but rather to use materials that would otherwise be wasted. “This is the third generation of bioplastics,” says Mario Malinconico, research director of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and scientific coordinator of the association Assobioplastiche. “We are talking about a kind of production that has not yet become an industrial reality, but for which we already have a lot of prototypes. Wherever there is an agri-food chain with a large amount of process waste, the production of polymers could possibly be introduced.”

But how can these materials become competitive? “To analyse this, it is necessary to evaluate the whole lifecycle, from raw material flows to management costs, taking into account the additional recycling and decontamination issues associated with traditional plastics,” continues Malinconico.

Although bioplastic still costs 50% more to produce, two main factors will narrow the gap with traditional plastic: firstly, economies of scale once large plants for organic polymeric packaging and the associated logistics chains are set up; and secondly, regulations on non-degradable plastics will be increasingly stringent at a time when oil extraction costs go up year-on-year.

According to Malinconico, “the cost differential will ultimately be cancelled out, and biodegradable polymers could overtake traditional plastic in a few years, probably in the early 2020s”.

But which features do these 100% bioplastic prototypes have? Observing closely, one first notices their delicate smell, which is the perfume of the plant from which the material has been obtained.

“The process we have implemented at IIT is completely water-based,” explains Perotto, “And it takes up to half a day. After optimising the process, it will take just a few hours from waste organic material to obtain the bioplastic.” One of the added values of this process is the sustainability of the production, which is not always taken for granted when dealing with organic materials.

The durability of these plastics can be extended to a few months or even years if they are put in a drawer. However, they degrade in a few weeks in the soil or in the sea.

The first and most simple application remains non-food packaging, since a little more research needs to be done to verify food safety.

At present, regulations are less stringent when food is not involved. Moreover, these bioplastics are edible and can be cooked, but they cannot be used at high temperatures, for example as baking paper or for hot beverages.

In this context, at the 2017 global food innovation summit Seeds & Chips, held in Milan, the Italian company Metalvuoto (SAES group) presented an active packaging able to extend shelf lifeand avoid the use of preservatives.

A water-based layer, applied on the plastic surfaces of fresh food packaging, is capable of absorbing gases and substances that can quickly deteriorate foods. “New packaging must above all be safe and environmentally friendly,” claims managing director Stefano Tominetti, “But it must also have high performance and be lightweight in order to reduce logistical costs. It is thus possible to pass on significant benefits to consumers, distributors and even to the environment”.

With the high standards required by the food packaging industry, the most likely scenario will be the coexistence of different types of plastics in the next years. In particular, traditional plastics will still be more suitable in those cases where compostability is not a fundamental feature, such as packaging for reuse or recycle, and in high-temperature environments.

Source: Bioeconomy Awareness and Discourse Project

Air Pollution Casts Shadow over Solar Energy Production

Photon Mag — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 08:32:00 GMT

Global solar energy production is taking a major hit due to air pollution and dust.

According to a new study, airborne particles and their accumulation on solar cells are cutting energy output by more than 25 percent in certain parts of the world. The regions hardest hit are also those investing the most in solar energy installations: China, India and the Arabian Peninsula.

The study appears online June 23 in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

"My colleagues in India were showing off some of their rooftop solar installations, and I was blown away by how dirty the panels were," said Michael Bergin, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke University and lead author of the study. "I thought the dirt had to affect their efficiencies, but there weren't any studies out there estimating the losses. So we put together a comprehensive model to do just that."

With colleagues at the Indian Institute of Technology-Gandhinagar and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Bergin measured the decrease in solar energy gathered by the IITGN's solar panels as they became dirtier over time. The data showed a 50-percent jump in efficiency each time the panels were cleaned after being left alone for several weeks.

The researchers also sampled the grime to analyze its composition, revealing that 92 percent was dust while the remaining fraction was composed of carbon and ion pollutants from human activity. While this may sound like a small amount, light is blocked more efficiently by smaller man-made particles than by natural dust. As a result, the human contributions to energy loss are much greater than those from dust, making the two sources roughly equal antagonists in this case.

"The manmade particles are also small and sticky, making them much more difficult to clean off," said Bergin. "You might think you could just clean the solar panels more often, but the more you clean them, the higher your risk of damaging them."

Having previously analyzed pollutants discoloring India's Taj Mahal, Bergin already had a good idea of how these different particles react to sunlight. Using his earlier work as a base, he created an equation that accurately estimates the amount of sunlight blocked by different compositions of solar panel dust and pollution buildup.

But grimy buildup on solar panels isn't the only thing blocking sunlight—the ambient particles in the air also have a screening effect.

For that half of the sun-blocking equation, Bergin turned to Drew Shindell, professor of climate sciences at Duke and an expert in using the NASA GISS Global Climate Model.

Because the climate model already accounts for the amount of the sun's energy blocked by different types of airborne particles, it was not a stretch to estimate the particles' effects on solar energy. The NASA model also estimates the amount of particulate matter deposited on surfaces worldwide, providing a basis for Bergin's equation to calculate how much sunlight would be blocked by accumulated dust and pollution.

The resulting calculations estimate the total loss of solar energy production in every part of the world. While the United States has relatively little migratory dust, more arid regions such as the Arabian Peninsula, Northern India and Eastern China are looking at heavy losses -- 17 to 25 percent or more, assuming monthly cleanings. If cleanings take place every two months, those numbers jump to 25 or 35 percent.

There are, of course, multiple variables that affect solar power production both on a local and regional level. For example, a large construction zone can cause a swift buildup of dust on a nearby solar array.

The Arabian Peninsula loses much more solar power to dust than it does manmade pollutants, Bergin said. But the reverse is true for regions of China, and regions of India are not far behind.

"China is already looking at tens of billions of dollars being lost each year, with more than 80 percent of that coming from losses due to pollution," said Bergin. "With the explosion of renewables taking place in China and their recent commitment to expanding their solar power capacity, that number is only going to go up."

"We always knew these pollutants were bad for human health and climate change, but now we've shown how bad they are for solar energy as well," continued Bergin. "It's yet another reason for policymakers worldwide to adopt emissions controls."

This work was supported by the US Agency for International Development and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at Duke University.

"Large reductions in solar energy production due to dust and particulate air pollution," Mike Bergin, Chinmay Ghoroi, Deepa Dixit, Jamie Schauer, Drew Shindell. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, June 26, 2017. DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.7b00197

http://pratt.duke.edu/about/news/solar-pollution

New market for solar modules: Double yields from fields

PVEurope — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 08:32:00 GMT

In 2016, the cultivated land surrounding the agriculture community of Heggelbach near Lake Constance was turned into the first test site for agrivoltaics. A total of 194 kilowatts of solar panels were installed five metres off the ground. Bifacial solar panels by Solarworld were used. The structural elements were manufactured by the Austrian supplier Hilber Solar. 95 percent of the land underneath the solar array can be put to agricultural uses. The solar panel array is 25 metres wide and 136 metres long. The project was planned by Baywa r.e. and they also take care of monitoring operations.

So it took 35 years for an old idea by Adolf Goetzberger to be implemented. In a presentation back in 1981, Goetzberger had preached his vision of getting twice the energy out of farmland: both in the form of solar energy and as food.

A vision has become real

This vision has now at last been realised. In Heggelbach, the struts of the supporting structure are spaced far enough apart that agricultural machinery such as tractors and combine harvesters can easily pass between them. “This way, we can alleviate the use conflict for a given piece of land,” Tabea Obergfell explains. She has been a research associate at the Fraunhofer ISE for the last five years, prior to which she studied in Tübingen and Kassel. She is a member of the project team that seized upon Goetzenberger’s idea and turned it into a reality. “This allows farmers to lower their energy costs. They can even sell the electricity to their neighbours.”

Although this pilot installation is located at Lake Constance, the actual market is far further south: “The solar panels partially shade the ground,” Obergfell elucidates. “And in some arid and hot regions, this is what will make agriculture viable.”

Prevent further desertification

Large areas of the world are threatened by aridification and the salinisation of the soil that goes along with it. Climate change is exacerbating this effect; deserts are spreading. Many high-yield crops cannot be cultivated under the bright sun in the latitudes between 35 degrees north and 35 degrees south. Only millet will grow, and sparsely at that. Without irrigation, the soil is almost barren, which explains the chronic food shortage in many areas of the world. “We can use the power from the solar panels to run irrigation pumps,” Tabea Obergfell adds.

In the hot and dry areas of the world, also known as semi-arid or arid, electricity mostly means one thing: water. And water means agriculture, or in other words: life. The Heggelbach installation is not the first attempt to combine solar energy and agriculture. In France, 50 kilowatts have been installed as a test, in Italy as much as three megawatts. China has as much as 700 megawatts’ worth of such installations, Chile 15 kilowatts and Japan 50 kilowatts. Some of these systems are designed chiefly for greenhouses or non-mechanically harvested crops. Huawei in China has mounted their panels at three metres off the ground. In Italy, some arrays are mounted on heliostats.

Testing under real-life conditions

What all of the above projects are not, however, is accompanied by scientifically rigorous research. “The installation near Lake Constance will be closely monitored and evaluated both from the farming side and with an eye to the solar technology,” Obergfell predicts. “We are testing the solar installation under the real-life conditions of a Demeter-certified farm.”

Prior to the installation of the arrays, extensive simulations were undertaken to determine the most practical shading of the ground. Assuming a panel array of 100 by 100 metres, the scientists simulated various panel orientations, different substructures and distances between the panel rows. “If the arrays are oriented due south, the shading on the ground is unevenly distributed,” Tabea Obergfell explains. “If oriented towards the southwest, i.e. turned by 45 degrees, the irradiation is more even and thus much better for the crops.”

However, in this case the panels generate about five percent less electricity. “We see that as rather negligible.” The key was to find a good compromise: the happy medium between a solar park without agriculture and a farm without a photovoltaics.

Potatoes like the shade

But first results from the trials near Lake Constance are already indicating that these are two sides of the same coin. For instance, if one defines the spacing of the panel rows according to the amount of light that reaches the ground, 2.8 panel widths have proven effective. “This allows 60 percent of the light to come through,” Obergfell analyses.

In our latitudes, this powerful combination of PV and agriculture is most suitable for crops that thrive in shade. Potatoes are very suitable, while on the other hand rape seed requires more sun and is thus less well-suited. Maize also requires a lot of direct sunlight to ripen and does not get along well with PV. “The greatest challenge for farmers is to establish the crop rotation that brings the highest yields,” Obergfell says.

The Heggelbach installation covers about a third of a hectare. The panels are installed at a height of 5.5 metres. Because they are mounted overhead, glass-glass panels were used. Glass-foil panels are not approved for such an application.

The supports are spaced 19 metres apart, enough space for a combine harvester to pass through. The installation’s total output is 250 kilowatts. Of course, the costs for such a complicated substructure are much higher than for a standard solar park. Furthermore, the installation requires a long cable to the grid-connection point. Tabea Obergfell confirms: “That is why the costs are adding up to 3,400 euros per kilowatt.”

50 gigawatts in Germany

3,400 euros per kilowatt. When PV got going 20 years ago, the kilowatt cost more than 6,000 euros. On the other hand, agrivoltaics is a huge market for: In Germany alone there would be enough potential agricultural land for 50 gigawatts in solar output. In contrast to solar parks, this land could still be used for agriculture.

Currently, there is no feed-in tariff for these solar yields, because farmland is not covered by the Renewable Energy Law (EEG). Also, fields lose their EU subsidies, if they are put to use for PV. But there is one decisive advantage that will soon outweigh all these difficulties: By making the diesel generators used for electricity generation obsolete, the solar electricity is already economical.

The electric tractor

Agrivoltaics provides a charging point anywhere on the field, no matter how extensive it might be. Fully electric tractors and combine harvesters will be on the market very soon. John Deere, for example, are already working on this.

In combination with large batteries, solar energy will be able to be tapped anywhere and at any time. And: The shade that the arrays provide will be what will actually make agriculture feasible in many parts of the world. A vision even older than Adolf Goetzberger’s suggestion from 1981 is becoming possible: Bringing new life to the desert. (Heiko Schwarzburger)

France adds 78 MW of PV capacity in Q1 2017

PV Magazine — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 06:26:00 GMT

France had reached a cumulative installed PV capacity of 7,220 MW at the end of the first quarter of 2017, according to the latest statistics released by the Ministry of Energy, Ecology and Sustainable Development.

In the first quarter, 3,883 new PV systems totaling 78 MW were connected. For comparison, in the first quarter of 2016 the country saw the addition of around 183 MW of installed PV power. This latest quarter’s result is also down from 105 MW registered at the end of 2016.

Of the new capacity recorded in the first quarter of this year, 3 MW came in the form of PV systems up to 3 kW, while another 37 MW comes from PV installations exceeding 250 kW in size.

Commenting on this considerable drop in new installations, the head of French solar association SER-SOLER Xavier Daval explained to pv magazine that, for most tenders, the delay between bid-allocation and construction is generally two years, and that, prior to the tender CRE-4 (for PV projects exceeding 500 kW), France was having one big tender every 20 months with this big-swing effect on connection. Before CRE-4, the French government had closed the CRE-2 in April 2014 (with limit of construction 1/4 of 2016), while the CRE-3 was held December 2016 with connection deadline set for December 2018.

Of the current cumulative capacity, 6,853 MW is located in the French mainland, while the remaining 367 MW is installed in France’s overseas territories. Around 767 MW of all the cumulative power is represented by small PV systems not exceeding 3 kW.

Another 3,654 MW comes from installations exceeding 250 kW of power, while PV systems with a power range between 100 kW and 250 kW reach a total of 1,027 MW. Installations ranging in size from 3 kW to 100 kW account for the remaining capacity.

The French mainland’s regions with the highest amount of installed solar power are Nouvelle Aquitanie (1,753 MW), Occitanie (1,495 MW), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (951 MW) and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (718 MW).

Among France’s overseas territories, La Réunion had the largest share with 181 MW, followed by Guadeloupe (67 MW), Martinique (63 MW), Guyane (42 MW), and Mayotte (13 MW).

Taiwan confirms plan to reach 20 GW of cumulative solar by 2025

PV Magazine — Thu, 18 May 2017 07:08:00 GMT

Taiwan’s Bureau of Energy (BOE), part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA), has confirmed its plans to increase the country’s installed PV capacity from approximately 1.34 GW currently to 20 GW by 2025. Taiwan’s previous solar strategy targeted a cumulative capacity of 8.7 GW by 2030.

According to a press release from BOE, the solar strategy announced last summer will now be implemented thanks to an overall investment of NT$ 992.8 billion ($32.9 billion). As intermediate solar targets the government has set around 1.52 GW of cumulative solar by the end of 2018 and 6.5 GW by 2020.

The new plan is expected to help the country increase the share of renewables in its electricity mix from around 4.8% currently to 20% by 2025, while the share of coal is planned to be reduced from 45.5% to 30%. Of the planned cumulative 20 GW, 17 GW is expected to come from ground-mounted projects, while the remaining 3 GW is forecast to come in the form of rooftop PV installations.

According to the the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power System Programme (IEA PVPS), Taiwan installed 368 MW of new PV systems in 2016.

In a report released in November 2016, market research company EnergyTrend said the country will have to install about 2-3 GW per year from 2018 to hit 20 GW by 2025, noting that issues related to financing and the acquisition of land as well as grid and transmission constraints threaten to cap Taipei‘s ambitions.

The government will offer even more attractive rates for distributed-generation projects in remote areas, EnergyTrend said, noting that such policies will significantly boost rooftop build-out through 2018.

Additionally, EnergyTrend found that the island‘s PV module production capacity, which at the time stood at roughly 1.8 GW per year, would be sufficient to meet anticipated domestic demand over that period.

Solar in the Netherlands crosses 2 GW mark

pv Magazine — Tue, 16 May 2017 06:45:00 GMT

Provisional figures released by the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) confirm that Netherlands solar market had its largest growth last year, and that it hit the 2 GW milestone at the end of December.

Overall, solar was able to cover 1.30% of the country power demand last year with over 1,555 GWh.

According to Peter Segaar, owner of solar website www.polderpv.nl and analyst of Dutch solar market trends, this year the Dutch solar market will exceed last year’s performance.

In a statement to pv magazine, Segaar expained: “”Although recent, accurate statistical data for the Dutch solar market remain a nightmare, the first update for 2016 by CBS confirms an earlier prognosis by Polder PV in the Solar Trend Report 2017 published in January. The new year growth record established in 2016 will certainly be overhauled in 2017. Many extra big installations on rooftops and a few ground-mounted will see the light of day, supported by (recent) SDE subsidies. This, on top of a lot of activity in several other sectors including the fundament of the classical residential market, the rental housing and the building sectors, and the many energy cooperatives.”

According to the CBS, approximately 1,051 MW of the 1,515 MW of PV power connected to the grid in the country at the end of 2015 consists of residential PV capacity, 69% of total accumulated market volume. “The exact volume of non-residential net-metering solar installations, however, remains unknown,” explained Segaar.

In early April, the Dutch Ministry of Economy has announced it has pre-qualified PV projects with a combined capacity of 2,647 MW in the first phase of the 2017 SDE+ (Stimulering Duurzame Energieproductie) program for large-scale solar and renewable energy power projects. Solar accounts for 69.4% of the total preassigned capacity. So far, at least 430 MW of PV capacity was installed under the SDE+ scheme since it was launched in 2008.

SolarSkin: Απέσπασε το 1ο βραβείο «καινοτομίας φωτοβολταϊκών» στην έκθεση MENA New Energy 2017

Iris Hellas — Tue, 09 May 2017 08:24:00 GMT

Η Iris Hellas στα πλαίσια του ετήσιου συνεδρίου και της έκθεσης MENA (Middle East & North Africa) new Energy 2017, πρώην MENASOL, που πραγματοποιήθηκε στο Dubai μεταξύ 25 & 26 Απριλίου, έλαβε το 1ο βραβείο στην κατηγορία «PV Technology Innovation» με τη λύση νανο-τεχνολογίας SolarSkin.

Τα βραβεία, που απονέμονται για 9η συνεχόμενη χρονιά από μια επιτροπή επαγγελματιών της βιομηχανίας φωτοβολταϊκών, διοργανώθηκαν από την FCBI Energy Ltd σε συνεργασία με τα περιοδικά New Energy Update, CSP Today & PV Insider. Στους βραβευμένους των προηγούμενων ετών συγκαταλέγονται η First Solar, η Siemens, η ACWA Power κ.ά.

Tο βραβείο αυτό έρχεται να συμπληρώσει την κατάταξη του SolarSkin στις 30 πλέον καινοτόμες τεχνολογίες φωτοβολταϊκών για το έτος 2017 από το περιοδικό PV Magazine International.

Η λύση νανο-τεχνολογίας SolarSkinTM, βασισμένη στην τεχνολογία HyDRoP της BFP Advanced Technologies, αποτελεί την πλέον ολοκληρωμένη λύση για φωτοβολταϊκούς και ηλιοθερμικούς σταθμούς α) ελαχιστοποιώντας της ενεργειακές απώλειες και αυξάνοντας παράλληλα την ενεργειακή τους απόδοση, β) προστατεύοντας τη γυάλινη επιφάνειά τους και κατ’ επέκταση την επένδυση και γ) μειώνοντας το ενεργειακό αποτύπωμα της συντήρησής τους μέχρι και 70%.

THE TRUE COMPETITIVENESS OF SOLAR PV. A EUROPEAN CASE STUDY

ETIP — Tue, 09 May 2017 08:21:00 GMT

This report compares the levelised cost of PV electricity (PV LCOE) with retail electricity prices in different European countries and market segments.

The report shows that PV electricity is already cheaper than retail electricity in all market segments and with all realistic interest rates in many European countries like Italy, Germany, the UK, Spain, Portugal and Greece. Even in countries with moderate solar irradiation and low retail electricity price like Finland and Sweden, PV will become competitive in 5-10 years.

Download the Report

Greece: Manufacturers Exporting More Each Year

SolarThermalWorld — Thu, 04 May 2017 14:00:00 GMT

Despite shrinking markets in Europe, Greece’s collector and tank manufacturers have increased their exports two times in a row. In 2015, the solar thermal industry delivered 7 % more collector area abroad and in 2016, the figure even rose by 14 % compared to the year prior and totalled 330,000 m² (231 MWth). Main export markets were in Southern Europe, North Africa and the Gulf region. Domestic sales have remained at the same level since 2014, at around 270,000 m² (189 MWth).

The 20 EBHE members from Greece’s solar thermal industry collected domestic and export sales figures for 2016 during their first assembly meeting of this year on 27 January 2017.

The key success factors for last years’ growing exports had been competitive products and flexible manufacturers earning a reputation as reliable suppliers, said Costas Travasaros, General Manager of Greek absorber manufacturer Prime Laser Technology and EBHE’s representative at the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation. “Greek manufacturers have had long-standing expertise in solar thermal, something that is recognised by resellers worldwide,” confirmed Miriam Martinez, Export Coordinator at Sole. In the past, nearly all of Sole’s exports had been thermosiphon systems, although project business has been growing as of late.

“The financial crisis in the country has made our products even more competitive, meaning we were able to optimise our export business,” explained Georgios Xanthopoulos, Export Area Sales Manager at Calpak-Cicero Hellas. Overall, Greek manufacturers have become increasingly confident about international business, prompted by their accomplishments in the global marketplace. Travasaros said that export statistics showed a rise in the number of tanks, which confirmed that thermosiphon systems were still dominating sales to customers abroad.

Australian solar capacity now 6GW, to double again by 2020

REneweconomy — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 07:14:00 GMT

Australia’s total solar power capacity has reached 6GW and is expected to double over the next few years as Australian households continue to invest in rooftop panels to reduce electricity bills, and the large-scale solar sector takes off after years of promise.

The latest industry analysis on installed capacity – released by the Australian Photovoltaic Institute – shows that rooftop solar capacity has now reached 5.6GW and large-scale solar capacity is now at 496MW, and growing fast.

The leading state in rooftop solar remains Queensland, with 1.72GW of rooftop solar – that makes it, as we reported here, bigger than the state’s largest coal generator. NSW and Victoria also have more than 1GW of rooftop solar capacity, with South Australia having the highest penetration (32 per cent) among residential dwellings.

As of April 2017, there was a total of 1.67 million PV installations in Australia, covering 21 per cent of suitable rooftops, which is the highest penetration of rooftop solar in the world. In total, these solar installations collectively generate 8,400 gigawatt hours of electricity each year, which meets approximately 3.3 per cent of Australian demand.

The data suggests that the rate of installation of rooftop solar is also accelerating. After establishing a record March quarter, the rate of installations for the year to date is up significantly in all the major states.

Interestingly, the biggest growth is coming from Western Australia, which has installed 43MW so far this year, outstripping Victoria, as locals prepare for the likely imminent removal of the state-based subsidy that has hidden the true cost of electricity from consumers.

The subsidy accounts for around one-third of the cost of power, and the new Labor government has flagged its removal to help it address the state’s soaring budget deficit. That is likely to make rooftop solar even more attractive – which explains the 71 per cent jump in installations so far this year.

The Sunwiz data – sourced from the Clean Energy Regulator – also highlights the solar hotspots in Australia, including the towns and suburbs where households without rooftop solar are in the minority.

For example, two-thirds of all households in Baldivis in Western Australia and Elimbah in Queensland now have rooftop solar. (See our story here on sister site One Step Off The Grid).

“With batteries now readily available on the market, many people are taking this opportunity to install both solar and batteries – or to upgrade the size of their existing solar systems,” says Sunwiz analyst Warwick Johnston. “The price of solar has dropped low enough, and power prices are rising high enough, for this to make economic sense for many commercial operators, too.”

APVI chair Dr Renate Egan said Australian homeowners, commercial businesses and large-scale solar farms had all contributed to an extra 1GW of solar being added to the grid over the past year.

“Solar power now makes up 11 percent of our country’s total electricity generation capacity with more solar added to the system in 2016 than any other fuel type,” Egan said in a statement.

By 2020, the total is expected to double again, with Sunwiz forecasting at least 800MW of rooftop solar to be installed this year and following years, and Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecasting more than 3,000MW of large scale solar to meet the legislated renewable energy target as solar matches wind power on costs (see graph above).

By 2040, the amount of solar capacity could have risen 10-fold from its current levels. BNEF, as this graph to the right illustrates, is predicting 33GW of rooftop solar and 27GW of large-scale solar as solar power becomes the primary source of electricity generation in Australia.

It could increase even further, if plans to create “solar export fuels”, using renewables such as solar and wind to create hydrogen and then “green ammonia” to supply Asian economies such as South Korea and Japan, hungry for clean fuels to replace imported coal and LNG.

In any case, by 2040 the nature of the grid will have changed dramatically, and will have become more “distributed” – as predicted by the new head of the Australian Energy Market Operator Audrey Zibelman.

The key features will be localised and flexible generation. Batteries – and BNEF predicts there will be at least 15GW of them – will provide a large amount of flexibility, but so too will other forms of flexible generation, including demand response.

Coal capacity might have reduced to just 5GW by that time, with gas also taking a role in delivering flexible generation, although this will largely depend on the future cost of batteries, with some already suggesting that the combined cost of large-scale solar and battery storage is already beating gas, and could be “well under” $100/MWh – and current wholesale electricity prices – within a few years.

Developers of large-scale solar projects already report fierce competition for power purchase agreements, with bidding under $70/MWh in some cases and heading towards $60/MWh.

Those developers that have the equity behind them, and access to low-cost finance, are choosing to go the “merchant” route, where they can tap into high wholesale electricity prices and – for a few years more at least – high prices for large scale renewable energy certificates.

Consumers – both household and business – are facing the opposite problem, landed with not just the increased costs of wholesale power, but the high price of transport (networks) and retail margins. Hence their huge interest in rooftop solar and storage.

http://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-solar-capacity-now-6gw-to-double-again-by-2020-2020/

IEA PVPS: At least 303 GW of solar PV are now installed world-wide

IEA — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 11:44:00 GMT

Preliminary market numbers show that the PV market grew significantly in 2016. In total, about 75 GW of PV capacity were installed in the IEA PVPS countries and in other major markets during 2016.

Rapid PV development in China, America and India

The total installed capacity in the IEA PVPS countries and key markets has risen to at least 303 GW. These are the main outcomes of the latest IEA PVPS “Snapshot of Global Photovoltaic Market 2016” report, published on 18 April 2017.

Solar PV technology continued to expand in 2016 thanks to the rapid development in China, America and India. The 50% growth reported in 2016 came from these countries, with disparities in other markets.

Japan and Europe contributed less than in 2015 and emerging countries contributed in the same way. In other words, the global PV market outside of China grew by 5 GW to 40 GW while China drove the global numbers up to at least 75 GW.

Progress in developing countries

Once driven by financial incentives in developed countries, PV has started to progress in developing countries, answering a crucial need for electricity. Whereas in several developed countries, PV comes in direct competition with existing plants from incumbent utilities and in emerging countries, PV already helps to satisfy a growing need for energy in general and electricity in particular, pushed by declining prices.

In a decade, PV has become a major source of electricity at an extremely rapid pace in several countries all over the world. The speed of its development stems from its unique ability to cover most market segments; from the very small individual systems for rural electrification to utility-size power plants (today over 1 GWp).

From the built environment to large ground-mounted installations, PV finds its way, depending on various criteria that makes it suitable for most environments.

Italian solar market expected to grow by another 1.5 GW by 2020

pv Magazine — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 10:40:00 GMT

Italy’s government-owned energy agency Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE), which manages all the five Conto Energia incentive schemes for PV, is expecting that a further 1.5 GW of new PV installations will see the light by 2020. The announcement was given on the occasion of the presentation of the fairs Key Storage e Key Solar, which will take place in Rimini, northern Italy, in November.

Gianni Silvestrini, which is the director of the scientific committee of both events and of non-profit Italian organisation Kyoto Club, said at the meeting that the country’s solar sector is currently offering good business opportunities such as, among others, the revamping and repowering of existing PV installations.

Silvestrini added that Solar-plus-storage solutions could also offer good opportunities, if the government would remove some hurdles that are preventing this segment from further flourishing. Silvestrini, however, believes that storage projects will attract interest in Italy this year. According to IEG, which is the organizer of both fairs, approximately €150 million will be invested in Italy in the storage segment by 2025.

Meanwhile, the local renewable energy association Anie Rinnovabili has published a white paper on the development of electrochemical storage solutions in Italy. The study, which was conducted in partnership with Enel Produzione, Enel Green Power and the Polytechnic University of Milan, provides insight on the existing business opportunities for electrochemical storage systems in the local electricity market.

According to the report, electrochemical batteries will offer the chance to better manage network settings in a power system that is seeing an increasing share of prosumers. Furthermore, the study reveals that the gap between the costs for installing a storage system and the investment returns is decreasing. Under the current market mechanisms, however, investments in storage still don’t seem sustainable, in particular for big systems that have to be integrated in industrial or photovoltaic projects, the study concludes.

If the 1.5 GW of new solar announced by the GSE is to be achieved, this result would confirm the growth trend registered in Italy over the past three years. In 2016, around 369 MW of new PV systems were registered in the country, while in the previous two years more than 300 MW annually was installed. Italy had reached a cumulative installed PV capacity of approximately 19.2 GW as of the end of 2016.

AEG Power Solutions’ insolvency plan unanimously approved

PV Magazine — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 10:39:00 GMT

The German power supply and control products manufacturer AEG Power Solutions announced that its insolvency plan under the so-called protective shield proceedings (Schutzschirmverfahren) has been unanimously approved and accepted by the District Court of Arnsberg, Germany.

International law firm Denton reported on Friday that all the company’s creditors have approved the plan without any dissenting votes or abstentions. Denton said that the approval of the plan was the main hurdle for its survival and reorganization. Once the plan is legally valid, Denton added, the related insolvency proceedings will be closed.

The plan establishes that all creditors will have to provide substantial restructuring contributions. Furthermore, the plan includes corporate measures, which will reduce the share capital to zero. As a result, the current stakeholder will withdraw from the company. Through a new capital increase, the new shares will be transferred to AEG Power Solutions B.V., which is another subsidiary of AEG Power Solutions’ parent company 3W Power.

The company filed for insolvency under protective shield proceedings in November 2016. The court named Rainer Eckert as trustee administrator. The court of Arnsberg opened the insolvency proceedings involving the company’s assets in February. Andreas Ziegenhagen and Dirk Schoene from Denton were awarded general power of attorney (Generalhandelsvollmacht) for the restructuring process. They are now responsible for negotiation and implementation of personnel actions, restructuring of debt capital measures, as well as for takeover agreement with the new owner and the draft of the insolvency plan.

Japan Reduces FiT Rates for PV Systems, Down to 21 Yen per kWh

EnergyTrend — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 07:25:00 GMT

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has released the new Feed-in Tariffs (FiT) scheme for renewable energy resources for fiscal year 2017. The FiT rates for solar PV systems will be reduced as planned with a reduction rate above all other resources.

The new FiT scheme for solar PV systems for fiscal year (April 1, 2017 ~ March 31, 2018), as well as future rates till fiscal year 2019, are as following: Image

Residential PV systems with capacity under 10kW will receive FiT subsidy for 10 years, other types will receive subsidies for 20 year. Besides, non-residential PV systems with capacity above 2MW shall be arranged through solar tenders since October 2017 with bid price up from 21 yen/kWh, 2017’s FiT rate for non-residential PV systems.

As for PV projects that have filed while been unable to interconnect, METI requires PV projects that applied for grid connection after August 1, 2016 to finish interconnection within three years, or METI will cancel FiT subsidy by month.

Slight reduction for wind and biomass, up for hydropower

For onshore wind power systems with capacity above 20kW, the FiT rate will be reduced from 22 yen/kWh to 21 yen/kWh since September 2017. FiT scheme for hydropower system with capacity of 1~5MW will be increased from 24 yen/kWh to 27 yen/kWh. Biomass generation systems above 20MW will receive FiT subsidy of 21 yen/kWh since September 2017, lower than current’s 24 yen/kWh; on the contrary, biomass systems below 20MW will still enjoy a subsidy rate of 24 yen/kWh.

FiT scheme for traditional geothermal power generations will not be changed until fiscal year 2019. Meanwhile, METI adds new FiT schemes for geothermal power projects using innovate, different facilities.

It is noticeable that FiT reduction ratio of PV systems is larger than other renewable segments. METI notes, Japanese government has arranged up to 3.7~4 trillion yen budget for renewable energy FiT scheme in order to increase their capacity share to 22~24% by 2030. By the end of 2017, the budget will be consumed over a half.

Electricity Tax

Japan’s nationwide electricity tax rate has also been revealed along with the new FiT scheme. For fiscal year 2017, electricity bill for home-use will charge 2.64 yen/kWh as electricity tax. The average annual tax payment will be 8,233 yen for each household, calculating through average month power consumption of 260kWh of a conventional Japanese family. The average tax payment is lower than 2016’s 9,504 yen each family.

The electricity tax is calculated according to FiT subsidies, electricity fed into the power grid, and other related financial figures.

UK installs over 1.94 GW of PV in 2016

PV Magazine — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 11:07:00 GMT

The UK saw the addition of 1.94 GW of new PV systems in 2016, according to provisional statistics released by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Last year’s result represents a significant decline on 2015, when 4.13 GW of new solar installations were connected to the grid. In 2014 and 2013, the new installed PV capacity came in at 2.55 GW and 1.09 GW, respectively.

The BEIS reports that the UK had reached a cumulative installed PV capacity of 11.49 GW by the end of January 2017. Most of this capacity was in the form of PV projects larger than 25 MW (1,409 MW), PV plants with a power range of 5 MW to 25 MW (4,116 MW) and systems ranging in size from 50 kW to 5 MW (2,703 MW). As for the residential and commercial segments, PV installations with a power of up to 4 kW represented the largest share with 2,412 MW, while PV systems with a power range of 4 kW to 50 kW account for the remaining capacity.

BEIS specified that the cumulative capacity registered at the end of 2016, namely 11,490 MW, also comprises the first PV plant installed under the country’s Contracts for Differences (CfD) scheme, the Charity solar farm (11.9 MW).

The BEIS also stressed that, within the last 12 months, the largest increase in capacity was registered in March 2016 (1,183 MW), just before the Renewable Obligation (RO) scheme for large-scale renewable energy projects was closed to installations smaller than 5 MW. The RO grace period for certain qualifying installations, ranging in size from 50 kW – 5 MW, will close at the end of this month.

BEIS notes that the numbers for January 2017 are only provisional and that these are “likely to be revised upwards as further data are received on newly operational sites.” However, new additions for the first month of this year reached a very disappointing 9 MW. This comprised 3,192 installations, most of which were rooftop PV systems with a capacity of up to 4 kW. In January 2017, newly installed PV capacity came in at 203 MW.

The UK Solar Trade Association believes that this low level of development is mainly due to the ROC program being wound up and the design of the CfD program, which is not favorable to large scale PV.

“It makes no sense for the Government to curtail solar to this extent,” Nick Wood from the STA told pv magazine, “particularly as it requires very little support in the UK. Alongside onshore wind large-scale solar is already the cheapest renewable, almost competitive with gas, and with a stable market would be the cheapest of all technologies by the mid-2020s. Shutting out our cheapest generation is not good for competition or for consumers.”

Many of the UK’s renewable energy and solar associations claim that the new CfD scheme large-scale renewable energy power projects has not been particularly beneficial to solar and that it has been an inadequate replacement for the RO program.

Italy: New rules for PV system component replacement - exchange of solar modules may increase performance

PVEurope — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 08:43:00 GMT

The authorities responsible for the processing of the solar power supply in Italy, the Servici Energetici (GSE), has finally published the regulations for the exchange of defective system components. The New Energy Projects consultancy in Munich, which specializes in the Italian photovoltaic market, shares this view. The plant operators have already been waiting for more than a year for the concrete definition of the regulations since July 2015.

Increase performance up to five percent

The central component of the now published Decree "Impianti fotovoltaici in esercizio Interventi di manutenzione e ammodernamento tecnologico" is the regulation that the exchange of defective modules may increase the original plant output. If the power of the generator was once up to 20 kilowatts, it could increase by up to five percent by replacing defective modules. For systems with a capacity of more than 20 kilowatts, the increase in power that may result from the replacement of modules is limited to one percent. In doing so, the system operator must ensure that the modules, which he reinstates instead of the defective panels, comply with the regulations of Conto Energia 5. Only in exceptional cases it is sufficient if they comply with the Conto Enerrgias, that funded the system.

Inverter replacement – compliance with current standards

This regulation also applies if inverters are to be replaced. In the case of the exchange of power electronics, the system operator must also ensure that the current industrial standards as well as the currently applicable connection conditions as prescribed by the Authority for Electricity, Gas and Water Supply (Autorità per l'Energia Elettrica, il Gas e il Sistema Idrico) are complied with. In addition, the new inverters must comply with the current operating regulations of the network operators.

Reporting deadline of 60 days

The exchange of modules must be communicated to the GSE within 60 days after completion of the repair work, unless the plant is smaller than three kilowatts. The exchange of all other components can be communicated. However, it is recommended to make any changes to the generator of the GSE. The necessary forms are attached to the decree. The authority wants to have all the data of the components including the data on the type plate. The decree also contains provisions for the temporary exchange of modules and changes in the electrical configuration of the system as well as the mains connection. It also prescribes how changes to building-integrated systems have to be dealt with and also sets the rules for the repowering of the plants

With the publication of the Decree, the phase of uncertainty among the operators of solar plants in Italy ends. "Compliance with the rules is very important in the event of changes to existing photovoltaic plants so that the subsidy tariff is not canceled or reduced," emphasizes Andreas Lutz, Managing Director of New Energy Project. (SU/HCN)

Turkey adds 571 MW of solar PV in 2016

PV Magazine — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 09:07:00 GMT

According to data published by Turkey’s ministry of energy and natural resources, the country added 571 MW of new solar PV systems in 2016, up from a cumulative 248.8 MW of solar PV capacity in the end of 2015. This is a 230% year-on-year growth.

Most of Turkey’s PV installations come through the so-called ‘unlicensed’ fragment of the market, concerning projects up to 1 MW each. The only exception is two projects installed last year in Eastern Turkey: a 8 MW solar farm in Elazig owned by local firm Akfen Renewable Energy and a 5.3 MW farm in Erzurum owned by Turkey’s Halk Enerji. The two projects belong to a separate category of 600 MW of large-scale PV been tendered in various phases in the past years.

Based on the same set of data, Turkey added a total 5.9 GW of new power capacity last year. Of this, fossil fuel power plants (3.531 GW) comprised the larger portion. Solar PV and wind systems added 1.246 GW, hydro systems added 789 MW, while geothermal, biomass and waste power plants installed 320 MW.

Overall, Turkey’s installed electricity capacity has now reached 78.49 GW and the national target for solar PV technology is 5 GW of installations by 2023.

2017 will also be strong

Ates Ugurel, founder, Turkish Solar Energy Society Solarbaba, told pv magazine that 2017 will be also a good year for Turkey’s solar PV because unlicensed projects need to be connected to the grid within two years of being approved.

Ugurel expects the cumulative capacity of approved non-licenced projects to be something between 1.5 GW to 2.5 GW at most.

Uncertainties in 2018 onwards

However, growth in 2018 onwards might be at risk due to recent changes in the fee all unlicensed projects pay to the power distribution companies for transporting the generated solar power.

This fee was 0.76 kurus per distribution unit in 2016 and increased to 2.56 kurus per unit in 2017 and 10.25 kurus per unit in 2018 (1 Turkish lira is 100 kurus and 1 USD is 3.75 Turkish liras). This was an indirect way to reduce the feed-in tariff (FIT) for the unlicensed projects from 0.130 USD per kWh in 2016 to 0.126 USD per kWh in 2017 and down to 0.103 USD per kWh in 2018. “That means almost the end of the non-licenced market as we know it,” commented Ugurel.

Apart from the unlicensed projects, the sector is eagerly waiting to see when and whether the tendered 600 MW of large-scale PV projects will materialise. Tendered projects must be connected to the grid by the end of 2019.

Similarly, the PV sector is curious about the progress of the tender for a mega 1 GW PV plant in Konya, central Turkey. The tender date is postponed to 20 March 2017 but few market stakeholders expect it to actually happen before summer. Whether the project ever materialises is also a valid question.

India to double solar park 2020 capacity goal to 40 GW

PV Magazine — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 19:21:00 GMT

The makeup of India’s 100 GW solar goal by 2022 has shifted shape this week following the confirmation by the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) that the target for solar park capacity has doubled from 20 GW to 40 GW.

This target capacity increase was first outlined in the new budget at the turn of the year, but the confirmation from government also included further details of how the target is to be reached.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will oversee the development of this goal, working closely with respective state governments to see through project development of ultra-mega solar power plants across the country.

A total of 50 solar parks will now be built between 2019-2020, backed by central government financing of $1.2 billion. Park developers will receive a grant of up to INR 2.5 million (around $37,000) to draw up draft project reports prior to each park’s construction, after which the government will release Central Financial Assistance of up to INR 2 million ($29,800), or 30% of the project and grid connection costs (whichever is lowest), to each developer.

Prior to the CCEA confirmation, India had begun planning or building 34 solar parks across 21 states as it inched slowly towards that earlier 20 GW target. Raj Prabhu, Mercom Capital Group CEO, has previously warned of the difficulties some developers face in bringing their plans to fruition, with many running into difficulties concerning poor and lacking infrastructure in or near identified development sites.

“The issues around solar parks are typical to the Indian solar sector,” Prabhu said. “Most policies are well-intentioned with top-down goal setting, but the problem usually is on the execution side.”

The hope this time is that central government financing will be available a good time in advance, enabling developers and state governments to properly clear any hurdles that may hamper construction plans.

Speaking at a media briefing with the CCEA yesterday, Indian minister for power, coal, mines and new and renewable energy Piyush Goyal said that the decision to double the nation’s solar park capacity will “contribute to long-term energy security of the country”.

Pressed on whether foreign manufacturers would be permitted to supply these solar parks, Goyal responded: “I am in continuous dialogue with the manufacturers of solar equipment in India and […] there is now quite a significant interest to set up solar manufacturing in India,” Mint reported. “We will shortly bring out a new policy to promote manufacturing of entire solar power generation equipment in India,” Goyal added.

Analysis by Mercom Capital Group has found that India currently has 5.2 GW of operational module manufacturing capacity, of which only around 3 GW is “working” capacity. The recent budget failed to address local manufacturers’ concerns regarding a lack of subsidy or incentive to develop fabs, and unclear support at state level.

MESIA forecasts 5.7 GW solar power to be delivered across the MENA region

Photon Mag — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 09:43:00 GMT

In 2016, Middle East and North Africa solar trade association MESIA witnessed in Middle East 885 MW(ac) solar parks in operation, 3,610 MW(ac) under execution and 1,300 MW(ac) under tender. In 2017, MESIA expects above 4,050 MW in the pipe for the PV sector and 1,310 MW for the CSP sector including some hybrid plant PV and CSP. Furthermore, Middle East reached record low tariffs below $0.03 per kWh, in September 2016 price went below $0.0245 per kWh.

According to MESIA’s »Annual Solar Outlook Report«, Egypt is aiming for 2,650 MW of PV capacity in operation by 2020. Morocco will have about 500 MW of CSP and 600 MW of PV in operation by 2019, while Jordan has 540 MW of PV projects under construction and is set to award 200 MW (4 farms à 50 MW) in the course of 2017. In UAE, 2016 saw Phase III awarded (Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park) with 800 MW for delivery over three phases until 2020 at $0.0299 per kWh.

The Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) has tendered out a minimum 350 MW Sweihan solar power plant. In Saudi, SEC is currently tendering a 100 MW PV project across two sites in the northern region of the Kingdom while in Oman, the RFP for first utility scale PV projects is expected to be launched by the tendering authority by mid-2017. The project size will be around 200 MW. Pakistan is seeing the construction of the second phase of the project Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (QASP) in Punjab – installing 300 MW.

Rooftop solar kicked off in the UAE with approximately 6 MW up and running by the end of 2016, says MESIA. The company expects the rooftop market in the UAE could reach 70 MW in 2017.

»We see a pipeline of more than 5.7 GW of upcoming projects throughout the MENA region,« says Wim Alen, Secretary General of MESIA and Senior Vice-Present Business Development – Middle East, South & Central Asia, and Turkey, at ENGIE.

MESIA Solar Outlook Report 2017

The PV Market Alliance (PVMA) estimates global photovoltaic (PV) installations at 75 GW in 2016 and possibly a stable market in 2017.

Photon Mag — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 11:41:00 GMT

After 50 GW of PV installations in 2015, the global PV market reached 75 GW in 2016, a 50% YoY growth, with now a total capacity installed globally crossing the 300 GW mark.

China, leading the PV market since 2013, installed in 2016 an absolute world record of 34 GW, representing an increase of 126% YoY and 45% of total global deployment. Given China’s total installed capacity of 77 GW, PVMA estimates that China will have exceeded the 100 GW mark by the end of 2017, if not even earlier.
Japan has installed about 8.6 GW of PV in 2016, down 10.8 GW in 2015. 2017 might show a further decrease but the market is expected to reach 7.5 to 8.5 GW, due to current project pipelines.
The US market experienced major growth with installations possibly reaching 13 GW, however PVMA anticipates significant uncertainties for the coming years.
Europe installed around 6.5 GW, driven primarily by the UK market, Germany, Turkey and France. A relatively low deployment has pushed Europe’s global PV market share to below 10%.
India experienced significant growth with 5 GW installed in 2016, up from 2 GW in 2015 and is expected to add up to 8 to 9 GW in 2017.
As anticipated, several emerging markets on all continents started to contribute significantly to the global growth with at least 7 GW installed. Other American and Asian countries contributed significantly while the Middle-East and Africa start to deliver.

2017 could become a challenging year with at least 65 GW installed in a pessimistic scenario (a market drop of 13%). Reasonably, a similar level of installations as in 2016 could be reached if established markets maintain a reasonable level of development. A declining or stable market is likely to cause that module prices will continue to remain under pressure with new production capacities coming online, thus increasing further the gap between supply and demand.

These numbers are DC numbers and refer to grid connected PV systems, not installations and not shipments of PV components which can deliver slightly different results.

The emergent solar markets of 2016

PVTECH — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 08:58:00 GMT

Solar PV is no longer the domain of just a few developed countries after it saw significant progress in almost every continent on the planet in 2016. Only Europe, the original bastion of solar, has struggled to reignite its matured PV markets, but even France and Spain could be markets to watch out for next year, especially with Spain’s 3GW of solar and wind auctions due.

Latin America

Argentina kicks off: Argentina is a latecomer to the explosion of solar across the globe, having been tarnished with an awkward reputation among foreign investors and boasting just 8MW of PV installations to date. However, a new pro-business president, Mauricio Macri, and the launch of two well-handled large-scale tenders could catapult Argentina into a respected solar market. A previous attempt at tendering renewables in 2010 nose-dived with zero project completions, so the big question will be whether any of the latest awards can translate into solid projects.

Mexico boasts Latin America’s largest pipeline: Mexico continued its strong push for renewables following the liberalisation of its energy sector. With private entities now able to participate in the energy market, the country was able to hold its second long-term renewable power auction. After an impressive first auction, Mexico followed up with 2.4GW of solar in September’s round and PV is expected to continue winning large capacities in years to come. Mexico now has the largest contracted solar pipeline in the Latin American region. Ministry leaders have confirmed that the country’s third long-term power auction is scheduled for April 2017. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has also put out a special report predicting that Mexico will hit between 30-40GW of solar PV deployment by 2040 under various scenarios modelled.

Asia

Taiwan eyes 20GW: Taiwan looks set to break into the top 10 solar markets in terms of capacity additions around the world in 2017, according to EnergyTrend. The country's solar deployment has been slow to kick off in comparison to its mature and bustling PV manufacturing industry. A year after a new government played its hand by targeting 20GW of solar by 2025 – driven by a desire to avoid adding more nuclear capacity – movement remains relatively pedestrian with 980MW of cumulative installations at the end of August. However, there is a strong short-term target to reach 1.52GW deployment within two years, including 915MW for rooftop and 610MW for ground mount. Much of the 20GW is likely to be set aside for utility-scale solar, but in one of the most densely populated countries in Asia, land acquisition will be a real challenge.

The Middle East

Jordan readies next large-scale tender: Jordan saw the commissioning and financing of multiple utility-scale projects, while also unveiling the Middle East’s largest solar plant. First Solar took centre stage by completing the 52.5MW(ac) Shams Ma’an PV project, but other developers can look ahead to the 300MW renewables tender announced by the government, of which 200MW will be for solar PV, again in the Ma’an area. Demand for power is growing in Jordan and solar can play a big role in adding to its generation capacity. Moreover, the country is actively upgrading its high voltage distribution network in order to integrate more renewable generation into the grid.

Africa

Nigeria signs first ever solar PPAs: The solar industry has often decried lengthy delays in the West African market. Time periods for signing power purchase agreements (PPAs) can stretch into years and this only makes financing more difficult with extortionate costs of capital from domestic lenders. However, July saw a cornerstone moment when state-owned power body, the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), signed Nigeria’s first ever solar PPAs. This was no minor accomplishment given that they related to just under 1GW of solar PV projects to be implemented by at least 10 developers. Some developers are also managing to secure financing, so all eyes are on Nigeria.

Zambia sees lowest ever African solar tariffs: Zambia set a new benchmark for low-cost solar power in Sub-Saharan Africa in June with a competitive auction. The winners of the auction were Neoen and First Solar, who jointly bid at just US$0.0602/kWh, and Enel, which bid US$0.0784/kWh. The auction came under the ‘Scaling Solar’ programme, formed by a partnership between IFC and the World Bank. Under this programme, the pricing can be much more aggressive than under a less robust legal solution where more risks remain with the investor. Developers believe that if the regulatory framework remains favourable, Zambia could be a storong market.

Others

Markets that are already well established but are rising in prominence include Chile and India, which both continued to make great strides this year.

SECI announces winners of 500 MW rooftop auction in India

PV Magazine — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 08:47:00 GMT

As part of India’s relentless drive towards solar PV deployment, the government has been promoting schemes for rooftop solar installations, with none so wide reaching as the 500 MW rooftop solar auction that was launched in April 2016. Now that the bids have all come in, SECI has released a list of the winners within the scheme, which proves that prices have been continuing to fall.

The bidding was open to companies for projects across all Indian states and territories under CAPEX and RESCO models. Within the list of auction winners, prices and locations have been included, however, detailed capacity information has not, which means that it is unclear exactly how much PV capacity has been awarded.

Amongst the biggest winners were Hero Solar Energy Pvt, who won projects in 13 states, and Bosch Limited that won projects across 11 states. Some of the winners were only awarded projects in a single location.

The lowest price entered amongst the winners was Rs. 3 (USD0.0442) per kWh, which is a record low, while the highest was Rs. 6.17 (USD0.0909) per kWh. Of course, the nature of the projects and their locations can account for the great divergence in prices. Offering further analysis, Mercom Capital outlined that SECI had tendered a total of 1,500 MW of rooftop solar in 2016, which is a huge figure, and will hopefully all be installed.

India to install more than 9 GW of solar in 2017, forecasts Mercom Capital

PV Magazine — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 08:45:00 GMT

The Indian solar sector is likely to add more than 9 GW of new capacity in 2017 according to a forecast by market analysts Mercom Capital Group.

Published today, the latest Mercom quarterly report on the Indian solar sector finds that the nation will have installed more than 4 GW of solar capacity in 2016, bringing India’s cumulative capacity for large-scale and rooftop solar to 9.6 GW.

In growing a further 9 GW in 2017, India will entrench itself firmly at the top table of solar markets, joining the likes of China, the U.S. and Japan. Indeed, some forecasts see India edging out Japan to become the world’s third-largest market this ear.

However, despite a solar development pipeline of more than 14.2 GW, and some 6.3 GW of PV projects tendered and pending auction, headwinds up ahead could disturb India’s plain solar sailing. “There are significant headwinds in terms of transmission and evacuation issues that could threaten the pace of growth,” warned Mercom Capital Group CEO Raj Prabhu.

Auction activity, for example, has slowed in the last three months, with just 1,311 MW of the 3,781 MW tendered between September and December last year auctioned off. Despite the average selling prices (ASPs) of Chinese solar modules declining 10% since August and around 30% over the past year – delivering a timely pricing boost for developers that won projects at low bids and had been struggling with the economics – there are growing concerns relating to transmission, evacuation, curtailment, timely payments and the outcome of the goods and services tax (GST), Prabhu says.

“Solar park development is experiencing some setbacks due to incomplete infrastructure,” said Prabhu. “In some cases, developers are incurring expenses to clean the land, build roads, and are waiting for power to be evacuated after commissioning. All of this is having negative effect on project costs and profitability.”

Solar accounted for 16.7% of new power generating capacity added in 2016 (up to November), and between April-October (FY 2016-2017) solar met close to 1% of India’s total electricity output. This may sound small, but represents a 50% increase in the space of a year.

The bulk of this solar growth has been centered on just 10 states, which currently account for 90% of PV output, the report said.

China’s FIT Scheme for PV Projects for 2017 Officially Revealed

pv.energytrend — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 08:55:00 GMT

China’s feed-in tariff (FIT) rates for solar PV projects for 2017 has been officially announced by the National Development and Reform Commission. The rates for large-scale, ground-mounted projects in different regions will be generally higher than those formerly announced and discovered, while the rate for distributed generation (DG) PV systems will remain at the same level to 2016.

The 2017 FIT rates for solar projects are:

http://www.energytrend.com/sites/energytrend.com/files/2016-12/China_FIT_2017.png

The final rates for PV projects are all higher than the rates announced in the Commission’s drafts. FIT subsidy for PV projects in Tibet, additionally, is RMB 1.05/kWh, which is also higher than the rate unveiled in weeks ago.

The FIT rates overall represent a consecutively reductive trend comparing with the rates for 2015 and 2016, and the Commission noted in its official announcement that it plans to readjust the rates year by year in the future. Furthermore, competitive measures such as solar tenders are encouraged for project allocation for local governments because these measures are believed to accelerate cost reduction as well as technology improvement. The bid prices shall be restricted by the FIT rates.

PV projects that filed for China’s national PV installation and subsidy scale (so-called “subsidy index”) after January 1st, 2017 will be eligible for 2017’s subsidy rates, so are projects that filed before the end of 2016 but being unable to connect to the grid by June 30, 2017.

“We expect that China will have another installation rush in the first half of 2017,” said an analyst at EnergyTrend regarding China’s 2017 FIT rates and the yearly deadline set on June 30, 2017. “However, the rush may not be as strong as in this year.”

Giving the Gift of Shared Renewables

Renewableenergyworld — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 10:00:00 GMT

IREC’s Updated Catalog Helps States Navigate Models for Shared Renewable Energy.

The national landscape for state shared renewable energy programs is growing quickly. That’s great news from where we sit, after creating the first model rules for shared renewables in 2009 (updated in 2013), and working with multiple states and stakeholders to encourage best practices. Today, more states around the country are exploring ways to meaningfully expand renewable energy access to more consumers.

As more people and businesses seek to benefit from renewable energy, there is a ripe opportunity to scale replicable shared renewable energy program models. Indeed, scaling successful programs will help reduce costs and improve efficiencies, which will benefit all consumers. Among state policymakers, there is a growing recognition that establishing strong rules for shared renewables is key to creating robust markets.

The pace of uptake of new shared renewables programs and policies makes it a challenge at times to keep up with details of the various state programs, the nuanced design components of which can take time to track down and decipher. In response, IREC has modified our long-standing shared renewable program catalog (State Shared Renewable Energy Program Catalog), to provide an updated and useful tool for policy makers and all stakeholders seeking to better understand and compare existing state programs.

IREC frequently gets questions about what states are doing and how they are handling different elements of shared renewables models. While the concept of “shared renewables” or “community renewables” is growing in popularity, the reality is that states with active programs are distinct on many levels; core program design components and terminology are applied differently across the U.S. IREC’s catalog provides a detailed overview and breakdown of the numerous design components. By categorizing according to core elements and comparing programs side-by-side, it allows policy makers and diverse stakeholders to more easily and swiftly compare and contrast different programs. The catalog is accompanied by important definitions and overview documents that provide more insight and detail to help users better understand the content. And it is based on the program design components featured and discussed in greater detail in the IREC Model Rules for Shared Renewable Energy Programs.

The catalog covers statewide “shared renewable energy” or “shared renewables” programs, which IREC defines as programs that enable multiple customers to share the economic benefits of one renewable energy system via their individual utility bills (typically through bill credits). The catalog does not include other “community” renewables programs, such as green tariff shared renewables, group purchasing or aggregate net metering programs, and it does not capture voluntary, utility-level programs.

The catalog is one of several new tools that IREC plans to unveil in 2017. We’re putting the final touches on updated Guiding Principles for Shared Renewables and developing a unique national SCORECARD, which will evaluate state renewable energy programs and provide a user-friendly tool to help assess programs.

Visit www.irecusa.org for more information and resources, including to download our companion documents to the State Shared Renewable Program, including an overview and definitions. All of IREC’s publications and resources are available free of charge.

Global solar PV capacity will approach 295 GW in 2016, says GlobalData

RenewableEnergyFocus — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 10:01:00 GMT

The global solar PV market is set to increase its installed capacity from approximately 225 Gigawatts in 2015 to 294.69 GW in 2016, and will see China remain the world’s largest market for annual solar PV installations, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData.

The company’s latest report states that China installed 15.13 GW of new installed PV capacity in 2015, with cumulative capacity reaching 43.48 GW by the end of 2015. The country’s PV installed capacity has increased around 13-fold since 2011.

Ankit Mathur, GlobalData’s Practice Head covering Power, explains: “In the first quarter of 2016, China added a total of 7.14 GW of PV capacity, of which 6.17 GW accounted for solar PV power plants, and 970 Megawatts (MW) for distributed PV. The installation can be attributed to the country’s efforts to boost green energy and adjust the energy mix dominated by coal.

“In the first half of 2016, a rush of solar PV installations was witnessed, as PV power projects which were connected to the electricity grid prior to June 30, 2016 will be entitled to reap benefits from higher 2015 solar feed-in tariffs (FiTs). Indeed, China witnessed increased solar growth due to rising demand across the region ahead of the subsidy policy adjustment.”

China’s 13th Five Year Plan (FYP) sets the 2020 solar PV target at 150-200 GW, and aims to shift focus from scale expansion towards quality and efficiency. The FYP also intends to attain a non-fossil fuel renewable energy consumption of around 15% by 2020 and 20% by 2030.

Although domestic demand for solar installations in China fell in Q3 2016 as a result of FiT reductions, the state council has issued The Energy Development Strategy Action Plan (2014-2020), which aims to strengthen the overall strategy of China’s energy development, control the growth of energy consumption per unit GDP, promote more efficient green energy production and consumption, and effectively improve the competitiveness of the energy industry through a set of measures and targets.

Mathur continues: “The new solar PV installation tariffs and distributed PV electricity price subsidy standards will reduce gradually over time in order to promote scientific and technological development and efficiency, and improve the market competitiveness of PV power generation.”

NEA officially releases China’s 13th Five-Year-Plan for solar development, confirms 110 GW target

SolarServer — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 08:37:00 GMT

China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) officially released the 13th Five-Year-Plan (2016–2020) for solar development on December 16th, 2016, Asia Europe Clean Energy (Solar) Advisory Co. Ltd. (AECEA) reports.

The “plan” includes the 110 GW solar target, split into 105 GW of solar PV and 5 GW of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) which was officially known since later October, and re-confirms that by the end of 2020 the total installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity will exceed 105 GW.

No specific target for distributed generation

According to AECEA, a surprise however is that the now published “plan” no longer contains a specific target for distributed generation (DG), contrary to the October announcement where a 60 GW target was communicated. In light of todays below 10 GW of DG, a more than six-fold increase in the coming four years would have very likely proven being unrealistic, AECEA notes.

Nevertheless, DG does enjoy as expected a very prominent position in the just released “plan”. In this context, e.g. no less than 100 DG demonstration zones shall be set up across the country and within each zone 50% of existing buildings and 80% of all to be built buildings shall deploy roof-top systems. At the same time new business models shall be created designed to stimulate demand in the DG segment.

Another surprise is that out of 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities just 11 have been selected as so-called target regions for presumably continued large-scale PV deployment, i.e. both ground-mounted utility-scale and DG for a total 99 GW.

To date, favoured destinations like Yunnan or Xinjiang and Gansu Province in particular are not explicitly mentioned. However, the latter are expected to serve as so-called “transmission corridors” from West to East China.

“Top-Runner-Program” expanded; FIT’s are expected to drop

Introduced last year, the competitive bidding mechanism based “Top-Runner-Program” expanded from initially 1 GW in Datong/Shanxi to 5.5 GW across multiple provinces this year, thus accounting for approx. 30% of this year’s guiding target of 18.1 GW.

As anticipated the “Top-Runner-Program” remains a prominent feature of China’s domestic market landscape in future.

By 2020, FIT’s are expected to drop by more than 50% compared to 2015 levels, thus achieving grid parity. Finally, the wording within the “plan” equally suggests that perhaps no FIT’s will be granted beyond 2020, if grid parity indeed will have been realized.

Maxim’s analog IC integrated cell-string optimizer replaces bypass diode limitations

PVTECH — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 18:07:00 GMT

Maxim Integrated Products has introduced a new cell-string optimizer technology that allows PV panels to harvest significantly more energy and simplifies design complexity for solar installation projects, notably shade mitigation and eliminating hot-spots while minimizing the impact of overall power degradation mechanisms.

Problem

Unlike conventional bypass diodes, solar cell optimizers do not bypass weak cell strings. Using bypass diodes in solar a solar panel that experiences shading/soiling at any point within a string limits the maximum current rating to the lowest performing cell in the string.

Solution

Maxim's cell-string optimizers are highly integrated DC-DC converters that replace the bypass diode and perform maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of the PV panel (from 6 to 24 cells). By replacing each diode (three) with a MPPT device, the on-off response to performance mismatch is eliminated; every cell-string contributes maximum power without interfering with the power production capability of others. This enhanced degree of flexibility leads to increased energy production; eliminating collateral performance loss due to module mismatch, degradation, soiling, localized shading, and row shading loss mechanisms. A PV system designer can reconfigure a system design to allow for more inter-row shading that is claimed to deliver 10 to 20% more energy density than a conventional system design. Effectively, the system can maintain the same kWh/kWp as a conventional system, but with higher ground coverage ratios. System designers can also accommodate differing string lengths, multiple orientations, and different module power levels.

Applications

PV module integrated replacement for bypass diodes.

Platform

Maxim solar cell optimizer works by boosting the current of the weak cells to match those of the stronger, eliminating the corresponding performance penalty of the conventional system. The solar cell optimizer’s MPPT function works alongside the string inverter MPPT, to ensure that the system output is optimal under any environmental conditions. The module includes three Maxim solar cell optimizers, which replace the three diodes found in a conventional module junction box.

Availability

September, 2016 onwards.

More info:

https://www.maximintegrated.com/en/products/industries/solar-energy.html

https://www.maximintegrated.com/content/dam/files/design/technical-documents/product-brief/maxim-solar-cell-optimizer-product-brief.pdf

https://www.maximintegrated.com/content/dam/files/design/technical-documents/white-papers/flexible-PV-system-design-cell-string-optimizers.pdf

https://www.maximintegrated.com/content/dam/files/design/technical-documents/white-papers/solar-cell-cptimization.pdf

http://www.dgzerun.com/en_asp/productshow.asp?id=1122

Commission proposes new rules for consumer centred clean energy transition

European Commission — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 15:31:00 GMT

The European Commission today presents a package of measures to keep the European Union competitive as the clean energy transition is changing global energy markets.

The Commission wants the EU to lead the clean energy transition, not only adapt to it. For this reason the EU has committed to cut CO2 emissions by at least 40% by 2030 while modernising the EU's economy and delivering on jobs and growth for all European citizens. Today's proposals have three main goals: putting energy efficiency first, achieving global leadership in renewable energies and providing a fair deal for consumers.

Consumers are active and central players on the energy markets of the future. Consumers across the EU will in the future have a better choice of supply, access to reliable energy price comparison tools and the possibility to produce and sell their own electricity. Increased transparency and better regulation give more opportunities for civil society to become more involved in the energy system and respond to price signals. The package also contains a number of measures aimed at protecting the most vulnerable consumers.

The Vice-President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič said: "Today's package will boost the clean energy transition by modernising our economy. Having led global climate action in recent years, Europe is now showing example by creating the conditions for sustainable jobs, growth and investment. Today's proposals touch upon all clean energy related sectors: research and innovation, skills, buildings, industry, transport, digital, finance to name but a few. These measures will equip all European citizens and businesses with the means to make the most of the clean energy transition."

Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said: "Our proposals provide a strong market pull for new technologies, set the right conditions for investors, empower consumers, make energy markets work better and help us meet our climate targets. I'm particularly proud of the binding 30% energy efficiency target, as it will reduce our dependency on energy imports, create jobs and cut more emissions. Europe is on the brink of a clean energy revolution. And just as we did in Paris, we can only get this right if we work together. With these proposals, the Commission has cleared the way to a more competitive, modern and cleaner energy system. Now we count on European the Parliament and our Member States to make it a reality."

The Commission's “Clean Energy for All Europeans” proposals are designed to show that the clean energy transition is the growth sector of the future - that's where the smart money is. Clean energies in 2015 attracted global investment of over 300 billion euros. The EU is well placed to use our research, development and innovation policies to turn this transition into a concrete industrial opportunity. By mobilising up to 177 billion euros of public and private investment per year from 2021, this package can generate up to a 1% increase in GDP over the next decade and create 900,000 new jobs.

The Clean Energy for All Europeans legislative proposals cover energy efficiency, renewable energy, the design of the electricity market, security of electricity supply and governance rules for the Energy Union. In addition the Commission proposes a new way forward for Ecodesign as well as a strategy for connected and automated mobility.

The package also includes actions to accelerate clean energy innovation and to renovate Europe's buildings. It provides measures to encourage public and private investment, promote EU industrial competitiveness and mitigate the societal impact of the clean energy transition. We are also exploring ways in which the EU can show further leadership in clean energy technology and services to help non-EU countries achieve their policy goals.

More info

SolarPower Europe outlines 10 policy priorities for solar & storage

SolarPower Europe — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 11:09:00 GMT

SolarPower Europe is calling on the European Commission (EC) to address both solar power and energy storage in its upcoming Energy Union Package. In light of this, the association’s Task Force on solar & storage has created 10 policy priorities that will need to be considered to develop an appropriate framework for those technologies.

“The industry is being very successful in bringing down the cost of stationary battery storage and in improving its ability to provide efficient services and solutions to the market. Today we need European policy makers to put in place stable regulatory conditions including clear definitions and an appropriate market design to ensure a level playing field among competing solution providers. Such conditions will allow for further innovations and corresponding market growth,” said Ricardo Amoroso, chief innovation officer of Enel Green Power and vice president of SolarPower Europe.

The importance of the two technologies in tandem cannot be underestimated in order to achieve 2030 RES targets. But to adequately cater to such dynamic technology developments, SPE is asking for a corresponding regulatory framework that contains the following ten priorities:

An EU-wide definition of ‘electricity storage’ to be introduced in the revised Electricity Directive
Clarifying the definition and rights of active consumers regarding storage: the REDII should enshrine the right for consumers to self-generate and consume renewable energy
An appropriate reform of the intraday markets is crucial for enabling large-scale solar plants to better take on balancing responsibilities
A real market for selling and procuring flexibility services to be developed, both at transmission and distribution levels
A clear basis regarding rules and circumstances under which TSOs and DSOs may operate storage solutions must be developed
Targeted solar tenders to incorporate as a weighting selection criteria the co-location of solar and storage
The exchange of electricity on a community scale via collective self-consumption schemes must be possible for active consumers. Third party intermediaries should be allowed to operate active consumers’ electricity storage devices via pooling platforms, such as virtual power plants or peer-to-peer mechanisms
Clear rules regarding data transparency and access for all stakeholders are required
Active consumers should be remunerated fairly for providing their devices to deliver services that support the electric grid. To achieve fair remuneration and service provision, tariffs must provide consumers and service providers with price signals to be able to act upon market developments and system needs
Distribution and grid tariffs must be ‘fit for the energy transition’

“If the regulatory environment for solar & storage is set effectively, solar power will strongly contribute to reaching the 27% target for renewable energy in 2030 in the current draft RE directive," said Michael Schmela, executive advisor at SolarPower Europe. "Implementing our 10 policy priorities for solar & storage in the Energy Union Package would already go a big part of the way to achieving the realistic 35% target SolarPower Europe would like to see in the new REDII 2030 directive.”

Solar Bankability WEBINAR - Technical Risks & Mitigation Measures in PV Project Development and during Operation

Solar Bankability — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 11:02:00 GMT

Solar Bankability hosted a webinar on October 20 at 15:00 CET to discuss the core results so far before the last turn of the project and the final report.

This webinar was hosted and moderated by SolarPower Europe - Solar Bankability partner - featuring:

David Moser, PhD, EURAC research Institute for Renewable Energy and Coordinator of Solar Bankability project, will present the first attempt to implement cost-based Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to the PV sector and to define a methodology for the estimation of economic losses due to planning failures, system downtime and substitution/repair of components.
Ulrike Jahn, Senior Expert, TUV Rheinland Energie und Umwelt and Solar Bankability partner, will share highlights from the latest analysis from the project and present the results of the identification and categorisation of mitigation measures before and after the operational phase of a PV project.

You can download the presentations of the webinar here

The recording of the webinar is also available here.

World's cheapest solar power contract signed for Dubai mega-project

PV Magazine — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 10:45:00 GMT

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has seen some of the lowest-price solar power contracts in the world, which has led to a combination of disbelief and skepticism about the viability of the projects awarded.

However, today one of these mega-projects took another step forward, with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) signing a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) for the third phase of a massive solar park in Dubai for a shocking US$29.90 per megawatt-hour.

This PPA for the third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is the lowest price PPA globally known to pv magazine staff.

In analyzing how Masdar can make a profit on such a low PPA, Bloomberg New Energy Finance Head of Solar Analysis Jenny Chase has cited several factors, including low capital and operating costs, capacity factors of 25%, and the ability to access debt at an interest rate below 4%. (Note: This project and others in the region were examined in detail in the November print edition of pv magazine.)

And while US$29.90 sets a new benchmark, bids as low as US$24.20/MWh were submitted for an auction in Abu Dhabi in September.

When complete, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be 3 GW in capacity. In July developers closed on financing for the second 200 MW phase, which they expect to complete in April 2017.

UK added 21 MW PV capacity in September

Photon Mag — Sat, 29 Oct 2016 06:02:00 GMT

According to provisionally data published by UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial strategy (BEIS), as of the end of September 2016, overall UK solar PV capacity stood at 11,152 MW across 891,409 installations. This is an increase of 30% (2,572 MW) compared to September 2015. Provisionally, September 2016 saw 21 MW (August 29 MW) of solar PV capacity being deployed throughout the month, with the main drivers (46% of capacity) being small scale up to 4 kW.

About 5,462 MW (49%) of total installed solar PV capacity comes from large scale installations greater than 5 MW, with 22% (2,441 MW) coming from small scale 0 to 4 kW installations.

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solar-photovoltaics-deployment

BNEF expects flat US residential solar installations in 2017

PVTECH — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 16:41:00 GMT

According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) US residential solar installations are expected to increase by 21% in 2016, yet growth in 2017 is expected to be a tepid 0.3%.

This equates to a 2016 US residential market of 2.76GW and only 2.77GW in 2017, according to BNEF.

Recent figures from GTM/SEIA highlighted US expectations of over 10GW of total PV installations from residential, commercial and utility-scale segments in the second-half of 2016 to meet a total annual forecast of 13.9GW.

The latest GTM/SEIA ‘U.S. Solar Market Insight’ report highlighted that the US installed 2,051MW (DC) of solar PV in the second quarter of 2016, up around 23.3% from the first quarter of 2016, when installations reached 1,665MW and up 43% from the prior year period.

However, residential installs have been relatively flat since the fourth quarter of 2015.
Residential PV installations grew 1% over the first quarter of the year, according to GTM/SEIA.

To achieve BNEF’s 2.76GW residential figures, quarterly installation run rates of around 690MW are needed, while GTM/SEIA figures suggest no more than around 650MW per quarter has been achieved.

During SPI 2016, PV Tech highlighted the challenges facing the US market after 2016 looks like being a benchmark year for total PV installs.

There has also been a lack of clarity over US PV demand in 2017. Although GTM/SEIA noted 7.8GW (DC) of additional utility-scale projects were expected to come online in 2016, a decline in utility-scale projects is expected in 2017.

With the residential market expected to flat line next year, all eyes are on the US utility-scale market and how much of a decline will there be from an expected total of 13.9GW in 2016.

Panasonic launches new HIT N295 PV module for Europe

PV Magazine — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 06:14:00 GMT

Panasonic has announced the launch of its new HIT® N295 solar module for Europe. The latest addition to the company’s high-efficiency product portfolio is the most powerful sub-1.6m² solar panel available on the continent and provides installers with one of the most comprehensive, flexible solar offerings on the market to deliver more power on any roof.

The N295 combines a compact module size and frame thickness with Panasonic’s renowned high performance technology, offering 19.1% panel efficiency. Measuring less than 150 cm in length, the compact design of the N295 empowers European residential solar installers to maximize their customers’ available roof space by installing an additional module row, particularly for smaller, restricted roofs.

Boasting the company's new 15-year performance guarantee, the N295 compliments Panasonic’s existing high-performance HIT portfolio including the N325/330, N240/245 and N285, providing European installers with unrivalled flexibility to provide more power to their residential customers.

“The N295 represents another milestone in our quest to continually deliver improved technology and solar solutions for European installers”, commented Daniel Roca, Senior Business Developer for Panasonic. “Having listened to our customers and identified the vast variations of roof sizes and characteristics across Europe, we have engineered this uniquely compact and powerful module to provide installers with the greatest flexibility possible when designing their customers’ solar systems.

The N295 quickly follows the launch of Panasonic’s HIT N325/330, which was released to European installers in March 2016. This new addition to the HIT product family is particularly well suited to be combined with the top performance version N325/330. Both products have the same width and thus when an extra row or column of N325/330 cannot be fitted, the shorter N295 can be squeezed in the available space and help to significantly increase the system’s output.

The company has identified Italy as a country particularly well suited for the N295’s compact size, delivering a tailor-made, low-footprint system very close to the often targeted output figure of 3 kWp for the Italian domestic market.

“The European market has, and will continue to remain a very important market for Panasonic”, continued Roca. “Over the past year we have continued to see ever-changing circumstances for installers across Europe. While many manufacturers have chosen to scale back their European operations, we remain unwavering in our commitment to provide reliable, high quality solar solutions to help installers and consumers realise the potential of their residential roofs for solar, maximise their energy savings and ultimately prepare for a clean, sustainable future.

Panasonic’s N295 will be available to installers in mid October 2016.

Taiwan Plans Solar Power Boost in Push to Become Free of Nuclear

Bloomberg — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 08:38:00 GMT

Taiwan is aiming to more than double solar-power capacity in the next two years as part of a longer-term policy to see greater use of the energy source following a vow to support green energy industries and get rid of nuclear power.

The government wants by June 2018 to expand solar by 1.52 gigawatts from current levels on the way to achieving capacity of 20 gigawatts by 2025, according to a statement following a cabinet meeting on Thursday. The policy is being pushed by President Tsai Ing-wen, who was elected in January in part on an anti-nuclear power platform.

Nuclear power currently accounts for about a fifth of Taiwan’s electricity generation. Tsai wants to replace that with renewable energy sources by 2025, at which time the island wants to declare itself “nuclear-free.”

Strategies to achieve the goal will include using solar panels on the rooftops of public buildings and constructing solar-power stations on polluted land, according to the cabinet.

Solar Installations

Taiwan installed 220 megawatts to 240 megawatts of solar power in 2014 and 2015 and may maintain that pace this year, Yvonne Liu, a Beijing-based analyst from Bloomberg New Energy Finance said. As of June, solar power capacity totaled less than 1 gigawatt, falling short of the government’s previous 2015 target of 1.12 gigawatts, according to data from state-run utility Taiwan Power Co. and the energy bureau.

Solar targets have been missed in the past and a shortage of land poses a challenge, Liu said.

Domestic financial firms are starting to stake out their positions. Cathay Life Insurance Co., a unit of Taiwan’s largest listed financial holding company, said last month that it will pay as much as NT$1.6 billion ($51 million) for a stake in a solar power company. Chailease Finance Co., a top-three owner of solar power plants in Taiwan, is planning to sell bonds, some of which will be backed by power purchase agreements with Taiwan Power.

Neo Solar Power Corp., Cathay Life’s partner in the solar project, closed unchanged today. Motech Industries Inc., Taiwan’s biggest solar cell maker by market value, rose 1.3 percent.

Despite the government’s ambitions, homegrown producers of solar cells and other suppliers remain weighed down by a global supply glut of solar products.

Solar Glut

Benchmark solar cell prices have fallen for 16 straight weeks, extending historic lows, according to data from PV Insights. Vendors have sold products below cost as demand remains weak and inventory keeps rising, EnergyTrend said Sept. 1.

Expansion in Taiwan’s capacity will only be a drop in the bucket for the market.

“The sentiment is positive but it’s limited to help ease the oversupply among

local manufacturers, which still should focus on a global presence,” said Jennifer Liang, a Taipei-based analyst from KGI Securities Co.

Russia to help Algeria with 5-GW renewables plan

seenews — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 08:33:00 GMT

Russian companies are considering the possibility of taking part in the construction of more than 5,000 MW of solar and wind parks in Algeria, Russia’s ministry of energy said on Friday.

Energy minister Alexander Novak met with his Algerian counterpart Noureddine Bouterfa today to discuss this and other energy-related topics. Novak said in a statement that the two countries will work on creating a roadmap with a fixed timing for high-priority projects.

As part of a previously-announced programme, Algeria aims to have 22 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2035. This includes about 13,575 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) and 5,010 MW of wind power capacity.

In February, before becoming energy minister, Bouterfa stated that this programme is "practically an utopia" and that Algeria can realistically add 7 GW of solar thermal and 8 GW of PV capacity over the next 20 years.

http://renewables.seenews.com/news/russia-to-help-algeria-with-5-gw-renewables-plan-539292

Rooftop PV and manufacturing: the next two hurdles for Indian solar

PV Magazine — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 16:19:00 GMT

After a hectic and heavily business-focused first two days, the third and final day of the Renewable Energy India (REI) expo saw a calmer and more considered air settle across the show, with much talk turning to the next challenges and hurdles that the Indian solar market has to face.

Residential rooftop solar has been anything but a thorny topic on the show floor; indeed, it was barely discussed at all – utility-scale debates dominated, echoing the 90/10 split evident in the nation’s current installed capacity.

But with the National Solar Mission (NSM) earmarking 40 GW of its 100 GW 2022 installation target for rooftop solar, many visitors, exhibitors and speakers at the show were acutely aware that this is a sector that needs more vocal, and optimistic, support.

Joerg Gaebler of GIZ India said that rooftop solar in India is “a no-brainer”, and presented a series of compelling cost analyses that GIZ has undertaken as part of the Indo-German Energy Program.

With the Indian rooftop market projected to reach 1 GW by the end of the year, there is momentum building. And that momentum, Gaebler said, can generate good returns for private adopters of solar. “The average cost of a residential rooftop system is Rs 5.74 ($0.09)/kWh, while O&M is 3% of the required Rs 700,000 ($10,050) upfront investment,” said Gaebler.

“That is a pricey assumption for an average Indian household,” Gaebler noted, but added that the returns make attractive reading. “With the government’s 30% capital subsidy scheme, we calculate that this discounted payback is just 5.2 years, with an IRR of 17% and a total annual electricity bill saving of INR 134,000, it’s a no-brainer.”

While those numbers may make sense for a handful of middle-class Indians, the majority either lack the appropriate funds, rooftop (80% of housing stock in India has flat rooftops because they do not have to deal with snowload) or space (many rooftops are partially shaded) to make investment in residential PV currently worthwhile, other observers added.

Rakesh Kumar, the director of the government-backed Solar Energy Corporation India (SECI) said that the government could have perhaps already done “three times what we have done so far” for rooftop solar, but stressed that there have been many conflicting stakeholder interests. “However,” he added, “we have created a platform to escalate rooftop solar quickly over the next few months. The 40 GW is a target for the next five years, and to meet those requirements then the MNRE and sister organizations will place a huge thrust on solar installs."

SECI itself has bought a 500 MW tender specifically for rooftop solar, and has earmarked 100 MW of that specifically for residential PV, Kumar said. “The 500 MW have been finalized and the winning bids will be announced soon. They are mostly SME clients, but also public sector buildings that are eligible for subsidy.”

Kumar added that the reason the C&I rooftop sector has no subsidy support is because the government feels that the sector can add capacity independently, and then economies of scale will follow.

Tata’s head of business development group Kaushik Sanyal added that financing for rooftop solar PV systems is currently scarce, and comes only from the banking sector via a typical home loan. “Financing for the domestic sector needs to be addressed,” he said. “There needs to be more awareness about long-term payback. Consumers will only look at the upfront cost, and then only the projected reduction in their bills. We need systematic awareness campaigning from government, bankers, developers – everybody in the industry needs to do their bit to develop a more collaborative approach for residential growth.”

State-by-state, some areas offer net or gross metering, while in other regions there are concerns over grid-connection. “It is also important for Discoms to map a network for this expected growth,” Sanyal said. “Existing grids need expanding, but who pays? Regulators need to enter the picture and plan and pay for this anticipated growth in solar."

If you build it, will they come?

India’s solar manufacturing landscape will be key to sustaining future growth, believe many observers. The country cannot be reliant on low-cost, imported Chinese solar components for ever, but at the moment the incentive to invest in domestic manufacturing capacity is suppressed by China’s infiltration of the market.

However, machines have begun to whirr, and plans and confidence are building for more growth. Hemal Ghelani, Meyer Burger India executive director, said that they are seeing more trust on module manufacturing in India. “Economies of scale have to be there to be competitive with the Chinese,” he said. “We would also like to see technology as a consideration, along with scale. Scale alone cannot sustain the industry because it’s hard to compete with China. But if you have technology differentiation, and presence across the entire value chain from ingot to module, having that control means you are less dependent on the vagaries of the market.”

The market will be shaken up by deep-pocket players, Ghelani added, as government has to take a step back and allow manufacturing in India to stand on its own two feet. “That is where adoption of technology and scale go hand in hand – the government can only act as facilitator, make a clear policy, and time bound the subsidy payments. Delays do not work. The government has expanded the business opportunity, now it is up to companies to take the lead.”

Moser Baer’s K N Subramanian said that only around 40% of India’s solar module manufacturing capacity is being utilized, and the situation is even worse for cell suppliers. “Indian manufacturing is in a bad state,” he stressed. “We need an urgent funding mechanism from government because banks are not going to fund these companies. Government backing, however, will boost skills and jobs.”

GTAT CEO David Keck said that there has been interest among Indian clients in developing polysilicon production facilities, but added that conversations at the show had been “tentative”.

“I do believe that in the next year or two the smarter producers will look to integrate upstream,” Keck said. “You don’t necessarily have to do the whole supply chain, but at least be integrated in order to control not only your costs but also your quality. The Indian ecosystem, infrastructure, local demand – the key component is being the right scale. It is important to have stable power and a low price. Low price labor here already, so I see a very competitive potential here. These components make a winning combination.”

Solargize India is one company planning such vertical integration. The firm’s head of marketing Suchitra Ramachandraiah told pv magazine that discussions are advanced on a proposed 3 GW polysilicon production plant in Andhra Pradesh, to augment the firm’s 500 MW cell and 500 MW module production facility being built in Bangalore. The company expects to be producing polysilicon within 24 months.

Tata Power CEO: 100 GW of solar is just the beginning for India

PV Magazine — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 16:14:00 GMT

Since acquiring Welspun, Tata Power is now India’s largest developer, with around 9% of installed capacity in the country. What responsibilities come with holding this leading position in such a growing market?

Ashish Khanna: This position of leadership and responsibility is nothing new to Tata, a group synonymous with good values and ethics. In Asia, this is a differentiator because these are traits that you do not see so frequently.

It takes a lot of effort to be a successful business that also gives back to society, and is thinking about how to build a culture of trust with all our stakeholders – which includes contractors, clients, employees, shareholders, and ultimately society. You cannot do this unless you are honest and pursue your objective diligently, which is part of the DNA of this company.

Tata Power has internal aspirations to generate 30-40% of its capacity on renewables, and to become a fully integrated player. This is a responsible aspiration. We have enjoyed success, but it is good to pursue further goals – particularly in solar.

Reports show how the Indian solar market appears to be consolidating, and being shaped by fewer and fewer larger companies, including Tata. Is this a good development in your eyes?

The way the solar market in India has exponentially erupted in the last two years, compared to the last ten years, some level of consolidation is inevitable. I think we still have a long way to go; there are great opportunities at a maturity level to ensure a sustainable growth. We see a large focus on cost and pricing that is steering the 100 GW goal. However, there is a long way to go, and if we are looking for a 100 GW industry, there is no reason why Indian businesses cannot play an important role to steer that industry forward in the most appropriate manner.

India has a lot of catching up to do. Sure, we are already seeing huge utility scale projects and tariffs that are really eye-catching, but there are similar low bids in Chile and Dubai – and so India is just part of that wider movement towards sustainable growth. These tariffs are not necessarily going to be driving sustainable growth for the next five years. We will come back to reasonable levels eventually, but the important factor for now is the quality of the power we are producing in solar. We need to make sure that the whole solar ecosystem will grow and be supported, which means more power demand and technology breakthrough.

Looking beyond 100 GW towards sustainable growth and more storage is an easy viewpoint to take from your position at Tata. But are you seeing similar vision and foresight at the more grassroots level of the Indian solar market?

Every business is trying to find ways to make a success of the government’s top-down policy of that 100 GW target. Of course it is attractive. The challenge will come when these business initiatives mature and investors may realize that their rate of return is not as aggressive as some are projecting now. There are many multinational developers from mature cultures – such as Scandinavian countries – that have moved heavily into india’s renewable power market, as well as other European developers, American companies, and in a way, the Chinese are supporting with their products.

I think investors are attracted to India’s solar industry not only because of the 100 GW target – but for longer term, sustainable goals. The 100 GW will bring a base load level of solar. Let’s not forget the fact that there are more than 300 million people in India with no source of power. Solar seemingly can be a great business, environmental and social solution to this problem. Couple this distributed solar with a cost-effective storage solution, and then you don’t need the grid – you now have a model of sustainable, reliable and affordable source of power. Which is what India needs for its very large population – there is a potent business proposition right there.

The challenges facing India are, however, vast. If China sneezes, India could catch a cold: your words. So while the second half slowdown in China is just a sniffle right now, are you worried? What could the repercussions for India be?

The fact is that currently we are overly dependent on Chinese modules. This is because of the overly aggressive business models that we have created in the current scenario. But that aggression is also required in certain scenarios. If their aggression was not there, and you may have a decent ROI, and you don’t need that high-risk mitigation measures, then your whole dependence on your particular sourcing can also change.

It is very tricky, and very critical that we lower our aggressive aspirations. This week the MNRE Secretary has announced that maybe there is a proposal for overall 40 GW of solar parks. The importance of a solar park in India is that it de-risks most of the investment, particularly in terms of land issues and evacuation. Land acquisition is a big risk-factor for many developers. The moment you remove that, there will be many developers that will come automatically. When you reach the 40 GW milestone, then you could see a decline – as in the case of China. However, it is a larger canvas to work on, and we have sustainable returns that are not being unduly impacted by a few cents of module price fluctuations, we will have a sustainable market in this country.

Does that way of thinking shape Tata’s solar manufacturing planning? Can we expect more ground-mount solar plants from Tata made using your own domestically produced components?

Tata has been investing, and continues to invest, in local manufacturing. But we are doing it in a measured way and with a focus on technological advancement. We invest a lot in technologies. You have to look closely at technology developments and base your expansion on technologies that have a secure future rather than invest in technologies that might be redundant in two to three years. Tata is always looking for those technologies that are relevant in India, and outside the country as well. That is our main goal – where are we investing in technologies that can allow us to address niche markets? Because India can play a very critical role in a global market for many niche areas, and India can be more supple than China in responding to market trends. We believe that the agility with which India can rapidly embrace and produce new technologies can be our lead over China.

So you have in mind to ramp up Tata’s exports to foreign markets?

Last year we exported more than 50 MW to the U.K., Europe and U.S. Where we find that we can compete, and a country has certain protection against dumping via particular countries, and so there is a level playing field, we are finding that Tata’s products are appreciated for their quality and price. With that perspective, we are looking to increase our exports. Tata Power Solar’s products now have recognition across the world.

Tata’s solar perspective is to look at how to leverage our existing capabilities with which we are executing projects in India, and then look for opportunities in certain geographies to execute projects outside.

On to rooftops, the sector has struggled to grow, and with the country still a cost rather than quality-conscious market, are you worried that there is a lack of quality control in the rooftop sector, which is causing harm?

The biggest concern in residential rooftop is that the entry barriers are very low, as is the consumer awareness of the individuals. There is hardly any standardization on the quality of the products. And then these modules are being sold as a dream for the next 25 years, and unlike commercial customers – which have the wherewithal to validate the quality – the residential sector doesn’t yet have the knowledge strength, or opportunities to build that awareness.

These panels should be there for 25 years. And if it’s a low entry barrier, any player and any product can come in. And in a cost-conscious society like ours, it is a huge challenge because lowest cost and optimum quality are growing further apart. I feel that unless we have success stories in the residential sector, supported by better policies – they are there to some extent, but not enough – then I cannot see residential solar gaining traction. Unless there is more rigor, discipline and enforcement of quality in the rooftop market will remain a challenge.

Why do you think the government set that 40 GW target for rooftop? India could well achieve 100 GW purely ground-mount, so what message would 40 GW of rooftop send out?

You can have the same question over the utility sector too. When you set aspirations, it must be based on certain facts. I am not privy to the studies that went into building these targets, but these are the numbers we have to work with now. When you are setting ambitious goals, it pays to be bold. We also think the rooftop sector will grow, but it will be a long haul.

When you have surplus power that is expensive, and the DISCOMs are not very healthy, then they will buy the cheapest power. Rooftop is the niche that will make the difference to Indian solar, but unless enforced ruthlessly might not be preferred over others, and at this stage it seems it may take time.

France to tender 1.35 GW of rooftop Solar

PV Magazine — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 05:13:00 GMT

Slow and steady wins the race, or it certainly keeps you in the race. This has been the French approach to the solar industry over the last few years, and it’s kept the country’s PV capacity steadily rising, while other European markets have capitulated. The most recent tender schemes are indicative of this approach, giving the industry a consistent level of activity; for the next three years at least.

French energy minister Segolene Royal made the announcement on her Twitter account on Tuesday, confirming that there would be a total of 1.35 GW of rooftop PV tendered during three rounds over the next three years. Each tender will auction 450 MW of rooftop solar plants, and they will take place on an annual basis.

According to kiloWattsol CEO and President Xavier Daval, the maximum size of the rooftop projects that can enter the tender will be 250 KW, but also that much of this information had already been known. “The announcement is really just a consummation of what had previously been said, but the confirmation is definitely positive news,” explained to pv magazine.

Daval also explained that remuneration for the electricity generated by the systems would be two-fold; it would be based on the agreed price during the bidding process and on the average market price of energy at the time of generation.

France’s solar aims

France has added a total of 570 MW of solar capacity to its grid in the first half of 2016, bringing its total installed capacity to somewhere around 6.7 GW. The country’s PV targets were revised last year, and the government is currently discussing its new annual energy plan, but for the time being it is hoping to reach 10.2 GW of installed PV by 2018 and 20.2 GW by 2023.

To achieve this, the government announced that 3 GW of ground-mounted solar would be auctioned during six rounds of tenders over the next three years; each with 500 MW up for grabs. This will allow the industry to consistently grow in that time period.

“All solar sectors are now covered by a reasonable chunk of tenders,” continued Daval. “A series of tenders, which represents a pipeline of tenders over the next 3 years, which is big, as it allows the industry to forecast for the next three years and will encourage investment.”

Jinko exits EU price undertaking

PV Magazine — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 05:12:00 GMT

Another Chinese PV heavyweight has announced its exit from the divisive EU minimum import price (MIP) scheme, which was introduced as a means of Chinese companies avoiding anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties from the EU. It comes at a critical time for these particular EU trade measures, with players on both sides of the debate reinforcing their arguments as an upcoming review looms.

Chinese PV manufacturer JinkoSolar announced its withdrawal from the EU’s MIP scheme on Thursday, stating that “after careful strategic consideration, Jinko believes that the measures are no longer conducive to the ongoing expansion of its business in the EU.”

The MIP, stipulating that Chinese companies must sell solar cells and modules in the EU above a fixed price, and import volume restrictions were agreed upon by the EU and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) in December 2013, as an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measure.

The agreement was undertaken by the majority of Chinese PV manufacturers initially, with those that declined having significant duties placed on their exports to the EU; the duties for Jinko were 41.2% for anti-dumping and 6.5% for anti-subsidy. However, Jinko has decided that it will fare better going it outside of the agreement, stating that protectionism harms fair competition and development of the PV industry.

“After carefully reviewing our EU operations, we believe that the current MIPs no longer accurately reflect the current market price environment given that average selling prices in all major EU markets continue to decline, and seriously erode our competitiveness in those market,” commented JinkoSolar Chairman Xiande Li. “We feel our competitiveness and market power were being unfairly hampered and have opted to withdraw from the UT [MIP] agreement.”

EU trade measures on the ropes

Jinko now joins the world’s largest PV manufacturer, Chinese company Trina Solar, in opting out of the agreement. Trina Solar made the same move in December 2015, also stating that the minimum import price does not reflect current market trends. It said that Chinese companies that remain in the agreement have lost their competitiveness to non-Chinese rivals in the EU.

Additionally, the European Commission announced in July that it was investigating three Chinese PV exporters for breaching the rules of the MIP. The three accused companies were Ningbo Osda Solar, Qixin Solar, and Shandong Linuo Photovoltaic Hi-Tech, who will be withdrawn from the MIP agreement should the EU’s suspicions be substantiated.

To add fuel to the fire, 34 solar and renewable energy organizations signed a letter in July calling on the EU to immediately remove the trade measures against the Chinese PV manufacturers. The trade measures are due to be reviewed by the EU in March 2017, and with all of these strains on the policy, it seems more and more likely that it will be modified, if not abolished all together.

From the JinkoSolar side, the company still remains keen to expand its presence in the EU market, but clearly wants to change the terms of the relationship.

“We believe that we will be in a better position to leverage our strong brand name, industry-leading technology, global production facilities, and large customer base once we withdraw from the UT [MIP] agreement,” continued Li. “We remain committed to our European customer and will continue to supply them with the high quality, reliable products we have become synonymous with.”

Egypt agrees to international arbitration for PV projects but slashes FITs

PV Magazine — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 06:53:00 GMT

Suspicions had been mounting over why the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) was refusing to accept international arbitration for the PV projects that had been agreed in Phase 1 of the country’s new FIT program. With the announcement of a new revised phase for the program, which slashes FIT rates, projects awarded under the first tender are unlikely to come to fruition, as developers will likely need to reenter through this second phase.

A new renewable era

Egypt originally announced the scheme in 2014, with a goal of attracting international investment and foreign financing for solar and wind projects within the country. It set an initial target of 4.3 GW of renewable energy projects to help the country on its way to meet its aim of having renewables make up 20% of its energy mix by 2020 (this has since become 2022).

To attract investors and solar developers, it was offering generous FIT rates of $13.6 cents/kWh for PV plants between 500 KW and 20 MW, and $14.3 cents/kWh for PV plants of 20 MW to 50 MW. Queries over such a relatively high rate were raised in the following months, as other emerging markets such as Dubai and Jordan offered rates that were significantly lower.

Seat of arbitration dispute

Once developers had been decided for the 2 GW of PV projects on offer, draft Project Agreements began to be passed back and forth between solar developers and the EETC. However, a point of contention kept springing up: that the EETC was reluctant to accept an arbitration venue in a neutral location, choosing Egypt’s capital Cairo instead of an international location.

As a result the final Project Agreements have not been signed by the developers, as international lenders considered this non-bankable. These projects have until October 2016 to reach financial close, however, it is looking unlikely with the EETC’s refusal for international arbitration.

“In principle the phase 1 projects (those shortlisted in the tender) should have been implemented with the old tariffs (according to what was established when the FiTs scheme was launched back in 2014), but things changed throughout the process,” IHS Energy senior research analyst Silvia Macri explained to pv magazine. “The work on the PPAs templates lasted longer than expected, and issues continued to arise will disagreement between the government and project companies. Now we have to see whether any of those projects claiming to be able to reach financial close by October 2016 can actually make it.”

Phase 2 of the FIT program

With Egypt’s FIT scheme and the PV projects in doubt, the country’s Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister Mohammed Shaker has now announced a second phase of the scheme, which, among a number of revisions, clear up the arbitration dispute. “We’ve agreed that the seat of arbitration be offshore, outside Egyptian borders,” announced Shaker.

Only pre-qualified PV developers during phase 1 will be eligible to participate in phase 2, which continues to aim for the initial target of 2 GW of solar PV, however, they will be faced with much reduced FIT rates. For projects between 500 KW and 20 MW in size the rate has been reduced from $13.6 cents/kWh to $7.8 cents/kWh, and for projects between 20 MW and 50 MW in size the rate has been reduced from $14.34 cents/kWh to $8.4 cents/kWh. Needless to say, this is likely to bring into question the viability of the large-scale PV projects in the country, although solar companies have already invested in the development of the projects and the permitting process.

“We did expect a tariff reduction in this second phase,” continued Macri. “Tariffs are more in line to what we’ve seen in other regional markets (Jordan for example, or Dubai, although bid prices in these countries’ tenders were much lower) but it’s still too early to say whether projects are viable. We’re missing details on the currency, rules around source of financing, etc., country risk remains high and confidence that the country will abide by the new rules may have been shaken.”

India to increase the rooftop PV solar market

Photon Mag — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 06:31:00 GMT

The rooftop solar market in India is expected to add new capacity of 700 MW in 2016 – 15% of total solar capacity addition this year – crossing 1 GW cumulative capacity by September and growing at a sizzling 300% over last year, according to the consultancy Bridge to India Energy Pvt. Ltd. The company expects significant capacity to be added in the commercial and industrial segment.

Rooftop solar has maintained a 10 to 12% share of overall solar capacity addition in the country. This is much lower than other key markets such as USA (46%), Germany (73%), China (18%) and Australia (97%). »The Indian government wants to improve this share to 40% (or 40 GW) by 2022,« says Bridge to India. Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has announced a scheme for allocating 1,000 MW of rooftop solar capacity on various government buildings.

Bridge to India believes that the »high growth phase of India’s rooftop solar market has only just begun.« According to the consultancy, »this market has got a great potential.«

Fifty-eight solar projects submitted within Argentina’s renewable energy tender

PV Magazine — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 06:20:00 GMT

The 58 PV projects have a combined capacity of 2.8 GW and are located in 12 different provinces. The solar quota for this tender was just 300 MW, with the winning projects due to be announced in October.

A total of 58 potential solar projects, with a combined capacity of 2,834 MW were submitted in the first renewable energy tender of the RenovAr program in Argentina, according to a statement from the Ministry of Energy.

One gigawatt of renewable energy projects is being auctioned within the tender, of which 300 MW is assigned to PV projects. The PV projects that were submitted within the auction are located across 12 provinces: Salta, San Jua, Jujuy, Catamarca, San Luis, Mendoza, Neuquén, La Pampa, Córdoba, Buenos Aires and Chaco.

Altogether, 123 offers of different technology and energy generation methods, with a total capacity of 6,366 MW, were submitted in the auction, with the results due in October. The technology that had the most capacity submitted was wind, across 49 projects, which combined amounted to 3,468 MW. Aside from solar, the following quotas were given within the auction: wind 600 MW, biomass 65 MW, biogas 15 MW and small hydro 20 MW.

With 1,000 MW of renewable energy planned for development from this tender, the Argentine government expects between US$1.5bn and US$2bn of direct investment.

The technical qualification of the offers is scheduled for 3 October, while the opening of economic offers will take place on 7 October, before the tender will be resolved on 12 October and the projects will be awarded.

With this auction, Argentina is seeking to increase the share that renewable energy has in its electricity mix, which is currently very small. The capacity of installed PV in the country is currently around 15 MW.

New Argentine legislation set a target of renewable energy making up 8% of the country’s energy mix by 2017.

Solar Sold in Chile at Lowest Ever, Half Price of Coal

Bloomberg — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 07:57:00 GMT

Solar power recently sold for the lowest price ever, in Chile.

The Spanish developer Solarpack Corp. Tecnologica won contracts to sell power from a 120-MW solar plant for $29.10 a MWh at an energy auction this month.

That’s the lowest price on record for electricity from sunshine, surpassing a deal in Dubai in May. It’s the cheapest to date for any kind of renewable energy, and was almost half the price of coal power sold in the same event. According to Solarpack General Director Inigo Malo de Molina, it’s one of the lowest rates ever for any kind of electricity, anywhere.

“Solar energy technology has evolved and proved it is competitive,” Molina said in a telephone interview from Santiago. “Prices for electricity generation have changed drastically in the last years. Solar energy in Chile is now the cheapest in the market.”

A key part of the low price is the ever-declining price for solar panels. The average price on the spot market declined this week to 44.7 cents a watt for standard polysilicon panels, a record low.

Ideal Location

The location for this particular power plant is also a factor, in northern Chile’s Atacama desert. It’s high in the Andes, close to the equator and is considered one of the sunniest and driest places on Earth. It’s ideal for solar energy, and will generate more electricity than projects in areas that get less sunshine.

Chile’s government is planning to complete transmission lines that will let the solar farm deliver power to the entire country, which prompted Solarpack and other developers to bid so low, Molina said.

“This is the lowest price ever seen, for any renewable technology,” Ana Verena Lima, a Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst in Sao Paulo. “The auction was very competitive and such a low price wasn’t expected by the market.”

The auction was Chile’s biggest ever for electricity, awarding contracts to provide 12,430 GWh a year, a third of what’s needed for the country’s regulated customers. The average price declined 40 percent from a similar event last year.

Renewable-energy developers won more than half the contracts. The lowest price for wind power awarded in the auction was $38.10 a MWh, power from natural gas-fired plants sold for $47, coal came in at $57, hydroelectricity at $60 and geothermal at $66.

In Chile’s power auctions, developers offer to provide a certain amount of capacity at a specific price, without saying what type of power plant they’re planning to build. Bids are listed from cheapest to most expensive, and distribution companies select the lowest-cost proposals available until reaching their target capacity.

Dubai Deal

The Solarpack contract is cheaper than a solar project in Dubai, that sold for $29.90 a MWh in May, and for a March auction in Mexico that awarded solar contracts for $35.50 a MWh, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Solarpack has 37 MW capacity operating in Chile and another 21 MW under construction. The company will begin construction of the project in the Tarapaca region in 2018 and expects it to go into service in 2019. Molina declined to provide the expected cost.

The auction is “a strong warning sign that the energy business continues on the transition path to renewable power and that companies should adapt quickly to this transition process,” said Carlos Finat, president of Chile’s renewable association.

Dominican Republic could reach 1.9 GW of solar by 2030, IRENA

Fri, 29 Jul 2016 07:37:00 GMT

The Dominican Republic could increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix from 9% to 27% by 2030, according to a new »Renewable Energy Prospects: Dominican Republic« report launched by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The country could increase the share of renewables in the power sector alone from 12% to 44% per cent by 2030, mostly from solar and wind.

IRENA estimates that the Dominican Republic could generate 16 TWh of electricity from renewables by 2030 with a renewable power generation capacity of 6 GW (from a total installed capacity of 10 GW, including non-renewable technologies). Solar PV could contribute 3 TWh from a total of 1.9 GW capacity, which includes on-grid and off-grid capacity. 60% is related to utility-scale plants, which »would require an average annual installation rate of about 77 MW« until 2030. According to the study, decentralized on-grid generation could comprise 685 MW capacity by 2030 for residential and commercial systems. This would cover about 8% of all electricity demand in buildings. Solar home systems totaling 102 MW of installed capacity would supply electricity to 2% of the population.

An estimated annual investment of $566 million in renewable energy is needed between now and 2030 to reach the 27% renewables mark. Once achieved this will actually result in a net annual savings of up to $5.3 billion annually by 2030 when accounting for factors like human health and reduced emissions, said IRENA.

The report is part of IRENA’s renewable energy roadmap »Remap 2030« which provides a plan to double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030.

Dubai Shatters all Records for Cost of Solar with Earth’s Largest Solar Power Plant

Dr. Moritz Borgmann — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 07:10:00 GMT

The Emirate of Dubai set a new world record for the cost of solar power on May 1, 2016 with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) receiving bids for the 800 MW Sheikh Maktoum Solar Park Phase III as low as 3.00 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This not only marks the lowest cost ever for solar power, but also easily beats all available fossil-fuel options in Dubai on cost.

At the bid opening, DEWA read out the bids for a base variant of 200 MW (AC) only, but with further optional stages the project has the potential to become the largest solar power plant in the world at 800 MW. The project will be implemented on an independent power producer (IPP) basis, with bidders proposing a technical and financial solution to build, own and operate the plant for 25 years.

The lowest bid was submitted by a consortium of Abu Dhabi’s Masdar and Spanish developer FRV, which was acquired by Saudi Arabia’s Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) group in 2015. Second, according to industry insiders, came Chinese module maker and developer JinkoSolar at 3.69 cents/kWh, soundly beating Saudi Arabian Acwa Power in a consortium with the U.S. solar thin-film module pioneer and developer First Solar at 3.96 cents/kWh. Two French-led consortia submitted somewhat distant but close bids – Engie, the former GDF Suez, together with Japanese Marubeni at 4.44 cents/kWh and utility EDF with Qatar’s Nebras Power at 4.48 cents/kWh.

The results are remarkable in that they end the winning streak of Acwa Power, which won the two previous DEWA IPP tenders, the Sheikh Maktoum Solar Park Phase II and the recent Hassyan coal power plant tender. This time, Acwa was beaten by JinkoSolar, which is not only the global cost leader in silicon solar modules, but with this bid also demonstrates its capability to successfully develop extremely competitive projects. JinkoSolar apparently surpassed Acwa in the craft of meticulously optimizing all moving parts in a project. However, the lowest bid was submitted by the Masdar/FRV/ALJ consortium. FRV/ALJ, which came a close second to Acwa Power in the previous phase II tender, was clearly determined to win in phase III and seems to have found the winning formula in partnering with Masdar, also known as the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund Mubadala.

Three cents – a repeatable precedent?

The price bid by Masdar/FRV is 19% lower than the second-lowest bid submitted by JinkoSolar. It can be expected that both JinkoSolar and the third-lowest Acwa Power pushed their proposals very close to what can be considered commercially feasible today. One may speculate how Masdar and FRV seemingly manage to play in a universe of their own. Because the majority of the expenses for a solar power plant lie in the upfront cost of construction, which gets recovered over numerous years, the cost of financing is a key overall cost driver. One can suspect that Masdar had access to long-term financing through the wealthy emirate of Abu Dhabi that no commercial banks, the primary source of capital for the other bidders, could match in cost.

It should be noted, however, that what we are seeing now is only part of the picture. DEWA invited developers to submit bids for configurations made up of three sub-phases: a mandatory 200 MW to be commissioned in April 2018, and another two optional 300 MW tranches in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Results of the two requested variant bids for total project sizes of 500 or 800 MW were not made public at the bid opening. However, insiders suggest that Masdar/ALJ essentially provided a peek behind the façade of the 200 MW bid by submitting the same price of 3 cents/kWh for all three bid variants, speculating that DEWA would find the 800 MW variant most attractive anyway. At the same time, other bidders can be expected to have achieved lower tariffs through further economies of scale with the larger variants, which means that the gap between Masdar/FRV and the second-ranked bidder would potentially be much smaller when looking at the largest 800 MW variant.

Still, with this somewhat unique bid, 50% lower than Acwa Power’s winning bid in the previous phase II submitted just 18 months ago, the danger arises that Dubai’s tender raises global expectations of the cost of solar to a level that cannot be quite matched elsewhere, making the industry get somewhat ahead of itself.

World-record solar now beats fossil fuels on cost

Yet, even the second and third-lowest bid at 3.69 and 3.96 cents/kWh, which appear bold yet commercially viable, are unprecedented and mark another breakthrough milestone for the progress of renewable energy. All three lowest bids by themselves clearly set a new world record for the unsubsidized cost of solar electricity. A recent bid of 3.6 cents/kWh by Enel Green Power in Mexico did not include the value of additional green energy certificates. Solar tariffs in the USA now regularly dip below 4 cents/kWh, but these include a 30% tax incentive and other subsidies.

Besides setting world records for solar power, the results unequivocally demonstrate that large-scale solar power can now regularly beat fossil-fuel power plants on cost. Solar (when delivered in 2018–2020) has now become by far the lowest-cost option for generating electricity in the Gulf region, effortlessly beating even coal-fired power plants. As recently as October 2015, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) awarded the new Hassyan coal power station at a much higher tariff of 4.501 US cents/kWh. Gas-fired power plants in Dubai have an even higher generation cost.

Dubai sets the standards for renewable-energy deployment in the region

Dubai has now firmly established itself as the forerunner of solar energy in the Gulf region. As part of its program to reach energy diversification goals by 2030, Dubai launched the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in 2012. The park is located on 40 square kilometers of land south of Dubai city and is planned to eventually host 5 GW of solar projects. In 2013, a 13 MW PV power plant was commissioned as phase I of the project. In 2014, DEWA tendered a 100 MW PV power plant on an IPP basis as phase II, with stunning results at the time. Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power bid a low tariff of 5.98 cents/kWh, already lower than DEWA’s cost of gas-fired power plants.

At the same time, Acwa Power proposed alternative variants of up to 1,000 MW. DEWA ultimately settled at 200 MW at a tariff of 5.85 cents/kWh. The successful results of the tender sparked an even greater appetite for solar power. In late 2015, Dubai announced an aggressive target of 25% share of solar power in the grid by 2030 and 75% by 2050. As the first step toward reaching these goals, DEWA launched the public tender for phase III of the Sheikh Maktoum Solar Park project, with the intent to award a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to the lowest bidder.

Compared to phase II, the prequalification criteria were made even more stringent, with the goal of allowing only very strong and experienced players to participate in this tender of unprecedented size. DEWA required the consortia to present rigorous, fully detailed technical and financial proposals.

In a multi-stage process, 97 parties submitted an expression of interest (EOI) to participate in the tender. Around 40 parties were invited to submit a request to prequalify, of which 24 international consortia responded. Finally, 14 consortia were prequalified and invited to submit bids on May 1, 2016. As a testament to the stringent requirements (and also high costs) of submitting a bid, eventually only five consortia handed in proposals on May 1. It is expected that DEWA will negotiate with the frontrunners among bidders over the coming weeks and then settle on a sub-phase configuration that maximizes value for DEWA, in all likelihood, the largest 800 MW variant.

Compared to phase II, when twice as many bids were submitted with a much larger spread between the lowest and the most expensive bid (2.5x vs. 1.5x), we are now seeing a much more mature solar downstream industry. Effectively, the “mega project” model similar in financial volume to conventional power plants has set the standard for the procurement of renewable energy in the region.

Leaving no stone unturned to optimize tariffs

One may ask – how could bidders submit such low tariffs? The substantially lower price level of all bidders, compared to the already low price point in phase II, was the result of intensive optimization across the entire gamut of project parameters. After phase II had given an indication of the level of competitiveness required to win, developers left no stone unturned to reduce project costs.

The strongest contributor to the lower tariff is a lower capital expense for the project, driven by lower component costs and more efficient system designs. Compared to the previous tender rounds, component costs have fallen further across all parts of a solar power plant, and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies have further firmed up their cost estimates for the region. Still, a key challenge was the identification of a construction company that can provide EPC services for a project of this magnitude, with only a few suitable providers available globally.

A key technical contributor to the low tariffs was likely the widespread consideration of single-axis tracker technology, which leads to a gain of approximately 15% in energy production over fixed-tilt systems, at a lower relative increase in system cost.

Financing a project of this size, requiring around a billion dollars in funds for the largest variant, also represented formidable challenges. The project’s equity will be held jointly by the developer (40%) and DEWA (60%). The project will be financed in a highly leveraged non-recourse project finance structure, with the majority of the funds typically coming from commercial debt. For Sheikh Maktoum Phase II, financed in 2014, regional banks including Emirati and Saudi institutions demonstrated a great appetite to provide debt at aggressive terms, crowding out all other international financial institutions. However, with the severe drop in oil prices, the regional credit environment has taken a turn for the worse and the market has essentially dried up, with most regional banks pulling out of new project finance deals. This sent developers searching for debt from international banks, including French and Chinese institutions.

Although not unexpected by industry insiders, the results of this tender will send further shock waves through the global power markets. Fossil power plants are not only coming under pressure through a renewed drive to reduce global carbon emissions marked by the Paris climate accord, but also by the sheer economic competitiveness of solar (and wind, for that matter) power. Just a few years ago, nobody would have imagined that solar power would be able to beat all fossil fuel sources including coal already in 2016.

Boosting the deployment of solar energy in the region and beyond

This result will further increase the development of solar power globally, particularly in sun-rich countries with growing energy needs. Dubai and neighboring emirates and Gulf countries will build on the now proven approach to procure solar power plants on a similar scale to conventional power plants. As a case in point, Abu Dhabi’s utility company ADWEA has just released a tender for a 350 MW solar power plant.

As already noted in Apricum’s commentary on the results of Sheikh Maktoum Solar Park Phase II, neighboring Saudi Arabia should finally also take note of the compelling nature of solar power. Maybe this is indeed what is happening, with last week’s announcement of a 9.5 GW renewable-energy target for Saudi Arabia being a first indicator.

For any questions or comments, please contact Dr. Moritz Borgmann.

Edited to add on 2016-05-03: The final tariff for the Hassyan coal power plant in Dubai, awarded in October 2015 to Acwa Power, was 4.501 U.S. cents/kWh, not 5.177 U.S. cents/kWh.

Edited to add on 2016-05-05: PPAs in the U.S. are now regularly closed at tariffs below 4 U.S. cents/kWh, not 3 U.S. cents/kWh.

Worldwide 14% fewer solar thermal installations than in 2014

Tue, 10 May 2016 10:05:00 GMT

The global solar thermal market went into another year of notable decline in 2015. With 37.2 GWth, the newly installed glazed and unglazed collector capacity in the 18 largest countries was 14 % lower than in 2014 (43.4 GWth). Between 2013 and 2014, the decrease in these 18 major countries – which represent 95-97 % of the world market – had been 15 %. The further slowdown last year was the result of diminishing collector area figures in China (-17 %), and in Europe (nine biggest nations down by -5 %). The countries with the highest growth rates last year were Denmark (+55 %), Turkey (+10 %), Israel (+9 %) and Mexico (+8 %). The chart shows both 2015’s newly installed collector area, broken down by collector type – flat plate, vacuum tube and unglazed collector area, and the 2014-2015 growth rate (excluding China, whose 2015 market volume was 21-times larger than Turkey, which ranked second). China added 30.5 GWth in 2015 of which 12.6 % were flat plate collectors (5.5 million m2).

Figures: solrico, data: see bottom of the article

The market figures were provided by the national industry associations or individuals. Their names can be found at the end of this article. Last year’s newly added solar thermal collector area is one indicator of the business situation in a particular country. Another one is the long-term average growth rate (Compound Annual Growth Rate, CAGR) between 2010 and 2015, as shown in the figure below. Denmark is the number one in both categories because of its rising demand for solar district heating. The Scandinavian country’s CAGR 2010-2015 adds up to 34 % and there are numerous plans for large-scale projects totalling 500,000 m2 (350 MWth) in 2016.

Poland ranks second with a CAGR 2010-2015 of 14 %, but the national statistics include some uncertainty regarding 2015, as the Polish Institute for Renewable Energy (EC BREC IEO) ended its annual market survey last year. The estimate for an additional capacity of 277,000 m2 (194 MWth) in 2015 was provided for the first time by the Association of Manufacturers and Importers of Heating Appliances (Polish acronym: SPIUG), which has a slightly different membership structure to influence the outcome of its annual market survey. SPIUG mainly addresses companies which grew together with the public tender segment over the last two years, the head of SPIUG, Janusz Staroscik explained, whereas EC BREC IEO also covered retail market suppliers, which experienced a sharper downturn.

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of newly installed collector area of the 18 biggest solar thermal markets worldwide between 2010 and 2015, based on the volume added in 2015. The CAGR rate for India is preliminary.

Except for Denmark and Poland, the key European markets displayed rather weak performances last year, resulting in overall negative CAGR 2010-2015 rates, especially across the Mediterranean countries of France (-17 % CAGR) and Italy (-14 % CAGR). Germany wound up with a disappointing slump of 10 % in 2015, bringing the long-term CAGR rate down to -7 %. The low price of oil and gas had a strong effect on the shrinking markets in much of Europe. The German and French market continued with their significant downswing despite the improved benefits to the countries’ national incentive programmes. In Italy, the bureaucratic nature of national subsidy scheme Conto Termico has had the unfortunate consequence of producing only a small number of applications, so that the scheme was merely able to subsidise 10 % of the Italian market in 2014.

In Turkey, it was primarily the vacuum tube manufacturers that profited from the increased market volume, which went on to reach 2.1 million m2 (1.5 GWth). According to the statistics by Kutay Ülke, Export Manager of Ezinç Metal, the share of vacuum tube collectors rose to 49 % in 2015, up from 44 % in 2014.

Deployment in Brazil last year remained below expectations, with the market down by 3 % compared to 2014, a development not in line with the average growth rate in Brazil of +8 % between 2010 and 2015. Constraints on the market included the national economic crisis, which lowered investment and purchasing power, and the delay in implementing the next phase of the social housing programme Minha Casa Minha Vida.

The market statistics in India is only a preliminary estimation assuming a constant market volume in the fiscal year 2015-2016 with a high share of vacuum tube collectors of around 80%. More detailed data will follow in the next weeks. As of early 2016, India’s government and the solar thermal industry were still discussing new support measures to replace the national grant scheme, which was suspended in August 2014 and resulted in a slowdown in demand. A consequence of these discussions was the draft of a Renewable Heating Obligation that, if enacted, would be the first of its kind worldwide. The volume of concentrating collector area was estimated to have been 15,650 m2 in 2015, up from 10,500 m2 in 2014 – but still a niche market.

The national figures were provided by the following institutions or individuals:

Australia: David Ferrari, School of Engineering at RMIT University former Sustainability Victoria, Australia

Austria: Klaus Mischensky, Austria Solar, Austria

Brazil: Marcelo Mesquita, DASOL, the Solar Heating Department of the Brazilian Association of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Heating, ABRAVA, Brazil

China: Hongzhi Cheng, Shandong SunVision Management Consulting, China

Denmark: Jan Erik Nielsen, PlanEnergi, Denmark, and Jan-Olof Dalenbäck, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

France: Richard Loyen, Enerplan, France

Germany: Marco Tepper, BSW Solar, Germany

Greece: Costas Travasaros, Greek Solar Industry Association, EBHE, Greece

India: Jaideep Malaviya, Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI), India

Israel: Eli Shilton, Elsol, Israel

Japan: Kumiko Saito, Solar System Development Association (SSDA), Japan

Mexico: Daniel Garcia, Solar Thermal Manufacturers Organisation, FAMERAC, Mexico

Poland: Janusz Staroscik, Association of Manufacturers and Importers of Heating Appliances, SPIUG, Poland

Spain: Pascual Polo, Spanish Solar Thermal Association, ASIT, Spain

Switzerland: David Stickelberger, Swissolar, Switzerland

Turkey: Kutay Ülke, Ezinç Metal, Turkey

United States: Les Nelson, Solar Heating & Cooling Programs at the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), USA

http://www.solarthermalworld.org/content/big-ups-and-downs-global-market

Cyprus: Construction begins on five PV plants; storage to emerge

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 14:26:00 GMT

CYPV Energy, a company headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus, is set to build five new solar PV plants in the country totaling 11.9 MW.

Greece’s Sunel Ltd is serving as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the projects, while SunTechnics, a subsidiary of GDL Green Energy, which also owns CYPV Energy, will handle management, operation and maintenance of the parks.

Construction of the project is scheduled to begin this month and last some eight months, a company spokesman told pv magazine.

The plants are part of a portfolio of six solar PV projects that CYPV Energy won via a competitive tender for photovoltaic capacity in January 2013. The sixth project is a 10 MW solar farm that was the biggest project of the tender and whose construction is yet to be announced.

Of the twenty three PV parks tendered in 2013, pv magazine has learned that until now, only five projects (corresponding to 8.1 MW) have been installed and connected to the grid.

Commenting on the delay in building the tendered projects, the CYPV spokesman said red tape was a major factor. The projects face huge bureaucratic hurdles at all stages of the licensing procedure, he added. As a consequence, project financing is often delayed. “Banks, for example, will not approve any loan if all licenses are not in place.”

Needless to say that the recent financial crisis that hit the country in 2013 and led to the closure of local banks and a haircut in all banks’ deposits has made the banking sector all the more risk averse.

Energy storage ahead

Nevertheless, the bad times appear to be over, not least because in recent weeks the country has successfully exited the financial aid program supported by the European Union.

A major source of hope stems from the electricity market reform that Cyprus needs to implement within the next one to two years and which currently is under consultation. According to the reforms, Cyprus is set to unbundle its electricity sector, creating new dynamics in the market.

There are a lot of companies that have applied at the Cypriot energy regulator to develop more solar PV plants. CYPV Energy for instance has applied to develop between 25 to 30 MW after 2018, when the new market reform is expected to be in place, the CYPV Energy spokesperson said.

However, there are two major issues currently being discussed in Cyprus and, depending on their resolution, the renewable energy sector is going to be altered accordingly. The first issue regards the electricity interconnection of Cyprus with neighboring countries. A study of the so-called EuroAsia Interconnector, planned to link Cyprus to Greece and Israel, is under way and funded by the EU. Another issue, which has recently emerged, is the implementation of a smart Cypriot grid, including energy storage.

CYPV Energy is collaborating with European stakeholders regarding storage solutions and aiming to acquire technical and managerial knowledge that would apply in Cyprus, the company spokesman said. There is also a public discussion in Cyprus following the implementation of the new electricity market framework to make it compulsory for all new renewable energy projects in Cyprus to include storage on site, he added.

Cyprus’ electricity grid is one of the least connected to the rest of the bloc. In fact, the country has no electrical connection at all to any other country. Malta was in a similar situation until 2015, when it was linked to Italy.

Cyprus looks set to follow Ireland, another EU island that is connected to the U.K. grid and has become Europe’s lab for energy storage technologies. Cyprus’ alternative solution of linking its grid to Israel and Greece is likely to be abandoned on economic grounds.

Cypriot PV statistics

Until today, the Republic of Cyprus has installed 78 MW of solar PV systems, of which 22.7 MW are installed via the net-metering scheme. Another 82 MW of PV systems are expected to be installed by 2018, either through the tendered plants or net-metering, CYPV Energy told pv magazine.

Furthermore, Cyprus has a national target to install 192 MW of PV by 2020 and the energy regulator is very keen to see this target increasing, said the CYPV Energy spokesman. However, a spokesman for the energy regulator recently told pv magazine that there was a 25% reduction in electricity demand following the financial crisis. This reduction is certain to alter Cyprus' national renewable energy action plan, he said, adding that the last time the action plan was revised was in 2011, before the financial crisis hit the country.

Even if national renewable energy targets are revised downward, the quest for energy storage remains because it will add to the grid’s stability and efficient management.

Egypt’s Renewable FiT Program Gains Traction

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 13:47:00 GMT

The Government of Egypt has said that it must invest US$12 billion in the electricity sector over the next five years in order to meet that country’s urgent electricity demands — and renewable energy will be a key component.

Building on this, Egypt grabbed the attention of the renewable power community in the Middle East in late-2014 when it launched a feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme for both solar and wind renewable energy projects. Egypt plans up to 2,300 MW of solar and up to 2,000 MW of wind generation in the first regulatory period. This will include 2,000 MW of larger solar PV projects ranging from 500 kW up to 50 MW, 300 MW of solar PV projects below 500 kW, and 2,000 MW of wind project capacity.

The first regulatory period will end when these targets are met, or after two years, whichever is sooner. The first round of prequalified developers have already been named. However, details have been a little harder to ascertain. Prequalified developers and potential lenders have been locked in discussions with Egypt’s Egyptian Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency (EgyptERA) and agencies under the Ministry of Electricity and Energy such as the New and Renewable Energy Authority and the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC). Many of these discussions have been bilateral and behind closed doors. This process of ongoing discussion has led to a degree of uncertainty as to what will be the requirements.

However, concrete details have begun to emerge in two major areas of uncertainty: clarity on share transfer restrictions applicable to consortia who were prequalified in the initial round for either wind or solar projects and therefore the ability for prequalified bidders to participate in multiple projects; and the release of draft project documents. Both of these are important to developers seeking to make sense of their potential investment, and lenders — especially commercial lenders — deciding whether to back projects.

In the first week of April, EgyptERA issued its long-awaited guidelines on special purpose vehicle incorporation and project participation. Unlike some more restrictive early leaked drafts, the guidelines permit a prequalified developer to hold equity sufficient to build up to 100 MW per substation and in each of the solar and wind programs. It is understood that there will be four separate solar project substations and five separate wind project substations. Therefore, a single qualified developer could theoretically hold up to 400 MW worth of solar projects and up to 500 MW of wind projects in the program. These may be attractive numbers to developers and lenders who were concerned that the projects might otherwise be too small. Each project (whether wind or solar) is capped at a capacity of no more than 50 MW.

Other restrictions also bring clarity. Each prequalified consortium is required to hold at least 51 percent of the equity of the project for which they were prequalified for at least two years following commercial operations. Within that consortium, the lead member is required to hold at least 25 percent of the equity of the project for at least two years following commercial operations. The remaining 49 percent can be held by other investors, including investors who individually hold a greater percentage than the lead developer. If another investor within the 49 percent is another qualified investor, that qualified investor will be subject to the 100 MW per program, per substation location cap.

The way the guidelines work will require developers seeking to maximise their participation in the program to act quickly. If not, a developer could be caught by some practical constraints. First will be the willingness of other prequalified developers to partner up. The rules generally do not allow projects to be sold or transferred entirely, so developers will need to enter into more complex joint venture negotiations.

The second constraint is the availability of enough land allocated at a given substation locality. Developers could find themselves in the unhappy situation of hammering out a deal to share a project only to find out that one of them is barred because of a land location that puts them in the position of having more than 100 MW of a given technology at that substation location. With so many prequalified bidders clamoring for the same allocations, this could be a practical obstacle.

Therefore, the race is on for developers looking to maximize their participation in the Egypt renewable FiT to partner up and to obtain land allocations.

Just as critically, the EETC has released discussion drafts of the major project documents — the power purchase agreement, usufruct agreement (which will govern the access to government land, since most if not all of the projects are expected to be built on government land), network connection contract, a cost sharing deed and the PPA direct deed.

Developers have been instructed to provide all comments by April 28. It is widely expected that this will be the only opportunity for developers and lenders to comment on these critical documents. Given the importance of this process and the fact that the documents were issued slightly later than originally announced, some developers anticipate that the announced dates for the workshops and the deadline may be adjusted. However, no adjustment has been made to date.

Egypt therefore appears to be moving forward with this programme with a great deal of seriousness. Developers and lenders will need to be equally serious — and move very quickly — if they wish to take full advantage of this opportunity.

Clint Steyn and Rob Harker, both partners, and Simon Stevens, senior counsel, are located in the Dubai office of Bracewell & Giuliani LLP. Mr. Steyn focuses his practice on international energy projects, with a particular emphasis on independent power projects in the Middle East and Africa. Mr. Stevens represents developers and lenders in renewable and conventional energy and infrastructure projects, including projects proposed through competitive bid tenders. Mr. Harker focuses his practice on large-scale power (including renewables), petrochemical and refinery projects in the Middle East and North Africa, most notably in the UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.

European firms to dominate Abu Dhabi solar tender

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 13:15:00 GMT

European companies have dominated the list of prequalified companies for Abu Dhabi’s 350MW solar tender.

In total, 34 companies have been approved with state-owned newspaper The National, reporting that eight have been approved to bid for the entire 350MW capacity. Five of these eight “single entity” bidders include European utilities namely Enel, EDF, Engie, Total/SunPower and RWE/Belectric. American firms First Solar, Solar Reserve and Japanese firm Kepco complete the list.

The second group of companies are for engineering, procurement and construction duties with a third set approved to act as the managing partner on the project.

EPC approval has been granted to 19 firms including Jinko, Spain’s TSK, which worked on the 200MW project in Dubai, as well as Adani, GCL and Canadian Solar.

Abu Dhabi’s Masdar, Saudi Arabian engineering firm ACWA Power and Japan’s Marubeni are among the prequalified “managing members”.

The project will be 60% owned by the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) and 40% owned by a successful bidder. The plant will then run as an independent power producer with ADWEA as the offtaker.

New report on PV self-consumption policies

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 13:53:00 GMT

A new report aims to explain the pros and cons of different photovoltaic self-consumption policies and how self-consumption of solar electricity could be promoted. For this, the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA PVPS) analysed the policies in 20 key countries.

Since photovoltaic power has in many countries reached a level of competitiveness that allows switching to self-consumption measures, the analysts behind this study wanted to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of such measures and provide arguments to develop suitable schemes for the promotion of self-consumption. This is not an easy task since there is such a variety of self-consumption policies, including net-metering and net-billing, which makes the development of PV much more complex than before. Moreover, the increased penetration of PV has created new challenges in terms of grid financing, tax management and impact on incumbent utilities.

The study identifies five main business models associated with self-consumption and their implementation in 20 different countries. Those business models are self-consumption with constraints, self-consumption with FiT, net-billing, net-metering and self-consumption with a premium. Different models have of course different advantages for the prosumer – the person who owns the PV system, uses its electricity and feeds surplus energy into the power grid.

How to compare the different business models?

For pure self-consumption with constraints, additional fees are added to a prosumers electricity bill, which reduces the overall savings and means that the solar electricity needs to be produced at a price well below grid parity. The model with a feed-in-tariff means that excess electricity goes into the grid and is bought for a pre-determined tariff. The difference between net-billing and net-metering is that for net-metering excess solar electricity is remunerated at the wholesale price of electricity, while for net-billing the electricity fed into the grid is remunerated at a rate that differs from the one of the electricity consumed and is usually lower.

With the exception of pure self-consumption, all other models assume grid-parity. For cases where grid-parity has not been reached, the researchers suggest incentivizing it either by awarding an incentive on top of the retail electricity price for part of the electricity that is self-consumed or through a certain bonus for excess electricity injected into the grid, which should be higher than the market price and possibly even higher than the retail electricity price.

Rome was used as a reference location to create an example case: a PV system with a capacity of 3 kW, an annual electricity demand of 7.3 MWh and an annual solar irradiation 1611 kWh/m². This case was then used to assess the attractiveness of a PV investment from the prosumer point of view under the five different business cases mentioned above. For this, the net-present value over thirty years was calculated as well as the simple payback time for the investment made to install the PV system.

Which model is best for prosumers?

The business model “self-consumption with premium” yields the highest net present value and the lowest payback time for the system, thus making it the most profitable for the owner of the PV system. Least profitable is the case “self-consumption with constraints“, since there is no compensation for excess electricity produced and there are additional charges for every kWh the prosumers use themselves. This together with the costs for the PV system itself cannot be compensated by the savings made by consuming less electricity from the grid.

The study then goes on to compare those two cases and their annual cash flows, as well as the impact on electricity system holders and on the public authority income.

Load curves, self-consumption and self-sufficiency ratios

Smaller and larger systems are also compared. Except for the “premium” case (where profits increase with capacity) and the “no compensation” case (which is never profitable), the other business cases are most profitable with capacities between 2.6 and 3.8 kW. Additionally the impact of a changed tariff-structure on the net present value for prosumers, the electricity market and the tax collector was analyzed for the different business scenarios. Broadly speaking, the market and the public income are better off in scenarios with a lower amount of fixed costs (taxes and grid costs) while prosumers obtain higher savings (or revenues) when the fixed costs are higher.

Various methods to improve self-consumption are discussed, among them the use of storage methods, heat pumps and electric vehicles to increase consumption, as well as financing alternatives such as leasing and virtual net metering or meter aggregation and smart grids.

The report is 82 pages long and was written by Jose Ignacio Briano and Maria Jesus Baez of the energy consultancy Creara (link is external) and Gaëtan Masson of IEA PVPS (link is external). The organisation stated that the report will be completed in the coming weeks by a set of policy recommendations. You can download the full report as a pdf document via the following link: “Review and Analysis of PV Self-Consumption Policies”

http://www.iea-pvps.org/index.php?id=353

Electricity and the Skyrocketing Bill

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 06:24:00 GMT

Available from March 30, 2016 at 01:00 am to May 29, 2016 at 12:59 am

http://www.arte.tv/guide/en/052400-000-A/electricity-and-the-skyrocketing-bill?country=GR

One in ten Europeans is living in fuel poverty. The reason is simple: the average price of energy has increased by 42% in eight years. Europe seeks in vain to agree on a common energy policy. A look the EU's energy broken promises.

PROGRAMME INFORMATION

Country: France

Year: 2015

Credits

Director: Cécile Allegra

The UK is planning to increase VAT on solar power

Tue, 22 Mar 2016 12:45:00 GMT

The pressure on solar energy in the UK is increasing. The draft budget for 2016 contains an increase in VAT for photovoltaics from currently 5% to 20%, and this may also apply to solar thermal.

The Solar Trade Association (STA) reports that the British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne is planning an increase in VAT from currently 5% to 20% in the draft budget for 2016. The increase could come into effect on 1 August this year. Just before the lower house elections in May 2015, the government had stated that there would be no increase in VAT.

The tax increase would raise the cost of an average domestic photovoltaic system with a capacity of 4 kW to 900 pounds. This price increase would hit the British solar industry even harder because it already suffered a 65% cut in funding during the last 12 months. Compared to last year, the solar market in the UK has already collapsed to one-fifth of its previous size.

The Solar Trade Association criticises the fact that investments in clean solar energy will be subject to 20% VAT, while heating oil or household electricity from conventional power plants will continue to be taxed at only 5%. The STA is now calling on the British Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to takes steps to mitigate the damage. The DECC had announced in February that it would take steps to ensure an adequate return through the feed-in tariff for investors in case of an increase in VAT for solar products.

Whether this will have the desired results remains to be seen: the DECC had recently proposed to remove government funding for solar thermal systems from the Renewable Heat Incentive in 2017.

SolarWorld AG will be expanding significantly in 2016

Tue, 22 Mar 2016 12:45:00 GMT

SolarWorld AG was able to increase its sales volume in 2015 by 33 percent to 1,159 MW (2014: 873 MW). During the same period, consolidated group turnover increased by 33 percent to € 763 million (2014: € 573 million). Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of the largest solar manufacturer in Germany increased from € 1.6 million in 2014 to € 40.8 million.

The result before interest and tax (EBIT) improved to a loss of € -4.2 million. In 2014, the EBIT was € -43.8 million, excluding non-recurring items.

Growth in the high-end segment

According to Chairman of the Board Frank H. Asbeck, the main factors driving SolarWorld's growth continue to be its high-tech strategy and bifacial solar modules. "The innovative products that we are introducing in 2016 will create additional value for our customers and strengthen our leadership in technology and quality." One of those innovations is the BISUN solar module, which achieves a 25 percent higher performance ratio in the same amount of space by using both the front and rear side of the module. The company also continued to drive its transition to PERC technology forward in 2015. According to Asbeck, SolarWorld is now the world's largest PERC manufacturer.

SolarWorld is planning to increase its sales volume over the previous year (2015: 1,159 MW) by more than 20 percent this year. The first quarter is just coming to a close, and the company already has an order backlog of more than 800 MW. SolarWorld also intends to increase group-wide turnover proportionately to the sales volume by more than 20 percent in 2016 compared to the previous year (2015: € 763 million). According to Philipp Koecke, CFO of SolarWorld AG, the goal is an annual turnover of up to € 1 billion. The EBIT should then also be in the positive range again in the lower double-digit millions. By 2020, the fully integrated solar group plans to double its module production capacity to 3 GW.

SolarWorld is focusing on the USA and Europe

At approximately 81 percent, the share of sales in foreign countries has fallen slightly compared to the previous year. In Asbeck's view, developments in the US business are encouraging. The extension of the tax incentives until 2022 will ensure further growth. With sales of 547 MW, the USA was the largest market for SolarWorld, ahead of Germany with 224 MW.

Sharp reportedly accepts $5.9 billion Foxconn takeover offer

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 10:53:00 GMT

Japanese electronics and PV module manufacturer Sharp Corp. has accepted a $5.9 billon acquisition offer from Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturing company Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., which is trading as Foxconn Technology Group (Foxconn). According to Bloomberg, which cites an article from Japanese broadcaster NHK, Sharp has agreed to accept Foxconn’s offer after the Taiwanese conglomerate decided to raise the sum it intended to invest in the transaction from $5.3 billion to $5.9 billion. Sharp said it expects to sign the final agreement for the operation in one month. The Wall Street Journal revealed Foxconn’s plan to acquire Sharp in mid-January. A few days ago, Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported that Japan’s state-backed fund Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) offered to rescue Sharp and to later merge its solar business with Solar Frontier, the PV unit of Japan-based oil company Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. INCJ intended to invest ¥300 billion ($2.5 billion) in the operation and raise an additional ¥350 billion of financial assistance from Sharp's two main lenders. In its financial results for the first nine months of fiscal year 2015, which will end Mar. 31, 2016, Sharp reported that its Energy Solutions division, which includes the company’s solar energy business, generated net sales of ¥113.3 billion ($961.9 million) for the period, down 42.4% from the same period in fiscal year 2014. The division posted an operating loss of ¥7.7 billion for the first three quarters of fiscal 2015.

http://www.bloomberg.n2g11.com/l/172058509/c/0-di56-bdwxib-1bk5

Partial victory for UK solar industry, huge job losses still expected

PV Magazine — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 06:49:00 GMT

The U.K. Government has set the new solar PV tariffs. Representing a partial victory, cuts will not be severe as anticipated – 64% instead of 87% for residential – however, fears are nearly 19,000 jobs could still be lost. Quarterly caps have also been imposed which, says STA, could be damaging. Solar can still be a "reasonable" investment, it concludes. The new rates will come into effect on February 8. Despite the limited success, harsh criticism has been aimed at the government, particularly in light of its decision to end ROCs and grandfathering.

Following months of consultation and strong lobbying on the part of the solar industry, the U.K. Department of Climate Change (DECC) has today released the new FIT rates for renewables.

Hailed a partial victory by industry, the cuts will not be as severe as originally planned (see table below), although the new quarterly cap introduced could prove damaging, says the Solar trade association (STA). The cuts will come into effect on February 8, 2016, with the deadline for projects to receive the current higher tariffs now January 15. A total of £100 million has been made available for FITs.

Adopted FITs (p/kWh) / Proposed FITs (p/kWh) / Current FITs (p/kWh)

0-10kW 4.39 / 1.63 / 12.47 <4kW

10-15kW 4.59 / 3.69 / 11.30 4-50kW

50-250kW 2.70 / 2.64 / 9.63 50-150kW 9.21 150-250kW

250-1,000kW 2.27 / 2.28 / 5.94 250-5,000kW

>1MW 0.87 1.03 / 5.04

Standalone 0.87 / 1.03 / 4.287

Newly introduced are the quarterly caps on installation amounts (see following table). STA says there are "serious concerns" over the cost control mechanism. Specifically, it believes it could lead to "damaging stop-starts in the market."

"The Government has put maximum caps on the total amount of solar it wants to see installed in every quarter. This could be very damaging, although they do appear to have taken on board requests for unused capacity to be recycled from one quarter to another and a queuing system for projects that don’t get in on time," it comments in a statement released.

The two quarterly rates of degression will remain: default and contingent. They will begin in Q1 and, going by the default degression, end in Q1 2019, at 3.55 p/kWh for installations <10 kW, 3.78 for those between 10 and 50 kW, and 1.96/kWh for systems between 50 and 250 kW.

In a welcome move, pre-accreditation has been re-introduced. Back in September, the government confirmed that it would press ahead with its proposal to end the FIT pre-accreditation processes for larger rooftop and small solar farms on October 1. Today’s announcement has seen this re-enacted for all solar systems above 50 kW in size. This, says STA, "will give businesses and other bigger rooftops more certainty when investing in solar."

Ground mount support pulled

In another blow to the already reeling U.K. solar industry, the government has confirmed the Renewables Obligation will be closed to all solar PV projects from April 1, 2016. While the plan is to gradually replace it with the Contracts for Difference auction system, no decision has been made, comments STA. Grandfathering has also been pulled for all projects that do not meet the July cutoff date. Consequently, with a FIT of just 0.87p/kWh, there is very limited support for projects over 1 MW.

"Removing the grandfathering guarantee makes no sense for solar – it’s the thin end of the wedge," states STA CEO, Paul Barwell. "If you invest £1million of capital into a solar project today, in 20 years’ time you have still invested £1million – it is a sunk cost. You cannot have the level of support changing over the lifetime of a project as investors won’t take the risk."

Seb Berry, head of public affairs at Solarcentury added, "… the FIT outcome [cannot] be divorced from the double whammy of the early closure of the RO and an end to grandfathering for solar projects under the RO, the only renewables technology to be hit with that retrospective change."

However, commenting on the ground-mount sector, Finlay Coleville, head of market intelligence at Solar Media Ltd tells pv magazine that it actually appears to have fared much better than anticipated, since the changes to ROCs are "nowhere near as bad as thought," with the new proposals give existing projects that qualify an extra 12 months, albeit it at lower levels.

"The large-scale ground-mount sector appears to have favored much better however, albeit with a raft of legal caveats that will have the lawyers sweating over for the next few weeks. But potentially the scope for build-out to 31 March 2017 at manageable levels does appear an option, but still requiring planning applications submitted before 23 July 2015 and subject to some subtle changes for Scotland that are yet to be fully assessed," he says.

Reasonable investment potential

Despite the cuts still being deep, there is hope that the U.K. solar sector, which has grown to become the leading European solar market, still represents a "reasonable" investment option. In its documentation, released today, the government calculates a target rate of return of 4.8% on solar PV installs.

STA's Barwell, comments, "The new tariff levels are challenging, but solar power will still remain a great investment for forward-thinking home owners who want to protect themselves from volatile energy prices and do their bit to reduce global carbon emissions."

Coleville adds, "In many respects, the proposed changes from DECC are nowhere near as bad as many in the UK had feared. The feed-in tariff is seeing heavy cuts and with a quarterly deployment cap. This should allow a subset of residential and small commercial installers to keep going, but with changes to their cost structures."

Job losses

Despite this glimmer of hope, in its impact assessment, the government has estimated that between 9,700 and 18,700 solar jobs could be lost as a result of the changes.

In October, STA estimated that 27,000 of the 35,000 jobs in the U.K. solar industry and its related supply chain could be lost, if the cuts came into play. A survey by STA of just 10% of the British solar sector revealed at the end of November that as many as 6,500 positions could have already been lost.

Harsh criticism

Harsh criticism has been aimed at the government for its lack of overall support for the solar industry, particularly in light of the recent climate talks in Paris, which have been hailed by many as a turning point for renewable support.

"Today's DECC announcements on solar FITs and confirmation of the early closure of the Renewables Obligation (RO), suggest that Paris has changed nothing," states Solarcentury’s Berry. "Indeed worse than that, the Government is spinning a projected decrease in the annual market for solar to 2020 as utterly consistent with COP21 and the now urgent need to accelerate our transition to a zero carbon economy.

"The four week 'pause' to the scheme from 15 January is particularly unwelcome, the total opposite of the 'transparency, longevity, certainty' that we were once promised by a Tory energy Minister."

Paul Barwell adds, "… in a world that has just committed to strengthened climate action in Paris and which sees solar as the future, the UK Government needs to get behind the British solar industry. Allocating only around 1% of its clean power budget to new solar is too little, particularly when solar is now so cost-effective. Poor ambition for solar risks missing out on not only our renewable energy targets in the UK, but on the world’s greatest economic opportunity too."

Taking a more positive approach, head of policy and external affairs at the Renewable Energy Association, James Court, said, "The government have taken on board many of the common-sense suggestions from the REA and wider industry, such as bringing back pre-accreditation for long lead schemes, reallocating budgets from under deployed technologies and increasing deployment caps for solar.

"The tariffs are still very challenging and whilst the changes will help save some in the industry it remains that many will be exiting. But this is an improvement, and may still provide the base to get to post-subsidy."

Read more: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/partial-victory-for-uk-solar-industry--huge-job-losses-still-expected_100022491/#ixzz3ueWoTTe5

Winaico modules pass 5000 Pa DML test to withstand strong winds greater than level 17

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 06:25:00 GMT

Winaico, Taiwan’s largest PV module brand, has worked with Taiwan’s leading research institute, ITRI, to put the high efficiency polycrystalline WST-260P6 modules through the toughest Dynamic Mechanical Loading test (DML) on the market, 5000 Pa.

The results show that Winaico’s WST-260P6 module can withstand the dynamic pressure of 5000 Pa with a power degradation of no more than 0.29%. This means Winaico’s modules have the best reliability against strong winds, and can be installed in the most typhoon-prone areas around the Pacific Ocean.

The 5000 Pa DML test simulates the effects of strong winds by alternating the pressure on the module in both front and rear directions. Based on a simulation by ITRI, the 5000 Pa pressure is stronger than level 17 winds on the Beaufort scale, with wind speeds faster than 220 km/h.

“Winaico is known for producing high quality solar modules”, said Davis Chen, Chairman and CEO of Winaico. “By pushing the boundary of the Dynamic Mechanical Loading tests, we can combine our high efficiency modules with the best reliability on the market. The 5000 Pa DML test we passed shows our modules are suitable for even the most typhoon-prone areas around the Pacific Ocean.”

IHS: 272 GW of solar installs from 2016 - 2019

Tue, 10 Nov 2015 06:04:00 GMT

According to IHS, a total of 272.4 GW of solar PV will be installed worldwide over the next three years. Broken down, 2016 is set to see installations totaling 65 GW, while 65.5 GW are expected to be installed in 2017, 68.4 GW in 2018 and 73.5 GW in 2019. For this year, the market analysts recently raised their forecasts from 57.3 to 58.7 GW.

Looking to next year, IHS says the top five markets will comprise China, the U.S., Japan, India and the U.K. "Strong" PV production and shipments are anticipated in 1H, particularly in China and the U.S., due to various policy measures, like the expiring U.S. ITC tax credit and installation deadlines. This demand, coupled with supply restrictions from the trade disputes, is expected to see prices remaining stable for the first half of the year.

The analysts see solar PV module production going from just under 180 GW in Q4 2015, to just under 170 GW in Q1 2016, and then climbing to nearly 180 GW in Q2. Average selling prices (ASPs) during this period are expected to stay flat at just under US$0.60/Wp. Going into H2, ASPs are forecast to fall. 2017 is set to experience a "slump," says IHS, which will negatively impact ASPs and margins in 2H 2016.

"There will be some buildup of inventory, and module price declines will be much heavier than they were in 2015 and during the first half of 2016. A slump in global PV demand in 2017 looks increasingly likely, as the United States is expected to suffer a major decline in 2017, following planned significant reductions in the country’s investment tax credit," comments Edurne Zoco, senior manager and principal analyst, IHS Technology.

He adds that an around 7.8 GW decline in annual utility-scale installations will be seen in 2017, although the rest of the market will grow by 11%. "It’s important to note that new policy regulations and incentives in other global markets could mitigate some of the forecasted slowing growth in 2017," Zoco concludes.

Self-consumption and net metering are increasingly significant PV market drivers

PV Magazine — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 05:22:00 GMT

The International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme's (IEA-PVPS) annual report on Trends in Photovoltaic Applications is one of the most definitive and comprehensive reports on the global solar industry.

The 2015 report's sections on markets and manufacturing document the shift of both from Europe to Asia, trends which are hardly surprising to anyone in the industry. However, halfway through the 64-page report is a lesser-known detail: that incentivized self-consumption and net metering programs are becoming increasingly important policy supports for global PV markets.

Feed-in tariffs still remain the most important policy supports and drivers of global demand. However, according to IEA feed-in tariffs, including those awarded through tenders, accounted for only 64% of the global market in 2014, whereas historically these drove 67% of the market.

The share of markets driven by direct subsidies, such as the United States' 30% federal investment tax credit, likewise fell from 20% to 16%. Instead, the policies that are gaining the most ground are incentivized versions of self-consumption or net metering policies. IEA-PVPS estimates that these policies drove 16% of the global market in 2014, up from only 5% historically.

IEA-PVPS does not break this down by nation, and so it is not clear how demand is broken down in nations which have implemented multiple policies, such as the United States.

However, there is a clear relationship between a shift in policies and geography. As European nations including Spain, Italy, German and Czech Republic reduced, closed or eliminated their feed-in tariffs, China and Japan began implementing the policy. This lead to these nations becoming the world's two largest solar markets.

Likewise, in the very European nations where feed-in tariffs are no longer an attractive option or in many cases an option at all, self-consumption has come to fill in as an alternative business model for PV system owners. This is happening in the context of much smaller overall markets.

Italy and Germany are all examples of this phenomenon, and IEA-PVPS found that a significant portion of the PV generation in both nations comes from self-consumption. Additionally, as the U.S. residential solar market continues to grow under net metering, this brings up the numbers for the two policies.

As happened with feed-in tariffs, net metering and self-consumption are coming under attack in the markets where they are most successful. Earlier this month Spain's center-right government imposed its “sun tax” on self-consumption systems and Germany is currently seeking to impose an even higher portion of the feed-in tariff surcharge on PV system owners who participate in self-consumption.

Meanwhile, in the the United States, regulators in a number of states are currently considering requests to impose charges on customers who participate in net metering. This is despite many of these challenges proving unsuccessful in the past.

And while there has been much news of competitive solicitations to award power purchase agreements in India, Chile, Brazil and other nations, IEA-PVPS says these supported a mere 1% of the PV that went online in 2014. These numbers are expected to improve in coming years as projects awarded under these large solicitations are completed.

The Report

Germany: Yield-dependent funding for solar thermal is off to a good start

sunwindenergy — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 15:01:00 GMT

On 1 April, Germany introduced yield-dependent funding for solar thermal systems. Even if the funding does not go as far as some had hoped, it is apparently enjoying a high level of acceptance.

In addition to the regular funding system, which is based on collector area, the market incentive programme (MAP) that was introduced in April provides funding based on the annual yield. According to information that has recently become available, 30% of all new applications for funding for large solar thermal systems are based on yield-dependent remuneration.

The important thing in this context is the adjective 'large'; this funding option is not yet available for small systems. In the sector for regular building-mounted systems, collector arrays between 20 and 100 m² are the only ones that can receive this funding.

A flat funding rate will be paid out based on a calculated annual collector yield in Würzburg in Bavaria. This information can be found on the SolarKeymark data sheet that every collector in Germany must have to be eligible for regular surface area-based funding. The Europe-wide data sheet also provides information on annual yield at the locations Athens, Davos and Stockholm, making it easier to compare yields across Europe.

One important detail is the fact that the term 'yield-dependent' is slightly misleading. Funding is based on a calculated value for the location Würzburg under clearly defined conditions, and that value may only indirectly correlate with the actual yield of the solar energy system.

The annual yield value on the data sheet provides solid information on the efficiency of the collector, and good solar collectors are certainly a prerequisite for achieving a high yield with a heating system. However, a complete system consists of many more components than just the collectors. Yield-dependent funding does not take the hydraulics, storage system, control system and various other factors into account.

For this reason, it would be more accurate to call it a funding programme for premium collectors because yield-dependent funding is only interesting if the collectors generate a relatively high annual yield.

There is currently just one formula for paying out yield-dependent funding. The annual collector yield is multiplied by € 0.45, and the result is the corresponding funding amount. It is not relevant whether the system is used only for hot water or in a combined system that also supports the heating system.

Spain Approves 'Sun Tax,' Discriminates Against Solar PV

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 06:07:00 GMT

Until recently, Spain had a very general self-consumption policy framework that applied to both grid-connected and off-grid systems. This month though, Spain's Council of Ministers approved a new self-consumption law that has set the country's solar advocates up in arms with the government.

The main problem with the new law, say solar advocates, is that it taxes self-consumption PV installations even for the electricity they produce for their own use and don’t feed into the grid. Spain's PV sector calls the new law a 'sun tax.’

According to Spain’s Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), the new law requires self-consumption PV system owners to pay the same grid fees that all electricity consumers in Spain pay, plus a so-called 'sun tax'. Specifically, said UNEF, a self-consumption PV owner "will pay a 'sun tax' for the whole power [capacity] installed (the power that you contracted to your electricity company, plus the power from your PV installation) and also another [second] 'sun tax' for the electricity that you generate and self-consume from your own PV installation (this applies to installations larger than 10 kW)."

Installations smaller than 10 kW and all installations in the Canary Islands and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla (these are Spanish territories in Africa) will be exempted from the second 'solar tax.' Furthermore, installations with co-generation will be exempted of the second 'sun tax' until 2020 and the Balearic islands of Mallorca and Minorca will pay a reduced price. Off-grid installations will obviously not pay any grid tax whatsoever.

The new law also prohibits PV systems up to 100 kW from selling electricity. Instead, their owners are required to donate the extra electricity to the grid for free. Systems over 100 kW must register in order to sell electricity in the spot market for the excess power they generate. Limitations do not end at this point though. Thus, for PV systems up to 100 kW the owner of the installation must be the owner of the contract with the electricity company, while community ownership is prohibited altogether for all sizes of self-consumption systems.

Finally, the law is retroactive meaning that all existing self-consumption PV installations need to comply with the new regulations otherwise face an astronomically high penalty fee up to €60 million. This sanction, UNEF notes, is double the fine set for radioactive leaks from nuclear plants.

The Islands' Paradox

Regarding Spain's non-mainland territories, the new law makes even less sense, argues UNEF, since the cost of electricity supply is particularly high (about €184 per MWh in the Canaries and €139 per MWh in the Balearics), adding €1.8 billion to the Spanish consumers' total electricity bill. On the contrary, UNEF adds, self-consumption systems have costs below €100 per MWh and are an ideal solution for island territories where self-supply generation, at the point of consumption, is more economical than power transmission from the peninsula.

What Went Wrong?

Overall, UNEF says, "each kWh imported from the grid by a self-consumer will pay double tolls compared to a kWh imported from the grid by another consumer." The new law, it adds, makes it uneconomic for households and businesses to install PV with the latter endangered to loose in competitiveness too.

The government says the law does not impose taxes but that the fees are a contribution to overall system costs. Indeed, in other regions where self-consumption (and elsewhere net-metering) systems are in place, policies allow for some grid-connection fees that cover the usage of the network by the self-consumption installations. In practice, self-consumption installations use the grid as a battery and it makes sense that they should pay for it. However, this is not the Spanish case. Nowhere in the world are self-consumers taxed for the electricity generated for own usage. It makes sense to apply a small fee to the electricity exported in the network, but customers shouldn’t have to pay taxes for the self-generated electricity to be consumed on site, say Spain’s solar advocates.

Renewable Energy World ran an analysis on the Spanish government’s attitude against solar in July, expanding on the fallacies of Spain's energy policy. This week’s announcement is another indication that the Spanish government is in favor of a centralized energy system, which is a reflection of the past.

“It is clear the energy policy of the conservative party currently ruling the country does not want to encourage distributed generation, net metering or self-consumption schemes," José Donoso, UNEF’s general director, said. "The Spanish government clearly supports the energy model of the last century where few, very powerful utilities dominate the electricity market. It does not want more actors participating in the electricity market."

Hanwha set to restore Q CELLS as leading PV cell producer in 2015

PVTECH — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 03:56:00 GMT

New research undertaken by PV Tech can exclusively reveal that Hanwha Q CELLS is on track to become the leading c-Si cell producer (by MW volume) in 2015.

This article presents the likely top 10 c-Si cell producers of 2015, reveals the big-three cell makers we are forecasting to produce in excess of 3GW in 2015 and maps out the strategies of the top 10 and how they are seeking to shift the curve with regards market-share dominance in the midstream silicon solar manufacturing space. The data is sourced from primary research undertaken by the PV Tech team.

The full analysis is currently being finalised and will be available January 2016 within PV Tech parent company Solar Media’s forthcoming PV Manufacturing & Technology Quarterly report.

Asian companies now occupy top 10 solar cell production rankings

Top 10 rankings lists are typically of most use to marketing departments. What is often more interesting is to look at the collective trends of the top 10. For solar, few would dispute the value of the top 10 silicon solar cell producers (compared to logging module suppliers shipping rebranded and outsourced components for example as a short-term tactic).

For clarity, the PV Tech analysis here is based on extracting the in-house cell production data by company: no OEM supply, outsourcing, tolling, etc.

While the list is preliminary of course, at October 2015, the full-year rankings are coming together, and it is unlikely that the companies making up the top 10 will change by the time the final counting is done early next year. What will change are the rankings within the top 10 and, very possibly, which cell manufacturer can lay claim to the Number 1 Solar Cell Producer of 2015, an accolade that any company in the solar industry would be excited to own at any time.

In alphabetical order, here is the forecasted top 10 (by MW c-Si cells produced) group of companies for 2015.

The table on the left has been kept specific to c-Si manufacturing, with thin-film manufacturing starting to look increasingly more like a customised solution offering from one-off providers.

However, the more striking takeaway from the table is the omission of European- or Western-run manufacturers. No place for SunPower in the top 10 lists anymore it would appear, and similarly of course for Japanese manufacturers.

Indeed, only the Korean ownership of newly branded Q CELLS operations (combining legacy Q CELLS and Solarfun cell production) prevents a complete China/Taiwan whitewash. For the record, the top 10 c-Si cell producers are likely to provide just over 40% of all solar cells shipped within modules (silicon and thin-film included) during 2015.

Three-horse race for Number 1 position

Last week, we revealed exclusively in PV Tech that three cell producers were on track to manufacture more than 3GW of cells in 2015. We can now name the three companies: Hanwha Q CELLS, JA Solar and Trina Solar.

Based on current monthly production run-rates, and capacity addition rates, Hanwha Q CELLS would just about grab the top position, but year-end productivity could easily have the final say in the top rankings.

While production rankings don’t tell us about margins and long-term strategy, if Hanwha Q CELLS was to be crowned as the Number 1 Solar Cell Producer of 2015, it would likely be a massive coup for the Hanwha management team in Korea, and square-the-circle that involved acquiring – and integrating – Solarfun and Q CELLS, when each was somewhat in trouble within the industry.

In addition to the three cell producers named above, which are each expected to produce more than 3GW of cells in 2015, five of the top 10 are forecast to produce more than 2GW, with the final two in the 1.5-2GW range. So entry to the top 10 list – collectively manufacturing in the range of 25GW – now needs in-house cell capacity at the 2GW level and capacity conversion rates above 80%.

Differing strategies for cell production across the top 10

It may still be in vogue today for companies involved in both manufacturing and downstream projects to prioritise site acquisition and project-build capex, but this is likely to be a passing phase in the industry. Certainly, when we isolate cell manufacturing activities of the top 10, we can largely split them up into three categories based on strategy:

• Organic growth: here organic refers to adding in-house manufacturing capacity by setting up new cell production capacity outside China/Taiwan, in Southeast Asia, as well as line upgrades and productivity enhancements.

• Acquisition based: adding capacity by virtue of M&A. Note, we have excluded the low-cost addition of distressed Chinese cell fab assets here as being a well-defined long term strategic growth route.

• Status quo: for want of a better term, used to group companies that have been largely treading water over the last couple of years, in part due to prioritising downstream growth over cell production or simply due to cashflow issues in general impacting on the business.

The lower graph on the left shows each of the top 10 cell producers within a quadrant plot, with the labels highlighting which of the three strategic directions have been chosen over the past 12 months. The x axis shows a 'Market Factor', that captures cell production growth year-on-year relative to the overall end-market growth. The y axis captures a comparative 'Rankings Factor', or how much companies have lost ground to the expected cell production leaders in 2015.

The effects of acquisition-based cell growth are seen clearly through Shunfeng (SFCE) (incorporating acquired capacities from Wuxi Suntech during 2014 and Suniva during 2015) and Motech (adding TopCell in 2015).

This contrasts with the big-three producers (Hanwha Q CELLS, JA Solar and Trina Solar) that are growing production organically via Southeast Asia, with Gintech adding to this list but with ramped capacity yet to impact numbers this year.

The remaining companies, placed into the status quo placeholder, are most clearly highlighted by Yingli Green, where despite cell production levels still meriting top 10 inclusion, market-share losses will be the greatest of the 10 companies discussed in this feature.

Other key trends for the top 10

Manufacturing and technology studies by the PV Tech team in the past few weeks have outlined the collective trends of the big-six Silicon Module Super League (SMSL) module suppliers and the big-three cell makers set to produce more than 3GW of cells each in 2015.

A similar analysis of the top 10 will be featured later this week on PV Tech, but just as a teaser, don’t expect any earth shattering news on the technology front! It is almost certain that diving into the cell makers that occupy ranking positions 11-20 will finally uncover the real happenings at the n-type and p-type mono side.

More info

SolarMax producing PV inverters again

Mon, 12 Oct 2015 15:58:00 GMT

The SolarMax Group has begun production of its solar PV inverters once again, having transferred operations from Switzerland to Germany. Expansion is on the cards.

Following the insolvency of parent company, Sputnik Engineering AG, SolarMax has started producing its string and central inverters again.

With an unidentified investor secured this May, the company has relocated its manufacturing operations from Switzerland, to the Bavarian town of Burgau in Germany, just 20 km away from SolarMax’s headquarters.

The group, which was established in July, has been manufacturing since September, having taken over the trademarks and production equipment of Sputnik Engineering. A five-language hotline and service network are also operational; and a development department from former Sputnik employees and further development engineers has been established.

Expansion is on the cards for SolarMax, with new products said to be in development. They are expected to be unveiled next year. "In addition to the service for old equipment of the Sputnik engineering AG we will continuously develop new equipment, which are optimally tailored to the respective customer needs and market requirements," commented managing director, Mathias Mader.

No further details were available. pv magazine has contacted SolarMax for more information regarding its production in Bayern.

Regional trends

Speaking to pv magazine for the November print edition, which will feature inverters, Cormac Gilligan, senior analyst solar supply chain at IHS said that there is a trend for certain inverter suppliers to focus more on regional supply; active either in their domestic markets, or in a certain set of countries.

SolarMax tried to be a global player, and failed. The move to Bayern would indicate it is now looking to focus on regional supply, instead. "Suppliers are exiting the inverter market, but some are being repurchased, typically to become niche players, so that the technology can still be used in markets where there is a lot of brand awareness," explained Gilligan. "So for the example of SolarMax, they will still be shipped in Switzerland and Germany."

Solar Energy Price At All-Time Low: Average Price of Solar In U.S. Falls To 5¢/kWh

costofsolar.com — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 09:38:00 GMT

According to a new report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), solar energy prices are at an all-time low, with the average price of solar energy in the United States having dropped down to 5¢/kWh, representing a 70% decline in power purchase agreement (PPA) prices since 2009.

The falling prices for this clean renewable energy resource are being driven by lower overall installed solar costs, improved performance, and the presence of a virtual landrush to get utility-scale solar projects online before the reduction of the federal investment tax credit next year, and as a result, PPA agreements are being signed with an average price of 5¢/kWh or less.

The new report, Utility-Scale Solar 2014: An Empirical Analysis of Project Cost, Performance, and Pricing Trends in the United States, is the third edition of LBNL’s annual publication focused on identifying key trends in utility-scale solar. The report offers insights into the state of the industry, some surprising, such as the drop in the price of solar to a nickel per kilowatt-hour, and others, such as the fact that utility-scale solar projects are dominated by conventional photovoltaic (PV) generation, not concentrated solar (CSP), which has not dropped significantly in price.

The average costs of installed solar projects have fallen quite a bit, from 2009′s $6.3/W (AC) cost to 2014′s $3.1/W cost, reflecting a drop of more than 50%. In contrast, installed costs for three large CSP projects referenced in the report ranged from $5.1/W (AC) to $6.2/W.

The drop to an average price of 5¢/kWh for solar PPAs indicates that solar power plants are an effective cost-competitive source of energy for utilities, and thanks to the relatively fast construction process, could be an essential component of quickly adding grid capacity, especially in regions with high insolation levels.

The new report found that there appears to be a “deep market” at the low PPA prices, especially in the solar stronghold of the US Southwest, but also in other areas of the country, most notably the Southeast, where recent solar contracts have been announced in previously untapped markets. According to LBNL, the average wholesale price for electricity across the U.S. in 2014 ranged from 3 cents/kWh to 6 cents/kWh, putting the new lower prices of utility-scale solar right inline with most of the utility market.

The trend for utility-scale solar energy adoption looks to continue apace in the near future, as the report found a total of almost 45,000 MW in solar projects under development in 2014 (roughly five times the installed capacity during that time), and the authors presumed that most of these projects would be operational before 2017 in order to get the full 30% federal tax credit, leading to a prediction of “an unprecedented amount of new solar construction in 2015 and 2016.”

The full report can be found as a PDF here: Utility-Scale Solar 2014 and is also available as a PowerPoint briefing and an Excel workbook with much of the data from the report.

Product warning from Solar-Fabrik: Simplified solution for modules

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 12:25:00 GMT

ADLER Solar and Europe Solar Concept are offering a new solution for modules affected by a product warning issued by Solar-Fabrik AG: instead of replacing the complete junction box, only the cover is replaced. Kostal Industrie Elektrik GmbH has developed a special product for this. Ideally, the module can be repaired without having to disassemble it, according to ADLER Solar.

In April, Solar-Fabrik AG issued a product warning: the junction boxes on Premium L, M, XM and S products manufactured between 2011 and 2012 might experience a failure, causing a fire hazard. The standard solution for this problem is to replace the complete junction box at a service centre.

ADLER Solar and Europe Solar Concept are using a special product designed by Kostal to replace just the covers of the junction boxes, thereby saving costs. The service providers are emphasising that the on-site solution incurs costs for disassembly, packing and transportation, as well as the associated risks.

The service offering is intended for system operators and installers affected by the problem. Gerhard Cunze, managing partner at ADLER Solar, commented: "We are pleased to be able to offer an optimised solution that provides significant advantages to our customers. Our solution eliminates the cause of the problem and ensures long-term safety and optimal system performance."

Chinese PV manufacturer Tianwei enters bankruptcy

Tue, 22 Sep 2015 12:34:00 GMT

The parent company of PV manufacturer Tianwei New Energy has filed for bankruptcy dragging the company into the proceedings.

Baoding Tianwei Electric Co said in a financial filing that it had filed for bankruptcy reorganisation, due to continued weakness in certain subsidiaries business since the 2011 solar industry downturn and the subsequent overcapacity and continued price declines.

The continued losses at certain subsidiaries gradually brought the company into the position of seeking protection from creditors as well as the inability to repay maturing debt, according to the statement.

Tianwei failed to pay around US$13.8 million interest on a bond in April 2015 and is a subsidiary of struggling state-owned, South Industries Group Corp, the first state-owned company to default on bond payments in China.

Tianwei’s polysilicon subsidiary filed for bankruptcy proceedings in 2014.

Germany tops 39 GW of PV capacity

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 09:10:00 GMT

Germany registered 5,230 new PV systems with a combined capacity of 75.8 MW in July 2015, according to new figures from the German Federal Network Agency. Including 84.6 MW of ground-mounted PV systems that were included in the register for renewable energy installations from Mar. 1, 2015, the month’s PV capacity was of 159.7 MW. This is up from 99. 5 MW in June and down considerably from 344.6 MW in July 2014. The newly installed PV capacity for the first seven months of this year was of 772.7 MW. In the same period of 2014, the country registered new PV systems with a combined capacity 1.36 GW. The newly installed capacity in the first 7 months of 2013 reached 2.11 GW (2012: 4.9 GW; 2011: 2.3 GW; 2010: 4.5 GW). Taking into account the current growth trend, Germany should install about 1.32 GW of new PV generation capacity in full year 2015. This would be down 30.1% from 2014, when the country installed 1.898 MW. This would also be significantly less than the 2.4 to 2.6 GW annual target established by the country's renewable energy law. Germany’s cumulative installed PV capacity reached about 39.00 GW at the end of July.

France hits 6 GW milestone, raises 2020 solar target to 8 GW

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 09:06:00 GMT

France’s cumulative installed PV capacity reached 6,046 MW at the end of June 2015, according to new data from the French General Commission on Sustainable Development (CGDD). The country added 160 MW in the second quarter of this year, down from 222 MW in the previous quarter and 214 MW in the same period of 2014. Of the PV systems added in the first half of this year, 56 MW came from PV systems up to 36 kW in size, while 75 MW was from PV systems between 36 and 100 kW. Only 25 MW of PV systems between 100 and 250 kW were installed in France in the period, but 244 MW of PV plants over 250 kW were added. The French mainland had 5,696 MW of installed PV power at the end of June, while French overseas territories had 350 MW. June 2015 ended with 21,759 additional PV projects pending authorization – these projects represent 2,015 MW of additional PV capacity. Meanwhile, France’s government has raised the country’s 2020 solar target from 5.4 GW to 8 GW, according to a document published by the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development in the country's official journal. The move is part of the government’s recent plan to provide more support for the domestic solar industry. Only one week ago, the ministry announced that the capacity that will be allocated through the RfP for PV projects with a power of over 250 kW issued in September 2014 will be doubled to 800 MW. In late July, the French government also doubled to 240 MW the capacity that will be allocated through the Rfp for the installation of PV systems between 100 kW to 250 kW in size. Since being appointed energy minister in April 2014, Segolene Royal has launched several initiatives to support the French solar sector.

www.statistiques.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/fileadmin/documents/Produits_editoriaux/Publications/Chiffres_et_statistiques/2015/chiffres-stats668-eolien2015t2-aout2015.pdf

EBRD finances mid-sized renewable energy projects in Turkey with $180 million

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 06:51:00 GMT

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has agreed to provide Turkish banks Garanti Bank (Garanti) and Yapı ve Kredi Bankası (Yapı Kredi) with $180 million in financing for the development of mid-sized renewable energy projects. The projects include solar, hydropower, wind, geothermal, waste-to-energy and energy efficiency projects. In February, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources introduced a plan to promote renewable energy development in Turkey. The plan calls for the addition of 34 GW of hydropower, 20 GW of wind energy, 5 GW of solar energy, 1 GW of geothermal and 1 GW of biomass generation capacity by 2023. EBRD stressed that the plan is in line with the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive and that it will help the country increase its total installed generation capacity by 30% while relying exclusively on renewable energy sources. Turkey previously announced it aimed to install 600 MW of PV capacity through its FIT scheme by 2015. FIT incentives were approved in December 2010 and took effect at the beginning of 2011. The current legislation does not include a capacity cap, so developers can install as many PV installations as they like as long as each system is smaller than 500 kW.

More info: http://www.ebrd.com/news/2015/ebrd-boosts-financing-for-renewable-energy-in-turkey.html

EU provides best practices on renewable energy self-consumption

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 06:49:00 GMT

The European Commission acknowledged that renewable energy power systems under self-consumption will play an important role in the future European energy market. In the document »Best practices on renewable energy self-consumption,« which was sent to the European Parliament, the European Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Region, the EC stressed that the emerging self-consumption model will open new cost-containment opportunities for electricity consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises. The document focuses on renewable energy systems under self-consumption with a power of up to 500 kW.

More info: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/1_EN_autre_document_travail_service_part1_v6.pdf

Advanced Energy confirms exit of solar inverter business

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 11:42:00 GMT

The U.S. precision power conversion company has taken the decision to shutter its solar inverter business after grappling with poor sales in the sector for the past few quarters.

Advanced Energy, the U.S.-based developer of precision power conversion technology and solar inverters, has announced this week that it is to officially exit the solar inverter business after struggling with poor sales in the sector.

Having posted a 24.7% quarter-over-quarter revenue decline for its inverter business in Q1 2015, Advanced Energy has taken the decision to wind down its solar inverter business, AE Solar Energy. The decision comes after efforts to engineer a strategic alternative for the business proved fruitless.

"Following on the heels of a strong 2014 and first quarter 2015 in precision power that reinforced the strength of our business model, and after an extensive strategic process over the last six months, we concluded that focusing solely on our precision power business and exiting the solar inverter business aligns with our long-term goal of maximizing value for our shareholders," said Advanced Energy CEO and president, Yuval Wasserman.

Data from IHS placed Advanced Energy third globally in 2013 in terms of market share, with the company cornering 4% of the global market. In 2014, however, the company dropped from the top 10 following a sizeable market share loss in the U.S. three-phase high power inverter market. Additional price reductions exerted greater pressure on the company, but IHS solar analyst Cormac Gilligan has remarked that a complete wind down of Advanced Energy’s solar division is surprising.

"Given its huge after-sales service network, large installed base of central inverters, leading brand awareness among EPCs and its early presence in the O&M business which is a high growth area, it is surprising that the business will be wound down rather than acquired," Gilligan said. "While its share in utility-scale may have diminished due to competitors offering newer products or more competitive prices, it is a rare occurrence that a supplier exits a booming market when there is still a huge opportunity."

That opportunity was described by IHS as a potential 12 GW inverter market in 2015 and 2016 in the U.S. alone.

According to an Advanced Energy statement, the company will record a pre-tax charge of around $260 million to $290 million related to the shuttering of its inverter operations, which will impact its Q2 2015 financials. Around $15 million of this will be allocated to employment termination costs, with $75 million to the write down of inventory, fixed and other assets. There will also be severance costs and expenses in the region of $30 million to $45 million, the company confirmed.

Efforts to sell AE’s inverter business have been unsuccessful, as were attempts to enter a joint venture, partnerships and spin-offs, and the company’s inverter struggles reflect the reality of industry that is tightening its belt as PV price pressures have moved along the supply chain.

Industry leader SMA was forced to take drastic measures earlier this year, shedding around one-third of its global staff in order to stay competitive in the wake of growing Asian competition and an increasingly globalized landscape that has brought severe price pressure to bear.

"With Advanced Energy’s exit from the market," continued Gilligan, "it will leave a large void in the commercial and utility-scale inverter market in the U.S. This represents a huge opportunity for leading suppliers such as ABB and Schneider Electric, or for recent market entrants such as TMEIC or Power Electronics to grow their presence."

Gilligan added that China’s Sungrow, Huawei and TBEA may leap at this opportunity to expand further into the U.S. inverter market.

REC to enter African solar market amid 100 GW predictions

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 14:28:00 GMT

REC will enter solar markets in East and South Africa this year on the back of its expectations that 100 GW of solar PV will be installed there by 2030. As an initial step, three offices will be opened, most likely in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.

Norwegian solar company REC has announced it will focus on entering the East and South African regions, which are expected to see 100 GW of solar PV installed over the next 15 years.

A spokesperson for the company said that as an initial step, REC will open three offices, most likely in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa this year and next. In Ghana, for instance, REC expects 75 to 100 MW of utility-scale solar to be installed in 2016, 10 MW of commercial and one to two MW of residential.

While no specifics could be unveiled, the spokesperson added, "We have been in touch with various potential customers/partners from all kind of segments during the last months and are receiving a good interest for a collaboration due to our wide experience. Know-how transfer is a key driver for the African region."

In addition to supplying its PV modules to projects, REC is confident it can make headway in Africa, via its partner program and training expertise for the local solar industries. Specifically, REC will be offering kit solutions for residential installations and solar hybrid boxes for 20 to 50kW installations. It also plans to open a REC Academy to train distributers.

With favorable irradiation levels, rising populations, a lack of stable electricity supply and high fossil fuel prices, the market for solar is ripe on the continent, REC added.

Canadian Solar Announces New Warranty for Polycrystalline and Diamond Modules

Tue, 16 Jun 2015 08:29:00 GMT

Canadian Solar announced on June 12th that effective June 1st, the company has been offering a new upgraded warranty on its polycrystalline photovoltaic modules by guaranteeing a lower first year power output degradation, less than 2.5%. This is in contrast to the industry standard of 3% degradation during the first year.

All Canadian Solar standard modules have a 10-year limited product warranty on material and workmanship. In addition, the following are the new warranty policies related to power performance:

• For polycrystalline module products, Canadian Solar guarantees the first year power degradation is no more than 2.5% from its nameplate power. From year 2 to year 25, the actual power decline will be no more than 0.7%. By the end of year 25, the actual power output will be no less than 80.7% of the nameplate power output.

• For the Diamond double-glass module, Canadian Solar guarantees the first year power degradation is no more than 2.5% from its nameplate power. From year 2 to year 30, the actual annual power decline will be no more than 0.5%. By the end of year 30, the actual power output will be no less than 83% of the labeled power output.

In the past 15 years, Canadian Solar has invested heavily into solar cell and module technology research and development. This warranty upgrade is based on internal and external PV system performance test results.

The performance warranty for standard monocrystalline cell modules will continue to be 3% degradation for the first year, and 0.7% power loss from year 2 to year 25. With Czochralski-type (CZ) wafer quality improvement, Canadian Solar will be able to roll out a similar enhanced performance warranty for monocrystalline cell modules in the future.

Dr. Guoqiang Xing, Vice President of Technology of Canadian Solar, commented, "As a major module manufacturer, we are proud to offer the industry's leading warranty on solar panels. Our ability to provide such a comprehensive and top-notch warranty is a strong indicator of the company's bankability, success, and product reliability."

Greece tops 2,580 MW of PV capacity

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 06:50:00 GMT

Mainland Greece had 2,442.6 MW of installed PV capacity as of the end of April 2015, according to the Hellenic Transmission System Operator SA (HTSO). The Greek mainland had 2,092.06 MW of installed grid-connected PV systems over 10 kW and 350.54 MW of rooftop PV systems up to 10 kW at the end of the month. In April, the country added only 80 kW of new PV systems. In the same month of 2014, the newly installed PV power was of 200 kW. The country added 6.9 MW of new PV capacity in the first four months of this year, up from 2.2 MW in the same period of 2013. HTSO’s figures do not include the installed capacity of non-interconnected Greek islands, which – according to the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator SA (HEDNO) – reached 135.9 MW at the end of 2014. Based on the most recent data available, Greece has a total installed PV capacity of at least 2,580 MW.

http://www.lagie.gr/fileadmin/groups/EDRETH/RES/2015_04_RES.pdf

Jinko posts turnover and profit growth for first quarter

Fri, 29 May 2015 07:42:00 GMT

Chinese solar manufacturer JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. posted a significant revenue and profit increase in the first quarter of 2015. Revenue for the period was 2.74 billion CNY ($443.5 million), up 36.5% from 2.01 billion CNY in the same quarter of 2014. Furthermore, the company was able to increase its net profit from 9.5 million in the first quarter of last year to 50.9 million CNY ($8.2 million) in the latest quarter. The operating results also improved year-on-year from 203.4 million CNY to 230.0 million CNY. The company said that the quarterly revenue growth was mainly due to » the increase in shipments and in electricity revenues from solar projects. « Jinko shipped 789.2 MW of solar products during the first quarter, up 35.8% from the same period of 2014, when it shipped 581.2 MW. Furthermore, the company had completed 671 MW of PV projects as of Mar. 31, 2014. Jinko Solar CEO Kangping Chen said: » Our geographic presence continued to grow thanks to strong brand recognition and deep relationships with global partners. We continued to make progress in the U.S. and new emerging markets such as Chile and Brazil. We also significantly increased our market share and shipments to Japan and the UK, where customers ended their fiscal year during the first quarter. We expect to see strong demand from the Chinese market since next quarter where we remain a market leader. By managing our resources efficiently, we are strengthening our position as a leading solar product supplier for key solar markets.« Looking forward, the company expects to ship between 850 MW and 950 MW in the second quarter of 2015. For the full year, the company is forecasting module shipments in the range of 3.3 to 3.8 GW.

More info: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=234421&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=2053910

Hanwha Q Cells posts revenue growth in first quarter, plans to expand capacity

Fri, 29 May 2015 07:40:00 GMT

Chinese-German solar manufacturer Hanwha Q Cells, part of Korea-based chemical company Hanwha Group, has registered a turnover of $333.5 million in the first quarter of this year, up 54% from the same period a year ago, According to the company, the revenue increase was due to higher shipments resulting from the acquisition of Hanwha Q Cells. In February, the Hanwha Group decided to merge its two subsidiaries Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd and Hanwha Q Cells, which were based in China and Germany, respectively, into a new entity that maintained the name of Hanwha Q Cells. Furthermore, the company reports that shipments for the quarter totaled reached 547.3 MW and that the average selling price (ASP) of its module was $0.59 per W during the latest quarter. Moreover, the company said it encountered a one-time restructuring charge of $22.1 million, resulting from its decision to relocate higher cost German production acquired from Q CELLS to more economical regions. The company’s operating loss increased year-on-year from $1.6 million to $17.3 million. Net loss also grew from $7.2 million in the first quarter of 2014 to $20.4 million in the same period of this year. For the second quarter of 2015, Hanwha Q Cells expects to ship between 650 MW and 680 MW of PV modules. For full fiscal year, the company forecasts shipments to be between 3.2 GW to 3.4 GW. At the end of March, the company had production capacity of 950 MW for ingot and wafer, 3.5 GW for cell and 2.8 GW for module. Hanwha Q cells intends to expand its cell and module capacity to at least 3.7 GW and 3.7 GW, respectively, by the end of 2015.

http://investors.hanwha-qcells.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=915194

Yingli Green Energy reveals hefty debt burden, may have to liquidate assets

Tue, 19 May 2015 06:18:00 GMT

The leading solar manufacturer issues SEC Filing in which it raises specter of inability to meet its outstanding obligations, which currently stand at more than $1.6bn.

In a bombshell SEC Filing issued after the close of the U.S. markets late on Friday, Yingli Green Energy, the second-largest solar company in the world, has warned that it may be unable to continue as a going concern due to "substantial indebtedness".

The 20-F filing was released shortly after the company published its delayed 2014 financial figures, and candidly lays bare the stark situation of Yingli’s financials. "Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as our ability to meet our payment obligations under our debt instruments and further grow our business," read the filing.

Yingli revealed that it has outstanding short-term borrowings of RMB 10,112.1 million ($1.63 billion) and long-term debts of more than $460 million. This level of debt, the company added, could make it more difficult to meet its payment obligations, resulting in cross-defaults that could trigger restrictions in the company’s ability to secure further financing, thus placing it at risk of liquidation.

The filing continued: "If we become unable to continue as a going concern, we may have to liquidate our assets, and the values we receive for our assets in liquidation or dissolution could be significantly lower than the values reflected in our audited consolidated financial statements."

Yingli’s lack of cash resources and its potential inability to continue as a going concern will likely then adversely affect the company’s share price and overall value.

At the end of April, Yingli was granted a 15-day extension in filing its 2014 annual report, triggering rumors within the industry that the company’s long-term financial health had suffered. Yingli recently agreed a pre-funding payment of approximately $207 million to China Government Securities Depository Trust and Clearing Company Limited – a payment that industry watchers believe was made to allay fears that Yingli was in financial trouble.

No longer market leader
Since leading the solar industry between 2012 and 2013,Yingli was shunted from top spot last year by Trina Solar, and its recent financials – though solid – have seen the company slip even further behind. In 2014, Yingli shipped a record high 3.3 GW of modules, which increased the company’s gross margin to 17.3%, up from 10.9% in 2013.

Efforts to diversify its market presence and reduce manufacturing cost were successful, the company claimed, with gross profit reaching $360.7 million. However, weighed down by debt, the company’s operating loss was actually RMB 215.2 million ($34.7 million) last year, which equated to a negative 1.7% operating margin.

And despite being a recognized presence in the leading solar markets, Yingli’s "significant short-term borrowings" are proving a millstone for the company, which added in its filing that it may not be able to renew them when they mature.

Sharp's PV sales drop 38.3% in fiscal year 2015

Fri, 15 May 2015 07:42:00 GMT

Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp Corp. registered a considerable drop in solar sales in the fiscal year 2015, which ended Mar. 31, 2015. The drop in solar revenue was mainly due to a decline in sales of solar cells in Japan and overseas. Sharp's Energy Solutions division, which includes the company’s solar energy business, generated net sales of ¥270.8 billion ($2,271 million) for the period, down 38.3% from fiscal year 2014. The division posted an operating loss of ¥62.6 billion for fiscal 2015, while in the previous fiscal year it posted a profit of ¥32.4 billion.

http://sharp-world.com/corporate/ir/library/financial/pdf/2015/1/1503_4Q_Presentation.pdf

Solar-Fabrik identifies PV module fault

Tue, 12 May 2015 06:04:00 GMT

A month after issuing a product warning for some of its PV modules, Solar-Fabrik has identified the cause. A faulty weld connection in the junction box is to blame.

On April 9, the troubled German PV manufacturer issued a product warning regarding faulty junction boxes in some of its modules, which had been found to present a fire risk.

In a statement issued today, it said the connector of the junction box could have a faulty weld connection, which may cause the formation of an electrical arc and, thus, an open fire. To date, Solar-Fabrik says it has only seen charred junction boxes, but that it cannot rule out the fire risk.

As such, it recommends an "immediate" disablement of the PV module cables from the inverter by a professional. Continued operation should only commence once a professional has concluded no risk of collateral damage is present. If this is not possible, the junction box will need to be replaced.

"It needs to be checked by a professional on the basis of the installation manner of the solar modules (e.g. roof integrated systems, roof mounted systems or ground mounted system) whether any risk exists for wellbeing and lives or damage to property," said Solar-Fabrik in the statement.

The affected products are the Premium L, M, XM and S modules with only one cable and an LC-4 connector that were manufactured by the Freiburg company between April 2011 and October 2012. Anyone with the modules in question should visit this web page to determine whether their module is affected by checking its serial number.

Insolvency proceedings have been underway for Solar-Fabrik since the start of May. Last week, the PV manufacturer’s requests for self-administration were rejected by the Freiburg District Court, which appointed Thomas Kaiser as insolvency administrator.

What the Tesla Powerwall battery means for households

Thu, 07 May 2015 07:09:00 GMT

Since Tesla dropped the Powerwall, numerous claims have been made about what this means for households and the grid, ranging from ‘The Powerwall changes everything’ to why it’s ‘just another toy for Rich Greenies’.

In order to guide the economic discussion, I’ve created a simple calculator which allows people to investigate for themselves the household economic impact of solar plus batteries at Tesla prices!

To access calculator, click on this link. It will download to your laptop or computer. You will need Excel. Simple Solar plus battery economic calculator.

It’s free to download, use, and adapt for non-commercial purposes. Ensure you read the model limitations and assumptions before you begin, and interpret results accordingly.

Example – A working household in Sydney

Here is a sample output for a household in Sydney with 12kWh daily consumption, who install a 4kW solar system with 7kWh Powerwall. They have a typical ‘working household’ load profile with some controlled daytime loads such as washing machine and dishwasher. The energy flows in the charts below are based on an average day – that is with average solar output and average electricity consumption.

Figure 1: Average day for 12kWh/day household, 4kW solar only, Sydney.

Figure 2. Average day for 12kWh household, 4kW Solar and 7kWh battery, Sydney

Summary

The most notable impact is that the entire evening peak demand is covered by the battery. With solar and battery combination, the households source 92% of their energy from solar, versus just 36% with solar only. The day’s grid cost for this household is just 4c (excluding fixed costs) with solar and battery installed.

With the 7kWh battery pack installed, the householder pays the equivalent of 30c/kWh (levelised cost) for their solar and power, which for many households is at grid parity.

At current prices obtained from Solar City ($US7160 for the 10kWh fully installed), if it were a straight numbers race, the optimal decision for this household, if their flat electricity tariffs is 30c/kWh, is to:

1^st – install Solar (16% decrease in annualised net energy cost compared to grid only),

Tied 2^nd – Install Solar and battery (0% change in annualised net energy cost)

Tied 2^nd – Use Grid power only

What does this mean?

For many households, like the worked example above, installing ‘solar only’ is still the most economic option for household energy supply. At Tesla’s current pricing, ‘solar and battery’ is neck-and-neck with the grid in Australia. But it’s not a hard and fast rule – it depends on the discount rate, real-world variations in the household’s energy use and solar generation, plus a number of unknowns: such as the cost and terms of Tesla’s extended warranty, the efficiency degradation, and the maximum daily depth of discharge.

This simple analysis indicates that the Powerwall will not yet spur mass market uptake, but it is tantalisingly priced for attracting a raft of early adopters, particularly when factoring in the value of reduced grid dependence. If future electricity prices rise and Tesla’s prices reduce, the economic equation could clearly shift in favour of solar and batteries.

Note: this calculator is intentionally kept simple – please read the model limitations within the calculator for more detail before interpreting results. For precise economic analysis, the ATA is releasing an updated battery inclusive version of the ‘Sunulator’ later this year, which will conducts annual simulations for variation in sunshine and household demand.

What does Tesla’s PowerWall do to your daily energy flows? Download the calculator to find out!

Simple Solar plus battery economic calculator

Ανάρτηση πληροφοριακού υλικού αναφορικά με την εγκατάσταση Φ/Β συστημάτων αυτοπαραγωγής με ενεργειακό συμψηφισμό

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 11:15:00 GMT

Ο ΔΕΔΔΗΕ θέτει υπόψη των ενδιαφερομένων ότι στον ιστότοπό του έχει αναρτηθεί πληροφοριακό υλικό αναφορικά με την εγκατάσταση ΦΒ συστημάτων από αυτοπαραγωγούς με ενεργειακό συμψηφισμό και συγκεκριμένα τα έγγραφα:

• Πληροφοριακό Δελτίο για τη διαδικασία σύνδεσης στο Δίκτυο ΧΤ.

• Ενημερωτικό σημείωμα για τον τρόπο εγκατάστασης των μετρητών στους αυτοπαραγωγούς με ενεργειακό συμψηφισμό.

• Συχνές Ερωτήσεις – Απαντήσεις στο πλαίσιο της εγκατάστασης συστημάτων με ενεργειακό συμψηφισμό.

Mainland Greece added 6.8 MW of PV capacity in first two months of 2015

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 11:13:00 GMT

Mainland Greece had 2,442.25 MW of installed PV capacity as of the end of February 2015, according to the Hellenic Transmission System Operator SA (HTSO). The Greek mainland had 2,091.82 MW of installed grid-connected PV systems over 10 kW and 350.43 MW of rooftop PV systems up to 10 kW at the end of the month. The country added 6.85 MW of new PV capacity in the first two months of this year, up from 3.8 MW in the same period of 2013. In 2014, the Greek mainland added approximately 16 MW of new PV power, down sharply from 1,092 MW a year earlier. HTSO’s figures do not include the installed capacity of non-interconnected Greek islands, which – according to the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator SA (HEDNO) – reached 135.8 MW at the end of 2013. Based on the most recent data available, Greece has a total installed PV capacity of at least 2,578 MW.

More info: http://www.lagie.gr/fileadmin/groups/EDRETH/RES/2015_02_GR_MONTHLY_RES.pdf

IHS finds Chinese module suppliers dominate market

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 18:24:00 GMT

New data from IHS reveals that Chinese modules suppliers Trina, Yingli, Canadian and Jinko dominate the top of module supplier rankings for 2014, with Hanwha Q Cells the only non-Chinese firm in the top five. The top 10 suppliers have slightly increased market share by 1% from 2013.

Seven of the top 10 PV module suppliers are now China based, with Trina topping the IHS ranking for the first time. While the top 10 suppliers remain the same in 2014, there has been considerable movement within the ranking, with Hanwha Q Cells the big mover having combined its SolarOne and Q Cells operations.

IHS analyst Jessica Jin noted that while the strong Chinese downstream market is playing a role in the result, Chinese suppliers are also performing strongly in leading overseas markets.

“Chinese suppliers also performed well in Japan, the Unites States and other markets worldwide,” said Jin. The results were published in IHS’ new PV Integrated Market Tracker report.

Trina Solar headed the rankings, with 30% increase in shipments and 17% gross margin. Trina assumed the number one supplier mantle from Yingli Green Energy, which fell back to second place. Other movements within the top 10 producers were Hanwha Q Cells’ rise of six places to fourth, JA Solar rising three places to sixth, and Sharp and First Solar both falling three places to seventh and ninth respectively.

Of the non-Chinese producers, Hanwha Q Cells was the highest ranked, however a big proportion of its shipments come from its Chinese SolarOne operations. Sharp, First Solar and Kyocera were the only other non-Chinese firms in the top 10.

Growing market

IHS forecasts the global market will increase 30% in 2015, reaching 57 GW of modules. Utilization is also on the rise, from 61% in 2014 up to 69% this year. In what must be good news for bottom lines, tier one manufacturers are running at 90% utilization or higher, according to IHS.

“Top PV module manufacturers continue to expand this year,” Jin said. “JA Solar has announced a 20 percent increase in module capacity in China this year, while Trina Solar will add 1 GW of module capacity.”

The IHS Integrated Market Tracker covers polysilicon production, wafers, cells, modules and installations.

The May edition of pv magazine features a ranking of the top 10 cell producers and analysis of the major players.

Climeon recognized as top innovative company in Sweden - efficiently producing electricity from hot water

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 12:57:00 GMT

Climeon is rated as one of the top 33 innovative technology companies in Sweden in the annual listing by prestigious business and technology publications, Affärsvärlden and Ny Teknik. The Climeon Ocean™ system, a patented innovation, enables electricity to be extracted from hot water. The technology provides competitive, cost-effective electricity production via waste heat recovery. One Climeon Ocean module can generate 150 KW – enough to heat more than 100 average homes.*

“About half the world's energy ends up as waste heat,” says Thomas Öström, CEO of Climeon. “We believe that by using this technology, electricity can be extracted from large volumes of such heat. Today, renewable energy is about 20% of the total global energy supply. The renewable energy market is estimated to be worth hundreds of billion dollars.”

The Climeon Ocean technology is scalable and can be implemented in business areas and industries such as heat from engines, heavy industries, and solar, water or geothermal heat. The innovation can replace many TWh of fossil-based electricity.

Climeon Ocean uses an optimized and patented process for converting hot water (between 70 and 120 oC) to electricity in a vacuum process.

Climeon Ocean is an investment with a relatively short payback period. The system enables companies to save operating cost and to reduce their environmental impact.

Viking Line operates a fleet of cruise ferries in the Baltic Sea. Viking Grace, Viking Line's newest ship, is the first ship in the world to use the Climeon Ocean system. Interest in marine applications is large. A system module of 150 kW will generate more than 1 million kWh of electricity annually – by extracting waste heat from the ship’s engines. Just one module saves up to 200 tons of fuel per year. Consequently, it reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 400 tons per year.

For further information please contact Thomas Öström, +46 70 894 9605, thomas.ostrom@climeon.com. www.climeon.com

Suntech’s modules receive additional quality ranking from the VDE Institute

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 05:41:00 GMT

Suntech announced that its modules received the VDE certification of the enhanced hail test, demonstrating the high quality and durability of Suntech’s modules in extreme weather conditions.1 Suntech hopes to use this recent certification to lay the foundation for entry into markets that face unfavorable weather conditions, yet are eager to adopt solar solutions.

“The cells of PV modules will have micro-cracks if used in areas that experience frequent hail storms, which is detrimental to module performance and long-term reliability,” Xiong Haibo, CEO of Suntech, explained. “The ranking highlights that our modules exceed market requirements and demonstrates that Suntech follows the market demand. The certification also indicates that Suntech modules can maintain excellent performance, high-quality and safety standards even in extreme weather conditions."

Established in 1920, the VDE Institute is one of the world’s leading testing and certification institutions. It is well-known globally as an international accredited institution for testing various electro technical equipment and appliances. The VDE’s standards exceed existing industry quality requirements.

“At present, most manufacturers have passed the hail test based on the standard IEC61215, which uses hails of 25mm in diameter to hit the surface of modules, producing about 1.99J of energy during the test," Dr. Han Qiang, VDE’s general manager, Shanghai, explained. "Yet, the VDE test, uses hail of 40mm in diameter, the 4th level of hail test in accordance with Swiss standards, which uses hail at a speed of 27.5m/S to hit the modules, producing energy no less than 11.1J, which simulates extreme environmental conditions. The results revealed that Suntech’s modules have nearly no power loss and completely meet the enhanced standard requirements, indicating that they have an excellent ability to withstand hail impact performance even in extreme weather circumstances.”

Solar-Fabrik identifies fire-risk modules

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 06:49:00 GMT

German manufacturer has published the serial numbers of modules with junction boxes which may catch fire. Any related product recall will be a fresh blow for the troubled German module maker.

Troubled German module manufacturer Solar-Fabrik has released the serial numbers of its solar modules affected by faulty junction boxes which may cause fires.

The affected products are Premium L, M, XM and S modules with only one cable and an LC-4 connector that were manufactured by the Freiburg company between April 2011 and October 2012.

As shipment dates may mean deliveries occurred later than the manufacturing period affected, anyone with the modules in question should visit this web page and check the whether their module is affected by checking its serial number.

Affected modules should be disconnected immediately and only reconnected if there is no danger of 'collateral damage' occurring if the affected junction box generates too much heat and catches fire. If such a risk exists, modules should not be reconnected until the affected junction boxes have been replaced.

No details of the scale of product recall or anticipated client claims has been revealed by the troubled German manufacturer which applied for self-administrated insolvency proceedings in February after poor sales last year.

With the manufacturer stating "major damages haven't occurred so far," it is unclear how the problem was spotted or why it has taken two-and-a-half years to locate the defect.

Solar-Fabrik AG warns of junction box failures

Thu, 09 Apr 2015 07:33:00 GMT

Solar-Fabrik AG (ISIN: DE0006614712) will publish a product warning within the next few days. Intense research and tests have shown that the junction box on some modules may fail. This could potentially lead to excess heat, so that fire development cannot be ruled out. Details on immediate actions to contain risk are available on the company website. A forecast on customer claims cannot be given at this point.

For more information
Investor Relations
phone.: +49-761-4000-100
fax: +49-761-4000-199

e-mail: investor(at)solar-fabrik.de

Solar-Fabrik Aktiengesellschaft für Produktion und Vertrieb von solartechnischen Produkten, Munzinger Straße 10, 79111 Freiburg
ISIN: DE 000 661 471 2
Börsen: Geregelter Markt/Prime Standard der Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse

IRENA pushes for more solar and wind in UAE

Thu, 09 Apr 2015 07:27:00 GMT

According to a report released today by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), solar and wind energy could now become the cheapest electricity sources in the United Arab Emirates. The report notes that the country could achieve a 25% share of renewable energies in its electricity mix by 2030. This, IRENA claims, would enable the country to save $1.9 billion in the energy sector. The report estimates that solar, wind, and waste-to-energy are preferable for power generation when new gas is above $8/MMBtu – making them immediately competitive in the UAE, where natural gas supplies almost 100% of power.

Abu Dhabi, U.A.E, 08 April 2015 –– Solar and wind may now be the cheapest sources of new energy supply in the United Arab Emirates, according to a report released today by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.

Marking the country's first public comparison of different energy technology costs and potentials, the Renewable Energy Prospects: United Arab Emirates report finds the UAE could achieve a 10 per cent share of renewable energy in its total energy supply – and almost 25 per cent in the power sector – resulting in energy system savings of USD 1.9 billion (AED 7 billion) annually by 2030.

“Renewables have decisively emerged from a niche technology to a major component of the energy mix and have been the majority of global power capacity additions for the last three years,” added Mr. Amin. “The dramatic technology cost declines we are mapping present a real possibility to move to a sustainable energy future even in the hydrocarbon producers in the MENA region.”

The report, developed by Masdar Institute in collaboration with IRENA and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leverages local resource expertise and earlier UAE energy modeling efforts. To create a portfolio of renewable energy options and their associated costs for the UAE Masdar Institute, researchers localized an IRENA energy model and applied the results.

The report cites sharp declines in renewable energy costs in the UAE, as well as rising costs for natural gas as domestic production declines and the country turns to more expensive imported sources, as the key drivers for renewable energy's financial attractiveness. Solar PV costs, for instance, have fallen by 80 per cent since 2008, while the cost of new gas supplies in the UAE has grown from under $2.5/MMBtu in 2010 to $6-8/MMBtu for domestic production and $10-18/MMBtu for imports today, even after the recent decline of oil and LNG prices. The report estimates that solar, wind, and waste-to-energy are preferable for power generation when new gas is above $8/MMBtu – making them immediately competitive in the UAE, where natural gas supplies almost 100 per cent of power.

The report also reveals that solar costs are poised to decrease even further. In January, the tender for the second phase of Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park in Dubai was awarded to the lowest bidder for under six cents per kilowatt hour for a 25-year fixed contract. This is the lowest solar price ever achieved worldwide.

"This report is an eye-opener," said Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute, Abu Dhabi’s graduate-level research university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies. "It provides policymakers and investors with an objective cost baseline, making the clear case that renewables, and especially solar, will have a much larger role sooner than we ever expected in the UAE and Middle East."

The report is one of the first three country analyses under IRENA's REmap 2030 project, which evaluates how the world can meet the United Nations' Sustainable Energy for All goal of doubling the global share of renewable energy by 2030. The project maps how renewable energy can grow in the power, industry, buildings, and transport sectors. Health and environmental benefits are also included in the analyses, and in the case of the UAE, they could amount to additional annual net savings of USD 1 to 3.7 billion by 2030.

"The UAE made an early bet on energy diversification," said His Excellency Dr. Thani Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, the UAE's Permanent Representative to IRENA and the Director of Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "We are investing broadly and letting technologies compete to produce the optimal supply mix. As this report shows, there is now a clear financial case for renewables, even before we consider benefits like energy security, emissions, and job creation."

The report notes that solar and wind are still challenged by intermittency, which will require natural gas to fill gaps in output. However, the savings from generating solar power during the daytime, instead of consuming gas, are so great that they could justify 17,500 megawatts of PV in the UAE by 2030, up from around 40 MW today.

To download the full report, click here.

Edmundson Electrical Greentech to become exclusive Sharp Solar distributor in UK

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 09:40:00 GMT

Edmundson Electrical Greentech has been appointed the sole distributor in the UK for Sharp Solar's award winning PV modules.

This agreement will commence from 1st April 2015. Installers using Sharp Solar’s successful Hitachi finance scheme for end customers will now purchase the Sharp panels through Edmundson Electrical Greentech. In addition, the new Sharp advanced energy storage products will be exclusively available through Edmundson Electrical Greentech.

“Sharp has seen strong growth in UK residential sales this year, reflecting end users’ increasing awareness of their energy costs,” says Andrew Lee, European Sales Director of Sharp Energy Solutions in Europe. “We see great opportunities for installers to work with the trusted quality of Sharp energy solutions products purchased through a UK network of dedicated Greentech branches which are able to deliver a personal and professional service.”

Andrew Fawcett, Edmundson Electrical Greentech says,” We are proud to have reached this agreement with Sharp Solar. It is the result of significant trust that has been built over the last few years during which Edmundson Electrical has worked closely with Sharp Solar. The new arrangement, going forwards will mean that Edmundson Electrical will support and promote the full range of Sharp Solar products in the UK market – covering panels manufactured in both Japan and Europe, ranging from 250w to 290w in silver and black. Also included in this agreement is the latest innovative battery based energy storage solution, a result of cooperation between Sharp and Samsung. Sharp Solar products will be available from stock at all 24 locations of Edmundson Electrical Greentech, allowing installers local supply and service and the flexibility that comes with that.”

SolarWorld confirms 55% increase in shipments in 2014

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 08:28:00 GMT

German module manufacturer SolarWorld AG recorded a 55% year-on-year increase in PV module and system shipments in full year 2014, greatly exceeding its forecast. According to final results, total shipments grew to 849 MW in 2014 from 548 MW in 2013. The increase in shipments enabled the company to grow its revenue by 26% and to significantly improve its EBIT. Shipments to the US nearly doubled year on year in 2014 and accounted for 41% of SolarWorld’s total shipments. Shipments to France, the UK and Japan also grew substantially last year, while shipments to Germany plummeted. SolarWorld achieved consolidated revenue of €573 million ($646 million) for 2014, up from €456 million for 2013. Adjusted for one-off effects, EBIT grew considerably as well, from a loss of €189 million for 2013 to a profit of €62 million for 2014. SolarWorld expects to achieve further growth in 2015. The company forecasts shipments of more than 1 GW in 2015 and expects to achieve an operating profit this year.

http://www.solarworld.de/en/group/investor-relations/news-announcements/corporate-news/single-ansicht/article/solarworld-ag-will-continue-upward-trend-in-2015/

SMA records heavy losses in 2014

SMA — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 08:26:00 GMT

German inverter manufacturer SMA Solar Technology AG recorded a 13.6% year-on-year decline in revenue in 2014 due to a sharp drop in sales in Europe and China. The company generated sales of €805.4 million ($878.0 million) in 2014, down from €932.5 million in the previous year. The company’s operating loss increased from €89.1 million in 2013 to €164.9 million last year. SMA stressed that the operating result included » provisions for the planned staff reduction, further one-time items, for example such as impairment, and the losses of Chinese subsidiary Zeversolar totaling €129.7 million.« Net loss for last year was of €179.3 million. In the previous year, the company recorded a net loss of €66.9 million. The company’s CEO Pierre-Pascal Urbon said: » We are not satisfied with our business performance in 2014. Due to our high fixed costs, we were not able to respond to the significant decline in demand in Europe fast enough. Demand in Germany almost halved last year as a result of political decisions. For the current fiscal year, we are expecting a further decline in the installation of new PV systems in Germany. In addition, our result in 2014 was impacted by the losses of our Chinese subsidiary Zeversolar and considerable one-time items.« For the first quarter of this year, SMA forecasts sales of €210 million to €230 million. For full fiscal year, SMA forecast a turnover between €730 million and €770 million.

http://www.sma.de/fileadmin/content/global/Investor_Relations/Documents/Finanzberichte/2014/2015-03-26_SMA_Annual_Report_2014_web.pdf

Spain's constitutional court rejects appeals against retroactive cuts for PV incentives

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 08:24:00 GMT

Spain’s Constitutional Court has rejected two different appeals filed by solar investors against the retroactive FIT cuts for PV installations introduced by the Spanish government in February 2013. According to local newspaper ABC, the court said that the cuts were not unconstitutional due to the fact that they were fairly predictable taking into account Spain’s tariff deficit issue. In February 2013, the Spanish government reduced the FITs for renewable energy projects according to the annual Consumer Price Index including the underlying inflation. At the time, the Spanish industry minister, Miguel Angel Soria, said that this measure enabled the government to save between €330 million and €340 million. In November 2014, local newspaper El Mundo reported that Spanish and international investors as well as solar companies and Spain’s regional governments filed a total of 350 appeals with the country’s supreme court to challenge the retroactive cuts to renewable energy incentives. Several appeals were also submitted by local utility companies that are exposed with their renewable energy business. Most of the appeals are based on the principles of legal certainty and the protection of legitimate expectations.

http://www.abc.es/economia/20150325/abci-supremo-recurso-fotovoltaicas-201503251653.html

FT examines curious trading pattern of Hanergy shares

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 07:09:00 GMT

The Chinese thin-film solar group remains in the spotlight: The Financial Times has analyzed the company's share trading over the past two years and made a startling discovery. Experts say an unusual stock-buying pattern may indicate market manipulation.

The head-scratching over Hanergy Thin Film Power Group's stratospheric performance on the Honk Kong Stock Exchange is intensifying following a sharp analysis by the Financial Times of aberrant patterns in the trading of the company’s shares.

In an article published Tuesday, the FT found that over the past two years, from the beginning of 2013 until February 2015, HTF stock consistently surged in the late afternoon, about 10 minutes before end of trading.

The FT showed its findings to a number of market experts, including Rajesh Aggarwal, professor of finance at Northeastern University in Boston. Aggarwal, who specializes in stock market manipulation cases, said such price increases in the last 10 minutes of trading was "extremely unlikely to have occurred randomly," adding that the pattern was consistent with systematic manipulation of the stock price over the two-year period.

HTF is the publicly traded unit of Hanergy Group and is 73% owned by Hanergy Chairman Li Hejun -- China's richest man. With a market capitalization of $36 billion, HTF's value is higher than SunEdison and First Solar combined and also greater than that of Tesla -- and that despite the fact that Bloomberg Clean Energy Finance (BNEF) has described the company's thin film technologies as being "unproven in large-scale commercial production."

The FT previously examined HTF in an effort to explain its soaring share price but found nothing to explain its soaring stock, noting that it relies heavily on sales to its parent group.

Analysts who examined the FT’s findings suggested three possibilities: market manipulation by an unknown trader, an algorithmic trading program or random occurrence. However, market watchers noted that a free float of only 27% makes HFT a thinly traded stock with few institutional investors, meaning that it would be difficult to design an algorithm that would consistently make money. Likewise, they found the unusual late-day pattern unlikely to be random.

In a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange this month, parent group Hanergy said it was not responsible for the soaring price of HTF stock: "Our group, as the shareholder of Hanergy Thin Film, has not committed any so-called 'propping up' or taken any action to push up its share price."

In a statement to the FT, Hanergy said it was "not aware of any reasons for these prices and volume movements," adding that it had not received any queries from Hong Kong financial regulators. It declined to comment on the findings, saying it did not have FT’s data at hand. The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission likewise declined to comment on the findings, the FT reported.

BNEF also put the company under the microscope earlier this month, observing that its technology was unproven and details about its projects scant. BNEF said it was "unable to find a detailed list of solar power projects that would help explain why the company’s shares have risen fivefold in the past year."

In the past few years, Hanergy has acquired a slew of thin-film companies, including Arizona-based Global Solar, Solibro in Germany and MiaSolé in California.

Yingli reduces losses

Yinli Solar — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 06:27:00 GMT

Chinese solar manufacturer Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. saw its revenue decline slightly in 2014, despite a growth in shipments. For full year 2014, Yingli achieved revenue of 12,927 million CNY ($2.08 billion), down from 13,418 million CNY for 2013. PV modules shipments increased slightly from 3,234 MW in 2013 to 3,361 MW last year. In its latest outlook released in September, the company said it expected to ship between 3.6 to 3.8 GW for 2014. The company said that the turnover drop for 2014 was mainly due to a »decline in revenues from sale of PV systems recognized in 2014.« Meanwhile, the company recorded a net loss of 1,299 million CNY ($209.5 million), a significant improvement over the 1,944 million CNY loss the company saw last year. In the fourth quarter of 2014, the company registered a turnover of 3,446 million CNY ($555.5 million), a substantial decrease from 3,711 million CNY in the last quarter of 2013. PV module shipments for the quarter reached 939 MW, slightly up from 903 MW in the same quarter of last year. Furthermore, Yingli posted an operating loss of 200.0 million CNY ($32.2 million) and a net loss of 550.0 million CNY ($88.8 million) in the fourth quarter of last year. In the same period of 2013, the company reported an operating loss of 594.2 million CNY and a net loss of 776.2 million CNY. Looking forward, Yingli predicts its PV module shipments for 2015 will be in the range of 3.6 to 3.9 GW.

http://ir.yinglisolar.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=213018&p=irol-newsArticle_Print&ID=2028326

Sweden installed 36.2 MW of PV systems in 2014

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 06:26:00 GMT

Sweden had a cumulative installed PV capacity of 79.4 MW as of the end of December 2014, according to the latest statistics from Swedish energy agency Energimyndigheten. Of this capacity, 9.5 MW is represented by off-grid installations and 69.9 MW by grid-connected PV systems. The country added 36.2 MW of new PV systems last year, considerably up from 19 MW in 2013 and 8.3 MW in 2012.

http://www.energimyndigheten.se/Press/Pressmeddelanden/Sverige-fordubblar-solcellskapaciteten--for-fjarde-aret-i-rad/

REC extends product warranty for commercial installations to 12 years

Fri, 20 Mar 2015 08:04:00 GMT

Norwegian company REC now offers a warranty extended by two years for commercial and industrial solar installations of up to 500 kW capacity. With this, customers get 12 years warranty instead of ten.

Registered rooftop installations already profit from the extended warranty for installations of up to 100 kW. For the new programme, the PV system also has to be registered by certified REC installers. As part of this programme, REC trains and certifies solar professionals.

The idea behind the warranty extension is to provide investors a more reliable return on investment (ROI) for solar projects based on predictable solar electricity generation – especially since photovoltaic systems get cheaper and more and more businesses rely on solar power to reduce their energy bills. The levelized cost of solar installations is now roughly half of the price from six years ago. Based on the number of new installations per year, until 2017 a compound annual growth rate of 28 % could be possible for the segment of 20 to 1,000 kW installations.

“By extending its product warranty from ten to 12 years for all registered installations up to 500 kW, REC is providing planners for commercial and industrial installations with greater ROI predictability. It also reflects the confidence we have in the reliably high quality of REC solar panels, even after many years of service”, says Luc Graré, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing at REC.

SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTOR RESEARCH ON FLAT-PLATES AT QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY

Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:56:00 GMT

The Director of Alternative Energy for Parteq Innovations, at Queen’s University in Ontario Canada, has been working to solve a problem that has plagued solar thermal technology and especially flat-plate collectors for hot water which is they that they overheat.

When a solar collector systems is not in use, all the heat energy gets trapped in the absorb-er system and temperatures can rise to over 200 degrees F. This can cause damage to the system over time. Homeowners have been known to climb on their roof and cover the collectors with blankets when they do not need more hot water.

Researchers at Queen’s University are studying this problem to provide some new solutions to this issue.

Watch the video

Global PV Capacity to reach 498 GW in 2019, IHS

Fri, 20 Mar 2015 07:39:00 GMT

While global PV demand is projected to grow steadily, the increasing number of country markets at the gigawatt level will help to reduce demand volatility.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (March 19, 2015) – Total global solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity is forecast to reach 498 gigawatts (GW) in 2019, which is 177 percent higher than 2014, according to IHS (NYSE: IHS), the leading global source of critical information and insight. While total global solar PV demand is projected to grow steadily, the large number of discrete country markets at the gigawatt-level will help reduce demand volatility.

“Last year, the market began to shift toward a more supply-driven market, characterized by high utilization rates, following the more demand-driven market that led to PV manufacturing consolidation,” said Susanne von Aichberger, solar industry analyst for IHS Technology, formerly Solarbuzz. “This trend is expected to continue through to 2019, when the utilization rate at module production is projected exceed the peak utilization rate reached in 2010, when the global market experienced explosive growth.”

Based on findings of the latest IHS Marketbuzz report, global solar demand is expected to reach 75 GW in 2019, which is 66 percent higher than in 2014. Last year, the largest global markets were China and Japan, which together accounted for half of total demand. The United States, U.K. and Germany together accounted for another quarter of total demand.

"In the five years between 2015 and 2019, IHS expects that 11 global markets will exceed the average annual demand level of 1 gigawatt,” von Aichberger said. “This large number of country markets reduces the risk of another explosion in the global PV market and of an overly strong capacity build-up. An increasing number of markets are entering the post-feed-in-tariff phase and embracing the integration of PV into the electricity market, which will help the market to avoid boom-and-bust situations.”

Average selling prices (ASPs) of standard c-Si modules (i.e., c-Si excluding Super Mono) are forecast to decline by 27 percent between 2015 and 2019, reaching $0.45 per watt (W). The share of thin-film modules produced is projected to decline from 8 percent in 2014 to 7 percent this year -- the lowest share recorded since 2010, when c-Si module shortages opened the door for thin-film technology to reach a production share of 15 percent.

Due to the expected supply-driven market situation, the share of thin film is projected to remain at 7 percent through 2019. Within the thin film category, growth is likely to be driven by cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS). By 2019, annual production of a-Si modules is projected to fall to less than half of its 2014 level.

Γραφημα

Greece added just 13 MW in 2014

Tue, 17 Mar 2015 21:11:00 GMT

Greece's electricity market operator LAGIE published last week its renewable energy statistics for 2014. According to LAGIE's report, Greece had installed at the end of 2014 a cumulative 2.596 GW of solar PV compared to 2.583 GW of solar PV at the end of 2013.

Of the newly added PV installations, 11 MW came from ground mounted systems and 2 MW from rooftop installations.

pv magazine ’s public policy correspondent Ilias Tsagas investigates whether Greece's flawed policies are now fixed, and if its PV market can rebound.

Expected Greek PV downfall

Greece's PV stall is the result of the former government's policies, which clearly attempted to reverse Greece's stellar PV growth. The country had installed 1,047 MW and 890 MW of solar PV in 2013 and 2012 respectively, causing the debt in Greece's special fund for supporting renewable energy (RE) projects to balloon dangerously.

Greece's PV lobby had accused the former Samaras government that it was eager to implement brave cuts in renewable energies. However, the government lacked the will to reform the energy sector overall and convening a level playing field for competition and energy costs across all technologies.

The former Greek government had also accused PV investors of receiving among the highest public subsidies in the world. The latter claim is, sadly, correct. Most of Greece's main PV stakeholders have confirmed to pv magazine that the internal rate of return (IRR) for PV plants in Greece before the retroactive cuts exceeded the European average by far.

It is evident that Greece's policy makers preceding the Samaras government had designed unrealistic and flawed policies that exceeded the country's finances and which would, sooner or later, harm the sector they intended to foster.

In trying to correct their errors, Greek policy makers crafted a package of retroactive cuts that did not involve the financing institutions, hence leading the domestic PV market into what pv magazine has labeled 'the Greek PV market paradox'.

Re-emerging market?

At the end of last year, a re-emerging PV market for Greece began to sound viable.

Last year's retroactive laws had borne some appealing fruit. The government had lifted its ban in processing pending PV licenses and had once again opened the market. It had also allowed for 200 MW of new PV to be installed each year until 2020.

This was far from business as usual, however, since the new feed-in tariffs (FITs) were much lower. Nevertheless, low tariffs do not discourage those PV investors tempted by Greece's excellent solar resource. Thus, when the Greek energy regulator RAE recently called the old application holders for plants larger than 1 MW to confirm whether they wanted to proceed with their development plants, an impressive 1 GW (compared to the initial 4 GW of dated applications) of projects were confirmed as under consideration.

Stelios Psomas, policy advisor at the Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies (HELAPCO) told pv magazine at the end of last year that should the FITs in 2015 be kept at the 2014 levels, the Greek PV market would once again splutter into life.

However, the most fascinating point of Psomas’s interview with pv magazine was the following statement: "Our [HELAPCO] studies confirm that grid parity at wholesale market prices in Greece will be achieved in the next decade. However, in the medium and low voltage levels, the cost of generating solar power is already cheaper than the retail price of electricity.

"Bear in mind," he continued, "that in Greece the average cost of electricity generated from conventional fuels (lignite, natural gas and oil) is €91.8/MWh [while the current FIT for PV plants larger than 1 MW each is €90/MWh]. This reality is distorted because the wholesale electricity market price does not express the real cost of electricity generation but only a fraction of it. Conventional power plants receive direct subsidies over €30/MWh that are not reflected in the wholesale electricity market price. In other words, in practice, PV power is already competitive and cheaper than power from gas and oil plants."

Price row hints at lignite favoritism

Meanwhile, a new battle has emerged in Greek domestic politics. Energy regulator RAE decided on 30th December to increase the fee that electricity consumers pay to support RE projects. The increase was kept secret in the period leading to January's national elections and was revealed on March 4.

The new energy minister Panayotis Lafazanis said on Sunday that the ministry will do anything that is possible to reverse RAE's decision. He didn't say, though, where the ministry will find the funds to plug the deficit of LAGIE's Renewable Energy Sources fund, used to pay renewable energy producers in Greece

According to last week's LAGIE report, the deficit stood at €149.69 million ($158 million) at the end of 2014, down from €551.62 million ($583 million) at the end of 2013.

An alternative solution to electricity price hikes could be further retroactive cuts to Greece's PV sector, or a reformation of the energy sector in order to establish a level playing field and end the favoritism of market incumbents through indirect fossil fuel public subsidies.

The latter looks as distant as ever, for it to happen requires the implementation of market rules that the new government rejects. Witihin days of taking up his ministry post, Lafazanis announced the scrapping of Greece's attempts to liberalize its energy sector. The new government has strong ties with Greece's power incumbent, the Public Power Corporation (PPC), which is the owner of all of Greece's coal power plants that the new government wants to keep public. Syriza has made it a government priority to lower electricity prices. This, in essence, means Greece's lignite plants will not only remain public, but well alive too.

Innotech subsidiary files for bankruptcy

PV Magazine — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 16:31:00 GMT

Swemodule AB, the Swedish subsidiary of Norwegian solar cell repurposing company Innotech Solar AS, is insolvent and has filed for bankruptcy in Sweden.

It is unclear how the insolvency will affect its parent company and Narvik-based Innotech Solar, founded in 2008 by executives of REC Solar, refused to comment to pv magazine about the issue.

Attorney Peter Rimo has been named trustee for the bankruptcy proceedings at Swemodule, whose production has reportedly been at a standstill since December.

Swemodule CEO Tommy Stromberg told a Swedish newspaper the company's troubles began in the fall. Stromberg said losses had piled up so high shareholders were no longer willing to continue operations.

The firm's remaining 43 employees have been informed of the insolvency proceedings.

pv magazine industry sources have long doubted the viability of Norwegian parent Innotech's business model, which involves optimizing rejected solar cells.

Although repurposing was viable when silicon prices were relatively high, as solar prices fell, Innotech ended up charging more for its repurposed products than established brands, according to market observers.

Suppliers unpaid

With Innotech unable to compete on the same scale as Asian rivals, and lacking purchasing power, it employed a staff too large for its production volume, industry insiders told pv magazine, adding Innotech has reportedly been unable to pay some of its suppliers for some time.

Despite its apparent struggles, Innotech – which has a cell optimization facility in Halle, Germany, and operations in the U.S., Hong Kong and China – acquired Swedish developer Tripod Energy, with the stated aim of strengthening Innotech's liquidity. Investors promised to inject more capital into the company and CEO Jerry Stokes offered the assurance his company would see significant growth as a result.

That deal was followed, as recently as January, by the acquisition of wholesaler Energiebau, a move whch has now puzzled investors in light of the Swedish insolvency development.

Read more: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/innotech-subsidiary-files-for-bankruptcy_100018595/#ixzz3UHgFaqPl

JA Solar shipped 2.4 GW of modules in 2014

Fri, 13 Mar 2015 06:22:00 GMT

Financial guidance reveals industry-leading 105% year-on-year increase in module shipments, driving net revenues to $1.8 billion for the year.

A surging fourth quarter capped off an impressive year for Chinese solar producer JA Solar, posting 3.1 GW of shipments in 2014, of which 2.4 GW were solar modules – the most in the industry.

Fourth quarter financials show that the company increased its shipments by 43.2% year-on-year,and 21.3% sequentially, hitting 952.7 MW in the final three months of last year. Of that, modules accounted for 879.6 MW – a huge year-on-year increase of 142.1%.

Net revenue in the final quarter of last year reached $576.4 million, which was an 18.4% increase on Q3 and a 65.3% increase year-on-year as Chinese demand remained strong and JA Solar the fruits of a strategic expansion into better geographies and a wider product mix.

Gross margin came in at 15.5% for Q4, with operating profit up from $9.5 million in Q4 2013 to $35.8 million last year.

Strong annual showing

JA Solar’s robust final-quarter figures built upon an extremely strong 2014 for the company, which saw net revenues reach $1.8 billion (up from $1.2 billion in 2013) and operating profit soar to $106.8 million, which was perhaps the most impressive facet of the company’s fortunes considering JA Solar operated at a loss of $14.7 million in 2013.

Aside from surging module shipments, solar cell shipments reached 651.1 MW in 2014 as part of JA Solar’s wider portfolio strategy, which nevertheless saw more than 90% of its annual revenue derived from module sales.

In terms of overall growth, JA Solar’s 105% increase in module shipments was industry-leading, outstripping Trina Solar’s upper-limit module growth of 26%. In terms of volume, however,Trina’s 4.4 – 4.6 GW of module shipments is unlikely to be beaten. Yingli Solar is due to publish its Q4 and full year results on March 25.

"Our results in Q4 confirm the visibility we had coming into the quarter," said JA Solar CEO Baofing Jin. "Demand in the China market was as strong as expected, as developers and utilities rushed to meet aggressive government-directed goals for the year. We started the quarter with all of our capacity booked, and demonstrated excellent manufacturing execution to fill orders, resulting in shipment growth of 43% year-over-year and 21% sequentially.

"We executed at the margin level too, with product and geographic mix driving sequentially higher gross margin."

Jin added that the Q4 results capped a year of achievement for the company, one which cemented its position as one of the leading Tier-1 solar companies.

"We expect our revenue growth rate of 57% to be among the highest in the industry," said Jin, who also applauded the company’s decision to shift its product mix to more profitable modules and a much heavier investment in R&D which, raising its budget by 58%. "Our intention in 2015 is to sustain this track record of rapid growth and high profitability."

2015 Q1 guidance

Looking ahead, JA Solar revealed first quarter guidance figures for 2015, estimating cell and module shipments in the range of 680 MW to 750 MW, with annual shipments anticipated to reach somewhere between 3.6 GW and 4 GW.

"We are optimistic and confident about the future for JA Solar," concluded the CEO. "We have established our industry leadership in many ways, whether it be the talent and hard work of our employees, or the strength of our customer relationships. We expect our leadership position to drive outstanding results in the year ahead, creating success for our customers, shareholders, and employees.

ReneSola to withdraw from EU-China price deal

Fri, 13 Mar 2015 06:11:00 GMT

ReneSola has confirmed it is to exit the minimum import price (MIP) undertaking between China and the European Union.

Reasons for the decision to withdraw from the agreement are detailed in a letter sent out to customers from company chief executive, Xianshou Li.

At the end of last week, the European Commission released an internal document stating that three Chinese companies faced being excluded from the MIP for apparently breaching the rules of the deal. Canadian Solar and ET Solar were the other two companies named in the document.

Canadian Solar and ET Solar have both released statements protesting their innocence and offering full cooperation with the commission's investigation.

But is has now emerged that ReneSola is to exit the MIP. The MIP is the price at which Chinese companies have agreed to sell product into European markets to avoid having to pay the 47% duty imposed by the commission.

According to details obtained by PV Tech, Solar Power Portal's sister site, which are to be confirmed in a statement later today, the commission first notified ReneSola as early as last October of issues it had with the company’s use of an overseas original equipment manufacturer (OEM) network to manufacture equipment that falls outside of the undertaking.

“In this notification, they stipulated that MIP companies could not to [sic] sell overseas OEM modules to the EU, as it is impractical and difficult to monitor. As a consequence we made a hard but sensible decision to exit from MIP list,” the CEO’s letter stated.

The letter is vague on what ReneSola’s decision to quit the MIP means for the company’s future European operation.

“Following our exit from MIP, our primary focus will be on our OEM manufacturing, improving quality, performance and cost. As we will no longer be subject to the EU Commission's review, customers will not be implicated in any investigation by the EU Commission regarding the purchase of our products. As a result, we are able to reduce unnecessary inconveniences and uncertainty to ensure that the best interests of our customers are foremost, and that we can align in a way which creates better cooperation and healthier global trading conditions,” it stated.

This does not address directly the question of whether the company will be able to continue competing in Europe, given that its withdrawal from the MIP arrangement presumably exposes it to the 47% duty enforced by the EU on Chinese solar imports.

But in a separate statement to PV Tech, Ian Glover, ReneSola's UK general manager, said the company's intention was to continue to supply European customers exclusively through its OEM network.

"Our position as a supplier to the European marketplace will be stable. We will supply modules from OEM production which will not be affected by the regulations regarding MIP. No modules regulated by this condition will be supplied into the EU. As you will see from our customer statement, our capacity to supply more than 600MW of non MIP modules in 2014 to the EU demonstrates that our capacity is very robust. Our future in the European market is very healthy," he said.

ReneSola said it sold 800MW of PV modules in Europe last year, giving it a 15% market share.

Carbon crash, solar dawn: Deutsche Bank on why solar has already won

Giles Parkinson — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 17:29:00 GMT

Deutsche Bank has produced another major report that suggests solar will become the dominant electricity source around the world as it beats conventional fuels, generates $5 trillion in revenue over the next 15 years, and displaces large amounts of fossil fuels.

In a detailed, 175-page report, the Deutsche analysts led by Vishal Shah say the market potential for solar is massive. Even now, with 130GW of solar installed, it accounts for just 1 per cent of the 6,000GW, or $2 trillion electricity market (that is an annual figure).

But by 2030, the solar market will increase 10-fold, as more than 100 million customers are added, and solar’s share of the electricity market jumps to 10 per cent. By 2050, it suggests, solar’s share will be 30 per cent of the market, and developing markets will see the greatest growth.

“Over the next 5-10 years, we expect new business models to generate a significant amount of economic and shareholder value,” the analysts write in the report. Within three years, the economics of solar will take over from policy drivers (subsidies),

Their predictions are underpinned by several observations. The first is that solar is at grid parity in more than half of all countries, and within two years will be at parity in around 80 per cent of countries. And at a cost of just 8c/kWh to 13c/kWh, it is up to 40 per cent below the retail price of electricity in many markets. In some countries, such as Australia, it is less than half the retail price.

The case for solar will be boosted by the emergence of cost-competitive storage, which Deutsche describes as the “next killer app” because it will overcome difficulties in either accessing the grid or net metering policies. “We believe reduction(a) in solar storage costs could act as a significant catalyst for global solar adoption, particularly in high electricity markets such as Europe,” it writes.

“As we look out over the next 5 years, we believe the industry is set to experience the final piece of cost reduction – customer acquisition costs for distributed generation are set to decline by more than half as customer awareness increases, soft costs come down and more supportive policies are announced.

“While the outlook for small scale distributed solar generation looks promising, we remain equally optimistic over the prospects of commercial and utility scale solar markets.

At utility scale, parity is also drawing near. Just four years ago, the ratio of coal-based wholesale electricity to solar electricity cost was 7:1. Now, says Deutsche Bank, this ratio is now less than 2:1 and it could likely approach 1:1 over the next 12-18 months. In some markets, it already is cheaper. And in India, that ratio could fall to 1:1 this year, with major ramifications for coal projects such as those in the Galilee Basin.

Figure 5

“We believe utility-scale solar demand is set to accelerate in both the US and emerging markets due to a combination of supportive policies and ongoing solar electricity cost reduction. We remain particularly optimistic over growth prospects in China, India, Middle East, South Africa and South America.”

The Deutsche Bank report follows recent reports such as that by Agora Energiewende, which found that solar could fall below 2c/kWh by 2050. This week, the Abu Dhabi National Bank said that based on recent solar prices, even an oil price of $US10/barrel could not compete with the technology.

Gas needed a price of less than $5mmmbtu to compete, and that wasn’t happening anywhere. Last month, fossil fuel consultancy Wood McKenzie said solar farms were cheaper and displacing planned gas-fired generators in the US, despite the low cost of gas in that country.

Still, Deutsche Bank reported that while it is becoming increasingly clear that solar is now competitive with conventional electricity generation in many global markets, there is still some policy uncertainty that could impact investor sentiment and overall supply/demand fundamentals.

“That said, we believe the dependence on subsidies has decreased significantly compared to a few years ago and demand drivers are also increasingly more diverse as well as sustainable.

“We expect solar sector’s dependence on subsidies to gradually decrease over time, policy outlook to become more supportive and economics to take over politics over the next 3 years.”

Deutsche Bank said that despite the 30 per cent compound annual growth over the past 20 years, the solar industry is still roughly 1 per cent of the 6,000GW or $2 trillion electricity market.

“Over the next 20 years, we expect the electricity market to double to $US4 trillion and expect the solar industry to increase by a factor of 10. During this timeframe, the solar industry is expected to generate $5 trillion of cumulative revenue.

“By the year 2050, we expect global solar penetration rates to increase to 30%. We also see solar penetration rates increasing more rapidly in developing economies. India for example has recently announced targets to reach 100GW of solar capacity by 2022.”

If that occurred,solar would account for 25 per cent of total capacity in India. “We believe the opportunity would be even bigger if companies start adding services to the solar PV offering and venture into adjacent markets such as wind and hydro.”

Another two of the big markets are in the Middle East and central and south America. There, solar is already at grid parity in the wholesale market, And in areas where there is no grid, then solar is the obvious option.

“Even today, (with about) 20% of the world’s population does not have access to grid electricity,” it notes. “Due to declining costs and ability to deploy the technology without really developing the grid, we expect policy makers in developing countries to proactively promote solar .”

WINAICO launches patented SiC HeatCap technology and 300 W series at PV Expo

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 11:22:00 GMT

WINAICO, Taiwan’s largest PV module brand, launches patented HeatCap technology with SiC (silicon carbide) at PV Expo 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. HeatCap with SiC improves the reliability of silicon based solar cells, and protect them from micro-cracks induced by external stresses, such as handling errors and wind stresses. The SiC technology can be applied to WINAICO’s high efficiency PERC, 48-cell modules to provide the perfect combination of high energy output and reliability. WINAICO’s high efficiency module with HeatCap technology was recently awarded the Taiwan Excellent PV Award by the Bureau of Energy. Also on display at WINAICO’s booth is the world’s first PERC-based, 300 W, WSP-300M6 (60-cell) high efficiency module. WINAICO is able to control the CTM loss to below 1%, and reach the market leading efficiency using current generation 4 bus bar solar cells.

WINAICO’s internal evaluation showed evidences of HeatCap improving the ultimate stress a silicon solar cell can withstand before breaking up to 18.12%. WINAICO also worked with Taiwan’s leading research institute, ITRI, to evaluate the reliability of HeatCap technology through Dynamic Mechanical Load (DML) and local hot spot tests. HeatCap and reference modules were put through DML tests of 1000 cycles each at 1000 Pa, 2000 Pa, 3000 Pa sequentially, and verified by electroluminescence (EL) pictures. Compared to the reference module, the HeatCap module had significantly less micro-cracks after each stage of DML tests. Local hot spot tests provided evidence of HeatCap’s improvement in heat dissipation to reduce the solar cell temperature compared to reference cells. HeatCap can be used to solve the heating issue common to modules with black back sheets, and improve energy outputs of all-black modules in warmer environments.

“PV Expo is an opportunity to demonstrate how WINAICO modules add value to the Japanese market. With the launch of the micro-crack preventing HeatCap technology with SiC, WINAICO continues to be a technology leader and differentiates our product offering with greater reliability to the end customers. Our modules can be found all over Japan, not to mention the Commercial and Utility scale installations in Hokkaido and Ishigaki island”, said Loftur Thorarinsson, Representative Director of WINAICO Japan K.K. “Our customers appreciate WINAICO for the top quality PV modules that we provide, and the recently acquired JET certificate assures our Japanese customers that WINAICO modules conform to the highest quality standard required by the local market.”

Η LG πιστοποιήθηκε από την Eurovent για τα προηγμένης τεχνολογίας κεντρικά συστήματα κλιματισμού

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 06:46:00 GMT

H LG Electronics (LG) παρέλαβε ειδική πιστοποίηση ενεργειακής αποδοτικότητας από τον αναγνωρισμένο και έγκυρο Οργανισμό 'Eurovent' για τα προηγμένης τεχνολογίας κεντρικά συστήματα κλιματισμού Multi V IV Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF-Μεταβλητή Ροή Ψυκτικού Μέσου). Ο Οργανισμός 'Eurovent', ένας από τους πιο γνωστούς στην Ευρώπη για την πιστοποίηση προϊόντων, επιβλέπει τη βαθμολόγηση των επιδόσεων σε προϊόντα κλιματισμού και ψύξης.

H LG προσφέρει αυτή τη στιγμή τα πιο αποδοτικά, με ονομαστική απόδοση 14HP και 16HP, προϊόντα VRF στην αγορά, ενώ ο δείκτης ενεργειακής απόδοσης έως 4.83 (Energy Efficiency Ratio -EER) και ο συντελεστής απόδοσης έως 5.32 (Coefficient of Performance - COP) εξασφαλίζουν στους χρήστες σημαντική εξοικονόμηση ενέργειας. Οι μονάδες επαγγελματικού κλιματισμού VRF της LG προσφέρουν άριστες επιδόσεις τόσο σε λειτουργία ψύξης, όσο και θέρμανσης. Οι τιμές των πιστοποιημένων αποδόσεων των συστημάτων VRF της LG έχουν ήδη αναρτηθεί στη σελίδα της Εurovent στο διαδίκτυο.

Τα μοντέλα της σειράς κεντρικών συστημάτων κλιματισμού Multi V IV της LG διαθέτουν κορυφαία ενεργειακή απόδοση, συμβάλλοντας σημαντικά στην περικοπή των λειτουργικών δαπανών, αλλά και στην γενική εξοικονόμηση καταναλισκόμενης ενέργειας από τους χρήστες. Οι εκπληκτικοί δείκτες απόδοσης EER και COP των LG Multi V IV αποτελούν εξαιρετικό παράδειγμα της αφοσίωσης της LG στην ανάπτυξη και εφαρμογή κορυφαίας τεχνολογίας κλιματισμού.

Οι μοναδικές τεχνολογίες των κεντρικών συστημάτων κλιματισμού LG Multi V IV τους επιτρέπουν να λειτουργούν αποδοτικά σε ασυναγώνιστα επίπεδα για τα περισσότερα VRF συστήματα. Οι λύσεις LG Multi V IV καινοτομούν σε τέσσερις τομείς της τεχνολογίας VRF: ο συμπιεστής, ο εναλλακτικής θερμότητας, η διαχείριση του λαδιού και η δρομολόγηση του ψυκτικού μέσου έχουν σχεδιαστεί με γνώμονα την ενεργειακή αποδοτικότητα.

Με την πρώτη απονομή πιστοποίησης το 1993, ο Οργανισμός 'Eurovent' ιδρύθηκε με σκοπό να αποτελέσει μία ανεξάρτητη και αντικειμενική υπηρεσία αξιολόγησης, η οποία θα παρέχει στους χρήστες έναν αξιόπιστο οδηγό επιδόσεων των προϊόντων. Μετρώντας ήδη πολλά χρόνια ως ένας από τους καλύτερους οργανισμούς παγκοσμίως για την πιστοποίηση συστημάτων κλιματισμού, ο 'Eurovent' ξεκίνησε την πιστοποίηση για την ενεργειακή αποδοτικότητα των συστημάτων VRF το 2014.

«Η LG είναι υπερήφανη που αποτελεί έναν από τους πρώτους κατασκευαστές προϊόντων με συστήματα VRF που λαμβάνουν πιστοποίηση από τον 'Eurovent'», δήλωσε ο Jae Sung Lee, Πρόεδρος της LG System Air Conditioning (SAC). «Η εταιρεία εργάζεται επισταμένα εδώ και πολύ καιρό, προκειμένου να εφαρμόσει την τεχνογνωσία της για την παραγωγή πρωτοποριακών και ενεργειακά αποδοτικών προϊόντων. Πιστεύουμε ότι οι προσπάθειές μας ήταν αυτές που οδήγησαν τελικά στην αναγνώριση των συστημάτων Multi V IV για την άριστη ενεργειακή τους απόδοση και τα χαρακτηριστικά τους που εντείνουν τη βιωσιμότητα. Τώρα η πραγματική πρόκληση είναι να συνεχίσουμε να εργαζόμαστε με επιτυχία, προσφέροντας ακόμα πιο αποδοτικά συστήματα HVAC και ενεργειακές λύσεις στο μέλλον».

Η LG Solar κερδίζει το βραβείο TOP BRAND PV Europe 2015 απο την EuPD Research

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 12:29:00 GMT

Λονδίνο - Στην LG Solar έχει απονεμηθεί το κορυφαίο βραβείο TOP BRAND PV Europe 2015, με βάση τα πορίσματα της εκτενούς έρευνας μεταξύ των ευρωπαϊκών εγκαταστατών φωτοβολταϊκών συστημάτων, από τον οργανισμό έρευνας EuPD Research. Η LG Solar έλαβε την υψηλότερη βαθμολογία από τους εγκαταστάτες στις χώρες του Βελγίου, του Ηνωμένου Βασίλειου και τη Γερμανίας.

Το ανεξάρτητο πιστοποιητικό "TOP BRAND PV", εκδίδεται με βάση την ολοκληρωμένη ανάλυση από την εμπειρία των αντισυμβαλλομένων και των διαμεσολαβητών απο τον εκάστοτε κατασκευαστή. Το βραβείο έχει σχεδιαστεί για να βοηθήσει τα ενδιαφερόμενα μέρη να επιλέξουν τη σωστή ηλιακή μονάδα για τις ανάγκες τους και να συγκρίνουν τους παρόχους στην αγορά. Το κορυφαίο βραβείο BRAND PV αποδίδεται σε κατασκευαστές ηλιακών πάνελ από το 2010, με διάκριση αυτών που σκοράρουν πάνω από το μέσο, σε σύγκριση με τους ανταγωνιστές τους.

«Η ικανοποίηση των εγκαταστατών με την προσφορά μας υπογραμμίζει την υψηλή ποιότητα και την εξυπηρέτηση που εγγυώνται στους πελάτες μας. Το βραβείο αποτελεί ένα επιπλέον κίνητρο για εμάς να συνεχίσουμε να ικανοποιήσουν τις συγκεκριμένες προσδοκίες και τις ανάγκες των εγκαταστατών και των πελατών στο μέλλον της αγοράς", δήλωσε ο Sven Armbrecht, Διευθυντής Επιχειρηματικής Ανάπτυξης της LG Solar στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο.

Inside ABB: PRO-33 global rollout a symbol of Power-One integration

Mon, 09 Feb 2015 17:35:00 GMT

This month, ABB will roll out its PRO-33 string inverter globally, in what it says is an important indication of Power-One's successful integration into the global company

It has been around 20 months since Swiss power and automation giant ABB absorbed one of the global inverter leaders, Power-One. This month, ABB will roll out its PRO-33 string inverter globally, in what it says is an important indication of Power-One’s successful integration into the global company.

The global inverter landscape is one in flux. Former top-10 manufacturer SolarMax announced its insolvency in November and

SMA is taking drastic actions to return its accounts back into the black.

ABB has made a bold push into the market and its acquisition of Power-One for $1 billion in April 2013 has instantly positioned it as one of the leading global suppliers of solar inverters. It believes the former Power-One’s experience in the market and ABB’s global reach leaves it ideally positioned to develop and sell inverters into the emerging PV markets that are growing in importance.

However, executing on this strategy was never going to be easy, and bringing two organizations together always presents a range of challenges, including aligning the business cultures within the companies. ABB’s head of the power conversion business unit Otto Preiss believes that this month’s global release of the PRO-33 string inverter is a compelling symbol of the successful integration.

"We are now in the first roll out of the PRO-33," Preiss told. "It is a string inverter that we had originally developed in ABB. When we merged and put the teams together we decided that it will be produced at the former Power-One facility in Italy. Now it is being shipped from there."

Preiss continued that the project demonstrates how the former Power-One team’s experience in the string inverter market will help with the PRO-33’s rollout, while the product itself is a great example of the technical innovation within ABB.

"With the PRO-33 roll out, we have a real case demonstrating synergies and integration utilizing the very dedicated sales force of Power-One, particularly for residential string inverters, using the smart development from ABB, and the execution engine of the Power-One factory in Italy to get it produced," said Preiss. "It’s a nice example of the integration really coming together."

As a part of Power-One’s integration into ABB, former president of Power-One’s Renewable Energy Solutions business Alex Levran was recently promoted to the position of head of ABB Group’s Industry Segment Initiative Solar. In his new role, Levran works across the company’s relevant business units to leverage the entire ABB solar value proposition around the world.

Croatia stops new PV licenses

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 09:28:00 GMT

PV investors in Croatia rush to install their projects before their licenses expire.

Croatia’s energy market operator has confirmed that it will not provide new licenses in 2015 for solar projects, leaving the PV future in this sunny country looking depressingly cloudy.

Luxor Solar, the German solar modules manufacturer headquartered in Stuttgart, announced last week that it will build a 360 KW green-field solar park in Croatia in the spring "before the relevant license becomes invalid". At the end of last year, Luxor Solar added, it also installed another project of similar size that is going to “be among the last of its kind in Croatia as green-field systems will no longer receive sufficient support in this sunny country,” the company said.

Luxor Solar is not alone. International and domestic investors holding licenses for PV installations in Croatia are currently rushing to build them before they expire.

PV license freeze

In January, Croatia’s Energy Market Operator (HROTE) announced that in 2015 it will not continue to enter into power purchase agreements (PPAs) under the country's feed-in tariff (FIT) system for solar and wind power plants. This, HROTE said, is because the current FIT system does allow the grid to build upon installed power capacity with these types of plants.

In 2014, HROTE added, quotas for solar energy were achieved, so HROTE will reject all subsequently submitted applications for contracts for buying energy from solar power plants.

In contrast, HROTE said it will continue in 2015 to purchase electricity from biomass, biogas and cogeneration renewable energy plants.

Energy market operator's secret plans?

There is, however, a discrepancy between HROTE's arguments and the country's national renewable energy targets.

In December, Ana Sračić, business secretary at the Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency (HERA), told pv magazine that Croatia's National Renewable Energy Action Plan envisages 52 MW of solar PV by 2020. According to information gathered by pv magazine, the same plan targets 1.2 GW of wind capacity.

According to HROTE’s latest statistics, until January 9 the country had installed 339.25 MW of wind, 33.275 MW of solar PV, 12.135 MW of biogas, 7.69 MW of biomass and 1.48 MW of small hydro power.

Sračić also told pv magazine that "in 2013, Croatian power plants produced 33% of electricity from fossil fuels, 4% from wind and 63% from [large] hydro. Solar power and biomass still have a pretty negligible share in the overall mix, but both have been growing rapidly over the last few years."

At the end of 2012, Croatia had installed a tiny 89.72 KW of solar PV capacity and a generous 141 MW of wind. It is entirely possible that, upon seeing the rapid growth of the solar PV and wind markets, HROTE decided to freeze them. The emerging question now is how long this freeze is going to last. Does HROTE have a secret plan to open the market again later under a different set of tariffs?

Croatia's solar target is not totally analogous of the country's solar resource. The annual mean solar insolation of the horizontal plane in Croatia varies between 1 to 1.6 MWh per square meter depending on the geographical area. The country’s rather good irradiation can also make up for its small size and lack of large fields suitable for utility-scale installations.

Panasonic's Eco Solutions division reports 7% increase in profit

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 07:27:00 GMT

Japan-based electronics manufacturer Panasonic Corp. recorded a net profit of ¥65.5 billion ($557.4 million) for the third quarter of fiscal year 2014, which ended Dec. 31, 2014. This is down from a net result of ¥77.4 billion for the same period of the prior year. The group saw its quarterly net sales increase 1% year on year to ¥1,996.4 billion. For the first 9 months of fiscal 2014, sales were up 1% at ¥5,719.3 billion, while profit was up 10% at ¥290.3 billion. Panasonic’s Eco Solutions division, which produces PV modules, among other things, saw its net sales grow 2% year on year to reach ¥1,224.3 million and its net profit rise 7% to reach ¥75.7 million. The company said the increase in segment profit was due mainly to an increase in solar sales and streamlining initiatives. The company’s residential solar businesses in Japan has stabilized, with residential solar sales increasing year on year during the period.

Advanced Energy's inverter sales decrease 27.9% in the fourth quarter

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 07:26:00 GMT

US power conversion technology provider Advanced Energy Industries Inc. reported fourth quarter 2014 revenue of $152.7 million. This represents a slight improvement over the $152.6 million it posted for the same quarter a year earlier. Inverter sales for the quarter were down 27.9% year on year at $46.8 million, while Precision Power Products sales increased 16.1% to $105.9 million. The company recorded group net income of $9.3 million for the quarter, down considerably from $34.3 million last year. According to the company, its inverter business was »impacted by a number of macroeconomic factors including economic weakness in Europe, pricing pressure, changes in currency exchange rate and increased competition.« Looking forward, Advanced Energy expects to record sales of $137 million to $147 million for the first quarter of 2015.

PV has helped cut electricity prices in key European countries, Becquerel Insitute

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 07:24:00 GMT

PV has contributed to significantly lowering electricity prices in several European countries over the last few years, according to a new study from the Becquerel Institute and Green Giraffe Energy Bankers. By analyzing the evolution of electricity market prices over the last 7 years in key European countries, the study’s authors determined that without any PV production, the electricity market price in key European countries would have been on average 3% higher. The countries examined for the study, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and France, experienced massive growth in installed PV capacity over the last few years. Together representing 73% of the European market in 2013, the assessed merit order effect for the five countries has been estimated at almost €20 billion ($22.6 billion) and was worth about €100 per MWh of PV electricity fed into the grid. Compared to the cost of FITs borne by electricity consumers, the merit order of already existing PV installations should have decreased the cost of FITs by €0.10. And this is the order of magnitude of the lowest FITs today. In other words, the merit order could theoretically compensate today the cost of new PV installations. The impact of PV on electricity prices introduces many questions about the future profitability of utilities under existing framework conditions as well as the future competitiveness of PV installations selling on the electricity markets. The study concludes that the cost of PV electricity for the community could be reduced but also that the question of ensuring the profitability of most players during the energy transition will be key to further PV development in Europe.

http://becquerelinstitute.org/monetary-benefit-pv-electricity-market-argument-feed-tariffs-2015/

Mainland Greece added just 16 MW of PV power in 2014

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 07:23:00 GMT

Mainland Greece had 2,435.67 MW of installed PV capacity as of the end of December 2014, according to the Hellenic Transmission System Operator SA (HTSO). The Greek mainland had 2,085.31 MW of installed grid-connected PV systems over 10 kW and 350.36 MW of rooftop PV systems up to 10 kW at the end of the month. The country added only 40 kW of new PV capacity in November, down from 250 kW in November and down from 11.9 MW in the same month of 2013. In 2014, the Greek mainland added approximately 16 MW of new PV power, down sharply from 1,092 MW a year earlier. HTSO’s figures do not include the installed capacity of non-interconnected Greek islands, which – according to the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator SA (HEDNO) – reached 135.8 MW at the end of 2013. Based on the most recent data available, Greece has a total installed PV capacity of at least 2,572 MW.

Italy installed up to 1.38 GW of PV capacity in 2014, Elemens

eLeMeNS — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 07:22:00 GMT

Italy added approximately 1,389 MW of new PV systems in 2014, according to a report from Italian consultancy Elemens. The company, which could not rely on official statistics to calculate the capacity increase, said it was able to determine how much PV capacity was installed in 2014 by studying electricity generation figures for 2013 and 2014 published by Italian TSO Terna SpA. Elemens notes that production from PV sources increased from 21,228 GWh in 2013 to 23,229 GW in 2014. This increase, combined with weather data for the past 2 years, led the company to the conclusion that Italy had a cumulative installed PV capacity of 19.11 GW at the end of 2014. If correct, this means Italy added about 1.38 GW of PV capacity last year. In 2013, the country added approximately 2 GW of new PV capacity. With 579,524 PV systems connected to the grid, Italy reached a cumulative installed PV capacity of 18.42 GW at the end of 2013, according to the Terna. The country had 16.41 GW of installed PV power at the end of 2012. Under the five Conto Energia incentive programs, Italian energy agency GSE granted incentives to 550,074 PV projects with a total power of 17.62 GW

http://www.lmns.it/newsletters/newsletter-8/

Sharp to globalise energy solutions business on waning Japanese sales

Tue, 03 Feb 2015 13:30:00 GMT

Struggling Japanese electronics giant, Sharp Corporation said would be streamlining its Energy Solutions division, which includes its PV module and sales operations, while pushing its product solutions globally.

Sharp reported that its Energy Solutions division fell to a (US$14 million) loss in its financial year third quarter, due primarily to a decline in sales of solar cells in Japan.

Energy Solutions sales reached around US$1.67 billion in the first nine months of Sharp’s financial year, down 29% from the prior year period.

Third quarter segment sales were down 27.4% from the previous quarter and totalled US$453.7 million. Solar cell sales were 349MW in the third quarter, down from 537MW in the prior quarter, a 35.1% decline.

The overall decline in Energy Solutions sales was attributed to falling sales from its recently sold US PV project developer, Recurrent Energy as well as from both residential and commercial PV business in Japan.

As a result, Sharp lowered its sales forecast for the division to around US$2.38 billion, a 36.2% decline from its previous forecast. Solar cell shipments for the full year were revised to 1.9GW, compared to 2.0GW previously guided.

Although Sharp did not mention the impact of pricing pressure, which its domestic rival, Kyocera did recently, the slight drop in shipments but a hefty fall in revenue suggest pricing pressure had a key part to play in the revenue declines guided.

To offset the decline in demand form the Japanese market, Sharp is once again laying plans to expand its global footprint in the PV sector. The company had retreated from the European and US markets several years ago, closing down module assembly plants in the UK and US and focused on the booming Japanese market. The company later exited its involvement with Enel in producing a-Si thin-film modules in Italy.

Sharp Sells Recurrent to Canadian Solar for $265 Million

Bloomberg — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 12:10:00 GMT

Sharp Corp. will sell its Recurrent solar operation to a U.S. unit of Canadian Solar Inc. for $265 million, or 13 percent less than it paid five years ago, in the latest move to scale back operations outside Japan.

Sharp paid $305 million for San Francisco-based solar-development unit Recurrent Energy LLC in 2010 and had been looking for a buyer since at least September. The sale will be completed in March, Sharp said in a statement today as it also forecast an annual loss of 30 billion yen ($257 million).

The exit further frees Osaka-based Sharp to focus on its home market, which has grown following the introduction in 2012 of incentives to build clean energy projects. Outside the country, the company has been facing competition from cheaper panels made by Chinese rivals.

Recurrent, founded in 2006, has developed and sold more than 520 megawatts of solar projects and has a project pipeline of 3.3 gigawatts and 1.1 gigawatts in signed contracts, with developments across North America including California and Texas, according to its website

“We are excited that our vision for Recurrent Energy’s path forward is very much aligned with that of Canadian Solar,” Recurrent Chief Executive Officer Arno Harris said in a statement. “It was critical for us to find a counterparty that saw the value of our team, our project development platform and our project pipeline.”

Interests Transferred

Sharp will transfer all interests in Recurrent Energy, which it owns through Sharp U.S. Holding Inc., to Canadian Solar Energy Acquisition Co., a U.S unit of Canadian Solar.

The purchase expands Canadian Solar’s project pipeline to 8.5 gigawatts, Canadian Solar said in a separate statement. Though based in Guelph, Ontario, Canadian Solar makes most of its products in China.

“Canadian Solar is going to continue to operate Recurrent as an independent entity, much like we have with Sharp,” David Brochu, chief operating officer at Recurrent Energy, said in a phone interview. Recurrent will source solar panels competitively and consider using those made by their new parent, he said.

Sharp last year withdrew from an Italian solar venture, the company’s last overseas panel manufacturing plant, shortly after announcing that it would give up its half share of a separate undertaking with Enel Green Power to develop solar projects.

Sharp, which has been developing solar panels since 1959, stopped making panels at plants in the U.S. and U.K. earlier last year.

Using snow to demonstrate the scalability of home solar PV.

Tue, 03 Feb 2015 07:22:00 GMT

Learning about home solar energy from people that already have an installed system is one of the best ways to see if it is something that you would like to do. The type and manufacturer of the solar panels, how they are installed , wired and maintained are all important aspects of the performance of the home solar system.

Here is a video from a home solar owner showing the impact of snow on their system and the effect on the generated power by cleaning one panel at time. A great example of scaling a solar energy pv system by simply cleaning snow.

Video

SolarWorld registers 55% increase in shipments in 2014

Tue, 03 Feb 2015 06:57:00 GMT

German module manufacturer SolarWorld AG recorded a 55% year-on-year increase in PV module and system shipments in full year 2014, greatly exceeding its forecast. According to preliminary results, total shipments grew to 849 MW in 2014 from 548 MW in 2013. The increase in shipments enabled the company to grow its revenue by 26% and to significantly reduce its EBIT loss. Shipments to the US nearly doubled year on year in 2014 and accounted for 41% of SolarWorld’s total shipments. Shipments to France, the UK and Japan also grew substantially last year, while shipments to Germany plummeted. SolarWorld achieved consolidated revenue of €573 million ($646 million) for 2014, up from €456 million for 2013. Adjusted for one-off effects, EBIT grew considerably as well, from a loss of €189 million for 2013 to a loss of €43 million for 2014. SolarWorld expects to achieve further growth in 2015. The company forecasts shipments of more than 1 GW in 2015 and expects to achieve an operating profit this year.

http://www.solarworld.de/en/group/investor-relations/news-announcements/ad-hoc-announcements/single-ad-hoc/article/solarworld-ag-uebertrifft-absatzmengenprognose-2014-deutlich/

Dubai issues standards for rooftop PV

Tue, 03 Feb 2015 06:49:00 GMT

The Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) has released the standards for equipment used in rooftop PV systems installed in Dubai. The move is the latest step in the Smart Dubai initiative, a plan launched by UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to transform Dubai into the »smartest« city in the world. The standards will help DEWA accomplish its first initiative, which is to encourage deployment of rooftop PV across the emirate. DEWA has invited manufactures to submit their eligibility applications. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai and chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, issued resolution No. (46) for 2014 in December. The resolution sets the legislative framework for the regulation of grid-connected PV systems and creates a net-metering scheme that enables PV system owners to inject surplus power into DEWA’s grid. According to DEWA, the resolution makes Dubai the first city in the Middle East to put in place a comprehensive framework at the legislative level that allows any interested customer to install PV generation systems. The Standards for Distributed Renewable Resources Generators Connected to the Distribution Network describe the eligibility criteria for PV modules, inverters and interface protection systems used in rooftop PV systems. Solar installers in Dubai must use tools and equipment compatible with DEWA’s standards when installing or connecting PV systems to the grid.

More info:

http://www.dewa.gov.ae/customer/pvequipment.aspx

http://www.dewa.gov.ae/images/smartforms/DEWA_Standards_for_Distributed_Renewable_Resources_Generators.pdf

http://cdm.unfccc.int/filestorage/k/x/V2FMCL3JGH09YZINKRBPS5Q7DOT6U4.pdf/Dubai%203%20MW%20Photovoltaic%20Power%20Plant_CPA-DD_VVS.pdf?t=TUp8bmo2bnl5fDCdV9mJ9x7QflgNv-HtklVi

http://www.dewa.gov.ae/customer/firstInitiative.aspx

Solar-Fabrik files for insolvency in self administration

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 07:59:00 GMT

Germany-based solar manufacturer Solar-Fabrik AG announced it has filed for insolvency in self administration. The company said it will also open similar proceedings for its subsidiary Solar-Fabrik Wismar GmbH, while other company’s subsidiaries are not affected by the proceedings. Solar-Fabrik also said that this decision was due to low market demand combined with the corresponding price pressure since the fourth quarter 2014. The company does not expect this situation to improve over the next two months and, however, it believes that the insolvency proceedings in self administration will enable its restructuring, »while the company does not suffer from overindebtedness and is not insolvent.« An insolvency situation could be likely in the second quarter of this year, if these market conditions should remain unchanged, the company said. In August 2014, Solar-Fabrik took over the module factory of rival solar company Centrosolar. Through the acquisition of Centrosolar’s factory in Wismar, Germany, Solar-Fabrik’s overall production capacity rose to 300 MW. The manufacturing facility, being managed by Solar-Fabrik Wismar GmbH, produces a module series for rooftop and BIPV applications called Professional and glass-glass modules named Vision. Both series are sold under the Solar-Fabrik brand.

Στο 125% η καθαρή κερδοφορία της LG για το 2014

Sat, 31 Jan 2015 10:50:00 GMT

Η LG Electronics Inc. (LG) ανακοίνωσε σήμερα καθαρά κέρδη ύψους 501,40 δισ. KRW (474,81 εκ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ) για το σύνολο της χρήσης 2014, ενισχυμένα κατά 125% σε σχέση με το 2013.

Τα λειτουργικά κέρδη εμφανίζονται σημαντικά ενισχυμένα κατά τη διάρκεια του 2014, στα 1,83 τρισ. KRW (1.73 δις δολάρια ΗΠΑ), από 1,25 τρισ. KRW (1,14 δις δολάρια) το 2013, αύξηση που ισοδυναμεί με 46 % σε ετήσια βάση. Ο ενοποιημένος κύκλος εργασιών για το σύνολο της χρήσης ανέρχεται στα 59,04 τρισ. KRW (55,91 δισ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ), ενισχυμένος σημαντικά από την αύξηση 24 % στις πωλήσεις των smartphones.

Πιο συγκεκριμένα, το τέταρτο τρίμηνο του 2014 ο ενοποιημένος κύκλος εργασιών ανήλθε στα 15,27 τρισ. KRW (14.06 δισ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ) και τα λειτουργικά κέρδη στα 275,1 δισ. KRW (253,31 εκ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ), αυξημένα κατά 28 % σε σχέση με την αντίστοιχη περυσινή περίοδο. Σε επίπεδο καθαρού λειτουργικού κέρδους, το τέταρτο τρίμηνο (έως 31 Δεκεμβρίου 2014) εμφανίζει καθαρές ζημιές ύψους 205,7 δισ. KRW (189,41 εκ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ), οι οποίες οφείλονται κυρίως στην αναστολή των δραστηριοτήτων του τμήματος plasma TV της LG.

Η LG Home Entertainment Company (Οικιακή Ψυχαγωγία) ανακοίνωσε λειτουργικά κέρδη ύψους 509 δισ. KRW (482,01 εκ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ) για το 2014, ενισχυμένα κατά 31 % σε ετήσια βάση, ενώ ο κύκλος εργασιών για το σύνολο της χρήσης 2014 σημείωσε ελαφρά αύξηση, στα 19,38 τρισ. KRW (18,35 δις δολάρια ΗΠΑ). Το τελευταίο τρίμηνο του 2014 ο κύκλος εργασιών αυξήθηκε κατά 20 % σε σχέση με την αντίστοιχη περίοδο του προηγούμενου έτους, φθάνοντας τα 5,43 τρισ. KRW (5,00 δις δολάρια ΗΠΑ), στοιχείο που αντικατοπτρίζει την αυξημένη ζήτηση τηλεοράσεων στις αγορές της Ευρώπης, των χωρών της Κοινοπολιτείας Ανεξάρτητων Κρατών (CIS) και της Β. Αμερικής κατά την περίοδο των εορτών. Παρά την ενίσχυση του ανταγωνισμού και την εξασθένιση των νομισμάτων των αναδυομένων χωρών, η LG παραμένει αισιόδοξη όσον αφορά το premium κομμάτι της αγοράς τηλεοράσεων (OLED TVs και Ultra HDTVs), όπου η ζήτηση αναμένεται ότι θα συνεχίσει να αυξάνεται, όπως και στον κλάδο του digital signage.

Η LG Mobile Communications Company (Κινητή Τηλεφωνία) ανακοίνωσε ετήσιο κύκλο εργασιών αυξημένο κατά 16 %, στα 15,06 τρισ. KRW (14,26 δισ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ), γεγονός που αντικατοπτρίζει τη βελτίωση των μεγεθών στη Β. Αμερική, όπου η αύξηση των πωλήσεων κατά τη διάρκεια του τετάρτου τριμήνου του 2014 έφτασε το 78 % σε σχέση με το προηγούμενο έτος. Ο κύκλος εργασιών για το τέταρτο τρίμηνο ανήλθε στα 3,78 τρισ. KRW (3,48 δισ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ), ενισχυμένος κατά 5 % σε σχέση με την αντίστοιχη περίοδο του 2013. Το 2014, οι συνολικές πωλήσεις smartphone έφτασαν τις 59,1 εκατομμύρια μονάδες, καταγράφοντας αύξηση 24 % σε σχέση με την προηγούμενη χρήση, ενώ οι συνολικές πωλήσεις συσκευών κινητής ανήλθαν σε 78,2 εκατομμύρια μονάδες. Το 2015 αναμένεται ενίσχυση του ανταγωνισμού παγκοσμίως, με την LG να στοχεύει σε κινήσεις για την ενίσχυση της δύναμης της μάρκας LG, την επικέντρωση του ενδιαφέροντος σε επιλεγμένες αγορές – κλειδιά και τη βελτίωση της αποδοτικότητας των λειτουργιών της.

Οι πωλήσεις της LG Home Appliance Company (Οικιακές Συσκευές) για το σύνολο του 2014 ανήλθαν σε 11,54 τρισ. KRW (10,93 δισ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ), καταγράφοντας αύξηση τόσο στην ευρωπαϊκή Αγορά, όσο και στις αναδυόμενες Αγορές της Μέσης Ανατολής, της Αφρικής και της ΝΑ Ασίας, και αντισταθμίζοντας το σχετικά μικρότερο ρυθμό αύξησης των πωλήσεων στην αγορά της Β. Αμερικής. Κατά τη διάρκεια του τετάρτου τριμήνου του 2014 ο κύκλος εργασιών ανήλθε στα 2,88 τρισ. KRW (2,65 δισ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ), ελαφρώς ενισχυμένος σε σχέση με την αντίστοιχη περίοδο του 2013, ενώ τα κέρδη από λειτουργικές δραστηριότητες ανήλθαν στα 85 δισ. KRW (78,27 εκ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ), ενισχυμένα κατά 64 % σε σχέση με το προηγούμενο τρίμηνο και κατά 2 % σε σχέση με την αντίστοιχη περίοδο της προηγούμενης χρήσης. Η αναμενόμενη κάμψη της συνολικής ζήτησης κατά το 2015 θα αντιμετωπιστεί μέσα από την παρουσίαση καινοτόμων προϊόντων υψηλής ενεργειακής απόδοσης και τη βελτίωση της ανταγωνιστικότητας του κόστους.

Ο ετήσιος κύκλος εργασιών της LG Air Conditioning & Energy Solution Company (Κλιματισμός και Ενεργειακές λύσεις) για τη χρήση 2014 ανήλθε σε 4,56 τρισ. KRW (4,32 δισ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ) και τα λειτουργικά κέρδη σε 255,1 δισ. KRW (241,57 εκ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ). Οι πωλήσεις του τέταρτου τριμήνου του 2014 ανήλθαν σε 781,4 δισ. KRW (719,52 εκ. δολάρια ΗΠΑ), αυξημένα κατά 9% σε σχέση με την αντίστοιχη περίοδο του 2013, κυρίως λόγω της ενίσχυσης των πωλήσεων επαγγελματικών κλιματιστικών. Η LG σχεδιάζει να αντιμετωπίσει την αβεβαιότητα της παγκόσμιας οικονομίας παρουσιάζοντας προϊόντα με ακόμη υψηλότερη ενεργειακή απόδοση και κάνοντας ακόμη πιο ανταγωνιστικό το κόστος τους.

One-third of SMA staff to lose their jobs

Wed, 28 Jan 2015 05:22:00 GMT

German inverter giant to cut 1,600 jobs, the majority of which will be in Germany, as poor European market continues to harm profits

Germany’s SMA announced yesterday that it is to cut 1,600 jobs between now and the end of June in response to increased global competition and poor demand in its chief European markets.

The company – which is the world’s largest inverter supplier in terms of market share – announced in July last year that it would

lay off 600 staff at the end of 2015, but this latest announcement would see approximately one-third of SMA’s 4,667 employees lose their jobs by the midway point of this year. Most job cuts – some 1,300 – will be made in Germany.

SMA’s CEO Pierre-Pascal Urbon also stated that he does not expect the company to return to profit this year, revealing that further details of SMA’s planned restructuring and a revised forecast for 2015 would be unveiled this Friday.

The past two years have severely damaged SMA’s strength in the global inverter market. In 2012 the company had 24% of global revenue share, according to IHS, but in 2013 saw its share tumble to just 16% of the market.

Last year, SMA remained the leading supplier with 11%, but has had to face up to a serious challenge from Asian rivals, particularly Japan’s Omron and Tabuchi. Swiss power electronics giant ABB has experienced similar difficulties to SMA, ie, their key markets in Europe have massively underperformed and the company has been slow to take advantage of growth in Asia, North America and elsewhere.

"We expect to see high price pressure on the global PV market still in the coming years and a further decline in demand in Europe, particularly in Germany," said Urbon in a statement. "By contrast, the non-European markets will develop positively. This means, that although the market measured in gigawatts will continue to grow in the medium term, we expect to see a global decline when measured in euros.

"To return to profitability in this environment, we want to make adjustments to SMA’s structures in line with the lower sales level. This is the only way that we can break even with reduced sales. In this context, global staff reductions are unfortunately unavoidable."

The CEO added that SMA would be holding discussions with its employees over the coming weeks, but warned that compulsory redundancies may be required.

Despite facing another loss in 2015 to follow last year’s fiscal deficit of around €115 million, SMA confirmed that it would not require external financial assistance for its restructuring program, revealing that it has a net cash position of around €220 million ($248 million).

The company will publish its 2014 financial results on March 26.

Chinese tier-1 PV module suppliers sold out in Q1 - IHS

IHS — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 16:06:00 GMT

According to market research firm IHS, Chinese tier-1 PV module suppliers are mostly sold out in the first quarter of 2015 as demand remains strong from markets such as China, Japan and the UK as well as in South America and Central America.

IHS noted that the overhang of PV projects in China due to delays is also playing a key factor in maintaining high demand for modules in the first quarter.

“We have heard from both suppliers and buyers about the expected shortage of Chinese tier-1 modules in the first quarter,” said Jessica Jin, analyst for solar at IHS. “After a demand surge in the fourth quarter of 2014, Chinese tier-1 module suppliers decreased their inventory significantly. Considering the Chinese New Year occurs in the first quarter, companies won’t run their capacity in full production, either; so they won’t have enough products for all quotations. Most of them have already sold out for the first quarter.”

Another underlying factor in module shortages from Chinese tier-1 suppliers has been continued market share gains in 2014 and consolidation across the sector. IHS said that Chinese tier-1 suppliers increased market share from 34% in the first quarter of 2014 to 45% by the fourth quarter of 2014.

IHS forecasts that Chinese tier-1 suppliers will command 35% of global module capacity in the first quarter, while the total effective capacity in the first quarter is expected to reach 5.7GW, while total global demand is expected to reach 10.8 GW.

PV Tech reported late last year that Trina Solar, Canadian Solar, JinkoSolar, ReneSola and JA Solar were leading shipment growth guidance amongst piers for 2014.

JA Solar had shipment growth projections of around 100%, while JinkoSolar expected shipment growth of 65% to 85% in 2014.

With many running at full capacity and further global demand increases expected, a new wave of capacity expansions from the fastest growing companies is expected in 2015.

In a recently published report in PV Tech’s sister technical journal, Photovoltaics International, which details capacity expansion announcements in 2014, Canadian Solar, JinkoSolar, all announced over 500MW of expansions in the fourth quarter of 2014 to meet growing demand. Other Chinese tier 1 suppliers are expected to announce capacity expansions when revealing fourth quarter and full-year results through late February and into March.

IHS is currently forecasting total global solar PV installations reaching 52.8GW in 2015, up from estimated installations of 45.7GW in 2014.

Shareholders have given their approval: REC will join the Elkem Group

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 16:05:00 GMT

The announced sale of the solar company REC to the Norwegian Elkem Group has received the approval of the shareholders. On 15 January, shareholders gave the green light at an extraordinary general meeting. The sale is expected to be completed in early March.

Bluestar Elkem Investment will acquire REC Solar Holdings AS including all assets and liabilities. The Elkem Group became a 100% subsidiary of China National Bluestar, a joint venture of the ChemChina Corporation and Blackstone, in 2011. According to the CEO of REC, Martin Cooper, the acquisition by the Elkem Group provides "a strong foundation for the further development of REC and opens up new business opportunities for our company." The Elkem Group is a supplier for silicon, so synergies in the solar value chain are expected. In addition, REC will have improved access to financial resources when it comes to new technologies and markets.

As Handelsblatt reported, REC is planning to pull out of the stock market in May 2015, after the sale to the Elkem Group is complete.

Hanwha axes 550 jobs in Germany

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 16:03:00 GMT

Hanwha Q Cells is ending production of solar cells and modules at its facility in Germany with the anticipated loss of some 550 jobs.

Operations will be shifted to other sites and the move was described as part of a drive to “improve cost & efficiency and increase the overall competitiveness of the company”.

The German lines, which handle 230MW of cells and 130MW of modules per annum, will halt on 1 March.

Hanwha Q Cells said: “Production equipment will be moved to more cost competitive sites, namely the company´s main production site in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, for cells and another site to be determined later for modules.”

The German site will be “restructured accordingly” and “focused on its core functions”. These are research and development, quality management, component sales and the power plant solutions business.

Hanwha Q Cells chief financial officer Kasey Son said: "Against the background of the keen cost competition in global solar industry, the management has decided to transfer the German cell and module production facilities to more cost competitive sites including our Malaysian factory.

“This hasn´t been an easy decision considering the impact on our employees in Germany but it is necessary in order to ensure the overall competitiveness of Hanwha Q Cells."

The company said it will enter into negotiations with the works council in Germany immediately to reach an agreement on the terms and conditions of the restructuring programme. While 550 job cuts are anticipated, around 350 posts will be kept.

Τι ορίζει η απόφαση του ΥΠΕΚΑ για τους φορτιστές των ηλεκτρικών αυτοκινήτων

energia.gr — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 16:29:00 GMT

Τους όρους και τις τεχνικές προδιαγραφές για τους φορτιστές ηλεκτροκίνητων οχημάτων που βρίσκονται ή θα εγκατασταθούν σε πρατήρια, χώρους στάθμευσης και λοιπές εγκαταστάσεις, ορίζει με απόφασή του το ΥΠΕΚΑ

Στην απόφαση αναφέρονται επίσης και τα δικαιολογητικά που χρειάζονται για την άδεια εγκατάστασης.

Σε ό,τι αφορά ειδικότερα τις τεχνικές προδιαγραφές, στο άρθρο 2 ορίζονται τα εξής:

1) Οι αποδεκτές μέθοδοι φόρτισης των συσσωρευτών ηλεκτροκίνητων αυτοκινήτων που δύνανται να εγκατασταθούν στις υφιστάμενες ή υπό αδειοδότηση εγκαταστάσεις εξυπηρέτησης οχημάτων που αναφέρονται στη παράγραφο 1 του άρθρου 1 της παρούσας, είναι η μέθοδος 3 (Mode 3 AC Charging) και η μέθοδος 4 (Mode 4 DC Charging), όπως αυτές καθορίζονται από το πρότυπο IEC 61851−1 «Electric Vehicle Conductive Charging System».

Επίσης, οι αποδεκτοί ακροδέκτες των εν λόγω συσκευών φόρτισης καθορίζονται από το πρότυπο IEC 62196−2 «Plugs Socket−outlets, Vehicle Couplers and Vehicle Inlets −Conductive Charging of Electric Vehicles».

Ειδικότερα, για λόγους εξασφάλισης της αναγκαίας διαλειτουργικότητας, ο αποδεκτός ακροδέκτης για τη φόρτιση των συσσωρευτών με τη μέθοδο 3 καθορίζεται από το πρότυπο IEC 62196−2 "Type 2" (VDE−AR−E−2623−2−2) και ο αποδεκτός ακροδέκτης για τη φόρτιση των συσσωρευτών με τη μέθοδο 4 καθορίζεται από το πρότυπο IEC 62196−2 "Type 3" (DC Compo 2).

Επιπλέον προαιρετικά, δύναται να προβλέπεται και η παράλληλη διάθεση ακροδέκτη προδιαγραφών CHAdeMO για τη φόρτιση με τη μέθοδο 4, όπως αυτές καθορίζονται στο πρωτόκολλο CHAdeMO του παραρτήματος 1 του καταστατικού της Ένωσης CHAdeMO της πόλης της Yokohama (CHAdeMO Association − Yokohama City).

Επιπρόσθετα των ασφαλιστικών διατάξεων των φορτιστών, οι οποίες θα αποκλείουν τη πιθανότητα της υπερφόρτισης των συσσωρευτών του οχήματος, πρέπει για τις περιπτώσεις ατυχήματος να εγκατασταθεί χειροκίνητη διάταξη διακοπής της ηλεκτρικής παροχής προς τον φορτιστή μέσω κομβίων έκτακτης ανάγκης, τοποθετημένων σε δύο τουλάχιστον θέσεις εντός των υφιστάμενων ή υπό αδειοδότηση εγκαταστάσεων εξυπηρέτησης οχημάτων που αναφέρονται στη παράγραφο 1 του άρθρου 1 της παρούσας και συγκεκριμένα μία χειροκίνητη διάταξη διακοπής της ηλεκτροπαροχής πλησίον της θέσης φόρτισης και η δεύτερη εντός του χώρου των κτιριακών εγκαταστάσεων τους.

2) Η συσκευή φόρτισης συσσωρευτών ηλεκτροκίνητων οχημάτων πρέπει υποχρεωτικά να διαθέτει πιστοποίηση CE και εφόσον διαθέτει πιστοποιητικό ΑΤΕΧ επιτρέπεται να εγκαθίσταται εντός των ζωνών ΑΤΕΧ 0, ΑΤΕΧ 1 και ΑΤΕΧ 2, όπου αυτές υφίστανται εντός των εγκαταστάσεων εξυπηρέτησης οχημάτων που αναφέρονται στη παράγραφο 1 του άρθρου 1 της παρούσας.

3) Σε κάθε περίπτωση και όπου δεν ορίζεται διαφορετικά, για την εγκατάσταση των απαραίτητων ηλεκτρολογικών διατάξεων και συσκευών για τη φόρτιση ηλεκτροκίνητων οχημάτων θα έχει εφαρμογή ο ισχύων Κανονισμός Ηλεκτρολογικών Εγκαταστάσεων, σύμφωνα με την Φ.7.5/1816/88/27.02.2004 απόφαση του Υφυπουργού Ανάπτυξης «Αντικατάσταση του ισχύοντος Κανονισμού Εσωτερικών Ηλεκτρικών Εγκαταστάσεων (Κ.Ε.Η.Ε. με το πρότυπο ΕΛΟΤ HD 384 και άλλες σχετικές διατάξεις)» (Β΄ 470), όπως ισχύει, καθώς και οι διατάξεις του ν. 4483/65, όπως αυτές ισχύουν στις περιπτώσεις νέων ή υφιστάμενων ηλεκτρικών εγκαταστάσεων.

Οι προϋποθέσεις σύνδεσης τους με το Δίκτυο του ΔΕΔΔΗΕ ΑΕ διέπονται από το εκάστοτε ισχύον θεσμικό πλαίσιο περί ηλεκτροδοτήσεων.

Σχετικό ΦΕΚ https://diavgeia.gov.gr/doc/6%CE%984%CE%911-%CE%97%CE%A1%CE%A3?inline=true

Chinese authorities find that 23% of Chinese solar modules are defective

Bloomberg — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:46:00 GMT

Defective Panels Threatening Profit at China Solar Farms: Energy

By Bloomberg News Jan 20, 2015 3:00 AM GMT+0200

Flaws found in some Chinese solar panels can drastically eat into their efficiency, reducing how much power the panels will produce as the country races to meet aggressive goals to hold the line on fossil fuel emissions.

The defects, found in products set to be used only in China, are in a coating that suppresses reflections on glass, allowing the panels to capture more light. About 23 percent of samples taken from dozens of Chinese companies failed to meet requirements, according to regulators in China. For samples from Jiangsu, the eastern province where much of the glass is made, the rate was as high as 40 percent.

China is promoting both large solar farms in remote areas and smaller, rooftop systems within cities, and domestic demand for panels is climbing. In a landmark pact announced with the U.S. in November, China set a target of getting as much as 20 percent of its energy from clean sources by 2030. That goal will rely heavily on its rapidly growing solar industry, which controls about 70 percent of the global market.

“A reduction in power generation caused by quality imperfections means declining investment returns or even losses from solar farms,” said Meng Xiangan, vice chairman of the China Renewable Energy Society, an industry group.

China became the world’s biggest solar market in 2013 and accounted for about a quarter of global solar additions in 2014, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Its total solar installations surged almost 10-fold in the past three years to about 33 gigawatts.

The findings, which didn’t identify specific manufacturers, feed into criticism that quality problems at solar panel makers are a result of cost cuts as prices have plunged in recent years.

‘Unwise to Panic’

“It would be unwise for investors to panic about the findings, but equally it remains important for buyers to conduct good technical due diligence on suppliers and on projects before making a purchase,” said Jenny Chase, lead solar analyst with New Energy Finance, in an e-mailed response to questions.

The defects typically won’t emerge until long after the panels are installed, and will reduce power output and cut potential profit for solar-farm developers. Most of China’s solar farms have been built since 2012, when the nation started boosting domestic demand, in part to aid manufacturers as orders from Europe started to slow.

“Photovoltaic quality problems may not occur immediately but will be revealed after about two years of operation or longer,” said Peng Peng, director of policy research at the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association. That presents “an uncertain risk for investors.”

Developer Concerns

Developers are already expressing concern about suppliers. United Photovoltaics Group Ltd. (686), a Hong Kong operator of solar farms, has developed a list of preferred suppliers for panels and other equipment, spokesman Stephan Yao said.

Sky Solar Holdings Co., a Hong Kong-based project developer, plans to invest in China only at a “careful” pace because of quality concerns, Chief Executive Officer Su Weili said.

The defective glass was found in tests conducted in the third quarter with samples from 30 companies and reported by a Beijing regulatory agency known as the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. The producers represent about half of China’s suppliers of anti-reflective glass, and the agency didn’t name them.

Officials from Xinyi Glass Holdings Ltd. and Changzhou Almaden Stock Co., which are among China’s top producers of solar glass, didn’t reply to e-mailed requests for comment.

‘Boosting Quality’

CSG Holding Co., a Shenzhen, China-based maker of specialized glass and ceramic materials, said in a statement that it “always focuses on boosting product functions and quality.”

Solar panels are subject to several layers of inspection, said Sebastian Liu, director of investor relations at JinkoSolar Holding Co. (JKS) The Shangrao, China-based company makes silicon wafers, cells and panels, and also builds solar farms using its products.

“There’s no motive for us to cut corners,” Liu said.

Broader questions about quality continue to dog the industry. Almost a third of 425 utility-scale solar farms surveyed by the Beijing-based China General Certification Center from 2012 to 2014 had flaws of some sort, according to an official at the center who asked not to be identified because he isn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Those problems, including faulty panels, poor construction, design flaws and project mismanagement, mean the solar farms are producing less power than initially expected, according to the official.

Those tests included 3.3 gigawatts of projects, about 10 percent of China’s installed solar capacity at the end of 2014.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-20/defective-panels-threatening-profit-at-china-solar-farms-energy.html

Υπογραφή Υπουργικής απόφασης για την «Εγκατάσταση Μονάδων ΑΠΕ από Αυτοπαραγωγούς με Συμψηφισμό Ενέργειας»

Thu, 01 Jan 2015 10:13:00 GMT

Υπεγράφη σήμερα από τον Υφυπουργό ΠΕΚΑ, Μάκη Παπαγεωργίου, η Υπουργική Απόφαση (η οποία εκδίδεται κατ’ εξουσιοδότηση της Υποπαραγράφου ΙΓ.8 της Παραγράφου ΙΓ του άρθρου πρώτου του ν.4254/2014) που αφορά στην αυτοπαραγωγή ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας με ενεργειακό συμψηφισμό από φωτοβολταϊκά συστήματα.
Το ΥΠΕΚΑ υποστηρίζει την εγκατάσταση συστημάτων αυτοπαραγωγής μέσω προγράμματος εγκατάστασης φωτοβολταϊκών συστημάτων από αυτοπαραγωγούς για την κάλυψη ιδίων αναγκών τους, με εφαρμογή ενεργειακού συμψηφισμού (net-metering) και την αξιοποίησή του με στόχο τη μείωση του ενεργειακού κόστους των καταναλωτών ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας. Οι αυτοπαραγωγοί αναμένεται να έχουν σημαντικό οικονομικό όφελος, ενώ παράλληλα προωθείται ο βασικός στόχος της πολιτικής του ΥΠΕΚΑ για ενεργειακή ασφάλεια, αποδοτικότητα και εξοικονόμηση ενέργειας.

Με την εφαρμογή της συγκεκριμένης Απόφασης, γίνεται πλέον ελκυστική η αυτοπαραγωγή ενέργειας από φωτοβολταϊκά συστήματα και θεσπίζεται για πρώτη φορά ο ενεργειακός συμψηφισμός (netmetering).

Συγκεκριμένα, η Απόφαση προβλέπει τα εξής:

Ø   Αυτοπαραγωγή στη Μέση και Χαμηλή Τάση.
Ø   Αφορά μόνο σε συστήματα φωτοβολταϊκών.
Ø   Η μέγιστη επιτρεπόμενη ισχύς είναι 20 KW ή αν είναι πάνω από 20 KW η ισχύς μπορεί να είναι μέχρι το 50% της συμφωνηθείσας ισχύος κατανάλωσης της παροχής.
Ø   Τα όρια διαφοροποιούνται για το Μη Διασυνδεδεμένο Σύστημα με ανώτατη ισχύ για τα μεν Μη Διασυνδεδεμένα Νησιά τα 20KW ενώ για την Κρήτη τα 50KW.
Ø   Για φορείς που επιτελούν κοινωφελές έργο υπό τις οριζόμενες από το Νόμο προϋποθέσεις η ΥΑ επιτρέπει να αξιοποιηθεί το σύνολο της συμφωνηθείσας ισχύος κατανάλωσης της παροχής.
Ø   Εγκατάσταση αυτοπαραγωγής μπορεί να κάνει οποιοσδήποτε στα σημεία που επιτρέπονται σύμφωνα με τις προβλέψεις του νόμου. (δηλ. δεν περιορίζεται στις στέγες)
Ø   Οι αυτοπαραγωγοί θα καταβάλλουν ΕΤΜΕΑΡ μόνο για την ηλεκτρική ενέργεια που συνολικά απορροφούν από το Δίκτυο ή το Σύστημα.
Ø   Ο ενεργειακός συμψηφισμός θα γίνεται ετησίως στο λογαριασμό του ηλεκτρικού ρεύματος του αυτοπαραγωγού.

Αναφερόμενος στο θέμα ο Υπουργός ΠΕΚΑ, Γιάννης Μανιάτης, επεσήμανε : «Με τη συγκεκριμένη Υπουργική απόφαση ανοίγουμε ένα νέο μεγάλο δρόμο σε ζητήματα εξοικονόμησης ενέργειας και χρήσεις των Ανανεώσιμων Πηγών. Το μεγάλο βήμα έγινε με την πρόσφατη νομοθετική ρύθμιση του Ν.4254/2014, με την οποία ανοίξαμε με πρωτοποριακό τρόπο αυτή τη νέα αγορά.
Δημιουργούμε νέες θέσεις εργασίας στον τομέα των ΑΠΕ και συμβάλλουμε αποφασιστικά στη μείωση των ενεργειακών δαπανών για το κάθε ελληνικό νοικοκυριό. Κυρίως όμως, η μεγάλη μας παρέμβαση αφορά στη μείωση του ενεργειακού κόστους που μπορεί να γίνει στον αγροτικό τομέα, όπου ειδικά για τους Οργανισμούς Εγγείων Βελτιώσεων προβλέπουμε δράσεις που μειώνουν το κόστος παραγωγής αγροτικών προϊόντων σε όλη τη χώρα, δίνουν ανταγωνιστικότητα στα αγροτικά μας προϊόντα και ανταμείβουν τους κόπους του Έλληνα αγρότη.
Ταυτόχρονα, στηρίζουμε την ατμομηχανή ανάπτυξης της χώρας μας που είναι ο Τουρισμός, με τη δραστική μείωση του ενεργειακού κόστους που μπορεί πια να υπάρξει σε όλες τις ξενοδοχειακές μονάδες και τα ενοικιαζόμενα δωμάτια της χώρας. Τέλος, αλλά όχι έσχατο, τα μέγιστα όρια παραγωγής εφαρμόζονται σε Κοινωφελείς Οργανισμούς και Νομικά Πρόσωπα, Δημοσίου ή Ιδιωτικού δικαίου, που υπηρετούν την Κοινωνία. Αυτό θα επιτρέψει σε εκατοντάδες Νοσοκομεία και Φορείς Περίθαλψης και Κοινωνικής Αλληλεγγύης των συνανθρώπων μας να μειώσουν σημαντικά το ετήσιο λειτουργικό τους κόστος, ώστε να βελτιώσουν τις παρεχόμενες υπηρεσίες προς όφελος του Έλληνα πολίτη».

Όπως δήλωσε ο Υφυπουργός ΠΕΚΑ, Μάκης Παπαγεωργίου : «Η σημερινή Απόφαση αποτελεί ένα σημαντικό βήμα για την ενίσχυση της αυτοπαραγωγής, αλλά και την τόνωση συνολικά του κλάδου των ΑΠΕ.
Με την θέσπιση του net metering δίνεται η δυνατότητα σε πολλούς καταναλωτές, μικρούς αλλά και μεγαλύτερους, οικιακούς αλλά και σε μεσαίες ή μεγάλες επιχειρήσεις να ελαφρύνουν σημαντικά το ενεργειακό τους κόστος. Ενώ, παράλληλα, δίνεται ώθηση στις τοπικές οικονομίες με την άμεση αυτή λύση για την ανάπτυξη μικρών φωτοβολταϊκών με μεγάλο όφελος, χωρίς όμως να επιβαρύνονται οι υπόλοιποι καταναλωτές».

Επισημαίνεται ότι, το ΥΠΕΚΑ προώθησε πρόσφατα την ψήφιση ρύθμισης για το μέγιστο όριο εγκατεστημένης ισχύος ανά σύστημα που θα ενταχθεί στο πρόγραμμα αυτοπαραγωγής. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, με το έβδομο άρθρο του ν. 4296/2014 προβλέπεται ότι μπορούν να τίθενται ανώτατα όρια, διαφοροποιημένα ανά κατηγορία παραγωγών, με μέγιστο όριο τα 500kW. Επίσης, προβλέπεται ότι τα μέγιστα όρια θα αφορούν νομικά πρόσωπα δημοσίου ή ιδιωτικού δικαίου που επιδιώκουν κοινωφελείς ή άλλους δημοσίου ενδιαφέροντος σκοπούς γενικής ή τοπικής εμβέλειας.
Αναλυτικότερα, σύμφωνα με τη Υπουργική Απόφαση, η ισχύς κάθε φωτοβολταϊκού συστήματος μπορεί να ανέρχεται, στο Διασυνδεδεμένο Σύστημα, μέχρι 20 kWp ή μέχρι το 50% της συμφωνημένης ισχύος κατανάλωσης, εφόσον η τιμή αυτή είναι μεγαλύτερη του ως άνω ορίου των 20 kWp, με μέγιστο όριο τα 500kW. Για τα Μη Διασυνδεδεμένα Νησιά (ΜΔΝ), λόγω περιορισμένου σχετικά περιθωρίου για αμιγώς τεχνικούς λόγους, τα όρια διαφοροποιούνται ώστε να μπορούν να τύχουν ένταξης στο πρόγραμμα περισσότεροι καταναλωτές.
Ειδικά για τα Νομικά Πρόσωπα, Δημοσίου ή Ιδιωτικού Δικαίου, που επιδιώκουν κοινωφελείς ή άλλους Δημόσιου ενδιαφέροντος σκοπούς, γενικής ή τοπικής εμβέλειας, η ανώτατη ισχύς κάθε φωτοβολταϊκού συστήματος μπορεί να ανέρχεται έως και το 100% της συμφωνημένης ισχύος κατανάλωσης, με μέγιστο όριο τα 500kW στο Διασυνδεδεμένο Σύστημα. Με την ανωτέρω ρύθμιση καθίσταται εφικτή η εγκατάσταση συστημάτων ισχύος ίσης με την συμφωνημένη ισχύ παροχής από ΓΟΕΒ και ΤΟΕΒ καθώς και Πανεπιστήμια.
Τέλος, επισημαίνεται ότι σύμφωνα με την Υπουργική Απόφαση, φωτοβολταϊκά συστήματα θα μπορούν να εγκαθιστούν τόσο οι ιδιοκτήτες όσο και οι μισθωτές, ενώ ιδιαίτερα επωφελής είναι η πρόβλεψη για ετήσιο χρόνο συμψηφισμού της παραγόμενης με την καταναλισκόμενη από τον αυτοπαραγωγό ενέργειας.

Renewable Energy Review: Italy

Thu, 01 Jan 2015 10:11:00 GMT

Developers, manufacturers, investors and other renewable energy industry stakeholders need to know where the next big market is going to be so that they can adjust their business decisions accordingly.

Since 2003, global consultancy Ernst & Young has released its Country Attractiveness Indices, which ranks global renewable energy markets by analyzing investment strategies and resource availability. The indices are updated on a quarterly basis and the most recent report can be found here.
Here is the firm’s assessment of Italy.
Another One Bites the Dust
Italy has now joined the hall of shame for European countries applying retroactive measures to renewable support regimes, much to the dismay of both foreign and domestic investors. The legislation, passed by the Italian Parliament on 7 August after drafts of the amendments were first released in late June, will apply subsidy reductions to existing solar PV projects built since 2008 and larger than 200kW, with effect from 1 January 2015.
Scale of the Problem
The move is intended to save €1.5 billion (US$2.0 billion) per year and help the Government meet its pledge to reduce energy bills by 10 percent. Italy’s power prices are currently a third higher than the EU average, which the Government claims is harming small- to medium-sized businesses. Given the 200-kW threshold, the legislative amendments are only expected to affect around 8,600 solar plant owners out of a total 200,000 in Italy. However, they will still impact roughly 11 GW of the 18 GW installed solar capacity given plants larger than 200 kW currently receive at least 60 percent of total support.
Choices, Choices, Choices
Solar plant operators are faced with three options under the revised legislation and will be required to nominate their preference by 30 November 2014.
Maintain FIT for original 20-year term with rate reductions varying by plant size: 6 percent for 200-kW to 500-kW plants, 7 percent for 500-kW to 900-kW and 8 percent for >900-kW.
Extend FIT term to 24 years with rate reduction of 17 percent to 25 percent depending on the remaining operational years (with a higher reduction for older plants).
Maintain FIT for original 20-year term with a variable rate reduction for the first part of the residual FIT period but an equivalent increase in the second part (specific rates and periods to be defined by 1 October 2014). This option addresses the challenge of extending payment terms (as per option 2 above) on leased land.
In the Detail
Critically, plant operators will now also receive only 90 percent of the monthly fixed payment, based on estimated annual electricity production. The remaining 10 percent will be calculated as an annual reconciliation adjustment based on actual production and paid at the end of June of the following calendar year. Plant owners are also permitted to seek early redemption of their incentives by selling up to 80 percent of the tariff rights to financial institutions via an auction system. The legislation also introduces provisions for the state-owned Cassa Depositi e Prestiti to either fund or guarantee financing to cover the difference between the current FIT and the reduced rate, to assist operators experiencing diminished cash flow as a result of the changes.
Up in Court
As in Spain, the retroactive cuts have already triggered talk of legal action. More than 50 companies active in the solar sector, including institutional investors, lodged a complaint with the EC in late July, demanding an investigation into whether the changes are in breach of Directive 2009/28/EC. Appeals have also already been made before the Italian Constitutional Court, while aggrieved foreign investors may be entitled to seek redress under international instruments such as the Energy Charter Treaty. The legal firm representing the group of companies estimates investors could lose between €1.0 billion (US$1.3 billion) and €3.0 billion (US$3.9 billion) as a result of the new legislation.
Broader Implications
There is some speculation that the relatively small savings from the amendments will not outweigh the potential losses from costly legal action and abandoned projects. This, combined with the stigma of a precedent for retroactive legislative changes, could potentially undermine the Government’s drive to attract foreign capital to bolster Italy’s fragile economic recovery. Further, lenders supporting projects that struggle to cope with the revised revenue streams may be forced to write-off non-performing loans or step in to take over assets.
Too Much
Italy’s program of reduced financial support for renewables, and solar in particular, has already been underway for a number of years, as it seeks a more sustainable balance in the wake of long-lived generous tariffs. But, it remains to be seen whether the latest changes impacting existing projects will be simply too much for the sector to recover from.
http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Renewable_Energy_Country_Attractiveness_Index_42_-_September_2014/$FILE/EY-Renewable-Energy-Country-Attractiveness-Index-42-September-2014.pdf

Huawei makes largest year-on-year gains in global PV inverter market, IHS

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 08:08:00 GMT

Germany-based SMA, Switzerland-based ABB and Japan-based Omron were the top three global PV inverter suppliers in the first three quarters of 2014 based on market share, but Chinese telecommunications company Huawei made the largest gain in market share during the period, reports market research firm IHS. Despite SMA and ABB maintaining their first and second market-share rankings, both companies’ market share for the first three quarters of the year has declined since last year, with SMA losing 6 percentage points and ABB just over 1 point. At the same time, Huawei’s share of the global market grew by more than 2 percentage points. In its »PV Inverter Market Tracker« report, IHS notes that SMA’s limited market share in China and Japan and a rapid decline in ABB shipments to Germany, Italy and other key European markets led to the two market leaders’ weaker performance. Meanwhile, Huawei’s growth in global market share is largely attributed to gains in the domestic Chinese market, where the company has quickly become one of the leading suppliers. Total inverter shipments in China increased steadily in the third quarter of 2014 to reach 4.8 GW. TBEA Sunoasis, Sungrow and other Chinese inverter suppliers have also benefited from the surge in domestic shipments. In terms of revenue, Japan was the largest PV inverter market. »Global PV inverter supplier rankings have changed substantially over the past 12 months, led by large gains from Japanese, Chinese and module-level power electronic suppliers,« concluded Cormac Gilligan, senior analyst for PV inverter research at IHS. »Suppliers with a major presence in the United States, Japan, China, and other high-growth markets were some «of the biggest year-over-year gainers, while those who were heavily reliant on Germany, Italy, and other countries that previously led the market lost considerable market share.« In the microinverter and power optimizer markets, Enphase and SolarEdge continued to see strong market share growth due to strong demand in the US, Europe and in other international markets.

http://technology.ihs.com/424304/pv-inverter-market-tracker

Australian researchers announce efficiency record for PV power tower technology

Tue, 09 Dec 2014 08:19:00 GMT

Researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) led by Martin Green have developed a prototype solar system with a conversion efficiency of over 40%. UNSW did not provide full details about the solar system, saying only that it relies on commercial solar cells and focused sunlight and that its design incorporates a custom optical bandpass filter to capture sunlight that is normally wasted by commercial solar cells on towers. The filters reflect particular wavelengths of light while transmitting others. The results are particularly relevant to PV power towers being developed in Australia, said Green. The work was funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and supported by the Australia-US Institute for Advanced Photovoltaics (AUSIAPV). The efficiency result was confirmed by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which conducted tests at its outdoor test facility in the US. Australian company RayGen Resources, which provided design and technical support for the high efficiency prototype, is developing power tower technology based on the prototype. US solar technology developer Spectrolab, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Company, provided some of the cells used in the project. In November 2013, Spectrolab announced it had achieved a world record solar cell efficiency of 38.8% for a ground-based multijunction solar cell without concentration. The results were confirmed by the NREL. The company has said it believes it could increase the cell’s conversion efficiency to more than 45% by applying its concentrating technology to the cells. UNSW did not say when the prototype technology could be shifted to pilot scale demonstrations.

http://www.unsw.edu.au
http://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-technology/unsw-researchers-s
et-world-record-solar-energy-efficiency

SunPower’s Solar Panel Manufacturing Capacity To Triple In 5 Years

Wed, 03 Dec 2014 10:09:00 GMT

One of the world’s largest solar cell and solar panel manufacturers, SunPower*, is looking primed to take advantage of continued, massive solar power growth. Recently, SunPower President and CEO Tom Werner noted that he expects the solar industry to be a $5 trillion industry within 20 years. I wouldn’t bet against that.

Aiming to take advantage of that growth as much as possible, SunPower is currently planning to triple its solar panel manufacturing capacity over the next 5 years.

The company is known for its high-efficiency solar panels, the most efficient as well as most durable, most reliable, and best guaranteed on the market. Part of its massive manufacturing expansion will be for its high-efficiency solar panels, but part is also aimed at growing low-concentrating PV (LCPV), presumably to diversify its focus and also claim an even larger portion of the fast-expanding solar market.

The expansion includes a 150 MW factory in South Africa, a 350 MW Fab 4 facility in the Philippines and a 800 MW Fab 5 facility, as well as 1,000 MW of capacity for LCPV production.

Showing how much things have changed for SunPower in recent years, Greentech Media reports:

Werner reminisced about building SunPower’s first fab in an old NEC hard disk drive manufacturing facility in the Philippines that “had to be torn apart” a decade ago. He said the 108-megawatt site “seemed massive at the time,” and he was concerned as to how to keep it filled to capacity.

Now, Werner notes, the company is going to effectively build 25 of those lines in the next five years. “We’re going for it,” he said.

“Going for it” seems like the perfect line to capture SunPower’s bet, based on its massive (but I’d say realistic) projections.

As part of its growth plans, SunPower also recently acquired solar inverter startup SolarBridge.

http://solarlove.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/SunPower-growth-plan.png

LG merges solar unit into new Energy Business Center

Fri, 28 Nov 2014 15:21:28 GMT

Korean conglomerate, LG, has merged its Solar, Lighting and Energy Storage System (ESS) business units into a new ‘Energy Business Center’ in an effort to boost its competitiveness.

The realignment of LG’s solar operations is part of a major business unit reshuffle across the company.

The company said that its executive vice president, Sang-bong Lee, would lead the LG Energy Business Center.

LG's chief technology officer Dr. Scott Ahn will take on the additional role of head of LG's Innovation Business Center, with a brief to identify and develop new business areas based on future technologies.

Good prospects for heat pumps in Europe

Thu, 27 Nov 2014 11:35:45 GMT

The heat pump market is recovering. This is the conclusion reached in a new study by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) on the 2014 heat pump market, which analysed statistics from heat pump markets in 21 European countries.

The study also shows how EU policies affect the use of heat pumps and how the technology contributes to energy efficiency.

In 2013, heat pump sales increased by 3%. This slight increase was the first in three years. Over the past year, 771,245 heat pumps were sold in Europe, and it looks like this trend will continue in 2014. Thomas Nowak, the Secretary-General of EHPA, explains that this is good news not only for the heat pump industry but also for Europe's climate targets: "It has been said that the future Energy Union should be about sustainability, competitiveness and security of supply. Heat pumps can help to achieve these three objectives – they are efficient, use renewable energy and reduce GHG emission."

In another study (link is external), EHPA had already reported that the use of heat pumps would not only make a considerable contribution towards achieving the efficiency targets for 2030, but that installing 54 million additional heat pumps would eliminate the need for gas imports from Russia. So far, there are only approximately 6 million heat pumps installed in European buildings, but EHPA is confident that the goal of a total of 60 million heat pumps by 2030 is realistic. In order to achieve this, the European heat pump market would have to grow by 17% annually. These conditions could be created by government investment and by reducing the competitive advantages of several other, less environmentally friendly technologies. In addition, Europe's largest heat pump market France, which has an annual growth rate of 30%, demonstrates that the 17% target is not too high. According to the study, installing 60 million pumps would result in a total of 60 MTOE (Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent, equal to 697.8 TWh) of renewable energy becoming available, and energy consumption would be reduced by 37 MTOE (430.3 TWh). In addition, more than 300,000 new jobs would be created.

ReneSola's shipments fall, margins increase

Thu, 27 Nov 2014 06:34:00 GMT

Shifting market dynamics continue to affect Chinese PV manufacturers’ quarterly reporting, with ReneSola proving no exception in its Q3 2014 financials, which it reported today. ReneSola was able to increase gross margins on both on an annual and quarterly basis. Operating margin was 2.3%, totaling $10.6 million, however a net loss of $11.7 million was reported.

"Our results in Q3 2014 were mainly impacted by the depreciation of the European currencies that led to a foreign exchange loss of $13.7 million, and by a delay in shipments due to the anticipation of new lower minimum imported prices in Europe, which were announced towards the end of Q3 2014,” said Xianshou Li, ReneSola's CEO.

“However, our fully integrated international sales, support, and logistics platform, our global manufacturing footprint, and our focus on retail-oriented and downstream opportunities continue to keep us in an advantageously competitive position.”

Flexibility certainly appears to be the name of the game and ReneSola’s module shipments reflect this. Its U.S. shipments continued to decline YOY from 30.8% in Q3 2013, to 8% last quarter. Shipments to the U.S. declined on quarterly basis from 11.2% in Q2 2014.

By contrast, and despite shipments delayed to Q4 2014 and Q1 2015 in expectation of a reduction of a reduction in EU minimum prices, European shipments are on the up for ReneSola. Totally 46.8%, these represent growth from 38.8% in Q3 2013 and 31.4% in Q2 2014.

The UK market featured prominently in European modules shipments for ReneSola, including a 13 MW power plant project it is developing in England’s southwest and 22 MW of its Vitrus I and II module series to two projects it is supplying elsewhere in the country.

Commenting on the quarter’s results, Daniel K. Lee, the company’s CFO noted that the Q3 2014 gross margin reflects two consecutive quarters of growth.

"While we focus on expanding our commercial, retail and downstream initiatives, we continue to follow a prudent financial approach and asset-light strategy in order to grow our margins while improving our cash flow,” said Lee. “Our cash flow from operations improved from an outflow of $40.6 million in Q2 2014 to an outflow of $10.7 million, of which almost $10 million was payment used for our downstream projects in the UK."

Trina Solar to be crowned leading PV manufacturer in 2014, surpassing Yingli Green

Thu, 27 Nov 2014 06:30:43 GMT

Based on analysis of the leading PV manufacturers and their latest shipment guidance for 2014, PV Tech has compiled the preliminary top 10 rankings for 2014.

Since the second quarter of 2014, a fight has been underway between Yingli Green and Trina Solar over which company would top the shipment figures after it also became clear that the likes of Sharp (ranked third in 2013) would not grow shipments.

PV Tech was first to highlight the battle between the two Chinese rivals in late August, just after Yingli Green had lowered its shipment guidance to be exactly the same as Trina Solar’s at 3.6GW to 3.8GW.

However, Trina Solar has also slipped on its guidance, forecasting shipments to be in the range of 3.61GW and 3.66GW for 2014, after releasing third quarter results.

PV Tech also highlighted from shipment growth analysis that Yingli Green had become a laggard this year with shipment growth guidance given in the second quarter that would only generate shipment growth of 15% to 20%.

On the other hand, despite the lowering of shipment guidance by Trina Solar, it still expected shipment growth of between 40% and 42% this year, indicating that the number 2 ranked producer had the momentum over Yingli Green.

However, Yingli Green has released third quarter results and slashed its full-year shipment guidance to be in the range of 3.30GW to 3.35GW, resulting in shipment growth of only 3% to 4.6% compared to 2013.

On a shipment basis, quarter-on-quarter the battle between the two companies has been intense with Yingli Green quite a bit ahead of Trina Solar in the first quarter of 2014.

However, shipment figures swung the other way, despite Yingli Green posting shipments of 887.9MW in the second quarter. But Trina Solar had surpassed Yingli Green at 943.3MW.

With third quarter shipment figures just released, Trina Solar’s shipment momentum has continued to rise, while Yingli Green’s is slowing. Trina Solar shipped over 1GW in the third quarter and guided the same for the fourth quarter. Yingli Green shipped 903.4MW in the third quarter and guided similar levels for the final quarter of the year.

The shipment gap of approximately 300MW between Trina Solar and Yingli Green after both revised down shipments should be large enough for Trina Solar to secure the top-ranked PV manufacturer in 2014, with Yingli Green dropping to second position, after two years of reign.

Interestingly, in the last 10 years those that have reached the top-ranked position have failed to retain dominance for more than two years. This includes the likes of First Solar and Suntech Power Holdings.

Top 10 PV manufacturers in 2014: Major ranking reshuffle

The PV industry continues to be highly dynamic and this is being reflected in some significant ranking reshuffles in 2014.

JinkoSolar has continued to build on its market share gains over the last few years and with shipment guidance of 2.9GW to 3.2GW, despite the wide range, is set to become the third largest PV manufacturer this year, moving up the rankings from 5th position in 2013.

With Canadian Solar tightening its 2014 shipment guidance to 2.72GW to 2.78GW recently and Sharp lowering its forecasts, JinkoSolar’s momentum is impressive.

Only two companies are to retain the same ranking this year as last year – Canadian Solar, which is ranked fourth, and Renesola, ranked sixth.

However, the biggest mover is not JinkoSolar. Instead, JA Solar has moved up five positions from being ranked 10th in 2013 to being ranked fifth in 2014. The major leap by JA Solar reflects its switch from being a merchant solar producer to a major module supplier in only a few years. As PV Tech has already highlighted, JA Solar has the highest shipment growth guidance of 105% to 114% this year, while shipment guidance is 2.4GW to 2.5GW.

The other shipment growth laggards, including Hanwha SolarOne, Sharp and First Solar, all drop positions in 2014 compared to the previous year.

Hanwha SolarOne’s 10-15% shipment growth is relatively anaemic, meaning it loses one position to be ranked ninth in 2014 with shipment guidance recently lowered to 1.43GW to 1.46GW.

First Solar also loses one position (ranked eighth) with shipment growth of 12% to 19% and guidance of 1.8GW to 1.9GW.

The lack of shipment growth by Sharp has really impacted its ranking position given the fact that manufacturers with 2GW or more of nameplate capacity dominate the middle rankings and most importantly have shipment growth forecasts significantly higher. Sharp falls from third in 2013 to seventh in 2014.

However, there is a major battle happening over the 10th ranked company, with Wuxi Suntech rebounding this year and just hedging SunPower, Kyocera and Hanwha Q CELLS.

But only with final shipment figures from these companies will the 10th ranked company be known. The reason for this is how close shipment guidance ranges are for these four companies.

Wuxi Suntech has guided shipments of between 1.3GW and 1.5GW, SunPower 1.3GW to 1.4GW, Kyocera at 1.2GW to 1.4GW and Hanwha Q CELLS has guided 1GW to 1.2GW.

What is also interesting from the 2014 rankings compared to the 2013 rankings is that shipments of 1.3GW will be required to enter the top 10, up from 1.1GW required last year.

Also joining the battle outside the top 10 rankings has been Solar Frontier, REC Solar and SolarWorld. Indeed, REC Solar and SolarWorld are reporting strong shipment growth in 2014 and both adding moderate capacity in 2015. However, they would need to have more capacity and further shipment growth to properly challenge for a top 10 position.

Μεταρρύθμιση στο σύστημα αδειοδότησης

ΥΠΑΝ — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 08:02:00 GMT

Καταργείται η υποχρέωση έκδοσης άδειας λειτουργίας για 103 οικονομικές δραστηριότητες, στις οποίες εντάσσονται 897 επαγγέλματα (ΚΑΔ), σύμφωνα με απόφαση που υπέγραψε σήμερα ο υπουργός Ανάπτυξης και Ανταγωνιστικότητας Κώστας Σκρέκας.

Η απόφαση εκδόθηκε σε εφαρμογή του νόμου 4262/2014, σύμφωνα με το χρονοδιάγραμμα που είχε ανακοινωθεί κατά την ψήφισή του και αποσκοπεί στη διευκόλυνση και μείωση του κόστους ίδρυσης και λειτουργίας των επιχειρήσεων, τη βελτίωση της ανταγωνιστικότητας της οικονομίας, την άρση εμποδίων για το επιχειρείν και την αντιμετώπιση της γραφειοκρατίας.

Με το νέο καθεστώς, οι επιχειρήσεις που εντάσσονται στην κατηγορία χαμηλού ρίσκου δεν θα απαιτείται πλέον να εφοδιάζονται με άδεια λειτουργίας παρά μόνο με μία υπεύθυνη δήλωση στην αρμόδια Διεύθυνση Ανάπτυξης της οικείας Περιφέρειας.

Η απόφαση αφορά στο 25% του συνόλου των οικονομικών δραστηριοτήτων, που εκτιμάται ότι παράγουν το 14,3 % του ΑΕΠ της χώρας.

Ο χρόνος που απαιτείται για την ίδρυση και λειτουργία της επιχείρησης περιορίζεται έτσι δραστικά, κατά τουλάχιστον 2-3 μήνες, ενώ καταργείται παράβολο ύψους 60 έως 1500 ευρώ, ανάλογα με τη δραστηριότητα.

Οι κλάδοι που εντάσσονται στο καθεστώς απλοποίησης της αδειοδότησης προέκυψαν ύστερα από μελέτη του συνόλου των μεταποιητικών δραστηριοτήτων, σύμφωνα με την οποία η άδεια λειτουργίας στις συγκεκριμένες περιπτώσεις δημιουργούσε αναίτια χρονική καθυστέρηση για το νέο επιχειρηματία – επαγγελματία και μεγάλο διαχειριστικό βάρος για τη δημόσια διοίκηση χωρίς καμία προστιθέμενη αξία.

Ο υπουργός Ανάπτυξης Κώστας Σκρέκας, με αφορμή την υπογραφή της υπουργικής απόφασης, τόνισε: «Πρωταρχικό μέλημα της κυβέρνησης και του Υπουργείου Ανάπτυξης και Ανταγωνιστικότητας είναι η διευκόλυνση της επιχειρηματικότητας και ιδιαίτερα της επιχειρηματικότητας των νέων και στο πλαίσιο αυτό εντάσσεται η υπογραφή της υπουργικής απόφασης για την κατάργηση της έκδοσης άδειας λειτουργίας δραστηριότητες και επαγγέλματα που αντιπροσωπεύουν πάνω από 14,3% του ΑΕΠ. Στόχος μας, η άρση των διοικητικών – γραφειοκρατικών βαρών που θέτουν εμπόδια στην υγιή επιχειρηματικότητα.

Επισυνάπτονται η παρουσίαση της υπουργικής απόφασης, η λίστα των δραστηριοτήτων, καθώς και η ενδεικτική λίστα με τους Κωδικούς των Επαγγελμάτων, για τα οποία καταργείται η υποχρέωση έκδοσης άδειας λειτουργίας.

Trina Solar sees revenue and profits surge as module shipments rise 37%

Tue, 25 Nov 2014 07:43:58 GMT

Chinese solar manufacturer Trina Solar Ltd. recorded a 12.5% year-on-year increase in revenue in the third quarter of 2014 due to the strong performance of both its module and downstream businesses. Net revenue for the third quarter came to $616.8 million, up from $548.4 million for the third quarter of 2013. Total quarterly shipments reached 1,063.8 MW, consisting of 936.8 MW of external shipments and 127 MW of shipments to the company's own downstream power projects, compared to total shipments of 774.6 MW in the third quarter of 2013. Revenue was not recognized for the 127 MW of internal shipments. The year-over-year increases in revenue and shipments were driven largely by rising shipment volumes due to growing demand from key markets, particularly Japan and the US, and due to greater demand from the Asia-Pacific region. Gross margin for the latest quarter was 16.7%, compared 15.2% for the third quarter of 2013. Operating income for the quarter was $35.6 million, up from $6.0 million a year earlier, while net income grew to $10.6 million from $9.9 million. As of Sept. 30, 2014, Trina had annualized in-house ingot and wafer production capacity of 2.0 GW and 1.6 GW, respectively, and PV cell and module capacity of approximately 2.9 GW and 3.6 GW, respectively. The company expects that by Dec. 31, 2014, it will have an annualized in-house ingot production capacity of 2.2 GW, wafer capacity of 1.7 GW, PV cell capacity of approximately 3.0 GW and module capacity of approximately 3.8 GW. Looking forward, Trina expects total PV module shipments for 2014 to fall between 3.61 and 3.66 GW, of which 340 to 360 MW of PV modules will be shipped to the company's own downstream projects. The guidance has narrowed from the company’s previous prediction of 3.6 to 3.8 GW primarily due to fewer than expected shipments for own downstream projects. Trina previously predicted own downstream shipments would be in the range of 400 to 500 MW this year. The company now expects to complete between 330 and 360 MW of downstream solar projects by the end of 2014, down from the original guidance of 400 to 500 MW. This change is mainly due to the cancellation of a 130 MW solar farm project in Inner Mongolia after the company conducted a thorough analysis on the project's return.

http://ir.trinasolar.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=206405&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=
1992335

Hanwha SolarOne widens losses despite revenue increase

Tue, 25 Nov 2014 07:42:50 GMT

Chinese solar products manufacturer Hanwha SolarOne Co., part of Korea’s Hanwha Group, substantially narrowed its net loss in the third quarter of 2014 after recording record shipments due to strong demand. Despite lower average selling prices reflecting an increasing proportion of business in China and the negative impact of a strong US dollar in relation to the Yen and Euro, Hanwha SolarOne saw its third quarter net revenue grow 5.5% year on year to reach 1.198 billion CNY ($195 million). Quarterly PV module shipments, including module processing services, came to 373.2 MW, a 17.4% increase from 317.8 MW for the third quarter of 2013. During the latest quarter, 43% of module revenue came from Japan and 30% from China, compared to 46% and 11%, respectively, in the third quarter of last year. Approximately 8% of module revenue came from Korea, 5% from the US and 4% from the UK During the third quarter, the average selling price of modules, excluding module processing services, decreased to 3.74 CNY per W from 4.16 CNY per W in the same quarter last year. The company attributed the decline primarily to a greater percentage of business in China, which has lower market prices. Operating loss for the latest quarter came to -72.8 million CNY, compared to -132.7 million a year earlier. The company’s net loss also declined significantly, narrowing to -234.3 million from -460.4 million. Hanwha SolarOne expects to module shipments of 400 to 425 MW for the fourth quarter and shipments of 1.43 to 1.46 GW for full year 2014. About 25% to 30% of this total will be for PV module processing services. The company expects capital expenditures of $80 million largely for automation of existing manufacturing lines, as well as cell and module capacity expansions.

http://investors.hanwha-solarone.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=884293

Bluestar Elkem Investment to acquire REC Solar for $637 million

Tue, 25 Nov 2014 07:40:12 GMT

Chinese chemical company China National Bluestar Group has agreed to buy Norway-based PV manufacturer REC Solar ASA for 4,340 million NOK ($637 million). Bluestar plans to combine REC Solar with Norway-based foundry and silicon producer Elkem Group, which Bluestar acquired in 2011 for $2 billion. REC Solar, acting through a subsidiary, has reached an agreement with Bluestar Elkem Investment Co. Ltd. whereby Bluestar Elkem will purchase 100% of the shares in a new Luxembourg-based company that will own REC Solar Holdings AS and all of the assets and liabilities of REC Solar at a cash purchase price equal to 108.50 NOK per share in REC Solar. The transaction represents a premium of 22.6 % and 27.1% to the 1- and 3-month volume weighted average share price, respectively. The total cash consideration is 4,340 million NOK. The transaction is subject to approval by an extraordinary general meeting of REC Solar, expected to be held no later than Jan. 16, 2015. Elkem subsidiary Elkem Solar AS restarted production at its 6,000 MT polysilicon plant in Kristiansand, Norway in February. In April, Hong-Kong investment firm Guangyu International Investment Co., which is financed by Chinese investment bank Guosen Securities, purchased a 50% stake in Elkem Solar for $200 million.

http://www.recgroup.com/view?feed=R/158783/PR/201411/1873503.xml

Growth in the world heat pump market

Sat, 22 Nov 2014 07:27:56 GMT

The world heat pump market increased 7.2% by volume in 2013 to almost 2 million units. The growth was driven by the strong progression of sales of heat pump water heater in the USA especially on the one hand, and the recovery of the European market on the other hand.

However, in value terms, the market went down 6.9% in 2013 compared with 2012; the reason behind the drop is attributed to the decrease in sales of large output units as well as increasing competition among suppliers.

In 2013 there was an increasing penetration of air-to-water cylinder integrated units, also known as heat pump water heater, following almost 40% growth in 2012, the world market posted a 26.5% growth in 2013. However this growth was mainly outside of Europe, within Europe the market size remained limited to a few thousand units.

Among the other air-to-water types, split systems continued to enjoy wide popularity, growing 15.6% globally. These units are dominating the sales in Europe notably, with small capacity products accounting for a significant share of the market. The growth appears to have taken place at the expense of monobloc systems, the volume of which decreased by 2% in Europe overall. The global demand for split unit systems was counterbalanced in China where sales of monobloc heat pumps accelerated by 13.8% resulting in a positive 5.1% growth worldwide.

Poor performance in the geothermal heat pump segment was again recorded at a global level in 2013. Despite a 5% rise in the USA and China markets, the sales declined within Europe resulting in a reduced volume of 1%. High initial investment and lack of political support are stated as the major obstacles to the development of the ground-water heat pump market by suppliers.

Exhaust air heat pump combined with heat recovery is still an emerging technology. Whilst widespread in Scandinavian countries the technology has started to expand in Northern Europe as a means to reduce heat losses and energy consumption in building. Sales volumes are currently low but growing at a 4.6% on average at global level.

In terms of outlook per technology, the fast economic growth in China is expected to drive the demand for monobloc heat pump in the coming years while the slow recovery of the new-build activity and the lack of investment in the renovation sector in Europe are likely to curb the expansion of the split and exhaust air market segments. Exhaust air and geothermal heat pumps are not forecast to achieve double-digit growth, expanding respectively 7.4% and 4.9% per year on average at global level over 2014-2017. The tightening of product legislation either at European level (ErP) or by the US Energy Agency are expected to boost sales of heat pump water heater (17% CAGR).

https://www.bsria.com/news/article/growth-in-the-world-heat-pump-market/

PV could be cheaper than wholesale electricity in the UK by 2025, STA

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 07:59:41 GMT

The cost reduction of large-scale solar in the UK will occur more rapidly than forecasted by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), according to a new report from the UK Solar Trade Association (STA). The report estimates that the cost of large-scale solar will drop 33% between 2014 and 2020, with a further 11% reduction expected between 2020 and 2030. While individual technology cost is not the only consideration in developing efficient low-carbon electricity systems, this expected reduction in the cost of large-scale solar indicates that PV could become cheaper than gas (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine or CCGT) by 2018, 5 years earlier than predicted by the DECC. It also implies that PV will become cheaper than the wholesale electricity price in the UK between 2025 and 2028, thus reaching grid parity. CCGT plants are projected to increase in costs in real terms over the next 15 years, while large-scale solar is currently the only technology forecasted to become cheaper than wholesale electricity, the report finds. Despite the reduction in the cost of large-scale PV, the technology still needs to be subsidized, just as fossil fuels are, claims STA. Moreover, retaining stable government support and a stable policy framework for large-scale solar is in the best interests of consumers in the medium and long term as it will ultimately lead to cheaper electricity bills once solar reaches the zero subsidy level. Thus STA advises the DECC to revisit its projections for large-scale solar and to reconsider its decision to reduce support for the technology.
http://www.solar-trade.org.uk//media/LCOE%20report.pdf

Italy had 797 MW of PV systems without FIT at the end of 2013

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 07:58:08 GMT

Italy added 727 MW new PV systems without a FIT in 2013, according to a report from Italian consultancy Elemens. In the previous years combined, the country added just 70 MW of PV systems without a FIT. This means that Italy had at least 797 MW of PV systems installed outside any FIT program as of the end of last year. The company claims that the increase in projects without FITs was mainly due to the SEU mechanism, which enables operators of power plants up to 20 MW to sell their electricity output to a third party without using the national grid. With 579,524 PV systems connected to the grid, Italy reached a cumulative installed PV capacity of 18.42 GW at the end of 2013, according to the country’s TSO Terna SpA. The country had 16.41 GW of installed PV power at the end of 2012. Under the five Conto Energia incentive programs, Italian energy agency GSE granted incentives to 550,074 PV projects with a total power of 17.62 GW.

http://www.lmns.it/newsletters/comunicato-stampa/

Trina Solar announces new efficiency records

Tue, 18 Nov 2014 06:39:49 GMT

Chinese module manufacturer Trina Solar Ltd. announced that its State Key Laboratory of PV Science and Technology of China has achieved new efficiency records for p-type and n-type crystalline silicon solar cells. The p-type monocrystalline cell on an industrial Cz wafer, which integrates advanced technologies including back surface passivation and local back surface field, reached an efficiency of 21.40% for a cell measuring 156×156 mm2. The result was confirmed by Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE CalLab. The same advanced technologies were also used on a multicrystalline Si wafer. This resulted in a p-type multicrystalline silicon solar cell with an efficiency of 20.53% (156×156 mm2). The second record was confirmed by the National Center of Supervision and Inspection on Solar Photovoltaic Product Quality (CPVT) in Wuxi, China. Trina claims that both results represent new world records for mono and multi p-type silicon solar cells with passivated rear surface and local contact, on 6-inch substrates and fabricated with an industrial process (iPERC cells). A third cell, an n-type monocrystalline silicon solar cell with an Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) structure and an industrially feasible production process, achieved an efficiency of 22.9% on a 156×156 mm2 n-type Cz wafer. This third results was independently tested by Japan Electrical Safety & Environment Technology Laboratories (JET). In March, Trina announced it had created an IBC solar cell with 24.4% efficiency in the lab through collaboration with the Australian National University's (ANU) Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems.

http://ir.trinasolar.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=206405&p=irol-newsArticle_Pri
nt&ID=1990091

SolarWorld shipped 602 MW in the first 9 months of 2014, identifies US as its key market

Mon, 17 Nov 2014 09:00:35 GMT

German solar manufacturer SolarWorld AG has confirmed its previously reported preliminary results for the first three quarters of 2014. In the first 9 months of 2014, the group raised its shipments of solar modules and kits by 54% year on year to 602 MW. SolarWorld achieved its strongest growth in the US, France, the UK and Japan, where it managed to double its business volume compared with the same period last year. In Germany, the company saw a slight increase from January to September 2014 despite a decline of the German market as a whole. The company started off into the fourth quarter of 2014 with an order backlog of 350 MW, with orders stretching into 2015. SolarWorld emphasized that the US solar market is becoming the group’s strongest growth driver. Therefore, as previously announced, SolarWorld will intensify its investments in the US in order to expand production capacities at its site in Hillsboro, Oregon. As reported previously, the group increased its revenue by 18% year on year in the first 9 months of 2014 to €409 million ($509.4 million). EBIT for the period amounted to €77 million, up from a loss of €95 million a year earlier, and consolidated profit after taxes increased by €624 million to €489 million. SolarWorld shipped 270 MW of solar modules and kits in the third quarter alone, an increase of 50% from 180 MW in the third quarter of 2013. As a result of the increased shipments, the group saw a 26% year-on-year increase in quarterly revenue, with revenue reaching €181 million. The company’s EBIT loss, meanwhile, narrowed from a loss of €63 million for the third quarter of 2013 to a loss of €4 million for the latest quarter.

http://www.solarworld.de/en/group/investor-relations/news-announcement
s/corporate-news/single-ansicht/article/solarworld-ag-continues-on-a-c
ourse-of-growth/

SunPower provides 2015 guidance, discusses possible Yieldco vehicle

Fri, 14 Nov 2014 07:46:33 GMT

For fiscal year 2015, US-based solar products manufacturer and project developer SunPower Corp. expects non-GAAP revenue of $2.4 billion to $2.6 billion, gross margin of 21% to 23%, net income per diluted share of $1.10 to $1.50, capital expenditures of $300 million to $350 million and to recognize 1.3 to 1.4 GW. On a GAAP basis, the company expects revenue of $2.4 billion to $2.6 billion, gross margin of 21% to 23% and net income per diluted share of $0.55 to $0.95. The company's 2015 guidance excludes any financial impact that may occur if SunPower decides to pursue the formation of a separately-traded Yieldco vehicle, which is currently under review. The company will update its 2015 guidance if it decides to pursue this strategy. SunPower also remains committed to expand investments in self-developed projects, its technology roadmap and the scope of manufacturing cost reduction initiatives. SunPower also revealed that it expects to triple upstream capacity over the next 5 years. This capacity expansion includes completion of the company's fourth solar cell fabrication facility, Fab 4, 800 MW of planned solar cell and panel manufacturing capacity in Fab 5, and more than 1 GW additional capacity of Low Concentration PV (LCPV), which leverages the company's high efficiency solar cell capacity by up to a factor of 10. SunPower also announced that it completed a 3.5 MW PV power plant in Southern California for the Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA). The PV plant, installed at CLWA’s Rio Vista Water Treatment Plant in Santa Clarita, California, joins an existing 1 MW solar array installed by SunPower in December 2011. Together, the two PV systems will offset approximately a third of the energy used at all CLWA and facilities owned by CLWA’s retail division, the Santa Clarita Water Division.

Enphase partners with French residential PV company GSE

Fri, 14 Nov 2014 07:39:10 GMT

US solar microinverter producer Enphase Energy Inc. has formed a strategic partnership with French residential solar systems provider Groupe Solution Energie (GSE) to be the exclusive inverter supplier for GSE’s advanced PV solutions in France, Switzerland and Belgium. Founded in 2008 and with over 12,000 turnkey installations since inception in France, GSE is a key player in the French residential PV market, with over 60% market share of residential installations below 9 kW in France, according to Enphase. GSE provides a full range of end-to-end sustainable energy solutions and energy-efficient products, ranging from PV and solar thermal to insulation, heating and LED lighting, along with financial packages. Enphase will supply microinverters for GSE's integrated solutions, including its In-Roof System, its Ground System and its Sunshade PV electric blind solution.

http://investor.enphase.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=882786

Bosch Power Tec shutters inverter, storage plants in Germany

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 06:23:56 GMT

In what appears to be a further cutback in its commitment to solar, Bosch is closing Bosch Power Tec sites in Hamburg and in the town of Bad Vilbel in Hessen.

A Bosch spokesman confirmed to pv magazine that the company planned to bundle its inverter and storage activities at the Bosch Power Tec headquarters in Böblingen, Baden-Württemberg. He stressed that Bosch would continue to develop and produce inverters and storage systems. "We will focus on a new generation of inverters," the spokesman said, adding that Bosch was planning a stronger integration of electrical and thermal storage systems.

The Bosch spokesman declined to say how many employees would be affected by the closures of the Hamburg and Bad Vilbel sites. The company is currently reviewing the transfer of employees, either to Böblingen or to other divisions in the group, some of which have already been completed. Employees that could not be transferred within the company have received compensation offers.

Bosch Power Tec expects the relocation of its inverter and storage activities to Böblingen to be completed in the first quarter of next year.

Energy Management and storage solutions: Solar interview with Lior Handelsman

Tue, 11 Nov 2014 06:39:35 GMT

Mr. Lior Handelsman is managing SolarEdge’s marketing activities as well as the company’s product management, future product definition and positioning. Furthermore, Mr. Handelsman is responsible for the company's business development activities. In this solar interview he explains the functioning and advantages of the company’s Energy Management and storage solutions.

1. SolarEdge presented a new smart energy management solution at the Intersolar Europe. What does that mean for the installer and for end customers?
Lior Handelsman: Grid electricity prices are constantly on the rise. This is a motivation to install large PV systems that allow owners to minimize consumption from the grid during the day. However, in some countries local regulations limit the amount of PV power that can be fed-in to the grid or do not allow any feed-in whatsoever, while allowing the use of PV power for self-consumption. Therefore, without an energy management system, PV systems cannot be installed (if no feed-in is permitted) or are limited in size (if feed-in is limited to >0W limit). As a specific example, SolarEdge's Smart Energy Management solution will increase the profit of PV systems that need to meet the German regulation for 70% feed-in limit.

2. How does the new feed-in limitation feature that is integrated into the SolarEdge inverter firmware increase the potential of PV self-consumption?
The SolarEdge Smart Energy Management feature allows for increased self-consumption. The solution offers a feed-in limitation option, integrated into the SolarEdge inverter firmware, which dynamically adjusts PV power production according to the grid requirements. This allows system owners to install larger PV systems in order to meet their consumption needs without needing to add complex or expensive hardware.

3. The storage solution StorEdge™ shall be available later this year. What are the distinctive features of this storage solution?
Using real-time energy monitoring, the SolarEdge Smart Energy Management is an end-to-end solution for self-consumption providing 24/7 optimization of PV energy to minimize electricity costs. The SolarEdge Smart Energy Management solution dynamically controls PV energy according to rapid consumption feedback and pre-set grid limitations. Any energy that is not instantaneously used can be stored in SolarEdge’s StorEdge™ battery system for future use.
·   The StorEdge™ solution performs battery-level optimization. Each battery has an individual charge controller ensuring optimal charge/discharge which increases effective capacity and lifetime.
·   The optimizer's battery pack operates similar to a regular SolarEdge PV string. This eliminates losses, risk, and costs associated with high currents.
·   With plug and play design, it is simple to increase capacity by adding packs in parallel. There is no need for sizing or system redesign.
·   The pack can be installed at the same time as the PV system or added at a later stage

4. What are the advantages of power optimization in the PV self-consumption market and which developments do you expect in the European and the global markets?
Power optimization systems allow users to increase their self-consumption by producing more energy from a PV system and in addition by installing larger systems while complying with the grid feed-in limitation. SolarEdge's storage solution, based on an optimized battery pack, uses the same optimization technology that is widely-deployed and field-proven in our DC-DC power optimizers. This provides for:
·   Longer battery lifetime: Optimizing depth of discharge per battery
·   More Capacity: Extends effective battery capacity by mitigating battery mismatch
·   Fault Tolerance: If one battery malfunctions, the others provide additional power to compensate
·   Serviceable:
o      Easy pack maintenance in case of battery malfunction
o      Added/replaced batteries can be of different sizes/types than the original
In addition, the fixed voltage allowed by SolarEdge power optimizers enables the connection of PV modules on the same inverter DC input as the batteries, making this a highly efficient and cost-effective solution utilizing a single inverter for both functions.
In regards to the future of the global and European markets, SolarEdge expects to see increased feed in limitation regulations as the PV market matures. This in turn will create a higher demand for energy storage solutions. This will further increase the demand for module-level electronics that create smart PV systems.
Other trends that we are noticing are the importance of improving energy production and increased safety. As subsidies are decreasing, the financials of the PV systems need to be more competitive - more energy needs to be produced with decreased costs.
The SolarEdge solution decreases the BoS cost by allowing longer strings while increasing energy output, through improving system uptime and eliminating power losses due to module level mismatch.
In terms of safety, we are seeing a number of new safety regulations being passed to protect installers, maintenance personnel, and firefighters. For example the VDE-AR-E 2100-712 in Germany and the rapid shutdown requirement of NEC 2014 690.12 (1) through (4) in the United States. These new regulations, while important, can create require costly solutions and upgrades.
The SolarEdge SafeDCTM solution meets the most advanced regulations. The solution is an integrated feature in SolarEdge system and therefore does not require additional, costly PV hardware. The system works by shutting down DC current, as well as voltage in module and string wires, when the inverter is turned off or in safety mode.

Youtube innterview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LavbBBnk95o

SunPower buys SolarBridge Technologies

Tue, 11 Nov 2014 06:30:04 GMT

SunPower Corp. has acquired leading integrated microinverter technologies group SolarBridge Technologies in a move that expands its product portfolio for residential customers.

SunPower said it would use the technology, which converts direct current (DC) generated by a single solar photovoltaic panel into alternating current (AC), to develop next generation microinverters for use with SunPower's high-efficiency solar panels.

Based in Austin, Texas, SolarBridge has developed a microinverter solution for roof-ready AC solar panels that SunPower describes as "innovative and highly reliable."

"Panels with these factory-integrated microinverters can be directly installed, eliminating the need to mount or assemble additional components on the roof or the side of a home," the company added.

SunPower President and CEO Tom Werner said the acquisition of SolarBridge and its microinverter technology would allow the company "to develop a differentiated product specifically optimized for our high efficiency solar panels. This is the beginning of integrating electronics into our world-class solar panel technology. In this case, the combined result will provide our residential customers with an elegant, reliable and complete solution that fits their home specifications, including system design flexibility, ease of installation and maintenance and improved overall aesthetics."

With AC solar panels, the power generated by the solar system is optimized and monitored at each solar panel to ensure maximum energy production. They provide design and installation flexibility and are suited for a wide variety of system and rooftop configurations, according to SunPower. The company also pointed out that AC solar panels "help reduce soft costs associated with residential photovoltaic solar installations, including labor, permitting and customer acquisition costs, which represent a significant portion of the overall system cost."

SunPower declined to provide financial details of the acquisition.

Analysis of the deal

Commenting on the deal, Sam Wilkinson, research manager for PV Inverters & Energy Storage at IHS Technology, said Sunpower has positioned itself "as a provider of premium PV modules to the residential market in the U.S.A. Therefore an AC-PV module fits well into its product portfolio. An 'AC-PV module' is a module with a microinverter embedded into the module's junction box before it is shipped, with no DC connections."

Wilkenson added that micronverters have rapidly emerged in the U.S. residential PV market and were expected to account for more than 40% of inverters shipped to this segment in 2014.

"The challenge for SunPower in benefiting from this trend is that the high power of its modules means that most standard microinverters are not suitable for it," Wilkenson said. "Acquiring microinverter technology will enable it to optimize a product for use with its modules and streamline the process of integrating it. The inverter can be adjusted and optimized for its high efficiency modules and it will take control over the complete process."

IHS estimates that SolarBridge was the third largest microinverter supplier in the United States in terms of revenue last year. The company began expanding into international markets in 2013, with some success in Australia.

Wilkenson said SolarBridge had "aggressively promoted the AC module approach. The main benefits of this approach (compared to a standalone microinverter) is that on-site installation time is greatly reduced as the microinverter and module are installed as one piece. IHS forecasts that AC modules will be the fastest growing microinverter type, growing over 100% per year to reach over 800 MW in global shipments in 2018, as they significantly reduce 'soft costs' such as labor, which currently makes up a significant proportion of total system costs in the United States. With the SolarBridge inverter now very likely to be optimized to be paired just with SunPower's technology, embedding the microinverter at the factory to create an AC module is likely to be its preferred form for the product."

The backing of a PV giant such as SunPower, which is 66% owned by French oil and gas corporation Total, could accelerate the adoption of microinverters, according to Wilkenson. "It may also help to ignite further competition in a market which is currently dominated by one supplier, helping to drive innovation and cost reduction."

Germany's SMA Solar Technology currently supplies inverters to SunPower for use in its residential PV kits but Wilkenson pointed out that SunPower's acquisition of SolarBridge and its microinverter technology could result in reduced demand for SMA's products in the coming years.

The trend towards greater vertical integration in the U.S. residential market between large residential installers and balance of system suppliers is increasing, Wilkenson added. He pointed to recent deals, such as Solarcity's acquisition of Zep Solar, that have largely focused on the reduction of installation costs.

IHS predicts that this trend will continue in 2015 as suppliers look to develop and optimize complete system offerings and streamlining their route to market.

UBS: Solar plus storage is already cost effective in Australia

Tue, 11 Nov 2014 06:28:20 GMT

The new report suggests that one million households could invest $20 billion in storage systems in current years – nearly equal to the investment required for a new LNG export plant.

According to UBS would be relatively low risk. More importantly, it would herald a revolution in the domestic electricity industry.

UBS says the arrival of cost-competitive solar plus storage will have major impacts on utilities, depending on how they react. They could see it as an opportunity – and provide zero-down installations of battery storage and solar to their customers and help the costs come down even quicker for Australian households.

Or they could see it as a threat, and leave the way open for others to do the same.

The UBS analysis looked at the price of current solar plus storage offerings in Australia. It estimates that such systems – which allow households to use all the electricity produced by their solar array by storing it in a box (battery) for later use – are already offering a return of capital of 10% a year or more compared to buying power from the grid.

It commissioned consulting firm GSES to look at systems that comprised 5 kW of rooftop solar and 5 kWh of battery storage. At $18,000, some of these systems were already economic.

"The cheapest system looked at is already capable of earning its cost of capital," the team led by UBS utilities analyst David Leitch says.

More significantly, there is clear potential for dramatic cost reductions in coming years, in much the same way that the cost of solar panels plunged so dramatically over the last five years.

UBS says this will happen just by bringing the battery sales price down to those that are already available in the U.S., scaling production of battery housings, battery management systems and energy monitoring (Australians currently pay four times the price in the U.S. for some battery management systems), and integrated manufacturing of components including inverters.

It suggested that Australian consumers were being overcharged compared to the U.S. And offered this comparison as an example.

The study is a follow-up to a report in May, where UBS predicted that households in the major cities of Australia could find it cheaper to go off-grid rather than stay connected. Another report in August suggested the time was right for a solar plus storage plus electric vehicle revolution.

Those reports sparked a huge reaction, and prompted UBS to look a what technologies are available now, not necessarily to go off-grid, but to maximise the amount of self-consumption.

The Australian Energy regulator recently flagged that Australia will likely be witness to the rise of "prosumers" who will create an "energy revolution" who will generate their own electricity and store for use at a later time. This so-called "democratization" of the grid will have a major impact on the decades-old centralised business models based around large coal fired power stations and huge networks of poles and wires.

We liked this explanation from UBS as to why solar plus storage is so compelling in Australia:

Solar’s differentiation compared to virtually all other forms of generation is that its generation costs are invariant to scale. It’s just as cost-effective whether it’s scaled to run a torch or a city. In addition the fuel source is mostly available at the point of consumption. This means the only real constraint on where solar is situated is having enough space for the panels.

There is no noise, no moving parts to wear out. These attributes are why it so well suited to Australian detached housing, or for that matter, the commercial and government sectors. Virtually the only disadvantage of solar is that the sun only hits the panels for a limited number of hours per day.

That’s where the storage comes in. The battery’s function is to ensure most of the solar power can be used in the house and nothing is sold back to the grid.

Until recently, and even today, storage has neither been consumer friendly (lead acid batteries are heavy and require relatively large amounts of space) and relatively expensive. However Lithium Ion batteries are changing that; their costs are falling sharply, maybe 10% or more per year in $US terms. Li-Ion batteries have other consumer friendly advantages, they are much lighter, take up less space, can be virtually fully discharged at a constant voltage, and hold charge for extended periods of time.

UBS suggests that Australians are currently paying around double for the same battery storage than in the U.S. “Australians are paying around a 100% premium on this basis even for a “do it yourself system”,” it says. It says that’s partly to blame on the “cottage industry” nature of the business in Australia.

Australians are paying around A$780/kWh for storage compared to US$360/kWh for comparable systems in the U.S. In some instances, such as the Sony system, the premium is four times the price of automotive battery packs in the U.S., which it notes are heading down towards $100/kWh within 10 years.

"In our view the higher prices in Australia reflect the relative bargaining power of buyers and sellers. If a major electricity retailer or new entrant was to move aggressively into this space we think that Australian prices for household storage would fall to or below international auto battery prices.

"Ultimately household storage requires a lower materials cost LiFePO4 battery so all up cost should be less.

For time being as the volume of devices sold into the household storage market is tiny, and because there is no large scale retailer actively promoting the products, then neither is there the catalyst to bring costs down to even the present global level.

So how does it work? Basically, the battery storage allows households to store their output from solar systems in a box for use later. That means that they don’t export back into the grid at the desultory offer of around 6c/kWh (only to see the retailer sell the same electrons to the neighbour for up to 9 times the price), and can avoid buying electricity at peak times.

Ignoring fixed network charges – the wild card in these equations, as we noted here in our Solar Shocker story - this could deliver big savings. This graph is based on a 4kW solar system and 5kWh of battery storage.

"Based on this set of parameters the daily electricity bill without solar and battery and also ignoring the fixed annual connection charge is around $5.60 or $2,044 per year,” the UBS analysts say. "By contrast with the solar and battery the net revenue is around $0.43 per day or $157 per year for a net gain of $2,200 per year."

UBS says that even if 1 million battery storage systems are solar in Australia – there are already 1.4 million rooftop solar systems – that would represent a $20 billion investment, equal to 2/3 of an LNG plant’s cost.

"The investment is relatively low risk because the investment tap can be turned up or down quickly. An Australian utility might build up its own branded systems, and sell them 'zero down-payment,'" it suggests.

"If our numbers are correct someone will likely do it. For the time being we think that incumbent utility management will likely see this as more of an Annual Report photo opportunity rather than a potentially major P&L (profit and loss) line item. As such for incumbents it’s arguably more of a threat than an opportunity."

For this interested in the UBS cost estimates. It says the lowest cost system for 5 KW plus 5KWh LiIo battery is $18,000 with SREC benefit and provides about a 10 per cent internal rate of return compared to buying power from the grid.

"Analysis of the lowest cost system shows that large cost reductions seem possible. The battery itself is about twice the U.S. cost for EV batteries. The battery balance of system [BOS] costs range from $2,500 to $5,500. We can see scope for taking $100s if not $1000s out of that cost. EG the cheapest battery management system is over $600 in Australia, and in the U.S.A. it’s $150. Suppliers such as Bosch are charging large premiums for integrated systems when the underlying costs should be substantially less.

It says global cost reductions offer further opportunities. Battery costs could fall from 2014 levels of US$360/KWh (capacity) to US$200/KWh by 2020. "By comparison the cheapest quote we received in Australia was $784 KWh. Solar costs are expected to fall around 20-25% over the next few years based on a 20% reduction for a doubling of volumes. Systems integration and mass production should see other costs fall as well. The outlook for inverters is less clear, partly due to a technology fork in the road."

And here is one graph that shows how the high and Bosch system could fall in price over coming years, mostly through a reduction in battery and hybrid systems.

http://www.pv-magazine.com/index.php?id=9&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=17116&cHash=6a36de734128cb5d7906fbf83af3a1f1#axzz3IjltH9E1

European power prices up 6.5% in October due to scarce solar, wind output in Germany

Tue, 11 Nov 2014 06:25:35 GMT

European power prices rose in October as solar and wind output dropped from the previous month, although prices remained below 2013 levels, according to a report from energy and commodities research firm Platts.

The Platts Continental Power (CONTI) Index rose 6.5% in October to €39.50 per megawatt hour (/MWh) compared to September and was down more than 8% compared to October 2013.

German day-ahead power prices averaged €35.42/MWh in October, the highest level since January and 2% higher than in September. On a year-on-year basis, however, German spot power prices were down 5%, according to Platts data.

"German wind and solar output in October was down 22% versus a year ago to 5.75 terawatt hours (TWh), and similarly, wind output was down 31% from year-ago levels," said Andreas Franke, Platts managing editor of European power. "A number of new coal-fired power plants and demand weakness due to the stagnating economy reduced the need for higher-priced fossil-fired generating units."

In France, day-ahead power prices averaged €41.50/MWh in October, up 14% from September but still 4% below last year. Higher nuclear production boosted supply and mild temperatures kept demand in check.

"French utility EDF hiked its national nuclear output 6% from a year ago to 32.6 TWh, while hydro production fell 16% to around 3.7 TWh," said Franke. "High levels of water supplies have been maintained after a wet summer. The mild October weather eroded peak demand, preserving hydro stocks at 70% of capacity, the highest level for late October since 2008."

Similar dynamics were at work in the natural gas market. U.K. day-ahead natural gas prices in October rose from September to an average 50.41 pence per therm (p/th), but were 23% lower than October 2013. On the Dutch gas trading platform TTF, continental Europe's most liquid natural gas hub, day-ahead gas prices rose 2% from September but were 18% lower than October 2013.

Oil prices dropped by around 25% from the start of June through the end of October, weakening global natural gas prices in countries that buy on oil-linked contracts, according to the report.

"News of a price deal last week between Russia and Ukraine has also reduced the risk of a major interruption to European supplies this winter," said Alex Froley, Platts energy analyst.

SMA reports revenue and shipment drop

Fri, 07 Nov 2014 09:09:36 GMT

German inverter manufacturer SMA Solar Technology AG recorded an operating loss of €72.2 million ($90.3 million) in the first nine months of 2014. In the same period of 2013, the company’s operating loss was of €30.1 million. The company achieved sales of €549.3 million in the period, down 22.6% from €709.3 million a year earlier. From January to September 2014, SMA sold 3.3 GW of PV inverters, down 17.5% from 4.0 GW in the first nine months of 2013. The company attributed the turnover drop to »project delays in important foreign markets and a sharp reduction in demand in Europe as a result of a significant deterioration of subsidy conditions.« SMA CEO Pierre-Pascal Urbon said:»The increase in demand in the third quarter was not as sharp as expected. First, projects were postponed until the fourth quarter of 2014 and next fiscal year. Second, commercial business in Europe deteriorated again compared to the first half of the year. For the fourth quarter of 2014, we expect a better sales situation, which we can already discern in SMA’s high order backlog.« For this year, SMA forecasts sales of €850 million to €950 million and to break even, at best.
http://www.sma.de/en/newsroom/current-news/news-details/news/12931-fin
anzergebnis-januar-bis-september-2014-der-sma-solar-technology-ag-deut
liche-absatzsteigeru.html

S.A.G. Solarstrom AG sale to Shunfeng Group now concluded

Wed, 05 Nov 2014 07:57:13 GMT

S.A.G. Solarstrom AG has successfully concluded the sale of the operative business and the related assets agreed on August 30, 2014 to the SF Clean Energy Group (SV-PV).

The remaining stock market listed company will receive the sales price of EUR 65 million in the near future. The payment of the sales price remains subject to the usual price adjustment mechanisms.

As the sale is now legally binding, S.A.G. Solarstrom AG i.I. has decided to apply for delisting of the company shares to the regulated market (General Standard) at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. In light of the ongoing insolvency proceedings, this should reduce the administrative effort and costs associated with the share listing. In light of the ongoing insolvency proceedings, this should reduce the administrative effort and costs associated with the share listing.

The delisting is expected to become effective six months after the decision of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange regarding the application and its publication. The company's share listing in the open trading segment m:access of the Munich Stock Exchange is to be terminated shortly. The remaining stock corporation is therefore to be liquidated during the development of the insolvency proceedings.

Creditors of the corporation can expect an insolvency quota of almost 50% according to the current status. However, depending on the actual result, the insolvency quota might also be considerably below or above this value. Shareholders will not receive return flows from the winding down of the company. Following the successful conclusion of the transferring reorganization, the operative business of the S.A.G. Solarstrom Group will be continued with all business areas.

In future, the new company group will trade under the name of S.A.G. Solar GmbH & Co. KG. All of the jobs will be maintained. The SF Clean Energy Group has offered the management of S.A.G. Solarstrom AG i.I. to continue to manage the new S.A.G. Solar Group. Oliver GÃ¼nther, board member responsible for sales to date, has decided to decline the offer and will leave the company.

Aside from problems with Russia, Ukraine offers top conditions for PV

Wed, 05 Nov 2014 07:56:23 GMT

Solar PV in Ukraine has had a strong and undisputed take off, leading to both a very good photovoltaic installations portfolio and the PV technology being now the most wide-spread renewable energy (RE) technology in the country.

Sergiy Maslichenko, of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), told pv magazine that "as of September 1, 819 MW of solar PV are installed in Ukraine. This represents approximately 58% of total grid-connected RE capacity in Ukraine."

Very good solar irradiation

There are various factors affecting a country's RE development (e.g., political determination and energy security concerns), however Ukraine's solar photovoltaic progress has been clearly affected by its very good solar irradiation and its even better feed-in tariff (FIT) policy scheme.

Solar irradiation is very strong, mostly over 1,500 kilowatt hours per square meter (kWh/m2) in the Crimea Peninsula and across the Black Sea in the Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky area of Odessa in southwestern Ukraine. Solar irradiation is also very strong in central and western Ukraine and specifically in the areas surrounding the capital city of Kiev and up to the southern border with Moldova. Solar irradiation in these areas ranges between 1,350 to 1,450 kWh/m2. Solar irradiation in the eastern parts of Ukraine bordering the Sea of Azov is very satisfactory too, at around 1,350 kWh/m2.

Overall, Ukraine's solar irradiation is better than Germany's, Maslichenko told pv magazine.

Even better tariff scheme

The EBRD has been actively assisting the Ukrainian government in preparing legislation to support renewable energy for the last five years, according to Maslichenko. Based on extensive support from EBRD consultants, Ukraine initially issued primary legislation (the Green Tariff Law) setting a feed-in tariff (FIT) for renewable energy in April 2009. "Following that, the National Energy Regulatory Commission of Ukraine (NERC) issued green tariff approvals to 107 companies (as of October 1), which now operate under the feed-in tariff framework," Maslichenko said.

In practise, this means RE investors firstly need to develop their projects and then receive a FIT later. As of today, 107 companies operate in Ukraine, however there are over 200 RE projects in the country, as often a company can have several projects with the same FIT, noted Maslichenko.

Tariffs are fixed for each RE technology at a euro currency figure until 2030. "Every month, the NERC calculates the green tariffs in Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH) based on the National Bank exchange rate with a floor exchange rate set on January, 1, 2009," Maslichenko explained. "Once the green tariff is awarded, it remains valid and unchanged till 2030."

FITs for RE projects vary according to the project commissioning time. For ground-mounted solar PV projects specifically, FITs are set at 46.53 eurocents per kilowatt hour if the project was commissioned between January 1, 2013, and March 31, 2013; 33.93 eurocents if commissioned between April 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014; 30.53 eurocents if commissioned between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019; 27.14 eurocents if commissioned between January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2024; and 23.75 eurocents per kilowatt hour if commissioned between January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2029.

Currently, Maslichenko told pv magazine, there are neither caps on the budget allocated towards RE development nor caps related to the RE capacity to be developed. A FIT reduction, though, is envisaged every five years and Ukraine's government is also now reconsidering the support level for solar PV, "so it is likely it will be further reduced," Maslichenko noted.

Political risks, solar PV's main threat

With such good solar irradiation and FITs, photovoltaics are expected to drive the country's power redevelopment. Specifically for the period ending December 31, 2019, subsidy support for micro hydro (plants smaller than 200 kW) at 17.45 eurocents per kilowatt hour is second to the solar PV tariff.

Moreover, Ukraine needs desperately to develop its RE sector and decrease its energy and economic dependency on Russian gas, upon which it now relies disproportionally. Yet the path to the country's solar renaissance is thorny and depends heavily on its political stability and competence.

Ukraine's western allies have praised the results of the country's parliamentary election on October 26. Reformists have clearly won at the polls, giving the People's Front party of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk 22.2% and President Petro Poroshenko’s bloc 21.8%. Both figures have talked about the dire urgency to reform Ukraine's economy, which now survives on foreign aid. Western powers' continuing support of the Ukrainian economy is also linked to reforms. So the question emerging is whether Ukraine can achieve such a reform agenda.

Critics tend to point to the fragmentation of Ukraine's political elite. Past experience, they argue, has shown a lack of cooperation between different political parties who have different agendas and refuse to achieve agreement on key economic reforms.

On a positive note, the EBRD announced on Monday that it had established a fund to assist Ukraine’s efforts to reform its economy and improve its business climate. The fund has so far attached €11 million from Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K., while the U.S., Denmark, Japan and Norway are also considering contributing to the fund.

Ukraine does not have time to waste. Sunday's farcical elections in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine show why. The Donetsk and Luhansk region, which has been controlled in large part by pro-Russian separatists since the spring, organized elections that no country or international institution, apart from Russia, recognize. Not surprisingly, the separatist Aleksandr Zakharchenko won the election.

Ukraine needs to step forward to reform the state and establish a strong competitive economic model that fights corruption, pulls the country together and encourages international investors to also step in. Until the first signs of a serious reform effort by Ukraine's government are visible, most international investors will be kept at bay.

Chernobyl still poisons

On a separate note, Ukraine experienced last week a key development concerning its nuclear safety. The second half of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) in Chernobyl, a giant structure aiming to cover the destroyed Chernobyl nuclear plant and minimize radiation exposure, was successfully lifted to full height of 110 meters on October 24.

Chernobyl's NSC is a design and construction project unprecedented in the history of engineering, which began constructed in late 2010 and is expected to be completed by 2017.

"The total cost of the Shelter Implementation Plan, of which the NSC is the most prominent element, is estimated in the range of €2.15 billion," the EBRD said on Friday. Of this, The NSC project will cost about €1.5 billion.

The project in Chernobyl presently faces a funding shortfall and this, as in the past, is expected to be filled with funds from the EBRD, the G7, the European Commission and non-G7 donors.

The NSC is seen as necessary to make the old Chernobyl shelter and remnants of the damaged nuclear reactor safe and environmentally secure. Its size is tall enough to house Paris' Notre Dame or London's St. Paul's cathedrals and will weigh more than 30,000 tons.

It is not hard at all finding reasons why Ukraine needs to develop renewable energy.

Sharp's PV sales drop 15% in first half of fiscal 2014

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 06:50:21 GMT

Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp Corp. registered a considerable drop in solar sales in the first half of fiscal year 2014, which ended Sept. 30, 2014. The drop in solar revenue was mainly due to a decline in sales of solar cells in Japan and overseas. Sharp's Energy Solutions division, which includes the company’s solar energy business, generated net sales of ¥142.9 billion ($1,260 million) for the period, down 15.0% from ¥168.2 billion for the same period of fiscal 2013. The division posted an operating loss of ¥0.2 billion of the quarter. Sharp sold 897 MW of PV products in the first half of fiscal 2014, down 4.7% from the same period of the previous fiscal year. Group net sales were down 1.1% year on year at ¥1,327.6 billion. Sharp expects 2014 PV shipments to reach 2,000 MW, which would represent a decline of 4.7% year on year. The Energy Solutions unit is forecast to achieve net sales of ¥290.0 billion (down 33.9% year on year) for full year 2014 and an operating profit of ¥3.0 billion (down 90.7% year on year).

http://www.sharp-world.com/corporate/ir/library/financial/pdf/2015/3/1
503_2Q_Release.pdf

http://www.sharp-world.com/corporate/ir/library/financial/pdf/2015/3/1
503_2Q_Presentation.pdf

Panasonic's Eco Solutions division reports 2% revenue increase

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 06:49:30 GMT

Japan-based electronics manufacturer Panasonic Corp. recorded a net profit of ¥48.0 billion ($423.3 million) for the second quarter of fiscal year 2014, which ended Sept. 30, 2014. This is down 24.1% from a net result of ¥63.3 billion for the same period of the prior year. The group saw its net sales drop 0.5% year on year to ¥1,870.6 billion. Panasonic’s Eco Solutions division, which produces PV modules, among other things, saw its net sales grow 2% year on year to reach ¥790.4 billion and its net profit rise 6% to reach ¥41.8 billion. The company said that the division's residential solar business was able to increase sales during the quarter despite weak demand caused by a recent increase in the country’s consumption tax. The company did not provide specific figures for its solar energy business.

http://news.panasonic.com/press/news/data/2014/10/en141031-6/en141031-
6-1.pdf

Kyocera posts revenue decrease for its solar energy business

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 06:48:00 GMT

Japanese electronics and solar module producer Kyocera Corp. reports that its solar energy business recorded a decrease in sales for the first half of fiscal year 2014 due to the absence of sales contributions from large-scale solar projects for the public and commercial sectors. For the 6-month period ended Sept. 30, 2014, Kyocera’s Applied Ceramic Products Group, which includes the company’s solar business, achieved revenue of ¥124.7 billion ($1,099 billion), a 2.2% year-on-year decline from ¥127.5 billion. At the same time, the division’s operating profit dropped 61.1% year on year to ¥5.7 billion. Kyocera said that the decline in operating profit for the division was due to a drop in solar module pricing. Kyocera's total net sales grew over 2.1% year on year to reach ¥714.3 billion, while the company’s net income increased 1.7% to ¥43.6 billion.

More info: http://global.kyocera.com/ir/news/pdf/rt141030_e.pdf

Mainland Greece added just 600 kW of PV power in September

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 06:46:38 GMT

Mainland Greece had 2,429.7 MW of installed PV capacity as of the end of September 2014, according to the Hellenic Transmission System Operator SA (HTSO). The Greek mainland had 2,079.46 MW of installed grid-connected PV systems over 10 kW and 350.24 MW of rooftop PV systems up to 10 kW at the end of the month. The country added only 600 kW of new PV capacity in September, down slightly from 700 kW in August and 1 MW in the same month of 2013. In the first 9 months of this year, the Greek mainland added just 10 MW of new PV power, down sharply from 1,040 MW in the same period a year earlier. HTSO’s figures do not include the installed capacity of non-interconnected Greek islands, which – according to the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator SA. (HEDNO) – reached 135.8 MW at the end of 2013. Based on the most recent data available, Greece has a total installed PV capacity of at least 2,565.7 MW

More info: http://www.lagie.gr/fileadmin/groups/EDRETH/RES/2014_09_GR_MONTHLY_RES
_01.pdf

German wholesaler Energiebau files for insolvency

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 06:39:52 GMT

The District Court of Cologne last week ordered preliminary insolvency proceedings for Energiebau Solar Power Systems GmbH, one of Germany biggest PV wholesalers.

The court has appointed Cologne attorney Andreas Ringstmeier as the company’s provisional insolvency administrator, according to court statement.

Ringstmeier is currently reviewing the state of the company but could not be reached for comment.

Energiebau said it filed for provisional insolvency due to the "difficult situation in the photovoltaic industry resulting from the collapse of the market." The company sought early on to develop cooperative agreements and development of new sales channels as part of its new strategy. "Unfortunately, we were unable to convince our financing partners to continue on this path with us," Energiebau Managing Directors René Medawar and Michael Shepherd said in a statement.

The management is now working with the provisional liquidator on finding a way to ensure the long-term survival of the company. Due to the circumstances, Energiebau has been unable to carry out shipments. The company said it was working around the clock in order to get its deliveries back on track this week. The company also expects to resume as soon as possible its activities in Germany’s 50.2 Hz conversion measure affecting some 90,000 PV installations in the country.

The German market is currently extremely difficult for PV wholesalers. Many companies have disappeared in recent months. Energiebau itself took over the customers of insolvent rival Donauer Solartechnik about a year ago.

At Intersolar Europe in June, Energiebau presented a new business model for craftsmen that it developed with RWE affiliates RWE Effizienz and RWE Vertrieb.

Read more: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/german-wholesaler-energiebau-files-for-insolvency_100017036/#ixzz3I4zYhPr0

WINAICO's WSP-M6 PERC module wins Taiwan Excellent PV Award for best PV module for safety, reliability and efficiency

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 18:42:13 GMT

WINAICO, a globally leading PV module brand by the semiconductor company Win Win Precision Technology Co., Ltd., was honored with the award of Taiwan Excellent PV by Bureau of Energy, of Ministry of Economic Affairs, in the ceremony held on the morning of the 12th of September 2014. Top Taiwanese research institute, ITRI, performed a series of safety, performance reviews, and advanced reliability tests to find the best PV module and cell technology in Taiwan. WINAICO’s entry of mono crystalline WSP-M6 PERC module combined high efficiency PERC cells with micro-crack preventing HeatCap technology to outperform all other entries in reliability.

ITRI’s criteria to select Taiwan Excellent PV winners was based on the result of a series of evaluations including Salt Mist test, PID test, UV test, Dynamic Mechanical Load test, Thermal Cycling and Humidity Freeze test, among others. The test sequence and conditions followed NREL’s proposed “Qualification Plus” and the new IEC 62782 initiative. The IEC 62782 standard designed by the PV Quality Assurance Task Force will become the new international standard for ensuring the reliability of solar panels in real world conditions. Market developments show that the current IEC 61215 standards insufficiently reflects and tests real world impacts such as heat, UV and mechanical stress simultaneously, therefore lacking in ensuring the reliability of solar panels for consumers. It is through ITRI’s extensive assessment around every facet of reliability concerns can one justify the winner of Taiwan Excellent PV award as the best quality module manufacturer in Taiwan.

"The aim of Taiwan Excellent PV award is to celebrate the quality of Taiwanese solar products and increase manufacturers’ global brand awareness. We are very proud to be recognized as the best module manufacturer in Taiwan," said Davis Chen, Chairman and CEO of WINAICO. "Winning the Taiwan Excellent PV award epitomizes WINAICO’s conviction in building the most efficient and reliable solar modules in the world."

IHS: Solar glass prices set to rebound following EU-China dispute

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 14:46:54 GMT

From next year, anti-dumping duties levied on Chinese suppliers could contribute to a rebound in the falling price of solar glass, according to a new report from IHS Technology.

Prices for solar glass have fallen by 50% in the five years between 2009 and 2014, which IHS analyst Karl Melkonyan said could be attributed to “massive oversupply” in the market.

The drop is expected to continue in the very short term, hitting a low of US$4.60 per square metre during this year, having begun at US$10.40 in 2009. But IHS claims that, driven in part by so-called anti-dumping duties imposed by the European Union (EU) on Chinese importers, this sub-five dollar price will not remain in place for long. Duties were slapped on to solar glass in May this year after the closure of factories and the loss of profits for solar glass makers in Europe.

The anti-dumping trade dispute has dominated headlines in the international solar industry for some time, designed to prevent Chinese companies from allegedly flooding international markets with high volumes of solar modules. The EU-China dispute reached a price undertaking settlement last year that meant Chinese manufacturers could avoid paying duties by agreeing to sell their products at prices no lower than an agreed minimum.

The settlement has not meant a stop to the spat entirely, with industry representative body EU ProSun requesting this week that the EU holds a formal investigation into whether or not Chinese companies are circumventing duties. The investigation could mean the extension of duties to other countries being used by Chinese firms to get around the import rules.

A similar row has also erupted in the US, lead mostly by module manufacturer Solarworld, which incidentally also set up ProSun. Analysis firm Solarbuzz said earlier this month that the US-China dispute had resulted in a surge of Chinese and Taiwanese PV imports as companies seek to secure low-cost product ahead of the imposition of trade duties. Solarbuzz analyst Michael Barker had said that this showed how “trade disputes can impact the market though often in different ways than originally intended”.

IHS argues that pricing for solar glass will stabilise after this year and by 2018 will have increased by 11% from this year’s all-time low, hitting US$5.90 per square metre.

Melkonyan explained that after the fall of prices, “Chinese government subsidies on solar glass caused domestic suppliers to increase production and exports. However, the European Union’s move to impose countervailing duties on solar glass imported from China will limit supply in the market, leading to an expected increase in prices.”

Going into further detail, the analysis firm showed how it feels the face of the solar glass industry has changed in recent times. Only 7% of solar glass used in Europe in 2010 was imported from elsewhere, a share which increased more than four-fold to hit 30% in 2013. This year, over 90% of those imports will come from China, I.H.S said, while in 2010, only just over a third of that 7% of imported glass originated from China. In other words, from supplying just over 2.5% of Europe’s solar glass in 2010, China now has a share of 27% of Europe’s total solar glass supply.

IHS likened the Chinese solar glass industry’s competitive tactics to that of its module-making counterparts’ previous record. Subsidies for solar glass encouraged Chinese glass companies to join the sector, along with an “aggressive pricing strategy in overseas markets”. This caused the oversupply and price collapse that resulted in the big price drop over the past five years, IHS said.

In May, the EU responded to the oversupply from China, imposing countervailing duties that stood between 3% and 17%. The rate of duties applied to each company depended on how much the manufacturer had received in subsidies from its own government in China.

IHS said the Asia-Pacific region will remain the largest and fastest growing market for solar glass over the next five years, with only Chinese tier-one suppliers providing “high-end products”.

Another finding on the solar glass market announced by IHS was the increase in popularity of anti-reflective coated (ARC) glass. The analysis firm projects that by 2018, ARC glass will take an 85% share of the total market for solar glass.

The coatings, which increase the power output of a module and lower the cost per-watt of solar, have seen their prices rise by about 50% each year in 2013 and 2014, IHS claims. The findings were released as part of the firm’s reporting on wider trends in PV module manufacturing materials, also looking at backsheets, encapsulants, pastes and other materials.

WINAICO launches patented micro-crack preventing HeatCap technology

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 18:27:18 GMT

WINAICO, Taiwan's largest PV module manufacturer, launched its patented HeatCap technology at PV Taiwan 2014.

HeatCap improves the reliability of silicon-based solar cells and protects them from micro-cracks induced by external stresses, such as handling errors and wind stresses.

WINAICO's high-efficiency module with HeatCap technology was recently awarded the Taiwan Excellent PV Award by the Taiwan Bureau of Energy.

Also on display at WINAICO’s booth at the conference, which ends today (Friday) are the world's first PERC-based 300 W WSP-300M6 (60-cell) and 230 W WST-230M6 (48-cell) high-efficiency modules.

WINAICO's 280 W, WSP-280M6 all-black module demonstrates the perfect combination of high energy output and beautiful design, suitable for any residential application without compromising roof aesthetics.

The manufacturer's internal evaluation showed evidence of HeatCap improving the ultimate stress a silicon solar cell can withstand before breaking up to 18.12%.

WINAICO also worked with Taiwan's leading research institute, the ITRI, to evaluate the reliability of HeatCap technology through Dynamic Mechanical Load (DML) and local hot spot tests.

HeatCap and reference modules were put through DML tests of 1000 cycles each at 1000 Pa, 2000 Pa, 3000 Pa, sequentially, and verified by electroluminescence (EL) pictures.

Compared to the reference module, the HeatCap module had significantly less micro-cracks after each stage of DML tests.

Local hot spot tests provided evidence of HeatCap's improvement in heat dissipation to reduce the solar cell temperature, compared to reference cells.

HeatCap can be used to solve the heating issue common to modules with black back sheets, and improve energy outputs of all-black modules in warmer environments.

"PV Taiwan is an opportunity to show the world the health and innovation of the Taiwanese solar industry," said Davis Chen, chairman and CEO of WINAICO. "With the launch of the micro-crack preventing HeatCap technology, WINAICO continues to be a technology leader and differentiates our product offering with greater reliability to the end customer.

"The 300 W and 230 W modules on display reinforce WINAICO's position as a producer of PV modules with the best power density, and the leader in residential solar solutions."

Γνωμοδότηση της ΡΑΕ αναφορικά με τους αυτοπαραγωγούς από ΑΠΕ (Net Metering)

Tue, 21 Oct 2014 07:27:44 GMT

Στο πλαίσιο ολοκλήρωσης του δευτερογενούς θεσμικού πλαισίου, με το οποίο θα καταστεί δυνατή η εγκατάσταση συστημάτων ΑΠΕ από καταναλωτές-αυτοπαραγωγούς με ενεργειακό συμψηφισμό (Net Metering), η Ρυθμιστική Αρχή Ενέργειας δημοσιοποιεί σήμερα τη σχετική Γνωμοδότησή της υπ' αριθμ. 6/2014 προς τον αρμόδιο Υπουργό ΠΕΚΑ, για την έκδοση της προβλεπόμενης στην παρ. 1 του άρθρου 14 Α του ν.3468/2006 Υπουργικής Απόφασης.

Η γνωμοδότηση αυτή εκδίδεται βάσει α) της προβλεπόμενης από τις ως άνω διατάξεις εισήγησης που υπέβαλε στη ΡΑΕ ο αρμόδιος Διαχειριστής ΔΕΔΔΗΕ Α.Ε. για την έκδοση της εν λόγω Υ.Α. και της Πρότυπης Σύμβασης Συμψηφισμού, καθώς και β) της Δημόσιας Διαβούλευσης της ΡΑΕ που ακολούθησε (από 30.07.2014 έως 29.08.2014). Είναι αξιοσημείωτο ότι η συμμετοχή των ενδιαφερομένων στη διαβούλευση ήταν εξαιρετικά σημαντική, τόσο σε έκταση, λόγω του μεγάλου αριθμού των συμμετεχόντων (40), όσο και σε ουσία, λόγω των σημαντικών παρατηρήσεων που υπεβλήθησαν.

Η ΡΑΕ, με γνώμονα τις βασικές αρχές που έθεσε και κατά την έναρξη της Δημόσιας Διαβούλευσης, διαμόρφωσε τη Γνώμη της στη βάση της εισήγησης του Διαχειριστή, λαμβάνοντας υπ' όψη τα υποβληθέντα στο δημόσιο διάλογο σχόλια, παρατηρήσεις και προτάσεις.

Ακολούθως παρατίθενται:

UK government blocks funds for farmers who benefit from solar plants

Tue, 21 Oct 2014 05:09:48 GMT

UK farmers with solar farms on their land will no longer be eligible for any farm subsidies under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from January 2015.

The department of environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) claims that the move “will help rural communities who do not want their countryside blighted by solar farms”.

Environment secretary, Elizabeth Truss said: “English farmland is some of the best in the world and I want to see it dedicated to growing quality food and crops. I do not want to see its productive potential wasted and its appearance blighted by solar farms. Farming is what our farms are for and it is what keeps our landscape beautiful.”

Defra claims that the move will save up to £2 million (US$3.2 million) of taxpayers’ money each year. The department said that the move is designed to mirror the department of energy and climate change’s (DECC) recent move to scrap renewable obligation support for solar farms over 5MW from April 2015. Large solar farms will instead have to compete with onshore wind and other technologies in an auction.

Defra said that it is enacting the changes to “slow down the growth of solar farms in the countryside in England” as it is now “less financially attractive for farmers to install the solar panels”.

Truss concluded: “I am committed to food production in this country and it makes my heart sink to see row upon row of solar panels where once there was a field of wheat or grassland for livestock to graze.

“That is why I am scrapping farming subsidies for solar fields. Solar panels are best placed on the 250,000 hectares of south-facing commercial rooftops where they will not compromise the success of our agricultural industry.”

Reacting to the news, Friends of the Earth renewable energy campaigner Alasdair Cameron said: “Constantly fiddling with renewable energy policies and sending mixed messages to the media will cost Britain dearly in jobs, investment and energy security. Done correctly, solar farms can go hand-in-hand with food production, boost biodiversity and deliver clean electricity to the nation. Poorly-sited solar farms should be dealt with through the planning system and sensible policy, not knee jerk responses to appease reactionary voices.”

Munich RE, Ping An insure Suntech performance warranties

Fri, 17 Oct 2014 07:20:29 GMT

In an effort to bolster its customer warranties, Wuxi Suntech has tapped Chinese insurance group Ping An and Germany's Munich RE to insure its module performance.

The company's performance warranties will be insured by Ping An and reinsured by Munich RE.

Suntech said the new insurance policy provides it with 25 years' warranty protection in the event of a significant decrease of performance for modules -- a move expected to help expand sales by providing Suntech customers with reassurance in the performance quality of their products.

"We have great confidence that our products are of the highest quality and are built to last," said Suntech CEO Eric Luo. "But to ensure our customers feel fully protected, our new insurance policy with Ping An and reinsurance by Munich Re will allow us to continue to honor our products' performance warranties, while still maintaining our strong financial balance sheet."

Suntech recently announced that its polycrystalline silicon modules ranked above industry standards in a technical review conducted by U.K.-based consultancy OST Energy. The announcement followed Suntech's modules receiving the VDE-Quality Tested certification, which recognizes products with a level of quality control that goes beyond existing standards in the photovoltaic industry.

"Thanks to the cooperation with our partner Ping An, we are able to provide an innovative performance warranty insurance solution for Suntech's modules that are fundamental to the sustainable success in the solar industry," said August Proebstl, head of Corporate Insurance Partner at Munich Re. "It sets industry standards by being the first significant deal when it comes to volume insured and indemnity offered to a manufacturer domiciled in the People's Republic of China."

Recently acquired by Hong Kong-based Shunfeng Photovoltaics, Suntech now boasts a strong financial footing and nearly zero debt, which it says allows it to invest in the growth of its business.

JA Solar Selects Tigo Energy to Optimize its Smart Module Line

Wed, 08 Oct 2014 03:40:00 GMT

SHANGHAI, October 6th, 2014 –

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (JASO) ("JA Solar" or the "Company"), one of the world's largest manufacturers of high-performance solar power products, today announced that it selected Tigo Energy to optimize its newly launched JA smart module line. The smart module product integrates Tigo’s technology into the junction box, resulting in high conversion efficiency, enhanced safety, improved panel-level monitoring, and the use of up to 30% longer strings.

“Smart modules are an important advance for the entire industry,” said Mr. Yong Liu, Chief Operating Officer of JA Solar. “Our smart modules are an exciting product that demonstrates our commitment to leading the industry through innovation. Tigo’s solution helps us meet our customers’ high expectations for functionality and reliability. Tigo is a valuable technology and marketing partner for us.”

JA Solar uses only the highest quality components from the best suppliers for its products. Technology from Tigo Energy meets this exacting standard. For instance, Tigo recently announced that its optimizing solution meets the NEC rapid shutdown requirements in the U.S., enabling JA’s smart modules to thus satisfy the requirements set by the new 2014 code. In general, all JA Solar products are manufactured through an automated, in-house procedure, which was inspected and certified by PI-Berlin and Solar-IF. In addition to successful PID certification, the Company’s products are certified by TÜV SÜD and ETL for long-term reliability, harsh climate environment endurance, and other additional certifications.

“We have worked hard to become the first-class technology provider for the smart module industry,” said Zvi Alon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tigo Energy. “Selection by JA Solar of our technology strongly validates the technology and business model that we developed. We are excited to offer this integrated solution to our mutual customers.”

JA Solar’s smart module is available today and will be on display at the Solar Power International conference in Las Vegas from October 20 to 23, 2014.

SunPower solar panels awarded cradle to cradle certification for sustainable manufacturing processes

Mon, 06 Oct 2014 17:11:13 GMT

SunPower Corp. has announced that its SunPower E-Series Solar Panel and SunPower X-Series Solar Panel have been awarded the Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver distinction by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. The high efficiency SunPower E-Series and X-Series solar panels, manufactured at the company's factory in Mexicali, Mexico, are the first and only solar products to be awarded this certification, which is based on the sustainable manufacturing processes implemented at this facility.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard is administered by the Institute and is a comprehensive product quality standard that evaluates product design, manufacturing, corporate citizenship and ethics principles. Products are assessed according to Material Health, Material Reutilization, Renewable Energy Use, Water Stewardship, and Social Fairness.

"Cradle to Cradle product certification is another example of how SunPower facilitates innovative thinking and builds sustainability from the very core of the company's business activities," said Marty Neese, SunPower COO. "It can also serve an additional value to our customers, whether they are looking to boost their own sustainable future or help achieve LEED certification. We are extremely proud of this recognition and look forward to implementing similar programs across all of our solar panel manufacturing facilities."

The products were assessed using the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard by the product design and optimization firm MBDC, one of 13 companies around the world authorized to conduct product analysis for the Institute. Product certification is available at five levels (Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum), with each higher level imposing a more rigorous set of requirements.

"SunPower is the first and only solar company to achieve Cradle to Cradle product certifications, and we applaud their leadership in energy and material health," said Bridgett Luther, president at the Institute. "SunPower's dedication to making the world better through their technology positions them as a leader among leaders, and their commitment to innovation deserves this recognition."

Cradle to Cradle Certified products can be found online in the Product Registry at c2ccertified.org

Read more: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/sunpower-solar-panels-awarded-cradle-to-cradle-certification-for-sustainable-manufacturing-processes-_100016691/#ixzz3FNz6SsxD