California to Continue to Lead Nation in Solar Power Installations

Share El Segundo, Calif., August 8, 2011Blessed with abundant sunshine and a supportive political structure, California is positioned to add 7.5 gigawatts (GW) of installed power from photovoltaic (PV) sources during the period of 2010 to 2015, further ensuring that the state remains Americas leading light in solar energy , according to new insights from the IHS iSuppli Photovoltaic Service from information and analysis provider IHS (NYSE: IHS). Installed PV capacity in California is projected to reach 967 megawatts (MW) this year, the highest in the country and part of an increasing push by the most populous U.S. state to derive a greater portion of energy from renewable sources , a mix that also would include wind turbines and fuel cells. Next year, power from solar sources will generate some 1.2GW in Californiamore than the PV capacity of the next six-highest states combined. States approaching the land size of California, like New Mexico and Arizona, are projected to have less than a third as much PV capacity by the same time, hovering in the mid-300MW range. And outside of the top 10 states where solar generation will be highest, combined PV capacity from the lowest 40 states will add up to just 395MW, also merely one-third of California capacity, IHS data shows. California is indeed at the forefront of photovoltaic technology, and its commitment to the industry is important for the whole North America region, said Mike Sheppard, analyst for photovoltaics at IHS. Californias drive to attain clean energy gained fresh impetus during a recent two-day conference in late July at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), attended by 200 researchers, academics, business leaders and politicians. There, Calif. Governor Jerry Brown reiterated the push to obtain by 2020 as much as 33 percent of energy from renewable sources, an amount equivalent to 12GWenough to power roughly three million homes. With a series of intensive solar projects under way, as much as 7.5GW in PV capacity could be added to the local power grid by 2015, more than half the states announced goal of achieving 12GW from all renewable sourcesand with five more years to spare before the targeted 2020 deadline. What this shows is the likelihood of PV accounting in the future for a great portion of clean energy in California, Sheppard noted. The figure below shows the cumulative PV capacity for California from 2010 to 2015. Given an installed PV power capacity of 900MW in 2010 that then rises to a forecast level of 8.4GW in 2015, a total of 7.5GW in power will have been added to the state in the span of five years. Californias natural advantage lends itself to busy PV activity within the state In the United States, California has among the highest insolation levels for measuring the rate of solar radiation delivery as measured by NASA. With a score of 5.4 kilowatt-hours per square meter per day (kWh/(m2/day)), the Los Angeles area ranks second only to the 5.96 kWh/(m2/day) rate of Honolulu, Hawaii. Los Angeles also places higher than perennial hot-weather spots like Phoenix, Ariz. (5.38 kWh/(m2/day)); Las Vegas, Nev. (5.3 kWh/(m2/day)); and Miami, Fla. (5.26 kWh/(m2/day)). Two other areas surveyed in California likewise boast of above-average insolation rates: the Bay area near San Francisco at 5.08 kWh/(m2/day), and San Francisco proper at 4.89 kWh/(m2/day). Aside from an inherent natural resource in plentiful supply, California hosts a number of companies engaged in the solar business, including research and development sites that do not engage in manufacturing. At least 27 firms can be found in the state engaged in solar-related activities including the production of ingots, crystalline silicon cells and modules, and thin-film cells and modulesall components that go into the manufacture of solar panels. Currently the biggest PV project within the state is the Topaz Solar farm, a 550MW power plant being built by Arizona-based First Solar Inc., located in the Carrizo Plain northwest of Los Angeles. Other solar projects under way or slated to begin are the 55MW Niland Project in Imperial County; a five-year program by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) to develop 500MW of power in northern and central California; the Catalina Solar Project in Kern County; and a project by Southern California Edison for distributed power through commercial rooftops, IHS data shows. Political patronage a plus, but state budget woes could be a challenge Adding to Californias built-in advantages for PV power, the state has the good fortune to enjoy the backing of a highly motivated political infrastructure. Having sustained political will toward the achievement of renewable energy is definitely a good thing for California, and a strong political will is an encouraging sign for investors to go ahead and make their bets here in the state, said analyst Sheppard. Californias continuing experience in the PV field also could work to the states benefit, especially if it can find a way to convert its expertise into consultancy projects for other states, similar to what Germanythe worlds foremost photovoltaic market and authorityis doing in Europe. At home, California is ahead of other states in the learning curve for solar-power-generation, and the local state power utilities also have been helpful in setting up programs to help renewable energy efforts. What could stand in the way, however, of the state making even greater progress, Sheppard remarked, could be the states much-belabored budget woes, which if unresolved could lead to a downgrading of the states creditworthiness and make it more expensive for companiesincluding PV firmsto do business here. Another possible area for improvement is the current system of permits in the state to obtain PV power to streamline bureaucracy. For instance, a consumer who discovers that a PV panel supplier has run out of stock would have to restart the application process instead of- simply attaching an amendment, as is the practice in the rationalized German market. Californias PV prospects also could encounter resistance from the local populacean issue underscored by Gov. Brown at the UCLA event. With 58 counties and more than 400 cities in the state, selling the idea of renewable or solar power might run into opposition from residents for any number of reasons, with the potential to slow down planned rollouts or deployments. This is by far one of the best articles we have seen recently. We hope you enjoyed reading it. Each year it seems that somebody comes out with a new take on an old problem, however, this is the most interesting way to look at it that we have found. If you have some tips on solar power installations that you would like to share with our other readers, please leave your comments. We would welcome your input into the discussion.

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California to Continue to Lead Nation in Solar Power Installations

Solar Cell Challenges

Share Trade-off between Profitability and Inventory Clearance Becomes the Biggest Challenge for Solar Cell Manufacturers July 27, 2011 — According to the latest survey conducted by EnergyTrend, manufacturers indicated that they are conservative about September orders and the PV market of 3Q11. On the other hand, the spot price of polysilicon remained at a high level. The Chinese market demand still stayed high while other markets showed signs of slowing. According to EnergyTrend, downstream manufacturers are conservative about spot price trend of polysilicon , primarily because most orders from large manufacturers are signed on contractual terms, and few make purchase on the spot market. The second tier and third tier manufacturers are the main active participants on the polysilicon spot market, but their combined purchase volume is much less than top tier manufacturers. Therefore, it is estimated that the current spot market situation can not support polysilicon manufacturers to raise the price. Source: EnergyTrend This weeks survey shows that the polysilicon price remained stable with the main trading price between $52/kg and $54/kg. Notably, the trading price in the Chinese market is slightly higher than other areas, ranging from $55/kg to $58/kg with the average price of polysilicon remaining at $54.55/kg. In terms of Si wafer price, the average market spot price of mono-Si wafer stayed stable, and the main trading price stayed between $2.6/piece and $2.65/piece. The current trading price of multi-Si wafer remanded between $1.95/piece and $2.1/piece, but the top tier manufacturers price has increased to $2.0/piece. Comparatively speaking, the average price of multi-Si wafer has slightly risen by 0.05% to $2.051/piece while that of mono-Si waver has increased by 0.04% to $2.632/piece. As for solar cells and modules, due to strong demand for high conversion efficiency solar cells, the price remained relatively high with the highest price above $0.9/Watt. In addition, from perspectives of the production line, the output volume of solar cell with conversion efficiency under 16.4% accounts for 10. Although the demand for high conversion efficiency solar cells stays strong, manufacturers still need to take selling lower conversion efficiency product into consideration. Therefore, with the pressure of trading price adjustment for lower efficiency products still remaining, trade-off between profitability and inventory clearance is the biggest challenge for solar cell manufacturers. According to EnergyTrend, cell prices fluctuated this week and lower priced products has dragged down the average price by 0.62% to $0.797/Watt. On the other hand, the average price of module, affected by Chinese manufacturers price quotation, has continuously decreased by 0.78% to $1.265/Watt. According to current market situation, manufacturers indicated that they put much focus on the Chinese local governments subsidies. To date, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Qinghai provinces have announced their local subsidies. Among those, the subsidy of Qinghai government attracted wide attention of Chinese PV manufacturers. However, EnergyTrend believes that fund availability is the key determinant factor for the subsidy programs future success. Furthermore, subsidy releases show the Chinese local governments support for local PV industry developments. In particular, Jiangsu and Shandong, their PV industry developments have reached a certain scale. EnergyTrend indicates that the subsidy release can help locally based manufacturers to overcome challenge of the oversupply market. Notably, the Qinghai government attempts to support its PV industry growth through the new subsidy in the hope of making Qinghai province become a big PV production base and market place. Currently, the Qinghai government has achieved the fundamental goal. However, the Chinese market is now the worlds biggest PV production base. At this stage, the accumulated production capacity in the southeast China can fully already meet the projected annual domestic market demand through 2020. Additionally, the northwestern China has also released new subsidy policy that might further spur the production output. Therefore, EnergyTrend believes that the risk of Chinese PV industry forming a bubble may increase, if the oversupply situation continues or even worsens without guidelines.

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Solar Cell Challenges

Explaining The Photovoltaic Systems

The technical term for solar power systems is Photovoltaic Systems or PV systems. The word “photovoltaic” is derived from two words: “photo,” which means “light,” and “volt,” a measurement of electric power. In simplest terms, a photovoltaic system is a configuration that collects energy from sunlight and turns it into electric power. Here is a simplified explanation of the whole process. Most PV systems start off with a method of collecting the sun’s energy. This is usually achieved using solar panels that are made to take in the sun’s energy once exposed to the sun’s rays. Most solar cells today are efficient enough that they don’t have to have direct sunlight to gather energy (although they obviously are most effective in times of direct sun); they can even gather some energy on cloudy days. After the solar cells collect the sun’s energy, the photovoltaic system not gets to work by transforming this raw energy to electricity, which you can now use in your home or business establishment. PV systems are examples of standalone systems which stores unused energy in electric batteries. At present, homes and business establishments utilizing solar energy can remain connected with the local power grid because their PV system can be tied to it. Thus, unused electricity can be fed back through the wiring into the local power grid, which essentially means that the local electric company “stores” the electricity your PV system provides-eliminating the need for storage batteries. In setups like these, the electric company credits you for any electricity you feed into the grid. Although photovoltaic systems are eco-friendly, it is fairly obvious that there will be days when you will be able to gather excessive amounts of energy and some days when you can hardly gather some energy. In standalone systems, especially, there is often a need to hybridize the system-in other words, to include an alternate power source for those rare occasions when the solar cells aren’t gathering enough energy to match the usage. In most cases with standalone systems, the alternate energy source is a diesel generator, or sometimes biogas. For those who are more committed to renewable energy, the alternate energy source might even be wind. However, if you are a regular homeowner or business owner then you can always settle for the local power company as your alternate source of energy. Because most consumer PV systems are tied to the power grid, the home or business simply starts drawing from the power grid when the system is not producing enough solar energy. Hopefully, this short discussion will help you better understand the function of the photovoltaic systems . While these systems rely on the amount of daylight available, adaptations can be made to make solar energy a reliable energy source. Read more on Explaining The Photovoltaic Systems… what would the consequences be if Japan used all solar power and epxerienced eartquake tsunami japan map tsunami

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Converting to Solar Electric Power – Easier than Ever

If you’ve ever thought about converting your home or business to solar electric power , it’s easier than ever to make the conversion. The process of converting is not only convenient but beneficial as well especially with the government offering tax incentives to homeowners and business owners who are making the shift and the ability to stay connected to the local power grid allowing you to efficiently hand excesses and deficits in power. Here is a bird’s eye view on the process of conversion. Leave It To the Professional Companies There are do-it-yourself kits out there, but it’s really better to spend the extra money and have a professional company design and install your solar electric system. The main reason is the fact that the professionals know exactly where to set up the system that will allow you to maximize the amount of energy that you produce and increase your savings at the same time. A professional company can also handle any permits and government paperwork required, making the process easier for you. By investing more money to do it right, you’ll save more in the long run-plus the tax incentives make it easier to absorb the initial cost. Having The Solar Power System Installed Once the company assesses your property and designs a system for you, installing it is usually fairly pain-free. The company will do the following for you: install solar panels on the right locations on the roof including all the components and they will also connect your new solar electric power system to the local power grid. In addition to that, the company will also provide you with the necessary instructions on maintenance and proper use of the equipment. How The System Works Your solar panels will absorb energy from the sun’s rays, even in indirect sunlight and on most cloudy days. The solar energy will then be converted into electricity to power your home or business. This will allow you to save money because one you do not draw electricity from the power grid when you are using solar energy and excess electrical power is then sent back to the local power grid, which is then transformed into a deduction from your electrical bill. Environmentally Friendly Solar-generated electricity is a clean energy source; no fossil fuels are burned to produce it, thus reducing harmful emissions into the air. It is also renewable, because there is a virtually endless supply of sunlight. There never has been a better time to convert to solar electric power . Shifting to solar energy is not only easy but it also helps protect that environment while allowing you to save on your monthly electrical bill. Read more on Converting to Solar Electric Power – Easier than Ever…

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Solar Energy Companies: Selecting The Best

With solar energy becoming more and more popular among home and business owners as an alternative source of energy, there are a lot of solar energy companies out there offering to equip your home or business for solar power. It might be tough to choose the right solar energy company because not all solar energy companies are efficient. Here are a few tips to help you weed through the options to find the best one for you. REVIEW THE SERVICES OFFERED What particular services does the solar energy company provide for the price? Do they have a one-size-fits-all product, or do they custom design a setup for your building? Will they secure the necessary permits and other documents for you? You are about to make a major alteration to your home or office, so this is not a place to cut corners. Price is not the only thing that is important when shopping but value as well. A larger investment made up front can save you more money in the long run. Make sure the solar energy company you choose will give you a product tailor made for your building to maximize your energy production, and your savings. STUDY THEIR COMPANY RATING Is the company listed with reliable accountability organizations? How did the Better Business Bureau rate the company? How did the local Chamber of Commerce rate the company? Is the company member of organizations like the American Solar Energy Society or the Solar Energy Industries Association? Be vigilant and do some background check on the company’s credentials and their status as members of different associations before you sign a contract with them. GET REFERENCES The best litmus test for the reliability of a solar energy company is the word of their previous customers. Check with others who have used the company and get references. Was the company able to live up to their promises? Are their customers satisfied with their service and their product? If there were any issues that arose, how did the company resolve those issues? The important things to look for here are not just product quality and customer service, but also the ability to follow up on issues. Things can go wrong with any project, and it doesn’t mean the company is bad. A company is worth considering if it is capable of resolving problems that arise out of the blue. Going through the long list of solar energy companies is not an easy task, but if you have your list of things to consider when looking for the best solar energy company then it might not be as hard as you expected it to be. If you want to save more in the future then the best thing that you can do is to research beforehand. Read more on Solar Energy Companies: Selecting The Best…

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Saving Money Using Solar Power Systems

These days, more and more people are turning to solar power systems to provide electricity to their homes and businesses. Not only is solar electricity a renewable energy source that reduces harmful emissions and spares the environment, but after the initial investment to install the system in your building, going solar can reduce your expenses considerably. Here is a summary on how the system works and in what ways this solar power system can help you reduce your expenses on electricity. INITIAL INVESTMENT Unless you are an expert in solar power, then installing a solar power system in your home on your own may not be a good idea after all. You need the professionals to do the designing and installation for you in order to get the most out of your solar power system. Have a company specializing in solar installation assess your structure and customize a system for you. It will be them who will determine where the panels should be placed in order to be to gather as much solar power as possible, generate more electricity and safely connect your system to the local power grid. It might cost more up front, but if you’re willing to invest more at this stage, you’ll greatly improve your savings (and safety) over the long run. Additionally, the government now offers generous tax incentives for solar power system installation, so this can also reduce your initial investment. HOW IT CAN HELP YOU SAVE You get to save more money in several ways by installing solar power systems. Here are some of the ways that you get to save money: 1. You get to save on monthly electrical bills because you generate your own electric supply. Every day (even on most cloudy days), your solar panels will absorb energy from the sun, and your power system will convert that into usable electricity. Every kilowatt hour you use of your own solar-generated electricity is a kilowatt hour you don’t draw from your local power grid. The simple analogy is an obvious illustration of how it helps decrease your expenses. Moreover, in cases you run short on your solar energy supply, you can still draw electricity from the local power grid, so you do not have to worry of ending up in darkness. 2. You’ll save by sending excess electricity back through the grid. There are times when you get to produce more power than what you actually need. What is great about the solar energy that you have today is your ability to send back extra energy to the local power grid which then reverses your electric meter. The electric company that supplies your electricity will show their gratitude by deducting the same amount it charges per kilowatt hour from your monthly electrical bill. In essence, you’re selling your extra solar energy to the power company, or storing it as credit for days you need to draw from the grid. This adds significantly to your savings because none of your solar energy is wasted. Obviously, you get to save more by using solar power systems and these savings do not take long to start piling up. Think about it, what you are doing is also environment friendly. Read more on Saving Money Using Solar Power Systems…

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The Advantages of Using Solar Electricity

There are a lot of misconceptions out there with home and business owners about switching to solar electricity . “It’s not cost effective,” “It’s unsightly,” and “It doesn’t save that much electricity” are just a few of them. However, most of those misconceptions simply aren’t true anymore, particularly with advances made in the technology and the accommodations being made for solar power as it becomes more mainstream. In fact, numerous advantages have been identified for using solar electricity. Here are just a few of them. It Really Does Save Money If you’re willing to invest up front and have a solar power system customized for your home or business, solar electricity really can save you considerably in the long run. The main point of having this system personalized is because the experts can design in such a way that you will be able to get the most out of it. When it’s done right, you can often generate more electricity per day than you can actually use. This does not only keep you from consuming electricity from the power grid but the extra power the you did not use can be sent back to the power grid and help you save money. Plus, the government is now encouraging the use of solar electricity by offering generous tax incentives for people who install solar in their homes and businesses-so even the initial investment is not as much. It is Environment Friendly This means that this kind of electricity does not generate harmful pollutants because it is a clean and renewable source energy. This energy source is very abundant and it is capable of providing electricity that can last four to five years. Remember that a kilowatt hour used using solar electricity is equivalent to a kilowatt hour produced without burning fossil fuels, which translates to reduced pollution and slows down the depletion of natural resources. The more difference it will make if more people will start using it. It is Stable Some people think you can only use solar energy on sunny days; that’s not really true. Solar energy can be collected on most cloudy days, as well, although not as much as in direct sunlight. If the panels are strategically placed you will be able to gather more energy that you can use and at times when gathering energy is not so good, you can always use the power produced by the local power grid. As you can see, there are actually many benefits to switching to solar electricity , and it is easier now to do than ever before. If you’re willing to make the investment, you’ll save money and help save the environment in the long run. Read more on The Advantages of Using Solar Electricity…

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Future of Alternative Energy May Rely on Battery Costs

Share There is so much happening in the technology of new energy sources these days but connecti8ng them all together to function is a key element that is being researched these days. This excerpt from research being done in the Northwest is one example. Another is a big wind project slated for development down in Australia has gotten derailed because the plan for interconnecting it the the power grid was deemed flimsy. Read more on Future of Alternative Energy May Rely on Battery Costs… tramadol 100mg

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Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars vs Electric Cars – Which Is Really The Car Of The Future?

Gary Ruplinger asked: With gas prices being so high, alternative fuel vehicles have become a popular topic. Two of the types of vehicles that tend to get a lot of press are the hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles and electric powered vehicles. Both are lauded as the way of the future But which of these two options are really has the better chance of being the car your children drive. Let’s look at hydrogen fuel cells first. When burned in an engine, the only emissions giving off is water, so a hydrogen powered vehicle is a zero emission vehicle. Hydrogen is also a better fuel than gasoline, it actually has the highest energy content per unit of weight of any known fuel. Hydrogen is also a very abundant element. While current methods for making hydrogen are done by using fossil fuels, such as natural gas, coal, and oil, American wouldn’t be dependent on foreign oil anymore. Also, hydrogen can be extracted from water, and we all know there’s a lot of water on this planet. However, hydrogen is not without its share of drawbacks. Probably the biggest problem right now is that it would require an entire new infrastructure. While gas stations could be outfitted with hydrogen fueling stations that would take years. Also, the technology to store hydrogen efficiently is still not ready for prime time. Then there’s the electric car. Electric cars can also be considered zero emission vehicles since they give off no emission when running. However, electric cars do require power from the electric grid, which does give off emissions. As the electric grid gets cleaner, though, so do electric cars, and electric powered cars are substantially less polluting than gasoline powered cars due to the fact that power plants are far cleaner and more efficient than an internal combustion engine in a vehicle. The technology for mainstream electric cars is also not quite ready for all the major manufacturers to stop making gasoline powered cars, but it’s much closer than hydrogen currently is. The challenge with electric cars right now is the batteries. The batteries are both expensive and current models, like the Tesla Roadster, have a range of only 250 miles – great for commuting, but not so good for road trips. The other problem is the length of time these vehicles take to charge. It’s not simply a matter stopping at your local power station and plugging in for five minutes and leaving. A typical charging cycle for current prototypes is 4-5 hours – again, fine if you’re commuting, but impossible for a road trip. While technology is being developed to make charging your vehicle as quick as quick as filling up with gas, it has a ways to go before it’s ready, just like hydrogen fuel cells. Fleets of electric cars will certainly be hitting the roads sooner hydrogen fuel cell cars, but which one ultimately ends up being the vehicle of choice for American drivers remains to be seen as both have plenty of challenges to overcome before people will readily give up their cheap gas powered cars in favor of these alternatives. Read more on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars vs Electric Cars – Which Is Really The Car Of The Future?…

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Why You Should Opt For A Condesing Boiler To Heat Your House

To comprehend how efficient condensing boilers are it is crucial to understand how they operate. Whether you have a standard boiler which operates to heat just your residence or a combination boiler that not only heats your residence but the hot water you use, these products use some kind of fuel to work. This can be in the form of gas, oil or electricity. They also create some kind of exhaust, which needs to be vented out of your residence or place of business. If your utilizing gas boilers , they vent gases which possess toxins that go into the atmosphere, no matter how efficient the boiler is. The real difference between a condensing boiler and a regular boiler is, in the case of a condensing boiler, the initial exhaust is recirculated back again into the system, helping to keep your residence warm and your water hot. This helps the effectiveness make the boiler run;which makes the boiler itself not only work better, but lowers the need to use as much fuel to make the boiler run. It is crucial to note that this is just the simple version of how a condensing boiler performs, there is much more in depth data online or through your local retailer. So to reply to the query of how efficient a condensing boiler is. Most typical boiler systems possess an efficiency rating of up to 80%, whilst a condensing boiler is up to 98% efficient, depending on the product, but you can anticipate at least 90% efficiency. This implies in real terms that your running expenses will be lower, your boiler will last longer, and your electricity bills will be less. In environmental terms, it also means that less air pollution is put into the atmosphere. Does this mean that you should run out and get a new condensing boiler for your residence? It truly depends on the age of your current system. If your current boiler is out dated and you are discovering that your bills are high this may be a consideration. Understand that these types of boilers may be a little more costly initially, but over long run they will pay for themselves. In today’s environmentally conscious world, a lot of areas have guidelines and regulation about boilers and a lot of houses that are being constructed have to have condensing boiler systems installed instead of their traditional counterparts. It is important to realize that these boilers are much more efficient, but there are also other elements to consider. One is the fuel that powers them. If you have an electric boiler, while it requires much more time for your house and/or water to get up to a comfortable temperature, these are considered the most efficient. Natural gas, and propane is the next step down, but are running pretty even with oil fired boilers. An oil fired condensing boiler can be a great viable choice for a variety of reasons. Newer oil boilers are state of the art and use the oil as effectively as possible, in addition to being condensing. They also can use recycled oil, which includes cooking oil, so you can do your part for a better environment. Read more on Why You Should Opt For A Condesing Boiler To Heat Your House…

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