Quality brands for BIPV, modules and integrated systems

The three quality brands will undergo further expansion and their identity as precisely defined product and sales concepts will be maximised: "Biohaus", for example, will be retained as a name representing 20 years of experience in the integration of crystalline modules (BIPV), and the specialist for demanding integration concepts through its thin-film cells. "Solara" will continue to supply its own modules complete with VDE GS certification, as the epitome of quality products "Made in Germany" as well as high-value complete grid and non-grid connected solar systems. "Solarstocc", which has made a name for itself with high-performance integrated systems specifically in the specialist heating/sanitary and electrical supplies merchants, will focus on this rapidly growing sales channel throughout Europe.

In view of the rapid organic growth of all three companies, all existing jobs will be safe, CENTROSOLAR group emphasizes. In fact, there are plans to recruit more sales employees in Germany in order to become the "Number One" for customer proximity. The Solar Integrated Systems segment already employs a workforce of over 200.
This pooling of resources shall also benefit the company's plans for international expansion. Thanks to the enhanced efficiency of its purchasing, production and logistics functions and its well-focused marketing activities, CENTROSOLAR will in addition be able to improve the range of services available from its international subsidiaries. CENTROSOLAR is currently represented by companies of its own in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the USA. In the first three months of 2007, the group generated almost 40% of its revenue outside Germany. This share is set to rise further over the next few years.

CENTROSOLAR Group AG

Oerlikon Solar: Turnkey solar factories from just one supplier

At the Intersolar fair Oerlikon Solar presented a fully developed TCO 1200 coating plant. TCO stands for Transparent Conductive Oxide. In thin film silicon modules, these light-transmitting layers act both as electrodes and "light traps" and are therefore key components. Oerlikon Solar is by its own account the world’s only plant manufacturer to now offer this process stage with its own technology, meaning it masters the entire production process for solar modules of thin film silicon. "We are now in a position to supply turnkey factories for the manufacture of thin film silicon modules", says Detlev Koch, head of Oerlikon Solar. One of the first factories of this new, industrial kind is in the process of starting production at ersol Thin Film at Erfurt (Germany). Independent market research institutions concede that thin film technology has the greatest potential for the future. TCO layers play a central role in thin film solar modules of silicon for two reasons. Firstly, they have to show exceptional electrical conductivity in order to transport the solar electricity with as little resistance as possible; secondly, this film traps the light and passes it through the photoactive silicon layer. The optical absorption of the TCO layer must be low, the so-called light-trapping potential as high as possible. Ultimately, these factors determine the performance of the solar modules and directly reduce the cost per watt peak. Until now, there has been no supplier of a TCO plant on the global market.

"With our known TCO technology, we extend our technological lead over our competitors", says Oerlikon CEO Dr Uwe Krüger. In the past, manufacturers of thin film solar modules bought the TCO-coated glass panes directly from the glass manufacturers. For that reason, it was impossible to perform selective optimization of these key components of thin film solar modules.

TCO 1200. Courtesy: Oerlikon Solar

Fully automated design for solar factories

The TCO 1200 becomes part of the fully automated factory design FAB 1200, with which Oerlikon Solar integrates all production technologies and processes to create a turnkey solar factory. As presently the world’s only plant builder, Oerlikon Solar masters the central steps – TCO coating, thin film silicon coating, laser structuring, final assembly – with its own technologies and can supply industrially mature production solutions. The first solar factory of this new generation has been built at ersol Thin Film GmbH at Erfurt in the past few months and starts production in the next few weeks. The thin film modules, which with cost advantages of up to 30% are substantially more economic than conventional solar cells, can therefore be put into use on a broad front. Independent market research institutions predict growth rates of well over 50% for thin film silicon technology in future. "With our production solutions and innovations such as the TCO 1200, we are seeing to it that thin film silicon technology can become further established on the market", emphasizes Oerlikon CEO Dr Uwe Krüger.

Oerlikon Solar (06/28/2007)

SunTechnics to build the third largest solar farm
on the US West Coast at SSJID

South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) and SunTechnics Energy Systems Inc. have signed a contract to install one of the largest solar systems in the United States. The renewable energy turnkey provider will engineer, procure and construct a 1.9 MW single-axis solar tracking system to provide electricity to the state-of-the-art DeGroot Water treatment Plant. The .5 million installation consists of 11.040 solar modules that will produce 3.7 million kilowatt hours of electricity output annually, enough to power 550 homes, offsetting 4,106,216 lbs of carbon dioxide during the same period. The solar array will start generating clean renewable power beginning in 2008. The water treatment plant has experienced power outages and high electricity bills since opening in 2005. Clean electricity produced by the solar energy system located just over a mile from Woodward Reservoir, where SSJID owns two hydroelectric plants, will wipe out almost all of the 0,000 electricity bill that SSJID pays yearly to run the plant.

Picture: SunTechnics Solar farm in Hemau (Germay) without solar tracking system.

Courtesy: SunTechnics

"This is a tremendous milestone for California and we are very happy to have SunTechnics as an expert partner", comments Jeff Shields, Utility Systems Director at SSJID. "With SSJID about to become the greenest irrigation district in the U.S., we stand behind our promise of providing reliable water supply to residents in the San Joaquin county.”

The irrigation district is additionally considering purchasing the local retail electric distribution system as part of their efforts to reduce electricity costs to consumers at least 15 percent", Shields emphasizes. "We are happy to be part of SSJID’s major step towards energy independence and greenhouse gas reduction", says Florian Edler, CEO of SunTechnics Energy Systems, Inc. "We share SSJID’s excellent customer service focus and this, combined with our engineering and installation strength, proven through several thousands of solar installations worldwide, make us a strong team."
10 years performance guarantee ensures a pre-defined energy output

The final agreement between SunTechnics and SSJID includes an energy performance guarantee in which SunTechnics ensures a pre-defined energy output for 10 years to give SSJID an optimal return on investment. The SunTechnics performance guarantee is the only one in the industry offering monetary compensation of system size and type of installation.

SunTechnics (06/27/2007)

SCHOTT Solar to close gap to the global photovoltaic leaders

SCHOTT Solar GmbH (Alzenau, Germany) is seeking to strengthen its position as one of the world’s technology and market leaders in the field of Photovoltaics. To achieve this, the company will be quadrupling its production capacities by 2010, SCHOTT Solar announced in a press release. The Company will be investing 100 million euros over the course of the next six months alone. For the most part, production of solar wafers, cells and modules will be expanded in both Germany and the Czech Republic. Research and development and sales activities are to be extended on a global basis. When it comes to securing access to silicon over the next few years, SCHOTT Solar has made so much progress that the silicon material that will be required in order to expand activities is already sufficiently available.

SCHOTT Solar is Europe’s largest integrated manufacturer of wafers, cells and modules for use in Photovoltaics and already ranked among the world’s top 10 vendors in 2006.

Courtesy: SCHOTT Solar GmbH

Thin-film solar electricity modules produced in Jena

SCHOTT Solar is currently executing its plans at an extremely fast pace. The new manufacturing facility in Jena that will produce thin-film solar electricity modules will become operational, as planned, in the fall of 2007. The production capacity will reach 33 megawatts per year. The company has already invested 60 million euros towards this initiative. By establishing solar manufacturing at its joint site in Jena, SCHOTT will be creating 180 new jobs. In addition to thin-film technology, SCHOTT Solar will also be extending its crystalline business to include all levels of the value creation chain. Wafer, cell and module manufacturing will be modernized and expanded at existing company sites, mainly in Alzenau and Jena, Germany, as well as Valasské Mezirící in the Czech Republic.

International cooperation with renowned institutes and universities

"Massive investments in research and development will enable more efficient manufacturing, higher levels of efficiency and additional improvements in the quality of our products. Here, SCHOTT Solar will be cooperating closely with renowned institutes and universities on an international basis in order to extend its technological leadership position", explains Dr. Martin Heming, Managing Director of SCHOTT Solar GmbH and a member of the Corporate Management Committee at SCHOTT AG. The global sales network will also be expanded. SCHOTT Solar intends to intensify its cooperation with its authorized dealers. In Germany, the world’s largest market for photovoltaic technology, market penetration will increase significantly. Additional markets are to be developed on an international basis together with partners.

According to the projections of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), the global market could grow at a rate of 30 percent per year under favorable market conditions. Whereas the annual market volume was 1,362 megawatts (MW) in 2006, the output of newly installed photovoltaic systems is expected to reach 5,600 megawatts (MW) by the year 2010.

SCHOTT Solar GmbH (06/27/2007)

Intersolar 2007: More International Than Ever; New Record Number of Visitors From 96 Nations

From june 21st until 23rd, international solar companies presented themselves at the largest European trade fair of its kind in Freiburg (Germany). Content faces were not the only result of the more than 30,000 visitors, since the large number of visitors from abroad expected to the eighth Intersolar trade fair made the organizers’ and exhibitors’ hearts leap. Even long before the eighth Intersolar, which - due to its continued expansion - will take place in Munich from 2008 on, it is already promising to break new records. More exhibitors, more exhibition space and an increasing number of countries have been announced.

Even before the official closing it had been apparent that the optimistic forecast of 26,000 visitors had been too conservative. In 2007 the 30,000-visitor-mark had certain have to be exceeded.

Solar Boulevard at Intersolar 2007. Courtesy: Solar Promotion Gmbh

Europe meets the solar world in Freiburg

Exhibitors were particularly happy about the international visitor structure. Wolfgang Weber, Head of Marketing at SMA Technologie AG showed himself to be extremely satisfied with the outcome of the trade fair: "We hardly had time to breathe. The heads of our European, Korean and American subsidiaries, who were all at our stand, had one meeting after another. To us, Intersolar is clearly a trade fair for an international audience." Ferdinand Tunkel of Viessmann-Werke was impressed by the large number of international visitors and the accompanying conference programme: "Up until now, more than 50 percent of visitors to our stand were from abroad. I am sure that estec2007, which took place in the run-up to Intersolar, was to a large extent responsible for this."

The rapidly growing number of international visitors and exhibitors is one of the main reasons why Intersolar has developed into the leading industry fair - an assessment which the exhibiting companies confirmed. "Intersolar is for solar technology what CeBIT is for IT", explained Dr. Wiebach, Head of the Solar Division at Kyocera. Holly Wu, Marketing Director at Suntech Power agreed: "We were able to welcome a lot of visitors from Italy, Spain, Greece and other European countries. We are an international company headquartered in China, and for us, Intersolar is the most important access point to the European market."

Farewell to Freiburg - with both regret and high hopes

The extreme response from visitors and exhibitors has made it clear that it is high time for Intersolar to move to Munich. "We have great expectations of Intersolar’s move to Munich in 2008. Intersolar is going to be a trade fair of global importance and this made this step inevitable. Nevertheless, we all feel some regret, too. Intersolar grew together with Freiburg Solar City and we have always enjoyed coming here", says Christian Langen, CEO of Conergy AG.

The international trade fair Intersolar is Europe's largest trade fair for solar technology and has been organized by Solar Promotion GmbH in Pforzheim in cooperation with Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG in Freiburg since 2000. The two organizers will continue their cooperation at the Munich location.

For further information about Intersolar 2007 please go to http://www.intersolar.de

Solar Promotion GmbH (06/26/2007)

SunTechnics is the first company worldwide to receive the TÜV seal for its renewable energies segment

All-round provider SunTechnics is the first company in the world to fulfill and be awarded the quality seal from TÜV Rheinland for its services and working methods in the area of renewable energies. This certification honors SunTechnics for its consulting, planning, component selection, installation and services for network-coupled solar energy systems, solar thermal energy systems, heat pumps and automatic biomass stoves (pellet ovens). As an international service company, TÜVRheinland Group documents the safety and quality of new and existing products, systems and services worldwide. "The TÜV seal confirms our high standards as a premium provider of customer consulting, product range and customized system planning across our entire service range", emphasizes Matthias Ermer, CEO of SunTechnics Germany, Austria and Switzerland. "With our many years of experience and well-grounded engineering know-how from constructing thousands of renewable energy systems, we have been able to set the standards", Matthias Ermer continues.

A good example for consistent progress at SunTechnics is the technical development of its products. For example, the company has continued to develop its heat pump series STH 100/200 and STH 500/600 on the basis of specific customer needs: The new pumps are even more flexible, thanks to their modular construction, and stand out with their improved COP value (coefficient of performance), which defines the "expanded performance value" and as an example is 4.96 for the model STH 510 G.

Certified quality: Heat Pump by SunTechnics. Courtesy: SunTechnics

Increased performance and more flexibility: the new SunTechnics heat pumps

The new SunTechnics heat pump series offers house owners the highest levels of living comfort applying optimum energy supplies from external air or the earth. The energy source is connected using externally placed air modules. The efficient and space-saving direct evaporation method uses pipes laid horizontally in the ground or vertical probes drilled into the ground. On request the latter can be fitted with an element for active and passive cooling - ensuring optimum climate control in living spaces, even in summer. All systems are installed as turnkey solutions, including connection of the relevant energy source. Depending on requirements, heat pumps (brine water) are available in different performance classes from 5 to 26 kilowatts. This means they are ideally suited for new constructions and for subsequent installation as part of renovation work.

Thanks to their modular structure the systems can be transported easily and flexibly and can even be installed in narrow spaces. Using an additional air extraction module, heat energy stored in the kitchen or bathroom can be used in the air. A central thermostat with a plain-text display, which can be used to regulate up to four different energy sources as with the solar thermal energy system, can be used to easily regulate and control the overall system. An intelligent remote monitoring system will allow you to continuously monitor the system. All SunTechnics heat pumps are user-friendly, quiet and vibration-free and also work with refrigerants that are CFC-free, non-toxic, biodegradable and not flammable.

SunTechnics (06/26/2007)

United Solar Ovonic Panels Power Largest Farm-Based
Solar Plant in the U.S.

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD; Rochester Hills, Michigan) on June 7th 2007 announced the installation of its UNI-SOLAR ground-mounted amorphous thin-film photovoltaic (PV) panels to power the 1.1 Megawatt solar energy system at Paramount Farms, Inc., the world’s largest supplier of pistachios and almonds. The installation, which spans 8 acres, due to ECD is one of the largest single-site, privately-owned solar energy systems in the U.S. SolarCraft, one of the most experienced solar energy contractors, completed the installation. James R. Metzger, Interim President and COO, noted: "While the industry recognizes Uni-Solar as a premier provider of solar modules for integrated rooftop system modules, the new Paramount Farms ground-mounted array design showcases the advantages of Uni-Solar products to address the market for ground-mounted installations. We are very proud to have been chosen by SolarCraft."

"SolarCraft chose the Uni-Solar product for this project based on the high production performance in very hot, dusty and low-light environments, as well as the capability for SolarCraft to design a virtually indestructible and theft-proof ground-mounted solar energy plant", said Chris Bunas, Vice President of SolarCraft. "This is a perfect product in the Californian valley agricultural industry and many other areas that we are currently looking at. We look forward to a continued relationship with Uni-Solar", he added. This solar system enables Paramount Farms to generate enough clean electricity each day to power 300 average homes. The new system will spare the air nearly 2,600 tons of harmful greenhouse gases annually. Over the next 30 years, the air pollution saved will be equivalent to driving over 176 million miles. The system will pay for itself in approximately 6 years, ECD reports in it's press release.

Energy Conversion Devices (06/20/2007)

Seasonal solar energy storage: Tanking up on summer sun
for the winter

Huge heat storages with a volume of at least 1,000 cubic meters are able to supply building complexes or entire residential areas with solar energy. In the summer, storage tanks store the heat collected from collector fields in form of hot water. These collector fields have a surface area of more than a hundred square meters and can be used in conjunction with a local heating distribution network to heat buildings in the winter.

First built in Sweden 25 years ago, it has been Germany, above all others, that has supported the development of such systems in the last few years.

Construction of a seasonal thermal energy storage tank in Munich. Source: Solites, BU

Four different types of storage tanks are being used in ten German pilot projects. Solar heat is collected in steel tanks, subterranean caverns, duct storage, or in groundwater systems (aquifers). Intensive research efforts in recent years have increased the efficiency and reliability while decreasing the costs of storage construction. The use of seasonal heat storage is catching on in more and more countries. Denmark and Canada each built one such storage system since 2006. Dirk Mangold, from the research institute Solites, will give a presentation on seasonal storage technologies at the estec2007 solar thermal energy conference.

For more information, please visit www.estec2007.org

estec2007 (06/19/2007)

Xantrex announces OEM orders for solar inverters
totally valued at .2 million

Xantrex Technology Inc. (VANCOUVER) announced at the end of May 2007 it has received additional orders from an existing major OEM customer, valued at approximately US$ 4.4 million, to supply solar grid-tie inverters for the North American solar market. This brings the orders received from this customer in 2007 to a total of $ 8.2 million which are expected to be delivered by the end of the third quarter of 2007, Xantrex reports I an press release. "We continue to expand our market share for inverters and penetrate the rapidly growing solar market,” said Mossadiq S. Umedaly, Chairman of Xantrex. “There is strong interest in our solar inverters and we are confident in our ability to supply and service our customers with high quality products, worldwide", he continues.

Xantrex Technology Inc. (06/19/2007)

aleo solar acquires more contracts from Spanish multi megawatt
project developers

aleo solar AG (Oldenburg/Prenzlau) is announcing new large orders from Spain: aleo modules with a total value of a good € 30 million were ordered by several Spanish project developers, the company reports I a press release. They shall be used primarily to build solar farms as facilities on open land, which attract high feed-in tariffs in Spain. These contracts from project developers allow aleo solar AG, which already counts large Spanish utilities among its customers, to expand its customer base significantly and have increased aleo solar AG’s total international contract volume for 2007 to around € 50 million. aleo solar AG has been producing solar modules for the Spanish market since the beginning of 2007 at a production facility near Barcelona designed for a total capacity of 10 megawatts (MW).

For Jakobus Smit, CEO of aloe solar AG, the internationalisation strategy is paying off: "The combination of highquality technology and local presence, which is evidenced by our plant in Santa María de Palautordera, is being rewarded by our Spanish customers. We are now even switching over to a three shift system, manufacturing exclusively for the Spanish market."

Reformed feed-in arrangements for solar energy

Just a few weeks ago, the Spanish government ensured the future of feed-in arrangements by agreeing a reform of the “Real Decreto 436/2004”. "This signal was seen clearly by the market. Projects that were placed on hold are now really starting up again and we are registering strong demand far into the fourth quarter already”, explained Christopher Dunne, international sales manager at aleo solar AG.

aleo solar AG (06/18/2007)

Finalists selected for green energy awards

Pioneering projects from Africa, Asia and Latin America have been selected to compete in one of the world’s leading green energy awards with prizes presented by Al Gore. The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy has selected ten renewable energy pioneers from across the globe to enter the final stage of the competition, which takes place in London in June 2007. The former US Vice President Mr Al Gore, who will present the prizes at the Ashden Awards ceremony held at the Royal Geographical Society in London, on 21st June, commented: "The Ashden Awards are a powerful reminder that well designed and managed local sustainable energy initiatives can tackle climate change while meeting the needs of local communities. Tackling these issues simultaneously - in both rich and poor countries - is critical to addressing the twin planetary challenges of climate change and sustainable development."

Best Practise Example: solar powered boat for education, training and renewable energy supply.

Picture Source: The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy

Best examples for solar energy solutions

Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha (BANGLADESH) was selected for building up a fleet of 88 boats that use solar energy to bring education, training and renewable energy supplies to over 400,000 people. Deng Ltd, (GHANA) was chosen for developing a viable and sustainable business for the provision of solar-home-systems to rural areas where access to grid supply is limited. Sunlabob Renewable Energies Ltd. (LAO PDR) developed an innovative and commercially viable business model which provides high quality solar PV systems to the rural poor at a price they can afford. Zara Solar Ltd. (TANZANIA) was selected for providing high quality, reliable solar-home-systems at affordable prices to communities lacking access to a reliable source of energy.

The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy reward outstanding and innovative projects in the UK and developing countries which tackle climate change and improve quality of life by providing renewable energy and energy efficiency at a local level. Further information including details on funders and supporters at: http://www.ashdenawards.org. Short summaries on each of the international finalists: http://www.ashdenawards.org/finalists_2007

The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy (06/18/2007)

Thin film PV module production:
Sunfilm AG breaks ground in Saxony

In accordance with its aggressive realization plan, Sunfilm AG on June 1st 2007 broke ground for its new, 25,000 m2 thin film PV module production facility at Großröhrsdorf (Germany). The facility, which will be ready in Q1 2008, will house the company’s new tandem junction thin film silicon production line, with a nominal annual capacity of 60MWp. Production is scheduled to start towards the middle of 2008. At the ground breaking ceremony, Prof. Dr. Georg Milbradt, Prime Minister of Saxony stressed the importance of Sunfilm’s photovoltaic activity for the state. When in full production, the facility will employ at least 180 people. "Saxony not only has the trained work force but also the infrastructure to play an increasingly important role in the area of renewable energy and in particular photovoltaics. We are very pleased that Sunfilm has chosen Saxony as its home base and we are looking forward to work with Sunfilm now and in the future to realize its expansion plans.”

Thin film modules on ultra large 5.7m2 substrates

Dr. Sven Hansen, Chairman of the Board of Sunfilm and Chief Investment Officer of Good Energies, who together with Norsun provided the equity funding for Sunfilm, said that the decision for his company to invest in Sunfilm was driven by the fact that thin film PV modules, and especially the ones that will be produced by Sunfilm, will have the potential to make dramatic changes in the market development: “The future of photovoltaic market will be determined by the ability of the module producers to drive the cost down. Sunfilm will use a production line supplied by Applied Materials to produce the modules on ultra large 5.7m2 substrates. This format, combined with the higher efficiency of the tandem junction modules itself will have a major impact on the cost per Watt. The reduced cost will continue to fuel the dynamic growth of the PV market as it moves to grid parity. ”, said Hansen.

Sunfilm will be working with key solar integrators in Germany and other parts of the world to optimize its modules for the various PV applications. “Starting with a module of 2.6 x 2.2 m, which can be used in its full dimension, or cut down into smaller modules, we will have a large degree of flexibility to optimize our modules for the different PV applications. The uniform, black appearance of the tandem junction silicon thin film gives these modules the aesthetically pleasing appearance to make these modules suitable for building integrated PV applications as well.” According to Dr. Sicco W.T. Westra, Sunfilm’s Chief Business Development Officer.

Sunfilm AG (06/15/2007)

Concentrated sunlight generates a higher yield

The Australian company Solar Systems promises 1.5 times more output from its concentrator modules in comparison to conventional panels. So-called dish concentrators focus solar radiation onto the solar collectors. The dish has 112 curved reflecting mirrors mounted on a steel frame, which track the sun throughout the day and concentrate the sunlight 500x. Since 2003, the first concentrator dish power station of its type with ten dishes has been producing 220 kilowatts of electrical power in the federal state of South Australia. A 154 megawatt power station is now planned north-west of Victoria. The Colorado-based American company Amonix is realising a smaller project with seven to ten megawatts. However, the American concentrator system is still able to concentrate sunlight by a factor of 500, with plastic Fresnel lenses as an intermediary between the sun and the cell focus.

Concentration reduces the silicon cell area required for the production of a certain amount of electricity by approximately its concentration ratio. In effect, a relatively expensive silicon lens is being substituted for a low cost plastic concentrator lens.

Picture: Concentrating Solar PV System. Photo courtesy of: Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (FhG ISE), Germany

The companies will present their systems at the PV Industry Forum at Freiburg (Germany) on 20th of June 2007 in Freiburg, Germany, one day before the Intersolar 2007, Europe's largest solar technology fair opens its gates (Freiburg, 21st - 23rd June 2007).
Further Information: http://www.pvindustry.de

Pvindustry.de (06/15/2007)

First wind turbines put at sea for Offshore Wind Farm Q7

The components for the first 20 wind turbines for the Offshore Wind Farm Q7 have arrived in Ijmuiden harbour, Econcern reports in a press release At the begin of june the first wind turbines were installed at sea, which marks the start of the next important phase in the construction of the wind farm. The manufacturer of the turbines, Vestas, has been delivering the towers, blades and nacelles from Denmark since early April 2007. The final work on the wind turbines is being done in Ijmuiden, after which the components will be shipped to the wind farm. According to the current plan, the supply of components by road to Ijmuiden will take until early August. All 60 turbines are expected to be installed and ready for testing in September.

A tower of this height can be made in a single piece, but for road transport such a length is unprecedented. The diameter of the rotor (hub plus rotor blades) is 80 metres; the weight of the rotor including the blades is 37 tonnes. The turbines will be placed on the transition pieces, which rise 15 metres above sea level. More information about the turbines is available at http://www.q7wind.nl/en/bouwtechniek_windturbine.htm

The construction of the project started in mid-2006. Since then, the foundations and the transition pieces have been installed and the process of laying land and sea cables has been set in motion. The offshore high-voltage substation has also been installed. Wind farm Q7 is scheduled for delivery in March 2008.

Econcern (06/14/2007)

Solar Photovoltaic Electricity: Competitiveness with Conventional Energy to be reached in Southern Europe by 2015

The Second General Assembly of the European Photovoltaic Technology Platform and stakeholders of the sector gathering in Berlin on June 12th 2007 welcomed the publication of a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for Photovoltaic Solar Energy Technology. This document shall serve as a reference on short, medium and long term research priorities for Europe in order to consolidate its leadership in photovoltaics on a global level. The SRA is to constitute a major contribution to provide guidelines for the new 7th Framework Programme for Research in Europe as well as for national programmes.

The SRA is giving a clear message: photovoltaic solar electricity will be competitive with conventional electricity in Southern Europe by 2015 - and in most of Europe by 2020.
Competitiveness due to the Photovoltaic Technology Platform will be reached by strong market developments - if appropriate market support mechanisms are in place in as many countries of Europe as possible.

Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for Photovoltaic Solar Energy Technology. Courtesy: European Photovoltaic Technology Platform

Local Renewables 2007: Conference for municipal climate protection at Freiburg (Germany) on June 13th – 15th 2007

Municipal decision-makers and international experts will pursue the question of how to effectively contribute to climate protection at the local level at the international conference "Local Renewables Freiburg 2007” from June 13th to 15th in Freiburg. Besides offering a comprehensive overview of the technological possibilities of renewable energy options, the conference emphasises the implementation and financing of sustainable energy projects and measures, complementing theoretical knowledge with site visits to several examples in Freiburg. The conference takes place within the framework of the German EU-Presidency and is under the patronage of the German Minister for the Environment, Sigmar Gabriel. The multifaceted program, presented by renowned experts, takes place in the Solar Info Center Freiburg and is organised by the international organisation ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. The conference takes place within the framework of ICLEI’s global Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Campaign and the Local Renewables Initiative.

PV Plant at the Freiburg Soccer Stadium.
Source: Local Renewables 2007

Ferquisa becomes lead supplier of molten salts to the AndaSol-1 Project in southeast Spain

Haifa Chemicals, through its Spanish subsidiary Ferquisa S.A., has been chosen to be the lead supplier of molten salts to the AndaSol-1 (Andalucia Solar) project. This 300 million Euro project is for the construction of a 50 MW electricity-generating plant, implementing an advanced method of harnessing solar energy. AndaSol-1 project, run by a joint venture between COBRA (ACS Group) and SENER, will require almost 30,000 tons of molten salts as a mixture of sodium- and potassium nitrate HTG (heat-transfer grade). Ferquisa will not only supply the nitrates, but also construct and operate a melting plant in order to supply to Andasol the salts in molten form.

Andasol-1 is the largest solar project in its form so far and represents a real industrial challenge to all its suppliers. The project shall be executed in cooperation with SQM, a leading supplier of nitrates, and Durferrit GmbH Mannheim (D), the leading company in the area of heat transfer salts and melting technology.

Picture: Parabolic Troughs. Source: Solar Millennium

Haifa Chemicals (06/11/2007)

European companies working on automated
Solar Thermal Systems

Thermosiphon systems dominate the solar thermal world market. On the huge Chinese market only few forced circulation systems are sold, therefore nine out of ten solar thermal systems sold worldwide operate without pumps. The density difference of the heat transfer medium alone regulates the circulation of the medium to and from the collector.

In such systems, the solar storage tank must be mounted above the solar collector. Until recently, the functional principal of thermosiphon systems was considered so simple that there were hardly grounds for further development.

Picture: Solarhart/ESITF

In the meantime, more and more Central European companies have been producing thermal siphon systems in order to break into new, southern European markets. Yet, to be able to compete with producers from China or Southern Europe, costs must be lowered on the one hand, and on the other the growing demands for comfortable levels of indoor heating and cooling in target countries must be met. Sebastian Brandmayr from the Kompetenzzetrum Solartechnik of the University of Applied Sciences in Ingolstadt, will hold a presentation addressing the various markets, market conditions and technological developments of thermosiphon systems at the estec2007 conference.
For more information, please visit www.estec2007.org

estec2007 (06/08/2007)

Solar Thermal in India: Cooking with the Sun

In Europe, energy from the sun is primarily used to supply space heating for buildings. In India however, solar heat is also used for cooking. Solar concentrators focus solar radiation onto a heat exchanger in which water is evaporated. The steam is then transported to the kitchen through insulated pipes.

Such systems are in place in temples, schools, hospitals or work place cafeterias and can be used to supply 500 to 15,000 people with hot meals.

Army Solar Steam Cooking System in Ladakh. Courtesy: Deepak Gadhia, Gadhia Solar

The largest solar-steam cooking system in southern India produces enough energy to prepare 30,000 hot meals. The system saves up to 400 litres of diesel a day. Deepak Gadhia, from the Indian firm Gadhia Solar will present similar solar-steam systems at the European Solar Thermal Conference, estec2007. In addition, concepts have been developed that allow the solar concentrators to be used also for other purposes, such as for the desalinisation, incinerators or waster water evaporation.
For more information, please visit www.estec2007.org

estec2007 (06/06/2007)

Worldwatch: Solar Power Set to Shine Brightly

The solar industry is poised for a rapid decline in costs that will make it a mainstream power option in the next few years, according to a new assessment by the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, D.C. and the Prometheus Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Global production of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, which turn sunlight directly into electricity, has risen sixfold since 2000 and grew 41 percent in 2006 alone. Although grid-connected solar capacity still provides less than one percent of the world's electricity, it increased nearly 50 percent in 2006, to 5,000 megawatts, propelled by booming markets in Germany and Japan. Spain is likely to join the big leagues in 2007, and the United States soon thereafter.

This growth, while dramatic, has been constrained by a shortage of manufacturing capacity for purified polysilicon, the same material that goes into semiconductor chips. But the situation will be reversed in the next two years as more than a dozen companies in Europe, China, Japan, and the United States bring on unprecedented levels of production capacity. In 2006, for the first time, more than half the world's polysilicon was used to produce solar PV cells. Combined with technology advances, the increase in polysilicon supply will bring costs down rapidly - by more than 40 percent in the next three years, according to Prometheus estimates.

"To say that Chinese PV producers plan to expand production rapidly in the year ahead would be an understatement", says Travis Bradford, president of the Prometheus Institute. "They have raised billions from international IPOs to build capacity and increase scale with the goal of driving down costs. Four Chinese IPOs are expected to come to market this month alone." In the meantime, supply shortages have led manufacturers to find ways to use polysilicon more efficiently, and have accelerated the introduction of new technologies that do not rely on purified silicon and are inherently less expensive to manufacture. So-called thin film cells can be made from amorphous silicon and other low-cost materials, and companies developing these technologies have recently become the darlings of Silicon Valley venture capitalists.
Although in the past, thin film cells have not been efficient enough to compete with conventional cells, today over a dozen companies -including Miasole, Nanosolar, and Ovonics - are competing to scale up production of low-cost solar modules that can be churned out like rolls of plastic.

"The conventional energy industry will be surprised by how quickly solar PV becomes mainstream—cheap enough to provide carbon-free electricity on rooftops, while also meeting the energy needs of hundreds of millions of poor people who currently lack electricity", Sawin says.

Worldwatch Institute (06/04/2007)

Tackling Climate Change in the USA: Energy Experts Announce Way to Freeze Global Warming

As scientists sound daily alarms about the dire consequences of global warming, Americans are asking what to do about it. The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) has an answer: Deploy clean energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies now! ASES unveiled a 200-page report end of January titled "Tackling Climate Change in the U.S.: Potential Carbon Emissions Reductions from Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by 2030". The result of more than a year of study, the report illustrates how energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies can provide the emissions reductions required to address global warming. "We must begin fundamental changes in our energy use now in order to avoid human-made climate disasters", said Space Administration (NASA) climate scientist James Hansen regarding the presentation of the Report. To develop the report, ASES recruited a volunteer team of top energy experts. These experts produced a series of nine papers that examined how energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies can reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions - the main cause of global warming.

The paper covers energy efficiency in buildings, transportation and industry, as well as six renewable energy technologies: concentrating solar power, photovoltaics, wind power, biomass, biofuels, and geothermal power. The results indicate that these technologies can displace approximately 1.2 billion tons of carbon emissions annually by the year 2030 -the magnitude of reduction that scientists believe is necessary to prevent the most dangerous consequences of climate change.

Tackling Climate Change illustrates how energy efficiency measures could keep U.S. carbon emissions roughly constant over the next 23 years as the economy grows, and how renewable energy technologies could make deep cuts below today’s emissions. Wind energy provides about 35 % of the renewable energy contribution, while the rest is divided about evenly among the other technologies. "Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies can begin to be deployed on a large scale today to help save us from the worst consequences of global warming", explains report editor Chuck Kutscher. "With continued R&D to lower costs and a reasonable level of policy support, they have the potential to meet most, if not all, of the carbon reductions that will be required in the future", he added.

The report is available as a free download (PDF; 8.7 MB) at http://www.ases.org/climatechange/climate_change.pdf

ASES (06/01/2007)