A town in Cornwall is hoping to become the first 'solar powered town'.
Wadebridge in North Cornwall has begun installing solar panels on buildings across the town.
The town has set itself a target of generating at least a third of its electricity from solar and wind power by 2015.
The project is being run by the Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network (WREN), a not-for-profit co-operative.
WREN aims to have 1MW of solar installed across its buildings by April 2012 and 7MW by 2015.
The Network is also exploring other technologies to help reduce the towns' dependence on fossil fuels, including wind; tidal stream generation; biomass and renewably generated electric transport.
WREN has launched a 'Solar Club' offering building owners competitive rates on solar PV by pooling purchases.
Those who do not want to pay for the up-front cost will have systems owned by the ethical bank Triodos - who will reinvest the Feed-in tariff income in other renewables projects and ethical, sustainable business opportunities.
The current feed-in tariff limitations could prove a handicap for the project, however.
WREN founder, Stephen Frankel, said: "In contrast to recent green announcements, their success could be limited due to Government proposals to restrict the size of solar installations in the UK.
"Proposals to limit the Feed-in tariff, payment for clean electricity, to small 50kWp systems means the town wouldn't go ahead with mid to large scale projects which would bring much needed income into their community fund and help the town meet their renewable energy targets.
WREN is also planning a "solar allotment" scheme in conjunction with local company e-tricity, where members could own shares in larger projects.
The scheme is on hold for now due to the government's proposed changes to the tariff.
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Cornwall aims to have first solar powered town
26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition REVE - Regulación Eólica con Vehículos Eléctricos -
The 26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (26th EU PVSEC) will take place in Hamburg, Germany, at the CCH Congress Centre and International Fair Hamburg. The Conference extends over 5 days from 5-9 September 2011, the Exhibition runs over 4 days from 5-8 September 2011.The 26th EU PVSEC offers a unique platform to present innovative results and ideas to PV specialists and decision makers from all continents. For many years now, the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition has combined a renowned international scientific conference with a leading PV industry exhibition. Every year, during 5 days of conference and 4 days of fair, new products and technical innovations from all areas of photovoltaics and from all over the world are on show.
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Monday, 23 May 2011
Councils urged to stop fleecing UK homeowners - Solar Power Portal
After months of unnecessary planning applications submitted for solar installations, Shadow Energy and Climate Change Minister Huw Irranca-Davies has stepped up to ensure UK councils are not giving misleading advice to homeowners. After receiving advice from David Hunt, Director of Darlington-based Eco Environments, Irranca-Davies has pledged to write to his Government counterparts, urging them to take action.
Planning rules state that Building Regulations applications are not needed if the homeowner uses a contractor approved under the Government’s Competent Person Scheme. However, Hunt claims a number of councils are going against Government’s guidance by wrongly telling people they require planning permission or Building Regulations approval which costs £77. This kind of permission has actually not been required since 2008.
Hunt fears the problem may be widespread as Eco Environments has received a number of reports from customers stating that certain councils were insisting households apply for Building Regulations approval prior to installing solar panels. In fact, some councils have served notice on homeowners who had already fitted them.
“The Governments rules are clear. Even in a conservation area, planning should be permitted and Building Regulations should not be necessary as long as the homeowner notifies the local authority and uses accredited installers. The Government needs to make it absolutely clear to local authorities everywhere that they have a duty to adhere to these rules rather than standing in the way of progress.
“The majority of councils do comply, but a small number seem hell bent on causing as many problems as possible. By doing so, they are discouraging people from pursuing renewable energy solutions for their homes and cocking a snook at the Governments environmental agenda.”
Cathy Debenham, the Founder of renewable energy body You Gen said, "Councils lost an important revenue stream when they were told that they should no longer require planning permission for solar PV schemes.
“By trying to persuade homeowners into believing they do need permission, or at the very least Building Regulations approval, maybe they are attempting to cling on to some kind of ongoing income.
“What is the point of Government making laws if councils are going to ignore them? Any council which is pursuing such an agenda deserves to be held to account as their actions fly completely in the face of the Government's policy of encouraging homeowners and businesses to embrace renewable energy solutions wherever possible,” Debenham concluded.
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Wadebridge moves closer to becoming UK's first solar town - Solar Power Portal
Wadebridge in Cornwall has moved another step towards becoming the first solar powered town in the UK, as PV installations begin to go up across the municipality. The area aims to generate at least a third of its electricity from solar and wind power by 2015, which is the equivalent of 15,000MWh a year. By generating renewable energy at this level, Wadebridge will be able to benefit significantly from the UK’s feed-in tariff, enabling significant cash contributions for local community projects.
Driving the solar revolution, the Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network (WREN) – a not-for-profit co-operative – is putting thousands of panels on the roofs of local homes, schools and businesses, allowing them to use the clean electricity, and collect the feed-in tariff for their community fund.
Friday, 20 May 2011
Nanotechnology-tuned solar cells
The sun has enough power to supply the whole earth with energy. But as long as renewable energy is more expensive than energy produced by coal or nuclear plants, solar energy won't be first choice. In Europe photovoltaic cells make only a vanishing small share of renewable energy sources. Researchers in UK, Switzerland and Germany aim to lower the costs and increase the efficiency. The N2P project is coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology in Dresden, Germany. Here researchers developed a process to enhance the absorption qualities of solar cells for an invisible yet important part of sunlight, infrared light. Conventional solar cells hardly make use of this wavelength. Most of it passes through the cell and is lost. By removing the nano structured surface of the wafer on the rear side of the solar cell, using a chemical etching process, it is turns into a "mirror" that reflects the infrared rays back into the cell. As the light rays are scattered by the glass, they have a longer pathway through the silicon cell and thus generate more electrical current. So far the researchers were able to increase the efficiency by 30 percent if compared to the efficiency of standard thin film solar cells. Researchers from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, are working on thin film solar cells. Thin film solar cells have on the one hand a lot of advantages: Producing them consumes less raw materials and energy than producing common solar cells. Additionally the time they need to pay off is shorter. On the other hand there is a drawback: currently their efficiency is about 40 percent lower than in conventional solar cells. Only seven percent of the sunlight can be exploited. To maximize the light trapping effect they do the opposite: they roughen the glass surface of thin film solar cells. This is done to diffuse the light. When the light beam has a longer way through the cell it generates more electrons.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
BBC News - Importing solar energy to Britain from abroad
In future Britain should consider importing solar energy from as far away as North Africa, according to a new report from the Committee on Climate Change.
The CCC - an independent body which advises the Government on energy policy - is currently resting its voice after singing the praises of another acronym.
CSP - or Concentrated Solar Power - apparently relies on "an array of mirrors to focus the sun's rays onto a small area (e.g. the top of a tower) to produce high temperatures that are then used to drive a steam turbine," according to the CCC's latest Renewable Energy Review.
"If sited in southern Europe or northern Africa, it could potentially make a significant contribution to the supply of renewable electricity for the UK," according to the report.
'Solar gold rush'Meanwhile - and as the review acknowledges - the government looks poised to slash the main subsidy on which Britain's nascent solar industry was pinning its hopes.
This is the Feed in Tariff (or FiT - yet another acronym) on the back of which Cornwall Council had been projecting a £1bn "solar gold rush".
Subject to the outcome of a recent consultation, the government is proposing a massive 70% reduction in the original rates for larger solar projects - that is, those generating more than 50kW.
Bad news for the Cornish gold rush, then.
And many in the renewable sector claim setting the threshold so low would also eliminate some of the relatively small community ventures the Government presumably wants to encourage - as well as the big commercial operators it's clearly got it in for.
Glimmer of hopeConsultation or no consultation, the Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has made it quite clear that there will be much leaner pickings for the industry in future.
He does, though, seem to be leaving the door ajar in terms of conceivably revisiting the 50kW threshold."Why should we even consider buying solar energy from Africa when we can generate it in the UK?”
But many in the industry see this as the only faint, flickering glimmer of hope amid an unremitting welter of bad news.
Set against this backdrop the Renewable Energy Review appears to be adding insult to injury.
"Why should we even consider buying solar energy from Africa when we can generate it in the UK?" asks Ken Moss, CEO of solar generator mO3 Power.
According to Mr Moss: "Buying solar power from the cheapest producer worldwide would be no better than our current reliance on oil."
Missed opportunity?Ray Noble, of the Renewable Energy Association, claims the CCC is "missing a great opportunity to support Britain's solar generation".
"We need to find a new energy strategy that will mix all the renewable energies if we are to meet our EU carbon commitments," he says.
"Germany has the most developed solar industry in the world and Britain's climatic conditions are identical - we cannot leave solar out of the equation.
"The beauty of Photovoltaic (PV) generation is it works on light, and annual light levels vary by less than 5%. Therefore the annual generation is more predictable than wind or hydro.
"Also, light levels are currently increasing year on year and so it would be reasonable that the unit cost of PV generation will decrease in the future," he said.
That may be so, but however conducive the South West might be to photovoltaic generation, we clearly can't compete with the Mediterranean when it comes to making the concentrated stuff.
Intense sunshineSetting forth "an array of mirrors on a tower" sounds like an admirably romantic and poetic enterprise.
But the clear message from the CCC is that it would profit a man nothing to do so in the Cornish countryside.
"Concentrated Solar Power is not suitable for generation within the UK," we are told, "as it requires intense sunshine and little cloud cover to be economic."
"Intense sunshine" is emphatically not a climatic scenario we're accustomed to in Cornwall.
Thursday, 12 May 2011
SolarIndustryMag.com: Content / FYI / PROINSO Launches Solar Training School For Installers
Spain-based PROINSO, a distributor of modules, inverters, trackers and fixed structures for solar photovoltaic installations, has launched the PROINSO Solar Training School initiative. This international training program for photovoltaic solar energy installers is aimed at the 1,406 companies within PROINSO's installer network.The company has signed agreements with PV training centers in several countries, including ICIM in Italy, EcoSkies in England, and centers in Greece, France, Canada and the U.S. PROINSO says it will provide specialized technical training for certain specified PV equipment brands.
PROINSO Solar Training School will also include seminars, training sessions and workshops organized in collaboration with manufacturers in several countries. Additional courses and information will be listed on PROINSO's website.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Coming to America: U.K. Solar Microinverter Startup Enecsys: Cleantech News and Analysis «
The leader of the U.S. solar microinverter market, Enphase Energy, needs to watch its back. On Tuesday U.K. startup Enecsys announced that it’s raised £25 million ($41 million) in equity to essentially try to conquer North America (work on product, boost sales in the U.S. and Canada).
Microinverters are mini, distributed versions of centralized large solar inverters, which convert electricity from solar panels from direct current to alternating current in order to be used on site or feed the grid. Each microinverter is typically paired with one panel. Centralized inverters have been used for decades and each can perform the job for an array of panels at a time, while the market for microinverters is newer and growing rapidly.
Enecsys started its life out of the labs at Cambridge University in 2003 and launched its first product in Europe last year, Peter Mathews, vice president of North America sales, told me recently. While Enecsys says it is the only supplier of microinverters in Europe now, the company is just now crossing the pond with its microinverters for North America.
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Surge in solar panel installations on UK household roofs | Environment | The Guardian
Householders rushing to put solar panels on their roof in order to take advantage of government subsidies have more than tripled the amount of solar power in the UK over the past year, figures published on Thursday show.
The lure of making nearly £1,000 a year has led to a record 11,314 people, largely homeowners, installing solar panels in the first three months of this year. The 'solar gold rush' appears to have been driven by the introduction of feed-in tariffs (Fits) last year, which pay businesses, groups and individuals for generating green energy.
The total amount of installed solar power in the UK has jumped from 26 megawatts (MW) before the scheme started on 1 April 2010, to 77.8MW at the end of March this year, according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc). This takes the number of solar photovoltaic systems in the UK taking part in the Fits scheme to 28,505, alongside over a thousand micro wind turbines and just over 200 small hydro sites.
But despite the rise in demand, solar power under the Fits scheme still contributes only a tiny amount of the UK's total electricity generation. At 77.8MW, it accounts for just 0.104% of the 75GW provided by fossil fuel, nuclear and large scale renewable power plants. The UK's largest coal fired power station, Drax in Yorkshire, generates approximately 4,000MW.
The surge of installations in the past three months comes despite the government announcing a review of the feed-in tariffs in January, which is expected to reduce tariffs for large-scale solar farms in a bid to protect the scheme for homeowners.
Ray Noble, a solar PV specialist at Renewable Energy Association, told the Guardian: "The vast majority of these installs are domestic and the surge is a result of rising consumer awareness, with people telling one another about solar. It's not a rush to beat the government's solar review [announced in January] – most people haven't even heard of the review. But I think the figures would have been even higher without the review."
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Europolitics Photovoltaic power generation leaps forward in 2010
Solar photovoltaic (PV) power was the leading renewable energy technology in terms of new capacity installed in Europe in 2010. New figures released by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) detail PV capacity additions, in 2010, of 13.246 gigawatts (GW). This beats new wind capacity, of which 9,925 MW was added in 2010. The more than 13 GW new PV capacity added in 2010 compares to 4 GW for the rest of the world. In the EU, new PV capacity was second only to gas at 18-22 GW, depending on methodology and sources chosen. Thanks to the 13 GW installed in 2010, cumulative installed PV capacity in the EU rose from 16 GW to almost 30 GW.
EPIA links the increase in 2010 to the rapid growth in the German and Italian markets. Germany leads the PV market worldwide with 7.4 GW installed in just one year. Italy installed 2.3 GW of capacity. Other countries also saw significant growth, notes EPIA. The Czech Republic added 1.5 GW in 2010 although EPIA admits that the country is unlikely to sustain growth in 2011. France added over 700 MW and Spain regained some ground by installing 370 MW. This follows two years of adverse conditions given the country's major economic problems. Belgium connected more than 420 MW of PV capacity to its grid in 2010.
The figures are given in EPIA's 'Global market outlook for photovoltaics until 2015'. This indicates steady progress elsewhere in the world with Japan and the US almost reaching the gigawatt mark with, respectively, 990 and 900 megawatts (MW) installed in 2010. EPIA President Ingmar Wilhelm notes that growth in Europe is dependent on state support. "Adequate support policies that have been driving the markets so far, such as feed-in tariffs, must continue," said Wilhelm.
Nonetheless, Wilhelm admits that support should be brought into line with the declining cost curve of PV. "The PV industry also supports well-designed support schemes that simplify the authorisation processes and moreover limit the cost for electricity consumers, while ensuring the development of the market and industry," he says. EPIA claims that grid parity for small-scale residential and commercial PV systems will be reached in the coming years in several countries. Additionally, the industry association expects PV to progressively reach competitiveness all over Europe by 2020.
Photovoltaic market could grow 27 pct in 2011-EPIA | Reuters
The global solar market is set to continue it strong growth in 2011, the world's biggest solar industry body said, but cautioned a decline could not be ruled out should political support for the industry fade.
Under an optimistic scenario, the global photovoltaic (PV) market could reach 21.145 gigawatts (GW) in new capacity this year, up 27 percent from 2010 installations, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) said.
EPIA usually provides an estimate range based on what it calls a "moderate" scenario and a "policy-driven" scenario, depending on the degree of political support.
"The Policy-Driven scenario proved to be the most accurate one over the past years. However, a market stagnation or even a small decrease in 2011 is not impossible," EPIA said in its global market outlook published on Wednesday.
The moderate scenario pencils in new installations of 13.330 GW this year, which would equal a 20 percent decline from the record 16.629 GW added in 2010.
China Sunergy Receives MCS Certificate to Produce Photovoltaic Solar Panels -- NANJING, China, May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ --
"China Sunergy" or "The Company"), a specialized solar cell and module manufacturer, today announced that the Company has been awarded a Certificate under the UK Microgeneration Certification Scheme issued by BABT (British Approvals Board for Telecommunications) for its modules. BABT is an accredited MCS certification body and one of the world's leading certification bodies, whose global brand is widely respected. The certificate, which is valid through April 24, 2014, authorizes CSUN photovoltaic solar panels to be sold with the MCS approved product mark.
With this MCS certificate, China Sunergy is in a better position to expand in the U.K. market, further diversify its customer base and build up brand recognition for its solar module products. The concept behind the MCS certificate is to reduce the UK's reliance on fossil fuels and reduce its carbon dioxide emissions. MCS underpins government policies on low carbon and renewable onsite energy technologies and supports the UK's overall effort in meeting EU 2020 Renewable Obligations targets.
Mr. Stephen Cai, the Chief Executive Officer of CSUN, commented, "We are very pleased with this news. This is not only a recognition of our product quality, but also a great opportunity for CSUN to step into the UK, an emerging yet strategically important market for our solar products."
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Solar panels ‘work well in the UK’ - DIY News - Wickes
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.
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
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Solar panels to cut council's carbon emissions - News - getwokingham - The Wokingham Times
Two schools could be used in the fight to reduce carbon emissions locally after plans proposing the installation of solar panels were put forward.
Wokingham Borough Council has suggested placing solar panels at The Forest School in Robin Hood Lane, Winnersh, and Waingels College in Chequers Way, Woodley.
The authority says school buildings are one of the council’s biggest sources of carbon emissions in the borough, with around 65 per cent of the emissions produced locally coming from schools.
Through its work with The Carbon Trust, the council has announced targets to reduce its carbon emissions by 15 per cent in 2015 and by 40 per cent in 2020.
It is also hoped installing solar panels at the school will go someway towards achieving its target of having 10 per cent of its energy being generated from renewable sources.
Number crunchers at the council have worked out the revenue made from the sale of energy created by the panels should see the investment used to purchase them returned within eight years.
Councillor Rob Stanton, who is executive member for children’s services at the borough council, said more schools in the borough could one day be powered by solar power.
The proposals for The Forest and Bulmershe have been submitted together as buying solar panels in bulk will allow the council to benefit from reduced purchased rates.
Cllr Stanton said: “Quite a lot of schools are looking at this.
“They are a good thing, it saves money and sets the right tone. It sends out a statement – a positive one – and I think it is a good idea.
“Providing the planners agree with the purposes of the application and are happy with it, and it is sensible, then it’s a good thing.”
The paperwork filed with The Forest application said the panels would benefit the environment and schoolchildren.
A planning statement for The Forest proposal said: “An additional benefit of the solar panels will be the possibility of using the system as a tool, not only for the pupils of the school, but also for the staff, visitors to the site and the local community.
“This will be achieved through the installation of a visual display unit, detailing energy produced and carbon emissions located within a prominent position within the building.”
People wishing to make comments on the application have until Friday, February 18, to submit their support or objections with the council.
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Three solar energy parks for Sedgemoor? (From Bridgwater Mercury)
SEDGEMOOR could soon be home to three multi-million pound solar energy parks providing power for up to 5,400 homes.
Wessex Solar Energy has earmarked land in Whitnell, near Fiddington, Dunwear, and Durleigh for the developments.
The renewable energy firm says each 40 to 45-acre site, costing between £12million and £15million, could generate power for up to 1,800 homes.
Before any formal plans are submitted to Sedgemoor District Council a range of factors will be considered, including the local communities and environments, and cost.
Spokesman Paul Taylor said: “If the schemes are taken to planning and receive consent, they would generate more than £300,000 per annum in business rates for Sedgemoor District Council, as well provide jobs and or business opportunities for local firms during their construction.”
Each energy park would consist of thousands of horizontal rows of solar panels - larger versions of those found on modern calculators - mounted on steel frames.
There would also be several small buildings for electrical equipment and a new cable to export the electricity produced on site.
Mr Taylor said the developments would help meet renewable energy targets and a number of studies would take place to consider visual impact, ecology, traffic and infrastructure effects.
Wessex Solar Energy has notified local residents, councillors, and district planners, and will be holding various drop-in sessions in the coming weeks.
More Homes Suitable for Solar Panels Following British Gas and Panasonic Agreement
More Homes Suitable for Solar Panels Following British Gas and Panasonic Agreement
London, Feb 15, 2011 - (JCN Newswire) - More British homes will generate their own renewable electricity from solar panels and earn a yearly income of hundreds of pounds, following an agreement today between British Gas and Panasonic.Under the agreement, British Gas will now be able to offer Panasonic Group's HIT(R) Solar PV Panels to its customers. The Panasonic panels are some of the most efficient in the market and are smaller compared to standard panels. With higher
output per square meter, the Panasonic panels will make solar PV a more viable option for smaller homes with less roof space to generate their own electricity from solar power.By being more efficient, the Panasonic panels will also make smaller homes suitable for the British Gas "roof lease" scheme. Under the scheme, British Gas install solar panels at no upfront cost or on a dramatically reduced rate for private and social housing customers. Householders benefit from the free electricity from the solar panels with British Gas claiming the Feed-In Tariff - a scheme that pays owners of solar panels for the 'renewable' electricity they generate.
Households who own their own panels can be better off by around GBP 600 a year through a combination of cutting their electricity bills and earning money through the Feed-In Tariff. Those with bigger systems could benefit by up to GBP 1000.
Sainsbury’s and British Gas put solar panels in the weekly shop | Easier
Sainsbury's customers can now top up their weekly grocery shop with one-off purchases such as Solar Panels, to help them generate their own energy at home.
Sainsbury's Energy, in partnership with British Gas, will offer customers access to new energy technologies, energy deals, information, and energy saving advice in a place that's convenient for them with trained energy experts also available in selected stores.
This ground-breaking partnership sees two of Britain's leading companies working together to help British households get the right information about how they can produce and manage their energy now and in the years ahead.
Despite having some of the lowest energy prices in Western Europe, British homes have some of the highest bills because of a lack of energy efficiency measures, such as insulation, and because of low take-up of new energy technologies like solar panels and ground source heat source pumps.
Recent surveys have shown that 87% of British consumers don't know what microgeneration technologies are, and 80% don't know where to go to buy them.
Sainsbury's Energy aims to tackle these problems by providing easy access to energy products, information and advice.
Sainsbury's chief executive, Justin King, said: "Sainsbury's has a long history of helping customers save money without compromising on quality. With the launch of the new Sainsbury's Energy, we plan to continue with this heritage.
"Our ambition is for Sainsbury's Energy to become the number one destination for customers looking for new energy technologies, energy efficiency measures and great energy deals, so we can help them to reduce costs, while also reducing carbon emissions."
Phil Bentley, Managing Director of British Gas, said: "We know people are worried about rising energy costs, but higher prices don't have to mean higher bills. Energy efficiency and energy generation in the home are the keys to keeping bills down, but people need more help to take advantage of them. This is why British Gas is delighted to be back on the ‘high street' with Sainsbury's, making it easier for customers to get the products, information and advice they need."
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said: "Being smart about energy use is a no brainer, it reduces bills and cuts carbon, so I am pleased Sainsbury's and British Gas are bringing energy efficiency and green power to the high street. This new partnership is the sort of collaboration we want to see under the Government's Green Deal to stimulate green growth and kick start a radical and urgent increase in home energy efficiency."
Sainsbury's Energy, in partnership with British Gas, is now available to customers in Sainsbury's stores across the UK, and online at sainsburysenergy.com.
To start with, Sainsbury's Energy customers will have access to the following:
Gas and electricity, with a great Nectar offer including 10,000 points in the first year
Competitively priced Insulation (including loft insulation, which can save the average household around £145 each year)
Solar Panels
Home Energy Assessments (tailored energy savings reports for customers based on their individual homes, energy usage and domestic appliances)
Specially-trained Sainsbury's Energy Experts will be available in selected stores and working in hundreds of stores across the country by the end of the year.
And, this year, a Sainsbury's Energy roadshow will tour Sainsbury's supermarkets up and down the country with a fully interactive energy display truck where customers can talk to experts and see new home energy generation technologies in action.
Alternative Energy News
Solar Powered Wheelchair Sets World Records
Haidar Taleb, a 47 year old man from UAE, displayed a rare combination of human spirit and willpower when he took up a 200-mile long journey on a wheel chair that he has built for himself which runs on solar power. Being a person with polio since the age of 4 has not stopped him from taking up this challenge on this wheelchair, a piece of technological innovation