Jamie Howland, Acadia Center
Climate Change is one of the premier issues of our time, but solar can help solve it. We spoke with Jamie Howland of Acadia Center, an organization which has offices throughout New England, to find out how it too is working to solve climate change and what resources it offers solar professionals. Listen to learn more.
Washington Gas Energy Systems Inc. announced the completion of 20 solar projects, totaling more than 15 MW, that will produce renewable energy for Georgia Power.
“These projects significantly increase renewable energy capacity in the state through the Georgia Power Advanced Solar Initiative,” said Sanjiv Mahan, chief operating officer of Washington Gas Energy Systems. “We commend this program for spurring economic growth in the solar energy industry while reducing the carbon impact of Georgia Power customers, and look forward to completing more projects through this partnership with our diversified offerings across the energy eco-system.”
All of the solar arrays will be owned and operated by Washington Gas Energy Systems under 20-year Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs) with Georgia Power. The project in Donalsonville is a 2-megawatt ground-mounted system composed of more than 6,000 solar panels, and is expected to produce more than 3,000-MW hours of electricity annually. The project was developed by Office of Solar Development and all engineering, procurement and construction was performed by Cantsink Manufacturing.
The Greenville project is a 1-megawatt ground-mounted solar away at the Meriwether County Industrial Development Authority. It is composed of more than 3,000 solar panels and expected to produce more than 1,500-MW hours of electricity per year. Engineering, procurement and construction was managed by Hannah Solar.
In Richland, the 1-megawatt solar project consists of more than 7,000 solar panels and is expected to produce more than 1,500 megawatt hours of electricity per year. The project was developed by Inman Solar in collaboration with the City of Richland and the Richland Development Authority.
Other Washington Gas Energy Systems projects under construction in Georgia include sites located in Montezuma and Homer, each sized at 1-megawatt. All projects are expected to be completed by February 2015.
Canadian Solar Solutions Inc. completed the sale of the 10-MWac RayLight solar power plant valued at over C$65 million (USD$56 million) to One West Holdings Ltd., an affiliate of Concord Green Energy Inc. The RayLight 10-MW solar power plant is located in the Township of Tay, Ontario, and uses Canadian Solar’s MaxPower CS6X-300/305P panels made in Canada. BowMont Capital and Advisory acted as financial advisor to Concord on the transaction.
“The RayLight solar project acquisition is a continuation of our investments in the Canadian renewable energy sector. We firmly believe that the demand for clean and sustainable green energy will continue to increase and that solar technologies will play a key role in satisfying that demand,” remarked Cliff McCracken, Senior Vice President of Concord Pacific.
Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, commented, “We are pleased to complete the sale and transfer of this utility-scale solar project to Concord Green Energy. As the third of five projects executed under our sales agreement with Concord, we are particularly excited with our successful cooperation with Concord, and we look forward to providing the operations and maintenance for their solar energy investment opportunities within Ontario, while fulfilling our corporate mission of creating sustainable communities.”
ET Solar Energy Corp., a smart energy solutions provider, has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary ET Solutions AG has been chosen to provide turnkey EPC service to a 40 MWp PV power plant in Israel along with local partners G-Systems and Elmor.
The project is jointly owned by Arava Power, a pioneering developer of large scale solar installations in Israel, and EDF Energies Nouvelles Israel (“EDF-EN”), one of the world’s leading electric utility companies.
Located in Kibbutz Ketura, approximately 45 km north of Eilat, the project is built in a desert land of 600,000 square meters. This new solar power facility is expected to generate over 70,000 megawatt hours of clean and renewable energy each year.
ET Solar provides project management, electrical design and plant layout, purchasing, quality control, construction supervision and commissioning services to this solar power plant. Furthermore, ET Solar will also serve as the maintenance service provider, and Arava Power will offer the operation services.
“This project is our largest solar power plant in the Middle East up to now, it is also an important demonstration of our comprehensive solar energy solutions to effectively deliver clean, affordable and reliable solar energy in local market,” said Dennis She, president and CEO of ET Solar. “We are delighted to extend and deepen our collaboration with EDF-EN and Arava Power, to make this utility-scale project a reality after completing a 7.8 MWp solar power plant in Israel early this year.”
ET Solar
www.etsolar.com
SunEdison, a global solar technology manufacturer and provider of solar energy services, announced that is has closed its second fund for distributed generation projects in the United States with Barclays and Citi. The lease pass-through fund is valued at $117 million, and follows on the Barclays and Citi fund closed earlier this year. This brings the aggregate value of funds closed this year with Barclays and Citi for SunEdison and TerraForm Power’s distributed generation projects to $290 million.
The fund will provide financing for a portfolio of distributed generation projects in 12 states across the West Coast, mid-Atlantic, New England, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. These projects are expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2014 through the first half of 2015. Upon mechanical completion, the projects will be sold to TerraForm Power.
“Barclays and Citi have been great partners, working with SunEdison to bring distributed solar to new markets and customers,” said Ryan Bennett, vice president of project finance, North America at SunEdison. “The creation of this second fund, so soon after the first, speaks to the success of our relationship with Barclays and Citi. This latest round continues to support our business model of developing high quality commercial and industrial projects with efficient capital provided by great partners. This is a highly scalable model that allows us to make life easy for our customers. As a result, business is booming.”
“The new fund with Barclays and Citi allows TerraForm Power to acquire a portfolio of highly attractive operational projects that are in geographically diverse locations,” said Carlos Domenech, president and chief executive officer of TerraForm Power. “With this partnership, TerraForm Power continues to grow rapidly, building strong momentum in the marketplace and delivering value to its shareholders.”
“Citi is proud to continue its support for SunEdison and to help expand the financing of distributed generation solar power projects throughout the United States,” said Marshal Salant, Head of Alternative Energy Finance at Citi. “Citi is committed to bringing the benefits of clean renewable energy to more businesses and consumers. This second SunEdison fund further develops the market for corporate, industrial and municipal medium-scale projects, and complements Citi’s efforts to help clients finance large utility-scale and small-scale residential rooftop solar power projects.”
“Barclays is pleased to continue its support of SunEdison through this new fund, demonstrating our desire to continue to grow our role in the distributed generation solar tax equity market. Transactions like this are a real win-win for SunEdison and Barclays, as our expanded investment in SunEdison’s solar development business also helps us deliver on our own citizenship commitments,” said Rama Subramaniam, managing director, Barclays.
SunEdison
www.sunedison.com
S&C Electric Company, a global leader in energy storage integration, today announced that Europe’s largest battery-storage project has been officially opened by Amber Rudd, minister at the Department for Energy and Climate Change at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, England. S&C Electric Europe, Samsung SDI and Younicos collaborated to deploy the technology onto a United Kingdom Power Networks substation.
The fully automated 6MW/10MWh Smarter Network Storage (SNS) project will assess the role of energy storage in cost-effectively supporting the UK’s Carbon Plan, and will save more than £6 million ($9.4 million) on traditional network-reinforcement methods. S&C Electric Europe is the lead supplier to the £18.7 million ($29.2 million) project, drawing on its extensive experience deploying energy storage projects in the UK and around the world. Berlin-based Younicos contributed custom-built intelligent software architecture and components. By providing frequency regulation as well as load shifting, the project will stabilize the grid more effectively than traditional thermal generators, providing more space on the grid for clean, but intermittent, renewable energies.
“Energy storage can play a major role in balancing the grid as it solves the problem of renewable intermittency by absorbing surplus power and releasing it when needed. This function simultaneously helps to securely balance capacity and supply, and protects the grid from stress events (e.g. power outages),” says Andrew Jones, managing director, S&C Electric Europe. “The introduction of energy storage in substations like the one at Leighton Buzzard can decrease the need and cost of traditional reinforcement, such as transformers and cabling.”
“It’s exciting to start the two-year trial. We will be testing a wide range of different services that storage can deliver to the network, and the wider electricity system,” adds Ben Wilson, UK Power Networks’ director of strategy and regulation and chief financial officer. “The project will allow us to explore and improve the economics of electrical energy storage, and assess the potential benefits to the electricity system in a number of sustainable and flexible ways. We have also been developing a first-of-its-kind platform to help us optimize and manage a wide range of different services that the storage can provide.”
“This project will have an impact not only for the local area, but also nationally and internationally,” Wilson adds. “What we learn here from this exciting and important development will be vital for similar schemes in the future.”
The technology can provide a range of benefits to the wider electricity system, including absorbing energy, then releasing it to meet demand, helping to support capacity constraints, and balancing the influx of intermittent and inflexible low carbon technologies onto the grid. The project will explore the capabilities and value in alternative revenue streams for storage, while also deferring expensive conventional reinforcement measures, such as transformers, cable and overhead lines.
“This groundbreaking project forcefully demonstrates the many revenue streams and savings that energy storage can enable today,” says Clemens Triebel, co-founder and chief technical officer at Younicos. “We are particularly proud to have contributed our intelligent control software and experience in frequency regulation and battery management, which ensures that the battery system automatically reacts to price and other signals. Together with UKPN, S&C, and other partners, we are showing grid operators, utilities and other stakeholders both in the UK and around the world a cost-effective way to reinforce and improve grid infrastructure, while facilitating increased deployment of clean energy from wind and solar.”
The Smarter Network Storage project was awarded funding of £13.2 million ($20.6 million) by Ofgem in December 2012 under The Low Carbon Networks (LCN) Fund scheme, and will last four years, from January 2013 to December 2016.
S&C Electric Company
www.sandc.com
8minutenergy Renewables and D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) have announced the closing of an initial financing commitment to build the 133 megawatts-dc (100 MW-ac) Springbok Solar Farm, located 70 miles north of Los Angeles in Kern County, Calif. The transaction was conducted between 62SK 8me, LLC and an affiliate of DESRI. 62SK 8me, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Calif.-based 8minutenergy Renewables – the nation’s leading independent solar PV developer. DESRI is a member of the D. E. Shaw group, a global investment and technology development firm with offices in North America, Europe and Asia.
Springbok Solar Farm has a signed Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA), on behalf of its participating member, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Prior to this investment, 8minutenergy has been the sole equity sponsor of the project, which it began developing in 2011. 8minutenergy and DESRI expect to jointly own and operate the Springbok Solar Farm. 8minutenergy is leading the engineering stage of the project.
“DESRI’s investment in this project, and the fact that we have over 1,150 megawatts in PPAs, underscore 8minutenergy’s position as one of the world’s leading solar developers,” said Martin Hermann, chief executive officer of 8minutenergy Renewables. “We are proud of our demonstrated ability to bring projects from conception to construction to delivering power. We look forward to building Springbok and to providing clean energy to the people of Los Angeles.”
“We are pleased to be partnering with 8minutenergy, one of the solar industry’s foremost developers, to build Springbok Solar Farm,” said Bryan Martin, managing director and head of U.S. private equity at the D. E. Shaw group. “Through this investment, we are expanding DESRI’s renewable energy portfolio and helping to power more U.S. homes with green energy. We look forward to working closely with 8minutenergy on this project.”
“The D. E. Shaw group is highly experienced and respected in the energy industry, and through its portfolio companies has already invested in over 300 megawatts in renewable energy projects for LADWP,” said Tom Buttgenbach, president of 8minutenergy Renewables. “DESRI’s investment illustrates the strength of 8minutenergy’s projects. We look forward to working with them to build this solar facility, which will create 300 direct and 400 indirect jobs during construction in Kern County, and employ graduates of Homeboy Industry’s solar PV training program.”
Springbok Solar Farm is a utility-scale solar generation facility sited on up to 950 acres of low-productivity farmland. Construction is projected to begin in the second quarter of 2015, with the site expected to be operational and delivering renewable energy to the LADWP by June, 2016. This clean solar generation plant will displace the equivalent of approximately 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, which is equal to the amount that roughly 12 million trees would displace annually.
Graduates of Los Angeles-based Homeboy Industries’ solar panel installation training and certification program will provide some of the labor for the project through a partnership between 8minutenergy and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 428. Homeboy Industries serves formerly high-risk, gang-involved men and women with a continuum of free services and programs, and operates seven job-training sites.
The solar power system for Springbok Solar Farm will be comprised of state-of-the-art solar photovoltaic modules, related power electronics, and other components including an advanced tracking system that follows the sun to maximize energy production.
D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments
www.deshaw.com
8minutenergy Renewables
www.8minutenergy.com
Solectria Renewables, a PV inverter manufacturer, says Advanced Solar Products chose its PVI 23TL and PVI 28TL inverters to power Bausch and Lomb’s manufacturing plant in Rochester, New York. The 1.1MW system feature 28, PVI 28TL’s and 5, PVI 23TL’s 1000 VDC, three-phase, transformerless inverters. The PV system, designed and constructed by Advanced Solar Products, a New Jersey based EPC, was completed in November 2014.
Advanced Solar Products selected a distributed method for the Bausch & Lomb PV system for many reasons, including reduced upfront and long-term costs and increased energy production. The redundancy provided by multiple inverters will preserve system uptime, and protect profits.
“Our three-phase, transformerless inverters were the logical choice for this project. They combine efficiency and reliability and result in lower installation cost and higher output,” said Phil Vyhanek, President of Solectria Renewables.
This PV system is a pole-mounted array located on the northeast portion of the Bausch & Lomb property in Rochester, New York. The system is owned and operated by Bausch & Lomb and covers approximately 3.6 acres. The electricity produced by the PV system is connected to the boiler house switchgear at 11.4kV.
“Solectria is one of the largest and most bankable inverter suppliers in North America,” said Lyle Rawlings, President and CEO of Advanced Solar Products. “Over our 20 year history, we’ve used their inverters in a variety of installations. Their cost and feature set distinguish their inverters from all other inverter manufacturers.”
John Van Winkle, a senior member of the engineering department at mounting manufacturer Schletter, recently discussed top O&M tips for solar mounting systems, both on rooftops and the ground, during a Solar Power World webinar. We have outlined his points below. While this is not a complete list of checks necessary to ensure the long-term success of solar projects, it is a sampling of information provided during the webinar, available here, and a good starting point for O&M teams.
Rooftops
The Ground
Mechatron-Solar, with headquarters in Redwood City, Calif., is an international manufacturer of large photovoltaic trackers. The company’s single-axis, dual-axis and CPV trackers are designed to maximize performance in any climate and terrain condition. Mechatron’s trackers incorporate patented hydraulic motion mechanisms that offer high rotation accuracy, and the astronomical algorithm of its software platform offers an accurate daily tracking function. We asked Mechatron a few questions about its trackers in the following Q&A.
Mechatron has deployed over 800 projects in Europe since 2007.
SPW: Mechatron is relatively new to the United States, but the company has more than 3,500 solar trackers operating in Europe. Why did the company decide to bring its technology to the U.S. now?
Mechatron: The European solar market enjoyed a rapid growth for a number of consecutive years until late 2012 when regulations changes and particular tariffs drastic drops begun a steep decline in solar growth and resulted in solar stagnation. Mechatron has been monitoring closely the US market and only recently – beginning of 2013 – we realized that the combination of States subsidies and tax incentives, the exponential increase of capital and debt finance investments and the rapid decrease of BoS costs were driving the solar market in the US to unprecedented growth rates. We analyzed the US market potential and decided that our products innovation, projects development experience and track record in Europe were unique and decisive factors for the company to expand its footprint in the US solar marketplace. In the beginning of 2014 the company established a new legal entity and commenced technical assessment trials at the PV USA facility in Davis run by PV Evolution Labs. As of September of 2014 the company has officially started its sales and marketing activities and building the assembly facility necessary to develop its products for the US customers.
We know trackers deliver increased performance over fixed-mount systems. Beyond that, what is the key benefit of Mechatron’s solar trackers specifically?
Mechatron has developed a unique technology for its rotation mechanism, already protected with international patent, that incorporates zero backlash capability, auto-protection slippage in extreme torque situations, auto-stow and return to tracking software routines under windy conditions or power outages. The ideal combination of mechanics and software algorithms guarantees uninterrupted operations that are immune to external conditions, thus minimizing downtime and maintenance requirements, therefore maximizing electricity production for the duration of PPA contracts. Additionally, our tracking mechanics using quadruple optical conductors and position-based tracer offer the highest accuracy offered by any tracker in the market today. Our standard pv dual-axis tracker D170 was measured by PV Evolution Labs at the PV USA facility in Davis, CA at ±1 of a degree for both azimuthal and zenith movements while our CPV tracker was measured at ±0.1 of a degree accuracy, making the C140 the most accurate tracker in the CPV marketplace.
In Europe, where do you typically see the Mechatron trackers?
Mechatron’s majority of installations are in utility projects with the off-taker being the State owned electric company. Since the concept of Net Metering was not incorporated in the solar programs in the EU countries, almost all on-grid solar farms deployed with Mechatron trackers were selling their electricity production to local utilities. The recent introduction of Net Metering in the solar regulations will enrich the opportunities to implement Mechatron’s trackers in large commercial and agricultural installations.
What interest has Mechatron received from the U.S. solar market?
In less than 2 months in sales and marketing, Mechatron has enjoyed a great positive reaction from developers, EPCs and solar investors in the California and Arizona areas. We have already signed agreements with regional solar developers and have started developing technical studies for a number of medium size projects in excess of 15MW capacity. We have seen great response and collaboration interest from solar companies specialized in agricultural applications, commercial and industrial projects and develop small to medium size utilities projects under RAM schedules.
A Mechatron tracker is a very large piece of equipment. The dual-axis machine spans 55 feet. What considerations regarding labor and cost must be made when a developer is looking at this technology?
Mechatron is transferring its long projects management and deployment experience from Europe to the US market by training the technical teams of its customers in order to optimize the installation time per tracker on the field. Average installation time per dual-axis tracker, including panels installation and cabling, is less than 4 technicians for one day. Comparing the 28-33KW installed capacity per day by 4 technicians to same DC power on fixed mounting structures, a developer can realize substantial savings on labor costs that can reach almost 50% when install solar projects with Mechatron’s trackers. In addition to labor costs savings, if the terrain of the land requires earth-moving and flattening works, in which case Mechatron’s trackers are immune and indifferent due to their ballasted-base small footprint, then the additional savings for the solar developers are really substantial.
What kind of regular maintenance is required?
The unique technical characteristics of our trackers with rock-solid rotation mechanism, zero backlash capabilities and slippage protection are practically the reasons Mechatron’s tracker require minimum to almost zero maintenance efforts. The company offers to its customers 10 years parts and mancraftship warranty combined with annual preventive maintenance contract at less than 2% of the trackers acquisition cost. The preventive maintenance contract provides annual physical inspection of the equipment and covers all labor costs for repairs, should they rarely occur.
Finally, we come to money. What is the average installed cost per watt for a Mechatron solar tracker?
The cost in terms of $/W of the trackers depend greatly on the wattage installed on the trackers and can vary from$0.49/watt to as low as $0.42/watt. The higher the DC power installed on the trackers the lower the purchase cost for both the azimuthal (single-axis) and dual-axis models. The retail price for the D170 is $14,700 ex works our factories and $10,700 for the azimuthal S140.
Evaluating the total cost in $/W of a solar system incorporating the D170 and comparing it with an equivalent using fixed-tilt mounting system, the additional cost in capital expense is less than $0.30/W which additional capex is amortized in 1-3 years depending on the tariff schedule the project operates while it produces additional revenues, higher return on investment IRR (12-45%) and dropping the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) to as low as 6.6 c/W. SPW
Southern Company subsidiary Southern Power today announced plans to develop a 131-MW PV solar project in Georgia, which will be capable of generating enough electricity to help meet the energy needs of more than 21,000 homes. The electricity and associated renewable energy credits (RECs) will be sold to three Georgia electric membership corporations.
“Southern Company is committed to developing renewables as a component of the full portfolio of energy resources,” said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas A. Fanning. “Our strategic solar expansion helps build our system’s diverse fuel mix and solar generation capacity to prepare for America’s energy future.”
Southern Power has selected First Solar to be the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the facility. Construction of the plant is scheduled to begin in September 2015, and the project is expected to achieve commercial operation in the fourth quarter of 2016.
The solar facility, which will be constructed on a 911-acre site in Taylor County, is expected to consist of approximately 1.6 million thin-film PV solar modules mounted on single-axis tracking tables manufactured by First Solar.
The electricity and associated RECs generated by the facility will be sold under 25-year purchase power agreements with Cobb Electric Membership Corporation (Cobb EMC), Flint Electric Membership Corporation (doing business as Flint Energies) and Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation (Sawnee EMC). Cobb EMC has contracted for approximately 101 MW, and Flint Energies and Sawnee EMC have each contracted for approximately 15 MW.
Cobb EMC, a not-for-profit electric cooperative, is one of the largest of Georgia’s 41 EMCs and delivers electricity to more than 175,000 residential and commercial members. Serving more than 86,400 electric meters, Flint Energies is a not-for-profit cooperative owned by its members in parts of 17 central Georgia counties. Sawnee EMC serves more than 162,000 accounts in seven counties in greater north Georgia.
Southern Power has previously acquired seven solar facilities with Turner Renewable Energy, as well as one facility with First Solar.
The facility fits Southern Power’s business strategy of growing its wholesale business in targeted markets through acquiring generating assets and building new units, the output of which is significantly covered by long-term contracts.
New Belgium Brewing is once again partnering with Boulder-based Namasté Solar to add an additional 96.525 kW of PV solar paneling at its Fort Collins, Colo., facility.
The new system will be in addition to 870 panels New Belgium installed in 2009 and will bring total onsite solar production to 4.5% of the brewery’s total electrical need. Coupled with New Belgium’s onsite Process Water Treatment Plant (which produces methane that is harvested to fire a co-gen engine creating around 15% of New Belgium’s electricity), the brewery will soon be able to produce 19.5% of its total electricity through renewable energy on site.
The 97 kW system raises onsite electrical power generation to nearly 20%.
“This is an exciting moment as we approach that 20% threshold,” says New Belgium’s Assistant Director of Sustainability, Katie Wallace. “We have worked hard to bring more on-site energy production into our portfolio, and working with Namasté has been especially rewarding as we are both B Corporations and 100% employee-owned ESOPs.”
The $250,000 installation will reside next to the original solar installation atop the brewery’s bottling and canning facility. New Belgium is paying for the system through funds raised through an Internal Energy Tax the brewery created two years ago to develop more onsite power generation. Site work begins mid-December and is scheduled to wrap up in late January, 2015.
“Working with New Belgium Brewing has once again been a very rewarding experience. The staff has been extremely supportive since the beginning of this solar project, making the installation process seamless, says Nick Williamson, commercial project manager, Namasté Solar. “The similarities our companies share make this solar project even more fulfilling for the Namasté Solar team.”
New Belgium and Namasté Solar worked together on the 200 kW system commissioned in 2009 and were featured together in the documentary film “We the Owners” about employee ownership. Namasté has been designing and installing solar PV systems for both commercial and residential projects since 2005.
Here’s what else is happening in Colorado:
Clean Energy Distribution To Offer APS Microinverter Line In Colorado
Xcel Energy And SunPower To Build 50MW Plant In Colorado
CEC Breaks Ground On 4 New Colorado Solar Facilities
The Department of Commerce announced its affirmative final determinations in the anti-dumping (AD) investigations of imports of certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic products (including cells, modules, laminates and/or panels) from China and Taiwan, and its affirmative final determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of imports of certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic products from China.
The Department of Commerce currently has existing AD and CVD orders on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from China. The scope of these investigations specifically excludes those products covered by the existing AD and CVD orders.
Commerce determined that imports of certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic products from China and Taiwan have been sold in the United States at dumping margins ranging from 26.71 percent to 165.04 percent and 11.45 percent to 27.55 percent, respectively. Commerce also determined that imports of certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic products from China have received countervailable subsidies ranging from 27.64 percent to 49.79 percent.
Commerce has elected to impost unilateral tariffs on all solar panels assembled in China, including those with solar cells produced in Taiwan, the United States or any third country. The specifics behind the decision:
The new tariffs now await confirmation from the U.S. International Trade Commission.
In response to the decision, Jigar Shah, President of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy, released the following statement:
“Today’s decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce to further tax solar panels from China, even those with key components made in the U.S., will undercut the growth of American solar jobs, hurt the American solar industry and make it more difficult for solar technology to compete against fossil fuels. These unnecessary taxes inhibit competition and put upward pressure on solar panel prices needed by U.S. homeowners, installers and utilities.
“After three years of unproductive trade wars, which have proliferated around the world, we urge the U.S. and China to accelerate negotiations to preserve competition in the global solar industry. Affordable solar panels are a good thing for the U.S., China, and the world. As the world’s largest producers and consumers of energy, the U.S. and China share a unique responsibility to lead constructive and productive trade relations in the global solar industry. We look forward to continued progress in the weeks ahead.”
Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), echoed the same sentiment as CASE.
“Unfortunately, today’s ill-advised and unprecedented decision will harm many and benefit few,” he said. “We remain steadfast in our opposition because of the adverse impact punitive tariffs will have on the future progress of America’s solar energy industry. It’s time to end this costly dispute, and we’ll continue to do our part to help find a win-win solution.”
On the other side, SolarWorld praised the ruling, saying that the U.S. Department of Commerce has paved the way for expansion of solar manufacturing in a strong and growing U.S. market. SolarWorld is optimistic that the new duties, along with the scope of imports that they cover, can curb or offset the Chinese industry’s circumvention of duties to address improper trade practices in the SolarWorld’s first cases. SolarWorld said the success of the new trade remedies will depend on steadfast enforcement.
“These remedies come just in time to enable the domestic industry to return to conditions of fair trade,” said Mukesh Dulani, U.S. president of SolarWorld. “The tariffs and scope set the stage for companies to create new jobs and build or expand factories on U.S. soil.”
The duties will go into effect around Feb. 1, 2015, if the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) affirms that the Chinese and Taiwanese trade practices injured domestic manufacturers. The ITC, which has made three previous affirmative votes in the solar cases, is expected to take its fourth vote on Jan. 20.
tenKsolar, a Minneapolis-based manufacturer of leading technology high energy density PV solar energy systems, announced the expansion of their production lines with new manufacturing facilities in Thailand. This capacity will be in addition to tenK’s existing manufacturing facilities, operating in Shanghai and Minneapolis.
The new manufacturing lines will allow tenK to meet the rising demand for their RAIS PV Systems. “Over the last year, customer demand has forced us to drastically increase our production operations twice, and 2015 shows no sign of slowing down,” Joel Cannon, CEO of tenKsolar, explains. “We’re pleased to announce an expansion to our production capabilities, adding four assembly lines to our trusted contract manufacturing partner in Thailand. This expansion allows us to diversify our supply chain and provide our customers certainty of timely supply for volume deliveries.”
Added Cannon, “This move also positions tenK as a go-to supplier for customers concerned about the impacts of recent U.S. trade actions against China and Taiwan. tenK always thinks ahead in order to protect ourselves and our customers from major shifts in market dynamics such as these.”
tenK’s operations in Thailand will include module assembly operations and lamination. Volume shipments from the Thailand facilities will begin in February 2015.
By Michael Humphreys, special to Solar Power World
A large solar thermal installation in a hot climate had PTRVs (pressure and temperature relief valves) installed on the hot outlet of each bank of collectors. Manufacturers could have communicated why PTRVs were unnecessary and a hindrance in this scenario.
When a solar thermal system fails to deliver, the solar panel manufacturer typically carries the burden of complaints. While the system is comprised of a range of components– pumps, valves, tanks, controls–the collectors are often seen as the heart (and brand) of the system. As solar panel manufacturers, we should endeavor to ensure accountability of the system as a whole.
Over the years, my team has encountered many concerns regarding system performance and failure. While some were genuine issues related to the solar collector, the vast majority were design and installation flaws. Some familiar examples of installation issues are undersized expansion tanks, pressure and temperature relief valves installed too near the collectors, low temperature rated components, misplaced temperature sensors and structurally flawed mounting structures.
As manufacturers, our focus is to produce and sell quality products. Our businesses are based on quality. But when we are also blamed for the failure of improperly installed systems, how much responsibility do we assume to ensure quality installations? Of course, we have installation manuals and training sessions, but we can’t guarantee that they are read or attended by every installer.
My take is that a manufacturer, or a representative of one, must remain in open communication with installers. The responsibility of ensuring quality projects is a two-way street, whereby manufacturers should actively ask questions in addition to answering them. This helps ensure that a designing engineer and contractor have a sound understanding of the solar thermal system. This is especially true of HVAC professionals who have little or no experience with solar thermal, regardless of their overall hot water experience. Too often solar thermal systems are installed using standard HVAC components and design conventions, which are not always suitable for the much higher temperatures that solar systems can experience.
Let me offer an example. A large solar thermal installation in a hot climate had PTRVs (pressure and temperature relief valves) installed on the hot outlet of each bank of collectors. This was in addition to a seriously undersized expansion tank. The result was a system that would dump heat-transfer fluid each time the system reached a high operating temperature. The system owners were forced to shut the system down until changes could be made.
The PTRVs were not designed for solar thermal applications, but traditional practices require them for safety. We had no involvement in the design of this system, but if we had, we could have communicated why PTRVs were unnecessary and a hindrance in this scenario.
Who is responsible for the poor design of this system? I would suggest that I am. I failed to ensure that distribution channels knew that we offer–and highly recommend–free system design review services.
The reality is that my team does have involvement in most projects, and so most are designed correctly and perform well. The communication between the manufacturer, designer and installer is crucial. Contractors with experience in solar thermal don’t require oversight for every project, but still appreciate a quick review of their designs. It is those few cases where a general contractor has won a bid-spec product and we are not engaged to review the design where issues arise, giving the solar industry and its brands a bad reputation.
So for the sake of the industry and our brands, let’s take responsibility for how our products are implemented by reviewing system designs where possible before rudimentary mistakes are made.
It will certainly save some of the lost time and money that dealing with failed projects can cause. SPW
Michael Humphreys is the founder and CEO of Apricus Solar, a manufacturer and integrator of solar thermal systems globally.
Solar Power World posed a few questions relating to the solar hot water industry to Chris Wetherby, the leader of the Renewables Deptartment at Stiebel Eltron, manufacturer of solar hot water equipment.
Chris Wetherby is the leader of the Renewables Deptartment at Stiebel Eltron.
Solar Power World: How is the solar hot water industry doing?
Stiebel Eltron: Generally solar hot water sales have been flat, or trending downward slightly over the past few years, due in large part to more affordable, easier to install PV.
At the end of 2013, there were 201 companies in 43 countries manufacturing flat plate collectors and 85 vacuum tube collector manufacturers in 22 countries. Obviously, there was plenty of capacity to supply solar hot water equipment.
Part of the trend may be that national promotion of solar hot water (SHW) is nonexistent in the U.S. SHW is not a demonstrated technology at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Boulder, Colo. That is discouraging of itself, but more so considering that SHW is 4 times more efficient than PV on a KWH produced per square foot of collector surface.
Most people think “solar” is only PV. There seems to be a lack of understanding by the general public.
How is solar hot water technology changing?
SHW technology, like PV, has seen steady improvements year-over-year during the last 15 years. However, both the basic technologies have remained essentially unchanged over the past 60 years or so. Both technologies shine like the sun when appropriate engineering is applied to the project at-hand.
There are many types of solar water heating technology that exist and serve the myriad regional markets, e.g. thermo siphon, drain back, open loop, steam back, closed loop. Each technology has its place in various regions around the world as the more appropriate application of technology.
Integrated solar energy production monitoring will, in my opinion, validate SHW as a viable renewable energy technology and provide a platform for SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Credits) in the SHW market.
What’s one mistake you often see made when it comes to solar hot water installations?
The biggest mistake is lack of follow up by the installer in the first few months after the installation is completed. It’s a critical time to ensure the correct functioning of the system and to see if the customer is satisfied.
What’s Stiebel Eltron’s latest product for solar applications and how does it improve upon previous versions?
The Sol 27 flat plate collector with installer friendly racking systems (both made in Hatfield, Mass.). Steam back over heat protection ensures the customer never has to worry about system overheating during power interruptions. SolarWave provides remote configuration and online computer monitoring with a record of solar energy produced.
What’s next for the solar hot water industry?
Integrated SHW/geothermal systems in main stream housing and affordable SHW/Radiant/Electric heating systems for low-energy homes. These concepts are already being implemented by creative system designers and installers! SPW
Power Electronics offers FSDK recombiners and a PV Array transfer kit that allow HEC-UL central inverters and HEK Skid PV Stations to achieve compliance with NEC2014’s fuse servicing requirements and ground fault protection requirements.
FSDK recombiners will be featured with up to 40 inputs, isolating contactors, zone monitoring, and fuse sizes from 70A to 400A. The contactors of the DC cabinet and the the built-in ones in each conversion module can easily lockout and tagout individually or in groups multiplying the field operations and allowing compliance with NEC2014’S 690.15(C) section. Forget about losing the production of one fifth of your PV power, by just isolating the contactor of the faulty string you will be able run routine maintenance inspections without compromising the up-time rate of the plant.
Power Electronics’ HEC-UL now is available with PV ARRAY TRANSFER KIT, a cost-competitive solution that enables a safe operation and maintenance of the negative grounded PV plants, and a fully compliance of NEC2014 690.5(A)(1) and 690.35(C)(1) by checking PV isolation before startup. By mounting this kit the inverter and the PV plant will be able to shift its running conditions from negative grounded array to floating array and vice versa. Under regular conditions the inverter will be running with a negative pole grounded and therefore, a GDFI will be protecting from the unlikely ground fault defects and at the same time the solar cells will not suffer at any time a negative voltage relative to their surroundings. This running mode can be sifted manually or automatically without stopping the inverter to a floating array configuration enabling an isolation monitoring device that O&M can use for: regular PV plant isolation control, identification of the array affected by a ground fault defect, and what is more important increase the operator safety under O&M service activities.
“We are doing big efforts on R&D to provide the ultimate designs and cost-competitive solutions that can reduce the CAPEX & OPEX of the utility scale PV-plants. In that direction we have just release the 1.7MW HEC-UL inverter and 3MW Skid Block that gives Power Electronics strong competitive advantages“ said Anthony Carroll, CEO.
The ceremonial installation of the 10,000th solar photovoltaic (PV) system on Long Island took place this week at a private residence in Huntington as part of the State’s partnership with PSEG Long Island under the PowerUp Long Island and NY-Sun initiatives. New York State’s energy leaders and local leaders joined PSEG Long Island, business and solar industry representatives to celebrate the installation of the 7,200 watt PV system, which is expected to produce 8,817 kilowatt hours (kWh) annually, offsetting approximately 95% of the homeowner’s annual electricity expense.
Approximately, 41% of all solar systems in New York State have been installed on Long Island, resulting in today’s announcement celebrating PSEG Long Island’s 10,000th customer, Michael Greaves of Huntington. Across Long Island, the customer-sited residential and commercial solar system programs have provided rebates of more than $180 million for a total of 88.44 megawatts (MW) of capacity savings since the program started in 2000. This past April, Governor Cuomo announced a historic $1 billion investment for the NY-Sun Initiative, a statewide program designed to support New York’s vibrant solar economy and ultimately transform the solar market into a self-sustaining industry across New York.
“With just under half of the solar electric installations in New York State and the largest solar electric farm in the eastern United States, Long Island residents and business leaders are seeking community-based solutions to grow the clean energy economy at an even more rapid pace,” said Richard Kauffman, Chairman of Energy and Finance for New York. “We are pleased that PowerUp Long Island and the NY-Sun initiative are delivering on their promise to encourage and support local communities to reinvent how clean, efficient and affordable electricity for the people of Long Island and New York is produced and distributed.”
“Solar installations on Long Island have been growing at a rapid pace thanks to the continued funding from the NY-Sun Incentive Program,” said Mike Voltz, Director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables, PSEG Long Island. “The installation of the 10,000th solar PV system represents an increasing awareness for the control our customers can take over their energy future, helping everyone work toward energy independence through the use of alternative energy technologies.”
Residential and commercial solar customers across Long Island and the Rockaways are reaping the benefits of the clean and renewable energy the sun provides. Since partnering with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to administer the NY-Sun Incentive Program, PSEG Long Island has processed approximately 3,000 applications. The 15,000th PV installation on Long Island may be seen in 2015.
Residential energy use is the largest contributor to Long Island’s carbon footprint. Already, ten of the 13 Long Island towns have adopted energy conservation codes that call for new homes to be 20 percent more efficient than state code and require third-party verification of home performance. Long Island’s key economic assets are a well-educated and productive workforce, its proximity to New York City, premier research and educational institutions, a high quality of life and treasured natural resources ensure that solar and other clean energy solutions will continue to grow at a rapid pace in the region.
“Long Island’s impressive growth in solar power is testament to the success of Governor Cuomo’s NY-Sun Initiative here and throughout the state,” said John B. Rhodes, President and CEO, NYSERDA. “New York’s commitment to solar investment has helped make this renewable resource more attractive to residents and businesses while helping the state move toward having a sustainable solar industry. Two years after Superstorm Sandy, Long Island is becoming a model for the benefits of renewable energy and the resiliency that it adds to the State’s energy system.”
“Long Island has now achieved its 10,000th solar installation. This milestone has been made possible through the commitment made by the State with its many programs to promote solar. These programs, including the unprecedented NY-Sun initiative, have given most homeowners access to install solar by making it more affordable than ever before,” said Carlo Lanza, Chairman, Long Island Solar Energy Industries Association, and Vice President, Harvest Power LLC.
“SUNation Solar is proud to participate in this event with Governor Cuomo’s energy leadership team, NYSERDA and the PSEG Long Island team. Through 12 years of collaboration we have built a thriving new industry on Long Island and continue to add skilled high quality jobs to our fellow Long Islanders. With innovative programs, financing solutions and dedication to a greener, better Long Island the goals of Governor Cuomo’s NY-Sun initiative are within reach. Today we celebrate the 10,000th residential solar installation on Long Island and the 12 years it took SUNation to get here,” said Scott Maskin, President, SUNation, a Solar Power World Top 400 Contractor.
“Going solar has been a wise choice. The installation was completed in August and preliminary data already suggest that we’re on target to reach our goals of significantly reducing our electric bill, lowering our carbon output and helping to pave the way for a cleaner environment,”said Michael Greaves, the 10,000th solar installation customer. “We appreciate the great results our contractor SUNation provided, as well as PSEG Long Island rebates, and New York and U.S. support and initiatives to help make it all possible.”
Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo announced additional funding of $60 million made available through the statewide NY-Sun initiative administered by NYSERDA to support the continued success of the solar industry on Long Island.
NYSERDA has more than doubled the proposed allocation for the Long Island region, from $28 million to $60 million, increased the maximum size of the PV system eligible for incentives up to 200 kW, and has partnered with PSEG Long Island to locally implement the statewide NY-Sun program. NYSERDA is the statewide administrator of the NY-Sun Incentive Program, and PSEG Long Island is the local administrator on Long Island.
PSEG Long Island was instrumental in the MW Block system design process, as it reviews and approves applications received by NYSERDA for Long Island and Rockaway customers and it works with installers on Long Island to approve projects, verify installations and inform NYSERDA when the projects are ready for payment. NYSERDA performs these tasks for the other two regions of the State.
PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a 12-year contract. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company with annual revenues of $10 billion.
PowerUp Long Island, launched in August 2014 by Governor Cuomo, is a partnership between State energy agencies and local utilities to support further development and deployment of clean and renewable energy sources throughout the Long Island region. PowerUp Long Island will advance the region’s significant progress in integrating clean energy technologies to create efficient, reliable and affordable energy systems for Long Island’s communities. The PowerUp Long Island partnership is coordinated by NYSERDA and New York Power Authority with PSEG Long Island, the Long Island Power Authority and National Grid. Because of more frequent extreme weather events, the importance of a resilient and dependable energy grid on Long Island is critical to the well-being of residents and businesses in the region and the PowerUp Long Island partnership is creating a stronger and safer system.
NY-Sun Initiative is a $1 billion initiative of Governor Cuomo’s to advance the scale-up of solar and move the state closer to having a sustainable, self-sufficient solar industry. With this initiative, New York’s role as a leader and first mover in shaping the future of energy remains firmly in place. By developing innovative market solutions, the State is delivering on Governor Cuomo’s commitment to transform the energy industry into a more resilient, clean, cost-effective and dynamic system. Working with State, citizen and industry stakeholders, New York’s energy policy is moving to a more market-based, decentralized approach. This means preserving the environment, decreasing energy costs, and creating opportunities for economic growth for current and future generations of New Yorkers. In advancing these new energy systems and solutions, New Yorkers will have improved energy affordability and efficiency without sacrificing the ability to live in a cleaner, resilient and more sustainable environment.
Project Details:
Type of Modules: LG 300
Inverter: SolarEdge SE6000A
Racking: Unirac
Photo Left to Right: John Rhodes, President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Stephen Foley, SUNation, Mike Bailis, Vice President, SUNation, Carlo Lanza, Chairman, Long Island Solar Energy Industries Association, Vice President, Harvest Power LLC., Scott Maskin, President, SUNation, Richard Kauffman, Chairman, Energy and Finance, Office of Governor Cuomo, Michael Voltz, Director, Energy Efficiency and Renewables, PSEG Long Island, Michael Greaves, 10,000th solar installation customer, Julia Bovey, Director, New York State Department of Public Service
Dynamic Systems, a provider of Barcode Tracking Solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of an SQL database on all Checkmate Tool and Equipment Management Software.
The SQL update will give solar construction management the ability to view and manage tools, equipment and consumables by department as well as location, and provide management a “snapshot” of their company’s over all inventory and tool allocation.
CheckMate Tool & Equipment Tracking System – The application tracks who has it, where it is, and when it is due back. It has the ability to form “kits” of tools and consumables for one-scan checkout. The system manages the inventory of consumables, including min/max settings and re-orders reporting. The maintenance scheduler module keeps track of maintenance and service due on equipment as well as notes and history.
“SQL software solutions give Dynamic Systems a lot of flexibility in designing new applications” stated Bill Allen, Process Control Specialist.
“We are pleased with the development of the upgrade to SQL, and this will give contractors a great tool in managing their business on a daily basis. And, we are now able to rapidly add features and perform updates quickly, stated Alison Falco, President of Dynamic Systems.
The Eco-Top racking system, pictured, was awarded the Class A distinction in accordance with various UL requirements.
Daetwyler Clean Energy (DCE), a sister company of Daetwyler – a globally recognized provider of industrial equipment and services, precision machinery, and mechanical and engineering consulting – announced the designation of Class A fire rating for their Eco-Top rooftop solar racking system.
The company submitted their assembly for testing through Underwriters Laboratory (UL) fire testing as part of the firm’s proactive approach to safety and quality.
“Throughout its entire 40-year history in the US, the Daetwyler brand has been driven by a desire to be the best at what we do for our clients,” says Bill Taylor, President of DCE. “Our solar energy company has been committed to achieving the most stringent testing to now include UL classifications for fire safety and other compliance considerations from our very first day in business.”
The Eco-Top racking system was awarded the Class A distinction in accordance with various UL requirements. Specifically, the system meets the standards set forth in UL 1703 (2014) Section 31.2 and UL 2703 (2012) in compliance with UL 790 (2004) “Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Roof Covering” for low slope applications.
These test results will be used to further certify the Eco-Top line as fully UL2703 compliant – a standard required in some States like California for 2015 but that will be nationwide requirements by 2016.
“The UL-certification process is very detailed and takes time for testing and evaluation,” explains Taylor. “We firmly believed in obtaining this certification sooner, rather than later, so that our clients could move forward with new installations without worrying about compliance or reinstallation in the future. If we are really going to support the growth of solar in a meaningful way, the worry-free safety aspect simply must be in place for everyone we serve.”
The immediate benefit of the new UL Class A Fire Rating is that all contractors, developers, installers, and other solar industry stakeholders will have a clearly recognizable standard of quality to look for when choosing racking and mounting products. The Eco-Top line is one of the most rigorously tested and most reliable systems available, while still offering competitive up-front costs and long-term savings on installation and maintenance.
Daetwyler Clean Energy (DCE)
www.DaetwylerCE.com
