http://solarpoweruk.blogspot.com/Householders should ignore the relative lack of sunshine in the UK and install solar panels as part of a home improvement project, an expert has said.
Ian Reilly, business development manager at Beyond Building Solar, said many people in Britain think this type of energy generation will not work in the UK because of the climate.
However, this view is mistaken, Mr Reilly commented, as solar power does not rely on cloudless, sunshine-filled days to work efficiently.
"It can be a reflected light coming through from cloud cover as well and it will still operate to a certain extent on those days," he added.
Adding this type of environmentally-friendly device to a property can provide a very good return on an initial investment, the expert concluded.
The Feed-in Tariffs scheme, launched by the Labour government in April 2010, encourages domestic renewable energy installation in homes across the UK by providing financial incentives for doing so.
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Solar panels ‘work well in the UK’ - DIY News - Wickes
Monday, 18 April 2011
Power system uses multiple intermittent renewable sources | News | The Engineer
Engineers in the UK and India are hoping to combine solar, biomass and hydrogen generating technology to power remote villages.
A team led by Heriot-Watt University has received £1.3m from the EPSRC to develop an integrated power system that uses multiple intermittent renewable sources to produce a continuous flow of energy.
The idea is to use solar power during the day and match it with biomass generation from local sources of organic material during the night. Any excess solar electricity can be stored by using it to produce hydrogen for emergency use.
‘One of the main problems in renewable energy is all sources are intermittent,’ project lead Dr Tapas Mallick of Heriot-Watt’s Scottish Institute for Solar Energy Research told The Engineer.
‘What we want to achieve is using two different renewable sources so that the power supply for a remote village will run 24/7.’
The Heriot-Watt team is developing novel solar concentrator technology that it hopes will have a relatively high efficiency of 30–35 per cent.
Partners at Leeds University are working on the biomass plant and researchers at Nottingham University are studying metal hydride-based solutions for hydrogen storage.
This technology will then need to be integrated into a 15–20kW system that the team hopes will be able to provide a small amount of electricity — enough to power two lightbulbs and a fan — for 80 households.
‘There are quite a lot of other elements — for example, theoretical modelling for each component, water management, thermal management and component-level research,’ said Mallick.
Much of this work will be carried out by the team’s partners at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal, India.
The project will last three years, including six months testing the final system, and the UK funding will be matched by around 90 million rupees (£1.25m) from India.
Sunday, 17 April 2011
UK fails to reach renewable energy targets - Solar Power Portal
http://solarpoweruk.blogspot.com/As we all try and pick ourselves back up from recent knockbacks in the UK’s renewable energy sector, it’s rather worrying to find out that we actually missed our renewable energy target for 2010 by 3.5%. As a result, the levels of confidence we have in reaching the much larger, more daunting target set for 2020 are plummeting by the second.
This week the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) published its analysis of the UK’s renewables performance in 2010 based on data provided by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Ofgem. The report found that the country only managed to reach 6.5%, when the target was set at 10%. This means that renewables were responsible for approximately 25TWh of generation compared with the target of 38TWh.
Dr John Constable, Director of Policy and Research for REF said, “The EU’s renewable targets have long been known to lack credibility and clarity of purpose. The UK results we are publishing today show that in spite of very high costs to consumers, the 2010 target has been missed by a large margin, and that consequently the EU 2020 target is plainly beyond reach. The counterproductive target-led renewable policy agenda to 2020 has now reached the end of the road, and should be replaced with a more feasible and reasoned strategy.”
Sadly, this news only confirms the long-standing doubt that we are never going to reach the point where at least 30% of UK electricity is generated from renewable sources in 2020. I can already feel the disappointed looks from the rest of Europe as they proudly display their efforts. But they’re right, we should be embarrassed.
What is really scary is that 2010 was the year that the so-called ‘greenest Government ever’ came into power. The UK was promised so much from the joint force that is the Coalition, and for once we were beginning to feel confident that reaching the 30% by 2020 was possible. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before our hopeful looks turned into downcast stares.
Friday, 15 April 2011
GE Plans to Build Largest Solar Panel Plant in U.S. | 3BL Media
General Electric announced plans to build the nation’s biggest solar panel factory, though it has not yet decided the location. The move continues GE's expanding energy-focused work, particularly through acquisitions. The solar photovoltaic market is growing, driven in part by the U.S. government offering financial support to help American solar panel makers -- including loan guarantees for new factories -- to increase the amount of solar panel manufacturing. Victor Abate, who is responsible for the solar, wind, and renewable energy units at GE, stated that the deciding factor to build the solar panel factory was enhancing the effectiveness of cadmium telluride-based thin film panels to a record 12.8 percent, which is also a factor in reducing costs. These articles discuss the project in more depth and touch on the ecological improvements this venture will bring, as well as the social advantage: the creation of more than 400 jobs within the plant.
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Fukushima and Rising Oil Prices Solar Power Investment
The Fukushima nuclear disaster and the rising oil prices have highlighted the huge and promising potential of renewable energy (RE) around the world and in the region. A raft of news reports on companies investing in RE fill the national dailies almost every day since the start of the year. Since the signing of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, we have seen a deluge of investments in hydropower, wind, biomass, ocean energy, and solar power.
The latter deserves special attention as we see massive deployments of it this year. According to the Philippine Solar Power Association (PSPA), solar power producers are expected to generate a combined 125 MW this year, 130 MW in 2012, and another 95 MW by 2013.
One major player is Lopez-led First Philec Solar Solutions (FPSS), which plans to build a solar power plant in Cavite that is projected to deliver 2 megawatts and is scalable to 5-MW in the coming years. The first FPSS installation was at sister company First Philec Solar Corp. in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, which now supplies 75 kilowatt-peaks (kWp) of electricity and will expand to 200 kWp.
Another major player is Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. (Cepalco) Inc., which is investing P2.24 billion to build four more solar power plants in Misamis Oriental to augment its power sources for the next 20 years. This is on top of its existing 1-MW solar facility.
Other investors that have started preparing for their respective facilities include Dutch-based SunConnex, which plans to invest $100 million for solar projects with 10-MW initial capacity, then eventually expand to 50-MW in future; South Korean-listed firm Youil Ensys, which plans to invest $160 million to put up two solar power plants with a combined capacity of 40-MW in the Visayas; and Filipino-Japanese venture Eco-Merge Philippines, which plans to invest $150 million in the construction of 41-MW of solar power projects in the next three years starting with a 11-MW solar farm in Camarines Sur this year.
These investments signal the optimism in the long-term viability of solar energy. One reason of such confidence is the strong government support. The Renewable Energy Act allows the players to enjoy non-fiscal and fiscal incentives. A key non-fiscal incentive is the institution of the feed-in tariff (FIT) rules in May this year. FIT is a structured rate to be charged by RE developers that will guarantee their returns over 15 years. According to industry sources, the FIT would likely range from P10 to P19 per kilowatt-hour, but costs may go down once more players come in, which will ultimately benefit the national government and consumers. Fiscal incentives include a 10-year duty-free importation, income tax holiday, and tax exemptions.
BBC News - GE to build the US's largest solar panel factory
Manufacturing giant General Electric (GE) has announced plans to build the largest solar panel factory in the US.
The firm is planning to invest $600m (£375m) in the plant which they hope will be operational by 2013.
GE has not yet said where it will be built with a location expected to be announced within the next hundred days.
The move is part of a push into renewable energy by GE, which recently bought US solar firm PrimeStar Solar and plans to buy 25,000 electric cars.
The new plant will employ 400 people and each year it will manufacture solar panels with a capacity of 400MW.
Renewable pushIt will use so-called thin-film technology - which the firm acquired when it bought PrimeStar.
The technology could make it easier and cheaper to install panels that can be "rolled" onto buildings.
It is part of the company's move into renewable energy. Its wind division now generates about $6bn in annual sales.
President Barak Obama says the US needs to catch up with China on solar.
GE says manufacturing solar panels at scale will increase efficiency and drive down cost.
"We see ourselves continuing to push that and continuing to move efficiency and as a result the costs of solar continue to come down," said Victor Abate, vice president of GE's renewable energy unit.
Last week General Electric agreed a $3.2bn deal to buy Converteam, a French company that makes equipment to allow electricity from solar and wind power to be used by the grid.
Continue reading the main story“Start Quote
End Quote Bill Moomaw Professor, Tufts UniversityIn 2008 China roared past us like we were standing still in solar”
The firm will compete with market leader First Solar and a number of start-ups which have benefited from federal grants.
Catch upThe conglomerate continues to make the bulk of its revenue from other products, including equipment for coal, gas and nuclear plants.
Whilst the new plant may be the largest in the US, experts expect Chinese firms to continue to outstrip their US rivals.
"In 2008 China roared past us like we were standing still in solar and in 2009 they roared past us in wind - they came from nowhere they did it all in a decade," said Professor Bill Moomaw Director of the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy at Tufts University.
In January, US President Barak Obama said the country needed another "Sputnik moment" to wean itself off foreign oil.
Fukushima fallout puts focus on UK solar industry
Political fallout in the wake of the on-going Fukushima crisis has prompted Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to reconsider Britain’s nuclear power programme.
Speaking in Mexico last week Mr Clegg said that the coalition would be unable to subsidise any future safety liabilities incurred by the British atomic industry following the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.
Clegg’s concerns have triggered conflicting responses, with nuclear industry representative Andy Horstead saying that as Britain’s energy needs cannot be met by renewable energy, abandoning nuclear would leave us no choice that to place all energy dependency on gas exporters- primarily Russia and Qatar.
Recent advances in solar power, where Germany leads the industry, have seen massive reductions in cost and increases in effieiency; making solar power a serious contender to meet out energy needs, as Ken moss, CEO of UK based solar company mO3 explains: “The cost of generating power from solar photovoltaic systems has steadily fallen over the last ten years while the projected costs of constructing the new nuclear plants have ballooned.”
Ray Noble, speaking on behalf of the Renewable Energy Association, also advocates embracing solar power:
“While no single Energy Source is the ‘Holy Grail’, we do need a mix of technologies, Solar has the ability to be deployed starting immediately compared with the time lag for building of new Power Stations. If Government got behind a progressive Solar build program we calculate that over 16GW can be installed by 2020, still small compared with Germany which will be over 40GW by 2020,”
However, Britain’s ability to join Germany in pioneering solar technology has been dealt a blow by Energy Secretary Chris Huhne’s announcement of a 72% cut in the feed-in-tariff for medium sized solar developments last month.
Under the feed-in-tariff scheme, individuals or developers who generate power from solar — or other renewable sources - receive payments from their energy supplier based on how much energy they generate to off-set installation.
According to Mr Noble: “This is an absolute disaster … no new projects will start if this proposal becomes law. This industry has been strangled at birth. The huge number of envisaged new jobs will disappear.”
Feed-in Tariff – can you benefit? - Camden Council
Camden Council is helping residents, businesses and community groups find out how they can tackle climate change while getting paid to produce their own electricity.
Through the national Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme energy suppliers have to make regular payments to residents and businesses that generate their own electricity from renewable sources such as solar photovoltaic panels. Despite recent Government proposals seeking to limit FiT for commercial scale “solar farms”, FiT benefits will remain for the vast majority of Camden residents.
Camden Council is holding an information event for anyone in the borough who wants to find out more on Wednesday 13 April from 5.30 to 7.30 pm at the German Gymnasium at 26 St Pancras Road, Kings Cross.
There will be the opportunity to:
* Get an overview on how installing renewable energy and the Feed-in Tariff can be of benefit
* Get the latest news on Government plans for the future of the Feed-in Tariff
* Meet some of the suppliers who work locally
* Get face-to-face advice from Camden Council, The Energy Saving Trust and The Carbon Trust.Camden Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Deputy Leader Cllr Angela Mason said: “A large part of the Council’s commitment to tackling climate change is about empowering residents, businesses and community groups with information and advice on how they can make changes – both big and small – to reduce their carbon emissions. FiT is just one of a whole host of actions that could help in our journey to make our borough greener.”
This event is open to all businesses, residents and community groups in Camden but places are limited. Register in advance at betterclimateforcamden.org or by email betterclimate@camden.gov.uk