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DOE Examines Solar Motivations

The 2013 U.S. solar market insight report produced by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), in partnership with GTM Research, points to the continuing “explosive” growth of the solar sector. The report points out that the U.S. installed 4,751 MW of solar PV in 2013, up 41% over 2012 and nearly 15 times the amount installed in 2008.

It is worth mentioning that there is a clear correlation between the price of solar panels and installed capacity. Amit Ronen, director of the GW Solar Institute, which contributed to The Solar Foundation’s recent report on U.S. solar sector jobs, says the price of solar panels has declined 80% since 2008. If there is no precipitous fall in solar prices, there is no “record shattering” jump in installed capacity and solar jobs.

Minh Le, program manager of the Solar Energy Technologies Program at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), says the numbers in the SEIA/GTM Research report are “really exciting” and demonstrate that the goal of achieving unsubsidized grid parity for solar power by 2020 - as envisioned by the DOE’s SunShot Initiative - is achievable.

“We are about 60 percent of the way toward that goal,” Le says. “Of course, the first 60 percent was the easiest.”

He says there are still technical avenues to explore for improving the price performance of solar power - particularly, research and development efforts to increase the conversion efficiencies of solar cells. Also, there are process efficiencies to be gained in manufacturing. However, if venture capital investment is any guide, the low-hanging fruit with regard to PV cell technology has already been picked, at least as far as the U.S. is concerned.

By Le’s estimate, about 64% of what remains to be squeezed out of the costs of solar power in order to hit the SunShot target of $0.06/W by 2020 are non-hardware costs - the proverbial soft costs.

“Soft costs is a pretty huge bucket,” Le says - one that contains permitting, installation and grid interconnection costs.

While many soft costs have identifiable targets, such as permits and interconnection rules, Le says consumer behavior is an important piece of the puzzle.

“Group purchase programs such as the Solarize programs in various states show a dramatic increase in adoption rates,” he says.

Le describes these programs as “sticky,” in that neighbors seeing neighbors install solar has a positive effect on installation rates. The Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies (SEEDS) program funds projects testing and piloting new approaches to solar adoption in order to identify what accounts for stickiness. Some of these SEEDS investigations involve “diffusion theory,” which attempts to explain new ideas, products and technologies spread through society.

“Technology provides opportunities to change the existing models of an industry,” Le says, adding that solar is on a trajectory akin to the telecommunications and information technology industries before it.

Nevertheless, success is by no means assured. While rates of installation and adoption are promising today, the conditions that produce them may not be there tomorrow.

- Michael Puttré

 

CSP Technology Can Aid Drought-Stricken West

The U.S. uses more water to cool power plants than is used for agriculture. And as the drought in the western U.S. continues, advocates maintain that meeting electricity demands with renewable energy such as solar and wind can reduce water consumption in an area of the country sorely needing relief.

“The ongoing, 15-year drought in the Colorado River Basin is the worst we’ve seen since the river was allocated a century ago,” says Stacy Tellinghuisen, senior energy and water policy analyst at Boulder, Colo.-based Western Resource Advocates, a conservation organization. “In California, drought conditions are exceptionally bad and - for water users in that state - likely reaching alarming levels.”

Joe Desmond, senior vice president for marketing and government affairs at BrightSource Energy, says dry cooling and other advances in concentrating solar power (CSP) technology can lead to significant water savings. He says dry cooling - which uses air to condense steam instead of water - uses about 95% less water than traditional wet-cooled solar thermal systems.

According to Tellinghuisen, nuclear power plants use 609 gallons of water/MWh for cooling purposes, while wet-cooled western coal plants typically consume around 550 gallons of water/MWh. Combined-cycle gas plants are more water efficient largely due to their configuration, she explains, adding that such plants use about a third as much water as a typical coal plant.

BrightSource and its partners, NRG Energy and Google, own the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, a 392 MW power tower CSP plant that was dedicated in February and is not in full commercial operation. Desmond says Ivanpah’s annual water consumption is projected to be about 15% as much as that of a coal plant.

According to BrightSource, the steam production cycle runs on a closed-loop system, while general conservation measures filter water back through the unit, helping to further reduce usage.

“The Ivanpah application for certification was filed with the California Energy Commission in 2007 and specified dry cooling long before the recent drought began,” Desmond says.

While several factors will determine the long-term prospects of CSP - such as cost, technology development and renewable portfolio standards - industry advocates say that dry cooling could be the secret weapon in the water conservation fight. - Mark Del Franco

 

Xcel Awards $42 Million For Renewable Energy

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has approved 29 renewable energy projects - predominantly featuring solar technologies - to receive $42 million in grants from Xcel Energy’s Renewable Development Fund. The awards cover energy production and research and development projects, as well as block grant distribution to Minnesota colleges and universities.

The Renewable Development Fund money comes from Xcel Energy customers. Each year the company transfers $24.5 million to the fund in accordance with state law. An advisory board with representation from Xcel Energy, environmental groups, Xcel Energy customers and the Prairie Island Indian Community makes recommendations to the commission. All selected projects are subject to final approval by the commission.

 

$28.6 Million Awarded Under NY-Sun

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, D-N.Y., has unveiled $28.6 million in awards under the NY-Sun initiative, including 29 photovoltaic projects totaling 33.6 MW and eight programs to reduce the costs of solar installations.

The $25.8 million for the 29 mid-range projects were awarded under the NY-Sun Competitive PV solicitation, which provides incentives for PV systems larger than 200 kW. The projects will also attract $58.6 million in private investment, resulting in roughly $84.4 million in public-private financing.

The solar cost-reduction projects, which total $2.8 million in awards, were funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. These support efforts to reduce soft costs, such as business costs, customer acquisition costs, installation costs, and permitting and inspection costs.

 

Mosaic And RGS Energy Launch Loan Program

Mosaic has partnered with California-based RGS Energy to offer a new loan program for the latter’s residential system customers. The Mosaic home solar loan will be offered through its online finance platform.

The move is a departure from Mosaic’s traditional business of packaging solar project financing as crowd-sourced investment opportunities and reflects a growing focus on the potential of the residential solar market. In February, the company teamed up with Connecticut’s Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority to extend its crowd-source model to residential system financing.

The deal with RGS Energy sees Mosaic putting its own money up to finance residential solar projects.

Billy Parish, Mosaic’s founder and president, says that fundamentally, these investments will be structured similarly to the company’s past investments.

However, the individual loans are smaller than commercial loans, and there will be more of them, so investors will be able to diversify their portfolios by creating baskets of home solar loan notes.

RGS Energy says it will offer the Mosaic loan product to California homeowners in the first half of this year. Mosaic plans to package the loans as investments for qualified investors via its online platform.

Parish says Mosaic plans to roll out the loan with other partners later this year. - Michael Puttré

 

SMA To Acquire Danfoss Inverter Business

SMA Solar Technology AG has agreed to acquire the solar inverter business of Danfoss A/S. As part of the agreement, Danfoss will take a 20% stake of SMA’s outstanding shares.

Under the terms of the deal, Danfoss will acquire 6.94 million of SMA shares at a price of EUR 43.57 per share in cash from SMA’s founders, their trusts and families. The transaction volume amounts to EUR 302.38 million.

The SMA founders, their trusts and families will hold 54.95% of the SMA shares after the transaction is completed. Danfoss agrees not to buy or sell shares for at least two years.

The deal, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

SMA says that upon completion of the transaction, it will launch new products for midsize photovoltaic plants in Europe, China and the U.S.

 

Mexico Boosts Appeal
As Solar Market

Mexico in the first quarter raised its attractiveness profile in the global photovoltaic market to close in on reigning leaders South Africa and Turkey, according to new analysis from IHS Technology.

Approximately 300 MW of solar projects are currently under construction in Mexico, of which 100 MW broke ground in the last quarter of 2013. The increased construction activity has pushed up Mexico’s solar attractiveness index to 43 from 40, making it No. 3 overall. A total of 327 MW is expected to be installed in Mexico this year, IHS predicts.

Developers familiar with the Mexico market point out that the government wants 6 GW of solar installed by 2020. At present, less than 1% of that is in place, creating a significant opportunity.

Outranking Mexico are South Africa in first place, with an index score of 67, and Turkey in the runner-up position, with a score of 45. In fourth place is Israel, with a score of 42, followed by Switzerland, with 40. Last year’s No. 3 player, Romania, has fallen out of the top five and is now in ninth place, after solar subsidies there were cut in half in January.

 

Canadian Solar Opens Microgrid Center

Canadian Solar Inc. has opened an engineering center in Guelph, Ontario, to focus on microgrid system design and smart grid assessment services.

The Canadian Solar Microgrid Testing Center, partially funded by the Ontario Ministry of Energy, will host the development of off-grid and grid-tied microgrid projects. The company says the center will work with collaborators to provide shareable services for utilities, universities and colleges, communities, and companies.

Canadian Solar says First Nations, remote communities and mining projects in Northern Ontario will directly benefit from using the testing center to integrate renewable energy capacity into existing off-grid infrastructure.

In addition, the testing center is expected to play a role in the smart microgrid application process, as Ontario Hydro requires all proposed systems be lab-tested before being tested in the field.

 

GRID Alternatives
Expands Operations

California-based nonprofit solar installer GRID Alternatives has acquired Power to the People, a U.S.-based nonprofit working in Nicaragua. GRID Alternatives says the deal, subject to regulatory approval, will allow the organization to bring its volunteer solar installation program to Latin America and beyond in the coming years.

GRID Alternatives says its new international program will continue to build on the volunteer-tourism model used by Power to the People since 2008.

The program will provide opportunities for individual and corporate volunteers to travel to Nicaragua and install solar alongside community members, while raising funds to support the projects.

 

DNV GL Acquires
PV Evolution Labs

Norway-based testing and certification company DNV GL is acquiring California-based PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), a provider of PV solar module technical due diligence testing services.

In the solar market, DNV GL provides engineering, technology review, design assistance and operations management services. PVEL has laboratory and outdoor test facilities to evaluate solar panels and other solar system components.

“The lab and field testing capabilities of PVEL complement and enhance our services to our clients who finance, develop and operate PV power plants,” says David Walker, CEO of DNV GL’s global energy business.

DNV GL was formed from the merger of DNV, KEMA, Garrad Hassan and GL Renewables Certification.

 

Centrosolar Offering
Home Solar Financing

Centrosolar America and LightStream have launched a new loan program for financing residential solar installations that enables homeowners to own their systems and keep the tax and utility benefits.

LightStream, the online consumer lending division of Atlanta-based SunTrust Bank, will offer unsecured solar energy loans in amounts up to $100,000 to qualified homeowners. These solar financing loans will be available nationwide through Centrosolar America’s network of more than 600 solar installers in 43 states.

The partners say system ownership avoids potential issues related to selling a home with a leased solar installation. R