The price of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on homes and small businesses spans a wide range, and researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have published a new study that reveals the key market and system drivers for low-priced PV systems.

Berkeley Lab’s Ryan Wiser, a co-author of the study, explains, “Despite impressive recent cost reductions, installed prices for small-scale PV systems in the United States continue to show wide pricing differences depending on the location of the installation, the installer, the components of the system, and other factors. Our work seeks to pinpoint the characteristics of recently-installed PV systems at the lower end of the observed solar price range.”

According to Greg Nemet of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the lead author of the report, “We find that low-priced PV systems, those cheaper than 90 percent of other systems nationally, are more prevalent in local markets with fewer active installers, and are more likely to be installed by companies that have more county-level experience installing PV systems. Not surprisingly, low-priced PV systems are also associated with a variety of system characteristics. For example, such systems are more likely to be customer owned (vs. leased), be larger in size, and use lower-efficiency modules; and are less likely to use tracking, building-integrated PV modules, micro-inverters, and batteries.”

The analysis also finds significant variations across states. After accounting for other differences among markets, PV systems are more likely to be low-priced in Maine (51 times more likely than California, the “reference” state in the statistical analysis), Arizona (23 times more likely), New Hampshire (10 times), New Mexico (4 times), and New Jersey (3 times). Finally, the research finds that policy incentives can affect the prevalence of low-priced systems, though those influences are nuanced and require additional analysis to fully verify.

“Widespread adoption of PV will depend, in part, on the economics of those systems,” explains Ryan Wiser. “By studying the attributes of low-priced PV systems, we can begin to identify what can be done to facilitate those conditions and thereby drive down PV system prices nationwide.”

Berkeley Lab and researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Yale University, the University of Texas-Austin, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory collaborated on the study. The work draws upon Berkeley Lab’s Tracking the Sun report series, which monitors trends in the installed price of PV systems in the United States.

The study focuses on systems ranging in size from 1 to 15 kW, and used a variety of statistical methods to analyze a dataset of over 40,000 PV systems in 15 U.S. states.

The report, Characteristics of Low-Priced Solar Photovoltaic Systems in the United States, may be downloaded here, along with a factsheet and summary slide deck.

The research was supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative.

Solar Power World

new Breathe easy New Mexico. Solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm Affordable Solar, has partnered with Array Technologies, Inc. (ATI), an industry leader in solar tracking technology, to bring clean solar energy to thousands of New Mexicans in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe areas. Industry pioneers Affordable Solar and ATI are both locally owned and operate out of Albuquerque.

The Santa Fe Solar Energy Center and Santolina Solar Energy Center, roughly 12 MW (dc) each, haven recently been completed near Santa Fe and Albuquerque respectively. The projects’ 78,000+ Jinko modules mounted on ATI’s DuraTrack HZ v3 single-axis trackers will provide reliable power to the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM).

The projects were developed by PNM as part of the replacement plan for closing two coal fired units at San Juan Generating Station and also to respond to state-mandated Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). The declining cost of solar energy, combined with solar’s ability to provide energy at peak demand times, is driving utility adoption of solar plants to meet RPS requirements across the nation. Solar trackers enhance peak power generation by broadening daily production curves, delivering smooth energy to the grid well into the late afternoon and early evening.

“This has been a great opportunity to work with ATI and to use their new DuraTrack HZ v3 system,” said Kevin Bassalleck, President of Affordable Solar’s Commercial Division, “ATI’s unique tracker design easily accommodates changes in topography and helped achieve PNM’s goal of minimizing environmental impact by avoiding any site grading.”

“We are proud to partner with Affordable Solar to deliver competitive solar power to PNM here in our home state,” explained ATI founder and CEO, Ron Corio. ”Thanks to solar tracking technology, Santa Fe Solar Energy Center and Santolina Solar Energy Center will provide smooth and continuous power throughout the day, especially when PNM needs it most.”

Chosen for its proven reliability in desert environments, installation efficiency and zero scheduled maintenance for 30 years, Array’s DuraTrack HZ v3 system will provide PNM sustainable electricity for years to come.

Solar Power World

Baker Electric, Inc. today announced it has achieved record growth based on the success of its utility, commercial and residential solar businesses. Baker reports a 202% YOY (2014 – 2015) kW (kilowatt) increase reaching an all-time installed and contracted milestone of 1 GW+ (gigawatt) across all three of its solar business segments. The company attributes this growth to its ability to meet intensified market demand with leading-edge products, exceptional customer service and Baker’s solar expertise founded on 75+ years in the electrical contracting business. To fulfill this demand, Baker’s 2015 solar workforce increased by an average of 119%.

“Baker is proud to be a leader in clean energy so exceeding the 1GW milestone, rare in this industry, is an accomplishment of which our company is exceptionally proud,” said Baker Electric CEO and President Ted Baker. “Between the Paris Climate Talks, the five-year extension of the US Investment Tax Credit, and locally the San Diego City Council Climate Action Plan, 2016 is on track to be another record-setting year for Baker’s solar business.”

Baker’s residential and commercial solar businesses install systems largely in the country’s premier Southern California market. Since the inception of its residential solar business in 2005, Baker has designed and installed solar on more than 4,000 homes in San Diego, Orange and Riverside Counties. These system installations meet 95% of a homeowner’s energy needs, providing measurable cost savings and environmental benefits. The company’s commercial solar group has designed and installed 109 systems for organizations like the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank and global firm Hunter Industries located in San Marcos, California.

In the growing utility-scale segment, Baker provided the complete electrical installation of utility-scale solar for massive projects such as the Stateline Solar Farm Project located two miles south of the California-Nevada border, with a system size of 340 MW (megawatts) using 3,159,240 FS panels. The Seville Solar projects, located in California’s Imperial Valley, feature a system size of 69 MW using 626,640 FS panels.

Ted Baker concluded by saying, “Baker is uniquely positioned to provide renewable energy products and services to consumers, businesses and utilities. In addition to solar, our goal is to offer a proven portfolio of energy solutions that provide measurable ROI and support the environment in the areas of battery storage, performance monitoring, lighting and lighting controls.”

Solar Power World

In October 29 2015, IHS issued a research note to warn about a potential solar wafer supply shortage in 2016. Now, as we enter into the first quarter of 2016, IHS has found new evidence to confirm this earlier concern.

Key Facts:

• Vertically integrated Tier 1 module suppliers have an increasing gap between their wafer capacity and cell/module capacity, and they must heavily rely on outsourcing from wafer producers
• Most wafer buyers choose to have long-term contracts, or to pre-order, rather than buy on the spot market — pricing in these contracts is usually adjusted on monthly basis
• Multicrystalline Wafer average selling price (ASP) will continue to increase in the first quarter of 2016
• Monocrystalline wafer technology is expected to increase its market share in 2016

Global wafer production increased to 61.9 GW in 2015, up from 47.6 GW in 2014. Close to 40% of total wafer supply volume comes from vertically integrated players, such as Trina Solar and Yingli Green Energy, which use all of their wafer production for in-house production; therefore, a very significant part of the wafer supply is not available to the wafer merchant market.

The top three independent wafer producers (i.e., those not using wafer production for internal capacity) are GCL-Poly, Xi’an Longi Silicon, and Green Energy Technology. Together they comprised one third of total wafer market share in the last two years, including internal wafer capacity from vertically integrated players. These three players have an even stronger position in the merchant wafer market close to 60% market share in 2015), which places them on an even stronger negotiating position.

Due to strong demand, GCL, GET and other Tier 1 manufacturers are outsourcing part of their manufacturing to Tier 2 partners in China. These agreements for several hundreds of megawatts are not only punctual, but are also intended to be long term agreements, using equipment condition, wafer quality, and the financial situation of Tier 2 companies as their main criteria for the selection of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners.

Most vertically integrated players have for a long time opted to not increase in-house wafer capacities and outsourcing manufacturing via long term contracts with minimum fixed volumes and prices adjusted on monthly basis. Given this strong wafer demand and shortage situation, wafer manufactures do not want to lock-in the price of these contracts, although final pricing is usually linked to payment conditions.

Due to strong demand, pre-payment is being applied to many contracts, which might in the end create some additional stretch on module manufacturers’ balance sheets. Both contract pricing and spot pricing of multicrystalline wafers has been increasing since the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2015.

With current wafer capacity and market growth demand in a near future, wafer supply will continue to be tight in 2016. IHS estimates an 83% utilization rate for all suppliers and 88% for Tier 1 suppliers, which is the highest utilization level registered since 2010. With capacity expanding year over year, tier 1 wafer suppliers are forecasted to reach a high average utilization rate of 85% in the following three years.

Currently multicrystalline spot wafer ASP is $0.88 per piece. Some suppliers are expecting to further increase their selling price to more than $0.90 per piece. IHS expects continued stability in multicrystalline wafer pricing throughout 2016. With the continued decline in polysilicon prices, average wafer gross margin will reach 20% in 2016.

Monocrystalline wafers are expected to increase share of market in 2016, due to the increasing share of roof-top installations. In fact monocrystalline wafer production will increase to 26% of total wafer production in 2016, from 24% in 2015. Considering that monocrystalline wafer ASP has been declining for the last 12 months, the pricing gap between monocrystalline and multicrystalline wafers is becoming increasingly narrow. Monocrystalline wafer ASP will not fall lower than multicrystalline wafer ASP, and the pricing of monocrystalline wafers should stop declining faster than multicrystalline wafers this year. Overall, IHS forecasts a blended wafer ASP of $0.20 per watt in 2016, a decline of nearly 1% over 2015.

Questions remain about the effect of this strong wafer pricing on module suppliers manufacturing cost and margins. It is not yet clear if manufacturers would opt to reduce their current margins in light of high material costs, or if they would try to pass along part of this cost increase to their customers, which could lead to increasing module prices in some markets.

Solar Power World

The DOE recently announced the Grid Modernization Initiative, an effort by the SunShot Initiative to partner with utility companies and other organizations to develop solar PV technologies that incorporate energy storage.

These projects will enable the development and demonstration of integrated, scalable, and cost-effective solar technologies that incorporate energy storage to power American homes after the sun sets or when clouds are overhead.

Solutions for modernizing the grid and enhancing storage will be developed as part of the Department’s Grid Modernization Initiative under the SunShot Initiative. These efforts will dramatically increase solar-generated electricity that can be dispatched at any time – day or night – to meet consumer electricity needs while ensuring the reliability of the nation’s electricity grid. The projects announced today will aim to create an affordable pathway toward the efficient and sustainable integration of solar energy on the nation’s electrical grid in much larger amounts than currently possible.

“Energy storage, solar PV and smart grid technologies experienced incredible growth in 2015, and we expect they will play an increasingly important role in reaching the nation’s climate and clean energy goals in the coming years,” said Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson. “The Energy Department is leading the way in the development and deployment of affordable, reliable grid integration technologies, including energy storage, intelligent inverters, load management and innovative PV solutions, that can boost the resiliency of our nation’s electric grid while allowing us to deploy greater amounts of solar and other renewables.”

The Department’s six new integrated PV and energy storage projects will utilize internet capable inverters and will work in conjunction with smart buildings, smart appliances, and utility communication and control systems. These projects are either led by a utility company or include a utility company as a key partner, and the teams will conduct at least a one-year field demonstration of their technologies. Ultimately, the solutions developed under this effort will enable the sustainable and holistic integration of hundreds of gigawatts of additional solar energy onto the electric grid throughout the United States.

• Austin Energy (Austin, Texas) will receive $4.3 million to create a distributed energy resource management platform that is adaptable to any region and market structure, aiming to establish a template that can help to maximize the penetration of distributed solar PV.
• Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, Pa.) will receive $1 million to develop and demonstrate a distributed, agent-based control system to integrate smart inverters, energy storage, and commercial off-the-shelf home automation controllers and smart thermostats.
• Commonwealth Edison Company (Chicago) will receive $4 million to utilize smart inverters for solar PV and battery storage systems, working synergistically with other components within a microgrid community.
• The Electric Power Research Institute (Knoxville, Tenn.) will receive $3.1 million to work with five utilities to design, develop, and demonstrate technology for end-to-end grid integration of energy storage and load management with PV generation.
• Fraunhofer USA Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (Boston) will receive $3.5 million to develop and demonstrate a scalable, integrated PV, storage, and facility load management solution through the SunDial Global Scheduler system.
• The Hawaiian Electric Company (Honolulu) will receive $2.4 million to show the system-level benefits of enhanced utility visibility and control of the distribution system by enabling the proliferation of distributed renewable energy technologies.

In addition to supporting the solar energy affordability goals laid out under the Obama Administration’s SunShot Initiative, the projects announced are also part of the Energy Department’s Grid Modernization Initiative. This effort aims to accelerate the strategic modernization of the U.S. electric power grid and solve the challenges of integrating conventional and renewable sources, while ensuring a resilient energy system combining energy storage with central and distributed generation.

This new funding program will enable the development and demonstration of integrated, scalable, and cost-effective solar technologies that incorporate energy storage and work seamlessly to meet both consumer needs and the needs of the electricity grid. These will help to enable dramatically increased, dispatchable solar-generated electricity on a pathway towards adding hundreds of additional gigawatts of solar capacity on the nation’s electric grid in the coming years.

Solar Power World

Exel Solar, the largest independent distributor of PV products in Mexico, announces a strategic partnership with Sunpreme Inc. to offer Smart Bi-facial PV Modules.

With nationwide coverage throughout Mexico, Exel Solar has been offering world-class distribution capabilities since 2012.  “Our strategic partnership with Sunpreme gives us a huge advantage since we are able to offer to the Mexican market a truly technically advanced Smart PV Module with proven reliability at a competitive price. Sunpreme brings a strong technical collaboration and professional customer support to this partnership,” said Horacio Duhart, President and CEO at Exel Solar. “We are offering a powerful value proposition to drive business growth, and we are excited to work with Sunpreme, their customer-driven culture of technical excellence and high quality products.”

Solar Power World

SolarCity announced SunRaising, a referral program that allows nonprofit organizations to raise funds by encouraging members to adopt solar.

Nonprofits can enroll in the SunRaising program now by visiting the registration website. Each time a supporter of a specific SunRaising partner organization signs up, SolarCity will donate $200 to that organization. Homeowners who go solar through a SunRaising partner will also receive their system’s first month of power for free from SolarCity as a thank you for helping their local nonprofit.

More than 100 nonprofit organizations—including food banks, hospitals, booster clubs, community centers, schools and recreational groups—have already joined and made referrals under the SunRaising program. These referrals have led to solar energy system installations projected to offset approximately 60,000 metric tons of carbon compared to energy produced from fossil fuels. In addition, the program has helped more than 400 homeowners take the first steps towards going solar while helping to raise thousands of dollars.

One of the first SunRaising partners is Riverkeeper, an environmental organization dedicated to protecting the integrity of the Hudson River and its tributaries, as well as the watersheds that provide drinking water to New York City.

“Solar is both viable and economical for most home and business owners in New York and can play a large role in protecting one of America’s greatest rivers, the Hudson,” said Paul Gallay, President of Riverkeeper. “One of the greatest threats to the Hudson is an aging nuclear power plant so, not only does SolarCity lower New Yorker’s energy bills, but when consumers opt for solar, it plays an integral part in replacing the power from this harmful plant and others like it.”

Desert Sands Educational Foundation, a Southern California nonprofit focused on strengthening public education, also became a SunRaising partner earlier this year.

“Desert Sands Educational Foundation is excited to be a part of the amazing things SolarCity is doing to improve the world,” said Jan Diaz, Board Member of Desert Sands Educational Foundation, which has already generated 20 referrals through word of mouth and social media promotions. “SunRaising has been a great way to promote clean energy and receive funds to support the students of Desert Sands Unified School District.”

Interested nonprofit organizations can register to become SunRaising partners at www.solarcity.com/sunraising. Once enrolled, each organization will be assigned a local SolarCity energy consultant to help get them started.

Solar Power World

Tuesday, February 23, 2016
2:00pm ET/11:00am PT

Asset Management is the art and science of helping project owners make the right decisions to optimize the lifecycle performance and profitability of a project. In this webinar, learn how our Asset Managers provide oversight of wind and solar projects by managing the projects and their commercial agreements to optimize returns over a project’s lifecycle.

We will provide you with the knowledge of how utilizing an Asset Manager can increase your return on investment. By managing the financial and reporting aspects of your project, the counter-party relations, as well as, providing technical expertise and performance evaluation we utilize our experience and resources to make projects more profitable.

Attend this webinar to learn:

• How utilizing an Asset Manager can optimize your project performance and increase returns
• Discover how best practices and common themes can successfully be applied to your project
• Learn how the financial management, counterparty relations and technical resources of your project work together to increase the output of your technology

Featured Speaker

Larry Freeman, Business Development Manager, EDF Renewable Services
Larry Freeman serves EDF Renewable Services as Business Development Manager, Asset Administration- O&M, where he oversees the Asset Administration Development for Wind and Solar O&M Business. Prior to joining Business Development, Larry was the Regional Manager for Solar O&M Operations, overseeing over 775 MW of Solar assets across the United States and Canada. Larry brings 19 years of experience in renewable energy and operations and maintenance. Larry has a Bachelor of Art from Ohio State University.

Presented by:
EDF Renewable Services

Solar Power World

Strathcona Energy International (SEI), a North-American based manufacturer of premium-quality solar modules, and Strathcona Solar Initiatives, a multiple award-winning solar integrator, today announced the completion of a 150-kW PV rooftop system at family-owned Haskett Farms in Napanee, Ontario.

Alvin Haskett started farming in 1965 and quickly realized that managing energy use wisely has a huge impact on the bottom line of his operation. Since 2008, the family owns and operates Circle H Farms, which is very much a “family affair between my dad, my son, and myself,” Alvin’s son Greg Haskett points out. “Staying economically sustainable for such a long period of time has much to do with tuning in to what’s environmentally sustainable and good for the land which we farm.”

The 400 SEI solar modules on the barn roof of the Haskett family farm will produce clean energy for the province of Ontario and add a reliable revenue stream for the next two decades to the family’s operations.

Besides smart investments in energy efficiency features, timers, and lighting, the family wanted to do more to manage their resources in a most economical way, and discovered the barn roof as one of their biggest, yet underutilized assets. Now 400 high-efficiency SEI solar modules are now soaking up the sun, and the Hasketts are selling the generated electricity back to the grid under Ontario’s IESO 20-year Feed-in-Tariff (FiT).

“The solar panels allow us to add revenue to our operations by using what’s already there—giving our barn roof a hole new meaning as clean power plant,” Alvin Haskett smiles as he looks up to the panels. “PV is clean, safe, quiet, and good for the environment and us.”

The high-efficiency SEI solar modules were manufactured at the SEI production plant in Belleville, just 30 miles (47 kilometers) west of the Haskett’s farming operations and installed by SEI sister company Strathcona Solar Initiatives, keeping the carbon footprint involved in bringing the array online to a minimum.

The Hasketts plan on using the revenue from the approximately 142,500 kilowatt hours produced annually to reinvest into their operations and to increase the efficiency of their equipment. “The solar system really acts as another form of cash crop for us,” comments Greg Haskett—but one that will use significantly less maintenance and care.

“It has been a privilege for us to work with the Haskett family in developing the solar solution that is most optimal for their farming operations,” says Karl Hollett, the CEO of Strathcona Energy International. “The high-yielding solar system allows the Hasketts to lock in a predictable and reliable revenue stream for decades, and it’s wonderful to see what a tremendous impact solar energy makes on the agricultural sector, as well as on the environment.”

Solar Power World

Ideal Power (NASDAQ: IPWR), a developer of innovative power conversion technologies, announced that it has partnered with Austin Energy in a federally-funded research program as part of the “Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV” (SHINES) program. The Austin Energy led projects are partially funded by a $4.3 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot program.

For the projects, Ideal Power was selected to provide its power conversion systems to Austin Energy which will demonstrate a commercial PV integrated energy storage solution that offers a credible pathway to achieve the levelized cost of energy goals of the program. In addition, Austin Energy will work with Ideal Power and its other consortium partners to create a template for other regions to maximize PV penetration and provide grid stability by utilizing energy storage in areas where high levels of PV are integrated with the grid.

“We look forward to working with Ideal Power on this innovative project that will ultimately allow Austin Energy to support our aggressive renewable energy goals. Ideal Power’s experience with power conversion technologies make it a strong partner in the Austin SHINES solution,” said Karl Popham, Austin Energy Manager of Emerging Technologies and Electric Vehicles.

Austin Energy will incorporate Ideal Power’s Grid Resilient 125kW and 30kW Power Conversion systems paired with lithium-ion batteries into commercial, behind-the-meter projects in 2016. Additionally, Ideal Power is contributing engineering, design and programming support, as well as training, commissioning and testing services for the Austin Energy projects.

“We’re proud to partner with Austin Energy, our local utility, to support this initiative,” said Dan Brdar, CEO of Ideal Power. “These projects will enable us to demonstrate the role of our grid-resilient power conversion systems in integrating energy storage with PV for grid stabilization.”

Solar Power World

Lynn Jurich, CEO of Sunrun

Lynn Jurich, co-founder and chief executive officer of Sunrun, looks to the future of the energy industry and the various factors catalyzing clean energy adoption. Sunrun is the largest dedicated residential solar company in the United States.

In 2015, consumers and government leaders demanded cleaner, cheaper energy. As an industry, we heard you and we’re delivering.

Here’s why I believe the future of energy is already here, in 2016 and beyond.

The world is looking for climate solutions

Change starts with a conversation. In 2015, the dialogue around climate change picked up steam – from domestic and global policy makers to the private sector, to our friends and neighbors. It’s clear that climate change is the pressing challenge of our generation and immediate action is critical. Solar is meeting this growing demand to decarbonize our energy sources.

During the Paris climate talks in December, governments from around the world solidified a monumental agreement to slash greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050. That’s enough to avoid dangerous temperature increases in our atmosphere. As nations and people examine how they can advance this agreement many will turn to the sun. At Sunrun, we’ve believed in the power of the sun all along and see more Americans starting to believe the same. This trend is inevitable. Solar continues to grow as part of our nation’s energy mix. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar accounted for nearly a third of the U.S.’s electricity generation capacity in the first three quarters of 2015.

Following the international community’s ambitious agreement, U.S. leaders from both sides of the aisle echoed this sentiment by extending the federal solar investment tax credit (ITC) for the next five years. This is the solar industry’s only federal incentive, and extending it helps level the playing field against decades of fossil fuel subsidies, and allows Sunrun to grow more quickly.

Global and national decisions will provide solar the runway to continue proving its value in the next few years and beyond. It’s clear that the world needs and wants clean energy – and solar in particular – to succeed.

The future is here, just more distributed

The world is decentralizing and the energy industry is no different. Smart, local technology brings benefits at many levels – for consumers, the grid and the economy in the form of jobs.

Rooftop solar saves homeowners money on their electricity bills. Producing solar on rooftops also helps the whole community. Solar increases grid resiliency and allows utilities to reduce infrastructure costs. Many industries are decentralizing with benefits to all stakeholders, and energy will be no different. The value that solar delivers is too great to turn back.

The states that are making this step to move their infrastructure to the 21st Century are seeing the benefits. The opening of our new corporate office in Denver provides a great example of how pro-business and pro-solar policies at the state-level foster growth. Sunrun worked closely with Governor Hickenlooper and Colorado state officials in 2015, and over the course of the next few years we anticipate hiring up to 800 new employees from the community. Partnerships like this enable the residential solar industry to keep growing and reach new milestones.

Sunrun will continue to advance its local presence in key markets by partnering with states and local leadership who see solar’s potential. And we will keep advancing solar’s value so we can bring this benefit to homeowners, the grid and the economy in more places. We commend policymakers like South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley who opened new solar markets in 2015, and encourage more to follow suit this year.

Consumers choice will propel us

Consumers continue to take the power back from monopolies. That’s a good thing.

In the last five years, the “as-a-service” economy has exploded. From companies like Uber to Lyft to Airbnb, consumers now have an abundance of choice in nearly every industry. Their freedom to choose will elevate the clear leaders in each category based on who gives them the best customer experience and value.

Solar is no exception. We’re no longer a niche industry and there are many companies competing for customers. Growth like this is what happens when new technology intersects with drivers of change like the need to shift to clean energy, to modernize our infrastructure and give choice to consumers. Ultimately, consumers will be the winners, with companies like Sunrun delivering more value and the best service to them.

Solar Power World

NEXTracker, a Flex company, announces that its advanced self-powered tracker (SPT), NX Horizon, is now UL 3703 certified. This certification specifically addresses solar tracking system functions with respect to risk of electric shock, mechanical and fire hazards. Building on NEXTracker’s 2703 certification, satisfying the UL 3703 standard underscores NEXTracker’s commitment to complying with the highest safety, reliability and quality standards for the distributed generation and utility-scale solar markets.

NEXTracker’s UL 3703 certification includes grounding through existing structural components without the need for additional dedicated grounding components like braids, straps or grounding washers. Evaluation included rigorous humidity and temperature cycling, rain tests, and safety testing for the electromechanical systems for NX Horizon’s unique self-powered controller. The certification also covers NX Horizon’s maximum system voltage of 1500V.

“Our mission as a Company is to advance the power plant of the future.  UL 3703 certification enables us to do just that. I’m proud of our incredibly talented team of engineers who worked hard to ensure that NX Horizon satisfies the most stringent safety certification for solar trackers,” said Alex Au, NEXTracker Chief Technology Officer.

For the US solar industry, UL 3703 enables county building inspectors and other AHJs (authorities having jurisdiction) to speed up third party evaluation processes, which can also mean faster commissioning for utility-scale solar projects from Hawaii to North Carolina.

Previously know as NEXTracker SPT, NX Horizon is the highest performing, most reliable, standardized and optimized solar tracker for both utility-scale and distributed generation projects worldwide. NX Horizon has fewer foundations and assembly points that help mitigate geotechnical risk and accelerate project construction schedules.  With independent rows and high slope tolerance, NX Horizon minimizes site preparation costs while enabling industry-leading power density. NX Horizon’s self-grounding and self-powered design provides valuable savings in labor and materials, while its wide rotational range enables PV systems to take full advantage of high irradiance regions.

Solar Power World

Soltec Renewable Energies, a manufacturer and supplier of single-axis solar trackers, announces the award of UL 3703 Certification for its SF Utility solar tracker.

The recently created UL 3703 Certification validates tested conformance to safety, mechanical and electrical standards of solar tracking systems. Upon completion of rigorous testing under various environmental conditions, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has certified the safety and reliability of the SF Utility single axis solar tracker.

“This UL Certification is an important milestone for our company to offer our customers the latest product innovations, and we are proud to provide the official UL mark after completing their independent testing to the stringent conformance standards”, said Raul Morales, CEO of Soltec.

Soltec’s superior tracking systems offer customers the maximum electricity output and full land adaptability with lower planning and installation costs.

Solar Power World

U.S. Battery Manufacturing is giving its complete line of AGM batteries a fresh new look with updated labels that provide important battery data at a glance. The new labels reflect U.S. Battery’s continual growth in the AGM battery segment, as more industries are wanting maintenance free solutions to their OE battery operated vehicles and fleets.

Aside from a bold new appearance, the new labels feature improved charging instructions, as well as application icons that are easy to see and recognize when the batteries are displayed on retailer product shelves. These changes also address new labeling standards and make it easy for customers to pick the right battery for their particular application.

Distributed by U.S. Battery, the AGM line features the most advanced paste and plate technology available to provide reliable performance with no maintenance. Manufactured in a variety of sizes for 6-volt and 12-volt applications, U.S. Battery’s AGM line is distributed worldwide and designed for reliable service in applications where vibrations, shock, and freezing temperatures can hinder performance on other types of batteries.

For more information visit www.usbattery.com.

Solar Power World

A new report from the World Energy Council with lead authors from DNV GL, forecasts strong growth in global adoption of electrical energy storage, citing dramatic reductions in the cost of electrical energy storage, yet finds that flaws in a common valuation methodology may be hindering growth.

The report, E-Storage: Shifting from Cost to Value, by lead author Paul Gardner of DNV GL, reflects the work of 23 industry and academic experts from across the world who are in the World Energy Council Storage Knowledge Network, with significant contributions to cost analysis by PwC. It was released at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi this week.

Costs to continue to drop

The report estimates that with the many new technologies in the pipeline, storage costs of energy are projected to fall as much as 70 percent over the next 15 years. World Energy Council Secretary General Christoph Frei said: “Electrical energy storage costs have already come down but will have to fall further for broader adoption. The investment community has good reason to be excited about the innovation and business models that will emerge from new opportunities. With the cost of capturing and storing wind and solar energy coming down, its deployment across the world will increase.”

Valuation methods flawed

“We found clear indications that a narrow focus on costs alone drives the common misperception that electrical energy storage is more expensive than it really is,” said Gardner. The report calls for the true value of electrical energy storage to be recognised by taking into account revenue benefits. It compares storage costings across different storage technologies, concluding that the widely used levelised cost of energy methodology is hindering the progress of electrical energy storage. The analysis identifies flaws in this methodology, including arbitrariness that does not allow for differences in application cases, and incompleteness as only limited account of revenue is taken.

Policy changes called for

The report recommends five guidelines to help create a policy environment to accurately assess the potential of electrical energy storage and capitalise on its true cost and value benefits.

1. Think more than just cost. Cheapest is not always best.
2. Look at storage through holistic case studies. It is not sufficient to only look at generic cost estimates.
3. Work with both operators and regulators to accelerate the development of flexible markets.
4. Make supporting policies and a regulatory framework to facilitate future commercial deployment of technology storage.
5. View storage as an essential component for grid expansion or extension.

Click here to download the report E-Storage: Shifting from Cost to Value from the World Energy Council website.

Solar Power World

According to preliminary numbers from GTM Research, 59 GW of solar PV were installed globally in 2015, a 34 percent increase over 2014’s total.

“The fourth quarter of 2015 showed that global PV demand is very much at the mercy of government support, which can often be unpredictable and idiosyncratic, leading to often negative but sometimes positive outcomes,” said Mohit Anand, a senior solar analyst with GTM Research.

FIGURE: Global PV Demand 2014-2020E
Source: GTM Research

With December’s extension of the federal Investment Tax Credit, we saw firsthand that a huge upswing is possible in the market with government support. According to GTM Research, the U.S. share of expected global PV demand between 2015 and 2020 has increased from an average of 10 percent to 15 percent due to the extension. This is despite a substantial increase in demand expected for the Asia-Pacific region (apart from China) in 2016 and beyond.

On the other hand, FIT pullbacks in Japan, the U.K. and China have tempered expectations.

GTM Research expects 64 GW of solar PV to be installed globally in 2016, led by the United States and China. Emerging markets will play a prominent role. India will become more established as it becomes a reliable multi-gigawatt market this year, and Brazil and Mexico will be tested for their ability to meet their ambitions with actual project execution. Others like the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh in Asia and Uruguay, Guatemala and Panama in Latin America will move forward and try to break through to 100 MW.

“We also have to keep in mind the importance of COP21 for the diversification of global markets for PV, especially across emerging markets in Asia, Latin America and Africa,” said Anand. “Many of those countries have pledged substantial goals for deploying renewables and mitigating climate change, and PV is seen as a quick, cost-effective and scalable opportunity within that.”

GTM Research forecasts the cumulative worldwide PV total to reach 321 GW by the end of 2016.

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At first, American Sentry Solar was just a division of American Design and Build, a full-service remodeling company in Bel Air, Maryland. But as the solar industry grew, so did that portion of the business.

“We like to say that for the past few years, we’re a remodeling company with a solar division, but now we say we’re a solar company with a remodeling division,” said owner Joseph Tunney. “That’s how well solar has done for us.”

American Sentry Solar’s Gailan Wensil-Strow (left) and Joseph Tunney (right) at Solar Power World’s Top 500 Solar Contractors Gala.

The contractor, which primarily services the residential sector, sticks to Maryland and surrounding states for both PV and thermal projects.

“When we first decided to get into solar seven years ago, we were totally focused on solar thermal,” Tunney said. “As we moved forward, we started to introduce the PV products, and they’ve now dominated our business.”

“Solar thermal hasn’t had great leaps and bounds over the past five years while solar electric obviously has gone down in price and made a little more sense than it did four years ago,” added Gailan Wensil-Strow, solar production manager.

With PV taking off for American Sentry Solar, Tunney said the company’s future is bright.

“We’re starting to see a tremendous amount of referrals coming in,” he said. “Many homeowners are now sending us their friends and relatives to get solar for their homes. With the extension of the ITC, we feel like we have a lot of traction and a good solid footing in the industry.”

While excited about the ITC extension, there is some worry that a few bad seeds could take down the local industry.

“We need to police ourselves better,” Tunney said. “I see, especially with the extension of the ITC, that a lot of new companies will look to enter the industry, and they may be less than scrupulous. We’ve already seen companies out there that are using deceptive sales practices. It could really put a black eye on the industry. I would like to see us really police our industry. SEIA is really important in that aspect for all of us to watch what’s going on with other companies coming into the industry.”

American Sentry Solar isn’t one of these companies; its employees have a passion for what they’re doing. Wensil-Strow comes from an environmentally conscious family, and he said he enjoys working to prevent, or at least minimize, climate change impacts.

“We’re really blessed with very good people here at American Sentry Solar and American Design and Build,” Tunney said. “We say what we’re going to do and we do what we’re going to say and we exceed the homeowner’s expectations, both at the time of installation and after installation is done. We take care of our customers.”

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By Derek Noble, National Sales Director, Light Commercial, SunPower

For the solar industry, 2016 will be one for the record books. Greentech Media Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association are anticipating that, while 7.4 GW of solar PV will have come online in the U.S. in 2015, installed capacity is likely to double to more than 15 GW in 2016.

That’s great news for solar installers. With that opportunity, however, comes the responsibility to maintain a laser focus on quality, safety and cost reduction. By focusing on those three areas of business, the industry may successfully navigate through the expected tremendous surge in activity in 2016 and the future industry boom.

Maintaining high standards for quality and safety while simultaneously eliminating cost may sound like an impossibly high bar in a world where higher quality is often accompanied by a higher price. But, in fact, it simply requires standardization.

Standardization in practice

Standardization is an approach used by other industries to achieve meaningful efficiencies in materials and cost, while building customer loyalty. At the turn of the 20th century, Henry Ford famously introduced the concept of standardization with the design and manufacturing of his Model T automobile. The Model T was simple, affordable and built to last. There were no fancy options, and it was only available in black. Sales surpassed expectations and, in an era when hundreds of car makers were competing for attention, the Model T eventually captured 60% of the market.

Similarly, Southwest Airlines has carved a uniquely successful niche in its market by using just one model of aircraft, the Boeing 737. This allows Southwest to train its maintenance personnel on the mechanics of just one kind of airplane, and to achieve economies of scale from the tools and parts required to service that one model. Southwest pilots and flight attendants are well versed in the operations and procedures aboard any Southwest airplane they fly. Standardization has allowed Southwest to achieve 42 consecutive years of profitability, an unprecedented record in the brutally competitive airline market.

Standardization in solar

SunPower’s Helix system, a fully integrated option for commercial customers. (Credit: SunPower)

Today there is a dizzying range of solar technology products available to solar customers. Understanding the features and specifications of various panels, mounting systems and electrical systems requires a great deal of research and experience in the field. Nevertheless, customers expect their installers to provide expertise and counsel on the broad array of complex system components available, as well as impeccable workmanship, while minimizing labor and system costs.

For the sake of quality, safety and continued cost competitiveness, it’s time for the solar industry to standardize.

SunPower offers an example of standardization in solar with its Helix, a fully integrated system for commercial customers. Helix is designed with standardized, modular components that speed installation, enhance performance and safety, and are built to last. Including integrated cable management and SunPower modules, Helix also features:

• A mounting system that cuts down panel installation time, minimizing business disruption and reducing labor costs.
• A plug-and-play power station that includes the inverter, AC combiner, eBOS mount, DC branch and AC whips. All wiring is completed in the factory, reducing labor costs during installation, eliminating wiring errors and enhancing safety.

Standardizing these components eliminates the inefficiencies and added costs of complex system design. SunPower made the complex simple.

Solar in the U.S. has grown tremendously over the last decade. Along the way, there have been a variety of technologies and business models, and the industry has matured. The U.S. now has a good understanding of how solar power systems must be engineered to deliver the performance customers expect and support the growth of businesses. Standardization is the key to further advancements in quality, safety and cost reduction. With standardization, solar will continue to advance as a reliable, mainstream energy source in 2016 and beyond.

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By Seth Mullendore, Project Manager, Clean Energy Group

A vast solar market sector remains almost entirely underserved—communities at risk during a power failure could benefit greatly from resilient power applications that use a combination of PV and battery storage (solar+storage). Companies like SolarCity and Tesla have begun targeting residential customers with promises of Powerwalls for solar-fueled backup power and Powerpacks for businesses to shave demand charges, but no major company has come forward to offer a solar and battery storage solution for the vulnerable communities truly in need of resilient power sources. These communities include affordable housing developments, assisted living centers and community facilities, including schools and recreation centers. The need for assured power is critical in an emergency so shelters, police and fire stations and communications hubs can continue to function during a grid failure.

Solar Installation Design by Bright Power in New York City (Credit: Bright Power)

These are not the types of facilities solar developers often think about for new project opportunities, but the market potential of resilient solar+storage should become increasingly clear. Unfortunately, there is not yet any clear market value for resilient power, but the social value is unmistakable. This is particularly true for those left stranded when disaster strikes, like the 80,000 public housing residents left without power in the wake of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, 85% of whom ended up sheltering in place due to poor health, lack of mobility, fear or simply having no other place to go.

Of course, the economics of these solar+storage projects also plays a part in their development. Despite the fact that municipal leaders and affordable housing developers recognize the need for resilient power, there is a limit to how much they are willing and able to pay for it. This is where the added value of battery storage comes into play.

Clean Energy Group examined the economics of resilient solar+storage in multifamily affordable housing in its recent report, Resilience for Free. The report models the financial case for resilient solar+storage in three markets (Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York City), finding favorable economics in each case, with 20-year internal rate of returns (IRRs) of 10%, 21% and 4%, respectively.

The report tested potential outcomes without tax incentives. A 200-kW commercial solar project in Chicago had a 20-year IRR of less than 5%. However, with the addition of a 150-kWh battery, that shifted to a resilient 20-year IRR of around 6%. It’s clear that adding storage to solar projects can be quite beneficial. Now that the ITC has been extended, solar+storage makes even more economic sense.

The key to success in these cities lies in the availability of viable market opportunities. Chicago and Washington, D.C., both lie within the PJM Interconnection territory, which has a thriving market for energy storage due to the structure of its frequency regulation market. Such market opportunities are expected to become increasingly prevalent as utilities and grid operators become more familiar with energy storage and are able to use the benefits these technologies can provide. In fact, California, Texas and New York are all currently exploring ways to allow distributed energy resources, like solar and storage, to generate revenue through providing grid services. These efforts, along with utility campaigns to transition away from solar net metering and toward new revenue structures, such as time-of-use rates and increased demand charges, will only increase the value of adding battery storage to solar installations.

But why focus on vulnerable communities? Aside from the obvious public benefit, the answer is opportunity. More and more states are recognizing the need for power resiliency and the importance of bringing these clean, resilient technology solutions to our most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut have all implemented incentive programs to support resiliency in their communities. More states and communities are sure to follow as the devastating impacts of severe weather continue to mount. Additionally, the White House is taking a leadership role in bringing more solar to low- and moderate-income communities, and states like California and New York are ramping up their efforts as well. As more initiatives are developed and deployed, the economic opportunity for deploying resilient solar+storage will continue to grow.

All of these factors are setting the stage for community resilient solar+storage to transition from a handful of one-off projects, to a standardized pipeline of affordable housing and municipal building portfolios. Solar developers would be wise to start taking a serious look at resilient solar+storage applications for communities now.

For more information about resilient power, visit www.resilient-power.org.

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Castoro Cellars has completed an installation of a massive new solar project that will allow the winery to run 100% on solar power. The 625-kilowatt installation, which covers nearly three acres, will have an annual production of over one million kilowatt hours and eliminate an estimated $20,000 per month electricity bill. This marks the fifth solar installation in the last ten years by Castoro and stays true to their dedication to renewable energy and a sustainable business model.

The solar project began construction in October in Castoro’s organically grown Stone’s Throw Vineyard, adjacent to the winery production facility in east Paso Robles, in the newly created Estrella District AVA.  The system was designed to power the entire winery with solar generated electricity, a longtime goal of owners Niels and Bimmer Udsen. They expect the system to pay for itself by the fifth year, and will save nearly $240,000 per year for at least the next 25 years.

“Bimmer and I have always felt the sun is a gift that we should utilize, “ says Niels Udsen. “When the solar industry was starting they needed supporters to build the industry and we were eager to help. The paybacks were longer, but that really wasn’t the motivation, clean power from sun was and still is the reason for this project. Paso Robles is the perfect place to utilize solar.”

Castoro Cellars was an early adopter of solar energy, investing in their first solar project in 2006 at their tasting room on Hwy 46 West. The energy produced from the rooftop array powers about 70% of the tasting room and the summer concert series. In 2012, they added a second solar installation in their Dos Viñas Vineyard in San Miguel, a 61.4-kilowatt array, which powers agriculture wells and an on-site home. With solar already installed at the tasting room and vineyard, the new winery array brings solar energy across the entire company operations. Ryan Park, Director of Business Development at REC Solar, noted “REC Solar applauds the Udsens on their dedication to utilizing the sun to complete their sustainable mission.” All of the solar projects were planned and installed by REC Solar, based on the Central Coast of California.

Sustainability is at the core of Castoro Cellars vision. The Udsens and their dedicated team strive to work with the earth, using gentle practices in all operations. They are the largest grower of organic grapes in Paso Robles with over 400 acres certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). The winery is a certified organic facility and all additional vineyards they own and source from – over 1,000 acres – are SIP certified by the Central Coast Vineyard Team.

The energy generated from the new solar installation allows Castoro to minimize their impact on the environment. Luke Udsen, Director of California Sales and Marketing and Social Media, states, “Solar is something we believe to be necessary for a sustainable future. Solar energy is clean, requires no fossil fuels, creates no carbon emissions, and requires very little maintenance or upkeep. This system will allow us to grow roughly a thousand acres of grapes with the sun and then turn it into wine using the sun as the power source!“

As consumers become more interested about farming and winery practices, Castoro feels their customers are happy to know they are good stewards of the earth. This year they will again host the Earth Day Food and Wine Festival on April 23, their third year hosting the event that celebrates the passion and people behind the sustainable food movement.

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