Solar Powered: AOL Energy Year In Review

The solar industry is moving into a low-cost future overshadowed by technology changes, but is still growing quickly.
The solar industry weathered a somewhat cloudy year, rife with the political consequences of the Solyndra bankruptcy, rapidly falling prices for photovoltaic (PV) modules, and the impending expiration of the federal cash grant that has existed in lieu of a similarly lucrative but harder to obtain investment tax credit.

"Solar the one of the toughest areas in the broader clean tech environment," Ravi Viswanathan, a general partner at NEA told AOL Energy. He called solar a "capital intensive industry" that is running dry of liquidity.

The future of solar, he said, will be seen by the innovators who managed to survive "the shakeout and weather the storm."

Despite the setbacks, the solar industry has continued to grow, with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reporting a 69% growth rate of grid-connected PV installations in the second quarter of the year over the same period in 2010. Complete numbers for 2011 may show an even greater uptick in US installations as international markets slow.

Dramatically reduced solar panel prices have been blamed for the Solyndra bankruptcy. At the same time, Chinese companies have been selling more panels in the US as they try to sell what has become an overstock of panels in manufacturing facilities there.

Reaching Far And Wide

But even as falling prices force the solar industry to consolidate, many say it will help the sector grow and reach a broader customer base. In fact, a coalition of solar companies formed in November to protect the free trade of solar panels, claiming that low prices would only help the industry expand. Read more: Coalition Forms To Protect Low Solar Panel Prices.

"The market today has to do everything in its power to reduce the cost of power. The cost of the incentives are reducing. The entire industry is depending on the cost of technology to come down. If that trend reverses that will be catastrophic for the industry. We need the cost to continue to come down," Lyndon Rive, CEO of SolarCity, told AOL Energy.

SolarCity partnered with Google this year to create a $280 million fund for a homeowner leasing program. It is one of many companies that have announced new residential and commercial solar leasing programs this year intended to allow property owners to install panels at no upfront cost. Dominion Virginia Power announced its own project to install solar panels on community centers and public rooftops.

Rive said his California-based company was thriving despite the heightened competition and the bad press from Solyndra, which was highlighted when the company's DOE loan guarantee to fall through the cracks just before it was set to be finalized. In 2011, the company hired over 500 people, expanded its business to the East Coast and Hawaii and doubled its service areas. SolarCity also signed an agreement with Walmart and is slowly covering dozens of the chain's megastores with solar panels.

NEA's Viswanathan said that once solar reaches grid parity the spike in demand may even drive prices back up enough to reintroduce healthy capital into the industry.

Making Solar A Clean Word Again

"We've had a challenge with quite frankly bad reporting, bad media reporting. Reporters making really outrageous statements, like the solar industry is not growing, there are no jobs in solar," Rive said.

He said that since Solyndra, the industry has been trying "to communicate the truth and communicate that the solar industry is doing well and growing." He added that the competition--there are now about 5,000 solar companies in the US--has not necessarily been harmful.

"The competition is good. It drives better innovation, better services and in the end who wins is the customer," he said. Because the solar industry is relatively infantile still in the US, he said "no one is really stepping on each others' toes yet." Instead, competition is boosting advertising and education campaigns and helping to broaden general customer awareness.

"We have yet to reach 1% penetration," he said.

Silicon vs. CIGS

As it grows, the solar industry is beginning to split between silicon-based models and CIGS models. And even though copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) technology came about in part because it was far cheaper than silicon, silicon's price has been dropping dramatically in recent months, making the two models cost-competitive.

Dr. Michael Gamble is among the industry experts who blame the Solyndra bankruptcy on the relatively expensive CIGS technology the company used in its thin film modules. An expert in nuclear and nanotechnology, Gamble said he thought CIGS technology was most useful in nontraditional applications because it is not inherently brittle like silicon.

The US military for example, is using CIGS technology, developed by Konarka, to build army tents with solar fabric. The army calls them "solar blankets" as the cover the tents and can provide enough electricity for basic air-conditioning, lighting and power systems. Read more here: Safe and Secure: The US Military Takes A Stand On Energy Efficiency.

Viswanathan said NEA has invested in both CIGS and silicon technology and has not chosen a winner.

"The winners will be the ones who get to grid parity fastest," he said. But, "this isn't a mature industry where there will be one winner." Solar is "such an under penetrated sector" that there is room for multiple kinds of successful technologies, he said.

Ultimately, the costs of both technologies is dropping as solar is adopted more widely. And that phenomenon, is "nothing short of astounding," Recurrent Energy CEO Arno Harris said at the June REFF Wall Street Summit in New York.
http://energy.aol.com/2011/12/07/solar-powered-aol-energy-year-in-review/

Moser Baer to spend $1 bn on solar plants in next nine months

NEW DELHI: Moser Baer Clean Energy, the renewable energy vertical of Moser Baer India, on Wednesday said it is investing $1 billion (Rs 5,100 crore approximately) for setting up solar projects with a cumulative capacity of 300 MW in the country and abroad in the next nine months.

"We are well-funded right now, we raised around USD 1 billion in the last 12 months. We commissioned 100 MW in solar projects from April-September, 2011, and would add 300 MW more through solar in the next nine months," Moser Baer India Executive Director Ratul Puri told reporters at a Bloomberg-UTV event here today.

These projects would be set up in Gujarat, Orissa, West Bengal and Rajasthan in India, as well as abroad in countries like Germany, Italy, the UK.

"It would be half and half, i.e. 150 MW projects in India and the same abroad," Puri said.

The company also has ambitious plans for augmenting its solar power generation capacity to 1 GW, or 1,000 MW, by 2015.

The company recently commissioned a 23.8-MW solar farm at Lauta, in Germany. The project has been constructed with long-term debt funding from DKB Bank, Germany, which has also financed its Thuringen and Meissens projects.

Moser Baer Clean Energy also commissioned a 30-MW solar farm, developed at an approximate investment of Rs 465 crore, in Banaskantha district of Gujarat in October this year.

The solar farm, spread over 305 acres of land, is likely to generate about 52 million Kwh of energy, which would provide electricity to nearly 50,000 homes everyday and save about 50,000 tonnes in carbon emissions annually. 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/moser-baer-to-spend-1-bn-on-solar-plants-in-next-nine-months/articleshow/11018875.cms

Jobs under threat as the sun goes down for the solar industry after feed-in tariff is slashed Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/11/07/jobs-under-threat-as-the-sun-goes-down-for-the-solar-industry-after-feed-in-tariff-is-slashed

Thousands of jobs could be lost and taxpayers could be left picking up the bill for the Westminster Government’s surprise decision to slash prices for locally generated electricity, officials have warned.

Many councils have spent time and money preparing to install electricity generating solar panels on their properties because the Government promised attractive payments for 25 years for each kilowatt of electricity fed into the National Grid.

The payments under the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) would cover the investment cost in a decade or less, and boost councils’ income for the remaining 15 years. Free electricity would be available during daylight for users of each building involved, such as house tenants or school children.

However, Greg Barker, Climate Change and Energy Minister, last week announced plans to cut FIT payments for the smallest schemes – such as solar panels on houses – by more than 50% from December 12.

The short time left before then is at odds with the processes councils must go through to make sound decisions on financial, technical, planning and contracting matters.

One of Wales’ worst affected councils is Wrexham, which has launched a programme of installing solar panels on 3,000 of its homes, based on the original FIT timescale.

But 99% of those homes have yet to receive their panels, and the lower payments could now mean the rest of the investment would be poor value for public money.

Phil Walton, Wrexham council’s strategic and performance director, said: “This announcement is very unwelcome news and the proposed dates of change will impact on the council’s plans, which are now into the installation phase.

“We have worked hard to benefit from the FIT funding and have based all our projections on the Government’s advice.

“We will now be making representations in the strongest possible terms to the minister to change his proposals to ensure we receive the value for money and the environmental benefits this scheme was always intended to bring about.”

He said the council was reviewing its position and evaluating the specific impacts of the proposed changes.

In October 2010, he told Wrexham councillors the aim was to finish installing the solar panels by March 2013, because FIT payments were due to reduce after then.

Anglesey council planned to start installing solar panels this autumn on more than 300 homes in Holyhead. The initial outlay of £1.25m would attract FIT payments of up to £7.2m over 25 years.

A spokesman said yesterday: “It’s highly likely that we will have to review the current business case.”

Ogmore MP Huw Irranca- Davies, who was Shadow Energy Secretary until recently, said: “This is a tragedy for local communities – where free electricity could be generated for schools and hospitals and in social housing schemes – and for local authorities in Wales who have developed area-wide schemes which may now be shelved.”

Shadow Minister for Wales Nia Griffiths MP warned of a threat to jobs in Wales as a result of the changes, saying: “Solar panel factories and installers across Wales, who have expanded and taken on new staff as a result of sales projections based on the original scheme, are now finding their markets collapsing.”

John Blower, managing director of Filsol in Ponthenri in Carmarthenshire, and a member of the Solar Trade Association, said: “We expanded on the basis of the legislation which said that there would be no change until April 2012. Changing the rules with six weeks’ notice makes a mockery of the government’s claim to consult the industry.

“The government is telling us that the current scheme is too expensive, but this change will only save households £1 per year on their electricity bills and will bankrupt businesses and put thousands out of work, with much greater cost to the taxpayer.”

Mr Barker said the FIT had to change to stay within budget. “My priority is to put the solar industry on a firm footing so that it can remain a successful and prosperous part of the green economy, and so that it doesn’t fall victim to boom and bust.”

He warned that if the Government took no action, by 2014 FIT payments for solar power would cost consumers £980m a year, adding about £26 to annual domestic electricity bills in 2020 (at 2010 prices). The reduced FIT would restrict costs to between £250m and £280m by 2014.

The proposed reduction should not affect Cardiff council’s plans to install a hydro-electric generator at Radyr weir which would have a maximum capacity of almost 400kW as no changes are proposed for installations of more than 250kW.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/11/07/jobs-under-threat-as-the-sun-goes-down-for-the-solar-industry-after-feed-in-tariff-is-slashed-91466-29732283/

IntertechPira’s Industry Leading Solar Conferences Return to California in 2012

IntertechPira is pleased to announce the return of the 7^th annual Photovoltaics Summit 2012, scheduled for April 16-18 and the 4^th annual Concentrating Solar Thermal Power 2012 conference, scheduled for April 18-20 at The Westin San Diego, in San Diego, CA, US. These two events will bring together the solar industry’s experts, manufacturers, researchers and end users for a balanced, comprehensive discussion of the opportunities and challenges surrounding photovoltaic markets and concentrated solar thermal power.

“We are pleased to bring back the Photovoltaics Summit and Concentrating Solar Thermal Power to California next year,” said Christopher Smith, senior conference producer at IntertechPira. “The solar industry is rapidly growing with new technologies introduced frequently and it is more important than ever for those involved in research and development, manufacturers and users of the technology to come together, share ideas and network.”
Key speakers at last year’s Photovoltaics Summit included Jeffrey S. Britt of Global Solar Energy; Tom Dyer of Kyocera Solar Inc.; Tom Gutierrez of GT Solar; Steve Horne of Solfocus; Roger Little of Spire Corporation; and Robert Petrina of Yingli Green Energy Americas. Attendees also heard from many of the leading companies in the industry including Navigant Consulting, Lux Research, Lincoln International, Meridian Clean Fuels, Denham Capital, Recurrent Energy, Quanta Renewable Energy Services, First Solar, Surek PV Consulting, Amonix, Abound Solar, Solaredge Technologies and SAFT America.
The 2011 version of Concentrating Solar Thermal Power featured a keynote panel presentation delivered by Uwe Schmidt, CEO, SOLAR TRUST OF AMERICA, Kevin Smith, Chief Executive Officer, SOLARRESERVE, Albert Fong, Managing Director, ALBIASA CORPORATION and Thomas Doyle, President & CEO, NRG SOLAR. Other presenters included Kevin Sara, Founder and Managing Director, NUR ENERGIE, Keith Casey, VP Markets and Infrastructure Development, CALIFORNIA ISO, Richard Leblanc, CEO, SKYFUEL, Asif Ansari, CEO and Founder, SUNTROUGH ENERGY, Jose Martin, CEO, SENER and many others.
Each event will feature approximately 20-25 expert presentations assessing market trends, technical development and application related advances through presentations, question-and-answer sessions and panel discussions. Throughout the conference, there will be a number of hosted luncheons, breaks and receptions, which will be held in and around the exhibit area located outside the main conference room. Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are available.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110707005011/en/IntertechPira%E2%80%99s-Industry-Leading-Solar-Conferences-Return-California

73 workers a day losing jobs: solar industry

A fresh fight is brewing within the solar panel industry, as installers prepare to mount another public campaign against the NSW government over the state's axed tariff.
The government is standing firm on a decision reached last week to get the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal to investigate a future tariff rate at which solar households could be paid for the electricity they feed back into the power grid.
But solar panel companies say they cannot wait until next year for the review to take place.

The industry claims that 73 workers a day are losing their jobs because of the uncertainty around tariff cuts, basing the figure on an estimate that the 8000-strong solar workforce will decline by half in the next two months.
One installer, NewSouthSolar, said it had been reduced in the past few weeks from a peak staff of 20 employees and contractors to just one - the company's director, David Trouville.
"As of today, it's just me sitting in the office by myself," Mr Trouville said. "We were able to hang on when the Labor government reduced the tariff from 60 cents, but since the tariff was completely dropped we have only sold one system."
Other solar installers said the industry was in crisis, with employees being laid off as work dried up.
"Sales activity has essentially dried up in NSW," John Grimes, the chief executive of the Australian Solar Energy Society, said.
Mr Grimes called on the government to adopt an industry-developed plan to pay solar households a tariff equal to the cost of fossil-fuel power, an interim while the IPART review was being undertaken.
If the government did not do that by tonight, it would mount another public campaign against the tariff cuts, Mr Grimes said.
NSW Energy Minister Chris Hartcher said any solution would not involve adding to the power bills of non-solar households.
"The NSW government made the deliberate decision – against the wishes of the Australian Solar Energy Society - to allow an additional 40,000 applicants entry under the Solar Bonus Scheme to provide ongoing income and certainty for the industry," Mr Hartcher said in a statement.
"At the current rate of installation, the government is advised it will take up to four months to connect the additional 40,000 applicants still awaiting installation to reach scheme capacity."
A Greens MP, John Kaye, said past public investment in the solar industry would be squandered unless the government provided interim support.
"An IPART Inquiry will take months if not an entire year," he said. "By that time, order books will have dried up and the industry will have all but vanished."

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/73-workers-a-day-losing-jobs-solar-industry-20110706-1h1q4.html

Solar energy: Is it viable in Canada?

It's not hard to see the "green" benefits a solar panel has over a smokestack, but there are still lingering questions when it comes to determining whether solar is economically viable as a long-term means of supplying electricity to Canada's communities.
A recent report from the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) in Ottawa, Solar Vision 2025, examines that question based on various scenarios for commercial use of the technology: Aggressive adoption, medium and "not as much as we’d hoped," according to CanSIA president Elizabeth McDonald.
The uptake of solar power in Canada over the next decade will depend on a large number of variables, from financial support to technology costs and infrastructure needs, McDonald notes. "If everything falls into place, solar could conceivably represent 20 per cent of the new electricity supply generated in the next 20 years."
The key is getting everything to fall into place smoothly.

Growing pains

"The biggest issue is getting people on board," she says. "Everyone — including government — is blissfully unaware of the energy future. We’ve been energy-rich for a long time. But we’re paying a price for that [with our health]."

That's because Canada's electricity demands have traditionally been met, at least in part, by burning coal and other fossil fuels that generate pollution. But changing to other sources of power isn't easy.
For one thing, Canada is not considered as ready as other jurisdictions for widespread adoption of solar power — and not just because it's in a northern region that gets fewer hours of sunlight in winter months. It's also because energy costs here are relatively low compared to those in other countries, so solar represents a much more expensive option for Canada, she notes.
Policy support from government in particular is lacking, which means solar is forced to compete with a heavily subsidized fossil fuel industry. According to the CanSIA report, on a global basis in 2009, renewable energy received $1 in government support for every $5 to $6 given to conventional energy.
McDonald says that in Canada there are definitely things that need to be worked out at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to help spark the widespread adoption of solar. "Canada seems to lag in the area of getting it to all work together. It’s perceived as a battle with oil and gas — but it’s not. Solar uptake will not replace Alberta’s position as the country’s largest provider of oil and gas.
"The real issue is the hunger for oil and gas will soon surpass what [supplies] we have, so we need to conserve and find alternatives before we run out," she says.
The Sarnia Solar project is a 950 acre site in Sarnia, Ont. with a peak generating capacity of 80 MW, making it the largest photovoltaic facility in the world (Dave Chidley/Canadian Press) The problem is that each region of the country is having a different conversation when it comes to solar technology, she adds, rather than developing a cohesive policy and approach to using it. "In Quebec for example, Hydro Québec plays a very important role. Everyone needs to work together to decide the appropriate mixed energy supply going forward."
She commends initiatives such as the Ontario Power Authority’s FIT (feed-in tariff) program, which is focused on encouraging and supporting alternative energy adoption.
"B.C. has also put out a Clean Energy [program]; and Alberta and Saskatchewan are showing interest, in particular with the agricultural community."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2011/03/10/f-power-2020-solar-energy.html