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Suntech and Tigo Introduce Creative Energy Optimization to the Solar Market
Nov 6, 2015 | Altenergy Mag
Suntech has announced today the introduction of a new smart solar module to its product portfolio. Officially unveiled in September, Suntech's smart DC modules integrate the Tigo's modular TS4 platform. The new application will enhance Suntech's smart DC module system's performance through the accessibility... -
Say Goodbye to Solar Power Subsidies
Nov 6, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Mark Chediak and Chris Martin
In 2016 the U.S. will learn if renewable energy can survive without government support. The most significant tax credit for solar power will expire at the end of 2016, and the biggest one for wind already has. These federal subsidies have provided wind and solar developers with as much as $24 billion from 2008 to 2014... -
How Walmart Became A Green Energy Giant, Using Other People's Money
Nov 4, 2015 | Forbes
By Christopher Helman
The roof of the Wal-Mart in Mountain View, Calif. is covered with solar panels. Depending on the time of day they provide 15% of the power needed to run the store. Last year President Barack Obama stopped by here to give a speech about his energy plan. Standing before shelves filled with discount lightbulbs, Obama held up... -
China's underestimated carbon emissions: What does it mean for climate action?
Nov 5, 2015 | Environmental Defense Fund
By Dan Dudek
The New York Times revealed in a Nov. 4 article that China has been burning as much as 17 percent more coal annually than previously thought, citing new Chinese government data. It was sobering news to all of us who are working to reduce China’s dependency on fossil fuels, but not necessarily a verdict on the country’s – or the world’s... -
Global pledges only halfway to meeting emissions target, says UN
Nov 6, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
A new study by the United Nations (UN) ahead of this month’s climate talks in Paris has found that the world is on course to achieve just half of the reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) required in order to keep the global temperature increase below 2c by 2050. -
Crowdfunding Being Used for Renewables Purchases
Nov 6, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Anna Hirtenstein
If you paid for it, you probably won't be mad that it's near your house. That, at least, is what the proponents of green energy are saying. Crowdfunding, a way of raising money that asks the masses on the Internet to each chip in, is rising in the renewables industry. Traditionally used by charities, it has raised 165 million euros... -
Largest Austrian state now 100% renewable
Nov 6, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
The largest state in Austria now runs on 100% clean and renewable energy, officials confirmed on Thursday. Erwin Proell, premier of Lower Austria, which has a population of 1.65 million, told a news conference that the state is now generating its electricity solely from renewable sources, led by hydroelectric power, which supplies 63% ... -
Chile auction sees 'world-low' unsubsidised solar PPA
Nov 5, 2015 | Recharge
By Alexandre Spatuzza
At less than $65/MWh, Chile is likely to have secured the world's lowest unsubsidised price for PV power through an auction that combined favourable market conditions, a clear set of tender rules and the planet's best solar irradiation, industry commentators said.
Suntech News
Industry News
Full Text of Stories Below
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Suntech and Tigo Introduce Creative Energy Optimization to the Solar Market
Nov 6, 2015 | Altenergy Mag
Suntech has announced today the introduction of a new smart solar module to its product portfolio. Officially unveiled in September, Suntech's smart DC modules integrate the Tigo's modular TS4 platform. The new application will enhance Suntech's smart DC module system's performance through the accessibility of wireless communications, the optimization of power output, and the availability of real-time monitoring, while ensuring a reduction in the overall maintenance costs. Suntech plans to integrate the TS4 to a variety of its modules that cater to both rooftop and commercial markets in Europe and Australia.
"2015 has been an exciting year for Suntech, with the launch of several new products that we've brought to the solar market," says Victor Xiong, president of Suntech. "This smart DC module design eliminates module-level or cell string mismatch, reduces the chance of module malfunction, and increases the overall cell performance. The Tigo TS4 is a remarkable new product application that we're adding to many of our existing modules, particularly the HyPro module. The smart DC module offers increased safety, flexible system design, reduced O&M costs, and real-time monitoring. This new module enriches Suntech's portfolio by differentiating its products from others in the market."
The TS4 Platform replaces the traditional JBox (junction box), allowing customers to install different functional covers to their solar panels. The covers currently offer a range in functionality from diodes and rapid shutdown to full functional long string and optimization - all providing unique, customized unprecedented capabilities. These personalized covers are selectively deployed on each module at different price points, utilizing predictive IV (PIV) technology to maximize energy harvest at minimal cost.
Compared to a traditional module, the smart DC module provides system with greater connectivity, efficiency, and output. The smart module with the Tigo TS4 is fully integrated and compatible with all leading inverters, monitoring equipment, and mounting solutions. By providing shade tolerance at the cell level, the Suntech smart DC modules will produce more energy than modules equipped with the leading DC optimizers or micro-inverters. Increasing power output in constricted installation spaces, the Suntech smart DC module offer up to 30% longer strings that reduce BOS cost of system.
"Tigo is distinguished in the industry as being sole company to offer a modular platform where customers can cater their PV Module behavior according to their needs by simply replacing the covers," says Zvi Alon, Tigo CEO. "We are focused on partnering with tier 1 solar companies in order to focus on spreading our innovation and energy optimization. By combining our leading technologies with Suntech, we will be able to provide the solar market with the finest solar energy generation products and management systems."
About Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd.
Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd., a company incorporated in the PRC in January 2001, produces industry-leading solar products for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility applications. Suntech is a Bloomberg New Energy Finance's tier 1 solar company, based on its bankability and has delivered more than 30 million photovoltaic panels or 9 GWs of installed capacity to more than 1 thousand customers in more than 80 countries. Suntech's pioneering R&D creates customer-centric innovations that are driving solar to grid parity against fossil fuels. Suntech's mission is to provide reliable access to nature's cleanest and most abundant energy source.Link: http://www.altenergymag.com/news/2015/11/05/suntech-and-tigo-introduce-creative-energy-optimization-to-the-solar-market/21940/
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Say Goodbye to Solar Power Subsidies
Nov 6, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Mark Chediak and Chris Martin
In 2016 the U.S. will learn if renewable energy can survive without government support. The most significant tax credit for solar power will expire at the end of 2016, and the biggest one for wind already has. These federal subsidies have provided wind and solar developers with as much as $24 billion from 2008 to 2014, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That's led to a 12-fold increase in installed capacity over the past decade, helping to lower costs at least 10 percent each year.
Combined, wind and solar still generate less than 5 percent of electricity in the U.S. The subsidy cuts come as both industries face stiffer competition from ultra-cheap coal and natural gas. An NYSE Bloomberg global index of solar stocks, including those of big developers SunEdison and First Solar, has fallen by about 35 percent since June. A comparable wind index is down 20 percent.
Solar developers are racing to finish projects before the end of 2016. More than 8.5 gigawatts of solar capacity will go online in 2015, followed by at least 11 gigawatts in 2016, BNEF says. Without the tax credit, which reimburses developers 30 percent of a project's cost, BNEF expects solar installations in 2017 to drop by about 70 percent.
Rhone Resch, head of the trade group Solar Energy Industries Association, says cutting tax incentives could cost the industry 100,000 jobs and erase $25 billion in economic activity. With subsidies, solar in most parts of the country remains more expensive than natural gas, coal and nuclear. Without subsidies, solar is 35 percent to 40 percent more expensive, according to Bloomberg.
Wind Competitive
Wind is in better shape, partly because it's been through this before. Installations fell 90 percent in 2013, when its biggest federal subsidy expired. The $23-per-megawatt-hour tax credit was retroactively extended to cover projects under construction in 2014; it remains in limbo. But even without the tax credit, turbines can now compete with fossil fuels in parts of Texas and Oklahoma.
In reducing government backing, the U.S. is following Europe's example. After years of generous renewable subsidies, Germany, Spain and the Czech Republic have cut back recently. In January the U.K. plans to slash subsidies for rooftop solar panels by 87 percent .
This is all part of an investment cycle that's moving in phases around the world, says Jigar Shah, the founder of SunEdison. “The incentives created a global industry that can move to the hot markets. First it was Europe, then the Americas, and now it's in China, India and Africa.”
It remains to be seen if Congress will act to extend the wind production tax credit or modify the solar investment tax credit before year's end.
Link (subscription needed): http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=78801694&vname=dennotallissues&fn=78801694&jd=78801694
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How Walmart Became A Green Energy Giant, Using Other People's Money
Nov 4, 2015 | Forbes
By Christopher Helman
The roof of the Wal-Mart in Mountain View, Calif. is covered with solar panels. Depending on the time of day they provide 15% of the power needed to run the store. Last year President Barack Obama stopped by here to give a speech about his energy plan. Standing before shelves filled with discount lightbulbs, Obama held up Wal-Mart as an exemplar of corporate responsibility.
“A few years ago you decided to put solar panels on the roof of the store. You replaced some traditional lightbulbs with LEDs. You made refrigerator cases more efficient. And you even put in a charging station for electric vehicles,” said Obama. ” More and more companies like Wal-Mart are realizing that wasting less energy isn’t just good for the planet, it’s good for business. It’s good for the bottom line.”
And it’s great p.r. for a company that has been lambasted for a range of corporate sins, from low wages and deplorable working conditions to accusations of predatory pricing and monopolistic behavior (naturally they deny these things). But if Wal-Mart’s energy initiative sometimes smells a little like greenwashing, the Bentonville, Ark.-based giant (2014 sales: $480 billion) is far too savvy to lose money on it. Rather, the retailer has off-loaded the capital investment–and all the risk–onto partners, like SolarCity, that minimize their exposure by taking full advantage of the federal government’s generous subsidies for investing in alternative energy.
Wal-Mart has installed 105 megawatts of solar panels–enough to power about 20,000 houses–on the roofs of 327 stores and distribution centers (about 6% of all their locations). That’s enough to make Wal-Mart the single biggest commercial solar generator in the country. And it intends to double its number of arrays by 2020.
It’s all part of a goal that former CEO Lee Scott set in 2005 for Wal-Mart to be powered entirely with renewable energy. Wal-Mart uses an incredible amount of electricity. Worldwide power demand is roughly 29,000 gigawatt-hours per year (FORBES estimate). The U.S. probably accounts for about half of that–enough to power about 1.5 million average homes. FORBES also estimates Wal-Mart’s U.S. electric bill to be around $1 billion per year.
It’s not at all clear it’ll meet that goal, even though subsequent CEOs have reiterated it year after year. Wal-Mart now gets 26% of its worldwide power from green sources, including wind, solar, fuel cells and hydropower. That’s barely better than renewables’ overall 13% share of U.S. generation. “To make it harder on ourselves,” says David Ozment, Wal-Mart’s energy chief, “everything we do has to make business sense.”
If Ozment were worried about making the business case for green energy, he could just follow the lead of other retailers like Kohl KSS -2.51% and Starbucks SBUX -1.64%, which brag of running their operations 70%-plus carbon-free. But they do so by buying carbon credits or “offsets” to balance out their greenhouse-gas emissions. Were Wal-Mart to follow this approach it could offset its 20-million-ton-per-year carbon dioxide footprint for about $200 million. Ozment dismisses that as an accounting gimmick. “Buying credits would be an added cost item rather than what we do, which is lowering costs,” he says. Instead, Wal-Mart has reduced its energy costs per square foot of retail floor space by 9%.
Wal-Mart has cut costs by doing what it does best–using its heft to convince its suppliers to risk their own capital to get Wal-Mart what it wants. It gives access to its roof space to SolarCity or other installers, which pay to put up the panels (at a cost of about $1.2 million for the average array). SolarCity then sells the power generated to Wal-Mart under a long-term deal–at a price often cheaper than what the local electric utility would charge. “The value proposition is really obvious,” says Ozment, a 66-year-old career electricity exec who has been at Wal-Mart since 2003. “Why put up our own capital?”
At a dozen California locations SolarCity is even sweetening the setup–installing backup batteries developed by Tesla Motors TSLA +9.96%. They’ll help Wal-Mart save even more by storing up solar power from the sunniest parts of the day, then dribbling it out in the late afternoon when demand-driven electricity prices are highest. Wal-Mart has a similar setup with Bloom Energy, whose innovative fuel cells called “Bloom boxes” use a cleaner electrochemical process to transform natural gas into electricity. Today 42 Wal-Marts in California have Bloom boxes. They save Wal-Mart 20% compared with grid power and emit around 35% less carbon than large-scale power plants.
Constellation, a division of power-generation giant Exelon EXC +3.45%, is putting up an estimated $200 million to install 20 megawatts of Bloom boxes, enough for roughly a quarter of the power needed at around 80 Wal-Mart stores . But this kind of financing arrangement won’t work everywhere. That’s because America’s green energy revolution has been built on a foundation of subsidies. There’s the federal investment tax credit, which allows investors to deduct 30% of the cost of building these systems. And in California there are hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars available in green rebates and grants. The bad news for Wal-Mart and the entire green energy industry is that the federal green energy tax credit is set to expire in 2017. Ozment isn’t worried. After all, Wal-Mart is accustomed to putting the hard squeeze on its suppliers. “It’s an opportunity for utilities to rethink their business model,” he says. “There’s no reason there can’t be an adjustment.”
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China's underestimated carbon emissions: What does it mean for climate action?
Nov 5, 2015 | Environmental Defense Fund
By Dan Dudek
The New York Times revealed in a Nov. 4 article that China has been burning as much as 17 percent more coal annually than previously thought, citing new Chinese government data.
It was sobering news to all of us who are working to reduce China’s dependency on fossil fuels, but not necessarily a verdict on the country’s – or the world’s – prospects going forward.
It’s important to note, first of all, that China’s revised coal consumption numbers have not changed scientists’ estimates of global carbon dioxide levels in the air. Unlike national emissions data, which is based on fuel consumption statistics, global levels are measured directly.
So what do we make of the news that China, the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, has been underestimating coal use since 2000?
China needs good data, and knows it
Significantly higher emissions in any country increase the urgency and difficulty of avoiding the worst impacts of climate change – and this is especially true for an economy the size of China’s. However, it is significant that this story was prompted by the Chinese government reporting its own data corrections, and not by an external watchdog.
China has acknowledged the challenges it faces trying to develop robust emissions estimates, and the new numbers, though troubling, are a sign that the country is making progress in this regard.
This is important not just for the international climate negotiations that kick off in Paris later this month, but also for China’s long-term strategy.
China has made it a priority to upgrade its baseline inventory emissions data, especially for sources that might be included in its national emissions trading system. Good baseline data is a prerequisite to the effective carbon trading and reduction program Environmental Defense Fund has been working toward for 25 years.
Needed now: Deeper emissions cuts
It’s also important to note that while the emission data was revised, China’s growth in coal consumption has actually been declining, a trend that remains unchanged and will likely continue.
The government has recently targeted 6.5 percent economic growth as the official target for the next five years, down from the recent 7- percent rate. Slower growth, air quality concerns, new requirements to invest in renewables and energy efficiency, and the international commitments to peak emissions and introduce a carbon market will all put continued downward pressure on coal.
China’s data correction does not change our basic understanding of what it will take to reach the crucial turning point where global emissions finally level off and begin to decline.
We have long known that much deeper reductions will be required to get us there. The Paris commitments are shaping up to be a major milestone on that road, but won’t by themselves get us where we need to go.
For China, the solution remains a national carbon market that creates the incentives to lower emissions as efficiently as possible. China remains committed to launching the market in 2017.
For all of us who understand the urgency of global climate change, The New York Times story is a reminder that there is still a great deal of work still to be done – in China and beyond.
Link: https://www.edf.org/blog/2015/11/05/chinas-underestimated-carbon-emissions-what-does-it-mean-climate-action
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Global pledges only halfway to meeting emissions target, says UN
Nov 6, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
A new study by the United Nations (UN) ahead of this month’s climate talks in Paris has found that the world is on course to achieve just half of the reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) required in order to keep the global temperature increase below 2c by 2050.
Based on current pledges – Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) – global emissions will reach between 53 to 58 gigatonnes (GT) of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2025, which is above the recommended level of 48 GT laid out in the UN Environment Programme (Unep).
By 2030, current emission pledges will mean the world emits between 54 to 59 GT, which also exceeds the recommended 42 GT outlined by Unep. Leading scientists agree that such a rate of emissions will likely mean a 2c increase in average global temperatures by 2050, which will exceed the agreed upper threshold considered 'safe'.
Nobody can be sure, but leading environmentalists believe that a rise of above 2c will trigger catastrophic climate change, leading to more floods, droughts, famines, heatwaves and rising sea levels.
The current INDCs pledged by governments will serve to lower global emissions by 11 GT by 2030, but the UN says that a further 12 GT reduction is required on top of that. As things stand, there is a two-thirds chance of global temperatures exceeding 2c by 2050.
The Unep report makes similar claims to those outlined in an earlier study by the International Energy Agency (IEA), which in October issued a World Energy Outlook that called for more stringent climate pledges from the 150 countries that account for 90% of global activity.
The IEA’s recommendations would see emission growth slow significantly, perhaps not at the rate required to meet the advice of leading scientists, but certainly robust enough to lessen the chances of severe climate change.
The pledges made by governments at the previous UN climate change summit in Copenhagen in 2009 run out in 2020, by which date these ‘new and improved’ measures are due to take effect.
However, the consensus remains that even these INDCs will fall short of action recommended by scientists, but there is hope that once the summit gets underway in Paris world leaders can be convinced to increase their binding targets, pledging greater use of renewable energy, further limits on fossil fuel use and campaigns to deliver more energy efficiency in some of the world’s most industrialized nations.
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/global-pledges-only-halfway-to-meeting-emissions-target--says-un_100021887/#axzz3qhu9m1wc
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Crowdfunding Being Used for Renewables Purchases
Nov 6, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Anna Hirtenstein
If you paid for it, you probably won't be mad that it's near your house. That, at least, is what the proponents of green energy are saying.
Crowdfunding, a way of raising money that asks the masses on the Internet to each chip in, is rising in the renewables industry. Traditionally used by charities, it has raised 165 million euros ($180 million) worldwide to develop 300 clean energy projects, according to a presentation at the Renewable Energy Crowdfunding conference in London on Nov. 5.
Public backlash has been a significant hurdle in the deployment of both onshore and offshore wind farms, with locals objecting to the visual effect and the noise of the turbines. Crowdfunding could potentially create a link between the project developers and the municipality, diminishing this risk.
“An incentive for developers would be benefits such as help getting planning permission,” said Julia Groves, founder of London-based Trillion Fund, which counts fashion designer Vivienne Westwood among her investors for clean energy. “The largest players would do it for the engagement value and help with reputation.”
Large-scale renewable energy projects built by experienced developers in Europe and North America generally don't have trouble attracting capital with the promise of steady yields in the prolonged low interest-rate environment, but they can still face challenges. There are more than 300 anti-wind farm action groups in the U.K. alone, according to activist Country Guardian.
Plans to build a 5.4-billion pound ($8.3 billion) offshore wind project in Navitus Bay, U.K., were scrapped in September after escalated complaints that it would harm protected views off the southern coast of England. Turbines in France, the U.S. and other sites in the U.K. have faced similar shut-downs amid public pressure.
Crowdfunding is unlikely to raise the full amount of capital needed. But it could be an option for a portion of project costs.
“Crowdfunding has the possibility to decrease the backlash risk especially with smaller scale projects,” said Keegan Kruger, wind analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “Its success would vary region by region, as public attitude towards renewables differs across Europe.” BNEF is an affiliate of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg BNA.
Link (subscription needed): http://news.bna.com/deln/DELNWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=78801703&vname=dennotallissues&fn=78801703&jd=78801703
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Largest Austrian state now 100% renewable
Nov 6, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Ian Clover
The largest state in Austria now runs on 100% clean and renewable energy, officials confirmed on Thursday.
Erwin Proell, premier of Lower Austria, which has a population of 1.65 million, told a news conference that the state is now generating its electricity solely from renewable sources, led by hydroelectric power, which supplies 63% of the state’s energy.
Solar PV’s share is comparatively low, at 2%, but is part of a growing mix of alternative fuel sources, including wind power (36%) and biomass (9%) that is altering the state’s energy landscape.
"We have invested heavily to boost energy efficiency and to expand renewables," said Proell. "Since 2002 we have invested $3 billion in eco-electricity, from solar parks to renewing hydroelectric stations on the Danube."
According to the premier, these initiatives have helped nurture some 38,000 green jobs, and Lower Austria hopes to increase that figure to 50,000 by 2030.
Solar PV in Austria is not as prominent as in neighboring countries such as Germany or Italy, but data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) published in pv magazine’s November issue reveals that the country is on course to around 200 MW of new PV capacity this year, and is forecast to hit 215 MW in 2016. Cumulatively, Austria has approximately slightly more than 800 MW of solar PV installed according to the IEA-PVPS.
Link: http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/largest-austrian-state-now-100-renewable_100021888/#axzz3qhu9m1wc
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Chile auction sees 'world-low' unsubsidised solar PPA
Nov 5, 2015 | Recharge
By Alexandre Spatuzza
At less than $65/MWh, Chile is likely to have secured the world's lowest unsubsidised price for PV power through an auction that combined favourable market conditions, a clear set of tender rules and the planet's best solar irradiation, industry commentators said.
Amunche Solar, a local venture controlled by Spanish developer Solarpack, will deliver 110GWh annually for the next 20 years for $64.85/MWh following last week’s auction.
“This is by far the lowest non-subsidised price in the world,” said Adam James, senior solar power analyst at GTM Research.
James claimed that if indirect subsidies due to cheap financing from government authorities are included, the $58.50/MWh obtained for Dubai's Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park in January will be higher than Amunche Solar's venture.
James also said that US cash subsidies would inflate above the Chilean price the $38.7/MWh for PPAs signed at the Austin municipal auction in July.
The auction saw Chile contract 1,200GWh a year for the next 20 years from solar and wind plants, with delivery starting in 2017.
The average price was $79.30/MWh, 27% below the ceiling price of $108.13/MWh and 26% below the $107/MWh average price of the last auction in April.
“It's not the world's lowest price, but it's very low compared to the previous tenders in Chile,” said Josefin Berg, senior solar power analyst at IHS. “This makes Chile the first country to see PV competitive with wholesale power prices without subsidies.”
In Chile's tender, other bid winners included SCB II, controlled by First Solar, which sold power in the $67 to $68/MWh range. Other companies were up in the $78 to $97/MWh range, the former offered by Spain's Abengoa, probably for a PV/CSP hybrid project.
High demand, 20-year contracts linked to the US dollar, plus the possibility of selling power only during daytime peak hours, helped make the Chilean tender competitive.
Link: http://www.rechargenews.com/solar/1416115/chile-auction-sees-world-low-unsubsidised-solar-ppa
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