www.theage.com.au
27 Aug 2013
Siemens, the world's No.3 maker of wind turbines, expects the global wind power market to more than quadruple by 2030, lifted by strong growth in Asia. "The market will shift away from Europe significantly", Markus Tacke, chief executive of the German company's Wind Power division, said at a renewable energy conference in Berlin.
He said globally installed wind power capacity would increase to 1,107 GW (GW) in 2030 from 273 GW in 2012, with Asia and the Pacific region accounting for more than 47% of the total, up from 34% now.
China is pumping billions of euros into wind power, which is more cost-competitive than solar power and partly able to compete with coal and gas. Wind power subsidies in most parts of Europe are being slowly scaled back. The Europe and the Middle East (EMEA) region is still the world's largest wind market, with a 40% share that will decline to 34% by 2030.
Siemens Wind Power, part of the group's Energy division, achieved sales of 3.555 billion euros ($A5.3 billion) in the first nine months of Siemens' fiscal year, down 1% year on year. It accounted for 6.4% of the company's total sales. Its profit margin for the period stood at 3.6%, down from 4.7% a year earlier, as the company was forced to book charges because of problems relating to some of its wind turbine rotor blades.
Thursday, 12 September 2013
Solar power in Bendigo is put on hold
www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au
26 Aug 2013
BENDIGO solar power providers say the industry is in a state of limbo, with a dip in business confidence linked to unclear party policies. Solar company Sunergy said about $500,000 worth of projects had been put on hold in the lead-up to the election. Managing director Tony Smith said the downturn was influenced by the Coalition's stated plans to cut funding for the Clean Technology Program.
He said commercial customers had been waiting for an election outcome to decide whether to go ahead with solar installations. "There has been a noticeable slow down", he said. "A lot of people are holding off. Others have basically said they will cancel those commitments if there's no funding from the Clean Technology Program".
Mr Smith said two major solar projects at wineries in Bendigo and Mildura were in doubt. He said many local providers were experiencing instability and that would be further impacted by changes to federal funding. Opposition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt said uncertainty stemmed from the Labor government's changes to incentives and rebate programs.
Mr Hunt told the Bendigo Advertiser the Coalition was looking at making Bendigo a "solar town". "There's been a lack of confidence in the industry because of the complete chopping and changing by the government", he said. "We see a very significant opportunity to grow investment in Bendigo. Solar has an extremely strong future under the Coalition".
Bendigo Sustainability Group president Keith Reynard said about 100 people were employed through the solar industry in Bendigo. He said it was important for those businesses that parties were clear on their plans for solar. Complete Solar Solutions owner Phil Smith said his Lockwood-based business had seen a lot of hesitation from customers on the eve of the election. "Everyone is sort of hanging back wondering what way it's going to go", he said. "Every time there's an election coming up, everyone gets a bit jittery".
Mr Smith has worked in the solar industry for close to 20 years and said the key to business was having a stable trading environment. "VICOSC would prefer to have no rebate programs at all", he said. Sunergy's Tony Smith agreed that less government intervention was preferable.
Mr Smith, who has nominated as a senate candidate for political party Senator Online, said he was fed up with changes to funding and incentives. "We've had in excess of six changes imposed on the sector by government and other regulatory bodies in the past 12 months", he said. "VICOSC would just like them to stop changing stuff".
Labor candidate for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said she feared the Coalition policies would "dismantle the local solar industry". "Cutting the Clean Technology Program will have a disastrous effect on the solar industry here in central Victoria and it will result in people losing their jobs and businesses going bust", she said. Ms Chesters said moving towards an emissions trading scheme would help create stability for solar providers.
26 Aug 2013
BENDIGO solar power providers say the industry is in a state of limbo, with a dip in business confidence linked to unclear party policies. Solar company Sunergy said about $500,000 worth of projects had been put on hold in the lead-up to the election. Managing director Tony Smith said the downturn was influenced by the Coalition's stated plans to cut funding for the Clean Technology Program.
He said commercial customers had been waiting for an election outcome to decide whether to go ahead with solar installations. "There has been a noticeable slow down", he said. "A lot of people are holding off. Others have basically said they will cancel those commitments if there's no funding from the Clean Technology Program".
Mr Smith said two major solar projects at wineries in Bendigo and Mildura were in doubt. He said many local providers were experiencing instability and that would be further impacted by changes to federal funding. Opposition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt said uncertainty stemmed from the Labor government's changes to incentives and rebate programs.
Mr Hunt told the Bendigo Advertiser the Coalition was looking at making Bendigo a "solar town". "There's been a lack of confidence in the industry because of the complete chopping and changing by the government", he said. "We see a very significant opportunity to grow investment in Bendigo. Solar has an extremely strong future under the Coalition".
Bendigo Sustainability Group president Keith Reynard said about 100 people were employed through the solar industry in Bendigo. He said it was important for those businesses that parties were clear on their plans for solar. Complete Solar Solutions owner Phil Smith said his Lockwood-based business had seen a lot of hesitation from customers on the eve of the election. "Everyone is sort of hanging back wondering what way it's going to go", he said. "Every time there's an election coming up, everyone gets a bit jittery".
Mr Smith has worked in the solar industry for close to 20 years and said the key to business was having a stable trading environment. "VICOSC would prefer to have no rebate programs at all", he said. Sunergy's Tony Smith agreed that less government intervention was preferable.
Mr Smith, who has nominated as a senate candidate for political party Senator Online, said he was fed up with changes to funding and incentives. "We've had in excess of six changes imposed on the sector by government and other regulatory bodies in the past 12 months", he said. "VICOSC would just like them to stop changing stuff".
Labor candidate for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said she feared the Coalition policies would "dismantle the local solar industry". "Cutting the Clean Technology Program will have a disastrous effect on the solar industry here in central Victoria and it will result in people losing their jobs and businesses going bust", she said. Ms Chesters said moving towards an emissions trading scheme would help create stability for solar providers.
Shedding light on solar power solutions
www.miningaustralia.com.au
23 Aug 2013
Mining companies are always looking for the most cost and energy efficient power solutions to lower energy costs. They also want to minimise the use of diesel generators to reduce their carbon footprint, but how can they do it in this era of high power costs?
Australian Mining spoke to solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer FirstSolar about how solar power is providing a compelling economic solution to a sector facing the challenges of high diesel fuel costs.
Vice President of FirstSolar Asia-Pacific Jack Curtis said while the economic advantage of solar PV is not a revelation, the real challenge solar power faces is its technical integration with existing power generator systems.
"As you would be acutely aware, the main concern for mining companies is that their mine runs 24/7. And obviously solar PV is reliant on the sun to generate power.
"What the gap has been to date is helping mining companies understand how solar PVs can integrate with existing power generation sources, which would provide an economic value without disrupting the continual supply of power to the mine", Curtis said.
According to Curtis, the buzz around solar PV has been around for the past two to three years but has really accelerated in the last 12 to 18 months. Mines are now showing a proactive interest in incorporating solar PV on their sites.
23 Aug 2013
Mining companies are always looking for the most cost and energy efficient power solutions to lower energy costs. They also want to minimise the use of diesel generators to reduce their carbon footprint, but how can they do it in this era of high power costs?
Australian Mining spoke to solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer FirstSolar about how solar power is providing a compelling economic solution to a sector facing the challenges of high diesel fuel costs.
Vice President of FirstSolar Asia-Pacific Jack Curtis said while the economic advantage of solar PV is not a revelation, the real challenge solar power faces is its technical integration with existing power generator systems.
"As you would be acutely aware, the main concern for mining companies is that their mine runs 24/7. And obviously solar PV is reliant on the sun to generate power.
"What the gap has been to date is helping mining companies understand how solar PVs can integrate with existing power generation sources, which would provide an economic value without disrupting the continual supply of power to the mine", Curtis said.
According to Curtis, the buzz around solar PV has been around for the past two to three years but has really accelerated in the last 12 to 18 months. Mines are now showing a proactive interest in incorporating solar PV on their sites.
Vestas to supply 400MW wind turbines for EDPR's US projects
wind.energy-business-review.com
23 Aug 2013
Vestas, a Danish wind turbine manufacturer, is gearing up to manufacture and supply 400MW of wind turbines to EDP Renovaveis (EDPR) for wind-energy projects in the US.
The developments are a part of a master supply agreement for the first V110 2.0 MW wind turbines secured earlier to supply a total of 1,500MW to wind power plants in North America, South America and Europe. EDPR selected the V110 2.0 MW because of its competitive cost of energy compared with other options.
Vestas US and Canada sales and service division president Chris Brown said the company has successfully worked with EDPR for the past eight years to deliver many wind-power projects around the world. "We look forward to supplying EDPR our new V110 2.0 MW wind turbine, which is a variant of the V100 1.8 MW that can provide over 13% higher annual energy production compared with its predecessor", Brown added.
The agreement also includes five-year service agreements featuring the Active Output Management (AOM) 5000 offering and the VestasOnline surveillance system. Delivery and commissioning of the V110 2.0 MW turbines are scheduled in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
23 Aug 2013
Vestas, a Danish wind turbine manufacturer, is gearing up to manufacture and supply 400MW of wind turbines to EDP Renovaveis (EDPR) for wind-energy projects in the US.
The developments are a part of a master supply agreement for the first V110 2.0 MW wind turbines secured earlier to supply a total of 1,500MW to wind power plants in North America, South America and Europe. EDPR selected the V110 2.0 MW because of its competitive cost of energy compared with other options.
Vestas US and Canada sales and service division president Chris Brown said the company has successfully worked with EDPR for the past eight years to deliver many wind-power projects around the world. "We look forward to supplying EDPR our new V110 2.0 MW wind turbine, which is a variant of the V100 1.8 MW that can provide over 13% higher annual energy production compared with its predecessor", Brown added.
The agreement also includes five-year service agreements featuring the Active Output Management (AOM) 5000 offering and the VestasOnline surveillance system. Delivery and commissioning of the V110 2.0 MW turbines are scheduled in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Polymer-based organic solar cells developed in UAE
www.business-standard.com
10 Jul 2013
A UAE-based university has claimed that its researchers have fabricated the very first polymer based organic solar cell, marking a technological breakthrough for the oil-rich country in the clean energy sector.
Mejd Alsari, a UAE national student, and Samuele Lilliu, a post-doctoral fellow working at the Nano-Optics and Optoelectronics Research (NOOR) Laboratory have fabricated the first polymer-based organic photovoltaic solar cell (OPV), which can also be conveniently printed on flexible substrates, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology said in a statement.
This has been achieved using Masdar Institute's cleanroom facilities internally without any assistance from external fabrication facilities or expertise, the institute said.
"The OPVs with advanced aesthetic characteristics such as colours and design will be developed with inkjet-printing deposition techniques. These prototypes could be highly interesting for Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) applications and designers globally and in the region. ]
Further to the OPVs research, large area organic photo-detectors based on the same technology, with potential applications in the medical, security and entertainment industry could also be prepared", it said. These are also the very first solar cells fabricated at the Masdar Institute cleanroom. A start-up venture based in Masdar City to transfer prototypes into final products may also be set up at a later stage, it added.
"The outstanding feat of our researchers and faculty consolidates the status of Masdar Institute as a research-driven institution, continuously striving to contribute to the Abu Dhabi's long-term objectives in advanced technology", Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said.
The first bulk-heterojunction OPV solar cells fabricated at Masdar Institute are part of a new major research project on organic photo-detectors undertaken by Dr. Lilliu and Dr. Dahlem from the NOOR Laboratory.
Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.
10 Jul 2013
A UAE-based university has claimed that its researchers have fabricated the very first polymer based organic solar cell, marking a technological breakthrough for the oil-rich country in the clean energy sector.
Mejd Alsari, a UAE national student, and Samuele Lilliu, a post-doctoral fellow working at the Nano-Optics and Optoelectronics Research (NOOR) Laboratory have fabricated the first polymer-based organic photovoltaic solar cell (OPV), which can also be conveniently printed on flexible substrates, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology said in a statement.
This has been achieved using Masdar Institute's cleanroom facilities internally without any assistance from external fabrication facilities or expertise, the institute said.
"The OPVs with advanced aesthetic characteristics such as colours and design will be developed with inkjet-printing deposition techniques. These prototypes could be highly interesting for Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) applications and designers globally and in the region. ]
Further to the OPVs research, large area organic photo-detectors based on the same technology, with potential applications in the medical, security and entertainment industry could also be prepared", it said. These are also the very first solar cells fabricated at the Masdar Institute cleanroom. A start-up venture based in Masdar City to transfer prototypes into final products may also be set up at a later stage, it added.
"The outstanding feat of our researchers and faculty consolidates the status of Masdar Institute as a research-driven institution, continuously striving to contribute to the Abu Dhabi's long-term objectives in advanced technology", Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said.
The first bulk-heterojunction OPV solar cells fabricated at Masdar Institute are part of a new major research project on organic photo-detectors undertaken by Dr. Lilliu and Dr. Dahlem from the NOOR Laboratory.
Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.
Saturday, 7 September 2013
IPA concedes wind farms successful in displacing coal
reneweconomy.com.au
9 Jul 2013
The anti-wind campaigners sometimes have difficulty getting their facts in the right order. One of their most common complaints is that wind power does nothing to reduce emissions as it doesn't actually result in any fossil fuel generation being switched off, because fossil fuel needs to keep running as "back-up" in case the wind stops blowing.
Of course, this is not true. As the Australian Energy Market Operator notes in South Australia, where wind power accounts for around 25% of both capacity and demand, coal fired generation-both local and imported from Victoria-has fallen dramatically. There hasn't even been any need for new peaking power stations and the use of gas has not increased since the state started building the first of its 1,200MW of wind power.
The IPA, one of the most powerful and influential anti-wind groups, whose former head is now the WA state energy minister, is a strong proponent of the "continuous" back-up claim. But at the recent, lightly attended anti-wind rally in Canberra, its director of deregulation, Alan Moran made a crucial admission: wind power is forcing conventional coal generation out of the market, because it is making it uneconomic.
"(Renewables) are in fact squeezing out conventional energy, conventional, predictable and reliable energy, because they are "must run", and conventional energy is automatically backed off", Moran said, according to a transcript published on the anti-wind website Stop These Things. "This is leading to the retirement of coal fired stations, as subsidised wind makes them not profitable".
Well, quite so. And good. That is actually what these schemes-carbon price, renewable energy targets, emissions limits etc-are designed to do, to hasten the retirement of highly polluting power plants, or at least force them to invest in technology that reduces their emissions and pollution.
But Moran's admission goes to the heart of the campaign against wind and other renewables. It's not really a technological issue-as the Queensland network operator and the AEMO both make clear-it is an economic one for the incumbent generators. And the growing penetration of renewables is indeed forcing dirty, inflexible generation such as old coal plants out of the market-as it is in Europe and elsewhere.
Read More…
9 Jul 2013
The anti-wind campaigners sometimes have difficulty getting their facts in the right order. One of their most common complaints is that wind power does nothing to reduce emissions as it doesn't actually result in any fossil fuel generation being switched off, because fossil fuel needs to keep running as "back-up" in case the wind stops blowing.
Of course, this is not true. As the Australian Energy Market Operator notes in South Australia, where wind power accounts for around 25% of both capacity and demand, coal fired generation-both local and imported from Victoria-has fallen dramatically. There hasn't even been any need for new peaking power stations and the use of gas has not increased since the state started building the first of its 1,200MW of wind power.
The IPA, one of the most powerful and influential anti-wind groups, whose former head is now the WA state energy minister, is a strong proponent of the "continuous" back-up claim. But at the recent, lightly attended anti-wind rally in Canberra, its director of deregulation, Alan Moran made a crucial admission: wind power is forcing conventional coal generation out of the market, because it is making it uneconomic.
"(Renewables) are in fact squeezing out conventional energy, conventional, predictable and reliable energy, because they are "must run", and conventional energy is automatically backed off", Moran said, according to a transcript published on the anti-wind website Stop These Things. "This is leading to the retirement of coal fired stations, as subsidised wind makes them not profitable".
Well, quite so. And good. That is actually what these schemes-carbon price, renewable energy targets, emissions limits etc-are designed to do, to hasten the retirement of highly polluting power plants, or at least force them to invest in technology that reduces their emissions and pollution.
But Moran's admission goes to the heart of the campaign against wind and other renewables. It's not really a technological issue-as the Queensland network operator and the AEMO both make clear-it is an economic one for the incumbent generators. And the growing penetration of renewables is indeed forcing dirty, inflexible generation such as old coal plants out of the market-as it is in Europe and elsewhere.
Read More…
Govt puts $37m into Taralga wind far
www.canberratimes.com.au
9 Jul 2013
A contentious wind farm north of Goulburn is the first in the region to receive money from the Australian government's Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The corporation's $37.5 million loan will get the Taralga wind farm, comprising 51 turbines, finally under way.
The clean-energy financier joined an international consortium that provided about $280 million for the wind farm, 45 km from Goulburn and about three km east of Taralga village.
The farm, which should start working this year, is expected to generate enough power to supply 45,000 homes. Operators have a 10 year agreement with EnergyAustralia to supply the grid. The corporation's chief executive, Oliver Yates, said the loan was a catalyst for renewable energy investment in Australia.
The corporation has announced three projects: $50 million for energy efficiency loans; $50 million for a wind farm in Victoria and the Taralga financing package. Taralga's new wind farm will use towers made in Portland, Victoria, using Blue-Scope Steel steel.
Spain's Banco Santander has a 90% stake and renewable energy group CBD Energy will remain the project partner with 10%. The ANZ and Denmark's official credit export agency are also involved. Wind testing has been under way since 2001 in the sheep and cattle grazing district.
Ownership has changed hands during the planning and development stages. For more than a decade the proposal fuelled a bitter debate until the NSW Land and Environment Court concluded that public benefits outweighed private drawbacks that wound up twice in the NSW Environment and Planning Court.
Protesters said turbines would affect the landscape and generate noise. The court concluded the overall public benefits outweighed any private drawbacks either to the Taralga community or specific landowners.
9 Jul 2013
A contentious wind farm north of Goulburn is the first in the region to receive money from the Australian government's Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The corporation's $37.5 million loan will get the Taralga wind farm, comprising 51 turbines, finally under way.
The clean-energy financier joined an international consortium that provided about $280 million for the wind farm, 45 km from Goulburn and about three km east of Taralga village.
The farm, which should start working this year, is expected to generate enough power to supply 45,000 homes. Operators have a 10 year agreement with EnergyAustralia to supply the grid. The corporation's chief executive, Oliver Yates, said the loan was a catalyst for renewable energy investment in Australia.
The corporation has announced three projects: $50 million for energy efficiency loans; $50 million for a wind farm in Victoria and the Taralga financing package. Taralga's new wind farm will use towers made in Portland, Victoria, using Blue-Scope Steel steel.
Spain's Banco Santander has a 90% stake and renewable energy group CBD Energy will remain the project partner with 10%. The ANZ and Denmark's official credit export agency are also involved. Wind testing has been under way since 2001 in the sheep and cattle grazing district.
Ownership has changed hands during the planning and development stages. For more than a decade the proposal fuelled a bitter debate until the NSW Land and Environment Court concluded that public benefits outweighed private drawbacks that wound up twice in the NSW Environment and Planning Court.
Protesters said turbines would affect the landscape and generate noise. The court concluded the overall public benefits outweighed any private drawbacks either to the Taralga community or specific landowners.
Floating offshore turbines can reduce wind energy cost
dailyfusion.net
5 Jul 2013
Texas leads the U.VICOSC, in energy production with a combination of conventional and alternative energy sources. The state also produces the most wind power of any state in the nation, but with a growing population, there is a demand for more resources of renewable energy. A new design of floating offshore turbines that is being developed by scientists at Texas A&M University may be a cost-effective answer to that challenge.
Typical land-based wind turbines have blades diameters exceeding the wing span of a 747 jet plane. Offshore wind turbine structures can be even larger and are rigidly attached to the sea floor. Near the coast; however, these very large structures can interfere with the ocean view.
Dr. Bert Sweetman, associate professor of Maritime Systems Engineering Texas A&M University at Galveston is studying a new type of structural designs that enable substantial reductions in cost, with only minimal decrease in the amount of electricity generated. Sweetman describes the engineering challenges involved constructing offshore turbines.
"Placing wind turbines beyond sight of land in deep water will require a different type of structure that floats on the sea surface, rather than being fixed to the ocean floor", he said. "Ideally, these floating structures are designed to minimize motion despite wind and wave activity. Unfortunately, this conventional design is very expensive".
Sweetman says the expense, in part, is due to stabilising the large size of wind turbines in deep water. He says cost of these structures could be reduced substantially, if larger motions were found to be acceptable.
"The larger motions of these new structures present a myriad of design issues", Sweetman said. "Like a spinning bicycle wheel, the gyroscopic effect of huge whirling blades makes designs of these offshore structures uniquely challenging".
Read More…
5 Jul 2013
Texas leads the U.VICOSC, in energy production with a combination of conventional and alternative energy sources. The state also produces the most wind power of any state in the nation, but with a growing population, there is a demand for more resources of renewable energy. A new design of floating offshore turbines that is being developed by scientists at Texas A&M University may be a cost-effective answer to that challenge.
Typical land-based wind turbines have blades diameters exceeding the wing span of a 747 jet plane. Offshore wind turbine structures can be even larger and are rigidly attached to the sea floor. Near the coast; however, these very large structures can interfere with the ocean view.
Dr. Bert Sweetman, associate professor of Maritime Systems Engineering Texas A&M University at Galveston is studying a new type of structural designs that enable substantial reductions in cost, with only minimal decrease in the amount of electricity generated. Sweetman describes the engineering challenges involved constructing offshore turbines.
"Placing wind turbines beyond sight of land in deep water will require a different type of structure that floats on the sea surface, rather than being fixed to the ocean floor", he said. "Ideally, these floating structures are designed to minimize motion despite wind and wave activity. Unfortunately, this conventional design is very expensive".
Sweetman says the expense, in part, is due to stabilising the large size of wind turbines in deep water. He says cost of these structures could be reduced substantially, if larger motions were found to be acceptable.
"The larger motions of these new structures present a myriad of design issues", Sweetman said. "Like a spinning bicycle wheel, the gyroscopic effect of huge whirling blades makes designs of these offshore structures uniquely challenging".
Read More…
Battery may prove way to store wind energy
www.kplu.org
5 Jul 2013
Researchers are testing a new battery power storage system that may provide some long-term solutions to storing power from the electrical grid. The tests are being conducted at a wind farm near the Tri-Cities. Currently, wind power--and hydroelectric--must be used as it is produced.
"Electric in general is difficult to store, or to save for later; you have to use it", said John Steigers of Energy Northwest, a public power consortium. "The whole system in the country is based on the premise that what is being produced has to be used".
The new battery that is being tested is huge--we're talking half the size of a railway shipping container. It utilizes modern Lithium ion technology. Steigers says the battery is being tested at several different locations. The idea is that it can store wind power that is generated at times of the day when actual use by consumers is not all that high.
"It tends to show up at night, when the loads for the system are the lowest, and when it shows up you can store it, and then later in the day when air conditioners are on and people are working it, the electricity can be used at that time", he said.
Steigers says the battery is expected to be able to store enough electricity to power 50 homes for a year. He says long-term plans for the batteries would be to site them where they are needed, at industrial areas or neighborhoods to power individual homes.
5 Jul 2013
Researchers are testing a new battery power storage system that may provide some long-term solutions to storing power from the electrical grid. The tests are being conducted at a wind farm near the Tri-Cities. Currently, wind power--and hydroelectric--must be used as it is produced.
"Electric in general is difficult to store, or to save for later; you have to use it", said John Steigers of Energy Northwest, a public power consortium. "The whole system in the country is based on the premise that what is being produced has to be used".
The new battery that is being tested is huge--we're talking half the size of a railway shipping container. It utilizes modern Lithium ion technology. Steigers says the battery is being tested at several different locations. The idea is that it can store wind power that is generated at times of the day when actual use by consumers is not all that high.
"It tends to show up at night, when the loads for the system are the lowest, and when it shows up you can store it, and then later in the day when air conditioners are on and people are working it, the electricity can be used at that time", he said.
Steigers says the battery is expected to be able to store enough electricity to power 50 homes for a year. He says long-term plans for the batteries would be to site them where they are needed, at industrial areas or neighborhoods to power individual homes.
Green bank saves 75 jobs
www.stockjournal.com.au
3 Jul 2013
THE federal government's green bank has funded another wind farm, saving 75 jobs at a Victoria turbine maker.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation will fund $37.5 million of debt for the Taralga wind farm-45km north of Goulburn in NSW-as part of a $280 million consortium of financiers, a day after it helped refinance the Macarthur wind farm.
Unlike Macarthur, the Taralga is a new project with an installed capacity of 106.8 MWs of wind power and has a 10 year power-purchase agreement with EnergyAustralia. Under a joint venture between CBD Energy and Spanish bank Santander, all wind towers for the project will be engineered and manufactured at Victorian firm Keppel Prince, which last year laid off about 50 workers.
Keppel Prince general manager Steve Garner said he would have needed to lay off a further 75 workers if the firm had not secured the work. He said the CEFC was critical to Keppel securing the work and now the business was looking later this year to recruit more staff. "It has just been so slow and so unsupportive for local manufacturing", Mr Garner said of the past year.
"I would be extremely disappointed if the CEFC was to be abolished. It was the driving force behind us being able to secure this as a local manufacturer". "Without their help and assistance and continued effort of [Danish company] Vestas Wind Systems and CBD Energy, we would not have been in the hunt and the jobs would have gone to China. It has meant Australian jobs and it means taxes being paid in Australia".
3 Jul 2013
THE federal government's green bank has funded another wind farm, saving 75 jobs at a Victoria turbine maker.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation will fund $37.5 million of debt for the Taralga wind farm-45km north of Goulburn in NSW-as part of a $280 million consortium of financiers, a day after it helped refinance the Macarthur wind farm.
Unlike Macarthur, the Taralga is a new project with an installed capacity of 106.8 MWs of wind power and has a 10 year power-purchase agreement with EnergyAustralia. Under a joint venture between CBD Energy and Spanish bank Santander, all wind towers for the project will be engineered and manufactured at Victorian firm Keppel Prince, which last year laid off about 50 workers.
Keppel Prince general manager Steve Garner said he would have needed to lay off a further 75 workers if the firm had not secured the work. He said the CEFC was critical to Keppel securing the work and now the business was looking later this year to recruit more staff. "It has just been so slow and so unsupportive for local manufacturing", Mr Garner said of the past year.
"I would be extremely disappointed if the CEFC was to be abolished. It was the driving force behind us being able to secure this as a local manufacturer". "Without their help and assistance and continued effort of [Danish company] Vestas Wind Systems and CBD Energy, we would not have been in the hunt and the jobs would have gone to China. It has meant Australian jobs and it means taxes being paid in Australia".
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Floating wind turbine headed for coast off Fukushima Prefecture
ajw.asahi.com
28 Jun 2013
A floating wind turbine to be used for power generation off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture was towed out of Tokyo Bay on June 28 bound for a deep-sea site where it will be part of an experimental floating power sub-station.
The turbine was assembled at the Chiba factory of Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co, in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture. It will be towed to Onahama Port in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. The wind turbine, 80 meters in diameter, made by Hitachi Ltd., was mounted on a 32 meter steel submersible structure constructed by Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding.
Named "Fukushima Mirai (future)", the floating wind farm is a project commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The ministry hopes to provide for the first time a commercial supply of electricity from a floating power station.
After going through adjustment tests in Onahama Port, the structure will be set up about 20 km off Fukushima Prefecture in 120 meter deep waters, secured to the seabed with iron chains. The turbine, with a maximum output of 2 MWs, is expected to start operating in October.
Fukushima Prefecture is home to the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The accident at the plant, following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, helped create a scarcity of power as most of the nation's nuclear reactors were taken offline.
28 Jun 2013
A floating wind turbine to be used for power generation off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture was towed out of Tokyo Bay on June 28 bound for a deep-sea site where it will be part of an experimental floating power sub-station.
The turbine was assembled at the Chiba factory of Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co, in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture. It will be towed to Onahama Port in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. The wind turbine, 80 meters in diameter, made by Hitachi Ltd., was mounted on a 32 meter steel submersible structure constructed by Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding.
Named "Fukushima Mirai (future)", the floating wind farm is a project commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The ministry hopes to provide for the first time a commercial supply of electricity from a floating power station.
After going through adjustment tests in Onahama Port, the structure will be set up about 20 km off Fukushima Prefecture in 120 meter deep waters, secured to the seabed with iron chains. The turbine, with a maximum output of 2 MWs, is expected to start operating in October.
Fukushima Prefecture is home to the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The accident at the plant, following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, helped create a scarcity of power as most of the nation's nuclear reactors were taken offline.
Chile expands wind power resources
www.upi.com
27 Jun 2013
SANTIAGO, Chile, June 27 (UPI)--Chile has set sights on expanding wind power generation as President Sebastian Pinera's government battles environmental controversies over multibillion dollar mining and hydrocarbon projects.
This week Pinera opened a new $150 million wind farm in northern Chile built in collaboration with Italy's Enel Green Power. It is the largest wind farm to begin operating in Chile as the government considers other renewable energy projects.
The 90 MW Talinay East facility is owned by Italy's Enel Green Power and features 45 Vestas Wind Systems V100 2 MW turbines in the Coquimbo region, 250 miles north of Santiago. Pinera said he would continue to expand renewable energy development and predicted at least 80% of about 500 MW of power to be added annually to the national grid would be "clean renewable energy".
Pinera has not outlined how much of the funding over the coming years will be coming from the state and how the remainder of the project finance will be raised. Chile's clean power program will be boosted through a series of what analysts called rationalization measures. These include plans to link two major independent grids and new transmission lines. The government also hopes to simplify legislation and regulatory framework surrounding land use related to electrical distribution networks.
Chile's infrastructure was severely damaged in a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in February 2010. Numerous aftershocks that year and in following years caused further havoc and put additional burden on government resources. Several energy exploration and development plans were affected.
The Talinay East wind farm is similar to another Enel Green Power facility, Valle de los Vientos, in the northern region of Antofagasta, which features an identical array of Vestas Wind Systems turbines. Enel Green Power acquired Talinay from Vestas Wind Systems in 2012. The wind farm was previously owned by Spain's Enhol and business conglomerate Grupo Phoenix.
Vestas Wind Systems said Talinay's development was "a strategic environmental decision". The company aims to continue increasing the share of renewable energy sources in global energy consumption. The construction of Talinay East started in late 2011 but completion was delayed. Latin America has a wind installed base of more than 2,000 MW. Given a positive political framework supporting the development of wind power, data suggests there could be 93,300 MW of wind installations by 2030.
Chile is aiming to reduce dependence on thermo-electric energy, which takes up about 67.8% of total production. It is also fighting to eliminate coal-fueled electricity production, but progress is slow. Environmentalist campaign groups oppose further expansion of hydroelectric power, currently about 31% of the total, just as advocacy organizations oppose new mining operations across Chile.
27 Jun 2013
SANTIAGO, Chile, June 27 (UPI)--Chile has set sights on expanding wind power generation as President Sebastian Pinera's government battles environmental controversies over multibillion dollar mining and hydrocarbon projects.
This week Pinera opened a new $150 million wind farm in northern Chile built in collaboration with Italy's Enel Green Power. It is the largest wind farm to begin operating in Chile as the government considers other renewable energy projects.
The 90 MW Talinay East facility is owned by Italy's Enel Green Power and features 45 Vestas Wind Systems V100 2 MW turbines in the Coquimbo region, 250 miles north of Santiago. Pinera said he would continue to expand renewable energy development and predicted at least 80% of about 500 MW of power to be added annually to the national grid would be "clean renewable energy".
Pinera has not outlined how much of the funding over the coming years will be coming from the state and how the remainder of the project finance will be raised. Chile's clean power program will be boosted through a series of what analysts called rationalization measures. These include plans to link two major independent grids and new transmission lines. The government also hopes to simplify legislation and regulatory framework surrounding land use related to electrical distribution networks.
Chile's infrastructure was severely damaged in a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in February 2010. Numerous aftershocks that year and in following years caused further havoc and put additional burden on government resources. Several energy exploration and development plans were affected.
The Talinay East wind farm is similar to another Enel Green Power facility, Valle de los Vientos, in the northern region of Antofagasta, which features an identical array of Vestas Wind Systems turbines. Enel Green Power acquired Talinay from Vestas Wind Systems in 2012. The wind farm was previously owned by Spain's Enhol and business conglomerate Grupo Phoenix.
Vestas Wind Systems said Talinay's development was "a strategic environmental decision". The company aims to continue increasing the share of renewable energy sources in global energy consumption. The construction of Talinay East started in late 2011 but completion was delayed. Latin America has a wind installed base of more than 2,000 MW. Given a positive political framework supporting the development of wind power, data suggests there could be 93,300 MW of wind installations by 2030.
Chile is aiming to reduce dependence on thermo-electric energy, which takes up about 67.8% of total production. It is also fighting to eliminate coal-fueled electricity production, but progress is slow. Environmentalist campaign groups oppose further expansion of hydroelectric power, currently about 31% of the total, just as advocacy organizations oppose new mining operations across Chile.
Friday, 23 August 2013
Renewable energy use gaining worldwide:IEA
www.heraldsun.com.au
27 Jun 2013
RENEWABLES like solar and wind power represent the fastest-growing source of energy generation and will make up a quarter of the global power mix by 2018, the International Energy Agency IEA says. The IEA said that in 2016 renewable energy will overtake natural gas as a power source and will be twice that of nuclear, and second only to coal as a source of power.
The growth of renewables has been bolstered by increased competitiveness with conventional energy. It is "a bright spot in an otherwise bleak assessment of global progress towards a cleaner and more diversified energy mix", said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven. The report listed Australia as one of several countries where renewable energy was becoming more competitive.
It said Australian wind generation is cost-effective next to new coal and gas-fired plants with carbon pricing. It also noted the success of onshore wind turbines in Brazil and South Africa. Renewable energy is growing especially fast in China and other developing and emerging countries. The IEA said non-hydroelectric renewable power, mainly wind and solar photovoltaics, is projected to grow from 4% of all power generation in 2011 to 8% in 2018.
"As their costs continue to fall, renewable power sources are increasingly standing on their own merits versus new fossil fuel generation", said van der Hoeven. "This is good news for a global energy system that needs to become cleaner and more diversified, but it should not be an excuse for government complacency, especially among OECD countries".
Still, the IEA, an institute backed by major energy consuming countries, cautioned that the continued growth of alternatives to oil, gas and coal faces some important challenges.
These include uncertainty about long-term government policies that discourages investment, reduced subsidies in some countries because of economic problems, and tough competition from other energy sources, such as the US, where a boom in shale gas has made that fuel more competitive. The report comes on the heels of recent research suggesting the threat of climate change is greater than earlier estimates.
An IEA report released earlier this month warned the world is on track to surpass by more than double the two-degree Celsius warming goal set by the United Nations, unless urgent measures are taken. The IEA's recommendations include curtailing coal-fired power stations and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.
27 Jun 2013
RENEWABLES like solar and wind power represent the fastest-growing source of energy generation and will make up a quarter of the global power mix by 2018, the International Energy Agency IEA says. The IEA said that in 2016 renewable energy will overtake natural gas as a power source and will be twice that of nuclear, and second only to coal as a source of power.
The growth of renewables has been bolstered by increased competitiveness with conventional energy. It is "a bright spot in an otherwise bleak assessment of global progress towards a cleaner and more diversified energy mix", said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven. The report listed Australia as one of several countries where renewable energy was becoming more competitive.
It said Australian wind generation is cost-effective next to new coal and gas-fired plants with carbon pricing. It also noted the success of onshore wind turbines in Brazil and South Africa. Renewable energy is growing especially fast in China and other developing and emerging countries. The IEA said non-hydroelectric renewable power, mainly wind and solar photovoltaics, is projected to grow from 4% of all power generation in 2011 to 8% in 2018.
"As their costs continue to fall, renewable power sources are increasingly standing on their own merits versus new fossil fuel generation", said van der Hoeven. "This is good news for a global energy system that needs to become cleaner and more diversified, but it should not be an excuse for government complacency, especially among OECD countries".
Still, the IEA, an institute backed by major energy consuming countries, cautioned that the continued growth of alternatives to oil, gas and coal faces some important challenges.
These include uncertainty about long-term government policies that discourages investment, reduced subsidies in some countries because of economic problems, and tough competition from other energy sources, such as the US, where a boom in shale gas has made that fuel more competitive. The report comes on the heels of recent research suggesting the threat of climate change is greater than earlier estimates.
An IEA report released earlier this month warned the world is on track to surpass by more than double the two-degree Celsius warming goal set by the United Nations, unless urgent measures are taken. The IEA's recommendations include curtailing coal-fired power stations and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.
Solar, Project, Photovoltaic
www.bangkokpost.com
27 Jun 2013
Electricity Generating Plc (EGCO2, the first independent power producer in Thailand, has paid 3.2 billion baht (A$110m) for full ownership of the Boco Rock Wind Farm in New South Wales, Australia.
In its press statement issued Thursday, the company said the purchase was a result of a 100% investment in Asia Pacific Renewables Ltd, principally owned by Continental Wind Partners, the developer of the wind farm. The share purchase agreement was executed on Tuesday.
The 113MW Boco Rock Wind Farm, comprising 67 wind turbines to be supplied by General Electric Co International Incorporated and its related subsidiaries, is about 160 km south of Canberra. The wind farm has entered into a 15 year power purchase agreement with EnergyAustralia Pty Ltd, with commercial operations expected to start in February 2015.
Sahust Pratuknukul, the company's president said the investment is in line with EGCO Group's strategic plan to seek new investment opportunities in Thailand and overseas. It is the company's first successful investment in Australia and is intended to help maintain the company's growth while offering long-term returns for shareholders.
27 Jun 2013
Electricity Generating Plc (EGCO2, the first independent power producer in Thailand, has paid 3.2 billion baht (A$110m) for full ownership of the Boco Rock Wind Farm in New South Wales, Australia.
In its press statement issued Thursday, the company said the purchase was a result of a 100% investment in Asia Pacific Renewables Ltd, principally owned by Continental Wind Partners, the developer of the wind farm. The share purchase agreement was executed on Tuesday.
The 113MW Boco Rock Wind Farm, comprising 67 wind turbines to be supplied by General Electric Co International Incorporated and its related subsidiaries, is about 160 km south of Canberra. The wind farm has entered into a 15 year power purchase agreement with EnergyAustralia Pty Ltd, with commercial operations expected to start in February 2015.
Sahust Pratuknukul, the company's president said the investment is in line with EGCO Group's strategic plan to seek new investment opportunities in Thailand and overseas. It is the company's first successful investment in Australia and is intended to help maintain the company's growth while offering long-term returns for shareholders.
SOLEIR forges lease agreement for $100m solar project in Australia
solar.energy-business-review.com
27 Jun 2013
Australian solar power company SOLEIR has forged a 30 year lease agreement for a $100m solar project at Molong in central New South Wales (NSW). As per the terms of the agreement, SOLEIR has secured a three year option over a 100 hectare site to house a 50MW photovoltaic (PV) solar power project.
With lease agreement in place, the company is seeking development consent with the NSW State Government along with a connection agreement with TransGrid. It expects to secure both of them to be over in the next few months.
SOLEIR is planning to raise funds to finance the project from a major financial institution. The solar company, acquired by exploration firm Red Sky earlier in November 2012, is currently working on its first renewable project, the Dubbo Solar One Project located in central NSW.
First solar module is scheduled for installation at Dubbo project over next two months. In addition, the company is also expecting to obtain regulatory approval and connection agreement within next two months.
27 Jun 2013
Australian solar power company SOLEIR has forged a 30 year lease agreement for a $100m solar project at Molong in central New South Wales (NSW). As per the terms of the agreement, SOLEIR has secured a three year option over a 100 hectare site to house a 50MW photovoltaic (PV) solar power project.
With lease agreement in place, the company is seeking development consent with the NSW State Government along with a connection agreement with TransGrid. It expects to secure both of them to be over in the next few months.
SOLEIR is planning to raise funds to finance the project from a major financial institution. The solar company, acquired by exploration firm Red Sky earlier in November 2012, is currently working on its first renewable project, the Dubbo Solar One Project located in central NSW.
First solar module is scheduled for installation at Dubbo project over next two months. In addition, the company is also expecting to obtain regulatory approval and connection agreement within next two months.
Saturday, 10 August 2013
Green energy helps reduce power bills, study finds
www.smh.com.au
25 Jun 2013
Wind farms, hydroelectric power and other renewable energy sources will actually cut household electricity bills, not push up bills as detractors have claimed, a new study suggests.
Research commissioned by wind farm owner Meridian Energy found the national renewable energy target-which requires electricity generators to provide at least 20% of power from clean sources by 2020 will ultimately force down wholesale power prices.
It found the renewable energy legislation would save Victorian households about $35 a year if the carbon price stayed, and $50 if it were abolished. South Australia-which already gets more than 20% of power from renewables-would save as much as $56 a year.
It is a different story in NSW and Queensland, where renewable energy has less impact on wholesale prices. Households in the northern states would pay up to $27 more because of the legislation. The study found that nationally, households would be in front, saving as much as $12 a year-assuming the carbon price survived.
Meridian Energy EnergyAustralia chief executive Ben Burge said the study, which was commissioned from consultants Sinclair Merz Knight, challenged claims that renewable energy was driving up power bills. "The [target] has been mischaracterised as a direct tax on consumers", said Mr Burge, who is also the chief executive of retailer Powershop. "What this research proves is that wind is not the culprit. Wind reduces pressure on households".
25 Jun 2013
Wind farms, hydroelectric power and other renewable energy sources will actually cut household electricity bills, not push up bills as detractors have claimed, a new study suggests.Research commissioned by wind farm owner Meridian Energy found the national renewable energy target-which requires electricity generators to provide at least 20% of power from clean sources by 2020 will ultimately force down wholesale power prices.
It found the renewable energy legislation would save Victorian households about $35 a year if the carbon price stayed, and $50 if it were abolished. South Australia-which already gets more than 20% of power from renewables-would save as much as $56 a year.
It is a different story in NSW and Queensland, where renewable energy has less impact on wholesale prices. Households in the northern states would pay up to $27 more because of the legislation. The study found that nationally, households would be in front, saving as much as $12 a year-assuming the carbon price survived.
Meridian Energy EnergyAustralia chief executive Ben Burge said the study, which was commissioned from consultants Sinclair Merz Knight, challenged claims that renewable energy was driving up power bills. "The [target] has been mischaracterised as a direct tax on consumers", said Mr Burge, who is also the chief executive of retailer Powershop. "What this research proves is that wind is not the culprit. Wind reduces pressure on households".
Work starts on Gullen Range windfarm
www.abc.net.au
21 Jun 2013
Construction has begun on a wind farm in the region's south. More than 80 turbines will be built as part of Goldwin's Gullen Range project, which was approved in 2009. The Upper Lachlan Council has now negotiated contracts with the company for the upgrading and reconstruction of several roads and a bridge in the region.
The Mayor John Shaw, says a lot of the roadworks have already started. "The wind farm itself is up and going already, they've done a lot of the preparation work", he said. "VICOSC think all of the pads are down for the wind towers and they're actually starting to deliver them. "It was just a matter of getting agreement on the roads and how they're going to be used and times and those sorts of things, just a traffic management plan".
Councillor Shaw says a lot of the roadwork is almost complete. "There has been some changes, there's been some upgrades to some of the roads", he said. "There was some work done in Crookwell itself, because the turbines themselves go from Goulburn on the main road through to Crookwell and to get them from going through the town of Crookwell, they had to do some road works to upgrade it".
21 Jun 2013
Construction has begun on a wind farm in the region's south. More than 80 turbines will be built as part of Goldwin's Gullen Range project, which was approved in 2009. The Upper Lachlan Council has now negotiated contracts with the company for the upgrading and reconstruction of several roads and a bridge in the region.
The Mayor John Shaw, says a lot of the roadworks have already started. "The wind farm itself is up and going already, they've done a lot of the preparation work", he said. "VICOSC think all of the pads are down for the wind towers and they're actually starting to deliver them. "It was just a matter of getting agreement on the roads and how they're going to be used and times and those sorts of things, just a traffic management plan".
Councillor Shaw says a lot of the roadwork is almost complete. "There has been some changes, there's been some upgrades to some of the roads", he said. "There was some work done in Crookwell itself, because the turbines themselves go from Goulburn on the main road through to Crookwell and to get them from going through the town of Crookwell, they had to do some road works to upgrade it".
Vestas receives 51-megawatt turbine order for Swedish wind farm
www.bloomberg.com
21 Jun 2013
Vestas Wind Systems A/VICOSC (VWS), Europe's biggest wind-turbine maker, agreed to provide 51 MWs of systems for a power plant at a Swedish paper mill. The wind farm in Varsvik, Sweden, about 100 km (60 miles) north of Stockholm, is owned by the pulp and paper supplier Holmen AB (HOLMB) and the French bank Natixis, according to a statement today from Aarhus, Denmark-based Vestas Wind Systems. The 17 x 3-MW turbines may be installed beginning in the second quarter of next year, according to the statement.
21 Jun 2013
Vestas Wind Systems A/VICOSC (VWS), Europe's biggest wind-turbine maker, agreed to provide 51 MWs of systems for a power plant at a Swedish paper mill. The wind farm in Varsvik, Sweden, about 100 km (60 miles) north of Stockholm, is owned by the pulp and paper supplier Holmen AB (HOLMB) and the French bank Natixis, according to a statement today from Aarhus, Denmark-based Vestas Wind Systems. The 17 x 3-MW turbines may be installed beginning in the second quarter of next year, according to the statement.
Innovative inspection method for photovoltaic systems
www.nanowerk.com
20 Jun 2013
Scientists at the Institute of Photovoltaic at the University of Stuttgart have developed an innovative method, enabling damage to the photovoltaic modules to be revealed quickly, above all for the first time also independent of lighting conditions with the help of luminescence images.
The Stuttgart Solar Centre, a working group from the Institute of Photovoltaic at the University of Stuttgart and the Steinbeis Centre for Photovoltaic, integrated together with HighFinesse GmbH the daylight luminescence method into the measurement system DaySy. This enables the luminescence to also be measured for the first time during the day.
A solar cell generates power from light and vice versa light from power. However, the solar cell only shines in places in which it is intact. This electrical luminescence is, however, not visible to the human eye. In the image of a camera optimised for the solar cell luminescence, the dark places reveal where there are defects.
Before new photovoltaic modules leave the factory, they are checked for defects as standard practice. However, damage could already occur on the transport route in the form of micro cracks and cell breakages. Incorrect assembly adds other defects. This damage generally only becomes noticeable after several years in the form of reduced output. Exchanging badly damaged modules is advisable since they could have a disproportionate impact on the performance of the system.
Up to now defective PV modules were able to be ascertained either by means of a thermal imaging camera; however, this could only be done from a solar irradiation exceeding 700 W/m², or by means of electrical luminance. The latter procedure was, however, only successful in the evening or at night since during the day the solar irradiation superimposes the considerably weaker luminescence of the systems.
The daylight luminescence method DaySy not only functions irrespective of daylight; it can also clearly classify the type of damage through the combination of electrical luminescence and photo luminescence measurements. After a short measurement time of approx. 30 seconds per module, DaySy ascertains the most frequent defects occurring with photovoltaic systems: broken cell connectors, (micro-) cracks, inactive cell surfaces, losses through series resistances, bad weak light conditions as well as potential-induced degradation (PID).
20 Jun 2013
Scientists at the Institute of Photovoltaic at the University of Stuttgart have developed an innovative method, enabling damage to the photovoltaic modules to be revealed quickly, above all for the first time also independent of lighting conditions with the help of luminescence images.
The Stuttgart Solar Centre, a working group from the Institute of Photovoltaic at the University of Stuttgart and the Steinbeis Centre for Photovoltaic, integrated together with HighFinesse GmbH the daylight luminescence method into the measurement system DaySy. This enables the luminescence to also be measured for the first time during the day.
A solar cell generates power from light and vice versa light from power. However, the solar cell only shines in places in which it is intact. This electrical luminescence is, however, not visible to the human eye. In the image of a camera optimised for the solar cell luminescence, the dark places reveal where there are defects.
Before new photovoltaic modules leave the factory, they are checked for defects as standard practice. However, damage could already occur on the transport route in the form of micro cracks and cell breakages. Incorrect assembly adds other defects. This damage generally only becomes noticeable after several years in the form of reduced output. Exchanging badly damaged modules is advisable since they could have a disproportionate impact on the performance of the system.
Up to now defective PV modules were able to be ascertained either by means of a thermal imaging camera; however, this could only be done from a solar irradiation exceeding 700 W/m², or by means of electrical luminance. The latter procedure was, however, only successful in the evening or at night since during the day the solar irradiation superimposes the considerably weaker luminescence of the systems.
The daylight luminescence method DaySy not only functions irrespective of daylight; it can also clearly classify the type of damage through the combination of electrical luminescence and photo luminescence measurements. After a short measurement time of approx. 30 seconds per module, DaySy ascertains the most frequent defects occurring with photovoltaic systems: broken cell connectors, (micro-) cracks, inactive cell surfaces, losses through series resistances, bad weak light conditions as well as potential-induced degradation (PID).
Thursday, 8 August 2013
Climate change could affect power plant operations & nuclear capacity according to DOE Report
Power Engineering
July
A recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says climate change and the resulting rising temperatures can potentially affect water levels and temperatures at power plants and affect demand on the power grid.
The report was released as part of the President's Climate Action Plan and states that every corner of the United States will be affected by increased temperatures. Increased temperatures and drought conditions can affect cooling water temperatures that are required for coal-fired and gas-fired power plants as reported by Power Engineering. Approximately 60 percent of the nation's thermal power plants that require water for cooling are located in areas that have been hard hit by drought conditions.
Temperatures have increased 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the last century. In hotter weather, customers use more electricity to cool their housing and businesses. A study by the DOE Argonne National Laboratory found that peak demand during hot weather could require the power output of 100 additional power plants.
Another example cited in the report is reduced water available for hydropower. In 2012, the Sierra Nevada Mountains experienced a lighter snowpack than normal. As a result, California had an eight percent drop in hydropower capacity. Lower levels in Lake Mead resulted in a 23 percent drop in the power generation at the Hoover Dam.
The DOE report says nuclear stations will shut down more often due to water temperatures, citing the shutdown in August 2012 at the Millstone Nuclear Power Station Shutdown due to warmer temperatures in Long Island Sound.
The report comes one week after President Obama, describing climate change as a threat to future generations, called for action to address the problem "before it's too late". The President said his goal is to cut heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions from new and existing power plants.
An interactive map of the potential impacts on the U.S, energy supply can be found on the Energy.gov website.
July
A recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says climate change and the resulting rising temperatures can potentially affect water levels and temperatures at power plants and affect demand on the power grid.
The report was released as part of the President's Climate Action Plan and states that every corner of the United States will be affected by increased temperatures. Increased temperatures and drought conditions can affect cooling water temperatures that are required for coal-fired and gas-fired power plants as reported by Power Engineering. Approximately 60 percent of the nation's thermal power plants that require water for cooling are located in areas that have been hard hit by drought conditions.
Temperatures have increased 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the last century. In hotter weather, customers use more electricity to cool their housing and businesses. A study by the DOE Argonne National Laboratory found that peak demand during hot weather could require the power output of 100 additional power plants.
Another example cited in the report is reduced water available for hydropower. In 2012, the Sierra Nevada Mountains experienced a lighter snowpack than normal. As a result, California had an eight percent drop in hydropower capacity. Lower levels in Lake Mead resulted in a 23 percent drop in the power generation at the Hoover Dam.
The DOE report says nuclear stations will shut down more often due to water temperatures, citing the shutdown in August 2012 at the Millstone Nuclear Power Station Shutdown due to warmer temperatures in Long Island Sound.
The report comes one week after President Obama, describing climate change as a threat to future generations, called for action to address the problem "before it's too late". The President said his goal is to cut heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions from new and existing power plants.
An interactive map of the potential impacts on the U.S, energy supply can be found on the Energy.gov website.
Tata Power, Geodynamics commission 1 MW geothermal plant in Australia
articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com
20 Jun 2013
NEW DELHI: Strengthening its overseas footprint, Tata Power along with GeoDynamics have commissioned a 1 MW geothermal plant in Australia. Tata Power has a minority stake in Australia-based GeoDynamics, a leading player in Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) technology. In a statement, Tata Power said it has successfully commissioned 1 MW geothermal pilot plant in Australia.
"The commissioning of the 1 MW geothermal pilot plant is a significant milestone for the project and with this we plan to strengthen our footprint in the international markets", Tata Power Managing Director Anil Sardana said.
He noted that the company aims to have 20-25% of generation portfolio from clean energy. GeoDynamics has geothermal exploration interests in three Australian states including the license for exploring 2,000 km² of area in the Cooper Basin. According to the statement, GeoDynamics' tenements in the Cooper Basin contain the hottest granites on earth and are estimated to provide a thermal resource equivalent of 50 billion barrels of oil.
Besides Australia, Tata Power is implementing a 250 MW geothermal project in Indonesia in partnership with Origin Energy energy and PT Supraco. Geothermal energy is the natural heat found within the earth and in EGS technology, heat is extracted from granites located at a depth of a more than 4,000 metres. "EGS technology can potentially enable the setting up of base load power plants that are based on naturally heat and thereby making them a clean energy source for the future", the statement said.
20 Jun 2013
NEW DELHI: Strengthening its overseas footprint, Tata Power along with GeoDynamics have commissioned a 1 MW geothermal plant in Australia. Tata Power has a minority stake in Australia-based GeoDynamics, a leading player in Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) technology. In a statement, Tata Power said it has successfully commissioned 1 MW geothermal pilot plant in Australia.
"The commissioning of the 1 MW geothermal pilot plant is a significant milestone for the project and with this we plan to strengthen our footprint in the international markets", Tata Power Managing Director Anil Sardana said.
He noted that the company aims to have 20-25% of generation portfolio from clean energy. GeoDynamics has geothermal exploration interests in three Australian states including the license for exploring 2,000 km² of area in the Cooper Basin. According to the statement, GeoDynamics' tenements in the Cooper Basin contain the hottest granites on earth and are estimated to provide a thermal resource equivalent of 50 billion barrels of oil.
Besides Australia, Tata Power is implementing a 250 MW geothermal project in Indonesia in partnership with Origin Energy energy and PT Supraco. Geothermal energy is the natural heat found within the earth and in EGS technology, heat is extracted from granites located at a depth of a more than 4,000 metres. "EGS technology can potentially enable the setting up of base load power plants that are based on naturally heat and thereby making them a clean energy source for the future", the statement said.
One in 10 people in Germany producing solar power, lobby says
www.bloomberg.com
19 Jun 2013
About one in 10 people living in Germany are producing solar power, the German Solar Industry Association said. A total of 8.5 million people live in buildings that use solar systems to generate electricity or heat, the group said today in an e-mailed statement, citing figures it compiled. The units will prevent the production of about 24 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions this year, it said.
19 Jun 2013
About one in 10 people living in Germany are producing solar power, the German Solar Industry Association said. A total of 8.5 million people live in buildings that use solar systems to generate electricity or heat, the group said today in an e-mailed statement, citing figures it compiled. The units will prevent the production of about 24 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions this year, it said.
After Fukushima, Japan beginning to see the light in solar energy
www.theguardian.com
18 Jun 2013
Across Japan, technology companies and private investors are racing to install devices that until recently they had little interest in: solar panels. Massive solar parks are popping up as part of a rapid build-up that one developer likened to an "explosion".
The boom was sparked by a little-noted government policy, implemented nearly a year ago, that guaranteed generous payments to anybody selling renewable energy, including solar power. Because of that policy, known as a feed-in tariff, investors and analysts say Japan has become one of the world's fastest-growing users of solar power. This year alone, Japan is forecasted to install solar panels with the capacity of five to seven modern nuclear reactors.
Before the 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, Japan had all but neglected renewable energy, instead emphasising atomic power. But the accident at Fukushima forced the shuttering of the country's 50 operable reactors, only two of which have been restarted. The remaining shutdowns could prove temporary, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledging restarts of reactors that have been deemed safe. A majority of Japanese, though, remain opposed to atomic energy, and analysts say the solar takeoff highlights Japan's appetite for other options.
There is a downside to the rush for renewables: they are several times pricier than nuclear power or fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. The rising use of solar power means energy bills will spike, potentially complicating Abe's plan to jump-start Japan's long-foundering economy.
Most consumers, so far, think that sacrifice is worthwhile, and they say nuclear power has hidden cleanup and compensation costs that only emerge after an accident. fossil fuels, meanwhile, release greenhouse gasses and must be imported. People here tended to support clean energy projects even before the nuclear disaster, but now there is "more interest in natural energy", said Moriaki Yoshikawa, the head of an environmental NGO, Eco Plan Fukui, which has helped build five solar plants in a region of Japan that hosts four nuclear plants.
Read more
18 Jun 2013
Across Japan, technology companies and private investors are racing to install devices that until recently they had little interest in: solar panels. Massive solar parks are popping up as part of a rapid build-up that one developer likened to an "explosion".
The boom was sparked by a little-noted government policy, implemented nearly a year ago, that guaranteed generous payments to anybody selling renewable energy, including solar power. Because of that policy, known as a feed-in tariff, investors and analysts say Japan has become one of the world's fastest-growing users of solar power. This year alone, Japan is forecasted to install solar panels with the capacity of five to seven modern nuclear reactors.
Before the 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, Japan had all but neglected renewable energy, instead emphasising atomic power. But the accident at Fukushima forced the shuttering of the country's 50 operable reactors, only two of which have been restarted. The remaining shutdowns could prove temporary, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledging restarts of reactors that have been deemed safe. A majority of Japanese, though, remain opposed to atomic energy, and analysts say the solar takeoff highlights Japan's appetite for other options.
There is a downside to the rush for renewables: they are several times pricier than nuclear power or fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. The rising use of solar power means energy bills will spike, potentially complicating Abe's plan to jump-start Japan's long-foundering economy.
Most consumers, so far, think that sacrifice is worthwhile, and they say nuclear power has hidden cleanup and compensation costs that only emerge after an accident. fossil fuels, meanwhile, release greenhouse gasses and must be imported. People here tended to support clean energy projects even before the nuclear disaster, but now there is "more interest in natural energy", said Moriaki Yoshikawa, the head of an environmental NGO, Eco Plan Fukui, which has helped build five solar plants in a region of Japan that hosts four nuclear plants.
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Masdar launches wind farm in Seychelles
www.tradearabia.com
17 Jun 2013
Masdar, Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company, and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) have launched a 6 MW, eight-turbine wind farm in the Republic of Seychelles which will deliver clean energy to more than 2,100 homes.
The Port Victoria Wind Farm accounts for 8% of Mahe Island's energy capacity-the main island of Seychelles-which is home to 90% of the country's population.
The clean energy generated by this project-the first renewable energy project in the Seychelles-will displace 5,500 tons of CO₂ annually, power more than 2,100 homes and save 1.6 million litres of fuel per year. The project was developed by Masdar and funded by ADFD.
Seychelles currently relies on expensive diesel generators to meet its electricity demand. With fuel accounting for 25% of the country's total net imports, the tourist nation is committed to diversifying its energy mix and reducing its reliance on fuel imports.
Being an island country, with limited options to produce electricity, wind power generation presents a viable solution to meet a national target of 15% energy from renewable sources by 2030. "Access to sustainable, clean sources of energy is vital to our long-term economic development", said James Michel, president of the Republic of Seychelles.
"The addition of wind power is a major step toward meeting our clean energy targets and reducing our dependency on imported sources of power. We look forward to further opportunities to assess our wind power potential and continue to diversify our energy mix.
"We are grateful to the UAE support for funding, developing and delivering this wind power project", remarked President Michel. "The Masdar wind farm will help us meet our rising demand for energy and also liberates budget to invest in economic and social growth opportunities", he added.
With the price of renewable energy technologies falling, wind and solar power are becoming economically viable solutions to improve energy security and access. Renewable energy is also a clean and sustainable alternative, which helps developing nations insulate themselves from volatile fuel prices.
"The Seychelles wind project is an example of how access to energy can serve as a pathway for economic development and social opportunity", said stated Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE minister of state and CEO of Masdar.
Read more
17 Jun 2013
Masdar, Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company, and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) have launched a 6 MW, eight-turbine wind farm in the Republic of Seychelles which will deliver clean energy to more than 2,100 homes.
The Port Victoria Wind Farm accounts for 8% of Mahe Island's energy capacity-the main island of Seychelles-which is home to 90% of the country's population.
The clean energy generated by this project-the first renewable energy project in the Seychelles-will displace 5,500 tons of CO₂ annually, power more than 2,100 homes and save 1.6 million litres of fuel per year. The project was developed by Masdar and funded by ADFD.
Seychelles currently relies on expensive diesel generators to meet its electricity demand. With fuel accounting for 25% of the country's total net imports, the tourist nation is committed to diversifying its energy mix and reducing its reliance on fuel imports.
Being an island country, with limited options to produce electricity, wind power generation presents a viable solution to meet a national target of 15% energy from renewable sources by 2030. "Access to sustainable, clean sources of energy is vital to our long-term economic development", said James Michel, president of the Republic of Seychelles.
"The addition of wind power is a major step toward meeting our clean energy targets and reducing our dependency on imported sources of power. We look forward to further opportunities to assess our wind power potential and continue to diversify our energy mix.
"We are grateful to the UAE support for funding, developing and delivering this wind power project", remarked President Michel. "The Masdar wind farm will help us meet our rising demand for energy and also liberates budget to invest in economic and social growth opportunities", he added.
With the price of renewable energy technologies falling, wind and solar power are becoming economically viable solutions to improve energy security and access. Renewable energy is also a clean and sustainable alternative, which helps developing nations insulate themselves from volatile fuel prices.
"The Seychelles wind project is an example of how access to energy can serve as a pathway for economic development and social opportunity", said stated Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE minister of state and CEO of Masdar.
Read more
Monday, 5 August 2013
Green light for Waterloo wind farm expansion
www.abc.net.au
17 Jun 2013
A six-turbine expansion to the wind farm at Waterloo in the Clare Valley has been approved. The Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council's development assessment panel met on Friday to make a decision on EnergyAustralia's proposal. The council had earlier endorsed an infrastructure agreement for the project. Meanwhile, about 100 people have attended a hearing on Yorke Peninsula to explain how a wind farm in the region would affect them.
The South Australian Government's select committee met concerned residents and stakeholders in Ardrossan on Friday afternoon. Evidence included figures about the negative environmental impact of construction, versus the positive impact from the final product. Committee chairman David Ridgway says the meeting was the first one held outside of the metropolitan area.
He says local residents were most concerned about the site of the wind farm. "Just raising concerns about the location", he said. "VICOSC think that's the biggest issue that was raised by most of the groups, was that this is in a very good, highly productive farming area and that maybe this development is not compatible with that type of agriculture.
"VICOSC don't think anybody was against wind farms at all but it was more just the location was the main point of argument. "It's the first hearing we've had outside of the city, so it was important to get out and let the local groups make submissions and some quite interesting evidence was given".
17 Jun 2013
A six-turbine expansion to the wind farm at Waterloo in the Clare Valley has been approved. The Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council's development assessment panel met on Friday to make a decision on EnergyAustralia's proposal. The council had earlier endorsed an infrastructure agreement for the project. Meanwhile, about 100 people have attended a hearing on Yorke Peninsula to explain how a wind farm in the region would affect them.
The South Australian Government's select committee met concerned residents and stakeholders in Ardrossan on Friday afternoon. Evidence included figures about the negative environmental impact of construction, versus the positive impact from the final product. Committee chairman David Ridgway says the meeting was the first one held outside of the metropolitan area.
He says local residents were most concerned about the site of the wind farm. "Just raising concerns about the location", he said. "VICOSC think that's the biggest issue that was raised by most of the groups, was that this is in a very good, highly productive farming area and that maybe this development is not compatible with that type of agriculture.
"VICOSC don't think anybody was against wind farms at all but it was more just the location was the main point of argument. "It's the first hearing we've had outside of the city, so it was important to get out and let the local groups make submissions and some quite interesting evidence was given".
Liberal links to anti-wind farm fight multiply
www.crikey.com.au
14 Jun 2013
A leaked email has revealed the deep involvement of the wife of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's business tsar, Maurice Newman, and a blue-chip corporate consulting firm in a "Convoy of No Confidence"-aping anti-wind farm rally set down for Parliament House on Tuesday.
The email, obtained by Crikey, was sent by Jeanette Newman last month to Linda Pahl, the wife of Sydney-based Bluegrass Consulting's Rodd Pahl. The email was headed "THE NIGHTMARE COMES TRUE", and in it Jeanette Newman, who likens her struggle to that of US whistleblower Erin Brockovich, issued a rousing call to arms:
"It is imperative that as many people as possible attend. A poor attendance will be taken by politicians and the wind industry that we are conceding defeat. Whilst not true, that will be the perception and it will be shamelessly used against us to undermine our credibility".
Both the Pahls and the Newmans own property in the vicinity of proposed wind farms near the rural NSW squattocracy centres of Crookwell and Collector. A separate email chain, also obtained by Crikey, shows the Pahls' involvement in a "Friends of Collector" group set up to fight wind developments near their estate.
Bluegrass Consulting "lobbies governments through targeted, high level contact and grassroots campaigns". Rodd Pahl was previously managing director of public affairs for the local arm of global firm Burson-Marsteller. That outfit's storied history includes crisis management for Union Carbide after the Bhopal disaster.
Yesterday, The Guardian Australia reported that Maurice Newman, who will head the Coalition's Business Advisory Council in the event of a Coalition victory on September 14, vowed he would agitate to scrap the bipartisan Renewable Energy Target (RET), which mandates 20% of renewable energy by 2020. Newman is a former chairman of the ABC and the Australian Securities Exchange. He is a climate change sceptic and is a long-time supporter of anti-wind farm campaigns. In April, Newman hosted a meeting of anti-wind farm group the Crookwell District Landscape Guardians, where he warned the Coalition might not bend to his demands.
An anonymous website, Stop These Things.com, registered to a Texan web domain rental operation, has recently cropped up to plug the rally, which will likely be attended by anti-abortion Senator John Madigan, climate change sceptic and soon-to-be-former Senator Ron Boswell, soon-to-be-former Liberal MP Alby Schultz, Liberal Senator Chris Back and Hughes MP Craig Kelly, who told federal Parliament in 2011 that drinking chardonnay was one answer to global warming. Shock jock Alan Jones will serve as master of ceremonies.
The involvement of well-heeled upper crusters in the wind farm debate is widespread. Well-placed sources have confirmed the family of BRW Rich Lister and Flight Centre co-founder Bill James has been involved in a fight over a proposed wind farm on the Bass Strait cheese hub of King Island.
James, alongside fellow founders Graham Turner and Geoff Harris, reaped $620 million from their stake in the listed quasi-monopolist after its stock price soared to over $30 in the eight months to February. According to BRW, James is worth $405 million.
Last month, Crikey revealed that blue-chip Sydney PR firm Wells Haslem--whose directors had previously assisted the Exclusive Brethren, James Hardie, Scientology and Lord Christopher Monckton--had been paid tens of thousands of dollars by the No Tas Wind Farm Group. Last Friday, the ABC reported James, who is not commenting publicly on the issue, had helped fund the expensive advice.
14 Jun 2013
A leaked email has revealed the deep involvement of the wife of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's business tsar, Maurice Newman, and a blue-chip corporate consulting firm in a "Convoy of No Confidence"-aping anti-wind farm rally set down for Parliament House on Tuesday.
The email, obtained by Crikey, was sent by Jeanette Newman last month to Linda Pahl, the wife of Sydney-based Bluegrass Consulting's Rodd Pahl. The email was headed "THE NIGHTMARE COMES TRUE", and in it Jeanette Newman, who likens her struggle to that of US whistleblower Erin Brockovich, issued a rousing call to arms:
"It is imperative that as many people as possible attend. A poor attendance will be taken by politicians and the wind industry that we are conceding defeat. Whilst not true, that will be the perception and it will be shamelessly used against us to undermine our credibility".
Both the Pahls and the Newmans own property in the vicinity of proposed wind farms near the rural NSW squattocracy centres of Crookwell and Collector. A separate email chain, also obtained by Crikey, shows the Pahls' involvement in a "Friends of Collector" group set up to fight wind developments near their estate.
Bluegrass Consulting "lobbies governments through targeted, high level contact and grassroots campaigns". Rodd Pahl was previously managing director of public affairs for the local arm of global firm Burson-Marsteller. That outfit's storied history includes crisis management for Union Carbide after the Bhopal disaster.
Yesterday, The Guardian Australia reported that Maurice Newman, who will head the Coalition's Business Advisory Council in the event of a Coalition victory on September 14, vowed he would agitate to scrap the bipartisan Renewable Energy Target (RET), which mandates 20% of renewable energy by 2020. Newman is a former chairman of the ABC and the Australian Securities Exchange. He is a climate change sceptic and is a long-time supporter of anti-wind farm campaigns. In April, Newman hosted a meeting of anti-wind farm group the Crookwell District Landscape Guardians, where he warned the Coalition might not bend to his demands.
An anonymous website, Stop These Things.com, registered to a Texan web domain rental operation, has recently cropped up to plug the rally, which will likely be attended by anti-abortion Senator John Madigan, climate change sceptic and soon-to-be-former Senator Ron Boswell, soon-to-be-former Liberal MP Alby Schultz, Liberal Senator Chris Back and Hughes MP Craig Kelly, who told federal Parliament in 2011 that drinking chardonnay was one answer to global warming. Shock jock Alan Jones will serve as master of ceremonies.
The involvement of well-heeled upper crusters in the wind farm debate is widespread. Well-placed sources have confirmed the family of BRW Rich Lister and Flight Centre co-founder Bill James has been involved in a fight over a proposed wind farm on the Bass Strait cheese hub of King Island.
James, alongside fellow founders Graham Turner and Geoff Harris, reaped $620 million from their stake in the listed quasi-monopolist after its stock price soared to over $30 in the eight months to February. According to BRW, James is worth $405 million.
Last month, Crikey revealed that blue-chip Sydney PR firm Wells Haslem--whose directors had previously assisted the Exclusive Brethren, James Hardie, Scientology and Lord Christopher Monckton--had been paid tens of thousands of dollars by the No Tas Wind Farm Group. Last Friday, the ABC reported James, who is not commenting publicly on the issue, had helped fund the expensive advice.
LNP ‘lying’ over solar power cost
www.thechronicle.com.au
15 Jun 2013
DON'T blame solar, blame electricity infrastructure for the dramatic surge in your power bill, a leading Sunshine Coast solar company says. Infinity Solar has hit back at the State Government's claims solar power and green schemes are to blame for the upcoming 22.6% electricity price rise.
Director Chris Thomson blamed infrastructure and network costs as the main culprit, saying it added $127 a year to the average Queenslanders power bill. "Queensland's power grid is operating on inadequate infrastructure and is suffering from a lack of spending over previous years, meaning updating the network is going to cost Queenslanders money", Mr Thomson said.
"Solar power is an easy scapegoat for the government, when in fact the government-funded feed-in tariff is only adding $32 to an average household bill. "Network costs, on the other hand, account for almost half of a standard power bill (48.2%), with upcoming price increases hitting Queenslanders with hundreds of dollars extra on their power bills.
"Energex spent $900 million last financial year on the network and Ergon Energy spent $300 million. The solar feed-in tariff only cost $50 million, so it is completely misleading of the government to blame solar power. "People also need to keep in mind that solar power is not just a financial issue, but is a necessary tool in helping reduce Australia's carbon emissions and increase environmental sustainability".
Infinity's Sunshine Coast shop manager Ashley Pitman said Caloundra had had "one of the highest uptakes (of solar) in Australia". He said while solar did contribute to the increase in the electricity price it was only "between 2.5% and 7%". "It has become a cost, but we have to look at the benefits it's had in keeping cost down", he said.
15 Jun 2013
DON'T blame solar, blame electricity infrastructure for the dramatic surge in your power bill, a leading Sunshine Coast solar company says. Infinity Solar has hit back at the State Government's claims solar power and green schemes are to blame for the upcoming 22.6% electricity price rise.
Director Chris Thomson blamed infrastructure and network costs as the main culprit, saying it added $127 a year to the average Queenslanders power bill. "Queensland's power grid is operating on inadequate infrastructure and is suffering from a lack of spending over previous years, meaning updating the network is going to cost Queenslanders money", Mr Thomson said.
"Solar power is an easy scapegoat for the government, when in fact the government-funded feed-in tariff is only adding $32 to an average household bill. "Network costs, on the other hand, account for almost half of a standard power bill (48.2%), with upcoming price increases hitting Queenslanders with hundreds of dollars extra on their power bills.
"Energex spent $900 million last financial year on the network and Ergon Energy spent $300 million. The solar feed-in tariff only cost $50 million, so it is completely misleading of the government to blame solar power. "People also need to keep in mind that solar power is not just a financial issue, but is a necessary tool in helping reduce Australia's carbon emissions and increase environmental sustainability".
Infinity's Sunshine Coast shop manager Ashley Pitman said Caloundra had had "one of the highest uptakes (of solar) in Australia". He said while solar did contribute to the increase in the electricity price it was only "between 2.5% and 7%". "It has become a cost, but we have to look at the benefits it's had in keeping cost down", he said.
Nelja opens biggest Lithuania wind farm for 27,000 homes
www.bloomberg.com
13 Jun 2013
Nelja Energia AS, an Estonian renewable-energy developer, opened the biggest wind farm in Lithuania, which will generate enough power for 27,000 homes. The 57.4 million-€ ($76.5 million) Ciuteliai plant has 17 turbines with 39.1 MWs of capacity, according to a statement on Nelja Energia's website. The facility north of Silute is 19 km (11 miles) from the Baltic Sea coast.
Nelja Energia supplied equity and won a 41 million-€ loan from Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEBA) and Pohjola Bank Plc (POH1S) to finance the plant, Tadas Navickas, managing director of 4energia UAB, the company's Lithuanian unit, said by e-mail.
Nelja Energia, based in the Estonian capital of Tallinn, is planning about 170 MWs of wind, mostly in Latvia and Lithuania, where installed capacity may double to 500 MWs by 2015, the Baltic nation's wind-energy association said in November. Wind-power expansion will help Lithuania curb its reliance on Russian electricity imports and counter a shortfall caused by closing nuclear capacity, according to the industry group.
13 Jun 2013
Nelja Energia AS, an Estonian renewable-energy developer, opened the biggest wind farm in Lithuania, which will generate enough power for 27,000 homes. The 57.4 million-€ ($76.5 million) Ciuteliai plant has 17 turbines with 39.1 MWs of capacity, according to a statement on Nelja Energia's website. The facility north of Silute is 19 km (11 miles) from the Baltic Sea coast.
Nelja Energia supplied equity and won a 41 million-€ loan from Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEBA) and Pohjola Bank Plc (POH1S) to finance the plant, Tadas Navickas, managing director of 4energia UAB, the company's Lithuanian unit, said by e-mail.
Nelja Energia, based in the Estonian capital of Tallinn, is planning about 170 MWs of wind, mostly in Latvia and Lithuania, where installed capacity may double to 500 MWs by 2015, the Baltic nation's wind-energy association said in November. Wind-power expansion will help Lithuania curb its reliance on Russian electricity imports and counter a shortfall caused by closing nuclear capacity, according to the industry group.
Vic wind farm breakthrough, with pioneering share structure
Wind farm-breakthrough-with-pioneering-share-structure
12 June 2013
A small 5 turbine wind farm project with an innovative share ownership model has become the first wind power project in the state of Victoria to receive council approval in recent years.
The application for the Coonooer Bridge wind farm-with five turbines of up to 150 metres tall to be built near the town of the same name, north-west of Bendigo-was approved by the Buloke Shire Council on Wednesday night. It is a notable project for several reasons. It is the first wind farm proposal to gain approval from a council in the state since former Premier Ted Baillieu introduced restrictive planning policies in 2011.
And the project-located between the towns of Charlton and St Arnaud, about 90km northwest of Bendigo-is also the first in Australia to find a way to combine corporate and community ownership, and the first renewable energy project in the country with an ownership structure that includes the local farming community in this way.
In all, 30 owners of property sited within 3km of the planned wind farm have been offered shares, including one family with turbines on their land. All have taken up the offer, despite the concerns about wind power of some. Windlab Systems, a spin-off from the CSIRO which has developed an expertise in identifying strong wind resource areas, retains the majority stake.
"We wanted to create a fair and open relationship with all landholders around the site, not just the landowners who would lease land for turbines", says Luke Osborne, director of Coonooer Bridge wind farm Pty Ltd, who spent 12 months putting the agreement together.
Read More…
12 June 2013
A small 5 turbine wind farm project with an innovative share ownership model has become the first wind power project in the state of Victoria to receive council approval in recent years.
The application for the Coonooer Bridge wind farm-with five turbines of up to 150 metres tall to be built near the town of the same name, north-west of Bendigo-was approved by the Buloke Shire Council on Wednesday night. It is a notable project for several reasons. It is the first wind farm proposal to gain approval from a council in the state since former Premier Ted Baillieu introduced restrictive planning policies in 2011.
And the project-located between the towns of Charlton and St Arnaud, about 90km northwest of Bendigo-is also the first in Australia to find a way to combine corporate and community ownership, and the first renewable energy project in the country with an ownership structure that includes the local farming community in this way.
In all, 30 owners of property sited within 3km of the planned wind farm have been offered shares, including one family with turbines on their land. All have taken up the offer, despite the concerns about wind power of some. Windlab Systems, a spin-off from the CSIRO which has developed an expertise in identifying strong wind resource areas, retains the majority stake.
"We wanted to create a fair and open relationship with all landholders around the site, not just the landowners who would lease land for turbines", says Luke Osborne, director of Coonooer Bridge wind farm Pty Ltd, who spent 12 months putting the agreement together.
Read More…
Sunday, 28 July 2013
Capital's solar buyback slashed
www.canberratimes.com.au
13 Jun 2013
ActewAGL has been accused of not paying customers a reasonable price for solar power with a new scheme about to offer 10¢ a kW hour less than the current arrangement. However, other industry players have suggested the reduced price was inevitable and in line with what was happening in other jurisdictions.
Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury has also called on Labor to honour its parliamentary agreement with the ACT Greens which included a 20 year guaranteed payment for households and businesses installing solar power. Solar power providers are also bracing for a rush for the technology as consumers try to lock into the current ''generous'' solar buyback scheme which ends in the ACT on June 30.
ActewAGL has been buying solar power from customers at about 18¢ per kW through the current solar buyback scheme. Under the new system of net metering, to be introduced on July 1, ActewAGL Retail will buy excess electricity at 7.5¢ per kW hour.
Existing customers will continue their arrangement under the buyback scheme until June 20, 2020 when they will revert to net metering. New customers will be still subject to the buyback scheme if they submit special connect request forms, via an installer, to ActewAGL before the close of business on June 30. ActewAGL said there were 2357 active solar buyback customers in the ACT. There were 93 applications pending for entry to the scheme.
ActewAGL general manager retail Ayesha Razzaq said the change meant instead of ActewAGL paying a tariff for all solar power produced by customers, it would be paying for only the ''excess'' solar electricity exported to the network, taking into account the power used by the customer.
Read More…
13 Jun 2013
ActewAGL has been accused of not paying customers a reasonable price for solar power with a new scheme about to offer 10¢ a kW hour less than the current arrangement. However, other industry players have suggested the reduced price was inevitable and in line with what was happening in other jurisdictions.Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury has also called on Labor to honour its parliamentary agreement with the ACT Greens which included a 20 year guaranteed payment for households and businesses installing solar power. Solar power providers are also bracing for a rush for the technology as consumers try to lock into the current ''generous'' solar buyback scheme which ends in the ACT on June 30.
ActewAGL has been buying solar power from customers at about 18¢ per kW through the current solar buyback scheme. Under the new system of net metering, to be introduced on July 1, ActewAGL Retail will buy excess electricity at 7.5¢ per kW hour.
Existing customers will continue their arrangement under the buyback scheme until June 20, 2020 when they will revert to net metering. New customers will be still subject to the buyback scheme if they submit special connect request forms, via an installer, to ActewAGL before the close of business on June 30. ActewAGL said there were 2357 active solar buyback customers in the ACT. There were 93 applications pending for entry to the scheme.
ActewAGL general manager retail Ayesha Razzaq said the change meant instead of ActewAGL paying a tariff for all solar power produced by customers, it would be paying for only the ''excess'' solar electricity exported to the network, taking into account the power used by the customer.
Read More…
Four companies join up on solar energy, energy storage tech
www.elp.com
12 Jun 2013
A group of four companies plans to pool resources and work to develop solar power storage technology for the military. In time, the technology could be adapted for commercial or residential use. Lincad, Oxis Energy, Pure Wafer and Solutronic are developing a system that combines lightweight solar panels, electronics and a battery energy storage device, according to Power Engineering.
Lincad will lend their battery design expertise, while Oxis will supply the lithium sulfur cell technology. Pure Wafer will supply the military solar panels that will charge the lithium sulfur batteries during the day when the sun shines, and Solutronic will provide electronics that connect the solar panels, batteries and equipment to power.
12 Jun 2013
A group of four companies plans to pool resources and work to develop solar power storage technology for the military. In time, the technology could be adapted for commercial or residential use. Lincad, Oxis Energy, Pure Wafer and Solutronic are developing a system that combines lightweight solar panels, electronics and a battery energy storage device, according to Power Engineering.
Lincad will lend their battery design expertise, while Oxis will supply the lithium sulfur cell technology. Pure Wafer will supply the military solar panels that will charge the lithium sulfur batteries during the day when the sun shines, and Solutronic will provide electronics that connect the solar panels, batteries and equipment to power.
U.S. photovoltaic power installations rise 33 pct in 1st quarter
www.reuters.com
11 Jun 2013
New solar photovoltaic power installations in the United States totaled 723 MWs (MW) during the first quarter, up 33% over the same period in 2012, industry analysts said in a report on Tuesday.
GTM Research and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) forecast that during 2013, the industry will install 4.4 GWs of photovoltaic power facilities-enough to power about 800,000 average American homes. That will rise to nearly 9.2 GW annually in 2016.
As the cost of solar photovoltaic panels declines, solar power is one of the fastest-growing new energy sources in United States "Installations will speed up over the next four years as projects become economically preferable to retail power in more locations", said Shayle Kann, vice president of research at renewable power information company GTM, a unit of Greentech Media.
Kann warned, however, that changes to net metering and electricity rate structures could serve as the market's primary barrier. SEIA is an industry trade group.
The report said the average residential photovoltaic system price fell below $5.00 per watt, while the average nonresidential system price fell below $4.00 per watt. The report also said concentrating solar power capacity is expected to make "major gains" by the end of the year, adding more than 900 MW of capacity.
The report looked at both photovoltaic power, which uses solar panels to generate power, and concentrating solar power, which uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight on a tower or other structure to heat liquid to produce steam to power a turbine. It said the United States now has more than 8.5 GW of installed solar capacity and is expected to add 5.3 GW in 2013.
Some of the biggest solar power companies include units of Abengoa SA, Consolidated Edison Inc, Electricite de France SA, Enel Green Power SpA, FirstSolar Inc, Iberdrola SA, NextEra Energy Resources, NRG Energy Inc, Sempra Energy and SunPower Corp.
11 Jun 2013
New solar photovoltaic power installations in the United States totaled 723 MWs (MW) during the first quarter, up 33% over the same period in 2012, industry analysts said in a report on Tuesday.
GTM Research and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) forecast that during 2013, the industry will install 4.4 GWs of photovoltaic power facilities-enough to power about 800,000 average American homes. That will rise to nearly 9.2 GW annually in 2016.
As the cost of solar photovoltaic panels declines, solar power is one of the fastest-growing new energy sources in United States "Installations will speed up over the next four years as projects become economically preferable to retail power in more locations", said Shayle Kann, vice president of research at renewable power information company GTM, a unit of Greentech Media.
Kann warned, however, that changes to net metering and electricity rate structures could serve as the market's primary barrier. SEIA is an industry trade group.
The report said the average residential photovoltaic system price fell below $5.00 per watt, while the average nonresidential system price fell below $4.00 per watt. The report also said concentrating solar power capacity is expected to make "major gains" by the end of the year, adding more than 900 MW of capacity.
The report looked at both photovoltaic power, which uses solar panels to generate power, and concentrating solar power, which uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight on a tower or other structure to heat liquid to produce steam to power a turbine. It said the United States now has more than 8.5 GW of installed solar capacity and is expected to add 5.3 GW in 2013.
Some of the biggest solar power companies include units of Abengoa SA, Consolidated Edison Inc, Electricite de France SA, Enel Green Power SpA, FirstSolar Inc, Iberdrola SA, NextEra Energy Resources, NRG Energy Inc, Sempra Energy and SunPower Corp.
Wind Co-Op to study community attitudes
www.abc.net.au
11 Jun 2013
The Central New South Wales Renewable Energy Cooperative which wants to buy a turbine at the proposed Flyer's Creek wind farm near Blayney, says it has a back-up plan if the development is not approved. The wind farm application was lodged in 2008 and Chairman Pat Bradbery says the group will not be disbanded if the wind farm does not get the go-ahead.
"The first is to look at another wind farm that has been approved and preliminary talks have happened about that", he said. "But we will then at the same time look at our other goals, which is that we really want to do what we can to increase the amount of renewable energy being used in the central regions of New South Wales".
He says solar farms and an initiative where businesses can rent solar panels to reduce their energy costs could be considered. "Orange, Bathurst, the Central Tablelands in particular gets a quite a lot of sunlight and so solar power is very do-able. "Also this part of the country is high wind territory so it certainly has the natural resources that are required to produce renewable energy".
The co-op has received a $60,000 state government grant to be spent on a study into community attitudes on wind farms, and a series of seminars. Mr Bradbery says the grant will pay for a study on community attitudes to windfarms being done by the University of Technology Sydney. "They've actually almost finished that.
"We're just waiting on the final report and to run 10 seminars through the region, in which we will present the results of the research and also get feedback about what they think of wind power". Seminars will be held in Orange, Bathurst, Lithgow, Cowra, Parkes, Forbes and Mudgee over the next two months.
11 Jun 2013
The Central New South Wales Renewable Energy Cooperative which wants to buy a turbine at the proposed Flyer's Creek wind farm near Blayney, says it has a back-up plan if the development is not approved. The wind farm application was lodged in 2008 and Chairman Pat Bradbery says the group will not be disbanded if the wind farm does not get the go-ahead.
"The first is to look at another wind farm that has been approved and preliminary talks have happened about that", he said. "But we will then at the same time look at our other goals, which is that we really want to do what we can to increase the amount of renewable energy being used in the central regions of New South Wales".
He says solar farms and an initiative where businesses can rent solar panels to reduce their energy costs could be considered. "Orange, Bathurst, the Central Tablelands in particular gets a quite a lot of sunlight and so solar power is very do-able. "Also this part of the country is high wind territory so it certainly has the natural resources that are required to produce renewable energy".
The co-op has received a $60,000 state government grant to be spent on a study into community attitudes on wind farms, and a series of seminars. Mr Bradbery says the grant will pay for a study on community attitudes to windfarms being done by the University of Technology Sydney. "They've actually almost finished that.
"We're just waiting on the final report and to run 10 seminars through the region, in which we will present the results of the research and also get feedback about what they think of wind power". Seminars will be held in Orange, Bathurst, Lithgow, Cowra, Parkes, Forbes and Mudgee over the next two months.
Wind-linked disease fails to catch-on amongst scientists
www.businessspectator.com.au
10 Jun 2013
Groups opposed to wind farms are referencing an ailment "vibroacoustic disease" that a new study suggests is not recognised as a genuine health problem in the scientific literature, beyond a single research group in Portugal.
It is claimed by opponents of wind farms that they emit large amounts of low frequency noise (although noise measurement studies suggest this is not the case) which has been found to cause an ailment referred to as "vibroacoustic disease" or VAD.
The Portugese researchers who coined the disease based on studies of aircraft technicians, believe that chronic exposure to low frequency noise greater that 90dB leads to a range of ailments. These include slight mood swings, indigestion and heatburn to more severe problems such as psychiatric disturbances, duodenal ulcers, intense muscular and joint pain and even haemorrhoids.
However a study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health has drawn doubt over the veracity of VAD as a legitimate disease with little recognition amongst health researchers. The study entitled, 'How the factoid of wind turbines causing 'vibroacoustic disease' came to be 'irrefutably demonstrated' ', undertook a search of the scientific journal literature as well as a search of the internet to determine the prevalence of VAD as a genuine health concern.
The peer-reviewed journal search for 'vibroacoustic disease' retrieved 182 papers. Screening of titles and abstracts resulted in exclusion of 62 articles which used the term vibroacoustic in relation to either fetal ultrasound measurement or occupational measurement of noise. After removal of duplicates, a total of 35 papers were found on vibroacoustic disease. Of the 35 papers, 34 had a first author from a single Portuguese research group. Seventy-four% of citations to these papers were self-citations by the group whereas median self-citation rates in science are around 7%.
In addition none of the 35 papers contained any reference to wind turbines.
Instead, according to the authors of the study-Simon Chapman and Alexis St. George, vibroacoustic disease was linked to wind turbines through a conference presentation case study by Alves-Pereira of a single 12 year-old boy who had "memory and attention skill" problems in school and "tiredness" during physical education activities.
Yet according to Chapman and St George such complaints are very common and further analysis would be required before suggesting they could be attributed to the nearby turbines. They stated,
"there are many other houses in the area adjacent to the turbines [nearby to the 12 year old boy's residence], but her research group conducted no investigations of residents in any of these, as would be expected in any elementary epidemiological investigation. Again, Alves-Pereira asserted that wind turbine exposure was a plausible explanation for the boy's school problems. No other possible explanations were considered in the presentation or apparently investigated".
10 Jun 2013
Groups opposed to wind farms are referencing an ailment "vibroacoustic disease" that a new study suggests is not recognised as a genuine health problem in the scientific literature, beyond a single research group in Portugal.
It is claimed by opponents of wind farms that they emit large amounts of low frequency noise (although noise measurement studies suggest this is not the case) which has been found to cause an ailment referred to as "vibroacoustic disease" or VAD.
The Portugese researchers who coined the disease based on studies of aircraft technicians, believe that chronic exposure to low frequency noise greater that 90dB leads to a range of ailments. These include slight mood swings, indigestion and heatburn to more severe problems such as psychiatric disturbances, duodenal ulcers, intense muscular and joint pain and even haemorrhoids.
However a study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health has drawn doubt over the veracity of VAD as a legitimate disease with little recognition amongst health researchers. The study entitled, 'How the factoid of wind turbines causing 'vibroacoustic disease' came to be 'irrefutably demonstrated' ', undertook a search of the scientific journal literature as well as a search of the internet to determine the prevalence of VAD as a genuine health concern.
The peer-reviewed journal search for 'vibroacoustic disease' retrieved 182 papers. Screening of titles and abstracts resulted in exclusion of 62 articles which used the term vibroacoustic in relation to either fetal ultrasound measurement or occupational measurement of noise. After removal of duplicates, a total of 35 papers were found on vibroacoustic disease. Of the 35 papers, 34 had a first author from a single Portuguese research group. Seventy-four% of citations to these papers were self-citations by the group whereas median self-citation rates in science are around 7%.
In addition none of the 35 papers contained any reference to wind turbines.
Instead, according to the authors of the study-Simon Chapman and Alexis St. George, vibroacoustic disease was linked to wind turbines through a conference presentation case study by Alves-Pereira of a single 12 year-old boy who had "memory and attention skill" problems in school and "tiredness" during physical education activities.
Yet according to Chapman and St George such complaints are very common and further analysis would be required before suggesting they could be attributed to the nearby turbines. They stated,
"there are many other houses in the area adjacent to the turbines [nearby to the 12 year old boy's residence], but her research group conducted no investigations of residents in any of these, as would be expected in any elementary epidemiological investigation. Again, Alves-Pereira asserted that wind turbine exposure was a plausible explanation for the boy's school problems. No other possible explanations were considered in the presentation or apparently investigated".
Saturday, 27 July 2013
New way for farmers to make money
www.nzherald.co.nz
10 Jun 2013
There is a new way for farmers to make money these days that will actually benefit our environment.
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) estimates that around 140,000kWh of solar power falls on the roof of a typical farm shed each year. Most of this simply heats up a piece of tin and adds minimal value while milking sheds and arable land operations (which use dryers and pumps) consume large amounts of costly power.
Why not capture even some of that energy for domestic use and sell it back to the grid when it is not needed? In Australia, there are over 1,000,000 grid-tied solar customers, who make electricity for their own use and sell the excess back to the grid. This clever idea is starting to catch on in New Zealand-with renewable energy generation leaders Meridian Energy providing the technology and Westpac pitching in to finance farmers putting in solar panels.
If this initiative catches on (and why wouldn't it?) the agricultural sector will save thousands of dollars from their energy bill, we will reduce our needs to generate electricity through fossil fuels and energy security will be improved.
It is great to see Meridian Energy initiating something that will improve the environmental performance of farmers, who are constantly criticised by the urban population for the cumulative effect their industry has on waterways and greenhouse emissions.
One can only hope that when farmers save money through solar generation that they might invest it into fencing and riparian planting rather than the latest model 4WD. But seriously, if you park the complicated and hotly contested environmental arguments about climate change and power generation for just one minute-free energy from the sun makes simple economic sense.
Read More…
10 Jun 2013
There is a new way for farmers to make money these days that will actually benefit our environment.The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) estimates that around 140,000kWh of solar power falls on the roof of a typical farm shed each year. Most of this simply heats up a piece of tin and adds minimal value while milking sheds and arable land operations (which use dryers and pumps) consume large amounts of costly power.
Why not capture even some of that energy for domestic use and sell it back to the grid when it is not needed? In Australia, there are over 1,000,000 grid-tied solar customers, who make electricity for their own use and sell the excess back to the grid. This clever idea is starting to catch on in New Zealand-with renewable energy generation leaders Meridian Energy providing the technology and Westpac pitching in to finance farmers putting in solar panels.
If this initiative catches on (and why wouldn't it?) the agricultural sector will save thousands of dollars from their energy bill, we will reduce our needs to generate electricity through fossil fuels and energy security will be improved.
It is great to see Meridian Energy initiating something that will improve the environmental performance of farmers, who are constantly criticised by the urban population for the cumulative effect their industry has on waterways and greenhouse emissions.
One can only hope that when farmers save money through solar generation that they might invest it into fencing and riparian planting rather than the latest model 4WD. But seriously, if you park the complicated and hotly contested environmental arguments about climate change and power generation for just one minute-free energy from the sun makes simple economic sense.
Read More…
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