A SOLAR SURVEY

Solar Survey Reveals Optimism, But Consumer Misperceptions Persist

18 June 2012 (Solar Industry)

“Consumers in China, India, Japan and the U.S. believe that solar power has high growth potential, according to the results of the fourth annual solar energy survey from Applied Materials, a study that measures consumers' understanding and awareness of solar energy…[but] many respondents had a mixed understanding of the current cost and adoption rates of solar technology, highlighting what is arguably the greatest challenge to solar energy use - lack of consumer awareness.

“Last year at this time, industry data suggested that by 2020, 98% of the world's population would have achieved grid parity, or solar energy power that is cost-competitive with traditional energy prices, but data now suggest this milestone will be achieved by the end of 2012…Fifty-five percent of all respondents recognize this shift and believe solar energy is less expensive than traditional energy sources, such as coal. Respondents in India were most likely (68%) to believe solar power was less expensive…[but] respondents in Japan were most likely (51%) to believe solar power was more expensive…”

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“Nearly half (46%) of all respondents believe the growth of the solar market would create jobs. The U.S. is most optimistic in this regard, with nearly six in 10 consumers (58%) expressing this view…China and India are nearly equal in second place…at 49% and 48%, respectively. Consumers in Japan are the most cautious…Twenty-five percent of people surveyed internationally think that solar will reduce the number of jobs.

“Nearly six in 10 (58%) consumers in China believe that the projected rate of solar energy adoption to 15 GW by 2015 is too slow…[W]hen respondents in India were asked about the government's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy's goal of increasing the contribution of renewable energy to 6% of India's total energy mix by 2022, more than half (51%) voiced concern that the rate of adoption was too slow…Survey respondents were most likely to believe the U.S. (26%) followed by Japan (22%) had installed the greatest number of solar panels, while only 17% correctly identified Germany as the leader in solar installations…”

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A SMART GRID STORAGE TEST

Smart Grid Storage Project Launches In Pennsylvania

15 June 2012 (Renew Grid)

“East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc. and its subsidiary Ecoult have…[launched a] U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) smart grid storage demonstration project… powered by East Penn's Deka UltraBattery technology [that provides] 3 MW of continuous frequency-regulation services to PJM Interconnection. The new system will also be used for peak demand management services by the local utility, Met-Ed.

“The Deka UltraBattery uses lead-acid technology that operates in continuous partial state of charge use. It enables an optimal balance of an energy-storing lead-acid battery with the quick charge acceptance, power discharge and longevity of a capacitor…”

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“The PJM demonstration project has been implemented in both a building and a containerized format to demonstrate the modularity and mobility of the storage solutions…It connects to the grid from inside the East Penn Manufacturing site in Lyon Station, Pa.

“Ecoult engineered and implemented the energy-storage system, and developed the platform for the UltraBattery energy resource that controls both the batteries and the power conversion system. The DOE supported the project with $2.2 million of funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009…”

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NEW ENERGY UP 300% OVER THE DECADE

U.S. Renewable Energy Production Increased By 300% Over Last Decade

15 June 2012 (North American Windpower)

“U.S. production of renewable energy has increased by more than 300% in the past decade, but the nation still lags far behind Europe and Indonesia and is only slightly ahead of Mexico in the percentage of electricity it gets from renewable sources, according to a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

“European countries, led by Germany, get more of their electricity from wind, solar, geothermal and other renewable energy sources than any other region in the world, NRDC's global renewable energy scorecard [Delivering On Renewable Energy Around The World: How Do Key Countries Stack Up?] shows.”

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“The U.S. got about 2.7% of its electricity from renewables in 2011, making it No. 7 among G-20 member countries. Moreover, some smaller, non-G-20 countries - such as Spain, New Zealand and Iceland - get more than 15% of their energy from renewable sources.

“Favorable governmental policies and strong private-sector investments have helped to increase the availability of renewable energy in the U.S. and elsewhere…”

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SOLAR’S SURGE

Good Solar News: US Solar Continues to Surge in 2012; The bad news is that domestic manufacturing woes continue.

Eric Wesoff, June 12, 2012 (Greentech Media)

“The U.S. had a blistering amount of solar installations in the first quarter of 2012 with an impressive 506 megawatts -- a record for typically slow first quaters and second only to the 780 megawatts installed in the previous quarter…according to the [U.S. Solar Market Insight: 1st Quarter 2012 report] from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research…

“…[T]he U.S. is still a solar growth market led by strength in the commercial sector in Q1…Utility-scale will continue to drive U.S. solar growth, and 2012 has the makings of yet another banner year with an increased forecast for 2012 of 3.2 gigawatts. The U.S. market grew 109 percent from 2010 to 2011 and will grow another 75 percent from 2011 to 2012…”

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“…The cumulative total of solar photovoltaics across America is 4,427 megawatts…Adding CSP to that figure brings the total to 4,943 megawatts…A total of 1.1 gigawatts (AC) of CSP are now under construction…Blended module prices for Q1 2012 were down to $0.94 per watt, a staggering 47 percent lower than Q1 2011 levels of $1.78 per watt…

“…New Jersey edged out California in Q1 for the lead in solar installations with 174 megawatts…[T]hings look a bit murkier for [2013]…An expired 1603 tax grant, impacts of an import tariff on solar cells imported from China, and a ‘trough’ in California and New Jersey loom large…”

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UTILITIES’ FEARS ABOUT NEW ENERGY

Utilities Look To Mitigate Renewable Integration Challenges

Angela Beniwal, 11 June 2012 (Renew Grid)

“The amount of [variable renewable energies like wind and solar] on the grid is increasing globally and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future…Smart grid technologies can go a long way in alleviating integration issues. Up until recently, investment in this type of technology - including high-voltage, direct-current transmission, flexible alternating current transmission, phasor measurement units, and wind and solar forecasting - has focused on wholesale transmission……[But] the worldwide power system is moving… to a distributed generation (DG) system…

“Smart grid technologies currently represent revenues of over $3.8 billion, according to a recent Pike Research study. Out of this, microgrids dominate, with more than $3 billion in economic activity, or 81%...[Microgrids in Pike's study refer to remote systems that operate as a backup in areas such as Alaska or developing countries…By 2018, microgrids are still expected to represent a large share of smart grid integration technology, but demand response (DR) will increase…”

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“…[California utilities] are quickly learning how to properly handle variable resources, especially at the distribution level…California has…set a goal of [33 percent renewables and] 12 GW of distributed generation by 2020…[C]hallenges remain…[S]olar photovoltaic power causes operational concerns related to maintenance and voltage regulation. Most PV inverters cannot adequately regulate voltage…and as a result, there tends to be higher voltages on the distribution system…SDG&E is conducting technical studies and demonstration projects to determine the effects of additional renewable distributed energy generation (RDEG). Field measurements indicate significant impacts to system performance on distribution circuits with high levels of conventional DG…[The] smart grid plan is expected to address the impact of RDEG intermittency, as will better forecasting…

“Renewable energy companies are stepping up to the plate with technology that addresses integration issues. For example, Siemens' 3.6 MW SWT wind turbine provides frequency regulation, over and under frequency and ramp control…Petra Solar's smart energy solution includes automated ramp-rate management that reduces voltage disturbances through [gradual ramping and a] controlled return to full power…”

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THE LIFE OF SOLAR

GE, Fraunhofer Building Solar Electronics Lifetime Prediction Tool

11 June 2012 (Solar Industry)

“GE has partnered with the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM to develop a new method to forecast the remaining life time of solar power electronics, such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). The first prototype of this measurement system will be presented in Berlin in September.

“Constant load fluctuations burden the power electronics of solar inverters in PV plants, which increases the risk of sudden plant failure. Up to now, it was almost impossible to safely predict the service life of power semiconductors…Condition Monitoring für Leistungselektronik in der Fotovoltaik (CoMoLeFo) or Condition Monitoring for Power Electronics in Photovoltaics, has focused on the identification and detection of relevant aging mechanisms of insulated gate bipolar transistor power modules.”

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“IGBTs are switch elements designed for high-power levels and constitute the central component of modern inverters. Mathematical algorithms and measuring data are now able to make precise assessments concerning the condition of semiconductors during operation. This enables a forecast of the remaining life time of an IGBT and, therefore, conditions-based maintenance…

“CoMoLeFo is based on two complementary processes: One process indirectly determines the chip temperature by measuring relevant electrical parameters of the IGBT during operation. The other process monitors the parameter shift due to aging. In this way, the remaining life time of the IGBTs can be determined by a software-based remote diagnostic system.”

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U.S. WIND LOOKS TO CANADA

Whoa, Canada! U.S. Wind Energy Companies Look To The North

Mark Del Franco, 12 June 2012 (North American Windpower)

“The uncertainty surrounding the extension of the production tax credit (PTC) for wind power in the U.S. has led some developers and suppliers to seek opportunities in the Canadian wind energy market. …EDP Renewables North America...is aggressively exploring opportunities to either acquire Canadian wind projects or partner in them…[Pattern Energy, RES Americas and Invenergy have expanded into the Canadian market over the past few years]…

“…[According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), interest from the U.S. in the Canadian market has never been higher…[illustrating] the importance of stable policy…Ontario and Quebec - the leading provinces for wind energy in Canada - have each reaffirmed their commitment to wind energy with long-term policy agendas.”

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“Ontario's Long Term Energy Plan, which was announced in 2010, envisions 10.7 GW of non-hydro renewable energy capacity by 2018. Of that amount, 7.5 GW is expected to be wind energy…[and] that plan is in addition to the province's Green Energy Act of 2009, which includes North America's first feed-in tariff…[Quebec] set an energy target of 4 GW of wind energy by 2015, which includes a goal of building 100 MW of wind energy for every 1 GW of new hydropower. A request for proposals to procure the target's remaining 700 MW is expected…later this year.

“Canada’s 5.4 GW of installed wind power capacity pales in comparison to the U.S.’ 48.611 GW. However, with similar or higher levels of growth expected over the next four years, Canada's wind energy industry is on pace to surpass 10 GW of installed capacity by 2015…Even without the interest from U.S. entities, CanWEA expects 1.5 GW of wind energy capacity to be installed this year, which would be an annual record…”

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