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Showing posts with label Solar Solas Power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solar Solas Power. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Solas Power secures a further 7MW
Solas Power has secured a further 7MW of Roof Top Projects in Germany. These proejcts will benefit from the Quarter 2, 2011 FIT. These will be built over the next 12 months and will have a capital expenditure cost exceeding €17,500,000.
Project I004 - Update
I004 is a 183.6kWp project located in Germany and is now at an advanced stage. Having completed all roof repairs, and module mountings it is awaiting Modules.
Solas Power I008 Project - Update
Project I008 - Under-construction on Roof 1 now complete, We are now awaiting completion of roof repair on Roof 2 of I008.
Photos of roof construction on Project I008 as of the 13th January 2011
Project I008 Roof preparation on 13th January 2011
Japan's ill wind may blow positives for German Solar
Solas Power has noted that the nuclear power plant crisis unfolding in Japan after the massive earthquake has already caused political fallout in Germany and could usher in a new era of renewable energy in Europe's largest economy.
On Tuesday Germany became the first European country to shut nuclear plants in the wake of the crisis in Japan. The move by the German government to temporarily close seven older plants came just one day after Chancellor Angela Merkel had imposed a three-month moratorium on the extension of the country’s 17 nuclear power stations.
During this time, experts will carry out new security checks at all reactors and, equally important, policymakers in Berlin will debate whether or not to permanently reverse a policy that could have allowed energy companies to extend the operating lives of their reactors for 12 years.
Last year, Merkel’s center-right coalition took the controversial step of prolonging the lives of nuclear power stations in a move that the chancellor said would secure the supply of affordable electricity while the country converts to renewable energy sources. That decision reversed an earlier ruling taken by the previous center-left government in 2002 to phase out all nuclear plants by 2021.
Other European governments have been scrambling to step up efforts to assess nuclear safety as well. Switzerland, for instance, has imposed a moratorium on three plants while Finland announced plans to the safety of its nuclear reactors. Along its coastlines, the Nordic country operates seven boiling water reactors of the type affected in Japan.
As European countries and others around the world rethink their nuclear power strategies, traders are shifting their money into renewable energy, solar in particular. German solar panel company, Solarworld AG, is among the biggest beneficiaries; the company has seen its stock soared more than 30 percent since the government announced its decision to shut down seven plants and reassess its long-term nuclear power strategy.
Renewable energy interest groups in Germany are seizing the opportunity to promote alternative energy sources.
"If the federal government is really serious about an accelerated development of renewable energy, it must permanently withdraw the lifetime extension of nuclear power plants and not just for three months," said Dietmar Schutz, president of the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE). "The extension is not a bridge, but a serious obstacle to the necessary restructuring of our energy system."
Currently, nuclear energy accounts for 23 percent of German energy and renewable energies 16 percent. Schutz said that renewable energies would be able to cover 47 percent of German energy demand by 2020.
Solar energy is developing rapidly in Germany, thanks largely to its favorable feed-in tariffs. Solar capacity is now around 17 GW, with 7 GW added last year alone.
In cloudy Germany, however, the government sees the greatest potential in wind power. At the end of 2009, the country had 21,164 wind power stations with a capacity of 25.7 GW. By 2025, wind power is expected to account for 25 percent of electricity generation. About 40 off-shore wind farms are planned along the country’s northern coastlines with a capacity of 25 GW.
But Germany will have to invest in new grids that can not only transport energy from the new wind parks but are also capable of handling fluctuating levels of wind and solar energy and of managing energy generated by many small facilities spread across the country.
That will cost money and that could be an issue in a country where energy prices have been going nowhere but up. The Japanese nuclear disaster, however, has heightened fears of the technology and strengthened an anti-nuclear lobby and the opposition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Green Party ahead of upcoming regional elections. Numerous anti-nuclear rallies have taken place across the country.
Germans, who have been closely following the ongoing nuclear catastrophe in Japan, may now be willing to pay more for energy they view as safer and more environmentally friendly.
Source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/03/german-solar-energy-may-get-a-boost-from-japans-nuclear-disaster?cmpid=SolarNL-Tuesday-March22-2011
On Tuesday Germany became the first European country to shut nuclear plants in the wake of the crisis in Japan. The move by the German government to temporarily close seven older plants came just one day after Chancellor Angela Merkel had imposed a three-month moratorium on the extension of the country’s 17 nuclear power stations.
During this time, experts will carry out new security checks at all reactors and, equally important, policymakers in Berlin will debate whether or not to permanently reverse a policy that could have allowed energy companies to extend the operating lives of their reactors for 12 years.
Last year, Merkel’s center-right coalition took the controversial step of prolonging the lives of nuclear power stations in a move that the chancellor said would secure the supply of affordable electricity while the country converts to renewable energy sources. That decision reversed an earlier ruling taken by the previous center-left government in 2002 to phase out all nuclear plants by 2021.
Other European governments have been scrambling to step up efforts to assess nuclear safety as well. Switzerland, for instance, has imposed a moratorium on three plants while Finland announced plans to the safety of its nuclear reactors. Along its coastlines, the Nordic country operates seven boiling water reactors of the type affected in Japan.
As European countries and others around the world rethink their nuclear power strategies, traders are shifting their money into renewable energy, solar in particular. German solar panel company, Solarworld AG, is among the biggest beneficiaries; the company has seen its stock soared more than 30 percent since the government announced its decision to shut down seven plants and reassess its long-term nuclear power strategy.
Renewable energy interest groups in Germany are seizing the opportunity to promote alternative energy sources.
"If the federal government is really serious about an accelerated development of renewable energy, it must permanently withdraw the lifetime extension of nuclear power plants and not just for three months," said Dietmar Schutz, president of the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE). "The extension is not a bridge, but a serious obstacle to the necessary restructuring of our energy system."
Currently, nuclear energy accounts for 23 percent of German energy and renewable energies 16 percent. Schutz said that renewable energies would be able to cover 47 percent of German energy demand by 2020.
Solar energy is developing rapidly in Germany, thanks largely to its favorable feed-in tariffs. Solar capacity is now around 17 GW, with 7 GW added last year alone.
In cloudy Germany, however, the government sees the greatest potential in wind power. At the end of 2009, the country had 21,164 wind power stations with a capacity of 25.7 GW. By 2025, wind power is expected to account for 25 percent of electricity generation. About 40 off-shore wind farms are planned along the country’s northern coastlines with a capacity of 25 GW.
But Germany will have to invest in new grids that can not only transport energy from the new wind parks but are also capable of handling fluctuating levels of wind and solar energy and of managing energy generated by many small facilities spread across the country.
That will cost money and that could be an issue in a country where energy prices have been going nowhere but up. The Japanese nuclear disaster, however, has heightened fears of the technology and strengthened an anti-nuclear lobby and the opposition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Green Party ahead of upcoming regional elections. Numerous anti-nuclear rallies have taken place across the country.
Germans, who have been closely following the ongoing nuclear catastrophe in Japan, may now be willing to pay more for energy they view as safer and more environmentally friendly.
Source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/03/german-solar-energy-may-get-a-boost-from-japans-nuclear-disaster?cmpid=SolarNL-Tuesday-March22-2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Italian PV systems growth is accelerating above forecasts
A recent announcement from Italy's GSE, revealing that cumulative applications for PV systems reached 7 GW by the end of 2010, appears to confirm IMS Research's earlier prediction that global installations reached 17.5 GW last year, several GW higher than most forecasts; though it also suggests the market researcher’s estimate of 3.5 GW for Italy may have been conservative. However, these numbers from GSE may not reveal the whole truth as they also include partially completed PV systems.
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IMS Research’s previously released ‘mid-case’ estimates for Italy placed installations at a minimum of 3.5 GW in 2010. Subsequent checks with suppliers and integrators on the Italian market now make the market analyst’s believe installations may in fact reach its ‘upper-case’ estimates of 4.4 GW, based on the announcement from the GSE.
The market research firm’s predictions for global installation reaching 17.5 GW in 2010 is somewhat higher than most analysts, banks, and major suppliers estimated; however, the discrepancy had been attributed to Italy; where many others had expected around 1-2 GW to have been installed versus IMS Research’s 3.5 GW. Following IMS Research’s multiple checks on the supply chain and downstream indicated the company has correctly identified that the Italian market had grown much more than most anticipated.
Although the GSE has revealed that cumulative installations reached 7 GW at the end of 2010, implying new installations of some 5.8 GW in the year, it is not totally clear how many of these applications are for completed systems or even for systems that have not even been started. IMS Research’s subsequent analysis of the industry has found that lack of module and inverter availability in Italy would make 5.8 GW impossible and information from suppliers active in Italy has found that many developers have simply applied for grid-connection on partly constructed projects (that may not even have modules installed) in order to benefit from the higher tariff. Based on this latest information, IMS Research believes 3.5-4.2 GW of fully installed PV capacity was added in Italy in 2010.
PV Research Director, Ash Sharma commented on the outlook for the Italian market in 2011: “These massive numbers from GSE will undoubtedly shock the industry and will have serious repercussions for 2011. PV capacity growth in Italy is now well ahead of the Government’s intended roadmap and may now lead to an early intervention to curb growth in this over-heating market. This may then lead to the unwanted consequence of a further boom in demand as developers seek to complete projects in time, as they did in Germany in early 2010”.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IMS Research’s previously released ‘mid-case’ estimates for Italy placed installations at a minimum of 3.5 GW in 2010. Subsequent checks with suppliers and integrators on the Italian market now make the market analyst’s believe installations may in fact reach its ‘upper-case’ estimates of 4.4 GW, based on the announcement from the GSE.
The market research firm’s predictions for global installation reaching 17.5 GW in 2010 is somewhat higher than most analysts, banks, and major suppliers estimated; however, the discrepancy had been attributed to Italy; where many others had expected around 1-2 GW to have been installed versus IMS Research’s 3.5 GW. Following IMS Research’s multiple checks on the supply chain and downstream indicated the company has correctly identified that the Italian market had grown much more than most anticipated.
Although the GSE has revealed that cumulative installations reached 7 GW at the end of 2010, implying new installations of some 5.8 GW in the year, it is not totally clear how many of these applications are for completed systems or even for systems that have not even been started. IMS Research’s subsequent analysis of the industry has found that lack of module and inverter availability in Italy would make 5.8 GW impossible and information from suppliers active in Italy has found that many developers have simply applied for grid-connection on partly constructed projects (that may not even have modules installed) in order to benefit from the higher tariff. Based on this latest information, IMS Research believes 3.5-4.2 GW of fully installed PV capacity was added in Italy in 2010.
PV Research Director, Ash Sharma commented on the outlook for the Italian market in 2011: “These massive numbers from GSE will undoubtedly shock the industry and will have serious repercussions for 2011. PV capacity growth in Italy is now well ahead of the Government’s intended roadmap and may now lead to an early intervention to curb growth in this over-heating market. This may then lead to the unwanted consequence of a further boom in demand as developers seek to complete projects in time, as they did in Germany in early 2010”.
Solar Update, FIT, Italy,
Photovoltaic market to see sunny 2011
Global photovoltaic (PV) solar instillations in 2011 will rise by 39.3% on the strength of Italian and US demand, with growth during the year limited only by reductions in government incentives in certain European countries, according to Solas Power.
It has been recently reported that growth in the PV market in 2011 will cool significantly from the 120.5% increase it saw in 2010, but noted that worldwide installations of renewable solar energy systems this year still will increase at a healthy rate, reaching 22.2 GW, up from 16 GW in 2010.
Germany will continue to be the world's largest PV market this year with an estimated 9.4 GW worth of installations. Italy will be second, Solas Power said, noting that it represents an accelerating market that promises one of the world's highest internal rates of return. Indeed, Solas Power said it expects solar installations in Italy this year will double, growing a full 100% to 3.9GW, up from 1.95GW in 2010, compared to Germany's 19.8% expansion.
The United States is expected to come in third, projected to see 2.1GW worth of PV installations this year. However, commentators cautioned that with federal incentives less likely to be renewed in the near term following a shift to a more conservative US Congress, power now will reside more with individual states to carry out initiatives.
Solas Power woud also warn that the German market might see a further reduction in feed-in tariffs (FIT) in addition to the scheduled annual cut intended to bolster the solar industry. Should the country's FIT be cut by mid-year, PV installations in 2011 might end up at the 7GW level, not the more optimistic forecast of 9.4GW without the FIT rollback, the company said.
Solas Power further reported that the PV markets in Spain, France, and the Czech Republic are not expected to expand in 2011, given the serious measures under way to trim the solar investor business in those countries.
Brightened by the German, Italian, and US markets, photovoltaic solar instillations are expected to rise in 2011, but rollbacks in other countries add clouds to Solas Power's positive outlook.
Global photovoltaic (PV) solar instillations in 2011 will rise by 39.3% on the strength of Italian and US demand, with growth during the year limited only by reductions in government incentives in certain European countries, according to Solas Power.
It has been recently reported that growth in the PV market in 2011 will cool significantly from the 120.5% increase it saw in 2010, but noted that worldwide installations of renewable solar energy systems this year still will increase at a healthy rate, reaching 22.2 GW, up from 16 GW in 2010.
Germany will continue to be the world's largest PV market this year with an estimated 9.4 GW worth of installations. Italy will be second, Solas Power said, noting that it represents an accelerating market that promises one of the world's highest internal rates of return. Indeed, Solas Power said it expects solar installations in Italy this year will double, growing a full 100% to 3.9GW, up from 1.95GW in 2010, compared to Germany's 19.8% expansion.
The United States is expected to come in third, projected to see 2.1GW worth of PV installations this year. However, commentators cautioned that with federal incentives less likely to be renewed in the near term following a shift to a more conservative US Congress, power now will reside more with individual states to carry out initiatives.
Solas Power woud also warn that the German market might see a further reduction in feed-in tariffs (FIT) in addition to the scheduled annual cut intended to bolster the solar industry. Should the country's FIT be cut by mid-year, PV installations in 2011 might end up at the 7GW level, not the more optimistic forecast of 9.4GW without the FIT rollback, the company said.
Solas Power further reported that the PV markets in Spain, France, and the Czech Republic are not expected to expand in 2011, given the serious measures under way to trim the solar investor business in those countries.
Proposal to Change exemption in EEG for utilities
Solas Power has learned that the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) today also published a proposal to change the so-called Green Power Privilege (Grünstrom Privileg), an exemption in the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) for utilities that mainly supply renewable energy.
Section 37 para. 1 sentence 2 EEG stipulates that utilities shall be exempted from the so-called EEG reallocation charge if they supply electricity originating for at least 50% from renewable energy sources. The exemption applies to the total electricity supply of the utility, hence also to conventional electricity. With the EEG reallocation charge, consumers have to pay the difference between market prices for renewable energy and the feed-in tariffs pursuant to the EEG.
BMU proposes to retain the exemption but modify it as follows so as to reduce costs for consumers:
•The EEG reallocation charge exemption will be reduced to 2.0 Cent/kWh. The current normal reallocation charge is 3.53 Cent/kWh;
•The amendment shall become effective on 1 July 2011.
The amendment is essential to avoid a further increase of the reallocation charge, BMU argues. In view of the increase from 2.047 Cent/kwh in 2010 to 3,53 Cent/kWh in 2011, it is to be expected that more and more utilities try to benefit from the exemption. This would lead to a higher EEG reallocation charge for the others, as costs would have to be split among fewer consumers. The proposal of a reduced EEG reallocation charge of 2.0 Cent/kWh i roughly equivalent to the charge in 2010. An potential further amendment shall be examined as part of the EEG progress report due on 31 December 2011 (Section 65 EEG).
Section 37 para. 1 sentence 2 EEG stipulates that utilities shall be exempted from the so-called EEG reallocation charge if they supply electricity originating for at least 50% from renewable energy sources. The exemption applies to the total electricity supply of the utility, hence also to conventional electricity. With the EEG reallocation charge, consumers have to pay the difference between market prices for renewable energy and the feed-in tariffs pursuant to the EEG.
BMU proposes to retain the exemption but modify it as follows so as to reduce costs for consumers:
•The EEG reallocation charge exemption will be reduced to 2.0 Cent/kWh. The current normal reallocation charge is 3.53 Cent/kWh;
•The amendment shall become effective on 1 July 2011.
The amendment is essential to avoid a further increase of the reallocation charge, BMU argues. In view of the increase from 2.047 Cent/kwh in 2010 to 3,53 Cent/kWh in 2011, it is to be expected that more and more utilities try to benefit from the exemption. This would lead to a higher EEG reallocation charge for the others, as costs would have to be split among fewer consumers. The proposal of a reduced EEG reallocation charge of 2.0 Cent/kWh i roughly equivalent to the charge in 2010. An potential further amendment shall be examined as part of the EEG progress report due on 31 December 2011 (Section 65 EEG).
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