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Researchers found a way to convert solar into fuel

Solar top be converted in fuel for cheaper energy

Solar can be converted into fuel

The Frontier Research Center at UNC-Chapel Hill discovered a way to transform solar into fuel, so that people could have power even when the sun sets.

People could be truly independent with the help of this system and could say goodbye to the pricey solar batteries. U.S solar power researchers say the sun can be used to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen. The Research Center recently published two papers about this whole process, papers published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Tom Meyer, a chemistry Professor, explains that the system uses solar power until daylight exist, and meanwhile it cheaply separates hydrogen and oxygen from water. The two elements can then be stored separately and burned for power.

Meyer reports that power utilities have already got infrastructure for that: “See, that’s the beauty of it, I think. With this, you can plug into existing engineering, existing technologies. People know how to generate hydrogen. They know how store it. They know how to use it to extract energy in a power plant. So that’s all done. You know, all we want to do is find a way to give it to them in a relatively inexpensive way using the sun.”

Meyer also believes that this method can be used for cheaper power utilities someday:
“This is a basic research project that’s knocking on the door to become a technology. I think the principles are established and it’s really important, but the efficiency of the devices that we have are very low. That is, ‘Here’s all the sun’s energy. How much do you actually use in a useful way?’ And the answer’s about one percent.”

What Mayer says is that right now, only one percent of the solar power that gets to the device is being used to transform water into fuel. He also believes that the procedure won’t be effective for commercial use until that one percent turns into 10. His team also research for a way of separating carbon dioxide into its basic elements for fuel.

PV market is dominated by large-scale PV projects

PV industry is gowing thanks to large scale PV

Global PV growth is related to large scale project, 60% of which belong to China, the U.S. and Japan, a increase of 50% from 2010.China, the U.S. and Japan accounted for some 60% of all large-scale PV projects in 2013, up from less than 10% in 2010.

The large-scale PV market is comprised of rooftop projects larger than 100 kW and ground-mounted installations. As the most recent figures from the solar analysts, NPD Solarbuzz , show that large scale solar PV installations toped 26 GW during 2013 and stand exclusively for the annual development of global PV demand from 30 GW in 2012 to 36 GW in 2013.

Moreover, the solar analysts group say that they discovered that the large-scale solar PV market included also rooftop projects bigger than 100 kW in size and ground-mounted solar PV projects.

China stands for almost one-third of all large-scale solar PV capacity planted in 2013. PV panels installed in China, the United States and Japan stand for almost 60% of large-scale PV projects. This percentage comes after the three countries accounted for under 10% of large-scale PV additions in 2010.

Germany, India and the United Kingdom gathered with China, the U.S. and Japan in reaching or approaching GW status for large-scale PV added in 2013.

NPD Solarbuzz predicts that this trend approaching large-scale PV will carry on in 2014, and nearly 75% of all new solar PV capacity added will exist thanks to this segment. Furthermore, new PV for emerging solar PV regions will provide more upside potential.

Harvard comes with a new type of battery for cheaper Energy Storage

Hardvard researchers discovered a cheaper way to store energy

There is always a good news when someone announces that renewable energy could be cheaper.

The last institution that gave this news is Harvard University that says they invented a new “flow battery” that can find its utility in large-scales, such as within electricity grids, for storing intermittent renewable energy from green sources such as wind and solar. The research describing the new “metal free organic-inorganic aqueous flow battery”, was released in the journal Nature on 9 January.

The Harvard researchers report that for the creation of this battery they made use of a previously unnoticed group of organic compounds named quinones. They have many advantages and the main one is that they can help with the production of cheap batteries that are able to charge and discharge green energy quicker than available batteries can do it.

Those who made the investigation possible say that it can functions as good as the batteries that already exist and are made of way more expensive metals. The new invented battery doesn’t use a precious metal catalyst, but it has a metal free underlying chemistry that uses the naturally abundant quinones.

Quinones are water-soluble compounds that are able to store energy in plants and animals. They can be found in every green vegetable, and the molecule used by the researchers is almost identical to the one in rhubarb. Quinones are naturally abundant and water-soluble, large, inexpensive tanks could replace the traditional and more expensive solid-state batteries.

This is good news for the green world and a renewable energy expands it is crucial that inexpensive, large-scale renewable energy storage will develop.

Storing soar energy can be more cost-effective

Cheaper energy storage discovered by swiss scientist

If platinum takes the place of molybdenum in photoelectrochemical cells, as scientist from two Swiss labs report, the technique that can increase the hydrogen production through water splitting as a way of solar energy storage.

The only form of renewable that can be explored enough to supply the everybody’s up going needs is solar energy. Still, it is highly necessary to find efficient ways of storing solar energy because there is a need for a consistent energy supply when sunlight is limited.

The most effective way to do this is to utilize solar energy to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen and get the energy back by consuming hydrogen in a fuel cell. Scientist from two labs at EPFL have found a way to create an effective method to obtain scalable solar water splitting device with cheap materials.

Sill, solar systems cannot constantly produce adequate energy since sunlight is not always the same everywhere. This can be solved with another device that is able to store energy for a later use in the form of hydrogen with very little pollution.

Through the most sustainable methods of hydrogen production is photoelectrochemical water-splitting. In this method, they use solar energy to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen with a process called “hydrogen evolution reaction.” This method needs a chemical agent that grows its speed, named catalyst. The most familiar catalyst in this devices is platinum, that is situated on the surface of the solar panel’s photocathode—the solar panel’s electrode that transforms light into electric current.

The team from EPFL discovered that you can make efficient solar-powered water splitting devices even with abundant and cheap materials.

The group of Xile Hu came up with a molybdenum-sulfide catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction, and the group of Michael Grätzel discovered that copper oxide can be a photocathode. They also found that the molybdenum sulfide can be stored on the copper(I) oxide photocathode for use in photoelectrochemical water splitting by a deposition process.

The method reveals more efficiency then other hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts like platinum. It also preserves the optical transparency for the light-harvesting surface and it offers improved stability under acidic conditions, meaning lower maintenance. Moreover, both the catalyst and the photocathode are made of cheap, earth-abundant materials that can reduce the cost of photoelectrochemical water-splitting devices. As senior author Xile Hu says, the work is a state-of-the-art example for solar hydrogen production devices.

UK wind farm subsidies are to be cut off by Europe

Europe will oblige UK to cut wind power subsidies

U.K will cut off wind energy subsidies

The European Commission is going to request the British country to put an end to wind farm subsidies.

Ministers have been told that the present degree of state support for renewable energy sources have to be eliminated until 2020. Moreover, solar energy is not escaping either, as taxpayer support will also be phased out.

The European Commission that supervises the European single market is ready to try and convince that onshore wind in UK and solar power industries are developed enough to function even if taxpayers do not contribute.

A Government source announced that European officials have privately ordered ministers that they have to lower public support for onshore wind and solar generators.

Even if Conservative ministers don’t always agree with the Commission’s sometimes criticize the EC for its intervention in domestic matters, they are understood to be keen to cooperate in the case of renewable energy subsidies. A Conservative minister’s words are: “It’s absurd that taxpayers are being made to subsidies wind technology.”

The operators of onshore wind turbines get subsidies that make the power they generate more expensive. Ministers begun to cut off those subsidies, reducing tariffs that are applied to household bills and withering guaranteed prices for onshore wind. But the EC is pressuring him Coalition to impose a less supportive system for onshore wind and solar power. This new regime will take care of the fact that there will be a competition between wind farm operators and that there will be a share of a reduced pool of public subsidies.

The Energy Secretary, Ed Davey, announced that onshore wind and solar farm developers would be obliged to compete to secure government subsidies. The commission will announce the results of a review of support for renewable energy this month.
Although UK is happy with this cut off, other EU states do not want to reduce public support for renewables.

The EU’s climate action commissioner, Connie Hedegaard , said “One of the things Europe has to do better is how we subsidies renewables. That is why the commission is reviewing state aid guidelines for energy, including renewables. My view is that if you have mature technologies, renewables or not, they should not have state aid. If they can manage themselves why have state aid?”

2014 comes with a bad new for Romania: the green certificates are being reduced to half

Green certificates for solar to be reduced

Romanian Government announced the reduction of green certificates

The green certificates will be halved this year for all green energy projects that will be fulfilled after the first month of 2014. This means there will be three certificates per MW since now there are six per MW.

The Romanian government recently reported that it will reduce its support not only for solar PV, but also for wind and hydro energies by bringing down the number of green certificates. This measure is valid from today but is only valid for projects finished in February.

Unfortunately, solar PV is dealing with the biggest cut. This means that projects finished during next month will only get three green certificates per MW, as now they are getting six.

Romania is going with a measuring system for the support of renewables that says that the project developers get green certificates for every megawatt generated for 15 years after commissioning. Power suppliers and industrial users are obliged to purchase certificates based on an annual quota given by the energy regulator. So, the project developers are wining by selling certificates and also by selling electricity.

Still, a new study run by the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) reveals that renewable power producers get way too many certificates for the generated energy and the investment they make in power plants is too small. So, the Romanian government was advised to cut the number of certificates per quota.

By these means, the Romanian government requested its efforts to be a struggle to minimize the effects of electricity high prices for households and industry.

The new contribution cuts, starting tomorrow, will have a purpose of obtaining a green certificate suspension approved in June by which the ministry ceases two out of six green certificates granted to PV energy producers per MWh put into the grid. These plans, however, will not be concerned in tomorrow’s policy.

Yet, the latest government policy is being regarded by many critics to be an attempt to put cuts in the investment flow into PV and other renewable techs, which have topped the initial national targets set by the energy manager bestowing to the country’s EU engagements.

Roxana MORARU

Scotland reaches 100 MW of solar

Scotland tops 100 MW of installed PV

Scotland has got 106 MW of PV capacity installed, meaning the country overcame de 100 MW milestone with 36% growth in only one year.

Official data from British energy analysts, Ofgem, show that the new 106 MW of installed PV capacity bluster represents a growth of 36% in 2013.

Although in Scotland the radiation rate is low, positive political policies and the desire for solar energy has influenced the industry boost this year and the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) joined Scottish solar lobbyists in their cause to pursue the Scottish government to help the burgeoning industry develop.

Three years ago the country had only 2 MW of installed plants, 429 small-scale solar installations. This year over 28,000 homes, 56 communities, 22 industrial sites and 465 have solar modules installed, fact that encouraged the Scottish Solar Energy Group, WWF Scotland and the Energy Technology Partnership to ask the Scottish government to offer more political support for solar.

“Scotland might seem like an unlikely place for solar, but if you look at a solar radiation map, parts of Scotland receive about 80 to 90% of the solar energy of Germany, the world leader in solar deployment, with 35 GW installed to date,” said chairwoman of the Scottish Solar Energy Group, Anne-Marie Fuller. He also added that there is no reason for which significantly more solar could not be installed if people really wanted to.

The country also plans to have 100% green energy sources by 2020 taking into account the fact that offshore wind power is transitioning. Still, the country should not ignore the potential of solar PV power, especially the commercial and residential installations.

Roxana MORARU

Every hour of the first three months of 2014 a PV plant will be installed

Solar PV demand to reach 49GW in 2014

The PV market data analyst, NPD Solarbuzz, shows that global solar PV request will get to 49 GW next year.

The forecast shows that 5 MW of phtovoltsics are to be installes evey hour, at least in the first trimester, a record for solar installations. Global solar analysts NPD Solarbuzz have predicted that the PV demand will gow to 49 GW in 2014.

Moreover, starting from the final three months of this year and finishing with the first one in 2014, 22 GW of capacity will be planted, meaning a new 5 MW farm will rise every hour. Though 36 GW of estimated capacity is to be installed by the end of next year, that figure is said to be aced by 30%.

“The solar PV industry has reached a critical tipping point, with end-market demand hitting record levels almost every quarter.” said NPD Solarbuzz vice president Finlay Colville. “This growth is being driven by leading module suppliers and project developers that returned to profitability during 2013, and which have now established highly effective global sales and marketing networks,” he added.

The data analyst also says that the last semester of this year will break even more records for solar capacity since the 12GW barrier is set to be broken for the first time in the history of PV, record to be overcome in the first semester of the next year.
At the top of the list with the higher demand are the Chinese market, the Japanese one and U.S is leading,, and most of the panels installed next year will be located in this areas.

“Manufacturing overcapacity and pricing erosion within the PV industry was previously a key factor in limiting annual growth to between 10-20% between 2011 and 2013.With a more stable pricing environment and the prospect of increased end-market globalization, NPD Solarbuzz forecasts a return to annual growth above 30% for the PV industry in 2014.” announced Colville.

Roxana MORARU

UK to introduce new WEEE rules on PV recycling

U.K will introduce new recycling laws for P>V

PV recycling laws to be introduce on January 1 in U.K

The U.K government is adapting EU’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive that will function starting from January 1, 2014, supported by PV Cycle.

U.K will take a step forward regarding the disposal of PV modules, and starting from January 1, 2014, the British government is going to announce their own interpretation of the European Union’s WEEE Directive in a move complimented by pan-European recycling organization PV Cycle.

By being placed before Parliament on December 10, U.K became the first EU member state that has ratified their national laws before the deadline on February 14 the upcoming year.

The WEEE Directive was brought up to date a year ago to include PV modules and the PV industry received a transition period for one and a half year within which all EU governments have to introduce new

The WEEE Directive was updated in August 2012 to incorporate PV modules, with the industry given an 18-month transition period within which all 27 EU governments must incorporate new intructions on PV waste into their own laws.

“While it’s unusual to see the introduction of new regulations take effect before the legal deadline, it makes sense in this instance as the new regulations come into force at the start of a new compliance year, which is defined on a calendar year basis, and to introduce changes part way through the year would have caused confusion and additional costs,” reported David Burton, PV Cycle U.K.’s country manager of producer compliance scheme.

As the new directive states, all PV modules that are no longer functional have to be disposed of correctly. PV Cycle, an organization that is responsible for the PV disposal, is taking care of some collection points for PV modules in Europe. The organization is also guiding PV producers to recycle theirs products as the law states.

“The regulations are traditionally focused upon ensuring collection and recycling of consumer PV products, but not necessarily on the very nature of PV panels with their long lifecycle and B2B character,” said Burton. “Thankfully, the U.K.’s Department of Businees, Skills and Innovation (BIS) have taken a pragmatic approach, in consultation with the PV sector, to ensure that the industry takes responsibility without damaging its long-term sustainability objectives.”

Roxana MORARU

Concentrated PV solar is to blossom

Concentrated PV is blooming

If in the past few years concentrated PV was having a slow progress, now CPV is advancing towards a momentum and installations and it will grow an important percentage every year through 2020, as the latest IHS report shows.

The concentrated photovoltaic global market is on the edge of a massive explosion and s international installations are arranged to catapult 750% between 2013 and 2020, as the report published on Tuesday by market research group HIS announced.

The report also says that IHS believes that CPV installations will get to 1,362 MW in 2020, given that in 2013 it has 160 MW. Of course , the installations discussed are to Indeed, installations are expected to enlarge to double-digit percentages every year through 2020.

CPV technology makes use of lenses or mirrors to focus sunlight onto solar cells. This process allows a more efficient PV energy generation, the use of additional optics for focusing sunlight has also driven up the cost of CPV compared to conventional PV installations, limiting the acceptance of concentrated solar solutions.

The situation is advancing in a high speed and rapidly changing, still, even though advancements in CPV technology cost effective.

“What is happening in today’s CPV market is very similar to that of the overall PV space in 2007, beset by high costs and an uncertain outlook,” are Karl Melkonyan’s words, a photovoltaic analyst at IHS. “However, the CPV market in 2013 is on the verge of a breakthrough in growth. Costs for CPV have dropped dramatically during 2013 and are expected to continue to fall in the coming years. Furthermore, when viewed from the perspective of lifetime cost, CPV becomes more competitive with conventional PV in large ground-mount systems in some regions.”

Roxana MORARU