Solar PhotoVoltaics – Page 18

The biggest rooftop system will be built in by Solon

The largest rooftop system in Bucharest will stand on top a a logistics centre

15% of the energy will go into the Romanian grid

A 2.2 MW grid tied system made comprised of nearly 9,000 Solon 220/16 modules that is set to be planted in only seven week on top of a Bucharest logistics center.

Berlin-based solar module producer Solon Energy is on the way to plant Bucharest’s biggest system in a seven week’s period.

Solon announced to finish installing the system of 8,000 if its 220/16 modules on top of the logistics center until the end of the month.

The 2.2 MW system is going to produce 2.8 MWh per year and about 15% of that generated energy will be spend by the firms in the building, and the rest of the green energy will go into the Romanian grid company, Transelectrica, fact that will guarantee green certificates for the company.

The logistics center is owned by Romanian PV installer SC Atwar & TH Services, a company that was founded by logistics company Elcyrom Realty & Development.

Roxana MORARU

The solar development in Japan may be limited by the gird capacity

Japan could have problems with the grid capacity

The southern Japanese may have less than 1 GW of grid capacity left for upcoming solar and wind projects. This statement results from the new analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

“Grid congestion” appears to be an important layoff in going on with the renewable energy market, in Japan’s blooming solar industry. Still, in the north of the country, on the island of Hokkaido, there is a well know shortage of grid capacity, and now the new BNEF report says that related issues may appear in the south of the country also.

Although a 22.4 GW of new green energy capacity have been accepted as part of the FIT program that emerged in last year’s July, BNEF analysis reports that the Chugoku Electric Power Co. and Kyushu Electric Power Co. posses a little under of 1 GW of accessible grid capacity in the south of the country.

BNEF also shows that the report reveals an estimated grid capacity of 34 GW as being usable for upcoming wind projects all over the country.

The rehabilitation of Japan’s energy market are on going at this moment and Bloomberg is announcing that a bill is said to be introduced into Japan’s parliament in the fall. BNEF believes that a free trade could bring grid development.

Japan’s utility market continues to be partially closed having regional monopolies as a feature. These monopolies have been under pressure since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in 2011.

Telecommunications entrepreneur Masayoshi Son, the billionaire Chairman and CEO of Softbank Corp., has been involved in marching for increased electricity market reregulation. Softbank is already known as being active in expanding photovoltaic projects in the country.

Roxana MORARU

Powerway will generate a 30MW PV program in Thailand

Powerway will install 100,000 Pv modules in Thailand

A field of over 60 Acres in the north of Thailand is said to be covered by 100,000 PV systems that are said to be distribute to the PV project.

As the current figures report, until 2016 the entire installation of photovoltaic solar energy in Southeast Asia is said too reach 5 GW. The request for energy is developing and Thailand is to turn into Asia’s most prosper renewable energy market. The Thailandese government gives to the solar industry a great deal of attention. Moreover, as Asia’s first implementation of one of the countries FIT projects, has a strategy of reaching the goal of installing a 2GW PV plant until 2022.

If the last year’s success, when the Thai 18MW solar farm project was completed, is taken into account, you can say this is the second biggest success for Powerway. A professional aspect and design and a vast solar farm construction background is what defines Powerway, so the company again worked together with a renowned French EPC company. The project was formally launched in May, but the final steps are programmed by the end of the year. The project will install 100, 000 PV solar panels in an area of over 60 acres. The resulted power can provide for 90,000 people.

The project is situated in Northeast Thailand where the weather conditions are not easy to predict. Still, Powerway engineers have designed a ground mounting system that has a embedded foundation said to be reliable, cost effective and easy to install. Moreover, the company has sent an experienced project team to the job site that can offer technical support and train the local teams.

Global microinverter market will be four times bigger until 2017

Commercial systems are expected to account for nearly 30% of global microinverter shipments in 2017 compared with 9% in 2012

Micro inverter market will quatruple by 2017

The microinverter sales will quadruple in the upcoming four years because of the external market requirement increase, as the latest report by market research firm HIS, announced.

Microinverters are being bought in a bigger number besides the United States borders. The reason? The new markets are in a hurry to take advantage of the gadget’s updated efficiencies and features which are increasingly better than in the classic inverters, as the report says.

Global photovoltaic microinverter market are said to merger till 2.1 GW in 2017, whereas in 2013 there were around 500 MW. This means a rate of 306% as IHS presents in its latest report, “The World Market for PV Microinverters and Power Optimizers – 2013 Edition.”

“Microinverters convert direct current (DC) electricity from a single solar module into alternating current (AC). Although they are more costly than conventional inverters, microinverters can increase the energy harvest of a system compared to conventional string or central inverter devices, which convert power from multiple solar panels,” IHS reports.

Until this moment , microinverter request has widely been limited to the U.S. residential market. Still, the strength is moving on to commercial solar systems and other regions.

“Microinverters have reached very high adoption rates in the United States, particularly in the residential market, where penetration will reach more than 40% in 2013,” says Cormac Gilligan, PV market analyst at IHS. “However, in order to grow or maintain market share, microinverter suppliers now are striving to expand to new regions that at present don’t use the technology. Meanwhile, the advantages of microinverters — including their higher energy yields, enhanced safety and module-level monitoring capabilities — are making them more attractive in commercial systems, especially in small-scale projects”, IHS adds.

Roxana MORARU

The Energy sell-off in Brazil postponed for November

energy seill off was postponed for a moth

The A-3 auction in Brazil has been postponed for a month

The renewable energy sell-off A-3 is programmed for November 18. The event is a premiere for the solar energy, for which is the first edition.. The auction was supposed to happen on the 25th of October.

The A-3 energy sell-off, the first sell-off in Brazil in the regulated market, that has been available to solar projects, was postponed for a month from the initial date set last July by the government. Still, this is the only modification announced by the government in Brazil, in the past week. This sell-off is announced to be opened to numerous technologies. The projects which win a prize in this competition need to function in 20116.

A number of companies have entered their solar project for the A-3 sell-off, in the past week. An example is renewable energy developer Bioenergy that as the local media reports, presented nine PV projects summing up 171 MW.

People also expect that solar photovoltaic applications will be a part of a different energy auction, the A5, which is to take place in December. The projects which will succeed there in the A-5, need to be functional in a 5 years period. Until now it was not announced if solar energy projects are allowed in this sell-off.

Until today, there has been no official announcement for a specific sell-off for solar energy, although there were signs from the government in that past showing that this is possible.

Roxana MORARU

Solar Junction rises above its own record with 44.1% cell efficiency

Solar Junction breaks its own record with 44.1% cell efficiency

Solar Junction has exceeded its old World-Record with recognition 44.1% cell efficiency on IQE’s production qualified wafers.

IQE plc reports that its high-volume, production qualified material has been individually guaranteed as reaching 44.1% cell efficiency by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), outdistancing Solar Junctions previous World Record for a standard triple junction CPV cell.

The wafers were made applying IQE’s high-volume MBE devices, were prepared by, a manufacturer of high efficiency multi-junction solar energy cells for the concentrated photovoltaic market (CPV), IQE’s strategic partner Solar Junction Corporation (“Solar Junction”). The classic three-junction solar are said to set a new world record for manufacturing scale CPV wafer technology and prove the upgraded performance over Solar Junction’s previous World Record announced in October 2012.

“Breaking a World Record is a major achievement, but improving on our most recent record using high-volume production equipment produced in conjunction with our manufacturing partner IQE, and Solar Junction’s fabrication line in Sunnyvale, CA, is dramatically more significant. This result is a testament to our close partnership with IQE, Solar Junction’s dilute nitride technology and our exceptional team. We continue to be the benchmark for multi-junction solar cell production efficiency to assist our customers in driving CPV costs down”, Vijit Sabnis, CEO at Solar Junction announced.

“Following our recent announcement of full qualification of our high volume 4 and 6 CPV technology, surpassing Solar Junction’s previous cell efficiency record is a massive achievement”, are the word of Dr. Drew Nelson, IQE Chief Executive

“Improvements in CPV cell efficiencies translate to highly significant overall cost reduction in terms of installation and energy generation in utility scale solar farms. The fact that this has been achieved on production-qualified platforms is a major milestone. Furthermore, the transfer of wafer production to IQE’s manufacturing tools enables the Solar Junction team to focus on further improving efficiencies on lattice-matched, multi-junction CPV solar cells using a combination of their unique dilute nitride technology, combined with pre existing IQE IP. This will facilitate seamless technology transfer into high volume manufacture of ultra efficient CPV cells as the conversion efficiency improves further”, he added.

The Japanese government said yes to 19 GW of non-residential PV

19 GW were aproved in Japans non residental Pv

Japanese government approves 19 GW in non-residential PV

Japan’s Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI), as yesterday’s figure’s report says, has shown its approval of about 19 GW of commercial rooftop or ground mounted solar applications from July 2012 until April 2013.

Clear figures that are proof of Japan’s increase in the solar industry is under the feed in tariff (FIT) were reported yesterday by the administrative authority responsible for the photovoltaic installation scheme, METI. The tariff was brought into effect in July 2012.

Though the fact that solar is growing in the country, some details about the time when 18,681 GW approved installations have to be completed and grid connected is not exactly clarified. Bloomberg New Energy Finance believes that between 6.9 GW and 9.4 GW of capacity is going to be added to the grid in the country calendar year of 3013.

Monthly applications are waiting for approval under the FIT scheme, the follow-ups of the reduction of the FIT rate, programmed for applications approved after March 2013 is clear. Installations for non-residential photovoltaic applications summed 7.669 GW in March, as to 5.263 GW in February and 1.892 GW in January.

Installations approved from April 1 receive 37.8 yen/kWH (USD$0.39/kWh).

METI believes that some projects could have been approved, still construction and installations were late, and said that the projects will be looked over.
Almost one forth of PV installations have been proposed on Japan’s second biggest Nordic island, but it totals only 3% of the electricity request. So vast grid improvements could be asked for and some are doubtful that it will happen leaving the photovoltaic installations stranded.

The white House will have a new PV system

The White House's new photovoltaic system is expected to generate 19,700 kWh a year

Obama reported the instalation of new PV on the White House

The president of the U.S, Barack Obama has announced he will commit to his arrangement on installing solar PV on the White House. This step is seen as a big one for the industry, although he is not the first U.S president doing so.

Ronald Reagan was the first president to do that, 30 years ago. It was then when he took down the ones his predecessor, Jimmy Carter, installed.

The new solar panels are a little late, as the president announced his intention of purchasing new American-made solar panels at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2010

To “improve the overall energy efficiency of the building”, the White house reported the installing begin this week.

The manufacturer, the supplier, or the costs were not revealed. Still, it is known that the PV system is an American one. One of the purposes of this project is to demonstrate the fact that historic buildings can incorporate solar energy an energy efficiency solutions. The cost will be amortized in eight years.

Three years ago, the Energy Secretary Steven Chu reported a plan to install solar panels on the White House.

“This project reflects President Obama’s strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy and the jobs it will create here at home,” Chu announced at the time. “Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economy for years to come.”

“Installing solar panels on the First Family’s official residence, arguably the most famous building in America, underscores the growing popularity of solar energy nationwide,” reported Rhone Resch, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

“We applaud President Obama for, once again, leading by example. Today, solar is generating enough electricity to power more than 1.3 million American homes, and we’re extraordinarily proud to be adding the White House to this constantly-growing list,” Resch added.

The new PV system is said to generate 19,700 kWh in a year.

Roxana Moraru

The taiwanese group, Foxcon is considering to enlarge solar operations

Fexcon to built 6 PV plants

Foxcon, a taiwanese electronics group, which is willing to diminish its dependence upon Apple, is said to decide by the end of the year if it would enlarge it’s solar operations.

The producer of Apple iPhones and iPads, Foxcon, is preparing an entrance into a solar sector.

The taiwanese electronic giant administrates a little solar panel factory in the east of China. In April, the factory signed a deal with SunEdison to produce 350 MW of solar modules for the company in Juarez, Mexico, at a manufacturing facility.

In spite of the arrangement, Foxcon it still considered to be testing the solar waters and yet to commit to an industry hit hard by overcapacity and falling prices. Still, if the timing is right, Foxcon could profit from this entrance into the sector, as market analysts predict.

The electronic group is willing to decide about it’s entrance by the end of the year, as Reuters announced. The company has the opinion that “renewable energy is a potentially good trend” but also that it was “an industry we probably need to know more about”, in Foxconn’s spokesman words, Simon Hsing.

Foxconn didn’t report its investment in solar, but Reuters disclosed the fact that that with $22.7 billion in cash on its balance sheet as of March, the firm could easily expand in into the field.

Moreover, Foxconn has a preliminary agreement with solar silicon producer GCL-Poly Energy Holdings to set up solar-related ventures in northern China, but the deal hasn’t paid off yet.

The company is said to be eager to diminish its trustworthiness on Apple, which accounted for aproximatly 60% of its revenue in the past year.

New solar mounting system to be launched by Schletter

new mounting system for PV released by Schletter

New PV mountig system released by Schletter

Schletter has been working on a PVMini ballasted ground PV mount system with proprietary rails for long spans and bigger levels of system efficiency.

A world wide manufacturer of solar mounting systems, Schletter, reports the launching of PvMini a lightweight, ballasted ground mount system for landfills, brownfields, and areas with rocky terrain. Bigger spans and less ballast weight are some of the fact that make the system’s system’s triangle supports and proprietary new ProfiPlus XT™ to be an excellent system.

The ProfiPlus XT rail is designed to optimize the system’s efficiency to nearly 100% in most cases by letting more lightweight components and increased spans between foundations. The newest system is created especially for single-row vertical or two-row horizontal module configurations and it comes partly pre-assembled for faster installation and no using of heavy machinery necessary.

“The PvMini combines elements from two of our most popular systems: The PvMax and Windsafe,” announced Dr. Wolfgang Fritz, VP of Engineering for Schletter Inc. “Our engineering department continually evaluates systems to determine where we can be more efficient; to drive down costs while maintaining a high standard of quality. The PvMini is the latest innovation to come as a result of this commitment”, added Fritz

As the company says, the new system has a standard 20-year warranty, PE stamped drawings, and features integrated, ETL-listed grounding with the Rapid2+ module clamp. The PvMini is currently accessible and it’s been produces in the United States of America and in Canada.