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Raising Power GmbH extends services across the PV market
Oct 16, 2015 | Your Renewable News
Raising Power, a young, dynamic enterprise that strives to achieve optimal PV system performance and maximum yield for its customers, announced today that the newly founded company will offer technical management solutions and services for all PV projects. Under the management of photovoltaics (PV) experts Michele Rascher... -
Shunfeng launches Raising Power in Germany
Oct 16, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Edgar Meza
Hong Kong-based solar energy group Shunfeng International Clean Energy has launched Raising Power, a new independent service company in Germany. The firm will focus on operation and maintenance services and offer technical management solutions for all PV projects, the company announced Friday. -
Shunfeng launches O&M firm in Germany
Oct 16, 2015 | PV Tech
By Tom Kenning
Shunfeng International Clean Energy (SFCE), the owner of module maker Suntech, has launched a new O&M company in Germany named Raising Power. The new firm, which is headquartered in Augsburg, also has locations in Los Angeles and Shanghai and has an existing portfolio of more than 500MW of solar PV capacity under contract globally. -
Gwinnett solar firm betting surge is no fluke
Oct 16, 2015 | My AJC (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution )
By J. Scott Trubey
Norcross solar company Suniva, a darling of Georgia’s clean energy sector, is taking the long view. Its plan to nearly triple its solar cell producton and add 500 jobs is a nearly $100 million bet that the nation’s solar boom keeps on booming, despite doubt surrounding tax subsidies that have fueled growth. -
JA Solar to launch new 400MW cell plant in Malaysia
Oct 19, 2015 | PV Tech
By Mark Osborne
Silicon Module Super League (SMSL) member JA Solar is planning to launch its new 400MW cell plant in Malaysia, next Wednesday. JA Solar said in May, 2015 that is was planning a solar cell plant in Malaysia to avoid the US anti-dumping duties and said that expected the plant to be completed and start ramping in the fourth quarter of 2015. -
Siemens all-in-one unit could cut grid offshore connection costs by 30%
Oct 19, 2015 | Recharge
By Bernd Radowitz
The solution does away with the need for separate substations bundling alternating current (AC) electricity and converter rigs that transform that power into direct current (DC) electricity that is subsequently sent to land via sub-sea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines. -
Building Energy sees 'huge potential' in South Africa
Oct 19, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Edgar Meza
The Italian group remains active in South Africa, where it has developed more than 30 renewable energy projects. The company is strengthening ties with the country's government, which is eager to expand the use of clean energy. Building Energy CEO Fabrizio Zago meets with South African Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane ... -
Chile installs 144MW of solar in September, Solventus to build 78MW park
Oct 19, 2015 | PV Tech
By Tom Kenning
Chile’s installed solar PV capacity reached 741MW as of the end of September, up 144MW from the previous month. Figures from Chile's renewable energy research institute Centro para la Innovación y Fomento de las Energías Sustentables (CIFES) reported that there were 2.11GW of solar PV under construction, which is equivalent to... -
Leading solar entrepreneur to put business into liquidation
Oct 14, 2015 | The Guardian
By Terry Macalister
One of Britain’s leading solar entrepreneurs is set to announce that his business has gone into liquidation, in the third high-profile casualty for the sector this month. Howard Johns, the former chairman of the Solar Trade Association and a government adviser on renewable energy, is expected to blame the collapse of Southern Solar on the.. -
Solar Decathlon: Stevens wins top honors
Oct 19, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Edgar Meza
Stevens Institute of Technology beat out leading U.S. and international universities at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, achieving first place with the most points in 10 contests aimed at the design, construction and operation of attractive, cost-effectiveness and energy efficient solar-powered homes.
Press Release - Raising Power GmbH extends services across the PV market
Shunfeng News
Industry News
Full Text of Stories Below
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Raising Power GmbH extends services across the PV market
Oct 16, 2015 | Your Renewable News
Raising Power, a young, dynamic enterprise that strives to achieve optimal PV system performance and maximum yield for its customers, announced today that the newly founded company will offer technical management solutions and services for all PV projects. Under the management of photovoltaics (PV) experts Michele Rascher and Dirk Stahf, the company, which boasts an existing portfolio of more than 500 MWp of solar power, offers independent end-to-end technical operation management for PV systems of any size – residential to commercial to utility scale - in locations around the world. The company's suite of services also includes optimization (repowering) solutions for existing PV systems and will soon extend its reach to enhance the performance of other types of renewable energy solutions as well.
The team, supported by leading clean energy solutions provider Shunfeng International Clean Energy (SFCE), has vast resources rooted in deep expertise in remote monitoring and decades of professional experience in the technical operation and management of PV systems. Three major sites on three continents complemented by a strong partner network enable Raising Power to provide smooth operational efficiency for PV plants worldwide.
"The market's potential is ripe and burgeoning," said Dirk Stahf, managing director of Raising Power. "For years, customers and industry leaders alike believed that PV systems were completely maintenance-free, which is why even many plants today are still not monitored, PV systems are not optimized, and investors continue to lose money. Raising Power is committed to helping existing PV systems worldwide, 70 percent of which do not generate their maximum energy yields, to repower and optimize yields."
Raising Power leverages its service portfolio to address the needs of investors, PV plant builders and operators, vendors and end customers. Raising Power's solutions are tailor-made to meet clients' specific requirements and customers have the ability to choose a specific service module from the company's vast suite of solutions or opt for a complete all-inclusive service. As an OEM service provider, Raising Power also delivers comprehensive services on behalf of, and under the branding of, contracted technical operations-management companies or organizations.
"We are the customer's partner of choice for any range of issues that arise in PV technical operations management," remarked Michele Rascher, managing director of Raising Power. "In addition to our complete and broad service offering for ongoing plant operations, we also thoroughly analyze and evaluate systems to detect performance gaps and take swift measures to resolve such issues – and we do this regardless of the components used. This is a primary advantage for investors as it prevents any conflict of interest when responding to problems or outages and customers do not forfeit any warranty rights when making claims," added Rascher.
Akin to investors, end users, and plant builders, EPC and OEM providers also reap benefits from the Raising Power portfolio. Through Raising Power's solutions, providers can still offer all the services needed for technical operations management at an international level without the burden of to maintaining their own expertise and manpower.Your Renewable News:http://www.yourrenewablenews.com/raising+power+gmbh+extends+services+across+the+pv+market_122698.html
Press Network (German): http://pressnetwork.de/raising-power-gmbh-startet-durch/
SolarServer (German): http://www.solarserver.de/solar-magazin/nachrichten/aktuelles/2015/kw43/raising-power-gmbh-bietet-ab-sofort-umfassendes-serviceportfolio-fuer-die-betriebsfuehrung-von-photovoltaik-anlagen.html
EE News (German): http://www.ee-news.ch/de/solar/article/32202/raising-power-end-to-end-losungen-fur-pv-projekte-weltweit
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Shunfeng launches Raising Power in Germany
Oct 16, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Edgar Meza
Hong Kong-based solar energy group Shunfeng International Clean Energy has launched Raising Power, a new independent service company in Germany.
The firm will focus on operation and maintenance services and offer technical management solutions for all PV projects, the company announced Friday.
Headed by managing directors Michele Rascher and Dirk Stahf and headquartered in Augsburg with offices in Los Angeles and Shanghai, Raising Power will operate as an independent provider of technical operations management for renewable energy plants of all sizes – from residential to commercial to utility scale – and in any part of the world.
Speaking to pv magazine, Rascher said the company, which was established in July and currently employees 20 staffers, already boasts more than 500 MW of solar power under contract worldwide. Raising Power took over management of those plants from Augsburg-based PV monitoring company Meteocontrol, which was itself purchased by Shunfeng last year.
Rascher, who previously served as Meteocontrol’s business development manager, added that Raising Power is aiming to takeover technical operations management for a further 300 to 400 MW of PV plants by the end of the year, with the goal of 1.5 to 2 GW by the end of 2016.
Raising Power’s suite of services includes optimization solutions for existing PV systems and will soon extend its reach to enhance the performance of other types of renewable energy solutions.
Supported by the deep-pocketed Shunfeng, Raising Power has vast resources at its disposal and boasts deep expertise in remote monitoring and decades of professional experience in the technical operation and management of PV systems.
"The market's potential is ripe and burgeoning," said Stahf. "For years, customers and industry leaders alike believed that PV systems were completely maintenance-free, which is why even many plants today are still not monitored, PV systems are not optimized and investors continue to lose money. Raising Power is committed to helping existing PV systems worldwide, 70% of which do not generate their maximum energy yields, to repower and optimize yields."
Raising Power custom makes solutions to meet clients' specific requirements and customers can choose specific service modules from the company's vast suite of solutions or opt for a complete all-inclusive service. As an OEM service provider, Raising Power also delivers comprehensive services on behalf of, and under the branding of, contracted technical operations-management companies or organizations.
"In addition to our complete and broad service offering for ongoing plant operations, we also thoroughly analyze and evaluate systems to detect performance gaps and take swift measures to resolve such issues -- and we do this regardless of the components used,” said Rascher. “This is a primary advantage for investors as it prevents any conflict of interest when responding to problems or outages and customers do not forfeit any warranty rights when making claims."
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/shunfeng-launches-raising-power-in-germany_100021573/#axzz3p14jdhu3
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Shunfeng launches O&M firm in Germany
Oct 16, 2015 | PV Tech
By Tom Kenning
Shunfeng International Clean Energy (SFCE), the owner of module maker Suntech, has launched a new O&M company in Germany named Raising Power.
The new firm, which is headquartered in Augsburg, also has locations in Los Angeles and Shanghai and has an existing portfolio of more than 500MW of solar PV capacity under contract globally.
In September, Shunfeng purchased insolvent German project developer SAG Solarstrom for €65 million (US$85.4million). Solarstrom had been looking for new investment after a number of delayed project payments forced it to begin insolvency proceedings at the end of 2013.
Shunfeng has now founded Raising Power in Germany, claiming that its team has “extensive expertise” in remote monitoring and experience in the technical operation and administration of PV systems. Supported by SFCE, the firm will work with investors, system manufacturers and operators as well as suppliers and customers.
Dirk Stahf, chief executive of Raising Power, said the company’s goal is to optimise existing solar plants, of which 70% are not operating to their maximum energy yields. The company also aims to maximise returns on investment in solar power.
Link: http://www.pv-tech.org/news/shunfeng_launches_om_firm_in_germany
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Gwinnett solar firm betting surge is no fluke
Oct 16, 2015 | My AJC (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution )
By J. Scott Trubey
Norcross solar company Suniva, a darling of Georgia’s clean energy sector, is taking the long view.
Its plan to nearly triple its solar cell producton and add 500 jobs is a nearly $100 million bet that the nation’s solar boom keeps on booming, despite doubt surrounding tax subsidies that have fueled growth.
The nation’s recent embrace of solar — driven by companies hoping for greener bona fides and utilities like Georgia Power looking to comply with federal environmental mandates — is central to Suniva’s expansion plans. As is fresh investment from a Chinese clean energy group.
It’s also aided in part by a bounty of federal and state incentives. The federal government — as with many energy sources including oil — has heavily subsidized solar, while the state of Georgia and Gwinnett County have aided Suniva to the tune of millions of dollars in tax credits for new jobs, grants and other incentives.
The Obama Administration’s plan to promote renewable energy sources is expected to keep fueling solar’s growth, but the industry also faces some significant hurdles.Ga. farmers harvest rays as solar grows
A number of U.S. solar panel makers have closed or merged in recent years amid low profit margins and Chinese competitors that have flooded the market with cheaper panels. And the future of a pair of key federal investment tax credits that have stimulated U.S. development of solar energy is in doubt.
The federal government offers a 30 percent investment tax credit for commercial and residential solar panels. At the end of 2016, the commercial credit is scheduled to be reduced to 10 percent, and the residential credit will disappear unless a divided Congress acts.
The economics for utilities or corporations for installing solar arrays are “vastly less attractive at a 10 percent investment tax credit than a 30 percent tax credit,” said Mark Barnett, analyst with Morningstar.More business coverageHotel occupancy nearing peak years in metro AtlantaSunTrust: year-ago noise obscures third-quarter gainsFor Sales, PC-Makers Cozy Up to Competitors 5 facts behind Georgia’s 5.8 percent unemployment rateMore More business coverage »
“(U.S. manufacturers) are going to be under pressure if the 30 percent investment tax credit is not renewed,” he said.
That looming deadline has utilities and other businesses in particular racing to complete solar arrays to cash in before credits become less valuable. That has goosed demand this year and next, but one forecast said solar deployment could stall if the credits aren’t extended.
On its blog, the Solar Electric Power Association noted last month that of the 14 large-scale (what it termed “utility-scale projects”) announced during the second quarter of this year, only one is scheduled to be finished after the commercial tax credit is cut by two-thirds. Three others do not have a specified completion date.
Two of those 14 announced projects are in Georgia, and are expected to produce 55.2 megawatts. Ten other solar plants in Georgia are currently under construction.
Federal environmental mandates, moves by states to require more alternative energy sources and the plunging cost of solar panels could help prevent the industry from losing too much momentum, solar backers say.
‘Demand supports it’
Matt Card, a vice president for Suniva, expressed confidence not only in the business but in the future of solar power – whether the credits are extended in their current forms are not.
The Suniva expansion should wrap up in the second half of 2016 as the credits near their sunset. The expansion will grow Suniva’s solar cell production, as measured by potential power production of cells, from 150 megawatts to more than 400 megawatts a year.
“We have demand that supports it,” Card said.
Suniva says its cells are far more efficient than those of its competitors, earning Suniva’s panels a premium. Suniva is the No. 2 U.S.-based solar panel producer in a hyper competitive market dominated in large part by Chinese firms.
To compete with lower cost competitors, cells made by Suniva in Georgia used to be shipped to China to be assembled into panels and then shipped back.
To protect U.S. solar manufacturers from Chinese competitors, the U.S. enacted tariffs in recent years and Suniva brought its manufacturing back, opening a panel assembly plant in Michigan.
In August, Shunfeng International Clean Energy acquired a nearly two-thirds stake in Suniva, a move that will help Suniva grow domestically, Card said. It’ll also let the Chinese firm tap into the burgeoning U.S. market without tariffs tacked onto its overseas panels.
The cost of panels as measured by the energy they produce has been cut by about 80 percent. The amount of electricity produced by sun in the U.S. also has grown to 20 gigawatts, second only to Germany. Still, it remains a tiny part of energy supply in Georgia and nationwide.
Subsidies not unique
Solar energy backers acknowledge the government’s aid in the solar boom, but also note building new nuclear power units and exploring for new sources of oil and natural gas remain heavily subsidized, too.
As the cost of making panels drops, the price of generating solar power is becoming competitive with other traditional fuels, Card said.
“I don’t think this will be an industry supported by subsidy forever, nor does it need to be,” he said.
Suniva has won contracts with the U.S. government and major corporations including Whole Foods.
But even as the cost of solar cell and panel production has dropped dramatically in recent years, solar power has had to compete with cheap and plentiful domestic natural gas.
Suniva’s expansion will more than double its overall workforce and nearly triple its production of solar cells, which enable solar panels to turn sunlight into electricity.
The company stands to benefit from up to $11 million in incentives from the state of Georgia, including tax credits for jobs created and a $1 million grant, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis of state data. That figure doesn’t include the value of job training from the state’s Quick Start program or sales tax breaks on certain equipment and power usage.
That follows at least $2.4 million in tax incentives Suniva has received from Gwinnett County since it was founded.
The company, birthed at Georgia Tech about eight years ago, employs about 380 people, Card said, including about 240 in Georgia.
“We would not as a community incentivize something that we didn’t feel confident about,” said Nick Masino, a senior vice president with Partnership Gwinnett and the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. “They are strong and we feel very good about them.’
Questions remain
Solar deployment is rising, but a Congressional Research Service report issued in January called the U.S. industry into question, particularly if the subsidies for solar panel buyers aren’t extended. Competition from solar firms overseas and the low cost and availability of shale gas is also a threat, the report said.
A Bloomberg New Energy Finance Report last month forecasts that growth in solar generating capacity could be cut by two-thirds from 2016 to 2017 if the credits aren’t extended.
It would then take until 2022 for solar growth to return to levels near the capacity coming online this year, the report said. Even so, capacity growth for 2017 would be equivalent to 2012 levels, when the tax incentives were 30 percent.
Bob Gibson, vice president of knowledge with the Solar Electric Power Association, said solar will continue to get cheaper, while natural gas and other fuels are historically volatile. A “hangover” is inevitable in 2017, he said, but solar isn’t going away.
“Solar is becoming ingrained into the electricity marketplace,” he said. “From an exotic niche product, it’s moving into the mainstream.”
Link: http://www.myajc.com/news/business/gwinnett-solar-firm-betting-surge-is-no-fluke/nn2dq/
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JA Solar to launch new 400MW cell plant in Malaysia
Oct 19, 2015 | PV Tech
By Mark Osborne
Silicon Module Super League (SMSL) member JA Solar is planning to launch its new 400MW cell plant in Malaysia, next Wednesday.
JA Solar said in May, 2015 that is was planning a solar cell plant in Malaysia to avoid the US anti-dumping duties and said that expected the plant to be completed and start ramping in the fourth quarter of 2015.
The plant is JA Solar’s first outside China and is located at the Bayan Lepas Industrial Park, Pulau, Pinang in Malaysia and will produce P-type multicrystalline solar cells.
Link: http://www.pv-tech.org/news/ja_solar_to_launch_new_400mw_cell_plant_in_malaysia
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Siemens all-in-one unit could cut grid offshore connection costs by 30%
Oct 19, 2015 | Recharge
By Bernd Radowitz
The solution does away with the need for separate substations bundling alternating current (AC) electricity and converter rigs that transform that power into direct current (DC) electricity that is subsequently sent to land via sub-sea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines.
Instead, Siemens is developing smaller units that combine the bundling of power from the turbines with its conversion into DC. Depending on the size of a wind park, several of these platforms in a modular approach can be connected sequentially via a DC cable, which could then flow power to shore.
“Our new solution will play a major role in decreasing the cost of offshore wind power to below ten cents per kWh by 2020,” said Jan Mrosik, chief executive of the German company's energy management division.
“This is how we plan to make the DC technology used in Germany more interesting to other markets, too.”
For environmental and tourism reasons, most German projects are further from the coast and in deeper waters than in other countries, which made HVDC technology necessary for grid link, to avoid massive power losses when shipping electricity to land.
Offshore projects in deeper waters, such as UK Round 3 projects, will probably also need HVDC technology for their grid connections.
Earlier this year Siemens presented a cost-cutting technology for near-shore wind parks that can use AC connections. These are integrated into the turbines and thus shave grid connection costs.
The compact design of the DC technology presented today permits encapsulated high-voltage electrical equipment to be used – especially diode rectifier units (DRUs), which are installed instead of the usual air-insulated transistor modules.
The volume of the platform structures is reduced by four fifths and the weight is cut by two thirds. As a result, Siemens claims, costs are reduced by more than 30%, transmission capacity is increased by one third, while transmission losses fall by 20%.
A DRU has a transmission capacity of 200MW. Typically, two DRUs are installed on one platform, Siemens says, and up to three of these new platforms can be connected to each other to create an offshore grid node that replaces collection platforms in the wind farms.
This link enables a connection to the mainland of multiple offshore wind farms totalling up to 1.2GW.
The new technology for HVDC links will also be available for projects using other manufacturers' turbines, Siemens tells Recharge. It is discussing this with other offshore OEMs.
Link: http://www.rechargenews.com/wind/1414396/siemens-all-in-one-unit-could-cut-grid-offshore-connection-costs-by-30-percent
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Building Energy sees 'huge potential' in South Africa
Oct 19, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Edgar Meza
Italian renewable energy group Building Energy looks set to remained active in South Africa after recently playing host to the country’s minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane at the company’s headquarters in Milan.
Building Energy, a globally integrated independent power producer, has developed and manages more than 30 projects in South Africa and Central Africa, including the 81 MW Kathu solar farm in the Northern Cape, one of the biggest PV plants on the continent. The group also operates wind, biomass and hydro-electric projects in the country, including the 14 MW biomass plant in Mkuze, the first and largest biomass plant in Africa.
In April, Building Energy won preferred bidder status in the fourth round of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPP) for the development of a 140 MW wind project in Roggeveld, an area between the Northern and Western Cape Provinces, and a 4.7 MW small-hydro project in Kruisvallei, in the Free State Province.
Nkoana-Mashabane said South Africa was “focusing its attention on the environment, maintaining all the goals that were set for the improvement of the energy mix and the increase in the use of clean energy, and will be one of the main players in the upcoming COP21. We are aware of the role that foreign companies, like Building Energy, play in South Africa and we’re working to keep all our commitments in order to guarantee that their investments will profit.”
Building Energy has also been active with a number of initiatives in the country. In May, the company sponsored the African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa in Cape Town, a global conference and trade exhibition for the power and water utility industry. It has also been a key participant in the South Africa-Italy Summit for the past two years.
Building Energy CEO Fabrizio Zago called Nkoana-Mashabane’s visit to the company’s Milan headquarters a “tangible sign of the good relationship” the group has with South Africa. The country “represents a market with a huge potential for companies operating in the renewable energy sector” thanks to its rich resources and the governmental programs for clean energy development, he added.
Building Energy has a current pipeline in 24 countries with more than 2.9 GW and generative assets being built over the next two years of more than 500 MW.
In June, the company announced a $200 million plan to build two solar PV plants in the northern Egyptian area of Benban with a combined capacity of 50 MW.
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/building-energy-sees-huge-potential-in-south-africa_100021595/#axzz3p14jdhu3
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Chile installs 144MW of solar in September, Solventus to build 78MW park
Oct 19, 2015 | PV Tech
By Tom Kenning
Chile’s installed solar PV capacity reached 741MW as of the end of September, up 144MW from the previous month.
Figures from Chile's renewable energy research institute Centro para la Innovación y Fomento de las Energías Sustentables (CIFES) reported that there were 2.11GW of solar PV under construction, which is equivalent to the previous month.
There were 10.33GW of solar PV approved with environmental qualification, but not yet being built. Meanwhile there were 3.56GW of PV projects in qualifying stages.
In related news, Chile-based renewable energy firm Solventus Group is planning a 78MW solar park, according to an application submitted to the Chilean environmental services.
The park, to be located near Combarbala, would contain a total of 279,160 panels and require a total investment of US$150 million. It will have a useful life of 30 years and construction is expected to start in February next year.
Link: http://www.pv-tech.org/news/chile_installs_144mw_of_solar_in_september_solventus_to_build_78mw_park
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Leading solar entrepreneur to put business into liquidation
Oct 14, 2015 | The Guardian
By Terry Macalister
One of Britain’s leading solar entrepreneurs is set to announce that his business has gone into liquidation, in the third high-profile casualty for the sector this month.
Howard Johns, the former chairman of the Solar Trade Association and a government adviser on renewable energy, is expected to blame the collapse of Southern Solar on the government for failing to support the industry properly. Earlier this month the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) denied that proposed cuts of 87% in solar subsidy levels have tipped solar companies into crisis.
The latest collapse comes as the National Grid is expected to confirm that Britain faces the highest risk of blackouts in almost a decade this winter.
The company founded by Johns has played a major role installing solar power systems for schools, local authorities and businesses.
Its failure will add to the pressure on Amber Rudd, the energy and climate change secretary, to find a way of averting a growing crisis in the sector. UK solar firms going bust - what consumers need to know
Read more
Lisa Nandy, the shadow energy secretary, accused the government on Twitter of overseeing a “chaotic energy policy (that) is putting jobs at risk particularly because of the severe cuts they have made to solar energy schemes”.
Speculation about the future of Southern Solar soured an already troubled atmosphere at the Solar UK trade show in Birmingham this week.
One delegate at the show, Jonathan Selwyn, managing director of another leading solar company, Lark Energy, said the industry was steeled for more business failures. “We are all pretty angry. Every company I know is thinking about redundancies. Advertisement
“More companies will go bust if the government does not change track. This just puts more people on benefits. It really does not add up as a sensible government policy.”
Selwyn and other executives insist the industry wants to move quickly to a point where it does not need more financial aid.
Last week, almost 1,000 jobs were lost when the Leicester-based Mark Group was put into liquidation. Climate Energy quickly followed, putting a further 128 jobs at risk.
In Whitehall, DECC insists that renewable power must learn to live with zero or lower subsidies. It argues that consumer bills are being driven up by the cost of green energy and solar barely needs financial aid given a fall in industry costs.
The introduction of a levy control framework by the government means the total amount of cash made available to renewables and other technologies is capped. The industry insists the blame for this lies with George Osborne’s austerity programme at the Treasury rather than at the DECC.
Johns was unwilling to comment ahead of a formal announcement on Thursday when he is expected to launch an angry attack on the way he feels his business has been let down by the government.
Analysis It could be lights out for solar power under this government Terry Macalister
Read more
One of the early pioneers of the British solar scene, Johns was chairman of the Solar Trade Association from 2007-12 and sat on a heat and water taskforce advising ministers on generating heat from renewable sources. He also founded a community energy cooperative, Ovesco, and is a trained plumber as well as holding a degree in energy and environmental technology.
Southern Solar has already laid off some staff in the past 12 months and more will now follow.
The Solar Trade Association lobby group has told the government that the industry’s long-term survival could be guaranteed by extending subsidies for four more years. But it said “draconian cuts” now will sink a major British success story at a time when ministers are doing all they can to support new nuclear plants.
The STA has previously warned that as many as 27,000 jobs could be in danger and has pointed out that there have been a series of earlier cuts in subsidy levels over many years.
Link: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/14/leading-solar-entrepreneur-to-put-business-into-liquidation
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Solar Decathlon: Stevens wins top honors
Oct 19, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Edgar Meza
Stevens Institute of Technology beat out leading U.S. and international universities at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, achieving first place with the most points in 10 contests aimed at the design, construction and operation of attractive, cost-effectiveness and energy efficient solar-powered homes.
The State University of New York at Buffalo took second place followed by California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), in third.
Teams competed in the 10 contests throughout a nine-day stretch that gauged each house’s performance, livability and affordability. The teams performed everyday tasks including cooking, laundry and washing dishes, which tested the energy efficiency of each house. After all contest results were tallied, Stevens Institute of Technology earned 950.685 points out of a possible 1,000 to win the competition, followed by the University at Buffalo with 941.191 points, and Cal Poly with 910 points.
Honoring the students for their participation, Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, said, “The homes you built demonstrate how affordable, renewable, and energy-saving products available today can cut energy bills, reduce pollution and protect our climate. You have shown the skills and dedication necessary to advance renewable energy and energy efficiency throughout our economy in the decades to come.”
Solar Decathlon Director Richard King added that the competition to build energy-efficient solar-powered homes helped students prepare for successful careers in clean energy. “Today’s results are the culmination of two years of perseverance and dedication. These students have helped demonstrate to thousands of visitors and viewers how to start saving money and energy in their own homes today.”
Stevens Institute of Technology won the Engineering Contest, scoring 93 of 100 possible points. For the Engineering Contest, each competing house was evaluated by a group of engineers who determined which house best exemplifies excellence in innovation, system functionality, energy efficiency, system reliability and documentation through their project manual, drawings and audiovisual presentations. Stevens also won the Architecture, Market Appeal and Communications Contests.
The University of California, Davis, and Mass/Central America team, consisting of Western New England University in Massachusetts, Universidad Tecnológica de Panama and Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana in Honduras tied for first place in the Affordability Contest.
Student teams in the 2015 competition spanned five countries across two continents, haling from universities in the United States, Germany, Honduras, Italy and Panama.
Applications are available online for the eighth U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, to be held in the fall of 2017. Collegiate teams can apply here.
The full competition results and details about the individual contests can be found at www.SolarDecathlon.gov.
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/solar-decathlon--stevens-wins-top-honors_100021592/#axzz3p14jdhu3
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