USA: Enphase Energy Inc. announced that Cambio Energy of Tempe, Ariz. has completed a 302kW solar installation at Tempe Plaza, using the advanced Enphase Microinverter System.
Four rows of carport parking with 1,211 microinverters now provide solar power to the retail and office strip mall tenants and shade for shoppers. Safety, ease of installation and maximum energy harvest capacity were key factors in choosing Enphase microinverters instead of a traditional central inverter.
“We chose Enphase microinverters in order to eliminate high-voltage DC and reduce component expenses, saving us time and money during the installation process,” said Dillon Holmes of Cambio Energy. “And with real-time monitoring we can accurately forecast total energy output and troubleshoot the array for the lifetime of the system.”
Arizona is second only to California in combined state-level residential and commercial solar installations, according to the 2012 Q3 SEIA/GTM Research U.S. Solar Market Insight report. As average installation costs decline, solar energy capacity is expected to trend upward in top-tier solar markets.
“We are delighted with the increasing adoption of Enphase in commercial solar projects in Arizona, and the opportunity to work with companies such as Cambio Energy,” said Paul Nahi, CEO of Enphase Energy. “Solar integrators and project managers are recognizing the benefits of Enphase’s microinverter technology and driving the adoption of solar as the leading renewable energy source.”
The Enphase Microinverter System offers a new approach to the installation, operation and maintenance of solar energy systems. Enphase Microinverters, the Envoy Communications Gateway and Enlighten web-based monitoring and analysis software work together to deliver increased energy harvest and unparalleled solar system intelligence. To date, Enphase has shipped over 2.6 million microinverters and is selling into nine countries across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Sol Systems launches mid-market financing solution
USA: Sol Systems has launched the mid-market solution to address financing challenges facing small commercial solar projects. It is actively seeking solar projects 50 kW-2 MW in size for immediate acquisition. This is a fast moving opportunity - the investors are looking to close deals by the end of March 2013.
Solar developers with projects should contact Sol Systems as soon as possible, as funding is limited and projects will be assessed on a first-come basis. Criteria for consideration:
* 50 kW - 2 MW in size
* Rooftop, ground-mount, or carport
* Located in California, Connecticut, D.C., Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, or Rhode Island
* Placed in service prior to September 1, 2013
* Rated SREC contracts for D.C., Maryland, and Massachusetts preferred, but not required; Sol Systems' investors will take on SREC risk.
Developers with a proven track record of success that can show demonstrated progress on site control, interconnection, and permitting will be given priority consideration.
"The lack of investment capital for small-scale solar projects is a significant barrier to industry growth," said Yuri Horwitz , CEO of Sol Systems. "Utility-scale project build-out is slowing, and commercial and industrial projects compose around a third of the market. However, few investors have actually developed the resources or expertise necessary to help catalyze this mid-market space. The industry cannot continue to expand without real solutions, which is why our mid-market initiative is so critical."
Sol Systems invites developers with solar projects that meet the above criteria to contact the project finance team.
Solar developers with projects should contact Sol Systems as soon as possible, as funding is limited and projects will be assessed on a first-come basis. Criteria for consideration:
* 50 kW - 2 MW in size
* Rooftop, ground-mount, or carport
* Located in California, Connecticut, D.C., Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, or Rhode Island
* Placed in service prior to September 1, 2013
* Rated SREC contracts for D.C., Maryland, and Massachusetts preferred, but not required; Sol Systems' investors will take on SREC risk.
Developers with a proven track record of success that can show demonstrated progress on site control, interconnection, and permitting will be given priority consideration.
"The lack of investment capital for small-scale solar projects is a significant barrier to industry growth," said Yuri Horwitz , CEO of Sol Systems. "Utility-scale project build-out is slowing, and commercial and industrial projects compose around a third of the market. However, few investors have actually developed the resources or expertise necessary to help catalyze this mid-market space. The industry cannot continue to expand without real solutions, which is why our mid-market initiative is so critical."
Sol Systems invites developers with solar projects that meet the above criteria to contact the project finance team.
Trina Solar ranked No. 1 in Australia
CHINA: Trina Solar Ltd announced that it has achieved the No. 1 position in Australia's PV market.
According to a new report from Solar Business Services ("Australian PV - Technology and Brands 2013"), Trina Solar was the most popular solar panel brand in Australia during 2012, accounting for 100MW of installations. The rise to the top position is attributed to the success of its high-performing Honey Cell Technology based products, which are well suited for Australia's rooftop system requirements.
"We are very pleased by the report's findings and would like to thank our channel partners for their strong support and commitment to the Trina Solar brand," said John Susa , Trina Solar Australia's MD.
"We have developed our channel network carefully to ensure high quality representation with long-term partners who focus on providing quality customer service and installations. Having an experienced and dedicated local team has also been a key factor in our success in the residential and commercial segments."
Australia is regarded as one of the prime markets globally for PV solar generation due to its high irradiance and favorable year round climate for system installation, operation, and maintenance.
According to a new report from Solar Business Services ("Australian PV - Technology and Brands 2013"), Trina Solar was the most popular solar panel brand in Australia during 2012, accounting for 100MW of installations. The rise to the top position is attributed to the success of its high-performing Honey Cell Technology based products, which are well suited for Australia's rooftop system requirements.
"We are very pleased by the report's findings and would like to thank our channel partners for their strong support and commitment to the Trina Solar brand," said John Susa , Trina Solar Australia's MD.
"We have developed our channel network carefully to ensure high quality representation with long-term partners who focus on providing quality customer service and installations. Having an experienced and dedicated local team has also been a key factor in our success in the residential and commercial segments."
Australia is regarded as one of the prime markets globally for PV solar generation due to its high irradiance and favorable year round climate for system installation, operation, and maintenance.
SEIA supports US challenge to India’s solar energy trade restriction
USA: Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), released the following statement in support of the US government’s decision to initiate World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement proceedings challenging India:
“We fully support the decision by the US government to initiate WTO dispute settlement proceedings challenging the local content provision of India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (National Solar Mission) for solar cells and modules.
“While we applaud India’s National Solar Mission and its focus on growing a domestic solar manufacturing base, this program must also be consistent with India’s international trade obligations. Unfortunately, the National Solar Mission’s local content requirement unfairly discriminates against US solar cell and module manufacturers. India also appears to be expanding this trade distorting measure, regardless of the US government’s multi-year effort to encourage India to abandon the requirement. As a last resort, the US has been forced to petition the WTO.
“The use of discriminatory localization barriers to bolster domestic interests is a growing trend within the global solar industry which must be reversed. We are hopeful that today’s action by the US government will encourage not only India but other countries contemplating the imposition of localization barriers to focus instead on WTO-consistent government support measures. And we encourage all nations interested in the advancement of solar energy to join together in the development of mutually-beneficial policy mechanisms. A good place to start is the creation of a list of government-supported alternatives to local content requirements.
“As solar markets around the world continue to grow, there will be countless opportunities for US exports, but only if US companies are allowed to compete on an even playing field. The US government is right to challenge India’s discriminatory practices.”
“We fully support the decision by the US government to initiate WTO dispute settlement proceedings challenging the local content provision of India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (National Solar Mission) for solar cells and modules.
“While we applaud India’s National Solar Mission and its focus on growing a domestic solar manufacturing base, this program must also be consistent with India’s international trade obligations. Unfortunately, the National Solar Mission’s local content requirement unfairly discriminates against US solar cell and module manufacturers. India also appears to be expanding this trade distorting measure, regardless of the US government’s multi-year effort to encourage India to abandon the requirement. As a last resort, the US has been forced to petition the WTO.
“The use of discriminatory localization barriers to bolster domestic interests is a growing trend within the global solar industry which must be reversed. We are hopeful that today’s action by the US government will encourage not only India but other countries contemplating the imposition of localization barriers to focus instead on WTO-consistent government support measures. And we encourage all nations interested in the advancement of solar energy to join together in the development of mutually-beneficial policy mechanisms. A good place to start is the creation of a list of government-supported alternatives to local content requirements.
“As solar markets around the world continue to grow, there will be countless opportunities for US exports, but only if US companies are allowed to compete on an even playing field. The US government is right to challenge India’s discriminatory practices.”
Arista Power relocates and expands corporate HQ
USA: Arista Power Inc., a manufacturer, designer, and integrator of renewable energy generation, management, and distribution systems, will be relocating its corporate headquarters to a larger facility within the same office park it currently occupies at 1999 Mt. Read Boulevard in Rochester, New York.
"Our decision to relocate to a larger facility is based on our anticipated need for additional space as a result of the increased visibility of upcoming orders for our proprietary peak shaving and energy storage management system, Power on Demand, as well as the continued support of the US Army contracts that we have recently been awarded and the rapid growth of our solar sales," said Bill Schmitz , CEO of Arista Power.
The new facility includes over 6,000 square feet of office space and 14,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space.
"Our decision to relocate to a larger facility is based on our anticipated need for additional space as a result of the increased visibility of upcoming orders for our proprietary peak shaving and energy storage management system, Power on Demand, as well as the continued support of the US Army contracts that we have recently been awarded and the rapid growth of our solar sales," said Bill Schmitz , CEO of Arista Power.
The new facility includes over 6,000 square feet of office space and 14,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Understanding PV demand drivers and constraints within Greece
Tim Murphy, Analyst, NPD Solarbuzz
USA: Forecasting PV market demand in European countries has at times been particularly challenging. Complications include demand being largely policy-driven, the lack of market caps, and downstream channels being adept in shifting high inventories rapidly to the end-market when motivated to do so.
During the past two years however, means of forecasting end-market PV demand have improved considerably. The methodology can in fact be seen as an evolving process, and PV market demand in Greece can be used to explain these points.
Recently, the PV Association HELAPCO issued 2012 market statistics (912 MW) that align very closely with annual forecasts that Solarbuzz had made using our methodological approach in the October edition of the European PV Markets Quarterly report (956 MW). Enacted and yet pending regulatory impositions of August 2012 appear to have ultimately influenced the 2H’12 market as anticipated.
Forecasting market demand requires both forward-looking methodology as well as “past casting”: comparing official data to market research. In addition, there is usually a lag between the time that an installation appears in official data and the date that the solar modules arrived on the site (the specific definition of PV ‘demand’).
The Greek official data generally remains stable, in contrast to some other country administrations that often modify past data over a period of 12 months or more afterwards. Therefore for Greece, it is important to extract the data from various sources, but also correctly evaluate the lag, prior to reaching the final end-market PV demand level.
Another valuable tool in forecasting market demand is to apply economic analysis of PV applications in terms of attractiveness indicators that allow growth drivers or constraints to be evaluated. Again, in the case of Greece, until recent regulatory impositions, the economic analysis has generally exhibited highly attractive PV propositions. And market forecasting has followed these indicators as a key market driver.
Also highlighted in the Greek case is the primary market constraint (before recent impositions) arising from limited financing availability. Finance constraints have probably offered a saving grace in preventing explosive market growth.
The figure displays the economic indicators in the near-future for Greece regarding the case of installations less than 10 kW (largely residential). Recent (and earlier) impositions have reduced investment returns. It does not include the (negative) impact of the 23 percent VAT applied in the residential case which drops the exhibited IRR by 4 points.
Source: adapted from NPD Solarbuzz European PV Markets Quarterly report, January 2013
USA: Forecasting PV market demand in European countries has at times been particularly challenging. Complications include demand being largely policy-driven, the lack of market caps, and downstream channels being adept in shifting high inventories rapidly to the end-market when motivated to do so.
During the past two years however, means of forecasting end-market PV demand have improved considerably. The methodology can in fact be seen as an evolving process, and PV market demand in Greece can be used to explain these points.
Recently, the PV Association HELAPCO issued 2012 market statistics (912 MW) that align very closely with annual forecasts that Solarbuzz had made using our methodological approach in the October edition of the European PV Markets Quarterly report (956 MW). Enacted and yet pending regulatory impositions of August 2012 appear to have ultimately influenced the 2H’12 market as anticipated.
Forecasting market demand requires both forward-looking methodology as well as “past casting”: comparing official data to market research. In addition, there is usually a lag between the time that an installation appears in official data and the date that the solar modules arrived on the site (the specific definition of PV ‘demand’).
The Greek official data generally remains stable, in contrast to some other country administrations that often modify past data over a period of 12 months or more afterwards. Therefore for Greece, it is important to extract the data from various sources, but also correctly evaluate the lag, prior to reaching the final end-market PV demand level.
Another valuable tool in forecasting market demand is to apply economic analysis of PV applications in terms of attractiveness indicators that allow growth drivers or constraints to be evaluated. Again, in the case of Greece, until recent regulatory impositions, the economic analysis has generally exhibited highly attractive PV propositions. And market forecasting has followed these indicators as a key market driver.
Also highlighted in the Greek case is the primary market constraint (before recent impositions) arising from limited financing availability. Finance constraints have probably offered a saving grace in preventing explosive market growth.
The figure displays the economic indicators in the near-future for Greece regarding the case of installations less than 10 kW (largely residential). Recent (and earlier) impositions have reduced investment returns. It does not include the (negative) impact of the 23 percent VAT applied in the residential case which drops the exhibited IRR by 4 points.
Source: adapted from NPD Solarbuzz European PV Markets Quarterly report, January 2013
The result of diminishing returns as seen in the marketplace is that the less than 10 kW segment (largely residential) has become constrained. Even with the impositions that have caused the decline, the residential proposition is still viable (marginally). However residential consumers are providing less of a driving force.
Regarding PV LCOE versus electricity market rates shown above, the exhibited Export Rate is the diminished FIT incentive that is approaching retail market rates (Avoided Rate). At the same time, PV LCOE (25 years, 6 percent discount rate) has crossed over now and is lower than market rates. The net influence of these trends would begin to drive a market that allows onsite consumption benefit terms.
Today, the Greek market relies upon premium incentives (FIT) and does not include allowances for onsite consumption that would benefit consumers by avoiding purchase (and taxation) of increasingly expensive retail electricity.
As it stands, Greece has committed to a modest quantity of expensive PV electricity but further (negative) retroactive impositions seem likely. Indeed, amidst domestic economic crisis and austerity measures, the search for additional tax revenues or cost reductions by the administrators will certainly continue.
Today, the Greek market relies upon premium incentives (FIT) and does not include allowances for onsite consumption that would benefit consumers by avoiding purchase (and taxation) of increasingly expensive retail electricity.
As it stands, Greece has committed to a modest quantity of expensive PV electricity but further (negative) retroactive impositions seem likely. Indeed, amidst domestic economic crisis and austerity measures, the search for additional tax revenues or cost reductions by the administrators will certainly continue.
Thin film solar cells - 2013 report
IRELAND: Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Thin Film Solar Cells" report to its offering.
The next leap of invention in this direction is Thin Film Solar Cells. Aruvians Rsearch's report Thin Film Solar Cells earmarks the immense potential that this technology holds for the future of mankind and the crucial impact it will have on the process of introduction of solar energy into large scale arenas of the industrialized economies.
Aruvians Rsearch's report on Thin Film Solar Cells initiates with a strong theoretical understanding of the Solar Cell system and their subsequent propagation into photovoltaic systems including their applications derived from generational leaps as first to third generation cells. The report presents the entire gamut of PV cells in a structured family tree for easy interpretation and also delves into the applications of PV Technology in isolated environment.
Aruvians Rsearch's report also devotes an entire in depth section to the technical aspects of Thin Film Solar Cells systems including their history as well as mechanism, general operation principles and the new innovations in architecture design of Thin Film Solar Cells which have opened up new markets for solar power systems. These are further explained in the efficient design choices of various configurations and new ideas contributed in this field.
The research report looks at the role of P3HT which is crucial to the development of Thin Film Solar Cells and also at the various properties of silicon that are responsible for making silicon an excellent material in photovoltaics. An analysis of thin film crystalline silicon solar cells, CIGS/CIS-based thin film solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, and the latest technological innovation of nanotechnology-enhanced thin film solar cells, is what sets this research report apart from all others.
The report has separate analysis on the various manufacturers in this market based on their specialty. Overall, Aruvians Rsearch's report Thin Film Solar Cells is a very comprehensive tool for understanding this technology in a in depth manner and deliver thought provoking views on the marvels of this field which is nature's helping hand lent to mankind in order to preserve a way of life which is sustainable as well as in sync with our environment.
The next leap of invention in this direction is Thin Film Solar Cells. Aruvians Rsearch's report Thin Film Solar Cells earmarks the immense potential that this technology holds for the future of mankind and the crucial impact it will have on the process of introduction of solar energy into large scale arenas of the industrialized economies.
Aruvians Rsearch's report on Thin Film Solar Cells initiates with a strong theoretical understanding of the Solar Cell system and their subsequent propagation into photovoltaic systems including their applications derived from generational leaps as first to third generation cells. The report presents the entire gamut of PV cells in a structured family tree for easy interpretation and also delves into the applications of PV Technology in isolated environment.
Aruvians Rsearch's report also devotes an entire in depth section to the technical aspects of Thin Film Solar Cells systems including their history as well as mechanism, general operation principles and the new innovations in architecture design of Thin Film Solar Cells which have opened up new markets for solar power systems. These are further explained in the efficient design choices of various configurations and new ideas contributed in this field.
The research report looks at the role of P3HT which is crucial to the development of Thin Film Solar Cells and also at the various properties of silicon that are responsible for making silicon an excellent material in photovoltaics. An analysis of thin film crystalline silicon solar cells, CIGS/CIS-based thin film solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, and the latest technological innovation of nanotechnology-enhanced thin film solar cells, is what sets this research report apart from all others.
The report has separate analysis on the various manufacturers in this market based on their specialty. Overall, Aruvians Rsearch's report Thin Film Solar Cells is a very comprehensive tool for understanding this technology in a in depth manner and deliver thought provoking views on the marvels of this field which is nature's helping hand lent to mankind in order to preserve a way of life which is sustainable as well as in sync with our environment.
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