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Old Posted Mar 14, 2014, 4:56 PM
amor de cosmos amor de cosmos is offline
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From mines to megawatts: The promise of 'conflict-free Big Solar'
Millions of acres of degraded terrain could hold 100 times the current US solar capacity - and avert the environmental tradeoffs of blockbuster solar projects

By Garrett Hering, GreenBiz.com
14 Mar 2014

Arizona startup Green Energy Storage wants to transform an abandoned open-pit copper mine 45 miles south of Phoenix into a large-scale solar power and pumped-hydro storage facility.

Although still in the early days of development, the project, first pitched to federal energy regulators two weeks ago, could become a model for conflict-free Big Solar.

After all, contaminated former industrial sites and other degraded lands represent a relatively untapped opportunity for developers to steer clear of the litigious environmental conflicts and tradeoffs associated with large-scale solar power in ecologically sensitive and pristine areas.

One such area is the Ivanpah Valley, in the Mojave Desert on the California-Nevada Border, where BrightSource Energy recently completed its Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System - backed by Google, NRG Energy and the US Department of Energy (DOE) - amid the heightened concerns of California energy regulators over bird deaths linked to the plant's highly concentrated solar flux.

Just last week, the environmental group Defenders of Wildlife filed a lawsuit against the US Department of the Interior for approving First Solar's nearby Stateline and Silver State South projects over "grave risks" to the same threatened desert tortoise population already affected by Ivanpah.

But such controversies may not be necessary for large-scale solar power developers and their corporate and government backers.

A recent report by the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, found that the agency's "Sunshot" program goal for 2050 "could be met entirely by siting solar energy projects on disturbed and environmentally contaminated lands". That goal calls for facilitating the installation of 632GW of large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants and 83GW of concentrating solar power (CSP).

In fact, the report conservatively identifies 19.7 million acres of disturbed, degraded and contaminated terrain that are flat enough and contiguous enough to host about 2,000 gigawatts of large-scale solar power, or 2 terawatts.

That's roughly 100 times the installed capacity of the estimated 440,000 solar projects currently operating in the US.

One benefit of developing solar projects on disturbed and contaminated lands, according to the NREL report, is that such projects "could stimulate and revitalize local and state economies in areas without many productive land uses."
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news...free-big-solar

Quote:
Aquion Energy Gets $56.6 Million in Financing for Battery Design
13 March 2014

March 13 (Bloomberg) — Aquion Energy Inc., a closely held developer of energy-storage systems, has received $56.6 million in equity financing to expand its operations.

The funding was disclosed in a filing yesterday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and billionaire Bill Gates are among the company’s investors, according to its website. Elizabeth Pond, a company spokeswoman, didn’t return phone messages today.

The company, based in Pittsburgh, produces aqueous hybrid ion batteries that use saltwater to conduct electricity. The technology is based on research originally conducted at Carnegie Mellon University.
http://about.bnef.com/bnef-news/aqui...attery-design/

Quote:
Canadian Solar opens microgrid testing center
14. March 2014 | Industry & Suppliers, Investor news, Markets & Trends | By: Max Hall

The new facility at Guelph, Ontario, is part of the company's Total Solutions downstream business. The testing center was part-funded by the Ontario Ministry of Energy.

Chinese module manufacturer Canadian Solar today announced the opening of its microgrid testing center in its Canadian base of Guelph, Ontario.

Part-funded by the Ontario Ministry of Energy's Smart Grid Fund, the new center will benefit indigenous and remote communities as well as mining operations in Canada, according to today's Canadian Solar press release announcing the news.

Canadian Solar CEO Shawn Qu said the testing center – which will provide solution testing, system solution design and smart grid assessment services – is the latest part of his company's Total Solutions strategy.
http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/deta...ter_100014516/

Quote:
Next-Generation Photovoltaic Technologies to Take Center Stage as Solar Expenditures Rebound
Category: Design & Supply Chain, Design & Supply Chain Media
Thursday, March 13, 2014 11:21 am EDT
Dateline: EL SEGUNDO, Calif.

Next-Generation Photovoltaic Technologies to Take Center Stage as Solar Expenditures Rebound

El Segundo, Calif. (March 13, 2014)—Advanced photovoltaic (PV) technologies such as diamond wire and n-type substrates will increasingly find their way into mainstream solar manufacturing, especially with capital expenditures set to bounce back this year, according to IHS Technology (NYSE: IHS).

In a move that will coincide with the launch of a new spending cycle within solar circles, manufacturers along the PV supply chain will transition from standardized technologies at present to next-generation mechanisms for solar-related mass production in the near future. Capital spending will reach an expected $3.4 billion by year-end, IHS believes, after bottoming out in 2013.

“Innovative technologies will be atop the agendas of major solar manufacturers globally now that supply and demand has come to closer alignment,” said Jon Campos, analyst for solar demand at IHS.

“While most experts thought that overcapacity issue would remain significantly longer, the fundamental assumptions made by IHS were that the industry would move toward market equilibrium behind increasing demand in the emerging markets, and that PV manufacturers would turn to advanced technologies to compete with traditional forms of energy production—assumptions that are now coming to fruition,” Campos added.

These findings can be found in the report, “PV Manufacturing Technology Report – World 2014,” from the Power & Energy service of IHS. The report delivers an in-depth look into the competitive landscape of the world’s leading solar manufacturing technologies, materials, and cost trends through 2020.

Wafer manufacturers to shift from steel wire to diamond wire

N-type cells to spark growth in monocrystalline market share

CdTe to continue dominating thin-film market
http://press.ihs.com/press-release/d...r-stage-solar-
http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/deta...ihs_100014512/

Quote:
Saudi Arabia to launch 1GW solar tender ‘by end of the year’
By John Parnell - 13 March 2014, 16:14
In News, Power Generation, Market Watch

Saudi Arabia will put 700-1000MW of solar power out to tender by the end of the year, according to Vahid Fotuhi, president of the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA).

The country has long-term ambitions to invest more than US$109 billion in solar energy but scepticism has been building with little tangible progress being made for outside observers to see.

“They [the Saudi government] want to come out with something this year,” Fotuhi told PV Tech. “If everything holds, then we will have the introductory round of projects unveiled by the end of the year. This will be roughly 1000MW, between 700-1000MW. They are targeting 40-42GW, 1GW is not that big in the grand scheme of things,” he said.

“They are in the process of screening technical advisors who are going to help them put together the blueprints for these commercial contracts and also train the local Saudis on how to oversee and implement these projects including the tendering. That’s going on now,” he added.

“This will instil a lot of excitement and a lot of confidence. People will see this is just the first step and once it is announced, within short order, they’ll see other project unveiled and the momentum will build as they get traction. This is the beginning of a very exciting chapter for the Middle East and especially for Saudi Arabia,” he added.
http://www.pv-tech.org/news/saudi_ar...nd_of_the_year

Quote:
Determined Company Proves Solar Works In Alaska, Too
March 14, 2014 Steven Bushong : 0 Comments

“It’s a testament to hard work and training, as well as an expanding desire from Alaskans and businesses for more renewable energy,” said LIME Solar co-owner and electrical engineer Jesse Moe when asked about his company’s two year rise from a new business to the state’s top renewable energy company.

LIME Solar, founded by third generation Alaskans Jesse Moe and Chester Dyson, was formed in late 2011 and opened its doors to the public in April 2012. The company not only sells a full spectrum of renewable energy products, it also offers energy evaluation and engineering services. Its comprehensive inventory includes solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, inverters, LEDs and Grid, Off-Grid, R.V. and boat kits.

“Jesse and Chester are true visionaries,” said Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Lesil McGuire, a long-time champion of renewable energy. “LIME Solar installed the first residential grid-tied wind turbine in Anchorage in 2012, and then the first grid-tied solar array with battery backup in the Mat-Su, plus the largest solar array in Alaska in 2013 in Anchorage. It’s a remarkable business growth that’s benefiting all Alaskans,” added Senator McGuire.

LIME Solar’s efforts have blossomed statewide, including installing a University of Alaska Fairbanks sustainable-village solar array, as well as a sustainable FAA solar communications system near Juneau, Alaska, both in 2013. Additionally, LIME Solar is focusing on education across Alaska, including winning the 2013 Alaska State Fair “Best Education Booth” Award, hosting classes at Spenard Builders Supply for builders and for the Alaska Department of Corrections in three of its facilities. From free public seminars in the company’s main store, to working with the IBEW Apprenticeship program to educate electricians, to rural outreach and village classes, Moe and Dyson are striving to make all Alaskans aware of renewable energy.
http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com...-works-alaska/

Quote:
GT introduces novel solar PV cell metallization and interconnection technology

GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (Merrimack, New Hampshire, U.S.) has introduced a new technology for cell metallization and interconnection that it says will provide substantial savings in both the manufacture and installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules.


GT's “Merlin” technology includes a flexible grid to replace silver bus bars, which it says will improve conversion efficiency as well as reducing the expense of silver paste. The company says modules incorporating this technology will be more reliable and durable, as well as enabling form factors that are lighter and easier to handle.

“Our Merlin technology uses mature, proven manufacturing processes to produce the flexible grids and we are confident that we can scale grid production to meet the requirements of the solar industry,” said GT President and CEO Tom Gutierrez.

“Our Merlin technology is expected to fundamentally change the way modules will be manufactured, shipped and installed in the future.”
http://www.solarserver.com/solar-mag...echnology.html

Quote:
Italy met 4.8% of electricity demand with solar PV in February

According to the latest figures from grid operator Terna (Rome), Italian solar photovoltaic (PV) plants produced 1.19 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in February 2014, to meet 4.8% of electricity demand.


This is an increase from 4.6% in February 2013, and 2.8% in January 2014. Over the full year 2013, Italy met 7.0% of its electricity demand with PV, the highest portion of any mid-sized to large nation in the world.

When hydroelectric, geothermal and wind generation is included, Italy met 30% of electricity demand in February 2014 with renewables. This is about the same portion as was met with renewables over the full year 2013, and more than February 2013 due to higher wind and hydroelectric output.

Italy is also a large net importer of power, and met 18% of February 2014 electric demand with imports, mostly from Switzerland and France.
http://www.solarserver.com/solar-mag...-february.html

Quote:
Green energy costs ‘minimal’ for consumers, study shows
RICHARD BLACKWELL
The Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, Mar. 13 2014, 5:47 PM EDT

The cost of green energy has a relatively small impact on residential electricity bills in Ontario, a new study to be released Friday suggests, and that will not change significantly even as renewables take up a bigger portion of power generation.

That should be a lesson for other provinces considering the shift to renewables, says the study’s sponsor, Environmental Defence Canada, because it shows Ontario’s pro-green energy plan is not as costly as some critics claim.

The analysis conducted for Environmental Defence by independent energy consulting firm Power Advisory LLC, shows that the cost of energy from solar, wind and bioenergy currently makes up about 9 per cent of an average electricity bill in Ontario. Other forms of power make up about 48 per cent of the bill, while the balance is the cost of delivering power, a regulatory fee, tax and a charge to retire the debt on nuclear power plants. Ontario residents also get a 10-per-cent rebate called the “clean energy benefit.”

In 10 years time, the study says, renewables will account for about 16 per cent of a household’s total bill.

By that time, the Ontario government has projected, solar, wind and biofuel will make up about 17 per cent of the province’s energy supply, up from about 5 per cent in 2013.

Renewable power is often blamed for rising electricity costs, said Environmental Defence campaign director Gillian McEachern, but they “play a fairly small role in Ontarians’ electricity bills today.”

Ontario’s opposition Conservatives have often criticized the Liberal government’s green-energy policies for driving up electricity cost, and they have pledged to kill off subsidies to wind and solar if they take power.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...ticle17484685/

Quote:
14 March 2014, 12.32pm AEST
Big solar could boost Australia’s power, if renewables funding stays

The recent start of construction on the first of two large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in outback New South Wales shows the importance of renewable energy targets and funding.

The first, currently being built at Nyngan, will be the largest solar PV farm in the southern hemisphere, producing 103 megawatts at peak capacity. This will be enough to power more than 33,000 average New South Wales homes, roughly equivalent to taking 53,000 cars off the road. Both projects have received federal and state funding, and have benefited from the Renewable Energy Target.

The Solar Flagships Program, of which the Nyngan plant is the major part, will also deliver a further 50 megawatt plant at Broken Hill, providing a combined solar power output 10 times larger than anything else ever built in Australia.

It is not just the sheer size of this project that makes it the potential tipping point for the Australian renewable energy industry. This project will once and for all answer the question of whether solar power can be a legitimate source of industrial scale energy in this country, and if such projects can be technically, commercially, socially and environmentally viable.

Plenty of sun, slow on solar

If there is one natural resource above all others which Australia possesses in abundance, it is sunshine. The integration of large-scale wind farms into the Australian energy mix has been a reality for the past decade, yet the same cannot be said for solar energy. So far it has only been harvested by small-scale residential and commercial applications, most commonly rooftop solar and hot water systems.

While projects of similar size and scale have been built in other parts of the world (notably Germany and the United States), the Australian context is one of relatively high network distances and very low population densities. The area covered by the National Electricity Market accounts for about 20 million people. An equivalent network in Europe would cover around 300 million.

This throws up myriad technical and commercial issues and challenges unique to our energy system that must be addressed.

Government funding vital

The other big question of course is whether such a project will be commercially viable. Given that such an ambitious project has never been undertaken in Australia, it is not surprising that industry players could not justify the massive capital investment needed for such a project.

This is why it was necessary for the Commonwealth and NSW governments to step in to share some of the risk. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency is contributing A$166.7 million, the state government is contributing A$64.9 million in grants and a further A$40.7 million will be contributed by the federal Education Investment Fund.
http://theconversation.com/big-solar...ng-stays-23586

Last edited by amor de cosmos; Mar 14, 2014 at 6:47 PM.
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