PV Insider - Photovoltaics

Bringing down PV systems costs

Katherine Steiner Dicks — Mon, 02 May 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Précis:

Cost reduction in the PV industry has tended to focus on cell technology. But what of materials use, installation and maintenance expense? We look at some alternative ways to improve efficiency across the PV supply chain

By Jason Deign in Barcelona

Do not expect a handshake when you meet the best module installer in the world. With six suction pads instead of hands, the Gehrlicher Solar assembly robot is not particularly touchy-feely. But who cares when it can install 150 modules a day?

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Monitoring the secrets of PV Success in Chile

Bea Gonzalez — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 15:57:11 +0000

Précis:

PV Insider talks exclusively to Freddy Canizales, Technical Director of Solar Business at Skytron Energy about their impressions of the keys to successful monitoring systems for solar plants in Chile.

Why is Monitoring so important in Chile?

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PV Intelligence Brief 18 Sept – 1 Oct. 2013

ksdicks — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 08:44:20 +0000

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JinkoSolar to provide 20 MW to transmission project

Companies mentioned include: JinkoSolar, State Grid Corporation of China, Heliatek, AGC Glass Europe, ET Solar, Sunelectra Global, Wood Group GTS, Mojave Solar Project

PV Intelligence Brief 18 Sept – 1 Oct. 2013

JinkoSolar to provide 20 MW to transmission project

JinkoSolar Holding will supply 20MW of highly-efficient solar modules to the State Grid Corporation of China for the Second Phase of China's National Wind/PV/Energy Storage and Transmission Joint Demonstration Project.

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What to do if your PV business is in trouble

Jason Deign — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 04:57:55 +0000

Précis:

Being able to turn around a troubled solar business is increasingly an asset as the harsh climate for PV continues.

Once upon a time Gehrlicher Solar was a proud exponent of the best the PV industry had to offer. In 2010, for example, the German company bagged four major industrial awards, including being ranked 21st among the fastest-growing companies in Europe.

Three years later and it is a very different story. The latest official communication from the company, co-signed by law firm Muller-Heydenreich Beutler & Kollegen (MHBK), talked hopefully of the search for an investor after Gehrlicher had filed for bankruptcy protection.

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Utility-scale solar post-Loan Guarantee Program

Susan Kraemer — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 04:26:11 +0000

Précis:

What is the effect on utility-scale solar PV in the US after the end of the Loan Guarantee Program for renewables? What were the benefits and will the US ever see its return?

By Susan Kraemer

Activated in 2009 for renewable energy under Section 1705 of the 2005 Energy Policy Act, the US Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) for renewables was ended in 2011 when the Republican party retook the House - with its budgeting authority - and engineered a politically manufactured controversy by singling out one innovative beneficiary that failed; Solyndra.

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Analysing the next big development in optimising PV plant performance

Ritesh Gupta — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 00:51:00 +0000

Précis:

Suitable planning, supervision and quality assurance activities are critical at all stages of the PV plant to minimise the risk of damages and outages, optimise the use of warranties, avoid dilution of resources and ultimately optimise the overall performance of the PV plant.

In mature markets, where a substantial capacity of photovoltaic plants has been developed, the issue now is to ensure that they are operated in such a way to maximise performance in terms of productivity and return on investment.

The quality of the technology and the O&M practices so far has been highly variable depending on the players involved and the size of the plants, with some large project developers and EPC firms definitely leading the way in terms of organisation, best practices and quality of their plants’ performance.

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Primary Event:

4th Utility Scale PV Plant Optimization USA

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Reducing transmission costs in utility-scale PV

Bea Gonzalez — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 14:41:13 +0000

Précis:

Costs in interconnection and transmission have a serious impact on the cost of electricity from utility-scale PV plants. However at present the power to change this does not lie in the hands of the developers.

Some of the most competitive utility-scale PV plants in the USA are not competitive by virtue of the technology chosen but through lower costs in transmission. Large companies who have multiple different power projects such as Sempra or EDF Renewable Energy can lower their energy costs by sharing transmission lines across multiple plants.

Primary Event:

4th Utility Scale PV Plant Optimization USA

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PV Intelligence Brief 5 – 17 September 2013

ksdicks — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 10:32:18 +0000

Précis:

Proinso bags Latin American projects

Companies and organisations mentioned: Proinso, SolarWorld, Sustainable Power Group (sPower), North Bay Regional Water Treatment Plant, Pacific Gas & Electric, ReneSola America, Panasonic, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), Green Cape Sector Development Agency NPC (Green Cape)

PV Intelligence Brief 5 – 17 September 2013

Proinso bags Latin American projects

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South Africa: understanding unique characteristics of this solar PV market

Ritesh Gupta — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 01:37:51 +0000

Précis:

Any solar PV company interested in South Africa must evaluate its unique characteristics before making a commitment. We look at the issues of empowerment requirements, funding and how to make a public private partnership work here.

The South African government has shown its commitment to the development of a green economy. It is expected that the government will stay the course as long as its objectives of low cost energy, job creation, economic development and the establishment of a sustainable local renewable industry are being achieved.

Now that the ideological barrier to private sector participation has finally been crossed it is now up to IPPs to deliver and prove to government that the private sector is a worthy and capable partner. If at any time, now is not the time to fail.

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PV Industry to gather in Chile next week

Bea Gonzalez — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 14:27:29 +0000

Précis:

Antafogasta Minerals, Jinko Solar, First Solar and Colbún will be meeting at PV Insider LATAM (10-11 September, Santiago).

It is Chile’s first event dedicated solely to help companies realise the PV opportunity in this fast-growing market. In particular the event will take an in-depth look at how to overcome the specific technical and permitting challenges related to PV.

Primary Event:

PV Insider LATAM

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Complimentary inverter workshop to take place at Utility-Scale PV Plant optimization

Bea Gonzalez — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 16:07:21 +0000

Précis:

This week PV insider announced that Power -One will host a complimentary inverter workshop at its Utility-Scale PV Plant Optimization event (25-26 September, San Jose).

The workshop will go into detail on inverter performance problems and how to maximise performance to increase yield and reliability.

Primary Event:

4th Utility Scale PV Plant Optimization USA

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PV Intelligence Brief 21 Aug – 3 September 2013

ksdicks — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 12:16:39 +0000

Précis:

ReneSola bags 69.5MW Lightsource deal

Companies mentioned include: ReneSola, Lightsource Renewable Energy,US Department of Defense (DoD), Gehrlicher US, Siemens, Sunpower, Acciona Energy North America, Borrego Solar, SolarWorld Americas, Trace Solar SRL, Goldpoly New Energy Holdings, Suntech, Yingli Green, JinkoSolar, Enmax, Sunlabob

PV Intelligence Brief 21 Aug – 3 September 2013

ReneSola bags 69.5MW Lightsource deal

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Primary Event:

4th Utility Scale PV Plant Optimization USA

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SolarReserve, First Solar, Etrion on adapting to Chile PV market opportunity

Ritesh Gupta — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 08:39:28 +0000

Précis:

Companies planning to expand into Chile have to analyse the risks and rewards of their investments and evaluate political stability, opportunity for growth, access to capital, ability for solar to compete with other forms of energy, etc. SolarReserve, First Solar and Etrion offer their experiences.

Developers of large-scale solar energy projects are constantly assessing markets where policy, demand, and risk are acceptable to investors and lenders.

Even though it is clear that the global financial crisis has impacted markets such as the U. S. and Europe, each country and each project presents unique challenges and risks, but those are addressed by appropriate financing structures.

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Primary Event:

PV Insider LATAM

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Service providers key to high-performance, secure plants in Chile

Bea Gonzalez — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 15:28:47 +0000

Précis:

With over 100MW of plants now at advanced stages of development, companies are contracting for the logistics and services needed to ensure secure and profitable plant performance in Chile.

Primary Event:

PV Insider LATAM

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Dust mitigation key part of plant engineering and construction for PV plants in USA

Bea Gonzalez — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 13:03:47 +0000

Précis:

As the appetite for utility-scale solar increases across the USA, solar plants are being developed on more unusual terrains.

Arizona’s Antelope Valley has led to serious concerns over large dust clouds affecting local residents’ health and quality of life.

Primary Event:

4th Utility Scale PV Plant Optimization USA

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PV Intelligence Brief 6 – 19 August 2013

Bea Gonzalez — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 12:41:26 +0000

Précis:

Companies and organizations mentioned: Sunways AG, Sunways Production, Western Electric Industry Leaders, San Diego Gas & Electric, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Innotech Solar AS, CES Combi Energy Systems

Centrotherm Photovoltaics, Figtree Energy Financing, Securum Equity Partners International, and the Serbian Ministry of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection.

Sunways averts insolvency proceedings

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Chile: competitive without subsidies

Ritesh Gupta — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:18:33 +0000

Précis:

Chile is witnessing many developers and independent power producers looking to expand their operations there. PV Insider’s Ritesh Gupta talks to First Solar and Etrion, two entities that have signed deals in Chile.

The last 18 months have proven to be favourable for solar PV in Chile.

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Primary Event:

PV Insider LATAM

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Access to State land key opportunity for PV in Chile

Bea Gonzalez — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:13:57 +0000

Précis:

Land recently awarded to solar companies for large-scale plants shows the Chilean government’s encouragement for PV and commitment to meeting its national targets.

It was recently announced that seventeen solar projects have recently received approval for land plots from the Chilean government. The total land awarded totals 12,707 hectares of land-although this total also includes concessions for wind projects. The recipients of the land have been given to foreign companies including Enel Green Power, Mainstream Renewable Power and SunEdison.

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Balance of Systems components costs in USA still higher than Germany

Bea Gonzalez — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:12:37 +0000

Précis:

At a recent PV Insider webinar on reducing costs in the balance of systems in the USA it was revealed that the world’s second largest utility-scale PV market continues to suffer from higher prices for key components compared to Germany, in spite of much larger growth in utility-scale PV.

These higher prices are seriously hampering PV’s competitiveness against other fuels and may be a major stumbling block to making PV more competitive.

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Etrion announces PPA in Chile and participation at PV insider LATAM

Bea Gonzalez — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:09:49 +0000

Précis:

Last week, Swiss PV developer Etrion announced that a PPA had been signed with Aguas Blancas a mine in northern Chile for 8.8MW of power. With Etrion looking to international financial institutions for funding, financing from commercial banks is yet to appear for PV in Chile.

The park which is expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2014 is expected to require US$25 Million of funding, a portion of which is expected to be covered through non-recourse debt from international financial institutions. Etrion will also carry a certain amount of equity financing privately.

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Lenders talking future project financing at PV Project Development Africa Summit

Bea Gonzalez — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 10:57:54 +0000

Précis:

PV Insider announced this week that the World Bank, Standard Bank and Nedbank Capital have confirmed to participate at PV Project Development Africa 2013, taking place in Johannesburg on 27-28 August.

South Africa’s emerging solar market saw investment leap to USD 4.3 billion in 2012, from just a few tens of millions in 2011. This surge in investment was the result of 27 projects, totaling 1049.1MW, being awarded approved bidder status in Rounds 1 and 2 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).

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PV Intelligence Brief 24 July – 6 August 2013

ksdicks — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 05:26:24 +0000

Précis:

Solarpack closes finance deal for Chile

Companies and organisations mentioned: Solarpack,Pozo Almonte Project (Chile), Calama Solar 3 Project (Chile), Inter-American Development Bank, Canadian Climate Fund, PROPARCO, Astris Finance, Solar Flow Through, ABB, Power-One, Suniva, Radiance Solar, Grupo Metal Intra, ReneSola, Ontario Power Authority

PV Intelligence Brief 24 July – 6 August 2013

Solarpack closes finance deal for Chile

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Environmental data: how solar modelling software is taking blind spots out of PV output and O&M downtime

Susan Kraemer — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 03:34:49 +0000

Précis:

A software company from California is making some remarkable inroads in predictive modelling for the solar industry. We look at how it is using weather variables, such as the effect of snow on solar generation and predictive data to make solar energy output and O&M more cost effective.

The larger the solar project, the greater the need to maximise a system’s production. This means siting judiciously, monitoring closely, and knowing the best time to plan O&M downtime.

For developers: risk management

For solar developers, software from California’s Clean Power Research can help in choosing a particular site, by providing the data on how efficiently irradiance can be translated into energy production, based on thorough environmental modelling of potential energy generation.

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Primary Event:

4th Utility Scale PV Plant Optimization USA

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ERCOT steps up capacity to make Texas land of opportunity for PV

Bea Gonzalez — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 08:41:40 +0000

Précis:

An increase in capacity and potentially of reserve margin in Texas shows that the state which traditionally has relied on fossil fuels and natural gas continues to accommodate and look for solar.

The Electric Reliability council of Texas recently announced that they are increasing the capacity value for solar to 100 percent capacity for up to 200 megawatts of installed capacity. After that, the capacity value depends on how much solar is available at least 50 percent of the time, with an expectation of 70-80% average.

Primary Event:

4th Utility Scale PV Plant Optimization USA

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Solarpack closes the deal to finance it's plants in Chile

Bea Gonzalez — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 10:18:16 +0000

Précis:

30th July 2013. Solarpack, the Spanish multinational company that develops and builds solar photovoltaic generation plants, has signed contracts to finance its Pozo Almonte and Calama Solar 3 projects in Chile ...

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Primary Event:

PV Insider LATAM

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Mexico making waves in PV in Latin America

Bea Gonzalez — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 13:00:07 +0000

Précis:

The 30MW Martifer Solar Aura PV plant will be completed in August, making Mexico a potential rival to Chile’s dominance of the PV market in Latin America.

The Aura plant, being developed by Martifer solar and Gauss Energía, will be providing power to Mexico’s national utility, the Comisión Federal de electricidad (CFE), and will use Suntech modules. It is one of several large scale plants underway in Mexico, including a 20MW plant for Ford.

Primary Event:

PV Insider LATAM

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Improving PV plant inverter reliability

Jason Deign — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 03:56:45 +0000

Précis:

Making a bigger inverter investment upfront may save costs later on in grid-scale PV projects.

The PV industry is no stranger to concerns about reliability. Module makers are frequently taken to task over how long their products will last out in the field.

Which is strange, because project owners have a pretty good idea about which part of the PV plant will be the first to fail… and it is not likely to be the modules.

No, the weakling of the PV industry, the component that is pretty much guaranteed to fail within the 20-plus lifespan of the plant, is the inverter.

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Primary Event:

4th Utility Scale PV Plant Optimization USA

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PV Intelligence Brief 5 – 23 July 2013

Katherine Steiner Dicks — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 08:23:02 +0000

Précis:

REC separates and lists solar and silicon businesses

Companies mentioned include: Renewable Energy Corporation,REC Solar, Nautilus Solar Energy, SMA Group, Tata Power Solar, Chennai Silks Group, Sunvalley Solar, Enel Green Power, NRG Energy Clinton Foundation, Project Medishare, Sunora Energy Solutions, Trina Solar, Unirac

PV Intelligence Brief 5 – 23 July 2013

REC separates and lists solar and silicon businesses

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Photovoltaic development continues in Africa

Bea Gonzalez — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 10:28:30 +0000

Précis:

Interest in PV in Africa has intensified in the past month as a burst of announcements prove the industry is growing.

Momentum for the market grew after last week’s announcement from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The AfDB outlined its intention to increase funding for African projects in transmission, distribution, energy production and policy reform. The total figure for investment was estimated as high as US$3 billion over the next five years.

Primary Event:

PV Insider Africa

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30MW PV project gets funding as solar market in Chile gets a big boost

Bea Gonzalez — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 14:32:14 +0000

Précis:

At the end of June, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) approved over $47 million of loan financing for a 30MW PV plant to sell energy to the spot market. Another sign of investor confidence in a fast-growing market.

The project being developed by Selray Energy, which is a joint venture between international developer Saferay and Chilean engineering company Seltec, will be the first large scale PV project for the spot market connected to the northern grid (CDEC-SING). In the northern region there are plenty of possible customers including several utilities as well as multiple mining companies.

Primary Event:

PV Insider LATAM

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