June 2013 – Solar Magazine

Renewable energy supply will go beyond gas by 2016 at a global scale

Gas will be exceeded by renewable energy worldwide until 2016, reaching almost a quarter of the planet’s power supply by 2018, by 2016 it will exceed that from gas and be the twice of that of nuclear plants. It has already exceeded overall consumption of electricity in China by 2012.

Broadcasted on Wednesday, this year’s second Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report anticipates that alternative power will rise by 40% in the coming 5 years, although the economic context has seen better days. Renewable energy is by now the quickest-growing power producing sector and will be in 2018 at 25% of global supply exceeding with approximate 5% the ratio from 2011.

Thus, the portion of non-hydro sources like geothermal or bioenergy, wind and solar energy will be doubled by 2018, reaching 8%, up from 4% by in 2011, and half that in 2006.

IEA Executive Director, Maria van der Hoeven stated from the report: “As their costs continue to fall, renewable power sources are increasingly standing on their own merits versus new fossil-fuel generation, 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.”
This report, however warns that renewable energy growth is evolving in complexity and presents challenges, such as an increasing discussion regarding the expenses of renewable sustenance policies in various European countries who are affected by a stagnate economy and energy request.

There are two positive factors that sustain optimism: First of all, acceleration has been observed at the coming-out markets in investment and placement, where renewable energy is helping to approach the rapid increase of energy demand, the variation on energy producers and local pollution responsibilities. Second, along with hydropower, geothermal and bioenergy, solar energy is drawing attention in markets with high billing prices, like those produced by oil-fired energy. Plus the fact that photovoltaic energy production can be a lower expense than one centralized supplier.

Roxana Moraru

Climate change policy announced by Obama puts solar in a better place

The climate change policy in U.S.A offers a new role for solar. Other positions were also settled, as natural gas, nuclear and CCS were defined, among solar, as “clean energy technologies.” As a follow up, agreements show a 13 GW increase of renewables by 2025.

What was meant to be an announcement for tougher carbon standards for power stations and a warning for climate changes, turned out to be a feature on solar and other renewables.

In his speech, the president also announced a new goal for the Department of the interior to allow a further 10 GW of renewables on public lands until 2020, since in 2012 10 GW were already permitted.

America’s biggest energy consumer, The Defense Department, promised to use 3 GW if unconventional energy for military use by 2025. Federal agencies also committed to distribute 10 MW of installed renewables capacity by 2020.

The speech added a presidential memorandum towards green energy into America’s grid network.

On the other hand, solar watchers are not as excited as Obama’s energy policy still looks up to fracking and shale gas, as well as nuclear. Obama also announced that the U.S public money will no longer be used to support the coal-fired power plants, and the fossil fuel will no longer be tax free.

“The U.S. will work with trading partners to launch negotiations at the World Trade Organization towards global free trade in environmental goods, including clean energy technologies such as solar”, as the president said.

Roxana Moraru

New inverters designed by Sungow, present at Intersolar 2013

A new set of inverters were presented by Sungrow in this year’s Intersolar.

Sungrow brings three brand new inverters at the exposition after enjoying a great success with the launching of 5-30kW string inverters and the releasing of SG500MX at SNEC 2013 in Shanghai. The new products are: SG800MX, the veiled central PV inverter; SG8/10/12KTL-EC-series string inverter, intelligent residential PV system, and SH10KTL, residential energy storage systems.

The outdoor inverter unit with an 800kW capacity, SG800MX, is one of world’s greatest single-machine power PV inverters. Throughout the stunning surprise elements are the SVG function during night, operation temperature ranges -25℃~+55℃. Moreover, it met German BDEW directives and obtained the certificates for grid-connection in America and Canada. The series to which it belongs have a great deal of amazing features such as: natural cooling function, higher conversion efficiency and lower cost and built-in monitoring system. To sum up, SG800MX is an intelligent residential PV system solution designed for Europe and America.

As for SH10KTL, Sungrow’s newest product for energy storage system of residential PV plant, it has an energy storage function integrated and it can switch seamlessly between grid-connected mode and off-grid mode

And last but not least, SG30KTL, is a wall-mounted string inverter with the largest single-machine power that can be found. This solution was the choice of many Europeans since its launch in 2012. The inverter remarks itself through the granted double “A” results from Photon’s test and VDE-ASIG reliability certificate.

Roxana Moraru

Three PV solar parks were constructed in Romania

Romania’s solar capacity increased after the contraction of three PV solar parks was finished by Et Solar group. The parks have the combined capacity of 28 MW. So, an increase of 48 MW was made over the last eight months, after the company installed a total of 50 MW this year.

The solar parks are owned by Romania’s top electricity supplier and trader. The new PV systems are located in Targu Carbunesti, Gorjcounty, and Simnicu de Sus, Dolj county.

The PV modules were provided by ET Solar Group and the engineering procurement and construction services and the financing also were supplied by ET Solutions AG, its Munich-based subsidiary to be precise. The ET Solutions’ Romanian branch will be in charge of operations and maintenance.

ET Solar Group president and CEO Dennis She says that “the achievement of grid connection for these three photovoltaic plants is a result of seamless coordinated work among our team in Munich and Bucharest”. “It further demonstrates that we are transforming ourselves into a global EPC company. We are committed to further growing our project solutions business to other emerging markets.”

Romania had only 2 MW PV capacity in the last October, so the industry has come a long way in this country. However it was not easy. The Romanian government imposed new measures in June which were meant to frighten foreign investors. Between them is one ordinance that is meant to disapprove two out of six six green certificates given to photovoltaic energy producers per megawatt hour fed into the national grid. The Romanian energy regulatory Authority will still assign PV solar plants plants six green certificates but repress two of them until March 2017.

Roxana Moraru

Siemens solar division will close down

The solar division from Siemens will shut down after they failed to sell the unit that has not been functioning for nine months.

The company would be shut down production and the division according to sources from the company. Yet still, current ongoing projects will be completed and warranty obligations will be fulfilled, as announced by a company spokesperson.

As a result, 280 people will loose their jobs. The majority of them are located in in Israel, where the solar thermal subsidiary Solel Solar Systems, a Munich-based group operates.

Siemens spokesman To

Wolf also claims that “the current and future market for solar receivers remains low. As a result, it was difficult to agree on a business plan for a sale that took into sufficient account the interests of both the buyer and seller.”rsten Wolf said that „After seven months of intensive sales efforts for the solar thermal business, it’s clear that due to the increasingly difficult market situation, no investor could be found for the business.” He also announced that the company was unable to reach an agreement that “provided due consideration for the interests of customers, employees, investors and Siemens.”

The latest engineering company, Siemens, purchased Solei in 2009 with $418 million. The group has reported $1 billion losts and Siemens put its solar unit on the block.

Roxana Moraru

New 4.5 MW solar park accomplished by the german Conergy in France

Today’s Conergy realization is a solar park for the financier UEM, the local energy producer and framework operant, sheltered on an area of 9.5 hectares with the capacity of 4.5 MW.
This project holds 18,000 Conergy “P Series” units, it is situated in La Fare-les-Oliviers of Southern France, and will provide about 6,500 MWh annually, or plenty electricity to sustain about 1,800 homes.
Although the market is difficult and the price competition is forceful, the german provider Conergy continues to accomplish and provide for projects in European investors from Greece, Spain and Portugal. It also remains active in Southeast Asian markets like Thailand.
Conergy did not only provide PV units, but also brought to operation the design and installment for the entire project. In addition, it will carry on its involvement in sustenance and functional administration for the solar park.
Along with this project, Conergy backed up Sunlap in the building of two carport plants in La Fare-les-Oliviers with “P-Series” units and IPG15T inverters. It will sustain almost 127 MWh annually.

Conergy’s Managing Director Philippe Pflieger revealed a positive point of view. “With its decision to increase both, market volume and subsidies, the government has given a boost to the solar sector. Although the economic situation in this country remains tense, we believe that these steps will restore a good outlook for solar energy in our country.”

Roxana Moraru

$27.2 billion to invest in PV market in five years

The global PV materials market will double until 2018. Lux research says the main reason is the improvements of the supply demand balance. The global demand will be represented by materials differentiation and innovations.

Taking into account last year’s investments, the PV material market will grow from $17.8 billion to $27.2 billion by 2018. Part of that sum, $12.8 billion to be precise, is formed of witih metals, including polysilicon and metallic absorber materials. A $6 billion raise is due to the global demand of silicon modules.

Lux Research analyst, Fatima Toor announces that “differentiated materials that enable high cell or module efficiencies or longer lifetime will be able to earn a premium and cash in on the growing demand.”

Toor also said that the need of improved quality may lead to materials innovations that could lower the price per watt as well as the price per kilowatt hour.

Materials such as backsheets, non-EVA encapsulants, metallization pastes and antireflection coatings can also lead to material innovations.
Moreover, effective planning and implementation of the module quality can be the source of opportunities for materials developers.
Roxana Moraru

Solar modules will have new switch-off solutions produced by Bosch

Bosch is in the process of developing new switch off solutions design for solar modules. The new products will be presented at the Intersolar trade fair.

The new solutions for both commercial and residential applications are optimizes for module electronics, particularly module junction boxes and control units.

The automatic switch-off is very useful in hazardous situations. Another advantage is the voltage-free state, meaning that the owners can have the modules installed and not risk electric shocks.

In case of main supply shutdown, intelligent electronics in every junction box guarantee the self-regulated switch-off of the entire system and its distinctive modules. This function can also be called up with a control signal from an exterior emergency switch. The new Bosch idea is distinct by initializing an automatic following restart as soon as the problematic situation has stopped. By this, the production is ensured once the situation ended.

After passing a large number of tests and being used in the field, prototypes have affirmed their strong capability.

All basic solar module types can benefit from the innovative solutions. In fact, the automatic switch –off can be installed without rebuilding the machines, in most cases. Moreover, the new product designed by Bosch Solar Energy matches with a handful of industrial standards and codes that where formerly introduced.

At the Intersolar trade fair, where the new concept will be promoted, Bosch will also showcase new black premium solar module, the white high-performance module and the new frame concept.

Roxana Moraru

Polysilicon prices are to go up a little

The price rising is happening because of the anti-dumping tariffs China is set to establish on the polysilicon from the EU, U.S.A. and South Korea. According to IHS the new prices will not affect the industry.

The last IHS Polysilicon Price Tracker report also shows that the weight of the increase will be limited by market factors.

The stratagem could bring the global solar polysilicon pricing up to $19.50 per kilogram in June and July, while in May the price was $16.50.

The flood was unexpected in the market as the prices were going down in the last 10 months.

Despite all this, the report shows only an 18% increase, “falling short of the 30% indicator that would represent a major market correction. Prices also would remain below the key $20-per-kilogram mark.”

China was “likely to impose anti-dumping tariffs with rates ranging from 30 to 50% on polysilicon imported from the European Union, the United States and South Korea. However, the impact of the duties will be mitigated by factors including long-term agreements that stabilize pricing as well as efforts by buyers and sellers to bypass the tariffs”, announced Glenn Gu, senior analyst, photovoltaics, at IHS.

The report also predicts that global manufacturing overcapacity of solar-grade polysilicon will not allow sustainable local price spikes, although the local production us protected.

Roxana Moraru

Import charges for PV products will be raised up to 67.9% by August

Further details regarding import charges have been released by the European Commission on the crystalline photovoltaic imports from China. By August, there is a possibility that Chinese companies will be confronted by contingent charges of an average 47.6% if they fail to reach an agreement with the EU.

Such measures will be taken on August 6 by the European Commission, who will set company specific charges that can range from 37.3 to 67.9% in case of failure in an agreement between the parts.

An equable tariff of 11.8% will be put into action starting from June 6 through August 5. This tariff applies to all companies concerned. The guidelines introduced in March making it necessary to record imports will be halted because of the anti-dumping duty.

Announced on Wednesday in the Official Journal of The European Union, granted by the EU Regulation 513/2013, the initial import duties for China’s crystalline solar trades are established in conformity with “net free-at-Union-frontier price, before duty.” Thus, these imports are “subject to the provision of a security equivalent to the amount of the provisional duty” before their release into the EU.

Lower duty rates will be granted to those companies that have stood up for EU investigations and have lower dumping allowance.
According to the EU regulation, companies that have supported EU investigations and that have lower dumping margins as well as lower injury margins for EU manufacturers will face lower duty rates.

As a consequence, Trina affronts an import duty rate of 51.5%; Jinzhou, a rate of 38.3%; Suntech 48.6%; Yingli 37.3%; 51.5%; LDK 55.9%; JA Solar 58.7%; and Delsolar an import duty rate of 67.9%.

Not only products made in China but also those exported by the country, such as crystalline photovoltaic modules, cells and wafers will face these taxes.

For 130 other companies that are part the EU investigation and are listed in the regulation annex, a preliminary duty of 47.6% will apply from Aug. 6. All other uncooperative companies with the EU investigation will be confronted with 69.7% import duties.

A concluding resolution will be made by the EU Council of Ministers on the level, likely to be sustained and be held valid in the subsequence of import charges on December 5 through the EU affiliated countries. In regard to the retroactive administration of anti-dumping control, no decision has been made yet.

Roxana Moraru