SOLAR TO ADD MORE MEGAWATTS THAN WIND IN 2013, FOR FIRST TIME

Research company’s figures show contrast this year between strong growth in photovoltaic installations and sharp fall in new wind capacity added

London, 26 September 2013 – Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that 33.8GW of new onshore wind farms, plus 1.7GW of offshore wind, will be added globally in 2013. This compares with its median forecast of 36.7GW of new photovoltaic, or PV, capacity.

This year is set to be the first in which PV has added more megawatts than wind. In 2012, wind – onshore and offshore – added 46.6GW, while PV added 30.5GW, record figures in both cases. But in 2013, a slowdown in the world’s two largest wind markets, China and the US, is opening the way for the rapidly growing PV market to overtake wind.

“The dramatic cost reductions in PV, combined with new incentive regimes in Japan and China, are making possible further, strong growth in volumes,” said Jenny Chase, head of solar analysis at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “Europe is a declining market, because many countries there are rapidly moving away from incentives, but it will continue to see new PV capacity added.”

Justin Wu, head of wind analysis at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said: “We forecast that wind installations will shrink by nearly 25% in 2013, to their lowest level since 2008, reflecting slowdowns in the US and China caused by policy uncertainty. However, falling technology costs, new markets and the growth of the offshore industry will ensure wind remains a leading renewable energy technology.”

Despite the change in rankings for 2013, the maturing sectors of onshore wind and PV will contribute almost equally to the world’s new electricity capacity additions between now and 2030, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. It forecasts that wind (on and offshore) will expand from 5% of the world’s total installed power generation capacity in 2012, to 17% in 2030. PV, from a lower base of 2% in 2012, will grow to 16% by 2030. 
Furthermore, after years of oversupply and consolidation, technology suppliers in both sectors may see a move back to profit in 2013. Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, commented: “Cost cuts and a refocusing on profitable markets and business segments have bolstered the financial performance of wind turbine makers and the surviving solar manufacturers. Stock market investors have been noticing this change, and clean energy shares have rebounded by 66% since their lows of July 2012.”

Further details on demand and supply in renewable energy’s two largest sectors can be found in the third-quarter 2013 Wind and PV Market Outlooks, published this month for clients of Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s Insight Service. A Solar Thermal Electricity Generation Market Outlook will be published in October.

 

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

646.402.5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

As system costs come down, net metering will be increasingly under attack.

California's net-metering customers not paying fair share of grid costs, report

30.09.2013: Californians who own rooftop PV systems are not paying their fair share of the costs associated with maintaining the power grid, according to a new report commissioned by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The report, which was issued by the CPUC but performed by an outside research firm, forecast that in 2020, net metering would cost $1.1 billion a year, reports Reuters. This means that in 2020, net metering will shift about $359 million in costs a year from customers with rooftop PV to other ratepayers. Residential customers who do not have a PV system will bear about $287 million of those costs, the report finds. Utilities have long argued that under net-metering programs, customers with rooftop PV systems do not pay their fair share to maintain the grid. Solar industry representatives contend that net metering benefits all ratepayers and is critical to driving down the cost of PV and expanding the market for distributed solar. Last month, California passed a new state law that authorizes the CPUC to reform utility rates and design a new net metering program that would take effect in 2017. The CPUC has not yet said how it plans to reform the program. At the end of 2012, California’s three investor-owned utilities had about 150,000 net metering customers between them. The report was conducted by California-based research firm Energy and Environmental Economics Inc. © PHOTON

 

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

646.402.5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

BBC News: UN panel to deliver climate report

UN panel to deliver climate report

A senior figure on the UN's climate panel says he is increasingly worried about humans' abilities to rein in global warming, ahead of a report.

Read more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24281865


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Monty Bannerman
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Fwd: BBC News: Computer made from tiny carbon tubes

Computer made from tiny carbon tubes

The first working computer built with carbon nanotubes instead of silicon has been unveiled by scientists in California, and is named "Cedric".

Read more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24232896


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Monty Bannerman
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F-16 jet takes off with empty cockpit

Flys better than with human aboard. Where warfare is rapidly going.

F-16 jet takes off with empty cockpit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24231077

Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
+1 646-402-5076

Abengoa to develop new 70 megawatt (MW) wind farm in Uruguay | RenewablesBiz

Note leasing arrangement with UTE.

http://www.renewablesbiz.com/article/13/09/abengoa-develop-new-70-megawatt-mw-wind-farm-uruguay?utm_source=2013_09_24&utm_medium=eNL&utm_content=&utm_campaign=RB_DAILY&utm_term=B

On-site renewables nearing tipping point

http://www.cospp.com/articles/print/volume-14/issue-3/features/on-site-renewables-a-history-of-barriers-a-future-of-opportunities.html

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

646.402.5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

Costa Rica has fastest growing public debt in Central America - Inside Costa Rica | Inside Costa Rica

http://insidecostarica.com/2013/09/19/costa-rica-has-fastest-growing-public-debt-in-central-america/

Optical Advances: Lens Combines Human & Insect Vision

http://www.pddnet.com/news/2013/09/lens-combines-human-insect-vision?et_cid=3488123&et_rid=45614407&type=headline

Fwd: CNN Breaking News

For the first time in mankind's history we leave our own solar system behind and set out into deep interstellar space. What a time to be alive.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CNN Breaking News <BreakingNews@mail.cnn.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 12, 2013 at 2:18 PM
Subject: CNN Breaking News
To: textbreakingnews@ema3lsv06.turner.com

The Voyager 1 probe has become the first man-made object to enter interstellar space, NASA announced today.

Scientists report they have strong evidence that the unmanned spacecraft has crossed the magnetic boundary separating our solar system's sun, planets and solar wind from the rest of the galaxy. The announcement comes more than 36 years after the unmanned spacecraft lifted off on a journey that gave humans close-up views of Jupiter and Saturn before heading toward deep space.

Get complete coverage of breaking news on CNN TV, CNN.com and CNN Mobile.

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Let the Debate Begin!
Watch Weeknights 6:30 ET on CNN
Join the Crossfire: CNN.com/Crossfire
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Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
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BBC News: 'Uncrackable' codes set for step up

Quantum networks go from point-to-point to multi-point based on Shrodingers uncertainty principle.

'Uncrackable' codes set for step up

A system that allows electronic messages to be sent with complete secrecy could be on the verge of expanding beyond niche applications.

Read more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23946488


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Monty Bannerman
Sent from my iPad

Mankind plays role in extreme weather - Global Energy World - Be the first to know

http://www.globalenergyworld.com/mobile/news/8934/Mankind_s_global_warming_plays_role_in_extreme_weather.htm

--
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
646.402.5076
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BBC News: Solar boat in quest for cleaner seafaring

Solar boat in quest for cleaner seafaring

An international team of investors, designers and engineers has built the world's largest solar-powered boat to circumnavigate the globe.

Read more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23936775


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Monty Bannerman
Sent from my iPad

check out this installed cost

Chilean developer 8i SA plans 37 MW solar project in central Chile 05.09.2013: Chilean developer 8i SA aims to build a 37 MW PV power plant in the Valparaiso region of central Chile. According to a proposal submitted to Chilean environmental authorities, 8i SA's Ravsoe solar project would require an investment of $50 million and would rely on 148,000 crystalline silicon modules installed on 6,617 solar trackers. Completion of the project, located in the municipality of Puchuncavi, is scheduled for January 2015, pending approval. © PHOTON

--
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
646.402.5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

big boys already entrenched in Brazil

Renova Energia to propose 200 MW of PV power during Brazil's A-3 energy auction

04.09.2013: Brazilian renewable energy firm Renova Energia SA plans to submit proposals for 200 MW of PV projects during Brazil’s upcoming A-3 energy auction, according to Brazilian news portal Exame.com. The next A-3 auction for new energy producers will accept proposals for solar energy projects for the first time. The auction was originally scheduled to be held on Oct. 25, 2013 but was recently postponed to November 18. No reason for the postponement was given. Projects selected in the November auction must begin delivering power in 2016. According to the article, Renova Energia recently obtained authorizations to build 400 MW of PV projects in the eastern Brazilian state of Bahia. In a document filed with the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange in March 2013, Renova Energia said it intended to develop eight new PV power plants in Bahia with a combined capacity of 241.9 MW. Some of the projects would rely on multicrystalline silicon modules, while others would use thin-film modules. Details on how much the company expects to invest in the projects was not disclosed. In August 2012, Renova Energia announced that it planned to become both a PV manufacturer and a solar project developer. Prior to that announcement,

 

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

646.402.5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

Signs of trouble in PV pricing

Silicon increases ripple through the entire value chain. This is being driven by tit for tat protectionism.

 

Polysilicon price increases push wafer producers to hike their own prices

04.09.2013: A recent increase in polysilicon prices on the Chinese spot market is driving up polysilicon prices across Asia, which has, in turn led to an increase in wafer production costs. Consequently, Asian wafer producers are considering raising silicon wafer prices to reduce operating pressures, according to Taiwan-based consultancy company TrendForce Corp. Moreover, the upward trend of polysilicon prices is showing no signs of abating and will therefore last a while yet, the firm says. TrendForce found that although the Chinese government has imposed antidumping duties on polysilicon imports in an attempt to increase the use of domestically produced polysilicon, Chinese polysilicon manufacturers product quality, costs and shipment capacity still lags behind large international competitors. As a result, there were no significant decreases in China’s imports and purchase of raw materials – the industry still relies heavily on polysilicon imports. Furthermore, since China’s polysilicon antidumping duties came into effect, the custom process period for imported raw materials has been extended. And on top of this, uncertainties surrounding the future development of the solar market have caused suppliers to be extremely cautious in increasing production. Due to this market environment, prices in the polysilicon spot market remain high. © PHOTON

 

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

646.402.5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

regulatory and tariff moves afoot in Brazil

Brazilian Senate discusses proposal to introduce further tax breaks for PV

04.09.2013: The Brazilian Senate’s commission for infrastructure could approve this week legislation aimed at reducing the cost of purchasing PV modules in Brazil. Senate bill PLS 167/2013, sponsored by Senator Blairo Maggi, would reduce the tax rate imposed on PV modules and would promote the use of renewable energies in the heat production sector. Further details of the bill were not provided. Maggi, who is a member of the Brazilian Party of the Republic and the former governor of the state of Mato Grosso, claims that Brazil’s solar potential is being ignored by the government in the planning of the future energy system. The Brazilian Government has already introduced tax breaks to support the development of solar energy projects across the country. In March 2012, the government approved two tax breaks aimed at promoting the deployment of solar installations as large as 30 MW – the Discount Rate for Use of Distribution Systems (TUSD) and the Usage Transmission System Tariff (TUST). © PHOTON

 

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

646.402.5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

Chinese now setting conversion records in PV

China Sunergy announces 20.26% efficiency for its monocrystalline solar cells

04.09.2013: Chinese solar cell and module manufacturer China Sunergy Co. Ltd. (CSUN) announced that its new generation high-efficiency monocrystalline solar cell has achieved a conversion efficiency of 20.26% in pilot production. The results, achieved using cells produced by the company’s newly completed pilot R&D production line, were certified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. The latest generation of CSUN monocrystalline cells combines the company's Waratah and QSAR cell technologies in a new design structure that enables cells to achieve high conversion efficiencies using normal wafers. Fraunhofer ISE confirmed the new conversion efficiency record as the leading level among all PV producers in China, reports CSUN. The high-efficiency monocrystalline cells offer outstanding cost advantage and space reduction, making them ideal for rooftop applications, the company says. CSUN has installed high-efficiency monocrystalline cell production lines with a capacity of 70 MW, and a corresponding module production line with a capacity of 15 MW, at its newly completed R&D center.

 

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

646.402.5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

Renewables Account for Almost 50% of all New US Energy in 2012

Should be able to find some more good projects here at home with the right originators

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2013/09/almost-50-of-all-new-us-energy-in-2012-was-renewable?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-September4-2013

Is there a "Plug-n-Play" Solution to the PV Installation Soft Cost Problem?

Worth reviewing. Low cost operator wins.

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/09/is-there-a-plug-n-play-solution-to-the-pv-installation-soft-cost-problem?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-September4-2013

report-debunks-energiewende-myths-over-grid-upgrades-and-renewables.html

http://www.powerengineeringint.com/articles/2013/09/report-debunks-energiewende-myths-over-grid-upgrades-and-renewables.html

--
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
646.402.5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Trade actions – more hyperbole than hardship: pv-magazine

http://www.pv-magazine.com/index.php?id=9&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=12605&cHash=cbb07c92a490b9769b29c77f06a24afb#axzz2dqMWozkg

--
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
646.402.5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

NJ Solar incentives rebounding

Solar incentives rebounding

Sep 1 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Kevin Post The Press of Atlantic City, Pleasantville, N.J.

     

Sep 1 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Kevin Post The Press of Atlantic City, Pleasantville, N.J.

The collapse of New Jersey's solar energy credits market last year apparently convinced a lot of homeowners that installing a solar electricity system no longer made financial sense.

But the value of Solar Renewable Energy Credits -- paid to the owner of an operating system for 15 years -- has increased nearly 60 percent from its low last year.

Meanwhile, the cost of solar panels has plunged, and the federal government is still covering 30 percent of the cost of systems installed through 2016 with a tax credit.

The result: A pollution-free system that can provide all of a home's electricity will pay for itself in eight or nine years -- then keep paying for many more.

"If the system is fairly priced near $3.50 a kilowatt, and SRECs get back to about $200 as expected (from the current $130), the homeowner will earn their money back in five or six years," said Bill Driscoll, owner of Ocean Solar LLC in Northfield.

Richmond Solar, of Margate, has just installed a solar power system on the roof of Kristin Levin's energy-efficient home in Margate.

Levin said the system should provide half or more of the power needed by the all-electric home. Electric bills through the summer air-conditioning season have been only about $100 a month.

She said there is room on the roof to add more solar panels if she wants them, but a higher priority is switching to hybrid electric cars to complete their environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Utility companies, and their customers, are required by the state to use green energy, which they can do by buying SRECs. In meeting that requirement, the price of the credits was bid up past $600 in 2008.

But those high prices prompted more homeowners and businesses to install solar energy so they could earn and sell SRECs.

In 2011 alone, 260 megawatts of solar power was added to New Jersey, according to the state Board of Public Utilities. The next year, a utility could buy an SREC for as little as $75, local solar companies said.

As the value of the solar energy credit fell, so did installations, the companies said.

Driscoll said only 11 megawatts of solar power were installed in June in the state, a rate about half of that in 2011.

"That downward trend in installations will raise SREC prices," he said. "Utilities still have to purchase renewable energy."

In fact, Gov. Chris Christie doubled the amount of electricity that must come from renewables going forward. "I think $200 is a very conservative and fair number for SRECs in the next five years," said Driscoll, of Northfield.

While the value of incentives to install solar is rebounding, the cost of the materials is plunging as manufacturing companies around the world compete for the business.

Bob MaDan, director of operations for one of the largest solar firms in the region, Brite Idea Energy in Egg Harbor Township, said customers have saved 30 percent to 40 percent on materials just in the past year or so.

MaDan said the maturing of New Jersey's solar industry -- among the top in the nation -- has benefited consumers and established companies such as his.

Homeowners have more options now for financing solar, with a variety of leasing arrangements, some of which require no down payment at all.

MaDan, of Mays Landing, said Brite Idea has seen installations start to increase and will be better positioned as SREC prices rise and the economy recovers.

"Over the past couple of years, a lot of companies have gone under. It shook them out of the mix," he said. "If you're left standing, you're doing well. We feel we have only a few competitors in this area."

Samantha Danaher, a partner in Richmond Solar and director of operations there, said an appealing arrangement for customers now is leasing a solar energy system instead of paying the electric company.

Unlike the rising electric bill, the lease payment stays the same for 20 years and the homeowner gets to keep all of the SRECs generated for 15 years, she said.

A couple of years ago, there was a concern that Atlantic City Electric's grid might be overloaded by the number of solar energy systems being connected to it, but Danaher said that concern has faded as the utility has upgraded facilities, and it isn't an issue for residential projects.

"We've haven't been refused for a single interconnection," she said.

MaDan said the main challenge for the solar industry in New Jersey is still the adverse publicity from last year's plunge in SREC prices.

"We're fighting that negative perception everywhere. We've got to get it turned around, so people can still see that it's a great deal for them," he said.

For the homeowner, the main challenge isn't incentives, financing or connection issues, but something more basic that always has been at the core of solar energy: Does the house have a suitable surface for installing solar panels?

"A south-facing roof is still the most important thing. The Earth is still rotating the same direction," Danaher said with a laugh.

Czech energy regulator investigates alleged fraud in the PV sector

Czech energy regulator investigates alleged fraud in the PV sector

03.09.2013: The Czech Energy Regulatory Office (ERU) believes that some solar power plant owners have rigged their electricity production data to receive more subsidies, reports the Prague Daily Monitor, citing public broadcaster Czech Television (CT). According to CT, ERU inspectors have revealed that some solar power plants have reported periods of sunlight that are only possible in places like California, not the Czech Republic. ERU expects Czech solar power plants to report no more than 1,200 hours of sunlight annually, but 1,574 producers reported levels above this limit. As a result, ERU is has asked the State Energy Inspection authority to investigate these producers and has informed the Supreme State Attorney’s Office that some power plant operators may be guilty of fraudulent use of subsidies. ERU has also found evidence that some licenses for solar power plants may have been granted based on fraudulent data. These licenses are related to power plants with a total installed capacity of about 150 MW and annual support of almost 4 billion CZK ($205 million). The annual cost of solar incentives in the Czech Republic this year is 44.4 billion CZK. Approximately 11.7 billion CZK of this comes from the federal budget; the remainder is paid for by ratepayers through increased electricity prices. The Czech Republic intends to stop offering FITs for new PV installations at the end of this year. ERU currently offers FITs for PV systems up to 30 kW in size. The Czech Republic had 2,128 MW of installed PV capacity at the end of June 2013. © PHOTON