Lắp đặt điện mặt trời | Khải Minh Tech: tháng 8 2019

Thứ Bảy, 31 tháng 8, 2019

The weekend read: Chile taps ‘white gold’ for security of energy supply

Solar To Offset 40% Of New Hampshire School’s Electric Load

ReVision Energy has installed a 912 kW project at the Dover High School and Career Technical Center in Dover, N.H.

The solar array, which has a useful lifespan of 40 years, will generate over 1,000 MWh of electricity each year, offsetting roughly 40% of the school’s electric load.

The rooftop project, which includes 2,581 solar panels, increases New Hampshire’s solar capacity by 1.5%. Further, with no upfront cost, the installation is expected to save Dover taxpayers more than $4 million long term, says ReVision.

The project was financed through a power purchase agreement (PPA), which enables the city to purchase electricity at below-market rates and includes a purchase option that becomes available in year 10 of the agreement.

Investor partner Kenyon Energy owns the project and will sell the electricity to the city at a negotiated rate. The renewable energy credits generated by the array will be sold by Kenyon Energy into environmental compliance markets for the term of the PPA. Ongoing operations and maintenance of the project will be managed by Bay4 Energy.

ReVision’s agreement with the City of Dover includes an educational initiative aimed at teaching students how solar energy works and exposing them to the functions involved in the engineering, electrical and marketing aspects of the project.

The post Solar To Offset 40% Of New Hampshire School’s Electric Load appeared first on Solar Industry.

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National Solar Tour Arrives In Neighborhoods Oct. 5-6

The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and Solar United Neighbors (SUN) are rolling out a grassroots solar event the weekend of Oct. 5-6.

The National Solar Tour, taking place in neighborhoods across the country, is designed to people to learn more about solar technology and the process of going solar.

“The National Solar Tour inspires people across the country to make sustainable energy choices,” says Carly Rixham, ASES’ executive director. “Going solar allows people to reduce costs, support energy independence, protect against power outages and reduce carbon emissions.”

The 2019 edition of the National Solar Tour marks its 24th anniversary, but this is the first time Solar United Neighbors has participated in the effort. This year’s tour will also be the first to host solar open houses in every state, with a goal of engaging over 50,000 people attending and hosting.

“Solar brings people together,” says Anya Schoolman, Solar United Neighbors’ executive director. “We’re excited to partner with ASES to expand the reach of this great opportunity to learn about solar.”

The post National Solar Tour Arrives In Neighborhoods Oct. 5-6 appeared first on Solar Industry.

Gov Janet Mills Announces New Incentives for Electric Vehicles

The Chevy Bolt is one of the electric vehicles eligible for a $2,000 rebate thanks to a new Efficiency Maine program

Maine homeowners, businesses, and governments now qualify for rebates from $2,000 – $7,500 for a range of electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF (and extended range LEAF Plus), Chevy Bolt, Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Kona and Ioniq Electric, Honda Clarity, BMW i3 electric. Rebates are also available for plug-in hybrids including the plug-in Prius, Chevy Volt, and Chrysler Pacifica van.

Electric vehicles offer a significantly lower total cost of ownership than their gasoline-powered equivalents, and the new state rebate is in addition to up to $7,500 that’s available as a federal tax credit. ReVision Energy also offers special deals for ReVision customers such as a current discount for Nissan LEAFs.

Electric vehicles are also far cleaner than burning gasoline — especially if you drive on sunshine from your own solar panels! The state program, funded by settlement money from Volkswagen as part of their emissions scandal, turns the bad results of that scandal into positive results for the planet.

Full details on the Efficiency Maine website: https://www.efficiencymaine.com/ev/ev-accelerator-available-rebates/

The post Gov Janet Mills Announces New Incentives for Electric Vehicles appeared first on ReVision Energy.

Engineering & Operations – Stages 2 and 3 in the Five Stages of a Solar Installation

Engineering for solar panels installtion

Last month we covered the fifth and final stage of a solar installation, the Closeout Stage, meaning we started at the end. So what are the other four stages? Well, it all starts with the Sales Stage (what we call the paperwork chase), then Engineering, Operations, and finally Installation. We’ll cover the Sales and Installation… Read the entire post »

The post Engineering & Operations – Stages 2 and 3 in the Five Stages of a Solar Installation appeared first on The Energy Miser.

Wondering What the Best Solar Panels are for You?

“What are the best solar panels for you?” That’s a great question, but hopefully you won’t take offense if I say “I think you’re asking the wrong question”. Yes, I know, the on-line review mania that has swept the world since the Internet’s arrival has made finding the very best products a kind of sport.… Read the entire post »

The post Wondering What the Best Solar Panels are for You? appeared first on The Energy Miser.

Thứ Sáu, 30 tháng 8, 2019

Global study raises questions over long term performance of fielded PV modules in solar installations

The DuPont Global Field Reliability Program is a highly developed field inspection and analysis program that tracks material degradation and its effect on module performance. This 2019 field analysis was compiled from inspection and analysis by DuPont teams of nearly 2 GW of PV installations around the globe. While our field analysis looks at all…

The post Global study raises questions over long term performance of fielded PV modules in solar installations appeared first on Solar Power World.

See TerraSmart’s new bifacial racking system, its new tracker and sign up for Terrapalooza ping pong at SPI 2019

TerraSmart’s breakthrough bifacial racking solution, GLIDE, will be one of the latest innovations presented through an Augmented Reality (AR) experience at SPI 2019. GLIDE’s intuitive design elements; bifacial module compatibility, simplified connections, agile parts and notable reduction in hardware are just a few features that will be showcased at one of the three AR interaction areas.

But there is even more to see in AR. In addition, TerraSmart will display its turnkey construction phases beginning from civil work to the racking and module installation of an entire solar farm. The third AR experience will unveil TerraTrak, TerraSmart’s first single-axis tracker that is optimized with an A-Frame design, built to fit its ground screw foundation. The interactive experience will highlight TerraTrak’s stability potential, its simplified hardware, controls, weather station and more.

And if you enjoy playing ping pong, stop by its booth to sign up for Terrapalooza … a ping pong tournament you won’t want to miss.

-- Solar Builder magazine

Webinar: Understanding battery chemistry: What is the best battery for my solar energy system? – September 18

Wednesday, September 18, 2019 11:30 am ET / 8:30 am PT Trojan Battery and Morningstar Solar Inverters and Controllers will collaborate to bring you an informative webinar on comparing battery technologies and peripherals for your solar energy installations. This learning session will focus on each type of battery available for solar applications and…

The post Webinar: Understanding battery chemistry: What is the best battery for my solar energy system? – September 18 appeared first on Solar Power World.

Greek-German governments agree on 10-year green investment plan

Greece’s prime minister visited the German chancellor yesterday in Berlin and reached an agreement to set up an investment strategy that encompasses renewable energy.

Newly elected Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made an official visit to Berlin yesterday for talks with German chancellor Angela Merkel.

The leaders agreed to establish a green investment plan for Greece for 2020-30, which will include backing for renewable energy development as well as other sectors such as waste management, electric vehicles and educational training.

The goal, said Mitsotakis, is to present the plan early next year at a green forum where Greece will present a list of investment opportunities. With German businesses already active in Greece, the aim will be to attract even more, Mitostakis said.

Merkel, who praised the unprecedented policy output achieved by the Greek government in its first 50 days in office, suggested the green forum should be an open invitation to the private sector and offered German expertise to draw up the clear policy frameworks required to attract private capital.

The Greek prime minister mentioned the financial travails afflicting state-owned utility the Public Power Corporation (PPC), and invited German businesses to help the entity prepare a new business plan that will be finalized this year and which will focus on renewables.

That change of direction comes after the recent appointment as CEO of George Stassis, whose background is in the clean energy sector.

The utility – which operates a huge financial deficit due to its inability to collect electric bill payments – this week reduced the fees billpayers must contribute to finance renewable energy development and also cut tax while at the same time raising the price of electricity.

The changes are an accounting measure aimed at staving off bankruptcy for the utility and will not affect the net amount electricity users have to pay, according to the PPC.

The utility in May signed a memorandum of understanding with French firm Akuo Energy to help it invest in renewables. The electric company also recently acquired 45% of independent power producer Volterra’s two special purpose vehicles that own four wind parks in Greece with a total generation capacity of 69.7 MW, two of which are already operational.

The PPC also participated in Greece’s mixed solar and wind tender in April, however its 200 MW solar project was the only one which failed to win a contract – ironically because its bidding tactics were outwitted by German rival Juwi.

Afghanistan issues 40 MW solar tender

The nation’s Ministry of Energy and Water is seeking developers for a plant on an industrial park at the center of a previous 40 MW procurement exercise.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Energy & Water has issued a tender for a 40 MW solar project at the Hisar-e-Shahi Industrial Park in Nanagrahar.

According to the tender documents, the project will be realized through a public-private partnership on the build-operate-transfer model. The ministry is seeking expressions of interest by October 16 and announced a pre-application meeting will be held on September 18.

Analysts at Mercom India say bidders must prove they have had a net worth of $80 million over the last three years as project financing will lie solely in their hands.

In May 2018, a previous 40 MW solar tender – for a project at the same industrial park – was awarded to Shuangdeng Group for almost $60 million.

The Ministry of Energy and Water aims to install 500 MW of PV plant generation capacity by next year. The country’s renewable energy policy is targeting 4-5 GW of new renewables capacity by 2030.

JinkoSolar unveils another impressive set of quarterly figures

The Shanghai-based solar manufacturer has maintained gross margin in a depressed domestic market by shipping ever more modules around the world and is pressing ahead with dramatic production plans on the eve of a looming solar boom.

On a day when Chinese solar manufacturing rivals Comtec and Solargiga were preparing to push out first-half results covered in red ink, and urging investors to wait for a second-half recovery, JinkoSolar issued an update indicating it already has all its ducks lined up in a row.

In a three-month period which saw new solar projects in China dry up in the face of a delay in publishing Beijing’s new solar policy – and which saw the selling price of PV modules again take a pummelling – JinkoSolar’s gross margin slipped only 0.1% from the opening three months of the year, to 16.5%. If the manufacturer’s business outlook is to be believed, that figure will be rebound to 18-20% during the current quarter.

While China stagnated, orders from the rest of the world poured in, enabling Jinko to ship 3,386 MW of modules from April to June, up from 3,037 MW in the first quarter and from 2,794 MW in the second quarter of last year, when China was still riding its previous solar boom. That added up to net income of RMB125 million ($17.5 million) for the quarter, up from RMB40.2 million in the previous reporting period.

“A number of emerging overseas markets are quickly reaching gigawatt level as the cost of PV power generation continues to decline,” wrote CEO Kangping Chen, “which is creating enormous opportunities for us, and our high-efficiency mono products in particular.”

All set

If the anticipated 29 GW of new capacity arrives in China in the remainder of the year and growing markets overseas continue, Jinko appears well placed to ride the wave, with Cheng stating the company was accelerating already ambitious plans to ramp up its production capacity.

The Shanghai-based company’s new high-efficiency mono production facility in Leshan is expected to reach 5 GW of an eventual 16.5 GW annual output this year as Jinko’s wafer production capacity rises from 10.5 GW to 15 GW, cell output goes up from 7.4 GW to 10.5 GW and as module capacity rises from 12.6 GW to 16 GW. Those end-of-year totals are set to include 11.5 GW of mono capacity, 9.7 GW of PERC cell output and 800 MW of n-type cell production.

If the company achieves 3.2-3.5 GW of module shipments in the current quarter – and revenue of $980 million-1.07 billion – even short term borrowings of RMB7.1 billion and RMB6 billion of notes payable will appear palatable.

Hit those sort of returns and, as Cheng states, this year truly will prove to “be a milestone for the global solar industry as grid parity rapidly approaches”.

Webinar: Confused by Rule 21? Demystifying the new Smart Grid Requirements – September 11

Wednesday, September 11, 2019 2 pm ET / 11 am PT Confused about Smart Inverter requirements applicable to CA Electric Rule 21? Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase what? Let CPS and AlsoEnergy simplify this complex and ever-changing topic to give you a head start on implementation. In this webinar, we will distill the…

The post Webinar: Confused by Rule 21? Demystifying the new Smart Grid Requirements – September 11 appeared first on Solar Power World.

2019 National Solar Tour includes every state for the first time

The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and Solar United Neighbors (SUN) are proud to announce the largest annual grassroots solar event will take place in neighborhoods nationwide the weekend of October 5-6. The National Solar Tour will empower people across the country to learn about solar technology and the process of going solar from their…

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Scatec reaches commercial operation for another 112 MW of capacity

The Norwegian developer has opened plants in Ukraine and Egypt. Scatec Solar recently announced it managed to triple energy production in the last year.

Oslo-based independent power producer Scatec Solar passed the 1 GW mark for installed generation capacity this month after finishing new sites in Ukraine and Egypt. The company now has 1,128 MW of project capacity in operation and another 776 MW under construction on four continents.

In Ukraine, the company plugged in the 47 MW Rengy project. Scatec said the site will operate under Ukraine’s generous feed-in tariff scheme until 2030. The plant will continue to generate power after the FIT expires as Scatec has leased the public land it was built on for a longer period.

“We are very proud to have started commercial operations in Ukraine just 13 months after securing the project,” said Scatec CEO Raymond Carlsen. “The solar power plant will deliver clean energy to around 15,000 households.”

Scatec has 229 MW of generation capacity under construction and a further 274 MW in its Ukraine pipeline.

The nation’s “green tariff” scheme provides generous subsidies of €0.1502/kWh under a regime which makes payments in Ukrainian hryvnia but which has its payments reviewed quarterly under a euro-hryvnia exchange rate to ensure overseas investors get their expected returns.

Market reform

The Ukrainian market is undergoing changes with the ten-year FIT scheme, which guarantees payments to 2030, due to close after next year. On May 22, a law regulating the core elements of a future auction system entered force. The legislation is intended to provide greater certainty for long-term planning in a vibrant market that appeared to be at a crossroads until a few weeks ago.

Scatec Solar has also moved forward with the development of its sections of the huge Benban solar park in Egypt. The developer said it reached commercial operation for its fifth 65 MW batch of bifacial, tracker-mounted solar capacity at the world’s largest solar complex. Scatec now has 325 MW in operation at the site and anticipates its final section of the project will come online within months, to complete a 390 MW portion of the final Benban capacity.

“The Benban solar power plant will be Scatec Solar’s largest project in operation and is the company’s first solar plant with bifacial solar panels,” read a statement issued by the developer.

In April 2017, the government of Egypt signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with Scatec for six plants with a total 400 MW of production capacity. Aggregate investment in the Benban solar field has been estimated at $450 million, with Scatec providing $50-70 million of that in equity. The company worked with unnamed Egyptian developers and KLP Norfund Investments to secure additional equity investment and also drew upon a consortium of lenders led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Scatec said expected revenue from the projects over 25 years has been estimated at $60 million.

Pakistan’s Nepra mulls another 50 MW of solar

The country is steadily expanding solar generation capacity as it aims for 5 GW by 2022, helped by an influx of foreign investment from China’s Belt & Road infrastructure program and World Bank capital.

Pakistan’s National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has received an application for a 50 MW generation license from Artistic Solar Energy (Private) Limited.

According to the documentation submitted, Artistic Solar intends to install a PV plant in Saleh Pat in the district of Sukkur, in the Sindh region. Should the plant be granted a license, it will start commercial operation by 2021 and the electricity generated will be sold to the Central Power Purchasing Agency (Guarantee) Limited.

The estimated project costs are $45 million, with $36 million provided by debt financing and $9 million as equity.

The energy tariff to be paid for the solar power generated has not been determined.

The Renewables Readiness Assessment: Pakistan report produced by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in April predicted the nation’s renewables market will eventually widen to include unsolicited project applications to NEPRA but it has not done so yet. The regulator has set in motion a process to establish competitive bidding auctions.

Tariff options

For unsolicited projects, asset owners can opt for either “cost-plus” or “upfront tariffs”. In each instance NEPRA determines “the technical and financial parameters for capital and operating expenditures and applies a rate of return on equity”, according to the IRENA report. Under cost-plus, a project owner files a proposed tariff which the regulator will review and adjust if necessary. The upfront tariff involves NEPRA and other relevant agencies predetermining tariffs for specific project types and inviting industry representatives and experts to comment before setting a final feed-in payment. In each case the tariff will apply for 25 years.

In January, for example, the Javed Solar Park filed an application for the 25-year tariff for a 49.5 MW solar plant. The company proposed a tariff of $0.0855/kWh for the first 11 years, $0.0565 for the next two years and $0.02969 for the remainder of the contract. The levelized tariff would be $0.07145/kWh, according to an announcement made by NEPRA.

For projects with a generation capacity of 50-100 MW, the tariff has come down from $0.14/kWh to $0.05.

The global outlook report produced by PV industry body SolarPower Europe has predicted Pakistan will see close to 5 GW of solar generation capacity installed by 2022, up from around 1 GW at present.

‘Energy storage is not enough, a renewables grid needs flexible gas back-up’

The managing director of London-based energy infrastructure company Statera has told pv magazine a clean energy grid in the U.K. will require as much flexible gas plant capacity as battery storage.

The importance of energy storage in providing back-up grid power was demonstrated during an extensive blackout in the U.K. this month when 100 MW of battery capacity kicked in within 0.1 seconds to help keep the lights on.

The battery capacity, operated by flexible power infrastructure business Statera, provided “100% of our performance to mitigate the effects” of the power outage, managing director Tom Vernon told pv magazine.

Despite the tip-top performance of Statera’s utility scale battery capacity, however, Vernon said the ambition of a carbon-neutral U.K. by 2050 will prove impossible without extensive deployment of flexible gas back-up generation facilities.

When a lightning strike was followed by two power stations tripping to take down an extensive portion of the U.K. grid in London and the South East of England for 15 minutes on August 9, “it brought into focus the need for resilience in the grid”, said Vernon.

Flexible gas

In addition to Statera’s storage capacity, the company’s flexible gas peaking plant came online rapidly, to help ease a blackout that affected as much as 10-15% of the national grid and left passengers stuck on trains for nine hours and critical infrastructure including hospitals suffering outages.

“We had a flexible gas project which we understand prevented around 100,000 homes in the area of Hull experiencing a blackout,” said Vernon, referring to the city in the northeast of England. “It’s a high efficiency gas generating unit that only comes on for a limited number of hours each year, but when they are used they are critical.”

Vernon told pv magazine battery storage alone will not be enough to guarantee security of supply as the penetration of renewables rises in the energy mix.

“Renewables are going to be leading the charge and batteries will balance the grid,” said the Statera MD. “But it won’t be possible to balance the grid without flexible gas back-up. Even if you oversize the amount of [renewables] generation you need considerably, you would still need a battery so huge it would be unfeasible. You can’t account for the days when, in the middle of winter, the wind doesn’t blow for a week. A battery that is load shifting for a month at a time is only doing three to four cycles per year so it would have to be unfeasibly large and very cheap, and we are a long, long way from that.”

Carbon emitting back-up

With nuclear unsuitable for providing anything but baseload due to the time and expense required to kick a reactor into gear, Vernon said fossil fuel gas offers the best route – even if counter-intuitively – to a carbon neutral future for the U.K.

“Under the [back-up power] system that operates at the moment,” said Vernon, “[U.K. electricity transmission network operator] National Grid needs big thermal power stations in reserve, spinning and emitting carbon but not generating electricity.” By contrast, he said, Statera’s flexible gas plants can be put into action within 2-5 minutes.

Citing a future energy scenario envisaged by National Grid, Vernon said broadly equal amounts of battery storage and flexible gas facilities would be needed to back up a renewable energy driven electric grid, adding: “We’re only moving toward a more electrified future.”

Energy white paper

The question now, in a nation still apparently transfixed by the interminable Brexit problem, is whether the new government of Boris Johnson will act quickly enough to secure the necessary infrastructure, and respond to what Vernon described as the “warning signal” and “wake-up call” of the blackout experienced this month.

“We are waiting for the energy white paper,” said the Statera boss. “We were due to receive something earlier in the summer but we are meeting with BEIS [the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy] in two weeks to discuss issues related to the white paper. It’s true that the government has not been working as quickly as we might expect with Brexit in the background – actually in the foreground a lot of the time.

“August 9 highlighted the investment case for flexible capacity. We are clear that more flexible capacity is needed to balance the system, maintain security of supply and reduce costs to the consumer.”

Now, all eyes will be on that white paper.

Octopus adds 300,000 customers and launches community energy JV

Another large scale transaction by the electricity and gas supplier has enhanced its standing in the U.K. energy market, with the business now counting more than one million customers.

London-based electricity and gas supplier Octopus Energy has its tentacles everywhere in the U.K. after tying up a deal to acquire more than 300,000 customers from the energy brands of rival Midcounties Co-operative.

Midcounties, the largest independent co-operative in the United Kingdom, has sold its Flow and GB Energy businesses to Octopus as well as customers from its Co-op Energy brand, which Midcounties will retain. The Flow Energy business had only been owned by Midcounties since May last year, when it was acquired from Flowgroup plc.

Octopus claims energy prices will remain the same or fall for the transferred customers, whose accounts will be managed on its Kraken tech platform.

The two energy suppliers have formed a community generated energy joint venture as part of the arrangement. A joint statement issued by the partners said Co-op Energy is the United Kingdom’s largest buyer of community energy and Octopus was the first to offer a smart export guarantee tariff under the government’s new remuneration scheme for excess energy injected into the grid.

Community energy

The aim of the JV is to provide investment and practical support to increase the volume of energy bought from community projects and to stimulate the distributed generation sector in the U.K.

“The Midcounties board is extremely proud of what has been achieved by our energy business since we entered a market dominated by just a few energy companies back in 2011,” said Midcounties CEO, Phil Ponsonby. “At that time, 99% of supply came from the ‘Big Six’ [energy companies] and there were fewer than 12 companies in the market. Today there are over 70 and we firmly believe that we disrupted the market and played our part in reducing the dominance of the big players by providing fair prices, supplying 100% green electricity and supporting community energy projects all across the UK.”

Octopus Energy’s customer base has swelled to more than a million following the development. The company provides 100% renewable energy to its customers.

Mini series: The evolution of testing

Tara Doyle started her career in the solar energy industry more than 15 years ago, and today serves as the chief commercial officer at PVEL, which claims to be one of the first testing laboratories to focus on bankability for the downstream PV buyer community. The lab serves developers, financiers, O&M companies, asset owners, and insurers.

From August pv magazine

pv magazine: PVEL initially started as a testing lab, was acquired by DNV GL, and then this year, spun off from DNV GL again. Can you talk about the evolution of the company and the recent spinoff?

Tara Doyle: We think of it as the chapters at PVEL. The first chapter was the formation and founding of PV Evolution Labs, which was started in 2010 by former reliability test engineers from a solar manufacturer. The founders realized that there was an immense need for third-party due diligence for the buyer market, and we quickly became the “lab of the downstream.” We were a small startup, working hard and playing hard – typical of the Bay Area, California, solar industry. We all did everything, and we were growing fast.

In 2014, we entered the second chapter when we were acquired by DNV GL, a huge global company providing independent engineering services across a broad spectrum of sectors, and we were in the [company’s] energy sector – which they were looking to grow and expand. We were a small part of a large infrastructure of engineering support and services. We operated under DNV GL for five years and experienced tremendous growth, especially our global reach, as the company has offices in 100 countries worldwide.

This January, we split out as an independent firm again and we are now in our third chapter. I would say now it is a mix of both environments. We are back to being a tightknit community, but we now have three facilities with four times the number of employees we had in the beginning. It is a mix of startup, close-knit environment of working hard, playing hard, plus this company that has grown tremendously with a massive global reach and a recognizable brand.

DNV GL is a very big company to break away from. Has there been an impact on your customers?

Many customers were shared between the core DNV GL and the lab. They still provide IE [independent engineering] services to the banks and developers, and studies for manufacturers, so since their core offerings are different than what PVEL is doing, we do and always have shared customers.

Now, we have more new services that are coming online. We have updated our test programs pretty substantially over the last six months or so. We have expanded our team to be able to support our expanded global network of customers. But beyond that, I would say that our relationships have not changed.

PVEL started with a scorecard for modules, and has now moved to inverters. What is the history and roadmap moving forward with scorecards?

One of the things that we thought would be really valuable in the market in 2013 was a scorecard that ranks PV products and models to shed light on which products are doing well. We published the scorecard to support the downstream, obviously, but we also intended to recognize the manufacturers with products that do well in testing. This year, we launched our fifth edition PV module scorecard. They’re evolving over time. The case studies, spotlights, our process, programs, best practices were all added to the scorecard as we learned of new needs, failure modes and challenges with PV power plants.

This year, we published the very first edition of our inverter scorecard (see pp. 68-69). The scorecard is a mixture of education and actionable data.

What is PVEL doing in the battery storage space?

Our product qualification programs include modules, inverters, and in 2016, we added one for storage. We have been testing storage products for three years now. We are doing diligence support and providing data to the buyer community, and distributors as well, in this case.

Storage testing is critical as a hugely growing segment in the global marketplace as prices drop. But with that growth comes a lot of unknowns. Solar+storage assets are brand new in the market, relatively speaking. They have not been around long enough for anyone to say with confidence that these products will last the life of their warranties, or that they will perform as expected in their specific applications and use cases for the lifetime of the solar plant.

Our specialization is identifying and quantifying risk through our testing programs. We have this extensive reliability and testing program that we offer for battery cells, modules and systems. We are continuing to provide the data that the market needs to understand the risk of highly complicated units that are being deployed like gangbusters (laughs) all over the world, which are not well known in terms of history of use in a solar plant.

What type of storage tests have you been running?

On the cell level, we are running 45 different tests. We are looking at various use cases, vocational profiles, ramp rates, state-of-charge, and temperature changes. We are simulating many different environmental conditions to validate these products by comparing testing results to the parameters of data sheets.

For system-level testing, we are looking at capacity, state-of-charge range, inrush current, determining operational bounds, AC interface, DC input, the battery management systems, and then overall validation of the system response. We are looking at roundtrip efficiency and different types of operational modes. Again, we are simulating many different environmental conditions that these batteries might experience in the field and putting them to the test to see what happens, and what the best-use case for the battery is.

Will there be a storage scorecard?

We plan to issue publications on storage in 2020. There will very likely be a scorecard in the near future.

Canberra’s Battery Subsidy Is Up To $24,450

Do you live in the ACT and want the highest solar battery rebate in Australia? Well, you can’t have it! The only way you can get that is to move your ACT arse to SA. If you come to Adelaide be sure to bring some kangaroos with you because, unlike Canberra, we never see them […]

The post Canberra’s Battery Subsidy Is Up To $24,450 appeared first on Solar Quotes Blog.

Thứ Năm, 29 tháng 8, 2019

SEIA Adds Alabama To Network Of Regional Partners

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has welcomed the Alabama Solar Industry Association (AlaSIA) as a new SEIA state affiliate.

According to SEIA, the new partnership will help strengthen a growing solar footprint in the Southeast.

SEIA develops strategic partnerships with state and regional advocacy nonprofits, known as SEIA affiliates. These organizations have demonstrated the ability to engage with the local solar industry, lead effective policy and regulatory initiatives, and mobilize grassroots support for SEIA’s federal campaigns, the group says.

“A core pillar of my strategic vision is to open up new markets for our companies, and this partnership in Alabama will help us achieve that vision,” says Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA. “Alabama has the potential to create a robust solar industry. Alongside AlaSIA, we hope to level the playing field for solar and give Alabama consumers and businesses access to more clean energy options.”

Today, Alabama is home to 283 MW of installed solar electric generating capacity, ranking 26th nationally, according to SEIA.

“Alabama is a national leader for its solar potential, yet only 0.29 percent of its electricity comes from solar,” says Gregory Cox, president of AlaSIA. “By installing more solar and other clean energy technologies, Alabama can add more jobs and achieve lower energy prices, cleaner air and water, and a more resilient power infrastructure that protects our communities.”

The post SEIA Adds Alabama To Network Of Regional Partners appeared first on Solar Industry.

N.C. Solar Facility To Provide 100% Renewable Power For Fifth Third Bancorp

Alabama now home to official SEIA affiliate

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) announced that the Alabama Solar Industry Association (AlaSIA) is now a SEIA state affiliate. This partnership will help strengthen a growing solar footprint in the Southeast, building on a network of organizations that are committed to advancing solar markets around the county. “A core pillar of my strategic vision…

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Solar FlexRack has a new pricing model to tell you about at Solar Power International

Booth 425

With a scalable business model, low error rate, excellent solar racking products and world-class engineering team, it’s time to take another look at Solar FlexRack. The company has a new pricing model in place too, making it competitive in all the right ways.

In the year following the release of its TDP 2.0, the ISO 9001 certified company continued to examine its internal processes, focusing on areas that don’t get the headlines – stuff like tightening inventory, budget management, logistics and supply chain streamlining. Those updates continued to broaden its capabilities to serve larger clients and project sizes.

“As we continue to improve our operations, we become more efficient and cost competitive,” said Steve Daniel, EVP of sales and marketing for Solar FlexRack. “The added value for our clients allows us to prove our worth with increasingly larger projects. It’s a constant state of evolution, and that’s a good thing.”

On the tracker front, the company’s TDP Solar Tracker line has a self-powered option, powered by a PV module and backed up with a rechargeable lithium iron phosphate battery. Providing reliable, green energy storage, our high‐quality battery delivers optimum charging and extended life. The fully bankable technology includes integrated battery and charger, DC motor actuation, stand‐alone functionality, high precision voltage and current sensing, crystalline silicon module and mounting hardware.

Bundled with industry‐leading project support services, Solar FlexRack’s next‐generation solar tracker solutions offer solar developers and EPCs more options to optimize their projects’ designs and installations for increased energy yields and reduced installation risks. Solar FlexRack’s TDP Trackers and now, their new Self Powered option, continue to offer advanced designs that translate to simpler, faster installation, and cost‐savings across the solar project’s budget.

Check out all of our Solar Power International previews right here

-- Solar Builder magazine

Maryland Dept. Of Environment Rejects Pair Of Solar Projects

Citing water quality concerns, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has denied the approval of two Origis Energy solar projects in Charles County.

MDE is denying MD Solar 1 LLC’s non-tidal wetlands and waterways application for the Shugart Valley solar project. MDE claims the applicant failed to document and demonstrate that a serious effort was made to avoid, minimize and mitigate or otherwise offset effects on water quality. Additionally, MDE does not consider the economic or social benefits of the proposed project to justify any decrease in water quality.

MDE also determined that MD Solar 2 LLC has not satisfied conditions relating to the protection of Tier II high-quality waters in the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity issued by the Public Service Commission for the Ripley Solar project. As with the Shugart Valley project, MDE does not consider the economic or social benefits of the proposed project to justify any decrease in water quality.

“While Maryland strongly supports the increased use of clean and renewable energy sources, these two proposed projects would harm the nearby high-quality stream in Charles County and threaten our continued restoration progress in the Chesapeake Bay watershed,” says Ben Grumbles, Maryland’s environment secretary. “This is an unacceptable trade-off for the environmental benefits of clean energy. Maryland will continue to be a leader on clean and renewable energy that makes sense for our local communities and environment.”

As part of the permit review process for the MD Solar 1 application for the Shugart Valley project, MDE provided an opportunity for public comment, including holding informational hearings in February and May.

In 2017, Origis Energy secured a power purchase agreement (PPA) to develop the 32.5 MW AC Shugart Valley project for Washington, D.C.-based Georgetown University. The facility was expected to generate approximately 75,000 MWh of power each year and provide nearly half of Georgetown’s electricity load.

Also in 2017, Origis Energy announced a PPA with Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative for the 27.5 MW AC Ripley Solar project.

Photo: David Benbennick [Public domain]

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Scientists discover photovoltaic nanotubes

An international team of researchers led by the University of Tokyo has discovered a new material which, when rolled into a nanotube, generates an electric current if exposed to light. If magnified and scaled up, say the scientists, the technology could be used in future high-efficiency solar devices.

Scientists investigating various functions for a semiconductor nanotube have discovered one such material – made from tungsten disulfide – exhibits the bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) at an efficiency far higher than in other materials known to exhibit the phenomenon. BPVE occurs when a current is generated throughout the entire structure of a material rather than relying on a junction between materials.

“Essentially our research material generates electricity like solar panels but in a different way,” said University of Tokyo professor Yoshihiro Iwasa. “We demonstrated for the first time nanomaterials could overcome an obstacle that will soon limit current solar technology.”

Tungsten disulfide only exhibits a photovoltaic effect when rolled into nanotubes. The bulk photovoltaic effect occurs because the nanotube is not symmetrical and the current generated has a preferred direction to flow in. Other materials with a similar ‘broken inversion symmetry’ structure have been shown to exhibit BPVE but Iwasa and his team found that with tungsten disulfide nanotubes, the conversion efficiency was much higher than previously observed.

“Our research shows an entire order of magnitude improvement in efficiency of BPVE compared to its presence in other materials,” Iwasa said. The study has been published in Nature.

In theory, BPVE could provide scientists with a route to higher efficiency solar cells. However, the efficiencies observed so far are too low to move beyond the lab. Iwasa also noted, scaling up the nanotube to a relevant size represents a significant challenge.

“Despite this huge gain, our WS₂ nanotube cannot yet compare to the generating potential of p-n junction materials,” he added. “This is because the device is nanoscopic and will be difficult to make larger. But it is possible, and I hope chemists are inspired to take on that challenge.”

Panasonic to launch a complete solar + storage residential solution at Solar Power International

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Panasonic HIT modules have always been among the most efficient solar panels available. Now Panasonic’s new battery storage system helps solar contractors offer homeowners a complete solar + storage solution from the solar power pioneer. That’s right. Panasonic lithium-ion battery technology powers the world’s most advanced electric cars and is now available to power your customers’ homes. Panasonic intelligent battery storage systems collect and store the excess energy HIT panels generate during the day for instant access during peak hours and grid outages.

Help homeowners get the most from their Panasonic PV systems while increasing sales on every project. If you’re looking to offer homeowners a complete premium solar + storage system, Panasonic has the products and support to help build your business the right way.

Find more info at na.panasonic.com/us/energy-solutions/solar

Also, Panasonic has a complete AC module warranty

In a move that streamlines the warranty claims process, Panasonic Life Solutions Company of America is expanding its 25-year warranty to cover comprehensive performance and labor on all Panasonic AC modules, in addition to the 25-year microinverter warranty provided by Enphase. With this offering, homeowners no longer need to decide whether to contact Panasonic or Enphase if a situation requires a claim on the module or microinverter. This new benefit is available exclusively to authorized and premium Panasonic installers and also covers the labor for qualified installers.

“Panasonic is committed to providing the absolute best customer service for homeowners, and a key facet of this offering is a simple and easy warranty claims experience. It both makes our customers’ lives easier, as well as our valued installers’ jobs more efficient,” said Mukesh Sethi, general manager of the Solar and Storage Division, Panasonic Solar Group.

Panasonic’s 25-year warranty offers a product guarantee more than twice the length of many of its industry peers, as well as guarantees 91 percent of rated power over the term of the warranty.

Check out all of our Solar Power International previews right here

-- Solar Builder magazine

Kern Solar Structures makes the most corrosion-resistant steel pile in the solar industry, see it and more at SPI

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Did you know galvanized steel is not good for piles in corrosive environments? Most in the solar industry did not until Kern came along.

Kern Solar Structures manufactures and supplies a variety of premium solar support structures utilizing high-strength structural steel and proprietary technology. Kern Solar also provides fast installation times while reducing costs for all involved parties by employing manufacturer-direct supply and management practices.

Featuring products such as X-Piles and the Solar CarPorT System, Kern Solar Structures strives to lead the market in innovative, aesthetic and cost-efficient solutions that exceed all expectations.

The X-Pile

This is a heavy-duty pile designed to withstand extremely corrosive soils. They’re coated with 20 mils of the company’s Envirolast 627 and have a corrosion rate of approximately 1 mil per year. When comparing to alternate piles such as galvanizing you can expect a service life of up to 30 years. That’s 5 times as long as using galvanized pilings.

The team at Kern Solar Structures brings along over 1.4 GW of solar PV and CSP manufacturing expertise. Learn more at solar.kernsteel.com.

-- Solar Builder magazine

Ganfeng Lithium prepares solid-state battery test line

The Chinese company is ramping up R&D efforts to try and fast-track commercialization of the more productive – and more expensive – battery tech. The news was announced as part of an uninspiring first-half update thanks to falling lithium salt prices.

Chinese energy storage giant Ganfeng Lithium has announced it will start operations at a 100 MWh capacity pilot production line for solid-state lithium batteries this year.

The Xinyu-based raw materials-to-recycling business made the announcement as part of a first-half update that reported a net profit of only RMB297 million (US$42 million) for the first six months of the year, down from RMB730 million for the same period last year.

Ganfeng is investing R&D efforts into commercializing solid-state lithium batteries, which are potentially safer than conventional lithium products and boast a higher energy density but which are also much more costly to manufacture.

Revealing profits had been affected by a reduction in public subsidies for electric vehicles due to a policy change introduced by Beijing in March, Ganfeng reported falling lithium salt prices had also hit its bottom line.

Volkswagen tie-up

The company said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Volkswagen to supply the carmaker and its subsidiaries with EV batteries for the next decade. The German company in return will co-operate on recycling efforts and solid-state R&D, according to the Ganfeng results, published on the Hong Kong exchange today.

With the EU in particular voicing concerns about the sustainability of the existing lithium battery market, Ganfeng announced an intent to “become one of the leading players in the global lithium battery recycling sector”.

The Chinese company said subsidiary Ganfeng Recycling Technology Co Ltd completed permitting procedures on a battery recycling facility with the capacity to process 34,000 tons per year of end-of-life lithium batteries during the first half of 2019. Work started on a second phase, 12,000 ton expansion operation in January, according to the manufacturer, with the eventual aim of establishing a facility able to recycle 100,000 tons of dead batteries annually.

The financial update revealed Ganfeng’s lithium processing and non-battery product operation was the only part of the business to register a gross profit from January to June, as it brought in RMB415 million. The lithium battery unit lost RMB23.4 million during that period and the capital-intensive raw materials business lost RMB4.04 million.

APsystems reminds you it has the most powerful solar microinverter on the market at SPI

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For nearly 10 years, APsystems has been a leader in power conversion products for the global solar PV industry and boasts the world’s best-selling multi-module microinverters. Founded in Silicon Valley in 2010, APsystems has grown to encompass three global business units with offices around the world, serving customers in more than 80 countries with its groundbreaking multi-module microinverters, including the QS1, APsystems’ new 4-in-1 single-phase unit, and the YC600, the world’s most advanced dual-module microinverter.

Inside the QS1

The QS1 offers 75% faster installation time, while offering the highest peak output power and up to 3X faster data transmission speed than PLC. A wider MPPT voltage range will result in a greater energy harvest for homeowners. The QS1 is designed to accommodate today’s high output PV panels up to 375W, offering 300W AC output per channel, the highest among microinverters. The unit also significantly reduces installation time and costs, taking the place of four conventional microinverters per each QS1 installed while still providing four independent MPPT.

The QS1 utilizes a common AC trunk cabling with the dual-module YC600, offering flexible mix-and-match compatibility on the same circuit to enhance site design capability and maximize circuit capacity. Both microinverters also utilize the same gateways; installers can choose from the ECU-R, for single or multi-residential installations, or the ECU-C, for applications requiring consumption monitoring and advanced contact/relay features.

Today, with millions of units sold producing more than 300 GWh of clean, renewable energy, APsystems continues to be a leader in the ever-growing solar MLPE segment for residential and commercial applications. APsystems USA is based in Seattle.

For more information on APsystems, head to usa.APsystems.com.

-- Solar Builder magazine

Hannah Solar Government Services to build solar project for NASA flight facility in Virginia

Hannah Solar Government Services (HSGS) will construct a 4-MW ground mounted solar system and 470-kW worth of parking canopies at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility located on Wallops Island, a six- square-mile island off the coast of Virginia. Wallops Flight Facility was established in 1945 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics as a center for…

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Fifth Third Bank powering entire company with 120-MWdc solar system

Fifth Third Bank officially marked the opening of the 120-MWdc Aulander Holloman Solar Facility in Hertford County, North Carolina. Built by solar developer SunEnergy1, the facility is expected to generate clean power that is more than or equal to the amount of energy Fifth Third uses in a year. The system is composed of about…

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AceClamp has a new racking system to show you at Solar Power International this year

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This September, AceClamp will be announcing its newest solar racking system. Developed after months of research and interviews with solar installers, the end result is a patent-pending adjustable PV rack product designed for simplicity, ease of installations, and wind resistance.

Originally invented for high-velocity hurricane zone (HVHZ) applications, the new solar racking system by AceClamp is capable of resisting up to 200 mph winds when mounted to Island Style Roofs (ISR), exceeding the HVHZ standard 185 mph.

In addition to ISR, AceClamp’s solar racking system can also be securely fitted to standing seam metal roofs (SSMR) using any of AceClamp’s non-penetrating, sliding-pin metal roof clamps. The system is compatible with a multitude of mechanical lock and nail-down metal roofs, as well as TPO, Membrane and asphalt shingles. AceClamp also plans to add compatibility with their soon to be announced corrugated exposed fastener metal roof system.

The kit, which comes partially assembled, features symmetrical shapes that simplify and speed the installation. Installers simply snap-fit parts onto the rail and tighten them down. End supports automatically match panel height and are able to be secured using one hand.

Both of AceClamp’s classic Rackless Solar Mounting Kits and L-Foot Kit utilize its patented “slide-pin,” non-penetrating roofing clamps that help prevent roofing panel damage that set screws can cause. Tough stainless steel serrated caps on top and bottom creates a reliable panel connection, and its clamp grounding slot allows for wire security. The kit is universal, designed to fit every PV panel size. The made-in-the-USA parts are readily available and constructed of non-corrosive aluminum and stainless steel material.

For more information, head to www.aceclamp.com.

-- Solar Builder magazine

Advanced SCADA functionality helps solar operators manage the future

By Bob Wood, chief operating officer and chief technology officer, Trimark Associates Technology exists to improve our lives. For those in the energy industry, SCADA system technology helps to operate solar sites. An acronym for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, SCADA is a system that links together numerous hardware and software components of a site…

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TurningPoint Energy to pursue community solar development in Maine

TurningPoint Energy is going to expand its community solar efforts to the state of Maine. The New England team of renewable energy development company (focused on community solar, utility-solar and battery storage) will start engaging landowners interested in leasing or selling their property for solar development, residential and commercial customers interested in participating in solar projects and pro-solar communities seeking to bring clean energy to their residents.

Why Maine? In June, Maine became the 20th state to enable community solar programs when Governor Janet Mills signed into law L.D. 1711, “An Act to Promote Solar Energy projects and Distributed Generation Resources.” The comprehensive bipartisan solar bill has created a pathway for the development of over 400 MW of solar including community solar for the benefit of local homeowners, businesses, municipalities, and other organizations.

“It’s exciting to see the state of Maine open its doors to the community solar industry,” said Jared Schoch, president of TurningPoint Energy. “Our team has been bringing community solar to communities throughout the country. These projects not only help bring clean, renewable energy to people who do not have access to solar power, such as those who may not have a suitable roof for panels, renters, or low-to-moderate income earners, but also help bring jobs, tax revenue and economic growth to the state.”

Community Solar 101

Community solar is unique because it offers a hassle-free way for residential and business customers to adopt solar energy with zero upfront cost and without needing to install a system on their own property. For instance, renters or businesses that can’t or don’t want to install solar at their property can still reap the benefits of solar energy when they subscribe to a community solar project and reduce their monthly utility bill.

According to the national Coalition for Community Solar Access, the expansion of solar into the state of Maine will bring 553 sustained jobs during the construction of the solar facilities and $323.5 million in local economic benefits across the state through local tax revenue. All while bringing clean and affordable solar energy to 18,100 customers.

Residents and Local Businesses: Community solar subscribers can immediately save on their electricity costs with no money down while also limiting their exposure to fluctuations in high energy costs.

Landowners: Individual landowners who open their land up for community solar projects will benefit from thousands of dollars in annual lease payments. If you are a landowner in Maine and would like to discuss selling or leasing your property for a community solar project, you are encouraged to contact TurningPoint Energy. (How sites are selected.)

Local Communities: Towns that are home to a community solar project benefit from local tax revenues. Additionally, TurningPoint Energy strives to invest in each community we work in. The company actively supports public schools, community initiatives, and non-profit organizations.

-- Solar Builder magazine