[amor de cosmos]

4 signs Africa could leapfrog fossil fuels (and 1 that it won't)
Sami Grover
Business / Corporate Responsibility
January 23, 2014

Large-scale solar is taking off in Africa

Solar lighting is replacing kerosene

Rural microgrids are becoming more viable

Wind power also beginning to take off

And for the naysayers: fossil fuels are still immensely powerful

http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-...1-it-wont.html

Future solar cells may be made of wood
2 hours ago by Lisa Zyga

(Phys.org) —A new kind of paper that is made of wood fibers yet is 96% transparent could be a revolutionary material for next-generation solar cells. Coming from plants, the paper is inexpensive and more environmentally friendly than the plastic substrates often used in solar cells. However, its most important advantage is that it overcomes the tradeoff between optical transparency and optical haze that burdens most materials.

A team of researchers from the University of Maryland, the South China University of Technology, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, have published a paper on the new material in a recent issue of Nano Letters.

As the researchers explain, solar cell performance benefits when materials possess both a high optical transparency (to allow for good light transmission) and a high optical haze (to increase the scattering and therefore the absorption of the transmitted light within the material). But so far, materials with high transparency values (of about 90%) have very low optical haze values (of less than 20%).

The new wood-based paper has an ultrahigh transparency of 96% and ultrahigh optical haze of 60%, which is the highest optical haze value reported among transparent substrates.

The main reason for this good performance in both areas is that the paper has a nanoporous rather than microporous structure. Regular paper is made of wood fibers and has low optical transparency due to the microcavities that exist within the porous structure that cause light scattering. In the new paper, these micropores are eliminated in order to improve the optical transparency. To do this, the researchers used a treatment called TEMPO to weaken the hydrogen bonds between the microfibers that make up the wood fibers, which causes the wood fibers to swell up and collapse into a dense, tightly packed structure containing nanopores rather than micropores.

http://phys.org/news/2014-01-future-...ells-wood.html

Saudi Arabia taps German knowhow
23. January 2014 | Markets & Trends, Global PV markets, Industry & Suppliers, Trade show, Research & Development | By: Edgar Meza

Germany's Fraunhofer ISE will work with Saudi Arabia's renewable and nuclear energy agency K.A.CARE on research and development in areas such as PV technology, energy storage and grid integration.

Saudi Arabia's K.A.CARE, which oversees renewable and nuclear energy development, and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), have agreed to work together in diverse fields, including renewable energy research and development as well as testing and training.

The organizations signed a collaboration framework agreement on Jan. 20 at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.

“K.A.CARE and Fraunhofer ISE are both interested in developing, supporting and deploying renewable energy technology locally, regionally and around the globe. This strategic collaboration serves both organizations’ goals to develop research capabilities, human capacity and state-of-the art approaches to solving engineering challenges unique to the region of Saudi Arabia,” the organizations said in a joint statement.

http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/deta...how_100014023/

France, Germany forging PV alliance
23. January 2014 | Top News, Global PV markets, Industry & Suppliers, Markets & Trends | By: Ilias Tsagas

French President Francois Hollande supports plans to build a giant PV module plant with an initial annual production capacity of 1 GW and which could expand up to 5 GW.

French newspaper Les Echos has revealed that Germany and France are discussing plans to build a large-scale PV modules plant referred to as X-GW.

The idea behind the project, Les Echos says, is to produce European modules that can compete with Chinese panels, whose prices are significantly lower.

Eicke Weber, director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), confirmed the plans to the French newspaper, saying that ISE was "working on the creation of a consortium with the French National Institute of Solar Energy (INES) and the Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM)" aiming to assist the project.

Skeptics have expressed concerns about the ambitious project due to the global market suffering from overcapacity and several German players filing for bankruptcy in the past year. Weber pointed out, however, that demand for photovoltaic panels, which reached 45 GW in 2013, is expected to reach 100 GW a year until 2020.

"Photovoltaics is a strategic technology for Europe," Weber said, adding that either Europe allows the Asians to take the lead "or governments are willing to help us through credit guarantees, as with Airbus."

http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/deta...nce_100014015/

Lux Research expects BOS costs to fall 30% by 2020
By Mark Osborne - 23 January 2014, 16:20
In News, Thin Film, CdTe, Power Generation, BOS, Market Watch

Market research firm, Lux Research expects balance of system (BOS) component costs to fall gradually through the rest of the decade, according to a new report.

Lux Research guided BOS costs for distributed generation applications are expected to decline between 15% and 30% by 2020 depending on geography.

However, combined with expected PV module conversion efficiency gains the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for PV is expected to decline in the range of U$0.04/kWh - U$0.08/kWh by 2020.

“Balance-of-systems costs are in developers’ crosshairs as the pressure to reduce costs extends downstream. Incremental cost reductions from racking and mounting, coupled with innovative system electronics changes, will accelerate system cost reductions and help reduce LCOE,” said Matthew Feinstein, Lux Research senior analyst. “Project volumes will also continue to drive M&A activity in the BOS industry, with plenty of opportunity for new entrants.”

Not surprisingly, residential BOS costs have the greatest opportunity for falling, according to the report, which expects these to be driven by lower labour costs as markets mature and best practices become widespread.

Germany is regarded by many industry observers to have the lowest residential BOS costs, while the US is perceived to have some of the highest.

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/lux_rese...all_30_by_2020

Balance of System Can Lower Capital Expense Cost of Solar by 20%
Published on 23 January 2014

Falling module prices have helped to bring down the cost of solar installations, but now balance of system (BOS) components such as racking and mounting are key targets of cost reduction, as distributed generation system prices fall by between 15% and 30% by 2020 depending on geography, according to Lux Research. Along with continuing module efficiency improvements, these advances will make the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) for solar between $0.04/kWh and $0.08/kWh cheaper in 2020 than it is today.

The report titled, “The Squeeze: Trends in Solar Balance of Systems,” evaluated the factors driving BOS cost reductions in varied geographies and application segments. Among the findings:

• Residential segment is poised for biggest gains. By 2020, residential BOS costs are set to drop more than any other application segment, driven largely by cuts in labor costs, thanks to ever-increasing adoption of time-saving best practices. Commercial systems will see cost reduction due to new, lower-cost racking and mounting hardware.
• Thin-film systems’ costs fall fastest for utility scale solar. Standard utility-scale BOS costs fall fastest for CdTe systems, thanks largely to increasing module efficiency lowering the cost of racking and mounting hardware on a per-watt basis.
• Electrical innovations hold out hope for further reductions. Innovations targeting the electrical side of the BOS industry have the highest potential for cost reduction. In distributed generation, the high-voltage trend will go as far as code allows, up to 1500 V, while utility-scale system developers will pursue automated installation technologies and high-voltage configurations.

http://www.solarnovus.com/balance-of...-20_N7391.html

ReneSola eyes Africa expansion from new Cape Town base
By Lucy Woods - 23 January 2014, 12:59
In News, PV Modules

Chinese PV manufacturer, ReneSola has announced the opening of a new office in Cape Town, South Africa.

The regional office will serve as the headquarters for ReneSola’s sales and marketing operations in Africa, which the company said it was looking to expand.

Qasim Abrahams, general manager of ReneSola South Africa, said the new office would serve as a gateway to markets in Ghana, Rwanda, Namibia and Kenya.

“South Africa has shown tremendous potential for utility-scale, commercial, and residential solar PV projects,” said Abrahams. "The solar PV market here has grown tremendously since 2010, sparked by the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Programme.”

"Increasing our share in markets with strong growth trajectories like South Africa is a core component of our business development strategy”, said Xianshou Li, founder and CEO of ReneSola. “Having on-the-ground sales and marketing support is key to increasing our customer base across the vast Africa market and will allow us to respond to customer requests with greater speed and flexibility as we deepen our understanding of local market conditions,” said Li.

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/renesola..._africa_office

Six large-scale PV projects signed off in Puerto Rico
By Ben Willis - 23 January 2014, 12:10
In News, Power Generation, Project Focus

Six companies have been cleared to press ahead with the construction of large-scale PV plants in Puerto Rico.

The Caribbean territory’s energy regulator AEE said it had renegotiated cheaper power purchase agreements with the companies and was close to closing a seventh deal.

AEE announced last year that it would renegotiate previously agreed PPAs with renewable energy developers in order to drive down prices.

At the same time AEE said it was introducing new rules making it mandatory for renewable energy developers to include an energy storage system in projects equal to 30% of the project’s rated capacity.

The body this week said the renegotiated PPAs would save it a total US$60 million.

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/six_larg...in_puerto_rico

Chile update: More than 5GW approved but operating solar projects stagnant at 6.7MW
By Lucy Woods - 23 January 2014, 12:00
In News, Power Generation, Grid Connection, Market Watch

Chile’s pipeline of approved but unbuilt PV projects reached over 5.33GW at the end of December, according to the country’s renewable energy research centre CER.

According to CER’s January 2014 figures, 128MW of projects were under construction in December – up only 2MW since October.

But only 6.7MW of solar projects were in operation at that time, a figure unchanged since October 2013. In December, just 0.4% (1.2 GWh) of Chile’s grid energy came from solar plants.

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/chile_up...ojects_stagnan

Hanergy considers module fab in Ivory Coast
23. January 2014 | Markets & Trends, Global PV markets, Industry & Suppliers | By: Blanca Díaz López

The Chinese group's CEO, Li Hejun, met with Ivory Coast President Alassane Outtara to discuss a $500 million solar project.

Hanergy CEO and Chairman Li Hejun met on Wednesday with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara to talk about a large industrial solar project that would require an investment of $500 million.

Hejun said after the meeting that the Chinese company is considering setting up a thin-film solar module factory and building a large-scale solar park in the African country, according to Ivory Coast presidency press service. Petroleum and Energy Minister Adama Toungara also attended the meeting.

The Chinese company is currently targeting emerging markets. In December, representatives of Hanergy met with the governor of Rio Grande do Sul Tarso Genro to discuss an industrial solar project in the Brazilian state that the renewable energy company plans to carry out.

http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/deta...ast_100014025/

The Thinkery Goes Green With New Installation of Solar Panels
January 22, 2014 Frank Andorka : 0 Comments

The Thinkery, the new Austin Children’s Museum, is turning to solar power to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Thinkery recently teamed up with Austin-based Freedom Solar Power to install over 196 solar panels. The 47 kilawatt rooftop array will harness the sun in order to power the new 40,000 square foot facility in the Mueller development.

Freedom Solar provided their latest financial leasing for non-profit customers, which allowed the Thinkery to go solar with no money down. The system is expected to generate over $6,000 in annual energy savings. Over the life of the system, the solar array will offset 1,296 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. This is the comparable to 485 tons of waste going to the landfill instead of being recycled, or the Carbon-dioxide emissions from 178 homes.

http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com...-solar-panels/

01/22/2014 05:45 PM
Latin America Gets Its First Concentrating Solar Plant
SustainableBusiness.com News

Construction on Latin America's first concentrating solar plant starts this year, and Abengoa won the $1 billion contract.

The 110 megawatt solar tower project with molten salt energy storage will be built in Chile on the world's driest desert. Atacama Desert has the highest solar radiation concentration in the world.

While Abengoa's parabolic concentrating plant in Arizona is more than twice the size, Solana can only store energy for six hours. Chili's plant will be able to produce energy without sunshine for a very impressive 17.5 hours.

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/i...splay/id/25460

Energy News
Startup Thinks Its Battery Will Solve Renewable Energy’s Big Flaw
Aquion has started production of a low-cost sodium-ion battery aimed at making renewable energy viable.
By Kevin Bullis on January 23, 2014

A former Sony TV factory near Pittsburgh is coming to life again after lying idle for four years. Whirring robotic arms have started to assemble a new kind of battery that could make the grid more efficient and let villages run on solar power around the clock.

Aquion, the startup that developed the battery, has finished installing its first commercial-scale production line at the factory, and is sending out batteries for customers to evaluate. It recently raised $55 million of venture capital funding from investors including Bill Gates. The money will help it ramp up to full-speed production by this spring.

Jay Whitacre, the Carnegie Mellon professor of materials science and engineering who invented the new battery, says it will cost about as much as a lead-acid battery—one of the cheapest types of battery available—but will last more than twice as long. And while lead is toxic and the sulfuric-acid electrolyte in lead-acid batteries is potentially dangerous, the new battery is made of materials so safe you can eat them (although Whitacre says they taste terrible). Nontoxic materials are also a good fit for remote areas, where maintenance is difficult.

Most importantly, by providing an affordable way to store solar power for use at night or during cloudy weather, the technology could allow isolated populations to get electricity from renewable energy, rather than from polluting diesel generators. Combining solar power and inexpensive batteries would also be cheaper than running diesel generators in places where delivering fuel is expensive (see “How Solar-Based Microgrids Could Bring Power to Millions”).

The batteries could allow the grid to accommodate greater amounts of intermittent renewable energy. As Aquion scales up production and brings down costs, the batteries could also be used instead of a type of natural gas power plant—called a peaker plant—often used to balance supply and demand on the grid. When recharged using renewables, the batteries don’t need fuel, so they’re cleaner than the natural gas power plants.

In some places, concerns over pollution make new natural gas plants hard to build, which could create an opening for Aquion’s technology, even if it’s somewhat more expensive.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news...rgys-big-flaw/

Global utility-scale solar capacity climbs through 21GW in 2013
By Staff Reporter on 23 January 2014
Wiki-Solar

Another record year for utility-scale solar power took global installed capacity through the 21 GW level in 2013, according to figures published today by sector experts Wiki-Solar. Soaring activity particularly in the USA, China and India lifted the totals to a fourth consecutive record year.

http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/glob...w-in-2013-2013