US-Solarmarkt - Quo Vadis? - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[meinolf67]

Da sich meine beiden bisherigen Threads ( Thread: PV-Absatzkanal: PPA - Materialübersicht, Thread: US-Solargesetzgebung - ein Buch mit sieben Siegeln? ) ein bißchen überlebt haben, möchte ich hiermit eine etwas breiter angelegte Diskussion starten.

Nach einer langen Phase der unsicheren Rahmenbedingungen müßten jetzt alle Fundamente gelegt sein, um die USA zum größten PV-Markt der Welt zu entwickeln.

In den letzten Monaten ist auch das börsennotierte downstream-Universum stark angeschwollen, was auf zunehmende Aktivität hindeutet. Im Moment fallen mir u.a. folgende Titel (gibt zu jedem einen Thread auf w:o) ein:

Akeena Solar
Real Goods Solar
Solar Power Inc.
Premier Power
Clear Skies Solar
Applied Solar
Entech Solar
Electron Solar Energy
Evolution Solar
Sonnenenergy
Green Star Energy
IX Energy Holdings
Solar Energy Initiatives
Sunrise Solar
Sustainable Energy Technologies

dazu kommen die downstream-Aktivitäten von Sunpower, REC (REC Solar, Mainstream Energy), Suntech und natürlich FirstSolar.

Andere große nicht börsennotierte Player sind: SunRun, Borrego Solar, Solar City, SPG Solar, groSolar,...

Möchte hier Infos sammeln, die für den Gesamtmarkt von Bedeutung sind.

Als nächstes Posting kommt eine Analyse von Glenn Harris zu Auswirkungen des von Obama angeschobenen ARRA

[meinolf67]

19. Februar 2009
U.S. Stimulus: Boon or Boondoggle for the Solar PV Market?
by Glenn Harris, SunCentric Incorporated
Washington, DC, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

We raced through the final version of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) hoping for dramatic changes that will accelerate the solar electric market and create jobs in the U.S. near term. And while there are certainly a number of provisions that will get the industry back on track, we are left wondering what the real impact will be. Here's our first take.

Commercial

For business, the attractiveness of the 30% ITC incentive, passed in the October 2008 stimulus package, has changed radically as profit expectations have moved downward over the past few months. Without profits, tax credits are irrelevant. ARRA creates a new 30% Renewable Energy Grant program, which is like a rebate, to be administered by the Department of Treasury. The expectation is that the grant, which can be taken by any for-profit business, will help restart and expand the market.

ARRA directs the Treasury to make grant payments within 60 days of application. We expect it will take the Treasury two or three months to implement the program and that applicants will need to establish a placed-in-service date, provide a utility interconnection agreement and prove that the system is producing power. All the federal and state tax provisions that require us to have the system interconnected by year end remain in place, so we expect, as in years past, to see a rush at the end of 2009. The placed-in-service date and the receipt of the grant payment may or may not be in the same tax year. This could create some issues for some system owners, but does not seem like an insurmountable issue. In 2010, an efficiently run grant program could change scheduling, smooth seasonality, improve cash flow and ease the pressure to complete projects in December.

ARRA grants will not be included in the federal gross income of the taxable entity, but it is unclear whether the federal grant will be treated as taxable income in the states. All of us should be working to understand the facts in our state as this will potentially have an unintended negative impact on system cost and payback. Businesses may be able to recognize the federal grant as capital and lessen any immediate state tax impact if they do not use the grant proceeds for current business activities.

A benefit provided by the stimulus package is the ability for system owners to receive the full federal grant even if they receive a state rebate or other preferred treatment like below market loans or tax preferred bonds.

The chart below shows a comparison of a 50-kW system in California — a state with a solar rebate program — versus a state with no solar rebate program. We are assuming in this calculation that the federal grant is taxed by the state. The combinations of federal ITC, federal grants, state incentives and state income tax creates various outcomes for potential system purchasers. California, whose ten year, 3,000-MW CSI program has completed about 100 MW in its first two years, will receive little new benefit from the ARRA and in our view will not significantly accelerate the non-residential CSI program. Overall we think that in most states the 30% grant will be of less value than the 30% ITC.


More study is needed to understand the interplay between the grant and the basis for depreciation, but it appears only 85% of the cost of a project that receives a grant can be depreciated. Lessors who receive the grant should be able to depreciate 100% of the project cost, but will have to report one half of the grant as income over the period the project is depreciated.

Traditional system owners will still need to have substantial tax liability, usually created by making a profit, to utilize the full benefit of depreciation and create reasonable payback.

Power Purchase Agreement providers (PPA) may find the grant unfavorable for their current business structure. The consumption of tax liability and depreciation is critical to creating the correct investor returns, so these businesses will still need finance partners. PPA providers have tended to share the deprecation benefit with their tax equity partners, but may now need to find investors that can specifically consume depreciation. This could cause an evolution in the PPA space, but we are sure that these new hybrid structures can be developed.

On their own, and given current electricity prices and current solar technology cost, the federal 30% ITC, or the new 30% federal grant will not generate a reasonable payback for a system owner. They create the base of a pyramid that should encourage states, cities, towns, utilities and others to offer incentives to encourage their markets. The stimulus package allocates US $3.1 billion of funds to the states through the DOE. We think this will encourage some states to expand or start solar programs.

Aother major hurdle caused by the financial crisis has been the lack of short- and long-term project funds. It’s likely that system owners will continue to finance the bulk of their purchase. Considering the 30% grant, it seems reasonable that this could be around 70% of the system cost. We hope the new $6 billion Renewable Energy Loan Guarantee Program, which has no solar carve out, but may support $60 billion in loans for all renewables, will be easily accessible and provide a path for solar system owners to secure funding for projects. We will likely have to wait until summer to know the terms and conditions of this program.

We think the grant and loan guarantee program will get a lot of attention throughout the U.S. and that many businesses will explore their options. This will potentially begin to expand the market, perhaps first for smaller, lower-cost commercial systems. Many will delay their decision until they have complete clarity about the new programs. The ARRA programs do not improve system payback in a material way and companies are unlikely to change their return on investment requirements. Based on current economic conditions, it’s unclear to us if even willing solar customers will allocate the financial resources for this optional investment.

Federal Government, Military and Solar for Schools

ARRA provides many billions of dollars to be managed by the General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Energy, the military, Bureau of Land Management and other departments to repair, maintain, improve and expand government facilities, undertake energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, provide clean energy bonds and workforce training. Our read is that there are no specific solar carve outs, but also no specific solar limits. It is difficult at this time to project the full impact on the solar industry. We expect all industries will be competing to provide construction, products and services to the government, or in the case of energy technology companies, receive funding for R&D or manufacturing projects. There is little doubt that solar systems will be included in many projects.

GSA owns and leases over 354 million square feet of space in 8,600 buildings in more than 2,200 communities nationwide. In addition to these office buildings, GSA properties include: land ports of entry, courthouses, laboratories and data processing centers. They also manage about 34,000 post office facilities.

Space will not be an issue for those who wish to provide solar systems to the federal government. Winning project funds for solar projects, moving through the mind-numbing permitting and application processes and dealing with the very long project cycles that are a standard part of doing business with government will be.

We can easily identify more than $10 billion that are to be used in part to improve federal facilities and supporting generating projects directed to solar and other renewables. If 10% is allocated to solar ($1 billion) we might see on the order of 125 MW of installed projects over the coming years. It is unlikely that federal solar installations will be eligible for any incentives, so these may be the most expensive systems deployed.

There is also federal funding for schools to be managed by the states. A portion of about $975 million is to be used to renovate facilities and meet green building standards, with another portion that will probably be directed to solar. Supposing it's around 10%, the $98 million will go into solar projects, meaning that 12 to 15 MW could be installed on schools.

Separate from ARRA, there are already hundreds of MW of government projects under consideration or in the planning phase. Over the coming years ARRA should add to the government’s solar capacity, which will be a good thing for the long-term growth of the industry.

How Will We Do in 2009?

We certainly expect to see some exuberance from industry analysts about the near-term impacts of the ARRA. Recently, as with most industries, the solar industry has been treading water. Companies have been cutting hours, laying off people, trimming expenses, canceling projects, postponing investment and searching for capital. Today we hear the word "consolidation" quite frequently. Many solar companies have been weakened and our first hope is that the industry will strengthen and then trend to the positive. This stimulus bill will certainly help, but not immediately. This will take time. We also hear mixed reports of historically low customer interest and historically high customer interest. The market signals are mixed, so it is unclear how quickly — and where exactly — the impact will be felt.

While the tally is not complete, we estimate that the U.S. PV market was between 250 MW and 275 MW in 2008. This quarter, as has been the case historically, will be very slow. Given all the changes that flow from the ARRA — the new analysis, new programs and the new processes to be created and implemented — it is an open question whether we can make up the ground and see much growth this year. In our view, with all the challenges, hitting 300 MW nationwide in 2009 would be a real accomplishment. By early 2010 we think the industry will have worked through most of the changes, found our footing again and that significant growth can restart.

In Closing

The ARRA has a lot of moving pieces and we expect more clarity over the coming weeks and months as we all dive into the details. It is imperfect, but the intention is clear, get our industry moving. SEIA and other advocates have worked rapidly and tirelessly to give us a platform that we can build on during this tough time, and for the long run. We’re sure they have more to do and we’re sure our new administration is listening. We hope to report positive results over the coming months that show our industry’s resolve, resilience and dedication to our mission.

Glenn Harris is CEO of the consultancy firm SunCentric Incorporated

[meinolf67]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 36.618.219 von meinolf67 am 20.02.09 10:59:30

[meinolf67]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 36.618.255 von meinolf67 am 20.02.09 11:01:40

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/photo?id=48847

[meinolf67]

M&A bereits im Gang:

19. Februar 2009
Borrego Solar Sells Residential Business, Will Focus on Commercial Projects
Califorina, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

Borrego Solar Systems Inc. announced that the company will focus exclusively on its Commercial and Government Business Units, and expand its sales and installation operations to the Mid-Atlantic Region, beginning with the New York and New Jersey markets. As part of this plan, the company also announced the sale of its Residential Business Unit to groSolar of White River Junction, Vermont. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Our residential legacy combined with our recent commercial market success got us to where we are today—to a level of technical sophistication, service and scale that makes Borrego a natural fit for commercial and government customers."

-- Aaron Hall, President, Borrego Solar

Effective immediately, Borrego will focus exclusively on commercial and government projects, which represented more than 75 percent of new revenue in 2008. Borrego finished 2008 with US $60 million in revenue and more than $90 million in contracts, having completed some of the country’s largest projects in affordable housing, education and government. Moving forward, the company said that it expects these markets to continue to outpace the residential market.

As a result of the transaction, groSolar will emerge as the fourth-largest residential solar power installer in the United States. The firm, launched less than 10 years ago, will continue its expansion and consolidation with residential operations in nine states in addition to its commercial and distribution channels. With the purchase, the groSolar name will begin appearing at Borrego Solar’s residential locations in San Diego, Berkeley, Sonoma, Orange County, Silicon Valley, and Massachusetts.

“For more than 25 years, we have been one of the premier designers and installers of residential solar projects, allowing families throughout California and Southern New England to benefit from low-cost, clean energy,” said Aaron Hall, president of Borrego Solar. “Our residential legacy combined with our recent commercial market success got us to where we are today—to a level of technical sophistication, service and scale that makes Borrego a natural fit for commercial and government customers. We believe that by focusing on those markets, we can have an accelerated impact on the economy and drive the next phase of U.S. solar adoption.”

The company also recently announced a $14 million round of venture financing which will support Borrego’s expansion into new markets, like New York and New Jersey, giving it a much broader geographic reach.

[meinolf67]

The US utility-scale solar picture

While the pace of installations of distributed solar systems for homes and businesses has steadily risen over the past few years, utilities have mostly stayed out of the picture. However, that appears to be changing now as more and more utilities are looking at solar energy as major contributor to their current and future renewable energy portfolios.

The shift has occurred for a number of reasons, including rising fossil fuel prices, renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) coming into effect in many states and an American public that is becoming increasingly interested in renewable energy sources. There remains, however, some concern over whether this interest will translate into putting megawatts (MW) of solar energy generating capacity on the ground and the roof.

"2008 was a foundational step for utility-scale project announcements," said Julia Hamm, executive director of the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), whose aim is to help the solar industry work with the utility sector.

"SEPA is aware of contracts totaling over 1,500 MW of PV and 4,000 MW of concentrating solar thermal. However, very few are digging dirt or hoisting onto roofs yet and there is a high level of uncertainty for some projects," said Hamm.

Hamm pointed to a number of key utility-scale solar projects that SEPA is watching.

California's Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)

In 2008, PG&E entered into an agreement with Topaz Solar Farms LLC, a subsidiary of OptiSolar Inc., to install 550 MW of thin-film PV solar power. The utility also signed a contract with High Plains Ranch II LLC, a subsidiary of SunPower Corporation, for 250 MW of solar PV. Thin-film panels for the Topaz Solar Farm will be designed and manufactured by OptiSolar.

In total, the projects are expected to deliver approximately 1.1 million megawatt-hours annually and could begin power delivery as early as 2011. PG&E expects it to be fully operational by 2013.

The utility has also signed a long-term agreement with El Dorado Energy LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sempra Generation, to purchase 10 megawatts of PV-produced energy from Sempra's El Dorado Energy Solar facility in Nevada (RenewableEnergyWorld.com will be touring this facility in March and we'll have an in depth look at the project). The El Dorado facility is located on 80 acres adjacent to Sempra Generation's existing gas-fired power plant in Boulder City, Nevada. Power deliveries to PG&E have already begun. The project will generate up to 23.2 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy annually.

Cleantech America LLC and GreenVolts Inc. also signed deals with PG&E to develop utility-scale PV projects that could deliver up to 7 MW of utility-scale solar energy for PG&E's customers throughout northern and central California, with project completion dates of this year.

In addition to solar PV, PG&E has been active in pursuing solar thermal power, and has signed a deal with Solel to purchase renewable energy from the Mojave Solar Park, to be constructed in California's Mojave Desert. The project will deliver 553 MW of solar power. The utility is also involved in a 177-MW solar thermal project with Ausra Inc. The plant, to be located in San Luis Obispo County, California, is expected to begin generating power in 2011.

Finally, PG&E entered into two contracts with San Joaquin Solar LLC, a subsidiary of Martifer Renewables Electricity LLC, for a combined 106.8 MW of solar thermal-biofuel hybrid power. Located near Coalinga, CA, the solar-biofuel projects will deliver a total of 700 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually.

North Carolina's Duke Energy

Another project that is being closely watched by the industry is Duke Energy's distributed PV project. It was originally announced in June 2008 as a US $100 million, 16-MW project. Then in late 2008, Duke scaled back the project to $50 million and 8MW. Now it appears that the project is in danger of being scrapped altogether because of a recent ruling by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) that would not allow the utility to take advantage of the federal investment tax credits for solar energy.

Duke said that the NCUC decision, issued December 31, 2008, would have made it impossible for the company to proceed with the solar plan without facing very sizable financial risk and possibly violating federal tax rules associated with energy investment tax credits.

The company said that if it proceeded with the solar program under the commission's order as it is currently written, the company could lose more than $250 million in federal tax credits associated not only with its solar project, but potentially with other Duke Energy power plant projects as well.

In the NCUC's order, Duke said that it would be allowed to recover costs up to an amount equal to the third place solar bid that was part of the 2007 RFP for renewable energy sources. The commission did leave open the possibility that Duke could seek recovery of additional prudent costs that exceeded this third place bid through a base rate case. However, the commission did not guarantee that it would grant full recovery of such costs.

Duke spokesman Dave Scanzoni said that the company is hopeful that an appeal it filed to the decision will be upheld and will allow the company to move ahead with the project in North Carolina. That could open the door for Duke to try similar projects in other markets, including Ohio and Indiana.

"We certainly see solar as a growing component of our portfolio. We see more solar initiatives going forward as well. Solar is going to be a major part of our future," Scanzoni said.

Other Projects: Arizona, Florida, California and New Jersey

SEPA and the rest of the industry are following the progress on a number of other projects that run the gamut of solar technology.

Arizona Public Service (APS) is working on a 280-MW solar thermal project with a storage component that industry insiders are closely watching. Abengoa Solar has signed a contract with APS, to build, own and operate the Solana plant, scheduled to go into operation by 2011. It will sell the electricity produced to APS over the next 30 years for a total revenue of around $4 billion, bringing over $1 billion in economic benefits to the state of Arizona.

NextEra Energy Resources, formerly FPL Energy, is planning a 75-MW hybrid solar plant, which broke ground in December. The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center will consist of approximately 180,000 mirrors over roughly 500 acres of land. The facility combines a solar-thermal field with a combined-cycle natural gas power plant. NexEra and SunPower are also set to install a 25-megawatt (MW) power plant in DeSoto County, Florida and a 10-MW project at the Kennedy Space Center. The DeSoto plant is expected to be completed in 2009.

This week, Southern California Edison (SCE) and BrightSource Energy reached agreement on a series of contracts for 1,300 megawatts (MW) of solar thermal power. The agreement, which now requires approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), calls for a series of seven projects to make up the total capacity. The first of these solar power plants, sized at 100 MW and located in Ivanpah, California., could be operating in early 2013 and is expected to produce 286,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of renewable electricity per year.

Last year, the CPUC approved the FSE Blythe project that First Solar Inc. is developing for Southern California Edison. Initially a 7.5-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) facility, the project has the potential to expand to 21 MW.

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) this month asked New Jersey regulators to approve a US $773-million proposal to bring 120 megawatts of solar power directly to communities and customers throughout its service territory. PSE&G will invest in, own and operate the grid-connected solar energy systems and will collaborate with experienced solar developers, installers and manufacturers to develop projects.

Will more utilities get on board?

SEPA's Julia Hamm said that while these and other projects are a great start, utilities and solar companies can do more to work together. She thinks utility staff could benefit from more knowledge of solar in general.

"First, education of utility staff needs to be top priority. We are seeing more interest from utility planning and procurement staff, not just solar incentive program managers. That's a good sign -- their interest is indicative of the utility's recognition of the potential of solar moving forward," she said.

Hamm would like to see more utility programs aimed at gradually increasing their uptake of solar. "2008 was really a wake-up call that solar is scaling up and the utility's involvement in this process is crucial."

Ensuring market certainty is another way for utilities to build up their solar programs said Hamm. "The use of traditional RFPs and PPAs to procure solar is one mechanism, but there are others. [Programs should] provide both scale and increment -- 50 MW per year for 5 years for example," she said.

Hamm explained that utilities might enter into energy "pre-purchase" contracts, where utilities provide capital financing for a solar project as a pre-purchase of, perhaps, 10 years of electricity.

Lastly, all stakeholders need to prepare for the future by addressing important issues like transmission that cause problems in the industry.

"Stakeholders of all stripes need to get involved and address the potential bottlenecks of transmission, permitting, and grid integration now, so that 5 years from now, we are ready for the industry's growth," she said.

[meinolf67]

mehr Kooperationen:

18. Februar 2009
SunRun Partners with SPG Solar to Bring Low-Cost Solar Electricity to More California Homeowners
San Francisco

SunRun and SPG Solar today announced a new partnership that will make SPG Solar's comprehensive turnkey solar solutions accessible to more residential customers. SPG Solar, a proven leader in the design and installation of photovoltaic power systems, will now offer its customers SunRun as an alternative to an outright purchase of an SPG Solar PV system.

"We always seek out the best partners and premium services for our customers, making SPG Solar a perfect match with SunRun's innovative model of bringing homeowners full service solar and immediate electricity savings. Today we can provide California homeowners a full system management package that makes the decision to go solar simple and risk-free." said Dan Thompson, CEO of SPG Solar.

SunRun is a leading home solar company that provides a smart, affordable alternative to purchasing a solar system outright or renting solar equipment. Under the SunRun and SPG Solar partnership, a homeowner may choose to have SunRun purchase their SPG Solar PV system rather than purchase it directly. In turn, the homeowner pays a fixed low rate to SunRun for the solar electricity that is less than the rate they pay their utility. SPG Solar and SunRun customers will receive lifetime maintenance, monitoring, insurance and performance guarantee fully included.


In January, SunRun introduced the SunRun Power Plan, which lets homeowners lock into solar service for as little as $2,000 upfront, and SunRun Total Solar, which allows customers to pay for their solar electricity entirely upfront. =These flexible payment options make it easier for more homeowners to get solar electricity service.


SPG Solar provides a true turnkey solar experience, utilizing in-house experts to design, engineer, construct and monitor each system they build. SPG Solar uses only the best-of-brand products to deliver custom PV solutions that optimize return on investment and aesthetic appeal.


“We always seek out the best partners and premium services for our customers, making SPG Solar a perfect match with SunRun’s innovative model of bringing homeowners full service solar and immediate electricity savings,” said Dan Thompson, CEO of SPG Solar. “Today we can provide California homeowners a full system management package that makes the decision to go solar simple and risk-free.”


SunRun partners with the most experienced and trusted solar installation companies through a highly-selective process. Since SunRun owns, maintains and guarantees electricity production, the company only works with the best in the solar industry.

“For all of our customers, we offer an annual money-back production guarantee, maintenance, system insurance, repairs and automated proactive monitoring for total peace of mind,” said Lynn Jurich, president and co-founder of SunRun. “Going solar right now is one of the best financial decisions a homeowner can make. We look forward to working with SPG Solar to make going solar a possibility for more homeowners.”

About SPG Solar

SPG Solar, Inc. is a proven leader in the design and installation of photovoltaic power systems. With over 1,200 grid-connected PV systems in service throughout the Western United States and a senior staff with decades of experience in electrical engineering, construction and project development, SPG Solar provides our customers with the very best in solar technology and professional design-build services. SPG Solar delivers innovative and dependable solar systems with the highest quality of workmanship from the initial customer consultation to the final system commissioning and post installation analysis. For more information, please visit: www.spgsolar.com.

About SunRun

SunRun is a home solar company that provides a smart, affordable alternative to purchasing a solar system outright or renting solar equipment. SunRun purchases custom-designed home solar systems for its customers, who pay a low fixed rate for the solar electricity produced by their system. All SunRun customers receive money-back annual performance guarantees in addition to professional-grade monitoring, maintenance, repairs, and insurance, which removes the complexity and risk from going solar. SunRun’s goal is to provide every home direct access to clean, affordable electricity. SunRun currently serves communities in California. Additional information about SunRun is available at www.sunrunhome.com

[lieberlong]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 36.618.219 von meinolf67 am 20.02.09 10:59:30

Hast wieder Solarworld vergessen!

Soll das ein reiner PV-Thread werden, oder komplett mit CSP?

[meinolf67]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 36.618.675 von lieberlong am 20.02.09 11:34:45

Sorry, aber ich weiß nicht, wie stark Solarworld downstream wirklich ist.

Habe noch nie was von einem Projekt von denen in USA gehört.

Würde tendenziell CSP eher rauslassen, da es eh' kaum börsennotiert gibt. Für Projekte gibt es ja schon den CSP-Thread Thread: CSP-Projekte weltweit .

Bin da aber nicht dogmatisch; wenn es interessant ist, gerne posten...

[lieberlong]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 36.618.788 von meinolf67 am 20.02.09 11:46:22

Die haben schon paar Projekte, allerdings (noch) nicht in "erwähnenswerten" Grössenordnungen in Oregon. Haben aber ja auch erst angefangen, dort in Massen zu produzieren. Da wird noch einiges in Zukunft kommen!

[R-BgO]

GWS Technologies, Inc. announces planned solar project


Posted by Debasish Choudhury on 10 June 2009 at 13:22


GWS Technologies, Inc., an alternative energy company developing renewable energy solutions, today announced that it has submitted preliminary plans to the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District (SRP) to develop a solar farm near the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona. Because the submission was prior to the June 1, 2009 deadline, when SRP reduced its rebate to $2.25 per watt from $2.50 per watt for commercial solar production, GWS secured the higher rebate for the first phase of the project.

GWS will provide equipment and technology integration on the project, with initial cost estimates for solar equipment for the entire project at approximately $30 million. Arizona has recently become a focal point for solar projects because of a climate uniquely suited to solar energy production, as well as the availability of significant state and federal subsidies and billions of dollars in economic-stimulus money earmarked for solar power.

SRP provides electricity to nearly 930,000 retail customers in the Phoenix area. It operates or participates in 11 major power plants and numerous other generating stations, including thermal, nuclear, natural gas and hydroelectric sources. SRP also invests in renewable energy technologies such as solar power and landfill gas projects. In the spring of 2006, SRP's Board of Directors approved a management proposal that sets a target of 15% of SRP retail sales to be met through sustainable resources by fiscal year 2025.

For more information, please visit: www.greenwindsolar.com.

[R-BgO]

U.S. solar financing set to rebound - experts
Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:26pm EDT

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* Experts say financing to return to solar late this year

* Banking crisis had hurt project financing

* Tax equity markets starting to attract banks again

PHILADELPHIA, June 10 (Reuters) - Financial players who abandoned U.S. solar energy projects last year during the throes of the banking crisis are beginning to return, potentially setting up a boom of new deals by the end of the year, several solar investors said on Wednesday.

The 2008 collapse of top solar financier Lehman Brothers and the freeze-up in the global credit markets drove nearly all banks to halt funding for major new solar projects, forcing the makers of systems that turn sunlight into electricity to slash prices for their products and sending their stocks crashing.

Now, with financial markets stabilizing and fresh government incentives for clean energy, many banks are again eyeing the investments under which they fund solar power developments in exchange for renewable energy tax credits.

"Those that had left the market are beginning to come back, and come back in a big way," Matt Cheney, chief executive of Renewable Ventures, told the PV America conference.

That would be welcome news to companies such as SunPower Corp (SPWRA.O), Suntech Power Holdings (STP.N), SolarWorld AG(SWVG.DE) and others who have seen their share prices cut in half from highs reached last year.

Last week, U.S. Bancorp and privately held SolarCity announced they had teamed up to fund solar projects using the tax incentives to eliminate the purchase and installation costs for homes and businesses.

Banks have traditionally used the tax equity markets to fund solar projects by buying the government tax credits from the project owners. Those owners use that money from the banks to cover the costs of development.

But as credit crisis hit the financial markets, banks' appetite for those tax credits disappeared, shrinking the number of financial players from 20 to about four in the solar sector.

"We're beginning to see the thaw in the tax equity markets," Ed Sproll of HSH-Nordbank AG told the conference.

The steep decline in cost of the solar systems -- estimated to be about 30 percent since the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2008 -- has also made funding new projects much easier.

Even with the turbulence in the debt markets and higher costs for borrowing, the lower prices for solar have made the sector attractive, according to Nick Allen, an analyst at Morgan Stanley.

"The returns are now to where we're above 10 percent in a lot of cases," Allen said.

That could lead to several large project announcements late this year or early next year, especially since those projects must be started by the end of 2010 in order to qualify for U.S. investment tax credits that were put in place in 2008.

[R-BgO]

Solar Companies Fear Delays as Feds Work Slow Magic

The federal government hasn't acted as quickly as expected by solar companies to release funding and loan guarantees, prompting worries about project delays.

Solar power developers cheered when the federal government promised earlier this year that it would hurry up and help them secure financing for multimillion-dollar projects.

The government hasn't acted as quickly as the industry has hoped, sparking concerns among industry executives on whether they could get the money and meet regulatory and self-imposed deadlines.

The government is offering two incentives: a cash grant that offsets 30 percent of a project cost and a loan guarantee program. The U.S. Department of Treasury was supposed to release the grant application this month, but that has been delayed until next month.

The loan guarantee program requires recipients to start construction by Sept. 30, 2011, yet the government hasn't issued the rules for the program.

The U.S. Department of Energy has offered a loan guarantee to a solar company, Solyndra, for building a solar panel factory. But Solyndra applied for it under an older program, not the new one authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in February this year.

"If you want to use the cash grant and the loan guarantee, then the project will be delayed until 2010," said Karen Wong, a partner at law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, at a solar thermal power conference in San Francisco last week. Projects that aren't "well underway already might be difficult to meet that deadline."

Waiting for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to approve loan guarantees isn't the only challenge.

Companies that up on the loan guarantee offers would have to go through the environmental process under the National Environmental Policy Act, or commonly called NEPA, even if the companies intend to build on private land.

An environmental review would generally take six to 18 months, depending on the project complexity and whether a project faces strong opposition. Developers who already signed power sales agreements with utilities typically have to meet their own deadlines for commencing power delivery.

"On one hand the White House wants rapid development. On the other hand, the DOE says we have a law to follow. It's a real problem," said Fred Morse, a senior advisor for Spain-based Abengoa Solar, which has a contract to build a 280-megawatt solar thermal power farm in Arizona and sell the electricity to Arizona Public Service.

Solar thermal power technologies make use of mirrors to concentrate the sun and heat fluids to generate steam, which is then piped to turbines for electricity production. These technologies are mostly new, though its advocates say the approach could generate cheaper solar energy than using solar panels and other technologies.

Some of the companies that aim to build on federal land and get loan guarantees said they started the environmental review some time ago when they started applying for permits to build on federal land. So the NEPA mandate in the loan guarantee program shouldn't be a big hurdle.

BrightSource Energy, for example, is one of the few that are far along in the process and could become one of the first to build a commercial solar thermal power plant among more than 200 solar power projects under consideration by the federal Bureau of Land Management (see The Rush for Gigawatts in the Desert Explodes).

The DOE staff knows the NEPA requirement might prevent project developers from meeting the 2011 deadline, so they are working on shortening the environmental review process, said John Marciano, an associate at Chadbourne & Parke.

"No one knows for sure how to do that yet," Marciano said. "They recognize that Obama and Congress want them to go through this quickly."

The federal loan guarantees aren't supposed to cover the entire cost of a project. Power companies will still have to seek debt or other financing from banks and other investors. Doing so has been tough since the financial market crisis set in last fall.

Banks aren't just reluctant to part with money because of the poor market conditions. They also prefer not to bank on what they consider new technologies, and that definition could cover many of the solar-thermal power plants being proposed and built right now.

"We are hoping the banks are repairing their balance sheets and raise new capital to release the capital back into the market," said Christopher Stolarski, senior vice president of power project finance at Mizuho Corporate Bank, at the solar thermal power conference. "We are not in the business of taking technology risks."

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June 17, 2009

Murrieta, CA, USA: One Block Off the Grid Sets New Lowest Price Record for Residential Systems

HelioPower, a solar power design and installation firm in California and Nevada, today has signed the first solar power project in the 1BOG solar group purchase program in San Diego. One Block Off the Grid (1BOG) launched its solar San Diego campaign on May 18, securing a discounted price of $6.09 per DC watt for its members.

“We’re proud to announce we’ve already sold several 1BOG systems in north San Diego County, having signed our first contract on June 1,” said Scott Gordon, Director of Sales for HelioPower. “1BOG has negotiated an incredible installation price for its San Diego participants and people are taking advantage of it. Those who hope to get the best deal will act before San Diego Gas & Electric’s solar power rebate drops next month.”

HelioPower was chosen along with groSolar to install the solar San Diego systems priced through the 1BOG program. HelioPower is working in the northern San Diego area with groSolar installing projects in the central San Diego region.

1BOG has successfully launched statewide group solar purchasing programs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sonoma County. Outside California it has active campaigns in New Orleans, La. and Denver, Colo.

Upcoming community programs are launching in Phoenix, Ariz., Sacramento, Calif. and Washington, D.C.

“The pricing from HelioPower was the lowest we’ve seen in any of our group purchase campaigns run thus far,” said Dave Llorens, 1BOG General Manager. “We were impressed by HelioPower’s request for proposal response,” he continued, “We also look for companies who truly embrace environmental awareness in their operations. We inspected the HelioPower southern California offices and warehouse, and saw how they run their business and green their supply chain. We were excited to see their attention to even small details like pre-removing boxes from panels to ensure they are recycled. It made our decision easy.”

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Southern California Edison Signs Contracts for More Than 900 Megawatts of Renewable Power


Posted by Debasish Choudhury on 17 June 2009 at 07:01

Southern California Edison (SCE) has signed agreements with wind and solar suppliers for up to 960 megawatts of clean, renewable power.

The recent agreements, subject to approval of the California Public Utilities Commission, include two contracts with Solar Millennium for a potential 726 megawatts of power from solar-thermal trough generators. When complete, those projects call for two 242 megawatt facilities with the option to expand one to include an additional 242 megawatts. The projects would be located in Blythe, Calif., and Ridgecrest, Calif., and are expected to come on line in 2013 and 2014.

“Southern California Edison is committed to expanding our renewable energy portfolio to benefit our customers, our suppliers and the environment,” said Stuart Hemphill, SCE vice president, Renewable and Alternative Power. “As the nation’s leading utility in renewables, we applaud the innovation that these companies show, and we look forward to productive, long-term partnerships.”

Other recent renewable power contracts — both scheduled to come on line in the fourth quarter, 2010 — include an agreement with Columbia Energy Partners for 40 megawatts of wind power, expandable to 104 megawatts, in Central Oregon; and one with BP Wind Energy & Ridgeline Energy, LLC for 90 megawatts of wind power, expandable to 130 megawatts, in Southeast Idaho.

To date, SCE has executed 12 contracts from the 2008 renewable solicitation representing potential annual deliveries of more than 6.5 billion kilowatt-hours per year. In addition, SCE is in the process of preparing to issue the 2009 renewable solicitation with an expected launch date by the end of June.

SCE delivers more renewable energy to its customers than any other utility — 12.6 billion kilowatt-hours in 2008 — and 16 percent of its total energy portfolio comes from geothermal, wind, solar, small hydro and biomass resources. In addition, SCE delivered 65 percent of the nation’s solar energy to its customers in 2008. For more about SCE’s work in renewables, visit www.sce.com/renewables.

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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
S.F.'s Sunworks plans $200M N.Y. solar panel plant
San Francisco Business Times - by David Bertola


A San Francisco-based company has been allocated five megawatts of low-cost hydropower to encourage the construction and operation of a $200 million solar panel manufacturing plant in western New York state.

The new facility for Sunworks Solar LLC would create an estimated 175 permanent clean-energy jobs and 300 construction jobs. The location of the operation has not been determined.

The allocation was voted on by the New York Power Authority board of trustees Tuesday.

The facility would manufacture ready-to-deploy solar panels for commercial, government and utility solar markets.

Sunworks Solar considers low-cost electricity critical for managing its costs in competing with foreign solar panel manufacturers.

“We are pleased to partner with NYPA as we work towards building a solar panel manufacturing facility in Western New York,” said Sunworks CEO Brian Robertson, adding the low-cost hydropower attracted his company to consider the investment in the region.

Although the company has been considering multiple sites in the Northeast for a new facility, it has indicated western New York is an optimal location because of the region’s proximity to fast-growing markets.

“This is another example of how NYPA resources are strategically used to both advance the growth of the clean energy sector in New York State and to help stimulate the Western New York economy,” said NYPA President and CEO Richard Kessel.

Sunworks Solar estimates a facility in western New York could eventually result in as many as 1,300 jobs in various parts of the state, including supply chain support, as well as jobs related to the installation and maintenance of its solar panels.

Although plans are still being finalized, construction could begin as early as the spring of 2010 and be completed by the summer of 2011.

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Fresco Solar offers $2.95 per installed watt pricing for megawatt-scale PV power systems in US
09 July 2009 | By Tom Cheyney | News > Power Generation, Market Watch

Fresco Solar says it will build solar photovoltaic ground arrays of 1MW or more anywhere in the United States for $2.95 per watt or $2.95 million per megawatt system. The Morgan Hill, CA-based engineering, procurement, and construction company bases its new pricing model on the DC STC size of the PV system.

The package includes delivery, installation, and testing of the racking, panels, and inverters as well as associated foundations and wiring. The price does not include sales and use taxes, local permits and fees, and any land development costs.

Fresco CEO Sean Kenny states that "the price of polysilicon has been falling for well over a year and yet new capacity continues to come on stream. The same is true for inverters and all the commodities used in balance of plant components, such as copper, steel and aluminum. This, coupled with our proprietary designs, allows us to offer never before seen prices for turnkey solar plants."

"We're seeing a major shift from residential and commercial projects to municipal and utility scale ones, caused on the one hand by the anemic state of the US economy and on the other by the flow of stimulus funding," continues Kenny. "We and our partners have been working hard to position ourselves to take advantage of the new market conditions."

Solarbuzz's latest retail module price survey found 420 modules priced (without sales tax) below $4.75 per watt, with the lowest prices from U.S. retailers for a multicrystalline silicon module at $2.48 per watt and for a monocrystalline module at $2.80 per watt. As for thin-film panels, the consultancy found units priced as low as $1.76 per watt from an Asian-based retailer.

Module costs usually account for 50% or more of the total installed cost of a PV power system.

Fresco Solar will provide more technical details, manufacturer data, and projected performance numbers at next week's Intersolar North America, Booth 9438.

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Chinese consortium sets up new solar panel sales hub in US
10 July 2009 | By Emma Hughes | News > Fab and Facilities

A consortium of 30 Chinese solar panel companies has announced that it will be setting up a new sales hub in the United States; details of these companies and the output of the consortium as a whole have not been disclosed.

According to the Register-Guard, the group, collectively known as "Centron Solar," has leased a 25,000sqf warehouse in west Eugene, Oregon. Centron Solar brings with it 10 high-level managers as well as ambitious plans to expand to around 250 new employees in a year.

Ocean Yuan, the group's president, said that he also had plans to set up a couple of assembly lines in this area which would create around 50 jobs.

According to Yuan, the incentive for the group's members, who are manufacturers with proven technologies, was to take advantage of the vast potential market for affordable solar panels in the US.

Centron Solar moved into its Eugene facility two weeks ago.

"We want to build our manufacturing facilities closer to the customer," Yuan said.

Centron Solar plans to formally announce its launch at the InterSolar 2009 trade show next week in San Francisco.

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July 12, 2009, 23:03 (CEST)

Washington state lands huge solar project
A group of private investors announced a $100 million solar project Thursday that they claim will be the largest ever proposed in the Northwest.

Portland Business Journal

The Teanaway Solar Reserve, to be built roughly 80 miles east of Seattle, will generate enough electricity to power roughly 45,000 homes. Solar panels will take up approximately 60 acres of the 400-acre site.

Privately-held Teanaway Solar Reserve LLC leased land for the development from American Forest Holdings LLC.

Construction on the 400-acre project could begin as early as spring and be completed in the fall of 2011.

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Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 37.559.847 von R-BgO am 13.07.09 11:51:10

World's largest solar plant may be built in Cle Elum

The sunny, Central Washington town of Cle Elum could be the site of the world's largest solar power plant, if Washington company Teanaway Solar Reserve makes good on plans announced today.

By Sandi Doughton

Seattle Times science reporter

The sunny, Central Washington town of Cle Elum could be the site of the world's largest solar photovoltaic power plant, if a Washington company makes good on plans announced today.

Teanaway Solar Reserve hopes to gain approval from Kittitas County to build a 75 megawatt plant, made up of 400,000 photovoltaic panels. The energy produced would be enough for 45,000 homes, said Howard Trott, the Kirkland man who heads the operation.

Trott said he expects the plant to be operational by 2011.

"If we can do this in the Pacific Northwest, we are hopeful this will launch other large-scale solar projects around the U.S.," said Trott, who for 22 years helped manage investments for Seattle telecom billionaire Craig McCaw.

Trott said McCaw is not putting up any money for the plant, which will cost "north of $100 million." Trott would not reveal where the funds are coming from.

"As a privately held company, we are able to move quickly and have the resources to get this done," he said.

Teanaway Solar Reserve has leased 400 acres of private timberland about 4 miles from Cle Elum, near the scenic Teanaway Valley. The site has been heavily logged in the past, but is surrounded by Ponderosa pine forest that will screen the array from view, Trott said.

Because the area is already zoned for natural resources use, the only permits the company will need will be from Kittitas County, said Matt Steuerwalt, a company spokesman.

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell participated in the announcement, praising the plans. She pointed out the value of federal tax credits for solar projects, which she helped to extend.

"This project will move Washington into the second largest solar producer by megawatt, in the United States — behind California," Cantwell said.

The company also plans to lure a solar-panel manufacturer to Cle Elum, to produce the panels locally.

Trott said the project would create "hundreds" of jobs in the area.

Sandi Doughton: 206-464-2491 or [e-mail]

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30. Juli 2009
PSE&G's 80-MW Solar 4 All Program Approved
New Jersey, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

PSE&G has received approval from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to invest US $515 million in 80 megawatts (MW) of solar projects, doubling the state's solar capacity. Under an agreement reached in its Solar 4 All filing, the utility expects to complete the installations by the end of 2013.

The centralized solar segment of Solar 4 All, which involves projects of 500 kilowatts or more, will consist of several sub-segments.

The program has two segments, each 40 megawatts in size. The first segment consists of installing a solar unit (small distributed solar system of approximately 200 watts) on 200,000 utility poles in PSE&G's service territory, which includes the state's six largest cities and roughly 300 rural and suburban communities. The solar units will be connected directly into PSE&G's electric distribution system and the power will be sold into the PJM wholesale grid.

The second segment will focus on centralized solar, with PSE&G developing solar gardens and roof-top installations on facilities it owns and also at third-party sites.

"Our program will effectively double the size of New Jersey's installed solar capacity," said Ralph LaRossa, president and COO of PSE&G. "That is more solar capacity than currently exists in any state other than California. We have worked with New Jersey regulators and the solar community to develop a program that brings the benefits of solar to all of our customers."

PSE&G also announced today that it awarded the contract for the supply of the 200,000 pole-attached units to New Jersey-based Petra Solar. Petra has committed to make the solar units in New Jersey and expects to hire more than 100 employees to meet the needs of the contract.

The centralized solar segment of Solar 4 All, which involves projects of 500 kilowatts or more, will consist of several sub-segments. The largest will be the development of 25 megawatts of solar gardens or rooftop installations at PSE&G-owned sites.

PSE&G is evaluating five specific sites for development, though site selection will depend on permitting and site suitability.

PSE&G will also work with solar developers to install 10 megawatts of solar on third- party sites and five megawatts in municipalities that have New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zones (UEZs) within PSE&G's electric service area.

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Clark Energy, Acciona chosen by U.S. Army to develop huge mixed PV, CST solar plant at Fort Irwin
31 July 2009 | By Tom Cheyney | News > Power Generation


Clark Energy Group has been chosen to develop a major solar power project at Fort Irwin, CA--the largest of its kind in U.S. Department of Defense history. Acciona Solar Power will join Clark Energy to help construct and manage the Fort Irwin Solar Energy EUL (enhanced use leasing) project.

The selection of Clark-Acciona was made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, EUL program working in partnership with Fort Irwin and the Department of the Army.

The Fort Irwin Solar Energy EUL will involve a flexible, phased, multitechnology approach to delivering up to 1000MW of power generation, while advancing the transformation of Fort Irwin's overall energy security, the companies said. The Clark-Acciona proposal features the industrial-scale development of both solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar thermal technologies.

The proposed development will ultimately include more than 500MW of solar power that will generate 1250GWhr of renewable energy annually at the site. The Clark-Acciona plan calls for a phased implementation that considers site characteristics, constraints, available resources, current and future technologies, cost, access to transmission lines, and length of approval and connection processes at each construction stage.

The Fort Irwin Solar Energy EUL pilot project is an initiative of the Secretary of the Army's Senior Energy Council. The council coordinates and promotes energy security and policy for the Army by using measures to conserve and use energy wisely, while also encouraging the production of alternative energy sources from the Army's substantial land holdings across the country.

The EUL program, administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, leverages private capital and expertise to fund installation maintenance and operation costs in exchange for long-term leases of Army land through its statutory authority.

Fort Irwin is in the High Mojave Desert, midway between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The installation hosts the National Training Center, which is the Army's premier heavy maneuver Combat Training Center and NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, whose main purpose is to track and communicate with space missions.

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Navigating The Solar Manufacturing Tax-Credit Application Process

By Jessica Lillian
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Cognex Corp.
In mid-August, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of the Treasury unveiled the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit, a new tax-credit offering targeted at the manufacture of renewable energy equipment (e.g., solar cells and modules).

Under this program, qualifying projects - which may include new manufacturing facilities, as well as expansions and modifications of existing facilities - are eligible to receive a 30% investment tax credit, subject to recapture rules, tax-exempt rules, project-expenditure rules and a series of similar regulations.

Solar equipment manufacturers interested in applying for a share of the $2.3 billion in available credits should note that the program is expected to be wildly popular - and the application window is already open, with the preliminary application due Sept. 16.

"For many of us who were familiar with prior tax programs similar to this one, this is a very fast application process with tight deadlines," remarked Laura Ellen Jones, a tax partner at Hunton & Williams LLP, during a recent webinar sponsored by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

Dek Solar Technology
To complete the preliminary application this month, applicants need only provide the name of the company applying, the total qualified investment amount for the proposed project, the number of tax credits requested and a description no longer than 300 words that details the project. These submitted forms will not be formally considered in the DOE's final decision-making process, Jones added.

Rather, the preliminary application is simply a resource-planning tool for the DOE. Jones said the department plans to use the preliminary submissions to gauge how large a staff will be needed to review final applications and the types of expertise the reviewers will need to accurately evaluate applicants.

The final application, due to both the DOE and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Oct. 16, must be submitted in the form of a project information memorandum incorporating the DOE's standardized spreadsheets in order to promote fair comparisons of projects. Applicants must limit themselves to 30 pages, not including appendices.

"If you're over the page limit, DOE will not consider the application," Jones warned. "This is a hard and fast rule."

At the same time, the DOE may opt to immediately discard an application that would require additional information or clarification from the applicant. Because the process lacks any avenue for appeals, Jones urged applicants to provide clear, complete and concise applications.

"The IRS will only consider projects that receive the DOE's recommendation and ranking," she added. "It is important, in order to get to the point where the IRS is actually allocating and awarding the credits, that you submit a complete and responsive application, and that you carefully comply with all of the requirements in Appendix B."

Provided that a project meets certain initial eligibility requirements, including manufacture of equipment specific to renewable energy and a reasonable expectation of commercial viability, each application will be evaluated on the basis of four equally weighted criteria.

The DOE will favor projects with the greatest direct and indirect job creation during the credit period of six years; projects with the greatest net impact on avoiding or reducing greenhouse gas emissions; projects with the most potential for technological innovation and commercial deployment; and projects with the shortest time lines to completion.

Additionally, the DOE will take into account less precisely defined factors to sort through the applications, which are forecasted to number over 1,000. Values may be assigned for such attributes as project location or specific technology employed.

"It is unclear how these [considerations] mesh with numerical rankings," noted Joe Pasetti, counsel for government affairs at Applied Materials Inc. and co-chair of SEIA's Tax Working Group. "Are they going to take a lower-ranked project over a higher-ranked project simply to meet a geographical or technological diversity goal?"

By Jan. 15, 2010, selected tax-credit recipients will be informed of their certification and the number of tax credits they are receiving. Although the quick promised turnaround has surprised many observers, the DOE may have particular motives for seeking to roll out the credits as soon as possible, according to Pasetti.

"I think a lot of it has to do with how this program was a part of the stimulus, and maybe some of those provisions aren't moving out as fast as they would have liked," he noted.

Companies selected to receive tax credits will be subject to a series of closely monitored deadlines and other follow-up requirements. For instance, all federal, state and local permits - including applicable environmental reviews and authorizations - must be secured within a year after tax-credit certification.

Tax-credit recipients must also immediately inform the DOE and the IRS of any significant changes to their original plan, as submitted, or potential failures to meet promised stages of completion. Certain shortcomings can trigger immediate forfeiture of the tax credits.

"Receiving an award and allocation of these credits does not prevent a subsequent examination," Jones warned. "This is what I view as the most significant audit risk for projects that do receive tax allocations."

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Petra Solar Starts Shipping in Largest Solar Electric Project Under Construction in the World
Fri Sep 11, 2009 12:32pm EDT


New Jersey Company Delivers First Shipment on Order for 200,000 Solar PV Systems
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J.--(Business Wire)--
Metallic blue solar photovoltaic modules embedded with sophisticated power
management and communications systems began rolling out of Petra Solar`s
headquarters and manufacturing plant in South Plainfield, NJ this month in the
largest solar electric project under construction in the world.

Accepting the shipments was purchaser PSE&G, the state`s largest utility. PSE&G
and Petra Solar recently entered into a contract, valued at $200 million, which
requires Petra Solar to deliver approximately 200,000 SunWave intelligent PV
solar units for installation by PSE&G plans for installation on poles in its
service territory, which includes the state`s six largest cities and some 300
rural and suburban communities.

"Petra Solar`s solar photovoltaic solutions enable utilities to maximize the
value of their existing resources in innovative ways," said Petra Solar
President and CEO Shihab Kuran. "With Petra Solar`s SunWave technology, they use
existing utility poles to host solar units, creating a distributed system of
power generation throughout their service area."

He noted that the SunWave systems not only turn the poles into solar generators
but can also communicate with the electric grid and can offer smart grid
capabilities. The systems can improve grid reliability through real-time
communications between solar generators in the field and the utility control
center. In addition, the Petra systems can enhance electric distribution grid
reliability through a host of capabilities such as voltage and frequency
monitoring and reactive power compensation.

Petra Solar will ship 150 solar units this week, following an initial delivery
of 50 units last week. It continues to gear up to fulfill its contract, which
calls for shipments to increase to 1,500 units per month by the end of the year.


In addition to securing the PSE&G contract last month, Petra Solar became the
first business awarded funding under New Jersey`s Clean Energy Manufacturing
Fund in July, and the U.S. Department of Energy awarded it the prestigious
multi-million SEGIS contract to develop power management and control
technologies that will enable a higher penetration of distributed solar in the
electric grid.

"We are very gratified that our business interests line up directly with the
public`s interest in producing clean energy and green jobs," said Kuran, noting
that the company will triple its workforce in the next year.

More information about Petra Solar can be found at www.petrasolar.com.

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TEP Developing 25 MW PV Plant, 5 MW CSP Plant With Thermal Storage
in News Departments > Projects & Contracts
by SI Staff on Thursday 17 September 2009
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Tucson Electric Power (TEP) is working with partners to develop two new solar power systems that will generate enough energy to serve more than 6,000 homes in Tucson, Ariz.

The systems, including a new 25 MW photovoltaic array and a 5 MW concentrating solar power (CSP) plant, are expected to be completed by January 2012. TEP has agreed to purchase power for 20 years from both systems, which will be privately owned and operated.

The 25 MW PV array, which will be owned and operated by the global solar company Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, will feature ground-mounted solar panels that rotate along a single axis.

The CSP project will use rows of parabolic troughs and a heat-transfer and storage system to create pressurized vapor that will be used to drive a turbine. Bell Independent Power Corp.'s Bell Energy Storage Technology (BEST) will be incorporated into the plant.

BEST has been designed to make concentrating solar technology operate more efficiently and economically, according to TEP. The proprietary thermal storage system will be capable of storing the sun's heat for several hours, allowing the CSP plant to generate power into the early evening or when the sun is covered by clouds.

"The pioneering storage technology that will be built into this new CSP plant has the potential to make solar energy even more valuable for TEP and other utilities," says Paul Bonavia, chairman, president and CEO of TEP and its parent company, UniSource Energy. "If it proves successful, it could lead to the development of similar systems on a much larger scale."

SOURCE: Tucson Electric Power

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CHINESE COMPANY BREAKS GROUND ON 20MW PV MODULE PLANT IN ILLINOIS
16 Sep 2009 / Solar / TOP STORIES / United States

Hangzhou-based conglomerate Wanxiang Group has begun constructing a 20MW per year PV module manufacturing plant in Illinois, marking the first time a Chinese company has broken ground on such a facility in the US.

The company expects the USD 12.5m plant to be completed by 2010, Wanxiang America President Pin Ni told New Energy Finance, creating at least 60 new jobs and adding to Wanxiang’s current US workforce of 4,100 employees. Ni said that the plant will be technology agnostic, producing a combination of either mono- or multicrystalline PV modules in 190W, 200W or 210W sizes, “depending on each customer’s needs.”

Ni said that the plant may be expanded to a capacity of 160MW as the site in the city of Rockford is currently only using 1/8 of its 3-hectare plot.

No stranger to the sector, Wanxiang (SZSE: 000559) has a 30MW per year PV cell and module plant in Hangzhou in China’s Zhejiang Province which it commissioned in late 2007. Ni said that the company expects to expand in China, calling the Hangzhou plant merely a "pilot" and hinting that the company will build a “much larger capacity plant” somewhere in China. Wanxiang also produces PV ingots and wafers in China and is jointly developing EVs and Li-ion batteries.

As part of the selection of Rockford for Xanxiang’s first US PV plant, the company received a USD 2m investment package from the state of Illinois from its Economic Development for a Growing Economy programme and its Employer Training and Investment Program, plus grants from the Recycling Expansion and Modernization and Renewable Energy programmes.

Earlier this year, China's largest PV module maker Suntech (NYSE: STP) said it intends to build a manufacturing plant in the US, but the company has yet to select a site or provide any further details on its plans.

Wangxiang's other US operations consist mainly of automotive part manufacturing. Back in China, the company manufactures, universal joints, bearing, and auto parts, among other things. The company also develops and owns infrastructure projects, including power plants. It employs 45,000 workers globally.

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TUCSON ELECTRIC AND PARTNERS TO BUILD 30MW OF ARIZONA SOLAR
18 Sep 2009 / Solar / PROJECTS & ASSET FINANCE / United States

Arizona regional utility Tucson Electric Power has partnered with Spanish developer Fotowatio to build a 25MW PV plant and with Bell Independent Power to erect a 5MW solar thermal electricity generation (STEG) project.

Fotowatio’s 25MW ground-mounted, single-axis tracking project will dwarf TEP’s 4.6MW PV array in Springerville which is currently Arizona`s largest and will be nearly double the size of Fotowatio’s 14MW Nellis Air Force Base project, according to a joint press release. The project will be developed by Fotowatio’s US subsidiary Fotowatio Renewable Ventures. Asked about what kind of PV would be used for the project, spokespersons from both companies told New Energy Finance that it was still too early to decide.

Regarding the solar thermal plant, BIPC said in the release that it has been working with Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities to identify a site. The project will utilise parabolic troughs and a heat-transfer fluid and storage system. TREO has actively promoted the Tucson area as an ideal location for new solar generation projects as part of its overall economic development activities in the region.

Both Fotowatio and BIPC will own and operate their respective plants, according to PPAs signed by each with TEP. The PPAs will be submitted to the Arizona Corporation Commission for approval, and will be funded in part by an ACC-approved surcharge intended to support the state`s renewable energy standard of 15% by 2025.

In related news, TEP is seeking USD 25m in federal stimulus funding for its 1.6MW Bright Tucson PV project, which would test the effectiveness of several alternative power storage and demand response systems from the solar array. If funding is approved, project team members would develop a lithium battery bank and a compressed air energy storage system adjacent to the new PV array on an 8 hectare site leased from the Tucson Airport Authority. The batteries would store solar energy as DC power while the the CAES system would use solar power to create pressurised air that could be used later to drive a turbine and create electricity on demand.

Speaking about the project, Chairman and CEO of TEP and its parent UniSource Energy (NYSE: UNS) Paul Bonavia said that the company is “looking for the best way to get the most out of the solar energy that surrounds us here in Tucson." Bonavia continued, “Solar energy is going to play a big part in TEP's future, so we need to find some bright solutions to the challenges that currently limit its utility and cost-effectiveness.”

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PSEG Solar Source and juwi solar Announce Three Large-Scale Solar Projects
Projects totaling 29.2 MW to be completed by end of 2010

(September 23, 2009 – Newark, NJ) - PSEG Solar Source today completed the acquisition from juwi solar Inc., of two utility-scale solar projects to be located in Florida and Ohio and announced that it has developed a third solar project located in New Jersey, all of which have a total capacity of close to 30 megawatts. The projects will all be completed by the end of 2010.

Under an agreement, juwi solar Inc. will provide the engineering, procurement, construction, and initial operation and maintenance services for the projects, which will be owned by PSEG Solar Source, a subsidiary of PSEG Global.

The three projects are:

• The Mars Solar Garden, a 2.2 MW DC (direct current) facility located on 18 acres adjacent to Mars Snackfood’s U.S. headquarters in Western New Jersey. It is targeted for completion in 2009. Mars Snackfood has contracted for the output of the system.

• A 15.0 MW DC solar farm on 100 acres in Jacksonville, Florida expected to begin construction shortly and targeted to begin commercial operation in the summer of 2010. JEA, a Jacksonville municipal utility, has contracted for the output of the system and the renewable energy credits.

• A 12.0 MW DC solar farm on 80 acres in Wyandot, Ohio, targeted to begin construction by the end of the year and to begin commercial operation in 2010. AEP Ohio has contracted for the output of the system and the renewable energy credits.

All three projects utilize thin film panels provided by First Solar and will be ground-mounted. The projects together will include 380,000 solar panels and represent approximately a $100 million investment by PSEG Solar Source.

“PSEG Solar Source is pleased to have established a relationship with juwi solar on these projects,” said Diana Drysdale, who heads PSEG Global’s solar business. “PSEG Solar Source will continue to seek opportunities throughout the U.S. to help address climate change and help states meet their solar and renewable targets.”

“The sale of these Florida and Ohio projects and the construction of the Mars Solar Garden were the result of hard work by the juwi solar and PSEG Solar Source teams, as well as the various utilities, local communities and state agencies,” said Michael Martin, managing director of juwi solar Inc. “We look forward to the timely completion of these projects and to the continued growth of utility-scale solar energy across North America.”

PSEG has been active in promoting renewable energy. PSEG Global is developing a 350 MW wind farm off the coast of New Jersey and is developing compressed air energy storage through its partnership in Energy Storage & Power (ES&P).

In addition, PSEG’s regulated gas and electric utility in New Jersey, PSE&G, has launched two solar initiatives a $105 million solar loan program and an 80 MW Solar4All program that involves attaching solar panels to 200,000 utility poles.

About PSEG:
Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG) is a publicly traded diversified energy company with annual revenues of more than $13 billion, and three principal subsidiaries: PSEG Power, PSEG Energy Holdings, and Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G). PSEG Energy Holdings has two main unregulated energy-related businesses: PSEG Global and PSEG Resources. PSEG Solar Source LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of PSEG Global, formed to develop, construct, own and operate large-scale solar facilities outside of the PSE&G’s regulated service area.

Disclaimer: PSEG Solar Source LLC is not the same company as PSE&G, the New Jersey based electric and gas utility. PSEG Solar Source is not regulated by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. You do not have to purchase any PSEG Solar Source products in order to receive quality regulated services from PSE&G.

About juwi solar Inc.
Juwi solar Inc. (JSI) is a privately-held solar energy generation company based in Boulder, Colorado. JSI’s primary business is the development, design, construction, operation and maintenance of utility-scale (1MW and larger) solar energy generation facilities in North America.

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http://www.pv-tech.org/editors_blog/_a/solar_market_share_sh…

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http://www.pv-tech.org/chip_shots/_a/solar_rules_new_list_of…

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Confluence Solar Announces $200M Plant in Tenn.
Confluence Solar announces $200 million manufacturing facility to be built in East Tennessee
By ERIK SCHELZIG Associated Press Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. January 21, 2010 (AP)

Confluence Solar Inc. plans to build a $200 million solar manufacturing plant in East Tennessee, Gov. Phil Bredesen and company officials announced Thursday.

John DeLuca, a co-founder of the Hazelwood, Mo.-based company, said the 200,000-square-foot facility in Clinton is projected to create 250 jobs once it reaches full capacity. Depending on demand, that could be as soon as within 18 months, but the company said as few as 50 and 75 people will be enough to get operations started.

DeLuca, who once worked at the U.S. Energy Department's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, said the choice of the site off Interstate 75 in Anderson County was strengthened by the proximity to the lab and to the new stimulus-funded Solar Institute at the University of Tennessee.

"For a small startup company like ours, it is hard to overstate the importance of being close to ... the people and the analytical resources available there," he said.

He also cited the polysilicon plants being built in Tennessee by Hemlock Semiconductor Corp. and Wacker Chemie AG. Both plants will produce the material used by Confluence Solar to make premium quality silicon ingots for solar cells.

DeLuca said 17 other Tennessee communities competed for the plant.

Bredesen said Thursday's announcement was evidence that Tennessee's emphasis on green energy investment is paying off.

"I'm becoming convinced that it's increasingly difficult for companies in the clean energy sector to ignore the momentum that we're building in Tennessee," he said.

The governor also noted that the announcement comes on the heels of another Clinton company, SL America Corp., winning a major contract to make automatic shifter assemblies for the new Volkswagen plant being built in Chattanooga.

"No matter what the weather is around the state, I think the sun is shining in Anderson County right now," he said.

Bredesen said Thursday's announcement was distinct from efforts to attract what he has called a "major" commercial investment related to Tennessee's biofuels program.

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Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Green2V brings hundreds of jobs to Rio Rancho
New Mexico Business Weekly - by Dennis Domrzalski NMBW Staff


A new solar energy company said Wednesday it will spend $500 million over the next five years to build a 1 million-square-foot plant in Rio Rancho that eventually will employ 1,500 and have an annual payroll of $64 million.

Green2V CEO Bill Sheppard, who ran Intel Corp.’s Rio Rancho plant in the 1990s, said the company expects to break ground on the 124-acre site in the next few weeks.

“Part of the reason for making the announcement today is that we are starting to go through the public process of going through planning and permits. We’ve got our first facility designed and have chosen the contractor already,” Sheppard said. “We expect to go to contract next week.”

Green2V will manufacture solar cells and modular glass frames and will design, install, operate and finance the systems, Sheppard said.

“We are a fully integrated renewable energy company, and our motto is ‘Sand to kilowatts,’” Sheppard said. “We will take sand and make wafers and glass and produce solar cells and the modules and the frames that the glass will go in.”

Sheppard said he and the company’s seven other founders have 220 collective years of experience in the high-tech industry. He said Green2V’s approach of controlling the entire manufacturing process — from obtaining the sand to producing wafers and glass — will help reduce the cost of solar-generated electricity.

“Although there have been numerous renewable projects announced in the United States, a small percentage of them are ready to go to shovel” because the cost of renewable energy is still higher than coal or nuclear-generated power and firms can’t get financing for their projects, Sheppard said.

“We will address our costs by controlling the entire food chain,” he added.

The deal has been in the works for months, and involves the sale of 124 acres of land held by the New Mexico State Land Office to the city of Rio Rancho, said Land Office spokeswoman Kristin Haase.

Rio Rancho will purchase the three separate tracts from the state Land Office for $6.9 million with money provided by Green2V, a city spokesman said. The proceeds from the sale will go into the state’s Land Grant Permanent Fund.

Rio Rancho has committed to fast-tracking the project and installing $7.2 million of public roads and sewer infrastructure, a city spokesman said.

Green2V also will seek $500 million in industrial revenue bonds from Rio Rancho. IRBs waive certain taxes, particularly on equipment, and are paid off by companies, typically over a 20- to 25-year period.

Sheppard said the company is backed “by a group of private equity individuals who bring the ability to finance small and large projects.”

The firm hopes to begin delivering its solar energy systems to customers by the summer of 2011, Sheppard said.

Initial funding for the project will come from GP3 Ltd. of Los Angeles, and its CEO George Peters. The firm has committed to purchase the first round of IRBs issued by Rio Rancho.

“The demand for solar energy is already outpacing the available supply and infrastructure,” Peters said. “Green2V has the business model, management experience and the vision to intersect the market at the most opportune time. We are excited to be part of that journey.”

Gov. Bill Richardson said the project ultimately could lead to 3,000 new jobs in the state.

Read more: Green2V brings hundreds of jobs to Rio Rancho - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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Environmentalists praise Ill. solar energy bill
Environmentalists glowing over solar energy bill approved by Illinois lawmakers
On Friday May 28, 2010, 2:32 pm EDT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Environmentalists are beaming over legislation meant to encourage the use of solar energy in Illinois.

The measure would set annual targets for the amount of electricity that power companies must produce through solar energy.

Advocates say the annual targets would help companies gradually reach a requirement that's already state law -- by 2015, 6 percent of renewable energy must come from solar power.

The idea is that instead of delaying until 2015, companies will invest a little more in solar energy each year. Backers say that should create thousands of jobs.

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US solar market forecast to grow tenfold by 2014, says Solarbuzz

Press release, July 23; Willie Teng, DIGITIMES [Friday 23 July 2010]

Despite a challenging domestic economic environment, the US solar market grew 36% in 2009, according to Solarbuzz. This growth was, however, not nearly as strong as the region's 62% growth in 2008. On a global scale, the country was ranked the third largest solar photovoltaic market, behind Germany and Italy.

"2009 marked a year of transformation for the US solar market," noted Craig Stevens, President of Solarbuzz. "Changes in the roles of utility companies, new market entrants, lower cost PV modules from Asia and new direct-to-market approaches became more prevalent. As a result, solar companies doing business in the States will need to adapt quickly to these challenges while also being responsive to frequent adjustments in the fragmented incentive and regulatory environment."

The Golden State steals the sunshine

California continues to play a critical lead as the base load state market for the US. The state accounted for 53% of US PV on-grid installations, and is expected to maintain its strong position in 2010. Despite a slowdown in demand from the corporate sector across the US, government, residential and utility growth more than offset this effect. Price cuts in residential installations provided the foundation for steady growth across the country. A wide range of start-up markets in other states are well underway as new PV incentives were launched.

US government policies progress

While there are utility barriers to be resolved, including regulatory restrictions on the use of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), the central policy thrust over the past 12 months remains positive. Sixteen states and Washington D.C. have enacted a Renewable Portfolio Standard with solar or distributed generation set-asides to promote PV. Fulfillment of solar set-aside obligations drove around 30% of total on-grid PV installations in 2009.

The large number of state policy initiatives has created a fragmented regulations and incentive environment. Regardless, states are doing their job of stimulating local markets. The dispersed funding sources mean the US market does not carry the same level of risk compared to countries driven by a single national policy. Nonetheless, federal incentives are playing a much larger role in stimulating demand over the next two years.

SunPower leads in US installations

The systems division of SunPower was the leading company in terms of PV installed for the year. In California, Chevron Energy and SPG Solar performed strongly in 2009 and moved up to the number two position. Among residential installers in California, REC Solar, SolarCity and Real Goods Solar led the field.

US market forecast to grow to 4.5-5.5GW by 2014

Within the next five years, Solarbuzz forecasts the market will grow to between 4.5-5.5 GW depending on the scenario. This is around 10 times the size of the 2009 market, an average annual growth rate of 30% per annum. The key drivers of this outcome will be much more aggressive positioning in the utility segment based on the need to meet their Renewable Portfolio Standard obligations, the development of new state markets together with the return of the corporate segment and steady growth in residential demand stimulated by cuts in end-market pricing. The US order book for photovoltaic systems currently stands at 12 GW. This represents the total of solar set-aside RPS projections of demand from multi-year funded incentive programs, stimulus funded projects and other large utility identified projects.

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und in CA stimmen sie nächste Woche über Prop23 ab...:



US Solar Poised for $100bn Growth Surge; Analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance shows that the US solar market for photovoltaic and solar thermal electricity generation will grow annually by 42% to reach 44GW by 2020 - as long it can attract $100bn of investment in the period


Business Wire
October 25, 2010

Rapidly declining equipment costs combined with stronger government support have set the stage for explosive growth in the US solar market over the next decade, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the world's leading provider of research and analysis into clean energy and the carbon markets. Solar-powered generating capacity - using photovoltaic and solar thermal electricity technologies - could reach 4.3% of the nation's power capacity by 2020, depending on the industry's ability to attract an estimated $100bn of investment.

The US today has just 1.4 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity, ranking it fifth globally. But that could rise to 44 gigawatts by 2020, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. In a new report, forecast capacity from large-scale solar thermal projects is projected to rise from 0.4 gigawatts currently to 14 gigawatts by 2020. For photovoltaics, the group anticipates a 34% annual growth rate to 30 gigawatts by 2020.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance research shows that the cost of a typical photovoltaic module has dropped by more than half over the past two years. However, solar power is still expensive compared to other power sources. The group's latest analysis places the unsubsidized cost of best-in-class photovoltaic and solar thermal electricity generation at just below $200/megawatt-hour -- nearly four times the equivalent cost for a coal-fired power plant ($56/megawatt-hour) -- and between two and four times the cost of onshore wind power.

Policy measures such as tax credits, capital expenditure grants, generation incentives and renewable electricity credits will remain a key driver of solar uptake in the US for at least the next three years. The current drop in solar costs is taking place just as such policies are being implemented by the Federal and various State governments, which is expected to lead to rapid growth in commercial, utility and residential solar power.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance expects the commercial sector to lead the way with around half of all photovoltaic installations between now and 2020. After taking into account incentives currently available, Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates that commercial-scale photovoltaic systems can obtain unlevered returns of 8-14% in states such as Hawaii, Texas, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. More sophisticated financial structures using leverage, combined with further drops in the cost of technology and in the scale of projects, will make commercial-scale solar photovoltaics even more attractive to investors. By 2020 over 3% of commercial rooftops are projected to have such systems installed if current incentives are maintained.

Utility and residential systems will each contribute one-quarter of future installations. Photovoltaic systems can compete better on a retail level than on a wholesale level as retail electricity prices are significantly higher and solar photovoltaic modules can be installed at the user's location, rather than centrally. Bloomberg New Energy Finance expects residential-scale solar to have been installed on 2.4% of US houses by 2020.

In its analysis of returns available to investors, Bloomberg New Energy Finance found that the amount of sunshine (known as 'insolation') alone is a poor indicator of system returns by State: high electricity prices and generous incentives are far more important.

"Policy, rather than sunshine, will remain the US's greatest solar resource for the next few years," said Milo Sjardin, Bloomberg New Energy Finance's US head of research. "By the middle of this decade, however, the US retail solar market will be driven by fundamental, unsubsidized competition, which should transform the US into one of the world's most dynamic solar markets."

Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance said: "There is a very positive growth story for solar in the US: a few more years of support, and then the engine of unsubsidized competitiveness will take over - and the world will never be the same. The important thing right now is to ensure policy stability, to give investors confidence during this critical period. The US solar industry will require private sector investment of $100bn during the next decade, and any hint that the government's commitment to clean energy could waver and investors will run for cover."

The analysis quoted in this release is from a recently published report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance entitled "Quantifying the US solar market: system returns and new build projections". The full report, which is included in the company's Solar Insight Service, combines policy analysis and economic modeling to identify investment opportunities across states, and models renewable electricity credit markets and technology adoption rates to forecast the size the future US solar market.

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Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 40.392.812 von R-BgO am 26.10.10 16:30:49

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