[amor de cosmos]

Japan May Impose Land, Equipment Rule for Solar, Yomiuri Says
28 February 2014

Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) — Japan plans to introduce a new rule for solar developers obliging them to secure land and equipment within a year after projects are approved, the Yomiuri newspaper reported today without saying where it got the information.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry intended to present the idea to a task force meeting today, the paper said.

Hearings are planned for as early as March with developers of projects that haven’t secured both sites and equipment, the ministry said earlier this month.

http://about.bnef.com/bnef-news/japa...-yomiuri-says/

Solar Power’s Relentless Push To Greater Efficiency
By Pete Danko
Featured, Renewable Energy, Solar Power
February 27, 2014

First Solar is apparently inching toward manufacturing some silicon solar products, but that doesn’t mean the company’s bread and butter, cadmium-telluride (CdTe) cells, are taking a back seat. Not if this news is any indication: a new CdTe cell conversion record of 20.4 percent.

This beats the old world record of 19.6 by GE Global Research last year – and what do you know, it was last year that GE sold its own thin-film technology to First Solar and partnered with First Solar on solar R&D.

“We are demonstrating improvement in CdTe PV performance at a rate that dramatically outstrips the trajectory of conventional silicon technologies, which have already plateaued near their ultimate entitlements,” First Solar CTO Raffi Garabedian said in a statement. “The synergy realized in our partnership with GE also demonstrates the value of our consistent and strong investment in R&D. The advanced technologies and processes we developed for this record-setting cell are already being commercialized and will positively impact performance of our future production modules and power plants.”

http://earthtechling.com/2014/02/sol...er-efficiency/

New Math: Solar Power + Salt Water = Sahara Forest

The folks over at Sahara Forest Project have just alerted the Twitterverse that their new pilot facility in Qatar is good to go, and since we’ve been following that project since 2008 we’ll jump at the chance to update you on its progress from high concept to working hardware.

The idea behind Sahara Forest dovetails with the solutions we saw on a recent technology tour of Israel (sponsored by the organization Kinetis), namely, when you have several problems going on at once, mash them up together and see what happens.

In this case we’re talking about too much salt, too much sun, and not enough soil and water for farming. Israel found the key to the solution in brackish aquifer water, and Sahara Forest has come up with its own twist.

The Sahara Forest Project

When Sahara Forest first came across CleanTechnica’s radar in 2008, we weighed in slightly over to the skeptical side, given the cost of solar power compared to other desert farming practices:

Of course, deserts can also produce lush vegetation using permaculture farming practices that are much cheaper to implement. But if countries are willing to invest in the Sahara Forest Project, more power to them—literally.

When we dropped in again in 2012 the idea of large scale solar powered greenhouses was beginning to gel, and right around this time last year we noticed that things were really starting to take off at the Qatar pilot plant:

Aside from the technology itself, one thing that stands out about the project is the speed with which it happened. Once all the agreements were signed, construction began early last year and was completed within a year.

The basic idea behind Sahara Forest is that solar power could be used to evaporate seawater for a freshwater source, and seawater could also pull double duty as a coolant for the greenhouses.

So far Sahara Forest has reported that its Qatar greenhouses are competitive with European yields, while using half the water of conventional greenhouses in the region.

http://cleantechnica.com/2014/02/28/...and-saltwater/

The Biggest Solar Farm In Latin America Will Replace An Old Coal Plant
Originally published on ThinkProgress.
By Ari Phillips.

Last week President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited Mexico for what’s traditionally called the “Three Amigos” meeting. In the daylong rendezvous, energy issues were slated to play a major role, with Obama and Harper jockeying for room when it comes to the impending decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline that would bring dirty crude oil down from Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast.

However, Mexico also has some major energy changes in the pipeline, and after decades of state-run oil company PEMEX having sole purview over fossil fuel extraction, international investment and companies will now be let into the mix after recent constitutional reforms. This will increase oil flows from America’s southern neighbor into those same Gulf refineries as Keystone XL might. At the same time renewable energy has started to take off in Mexico, with construction of the biggest solar power plant in Latin America, Aura Solar I — a 30-megawatt solar farm in La Paz, Mexico — the latest signal.

If Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s recent summit with North American leaders is an indication of the significance of the trio’s relationship, then his expected upcoming visit to the Aura I solar farm can be seen as a benchmark on the country’s path to a more renewable future. Mexico is poised to be Latin America’s solar hotbed according to Greentech Media, with the solar market’s installed base expected to quadruple from 60 megawatts to 240 megawatts by the end of this year. Mexico’s energy ministry has set a target for 35 percent of power generation to come from non-fossil fuel sources by 2024.

“The current reform provides a real opportunity, particularly in the electricity reform, to increase investment in renewable energy generation in Mexico by opening up the sector and making other institutional changes,” Christina McCain, Senior Manager for the Latin American Climate Initiative at the Environmental Defense Fund, told ClimateProgress in an email. “Some in Mexico have criticized that the energy reform is missing an opportunity to provide more direct incentives to renewable energy. While the focus of the reform seems to have largely been on the major overhauls we hear most about, there is still opportunity to provide more direct incentives to renewables, as well as leverage existing laws designed to increase renewable sources in Mexico’s energy mix.”

In La Paz, where pollution from a dirty thermoelectric plant creates noxious air impacting resident’s lifestyles and well-being, the solar plant is a welcomed clean development. The $100 million project, which includes 132,000 solar panel-modules, is the first Mexican private enterprise of such a size to get a development bank loan and an agreement to sell its electricity to the grid. According to the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank, gave the project a $25 million credit line and also helped set up another $50 million in loans from the Mexican development bank Nacional Financiera (Nafin).

http://cleantechnica.com/2014/02/27/...ld-coal-plant/

The Expansion of Distributed PV in the Age of the Grid Edge
Join Greentech Media, Solar1 and NYC ACRE for a discussion of what solar PV means for the grid.
Katherine Tweed
February 28, 2014

In President Obama’s State of the Union address in January, he noted that “Every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar; every panel [is] pounded into place by a worker whose job can't be outsourced.”

That figure, which came from GTM Research, is good news for clean energy and green jobs advocates, but it is also an increasing challenge to the existing electric grid and the business model that sustains it.

The challenges are playing out across the nation and the globe as utilities contend with net metering and begin to invest more in distribution automation as certain parts of the distribution network have to manage far more variability from rooftop solar photovoltaics than they ever had before.

To discuss the challenges and promise of distributed PV for the power system, Greentech Media, Solar 1 and NYC ACRE will host the first event of the Clean Energy Connections series for 2014, The Expansion of Distributed PV in the Age of the Grid Edge, on Tuesday, March 4, 2014, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space in New York City.

The theme of this year’s panels is the grid edge, which GTM sees as the setting for the imminent transformation of the electric grid. As new distributed energy generation collides with existing business and regulatory models in the power sector, a stable transition to a next-generation electricity system depends on harmonizing grid modernization and customer evolution.

GTM Research has found that more distributed solar has been deployed in the past 2.5 years than in the 50 years prior, and there will be another doubling of capacity over the next 2.5 years.

That growth is driven by falling costs for solar PV coupled with new financing models. To discuss the current trends and what they mean for utilities, customers and the solar industry, Ben Kellison, smart grid senior analyst for GTM Research, will be joined onstage by Margarett Jolly, Director of Research & Development at Consolidated Edison; Shaun Chapman, Director of Policy and Electricity at SolarCity; Stacey Hughes, Chief Marketing Officer at Sunlight General Capital; and Naimish Patel, CEO of Gridco Systems.

Solar PV is just one of the technology disruptions that is happening at the edge of the electric grid. Smart digital electric meters are also delivering new streams of data to utilities, which must find a way to store it, secure it and leverage it for operations and consumer benefits.

All types of buildings, from skyscrapers to individual homes, are becoming smarter and more automated, increasing the opportunities for buildings to interact with the grid in demand-side management programs.

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articl...-the-grid-edge

Global solar market to grow by 20% in 2014
28. February 2014 | Global PV markets, Industry & Suppliers, Markets & Trends | By: Ian Clover

A survey of the world's leading solar analysts by Bloomberg finds that the global solar sector will add 44.5 GW of PV capacity this year, underpinned by Chinese growth.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) surveyed some of the world's most knowledgeable and respected solar analysts to harvest their expert opinion on how the solar sector is likely to perform in 2014.

The results revealed that most experts anticipate PV capacity to grow by approximately 44.5 GW this year, swelling the industry by 20.9% compared to 2013.

BNEF polled figureheads at IHS Inc., Deustche Bank AG, HSBC Holdings Plc, Citigroup Inc., Yingli, NPD Solarbuzz,. Wacker Chemie AG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, with each representative putting forward their predictions.

Capacity in the global solar PV market grew by 20.3% between 2012 and 2013, so experts agreed that similar levels of growth are to once again be expected in 2014. China will lead the way this year, cementing its position as the world's largest solar PV market ahead of Japan and the U.S., with state support for PV pushing the industry towards an additional 10-14 GW of capacity. These 'Big Three' will help propel PV to greater heights, believe many.

"After two years of a punishing downturn, the global solar industry is on the rebound," said IHS senior research director for solar, Ash Sharma. "Worldwide PV installations are set to rise by double digits in 2014, solar manufacturing capital spending is recovering, module prices are stabilizing and emerging markets are on the rise."

http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/deta...014_100014380/

Solano Community College introduces 2.8MW of solar energy systems on campuses
By Conor Ryan - 28 February 2014, 13:14
In News, Power Generation, Project Focus

The Solano Community College District (SCCD) commissioned 2.8MW of PV systems on Thursday, ushering in a new age of renewable-energy implementation for the academic institution.

The systems are based at three separate facilities: Solar parking canopies at the college’s Fairfield campus and installations at both the Vacaville and Vallejo districts.

According to the SCCD, the installs are expected to provide enough energy to meet as much as 50% of the annual electricity needed of the three sites.

Yulian Ligioso, SCCD’s vice president of finance and administration, said: "Solar power is a reliable, affordable means to reduce our operational costs as well as our dependence on fossil fuels…With SunPower as our solar technology provider, we expect the systems will generate significant savings over the next 25 years for the benefit of the district, our students and our communities."

The systems were designed and constructed by SunPower. Kitchell, a construction firm with offices located in California, Arizona, Tennessee and Texas, managed the assembly of the facilities.

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/solano_c...tems_on_campus

Grid operators throw up barriers to try and stall solar market
By Jonathan Gifford on 28 February 2014

The underpinning economics of solar PV continues to attract solar suppliers to Australia, but concerns over regulatory burdens are casting a dark shadow over the solar market.

With solar installations now more than competitive with grid electricity rates for most residential electricity customers and many commercial building owners, Australia’s solar market has all the makings of being a sustainable one, based around grid parity. However, suppliers looking to grow their business in Australia are becoming increasingly worried that regulatory and technical barriers are becoming roadblocks to the industry.

“Opportunity is here in Australia and the conditions are in place for a sustained growth of the PV industry,” said Derek Durham, who has recently assumed responsibilities for the Australian operations of Swiss inverter manufacturer SolarMax.

But he said that a lack of standardisation in terms of requirements placed on solar developers is adding significant cost and complexity to doing business here. “The risk is there that there is too much freedom given to grid operators, to the utilities and to some of the regulating authorities, to allow them to impose blocks on the PV industry which, depending on their vested interests, they may wish to impose.”

Durham has been in PV sales and engineering for 15 years and said that the commercial rooftop market in Australia that has the potential to take off, but it is also where regulatory burdens are causing the most problems.

“It is of concern that there are differences in regulations between the different states and there seems to be a lack of goodwill on behalf of many of those who take the final decisions as to whether this [solar PV development] is to be done, or can it be done,” said Durham. “There are complications which arise from a lack of standardisation of criteria to apply, so it does become very complex to work around these issues.”

http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/grid...r-market-44387

Massive losses hit EnergyAustralia as demand falls, solar soars
By Giles Parkinson on 28 February 2014

EnergyAustralia, one of the big three utilities in the country, has slumped to a loss of $350 million for calendar 2013 after slashing the value of its Yallourn brown coal generator, as well as some of its gas-fired generation assets.

The write-down came as the company, owned by Hong Kong based CLP Holdings, returned a profit of just $18 million (down from $236 million in 2012) for the year from its portfolio of coal and gas generation and its large retail customer base – a result it blamed mostly on an “unprecedented” fall in demand, and the popularity of solar PV.

EnergyAustralia also chose to write off about $300 million from the value of its ageing Yallourn brown coal generator in Victoria. This was part of a total write-down of $445 million, which even included an $85 million gain from what it called the “bargain basement” purchase of the Mt Piper and Wallerawang coal fired power stations from the NSW Government.

The results put in context the implacable opposition that EnergyAustralia has to the renewable energy target, which it wants halted in its tracks in the current review commissioned by the Abbott government.

And it also highlights the dilemma that the industry, and for that matter the government, finds itself in over soaring gas prices, which are making the gas-fired generators of EnergyAustralia, Origin Energy, AGL Energy and others, such as Stanwell Corp, uneconomic to run because they are priced out of the market. Their ability to compete is made worse by the Abbott government’s decision to try and dump the carbon price.

It also explains why CLP chose to defer, indefinitely, its intended stock market float of EnergyAustralia.

EnergyAustralia says the fall in wholesale electricity prices has been caused, perversely, by higher electricity prices for customers, mostly due to network costs, which is encouraging those consumers to put on more solar panels, and embrace energy efficiency. Those high prices are also contributing to the decisions of some energy-intensive industries to leave Australia. While network costs are moderating, more price rises can be expected because of the gas boom. Gas still supplies around 10 per cent of local generation, and often sets the marginal cost of generation.



EnergyAustralia did note some of the major pressures on the Australian electricity market:

• Consumer behaviour and expectations had changed as a result of the sharp spike in retail prices, and the growing uptake of rooftop solar PV and energy efficiency products.
• The uncertainty around carbon pricing and other policies had meant it was impossible to enter long-term hedging contracts, which reduced the ability to manage risk.
• The RET had forced “subsidised” renewable capacity into an over-supplied wholesale market, further dampening wholesale prices.
• Domestic gas prices were pushing gas-fired generators out of the market, and the pursuit of more “unconventional” gas to meet LNG export demand was also adding pressure to gas prices.
• Coal supply has become more challenging as costs increase and legacy contracts roll-off, particularly in NSW. This would add costs and prices to coal-fired generators.

CEO Richard Lancaster said older and less competitive generators would soon be forced out of the market. It has already closed one of two units at Wallerawang and the second unit will be closed next month. Yallourn this year was hit by damage and outages caused by the flooding of the adjacent mine by the Morwell River.

http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/mass...ar-soars-67443

Largest Solar Power Plants In The World (CSP & Solar PV)
by Zach
on February 28, 2014

Largest Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Plants in the World

1. “Gujarat Solar Park” in India — 600 MW (completed in 2012, includes a few somewhat separate solar parks)
2. “Topaz Solar Farm” in USA — 550 MW (300 MW completed up through January 2014)
3. “Agua Caliente” in USA — 251 MW (397 MW when complete)
4. “California Valley Solar Ranch” in USA — 250 MW (completed in 2013)
5. “Antelope Valley Solar Ranch” in USA — 230 MW (almost complete)
6. “Charanka Solar Park” in China — 221 MW (completed in 2012, part of the Gujarat Solar Park)
7. “Golmud Solar Park” in China — 200 MW (completed in 2011)
8. “Imperial Solar Energy Center South” in USA — 200 MW (completed in 2013)
9. “Centinela Solar Energy Project” in USA — 170 MW (almost complete)
10. “Meuro Solar Park” in Germany — 166 MW (completed in 2012)
11. “Mesquite Solar I” in USA — 150 MW (completed in 2012)
12. “Copper Mountain Solar Facility” in USA — 150 MW (completed in 2013)
13. “Neuhardenberg Airport Solar Park” in Germany — 145 MW (completed in 2013)
14. “Catalina Solar Project” in USA — 143 MW (completed in 2013)
15. “Campo Verde Solar Project” in USA — 139 MW (completed in 2012)
16. “Templin Solar Park” in Germany — 128 MW (completed in 2012)
17. “Arlington Valley Solar II” in USA — 127 MW (completed in 2013)
18. “Centrale solaire de Toul-Rosières” in France — 115 MW (completed in 2012)
19. “Perovo Solar Park” in Ukraine — 106 MW (completed in 2011)
20. “Xitieshan Solar Park” in China — 100 MW (completed in 2011)
21. “Gansu Jiayuguan Solar Park” in China — 100 MW (completed in 2013)
22. “Ningxia Qingyang Solar Park” in China — 100 MW (completed in 2013)
23. “Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant” in Canada — 97 MW (completed in 2010)

Largest Solar Thermal Power Plants in Operation

1. “Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System” in the Mojave Desert of California, USA — 392 MW
2. “Solar Energy Generating Systems” in California, USA — 354 MW
3. “Solana Generating Station” in Arizona, USA — 280 MW
4. “Solaben Solar Power Station” in Logrosán, Spain — 200 MW
5. “Solnova Solar Power Station” in Seville, Spain — 150 MW
6. “Andasol Solar Power Station” in Granada, Spain — 150 MW
7. “Extresol Solar Power Station” in Torre de Miguel Sesmero, Spain — 150 MW
8. “Shams 1” in Abu Dhabi, UAE — 100 MW (largest single-unit solar power plant in world)
9. “Palma del Río Solar Power Station” in Córdoba, Spain — 100 MW
10. “Manchasol Solar Power Station” in Ciudad Real, Spain — 100 MW
11. “Valle Solar Power Station” in San José del Valle, Spain — 100 MW
12. “Helioenergy Solar Power Station” in Écija, Spain — 100 MW
13. “Aste Solar Power Station” in Alcázar de San Juan, Spain — 100 MW
14. “Solacor Solar Power Station” in El Carpio, Spain — 100 MW
15. “Helios Solar Power Station” in Puerto Lápice, Spain — 100 MW
16. “Termosol Solar Power Station” in Navalvillar de Pela, Spain — 100 MW

http://solarlove.org/largest-solar-power-plants-world/

Grid Emulation Service Accelerates Solar Plant Start-Up
Published on 28 February 2014

SMA unveiled a utility-scale service: Grid Emulation that is designed to accelerate power plant start-up and significantly pulls forward commercial operation dates before grid connection is accessible, enabling hundreds of megawatts of PV power to be brought online in a matter of days.

Through the use of proprietary technology, SMA can simulate the grid prior to actual grid interconnection and fully test and pre-commission the complete power path from the PV modules to the medium voltage transformer. By doing this, Grid Emulation prevents unnecessary project delays, helps developers and EPCs realize additional project profitability and mitigates the risk of liquidated damages, resulting in greater peace of mind and project success.

SMA offers additional power plant services including commissioning, preventative maintenance, extended warranty, and plant-wide O&M.

http://www.solarnovus.com/grid-emula...-up_N7516.html

New Financing Structures For Clean Energy Can Help Bring Down Solar Soft Costs
By Maud Texier.

Hardware costs for solar have substantially dropped over the past years. Solar module prices have decreased by 70% from 2010 to 2012. The attention is now directed towards soft costs and financing. An NREL study published in September 2013 analyzed the increasing share of soft cost in PV projects. Among those “non-hardware balance-of-system costs,” transaction and financing costs are emerging as one potential leverage to reduce the overall share of soft costs. Beyond existing third-party financing, more complex structures are required to cut down those transaction costs.

Innovative models such as crowdfunding along with tax equity for larger projects have democratized investments in renewables. But the price of financing still remains quite high. New financing structures for clean energy appeared since 2012, such as Yieldco, MLPs, and REITS. All these vessels were actually pre-existing on the finance markets but had never been applied to renewables or energy efficiency.

The first yieldco deal proposing renewables in its portfolio was introduced on the market on July 16th 2013 as NRG Yield. This subsidiary of NRG Energy owns, operates, and acquires renewable energy projects and fossil-fueled power plants. NRG Yield initially raised $430 million through a 19,575,000 share offering.

A yieldco is a company whose shares are publicly traded and dividends are passed to shareholders. The shareholders will typically receive monthly dividend from income generated by the portfolio of projects.

Other vessels such as MLPs and REITs are being discussed as potential financing structures for renewables.

REITs (Real Estate Investment Trust) have been introduced in 1960 to increase capital availability for the real-estate market. REITs are required to distribute at least 90% of their taxable income to investors. This income is then treated as a deductible from corporate-level taxes, hence suppressing a large share of total tax. This structure was made to respond to the shortage of capital in real-estate, therefore 75% of REIT assets must be real-estate or cash and receivables coming from real-estate. The portfolio diversity is then limited as the IRS defines what is considered as real-property.

The first MLPs (Master Limited Partnership) appeared in 1980s to avoid double-taxation on corporate income and individual (investor) income. MLP is a public-traded partnership, which is not subject to corporate tax provided that at least 90% of its income comes from interest, dividend, rental, commodity or natural resources. MLPs have been used for all kinds of businesses and projects. However, electricity is currently not considered a depletable resource or a natural resource, hence renewable energy or energy efficiency projects are not eligible for MLP.

Review and definition of both vessels are in progress at the federal level. The IRS definition of real-estate must be modified to include renewable energy asset in this class and to unlock REIT. MLPs need to be reformed to include electricity as an eligible source of income as well. Additionally, current tax benefits for renewables such as ITC (Investment Tax credit) or MACRS (Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System) are also in conflict with those systems. Due to the low level of tax generated from MLP and REIT, the tax benefits cannot be applied. An alternative would be to integrate projects whose tax incentives have already been consumed. In this case the portfolio will be only composed of existing projects.

As of today, no ruling enables to adapt those mechanisms to renewables and alternative energy. A bi-partisan bill “the Master Limited Partnership Parity Act,” is still in the senate committee. The IRS has not statuted either on the adoption of renewable energy assets as real property for REITs.

Both MLPs and REITs would give access to substantially lower financing cost, down to 5-6% interest rates, compared to tax equity (8-9%) or private funding (12-14%).

Another alternative is securitization achieved by SolarCity on November 2013 with a $54.43 million financing for solar projects at a relatively low interest rate of 4.8%. The bond will mature in 2026. The securitization typically enables the backing of a large portfolio of assets or projects by small investors through a debt process. The loans are backed by a bank through a Special Purpose Vehicle which issues securities to investors against cash-flow from the portfolio (PPA, etc..).

http://cleantechnica.com/2014/02/28/...-clean-energy/

Africa And Asia Set To Usurp European Renewables

New research from consultancy firm EY has proposed the idea that Europe is going to lose a significant share of the global renewables market to Africa and Asia.

After a drop of 11% in global investment in 2013, EY predict that “an abundance of opportunities in new markets, new technologies and new sources of capital all signal brighter times ahead” in their latest quarterly Renewable energy country attractiveness index (RECAI) report, released on Tuesday.

“The 2013 fall in global investment reflects another challenging year for the renewables sector, with policy uncertainty in particular reducing investor appetite across many markets,” said Gil Forer, EY’s Global Cleantech Leader. However, it also reflects a maturing sector, with falling technology costs filtering through to lower investment requirements: increasing the dollar power per megawatt.

“We must now therefore focus on what needs to be done to maximize investment and deployment in light of the fact renewable energy is becoming increasingly cost competitive.”

According to EY, there are (at least) 10 developments they expect to “shake up” the attractiveness index over the next 12 to 18 months. First on that list of 10 is the growth of markets such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Uruguay are expected to “displace European markets” which have limited growth potential.

http://cleantechnica.com/2014/02/28/...an-renewables/