[amor de cosmos]

Detractors Say that Solar Roadways Must Be Stopped
by Kristine Lofgren, 06/05/14

Solar Roadways have been getting a lot of attention lately after securing nearly $2 million in funding on Indiegogo – but some detractors are decrying the innovation, saying that the idea just won’t work. The inventors of Solar Roadways say the project has the potential to free the US from dirty energy, save lives with intelligent signage and make roads safer with heating. But critics say that output issues, noisy roads and a simple lack of need mean that Solar Roadways just won’t fly.

The idea behind Solar Roadways is: We already use a massive portion of land for roadways; why not double task and make our roads generate energy? But according to the magazine Renewables International, a small amount of shade on a solar panel reduces the efficiency of the entire string. Because roads will usually be shaded by cars, trees and surrounding buildings, the output will be compromised.

http://inhabitat.com/detractors-say-...st-be-stopped/
http://www.renewablesinternational.n...150/452/79235/

Jun 5, 2014
Delhi to Replicate Modi’s Rooftop Solar Model, Times Says

June 6 (Bloomberg) — India’s capital city plans to build as much as 100 megawatts of solar capacity on rooftops by replicating a model developed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his home state of Gujarat, the Times of India reported today.

Delhi government officials plan to copy a program set up in Gandhinagar, Gujarat state’s capital, where residents lease their rooftops to private solar utilities and get paid 3 rupees (5 cents) for every kilowatt-hour of electricity produced, according to the report, which cited government officials it didn’t identify. The rooftops of government hospitals and schools would also be included.

Almost all of India’s 2,800 megawatts of solar power capacity has been installed as projects mounted on the ground on open land, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Delhi has the potential to host as much as 2,000 megawatts of solar capacity on its rooftops, Greenpeace said in a report last year.

http://about.bnef.com/bnef-news/delh...el-times-says/

Markets
A Pro-Solar Protest Just Broke Out In The US
Rob Wile
Jun. 5, 2014, 5:00 PM

How big is solar getting in the U.S.?

How about, it just got its own protest against obstacles to its continued growth.

It's difficult to recall a similar campaign for oil, gas, or nuclear.

TUSK, a group backed by the solar industry, convened the demonstration Wednesday on the lawn of the Arizona Capitol to demand Gov. Jan Brewer repeal a new tax on homeowners leasing solar panels. Last month, the state's Department of Revenue ruled anyone leasing was leasing a panel faced levies of up to $152 starting this year.

The Arizona Republic's Ryan Randazzo, who's mastered coverage of the state's solar fight, was told by a Brewer rep that there's little chance this particular campaign would pay off: The governor will not override the department's authority, and a bill to throw out the taxes hasn't made it out of committee.

"Having failed to move their bill, TUSK is seeking an expedient political solution," Andrew Wilder said.

Arizona's main utility has argued solar customers are getting an unfair discount on their electricity statements. Nationwide, utilities are attempting to slow solar's rapid growth, which has up-ended their business models. Barclays just downgraded the entire electric utility sector.

http://www.businessinsider.com/tusk-...protest-2014-6

The Year of Concentrating Solar Power: Five New Plants to Power America with Clean Energy
June 5, 2014 - 11:31am

Solar is increasingly providing clean, sustainable energy for our nation’s homes, businesses and industries. Clocking record-breaking growth and reaching a total of more than 4,700 megawatts of new installed capacity, 2013 was a big year for solar photovoltaic systems. But we’re also excited to watch 2014, which will mark a major milestone for a different form of solar energy: concentrating solar power (CSP).

CSP technology uses mirrors to focus and concentrate sunlight onto a receiver from which a heat transfer fluid carries the thermal energy to a power block to generate electricity. The technology can generate energy even when the sun isn’t shining, helping to provide clean power at times of peak demand.

We recently rolled out the Energy Department’s new report, 2014: The Year of Concentrating Solar Power, which focuses on five of the most innovative CSP plants in the world. All of these projects are expected to be switched on in the southwestern United States by the end of the year as a result of sustained, long-term investments by the Department and committed solar industry partners.

These five new utility-scale CSP plants will pay major dividends. When completed, they will have the capacity to generate 1.26 gigawatts of electricity, nearly quadrupling America’s preexisting CSP capacity with the potential to power more than 350,000 average American homes.



Take a look at the five CSP plants:

• Solana near Gila Bend, Arizona, was developed by Abengoa Solar, Inc., and opened in October 2013. The plant can dispatch energy to customers as needed during cloudy periods and after sunset. As the first power plant in the U.S. to use molten salt thermal energy storage, Solana generates electricity well into the evening to help meet the summer peak demand for air conditioning.
• Genesis in Blythe, California, was developed by NextEra Energy Sources, LLC, and opened in April. Genesis expects to produce renewable electricity annually from more than 500,000 parabolic mirrors to power 60,000 average American homes.
• Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in Ivanpah Dry Lake, California, was developed by BrightSource Energy and opened in February. The system uses over 300,000 software-controlled mirrors to track the sun across the sky and reflect the sunlight onto three towers. Ivanpah has the capacity to produce 392 megawatts of power and is expected to serve nearly 100,000 average American homes.
• Crescent Dunes in Tonopah, Nevada, is being developed by SolarReserve and is expected to open by the end of the year. When completed, approximately 10,000 heliostats will be installed, and Crescent Dunes will be the nation’s first commercial-scale solar power tower facility with energy storage.
• Mojave Solar One near Barstow, California, is being developed by Abengoa Solar and is expected to open later this year. The plant is expected to produce 250 megawatts of power and is one of the largest projects of its kind in the world.

http://www.energy.gov/articles/year-...a-clean-energy

Improved financing and securitisation can bring further down the cost of
photovoltaics

As photovoltaics (PV) is fast becoming a mainstream source of electricity worldwide, financing and securitisation are crucial elements for a sustainable deployment of PV and future cost reduction. The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) and the SunSpec Alliance joined forces to exchange best practices in the US and the EU on financing and securitisation of PV systems during a Forum that took place today at Intersolar Europe.

Munich, 05 June 2014 - The PV market progressed remarkably in 2013, reaching a new record - level of nearly 40 GW. While EPIA foresees continued growth for PV globally in the next years, bigger focus needs to be put on financing and securitisation and their impact on future PV development.

Financing can greatly contribute to bring down the cost of PV and thus enable further PV deployment. As PV financing practices vary significantly from one region to another, the EPIA-Sunspec Alliance Forum gave participants the opportunity to exchange on best practices and experience on optimising PV financing. “Standardisation in communication interfaces, in Operation & Maintenance practices, and in PV financing, is becoming a global trend that will unlock the next phase of growth for the PV industry,” highlighted Tom Tansy, Chairman of the Sunspec Alliance. “Innovative financing standards and risk management strategies should be developed to facilitate the development of PV,” he added.

PV does not currently benefit from the same financing conditions as other energy sources and its cost is maintained artificially high. Indeed, PV is often considered a risky investment, while it is normally not thanks to its fuel independency and technical reliability. “Financing, which has become an important part of the cost of PV technology, can be significantly reduced. Framework conditions and policies should better take into account the financing environment, providing investors enough predictability and visibility and thus facilitating a larger access to financing for the PV industry globally,” concluded Oliver Schäfer, President of EPIA.

http://www.epia.org/fileadmin/user_u...ss_Release.pdf
http://www.epia.org/news/news/#news-321

Los Angeles approves 300MW of PV
By Lucy Woods - 06 June 2014, 10:35
In News, Power Generation, Grid Connection, Project Focus

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has approved 300MW of solar development agreements.

The agreements include the 250MW Beacon project to be built in Kern County and 50MW of inner city solar projects, which will receive payments under LADWP's feed-in tariff programme. The agreements were signed on Tuesday.

The projects still require approval by the City Council, but could power up to 150,000 homes while having solar generate energy were it will be used will save transmission costs and increasing grid stability.

Board president Mel Levine said the agreements are a “win-win for the businesses and people of Los Angeles who will benefit from solar power development right in the city”.

“These solar projects will help spark economic development and jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel power plants, and meet L.A.’s renewable energy mandates” said Levine.

Los Angeles mandates include 25% renewable energy by 2016, and 33% by 2020.

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/los_angeles_approves_300mw
http://www.solarserver.com/solar-mag...-projects.html

Solar FlexRack Achieves Highest Labor Cost Savings
June 6, 2014 Michelle DiFrangia : 0 Comments

solarflexrackSolar FlexRack, a division of Northern States Metals, recently announced the results of an independent time study performed by Industrial Timestudy Institute, showing that Solar FlexRack has achieved the highest labor cost savings to date in the industry for ground mount racking systems for utility-scale PV solar installations.

“Installation efficiencies and cost savings are fueling growth in the PV solar market for mounting systems, and we can now confirm that the FlexRack Series G3L breaks the ‘penny per watt’ barrier for installation labor costs,” says Tom Meola, Solar FlexRack CEO . “When we apply Industrial Timestudy Institute’s study results to a typical 1 MW site installation, with average labor costs, the cost per watt for post, tilt bracket and rack installation with modules actually comes down to less than one cent per watt.”

Solar FlexRack reduces on-site labor costs through a high level of preassembly in its factories, moving labor from the “field” into the factory where quality and costs can be controlled more effectively. The G3L is manufactured following proprietary manufacturing processes that are certified to the latest ISO 9001 standards. The vertical and horizontal rails of the all steel FlexRack Series G3L ground mount systems ship to the job site as one completely pre-assembled unit, reducing the amount of loose hardware and components, and can be unfolded and set up in a matter of minutes.

http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com...-cost-savings/