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SFCE Sept 2
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ANALYSIS: Moment of truth draws near for troubled Yingli
Sep 2, 2015 | Recharge
By Brian Publicover
As more and more downbeat news emerges from Yingli, the outlook for the debt-ridden Chinese PV giant has become increasingly alarming — and the dark clouds hanging over it could not have formed at a more inopportune time. The possibility of a financial saviour suddenly emerging from the shadows — a "strategic investor"... -
Suntech’s solar module sales increasing but ASPs at heavy discount to major rivals
Sep 2, 2015 | PV Tech
By Mark Osborne
Major photovoltaics energy provider (PVEP) Shunfeng International Clean Energy reported a 19.5% increase in revenue for the first half of 2015 against a backdrop of profits falling 65.8%, compared to the prior year period. The increase in revenue was primarily driven by its expanding PV power plant business and increased .... -
China: Longi, Lerri Solar unveil monosilicon expansion plans
Sep 1, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Vincent Shaw
...By the end of the year, the company plans to expand manufacturing capacity to 2 GW, up from 250 MW at the beginning of 2015 on the back of strong domestic demand. To fulfill its module demands in the short term, Lerri has signed strategic manufacturing cooperation agreements with Yingli, Huawei, TBEA and Suntech in recent months... -
BREAKING: Alabama approves up to 500 MW of renewable energy over the next six years
Sep 1, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Christian Roselund
Alabama is not known as a renewable energy leader. Like most other states in the U.S. Deep South it lacks a renewable energy mandate or policy environment to encourage renewable energy, and politicians in the state are strongly critical of President Obama's clean energy policies. However, the attitudes of utilities, their industrial... -
Paris Climate Agreement May Include 2050 Energy Goal
Sep 2, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Eric J. Lyman
Prospects are growing that any agreement reached at the upcoming climate summit in Paris will include a long-term energy-related goal, but there is still little clarity on how the goal will be reached, international delegates meeting in Bonn said Sept. 1. Negotiators from nearly 200 countries ... -
Renewable Energy's Economic Potential Growing: DOE Report
Sep 2, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Renee Schoof
The economic potential for renewable energy is spread across the U.S. and is growing as costs decline, according to a report by the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The technical report, “Estimating Renewable Energy Economic Potential in the United States: Methodology... -
Queensland Determined To Grow Renewable Energy Sector
Sep 1, 2015 | Clean Technica
By Sophie Vorrath
Just days after Western Australia’s energy minster predicted solar PV would soon displace coal as the state’s major source of daytime electricity generation, the Queensland government has confirmed a similar departure from a reliance on coal power, with the promise to do everything in its power to support the development ... -
Renewable Energy Rises in Russia: The Early Steps
Sep 1, 2015 | The Huffington Post
By Woodrow Clark
As renewable energy becomes more widespread, its "green" transformational impact can be seen in some of the most remote corners of the world. Here are two recent examples from Russia, a country not typically associated with the green energy industrial revolution. The EU countries, Asian nations and now China are all embarked ... -
Morocco to amend law on renewable energy
Sep 1, 2015 | See News Renewables
By Mariyana Yaneva
In a move to boost investment in the renewable energy sector, Moroccan government on Tuesday approved a bill to amend the existing 13-09 law on renewable energy development. When adopted, the new law, bill number 58-15, will allow renewable energy producers to sell surplus electricity to establishments connected to the high voltage or very...
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ANALYSIS: Moment of truth draws near for troubled Yingli
Sep 2, 2015 | Recharge
By Brian Publicover
As more and more downbeat news emerges from Yingli, the outlook for the debt-ridden Chinese PV giant has become increasingly alarming — and the dark clouds hanging over it could not have formed at a more inopportune time.The possibility of a financial saviour suddenly emerging from the shadows — a "strategic investor" in the vein of Shunfeng International Clean Energy (SFCE), which dramatically swooped out of nowhere last year to rescue Wuxi Suntech — seems extremely unlikely, given the endless stream of gloomy reports emerging about the Chinese economy.
News that factory output in China is in free-fall — coupled with staggering losses on the nation's stock markets since June — continue to underscore fears that growth is grinding to a halt in the world's second-largest economy. Against such a backdrop, it's hard to imagine who — if anyone — would be willing to step forth to extend a much-needed helping hand to troubled Yingli.
The company's American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) closed at $0.75 on 31 August, far below the minimum $1 threshold it needs to trade above within the next six months to remain listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Last week, Yingli postponed reporting its second-quarter results until later in September, while warning that its margins will likely halve to the 6-7% range. Buried under a towering mountain of debt, the alarm bells are ringing for a company that has long been one of Chinese solar's top stars.
It's a stunning state of affairs for the Tier 1 supplier, which as recently as 2013 was the world's biggest supplier of PV modules by volume, before being toppled last year by Chinese compatriot Trina Solar.
Yingli's difficulties have inevitably prompted fears that another of the world's big solar players is set to implode. In reality, it's probably too early to speculate about the company's fate.
For one, it's not all gloom and doom. Yingli still has a strong brand, due in part to aggressive marketing and high-profile football sponsorships in recent years, but primarily because it cranks out quality PV modules. ASPs for its solar panels also remain relatively stable — they even increased slightly year on year in the first quarter.
However, it appears that in the first three months of 2015, it was either operating under capacity or accumulating inventory.
In terms of Yingli's ability to escape the current quagmire, its downstream push over the past few years is certainly not something to sniff at. By the end of the first quarter of 2015, it boasted a 1.6GW project pipeline in China and was planning to build 300MW overseas.
Impressive, given that it only recently started building projects. But has it expanded too aggressively into the downstream market?
Given the expected PV capacity roll-out in China in the coming years, there should be plenty of projects left for it to build. But having its downstream operations so heavily concentrated in China also comes with a measure of risk.
In terms of generating cash in the short term, revenues do not always immediately start flowing from projects in the country immediately after an array has been connected to the grid, as Yingli itself has acknowledged.
Yet short-term sources of cash are precisely what the company desperately needs, as it is drowning in a sea of debt.
In June, it claimed it could return to profitability by the end of this year, shortly after warning that its sizeable debts had threatened its ability to remain solvent. By the end of 2014, it had 10.1bn yuan ($1.6bn) in outstanding short-term borrowings, 1.7bn yuan in outstanding medium-term notes and 2.9bn yuan in outstanding long-term debt.
How did this happen? Among others, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) analyst Jenny Chase has argued in recent months that selling large volumes of PV modules at low prices has strained Yingli's balance sheet, hampering its ability to handle its debt obligations.
The company has already started gathering the funds it needs to pay back 1bn yuan of debt by October, in part by slashing its operating expenses by 20% this year. It managed to significantly carve them down in the first quarter, and it is still in the process of reducing its labour force in Europe by half — likely a wise move in a region where demand for its modules continues to wane.
It managed to sell off an 18.8MW project in the UK in early August, following solemn pledges that it plans to deal with its debt in part by raising capital and selling projects, property, land rights and equity investments in joint ventures.
In addition, it has vowed to tackle its debt by selling land in China that is owned by its Fine Silicon unit. This may be one of the clearest indications of how the company has stumbled in recent years, as perpetually low polysilicon prices could be seriously eroding the group's profitability.
Yet its plans to sell off assets to free up cash — and its chances of attracting a white knight to help it mop up its ballooning debts — appear extremely unlikely, considering the grim macroeconomic outlook in China, where potential investors are increasingly struggling to access capital at all. And given the company's current state of affairs, would any investor want to acquire it?
Growing calls within China to push for further consolidation in the domestic solar industry are also cause for alarm.
It seems unthinkable that a high-profile player like Yingli could fall in such a push, but a range of parties — most recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) — have been urging the market to consolidate at an even faster pace than ever before. Given what happened to Suntech several years ago, anything seems possible.
But for now, much of this is mere conjecture, or speculation fuelled by uncertainty. The delayed release of its second-quarter earnings next week — as well as plans to revise its full-year shipment guidance — could provide some clarity.
But real answers — or at least signs of what may lay in store for troubled Yingli — will probably not start to emerge until later this autumn, when it will become evident whether its ongoing efforts to get a handle on its debt and shore up its flagging share price will ultimately bear fruit.
Link: http://www.rechargenews.com/solar/1410144/analysis-moment-of-truth-draws-near-for-troubled-yingli
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Suntech’s solar module sales increasing but ASPs at heavy discount to major rivals
Sep 2, 2015 | PV Tech
By Mark Osborne
Major photovoltaics energy provider (PVEP) Shunfeng International Clean Energy reported a 19.5% increase in revenue for the first half of 2015 against a backdrop of profits falling 65.8%, compared to the prior year period.
The increase in revenue was primarily driven by its expanding PV power plant business and increased sales of solar products that includes wafers, cells and modules.
However, the reduced profit was primarily due to a drastic decline in module ASPs which averaged US$0.50/W in the reporting period, down from US$62/W in the prior year period.
The company also noted the drop in earnings was due to increased operating expenses at it continued to acquire companies and expand its international footprint.
"We are pleased to report revenue growth of 19.5% year-on-year in the first half as we generated an increasing amount of power generation from our portfolio of solar power plants," said Eric Luo, SFCE executive director and CEO. "During the first half of the year, we took concrete steps to expand our platform as a global provider of clean energy solutions. Through our joint venture with Nobao, a leader in ground source heat pump technology, and acquisition of Lattice Power, an LED lighting specialist, we formed the full complement of technologies to replace traditional energy with cost-competitive, integrated low carbon solutions."
Shunfeng reported total revenue of RMB3,520.4 million (US$553.7 million) in the first half of 2015, 19.5% higher than the prior year period.
Net profit was RMB172.5 million (US$27.1 million), down 65.8%, compared to the prior year period.
Solar product volume sales, primarily from subsidiary Suntech increased 19.6% to 1,193.4MW, up from 997.5MW in the first half of 2014. Total solar product sales were RMB3,018.5 million (US$474.7 million), up from US$441 million, a 7.7% increase from the prior year period.
PV module sales to third parties increased 47.2% to 548.7MW as sales to international customers increased to 42.2% of the Group's total revenue, up from 30.7% in the prior year period.
However, sales in China also increased as its largest customer in China accounted for approximately 11.2% of total revenue. Module selling prices have declined almost 20%, against a backdrop of industry ASP declines of no more than 10 to 15% in the last 12 months.
Shunfeng’s module ASP’s ((US$0.50/W), are the lowest when compared to major rivals such as Trina Solar (US$0.60/W), Canadian Solar (US$0.60/W), Hanwha Q CELLS (US$0.59/W), JinkoSolar (US$0.57/W) and JA Solar (US$0.56/W) in the second quarter of 2015.
Despite solar cell sales by volume being almost unchanged from the prior year period, Shunfeng reported a 16.1% decrease in solar cell revenue of US$22.4 million to US$116.7 million. The decline was primarily due to a decrease in 15.8% ASP decline to US$0.29/W, compared to US$0.35/W in the prior year period. PV projects and downstream business
Shunfeng reported that solar power generation increased by 176% year-on-year to 512,751MWh, due to the increase in the number of grid-connected solar projects in operation, which increased from 890MW as of 30 June 2014 to 1,622MW as of 30 June 2015.
The expected annual designed capacity of its solar power plants in China was 2,267MW at the end of the first quarter with 1,939MW under construction.
The company completed the acquisition of S.A.G. in the second half of 2014, and its subsidiary, Meteocontrol, which provides solar power plant monitoring services had revenue of RMB48.1 million (US$7.5 million) in the reporting period.
Link: http://www.pv-tech.org/news/suntechs_solar_module_sales_increasing_but_asps_at_heavy_discount_to_major
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China: Longi, Lerri Solar unveil monosilicon expansion plans
Sep 1, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Vincent Shaw
China-based Longi Silicon is set to significantly expand its monocrystalline silicon capacity, believing that in five years, there will be no market for multicrystalline silicon due to cost performance. This is despite the fact monocrystalline silicon currently holds less than 20% market share in China.
"In five years, we will see there is no market space for multicrystalline because of the cost performance," Baoshen Zhong, chairman of Longi, told pv magazine. "Considering the cost from silicon wafer, cell, and module, the gap between these two types is very small. The cost of average installation per watt is flat now," he continued.
"Moreover the cost of monocrystalline silicon will be even lower than that of multicrystalline in quite near future. While thinking about the ability of electricity generation per watt, stability to temperature change, the yearly degradation rate, people will find investment of monocrystalline silicon is with more cost effectiveness and valuable."
At the end of 2014, Longi had a monocrystalline silicon wafer production of around 3 GW. This is set to grow to 10 GW under the company’s long-term plans. Meanwhile, the company’s diamond wire cutting capacity is set to grow from around 2 GW to an estimated 5 GW by the end of this year.
Although the investment details for the ramp up were not disclosed, an investment program released by Longi last July indicated that for 800 MW monocrystalline capacity, an investment of RMB 554 million (around US$87 million) would be required, while RMB 640 million was needed for capacity to grow to 1.2 GW, and RMB 854 million would be needed for a 2 GW diamond wire cutting line.
In 2014, around 70% of Longi’s sales were from overseas customers. It hopes that by the end of 2015, 50% will come from its domestic market.
Lerri Solar’s expansion plans
Lerri Solar, a medium-sized solar PV module manufacturer and subsidiary of Longi, has completely switched its production from multi- to mono-crystalline silicon modules. By the end of the year, the company plans to expand manufacturing capacity to 2 GW, up from 250 MW at the beginning of 2015 on the back of strong domestic demand.
To fulfill its module demands in the short term, Lerri has signed strategic manufacturing cooperation agreements with Yingli, Huawei, TBEA and Suntech in recent months, while it ramps up capacity at its manufacturing facility.
"We really believe the market shift is coming. More and more monocrystalline silicon products will be used in PV market. Actually Lerri solar got several big orders in China recently and all together exceeded 700 MW. This is an obvious proof," stated Lerri chairman, Baoshen Zhong.
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/archive/2015/september/beitrag/china--longi--lerri-solar-unveil-monosilicon-expansion-plans_100020882/#axzz3kUPOR6HT
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BREAKING: Alabama approves up to 500 MW of renewable energy over the next six years
Sep 1, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Christian Roselund
Alabama is not known as a renewable energy leader. Like most other states in the U.S. Deep South it lacks a renewable energy mandate or policy environment to encourage renewable energy, and politicians in the state are strongly critical of President Obama's clean energy policies. However, the attitudes of utilities, their industrial customers and regulators are changing across the South – including in Alabama.
Today the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) gave utility Alabama Power approval to build or procure up to 500 MW of renewable energy from facilities 80 MW or smaller. The initial request by Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, cited not only the potential implementation of President Obama's Clean Power Plan, but also requests by its customers.
However, these projects must come in under Alabama Power's estimates of avoided cost over the lifetime of the project, although projects will also be considered where a customer pays the difference between avoided cost and the contract price of the project.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), which intervened in this docket, says that all of the parties intervening supported core aspects of Alabama Power's request. This includes not only renewable energy and environmental groups, but also Alabama Industrial Energy Consumers and a business and labor alliance focused on creating and protecting quality jobs in the state.
And while the docket only states that these facilities must be "renewable energy or environmentally specialized generation" resources, participants in the hearing note that solar has been dominant. "All of the conversation has been about solar," notes Michael Churchman, who serves as executive director of intervenor Alabama Environmental Council. "Even though they did make some mention of biomass or other renewables, everybody's expectation has been solar."
"This is a huge result for a state where solar development has lagged behind the rest of the country and the Southeast," notes SACE Campaigns Director Amelia Shenstone. "Alabama Power asking for permission to build a substantial amount of utility-scale solar is a big step in the right direction, because it will allow Alabama residents to see solar power working in their state."
Among the first projects to be considered are two solar projects proposed for U.S. military bases in the state, and mayors of the towns where these facilities are located petitioned the PSC in favor of these projects.
GTM Research Solar Analyst Cory Honeyman notes that this move is likely influenced by other solar procurements in the South, including Tennessee Valley Authority's recent power purchase agreement with NextEra for a 80 MW solar project in Northern Alabama. He calls Alabama Power's proposal "strikingly familiar", referencing to the beginning of fellow Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power's Advanced Solar Initiative, and notes that such moves are typical driven by economic considerations.
"This is one of a handful of examples where utilities are procuring centralized solar in the Southeast because they think it will be a useful hedge against natural gas price volatility, and potentially a cheaper alternative to buying wholesale power as a result," states Honeyman.
This strong move for utility-scale renewable energy also contrasts with Alabama's absence of policy support for distributed generation. There is no retail-rate net metering in the state, and Alabama Power imposes a per-kW monthly fee on its customers who install grid-tied solar, which it reimburses at the avoided cost rate. This makes the economics of distributed generation dismal.
"We hope that the utility will continue on the path to developing renewable energy by removing some of the barriers to small household and commercial-scale installations," states Shenstone of SACE.
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/breaking--alabama-approves-up-to-500-mw-of-renewable-energy-over-the-next-six-years_100020900/#axzz3kUPOR6HT
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Paris Climate Agreement May Include 2050 Energy Goal
Sep 2, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Eric J. Lyman
Prospects are growing that any agreement reached at the upcoming climate summit in Paris will include a long-term energy-related goal, but there is still little clarity on how the goal will be reached, international delegates meeting in Bonn said Sept. 1.
Negotiators from nearly 200 countries are in Bonn for what will likely be the penultimate set of multilateral talks before the Paris climate summit get under way Nov. 30. The Bonn talks run Aug. 31–Sept. 4.
While debate over the would-be draft text has yet to consolidate much of the language since it was first unveiled in February, delegates said one area where there is a growing consensus is regarding the need for a long-term goal.
That most likely translates to a 2050 goal, though some proposals include a target for the end of the century as well. Proposed language would see the world aspire to “net zero emissions” by 2050, the “decarbonization” of developed economies by that date, a “complete” or “near” phase out of fossil fuels by midcentury, or a worldwide reduction of greenhouse gasses compared to either 1990 or 2010 levels of anywhere between 40 percent to 95 percent by 2050.
Ambitious Language
“Most of this proposed language is much more ambitious than what we are seeing in the INDCs being submitted,” said one senior United Nations official who asked not to be further identified, referring to the ongoing submissions of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions—each country's vow for climate action, usually between 2020 and 2030. “What is missing is some indication on how to increase the level of ambition that much.”
The official added, “Keep in mind that 2030 is almost halfway between now and 2050. If a 2050 goal is going to be in the Paris agreement, it has to include some kind of viable pathway.”
A delegate from a European Union member said it is always easier to agree to long-term goals than to short-term ones.
“Nobody who agrees to a 2050 goal will be in a position to face any consequences if the goal is missed,” the delegate said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
According to Martin Kaiser, Greenpeace head of international climate politics, there should be regular, short-term assessment periods, including one in 2025, the midway point in most INDCs submitted so far.
“There needs to be a process to formally reassess national targets to take into account technological advances and changing circumstances, not a review period” Kaiser said. “The Kyoto Protocol had review periods, and no country has ever strengthened its goals because of a review period.”
Some developing country delegates spoke of the possibility of creating sanctions for countries that do not take strong enough steps to reach a long-term goal. But that prospect has not gained much traction overall.
Link (subscription needed): http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=75077680&vname=dennotallissues&fn=75077680&jd=75077680
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Renewable Energy's Economic Potential Growing: DOE Report
Sep 2, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Renee Schoof
The economic potential for renewable energy is spread across the U.S. and is growing as costs decline, according to a report by the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
The technical report, “Estimating Renewable Energy Economic Potential in the United States: Methodology and Initial Results,” calculated the amount of economically viable renewable generation available at some 150,000 sites across the country. It cautioned, however, that it didn't attempt to project how much renewable energy will be deployed, because the analysis didn't take into consideration important factors such as consumer demand and policies that create incentives.
Still, the report, issued in July, could help states and regions plan their energy deployment, said Steve Capanna, director of the strategic priorities and impact analysis in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, during a webinar about it Sept. 1. The report offers an estimate of the economic viability of various types of renewable generation at specific locations.
One key takeaway was that the overall economic potential of renewable energy is growing as costs decline.
The cost declines from 2010 to 2014 were “pretty staggering,” Capanna said. “This really does show how far we've come,” and the amounts are even greater when projected into the future, he said.
The study looked in various ways at the amounts of renewable energy that would be available at or below market price, after taking into account such factors as the benefits of carbon dioxide reduction and the health benefits of less pollution.
Economic Potential Assessed
Philipp Beiter, an energy markets and policy analyst at NREL, said one of the cases in the study showed that in 2020, economic potential was assessed at 548 terawatt-hours to 869 terawatt-hours of wind; 430 terawatt-hours to 606 terawatt-hours of utility photovoltaic; 287 terawatt-hours of distributed photovoltaics; 64 terawatt-hours to 76 terawatt-hours of hydrothermal; 131 terawatt-hours to 153 terawatt hours of geothermal; and no economic potential for biopower, which was defined as dedicated combustion with no co-firing included.
The total was 1,460 terawatt-hours to 1,991 terawatt-hours, which compares to total U.S. electricity generation in 2013 of 4,100 terawatt-hours, Beiter said.
Donna Heimiller, a senior analyst at NREL, said biopower showed no potential, because the cost of the technology is relatively high for the utility-scale applications evaluated in the report.
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Queensland Determined To Grow Renewable Energy Sector
Sep 1, 2015 | Clean Technica
By Sophie Vorrath
Just days after Western Australia’s energy minster predicted solar PV would soon displace coal as the state’s major source of daytime electricity generation, the Queensland government has confirmed a similar departure from a reliance on coal power, with the promise to do everything in its power to support the development of solar and wind projects in the state.
Speaking at a budget estimates hearing on Friday, Queensland energy minister Mark Bailey said his government was determined to grow both the small and large-scale renewable energy sectors, and jobs along with them, using investment and new policy measures, including reverse auctions like those used, to great success, by the ACT government.
“The (Palaszczuk) government supports absolutely establishing a Queensland-based large-scale renewable energy industry,” Bailey told the hearing.
“We are working with renewable energy agencies to deliver a reverse auction for at least 40MW of renewable energy,” he said, adding that regional, government-owned Queensland utility, Ergon, had made an expression of interest for 150MW of state-based renewables capacity.
“The benefit of this,” Bailey noted, “is not only a transformation to clean energy but also the establishment of the skill base, a workforce, investment and, importantly, jobs in Queensland. We have to grow jobs in Queensland in the emerging industries, and certainly renewable energy is one of the big emerging industries, and we are keen to be part of that.”
The Queensland government’s focus on renewables as an economic growth industry contrasts with that of the federal government, which has continually warned that higher renewables targets and stronger action on climate change would amount to a drain on economies, jobs and consumer hip pockets.
Last week, however, Queensland treasurer Curtis Pitt gently reminded his federal counterparts that his state’s economic future did not rely only on the development of the Adani-owned Carmichael coal mine, and that the growth sectors of the future for Queensland lay beyond the mining of fossil fuels.
“I am a strong advocate for the development of the Galilee,” Pitt said. “And I am going to do everything I can to accelerate that to ensure we can get the benefit of the jobs. But it is not the be-all and end-all.”
Meanwhile, as an example of the economic and generation potential of renewables, Bailey pointed to South Australia, which is now sourcing 40 per cent of its power from renewable energy sources.
“They have attracted $5.5 billion worth of investment. That has created a lot of jobs and yet here in Queensland we have gone backwards for the last three years,” he said.
Bailey also noted that industrial battery technology was being rolled out by Ergon to cut network costs, and the government was partnering with Californian company Sunverge to trial domestic batteries in regional Queensland.
“This is part of the whole agenda about governments being serious about acting on climate change and not just talking the talk, which we see, unfortunately, at a federal level,” Bailey said.
“We have to be active in terms of our policy and making sure we are actually moving away from carbon-emitting industries into clean energy industries.”
The state has also committed to a small-scale target of one million solar rooftops by 2020, with Bailey noting the “great opportunities” provided by the continually improving economics of battery technology.
He has also pointed to the potential of the state’s commercial and industrial rooftop solar markets, which he said lagged behind New South Wales.
“The demand for solar is very resilient and it is a maturing market. For us it is about facilitation, it is about getting blockages out of the way in terms of the industry.
“That is the way forward. The market is driving a fair bit of it. We are happy to work with the renewable industry sector and build positive relationships there which we have been doing over the last seven months,” Bailey said.
“Now that the RET has finally landed and there is some certainty, albeit a fairly low target which is unfortunate, it at least has given the industry certainty in which to go out there and get projects going; a very good situation for Queensland to be in.”
Link: https://cleantechnica.com/2015/09/01/queensland-determined-to-grow-renewable-energy-sector/
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Renewable Energy Rises in Russia: The Early Steps
Sep 1, 2015 | The Huffington Post
By Woodrow Clark
As renewable energy becomes more widespread, its "green" transformational impact can be seen in some of the most remote corners of the world. Here are two recent examples from Russia, a country not typically associated with the green energy industrial revolution. The EU countries, Asian nations and now China are all embarked on this green revolution. While the USA just started, Russia is moving ahead with its own green renewable energy industrial transformation.
Consider Oktyabrsky which is a small fishing village in the Far East on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, with a population of 1,685 that is next to one of the richest fishing areas in Russia, the Sea of Okhotsk that teems with salmon and crab. Oktyabrsky is also one of the most remote areas of Russia. The weather is harsh and unpredictable with frequent storms that batter the windswept shores and wet snow falls even in June. With global climate change, the weather is becoming even more severe. For local residents, reliable supply of electricity is key in their struggle to survive. For decades, Oktyabrsky's sole source of electric power consisted of several noisy diesel electro-generators that require prodigious amounts of fuel. Supply ships come only during the short summer navigation, and during long winter months, the shortage of fuel is a constant worry. Burned diesel exhaust energetically pollutes the air and water in what largely remains, for now, a pristine natural reserve. The fossil fuel is expensive, which accounts for the largest expense line item in the municipal budget.
In 2014, an unlikely sight appeared on the shores of Oktyabrsky. Several hundred feet high, Danish made wind generators were installed as part of Russia's ambitious plan to develop alternative renewable energy in the Far East of the nation. The appearance of these twenty-first century engineering marvels, against the bleak landscape of the post-Soviet desolation, was nothing short of surreal as the photo shows. But there was nothing phantom about the impact of the new industrial installation. Wind power now covers 30 % of the local Oktyabrsky electricity needs, thus reducing fuel expense and boosting reliability of green energy supply along with its less carbon and greenhouse emissions in the air and water. In an economically depressed area where the last new construction occurred decades ago, the small wind farm was a sign of life returning to one of Russia's most remote regions. The wind turbines are now the local residents' favored spot for wedding pictures and that site will hopefully soon be embroidered with new environmentally sound buildings, walk and bike paths, parks and areas for relaxation.
Here is another significant renewable energy story from another region. Lying beyond the Arctic Circle is Batagai, which is a small village in Eastern Siberia with a population of 3,800. Established during the Soviet times next to rich deposits of tin, it has the dubious honor of being one the coldest spots in the Northern Hemisphere, with recorded temperatures of minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This village is surrounded by marshy tundra and is reachable by car only during the winter. In the summer, roads turn into lakes, and for several months the residents live off the stored supplies of food and fuel. However, the one source of power that is plentiful during summer time is sunshine: the sun stays up in the sky 24 hours a day!!!
In June 2015, Batagai became an unlikely place where a notable advance in the field of renewable energy took place. Solar energy systems made a big step forward. The first stage is a solar farm with the target capacity of 4 MW that was opened by RAO Energy Systems of the East, a Russian energy utility company. Energy savings are immediate and considerable. Over several hundred tons of fuel are no longer needed to be hauled many miles across the frozen tundra. The solar plant also put Batagai on the map of global renewable energy achievements, especially as this is one of the largest solar power facilities located above the Arctic Circle.
These are just two small examples that illustrate an emerging trend in Russia: renewable energy installation popping up all over the country. Many of these energy producing facilities are much smaller than the massive solar farms now in US states of Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico, Japan and China, but their significance goes beyond their size. It is a sign that Russia has joined the global revolution in renewable energy power sector but for local on-site power at the local communities and cities, which are one of the key bases in the Green Industrial Revolution.
Renewable sector starts to move ahead with a powerful push from wind and sun
Despite signs of progress, Russia's solar and wind sectors are still in their infancy. By the end of 2015, Russia will have only 60 MW of solar power plants operating, a fraction of the 21 GW already installed in the US. Russia's wind power is doing somewhat better, with 1.7 GW of wind projects operating, but this is still tiny compared to Germany's 30 GW of wind power. The reasons for the slow progress are well known since Russia has plentiful supplies of hydrocarbons, including natural gas that allows the nation to keep domestic prices of energy very low.Russia's image as an ecologically ignorant oil superpower is so well established that it may come as a surprise that during the Soviet period, Russia had many groundbreaking achievements in the renewable energy sector. For example, in the 1930s, USSR was the first nation in the world to construct utility-scale wind turbines. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union opened an ocean tidal electric plant and took the lead in building geothermal power plants. There are currently around 100 MW of geothermal power plants operating in Russia, and about 55 MW of more geothermal planned additional capacity in the near future.
Whatever progress the Soviet Union made with renewables, it was derailed by Russia's economic upheaval during the post-Soviet period (1991-2014), when electricity production fell by one third, creating plenty of spare capacity. During the presidency of Boris Yeltsin (1991-2000) when the USSR transformed into a new Russia, and then the first two terms of Vladimir Putin (2000-2008), the Russian government was preoccupied with delivering economic growth without considering its impact on the environment through the exploiting and exporting of coal, oil and now natural gas.
Today, after a decade and a half of economic growth that started in 2000, Russia's electricity production recovered but the old Soviet capacity has been used up. The social attitudes are also changing. Russia, just like other BRIC nations and developing countries around the world, is seeing a burgeoning middle class who now worries about their environment. And with the recent declines of the cost of renewable power, including solar panels, these renewable energy systems now seems a feasible solution for many energy consumers in Russia.
With its diverse geographic area that stretches from Arctic Circle to the subtropics, Russia sees an especially compelling opportunity for on-site power from renewable energy that is distributed through the country in cities and communities. Such "agile" (i.e., flexible) systems have been a key factor in the development of renewable energy in other countries. An increasing number of nations and regions around the world is adopting progressive environmental and economic policies similar to those started in 2004 in California.
While many areas of Russia will probably remain dependent on gas and coal for the foreseeable future due to central plant energy distribution, there are plenty of communities like Oktyabrsky and Batagai in Russia where renewables make economic and environmental sense.
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/woodrow-clark/renewable-energy-rises-in_b_8061382.html
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Morocco to amend law on renewable energy
Sep 1, 2015 | See News Renewables
By Mariyana Yaneva
In a move to boost investment in the renewable energy sector, Moroccan government on Tuesday approved a bill to amend the existing 13-09 law on renewable energy development.
When adopted, the new law, bill number 58-15, will allow renewable energy producers to sell surplus electricity to establishments connected to the high voltage or very high voltage grid of ONEE, the state owned utility responsible for the provision of electricity as well as the operation of the transmission system.
The proposed changes will also raise the minimum capacity of hydro power projects to 30 MW from 12 MW at present.
Morocco's national energy strategy is targeting to raise the share of renewable energy to 42% of the total installed capacity in the country by 2020, with solar, wind and hydro each contributing 14%.
The country has several big projects ongoing in the solar, wind and hydro sector.
The Noor concentrated solar power complex is projected to have total installed capacity of 500 MW with the first 160 MW starting production by the end of this year.
On the wind side, there are several independent power producers. The latest 300 MW project was commissioned at the end of 2014 bringing the total installed capacity to 787 MW and Morocco is expected to launch a further 850 MW wind power tender by the end of 2015.
While awaiting take-off of investments in the hydro segment, ONEE plans to invest MAD 400 million (USD 41.3m / EUR 36.7m) to extend the life of existing hydro power production facilities and also conduct a detailed feasibility study for future projects.
Link: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/morocco-to-amend-law-on-renewable-energy-491033
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