Solar India Online.com

Solar power in India will cost less than coal energy in five years

2009-09-13T13:04:00.000+05:30

The Clinton Climate Initiative, a programme of the William J Clinton Foundation, is in the process of setting up four ‘solar parks’ across the world with an overall capacity of 20,000 Mw. On Monday,it signed an agreement with the Gujarat government for setting up what is billed as the world’s largest solar project. IRA MAGAZINER, CCI’s chairman, talked to Maulik Pathak on his plans. Excerpts:

So, you have finally firmed your plans on Gujarat after exploring for over a year now. Have you identified the location?
We have identified three to four locations and will be finalising these in the next three to four weeks. About 5,000 hectares of land is required. We have been to many places where they talk and talk. Finally, we came to Gujarat, where people act. CCI is aiming to set up a solar park with a generation capacity of 3,000 Mw, which could go up to 5,000 Mw. The cost of the project would be about $8-10 billion for 3,000 Mw and for 5,000 Mw, it would be about $15 billion. The feasibility study will be over in 2010 and the plant will start in 2012.

How much of solar capacities has Clinton Climate Initiative planned worldwide?
We are planning four solar parks across the globe. We are looking at South Africa, California in the US, Australia and Gujarat. All these projects are of the same size, as of now. The overall capacity to be generated from solar energy in the four projects could go as high as 20,000 Mw.
From the progress made so far, we feel the Gujarat project will be the first to come up. And this would be the world’s largest solar project.

The cost of generation for solar power is very high as compared to other fossil fuel-fired units.
A solar park can decrease the cost of solar power significantly. The initial cost for setting up the project is very high. Once the plant is set up, its cost comes down. There is no extra cost, except managing the mirrors.
You don’t have to adjust to any fluctuations in cost. In fact, there is no fuel cost. It (solar plant) can go on as long as the sun shines. Of course, we have got to make arrangements when the weather is cloudy. By our calculations, the cost of solar power generation in India will come down to Rs 5-6 per kilo watt hour/unit in the next five years. And this will be lower than the cost of a coal-fired plant.

How do you propose to finance these projects? How many developers have shown interest in the Gujarat project so far?
As the project is very costly in the initial phases, we will arrange finance for the solar developers. We are already in talks with Asian Development Bank for this. As I said earlier, once the project takes off, the cost of generation goes down, so finance is initially essential. About 10 international developers have already shown interest.

The central government had recently written to the state to consider setting up a solar SEZ (Special Economic Zone) in Gujarat. Any plans to park your solar project in the SEZ? Also, do you propose to set up hybrid plants?
We have held talks with the central government on this. In fact, we are very hopeful about the National Solar Mission. Along with developers, research and development, even component manufacturers have shown interest in our project. So, there is a good export market. We can certainly consider that (SEZ).
Hybrid plants are something else that we are considering at the moment.

Source: Business Standard

Land of the rising subsidy

2009-09-04T14:16:00.000+05:30

Until five years ago Japan made around half of the world’s solar cells, thanks to its thirst for native energy and its expertise in the related fields of computer chips and flat screens for televisions. Sharp, which alone has made a quarter of all the solar cells ever produced, dominated the industry. But as solar technology matured and demand grew, new companies emerged, notably in China and Taiwan, eroding Japanese firms’ share of the market to around 20%. Sharp slipped to fourth place among manufacturers in 2008, after Q-Cells of Germany, First Solar of America and Suntech of China.
Factories have mushroomed all over the world in recent years, on the assumption that subsidies and loans for solar power would continue to grow, along with the world economy. Chinese manufacturers’ share grew sixfold from 2004 to 2008, capturing more than one-third of the global market. This prompted fears that Japan’s strength in solar would go the way of computer chips and television screens, in which Japanese firms have lost their dominance over rivals from elsewhere in Asia.
To avoid this fate, Japanese firms have concentrated on improving their technology and adjusting their business models. They have the most sophisticated kit, respected brands and healthy balance-sheets, notes Travis Bradford, president of the Prometheus Institute, a solar advocacy group. All this should spare them the worst amid the present solar glut. The entire industry’s sales are expected to be below 7,000 megawatts this year. That is roughly half of its capacity. The economic crisis has led to the cancellation of many big projects, and subsidies for solar power in Germany and Spain are being reduced.
Excess supply has forced the prices of solar panels down by more than 40% this year. In Asia factories that recently cropped up are running at 40% of capacity, with a huge shakeout expected, explains Joe Boyce of Gaia Consulting. But Japanese makers are protected because they can manufacture cells less expensively than European firms and have better technology than Chinese ones. They are also sheltered in their home market, where customers prefer domestic products.
Additionally, Japanese companies are following some American and European rivals into electricity generation. Sharp, for example, is negotiating a deal with Enel, Italy’s biggest power company, under which it will build solar panels for use in Enel’s solar-power plants. Enel will help to finance the panel factory and Sharp will take a stake in the
plants. In March Mitsubishi, a large trading company, acquired 34% of Amper Central Solar, a power plant in Portugal. Showa Shell, an oil distributor and panel-maker, plans to enter the generation business with Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil giant.
Many Japanese solar firms are in fact expanding. The country’s four biggest—Sharp, Kyocera, Sanyo and Mitsubishi Electric—are investing billions of dollars to double their production, at least, over the next three years. They expect an increase in demand owing to growing subsidies for renewable energy in America and Japan. The Japanese government reintroduced generous handouts for solar power this year. These had stopped in 2006, when it had seemed that the market could support itself. Between April and June domestic sales increased by 80% in volume, while sales elsewhere slumped. Goldman Sachs says solar sales in Japan may double next year if the Democratic Party of Japan, an opposition party with green policies, wins a general election on August 30th, which it is expected to do.
At the Motosumiyoshi commuter-train station in Kawasaki, a suburb of Tokyo, sleek solar panels serve as an awning over the platform. On a recent sweltering day, they were producing 33 kilowatts of electricity, equivalent to the consumption of 40 homes. The system supplies 15% of the energy used by the station, and avoids many tons of greenhouse-gas emissions annually. As long as the state’s gravy-train keeps running, solar power’s future is bright in the land of the rising sun.

Source: Financialexpress

Solar industry interaction on MNRE’s solar PV program for 2009-10

2009-09-04T14:08:00.002+05:30

MNRE along with the Indian Semiconductor Association (ISA) and IREDA organized a one-day seminar in New Delhi to share the details of the recently announced Unified Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Program to promote the use of decentralized SPV systems for various applications in rural/ urban areas and SPV roof top systems for diesel saving in urban areas.

The seminar was organized to share the view of the concerned stakeholders such as manufacturers of solar PV modules and equipment, system integrators, service providers, consultants, banks and financial institutions, and reputed NGOs on the programme. The main objective of the seminar was to initiate a government-industry interaction.

Welcoming the delegates, Mr. B.V. Naidu, Chairman, ISA said that it was good to be part of a new revolution taking place in India. He added: “We have seen the success of the Indian IT industry and the Indian semiconductor design sector. That the MNRE is organizing an industry interaction on solar photovoltaics is a step in the right direction.” Naidu noted that India has all the features required for becoming a successful solar country.

Addressing the delegates, Ms Gauri Singh, IAS, Joint Secretary, MNRE said that the purpose of this interaction between the government and the industry is to give a loud and clear message to industry that “we would like to work with you as partners.” She said, “A large portion of the solar mission target will come from grid connected solar power. However, the off-grid opportunity is also huge. We have tried to open up our policy slightly and take the whole process forward by taking inputs from you and open up the policy for suggestions.” She further added that the MNRE was also working to see whether it could get the IREDA into a refinance operation with banks. There are schemes in place, where if anyone wants to work with a bank, a lot of incentives are available to the banks. Now, the ministry would like to see incentives being given to the manufacturers. She also called for a need to put out a third party monitoring system.

Dr B.M.S. Bist, Advisor, MNRE, said that solar PV is going to play a big role in assuring green technology in the country. He said that significant targets have been set for the SPV systems. The ministry has now tried to make new schemes. These will be presented to the delegates and their views are welcome. Those views will be compiled and the ministry will revert to the industry, so both of them can march together. Solar Mission will also be active from 14th November 2009.

Mr. Debashish Majumdar, Chairman and Managing Director, IREDA, said “When solar PV started about 15 years ago in India, we had small manufacturers starting in garages, etc., and who have now grown to become very large companies. It gives us a lot of hope that things can be done very well here as well.”

“We look at solar from two aspects — off-grid and on-grid. We would like to see what kind of demand we can convert in the off-grid applications. The policy by MNRE has been made keeping the best interests of the industry in mind. We would like to get your feedback and see how best to get the market going.”

There were presentations on the following topics as well:

* Details of the solar PV off-grid program (rooftop systems) — Dr. AK Varshney, MNRE
* Details of the solar PV off-grid program (other applications) — Dr. A. Raza, MNRE
* Financing of IREDA schemes for solar — BV Rao, IREDA

Dr. A K Varshney, Director, MNRE spoke about the Solar PV off-grid program on Roof Top Systems which was announced in February 2009. He said that main focus of these systems was commercial complexes, malls, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes etc. Ministry has a set target of 4.35 MW rooftop SPV systems for the remaining period of 11th plan. Regarding the Central Financial Assistance (CFA), he said, “With the submission of a copy of DPR and delivery of the material at the site, ministry grants 50% of the subsidy amount in advance and rest of the subsidy amount is given after the commissioning of the project.” Recently, the ministry has sanctioned two projects - in Dehradun (100 Kwp) and in Serco BPO in Gurgaon (25 Kwp).

Dr. Ahmar Raza, Director, MNRE shared the scheme of Solar PV off-grid program on other applications which was announced in July 2009. He told about various financial assistance provided by the ministry for setting up Solar PV roof top systems. He also told about the incentives to Banks/Micro financing institutions for capacity building and other specified activities to extend loans to consumers for Home lights and other small SPV systems in villages.

Mr. B.V. Rao from IREDA told about various financial schemes provided by IREDA on solar. He mentioned various kind of loans provide by IREDA to different players in the industry. Like for manufacturers, IREDA provides a loan of upto 80% of the total investment and 20% is to be paid by the manufacturer himself. The interest rate is 12.75% and repayment has to be made in 10 years.

These presentations were followed by questions and views shared by the industry delegates with officials from the ministry.

Slowdown dims solar panel prices 40-50%

2009-09-04T11:17:00.001+05:30

Inventory build-up can brighten power project prospects.
Solar panel prices have fallen 40-50 per cent in the international markets in the last 6-9 months, triggered by the global liquidity crunch. This has led to tighter funding for solar farm power projects and a consequent build-up in inventory of panels.
Despite an improvement in global liquidity and revival of orders, there is no imminent prospect of prices returning to mid-2008 levels, say industry experts.
Solar panel manufacturers say prices are unlikely to return to the early 2008 levels even though some large projects are getting off the ground, particularly in western and southern Europe, the largest market for solar power projects.
The crash in prices has substantially brought down the delivered cost of electricity from solar projects.
Inventory build-up
According to industry experts, a number of reasons contributed to the price crash. Solar panels cost around $3.75-4 a Watt till the third quarter of 2008, after which they started falling. The prices are about $1.9-2 a Watt now, according to Mr Yogesh Mathur, Chief Financial Officer, Moser Baer India Ltd, which has subsidiaries that manufacture photovoltaic cells and modules and develop integrated photovoltaic systems.
Solar farm projects are large in size, about 1-5 MW, which is quite significant in terms of volume and value. A 5-MW solar farm typically used to cost about $30 million and this has now dropped to around $20 million. Till mid-to- late-2008 the market was booming and order books for all manufacturers were full, according to Mr Mathur.
Mr Shankar Rao Chodagam, Managing Director of the Hyderabad-based Titan Energy Systems Ltd, says that up to September 2008, the supply of panels was less than demand. Many companies, based on the earlier high growth projections, built up inventories, which also contributed to a fall in prices.
Attractive costs
Apart from Germany, which is Europe’s largest solar power market, Spain too is getting active in solar power, followed by Italy. Japan and the US too are growing solar power markets.
Mr Hari Surapaneni, CEO, Solar Semiconductor, a major player, said that with manufacturers trying to get rid of inventories, prices softened appreciably. “It is good for the consumer and the Indian industries involved in the solar business,” said Mr Surapaneni, whose company has orders over $3 billion from European customers of solar PV modules.
Chinese competition
Despite the high capital cost, solar farm projects were attractive both for investors and lenders because of the incentives offered by various European governments. Hence, even at the high costs, investors were assured of reasonable internal rate of return. “Because of the government support, the attractiveness to leverage, to borrow and to invest in that farm was quite high. The investors got a 10/20-year tariff,” said Mr Mathur.
Credit used to be available in plenty, but between the latter part of 2008 and early this year it dried up, resulting in a number of solar farm projects being put on hold.
Combined with this, says Mr K.E. Raghunathan, Managing Director of the Chennai-based Solkar Solar Industry Ltd, a manufacturer of solar products, Chinese manufacturers of panels also started dumping products in the global markets at rock-bottom prices. The Chinese manufacturers were able to do this due to various reasons, principal among which is the huge government support they get for exports.
Industry players say credit availability is improving and solar projects are slowly taking off, resulting in growing demand for solar panels.
Mr Mathur says that as the credit crunch eases, it has become attractive for banks to lend to the sector, especially with the lower overall system costs and consequently lower cost of energy. He does not expect prices to go back to the 2008 peak levels even though inventories are getting reduced. “As scale builds up in manufacturing, costs will come down. There could be a price uptick, but not to the extent as last year,” he says.
Grid parity
Along with scale economies, increase in cell efficiency — the quantum of incidental solar rays that gets converted to electricity — from 15 per cent to 17-18 per cent, should result in prices dropping over the next couple of years to grid parity.
According to Mr Chodagam, the developments augur well for Indian players as the current prices are better than diesel parity. “By 2011, it is expected to come to grid parity for the production of solar power.” Simultaneously, the country’s grid connection policy and the Solar Energy Mission will get a boost as the rate of return will improve.
Adds Mr Surapaneni, “we believe this trend (of lower prices) will continue and the cost will come down to Rs 10-12 crore a MW, bringing solar power closer to other forms of power.” On Thursday, Moser Baer said it got a contract to install a 1 MW solar project for Mahagenco, Maharashtra’s State-owned generation utility, for Rs 12.5 crore.
Indian manufacturers are confident that this means good business, as apart from the domestic market, Europe, Japan and the US will once again become large markets.

BHEL augments Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing Facility to 8 MW per annum

2009-09-01T11:59:00.001+05:30

Sh. Vilasrao Deshmukh dedicates the new state-of-the-art plant to the nation

As another step towards supporting the Government of India’s Green Energy Initiative, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has enhanced the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Module manufacturing facility at its Electronics Division, Bangalore, from 3 MW to 8 MW per annum.

The company’s new state-of-the-art, upgraded unit was dedicated to the nation today by Sh. Vilasrao Deshmukh, Hon’ble Union Minister for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, in the presence of Sh. Arun Yadav, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Sh. Ananth Kumar, Member of Parliament. Sh. M. Krishnappa and Sh. D.K. Shivakumar, MLAs; Dr. Satyanarayana Dash, Secretary, Department of Heavy Industry, Govt. of India; Sh. Sudhakar Rao, Chief Secretary, Govt. of Karnataka and Sh. K. Ravi Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director, BHEL, were also present on the occasion, in addition to the Board of Directors and senior officials of BHEL.

The additional photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing facility has enabled BHEL to handle larger (156x156-mm) and thinner (200-mm) solar-grade mono/multi-crystalline silicon wafers, for which process optimisation trials have been successfully completed.

BHEL has been committed to promoting eco-friendly sources of energy and has reinforced its commitment towards renewable energy by upgrading its Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing Capacity.

In another step forward in this direction, the Joint Venture between BHEL and BEL for establishing a 250 MW PV production facility for processing Silicon Wafers, Solar Cells and PV Modules is under finalisation. With this JV, BHEL and BEL are expected to assume a leading position in the area of Photovoltaics in the country.

BHEL has been actively contributing to the application of Solar Photovoltaics in remote and rural parts of the country for over 3 decades. The company’s Grid Interactive/Stand Alone Solar Power Plants as well as independent systems have enabled the people of Lakshadweep, Sagar Islands of West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, tribal areas of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, etc., to vastly improve their quality of life. Solar cells and modules manufactured by BHEL are also exported to countries like Germany, Australia and Italy. The company’s PV modules are certified to international standards by JRC, Ispra, Italy.

BHEL has been committed to the nation’s power development programme and has reaffirmed its commitment to the Indian Power Sector by equipping itself for the future, by way of technology, facilities and trained manpower to meet the country’s power forecast for the 11th Plan and beyond. For this, it has already enhanced its manufacturing capacity to 10,000 MW per annum and is further augmenting it to 15,000 MW per annum which is proceeding apace and plans are afoot to hike it further to 20,000 MW by 2011-12.

Source: BHEL

Two missions on climate change ready for implementation, says Shyam Saran

2009-08-31T11:49:00.000+05:30

Two of the eight missions in the National Action Plan on Climate Change were ready for implementation through the cabinet-level decisions regulatory mechanisms and even through legislation if necessary, said Shyam Saran, the special envoy of the Prime Minister on climate change, here on Friday.

The National Solar Mission and the National Mission for Enhanced Energy have already been through by discussions and evaluation by the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate change, Mr. Saran said at the Environment and Energy Conclave 2009 hosted by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“The Prime Minister has said that the National Solar Mission will be in operation by November 14,” Mr. Saran said.

Experts were considering the possibility of producing solar power with a threshold capacity of 20,000 MW, which could result in grid parity by 2020 and parity in pricing with coal-generated power in 2030, he said.

Grid parity was the point at which electricity from renewable sources is equal to or cheaper than grid power. Reiterating India’s stand that no legally binding restrictions on emissions would be acceptable, Mr. Saran also outlined the expectations of India and other developing countries from the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen (COP15) in December this year.

“We are not negotiating a new Climate Change treaty at Copenhagen,” said Mr. Saran, adding that the measures deliberated at previous international summits had not been implemented by developed countries.

“Under the National Action Plan India has a certain vision, but if developing countries have to take mitigation actions beyond their resources, they must be aided by developed countries with technology transfers and financial resources,” he said.

On the question of climate change, the impact of accumulated emissions must be considered, which was the position of all developing nations and stated in the UNFCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), he said.

“The Prime Minister has already made a commitment that at no point in time will India’s per capita emission be higher than those of the developed countries,” he said.

Source: The Hindu

Solar power system to be installed at railway stations

2009-08-30T13:36:00.000+05:30

To find alternative sources of energy, everybody is on the lookout for better options. As such, solar power equipments are picking up fast as apart from several government departments, private institutions are also coming forward for the same.

Joining the list of new entrants are the railway authorities, who have also started installing solar equipments in railway running rooms, hospitals and even at crossings, where solar lamps were being used. This has helped them to get rid of kerosene lamps which were being earlier used.

According to information, the authorities have installed solar geysers in railway running rooms at Amritsar and Jalandhar, whereas the running room at the city station is presently under construction where solar geysers would be installed.

Sources in the railway department revealed that authorities are also planning to install solar lights by replacing the existing streetlights at the station and in railway colonies.

Earlier, it was the duty of the gatekeeper at the railway crossings to light the kerosene lamps, but now the authorities have installed solar lamps which will get charged during the day and provide light during the night hours.

While talking to the TOI, divisional railway manager Satish Chander said, "We had started installing solar geysers on an experimental basis but now we are getting a positive response and have decided to expand it at other places."

He said they would now install solar lights at railway crossings and city railway station, while the running room for guards and drivers was under construction where they would also install solar geysers like it had been done at Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ferozepur.

Discussing the issue, Rajinder Singh joint director Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) said, "The demand for solar equipments has increased manifold. We have forwarded a demand to the Centre for 500-kilowatt power plants which are being demanded by various private institutions across the state."

Source: Times of India

JSW forays into solar power, to launch its IPO soon

2009-08-29T12:28:00.001+05:30

JSW Energy Limited, a part of JSW group, is soon coming out with its Initial Public Offer to raise Rs.3000 for its under construction 3000MW power projects. With this JSW Energy is targeting to be a leading power generator by 2015 with 11,400MW generation capacity.

JSW Energy is distributing its business and investments into renewables such as Solar Energy. As per the draft offer document, JSW Energy has been allotted a 5 MW Solar Power Plant based on photo voltaic technology by the Government of Gujarat. Apart from this it is also proposing solar power plant in Rajasthan with a capacity of 5-10MW. It is also exploring different technology options and suppliers.

As per the Gujarat policy 2009 a slew of incentives are available to prospective developers who want to set up solar projects in state. The Gujarat government has set a tariff of Rs 13 per KWhr for 1st twelve years,to know details about tariff of various states click here (for Gujarat Policy)

The company has installed 560 MW capacity power project in Karnataka and is implementing a 1,200 MW coal-based power project in Maharashtra and a 1,080 MW pit head lignite project in Rajasthan. The company also has one Hydro electric project of 240 MW under implementation in Himachal Pradesh.

JSW is planning to develop a 3,200 (4x800) Mw coal based power plant at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra near the upcoming 1,200 Mw and the second phase of the 2x135 MW power plant at Barmer in Rajasthan. Other projects are a 1,320 Mw coal-based thermal plant at Chhattisgarh, a 1,600 Mw domestic coal-based power plant in West Bengal and a 1,620 Mw coal-based thermal plant at Jharkhand.

Source:Solarindiaonline

Baoding Tianwei Starts Mass Production of Thin Film Solar Panels with Oerlikon Solar Technology

2009-08-27T15:00:00.000+05:30

One of the largest Thin Film Solar Fabs in Mainland China Ramps up in Record Time
Trubbach, Switzerland/Baoding, China, August 18th, 2009, — As China boosts solar
energy to meet growing power demand and reduce dependence on imported fuels,
Tianwei and Oerlikon Solar announced the completion of one of the mainland China’s
largest thin film solar panel factories. The facility was completed ahead of schedule.
This first phase of the Tianwei project produces 500,000 modules per year, which
generates a total of 46 megawatts of power.
Oerlikon Solar leads the thin film solar equipment sector with ten factories in production
and the fastest time to market. Thin film solar offers a cost-advantage over traditional
crystalline silicon, and is making strong efficiency gains. Tianwei is using Oerlikon
Solar’s Amorph High Performance PV technology for Phase 1.
“Oerlikon Solar surpassed its promised completion time and efficiency,” said Mr.Ma
Wenxue, General Manager of Baoding Tianwei Solarfilms Co.,Ltd. “Watching this state
of-the-art fab go from an empty room to full production in six months was stunning.”
Reaching production quickly is essential to allow Tianwei to address the rapidly growing
Chinese solar market. Under the “Golden Sun” program announced on July 21, China's
Ministry of Finance will subsidize half of the construction costs for on-grid solar power
plants. The ministry of finance will also pay for up to 70 percent of off-grid installations
and cover transmission costs where necessary. In response, analysts have predicted
that China could develop more than 500 megawatts of solar power within three years.
Just 50 megawatts of solar power were installed in 2008.
“Oerlikon Solar has designed, tested and perfected its methodology for bringing new
factories and equipment online on time and on budget,” said Jeannine Sargent, CEO of
Oerlikon Solar. “This is key in being the leader on the path to grid parity and placing
clean renewable solar power on equal footing with traditional fossil fuel sources.

Oerlikon Solar has the first thin film silicon technology to have IEC certification from TÜV
Rheinland for Amorph Basic, Amorph High Performance and Micromorph®. Certification
compresses the time to production by reducing administration efforts and guaranteeing
durability and performance. With more challenging credit markets, certification also
makes Oerlikon Solar’s customers projects more predictable and bankable. TÜV
certification for the Tianwei line is expected in September 2009.
About Baoding Tianwei SolarFilms Co. Ltd.
Tianwei is an international high-tech company with more than 50 years experience in the
energy industry and is the leading company in the power transmission industry and the
world’s biggest transformer supplier in output as the only state-owned enterprise in
China with a vertical industrial chain in PV industry. Its affiliate Tianwei SolarFilms Co
and specializes in designing, manufacturing, selling and installing thin film solar modules
and related accessories. Located in the National Renewable Energy & Equipment
Industry Base, with its well-recognized R&D teams and facilities Baoding Tianwei
SolarFilms Co., Ltd. invested about RMB 1.2 billion for Phase 1 and a capacity of round
50 megawatts.
About Oerlikon Solar
Oerlikon Solar offers field proven equipment and end-to-end manufacturing lines for the
mass production of thin film silicon solar modules. Engineered to reduce device cost and
maximize productivity, its end-to-end solutions are fully automated, high yield, high
uptime, and low maintenance.
The production lines are complete systems, yet modular and upgradeable in both
throughput and process technology. As a global leader in thin film PV technology, the
company provides its customers with extensive experience in both amorphous and high-
efficiency Micromorph® tandem technology.

Source: Oerlikon Solar

Ban on scrap polysilicon to boost China solar sector

2009-08-27T13:34:00.000+05:30

A Chinese ban on imports of a waste material used for solar wafers may be bad news for foreign competitors but it is a big boost to China's solar sector.
Scrap polysilicon, which can be reused to make solar wafers, is low-grade silicon that fails to meet the grade for chips found in most electronics.
Beginning this month, China stopped accepting scrap polysilicon to comply with environmental regulations.
The ban threatens the income of Chinese scrap polysilicon traders and limits the market for companies that sell to them, such as top contract chipmaker TSMC. It is particularly harsh for small and new domestic solar players who rely on the cheap material to make wafers and panels.
For China's polysilicon companies, including GCL-Poly Energy Holdings and LDK Solar, the ban is an opportunity to expand business. For foreign rivals South Korean OCI Co Ltd, MEMC Electronic Materials Inc or Japan's Tokuyama Corp the ban is a potential threat.
China produces over 60 percent of the world's solar panels, and is among the heaviest users of pure polysilicon and the scrap variety. Scrap polysilicon accounts for up to 30 percent of silicon fed into some of the solar wafers and panels in China.
"In a way, the ruling was designed to protect (China's) very young polysilicon industry," said KK Chan, chief executive of private equity firm Nature Elements Capital. "The sector needs all the help it can get given a supply glut of the material."
The ban comes at a time when Chinese polysilicon companies are ramping up production, despite an oversupply of the key solar component.
GCL-Poly, which acquired $3.4 billion worth of solar assets in June, is on track to produce about 3,000 tons of polysilicon by year end. LDK Solar aims to produce 5,000 tons by 2010.
Yingli Green Energy Holding Co, ReneSola and Tongwei Co should benefit.
After the credit crunch dried up funding for solar projects, the sector was hit by a massive oversupply of polysilicon. Prices fell to $69 per kilogram from its peak of $400 in 2008.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR
China's Environmental Protection Ministry said it imposed the ban because the heavy chemicals that come in contact with scrap polysilicon when reused to make solar wafers and panels produce waste that could harm the environment.
The ministry said in a notice posted on its website last month that the regulation was imposed in line with China's solid waste pollution laws.
A ministry spokesman declined to comment.
"This is positive for China's polysilicon sector, and the environment," said GCL-Poly president Hunter Jiang.
The new rule is slowly having a positive impact for local makers of the solar component. Spot prices of polysilicon in China rose to $72 per kg in August from $67 in July weeks after the rule was enforced, said New Energy Finance analyst Julia Wu.
"The segment most likely affected by the policy are local panel and wafer makers, especially the smaller ones," Wu said.
Established Chinese solar wafer companies are least affected.
"It should not have an impact, given there is sufficient supply of polysilicon in the market," said Renesola chief financial officer Charles Bai.

Source: Reuters

Deepak Lal: Spiking the road to Copenhagen

2009-08-25T13:51:00.000+05:30

The Western obsession with curbing carbon emissions is wicked and also economically foolish, says Deepak Lal
Three cheers for Jairam Ramesh! India at last has an environment minister who is willing and able to denounce the hypocrisy and immorality of the West in twisting the arms of India and China to curb their carbon emissions. He is right to make it clear that India has no intention of signing the new ‘climate change’ treaty in Copenhagen in December, which would put curbs on the carbon emissions of the Third World. If they do not comply they are being threatened by the draft bill going through the US Congress to levy carbon tariffs on their exports.
As this column has argued many times, this is a blatant attempt to prevent these countries from industrialising and achieving the standards of living of the West. For, until technological advances can allow alternative ‘green’ energy sources to compete with the fossil fuels, whose use is gradually eliminating poverty in the Third World as in the West’s own ascent from poverty, a call to put any curbs on carbon emissions is in fact to condemn their billions to continuing poverty. Whilst numerous Western economists and do-gooders shed crocodile tears about the Third World’s poor, they are willing at the same time to prevent them from taking the only feasible current route out from this abject state. Nothing is more hypocritical and immoral than rich Westerners driving their gas-guzzling SUVs emoting about the threat to Spaceship Earth from the millions of Indians who want to drive Nanos. Whilst the salving of their consciences by buying carbon offsets (as Al Gore claims to do every time he jets around the world) is akin to the Papal indulgences sold by the Catholic Church, which allowed its richer adherents to assuage their guilt and ‘fornicate on clean sheets’. For Gore to have the lights on his mansion blazing throughout the night, and seek to restrict the emissions from Indian power stations, when most Indians don’t even have an electric light bulb, is deeply wicked.
A study of the costs to the Indian poor of curbing carbon emissions has estimated that, over a 30-year time horizon, with a 10 per cent annual emission restriction the number of poor increases by 21 per cent, even in the short run, and by nearly 50 per cent for a 30 per cent annual emission reduction (Murthy, Panda, Parikh: ‘CO2 emission reduction strategies and economic development of India’, Margin, 2007). Those development economists and sundry celebrities, who on the one hand, want to see the end of world poverty and on the other, to curb Third World carbon emissions, should be ashamed of themselves for advocating the latter path which will make the former goal impossible to achieve.
This is particularly heinous as the claim by the IPCC that, it is scientifically proven, CO2 emissions are the cause of global warming, is increasingly being questioned by climatologists. Particularly, as since 1997, both the terrestrial and more accurate satellite temperature readings (which are not contaminated by the ‘heat island’ urbanisation effect) show global cooling, even though there has been a large increase in CO2 emissions. This is also the period in which the sunspot activity in the Sun has ceased. My earlier column on climate change (June 2007) had outlined the rival theory for climate change developed by the Danish physicist and climatologist, Henrik Svensmark — cosmo-climatology. In a remarkable March 2009 internal study on climate science suppressed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but put into the public domain by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (see www.cei.org) the whole scientific basis of the current CO2 theory of climate change is put into question. It emphasises that “global temperatures have declined — extending the current downward trend to 11 years with a particularly rapid decline in 2007-8. At the same time atmospheric CO2 levels have continued to increase and CO2 emissions have accelerated”(p. iii). This means that “the IPCC projections for large increases [in global temperature] are looking increasingly doubtful” (p.3). On the IPCC’s rejection of the alternative explanation of solar variability as the cause of climate change, it states: “There appears to be a strong association between solar sunspots/irradiance and global temperature fluctuations”. “A new paper by Scafetta and Wilson (Geophysical Research Letters, 3 March 2009) suggests the IPCC used faulty solar data in dismissing the direct effect of solar variability on global temperatures. Their research suggests that solar variability [rather than green house gasses] could account for up to 68% of the increase in Earth’s global temperature.” (p.iv)
It then provides a table (p.58) from K Gregory (Climate Change Science 2009) which summarises the evidence for CO2 and the Sun/Cosmic Ray Warming hypotheses for climate change. This table, reproduced here, shows that, on a number of predictions involving observable evidence on the two hypotheses, the sun/cosmic ray explanation for climate change wins hands down. Moreover, as on this hypothesis it is the sunspot activity which controls the climate, as the sun seems to have gone to sleep over the last 12 years there is a growing likelihood “that sunspots may vanish by 2015. Given the strong association between sunspots and global temperatures, this suggests the possibility that we may be entering a period of global cooling” (p.60). Perhaps another ice age.
This new and growing scientific evidence that human CO2 emissions have little to do with climate change makes the current Western political obsession to curb carbon emissions at a vast economic cost extremely foolish. For India it would mean not only reversing the current trends in poverty alleviation, but a vast increase in the numbers of the poor who would otherwise be pulled out of poverty. India should have nothing to do with Copenhagen. If this means there is no climate change treaty, it might also save the West from its current path to committing economic hara-kiri.

Source: Business Standard

CEO ROUND TABLE AT 3rd RE India EXPO 2009

2009-08-21T16:43:00.000+05:30

CEO roundtable on the theme “Financing renewable energy projects, current experience, challenges and roadmap for the future” was organized as part of the 3rd Renewable Energy India Expo 2009. The roundtable saw participation from senior leaders from the industry and was moderated by Mr Kuljeet Singh, Partner, Ernst & Young.

Mr. Singh set the tone of the discussion by highlighting the key drivers and challenges faced by different segments of the renewable energy space viz wind, solar, etc. As per him, the key drivers for solar industry are favorable geographical location of India and government initiatives taken in the recent years. But the industry faces certain challenges such as high capital costs, slow commercialization of technology, high dependence on imported raw material and requirement of large tracts of land.

The first point of discussion, as is the question always with the industry, was the limited usage of solar energy. Though the use of renewable energy in India has increased significantly in the past, grid connected power has been dominated by wind. Solar energy has not been used there. As an answer to this Mr Arun Seth, ACME said, “We need certainty for this to happen – certainty in the revenue stream.” As per him him there is access to people and technology, but financing is not available. Solar sector needs to be provided priority sector lending and that too for long term so that it would bring certainty in the revenue stream, which investors are looking for. Mr. K. Subramanya, CEO, TataBP Solar added, “16% return is guaranteed to the convention energy power producers, so why cant it be done for solar as well.” As per Mr. Rabindra Satpathy, President, Reliance Industries, something on lines of infrastructure bonds for this sector could be a good option to get low cost long term finance.

Thus lack of appropriate financing structure was felt as the main issue in attracting investment in the sector. As per Mr Craig O’Connor, Director Exim Bank, though state schemes for generation based incentives are bankable, depending on the state, it is better to have long term PPAs. This will allow the project to get lower interest rate. A time frame of 20-25 years for the PPA is what he sees is required.

The other often asked question for this sector is the time to achieve grid parity. To this Mr. Singh also added that participants should also mention the technology that they think will help in this.
As per Dr. Rajeewa Arya, CEO, Moserbaer PV, “Solar is application based and each technology is suitable as per conditions. So the premise of one winner is wrong.” As regards grid parity, he sees the costs reducing throughout the value chain by about 2020. As per Mr. Hari Surapaneni, President and CEO, Solar Semiconductor, grid parity has already been achieved at peak power rate and a price of 10-12 cents may be seen by 2011. The same view is reiterated by Mr. Seth, as per whom, we would achieve parity within 2-3 years if subsidy from conventional energy is removed at various points.

The participants in the roundtable were:

Anchor: Mr Kuljeet Singh, Partner, Ernst & Young.
Particpants:
• Mr K. Subramnaya, CEO, Tata BP Solar Idnia Ltd.
• Mr. Rabindra Satpathy, President, Reliance Industries
• Dr. Rajeewa Arya, CEO, Moserbaer PV Limited.
• Mr. Arun Seth, ACME TelePower Ltd.
• Mr. Mark Ginsberg, Sr Executive Board Member, US Department of Energy USA – Energy Efficiency
• Mr Craig O’Connor, Director, Exim Bank
• Mr. Hari Surapaneni, Presidnet and CEO, Solar Semiconductor
• Mr. Sarvesh Kumar, Deputy Managing Dircetor, RRB
• Mr. Harish Mehta, Director, Suzlon Energy Ltd
• Mr. Rajindra Valsalan, Managing Director, WinWinD Power Energy P Ltd
• Mr. Pranav Nahar, Managing Director, Evolutions Markets India.

Conergy, Solarworld Seek Protection From Chinese Price Dumping

2009-08-21T15:54:00.000+05:30

German solar companies Conergy AG and Solarworld AG want their government and the European Union to discourage renewable energy investors from buying Chinese panels and cells they say receive improper support.
Chinese prices “border on dumping” and those levels are impossible to maintain without state aid, Dieter Ammer, chief executive officer of Conergy, was cited as saying in Handelsblatt today. Alexander Leinhos, a company spokesman, confirmed the comments. The EU should implement import tariffs to protect its solar industry, Ammer added.
Prices and demand for solar products have dropped this year as recession-struck photovoltaic power plant builders struggle to fund projects and a colder European winter caused residential clients to shy away from installing panels on their roofs. Solar module and cell makers will have to boost output in low-cost regions to be competitive in the future, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts wrote this week in a note.
“They’re playing with fire, it could have big consequences for the industry,” said Karsten von Blumenthal, an analyst with SES Research GmbH in Hamburg. “The Chinese are helping to make solar power competitive by making equipment cheaper.”
Germany’s BGA exporters group said in June that rules obliging Chinese and U.S. manufacturers to give preference to local products and services are “poison” for the recovery of the world economy.
‘Raise Concern’
China’s solar industry subsidies “raise concern,” given the scarcity of foreign companies selected as suppliers for projects, von Blumenthal said. The measures Ammer and Solarworld CEO Frank Asbeck suggest may help non-Chinese companies profit from that program, he said by phone today.
The Chinese Ministry of Finance said last month that it will “in principle” provide subsidies amounting to 50 percent of the total investment in solar power projects. That contrasts with Germany, where the government pays generators fixed sums for the electricity they feed into the nation’s grid.
Solarworld’s CEO says his Chinese rivals could hold out selling at a loss for another two to three years, thanks to interest free credit from the country’s government and lenders.
Asbeck is in favor of Germany only subsidizing power from panels where more than 50 percent of the manufacturing process took place in the EU. That would mean solar cells could be made in Asian countries and assembled in Europe, he said by phone from Bonn.
Falling Sales
Solarworld’s sales fell 6 percent to 401.6 million euros ($575 million) in the first half, while the industry’s prices slumped about 25 percent, the company said in July.
Germany, as the world’s biggest exporter, has suffered as the global financial crisis damped demand for German goods, forcing manufacturers to curb production and cut jobs. Q-Cells SE, the country’s largest solar company, said Aug. 13 that it will shut down production lines in its hometown of Thalheim, resulting in the loss of about 500 jobs.
Von Blumenthal at SES Research recommends investors sell Q- Cells and Conergy stock and buy shares in Solarworld, the third- largest German solar company.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Trina Solar: First Solar Won’t Be Low-Cost Leader for Long

2009-08-21T15:36:00.001+05:30

For Trina Solar (TSL), it won't be long before its solar panel manufacturing costs will fall enough to become comparable to the industry low-cost leader, First Solar (FSLR).
"Next year, our cost reduction roadmap will allow us to compete with First Solar in the balance of system level, so that module wise we will compete with them some time next year," said Terry Wang, Trina's chief financial officer, in a conference call to discuss the company's earnings late Monday.
Wang's comment came as the company returned to profit in the second quarter. Trina posted a net income of $18.9 million, or 71 cents per American depositary share, on $150 million in revenue. The Chinese company posted a loss of $10.6 million, or 42 cents per share, on a revenue of $132.1 million for the first quarter; and a net income of $17.1 million, or 68 cents per share, on a revenue of $204.2 million for the second quarter of 2008.
Trina posted much better quarterly financial figures than other Chinese solar companies over the past week. JA Solar (JASO) and ReneSola (SOL) delivered mixed results while LDK Solar (LDK) performed poorly.
Trina makes solar panels using its own silicon cells. Silicon solar panels dominate the market today. Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar makes cadmium-telluride panels and has grown quickly to become one of the top 10 (and only non-silicon) panel makers in the world.
First Solar has long prided itself on being able to keep its manufacturing costs low. The company lowered its production costs to $0.87 per watt in the second quarter from $0.93 per watt in the first quarter of this year. It expects to reach $0.65 to $0.70 per watt by 2012.
Its silicon competitors, in general, aren't able to compete on the pricing alone. Silicon panels are able to convert more of the sunlight that strikes them into electricity than cadmium-telluride panels. As a result, silicon panels are more suitable for rooftop installations, where space is a constraint.
First Solar has enjoyed a cost advantage partly because the price of silicon has historically been high. But silicon pricing has dropped significantly, as much as 50 percent for long-term contracts, over the past year.The financial market crisis has made it difficult for developers to line up financing for solar power projects. Spain, which added a few gigawatts of solar in 2008 alone, now has a 500-megawatt cap for 2009. All these forces have led to an oversupply of silicon panels.
To fend off the silicon competitors, particularly those from China, First Solar plans to give out rebates to customers who do business in Germany, its largest market. The customers would get the rebates after an installation is complete.

Source:Seekingalpha.com

Solar panel prices to slide into next year

2009-08-21T15:33:00.000+05:30

A steep fall in the price of solar panels has chipped away at manufacturers' profits this year, and relief is unlikely to come soon, as many in the industry believe pressure will intensify and push prices even lower into 2010 and perhaps even 2011.
Global demand for solar power soared last year until a pullback in solar incentives in Spain and a credit crisis that stifled financing for new projects led to a falloff in demand for solar panels and a global supply glut.
In turn, solar companies worldwide -- including heavyweights like China's Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd, U.S.-based First Solar Inc and Germany's Q-Cells AG -- have been forced to cut the price of their panels, hampering and in some cases erasing profits.
"I suspect it's not the bottom," said Jenny Chase of London-based industry research firm New Energy Finance. Chase said panel prices are still falling because it takes time for the decline to work its way through the supply chain, and costs of the industry's primary raw material, silicon, are still high despite having dropped sharply since last year.
Fears of a prolonged decline in panel prices have weighed heavily on solar stocks this month, and Jefferies & Co cited the continued slide on Friday when it cut its ratings on First Solar, SunPower Corp Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd and Energy Conversion Devices Inc. [nBNG540560]
After peaking at $4.20 a watt in 2008, prices for solar panels have dived as much as 50 percent to about $2.40 a watt for European and U.S. companies that make silicon-based panels and $2.00 a watt for Chinese suppliers, Chase said. Prices on lower-cost thin film panels are between $1.00 and $2.00 a watt.
The bottom-out price "could be as low as $1.50 for crystalline silicon, which would be a shockingly low price," Chase said.
Lower prices are good news for solar customers as the cost of the renewable energy source reaches toward that of power created from dirtier sources such as natural gas and coal. Still, the drastic pace of the tumble has sent many companies scrambling.
"It does you no good to get the prices down there and close to grid parity if you're losing money on every one," said Kevin Landis, chief investment officer of Silicon Valley-based Firsthand Funds and manager of the $5.4 million Firsthand Alternative Energy Fund.
The better reason for a decline in the price of solar power is when companies can cut manufacturing costs, Landis said, adding that as an investor, he favors those with a technological advantage. He pointed specifically to SunPower, whose solar cells are the most efficient in the industry at converting sunlight into electricity.
SHARE VS PROFITS
But with the market for solar panels still in a massive state of oversupply, Barclays Capital analyst Vishal Shah expects prices to fall to $1.40 a watt by the end of 2010 and $1.00 per watt in 2011. That would require companies to drive large volumes to make up for very low margins.
"There will be a trade off between market share and profitability," said Shah, who last week downgraded the sector to "neutral" from "positive."
Driving that move are two companies: U.S.-based First Solar, which makes its panels from cheaper cadmium telluride instead of more costly silicon, and China's Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd, which has cut prices aggressively.
Yingli Chief Executive Miao Liansheng earlier this week credited the company's pricing strategy as a "driving force" behind a rise in shipments and net revenue. At the same time, the company cut its profit margin forecast and predicted panel prices would fall further this year.
In addition, First Solar said last month that it would offer a rebate program in Germany to preserve its position in that market, a move that sent its shares into a tailspin.
That strategy -- expanding market share but weakening profit margins -- forces rivals to accept lower prices as well.
"This is a commodity product and a commodity industry," Shah said, adding: "The third company doesn't have a choice but to fight the market share battle."
Eventually the tumble in prices will moderate, depending on what happens with the industry's supply and demand and how governments' solar subsidy plans shake out, Shah said.
One way to put on the brakes would be for commercial financing to return to normal and reinvigorate demand, said J.P. Morgan analyst Christopher Blansett.
"If we have a painful commercial lending market all through next year, then we're probably going to see some pretty poor pricing trends all through next year," Blansett said.
Bankruptcies, which would take some supply out of the market, would be another way to stop the fall in prices, said New Energy Finance's Chase.
Yet as companies across the industry -- including China's Trina Solar Ltd, Norway's Renewable Energy Corp, U.S.-based SunPower and others -- have raised money through stock offerings to keep their businesses growing, the end of the glut of solar panels and the trough in prices get pushed back, she said.

Source: Reuters

ET Solar Group Supplies 1MW Solar Modules to a Large Ground Mounted Solar Plant in India

2009-08-20T12:32:00.000+05:30

ET Solar Group Corp. ("ET Solar"), a Nanjing-based integrated manufacturer of photovoltaic (“PV”) products (ingot, wafer, modules and tracking systems) and system integrator announced a 1MW high efficiency module supply transaction to a large system integrator for an Indian project.
The project, developed by a commercial and utility solar project developer in India, is so far one of the largest on-grid solar farms in the Indian subcontinent. Shipment was completed in July and more sizeable volumes are being planned for.

According to Indian government’s 11th five-year plan, the nation is targeting at a 20% of electricity generation from renewable energies by 2020 where at least 10GW will be achieved through solar power generation, including PV and solar thermal sources. Punjab is the first state in India that was allocated with megawatt scale projects.

Commenting on the news, Dennis She, Vice President and Global Sales Officer of ET Solar, said: “India has a very ambitious plan for the development of renewable energy, especially solar energy. We see a great growth potential in this burgeoning market thanks to the government’s strong resolution to be a world leader to fight global warming and the very attractive radiation conditions in the geography. We are very pleased to play a very contributive role on the country’s way to becoming one of the largest clean energy users in the world.”
ET Solar Group is a vertically integrated solar energy equipment manufacturer and turnkey solutions provider. Its manufacturing chain includes crystalline silicon ingot and wafer. It provides production and design of High Quality of Photovoltaic Modules and world class solar tracking systems with smart turnkey solutions.

ET Solar has also announced 4.2MW high efficiency Module supply to large Italian Commercial Projects earlier in this month.

Source: ET Solar

Oerlikon Solar and Rusnano/Renova Joint Venture open up Russian market for leading thin film solar PV technology

2009-08-17T15:54:00.000+05:30

Oerlikon Solar today announced that Nano Solar Technology Ltd. (NST), a newly formed Russian high-tech firm, has ordered a 120 MW end-to-end Micromorph® line for production of thin film solar modules. NST is a Joint Venture between Renova Group and the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies (Rusnano). With the envisaged production capacity of one million solar modules annually, this is the largest equipment order in the worldwide thin film silicon photovoltaic (PV) market in 2009 to-date.

The order includes Oerlikon Solar's Micromorph® technology which raises module efficiency by up to 50 percent over prior generation technologies. The equipment will be delivered in 2010 to the new site currently under construction in Novocheboksarsk (Chuvash Republic). The start of production is scheduled for 2011. The order also encompasses a comprehensive multi-year service agreement, provided by Oerlikon Solar's global customer support team.

Establishing production of thin film solar modules in the Chuvash Republic is part of Rusnano's strategy to develop the high tech economy in Russia by co-investing in nanotechnology industry projects. Through acting as a catalyst for private co-investments, Rusnano aims at creating conditions favourable to developing cutting edge nanotechnology in Russia, the joint venture with Renova being a good example. "Oerlikon Solar emerged from a thorough evaluation process to identify the best technology partner for our project, because of its leading technology" said Yaroslav Kuznetsov, CEO of NST. "This is a win-win situation for all parties involved. Oerlikon Solar can establish a strong presence in the Russian market and the Russian economy has made another step as a state-of-the-art production site", continued Yaroslav Kuznetsov. In addition to the planned production line from Oerlikon, Rusnano plans to set up a major research center that will focus on increasing the effectiveness of the solar modules in cooperation with the Ioffe Physical Technical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The Joint Venture of Rusnano and Renova will be the latest Micromorph® end-to-end line customer for Oerlikon Solar to take advantage of the company's proven high-performance low cost PV module production solution. It will deliver Micromorph® PV modules to serve the growing market for solar PV applications. The company will address PV markets such as Spain, Italy, Greece and Germany.

Oerlikon Solar's leading edge production solutions are having a major impact on the market as more and more companies launch their production. "Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States offer great market potential for Oerlikon in the medium and long-term", said Oerlikon CEO Dr. Uwe Krueger. Already today, the Oerlikon Segments Coating, Vacuum, Textile and Drive Systems are conducting business in Russia. With the substantial order from NST, Oerlikon Solar established itself in this important economic zone as well. "The contract confirms our leading edge technology and our unique ability to quickly implement and scale up commercially successful mass production of thin film solar modules. The 120 MW Micromorph® end-to-end production line will position NST as a key player among thin film PV manufacturers", continued Dr. Uwe Krueger, CEO of OC Oerlikon. Oerlikon Solar is committed to the highest quality of customer support and is taking great measures to ensure that resources and delivery capabilities grow to meet the needs of future expansion in the solar industry.

Oerlikon Solar's technology gaining momentum

In addition to expansion into new markets, several existing Oerlikon Solar customers have recently announced new off-take agreements to deliver PV panels manufactured on Oerlikon Solar's end-to-end lines. HelioSphera (Greece) announced the signing of a long term supply agreement with Techno Spot, a major Italian distributor of photovoltaic modules and components. Under this agreement, HelioSphera will supply a minimum of 9 MW of Micromorph® thin film modules between 2009 and 2010. German based Sinosol AG has announced agreements with two Taiwanese Oerlikon Solar customers for a total of 68 MW.

"We clearly see improving market conditions for the solar PV industry at mid-year showing a mid- to long-term growth trend in demand for overall renewable energy and especially for solar PV applications", stated Oerlikon CEO Uwe Krueger.

According to a recently published study by New Energy Finance, new investments in clean energy worldwide rallied in the second quarter of 2009, reaching USD 24.3bn, almost double the amount invested worldwide during Q1 2009. According to New Energy Finance, this improving trend in Q2 was led by investments in asset finance for large solar and wind energy projects.

Source:Oerlikon Solar

Tiny battery traps solar power to run a house for 24 hrs

2009-08-06T13:27:00.000+05:30

A small disc could be the solution for the efficient and cheap storage of the sun’s
energy.

A Utah-based company has found a new way to store solar energy – in a small ceramic disk which can store more power for less. Researchers at Ceramatec have created the disk, which can hold up to 20-kilowatt hours, enough to power an entire house for a large portion of the day.

The new battery runs on sodium-sulfur — a composition that typically operates at greater than 600°F. “Sodium-sulfur is more energetic than lead-acid, so if you can somehow get it to a lower temperature, it would be valuable for residential use”, Ralph Brodd, an independent energy conversion consultant, says.

Ceramatec’s new battery runs at less than 200°F. The secret is a thin ceramic membrane that is sandwiched between the sodium and sulfur. Only positive sodium ions can pass through, leaving electrons to create a useful electrical current.

Ceramatec says that batteries will be ready for market testing in 2011, and will sell for about $2000. The disk has not yet been manufactured for residential use, but the creators have spoken optimistically about the possibility.

The convergence of two key technologies — solar power and deep-storage batteries — has profound implications for oil-strapped the US.

“These batteries switch the whole dialogue to renewables,” said Daniel Nocera, professor of energy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who sits on Ceramatec’s advisory board. “They will turn us away from dumb technology, circa 1900 — a 110-year-old approach — and turn us forward.”

Source: Times Of India

Global Photovoltaic market to reach US$48b in 2014, says IntertechPira

2009-08-03T17:27:00.000+05:30

The global photovoltaic (PV) market, after experiencing a slow period this year, is expected to double within the next five years, reaching US$48 billion. Wafer-based silicon will continue as the dominant technology, but amorphous thin-film and cadmium telluride (CdTe) technologies will gain ground, and are expected to account for a combined 22% of the market by 2014, according to a major new study by IntertechPira.

The Future of Global Photovoltaics Markets provides detailed five-year forecasts of the PV market by technology, application and geographic region. It also addresses financial incentives, such as subsidies, feed-in tariffs and purchase power agreements and their effect on the development of the PV industry.

This new study provides volume and value forecasts to 2014 for major PV technologies, such as crystalline silicon, amorphous thin-film, CdTe, and CIS/CIGS (copper indium diselenide/copper indium gallium diselenide). It also provides forecasts for PV in on-grid and off-grid (such as building-integrated) applications and identifies regional growth opportunities.

A key focus of the study is the market outlook for pivotal PV-adopting regions such as Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, and the US and how the investment and regulatory climate in these regions is likely to affect overall industry growth and widespread acceptance of PV.

"The mid to long-term, prospects for the solar industry are positive," explains Publisher Adam Page "the subsidy models, which started in Japan and then Germany, have spread to increasing numbers of countries, and in many cases are starting to have significant impact on domestic market
take-up of PV."

The Future of Global Photovoltaics Markets is based on interviews with executives in a cross-section of companies that supply raw materials, cells and modules as well as those that provide system integration services. It is also based on extensive analyses of published literature and in-house
data built up from years of gathering information developed from conducting market research and technology studies as well as executive-level conferences for the PV industry.

The study provides in-depth quantitative data and analyses of the PV industry, including growth forecasts to 2014 broken down by technology, end-use application and region. This report is comprehensive in that it addresses silicon-based PV cells as well as emerging PV technologies and details the most significant market and technology drivers along the PV supply chain. The study is designed to help those in the photovoltaics business meet today's challenges and target key sectors.

The Future of Global Photovoltaics Markets is available from July 2009. For further information, please visit http://www.intertechpira.com.

Source: the research company’s site and Global Solar technology

SolarCity introduces solar lease to customers of nation's largest municipal

2009-07-31T13:56:00.000+05:30

SolarCity® today announced the availability of its award-winning solar leasing option (SolarLeaseT) to customers of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the nation's largest municipal utility. SolarCity's lease combines with LADWP's generous solar rebates, among the
highest of any U.S. utility, to make solar power as affordable for Los Angeles homeowners as anywhere in the nation. A SolarCity solar lease of a 4-kilowatt solar system, appropriate for a typical 3-bedroom home in Los Angeles, would start at $55 per month, with no money down, on approved
credit.

LADWP provides more than 1.4 million customers in the Los Angeles area with electricity. Erik Solter, a homeowner in Canoga Park in the San Fernando Valley, is among the first group of LADWP customers to sign up for SolarLease. "I've always wanted to be greener but I've been waiting for an
option that makes financial sense," says Solter. "With SolarCity's SolarLease I can adopt solar power for less than I used to pay for electricity and help LADWP conserve energy."

SolarCity's solar leasing option for LADWP customers is a 20-year lease with fixed monthly payments for the life of the lease, so savings increase over time if electricity rates rise. The first month's payment is due when the system is turned on. SolarCity's lease option includes financing,
design, installation, a performance guarantee, the company's Web-based SolarGuardT monitoring service, and repair service.

"LADWP and Mayor Villaraigosa are continually working to increase the use of solar power in Los Angeles," said Lyndon Rive, CEO of SolarCity. "More than 1,000 LADWP customers have already inquired about our solar lease option, and we're hiring 25 new installers in the Los Angeles area to help meet the demand."

LADWP customers interested in SolarCity's new lease option can estimate their solar lease payment and potential electricity savings online by using SolarCity's solar calculator, available at www.solarcity.com. The solar calculator incorporates information about LADWP rates, incentives, local weather and solar production to create a customized estimate for each customer.

Source: Global Solar Technology

Switzerland’s Largest Solar Module Production Started

2009-07-28T12:26:00.000+05:30

• Oerlikon Solar’s Micromorph® end-to-end production line enabled rapid path to production
• Pramac Group facility could nearly double Switzerland’s solar photovoltaic capacity in just one year
• 150 high-tech jobs created in the region

Riazzino/Trubbach, 23 July 2009 – The Pramac Group and Oerlikon Solar announced today that production has begun at Switzerland’s largest solar module manufacturing facility. Oerlikon Solar’s leading Micromorph® endto- end manufacturing solution enabled Pramac to reach production just seven months after completing their facility. The plant, near Locarno, Switzerland, will produce 30 MWp (megawatt peak) of thin-film solar panels each year and create 150 high-tech jobs in the region.

“We are pleased to begin production so soon after building our factory, because it allows us to address the fast-growing solar market and gain a return on our investment more quickly,” said Paolo Campinotti, CEO of Pramac Group. “Pramac is benefitting from Oerlikon Solar’s renown technology, ramp-up experience and reputation to deliver in the solar world.”

In the capital-intensive solar module manufacturing business, it is important to minimize the amount of time between the start of construction and the start of commercial production and revenues. Implementing an end-to-end solution can reduce the delay and uncertainty of construction time, production ramp-up and module certification.
“We look forward to supporting Pramac as they further expand their production of
thin-film solar modules,” said Jeannine Sargent, CEO of Oerlikon Solar. “Working with our partners, we are committed to making solar power affordable and competitive with other forms of electricity generation. We are especially pleased to participate in launching Switzerland’s first thin-film silicon module volume production line based upon our Micromorph® technology, which was invented here in Switzerland, in Neuchâtel.”

A quarter of a million modules per year
This phase of the Pramac facility will produce approximately 250,000 solar modules each year. One year’s worth of output from the facility would be able to cover the approximate area of all of the currently installed photovoltaic installations in Switzerland.
With Oerlikon Solar’s innovative thin-film photovoltaic manufacturing technology, solar modules can be produced for 30 percent less than conventional siliconwafer- based technology. Based on predicted market growth, Pramac plans to expand the plant’s capacity over the coming years. The factory will employ nearly 150 people, and is Pramac’s first solar production location.

Oerlikon Solar Customer Momentum
Worldwide, 10 companies have contracted with Oerlikon Solar to build thin-film manufacturing lines since 2006. Oerlikon Solar’s customers will represent more than 600 megawatts of current thin-film solar production around the globe.
Several of them have signed long-term supply agreements to distribute the modules produced by Oerlikon Solar’s equipment, demonstrating strong market demand for thin-film silicon solar modules.

“Just one more milestone in Oerlikon Solar’s mission to make solar power economically viable “

A comprehensive press kit including further information, pictures of the Pramac facility and presentations is available in the media section at www.oerlikon.com

About Oerlikon Solar
Oerlikon Solar offers field proven equipment and end-to-end manufacturing lines for the mass production of thin film silicon solar modules. Engineered to reduce device cost and maximize productivity, its end-to-end solutions are fully automated, high yield, high uptime, and low maintenance.

The production lines are complete systems, yet modular and upgradeable in both throughput and process technology. As a global leader in thin film PV technology, the company provides its customers with extensive experience in both amorphous and high-efficiency Micromorph® tandem technology.

Oerlikon Solar is ranked “global number one solar turnkey line supplier” by VLSI and has been named winner of the 2009 CELL AWARD for the ”best technicalproduct for thin film module manufacturing”.

Oerlikon Solar is headquartered in Switzerland, has over 750 employees in 13 locations world wide and maintains sales and service centres in the USA, Europe and China, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Japan.

About Pramac
Pramac is a leading company in the sector of the production and distribution of electrical generation systems and is also active in the sector of handling equipment. The Group is active globally with four production facilities, of which one in Italy (in Casole d’Elsa, Siena) and three abroad (Spain, France and China). It operates a distribution network comprised of 17 commercial branches and employs about 750 people at the Group level. It has recently signed a joint venture agreement with the Prosolia Group for the distribution and installation of photovoltaic panels.

Source: Oerlikon Solar

Tuvalu Sets Goal of 100 Percent Clean Energy by 2020

2009-07-27T14:16:00.002+05:30

The nation hopes its solar project will inspire climate talks.
by Ghita Benessahraoui & Terry Collins
Tuvalu [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]
Amid worsening climate change-related problems for small island states, Tuvalu has established a national goal of being powered entirely by renewable energy sources by 2020.
Government officials and the donors of Tuvalu's first large-scale solar energy system alike hope the moves help inspire much larger nations later this year in negotiations of a successor to the Kyoto Protocol agreement on climate change.
The solar system installed on the roof of Tuvalu's largest football stadium now supplies 5 percent of the electricity needed by that nation's capital, Funafuti.
In its first 14 months, the operation has reduced Tuvalu's consumption of generator fuel, shipped from New Zealand, by about 17,000 litres and reduced Tuvalu's carbon footprint by about 50 tonnes.
In the process, it has also reduced the risk of diesel spills around the archipelago of four low-lying coral islands and five atolls.
Based on the project's success, the country now aims to be powered entirely by renewable energy sources by 2020, a goal requiring an investment estimated at just over $20 million, according to government estimates.
At their summit earlier this month in Italy, the richer G8 countries committed to help finance efforts by poorer nations to battle climate change.
Tuvalu's first grid-connected, 40-kilowatt solar energy system was implemented under the leadership of Japan's Kansai Electric Power Co with the support of the Tokyo Electric Power Company, both members of the e8, an international non-profit organization of 10 leading power utilities from G8 countries.
"There may be other, larger solar power installations in the world but none could be more meaningful to customers than this one," says Takao Shiraishi, General Manager of the Kansai Electric Power Co.
"The plight of Tuvalu versus the rising tide vividly represents the worst early consequence of climate change," he adds. "For Tuvalu, after 3,000 years of history, the success of UN climate talks in Copenhagen this December may well be a matter of national survival."
The Tuvalu government is working to expand the initial US $410,000 e8 project from 40 to 60 kilowatts, and will extend solar power to outer islands, starting later this year with the commission of a US $800,000, 46-kilowatt solar power system for the Motufoua Secondary School in Vaitupu, being implemented with the support of the Italian government.
With a population of 12,000, Tuvalu is halfway between Hawaii and Australia, 26 square km in size, with a maximum elevation of just 4.5 meters and most of its land less than a meter above sea level.
Tuvalu is already experiencing flooding amid predictions of a large sea level rise this century.
Says Kausea Natano, Minister for Public Utilities and Industries: "We thank those who are helping Tuvalu reduce its carbon footprint as it will strengthen our voice in upcoming international negotiations. And we look forward to the day when our nation offers an example to all – powered entirely by natural resources such as the sun and the wind."
The e8's Tuvalu project was initiated after a series of regional renewable energy feasibility workshops, jointly organized by the Pacific Power Association (PPA) and the e8.
e8 members agreed to donate and install the first facility, and are monitoring its success and building local expertise to ensure the project's sustainability.
Run by the state-owned Tuvalu Electricity Corporation (TEC), the system in Funafuti today powers households, healthcare facilities, small-and medium-sized enterprises and other facilities.
Johane Meagher, Executive Director of the e8, expressed thanks for the support of the Pacific Power Association, with whom the e8 has established a long term collaboration to support development of small scale projects in the Pacific Islands and strengthen the capacity of the engineers and technicians of the islands' utilities to enhance renewable energy power in the Pacific region.
Meagher said, "We are proud of the role the e8 has played in creating this clean energy project, which was intended to generate far more than just electricity in Tuvalu. It is a message to the world about the urgent need to promote sustainable energy development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a massive scale."
Ghita Benessahraoui is Communications Coordinator of the e8 General Secretariat, Montreal and Mr. Terry Collins heads a Toronto-based firm specializing in international science communications.

Source: RenewableEnergyWorld.com

CERC to take up renewable energy tariff, clean tech sharing today

2009-07-23T13:37:00.000+05:30

Sanjay Jog
Mumbai: The Central Electricity regulatory Commission (CERC) will hold hearing on Wednesday on the renewable energy tariff and CDM sharing. CERC’s move is crucial as it has prepared regulations for the tariff determination from renewable energy sources to be transported to more than one state and they were circulated for seeking objections and suggestions. At present, about 14,000 mw of renewable energy is installed in the country comprising 10,000 mw of wind power mostly confined to Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. About 4,000 capacity of micro hydel, cogeneration, solar and biomass are situated in various parts of the country.
According to CERC sources, the tariff for renewable energy technologies would be single part tariff consisting of fixed cost components that include return on equity; interest on loan capital; depreciation; interest on working capital and operation and maintenance expenses. The normative capital cost for the non-fossil fuel based cogeneration projects would be Rs 4.45 crore per mega watt for the first year of control period (FY 2009-10). The normative capital cost for setting up solar thermal power project would be Rs 13 crore per mega watt for FY 2009-10.
CERC’s draft says the proceeds of carbon credit from approved CDM project will be shared between generating company and concerned off-taker in the following manner, namely: 100% of the gross proceeds on account of CDM benefit to be retained by the project developer in the first year after the date of commercial operation of the generating station. Further, in the second year, the share of the beneficiaries shall be 10% which shall be progressively increased by 10% every year till it reaches 50%, where after the proceeds shall be shared in equal proportion, by the generating company and the beneficiaries. CERC has laid down draft notification for determining tariff for renewable energy which would be transported to more than one state.
However, industry sources admitted that CDM sharing is one of vital issue. DR Energy director D Radhakrishna told FE, “This is first United Nation project which is inviting direct private party participation for environmental benefits. States or for that matter discoms have no role to play in getting technological transfer or financial transfer as beneficiaries are directly negotiating CDM benefits. Also, CDM benefit is not only confined to electricity sector but also with agriculture sector and forest sector besides stand alone generator who are using it for self. Thus additionality of business need to be given to beneficiary. The Centre is already getting IT for this additional revenue. Thus, it will be wrong precedence to set up such example for other sectors.”
Moreover, industry sources said renewable energy obligations as laid down by CERC are state specific and is quite difficult for renewable energy promoters to function. “For instance, if biomass of 50 km area are falling between two states then same biomass is used but rates differ state to state. Take for example, biomass production at Gondia which is in Maharastra—if some one wants to generate power then for him the best choice will be Madhya Pradesh as they give better tariff than surrounding states of Chattisgarh and Maharastra. Similarly at Karnataka border where open access for sugar mills are allowed and sugar plant owners located at adjoining states of Maharastra and Andhra Pradesh get lower rates for Baggase by respective regulatory commissions,” he said.

Source: The Financial Express

SOLAR ENERGY FAIR 2009

2009-07-23T12:49:00.001+05:30

SolarIndiaOnline.com plans to take an initiative in public awareness on Solar Products available in market and their uses. SolarIndiaOnline.com is providing a good platform to eminent players in solar sector to exhibit their solar products in a shopping mall, which would be displayed for the common man in SOLAR ENERGY FAIR 2009. This would be beneficial for both, distributors and the consumers.

SolarIndiaOnline.com plans to take an initiative in public awareness on Solar Products available in market and their uses. SolarIndiaOnline.com is providing a good platform to eminent players in solar sector to exhibit their solar products in a shopping mall, which would be displayed for the common man in SOLAR ENERGY FAIR 2009. This would be beneficial for both, distributors and the consumers.

Venue

METRO WALK - ADVENTURE ISLAND - ROHINI

METRO WALK is an 2-lac sq.ft of retail environment that hosts lot of brands and offers a perfect mix of Shopping, Dining and Entertainment Experience. Only Mall in Delhi with an amusement park. About 55,000 footfalls on weekends. Last year Mall witnessed footfall of about 85,000 on Independence day (15th August) and the mall is expected to have 1,00,000 visitors this year.

Activities

• Spreading Awareness on Solar Energy products

• Display of Products by Manufacturers.

• One to one interaction with more than 1,00,000 visitors.

• Media Coverage

Also Music Performances, Comedy Shows, Quiz Competition on 15th August 2009 and Live Rock Show on 16th of August 2009

Start Date : 15th August 2009

End Date : 16th August 2009

Venue : Rohini Metro Walk, New Delhi

Q-Cells SE: Weak market development burdens Q2 result

2009-07-14T17:16:00.001+05:30

- Business development falls short of expectations in second quarter: preliminary revenue of around 142 EURm, expected EBIT of approx. -62 EURm

- Reliable whole-year forecast not possible due to uncertainty of current market situation

- Management Board announces comprehensive package of measures

Bitterfeld-Wolfen, 14 July 2009 The prolonged weak development of the global photovoltaics markets has continued to negatively impact the business development of Q-Cells SE (QCE; ISIN DE0005558662) in the second quarter. The seasonal market upturn which the industry had been anticipating to start in the second quarter has broadly not materialised for Q-Cells as yet. Lower sales volumes, the postponement of a large scale project to the third quarter and the continued downward trend in solar cell prices has led, according to preliminary calculations, to a reduced revenue of around 142 EURm (previous quarter: 225 EURm) and to a considerable decline in operating income (EBIT), to approx. -62 EURm (previous quarter: 15 EURm). Due to existing agreements with suppliers, it has thus far not been possible to fully adjust wafer prices in the immediate term to the lower price level of solar cells. Furthermore, the drop in cell and wafer prices has led to non-cash relevant devaluations of current assets. Despite this negative business development, Q-Cells maintains a considerable financial reserve (cash and short-term available credit lines) of approx. 520 EURm as of 30 June 2009.

In spite of an expected recovery in market volume in the second half of the year due to seasonal upturn a generally tough market environment is still being expected. Furthermore, the company expects the project business still to be largely dependent on the development of the financial markets. From a current standpoint, it will not be possible to attain the revenue and production levels which had been anticipated for the current business year. In light of this, the Management Board is not making new revenue and production forecasts for the current business year at this time.

In dealing with the negative impacts of the current business environment, the Management Board is developing a comprehensive programme of measures, made up essentially of the following five components:

- Further capacity alignments,

- Further optimisation and reduction of capital investment programme,

- Intensified cash flow and working capital management,

- Intensifying and accelerating the existing cost-cutting programme and

- Pushing ahead with the project business by cooperating more closely with selected financing partners.

After agreement has been reached with the Supervisory Board, details of this programme will be presented along with the publication of the half-year results on 13 August. Further information will be provided by the Executive Board of Q-Cells SE at a conference call for analysts and investors at 12.30 p.m. (CET). This conference call will also be available as a webcast from the Investor Relations section of the Companys website (www.q-cells.com).

Source: Q-Cells

Budget 2009-2010 – forgets the much talked about solar industry.

2009-07-14T17:14:00.000+05:30

Wait on for National Solar Mission

The first budget for the second term of the UPA government, presented by the finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, clearly missed out to cheer anyone from the solar industry. Customs duty on biodiesel and for wind turbine manufacturers has been reduced but there was no mention of any investment in the much talked about solar industry in the latest budget.

The budget lowers customs duty from 7.5% to 5% on equipments for wind energy and reduction from 7.5% to 2.5% on bio diesel. Uncertainly, India's plan to invest huge amount in solar energy over the next 20 years was not mentioned in the budget.

On one hand where the newly elected US President Obama announced huge investments in solar energy as part of the $150bn clean tech investment just within few days of taking control, the Indian government again lacks behind. People were actually waiting to hear something about the National Solar Mission in the budget, which was one of the leading missions in the National Action Plan on Climate Change announced by Prime Minister on 30th June last year.

Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh announced last year that a National Action Plan on Climate Change would be undertaken. National Solar Mission is the one of the 8 missions of the plan which aims to promote use of solar energy in the country. Its ultimate objective is to make solar competitive with fossil-based energy options. It aims to increase the production of photovoltaics to 1000 MW/year; and at least 1000 MW of solar thermal power generation.

Looking at people interest and awareness spread last year, this budget could have taken the opportunity to attract green investments, but has not done that. However, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee assured green groups that initiatives under the National Action Plan on Climate Change will be covered under the budget, he admitted that an exact figure would not be decided until the end of the year.

The Budget has also mentioned nothing about the other critical initiatives that are in the pipeline to promote energy efficiency in power generation, renewable energy technology programmes, and creating appropriate capacity at different levels of government.

Source: SolarIndiaOnline.com

Germany's Bauhaus University designs solar-powered cinema

2009-07-14T16:05:00.001+05:30

The innovative 'Screenhaus.SOLAR', a modern movie theatre powered by solar technologies, will open in early July 2009 at Germany's Bauhaus-Universität in Weimar. The theatre seeks to demonstrate how architecture and civil engineering can interact with renewable energies and offer functioning, resource-saving solutions worldwide.

The team led by Professors Jürgen Ruth and Rainer Gumpp at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar wanted to create a climate-neutral, easy-to-set-up, yet sophisticated design consisting of renewable materials for the temporary building, Screenhaus.SOLAR. The resulting design is adaptable and easy to use worldwide.

The hull of the 13-metre long structure is both flexible and stable as a hyperboloid structure in three dimensions, two together at the tips of the converging cone. In order to achieve this form, wooden struts were selected and connected to create a strong honeycomb-like structure.

The real highlight of the Screenhaus.SOLAR is, however, the flexible photovoltaic modules, that are affixed to the honeycomb structure. Unlike rigid photovoltaic elements, these solar cells fit the elements of the latest generation of solar cells that envelope the building almost like an item of clothing.

This so-called solar-envelope, the roof system, delivers the electricity required throughout a night of cinema. During the day, the modules convert the sunlight into electrical current and feed it into the general network. The energy produced is then used to power the operation of the cinema during the evening hours.

“The goal is to provide the climate neutral screening of films exclusively from the captured sunlight,” explains Roth. “In the construction phase itself, the positive energy balance played a role for us. So it was necessary during the building work to also use solar energy.”

A structure well-suited for emergencies

The issue of resource conservation impacted the entire project. The wooden struts for the construction came from a wind power plant that was built in the past year on the campus of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Moreover, the draft of the screen house is easily transferable to other countries and continents. The structure can be completely dismantled and then easily transported in standard containers for use anywhere in the world.

The structure is created from simple, linear elements, allowing it to be built anywhere in a short time by non-professionals. This is particularly important in areas with weaker infrastructure or following a destructive event. In such situations, the Screenhaus can be used as emergency shelter or as a temporary hospital. The insulation can, if necessary, be easily retrofitted.

"The idea to build a climate-neutral integrated work of art came to us when contemporary construction projects were being sought for the Bauhaus-Jubilee 2009,” says Ruth. “Since we have already received a positive response from all sides with our wind power project, we wanted to further develop this concept.” Professors Ruth and Grumpp used the 5,000 euros in prize money they received for their wind project in 2008 in the framework of the Dr. Tyczka Energy Prize for development of the Screenhaus project.

The Screenhaus.SOLAR will open on 9th July with a screening of a student short film about solar power.

Source: www.german-info.com

Venture Capital Investment In Green Technologies Rebounds

2009-07-14T16:01:00.000+05:30

Greentech Media released the most recent quarterly data showing that venture capital investment in green technologies totaled $1.2 billion in 85 deals in the second quarter of 2009. This is up from $836 million in 59 deals in the first quarter of 2009.

"The recent quarter's balanced distribution of sectors that attracted capital underscores cleantech's breadth and diversity of opportunity, one of the key drivers behind why cleantech remains an enduring area," said Ira Ehrenpreis, General Partner at cleantech VC, Technology Partners.

Solar power was once again the leading investment segment at more than $330 million. Unlike previous quarters - the second quarter saw a much more balanced distribution across the various sectors with a marked increase in automotive (more than $202 million) and energy storage (more than $180 million).

One of the drivers for steady second quarter venture investment was the promise of stimulus monies offering startup investors a non-dilutive funding source. Meanwhile, early-stage and late-stage investments dominated, while mid-stage funding was harder to come by, and the average round sizes were slightly smaller.

There were no giant $100 million+ solar or biofuel rounds as in 2008.

"Despite the economic slump, VC investors remain optimistic about the greentech sector and eventual exits in this space," said Eric Wesoff, senior analyst at GTM Research and author of the Greentech Innovations Report, a monthly guide to investments and technology trends in greentech.

John Rockwell, founder and Managing Director of Element Partners adds, "The growing belief that credit markets and the economy are on the road to recovery has investors back in the market. Greentech markets are massive and diverse and investors are starting to pour additional money into the next wave of greentech opportunities."

"2009 will be a year of consolidation and development while 2010 and 2011 will be the year greentech breaks. Expect to see IPOs and acquisitions of VC funded firms in solar, smart grid, green buildings and biofuels," Wesoff added.

Source: Solar Daily

World's largest and CO2-neutral inverter factory inaugurated by SMA Solar Technology AG

2009-07-10T14:35:00.001+05:30

July, 01, 2009
Today, SMA Solar Technology AG inaugurated its new solar inverter factory. With the inverter factory, SMA is extending its production capacities to four gigawatt and is continuously expanding its successful strategy of flexibility. In the opening speech Chief Executive Officer Günther Cramer pointed out that the new facilities were setting a new trend in terms of CO2 neutral fabrication sites.

About 500 guests attended the inauguration ceremony. Silke Lautenschläger, the Hessian Minister for Environment, Energy, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, gave the official speech.

SMA's new inverter factory which has already been producing since March of this year, is setting new standards in every respect: an annual production capacity of up to four gigawatt on 18,000 square meters make it the world's largest solar inverter factory.

The new factory has the lowest possible energy requirements together with the highest efficiency of consumed energy. Among other standards the building thus complies with the low-energy building concept. In addition, a reduced energy consumption of the production and testing facilities is achieved through efficiency measures in the production process. An optimal use of daylight, intelligent ventilation as well as the use of storage units for heating and cooling complement the energy and building concept.

The electricity and heat demand is covered by renewable energy sources: an integrated PV system with a power of around 1.1 megawatt and a combined heat and power plant fueled with bio-gas generates CO2-neutral electricity. "Green electricity" is additionally purchased in order to cover the total energy consumption of the production facilities. In the long run the CO2 balance will be zero by installing additional photovoltaic systems nearby.

The required heat is produced with the biogas-powered combined heat and power plant. At the same time, the waste heat coming from the compressor for the air powered tools and the lifting gear is utilized for the heating system. The additionally required heat demand is covered by using district heating from a nearby waste incineration plant.

Sufficient cooling is provided as well: an absorption refrigeration machine uses the heat of the combined heat and power plant for air conditioning.

In the new factory the process steps in the production have been completely re-designed in terms of efficiency. Entire production lines can be extended or reconfigured for other device types within shortest notice. This provides maximum flexibility in addition to the "just-in-time" production without warehouse.

"The inverters being the heart of every photovoltaic system already significantly contribute to an emission-free energy supply", Günther Cramer, Chief Executive Officer of SMA Solar Technology AG, explains. "With our CO2-neutral inverter production we even go one step further. Today we can show that an advanced production on industrial level can be done with a minimal environmental footprint. As the worldwide leading producer of solar inverters we now intend to initiate a trend towards CO2-neutral factories".

About SMA Solar Technology AG
With a turnover of more than 680 million euros in 2008, SMA is the global market leader for solar inverters, a central component of every solar power system. The SMA group is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented on four continents in ten countries. The group employs more than 3,000 people (including temporary employees). SMA produces a broad range of inverter types which offers suitable inverters for every photovoltaic module type used and for photovoltaic systems in all power ranges. The product portfolio includes inverters both for grid-connected photovoltaic systems and for stand-alone systems. Since June 27, 2008, the company has been listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (S92), and since September 22, 2008, the company's shares have been listed in the TecDAX. In the past recent years, SMA was recognized several times with awards for its outstanding performance as an employer.

Source: SMA Solar Technology

Q&A - 'Space-based solar power could solve energy crisis'

2009-07-10T13:40:00.001+05:30

Peter Garretson is a futurist and transformational strategist. He previously served as the chief of Future Science and Technology Exploration for the US air force and is presently an international visiting fellow at the Indian Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA). He tells Rajan Somasundaram why space-based solar power (SBSP) could revolutionise the power generation forever:

What is space-based solar power all about?

Though solar energy is one of the most popular renewable energy sources, the cost of tapping the same has always been comparatively more because of its diluted form, seasonal variations and non-availability for more than half of the day.

SBSP overcomes these issues by placing the solar collector panels in a geo-synchronous orbit in space and have the solar power beamed to earth before converting it to useful electricity. Solar energy could be beamed to earth as radio waves or coherent light (LASER).

Just to understand the enormity of energy availability, a kilometre-wide band at a geo-orbit experiences enough solar flux in one year to nearly equal the amount of energy contained within all known recoverable conventional oil reserves on earth today. And it is 99 per cent uninterrupted through the year.

How about commercial viability?

Commercial viability is a big unknown, and will be so until power starts being delivered. There are many ideas and proposals in many places around the world, but no working prototype has ever been built and flown on orbit.

Many believe there is a need for additional technical development and risk-reduction. Clearly, there are some companies who are already quite confident about its commercial viability, as witnessed by the deal finalised a few weeks ago in California.

The California Power Utility has agreed to buy 200 MW of electricity from Pacific Gas & Electric Company from 2016, which would be generated from a space-based solar station.

How does SBSP compare with other conventional energy sources in terms of fighting greenhouse gas emissions?

Space solar life cycle CO2 is 60 times better than a conventional coal-fired power plant. It's by far one of the cleanest energy forms available. Space-based solar power is so promising that it could well be the answer to the world's energy crisis.

How could India contribute to this programme?

Former president A P J Abdul Kalam has suggested that SBSP be made a national and international goal.

The Aerospace Society of India (AeSI) has called for a global aerospace and energy mission, and articulated the need for a directed academic, industry and government study, as well as consideration of a leadership role in an International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor-like experiment.

Some people i have talked with have mentioned putting it on the Indo-US strategic agenda as part of the renewable energy and space partnerships.

Source: The Times Of India

Ascent Solar Exceeds 10% Module Efficiency Milestone

2009-07-09T17:28:00.001+05:30

THORNTON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTI), a developer of state-of-the-art flexible thin-film solar modules, today announced that it has achieved its initial target module efficiency goal of 10.0% for its flexible Copper, Indium, Gallium, Selenide (CIGS) monolithically integrated modules.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has independently verified that the modules measured as high as 10.4% in conversion efficiency. The modules tested at NREL were standard 429 cm2 modules produced by the company’s 1.5MW production line that was put into commercial production in the first quarter of 2009.

Dr. Prem Nath, Sr. Vice President of Production Operations for Ascent Solar, stated, “This is a significant breakthrough in demonstrating our ability to manufacture monolithically integrated flexible CIGS modules with greater than 10% module efficiency in commercial production. Ascent’s high-volume 30MW commercial plant is scheduled to commence initial production at the beginning of 2010. Module efficiency of 10.0% is a vital element for our low-cost-per-watt manufacturing goal in high volume and will establish Ascent Solar as a leader in the production of lightweight flexible photovoltaics used for portable power and building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products.”

Dr. Harin S. Ullal, Senior Project Manager for the National Center for Photovoltaics at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, stated, “Ascent Solar has made progress in advancing the state-of-the-art flexible, lightweight thin-film CIGS PV technology. NREL has independently verified module conversion efficiency of more than 10.0% for several thin-film CIGS monolithically integrated modules deposited on flexible, lightweight plastic substrates.”

About National Renewable Energy Laboratory:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development (R&D). NREL is operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

About Ascent Solar Technologies:

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., is a developer of thin-film photovoltaic modules with substrate materials that can be more flexible and affordable than most traditional solar panels. Ascent Solar modules can be directly integrated into standard building materials, space applications, consumer electronics for portable power or configured as stand-alone modules for large-scale terrestrial deployment. Ascent Solar is headquartered in Thornton, Colo. Additional information can be found at www.ascentsolar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the Company's actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "expect," "intends," "intend," "anticipate," "anticipates," "plans," "plan," to be uncertain and forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Source: www.ascentsolar.com

QuantaSol unveils 28.3% efficient single-junction solar cell World Record

2009-07-08T13:29:00.001+05:30

QuantaSol unveils 28.3% efficient single-junction solar cell World record made public at UK’s Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition

Kingston-upon-Thames UK, June 30th 2009:

QuantaSol Ltd, a new independent designer and manufacturer of strain-balanced quantum-well solar cells, has developed what it believes to be the most efficient single junction solar cell ever manufactured. Developed in just two years, QuantaSol's single-junction device has been independently tested by Fraunhofer ISE as achieving 28.3% efficiency at greater than 500 suns.

QuantaSol was established in June 2007 as a spin-out of Imperial College London to commercialise the University’s solar cell IP and offer devices to concentrator Photovoltaic (PV) systems developers. Imperial will be featuring a QuantaSol device as part of its presence at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition in London this week.

“Our technology is the industry’s best kept secret. This is the first time that anyone has successfully combined high efficiency with ease of manufacture, historically a bug-bear of the solar cell industry,” said Kevin Arthur, QuantaSol’s CEO. “We’re now gearing up to provide multi-junction cells of even higher efficiencies as early as Q1 2010.”

QuantaSol’s approach combines several nanostructures, of two or more different alloys, in order to obtain synthetic crystals that overcome the problems associated with current solar cell designs. It also greatly enhances the photovoltaic conversion efficiency.

The company, which has a development laboratory in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, completed a £2m second funding round last week. It will now concentrate on cutting the cost of ownership of solar energy by moving to multi-junction devices.

Source: http://www.quantasol.com/

First Solar goes for reduction in manufacturing cost

2009-07-06T14:46:00.000+05:30

First Solar has indicated that its manufacturing cost has now fallen to 93 cents per watt, down 5% in three months and down 28% in a year.

By 2014, it expects to drive down cost per watt to make solar modules to fall to between 52 and 63 cents by 2014. The biggest driver of the lower costs is better efficiency, it said. Production per fabrication line is expected to nearly double over the next five years.

The company believes its ongoing focus on cost reduction enables continued growth even as subsidies decline.

Earlier this year, when the company had reduced its manufacturing cost for solar modules to 98 cents per watt, it had mentioned that its ongoing improvement plans are to continue to drive the efficiency that helps drive costs down, drive the run rates of the factories, and then of course continuing to focus on the raw material costs as it purchases them. Its manufacturing costs have declined two-thirds from over $3 per watt to less than $1 per watt since First Solar began full commercial operation of its initial manufacturing line in late 2004.

In terms of performance this year, First Solar’s first-quarter profits more than tripled as the company inked numerous new power projects and cut its production costs. The company earned $164.6 million in the first quarter, compared with $46.6 million for the same period last year. Quarterly sales were $418.2 million for the three months that ended March 28, up from $196.9 million during the same period last year.

Source: Thin Film Today

World's Largest Solar Power Station Officially Inaugurated

2009-07-03T13:34:00.000+05:30

Bonn, Germany (SPX) Jul 03, 2009
On 1 July 2009 the solar-thermal power station Andasol 1, located in the Spanish province of Granada in Andalusia, was officially inaugurated. At the present time, Andasol 1 is the largest solar power station in the world. Researchers at the German Aerospace Centre were heavily involved in the development of key technologies and identified the most suitable location with the help of various tools, including satellite data.

They did this on behalf of Solar Millennium AG, the project development company. In addition, their measuring methods contributed towards the precision design of the parabolic trough collectors.

Climate-compatible power for 200 000 people
Andasol 1 delivers climate-compatible power for 200 000 people. This makes it possible to cut annual emissions of carbon dioxide by 150 000 tons.

There are more than 600 parabolic trough collectors distributed over a total surface area of about two square kilometres, each of which measures 150 metres in length and 5.7 metres in width. These mirrors have a total surface area in excess of 500 000 square metres.

There is also a heat accumulator located in the centre of this gigantic solar field. Here, two giant tanks, measuring 14 metres in height and 36 metres in diameter, are used to store surplus energy during the midday period using liquid salt.

This salt is heated by solar power to temperatures of up to 390 degrees Celsius and this stored heat enables the power station to operate at full power (50 megawatts) for up 7.5 hours after the Sun has set - a key requirement for the future use of solar power stations.

As well as Andasol 1, the first commercially operated power station of its kind, plans are well underway for a further two solar power station at the same location. In the course of this year, Andasol 2 is scheduled to come on stream, also rated for a capacity of 50 megawatts. Andasol 3, also with a 50 MW rating, is expected to follow in the course of 2011.

DLR researchers tasked with finding the ideal location
On behalf of Solar Millennium AG, the project development company, employees in the Solar Research department of the DLR Institute for Technical Thermodynamics (Institut fur Technische Thermodynamik; ITT) at the Plataforma Solar de Almer�a research station located about 50 kilometres from the Andasol site were tasked with identifying a suitable location for the new solar power station.

One key decision-making indicator took the form of the statistical mean values calculated from many years of sunlight readings taken by the DLR from meteorological measurements at ground stations, and sequential satellite data.

Precision boosts energy yield levels
When setting up this system, it is also possible to use high-speed optical measuring processes developed by the DLR for precision production control of the parabolic collectors. Precise and well-aligned parabolic mirrors are able to boost the energy yield by up to 10%, and this makes a key contribution to the cost-effectiveness of a plant of this kind.

Development of the actual collector technology was aided by the DLR taking a leading role in several projects sponsored by the German Environment Ministry. This meant that the industrial partners were supported during the design and testing of collector prototypes and absorber tubes by DLR employees working at the Spanish test centre of Plataforma Solar de Almer�a, located in Almeria.

The total cost of this power station is somewhere in the region of euros 300 million. A key form of early assistance for the Andasol 1 power station was also forthcoming from the European Union, which contributed euros 5 million of funding aid for the preparation and accompanying scientific research. Power from concentrated solar energy

Andasol 1 is a solar-thermal power station and what is known as a parabolic trough power station. In this configuration, the concentrating mirrors take the form of a very long trough with parabolic cross section. The individual elements of this trough, the collectors, are rotated to track the Sun as it moves from east to west.

Sunlight falling on the collector is reflected onto a focal line, where the light energy is concentrated by a factor of up to 80. Absorber tubes run down this focal line.

These steel tubes, surrounded by an evacuated, insulating glass tube, have a special surface coating which is highly effective at absorbing solar radiation and converting it into heat. In this process, temperatures substantially in excess of 400 degrees Celsius are developed on their surface. An oil known as 'thermo-oil' flows through the centre of each steel absorber tube.

This oil is heated to almost 400 degrees, and the collected heat is then directed to a thermal transfer unit in which steam is generated at high temperature and pressure. As in conventional power stations, this steam is then used to drive a turbine that - linked to a generator - then generates electrical power.

Source: Solar Daily

Record-breaking solar cells are tailored to their location

2009-07-02T15:19:00.002+05:30

The burning hot sun at the equator is a far cry from the weak sunlight that reaches higher latitudes. To make the most of such different conditions you need specially tailored solar cells, according to UK firm Quantasol.

So the company has come up with a new solar cell design that can be tuned to the light at a particular latitude, and in the process broken a 21-year-old efficiency record for one type of solar cell.

Semiconductor materials such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) are more efficient at converting light to electricity than the cheaper silicon cells most common today. First used in space, GaAs solar cells are beginning to find uses on Earth too.

But the uniform light conditions in space aren't matched on the ground. The atmosphere acts as a filter, so the light reaching Earth varies from place to place and with changing atmospheric conditions.
Tuned in

Quantasol has now created GaAs solar cells that can be tuned to the prevailing light conditions of a particular place, to get the most out of the cells wherever they are.

To do that, the firm added indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) to pores just a few nanometres across on the surface of their cells, called quantum wells. Like the GaAs that makes up the rest of the cell, they can absorb light to produce electric current. But they do so at very specific frequencies.

The pores can be tuned to absorb light at the frequencies that are most common in a particular place but aren't absorbed well by GaAs. Over time this strategy should extract more energy than an off-the-shelf solar cell.
World record

After the quantum wells have been tuned, the GaAs solar cell absorbs more of the incoming light than previous devices. The peak efficiency of the new cell is 28.3 per cent when exposed to light 500 times as strong as normal sunlight, a figure that has been confirmed by the Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy in Germany.

That may only be one-tenth of a percentage point higher than the previous world-record holder, but it's the first advance in 21 years.

Commercial silicon solar cells are much cheaper than GaAs, but have an efficiency of just 10 to 12 per cent and are also bulkier. The Quantasol device can cope with much brighter light without becoming overloaded, making it possible to use a very small solar cell to absorb light collected by a system of cheap lenses and mirrors.

But more important than the peak efficiency is that the new cells can generate more electrical energy over the course of days and weeks, says Kevin Arthur, Quantasol CEO.

"The commercial market doesn't just want high efficiency, they want the device to be optimised to the environment," he says. "In the past we measured performance in dollars per watt. Now it's cents per kilowatt-hour that's more important."

Quantasol will showcase its new device at the UK's Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London this week.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Swiss team unveil pioneering solar plane

2009-07-02T15:14:00.002+05:30

Geneva (AFP) June 26, 2009
Round-the-world balloooning pioneer Bertrand Piccard unveiled his solar-powered aircraft in Switzerland on Friday, ready for another trend-setting circumnavigation of the globe powered solely by the sun.

The wasp-shaped prototype of Solar Impulse, with the wingspan of a jumbo jet, was rolled out before some 800 guests at an airfield near Zurich after six years of development.

Ten years after Piccard and Briton Brian Jones achieved the first non-stop flight around the globe in the Orbiter balloon, the Solar Impulse team are aiming to demonstrate that reliance on renewable energy is not a pipedream.

"If an aircraft is able to fly day and night without fuel, propelled solely by solar energy, let no one come and claim that it is impossible to do the same thing for motor vehicles, heating and air conditioning systems and computers," Piccard said.

Although computer simulations have been tried out, the prototype HB-SIA will make its maiden test flight by the end of this year.

Its mission is to test the feasibility of a complete flight sequence through two days and one night, propelled only by solar energy, and pave the say for a second aircraft's bid to fly around the world in five stages in 2012.

The Swiss adventurer -- who is again joined by Jones -- said the idea emerged after that 19 day hot air balloon trip, when Orbiter was partly kept aloft by fuel canisters even if the wind ensured its progress eastwards.

"That historic success could have turned sour because of the lack of fuel," Piccard said at the Dubendorf airfield.

"That's why we took the decision to to attempt a trip around the world without relying on fossil fuels," he explained.

The seemingly flimsy carbon fibre concentrate of new technology has a 63.4 metre wingspan but weighs little more than a medium sized car.

Some 12,000 solar cells spread over its slender wings are meant to keep it aloft, fuelling four tiny ten horsepower electric motors and 400 kilogrammes of batteries that are, unusually, meant to keep it going overnight.

Wedged in the narrow cockpit, the lone pilot will also be helped to fly Solar Impulse by some novel control technology.

"Those are the wings of hope. They are immense, as is the challenge we have to meet in climate protection," said Swiss Transport, Energy and Environment Minister Moritz Leunberger.

Source: Solar Daily

ADB Deems Clean Energy Projects as Risky

2009-07-01T12:20:00.004+05:30

The thrust to create so-called “clean” energy projects is hampered by poor financial risk perception, need for big capital investments and policies that still favor conventional sources of energy, an official of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently announced.

Stating at the Asia Clean Energy Forum at the ADB headquarters this week, Private Sector Operations Department Director-General Philip Erquiaga said these three impediments are what the bank will take into consideration drafting a new energy policy.

Mr. Erquiaga explained the perception of risk is because of the view regarding clean energy technology is “experimental,” creating it financially risky as an investment.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Senior Vice-President for financial markets Marcelo E. Ayes agreed, evaluating that “many of the companies producing this technology are start-up and will have difficulty accessing credit because they don’t have a track record.”

Noting further that these projects are “capital-intensive,” Mr. Ayes stated the “risk is huge without certain profit even in the long term.”

He said that a well-designed feasibility study and a guarantee by the government, ADB or the World Bank are few of the factors that could better risk perception.

Energy Assistant Secretary Mario C. Marasigan, chief of the Renewable Energy Bureau, stated the government has addressed the concern over policy drawbacks, citing Republic Act 9513, or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, which provides fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for renewable energy investors, involving tax credits on domestic capital equipment and services, special tax rates on equipment and machinery, amidst others.

This will bring down the price of technology and make ‘clean,’ renewable energy competitive with conventional energy. The law is a clear indicator that this government prioritizes renewable energy.

Source : Energy Business Daily

Future Perspectives for Renewable Energy in India

2009-06-10T12:51:00.002+05:30

Introduction
India is facing an acute energy scarcity which is hampering its industrial growth and economic progress. Setting up of new power plants is inevitably dependent on import of highly volatile fossil fuels. Thus, it is essential to tackle the energy crisis through judicious utilization of abundant the renewable energy resources, such as biomass energy, solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy. Apart from augmenting the energy supply, renewable resources will help India in mitigating climate change. India is heavily dependent on fossil fuels for its energy needs. Most of the power generation is carried out by coal and mineral oil-based power plants which contribute heavily to greenhouse gases emission.
The average per capita consumption of energy in India is around 500 W, which is much lower than that of developed countries like USA, Europe, Australia, Japan etc. However, this figure is expected to rise sharply due to high economic growth and rapid industrialization. The consumption of electricity is growing on the worldwide basis. Energy is a necessity and sustainable renewable energy is a vital link in industrialization and development of India. A transition from conventional energy systems to those based on renewable resources is necessary to meet the ever-increasing demand for energy and to address environmental concerns.

A Glance at Renewable Energy Sources in India
• Solar Energy
Solar power, a clean renewable resource with zero emission, has got tremendous potential of energy which can be harnessed using a variety of devices. With recent developments, solar energy systems are easily available for industrial and domestic use with the added advantage of minimum maintenance. Solar energy could be made financially viable with government tax incentives and rebates.
An exclusive solar generation system of capacity of 250 to KWh units per month would cost around Rs. 5 Lacs, with present pricing and taxes. Most of the developed countries are switching over to solar energy as one of the prime renewable energy source. The current architectural designs make provision for photovoltaic cells and necessary circuitry while making building plans.

• Wind energy

Wind power is one of the most efficient alternative energy sources. There has been good deal of development in wind turbine technology over the last decade with many new companies joining the fray. Wind turbines have become larger, efficiencies and availabilities have improved and wind farm concept has become popular. It could be combined with solar, especially for a total self-sustainability project.
The economics of wind energy is already strong, despite the relative immaturity of the industry. The downward trend in wind energy costs is predicted to continue. As the world market in wind turbines continues to boom, wind turbine prices will continue to fall. India now ranks as a "wind superpower" having a net potential of about 45000 MW only from 13 identified states.
• Hydro Electric Power
India has a huge hydro power potential, out of which around 20 % has been realized so far. New hydro projects are facing serious resistance from environmentalists. Resettlement of the displaced people with their lands becomes major issue.
• Biomass Energy

Biomass energy can play a major role in reducing India’s reliance on fossil fuels by making use of thermo-chemical conversion technologies. In addition, the increased utilization of biomass-based fuels will be instrumental in safeguarding the environment, creating new job opportunities, sustainable development and health improvements in rural areas. Biomass energy could also aid in modernizing the agricultural economy. A large amount of energy is expended in the cultivation and processing of crops like sugarcane, food grains, vegetables and fruits which can be recovered by utilizing energy-rich residues for energy production. The integration of biomass-fuelled gasifies and coal-fired energy generation would be advantageous in terms of improved flexibility in response to fluctuations in biomass availability with lower investment costs.
Waste-to-energy plants offer two important benefits of environmentally sound waste management and disposal, as well as the generation of clean electric power. Waste-to-energy facilities produce clean, renewable energy through thermochemical, biochemical and physicochemical methods. Moreover, waste-to-energy plants are highly efficient in harnessing the untapped sources of energy from a variety of wastes.

Decentralized Energy Generation in India
Microgeneration, also called “micropower”, is the generation of zero or low-carbon electrical power by individuals, small businesses and communities to meet their own needs. The most widely-used microgeneration technologies include small wind turbines, solar power photovoltaic or biomass conversion systems that have been promoted for decades as alternative sources of renewable energy. Because of technological advances, microgeneration now includes handheld solar and wind-power recharging devices for personal electronics, as well as advanced photovoltaic, biomass and wind-turbine systems for domestic and industrial power generation.
Traditional “megapower” production of electricity is insufficient today because of exponential industrial growth and high living standard. Microgeneration can act as a catalyst for cultural changes in consumer attitude, and provides evidence of the important impact that microgeneration has on consumers’ attitude and behavior regarding energy production and use. Microgeneration is both a serious form of clean energy production and also a cultural movement that is gathering momentum worldwide. Microgeneration technologies include small wind turbines, biomass gasifiers, solar power, micro-hydro, or a combination of these technologies. Prima-facie renewable energy may appear a bit costlier than the conventional source of energy, but looking at the benefit of continuous power availability and great contribution against global warming, it is worth.
Industrialized countries, like USA, Australia, Japan, have formulated action plan to foster sustainable energy to make judicious use of renewable energy resources. For example, USA has announced massive renewable energy program, to generate large share of total energy requirement from renewable energy sources by 2025, which will create 5 million new job opportunities in various areas of Renewable Energy.
Proposed Guidelines for Power Consumers in India
• Explore all possibilities to set-up an independent power plant making use of renewable resources like solar, wind and biomass.
• Use of government / utility electricity supply, only in case of emergency.
• Energy savings by using low wattage / high luminous lamps (CFL / LED).
• Use of power factor improvers.
• Regular maintenance and servicing of electrical equipments.
• Avoidance of inverters and large storage batteries (except emergency).
• Intelligent power factor correctors to minimize energy losses in capacitor at lower load conditions.
• Frequent energy audits
Proposed Guidelines for Policy Makers in India
• Vigorous promotion of renewable energy by government agencies, corporate, public sector, academic institutions etc.
• Establishment of national-level body to increase awareness of renewable energy at grass-root level
• Financial support and sponsorship for research and development in renewable energy technologies.
• Ambitious goals and targets for power generation non-conventional sources.
• Installation of solar / wind / biomass power generation systems and energy saving in every government office to encourage and inspire people.
• Restriction on using large battery energy storage systems.
• Compulsory installation of solar water heating systems for all urban residential and commercial establishments.
• Mandatory renewable energy systems provision for new residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
• Attractive incentives and subsidies for installation and successful operation of renewable energy equipment.
• Abolishing duties / taxes on import of small-scale renewable energy generating equipment
• Cultivation of energy crops on marginal and degraded land
• Use of biofuels in vehicles.
• Soft loans for setting up renewable energy enterprises.
• Additional incentives for buyers and manufacturers of renewable energy equipments in rural areas.
Guidelines for Research Professionals
• Development of comprehensive educational and awareness modules for renewable energy systems.
• Development of cost-effective, high-efficiency and long-lasting photovoltaic cells.
• Development of high efficiency wind turbines, ranging from 300 W – 10 kW, to generate energy even at low wind velocity.
• Development of small-scale, low maintenance biomass gasifiers to make use of abundant biomass resources in rural areas for cogeneration
Conclusion
There is an urgent need for transition from petroleum-based energy systems to one based on renewable resources to decrease reliance on depleting reserves of fossil fuels and to mitigate climate change. In addition, renewable energy has the potential to create many employment opportunities at all levels, especially in rural areas. An emphasis on presenting the real picture of massive renewable energy potential, it would be possible to attract foreign investments to herald a Green Energy Revolution in India.

Author’s Profile
Ravi Soparkar
Electrical Engineer from Mumbai. 40 + years experience in engineering business. Working on micro-generation feasibility in renewable energy for past five years. Participated in numerous national and international conferences and workshops all over the world. Presently associated as senior consultant with Super Consultants Inc from Maryland USA
Address: Soparkar House, 36/2 Kondhwa Budruk, Pune 411048.
Phones: 020 26934300, 9325014999
Email: surepower@aol.in

Farooq Abdullah - New minister of New and Renewable Energy

2009-05-29T15:31:00.003+05:30

The much awaited suspense on the new cabinet got over on Thursday with the announcement of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's council of ministers. The strongman of Jammu and Kashmir politics, Dr. Farooq Abdullah has been appointed as the new minister for Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

With this announcement and making one of the most experienced person in politics as the minister of New and Renewable Energy, the UPA government has made it clear that this time it is much more focused on utilizing the alternative source of energy.

Dr. Abdullah was born on 21 October, 1936 in Soura, Jammu & Kashmir, India), is a doctor of medicine and has served as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir thrice - 1982 - 1984, 1986 - 1990 and 1996 - 2002. His political career has been marked with controversy. Publicly, Farooq Abdullah has advocated autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir within the constitution of India and he has advocated the formalization of the Line of Control (LoC) as the International Border between India and Pakistan.

SolarIndiaOnline.com congratulates Mr. Abdullah on being the new Minister of New and Renewable Energy of the country.

We are back...

2009-05-14T16:14:00.003+05:30

SolarIndiaOnline.com has been uploaded and is working fine.
For all the latest updates on Indian Soalr Industry, keep visiting, www.solarindiaonline.com

Website down

2009-05-13T14:07:00.002+05:30

Dear Solar Members,
SolarIndiaOnline.com is down for few days due to some technical errors and will be open soon.
For any assitance, kindly mail to : solarindiaonline@gmail.com
or contact :
Rajat Khosla,
Coordinator
9910027900

India’s Solar Mission : Ministry ready with a draft

2009-04-27T12:39:00.003+05:30

Earlier this month, SolarIndiaOnline reported about Solar Mission plans to install 20,000MW capacity by 2020 in the story “Renewable is not an alternative anymore”.
Ministry has finalized the draft for the National Solar Mission. After the first initiative of installing generation capacity of 50MW through Solar, the ministry has now gone all the way, to make Solar a valuable option for Indian Power Industry. SolarIndiaOnline.com earlier this month announced about the plan of ministry to install solar generation capacity of 20,000MW by 2020. According to draft agreement by Ministry, the plans are to install solar generation capacity of 20,000 MW by 2020, of 1,00,000 MW by 2030 and of 2,00,000 MW by 2050.
The total expected funding from the government for the 30-year period will run to Rs. 85,000 crore to Rs. 105,000 crore. The requirement during the current Five Year Plan is estimated to be Rs. 5,000 crore to Rs. 6,000 crore. It will rise to between Rs. 12,000 crore and Rs. 15,000 crore during the 12th Five Year Plan.
The plan till 2020 will take be implemented in three phases.
The First Phase: 2009-2012: The Ministry will focus on expansion of on-going projects for urban, rural and off-grid applications. This will involve the promotion of commercial-scale solar utility plants, mandated installation of solar rooftop or on-site photo-voltaic applications in buildings and establishments of government and public sector undertakings.
In this phase, the Mission will make it mandatory for all functional buildings such as hospitals, hotels, guest houses and nursing homes to install solar water heaters. Residential complexes with a minimum plot area of 500 sq m will also be included. Expansion of solar lighting systems through market initiatives including micro-financing, in the rural and urban sectors, is expected to provide access to lighting for three million households by 2012.
The Second Phase: 2012 and 2017: Mission will focus on the commercial deployment of solar thermal power plants. This will involve storage options, and the promotion of solar lighting and heating systems on a large scale in market mode. This will be without subsidies but could include micro-financing options.
The Third Phase: 2017 and 2020: The target is to achieve tariff parity with conventional grid power and achieve an installed capacity of 20 gigawatts (Gw) by 2020. The installation of one million rooftop systems with an average capacity of 3 kilowatts (kW) by the same year is also envisaged.
The strategy will be to achieve the target along with reducing the cost of these projects. However there has been no confirmation from the ministry on this. The original may have few changes.

Post your comments below.

Proposal to introduce solar invertors

2009-04-07T14:33:00.000+05:30

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/04/07/stories/2009040754270400.htm

The Delhi Government’s power department is mulling over a proposal to introduce solar panels for recharging batteries used to run appliances of everyday use during power cuts and outages. The proposal comes at a time when the department has been stressing the need to use more green energy and reduce dependence on non-renewable energy.

An official of the power department said the concept is similar to that of a solar water heater. “Solar panels are used to draw the energy of the sun to run appliances just like an inverter does. While an inverter uses energy from the grid to recharge the battery, here the battery gets recharged from solar energy, which is clean and economical,” he said.

The proposal to use solar energy to run the inverter has been put forth by Moserbaer Photo Voltaic, a company that manufactures photovoltaic products.

Explaining the concept, the company’s general manager Gagan Vermani said: “The idea is to utilise solar energy at the level of smaller consumers as well. We usually see the use of solar energy in villages and at large scale. Also the accent has been on solar water heating, which is required for a relatively shorter period, therefore we made this suggestion to introduce solar modules for charging inverter batteries.”

The system will allow consumers to pick the size of the modules as per their requirement and save on their energy bills. “The battery here will not require power from the grid to recharge; it will get re-energised even as it is being used from the solar modules attached to it. Apart from the initial investment (the cost of modules) the system does not incur any running costs,” said Mr. Vermani.

A 100-Watt module for instance requires a space of one metre square in dimension and costs about Rs.15,000. “All it (modules) requires is a bit of cleaning once every few days so that the efficiency does not go down. The modules last for as long as 25 years”. To make the concept economically viable for consumers, the company has also proposed extending a subsidy to the buyers. “To popularise solar water heating the government offers a subsidy to consumers. A similar formula should be worked out for the solar invertors as well, inverters are used in all kinds of weather and definitely more than the water heaters,” he said. Owing to the gap in the demand and supply of power in the city and its suburbs, the sale of invertors has been on the rise over the years. The ASSOCHAM in 2008 had forecast a 30-35 per cent hike in the demand for inverters, their batteries and generator sets.

Alumis provide solar power to a school in Delhi

2009-02-21T15:12:00.000+05:30

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/alumis-provide-solar-power-to-a-school-in-delhi/85723-3-1.html

New Delhi: Four brothers of Kheda Garhi village in Delhi have quite literally brought a ray of hope into the lives of students in the village school which was battling a power crisis.

The village school is now the first government institution to run entirely on solar power.

The solar panels have proven to be an eco friendly boon to the school's energy crisis. Thanks to the efforts of its alumni, the Goswami brothers.

Engineer Bhuvenesh Goswami says, “When I visited the school last year, I found the lights and fans didn’t work. Even when there was power, the voltage fluctuated too much for the computers to stay on.

The Goswami bothers, who are engineers in the US, fed up with the government's apathy, installed a 4 kilowatt solar power system. Trial runs show that the solar panels generate more than enough electricity to tide over the school's power crunch.

The school generates almost 60 per cent of surplus power which they have offered to use in the village, but the government 's electricity grid is subject to such frequent voltage fluctuations that its incompatible with the schools solar panels.

The rest of the village may be losing out, but the students are extremely happy.

Built at an initial cost of Rs 15 lakh, the system is easy enough to maintain.

Tushar Goswami says, “There is no maintenance, all you have to do is clean.”

Easy to run and cost effective, here's hoping other government schools can take a leaf out of the Goswamis' book and fuel a change.

Blue Earth launched

2009-02-21T15:00:00.002+05:30

The device, called Blue Earth, was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress technology event in Barcelona, and Samsung said it underlined the Korean company's commitment to environmental stability.

The phone is designed to resemble the shape of a shiny pebble, and uses a small solar panel to provide power.

"This phone demonstrates our small but meaningful commitments for the future and our environment," said JK Shin, an executive vice president at Samsung.

Blue Earth is made from recycled plastic and features a special "Eco Mode" that users can access with a single click to wring the maximum energy use from the device.

A full solar charge of around 10 to 14 hours will provide enough power for around four hours of talk time. The handset can still be charged normally using a conventional plug, with the solar panels used to top up the battery during use.

It also has a built-in pedometer to help users to measure how much smaller their carbon footprint is when walking rather than driving.

Blue Earth goes on sale in the UK later this year and Samsung did not give any details about price or network partners. However, sources hinted that the handset was likely to be priced at the upper end of the market.

Samsung's eco-friendly phone was not the only solar-powered mobile at the show. LG also unveiled a prototype solar-powered handset, but did not say when the device would go on sale.

Samsung also launched the first mobile phone capable of recording high-definition footage. The Omnia HD boasts an ultra-sharp 3.7in touch-screen, and can capture and play back high-definition video shot in the 720p format, which puts it on a par with some modern camcorders.

"These new phones confirm Samsung's determination to beat Apple at its own game," said Ben Wood, an analyst with CCS Insight. "Touch-screens now form a part of every corner of Samsung's portfolio. The Omnia HD is another strong contender in Samsung's efforts to offer credible rivals to Apple's iPhone.

Solar Plaza Trade Mission arrives India.

2009-02-16T13:14:00.001+05:30

Solar Heroes are here in India. With the growing interest in solar industry in India, a Solar trade Mission to the country is being undertaken from 16th to 20th February 2009, organized by Solar Plaza. The trade mission, traveling through Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad will include plant visits to Moser Baer PV, IndoSolar (both in Delhi NCR) and XL Telecom, Solar Semiconductor (both in Hyderabad).

The trade mission include members from companies such as First Solar, Sun Lab BV, ECN Solar Energy, SMA Solar Technologie, Targray Technology International, Shanghai Lilei Electrical Co., Ltd. and Photon Energy System. SolarIndiaOnline.com is the online partner of the event and Infosree technologies is the Indian Coordinator of the trade mission.

SolarIndiaOnline.com met the members of the trade mission and the companies are very excited to be a part of a mission visiting Indian companies. They are also curious to know more about the latest announcement made by Dr Manmohan Singh, the Honorable Prime Minister of India, on The National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) and Gujarat announcement about its Solar Power Policy, 2009.

The members arrived Delhi on 15th February 2009. The programme of the mission is as follows:
a) 16th February 2009 visit to Moserbaer PV and IndoSolar.
b) 17th February 2009 visit to ISA Vision Summit in Bangalore.
c) 18th February 2009 Solar Energy (PV) conference and business development event.
d) 19th February 2009 visit to XL Telecom and Solar Semiconductor in Hyderabad.
The mission will get over on 20th February 2009.

Sizing and cost estimation methodology for stand-alone residential PV power system

2009-02-07T15:04:00.002+05:30

The paper is available on the website. (Click here)
This paper investigates the sizing and costing methodology for a stand-alone photovoltaic (SAPV) power system based on the number of sunshine hours available in the world. The sizing and costing of the PV system for the electrical load of 3.65 kWh/day was presented in this paper for different continents of the world. The unit cost of electricity generated from the PV system was determined based on their life cycle cost analysis. The capital cost and unit cost of electricity for the SAPV systems were evaluated as $9,198/kWp and $0.6/kWh respectively for India. The total CO2 emission mitigated by the PV power system in its lifespan was estimated at 63 tons which correspond to the carbon credits of $2,048.

Conclusion

In summary, the PV power systems can play a major role which has a potential to convert sunlight energy directly to electrical energy at low operating and maintenance costs and without noise and environment pollution. Hence, this power system is eco-friendly, reliable and a sustainable solution for the near future of the world.

Authors : Arvind Chel, G.N. Tiwari and Avinash Chandra

Arvind Chel received his BE (Mechanical) in 2001 from Government Engineering College, Aurangabad (Maharastra) and MTech(Energy Systems Engg.) in 2004 from IIT Bombay (Mumbai). He is pursuing his PhD from Centre for Energy Studies, IIT Delhi, (New Delhi). His subjects of interest are thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, RAC, IC engines, engineering mechanics and drawing.
G.N. Tiwari received his MSc and PhD degrees in 1972 and 1976 respectively from BHU. His areas of research are solar distillation, water/air heating system, greenhouse technology and hybrid PV thermal systems. He has guided 52 PhDs, published over 400 research papers in journals of repute and authored 15 books.
Avinash Chandra received his MSc, MPhil and PhD degrees from AMU, Aligarh and joined the Physics Department at IIT Delhi. He is a Professor at Centre for Energy Studies, IIT Delhi. He has set up experiments related with seeded combustion flames, electrode and wall plasma interactions. Earlier, he was with School of Electrical Engineering at Sydney University, Australia as a Post-doctoral Fellow during 1980–81.

The paper is open for discussion, you can post your comments below.

Global Recession, Energy Crisis and Opportunity with Renewable Energy.

2009-02-03T16:48:00.003+05:30

Today we are facing acute energy shortages, resulting in power shading from 4 to 10 hours every day at different locations in India. This is high time, we must work out solutions over energy crisis with additional advantages if possible.
The average per capita consumption of energy in India is around 500 units per annum. In spite of high rate of development these figures are very low, compared to developed countries. (Middle East 10,000+, USA 8000+, Europe, Australia, Japan etc 4000+)
In our country major contribution to electrical energy generation is by coal and oil based power generation plants, followed by hydro and nuclear power generating stations.

Fossil Fuel position Today :

Oil & Natural Gas : Many experts believe that by 2015 the supply of oil and natural gas production would be at peak by 2015. In a few years crude oil Price might shoot to the $150 per barrel level and higher. The impact on our import bill will be very serious.

Coal: Coal has a similar story, but may last for a longer period of time. A recent study predicts global peaking of production of coal by 2025.
The use of coal in power industry contributes sizable amount of CO2 emissions and fly ash pollution within few kilometers around the power plant.

Nuclear Power : Our uranium reserves would be adequate only for meeting 10,000 MW of Nuclear power capacity for next 30 years. In addition, due to the safety problem of nuclear plants (Chernobyl incident), nuclear power is always controversial.

The consumption of electricity is growing on the worldwide basis. Energy is a necessity and clean renewable energy is an obligation to the earth and our future.

A transition from conventional energy systems to those based on renewable resources is necessary to meet the ever-increasing demand for energy and to address environmental concerns.

The widely accepted long-term option is
large scale application of “Renewable Energy”

The Sun is the source of almost all forms of energy including fossil, hydro-electric, wind and solar energy. India is blessed with an abundance of sunlight, water and biomass.

‘Renewable Energy’ is further classified as

1. Solar Energy
2. Wind Energy
3. Hydro Electric
4. Bio Energy
5. Tidal wave Energy

1. Solar Energy
‘There is enough potential energy in just one hour of ‘SUNLIGHT’ to power the electrical needs of the entire world for a full year.’ Solar energy is also a clean source with no emissions. With the recent developments in technology, solar energy systems are scalable for large and small uses, and they require minimum maintenance. Most importantly, with government tax incentives and rebates, solar energy could be made financially viable. Hence it is time to start adopting solar energy systems.
Solar electricity is generation of electricity from the power of the Sun, via photovoltaic cells (pv). When particles of sunlight (photons) fall on pv cells, there is direct conversion to a usable electric current.

As an average 100 to 130 watts energy is generated from one square meter of the solar panel. Now a days estimated life of the Solar Panel is more than 20 years and needs very simple maintenance like weekly surface cleaning. A battery pack with controller is necessary for storing generated energy. The stored energy can be used as and when required, through inverter. An exclusive solar generation system of capacity of 250 to KWH units per month would cost around Rs. 5 Lacs, with present pricing and taxes.

Most of the developed countries are switching over to solar energy as one of the prime renewable energy source. Latest trend of Architecture keep provision of Photovoltaic cells and necessary circuitry while making building plans.

2. Wind Energy.

Today wind turbines are making a major contribution to the production of renewable energy. Developments in harnessing wind power continually improved, and during the last decade a sizeable growth has happened in the wind energy industry. Wind Turbines have become larger, efficiencies and availabilities have improved and wind farm concept has become popular.

Wind energy is now attractive for many reasons – it is renewable, clean and scalable.
A bright future for wind energy

India now ranks as a "wind superpower" having a net potential of about 45000 MW only from 13 identified states.

3. Hydro Electric Power:
Theoretically speaking, India has a huge hydro power potential, out of which around 20% has been realized so far.

4. Bio- Energy:

Biomass

Biomass is organic matter produced by all livings on the earth. The solar energy trapped in the biomass can be converted in to fuel or electricity.
Burning wood to heat or cook is one of the least efficient ways to use bio-energy. Still it is the most important energy source for some three billion people in the world. The most efficient way of using biomass is gasification.
Biomass power is the largest source of renewable energy as well as a vital part of the waste management infrastructure.

Bio-Diesel from oil seeds.

Bio-Diesel is extracted from specific quality oil seeds. Plantation of such oil seeds generally assumed on waste lands.
Ethanol is one of the successful by-product of agro industry, identified to promote in transportation industry.

Bio Fuel from Algae.
Latest development and pilot plant trials have shown ‘ALGAE’ as good source of bio fuel, which gives many times higher yield of bio-oil compared to any oilseeds. However results of commercial scale production are awaited.
Energy from Bio Waste.
Waste-to-energy plants offer two important benefits of environmentally safe waste management and disposal, as well as the generation of clean electric power. Especially municipal councils can take benefit of this technology, which may ease challenges of waste disposal.

5. Tidal Energy.
Recently there are a few successful demonstrations abroad for Tidal energy generation from sea / ocean waves. However, due to limited amount of energy generation, tidal may not be appealing for commercial electricity generation.

Renewable Energy facilitates Decentralized Energy Generation
Microgeneration, also called “micropower”, is the generation of zero or low-carbon electrical power by individuals, small businesses and communities to meet their own needs.
The wider benefits of microgeneration are now being recognized.
A recent study shows that microgeneration actually acts as a catalyst for cultural changes in consumer attitude, and provides evidence of the important impact that microgeneration has on consumers’ attitudes and behaviors regarding energy production and use. Microgeneration technologies include small wind turbines, biomass gasifires, solar power, micro-hydro, may be with any combinations etc.

Can we use ‘Renewable Energy’ as an opportunity?
‘Companies in renewable energy business today are growing as fast as Microsoft did in the 80’s!’
Developed countries from Europe, USA, Australia, Japan, China and many others have laid down intensive planning and actions to use renewable energy resources to great extent. For example USA has announced massive renewable energy program, to generate large share of total energy requirement from renewable energy sources by 2025, which will create 5 million new job opportunities in various areas of Renewable Energy. (2.7 trillion US $, ambitious plan would provide real benefits to USA www.25X25.org)
What we can do?
As Consumers :
Explore possibility to make our own power house, by means of solar / wind / biomass etc. with whatever feasible renewable energy source. Determine to use government / utility company electricity supply, only incase of emergency or unavoidable circumstances. Prima-facie renewable energy may appear a bit costlier than the conventional source of energy, but looking at the benefit of continuous power availability and great contribution against global warming, it is worth. We will not only save money on our electricity bills by generating our own electricity, but it will also significantly increase the value of our property.
* No more wastage of energy anymore. Every WATT energy is most valuable.
* Energy saving by using low wattage / high luminous lamps (CFL / LED),
* Use of Power Factor Improvers.
* Keeping all the electrical equipments well serviced, in order to minimize consumption.
* Avoid using inverters and large storage batteries (except emergency), as it is almost 50% criminal waste of valuable energy while charging the batteries and reusing the power from batteries through inverters.
* Industrial consumers can go for stepper control capacitors (Intelligent Power factor Correctors) to minimize energy losses in capacitor at lower load conditions.
* Insist on Frequent Energy Audits

As Policy Makers (Government):
* Form teams of teachers, engineers and scientists committed for Renewable energy education. Promote ‘Renewable Energy’ education aggressively right from grass root level. It can be routed through NGOs’, Adult Educations, Schools, ITIs, Diploma and Degree institutions.
* Looking at the magnitude and paramount importance of the topic, it will be also worth while to promote countrywide special cell on education on ‘Renewable Energy’.
* Encourage Research on Renewable conversion on highest priority
* Increasing the targets for electricity generation from renewable sources.
* Installation of solar / wind energy generation systems and energy saving devices with all possible, government semi government / corporations building, which will demonstrate and inspire private consumers to go for Renewable Energy generation.
* Curb on using large battery energy storage systems as around up to 50% of energy is lost while charging and reusing the energy through inverters.
* Compulsory installation of solar water heating systems for all urban residential and commercial establishments. ( We must congratulate Municipal Council of ‘Saswad’, a small town near Pune has made a resolution for mandatory installation of ‘solar water heating system’ in all the residential and commercial buildings having area above 1500 Sq. Feet.)
* Mandatory renewable energy systems provision for all coming-up residential, commercial and industrial constructions.
* Offer attractive incentives to consumers for installation of Renewable energy equipment. . (An incentive of $2.50 per watt is offered by US Govt. for business customers that install solar electric systems larger than 10 kilowatts.)
* Simplification and abolishing taxes duties / import duties for all types renewable energy generating plants / equipments and components up to 20 KW capacity.
* Encourage biomass growth on all kinds of unused lands.
* Encouraging use of Bio- diesel / Bio-fuel for transportation industry.
* Soft Loans for purchase of any Renewable Energy equipment for actual use.
* Soft Loans for setting up Renewable Energy businesses.
* Special additional incentives for buyers and manufacturers of renewable energy equipment in rural areas.

As Research Professionals :
Massive research developments are happening all around the world. We need to modify and adapt available technologies considering techno / social aspect in our country.
However primary focus on high priority expected on development of :
* Full fledged educational and awareness systems on ‘Renewable Energy’ for all levels of the society
* Cost effective and Longer Life Photo Voltaic (pv) Cells, and to improve conversion efficiency of Solar (pv)Cells.
* Energy efficient Wind Turbines from 300 watts to 10 Kilowatts capacity to generate wind energy even at lower wind velocity & Wind forecasting.
* User Friendly, small capacity and improved efficiency Gasifies with electricity generating systems for rural population.
** Initiate research on affordable ‘Fuel Cells’ the next generation energy winner
Conclusion :
** Fortunately, we are blessed with abundant Sun energy, which is the prime source of all the energies on planet earth. We must make a commitment to make optimum use of the available natural energy resources like Sunlight, Water and Biomass etc. to become a prosperous and rich nation.
** The transition to Renewable energy has the potential to create over “Ten millions of new green-collar jobs," at local levels in our country. This will help to improve income levels and living standards of millions from suburban and rural India.
**We will withstand global recession with un-parallel contribution towards ‘Green Environment’
** With proper emphasis on presenting facts and figures of Renewable Energy potential, international investments and, low cost international funding would be feasible for this massive ‘Renewable Energy’ revolution in India.

Submitted by :
Ravi Soparkar, Electrical Engineer from Mumbai. 40 + years experience in engineering business. Working on micro-generation feasibility in renewable energy for past five years. Participated in numerous national and international conferences and workshops all over the world. Presently associated as vice president of M/s. Watersmart Environmental Inc.USA . Watewrsmart is the world’s first company to take up municipal solid waste to energy in large scale operations.
Soparkar House, 36/2 Kondhwa Budruk, Pune 411048. 020 26934300, 9325014999, renewableenergy@in.com

CO2 levels already in danger zone

2008-11-11T14:27:00.000+05:30

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have entered the danger zone and must be reduced if climate disasters are to be averted,
according to researchers.

US, British and French scientists, including two from Yale, said in a study that optimum CO2 level should be less than 350 parts per million (ppm) - a dramatic change from most studies that have pegged the danger level for CO2 at 450 ppm or higher.

Atmospheric CO2 is currently 385 ppm and is increasing by about two ppm every year from the burning of coal, oil, gas and forests.

"This work and other recent publications suggest that we have reached CO2 levels that compromise the stability of the polar ice sheets," said author Mark Pagani, Yale professor of geology and geophysics.

"How fast ice sheets and sea level will respond are still poorly understood, but given the potential size of the disaster, I think it's best not to learn this lesson firsthand," he said.

The statement is based on improved data on the earth's climate history and ongoing observations of change, especially in the polar regions, said an Yale University release.

The authors use evidence of how the earth responded to past changes of CO2 along with more recent patterns of climate changes to show that atmospheric CO2 has already entered a danger zone.

Coal is the largest source of atmospheric CO2 and the one that would be most practical to eliminate. Oil resources already may be about half depleted, depending upon the magnitude of undiscovered reserves, and it is still not practicable to capture CO2 emerging from vehicle tailpipes, the way it can be with coal-burning facilities, note the scientists, the study said.

These findings have been published in Open Atmospheric Science Journal.
Source : The Times of India

College focuses on Green Technology

2008-11-05T14:35:00.001+05:30

New Delhi: Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi, presented Convergence 2008, on Innovating Change, at India Habitat Centre from October 31 – November 1, 2008. The event was focused on the use of Green technology in corporate sector.

Each year the college adopts a highly relevant topic to broaden the horizon of knowledge. This year the theme of seminar was Innovating Change. The innovation is about generating new ideas that will prevent the company from stagnation by giving its product and services a competitive edge.

Mr. N.K. Khosla, Exec, Director, IOC and Mr. Raj Dutta, Exec, Director, Quatrro inaugurated the seminar with the lamp lighting ceremony with Dr. Poonam Verma , Principal, SSCBS. Mr. Pradeep Gupta, Chairman- SSCBS and Prof. Dinesh Singh, Director, South Campus, Delhi University were also the part of the opening ceremony.

The first day of the seminar was on Green technology. In the first session, Dr. Bhure Lal, Chairman, Environment and Pollution Authority, focused on the need to utilize Solar Energy to save the earth from environmental crises. The other eminent panelists were Mrs. Nimisha Garg, Director, SolarIndiaOnline.com and Ms Livleen Kahlon, EEA TERI. They discussed about environmental problems like Global Warming and its impact.

In the second session, speakers from Crisil, EVI and Nokia focused their views on the opportunities that lie in using the green technology and the ‘Need of Green Technology in India’. This session was followed by the session on hurdles where speakers from industries like Tata BP Solar, Mahindra and Niesbud spoke on the hurdles, which companies face in going green. However the most appreciated event of the day was the Big Fight on “Are we comprising on long term sustainable development for short term growth?” among industrialist, academicians, environmentalist with the help of a moderator.
JK Tyres was the title sponsor for the event and the other partners were Pepsi, NDTV.com and Fever104. SolarIndiaOnline.com was the online partner for the event.

How solar power works

2008-10-30T14:41:00.000+05:30

Solar energy is a tried and tested power source that is already being used around the world for numerous commercial, industrial, government and domestic applications. It is powering water pumps in African villages, weather stations in the Antarctic and satellites in space!

It works by transforming the energy from the sun into a reusable form of electricity, a process known as Photovoltaic (or PV for short). Your Solar panel acts as a collecting tray, helping you catch the sun’s rays. The bigger the panel, the more energy you can collect. The energy collected is stored for your future use in a battery.

Sometimes you collect more energy than you actually need so with larger panels a voltage regulator should be fitted to control the flow of energy and prevent battery damage.

It would be hard to find a more environmentally friendly power supply. Clean and green, solar power is a renewable, sustainable and non-polluting source of energy. It is easy to see the appeal of solar power for domestic use. Low maintenance and long lasting, it is
a highly cost-effective and reliable energy supply.

All Solar panels come with a 10 year guarantee and a 20 year performance guarantee on the cells.

Solar Energy : Solution to India’s Energy crisis

2008-10-29T13:34:00.000+05:30

US Congress feel that the immediate solution to India's energy problem lies in tapping of solar energy. According to the United Nations Human Development report, India suffers a huge power deficit with over 400 million of its billion-plus people having no access to electricity.

Considering this, the scientists believe that government should concentrate on tapping the conventional sources of energy like wind and solar energy to meet the country's immediate energy requirements.

"Although we have got nuclear deal it would take some time before the deal actually materializes in terms of electrical supply. Where as the solar energy is available, right now various ways of tapping the solar energy is possible. The cells are easily available and you can convert the solar energy into electricity and use it for various appliances," said Professor T Michael Kumar, Director, School of Mechanical Science, Karunya University.

Most parts of the country receive clear sunshine for major part of the year. However, only about 1, 748 MW power is produced from solar energy while India needs 1,30,000 MW of electricity every year. Solar energy with an appropriate technology promises to be one of the most replenishing, pollution free and inexhaustible sources of energy.

Live Earth concert to promote Solar Energy.

2008-10-27T14:29:00.001+05:30

India will host the next Live Earth concert to raise funds for lighting homes with solar energy in places where people do not have access to electricity. Live Earth concert has become something of a global movement with its mission to use the “power of entertainment” to “ignite global movements” on environmental issues.
The concert will be held in India's financial capital Mumbai on December 7, 2008. The event will feature U.S. rocker Jon Bon Jovi and Bollywood's biggest superstar, Amitabh Bachchan and environmental advocates and many other international celebrities. The concert bash will take place at Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai.
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore has said that India should lead the world by committing to produce all of its new energy from clean and renewable sources within the next 10 years.
The proceeds from the concert will go to the "Light A Billion Lives campaign," supported by Nobel Prize-winner Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the United Nation's Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Emmy-winning concert producer Kevin Wall disclosed that the creative director for Live Earth India would be film director and producer Shekhar Kapur. Organisers said they would set up giant screens and distribute televisions in remote villagers for the concert.

Students develop car that runs on solar energy

2008-10-26T14:31:00.000+05:30

A group of engineering students at Mary Matha Engineering College, Paliyode, Thiruvananthapuram, has designed a car and termed it as "a compact vehicle which works with a hub motor, utilising electricity, charged by solar panels."
The use of electricity makes the innovation eco-friendly as well as noise-free. The battery of the car can be charged with the help of direct sunlight using the solar panels, said a communication from the students.
The major feature of the new type car is that the driver's seat can be rotated 180 degrees and the entire control of the vehicle like steering, accelerator and head lights are connected to the seat so that the concept of reverse driving becomes obsolete. The car can travel at 40 km per hour.
The innovators are Aristotle Ashok, Unnikrishnan M.A., Saji M.P., Titto B.S., Rahul S.L. and Ajith C.G. with guidance from their instructor Shyam Kumar.

SolarIndiaOnline.com

2008-10-16T14:47:00.002+05:30

The final version of the website has been launched.

www.solarindiaonline.com

We will try our best to keep you update about the latest happenings of the industry.

Thanks...

Technical errors

2008-10-13T20:32:00.002+05:30

Hi,
Thank you for making SolarIndiaOnline.com a sucess. The trial version of the website was launched on 21st of August 2008. And in period of its trial version of 50 days, the website has received tremendous support and appreciation from industry leaders. We are received near about 6,000hits and received more than 20 queries for setting up solar plants & solar lights in hospitals, petrol pumps and schools.

SolarIndiaOnline.com is in the final phase of uploading the final version of the website. During the process we might be facing some technical errors.
Therefore you might find some of the links and photographs not in place.
We are trying are best to avoid errors and provide you a website with correct information.

Sorry for any kind of inconvenience .

Regards
Team SolarIndiaOnline.com

Solar Powered Rickshaws launched in New Delhi.

2008-10-08T15:26:00.001+05:30

Soleckshaws or solar-electric rickshaws were launched in Dehi, on Oct 2, 2008, by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Initially, they will be offered to rickshaw -pullers in the Old Delhi area.

The Mark-I Soleckshaws (first version) have been developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).The CSIR has said that the dual-powered Solecshaws have been developed to provide employment to the masses, and to reduce pollution in the city. Unlike any other vehicles, the Soleckshaws have no carbon footprint and does not use up limited fossil fuel.
The design and prototype of the Soleckshaws have been developed by the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI). It took eight months to design and develop the Soleckshaws.
The solar electric rickshaw can seat two passengers; can carry a payload of 200 kg, excluding the driver. The Soleckshaw will be battery operated that will be charged by solar energy. The electric motor in the solar electric rickshaw is powered by a low power high torque brushless DC motor and will move the three wheels of the rickshaw. Pedalling is an option, if more speed is required.
The Soleckshaws will come with mobile recharging facilities and FM radio. They are priced at at Rs 7,000, at par with the older manual cyclerickshaws. They are of the same size and shape approximately as the pedal-powered rickshaws - so they will be able to navigate straight and uphills roads easily, without any strain of imbalance.
The Soleckshaws were launched at the Chandni Chowk metro station, in Old Delhi. A battery -re-charge station has been set up by the Central Electronics Limited (CEL) near the Chandni Chowk Metro station. The battery can run for 70 kms. The cost of recharging the battery is Rs 45. Rickshaw-pullers will be provided with an alternative battery for the time that his battery is being re-charged.
The pilot project will be spearheaded by the Centre for Rural Development (CRD. The advanced versions of the Soleckshaws, Mark-II and Mark-III will be ready in 2010, before the commonwealth games. The Mark-II and Mark-III Soleckshaws will have better speed, seats and driving position.

First annual Solar PV Conclave releases the much awaited report.

2008-09-30T14:13:00.002+05:30

SolarIndiaOnline.com the online partner for the conclave.

The India Semiconductor Association (ISA), the trade body representing the Indian Semiconductor driven industry launched the report on “Solar PV Industry : Global and Indian Scenario” along with the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) at the inaugural session of the first annual Solar PV Conclave 2008 held in New Delhi. The conclave was supported by MNRE, TiE and Sandisk. SolarIndiaOnline.com was the online partner of the conclave.

Padma Vibhushan Dr. V Krishnamurthy – Chairman of NMCC was the chief guest of the show and released the report with Shri. V Govindarajan, Member Secretary, NMCC. Dr. Krishnamurthy said that NMCC has provided a National Solar Mission to Prime Minister and asked to give Solar a special status like Atomic and Space research.

Mr. Shubhranshu Patnaik, Executive Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers, presented the report findings in the first session of the conclave. The study provides the current status and future trends in solar PV manufacturing, technology, R&D, market dynamics, financial aspects and industry challenges. It also benchmarks the government policy initiatives and market drivers in leading countries in this sector. The support and guidance of NMCC and other stakeholders has provided ISA with an opportunity to present a comprehensive report and credible data on the solar PV industry.

The executive summary of the report will be available on SolarIndiaOnline.com in the coming weeks.

The conclave was concluded with CEO Panel discussion on Driving towards Grid Parity: Innovations and Roadmap. Key industry players like Moserbaer, Reliance, Applied Materials, Titan Energy were the part of the conclave. The Conclave organized by ISA brought together domestic and global leaders in the solar PV space to discuss the international and national policies and focus on developing India's strengths.

R – Power plans to invest over Rs. 600 billion in Renewable Energy

2008-09-26T14:53:00.000+05:30

Possibilty of setting up Concentrating Solar Plant by R- Power
Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG)-promoted Reliance Power (R-Power) is planning to invest over Rs 600 billion (Rs60,000 crore) in renewable and alternative energy resources such as hydroelectric, wind, solar and fuel cell-based power.
At the AGM of the company, Mr. Anil Ambani, the Chairman said, “Recent initiatives announced by the Government of India for Grid Interactive Multi-Megawatt Solar Thermal Power had given a boost to the solar power market in the country”. Adding, he said that R-Power is considering the possibility of setting up a one-of-its-kind, 100 MW grid interactive concentrating solar power (CSP) plant through an exclusive alliance with a technology provider.
Plans in other renewable energy sector include 500 MW of wind power over the next 3 years, and about 2000MW from hydroelectric energy
The global financial crisis would not affect the company's fund-raising plans as its balance sheet was well capitalised through money raised from its recent initial public offer (IPO). The company had mobilised around Rs 11,500 crore through the IPO.

Moser Baer receives Rs 415 cr from global investors

2008-09-25T14:51:00.000+05:30

Moser Baer India's wholly owned photovoltaic (PV) subsidiary has received in full the agreed capital injection of Rs 415 crore from a consortium of global investors to fund the capacity expansion of its high efficiency crystalline silicon and thin film solar verticals.
The company currently has an annual capacity of 120 Mw, including 40 Mw of amorphous silicon Gen 8.5 thin film modules. The investment is intended to fund the expansion of the crystalline silicon cell manufacturing to 180 Mw and amorphous silicon thin film to 120 Mw.
Earlier this month, the company had announced signing of definitive contracts with global investors, including Nomura, CDC Group, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, IDFC PE and IDFC. This straight equity transaction values the company’s PV business at over Rs 6,350 crore ($1.44 billion) while the investors are entitled to a 6.5 per cent stake in the business.

ISA to release first ever report on Indian Solar PV industry.

2008-09-25T14:50:00.001+05:30

Solar India Online - the online partner.

The India Semiconductor Association (ISA), the trade body representing the Indian semiconductor driven industry will launch the "ISA- NMCC report on the Solar PV industry: Global and India scenario, 2008". The study has been supported by National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) and Government of India. ISA has carried out this study in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The report will be released at the first annual ‘Solar PV conclave 2008' to be held on September 29, 2008 at New Delhi. The conclave will include sessions on topics like policy framework, financing, market applications, roadmaps and innovation related to the industry. SolarIndiaOnline.com is the online partner for the event.

Padma Vibhushan Dr Krishnamurthy, Chairman, NMCC will inaugurate the conclave. Senior Government of India officials including Mr. Govindarajan, Member Secretary, NMCC and Mr. Deepak Gupta, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will be among the key speakers at the conclave.

Poornima Shenoy, President, ISA said, "ISA has strategic aspirations to map the value chain for Solar PV in the country. Our members in the chip design, EDA and Solar PV space are demanding increased activity in this area. India has the opportunity to being a fore runner in this field.” Key industry players like Applied Materials, Moser Baer, BEL, and Solar Signet have provided invaluable inputs.

New investments in semiconductor sector nearly Rs. 55,000 crore.

2008-09-24T14:48:00.000+05:30

Government's new policy for semiconductor fabs and eco-system units has led to a flow of investments in this sector, which has attracted three new solar photovoltaic (PV) proposals worth nearly Rs.55, 000 crore in the last two months. With that the overall proposals under the scheme reached to 14 with a total investment of about Rs.1, 36, 000 crore.
New investments plans came from Vavasi Telegence which would invest about Rs.39,000 crore for solar photovoltaic and polysilicon unit, EPV Solar, which has plans to invest about Rs. 4,000 crore for solar photovoltaic unit and Lanco Solar, with an investment of Rs.12,938 core in solar PV and polysilicon unbit.

A committee of experts had its first meeting to evaluate the projects from technology standpoint. Moreover, experts inputs is critical in evaluation of the projects as Special Incentive Package Scheme (SIPS) which notified last year to encourage investment for semiconductor fabrication and other micro nano technology manufacturing industries, has emphasized on latest technology.

Earlier, proposals had also came from Reliance to start a semiconductor wafer fab worth Rs.18, 521 crore and Videocon to set up a LCD fab of Rs.8, 000 crore. Apart from that, Moser Baer PV Technologies, Titan Energy Systems, KSK Energy Ventures, Signet Solar, Phoenix Solar India, Tata BP Solar India, Solar Semiconductor, and TF SolarPower have proposals to invest in solar PV space.

Solar Light replaces Moon Light to beam a village.

2008-09-20T14:27:00.003+05:30

In Gudda, a village with very little, residents are literally beaming. Just two years ago, villagers had never seen light after dark, unless it came from the moon. Then, solar light arrived and changed everything.
About Gudda
• Location: Gudda is about 300 miles southwest of Delhi
• Population: About 500 people live in the village
• Work: Most residents are farmers and sheep breeders
• Main crop: Millet
• Other facts: Water is scarce and there is no power except for solar electricity
The light is powered by a solar panel on the roof that charges a battery. Panels can be seen on almost every rooftop in Gudda. Ram, the man credited with the transformation, doesn't have a high school degree. But he did attend an institution about an hour away called Barefoot College, established 35 years ago with an emphasis on helping India's rural population find solutions for their problems among themselves.
On a recent visit to the main college campus, a group of village women was hard at work making solar cookers, which can boil a liter of water in eight minutes. They are part of the "Women Barefoot Solar Cooker Engineers Society" -- six women who came together and started their own business.
People of Gudda say the Solar lights have allowed them to increase their business by a third. The panels also have powered up the only DVD player and television in the village. The villagers say that they now feel empowered and less reliant on a far-off government.
Nobody in the village knew what artificial light was, and now, every home in the village has Solar Lanterns.

Photon Energy Systems becomes SolarIndiaOnline.com Associate

2008-09-18T15:41:00.004+05:30

Photon Energy System joins hands with SolarIndiaOnline.com and has become its associate. Photon Energy Systems Limited (Photon), an ISO 9001 : 2000 certified unit, was established in 1995, as a private company, to manufacture Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Modules, PV Systems and Solar Thermal products. It is headquartered at Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, with marketing offices in India (Bangalore, Pune, Ludhiana, Coimbatore and Raipur) and overseas (South Africa).
The company commenced operations in 1997-98, with financial assistance from Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA). The initial capacity of 3.0 MWp has been increased to 30 MWp currently. It has also planned to increase the capacity to 50 MW by July 2008 and further to 100 MW by mid 2009.
SolarIndiaOnline.com is excited to have one of the Solar Industry leaders as their Associates.

Solar signals to direct Delhi Traffic.

2008-09-11T12:10:00.001+05:30

New Delhi: The Capital is now looking at installing solar-powered traffic signals at major intersections in the city. With this, traffic jams caused by signals rendered non-functional due to power failure or heavy rain may soon become a thing of the past. The traffic police is also installing invertors for back-up at major points.

The technology is expensive — the main reason why the traffic police has stayed away from it — and also high on maintenance. Apart from the usual checking of bulbs and wires, the solar panel put up on every signal also needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. But, the signals are not dependent on power supply and will ensure that traffic movement doesn’t get affected by power cuts.

Experts feel that a futuristic technology, solarisation, is an efficient means, provided the power is efficiently stored. The traffic police will need to ensure that signals are operational at night too, and this can only be done if the power absorbed during the day is stored. Solar powered signals are more energy efficient. So, the operational costs will be lower.

Once the technology is tested, the signals will be introduced at all the 702 signalised intersections in the city in a phased manner. The traffic police is, reportedly, in talks with a Bangalore-based firm for the same, but a final decision is still awaited.

The signals are made of maintenance-free LEDs, which offer clear visibility even during adverse weather conditions. They are eco-friendly and consume very little power, fitted with countdown timers to save fuel and reduce pollution levels. They also have vehicle actuated traffic controllers for better efficiency.

The first lot of solar signals were installed in the Capital a decade ago in 1998, at three intersections — Chandgiram Akhara crossing in north Delhi, Moolchand crossing in south Delhi and IGI crossing near the airport. These signals were later also tried out on National Highway-8 by the traffic police. Of all these, only one solar powered signal — at Chandgiram Akhara — is still functional.

GREEN LIGHTS ON DELHI ROADS

No of signalised intersections - 702

No of more signals to be added | About 25

No of solar signals in city - 1 (3 istalled)

Solar energy can meet all the world's energy demands.

2008-09-08T12:41:00.001+05:30

"The Solar Energy resource is enormous, and distributed all over the world, in all countries and also oceans. There is thus an enormous resource available from photovoltaics, which can be used everywhere, and can in principle cover all the world energy demand from a renewable, safe and clean source,” said Daniel Lincot, the chairman of the five-day European Photovoltaic Solar Energy conference held in Valencia.
Lincot, the research director of the Paris-based Institute for Research and Development of Photovoltaic Energy, said solar energy was growing rapidly but still made only a "negligible" contribution to total energy supply. Last year the world production of photovoltaic models represented a surface of 40 square kilometres (16 square miles) while meeting the electrical consumption of countries like France or Germany would require 5,000 square kilometers, he said.
Under current scenarios, Photovoltaic models will represent about 1,000 square kilometers by 2020 accounting for about only 3.0 percent of energy needs in the 27-member European Union, he added.
Over 200 scientists and Solar power experts have signed a declaration calling on the accelerated deployment of photovoltaic power which was launched at the conference. More than 3,500 experts and 715 sector firms took part in the gathering, billed as the largest conference ever organized in the field of photovoltaic conversion of solar energy. Germany and Spain are the world leaders in solar energy power. Germany has 4,000 megawatts of installed capacity while Spain has 600 megawatts.

Moser Baer to raise Rs4.11bn

2008-09-08T12:05:00.001+05:30

Moser Baer India Ltd. has announced that its wholly owned photovoltaic (PV) subsidiary has entered into definitive agreements to raise Rs4.11bn from a consortium of global investors, including Nomura, CDC Group, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, IDFC PE and IDFC.
This huge investment will help in Moser Baer growth plans. The investment will significantly be used to fund the expansion of the Crystalline Silicon Cell manufacturing to 180 MW, presently it is 120 MW and Amorphous Silicon Thin Film to 120 MW from 40MW.
Mr. Ratul Puri, Executive Director, was very much excited with the growth in their PV business. This funding allows Moser Baer to develop a significant global multi-technology platform and consolidate their leadership position on the global photovoltaic business.
Moser Baer’s previous private equated funding transaction was Rs. 4bn in November 2007. In all, wholly owned subsidiary would have been raised to Rs. 8.11bn for private funding. The transaction values Moser Baer's PV business at Rs. 63.5bn (US$1.44bn).

DuPont opens solar business in India

2008-09-04T15:46:00.000+05:30

DuPont has opened a solar-materials business in India to help capture part of the rapidly growing market.
DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions will sell films, resins, encapsulant sheets, flexible substrates and conductive pastes for both crystalline silicon and thin film modules to the Asian nation's solar industry.
The company expects the photovoltaic market to grow by 50 percent in "each of the next few years," and expects some of its industry sales could top $1 billion within the next five years.
"Driven by India's geographical location, government incentives to promote renewable energy and increasing energy requirements in the country, India will emerge as a large manufacturing base for photovoltaic cell and module production," Balvinder S. Kalsi, president and chief executive of DuPont India, said in a news release.

Punjab ties up with MNC to set up Solar Power Plant

2008-08-31T16:00:00.000+05:30

Mohali: The Government of Punjab is planning to set up a 250 mega watt (MW) Solar Energy Power generation plant, the largest in India, in collaboration with an American company.

The state Minister for Environment and Non-Conventional Energy Bikramjit Singh Majithia, did not reveal the name of the company but said that the company has already set up a 250 mega watt solar generations plant in Texas, USA and has now offered to set up a similar plant here. The company will also be offering power at competitive rates.The state is now waiting for the chief minister’s approval.

The Punjab Government is looking for a large chunk of land in the state which could meet the vast land requirements of such a huge Solar generation power plant.
The state had also asked an Israel-based company to set up a pilot one mega watt solar power plant on a piece of land available with the National Institute of Renewable Energy in Kapurthala.

Suniva and Titan Energy Systems in Cell Supply Agreement.

2008-08-29T16:02:00.000+05:30

Titan Energy Systems Ltd., the India-based solar module manufacturer, has entered into a contract worth more than US$480 million with Suniva for the supply of high-efficiency monocrystalline Solar cells.
The take-or-pay agreement is scheduled to see the delivery of the cells from Suniva's Atlanta facility through 2013.
Rao SYS Chodagam, Managing Director of Titan believes that Suniva's optimized Solar cells fit well with Titan's high-efficiency module application platform, and this agreement will allow Titan to diversify its quality supply chain.

Renewable Energy India Expo in New Delhi

2008-08-26T15:10:00.000+05:30

The Renewable Energy India 2008 Expo, the largest fair on renewable energy in India was held in Pragati Maidan for 3 days starting from 21^st of August 2008.

Inaugurating the event, Mr. Vilas Muttemwar, Hon'ble Minister Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy, urged the gathering to not just consider renewable as an attractive business proposition but as a duty and responsibility of every individual to find and use environment friendly ways of generating energy. Keen to promote new projects, the Minister promised to welcome practical suggestions from the industry leaders. The show had huge response from the Indian as well as global leaders of this industry

Many important sessions were also held during the day with key industry spokespersons and experts sharing their opinion with the visitors. The first conference session of the days focused on various aspects of wind energy sector, the second day focused on Solar energy sector and the third day was on bio and hydro energy sector. The event concluded with a conference on Youth summit, educating and need of awareness among youth about renewable energy.

The event was organized by Exhibitions India group. More than 200 exhibitors and major players of the industry were the part of the expo. International exhibitors were amazed with the participation as it was three times more than the last year.

Solar energy gets glamorous and ‘Unforgettable support’

2008-08-25T20:23:00.000+05:30

"The Unforgettable Tour" of Amitabh Bachchan will be really Unforgettable Tour because they are not only entertaining the people over the world but they are going to spend some part of profit of the very good cause. Amitabh Bachchan and Wizcraft (event organizing company) have teamed up with Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Nobel Prize-winning United Nations climate panel, to help raise money for a project that will generate power for 100 villages in Asia and Africa.

Mr. Bachchan, along with Abhishek, Aishwarya , Preity Zinta, Ritesh Deshmukh are involved in the 'Light A Billion Lives' campaign, which aims to provide solar lanterns in villages spread across nine countries. The film stars will raise money and work for the campaign initiated by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in India during their concert tour in North America and Europe.

With the film stars entering to support the cause, Mr. Pachauri (also heads TERI) is quite confident that they will able to achieve the target by February 2009 and this will also help to raise awareness about this cause.

At least 1.6 billion people worldwide do not have access to electricity; the 'Light A Billion Lives' campaign would target villages in countries like India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Malawi.

Priety Zinta, the 33 year old actress is also very excited to be involved in this campaign and believes everyone from the industry should come ahead and support campaigns like these.

Solar rickshaws in old Delhi soon

2008-08-24T18:10:00.000+05:30

The Government of Delhi will introduce solar rickshaws in the Chandni Chowk area of old Delhi. On this Gandhi Jayanti, solar rickshaws will replace man-pulled pedicabs in the Chandni Chowk area of old Delhi. Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, who also represents the constituency in parliament, advised the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to introduce these green vehicles from October 2.

The rickshaw would weigh 210 kg and would be able to run at a speed of 15 to 20 km per hour, reports IANS. It will run by a solar battery, which would suffice for a journey of 70 km. The battery would take five hours to be charged with the help of solar panels in the charging unit which will be functional above the Delhi metro stations, an official of the city government said.

It is expected that these rickshaws would ply within a radius of 3 km from the Chandni Chowk metro station. The solar powered rickshaws in Chandni Chowk would be a pilot project and its success will pave the way for implementation in other areas. Chief Minister of Delhi expressed confidence that the project will be eco-friendly, passenger-friendly and suitable for a locality like Chandni Chowk. The rickshaw would cost approximately Rs 17,000.

2008-08-21T23:19:00.000+05:30

The much awaited site for the solar industry in India has now been uploaded on the server.

SolarIndiaOnline.com (www.solarindiaonline.com)is an initiative of professionals to promote the development of Solar Industry. Our associates span across the globe and include various experts in the industry along the wide spectrum of research, manufacturing and marketing.

The group offers various services in:

* Setting up solar energy and product production units
* Setting up solar farms
* Establishing contact between buyers and suppliers of raw materials and products
* Assistance in compliance with Regulatory Issues in India
* Planning and organizing finance requirements
* Research Services

The site was launched with the Renewable Energy Expo 2008, on 21st August 2008.
A great step to promote Solar Industry in India.

BioSolar Reveals Secret of Less Costly Solar Power: Cotton and Caster Beans

2008-08-14T00:39:00.000+05:30

Bio Solar Unveils Highly-Anticipated Details Behind its BioBacksheet™ Solar Cell Component at Today's SPIE Symposium on Solar Applications and Energy in San Diego

Santa Clarita and San Diego, CA – August 12, 2008 – BioSolar, Inc. (OTC BB: BSRC) surprised attendees at today's SPIE Symposium on Solar Applications and Energy in San Diego by revealing that materials derived from cotton and castor beans compose the company's proprietary BioBacksheet™, a protective covering, traditionally made from expensive petroleum-based film, used in the back of virtually all photovoltaic solar cells.

"Until today, this information has remained highly-guarded over the past 18 months as BioSolar established academic and industry credibility," said BioSolar Chairman and CEO, Dr. David Lee. "Now that our technology is strongly protected both domestically and abroad, we are able to share this exciting news with the public."

While not revealing core proprietary or patent-pending elements of the intellectual property, BioSolar's Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Stan Levy, divulged in his presentation today that the bio-based components are a composite of cellulosic material derived from cotton, combined with an arcane nylon (nylon 11) derived from castor beans. Dr. Levy detailed the procedures and results of the company's 18-month product development effort to engineer the BioBacksheet™ from non-food, plant-based materials. He provided an in-depth look at the science and applied technology behind the unique bio-sustainable formulation and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes used to create the company's BioBacksheet™ product. The two sustainably sourced components are combined utilizing the company's proprietary manufacturing process.

"We have demonstrated that functional photovoltaic backsheets can be produced from renewable resources," said Dr. Levy. "We believe that the BioBacksheet™ is a viable alternative to backsheets currently in use. Not only is this product produced from sustainable and renewable resources, but is expected to be more cost effective than the current backsheets."

"Also, manufacturers currently enduring a six-month wait for materials like DuPont's petroleum-based Tedlar protective material will undoubtedly be interested in this development," added Dr. Lee.

Dr. Levy further highlighted the fact that the materials – both individually and in combination – meet or exceed the characteristics of various testing and performance standards for the photovoltaic industry. While additional testing is being conducted as part of the run-up to full-scale production, no fundamental problems have been found with the product up to this point.

Dr. Lee gave high praise to Dr. Levy and the development team's efforts. Commenting on the response to the presentation, Dr. Lee said, "As a publicly traded company we have a responsibility to our shareholders to maximize the value of their investment. With this presentation, Dr. Levy has laid out the exciting results of the past year-and-a-half's hard work. This tremendous success and the positive feedback from those manufacturers who have been testing our product samples are guiding our drive to full production capacity."

SPIE Optics+Photonics is the largest and most technically prestigious optical sciences and technology meeting in North America. The Solar Energy + Applications track of the conference is dedicated to finding ways to move toward secure, affordable, and environmentally sustainable energy to meet the world's accelerating energy needs.

Solar Energy

2008-08-12T12:30:00.000+05:30

Solar energy is energy from the Sun in the form of radiated heat and light. It drives the climate and weather and supports life on Earth. Energy from the sun has many features like global distribution, pollution free nature and present in plenty.
Earth continuously receives 174 PW of incoming solar radiation (insolation) at the upper atmosphere. When it meets the atmosphere, 6% of the insolation is reflected and 16% is absorbed. Average atmospheric conditions (clouds, dust, and pollutants) further reduce insolation traveling through the atmosphere by 20% due to reflection and 3% via absorption. The atmospheric conditions not only reduce the quantity of energy reaching the earth's surface, but also diffuse approximately 20% of the incoming light and filter portions of its spectrum. The remaining is still a vast amount of energy that is available to be harnessed and put to work.
The absorption of solar energy by atmospheric convection (sensible heat transport) and evaporation and condensation of water vapor powers the water cycle and drives the wind. Sunlight absorbed by the oceans and land masses keeps the surface at an average temperature of 14 °C.The total solar energy absorbed by Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land masses is approximately 3850 zettajoules (ZJ) per year. The Solar Energy travels to the earth at the speed of 1,86,000 miles per second. In one hour more sunlight falls on the earth than what is used by the entire population in one year.