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SFCE Oct 28
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Vidoe: Solar hit hardest by oil price slump: Energy expert
Oct 26, 2015 | CNBC
Eric Luo, CEO of Shunfeng International Clean Engery, says... -
What Apple’s Solar Plans In China Could Mean For Tech Laborers
Oct 27, 2015 | Climate Progress
By Lauren C. Williams
Just weeks after selling out its best-selling iPhone 6s, Apple announced plans to clean up its supply chain through two clean energy programs aimed at reducing carbon emissions in its Chinese manufacturing plants — a move that could start a ripple effect in how the industry sources materials and the labor it uses to build the devices everyone... -
Trina signs $1.57bn financing deal with CITIC
Oct 28, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
Chinese vertically integrated solar company Trina Solar has announced today a financing deal with CITIC worth RMB10 billion (US$1.57 billion). The strategic cooperative financing arrangement will steer RMB5 billion (approximately $760 million) in funds towards Trina’s ongoing equipment upgrade plans and downstream activities. -
U.S. Funds Clean Energy Development in Indonesia
Oct 28, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Rebecca Kern
The U.S. and Indonesia are partnering to promote the development of clean energy technologies and policies, reduce energy-sector greenhouse gases emissions and improve energy access in Indonesia. The White House is providing funding focused on clean energy development in Indonesia, according to an Oct. 26... -
Germany: 150 GW PV capacity viable with just 40 GW storage
Oct 28, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
Germany’s cumulative solar PV capacity could be quadrupled from 39.2 GW currently to more than 150 GW with ease – provided the nation’s electricity system had the appropriate level of integrated storage, finds a new study by Agora Energiewende. The study found that 40 GW of battery storage capacity would sufficiently support... -
Renewables sweep Chile's power auction
Oct 27, 2015 | Recharge
By Alexandre Spatuzza
Renewable-power projects – mostly wind and solar – won the entirety of the 1,200GWh of electricity contracts up for grabs in Chile's latest power auction, outcompeting thermal projects. The five winning bidders were: Spain's Abengoa, Aela Generación (controlled by Ireland's Mainstream Renewable Power and Actis), Chile's Ibereolica Cabo Leones... -
Superblock shareholders warned over planned $407m Thai solar investment
Oct 28, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
A $407 million deal by Chinese solar power company Superblock to acquire 290 MW of Thai solar PV capacity is flawed, say Thailand’s securities regulator and the country’s stock exchange (SET), which have warned shareholders of the firm to scrutinize the details of the planned agreement.
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Vidoe: Solar hit hardest by oil price slump: Energy expert
Oct 26, 2015 | CNBC
Eric Luo, CEO of Shunfeng International Clean Engery, says...
Link: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000438621
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What Apple’s Solar Plans In China Could Mean For Tech Laborers
Oct 27, 2015 | Climate Progress
By Lauren C. Williams
Just weeks after selling out its best-selling iPhone 6s, Apple announced plans to clean up its supply chain through two clean energy programs aimed at reducing carbon emissions in its Chinese manufacturing plants — a move that could start a ripple effect in how the industry sources materials and the labor it uses to build the devices everyone craves.
The iPhone is Apple’s best-selling product, with the latest iteration — the iPhone 6s — selling 13 million units in the first three days it was on sale. A large chunk of those units were sold — and made — in China.
China’s smog pollution is well documented, spurring the country to triple its solar capacity by 2017. Apple likely has had a hand in that through its China-based suppliers, most notably Foxconn, which churns out millions of iPhones each year to meet demand.
But the tech giant is hoping to offset its energy use by building more than 200 megawatts worth of solar grids throughout China, with the goal of producing enough energy to fuel more than a quarter-million homes a year, according to an Apple news release.
Apple isn’t shouldering all of the greening responsibilities, however, and is tasking chief supplier Foxconn with building 400 megawatts of solar grids in China’s Henan Province by 2018. Foxconn has also agreed to zero out the carbon footprint created by its Zhengzhou factory, generating the same amount of clean energy it consumes.
“Being responsible, protecting air and water, and driving clean energy are at the heart of Apple’s commitment to China,” Lisa Jackson, vice president of Apple’s environment and social policy team said in a statement. “These projects go beyond Apple’s operations in China to help our suppliers adopt clean renewable energy.”
The program has been lauded as an essential first step in corporate responsibility, but climate advocates note that follow-through will be essential to how effective the policies will be not just for climate change, but other issues including labor and sourcing materials.
“It’s a good down payment,” said Gary Cook, senior tech industry analyst for Greenpeace USA. “Transparency is critical in all of this. Companies have to report more on their supply chain and energy sourcing — consistent, better reporting so we can measure progress. We don’t know the context of which the [energy] reduction is being made — how much energy Apple uses now compared to how much they reduce,” through the clean energy initiatives.
To make a lasting impact, he said, companies such as Amazon, Dell and Microsoft are all going to have to follow suit: “It’s going to take multiple companies…working together to [eventually] change the laws,” governing everything from carbon emissions to conflict minerals.
Additionally, consumers are becoming more cognizant of the conditions under which goods are made — worker safety and health, chemical management — and how production affects the environment and workers.
“Those companies who don’t go green will likely suffer down the line,” Cook said. “It’s in their interest to be vigilant and demanding,” of their suppliers and subcontractors hired through outsourcing, which can sometimes lead to diminished quality standards.
Apple, has led many efforts to clean up its supply chain, including eliminating the use of conflict minerals and conserving energy. But the world’s top tech company also previously fended off criticism surrounding labor conditions primarily at Foxconn. Worker safety and conditions is a storied problem with tech companies, with instances of suicides from work pressures and health risks due to chemical exposure.
The good news is that there seems to be some correlation between green companies and better working environments. A 2012 University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) study found that employees at companies with environmentally friendly practices reported better workplace satisfaction and productivity.
But Kevin Slaten, the program coordinator for China Labor Watch, an investigative workers’ advocacy group said tech companies’ efforts to go green or otherwise appeal to consumers’ collective conscience won’t automatically manifest into better working conditions unless its an expressed goal.
“I don’t know if it necessarily translates into benefits for workers,” Slaten said. “As a labor organization, there’s no input from the bottom here, this [clean energy initiative] is management driven…So whether the policy is good for the bottom line is going to be the driving factor.”
China Labor Watch released a report Oct. 22, the same day Apple announced its solar programs in China, detailing the working conditions of factories Apple contracted with to manufacture the newly minted iPhone 6 — such as workers make $1.85 hourly wage before overtime, work 12-hour shifts, and one-third the amount of safety training required by Chinese law.
The constant influx of tech products, with devices constantly being updated or created, creates “tremendous pressure to work as fast as possible,” Slaten said. “You’re working at 30 percent capacity and [the company] needs 80 percent capacity next month,” and factory managers have to hire quickly, which can lead to lapses in training and workplace conditions.
“If anything, these greening policies are net positives in the long term,” Slaten said. “But when it comes to labor, there isn’t much you can do if you want to have fair and ethical conditions besides raise wages, spend money on training, safety, design.”
Link: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/10/27/3716229/apple-goes-green-in-china/
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Trina signs $1.57bn financing deal with CITIC
Oct 28, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
Chinese vertically integrated solar company Trina Solar has announced today a financing deal with CITIC worth RMB10 billion (US$1.57 billion).
The strategic cooperative financing arrangement will steer RMB5 billion (approximately $760 million) in funds towards Trina’s ongoing equipment upgrade plans and downstream activities. Financing for these operations comes via CITIC Financial Leasing under a five-year agreement.
A second agreement, struck with CITIC Bank Corporation Limited Changzhou Branch, is for a three-year strategic cooperation agreement in the form of a further RMB5 billion in short-, medium- and long-term loans. This arrangement also includes access to foreign currency loans to help support Trina’s overseas objectives.
Trina Solar CFO Teresa Tan said that the strategic partnership with CITIC will help fuel the company’s global growth and optimize its capital structure, adding that the deal is a demonstration of CITIC’s continued confidence in Trina’s current business model and future prospects.
"The two cooperation agreements not only allow us access to CITIC’s diverse financing resources and experienced professional services, but also enable CITIC to access Trina’s established industry network and participate in our strong growth," the CFO said.
Tan also revealed that Trina will continue to pursue and secure all necessary funding that will enable the company to execute its growth strategy.
Earlier this week Trina announced a management reshuffle triggered by its growth plans in Europe and Africa. The restructuring saw former Trina Solar Europe president Ben Hill leave the company to be replaced by RongFang Win as regional head of Module Business Unit in Europe and Africa.
Trina’s 2015 has seen the company hit record revenue figures for quarters one and two, and the company has also begun exploring the possibility of launching a yieldco in order to spin-off its growing downstream assets.
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/trina-signs-157bn-financing-deal-with-citic_100021746/#axzz3prbHcLjs
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U.S. Funds Clean Energy Development in Indonesia
Oct 28, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Rebecca Kern
The U.S. and Indonesia are partnering to promote the development of clean energy technologies and policies, reduce energy-sector greenhouse gases emissions and improve energy access in Indonesia.
The White House is providing funding focused on clean energy development in Indonesia, according to an Oct. 26 White House fact sheet.
The U.S. funding includes investments of $332.5 million from Millennium Challenge Corp.'s Green Prosperity Program, which invests in renewable energy and land-based greenhouse gas emission reductions. Also, the U.S. Agency for International Development is providing $18 million for clean energy development and to assist Indonesia in reducing carbon emissions.
Furthermore, the Energy Department is funding $1.2 million for a three-year Sustainable Energy for Remote Indonesian Grids initiative to support Indonesia's energy development in remote locations.
Additionally, U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sudirman Said signed a memorandum of understanding Oct. 23 that aims to focus on remote and off-grid renewable energy, assist with establishing a Clean Energy Center of Excellence in Bali, and expand strategic petroleum reserves and collaborate on carbon capture, utilization and storage.
Link (subscription needed): http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=78214530&vname=dennotallissues&fn=78214530&jd=78214530
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Germany: 150 GW PV capacity viable with just 40 GW storage
Oct 28, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
Germany’s cumulative solar PV capacity could be quadrupled from 39.2 GW currently to more than 150 GW with ease – provided the nation’s electricity system had the appropriate level of integrated storage, finds a new study by Agora Energiewende.
The study found that 40 GW of battery storage capacity would sufficiently support 150 GW of solar PV on the grid with few – if any – issues for Germany’s power infrastructure.
Furthermore, not only would such a ramp in solar and storage be technically feasible, but such a scenario is also economically viable as costs for solar modules and storage batteries continue to fall, argued Agora Energiewende director, Dr. Patrick Graichen.
The director argues in the study that Germany’s energy policy should be tweaked to deliver a more accommodating environment for solar+storage, rather than pursuing the current strategy of building more high-voltage lines beyond 2025.
Germany’s future energy mix should instead build upon the encouraging progress already made with storage since a support mechanism for batteries integrated with residential solar PV systems was rolled out in 2013. It is estimated that this scheme has already added some 15,000 home battery systems across Germany, with more than 100,000 likely to be installed by 2018.
German Development Bank KfW revealed in September that the country’s storage support scheme had driven a 35% increase in solar energy storage projects, aided by falling system costs and the growth of self-consumption for an increasing number of Germany’s solar owners.
The spread of PV across Germany has slowed in recent years, with official figures due soon poised to reveal a national cumulative figure of around 39.5 GW.
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/germany--150-gw-pv-capacity-viable-with-just-40-gw-storage_100021742/#axzz3prbHcLjs
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Renewables sweep Chile's power auction
Oct 27, 2015 | Recharge
By Alexandre Spatuzza
Renewable-power projects – mostly wind and solar – won the entirety of the 1,200GWh of electricity contracts up for grabs in Chile's latest power auction, outcompeting thermal projects.
The five winning bidders were: Spain's Abengoa, Aela Generación (controlled by Ireland's Mainstream Renewable Power and Actis), Chile's Ibereolica Cabo Leones, Amunche Solar, and SCB II SpA.
The winning projects clocked an average price of $76/MWh, down 26% from last year’s tender.
The government had set a $108.13/GWh cap price for the auction.
“This is the result of renewable energy companies trying to be competitive,” says Carlos Finat, president of the Chilean Renewable Energy Association (ACERA).
Thermoelectric projects were also in the running for the 20-year contracts, but none went home a winner.
Aela Generación offered the lowest price for wind power, at $78.89/MWh, while Amunche Solar offered the lowest price for solar PV, at $64.85/MWh.
In all, 38 companies bid into the tender, which began earlier this year. More than half of the bids were for renewables projects.
The winning projects will have to start delivery power in January 2017.
The results confirm that Chile is making gains toward meeting its goal of sourcing 70% of its power from clean-energy supplies by 2050, Finat says.
In the last tender, which ended in December 2014, 18 companies presented bids and 10 signed contracts to deliver 10,200GWh of power for 15 years starting from 2017, or 85% of demand registered by distribution companies between 2016 and 2033.
According to the ACERA, 25% of the power contracted last year came from renewable projects.
Link: http://www.rechargenews.com/wind/1415112/renewables-sweep-chiles-power-auction
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Superblock shareholders warned over planned $407m Thai solar investment
Oct 28, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
A $407 million deal by Chinese solar power company Superblock to acquire 290 MW of Thai solar PV capacity is flawed, say Thailand’s securities regulator and the country’s stock exchange (SET), which have warned shareholders of the firm to scrutinize the details of the planned agreement.
In a rare move, the Thai regulators have reacted to advice from an independent financial adviser (IFA) who said that two of the five companies involved in the deal – which would see Superblock acquire all five to boost its PV portfolio by 290 MW – have a fair value that is lower than the acquisition price.
The Thai SET will not impose any limits on the stock’s trading, but its response to a suggestion by IFA Sage Capital that the deal is flawed will cast doubt on its fate.
"The SET recommends Superblock’s shareholders to carefully study the IFA report," read an SET statement. A similarly worded statement was also forthcoming from Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission.
Reuters has reported that despite Sage Capital’s objection to the terms of the deal, there is no guarantee that it will collapse. Shareholders at Superblock will vote on the plans on October 30.
Sage Capital also took issue with the stipulation in the agreement for Superblock to make large advance payments to the five companies involved in the proposed acquisition, opining that such a request was unfair and could "lead to an opportunity cost on the funds prepaid".
Seeking the installation and ownership of 500 MW of commercial PV capacity in 2015, Superblock chairman Jormsup Lochaya said that the investment will strengthen the company’s future revenue growth, calling it "suitable" for Superblock’s business objectives.
Earlier this month the Chinese firm secured a 75 MW supply deal with fellow Chinese company, inverter specialists Sungrow, for the shipment of inverters into the Thai market to support Superblock's activities.
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/superblock-shareholders-warned-over-planned-407m-thai-solar-investment_100021744/#axzz3prbHcLjs
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