Solar News & Views

Apple Data Centers Now 100% Powered by Renewable Energy

2013-07-13T16:09:00.002-04:00

In March, 2012 Greenpeace called out Apple for its use of fossil fuels in its "How Green Is Your Cloud" report – which graded Apple no higher than a "D" in four categories consisting of energy transparency, infrastructure siting, energy efficiency, and renewables and advocacy.

The 2012 report cites Apple’s planned expansion into “iDataCenters” to support its booming iCloud services, which at the time were thought to be powered mostly by fossil fuels. Apple was given poor rankings due to its apparent lack of initiative in clean energy and efficiency.

In a major call to action, Apple used its ingenuity, on-hand cash and innovative spirit to Think Different and make substantial improvements in the type of energy that would be used power its cloud.

Now - a year later, Apple announced on its corporate website that its data centers are now powered by 100 percent renewable energy. In fact, renewables contribute to 75 percent of its entire corporate operations energy needs, according to its website.

Greenpeace acknowledged Apple’s swift turnaround in a statement: "Apple's announcement shows that it has made real progress in its commitment to lead the way to a clean energy future. Apple's increased level of disclosure about its energy sources helps customers know that their iCloud will be powered by clean energy sources, not coal."

Kudos to apple - now if they can come with out with a motion-powered iphone that would reduce battery consumption - that would be totally cool.

10 GW Solar Installed and Counting

2013-07-11T09:55:00.000-04:00

Regional distribution of the U.S.' 10 GW of installed solar PV. (Credit: SolarBuzz)

The U.S. has now surpassed 10 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar PV capacity, joining Germany, Italy, and China — and it's just getting warmed up, according to new calculations from NPD SolarBuzz.

Solar PV installations in the U.S. totaled 1.8 GW through the first six months of 2013. That isn't quite at the midpoint of SolarBuzz's forecasted 4.3 GW for the entire year, but that's still the expectation because the majority of the U.S. solar market should be realized in the second half of the year, much like what happened in 2012, plus there's a crop of large-scale solar projects coming online, noted senior SolarBuzz analyst Michael Barker. In fact he thinks there could be about half a gigawatt of upside to that 4.3 GW depending the timing of some projects that might come in earlier than anticipated.

SolarBuzz expects the market to hit 17 GW by the end of 2014, representing 80 percent growth over 18 months.

Compared with most other countries' more centralized and nationalized solar energy support schemes, the U.S. solar market is more accurately defined, according to Barker, as a collection of "50 state-based markets with a layer of federal policy." And so credit solar incentive programs among the most solar-friendly states in the far-West and Mid-Atlantic regions, though Southwest and Southeast regions are increasing their contributions as well. And a comparative lack of ongoing solar development in the Great Plains and Great Lakes is really just "further market upside going forward," noted SolarBuzz analyst Chris Sunsong.

Besides individual state support schemes, what's driving the U.S. solar market? From one perspective, U.S. residential solar demand continues to surge, and third-party-owned solar residential in particular. System pricing declines also are playing a major role, especially driving the utility segment. SEIA/GTM numbers for 1Q13 showed system price-points for utility-scale solar at $2.14/W and residential systems at $4.93/W; SolarBuzz ballparks residential solar PV at around $4.25/W and large utility-scale PV projects at around $3/W.

Worldwide solar PV demand reached 15 GW through the first six months of this year, roughly a 9 percent increase from a year ago, and cumulative solar PV installations are about 116.5 GW, according to SolarBuzz. In each scenario, more than half (60 percent) comes from four countries: Germany, China, Japan, and the U.S.; in cumulative capacity only Japan is close to them, and Spain and France are distant at around 4.5 GW and 4 GW respectively.

sources: SolarBuzz

Obama's June 25th Speech is Positive For US Solar

2013-06-26T12:13:00.000-04:00

Let's go through some of the key points of Obama's speech yesterday and pinpoint some potential pitfalls and opportunities.

Deploy clean energy. Solar will get the lion's share of this love, and solar operations based in the U.S. are likely to benefit. These include SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR), First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR), SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY), and this specialty solar materials firm in New York. Offshore wind could get some love here, too. If it does, look for both GE (NYSE: GE) and Siemens (NYSE: SI) to benefit.
Cut carbon pollution from power plants. This will be an opportunity for Obama to push cost-prohibitive clean coal technology and dump a few more million into next-generation coal plants that have no place in a country that's awash in natural gas.
Build a 21st century transportation sector. Electric cars, mass transit and high-speed rail systems will benefit here. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) may see a fresh coat of shine here, as well as some of the companies operating in the light rail and high-speed rail space — including Siemens, GE, Alstom (PINK SHEETS: AOMFF), Bombardier (TSX: BBD-A), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (PINK SHEETS: MHVYF), Harsco (NYSE: HSC), and Timken (NYSE: TKR). Unfortunately, this may also include doubling down on one of the biggest welfare scams in the history of the United States. We know it as corn-based ethanol. I can't imagine those special interests have figured out a way to squeeze more blood from the taxpayer stone here, but who knows these days...
Cut energy waste in homes, businesses, and factories. Energy efficiency and conservation technologies will come into play here. Companies likely to benefit include GE, Siemens, and Honeywell (NYSE: HON).
Reduce methane emissions. This could be a slippery slope for Obama, as it could mean more scrutiny on some fracking operations that are pumping out dangerous levels of methane. I'm not exactly sure how many eggshells will be walked on during these talks.

A Review of Major European Solar News for June 2013

2013-06-25T12:46:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month (june), the European Commission announced the imposition of tariffs on Chinese solar equipment sold into the EU.

However, at 11.8%, the duty is lower than expected - Karel de Gucht, the commissioner overseeing the recommendations, explained that the rate is introductory, and that the duty paid would rise to the previously announced levels in August.

Japan is to be the largest global market for PV this year, taking the lead from China, Germany and the US. In an effort to counter anti-dumping duties in both the EU and the US, Yingli Green Energy is considering both outsourcing module production as well as possible joint-venture manufacturing partnerships.

In related news, Chinese polysilicon and wafer producer GCL-Poly is looking to help Chinese module manufacturers to establish production operations in Taiwan in a bid to avoid European import tariffs. Jerry Stokes, the former president of Suntech Europe, has joined Norwegian PV manufacturer Innotech Solar AS as CEO. And finally, major PV equipment supplier Centrotherm Photovoltaics has successfully restructured the company, ending bankruptcy proceedings and securing around 900 jobs.

Most recently, IHS research projections has determined that due to the duties imposed on Chinese module manufacturers by the EU earlier this month, Europe's decline in solar installations will accelerate.

Jinko Solar is effectively sold out for the summer, while Neo Solar Power enjoy their fifth consecutive month of rising sales. At the same time, LDK Solar suffers heavy losses as their sales flatline.

Italy has already announced that it's solar FIT program is sold out for 2013, and most recently the Spanish government is set to cut renewables subsidies by 10-20%. Lux Research have found that the materials market is to make a major rebound. Dupont and Yingli Green extend a US$100 million strategic agreement, while Solargiga becomes Sharp's largest PV product supplier. And finally the Australian government launches a remote communities renewables programme worth US$377 million. Companies: Dupont, Yingli Green Energy, LDK Solar, Jinko Solar, Neo Solar Power, Solargiga, Sharp.

Source: PV Tech

We Applaud Kyocera and the Japanese Government's Support for Solar Energy for Africa

2013-06-14T11:52:00.001-04:00

The Kyocera Corporation and its president Goro Yamaguchi continue to make good on their 2009 promise to continue donating solar power systems to schools in Africa that have no access to the electricity grid. The aid is part of the Japanese Government’s pledge to support African development to the tune of 3.2 trillion yen (US$33.68 billion) over five years.

The Mabilioni Secondary School in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania and the Ryakasinga Model Primary boarding school in Bushenyi, Uganda are the latest recipients of integral Japanese solar installations.

Kyocera representatives attended donation ceremonies at both schools, where pupils and teachers were able to show their appreciation and gratitude for the installations, which will power lighting for classrooms, lamps, televisions and radios, and which will ultimately ease and diversify learning activities for the students.

A total of 35 schools will receive similar donations by March 2014, with the seven made in the last fiscal year bringing the current total up to 28 since the five-year promise was made.

Youichi Higashi, business planning manager for Kyocera, stated, “I was deeply touched to receive handshakes from many students expressing gratitude. The value of electricity is difficult to understand in countries where power access is always available.”

For students attending schools in rural areas of Uganda and Tanzania, power systems such as these are vital for maintaining development and learning.

More than 2 billion people worldwide, most living in rural areas do not have access to electricity ... and solar energy is an excellent way to provide it. I hope some of these students that are benefitting will one day choose to join the solar industry as a result of such donations.

P.S. If you liked this article be sure to read our article about low cost solar cookers.

Solar Industry Is Starting to See Some Light

2013-06-13T15:09:00.000-04:00

The past few years have been good for consumers - but mostly bad for companies in the solar industry. But that's changing. It will continue to be good for consumers (maybe better than ever) ... and increasingly positive for solar industry companies.

Overcapacity and poor margins are out, and profitability is in. That's according to Lux Research, which recently reported that the solar industry is set to recover quickly.

The firm's Solar Systems Intelligence and Solar Components Intelligence teams analyzed solar market economics and industry movement. Among the findings were three main conclusions: Oversupply will end as supply and demand converge, corporations are entering or re-entering the solar business, and the industry is planning ahead.

The oversupply issue will improve partly as a result of changes in China. According to Lux Research, overall module capacity will decrease to 58 GW in 2015. China will transition from being mostly a producer of inexpensive modules to also being a market for those modules, which will help global demand grow from 31 GW in 2012 to 52 GW in 2015. That means there will still be module oversupply, but it will be only 12%, down from 100% in 2012. As a result, module margins will recover up to 10% from their near-zero averages today.
China is having a shakeout," says Lux Research analyst Matt Feinstein. "The government is active in controlling the growing supply that spilled over from the incredible scale-up of a couple of years ago."

The Chinese government is also involved in the demand side. China is currently in its 12th Five-Year Solar Development Plan, which set a goal of 21 GW of installed capacity nationwide by 2015. Feinstein notes that it helps that the government has been building transmission lines too.

"When the government calls for it, it is to be so," he says.

There is also much growth outside of China. Lux Research indicates that while many companies declared bankruptcy over the past few years, in the more recent past, some large companies are preparing for the solar revival by buying other companies. In April, Switzerland-based ABB purchased inverter manufacturer Power-One, and First Solar purchased cell manufacturer TetraSun. Feinstein also points to Mitsubishi, BASF, Johnson Controls and IBM as companies that have recently made solar-related announcements.

We are talking about large corporate strategic investors that are extremely reputable and will bring a good reputation to the industry," he says. "I don't think we are going to see a lot of startups trying to recycle the same ideas from two or three years ago."

Companies are taking a holistic perspective, Feinstein says. They are looking not only at photovoltaics, but also thermal, hybrid systems and other technologies.

"These are moving targets," he notes. "There is a lot of uncertainty and new technology out there. It's necessary to keep up as much as get ahead."

Some industry professionals agree that the industry is recovering but not for every company.

"What I think is going to happen this year is there is going to be a shakeout," says Patrick A. Redgate, president and CEO of the installer Ameco Solar Inc. in Paramount, Calif. "We are going to see who comes out the other end, and it will be either manufacturers committed to staying with this business or manufacturers who have technology that is superior."

Redgate, who is also on the board of directors for the California Solar Energy Industries Association, says the industry still has its challenges, including low pricing from competitive energies such as natural gas.

"Pricing is key," he says. "The problem is that fossil fuels are so cheap with all the fracking going on."

The future is bright for installers, though. "Right now, 60 percent of the market is residential," Redgate says. "In the not too distant past, it was utilities trying to meet [renewable portfolio standards] goals, so they were building big solar farms. Everyone is surprised to see residential, but there is better financing, and people's attitudes are better now."

Phil Vyhanek, president of Solectria Renewables LLC in Lawrence, Mass., says there are regional differences too.

"North American solar growth has been healthy year over year, and we expect it will continue for the foreseeable future," he says. "Additional opportunities in both Central America and South America offer exciting growth potential."

Vyhanek adds that the adoption of solar is still regionalized throughout the U.S. "Although it is significantly improved over just three or four years ago, less than 10 states dominate the deployments," he says.

Still, the inverter manufacturer remains bullish about solar worldwide. "It is cost-effective and becoming more so every day, has diverse installation viability and is an incredibly reliable and predictable form of renewable energy."

Based on an article published by Zackin Publications

PV materials market to make major rebound

2013-06-11T12:29:00.002-04:00

According to Lux Research the global PV materials market is set to make a significant recovery on the back of supply and demand coming back into balance in 2015.

The market research firm is forecasting the materials market to go from sales of US$17.8 billion in 2012 to US$27.2 billion in 2018.

Metals, including polysilicon, metallization pastes, and metallic absorber materials used for CIGS thin-film would show the strongest growth. The polysilicon market is expected to reach US$6 billion in the time frame, while metals overall would top US$12.8 billion.

Fatima Toor, Lux Research analyst said, “Differentiated materials that enable high cell or module efficiencies or longer lifetime will be able to earn a premium and cash in on the growing demand. In addition, the push towards improved quality will lead to materials innovations that not only drive down the US$/W but also the US$/kWh, enabling sustainable growth of global PV demand.”

According to Lux Research, materials needed for crystalline silicon modules present the largest market opportunity, reaching US$23.8 billion in 2018. Materials like backsheets, non-EVA encapsulants, metallization pastes, and antireflection (AR) coatings for module glass provide opportunity for innovation and the cornerstone of quality product usage.

The solar industry was said to now prioritizes low US$/kWh on top of US$/W, offering modules with a longer lifetime. Material suppliers like DuPont and downstream developers are setting a new standard. Simultaneously, companies such as Solar Buyer are helping financial institutions better rate module quality.

Source: Lux Research

Solar Is Now Cost-Competitive in Spain - without subsidies

2013-06-11T11:56:00.000-04:00

Just as many experts predicted, and as we are seeing more and more around the world - solar energy is becoming more and more cost competitive. Here's just one more example.

Germany’s Conergy, a vertically integrated PV manufacturer and developer, is now installing PV systems in Spain that are producing electricity at grid-competitive rates without subsidies. The company said it’s now hit the 1 megawatt mark of such projects. Spain has joined a growing number of countries where solar is becoming as cheap as other electric sources on the grid without subsidies, among them South Africa and Brazil.

The company installed its first grid-parity project in Spain at organic restaurant Lasal del Varador on Barcelona’s beach front in fall 2012. Since then, the company said it’s installed 56 such projects in Spain, totaling roughly 1 megawatt of PV-parity power. The parity projects are part of Conergy’s “Start it!” campaign, under which the company said its has developed business models for grid-parity markets in Australia, South Africa and the US.

“The message is clear: solar pays, now more than ever,” said Luis Jiménez Gutierrez, Managing Director of Conergy Spain. “Although the Spanish market has lately seen a downturn due to the end of the feed-in tariffs, Conergy has been able to expand its market share considerably thanks to its business models for the grid parity market of the future.”

Conergy explained that the grid-parity business model it’s developed for Spain includes using all the energy produced by the system onsite. “In order to operate cost-effectively without subsidies from feed-in tariffs, the Spanish solar plants are precisely dimensioned to achieve a maximum self-consumption rate of close to 100 percent and thereby the greatest possible electricity cost savings, the company said. The size of the parity-priced arrays, according to the company, depend on their host’s daily electric requirements. “Around half the plants have a capacity of up to 10 kilowatt peak, roughly a quarter up to 25 kW and a further quarter has a total capacity of between 25 kW and 100 kW.”

Now that Conergy’s successfully launched the Start it! campaign in Spain, the company is launching it in other countries this year. The first at-parity installations in other countries being installed this year include one PV system at a welfare institution in South Africa, another at a nursing home in Australia and at several schools in the U.S., The company said. However, as the company develops the parity projects in other markets it will have to adjust the model to meet local requirements. For instance, net-metering and time of use billing are two factors the company will consider when developing at-parity PV projects in the U.S., and each state and region in the U.S. has its own prices and policies for solar, which means that some markets like in California and Hawaii are coming into parity much quicker than in other markets.

This article originally appeared on CleanEnergyAuthority.com on June 5, 2013

Italy's Solar Incentive Program Suspended

2013-06-11T11:27:00.000-04:00

Italy’s Conto Energia V solar incentive programme will expire on 6 July 2013 having reached its cap of €6.7 billion and therefore cease any further investment into solar power.

Over 500,000 systems have to date requested incentives for a total capacity of 18,217MW. Of these 531,242 plants, 4,779, with a total capacity of 1,136MW and an annual cost of €94 million are yet to be completed, although they have been recorded in Italy’s Official Journal.

Besides Oil - the US is Importing Electricity from Mexico

2012-11-11T12:33:00.002-05:00

NEWS: Mexico's Sonora state, which has the highest insolation rate in North America, is working steadfastly to foster photovoltaic power research, generation and transmission lines for demand within the state and for export, say several state leaders.

Last week in Hermosillo, Sonora State Governor Guillermo Padrés Elias announced that Sonora would host a new national solar research center, the Centro Mexicano de Innovación en Energía Solar, which would receive $25 million in funding. Padrés made the announcement here at the 19th Annual Border Energy Forum, organized by the Texas Land Office. The new center will engage collaboration among 49 educational institutions, private sector solar companies and government entities.

At the same venue, Padrés confirmed a letter of intent with SunEdison for a 50-MW PV plant. He also noted that France's Heliotrop would soon install an $867 million concentrating solar facility within the state, commissioned by the national electricity agency, Comision Federal de Electricidad, CFE.
Among other new PV projects being developed in the state is a $75 million, 22-MW solar park to be sited along the 60-mile road between the state capital Hermosillo and Bahía de Kino, on the Sea of Cortez. Similarly, "the state government is planning to build the City of Knowledge as an integrated and sustainable urban real estate development that will host universities, housing and a 10-MW solar park," according to State Secretary of Economic Development, Moisés Gómez Reyna.

And Mexico’s first solar-powered wastewater treatment plant, Los Alisos, in Nogales, Sonora, will use a 902-kW grid-connected PV plant to supply the facility's full energy demand, according to María Elena Giner, general manager of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, based in Juarez, in Chihuahua state. Giner also spoke at the Border Energy Forum.

While much of the solar energy generated within the state will be consumed by CFE and by private sector buyers including corporations like Bimbo, Wal-Mart and others, the potential for exporting power to the United States is growing, according to Reyna. "Boundary states in Mexico have been betting on renewable energy since 2005. We want to be considered providers of wind and solar energy inside the country and to our foreign neighbors," he said recently, in response to questions from Renewable Energy World.

"Sonora has plenty of government-owned land available for rent or lease, which can be used by private solar power plant developers, even though it’s important to mention that there is also land availability that is privately owned," said Reyna. The private sector has acknowledged the opportunity and it’s also propelling the state in development of infrastructure for this purpose. At the moment Sonora doesn’t have a power line crossing to Arizona, but energy exports are included in the State’s vision towards the development of the renewable sector," he said.

Cross-border transmission line infrastructure is a key project now, he noted. "This is happening now; there are private projects that are doing business with shared network owners to develop solar power plants. Business plans are being discussed and negotiated, demonstrating a current dynamism of this sector. On the other hand under the past Sonora-Arizona Commission we started working on the lack of a line to export/import energy, and we constituted a task force involving CFE, the Secretary of Economy, the Secretary of Government Affairs, and U.S. government representatives, including the Arizona state government authorities. This team will identify and track the steps they must take to construct this infrastructure," Reyna said.

New transmission links will enable Sonora to export solar-generated power to several U.S. states, Reyna reckoned. "The energy corridor in Mexico is very well connected throughout the country and has the capacity to be fed with solar- or wind-generated power beside the amount already produced by CFE. The current network will not be a constraint, rather the opposite, as new investments in infrastructure are planned for the near future. Baja California will soon be connected to the rest of the Mexican transmission lines, enabling Sonora not only to export to Arizona but to the United States," he said.

Federal cooperation between Mexico and the United States is already underway in this endeavor. "The U.S.-Mexico Cross Border Electricity Task Force could certainly be a way to grow the energy sector in the State of Sonora and develop the Arizona-Sonora area, because it would be possible that more projects be installed in Sonora. Rather than looking for opportunities in a specific area, the regional approach derived from a bi-national task force will maximize results through joint planning efforts and better resource allocation," Reyna said.

The market for private-sector electricity sales, domestically or exported, is already established, Reyna underscored. "Our current legal framework makes solar development already possible. There are schemes by which companies can produce and sell energy. Regulations are not excessive; the companies simply must have previous trade agreements with customers to generate energy in Sonora."

Financing more PV in Sonora will not be a problem, either, Reyna added. "It’s just a matter of presenting the banks with an attractive investment project. We have had contact with some development banks that are willing to support projects in Sonora. Some of these banks have already financed solar projects in Mexico," he added.

VIEWS: It makes sense to produce solar energy in areas where there is the most sun - so why not Mexico. Land and labor costs are low (e.g., look at all the NAFTA companies there), and the environmental regulations are easier. Europe is looking at producing electricity in Africa (e.g., DESTERTEC). It's a win win situation - jobs and money go to Mexico. Low cost electricity comes to the USA. Plus its good for the environment. We should do more of this.

Source: Renewable Energy World

Largest Solar Park in World to be Built in Serbia

2012-11-01T18:00:00.000-04:00

Securum Equity Partners & Associates, a venture management company, said it signed a definitive agreement with Serbia on building the "largest solar park in the world" in the Balkan country.

The one-gigawatt park will cost 1.28 billion euros ($1.66 billion) to build and enable production of 1.14 terawatt hours a year from panels provided by MX Group Southeast Europe with technology from Italy’s MX Group SpA, the company said in an e- mailed statement today. Electricity will be exported “mainly to the markets in western Europe that need green energy,” said Ivan Matejak, Securum’s manager for Serbia, in a phone interview.

The so-called OneGiga project will occupy 3,000 hectares in southern Serbia, “in the vicinity of power lines,” Matejak said, without specifying a location, pending an agreement for a long-term land lease. Construction work is to begin in April and the park should be completed by the end of 2015, he said.

Developing the park will create 800 jobs, while 120 will be employed for maintenance once production begins. Serbia’s government said in May it would provide land free of charge for the project.

Securum estimated the maintenance cost at 475 million euros over the park’s expected service life of 25 years. Italy’s Fimer SpA is providing technology for inverters, the devices that convert the power from photovoltaic panels for use in the grid.

The binding agreement with Serbia’s government was signed on Oct. 25, it said.

Largest US Rooftop Project is for the US Army

2012-10-16T03:00:00.000-04:00

credit: Lend Lease

SolarCity has embarked on the second phase of Project SolarStrong, a billion dollar initiative to install solar panels on 120,000 units of privately managed U.S. military housing.

The Silicon Valley startup will put 18,000 photovoltaic panels on 850 residences at the Los Angeles Air Force Base in California and the Peterson and Schriever Air Force bases in Colorado Springs, Colo. The housing is managed by Lend Lease, the Australian property and infrastructure giant, and the solar project is being financed by Bank of America and U.S. Bancorp.

“The United States military is aggressively pursuing reductions in its fossil fuel energy use – SolarStrong gives privatized military housing communities an affordable way to use solar electricity,” Lyndon Rive, SolarCity’s chief executive said in a statement.

A $344 million federal loan guarantee that originally was to underwrite SolarStrong fell through shortly after SolarCity announced the project in September 2011.

But two months later, the company and Bank of America said SolarStrong would move forward without a loan guarantee, thanks to the bank’s positive experience in financing another large solar project with a mix of debt and equity. Such projects still qualify for a 30% incentive tax credit through the end of 2016 and a 75% plunge in prices for photovoltaic modules over the past three years has made them increasingly attractive.

SolarStrong has been downsized from the original plans to generate 371 megawatts from 160,000 photovoltaic installations on military bases in 33 states. But it still stands as the largest single rooftop solar project in the U.S.

When the California and Colorado projects are completed by early next year they will produce about 4.2 megawatts, generating between 30% and 60% of the electricity consumed by the residences, according to SolarCity.

SolarCity, which has filed for an initial public offering, previously installed solar arrays on Lend Lease-managed housing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu and the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz.

Source: Forbes

US Army to Support Renewable Energy Companies

2012-10-15T16:13:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Army recently announced it is willing to sign contracts to buy electricity generated by solar, wind, geothermal and biomass projects for up to 30 years.

“It is the intent of the government only to purchase the energy that is produced and not to acquire any generation assets,” the Army stated in the solicitation. “The contractor shall develop, finance, design, build, operate, own and maintain the energy plant.”

In other words, instead of paying the local utility for its electricity, a base would pay a solar energy company like SolarCity or Sungevity. That creates business for renewable energy companies as well as economies of scale that in the long run can lower the cost of green power.

The program is part of a Department of Defense initiative to meet at least 25% of energy demand on its bases from renewable sources by 2025. The military is also aiming its bases to become “net zero” consumers of electricity – generating more power than they use by installing solar and other renewable energy systems.

The Army said projects that generate fewer than 4 megawatts would be set aside for small businesses. It will also consider giving preference to small businesses for installations that generate between 4 megawatts and 12 megawatts of electricity but would accept unrestricted bids for projects greater than 12 megawatts.

Ground-mounted and rooftop solar systems have been built on a number of military bases in recent years and Silicon Valley startup SolarCity is installing photovoltaic panels on 120,000 units of privately managed military housing across the country as part of its SolarStrong initiative.

It is estimated that it will require $7 billion worth of renewable energy projects to supply the Army with the power it requires to meet its objectives. It is unclear at this point if the Army will be entering into PPA solar purchase or Solar Leasing agreements ... or a combination of both types of energy purchase agreements ... to meet its objectives.

Source: Forbes

Who's Making Money in Solar Today?

2012-10-11T16:12:00.000-04:00

The answer is solar installers -- and solar leasing companies. Here's why.

As the price of solar panels has collapsed — down 50% over the last year — companies that bet on more expensive technologies or processes have failed.

The past few years have seen more than a few solar bankruptcies.

Solyndra is the most infamous one, closing its doors after gorging on public funds. Evergreen Solar and SpectraWatt also went belly-up. And the list certainly goes on...

But all these solar failures have a few things in common, and ignoring the lessons they teach can cost you big bucks in the energy game.

For starters, all of the solar bankruptcies were manufacturers of solar panels or cells.

They failed for the same reason you're not reading this on a Radio Shack or RCA computer: Other technologies are beating them out as the market matures.

The second thing you must understand is that the collapse of solar prices is actually good for an important part of the industry: consumers. With a high supply of cheap panels, homeowners have been quick to snatch up deals...

Solar installations in the United States have grown 426% since 2010.

The question is now: If prices are falling and installations are surging, who is making money?

View: Non-Solar Solar Companies

Installations are higher than they've ever been — but 75% of homeowners aren't buying the panels ... they're leasing them.

New financing models are allowing installation companies to own, maintain, and insure the solar panels while homeowners pay a fixed rate for electricity over 20 years.

This new business model has caught the attention of Wall Street's biggest banks, which are racing to provide the upfront funds so they can get a cut of the 20-year action.

It's the reason California homeowners alone have put $1 billion into solar leases in the past five years.

And it's the reason solar installers — like SunRun, Sungevity, and SolarCity — are getting a new look from investors. Check out some of the stats these guys are posting...

It took SunRun four years to get its first 10,000 customers. It took one year to get its next 10,000. Credit Suisse just bet $200 million on the company.

Sungevity increased its revenue from $2 million to $10 million in two years.

SolarCity has installed more than 30,000 systems in 14 states while employing 1,500 people, including installations for Wal-Mart and Intel. It was named #10 inFast Company's list of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World this year.

Indeed, while makers of solar equipment have been imploding, installers have been exploding ... and US Bankers are jumping in on the action.

source: Energy & Capital / Angel Publishing

The Death of the Solar Industry is Premature

2012-10-02T13:57:00.000-04:00

While there have been numerous reports of solar company closings (e.g., the ones President Obama gave money to), which caused some people to stay away from solar - the global perspective is much more revealing.

News: Global investment in renewable power and fuels increased 17% to a new record of $257 billion in 2011, with developing economies making up more than a third of this total. So concludes The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment Report (GTR) for 2012.

This comprehensive analysis from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management finds that while the US closed in on China in the race to be the leading renewable energy investor, with a 57% leap in outlay to $51 billion, India displayed the fastest expansion rate, with its 62% increase to $12 billion.

Noting that one of the dominant features of 2011 was technology costs, the report concludes that with falling PV module and wind turbine prices – close to 50% and 10% respectively – the two leading renewable power technologies consequently came closer to competitiveness with fossil-fuel alternatives. However, the other key feature was a weakening in policy support in many developed countries, reflecting austerity pressures, particularly in Europe, and legislative deadlock in the US.

The percentage increase in investment between 2010 and 2011 was smaller than the 37% rise seen between 2009 and 2010, but it took place at a time when the cost of renewable power equipment was falling fast, the analysis records, suggesting that the growth in dollar investment would have been significantly larger in 2011 if it had not been for the price deflation for PV and wind.

Nonetheless, in 2011, total investment in solar power jumped 52% to $147 billion, reaching a figure almost twice as high as that in wind energy, at $84 billion, which was down 12%. This marked the first time that solar has opened up an appreciable investment gap over wind, the report notes, adding that the performance of solar owed most to booming rooftop PV installations in Germany and Italy as property owners moved to take advantage of falling panel prices, and a spurt in the financing of large-scale solar thermal electricity generation projects in Spain and the US.

What is Happening in 2012?

Figures from Bloomberg New Energy Finance show that asset finance of utility-scale renewable energy projects in the first quarter of 2012 was $23.3 billion, down 36% from the fourth quarter of 2011 and 14% below the figure for the first quarter of last year. In fact, 2012 was the weakest first quarter for renewable energy asset finance since 2009, in the depths of the financial crisis, the report notes.

Indeed, investment in renewable energy was subdued in the first three months of 2012, in the face of uncertainty over future policy support in Europe and the US, the analysis continues, stating that although there have been signs that governments are trying to clarify specific issues for investors, there is not yet any evidence that investment levels will accelerate in the subsequent quarters of 2012.

There were still some big projects financed however – including the 396 MW Marena Wind Portfolio in Mexico for $961 million, the 100 MW KVK Chinnu solar thermal plant in India for approximately $400 million, and the 201 MW Post Rock Wind farm in Kansas, US, for an estimated $376 million.

The largest projects financed in Europe in the first part of 2012 – in the face of a difficult market for bank lending – were the 150 MW Monsson Pantelina wind farm in Romania at $317 million, and the 60.4 MW SunEdison Karadzhalovo solar PV plant in Bulgaria at $248 million.

Venture capital and private equity investment in renewable energy companies was resilient, at $1.4 billion worldwide in the first quarter, up from $1.1 billion in the previous quarter and $1.2 billion in the equivalent quarter of 2011. Solar and biofuels were the two dominant sectors for equity-raisings.

Public markets investment was just $473 million, down 46% from the end of 2011 and 87% from the equivalent period in 2011. This was not surprising given the poor performance of clean energy shares over the last few quarters, the authors conclude.

Views: While the current oversupply of solar panels has depressed the price of panels - I believe that as newer technologies come to market - with higher efficiencies, lower manufacturing costs, new installation designs and much more - the solar market will enter into another round of sustained growth. To stay up on some of the latest solar research read Solar Facts and Advice.

Sources: Renewable Energy World.com

Most Americans Want More Solar, But Still Have Installation Questions

2012-09-28T15:54:00.000-04:00

Nine in 10 (89%) U.S. adults, according to a new election-cycle survey on clean energy, agree that renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, should be a bigger part of America's energy supply in the future.

The survey - conducted by Ipsos poll on behalf of residential solar firm Sungevity - shows that America's commitment to solar is strong, with 80% of respondents expecting their elected officials to support solar energy initiatives.

Additionally, 81% of respondents said they believe that regardless of who is in office, the White House and other official federal and state residences should use solar energy.

Results of the Sungevity Solar Survey show that many respondents see the economic and environmental benefits associated with the wider adoption of renewable energy, with 81% agreeing that reducing our dependency on coal, oil, nuclear energy and gas is the right thing to do for the environment and the economy.

Additionally, seven in 10 (72%) say jobs created in the solar energy industry are better for our economy and our environment than jobs created in the coal, oil, nuclear and gas industries. The majority of Americans (four out of five) believe that the increased use of solar power will reduce household energy costs and will help create local jobs.

Eight in ten (80%) adults agree that the biggest benefits that would encourage support for solar energy are financial in nature, such as reduced energy costs (60%), decreased dependence on the fluctuating cost of fossil fuels (26%), federal/state tax credits (21%) and increased home value (12%).

However, according to the survey, Americans are lacking information about solar energy, with 70% wishing they knew more about renewable energy sources and nearly half (48%) confused about solar energy options.

Adults are apprehensive to use solar energy due to the perceived stress of dealing with installation, such as updating electrical systems and dealing with zoning laws (47%). Other reasons for not using solar energy include the belief it may not be available in their area (16%), it wouldn't generate enough energy (19%) or they may not live in a sunny location (12%).

"The survey makes it clear that solar companies must do a better job communicating how easy and affordable it is to incorporate solar power into your home," says Danny Kennedy, Sungevity's founder.

Source: Solar Industry

Solar Industry Shakeout Continues

2012-09-22T15:01:00.004-04:00

The following story about ABB withdrawing it's investment in a solar panel manufacturer does not surprise me. Investing in solar panel companies these days is risky given plummeting prices and margins for solar panels. But on the other hand - the industry needs prices to come down -- they just need to figure out how to still make money when it does.

Here's the News

News of ABB pulling its $20 million investment in GreenVolts hit the SPI show floor last week, dampening the electric excitement of President Clinton's keynote address. With so much consolidation, solar company bankruptcies and disappointing political support for solar in the past year, it is difficult to see the future of solar power, and ABB is hitting its brakes before it witnesses another accident.

GreenVolts, a CPV startup that had its hand in everything from technology to installation and once showed much promise, has been forced to lay off more than 60 of its 80 employees. Without ABB’s $20 million investment pledged in December 2011, Greenvolts is forced to look for a buyer for its technology or assets.

This is not an uncommon scenario for the solar industry as of late. Just a few months ago in July, HCPV manufacturer Amonix closed its Las Vegas plant and laid off its staff just one year after opening its doors citing lower-than-expected demand. And since Solyndra shut its doors one year ago and sparked political backlash for the solar industry, consolidation has steadily continued. According to ABB, this trend is expected to continue.

ABB attributes its decision to retract investment in GreenVolts to the oversupply and plunging prices of panels. But ABB isn’t just solely backing away from this investment, it is avoiding PV technology altogether.

“It is really in the PV panel space that we are not looking to continue,” said Barry Dillon, ABB’s Director of Media and Community Relations. “We are not interested in continuing to invest in that area or anything that competes with PV panels because of the cost problem.”

Though ABB invested in GreenVolts just last December, Dillon said the company was surprised at the change in market projections over the past few months. In these few months, projections through 2015 have dropped nearly 40 percent, according to ABB. “On the panels themselves, it just doesn’t look profitable and is not worth our time,” said Dillon.

So the big question remains: Are other companies going to follow suit? According to Adam Krop, senior analyst at Ardour Capital, companies will continue to pull investments, but mostly in the manufacturing and technology sectors. He believes that the industry is approaching a phase where it needs less investment in research and development because the technology is reaching the point where it doesn’t need support.

With high overcapacity of panels, there is a huge supply of equipment to meet project development demand for the next couple of years. “We expect installed costs to continue decline for the foreseeable future, which will continue to pressure margins at component manufacturers, but will only support strong installation volume growth,” said Krop.

Though investment will likely continue to be pulled from the manufacturing and technology front, Krop expects huge investments in the downstream PV market.

“It’s really a business decision,” said Dillon. “The industry analysts are saying that this area is not going to show any profitability for the next two or three years, so why continue?”

Source: Renewable Energy World.com

My View

People in the Solar Industry have known for a long time that in order survive in the long term - they need to lower the cost to produce a kWh of power so that it is competitive. There are several approaches that companies are following to achieve this objective:

1) The simplest procedure is the Chinese solution - huge capital investment, vertical integration and economy of scale. This strategy leads to lower costs - and has lead to the downward pressure on solar panel prices.

2) Switching to new materials (the thin-film strategy used by firms like First Solar) made it possible to use different types of manufacturing technology and pushed costs down substantially.

3) Other companies are exploring ways to increase the productivity of the panels themselves - by developing hybrid and other technologies (i.e., nano coatings to increase light absorption, increase performance during periods of lower light (e.g., mornings, evenings, cloudy weather), and other such strategies).

Patent applications related to the solar industry are the second largest group, and there are some very promising new discoveries.

Already in many markets producing energy from the sun is the lowest cost option, and as the cost per kWh continues to drop - solar will be more and more cost competitive. Until then there will be lots of changes in the industry.

I'm old enough to remember the evolution of the personal computer technology -- from big bulky low powered and expensive computers that were hard to use and had very limited uses. The changes over the past 20 years have been steady and substantial - and I believe we'll see something very similar with the solar industry. So while I read the stories about ABB withdrawing their investment - and I feel bad for the employees of GreenVolt -- I feel pretty good about the industry in general and where it is going. There will be bumps along the road -- but I believe the long term future for solar industry is still sunny.

What do you think?

Can India Realize the Potential of Solar?

2012-09-21T16:14:00.001-04:00

While the massive blackouts in India are focusing attention on the opportunities for clean power in India, the country already has many solar projects under way.

With solar PV capacity rising from under 20MW to more than 1,000MW in two years, all eyes are turned towards India. The latest energy report from KPMG, The Rising Sun, predicts that India has a solar market potential of 12,500MW, calculated to be reached by 2016-17.

India currently has a power deficit of 9%, expected to continue its steady increase over the next few years. This has generated net losses of INR88,170 crores this year.

Author of the KMPG report, Arvind Mahajan, insists that, “To realize this, utilities and regulators should create an enabling environment recognizing the specific characteristics of solar power.”

However, The Hindu Business Line cannot envisage an Indian solar future because of the radio silence surrounding Phase II of the National Solar Mission, which was due to be announced this July.

KPMG states that the captive and REC market has the potential of reaching 2,500MW by 2016-17. Despite this, The Hindu Business Line argues that these electricity distribution companies, which are driven by renewable purchase obligations, have become bankrupt entities. The publication contends that there is no “evidence of the various electricity regulatory commissions enforcing the obligation”.

Mahajan puts the onus on the central and state government to provide the necessary support to the solar industry over the next five years, “to realize the immense potential solar power offers for an energy starved country like India”.

The Hindu Business Line suggests raiding the coffers of the National Clean Energy Fund in order to be able to offer FiTs on the same scale as those available in Japan. KPMG is in agreement: “This financial assistance can help states support solar power and mitigate payment security concerns.”

Additionally, KMPG recommends the Indian government should provide “infrastructural support, appropriate regulations such as “banking facility” or “net-metering” to allow access to rooftop and small-scale solar power projects which is expected to reach parity before grid-level consumers.”

Furthermore, KPMG’s report helps to instil a little faith in the Indian government because it has proposed the creation of a number of National Manufacturing & Investment Zones (NMIZ) to boost growth of the manufacturing industry in India. “The concept of NMIZ proposes a framework for more business friendly policy, procedures and approval ecosystem, combined with superior physical infrastructure,” states Mahajan. He believes this could be used as a model for a solar industry focused manufacturing and investment zones to “encourage investments in this clean source of energy”.

All legislative proposals need financial backing to make them concrete, however, The Hindu Business Line writes, “The government does not have money”. Unfortunately, without appropriate remuneration, KPMG’s optimistic predictions for a rising sun in India may not come to fruition.

Sources: The Hindu Business Line, Renewable Energy World.com

Germany Calls For Solar Trade Talks With Chinese

2012-09-18T10:53:00.000-04:00

BERLIN -- The European Union, the 27-nation bloc locked in a trade dispute with China over solar-panel sales, backed a call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks to resolve the impasse. The European Commission, the EU's trade authority in Brussels, supports plans for a "political dialogue," Merkel said today in Berlin after speaking with EC President Jose Manuel Barroso. No EU state would refuse such talks if they're "substantial" and "open," she said.

The EU this month threatened to impose tariffs on panels from China, saying European competitors may be victims of unfair price undercutting. Companies such as Bonn-based Solarworld AG, emboldened by similar U.S. measures against China this year, are seeking to bolster their defenses as growing Asian competition squeezes profit margins.

Chinese wind-energy and solar companies including Suntech Power Holdings Co. have grabbed market share from EU rivals that once dominated the industry. The increased competition cut panel prices by half last year, tipping at least a dozen companies into bankruptcy.

Merkel said in August she was seeking talks to prevent the opening of anti-dumping proceedings in Europe. China, in turn, called for dialogue to safeguard economic and trade ties, the Xinhua News Agency reported Sept. 15. Europe accounts for about three-quarters of the global photovoltaic market.

The U.S. has proposed anti-dumping duties ranging from 31 percent to 250 percent on Chinese solar manufacturers after the Commerce Department in May ruled they sold products below cost.

Source: Bloomberg

Solar Energy Has 25 to 80 Times More Potential

2012-09-18T10:47:00.000-04:00

“Solar energy has 25 to 80 times its current potential.” That estimate was offered by Richenda Van Leeuwen, executive director, energy and climate for the United Nations Foundation during this weeks session of SPI in Orlando, Florida.

Did you know that the United Nations declared 2012 "International Year of Sustainable Energy for All" (SE4ALL)?

Currently, 1.3 billion people worldwide are without access to electricity and 1 billion more have only intermittent access, said . In addition, 2.8 billion people lack access to clean cooking solutions, she said. In response, the UN launched the SE4ALL campaign, with an objective to reach three goals by 2030:

1) ensuring universal access to modern energy services,

2) doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and

3) doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

The UN has identified 40 countries as areas of energy need. In many of these countries, solar can be a big part of the solution, Van Leeuwen said.

As average PV module prices have fallen by nearly 75 percent in recent years, more developing nations are able to turn to solar, she said.

Xiaoping Wang, senior energy specialist with the World Bank, spoke about the World Bank’s efforts to bring funding for electricity to Latin America.

“You have countries in Latin America that have universal access, then you have countries like Haiti that have less than 30 percent access.”

Altogether, 34 million people in Latin America are without electricity, Wang said, and 89 million are still using inefficient biomass systems to cook their food. However, Latin American electricity access has expanded tremendously since 1970, when only 51 percent of the continent had access to electricity. In 2010, 94 percent of Latin America had access to electricity.

The challenges to bringing electricity to Latin America include the region’s difficult topography, high connection costs with low consumption, and consumers’ limited access to finance, Wang said. “We estimate to overcome these challenge and reach universal access for Latin America, there would need to be an $8 billion investment.”

“The potential in these countries is obviously enormous,” said Titus Breeninkmeijer, president, Solgenix, LLC.

In conjunction with the SE4ALL initiative, SEIA has launched The Solar Industry Commitment to Environmental and Social Responsibility, which John Smirnow, vice president, trade & competitiveness, shared during the session.

One of SEIA’s top priorities is to help ensure a sustainable solar supply chain globally. In support of this mission, SEIA is taking proactive steps to promote environmental and social responsibility within the industry, Smirnow said. To learn more about SEIA’s mission, visit www.seia.org.

Source: Renewable Energy World.com

Using Waste Silicon To Store Electricity

2012-09-15T17:44:00.001-04:00

It turns out that not can silicon be used to produce electricity in solar panels ... and power our computers - it can be recycled and used to produce low cost and high efficient lithium-ion batteries.

Learning how to utilize the waste silicon could really give us a big push to increasing battery life for phones, electric cars, and much more.

Got to love these R&D guys. Check out this recent progress report from Rice University.

Just one more reason to love solar energy.

Waste Silicon Gets New Life in Lithium-ion Batteries

Researchers at Rice University and the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium, have developed a way to make flexible components for rechargeable lithium-ion (Li) batteries from discarded silicon.

The Rice laboratory of materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan created forests of nanowires from high-value but hard-to-recycle silicon. Silicon absorbs 10 times more lithium than the carbon commonly used in Li batteries, but because it expands and contracts as it charges and discharges, it breaks down quickly.

The Ajayan laboratory reports in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science on its technique to make carefully arrayed nanowires encased in electrically conducting copper and ion-conducting polymer electrolyte into an anode. The material gives nanowires the space to grow and shrink as needed, which prolongs their usefulness. The electrolyte also serves as an efficient spacer between the anode and cathode.

Transforming waste into batteries should be a scalable process, says Ajayan, Rice's M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and of chemistry. The researchers hope their devices are a step toward a new generation of flexible, efficient, inexpensive batteries that can conform to any shape.

Co-lead authors Arava Leela Mohana Reddy, a Rice research scientist, and Alexandru Vlad, a former research associate at Rice and now a postdoctoral researcher at the Université catholique de Louvain, were able to pull multiple layers of the anode/electrolyte composite from a single discarded wafer. Samples of the material made at Rice look like strips of white tape or bandages.

They used an established process, colloidal nanosphere lithography, to make a silicon corrosion mask by spreading polystyrene beads suspended in liquid onto a silicon wafer. The beads on the wafer self-assembled into a hexagonal grid—and stayed put when shrunken chemically. A thin layer of gold was sprayed on and the polystyrene removed, which left a fine gold mask with evenly spaced holes on top of the wafer. "We could do this on wafers the size of a pizza in no time," Vlad says.

click to enlarge Silicon nanowires poke through a gold mask on their way to becoming part of a lithium-ion battery developed at Rice University. The process developed at Rice and at the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium, recycles waste silicon into functioning battery components. Image: Alexandru Vlad/Rice University

The mask was used in metal-assisted chemical etching, in which the silicon dissolved where it touched the metal. Over time in a chemical bath, the metal catalyst would sink into the silicon and leave millions of evenly spaced nanowires, 50 to 70 microns long, poking through the holes.

The researchers deposited a thin layer of copper on the nanowires to improve their ability to absorb lithium and then infused the array with an electrolyte that not only transported ions to the nanowires but also served as a separator between the anode and a later-applied cathode.

"Etching is not a new process," Reddy says. "But the bottleneck for battery applications had always been taking nanowires off the silicon wafer because pure, free-standing nanowires quickly crumble." The electrolyte engulfs the nanowire array in a flexible matrix and facilitates its easy removal. "We just touch it with the razor blade and it peels right off," he says. The mask is left on the unperturbed wafer to etch a new anode.

When combined with a spray-on current collector on one side and a cathode and current collector on the other, the resulting battery showed promise as it delivered 150 milliamp hours per gram with little decay over 50 charge/discharge cycles. The researchers are working to enhance those qualities and testing the anodes in standard battery configurations.

"The novelty of the approach lies in its inherent simplicity," Reddy says. "We hope the present process will provide a solution for electronics waste management by allowing a new lease on life for silicon chips."

Source: Rice University

Tracking Solar Technology without Motors

2012-09-14T05:00:00.000-04:00

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Madison have developed a new solar power system that is inspired by the sun-catching behavior of sunflowers and is at least 10 percent more efficient than conventional solar panels. The inspiring behavior is an adaptation called heliotropism -- the tracking of the sun throughout the day by sunflowers and other plants by slowly rotating and positioning each leaf to grab the most sunlight.

There are many other solar power systems out there that use GPS and motors to reposition the solar panels throughout the day, but this new system is different because it uses cutting-edge materials to take a more passive approach to catching sunlight.

The engineers used a fairly new material called liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) that contracts when exposed to heat. Coupled with carbon nanotubes that are able to absorb a wide range of light wavelengths all the way to infrared, the system is essentially driven by the unique properties of the materials it is made with, just as sunflowers naturally and effortlessly track the sun.

The university explains, "Direct sunlight hits a mirror beneath the solar panel, focused onto one of multiple actuators composed of LCE laced with carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotubes heat up as they absorb light, and the heat differential between the environment and inside the actuator causes the LCE to shrink. This causes the entire assembly to bow in the direction of the strongest sunlight.

As the sun moves across the sky, the actuators will cool and re-expand, and new ones will shrink, re-positioning the panel over the 180 degrees of sky that the sun covers in the course of the day."

The benefit of a passive system like this that there is no energy required to drive it, so none of the energy it generates is eaten up by the system itself -- it's all usable energy. As lead engineer Hongrui Jiang says, "The whole point of solar tracking is to increase the electricity output of the system."

Right now the system is just in the proof-of-concept phase, but Jiang and his team are working on creating larger panels using the technology so that huge fields of solar panels can one day passively rotate along with the sun.

Bill Clinton is Solar's Friend

2012-09-13T11:41:00.001-04:00

Bill Clinton has become one of the most outspoken proponents for the clean energy economy in recent years, and for good reason. The renewable energy sector, is one of the few to have added jobs even throughout the recession, and it promises to be one of the primary engines of growth in coming years as well.

Recently, the former president dropped by the Daily Show to talk about his new book, "Back to Work", which includes endorsements for policies that create clean jobs. In the interview and book, he hits on the importance of continuing to develop a market for solar power, much like Germany did with its feed-in tariff system and government-wide support for the industry.

"We were by passed in the last decade by Germany in the production and deployment of solar cells," Clinton said. "The sun as much on average in Germany as it does on London."

the point being, deploying solar would go much further in the U.S. than it does in sunshine-shy Germany.

Clinton continues: "Deutsche bank -- not Greenpeace, Deutsche Bank -- did a study saying that even if you account for the subsidies the german government and the german people pay, to get that solar, they still netted 300,00 jobs. So we're 4 times as big and twice as capable, so you do the math. That's two and half million jobs if we do what they did. We have got to be competitive in these areas. And I don't mind giving people tax credits but it ought to be to generate jobs and opportunities in America."

Following up his interview on the Daily Show, former President Bill Clinton offered words of encouragement and admiration for solar companies in America and around the globe. In his speech at the SEPA conference in Orlando, Mr. Clinton acknowledged that he was “preaching to the saved” but emphasized the dire need for the solar industry to set the record straight regarding the economic and environmental benefits that solar power and other renewables are already providing to various parts of the globe.

He said that most Americans don’t know that Germany has netted 300,000 jobs in solar energy even accounting for the draw that the feed-in tariff has had on its economy. He said that most Americans don’t know how much public-private cooperation is already happening.

He also pointed out that most Americans don’t know that $22 are given in subsidies for fossil and nuclear energy for every one dollar given to renewables.

“These are things people need to know,” he said.

Speaking for more than an hour, Clinton touched on some of key projects he has spearheaded through the Clinton Global Initiative such as using solar power in Haiti to power schools and hospitals. He said that he had learned on a recent trip to Costa Rica, that the country is already mostly powered by clean energy (hydropower) and has plans to tap geothermal and solar energy in the near future.

Clean energy is not just a race between China and U.S., he said, but rather it’s about people who are thinking about the future.

“You represent the future,” he told the audience, stating that in his view people working in the solar industry are lucky that they get to get up every day, look in the mirror and say ‘I’m going to make something good happen today.’

The solar industry is in the "future business" according to the former president, reminding the audience that the industry must do everything it can with what it already has in front of it. “It is a great mistake to worry about what will happen next year,” he said. “Good and bad things happen over a long period of time and just when you least expect it, you reach a tipping point,” he said.

“You are going to win this battle, the question is when and where and how,” he said.

Sources: Treehugger, Daily Show, Bill Clinton Blog, Renewable Energy.com

JA Solar Opposes Anti-Dumping Tariffs in EU

2012-09-12T15:06:00.001-04:00

Dr. Peng Fang, CEO of JA Solar, said, "JA Solar believes in fair and open trade".

Dr. Peng Fang, CEO of JA Solar (largest producer of monocrystalline silicon solar cells worldwide), said, "JA Solar believes in fair and open trade. As a public company, we conduct all our business transactions in a transparent manner. The imposition of antidumping tariffs on Chinese solar products would be highly damaging to both the European and global solar markets. Strong and fair competition across the global solar market has been the catalyst for rapid innovation and has allowed millions of consumers in Europe and around the world to access clean and affordable renewable energy. We believe that antidumping tariffs would jeopardize the huge progress the industry has made in recent years."

Dr. Fang continued, "We will cooperate fully with the European authorities in their efforts to conduct their investigation. In the meantime, we will continue to provide our European customers with the high-quality, high-efficiency products they expect from JA Solar."

Although JA Solar is diving into the Japanese market, the company has reported a 31% year-on-year decline in revenues for the second quarter of this year, which could further decrease should the EU Commission follow in the footsteps of the US Department of Commerce.

Source: PV Tech

JA Solar Takes Stake in Japanese Ingot Maker

2012-09-06T13:50:00.000-04:00

JA Solar Holdings Co., the biggest maker of photovoltaic cells, will take control of a company making solar-grade mono-cystalline silicon ingots from polysilicon maker M.Setek Co. to settle a dispute.

JA Solar said its unit in Hong Kong will pay M.Setek 247 million yuan ($38.9 million) for its 65 percent stake in Hebei Ningjin Songgong Semiconductor Co. The transaction is due to close at the end of this year and requires clearance from the government and anti-monopoly regulators.

The transaction is part of an effort to settle a dispute that arose after the 2011 earthquake in Japan, when M.Setek’s polysilicon plant there was unable to supply the raw material to JA Solar.

Source: Bloomberg