Solar Knowledge

Kimco Completes Installation of Two Solar Energy Systems at NJ Shopping Centers

2012-01-24T01:19:00.000-08:00

Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE: KIM) has powered up new rooftop solar installations at two of its retail properties, Bridgewater Promenade and Edgewater Commons, expected to provide 1.3 million kilowatt hours of clean, zero-emission power annually, or approximately 60 to 80 percent of major tenants' needs within each center.

The View Atop Kimco's Edgewater Commons Shopping Center

The Photovoltaic (PV) solar energy arrays are located at its shopping centers in Bridgewater, NJ and Edgewater, NJ. The company, as part of its corporate-wide sustainability program, now owns six solar-powered centers in the state producing more than thee megawatts of energy, equivalent to average usage for 300 households.

Bridgewater Promenade is a 242,000-square-foot shopping center at the intersection of Route 28 and I-287. Edgewater Commons totals 423,000 square feet at New River Road. Both centers are owned by Kimco through joint-venture partnerships.

"Responsible initiatives like Kimco’s solar power systems deliver measurable cost savings to our tenants and an environmental benefit to our communities. These efforts resonate positively with our retailers and shoppers, and are increasingly important to our investors," says Michael Pappagallo, chief operating officer for the company.

Kimco is a member of the US Department of Energy's Commercial Real Estate alliance (CREEA) which promotes technology to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions across the commercial real estate sector. The firm, a real estate investment trust with more than 940 shopping centers comprising 138 million square feet across 44 states, is looking to expand its sustainability program to other centers in New Jersey and beyond.

SOURCE:http://www.costar.com/News/Article/Kimco-Completes-Installation-of-Two-Solar-Energy-Systems-at-NJ-Shopping-Centers/134805

Solar Plant Files Complaint Against Idaho Power

2012-01-24T01:15:00.000-08:00

A struggling manufacturing plant has filed a complaint with the state utility regulator accusing Idaho Power Co. of overcharging on its electric bills.

Hoku Materials included the allegation in its response filed Monday with the Public Utilities Commission, the latest development in the Hawaii company's squabble with the state's biggest utility. Hoku officials say Idaho Power is charging them for more power than is actually being used at its polysilicon plant, part of which is under construction.

Hoku executives also say they have paid more than $11 million to Idaho Power since April 2011, even though the facility wasn't even connected to the grid until November and had paid $65,000 a day for power despite using less than $1,000 of power each day during commissioning activities.

"We believe that Hoku is being treated unfairly by Idaho Power, and we are asking the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to help us resolve this inequity," said Scott Paul, CEO of Hoku Corp., told the Idaho State Journal in a story published Tuesday (http://bit.ly/njfaln ).

The company has asked the state regulator to help resolve the dispute and amend its contract with the utility. The commission is expected to hear oral arguments in the case Wednesday.

Idaho Power has threatened to shut off electricity at the plant because Hoku missed a $1.9 million payment in November. The Honolulu-based company said it has told Idaho Power that it can't pay its November power bill until January due to financial problems.

Idaho Power officials say it's unfair to treat one customer different than all the rest who pay bills on time.

"We're not in the business of turning off power to our customers and we don't relish doing that," said Stephanie McCurdy, spokeswoman for Idaho Power. "But Hoku hasn't paid their bills and lived up to their contractual obligation, and there are consequences to that."

Hoku officials are asking the PUC for relief by eliminating their minimum monthly payments and charging only for the amount of power that is actually being used, reducing their deposit and refunding some of the money that they've paid to Idaho Power. Hoku also wants the PUC to keep Idaho Power from turning off the facility's electricity until an agreement is reached.

Southeastern Idaho hopes that Hoku's $390 million plant will eventually add hundreds of green-energy jobs to the local economy. Idaho Power signed a contract with Hoku to provide power at a cheap rate in 2009, which was a big reason the company picked Pocatello for its new solar panel plant.

But when the economy declined, polysilicon production went into surplus and prices dropped significantly, creating economic hardship for the company.

SOURCE: http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/65244--solar-plant-files-complaint-against-idaho-power

Martinez School Board to Spend $6.2 Million on Solar Panels

2012-01-24T01:11:00.000-08:00

With school funding threatened every year by state budget shortfalls, Martinez school board members hope a $6.2 million investment in solar panels will pay off by reducing energy costs and thereby freeing up money for the district's other needs.

Four board members on Monday agreed to spend the money to install solar panels. John Fuller abstained from voting.

According to an analysis by the solar contractor, the school district will save an estimated $475,000 in the first year the panels are up and running. Superintendent Rami Muth said the solar project will allow the district to control its own destiny by providing a stable source of funds.

"This is going to give us another way to be able to weather those (state budget) storms," Muth said.

The total savings are a combination of lower electricity bills and rebates through the California Solar Incentive program. Through the rebate program, which PG&E runs, the school district will receive 12 cents per kilowatt hour of energy the solar panels produce. If energy costs increase over time, the district could save even more.

The money for the solar project comes from the $45 million bond voters approved in 2010. The board has issued about $25 million in bonds so far. Taxpayers will pay about $2.33 for every dollar in bond funds the district spends, according to Aaron Jobson, of Quattrocchi Kwok Architects.

The solar panels are scheduled to be installed later this year. The solar contractor will guarantee for 10 years that the panels will produce at least 95 percent of the energy they are capable of producing.

The company also will perform routine maintenance on the panels during the 10-year period. The panels come with a 25-year manufacturer's warranty and have a life expectancy of 40 years, Jobson said.

The board has separated the proposed bond projects into three phases. In addition to the solar panels, the first phase includes districtwide technology infrastructure upgrades, additions to the performing arts building and gym at Alhambra High School, a remodeled kitchen at Las Juntas Elementary School, and minor improvements at the Vicente Martinez High School and Briones Independent Study School campus.

However, board member Kathi McLaughlin expressed concern about delaying reconfiguring the driveway and parking lot at Las Juntas and renovating the Vicente Martinez and Briones campus until the second phase.

She urged the board find ways to cut costs on some of the other first-round projects or to find another funding source for the solar panels so the Las Juntas and Vicente projects can be completed in the first round.

The $45 million bond will be repaid over 25 years at a total projected cost of $99 million. Martinez property owners are paying nearly $62 per $100,000 of assessed valuation to repay $48 million in existing school bonds.

Property owners won't pay more to repay the $45 million bond, instead the current tax levy, due to expire in 2014, will be extended.

SOURCE: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19713655

Solar bill fails to Advance in New Jersey Legislature

2012-01-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

A bill that would have increased New Jersey's solar energy mandate fell by the wayside when the state Legislature failed to vote on it by the end of the day Monday, the final voting session of the legislative year.

Renewable energy advocates hoped the Legislature would approve the bill (S-2371), which they said was necessary for New Jersey to continue building significant amounts of solar projects.

"I'm not surprised, but upset," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club. "We needed a bill to get passed [Monday] to keep the New Jersey solar market robust."

Another solar bill could be introduced during the new legislative year, which began Tuesday, but a quick outcome was unlikely, he said.

"The Legislature starts slow. I don't think you'll see anything of substance until at least March. We lost some momentum," Tittel said.

Matt Elliott, clean energy advocate for Environment New Jersey, said, "Anybody who supports solar energy in New Jersey realizes we have to do something. But we continue to see the Legislature and governor use the economy to attack clean-energy programs."

The bill, sponsored by Senator Bob Smith, would have escalated the number of solar renewable energy certificates that load-serving entities must purchase each year. A single SREC is created for one MWh of electricity from an eligible solar facility.

Such an increase would be needed to bump up New Jersey's SREC prices, which fell from the mid-$600s about a year ago to as low as $150 in August 2011, on account of excess supply, according to Alex Anich, director of research at Karbone, a New York-based environmental brokerage firm.

Supply is likely to continue exceeding demand in the next compliance period as well, unless lawmakers ratchet up demand further, Anich said. New Jersey's compliance year runs from June to May.

Even if no other solar projects come online, the number of SRECs available in 2012-13 is estimated to surpass 775,000, far greater than the target of 596,000 SRECs, he said.

Under the proposed bill, annual solar requirements would have been pushed up by one year.

Optimism that the Legislature would be able to push through a solar bill helped rally New Jersey SREC prices in recent weeks to a high of $300, Anich said. The failure to get a bill passed sent prices falling Tuesday to a bid-offer range of $200-$240, he said. The main issue causing an impasse appears to be the treatment of grid-connected solar projects, according to a blog posted by Michael Flett, CEO and president of the Flett Exchange, a Jersey City, New Jersey-based environmental market trading platform.

"The Christie administration suggested having all non-net metered projects seek Board of Public Utility approval. These projects would not be approved if they would have a detrimental effect on the SREC market. The issue was too complicated to be resolved in the short amount of time left in the last day of the legislative session," Flett said.

On Sunday, the office of Governor Chris Christie released a mark-up of the bill showing changes he wanted to see before the Legislature voted.

Smith's bill was less restrictive toward large-scale solar projects than Christie's proposal. It required only facilities with a capacity of 10 MW or larger to get BPU approval, and included a "grandfathering" clause.

Christie also amended Smith's bill by switching annual solar requirements from a fixed number of SRECs to a percentage of retail sales. However, when converted to MWh, the two proposals do not appear to be far apart, according to Karbone's calculations.

For example, Christie's solar target works out to an estimated 900,000 SRECs during the 2012-13 compliance year, only about 11% less than the amount proposed in the Smith-sponsored bill.

SOURCE: http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/ElectricPower/6844983

Developer Says Solar Firms Helping Power Real Estate Recovery

2012-01-23T01:10:00.000-08:00

New Jersey's emerging solar industry has long been seen as a job creator, but at least one Garden State developer hopes it can now fuel growth in the state's office market.

The developer, Bedminster-based Advance Realty, recently announced three new leases with out-of-state and international solar companies that are establishing regional offices in New Jersey. Among them are India-based Lanco Solar, which has leased 4,500 square feet at Advance's One Gateway Center, in Newark, and Johnson Controls, a Milwaukee-based firm that leased a 3,500-square-foot space at 400 Riverview Plaza, in Trenton.

"The fact that they see a market emerging here in New Jersey and are making investments to that end is a good sign," said Brian Banaszynski, managing director of Advance. "They're not big physical planned investments, but certainly intellectual capital and establishing a beachhead here."

A third tenant, KDC Solar, has established its New Jersey headquarters at an Advance property in Bedminster, and is going beyond the typical role of a tenant. The firm is installing ground-mounted solar arrays, rooftop panels and solar carports at the Route 206 site, and is preparing to do the same at another Advance property in Morris Township.

Banaszynski said the installations serve as both a showcase for the business and a cost-savings upgrade for the property owner. And the arrangement, which is common in states like Arizona, also benefits other tenants at the office building, said Jeffrey Heller, executive vice president at CB Richard Ellis.

"It's a win for the owner because they can generate a little more income, and it's a win for the tenant because it's not inconvenient to them," Heller said. "It's giving them a better parking situation by having a covered spot."

Banaszynski, meanwhile, said his firm is negotiating with a fourth out-of-state solar company, and hopes the industry will continue to have a positive impact on leasing activity. Other industries, such as biotech, have had similar effects in recent years, he said, and while the solar industry is far from having a large presence in the state's office market, he is confident New Jersey will continue to attract new companies in the sector.

"I think the same appeal is here for the solar industry relative to growing a business — access to major markets, access to capital centers and a good work force," Banaszynski said. "I think the same basic parameters are there to justify the investment by these solar companies, but they're just pursuing a different market."

SOURCE:http://www.njbiz.com/article/20120110/NJBIZ01/120119984/0/events_calendar/Developer-says-solar-firms-helping-power-real-estate-recovery

Solar Sector Likely to Look for Stabilization by Regulation

2012-01-23T01:06:00.000-08:00

With hopes for a legislative fix dashed, the solar sector likely will press for a regulatory remedy to stabilize an industry that has seen prices for the credits owners of solar systems earn for the electricity they produce drop dramatically in the past six months.

When the lame duck legislature ended yesterday without lawmakers even posting a much-debated bill designed to prop up prices for the credits, the attention shifts to the Office of Clean Energy within the state Board of Public Utilities, which has been considering a similar but less aggressive proposal.

The issue arose during a meeting of the agency staff with industry lobbyists and utility officials in Iselin, with Michael Winka, director of the office, noting that the new Energy Master Plan recommends ramping up the requirement that power suppliers get more of their electricity from solar systems.

An acceleration of the so-called Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) aims to soak up an oversupply of solar credits created by a boom cycle in the sector driven by lucrative state and federal incentives. That has led the price of so-called solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) to drop from more than $600 this past summer to the $200 range.

Without some action by lawmakers or the state, the price is likely to drop below $150 within a week or so, according to Michael Flett, president of the Flett Exchange, which brokers the solar credits. Industry executives say investment in the sector, one of the few growth areas in the state economy, could dry up unless the price of credits stays within the range of $200 to $400.

Winka indicated yesterday the staff will recommend to the five commissioners at the BPU whether and how much to accelerate the RPS for solar, but it must also include some type of cost savings for ratepayers, who end up paying for the solar credits on their gas and electric bills.

At the same time, the staff is also trying to determine whether to continue to expand utility-sponsored loan programs that help residents and businesses install solar system through long-term contracts. The staff is expected to convene again tomorrow with stakeholders to review a study by Rutgers University, which looked at the financial implications of the utility-sponsored programs.

“That will shape our discussions going forward,’’ Winka said.

Even with all the uncertainty hovering over the sector, New Jersey continues to see solar systems installed at a healthy rate. In December, between 35 and 36 megawatts of solar systems were installed, bringing the statewide total to 564 to 566 megawatts of solar capacity. Another 616 megawatts of solar systems are in the pipeline, according to projections by a consultant to the board.

Despite the expiration of a lucrative federal cash grant program at the end of last year, Lyle Rawlings, a vice president of the Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association, said it should not have a big impact on the number of solar projects moving forward.

“I don’t think it’s going off a cliff at all,’’ when asked about the potential for a drop-off. “It’s going to be primarily driven by the acceleration of the RPS, or the lack thereof.’’

SOURCE: http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/0110/2350/

Solar Power On The Rise as Technology Gets Cheaper

2012-01-22T00:36:00.000-08:00

Even if it is cloudy today the thin solar panels on Hubbard Foods' Auckland factory are helping put the morning cereal on the table.

In the United States, a solar station built by Meridian Energy is generating power for the Californian state grid, and the state-owned enterprise is also building a solar station in Tonga.

And throughout New Zealand homeowners are signing up in growing numbers to generate their own power from the sun.

As the price of the technology falls - it has halved in the past two years - it's becoming more popular.

It is estimated solar units in New Zealand generate up to 4MW to 5MW, a tiny fraction of total generation over summer of about 4500MW a day, but it is growing in small steps.

One domestic installer said some of the growing number of householders opting to complement or in a few cases replace grid-sourced power had cited concerns about rising power prices following the part-sale of SOEs.

In June 2010 Hubbard and lines company Vector teamed up to create the largest thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) installation on a commercial business in New Zealand.

A total of 160 PV panels covering 227sq m on the roof of the Hubbard building in Mangere produce power for warehouse lighting.

It was hoped the panels would generate 29,000kW/h of electricity a year - the equivalent of the power used to produce 169,000 packets of cereal, or the amount of electricity consumed by 3.5 homes over the same time.

The results of the trial have been encouraging. Because of the thin-film technology in these solar PV panels, electricity is generated even in low light conditions on cloudy days.

Although the actual amount of electricity generated has been slightly lower than projected, Vector says it has been an opportunity to refine system tools and project estimates for use on future installations.

During the past 18 months it has generated more than $8000 of power.

In certain applications, like Department of Conservation diesel conversion projects on Great Barrier Island and Raoul Island, solar PV is considered mainstream and economic, compared with the price and transport of diesel fuel.

However, on a purely substitutable, economic basis, mainstream solar could be a number of years off.

A key point to remember is that the reports of high levels of solar solutions adopted internationally are driven by massive subsidies and feed-in tariffs, which are not available in New Zealand.

It was subsidies and guaranteed off-take of power that attracted Meridian to Mendota in California's Central Valley.

In 2009 it bought a local company, Cleantech America, and built a 5MW solar plant that has a 20-year deal with Pacific Gas & Electric to buy power.

The US$25 million cost of the plant, the first solar station to be connected to the grid in California, got a 30 per cent federal government subsidy as part of the Obama Administration's renewable energy push.

Since commissioning about 18 months ago, it has run at capacity for 24 per cent of the time. In comparison, New Zealand windfarms can run at capacity for 40 per cent of the time.

The great thing about solar is that it's quite predictable ... We're getting pretty much what we expected to see," said Meridian's corporate ventures manager, Peter Apperley.

The company monitors the California plant from its Wellington headquarters.

We've got a screen where we can see it. On a summer's day it gets a little bit boring.

Meridian is also building and will initially run a 1MW solar station in Tonga that will provide about 4 per cent of the kingdom's annual load, and between 10 per cent and 25 per cent of daily peak demand.

Apperley said utility-scale solar generation in New Zealand was some way off, and more likely to be located in remote northern communities.

We think solar will have a part to play. In the near term it will be [small-scale] rooftop PV because the cost of land is too high, he said.

In 10 years there could be smaller-scale solar farms built, especially where there are supply constraints.

On the outskirts of Warkworth, Chip Babbott has spent about $60,000 installing 27 panels on an outbuilding that, during summer, provides 75 per cent of power for his large family home. It drops to about 50 per cent in winter.

The mechanical engineer chose solar because he was worried about the threat to supply and the rising cost of power. He has calculated it will take about 18 years to recover the initial outlay.

Some people laugh and say I've blown $60,000, but that's what you can spend on a car. I've got secure power.Babbott is able to sell excess power back into the grid.

He is now building an electric car by dropping an electric motor into an old Toyota, which he hopes can be fuelled from excess power he generates during the day.

His solar setup comes from What Power Crisis, a South Auckland company that says it is experiencing growing demand for its solar PV modules on rooftops and, in some instances, on ground-mounted frames.

Business development manager Henry Cassin said the company had installed close to 200 systems during the past two years. It had hit its 12-month sales target within the past six months.

Many domestic installations, usually used with a wetback hot-water-heating system, could be done for less than $10,000, excluding GST. Most customers were worried about rising power prices.

It's very much flavour of the month, Cassin said, with the planned partial sell-off of state power companies one reason for demand.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority chief executive Mike Underhill said the cost of solar PV panels had been decreasing worldwide for many years, thanks to economies of scale and improved manufacturing processes.

Currently, because of a situation of oversupply of PV panels, prices are reduced even further than would otherwise be the case."

This is because of growth in PV manufacturing increasing faster than demand, and depressed demand for PV in markets such as Australia because of the recession.

Suppliers are looking to new markets, and are offering low PV prices in New Zealand.

At an equivalent unit cost for PV of about 26c/kWh, solar is approaching the retail electricity tariff.

Underhill said homeowners considering installing a PV system in order to feed electricity back into the grid for ongoing income should bear in mind that opinions varied on what the tariff should be, and that tariffs on offer now might change in the future.

Some electricity retailers pay PV owners more than the nominal 8c/kWh, even as much as the full retail tariff, but this may not continue as more and more hobbyists install PV on their homes. It is possible that the price paid for home-generated electricity may fall to about 8c/kWh.

In this eventuality, an investment in PV would make financial sense mainly for those who would use the electricity themselves rather than feeding it back into the grid for payment.PACNEWS (PINA)

SOURCE: http://www.electroiq.com/photovoltaics/2012/01/1579823891/solar-power-on-the-rise-as-technology-gets-cheaper.html

Integrated Solar Power Mounting Systems Dramatically Reduce Costs

2012-01-22T00:35:00.000-08:00

Westinghouse Solar, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of solar power systems, published a White Paper today entitled: "The Revolution in Solar Power Mounting Systems." This White Paper details the financial, engineering and customer benefits of rooftop solar power systems that have integrated racking, wiring and grounding, including those from Westinghouse Solar and Zep Solar.

For decades, the standard for rooftop solar power system installation has consisted of a field assembly process utilizing a variety of components that must be sourced, kitted, and assembled onsite. The outcome of this approach resulted in significant assembly cost, as well as systems that were not aesthetically integrated with the design of the home.

As the cost of solar panels has declined, the overall balance of system costs (BOS, or non-panel costs) has become a larger portion of the overall system cost. For example, in 2001 these BOS costs were 40%; by 2013 they are expected to be 57% of the cost of the system. This shift in the cost model has placed increased awareness by solar power installers and system engineers on rooftop systems that reduce installation time and improve system reliability.

"The total installed cost of a rooftop system is the most important economic factor for customers. Reducing system complexity and installation time is the best way to reduce those costs," said Barry Cinnamon, CEO of Westinghouse Solar. "Solyndra had the right idea in targeting installation cost reduction; unfortunately, their solar panels were simply much too expensive. Nevertheless, there are now several integrated rooftop systems on the market that are indeed less expensive than ordinary rack-mounted solar panels."

The White Paper from Westinghouse Solar not only details the key features and benefits of integrated rooftop mounting systems, but also presents an objective overview of the practical considerations that are necessary when these systems are deployed in a code-compliant way.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/integrated-solar-power-mounting-systems-dramatically-reduce-costs-2012-01-11

Nine Things to Consider In "Going Solar" for Your Home

2012-01-22T00:32:00.000-08:00

With thousands more Californians expected to install solar on their rooftops in 2012, residential provider American Solar Direct today offered nine essential factors for homeowners to consider when seeking their energy independence.

"Producing electricity from your own rooftop is getting easier and more affordable. The trends we saw in 2011 - primarily, that home solar was truly entering the mainstream market - should continue at a strong pace this year," said Ravi Thuraisingham, ASD's president and chief financial officer. "Thousands of homeowners will continue to seek ways to cut electric bills and have a positive impact on the environment."

Because of its focus on high touch, end-to-end customer service, American Solar Direct is uniquely qualified to provide California homeowners a wealth of information and insights needed to make the right choice regarding rooftop solar. Homeowners considering solar should consider the following nine key factors:

Lease versus own. An average home-solar installation can cost $25,000 or more. The easier alternative is to have a licensed contractor install the system and offer lease financing for little or no money up front. The installer owns and maintains the system, not to mention handles securing permits and managing the many other small details leading up to turning on the system. Leasing is affordable for many homeowners because they immediately see savings from lower electric bills and someone else worries about the system's maintenance.

Net metering. When a rooftop solar system produces more energy than needed for a home, the excess is supplied to the local electric utility. Homeowners can see some of their greatest monthly cost reductions when their rooftop solar panels are providing energy back into the system.

Rebates. Since a leased solar panel system is "owned" by the installer, rebates will go to the company. This enables the installer to further reduce the overall price of the solar project, which in turn lowers the lease payment. Rebates will vary by region. It also is important to know that some rebates are currently scheduled to expire in a few years.

In-house service vs. outsourcing. Does a solar installer have all staff and services - from customer representatives, to installers, to ongoing maintenance and financing - within their company? Or, do they provide some or all of these services through third-party entities? The "continuum of care" is usually more guaranteed by an installer providing these services by their own employees.

Home values. Several current studies show that a home's value increases when it contains the best available energy efficiency devices. Why? Because a home's overall "operating cost" decreases as it uses less water, gas and electricity. Rooftop solar is becoming a standard feature on new homes for this reason.

What if I move? Typically, a homeowner can assign a solar lease to the purchaser (following a simple credit check of the new owner). Studies show an increase in the percentage of prospective homebuyers actively seeking residences with multiple "green" features, such as solar.

Remain energy efficient. With solar panels on the roof, it is tempting to crank up the air conditioning, keep lights on throughout the house or otherwise revert to energy wasting habits. Since some power must still come from an electric utility, being energy efficient ensures the lowest monthly costs - even as solar dramatically reduces the amount of utility-supplied power purchased on a monthly basis.

Appearance. California law prohibits homeowner associations, municipalities and other organizations from enforcing rules that prohibit a homeowner from having rooftop solar. But, you also don't want to upset your neighbor. After determining a home has enough roof space for solar, an installer will usually create a custom design to ensure a solar panel "array" will blend into the roof as much as possible.

New technologies. The rate at which solar cells convert sunlight into electricity has increased since the first cells were made. While gains continue to be made, they are at small incremental rates. Therefore, the panels bought today should continue to be very efficient for their 20- to 30-year life. As solar becomes more popular, companies also are developing new technologies and cell designs. However, until these designs are incorporated into mass production, these more "exotic" solar panels may be too expensive for the typical homeowner.

Have more questions? An American Solar Direct customer service representative can come to your home for a full analysis and consultation.

About American Solar Direct

American Solar Direct is a full-service solar provider, offering affordable solar system leases as well as purchase agreements. American Solar Direct includes design, permitting, installation, and project management services in each flat rate contract. Through its fixed rate solar lease program, ASD offers homeowners the ability to generate their own clean, renewable power and take control of their electricity prices.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nine-things-to-consider-in-going-solar-for-your-home-2012-01-11

Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center Goes Green with Solar Panels on Parking Structure

2012-01-21T00:30:00.000-08:00

The Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center is starting 2012 on a green note as it goes live with solar panels.

Installed on the roof on one of the medical center’s two parking structures, the solar panels make the Fontana Medical Center one of the area’s first major medical centers to receive a significant amount of its energy from the sun.

In March of 2010, Kaiser Permanente agreed to install solar power systems at 11 of its California facilities. The agreement with Recurrent Energy, a solar project developer and generating company providing clean electricity to utilities and large energy users, launched one of the largest sustainable energy programs in U.S. health care.

“These solar panels further demonstrate our environmental stewardship commitment to the overall health of the communities we serve,” said Greg Christian, the executive director of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals/Health Plan, Fontana and Ontario.

Installing solar panels on Kaiser Permanente hospitals, medical offices, and other buildings is the first part of a larger plan to use onsite renewable energy sources to power Kaiser Permanente’s buildings nationwide. A focus on renewable energy sources is just one aspect of the organization’s industry-leading work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the use of harmful chemicals, and promote sustainable food choices, Christian said.

“Solar panels at the Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center will produce approximately 10 percent of the power used on the medical center campus,” said Dominic Nigro, the assistant hospital administrator of capital programs and development. “That is enough electricity to power more than 150 homes for one year.”

In addition, during the summer months when a surplus of energy is expected to be produced by the solar panels, some of that energy will be returned to the power grid to be used later in the year.

The solar panels, which create a canopy over the existing open roof deck of Parking Structure 1&2 on the Fontana Medical Center campus, will not only draw the sun’s rays to be utilized for energy, but will also provide much-needed shade to the vehicles parked on the roof during hot, sunny days.

In Southern California, solar panels have been installed on the following Kaiser Permanente facilities: Fontana Medical Center, San Diego Medical Center, Irvine Medical Center, Bellflower Medical Office Building, Cudahy Medical Office Building, Downey Medical Office Building, La Mesa Medical Office Building, and Lancaster Medical Office Building. Panels were also added to medical facilities in Livermore, Santa Clara, and Vallejo in Northern California.

SOURCE: http://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/articles/2012/01/11/news/doc4f0e6a4b26562874552325.txt

Dedication of New Las Vegas Solar Energy Center Marks Completion of Five New PNM Solar Plants

2012-01-21T00:27:00.000-08:00

Public Service of New Mexico issued the following news release:

Joined by elected officials, community leaders and residents, PNM today dedicated the new Las Vegas Solar Energy Center, the last of five new utility-scale solar power plants PNM has brought online within the past year.

"These five facilities represent an investment by PNM and our customers in the potential of renewable energy," said Pat Themig, PNM vice president of generation. "While the plants cannot generate electricity continuously as customers require, together they will generate enough energy over the course of a year to power about 7,000 homes."

The Las Vegas facility, with 5 megawatts of solar capacity, is comprised of about 78,000 solar photovoltaic panels on 50 acres north of downtown Las Vegas. It has been sending power on to the PNM electric grid, for the benefit of all PNM customers, since Nov. 24.

The five solar energy centers were built as part of PNM's effort to comply with New Mexico's renewable portfolio standard, which currently requires that 10 percent of energy produced for customers come from renewable resources. The other new solar facilities, completed earlier in 2011, are located in Albuquerque (2 megawatts of capacity) and Los Lunas, Deming and Alamogordo (5 megawatts each).

The five solar plants together are expected to produce 51 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, offsetting 44 million pounds of carbon dioxide - or the equivalent of removing 4,500 cars from the road.

In addition to the facilities' combined 22 megawatts of capacity, PNM also has added 25 megawatts of solar capacity expected from an existing customer-owned solar program that pays incentives for customers to own their own solar energy systems. This is in addition to 200 megawatts of wind energy capacity from the New Mexico Wind Energy Center that PNM added to its system in 2003, before the state passed a renewable requirement.

PNM Files Request for Renewable Energy Line Item on Bills

Supports Compliance with the State Mandate, Keeps Costs Low

Yesterday, PNM filed a request with the N.M. Public Regulation Commission for permission to establish a separate, annually adjusted charge for implementing the requirements of New Mexico's renewable mandate to keep customer costs for renewable energy as low as possible. Keeping costs low also makes it possible to add more rather than less energy each year.

The fee, reflecting the cost of PRC-approved projects implemented since January 2011 but not yet reflected on customer bills, would add approximately 2.1 percent to PNM bills, or $1.38 for the average residential customer in 2012.

These projects include the costs of the utility-scale solar build out, the customer-owned solar program since the end of 2010, a landmark solar photovoltaic battery storage project near the Albuquerque airport, and the purchase of 58,071 megawatt hours of renewable energy from the Red Mesa wind facility in Cibola County west of Albuquerque.

PNM is proposing to recover renewable energy costs through this charge, just as it does energy efficiency program costs, rather than waiting to add them to general rates.

If the request is approved, PNM customers could see their first charge in August. The annually adjusted charge would allow costs to appear on customer bills closer to when they are incurred, lowering overall program costs due to avoided finance charges; avoiding multi-year program costs hitting customers all at once; and making the cost of renewable energy - through a separate line item -- clear to customers.

If the company waits to recover the costs in general rates, customers would not start paying for costs being incurred in 2011 and 2012 until 2013 at the earliest, by which time the customer cost increase would be nearly double because consumers would be paying for both past costs and new costs at the same time.

Lowering costs makes it possible to add more renewable energy and stay within the cost cap. The state's renewable requirement, which rises from 10 percent to 15 percent in 2015, also sets a cost cap to protect customers.

The rate for 2012 is based on an annual cost for 2012 of $18 million, consistent with what PNM proposed in its last rate case, collected over a five month period beginning in August, for total collections of $7.9 million in 2012. The remaining 2012 costs would be recovered in subsequent years. Hearings in the matter are expected to take place later this year.

SOURCE: http://www.power-eng.com/news/2012/01/1581197371/dedication-of-new-las-vegas-solar-energy-center-marks-completion-of-five-new-pnm-solar-plants.html

PSEG Solar Source Picks Up 25-Megawatt Project Near Phoenix

2012-01-21T00:24:00.000-08:00

PSEG Solar Source yesterday said it has completed the $75 million acquisition of a 25.2 megawatt solar project, located 30 miles southeast of Phoenix, AZ.

The project, developed by juwi solar Inc., a Boulder, CO, company specializing in developing utility-scale solar facilities, is expected to begin construction this month and be completed by the third quarter of 2012.

The deal to buy what will be known as the PSEG Queen Creek Solar Farm marks the fourth solar project for PSEG Solar Source, one of two Public Service Enterprise Group subsidiaries active in solar energy. The solar farm will be located on 158 acres of farmland. Panels will be mounted on a single-axis tracking system, which allows them to face the sun for more hours of the day than stationary solar panels.

PSEG Solar Source already owns the PSEG Wyandot Solar Farm, a 12-megawatt facility in Wyandot, Ohio, the largest operating solar facility in the state; the PSEG Jacksonville Solar Farm, a 15-megawatt facility on 100 acres in the Florida city and the largest solar facility in the northern part of the state; and the Mars Solar Garden, a 2.2-megawatt facility adjacent to the Mars Snackfood's U.S. headquarters in Hackettstown.

The electricity from the PSEG Queen Creek Solar Farm will by purchased by the Salt River Project Agriculture Improvement and Power District under a long-term power purchase agreement for 20 years. The company declined to reveal the cost of the electricity under the agreement.

Under separate agreements, juwi solar will engineer, procure, and build the facility, as well as perform operation and maintenance services for the project. PSEG Solar Source will own the project. It is the fourth deal the company has completed with juwi solar.

"PSEG Solar Source is pleased to add the PSEG Queen Creek Solar Farm to our portfolio of high-quality solar projects," said Diana Drysdale, president of PSEG Solar Source. She said the company will continue to seek opportunities throughout the United States to provide clean, emissions-free solar energy and to help states meet their solar and renewable targets."

Paul Patterson, an analyst who follows the company for Glenrock Associates, said PSEG clearly has the balance sheet to pursue such opportunities. "It certainly has the size, scale, and scope to competitively pursue energy infrastructure projects of all types," he said. "Given the emphasis and incentives policymakers have given renewable energy, it makes sense for them."

The Queen Creek Solar Farm will deliver a return on its investment consistent with other energy projects the company invests in, according to Drysdale. She said the company was less concerned with geography and size of projects and more focused on meeting the company's risk requirements and return for shareholders.

Still, she said the company is evaluating projects that range in size from 25 to as much as 50 megawatts of solar capacity.

Public Service Electric & Gas, a PSEG Solar Source affiliate, currently owns 52 megawatts in New Jersey. It includes 18 solar farms and more than 150,000 solar panels attached to the utility's poles. In addition, the state's largest gas and electric utility is administering a $105 million solar loan program.

SOURCE: http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/0112/0035/

Should HOAs Restrict Solar Panel Use?

2012-01-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

A homeowners association (HOA) says a family's solar panels are against the rules and need to be removed. While the situation might seem simple, it brings up a bigger issue that some Idaho legislators are discussing: Should neighborhoods be allowed to dictate how a house gets its power?

HOAs can restrict solar panels

As it stands now in Idaho, if a homeowners association or HOA wants to restrict solar panels through its covenants, it can. Some people would like to see that changed, including Peggy Bostrom, a homeowner in the midst of this very discussion.

Four months ago, Bostrom and her husband installed several solar panels on the roof of their Tuscany subdivision home. They can power nearly everything in the downstairs level of their home from those panels. They can also use them as a backup power supply if there is an outage.

"We put the solar panels in for, basically, emergency back-up power if we need it," Bostrom said.

'I don't see a problem with them'

Bostrom said they didn't realize their homeowners association covenants required the panels be approved. She said they even picked out panels they thought looked nice and matched their home best.

"I don't see a problem with them," she said. "They don't affect the structure of the house. They're not changing anything. They pretty much blend in with the house and to me, from a distance, they just look like skylights."

Last month, the HOA manager wrote to the Bostroms, saying they told the Bostroms they needed to seek approval by submitting plan details and photos. If they didn't, they could face a possible lawsuit.

The Bostroms applied and sent photos. On Friday, they got a letter from the HOA manager saying their request had been denied, and the panels must be removed.

"There is no good reason as to why they denied, why they would say you couldn't have them," Bostrom said.

HOA: Panels don't meet design guidelines

The property management company's owner, Craig Groves, explained the HOA is not against all solar panels, and if they fall within certain parameters, they could be allowed.

Groves sent KTVB this statement on behalf of the Tuscany Architectural Control Committee and the Tuscany Home Owners Association Board of Directors:

"'Solar Panels are allowed if the Architectural Control Guidelines are met.' The solar panels in question were installed without prior approval. It is the duty of the ACC to uphold the architectural design integrity of the neighborhood. The Resident ACC felt the way the solar panels were installed did not meet the architectural design integrity of the neighborhood and denied the after installation approval. The Association's board concurred with the decision."

The Tuscany covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) are available online. There is a section specifically addressing "Energy Devices, Outside". It says all energy production devices, including generators and solar energy devices, need prior written approval unless it's incorporated into the approved design of the home.

Senator: It's an energy and property rights issue

Senator Elliot Werk (D-Boise) brought up this very issue in November as an interim legislative committee drafted a recommended state energy plan. He said it's partially a renewable energy issue, partially a property rights issue.

"There have been issues with homeowners associations having rules against solar panels, simply saying you can't have a solar panel or having other restrictions that make it impossible to put a solar panel on a house," Werk said. "The reality is that having a solar panel on a house is a real community good. Every house a battery."

Werk says solar energy should be encouraged as a renewable energy source, but he understands HOAs are trying to preserve a certain lifestyle and standard. That's where any legislation could get tricky, and Werk says without a lot of people taking issue, a new statute this session is unlikely.

New statute unlikely this session

"We want to make sure we hit the sweet spot between being too restrictive on homeowners associations to control the looks and the feel of their communities versus protecting property rights and allowing these good things for our communities," Werk said.

Senator Curt McKenzie (R-Nampa) co-chaired the Energy, Environment, and Technology Interim Committee that drafted the proposed 2012 Energy Plan. He confirmed the HOA and solar panel issue is not in the proposal, and at this point, he is unaware of any legislators planning to present bills that would address the issue.

Werk would like homeowners with HOA solar panel restriction concerns to contact him via email or at 208-332-1352.

Homeowner: 'It's my right'

Bostrom plans to contact the HOA's committee before doing anything with her panels, but as of now, the panels remain on her rooftop.

"There are certain points where HOAs are good: Keeping up aesthetics of a home, you don't have cars up on blocks, you don't have a neighbor with a purple house, but there's parts where they overstep their bounds," Bostrom said. "It's my right to have access to power from the sun. It's there for everybody. I think everybody should be using it."

Neighboring states with solar rights laws

Nearly half of states have passed some type of solar rights laws that in some way limit restrictions that neighborhood covenants or local ordinances can impose on solar panel installation. The Department of Energy lists Washington, Oregon, and Nevada among those states.

SOURCE: http://www.ktvb.com/news/local/Should-HOAs-regulate-solar-panel-use-137364383.html

Sunflowers Inspire Improved Solar Power Plant

2012-01-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

The well-tuned geometry of the florets on the face of the sunflower head has inspired an improved layout for mirrors used to concentrate sunlight and generate electricity, according to new research.

In this file photo, a bee is pictured on a sunflower planted to help fight radiation the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Now, researchers are turning to sunflowers to improve the design of solar power plants.

The sunflower-inspired layout could reduce the footprint of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants by about 20 percent, which could be a boon for a technology that's limited, in part, by its massive land requirements.

CSP plants employ arrays of giant mirrors, each the size of half a tennis court, to beam the sun's rays up to heat a tube of fluid in the top of a tower. This hot fluid drives steam turbines that generate electricity.

In the traditional layout, the mirrors are arranged in rows of circles that ripple out from the central tower. Some, such as the Spain's Gemsolar power-generating array, take up 185 acres. That plant, when complete in 2013, will provide power for about 25,000 homes.

This voracious appetite for land sent Alexander Mitsos, a mechanical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and colleagues in search of an improved layout.

They started with a computer model that evaluates the efficiency of layouts and tested it on a CSP plant in Andalucia, Spain, called PS10. They found its arrangement of mirrors results in shading and blocking of sunlight that dampens the plant's efficiency.

In a bid to increase the efficiency, Mitsos and colleagues used some numerical optimizations to tinker with the layout. They came up with a design where the mirrors are closer together, reducing the amount of land required by 10 percent.

The pattern, a team member noticed, had some elements that resembled the spiraling pattern in sunflowers and suggested they mimic the florets.

"We started looking into it and it turns out that was an excellent idea," Mitsos told me Wednesday.

This "a ha" moment, in turn, led them to a simulated field of mirrors that even more closely resembles a sunflower, with each mirror angled at 137 degrees with respect to its neighboring mirror, as mathematicians had previously found each sunflower floret is turned.

The result was a layout that takes up 20 percent less space than the PS10 layout and is more efficient to boot, Mitsos said.

"It is very scary that we did all the [numerical optimization] work and then we go back to nature," he noted. "We could have started there."

While the finding is based on computer simulations, Mitsos has no doubts it is correct.

"The thing to realize is that a plant like [PS10] costs many millions of dollars and it takes some time to build, so it is not an experiment you can do in the lab," he said.

But he hopes that developers in the CSP industry will adopt his design, saving land and money in the process.

SOURCE: http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/11/10118661-sunflowers-inspire-improved-solar-power-plant

2012-01-20T00:29:00.000-08:00

Britain's solar capacity shot up 10-fold last year, defying Energy Secretary Chris Huhne's effort to roll back subsidies for the industry and prevent the sort of booms experienced in Germany and Italy.

Solar panels with at least 761.9 megawatts in capacity were installed in 2011 compared with 76.8 megawatts the prior year, according to figures on the website of U.K.'s energy regulator Ofgem. About two-thirds of the capacity and 95 percent of the projects were installed on homes.

Huhne twice last year moved to rein in support granted in April 2010 in the form of feed-in tariffs, which guarantee premium rates for electricity from solar power. Companies including EON AG, Tesco Plc and Carillion Plc's Eaga rushed to tap the market, supported by fund managers such as Foresight Group LLP and Octopus Investments Ltd.

“It's been a very busy and successful year for the solar industry,” Howard Johns, chairman of the Solar Trade Association and managing director of installer Southern Solar Ltd., said by e-mail today. “But now most of the industry is at a standstill with the uncertainty caused by the government.”

The price of panels today is less than half of where it was when the subsidy program began, making more installations economical and sustaining 25,000 jobs.

Subsidy Restraint

Huhne's ministry responded in March 2011 with an emergency review of its support measures that cut rates as much as 71 percent for commercial-scale plants. Developers then turned their attention to smaller rooftop projects, prompting the government in October to propose cuts for those facilities as well. Industry groups sued the government last month to slow the latest round of cuts.

The boom outpaced the government's forecast. More than 230,000 solar plants have registered to qualify for tariffs since the program started, according to Ofgem. Half of the 761.9 megawatts in capacity installed last year was registered in November and December alone, the latest weekly data show.

These figures compare with the Department of Energy and Climate Change's projections for 284 megawatts by April 2013 and 832 megawatts by April 2015.

Only 32 megawatts of solar installations were operating at the end of 2009 before the tariff came into effect. Today, the number may top 1.1 gigawatts, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance figures, which take into account installations not yet registered with Ofgem.

Those facilities may cost about 373 million pounds ($572 million) a year in subsidies, exceeding the government's cap for the subsidy, the London-based researcher estimates. Support for the industry is paid for by consumers though higher bills.

‘Embarrassing'

“It is somewhat embarrassing for an austerity-focused government,” said Jenny Chase, lead solar analyst at New Energy Finance.

The program, which also includes other low-carbon technologies for projects with 5 megawatts or less, has a spending limit of 867 million pounds by April 2015. In December, DECC said that a further 197 million pounds from the renewable obligation system that supports renewable projects of all sizes was also available for the tariffs.

“The current high tariffs for solar PV are not sustainable, and changes need to be made in order to protect the budget, which is funded by consumers through their energy bills,” Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said in a statement on Dec. 22.

Germany and Italy

European countries such as Italy and France reduced tariffs last year before schedule to adapt incentives to crashing panel prices. Meanwhile, Germany marched ahead without any spending cap to install a record 7,500 megawatts last year, or about 10 times British levels. Italy has a spending cap of 6 billion euros to 7 billion euros ($7.6 billion to $8.9 billion) a year.

The surge in installations, coupled with continued declines in panel prices, led the government in October to propose cutting in half rates paid for small projects starting Dec. 12, four months before scheduled.

A court deemed the decision to cut rates before a consultation on the matter was completed “unlawful” and ordered a judicial review. A government appeal is likely to be heard tomorrow, so it's unclear when the subsidy reductions will take effect.

The U.K. solar industry is waiting to learn the new tariff levels and the date when they will come into force.

“The situation is still far from clear, and industry players would be wise to sit tight until a new reference date is set,” said Clare King, a London-based renewable energy lawyer at the law firm Osborne Clarke. “The lack of certainty is going to make it difficult for solar companies, homeowners and investors to plan for the future.”

SOURCE: http://news.businessweek.com/article.asp?documentKey=1376-LXLE3F0D9L3501-2VOD7ONPN98K9D4I9DN04BU0MI

Phil Bredesen's Solar Firm to Build $90M Array in Georgia

2012-01-20T00:20:00.000-08:00

The family farm of Nashville songwriter and music executive Steve Ivey would become the largest solar-power production site in Georgia under a plan announced Thursday by Ivey and a company led by former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and two former state department heads.

A $90 million, large-scale solar-power array on the Ivey farm near Athens, Ga., would produce 30 megawatts of electricity that would be sold to Georgia Power Co. under a deal expected to get final approval by the Georgia Public Service Commission next week, said Ivey, who also owns IMI, a Music Row publishing and production house.

“The farm has been in my family since 1935,” Ivey said. “I got the idea for the solar project when I was trying to figure out a new way to heat water at my house in Brentwood. I’m in the music business and very technology-minded, and got locked into solar several years ago,” he said.

Gov. started firm with ex-cabinet members

Bredesen’s Silicon Ranch Corp., a relatively new startup, has been part of the Georgia project only since last month. Silicon Ranch Corp. was started in late 2010 by Bredesen and the two members of his former administration. Bredesen is chairman of Silicon Ranch. Former state economic development Commissioner Matt Kisber is president and chief executive, and ex-Tennessee Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr is vice chairman and chief operating officer.

Ivey said he started Simon Solar Ranch LLC a year earlier to develop the solar project on his farm, which he initially financed himself. But he brought in Silicon Ranch in December after signing a 20-year agreement to sell the farm’s electricity to Georgia Power.

The solar project will cover 175 acres of Ivey’s 200-acre farm in Social Circle, Ga. Ivey remains president of Simon Solar and owner of the property, but Silicon Ranch is the majority partner in the Georgia project, Ivey said.

Technical assistance will be provided by Germany-based Phoenix Solar Inc., Kisber said.

A 2011 mandate from the Georgia Public Service Commission that Georgia Power develop a large-scale solar program led to the Simon Solar project and a separate one, by an unrelated company, that will produce 20 megawatts of electricity on another site in the state.

“We were directed by our Public Service Commission to look at incorporating more solar resources into our energy portfolio,” said Georgia Power spokeswoman Lynn Wallace. “We put out information to solar developers to let them know we were looking to purchase solar a few months ago, and it was done on a first-come, first-served basis.”

Kisber said Thursday that Silicon Ranch is still seeking financing for the project, but does not expect that to be a problem. To qualify for a federal grant to cover part of the costs, the project must be under way by the end of this year, and to comply with the Georgia Power contract, the solar farm must begin producing electricity by June 2015.

“It’s a large project, but we’re excited about it,” Kisber said. “I think it goes to show that solar power is gaining a lot of respect and traction in the Southeast.”

He said the project is the largest of its kind in the Southeast outside of Florida.

SOURCE: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120113/BUSINESS01/301130065/Phil-Bredesen-s-solar-firm-build-90M-array-Georgia?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Business|p

Bankruptcy Solar Manufacturer Solyndra Seeks Court Approval of Employee Bonuses

2012-01-19T22:45:00.000-08:00

A California solar panel manufacturer that received a half-billion dollar loan from the federal government before declaring bankruptcy is asking a Delaware judge to approve up to $500,000 in employee bonuses.

A hearing on the request by Solyndra LLC of Fremont, Calif., is set later this month.

Solyndra says the performance-based incentives will help it retain key employees whose work is critical to a successful reorganization and sale of the company’s assets.

The bonuses would be for up to nine equipment engineers, up to six general business and finance employees, up to four facilities workers and up to two information technology workers.

The bonuses would range from 8 percent to 38 percent of a worker’s base pay. The employees in question make between $72,000 and $206,000 a year.

SOURCE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/bankruptcy-solar-manufacturer-solyndra-seeks-court-approval-of-employee-bonuses/2012/01/12/gIQAPDeRuP_story.html

Solar Is Bailed Out Once Again

2012-01-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

The solar market seems to be bailed out by Germany once a year, saving countless companies from meeting their demise if installations fall in solar's leading country. 2011 was no different when the country set a new record for solar installations at 7.5 GW, with 3 GW in the month of December alone.

On Wednesday, this was good news for everyone, especially manufacturers that get much of their demand from Germany. JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS ) and Hanwha SolarOne (Nasdaq: HSOL ) were the biggest winners of the day, climbing more than 35%. Across the board, manufacturers were up more than 10% because reports were that module prices had stabilized. After falling rapidly in 2011, I'm not sure how much further they could have fallen without stabilizing some.

But the German government had set out to reduce solar installations to around 3.5 GW per year with a feed-in tariff schedule that cut the euro/kWh payment depending on how much solar was installed. The more solar was installed, the more the feed-in tariff would be cut. To see the schedule, click here.

The crazy rush to install solar in Germany at the end of 2011 will likely lead to another lull in demand to start 2012 -- just as we saw in 2011 -- and another 15% feed-in tariff cut mid-year. Since installers in the U.S. were also rushing to beat the deadline for the 1603 Treasury Grant program, which expired at the end of 2011, the same kind of dynamic will take place in the U.S.

In the short term, solar earnings should be strong in the fourth quarter, and reports are that inventory is at record lows, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Vishal Shah. Inventory writedowns were one of the big reasons many manufacturers lost money in 2011, and maybe this can be a cushion for the next couple of quarters.

Where will demand come from in 2012?
With Germany saving solar manufacturers to end 2011, the focus moves to future demand. Module sale prices have fallen so far in the past year that new markets should open in 2012, and broad growth around the world will help make the industry less reliant on Europe.

But the boom-and-bust nature of feed-in tariffs in Spain and the Czech Republic should lead to some caution that the trend will continue in German and Italy. Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimated that 29 GW of solar was installed in 2011, meaning around 25% of the world's demand came from Germany. If demand in Germany falls, I'm not sure China, India, and the U.S. are ready to pick up the slack with more sustainable solar programs. Italy is also a wild card in 2012 with a potential bust on the horizon.

Foolish bottom line
Germany bailed out the solar industry big-time to end 2011, and by the end of 2012, I think we'll start to see steady, sustainable demand from places around the world. In the meantime, I wouldn't be surprised to see another year of big ups and downs as manufacturers fight for position in the market.

Exactly how the next year plays out could determine the fate of lower-tier suppliers LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK ) , Renesola (NYSE: SOL ) , and JA Solar (Nasdaq: JASO ) . Each has struggled with lower sales prices and falling demand for their solar products as other manufactures integrate vertically. If demand in Germany doesn't fall in 2012 and other countries pick up demand, these could be big winners and even acquisition targets for their polysilicon and cell capacity.

Whether 2012 leads to another record of solar installations, I would rather place my bets on industry leaders like SunPower, First Solar, Trina Solar, and Yingli Green Energy. If demand falls, these companies are in a better position to handle the future, and if demand rises, they will be the first modules to start showing up on rooftops around the world.

SOURCE: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/01/12/solar-is-bailed-out-once-again.aspx

Ikea’s Rooftop Solar Array Will Be The Largest in Minnesota

2012-01-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

A solar array that retailer Ikea says will be installed on the roof of its Bloomington store will be the state's largest generator of electricity from the sun.

The project, to be built this summer, is one of five solar power projects in four states that Ikea announced Thursday. The new projects and others now underway will put solar arrays atop 37 of its 44 U.S. locations, Ikea said.

The Bloomington store's power output, 1.1 megawatts, will be nearly double that of Minnesota's largest existing solar-electric generator on the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Ikea said the Bloomington store will generate enough electricity to power 112 homes, though most of it will be used on site. The privately held company, which had revenue of $29 billion in 2010, didn't disclose the project's cost.

"Ikea, drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect for nature, believes it can be a good business [with an] operating model designed to minimize impacts on the environment," the company said in a statement.
By utility standards, the Bloomington project's output will be small, equivalent to one modest-sized wind turbine. But Ken Bradley, chairman of the advocacy group Solar Works for Minnesota, said only about 5 megawatts of solar power are now produced in the state.

"It's significant -- this is one-fifth of what the state has installed," said Bradley, who added that the rooftops of large retailers are ideal locations for large solar projects.

Ikea said SoCore Energy, a Chicago-based commercial solar developer, will build the Bloomington project and three others in Illinois and Michigan. The solar modules will come from SolarWorld, a German company that manufactures in Hillsboro, Ore., said Ikea's U.S. spokesman Joseph Roth.

Outlook for industry

Junko Movellan, an analyst for NPD Solarbuzz, which does market research for the solar industry, projected that U.S. solar installations will grow 45 percent this year to 2,759 megawatts, about 80 percent of that in California. Minnesota is a small player, adding about 2 megawatts a year, Movellan said in an e-mail.
Even so, more than 700 solar power projects are being built each year in Minnesota, many of them small, residential rooftop arrays, up from about 50 projects a decade ago, according to the state Commerce Department.

The growth has been fueled by falling prices for solar modules, utility solar incentives and federal tax credits that expire in 2016. The kilowatt-hour cost of solar remains three to four times greater than power produced from coal or natural gas, according to a report released this week by Mortenson Construction of Golden Valley, which builds wind farms and solar projects.

Mortenson surveyed 265 solar professionals at an industry conference last year amid growing uncertainty on several fronts, including future federal support for renewable energy in the face of the nation's budget woes.
"There are a lot of potential risks ... out there that can impact this industry," said Steve Pekala, manager of market intelligence for Mortenson. "We were surprised, despite all of that, at the genuine optimism that everyone had in the future of solar."

SOURCE:http://www.startribune.com/business/137226868.html

Twentynine Palms Marine Base Good Fit for Solar Projects

2012-01-18T09:48:00.000-08:00

The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms has been singled out as one of four California desert military bases with the potential for large-scale solar development.

The report, released Friday by the Department of Defense, estimated that privately funded solar development at Edwards Air Force Base, the Army's Fort Irwin and the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake, along with Twentynine Palms, could generate 7,000 megawatts of power.

That much electricity could provide 30 times the energy needed at the four bases or one-quarter of the electricity California needs to meet its goal of producing 33 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2016, according to a department news release.

Assuming all projects on the bases would be privately funded, the report said the solar plants could also pump $100 million a year into federal government coffers, without costing it a cent, the report said.

The study looked at open land at nine bases in the California and Nevada deserts, gauging the amount of land suitable for solar development and potential conflicts between any renewable projects and the facilities' military missions.

Only four bases were found to have land suitable for solar.

Twentynine Palms has the smallest area of suitable land, only 553 acres of the high desert base's 595,578-acre total.

That's pretty small, compared to the other three bases, which ranged from 6,777 acres at China Lake to 24,327 acres at Edwards, said Jim Ricker, a civilian assistant chief of staff at the base.

“We are looking to do a private-party venture for a photovoltaic solar field in the near future,” said Ricker, who could not provide further details.

“Whatever we do, it helps us lower our consumption,” he said.

The Twentynine Palms base has received several awards from the federal government for its energy- efficiency programs — most recently, a Secretary of the Navy Environmental Award for its sustainability programs.

The U.S. military has become a major investor in renewable energy and green technology. A report from the Pew Environmental Group released in September noted that the Department of Defense spent more than $1 billion on energy efficiency and sustainability in 2010 and is on track to invest $10 billion by 2030.

SOURCE:

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120114/NEWS01/201140319/Twentynine-Palms-Marine-base-good-fit-solar-projects

SMA Solar Falls Most in 2 Months as Earnings Miss Estimates

2012-01-18T08:31:00.000-08:00

SMA Solar Technology AG, Germany’s biggest solar-energy company by market value, fell the most in two months in Frankfurt trading as profit missed estimates.

SMA Solar slid 11 percent to close at 48.09 euros, the steepest decline since Nov. 15. The company posted preliminary 2011 earnings before interest and tax of 240 million euros ($308 million), missing the 259 million-euro average estimate of 15 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
Suppliers of solar-power equipment, including SMA Solar and the U.S.’s Power-One Inc., saw profit squeezed last year as subsidy cuts and lower prices weighed on sales. Niestetal-based SMA, whose inverters turn power from solar panels into a current for the grid, reported 2011 revenue of about 1.7 billion euros.
“The weak Ebit margin of below 15 percent is a clear sign of ongoing pricing pressure in the inverters market that will very likely continue in 2012,” Alla Gorelova, an analyst at Steubing AG in Frankfurt, said by phone.
SMA, which published its preliminary results in a statement today, didn’t give a forecast for 2012 earnings or sales because of the “numerous changes in important markets and uncertainty caused by the current euro and financial crisis.” The company sees “positive growth” in the U.S., Japan and India, it said.
Germany, the world’s biggest market for solar products, installed a record 3,000 megawatts of solar panels in December as developers rushed to complete systems before a subsidy cut. That brings German capacity installed last year to 7,500 megawatts, helping SMA achieve “the second-best earnings in the company’s history,” it said.
SOURCE: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-13/sma-solar-falls-most-in-2-months-as-earnings-miss-estimates.html

Solar Capacity Rose 54% to 28 Gigawatts Last Year, BNEF Says

2012-01-18T08:27:00.000-08:00

New solar capacity around the world increased 54 percent to about 28 gigawatts last year driven by record installations in Germany and Italy, Bloomberg New Energy Finance data shows.

Ukraine is seeking to increase its wind and solar capacity and to reduce its dependence on coal and nuclear, which provide 90 percent of its electricity.

Photovoltaic installations rose to between 26.5 and 29.4 gigawatts last year, compared with 18.2 gigawatts during 2010, said Jenny Chase, head of solar analysis at the London-based research company. Her central forecast was for 28 gigawatts.

European governments from the Germany to Italy and the U.K. are curbing subsidies as prices for PV panels decline, aiming to choke off a boom in installations that started after they offered feed-in tariffs giving above-market rates for electricity from low-carbon sources. “The year was on the high side of even bullish estimates,” Chase said by e-mail. “We think 2012 will be about flat, as European markets have overshot targets and spending caps and plan to rein back severely.” Solar installations grew around the world, driven by crashing panel prices. Shares of solar companies led by First Solar Inc. (FSLR) and Suntech Power Holdings Co. declined because of oversupply and declining margins. New spending on solar energy jumped 36 percent to $136.6 billion in 2011, outpacing the $74.9 billion put into wind power, and represented almost half of all renewable energy investment worldwide last year, BNEF said in a statement yesterday. Those figures also include solar thermal facilities, which use mirrors to heat fluid that turns turbines. Chase said the strength of installations in the fourth quarter isn’t a reason for optimism in 2012. European markets will slow because of subsidy cuts, and while nearly all the other markets will continue to grow, they are smaller.

SOURCE: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/solar-capacity-rose-54-to-28-gigawatts-last-year-bnef-says.html

Advance Realty Experiences Influx of Solar Companies Throughout New Jersey Portfolio

2012-01-17T08:12:00.000-08:00

Firms Choose Strategically-Located Sites to Grow Business in Region. To meet the increasing demand for solar power in New Jersey — the Solar Energy Industries Association recently reported that The Garden State is now the nation’s top commercial solar market, accounting for 24 percent of all photovoltaic installations in the United States — a growing number of international and domestic developers of solar are establishing headquarters in the state, according to Advance Realty.

Advance, a leading Northeast U.S. owner and developer of Class A office, mixed-use and flex-space properties, is reporting increased demand for office space throughout its portfolio as a result of the many solar companies that are establishing regional offices in New Jersey.

Advance today announced the following transactions:
• India-based Lanco Solar has signed a 4,500-square-foot lease at One Gateway Center in Newark. The space will serve as the company’s U.S. headquarters location.
• Johnson Controls, a Fortune 500 company based in Milwaukee, Wis., signed a 3,500-square-foot lease at 400 Riverview Plaza in Trenton. The location will serve as the regional office for the company’s solar industry efforts.
• KDC Solar, a privately held subsidiary of Kamine Development Corporation, has established its New Jersey headquarters in a 4,000-square-foot space at 1545 Route 206 in Bedminster. Going beyond the typical role of a tenant, KDC is installing ground-mounted solar arrays, rooftop panels and solar carports at the property, and is preparing to do the same at another Advance property, 445 South Street in Morris Township.

“These transactions are indicative of the increasing presence of solar energy firms throughout the state, as these companies are drawn to well-located, energy-efficient spaces in the market,” said Brian Banaszynski, Advance Realty’s Managing Director. “New Jersey is now considered by some to be emerging as the solar capital of the country, and we anticipate additional firms will decide to establish dedicated offices here as the solar energy industry continues to grow.”

“On multiple levels, Advance is seeing the impact of solar business taking hold in New Jersey,” Banaszynski said. “We will continue to monitor the sector, as we believe it is a great stimulator for the state’s economy.”

SOURCE: http://www.paramuspost.com/article.php/20120113180233144

CPS Energy’s Solar RFP Generates International Interest

2012-01-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

Last year, San Antonio’s CPS Energy issued a request for proposal (RFP) for 50 megawatts of solar with the hopes of attracting manufacturing as well—well they just upped the ante. Following the response from the initial RFP, the utility upped it to to 400 megawatts of solar, and now it’s in final negotiations with a solar company with international roots to bring 800 or more jobs to the region.

On Jan 11, the municipal utility announced that it is in discussions with Georgia-based OCI Solar Power, which is primarily owned by Korean semiconductor manufacturer OCI Company, to move its U.S. headquarters to San Antonio. Along with that the company it would attract other companies to the region.

“What we’ve done is, as part of our response to the RFP, put together a consortium of four manufacturers that make different components [of a solar array there],” said Nick Bullinger, chief operating officer of OCI Solar. “The one manufacturer named is Nexolon; it’s the anchor facility. But we’ll also have three other manufacturers that will be moving to San Antonio as well, and they will make components using local manufacturing.”

“The manufacturing facility is what we’re hoping to attract in San Antonio,” said John Moreno, a CPS spokesperson.

The agreement with OCI is not a formal contractor partnership, according to Moreno.

“They have an invitation to negotiate,” he said. “From what we have seen, this is a company we selected to continue negotiations with.”

Under OCI’s proposal, it will develop up to 400 megawatts of solar projects under 25-year power-purchase agreements with CSP Energy.

“We’re expecting this is going to move pretty rapidly over the next few months,” Moreno said.

CPS hopes that OCI will start installing photovoltaic systems in the 2013, and OCI is looking forward to doing business in the state.

“From a solar developer’s perspective, Texas is an attractive market for solar. There’s no strong state mandate, but the sun is very productive. The Western part of the state has some of the highest insolation in the country,” Bullinger said.

He also said that the state’s business friendly, and that its location is accessible to other markets like California, Arizona and New Mexico and has access to the gulf where materials can be shipped from Asia.

SOURCE: http://www.cleanenergyauthority.com/solar-energy-news/cps-energy-solar-rfp-generates-international-interest-11312/

Solar Project Hopes To Double Efforts in Portland

2012-01-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

Volunteers are changing the mindset of hundreds of homeowners about the value going solar in Northeast Portland neighborhoods.

The Solarize Northeast Project is the leader in Oregon when it comes to giving solar power to the people, with even bigger goals this year.

"In Multnomah County, more than half of our electricity is from burning coal,which we know has a devastating effect on the climate," said David Sweet, an early adopter of solar power.

Sweet saves more than $300 a year and gives back to the grid most days.

In 2010 the volunteer-based Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN) led the charge of the Solarize NE Project. More than 200 panel installations were added around the community.

"This year we're hoping to surpass that by at least double," said Paige Coleman, Executive Dir. for NECN .

It's a neighbor to neighbor effort, working with local banks, panel maker Solar World and a local installer. Strength in numbers has it's benefits.

The community comes together, gets a great price, we simplify the process, (finding out) what contractor should I use, what equipment should I buy, how much is it going to cost?," said Sweet.

Some 80 percent of the installation cost is covered though several incentive programs, including up to $5,000 from the Energy Trust of Oregon.

"There's a 30 percent federal tax credit, and then there is a tax credit offered by the state, which caps out at about $6,000," said Pete Edling with installation company, Mr. Sun Solar.

Out of pocket expenses usually run $2,000 to $4,000, with an average savings of some $300 a year.

To find out more, there are several upcoming free workshops to help explain the solar power process.

SOURCE: http://www.kgw.com/news/business/Northeast--137326238.html