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SFCE October 14
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Suniva Powers New Solar Project for Michigan’s Largest Utility - PR
Oct 13, 2015 | Business Wire
By Suniva
Suniva, Inc., a metro-Atlanta based manufacturer of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells and modules, today announces the successful groundbreaking ceremony by Consumers Energy that took place on October 2nd at Grand Valley State University, home to Michigan’s largest community solar project, which is part of the Solar Gardens program. -
3GW annual cell production: the new benchmark for solar cell manufacturing
Oct 13, 2015 | PV Tech
By Finlay Colville
Before 2015, no solar PV cell manufacturer had ever produced more than 3GW of cells in a single calendar year. In fact, very few had exceeded the 2GW level. This year, three companies are poised to manufacture more than 3GW each, with almost 10GW collectively. Not surprisingly, these three c-Si cell manufacturers will occupy the top-3 solar cell production rankings come the end of the year. -
These Three Trends Have Radically Redefined the Energy Market
Oct 14, 2015 | Bloomberg
By Reed Landberg
Michael Liebreich, the founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, set out the trends upending the global energy markets and ushering in what he termed an “age of plenty.” He said: 1. Cheap fossil fuels are here to stay because production costs are tumbling. 2. Intermittent renewables will dominate electricity supply by 2040, with huge challenges for grid managers. 3. Electricity demand is flattening out, losing its link with economic growth. -
150 countries pledge to curb carbon emissions
Oct 13, 2015 | The Guardian
By Arthur Nelson
Some 150 countries representing around 90% of the world’s carbon emissions have now filed pledges to curb them, dramatically increasing the chances of a deal at the Paris climate summit in December. The promises made so far would still put the world on track for dangerous global warming rise of 3C (around 9F). But they could be adjusted in the future to meet the 2C target recommended by international scientists, the EU’s climate commissioner, Miguel Cañete, told a UN conference in Rabat, Morocco. -
Myanmar steps up renewables investment with plans for South East Asia’s largest solar power plant
Oct 14, 2015 | Business Green
By James Murray
Myanmar is to host a series of flagship solar projects, following a number of contract awards in recent weeks. US-based engineering giant Black & Veatch announced yesterday it has been appointed by Thailand-based developer Green Earth Power to provide design and consultancy services for a 220MW solar project in Myanmar, described as "Southeast Asia's largest solar power plant". Construction on the high profile project, which is located in Minbu in the Magway region, is now expected to start in the first quarter of next year.
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Industry News
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Suniva Powers New Solar Project for Michigan’s Largest Utility - PR
Oct 13, 2015 | Business Wire
By Suniva
Suniva, Inc., a metro-Atlanta based manufacturer of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells and modules, today announces the successful groundbreaking ceremony by Consumers Energy that took place on October 2nd at Grand Valley State University, home to Michigan’s largest community solar project, which is part of the Solar Gardens program.
The three megawatt solar array, Powered by Suniva®, is the first of its kind for Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest utility. The array will span across seventeen acres at Grand Valley State University – the renewable energy focused university will also participate in the Solar Gardens program as a customer.
“This project represents a cornerstone for our new Solar Gardens program, providing an avenue for customers to participate in the development of renewable energy that helps us continue to power homes and businesses across our state,” said Dan Malone, Consumers Energy’s senior vice president of energy resources. “We are very pleased to collaborate with Suniva, and support their continued growth in the U.S., including here at home in Michigan.”
“Suniva’s primary focus is to offer the highest quality solar products at maximum value, while achieving the highest power possible,” said Matt Card, vice president, global sales and marketing of Suniva. “The maturing U.S. market continues to validate the value of our high-density solar modules. We are very pleased that we can continue to give back to the US solar marketplace and the domestic economy, through the continued creation of U.S. jobs. We are proud of our eight years of growth in Georgia and now, Michigan.”
Last month Suniva announced the expansion of its manufacturing capacity at its Georgia headquarters to 400MW. This expansion came just one year after the opening of its second U.S.-based facility in Saginaw Township, Michigan.
About Suniva
Suniva® is the leading American manufacturer of high-efficiency crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) solar cells and high-power solar modules. The company is known for its high-quality products, industry-leading technology, reliability and high power density. Headquartered in metro-Atlanta, GA, Suniva sells its advanced PV modules globally. For additional information on how Suniva is making solar sensible, visit www.suniva.com.
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151013005201/en/Suniva-Powers-Solar-Project-Michigan%E2%80%99s-Largest-Utility#.Vh4Uyvmqqko
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3GW annual cell production: the new benchmark for solar cell manufacturing
Oct 13, 2015 | PV Tech
By Finlay Colville
Before 2015, no solar PV cell manufacturer had ever produced more than 3GW of cells in a single calendar year. In fact, very few had exceeded the 2GW level. This year, three companies are poised to manufacture more than 3GW each, with almost 10GW collectively. Not surprisingly, these three c-Si cell manufacturers will occupy the top-3 solar cell production rankings come the end of the year.
This blog provides an overview of the collective impact of this achievement, and discusses the broader implications of the industry having a small group of multi-GW cell manufacturing powerhouses.
As we move towards the end of 2015 – and leading up to PV-Tech parent company Solar Media Ltd.’s new PV Manufacturing & Technology Quarterly market report – additional blogs will feature the key trends around the new GW-scale cell manufacturers in the PV industry today.The problem with OEM supply
In recent years, there has been somewhat of a frenzy to assume pole position in having the greatest MW (or multi-GW) level of solar module shipments.
Most of the big-six module suppliers - featured in our recent blogs on PV-Tech covering the Silicon Module Super League of 2015 - have been using outsourced OEM module supply as a means of boosting shipment levels. Recent analysis showed the degree to which outsourcing, or asset-light activities, are being used to grow near-term shipments and revenues, with minimal capex.
Ultimately, there has to be a strong driver in shipping an outsourced module. Often, this tactic is used to meet in-house downstream project developments, or to third-party sales channels in geographies where ASPs are above global norms and can absorb more fat through the supply chain.
Ultimately however, selling rebranded modules is really nothing more than acting as a glorified distributor, or as an EPC assuming site ownership before flipping a site as-built to an asset holder.Manufacturing is still the key differentiator
There is a strong case to be made that having low-cost in-house production is something that is hard to sacrifice, especially in a sector where ASPs are generally declining faster than anyone would really like.
Certainly, the question has to be asked for companies that seem to be stuck today with the basic question: is my company a manufacturer, a project developer, or an asset-holder/energy-provider? Or are we doing two of these roles, or even all three at the same time?
Is the solar PV industry really a place where being best-in-class across each of these three very different operating activities can possibly be achieved? Especially today, when cash is still proving hard to come by, and most companies with a downstream play are favouring project capex over technology/R&D/expansion based upstream spending.
Of all the stages within the solar manufacturing value-chain (let’s include both c-Si and thin-film, poly to module and anything CPV), the c-Si cell stage is still the key part of the value-chain.
Battered and bruised during the midstream price squeeze that characterised the industry between 2012 and 2014, cell production is likely to regain priority once the industry goes through its current post-austerity shake-out phase.10GW solar cells from three companies in 2015
The figures on the left show the production metrics for the three cell makers combined. Capacity shown is either as quarterly or annual effective capacity, not nameplate. Therefore, the correct productivity metric is capacity conversion, not utilization. It may seem pedantic on the nomenclature, but getting these correct is fundamental to the methodology that underpins fab and line productivity.
The recovery in fab productivity is evident by capacity conversion rates shifting from the 80% mark in 2013 to the mid-to-high 90’s this year. During each quarter in 2015, our big-3 cell makers are hitting the high 90’s, with the dip in Q4’15 expected to arise mainly from new line additions (outside China) that will have a short-term impact on productivity.
However, Q4’15 will see record cell production from the three companies of approximately 2.7GW, comfortably exceeding an annualized 10GW figure.
Before we reveal the three cell manufacturers, we are going to examine collective trends from the top-3 cell makers in more detail, in forthcoming blogs. This will be followed by ring-fencing the GW+ cell producers in 2015, leading up to the year-end top-10 forecasting and technology summary trends.
Next up this week will be a blog on the c-Si cell capex and technologies of the big-3, and whether this suggests any difference in approach when compared to the module shipments from the big-6 Silicon Module Super League, we recently reviewed on PV-Tech.
Finally however, the fact there are three companies moving forward into the 3GW+ annual cell production territory is significant. Many other companies – such as SunPower and REC Solar – are essentially capacity constrained at the cell level, and adding new capacity is not straightforward for these companies, when compared to the speed that Chinese (or Korean if we pull in Hanwha Q CELLS) seem to be able to add c-Si capacity (at cell or module level).
Most others have no intention of adding cell capacity, or simply have no cash or access to finances to keep up with the end-market growth. Companies pushing the premium n-type banner (SolarCity/Silevo, First Solar/TetraSun and Shunfeng/Suniva) as a c-Si entry strategy may still be analysing R&D data when competition has broken the 4GW level as part of modules with silicon and non-silicon costs moving rapidly to the US$0.30-0.35/W level.
The net effect is that within a couple of years, we could see a handful of 5GW cell manufacturers globally, and it is not inconceivable that we could even have a cell equivalent of GCL-Poly, which has a dominate 14GW of wafer capacity that would come to the fore through merger or consolidation activities.
Until now, perhaps the only factor preventing this from happening has been trade-wars/tariffs. Should these be relaxed – and ASPs in the US and Japan also decline rapidly on decreasing government incentives – then the industry could see some very large changes to the make-up of global production, with cell manufacturing possibly being the part of the c-Si value-chain most affected.
http://www.pv-tech.org/editors_blog/3gw_annual_cell_production_the_new_benchmark_for_solar_cell_manufacturing
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These Three Trends Have Radically Redefined the Energy Market
Oct 14, 2015 | Bloomberg
By Reed Landberg
Michael Liebreich, the founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, set out the trends upending the global energy markets and ushering in what he termed an “age of plenty.” He said:
1. Cheap fossil fuels are here to stay because production costs are tumbling.
2. Intermittent renewables will dominate electricity supply by 2040, with huge challenges for grid managers.
3. Electricity demand is flattening out, losing its link with economic growth.
The implication is that energy will be plentiful for years to come, Liebreich said in a presentation Tuesday at the research group’s conference in London. Oil will linger closer to $50 a barrel than to $90, and renewables will gain market share, he said.
“There has been an enormous amount of innovation in the unconventional gas industry,” Liebreich said. “The cost reductions have been similar to what’s happening in solar.”
Here’s what he identified:The cost of shale gas is plunging rapidly ...... and each well is producing more.
Renewables costs are falling to the level of fossil fuels:The chart above shows forecasts for the cost of building and operating a new power plant in each technology. Rising costs for running a coal plant and falling solar panel prices mean photovoltaics may rival fossil fuels on price within 10 years, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Renewables will grab market share everywhere:Electricity demand is flat, falling short of forecasts:
All those LED light bulbs are starting to have an impact. Energy-efficient technologies of all kinds are squeezing electricity demand. The chart above shows Australia’s experience. Actual power consumption is shown by the green line. The gray lines show demand forecasts made each year since 2010 by regulators, and the blue line represents their most recent forecast.
Together, the trends may hit coal hardest, as curbs on pollution drive up the cost of burning the dirtiest fossil fuel.
“There’s plentiful supply and weak demand,” Liebreich said. “The price of coal is on a gentle glide path toward the shutting of large amounts of capacity.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-14/these-three-trends-are-redefining-the-cost-of-energy-everywhere
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150 countries pledge to curb carbon emissions
Oct 13, 2015 | The Guardian
By Arthur Nelson
Some 150 countries representing around 90% of the world’s carbon emissions have now filed pledges to curb them, dramatically increasing the chances of a deal at the Paris climate summit in December.
The promises made so far would still put the world on track for dangerous global warming rise of 3C (around 9F). But they could be adjusted in the future to meet the 2C target recommended by international scientists, the EU’s climate commissioner, Miguel Cañete, told a UN conference in Rabat, Morocco.
“The gap is not as big as expected if the INDCs (intended nationally determined contributions) are transformed and fully implemented,” said Cañete. “Their scope and scale is an achievement in itself.”
The French development minister, Annick Girardin, said that many of the pledges came from developing countries, and had brightened prospects for a climate treaty in December.
“We’ve now got a global positive dynamic telling us that the world is moving on climate change,” said Girardin. “It was unexpected to receive all these contributions and it sends a very strong signal from Rabat that we can reach a global agreement in Paris.”
Privately, EU officials admit that many national pledges have been conservative, reflecting caution about an untried INDC process. Ambitions were also dented by the onus on countries to make pledges in advance of a final deal or, often, knowledge of other countries’ offers.
But there is growing certainty among diplomats that a deal will be signed in Paris, succeeding the 1992 Kyoto protocol. By the time the US withdrew from it in 2005, Kyoto only covered 35 countries, and 14% of the world’s emissions.Advertisement
Unlike that treaty, the Paris agreement will have no ‘stick’ of legal sanctions or formal enforcement to use against countries which renege on their commitments. “It is a bottom up approach as there are no compulsory targets and sanctions,” said Cañete.
Instead, officials hope that performance reviews will take place at regular five-yearly intervals to “facilitate” emissions-cutting reforms. “If you are serious about this message, the INDCs need to be revised before they start in 2021,” said Wendel Trio, the director of Climate Action Network Europe. “Unfortunately, there is no agreement on that and I wouldn’t expect any.”
Cañete suggested that the EU would consider progress towards meeting carbon-cutting promises, when assessing future climate funding payouts. “We have to assess globally how the INDCs have been implemented,” he said. “If there is additional financial support available, those who have made conditional pledges, we will have to look at them and see how we target financial support.”
The EU is the world’s biggest donor of funds for climate aid and disaster relief, and the UK, France and Germany say they will double their climate spending by 2020. France has promised revenues for an early warning system that can be installed in developing countries, while Germany has pledged €400m (£298m) of funds for an insurance scheme to help people in poor southern countries that are vulnerable to natural disasters.
Globally, countries have signed off on the creation of a $100bn-a-year green climate fund, which should disburse climate aid by 2020. Only a tenth of that has been ring-fenced so far, but the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development says that£40bn was channelled to developing world climate projects by their richer neighbours last year.
Oxfam is unhappy that much of this money may be double counted from overseas development aid budgets. But after fears at the highest level this summer that slow progress could doom an agreement in Paris, a sense of relief, if not optimism, was tangible in Rabat.
“We are making history,” the Moroccan environment minister, Hakima el-Haité told the UN meeting. “The fight against climate change is not going to end in Paris. It is not going to end with our generation. It is a long term struggle and our efforts so far are not sufficient. But in terms of progress, we have made a revolution in just one year.”
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/13/150-countries-pledge-to-curb-carbon-emissions
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Myanmar steps up renewables investment with plans for South East Asia’s largest solar power plant
Oct 14, 2015 | Business Green
By James Murray
Myanmar is to host a series of flagship solar projects, following a number of contract awards in recent weeks.
US-based engineering giant Black & Veatch announced yesterday it has been appointed by Thailand-based developer Green Earth Power to provide design and consultancy services for a 220MW solar project in Myanmar, described as "Southeast Asia's largest solar power plant".Construction on the high profile project, which is located in Minbu in the Magway region, is now expected to start in the first quarter of next year.
Ric O'Connell, international renewable energy director at Black & Veatch, said the project would help tackle low levels of energy availability in the country, which sees an estimated three quarters of the population denied access to electricity.
"Electricity is an urgent priority in Myanmar and has serious implications on economic and social progress," he said in a statement. "As solar facilities can be built rapidly, it is an excellent alternative to quickly add power to the grid and ensure meaningful impacts on quality of life."
Myanmar is expected to play an increasingly important role in a booming Asian renewable energy market, which according to a recent World Bank report is growing at around eight per cent a year. The country's government is seeking to mobilise foreign investment in its energy sector in the wake of the relaxation of trade embargoes that accompanied recent political reforms by the ruling junta.
"The new plant supports the Myanmar government's aim to increase electricity production from the present 2,500MW to 30,000MW by 2030," said Pitak Wangvarangkoon, who was recently appointed as general manager of Black & Veatch's business in Myanmar.
"Drawing on our deep experience in renewable energy, power generation, water and oil and gas, we are well positioned to support the goal and bring in the full depth and breadth of our regional expertise."
The news comes just days after Laos-based renewable energy developer Sunlabob Renewable Energy Ltd announced it had finalised a contract to deliver eleven solar-powered micro-grids to remote communities in Myanmar.
The micro-grids will provide reliable, clean energy access to households in villages throughout Shan State and Chin State, the company said.
"Sunlabob is pleased to contribute to the sustainable electrification of Myanmar through the use of high-quality, international-standard solar technology," said Andy Schroeter, Sunlabob chief executive in a statement. "All signs point to decentralised renewable energy, such as solar micro-grids, being an important ingredient to the electrification of rural communities and businesses in Myanmar for years to come."
The project has been approved by Myanmar's Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development's Department of Rural Development and is funded by the Japanese International Cooperation System.
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2430291/myanmar-steps-up-renewables-investment-with-plans-for-south-east-asia-s-largest-solar-power-plant
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