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Meteocontrol partners with 3megawatt to integrate large-scale PV monitoring services
Oct 20, 2015 | PV Tech
By Tom Kenning
Solar monitoring solutions provider meteocontrol and asset management software provider 3megawatt are combining forces to offer more features to their O&M services for large-scale solar PV systems. The joint service will provide automated import of plant data from meteocontrol’s monitoring systems safer’Sun, VCOM ... -
Near Record-Level Turbine Installation Expected in China
Oct 20, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Feifei Shen
China, the world's biggest wind market by capacity, is expected to continue adding new turbines at close to record levels next year as the nation leans on renewable energy to help cut greenhouse gases. The world's most populous nation may add about 23 gigawatts of wind power in 2016, adding to a record 25 gigawatts... -
China Three Gorges plans UK offshore wind stake at 1.1GW Moray
Oct 20, 2015 | Recharge
By Andrew Lee
Chinese developer China Three Gorges (CTG) has revealed plans to enter Britain's offshore wind sector via a stake in the up-to 1.1GW Moray project off Scotland, subject to UK policy support. CTG will take a stake of up to 30% in the project in the Outer Moray Firth, which is being developed by Portuguese renewables group EDPR. -
Octopus Investments sells GBP 400 million of UK solar PV projects
Oct 20, 2015 | PV Tech
By Ilias Tsagas
The PV projects were owned by funds managed by Octopus Investments, a company that manages more than £5 billion ($7.75 billion) of funds. These are specifically 74 ground-mounted operational PV farms whose generated power is remunerated via the Renewables Obligation (RO) scheme. -
Solar Frontier to cut panel production costs by 20%, plans overseas fab
Oct 20, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
Japan’s Solar Frontier, the thin-film solar producer owned by Showa Shell Sekiyu, is planning to lower manufacturing costs at its 150 MW fab in Miyagi Prefecture in an effort to remain competitive in a market that is increasingly subjected to downward price pressures. -
ERCOT sees Texas wind, solar surge as coal plants retire
Oct 19, 2015 | Recharge
By Richard A. Kessler
The US government’s Clean Power Plan curbing CO2 emissions could force closure of at least six or seven large coal-fired generation plants within the main Texas power grid, where as much as 23GW of new solar and wind capacity may be needed through 2030 to help replace lost capacity and meet future demand growth, according...
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Meteocontrol partners with 3megawatt to integrate large-scale PV monitoring services
Oct 20, 2015 | PV Tech
By Tom Kenning
Solar monitoring solutions provider meteocontrol and asset management software provider 3megawatt are combining forces to offer more features to their O&M services for large-scale solar PV systems.
The joint service will provide automated import of plant data from meteocontrol’s monitoring systems safer’Sun, VCOM (virtual control room) and SCADA in 3megawatt’s asset management platform BluePoint.
Safer’Sun is software that enables mobile monitoring of solar systems by displaying daily updated data.
Edmee Kelsey, chief executive of 3megawatt, said: “This data integration offers great advantages for our clients. One of the advantages is that clients are able to automatically create energy invoices using solar industry best practice workflows and to verify time of day utility or export PPA statements using ‘shadow billing’.”
A meteocontrol statement said these features save time and allow users to operate large project portfolios with greater efficiency and at lower cost.
Martin Schneider, managing director of meteocontrol, said: “We want to create the highest level of compatibility so that we can provide our customers with the most comprehensive services and have the right solution on hand for every portfolio.”
Link: http://www.pv-tech.org/news/meteocontrol_partners_with_3megawatt_to_integrate_large_scale_pv_monitoring
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Near Record-Level Turbine Installation Expected in China
Oct 20, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Feifei Shen
China, the world's biggest wind market by capacity, is expected to continue adding new turbines at close to record levels next year as the nation leans on renewable energy to help cut greenhouse gases.
The world's most populous nation may add about 23 gigawatts of wind power in 2016, adding to a record 25 gigawatts expected this year, according to Zhao Feng, director of wind energy at FTI Consulting Inc., a global consulting company.
Expansion at that pace would put China well ahead of any other nation. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates, the U.S. is set to add 10 gigawatts of new capacity in 2016.
“Such a pace will lead to a healthy industry,” FTI Consulting's Zhao said of China's aspirations.
Chinese developers have been rushing to install wind farms before preferential power prices are cut. Approved projects not completed by the end of 2015 will be subject to lower tariffs in some regions.
Total Installations
Should the forecasts be reached, China will have installed more than 20 gigawatts of wind turbines annually for three consecutive years. By comparison, installations in Denmark, a pioneering nation in the application of wind energy, will rise by 2.5 percent to a total installed base of 5.1 gigawatts by the end of 2015, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance data.
“Government policies are designed for long-term development of wind energy, though it adds to concerns that idle capacity will continue,” said Yang Xiaosheng, president of the Chinese Wind Energy Equipment Association.
For years, China's wind industry has grappled with idled capacity as the power grid tries to catch up to the pace of new installations. on average, the rate of wind farms sitting idle was 15.2 percent in the first half and may continue in double digits for the full year, FTI's Zhao said.
China will focus on tackling the idle capacity issue in the next five years, Shanghai Securities News reported on Oct. 15, citing Li Peng, an official at the National Energy Administration. During the five years through 2020, the nation will keep policies stable and ensure wind farms have reasonable profits, Li was cited as saying.
Chinese wind turbine makers are clearly benefiting from high demand and see an increase in orders and prices, said Zhou Yiyi, a Shanghai-based analyst from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The average price of Chinese turbines was 8 percent cheaper than that of foreign competitors in the second half of 2014 and is now almost the same, said Zhou.
Market Opportunities
All the same, foreigners may be making gains.
“Some foreign manufacturers are lowering prices to take larger market share in China,” said Zhou.
Combined, manufacturers based outside China may account for about 5 percent of the entire Chinese wind market this year, said Zhou. In 2014 the share was 1.77 percent, according to data from the Chinese Wind Energy Association.
Link (subscription needed): http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=77913214&vname=dennotallissues&fn=77913214&jd=77913214
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China Three Gorges plans UK offshore wind stake at 1.1GW Moray
Oct 20, 2015 | Recharge
By Andrew Lee
Chinese developer China Three Gorges (CTG) has revealed plans to enter Britain's offshore wind sector via a stake in the up-to 1.1GW Moray project off Scotland, subject to UK policy support.
CTG will take a stake of up to 30% in the project in the Outer Moray Firth, which is being developed by Portuguese renewables group EDPR.
The Chinese developer – which takes its name from the giant dam it built in China – has a link with EDPR after buying a stake in its parent group EDP in 2011 and has carried out previous wind-related deals with the Portuguese firm.
Under a deal announced by EDPR yesterday, the investment is planned in two stages in order for CTG “to participate in the investment, development and operation of the Moray wind offshore project”.
CTG will buy between 10% and 20% of EDPR’s interests in development company Moray Offshore Renewable Limited (MORL) when a new auction for allocation round is announced by the UK government under its new contracts-for-difference (CfD) support mechanism.
A further 10% investment is subject to Moray being awarded a CfD.
EDPR added: "The project may be divided in several phases, to allow a proper bidding strategy in the CfD allocation rounds."
The Moray project missed out in the first award of CfDs in February 2015, when almost 1.2GW of support was allocated to UK offshore wind projects.
The UK offshore wind sector is currently anxiously waiting for details of the next CfD auction, amid a torrid period for British renewables that has already seen the new Conservative government swing the axe at onshore wind and solar support.
The CTG announcement came as Chinese president Xi Jinping arrives in the UK for a state visit.
CTG has made several big announcements this year about offshore wind activity at home in China, including a 1GW development pact with Fujian Energy.
EDPR said in July that it will buy the 33% of Moray it does not own as part of an asset-swap arrangement with Spanish group Repsol, which will in turn take EDPR’s share of the Scottish Inch Cape offshore project.
Link: http://www.rechargenews.com/wind/1414458/china-three-gorges-plans-uk-offshore-wind-stake-at-11gw-moray
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Octopus Investments sells GBP 400 million of UK solar PV projects
Oct 20, 2015 | PV Tech
By Ilias Tsagas
The PV projects were owned by funds managed by Octopus Investments, a company that manages more than £5 billion ($7.75 billion) of funds. These are specifically 74 ground-mounted operational PV farms whose generated power is remunerated via the Renewables Obligation (RO) scheme.
Octopus Investments had acquired the projects from Lightsource Renewable Ltd, the U.K.’s largest solar PV developer, and is now a leading renewable power investor in the U.K., owning projects that also include wind, biomass, landfill gas and anaerobic digestion.
The Royal Bank of Scotland and Investec Bank facility was underwritten by the two banks and attracted strong interest from banking and institutional investors markets, closing well oversubscribed.
The RBS and Investec Bank were advised by Ashurst (legal), Sgurr (technical), Willis (insurance) and Operis (model audit), while Dentons (legal) and Lightsource (financial) advised Octopus Investments.
Secondary deals to reduce the cost of capital
The deals are in line with many analysts’ expectations that the U.K.’s solar PV sector will experience a wave of secondary deals imminently.Speaking at the Solar Energy UK trade show that took place last week in Birmingham, Ben Warren, head of energy and environmental finance at Ernst and Young’s U.K. energy team said: "The [U.K. PV] sector will experience many secondary deals in the next 18 months that will bring down the cost of capital."
Large pension funds are also very much attracted by solar PV assets, added Warren. However, "they were slow to embrace PV and ironically they now want to invest but the sector has lost the subsidies."
Overall, where long-term political stability is forecasted there are no issues with capital, Warren said at the show. Specifically in the U.K., "solar PV has innovated in capital schemes and this is why the government is nervous about solar." But the UK has recently lost its good ranking as a renewable energy investment destination due to the policy changes in the sector, Warren concluded.
2015’s Solar Energy UK was held between 13-15 October and was largely concerned with the effect of the recent policy changes to the country’s solar PV market. Yet despite widespread and understandable fears regarding consolidation and contraction of the industry over the coming months, there were also positive plans rolled out concerning new business models fit for the emerging zero solar subsidy era.
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/octopus-investments-sells-gbp-400-million-of-uk-solar-pv-projects_100021616/#axzz3p14jdhu3
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Solar Frontier to cut panel production costs by 20%, plans overseas fab
Oct 20, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
Japan’s Solar Frontier, the thin-film solar producer owned by Showa Shell Sekiyu, is planning to lower manufacturing costs at its 150 MW fab in Miyagi Prefecture in an effort to remain competitive in a market that is increasingly subjected to downward price pressures.
Solar Frontier CEO and president Atsuhiko Hirano has revealed to Bloomberg the company’s plans to lower production costs from $.50/W to $0.40/W within two years at the plant, targeting values as low as $0.30/W excluding depreciation. At this level, Hirano said, Solar Frontier could stay competitive, "even though there is further reduction in average selling prices in the market".
Over the first quarter of 2015, in-house production costs among the largest Chinese panel makers fell to the $0.42-$0.49/W range, with average selling prices of $0.58-$0.60/W. It is this range, Hirano confirmed, that Solar Frontier hopes to compete with, and the company believes its smaller Miyagi plant is ideally suited for an increase in production efficiency of around one fifth.
To achieve this, Solar Frontier has developed a new module structure that can make the most of the Miyagi plant’s compact production line, thus reducing the manufacturing process down from 32 hours to just 24 hours.
Japan’s growing residential solar PV sector is driving this push for cost reduction, and the race for grid parity is "just around the corner", Hirano said. "Our company is closer than anyone to grid parity and we can use our position to tap into demand."
The president also confirmed that Solar Frontier plans to develop 1 GW of thin film production capacity outside of Japan in a cheaper locale in a further attempt to lower production costs in the future. The Miyagi plant, if successful in shaving production costs as planned, could act as a model for Solar Frontier’s overseas expansion, and a catalyst for further growth – adding to the 3 GW of CIS module shipments landmark achieved in the summer.
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/solar-frontier-to-cut-panel-production-costs-by-20--plans-overseas-fab_100021613/#axzz3p14jdhu3
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ERCOT sees Texas wind, solar surge as coal plants retire
Oct 19, 2015 | Recharge
By Richard A. Kessler
The US government’s Clean Power Plan curbing CO2 emissions could force closure of at least six or seven large coal-fired generation plants within the main Texas power grid, where as much as 23GW of new solar and wind capacity may be needed through 2030 to help replace lost capacity and meet future demand growth, according to a new analysis.The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) study forecasts that requirements of the federal plan will result in retirement of at least 4GW of coal generation capacity, about 25% of the coal fleet within the region. The ERCOT grid serves about 90% of the state’s electric load.
This is notably less than about 8.7GW of coal-fired capacity that ERCOT forecast last November could be shuttered in an initial analysis based on a preliminary version of the Clean Power Plan drawn by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This is partly due to EPA’s final proposed plan made public in August that gives states two extra years to comply by advancing interim compliance targets to 2022 and a final compliance limit to 2030. It also was less stringent than the original version for Texas, the largest industrial state and number one CO2 emitter by volume from all sources.
Texas power plants, however, have a lower CO2 emissions rate than those in 32 states.
The Clean Power Plan aims to reduce US carbon pollution from existing power plants 32% from 2005 levels by 2030, two percentage points higher than the initial proposal. Each state, however, has different targets to meet. Texas’ goal is slightly higher at 32.9% versus an initial 38% set for the state.
Even so, Texas intends to challenge the EPA plan in the courts with a dozen or so other states in an effort to block implementation. Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton argue that EPA essentially is usurping the authority of Texas’ legislature and state agencies to oversee electric utilities guaranteed in federal law since 1935.
In its analysis, ERCOT says the forecast retirement of coal-fired capacity, particularly within a short timeframe, could pose challenges for maintaining grid reliability. It also could lead to periods of reduced generating reserves, which would increase the risk of emergency operations during periods of peak consumer demand such as the hottest days of summer.
The study predicts a sizeable amount of renewable capacity additions, due both to the improving economics of these technologies as well as the impacts of regulating CO2 emissions. The need to maintain operational reliability (sufficient committed and dispatchable capacity and ramping capability) could require the curtailment of renewable generation resources.
“Curtailment would reduce production from renewable resources, and could delay achievement of compliance with the Clean Power Plan limits,” the study notes. It did not consider the impacts of storage technology.
“Obviously, increased storage on the system would increase the capability of the system to integrate renewable and represent an additional tool that would be available to system operators to maintain grid reliability,” says Lasher.
ERCOT also suggests that the plan will also result in increased wholesale and retail energy costs in its region - up to 16% by 2030. This does not account for the associated costs of transmission upgrades, higher natural gas prices caused by increased gas demand, procurement of additional ancillary services, and other costs associated with the retirement or decreased operation of coal-fired capacity.
Lasher says other unknowns at this time about impact of Clean Power Plan implementation include potential future technology costs, the costs associated with future generation technologies and options, and those tied with electrification of the transportation system.
Environmental groups suggest that Texas is already well-placed to comply with the EPA’s rule given its enormous wind build-out, ongoing solar energy development and plentiful natural gas resources. The Environmental Defense Fund last week issued a report saying the state is already 88% on the road toward meeting Clean Power Plan targets.
They are urging Abbott’s administration and cities to invest more in energy efficiency for buildings and other options that save energy, which would lessen the need for additional generation capacity.
Link: http://www.rechargenews.com/solar/1414433/ercot-sees-texas-wind-solar-surge-as-coal-plants-retire
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