May 30th, 2009 | Posted in
Solar | No Comments
Lasers can contribute to optimizing the manufacturing costs and the efficiency of solar cells. The question is how? The answer, in a few words, is by drilling very small holes in solar cells at very high speeds. Currently, researchers from Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technologies in Achen, Germany, are able to drill 3000 holes per second, with a further plan to achieve 10,000 holes per second.
Guided laser beam cuts thousands of holes per second. (Image credit: Fraunhofer ILT)
By drilling tiny holes in the wafers (about 50 microns in diameter), contacts in solar cells can be moved to the back, removing electrodes which currently act as a dark grid and absorb light, which creates a whole lot more energy absorption area and increases energy yield significantly. The goal is to achieve 20% energy efficiency.
This is not the only application of laser technology for manufacturing solar cells. Lasers can and will be used for other processes that will make solar cell production cheaper. Using lasers means no, or less, contact with the silicon based materials, which reduces breakage and damage drastically. In thin film manufacturing, the use of lasers greatly improves thin film solar cell efficiency. The latest research into this technology brings a high-pulse laser that is ideal for ablating thin film layers, without heating the material, and the ability to process a 2 by 3 meter panel in under two minutes.
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May 30th, 2009 | Posted in
Geothermal | No Comments
Copahue volcano in Argentina. (Image credit: Birgit Junk on Flickr)
Copahue, otherwise known for a popular resort with thermal springs, may soon also become known for a geothermal power plant nearby. The area is about 370 km northwest of the Neuquen, the provincial capital, and the site for the new geothermal project, a mine, is another 10 km away, residing on an altitude of about 2000 meters.
Project specification and bid terms are available from May 28 for about USD 6700 from the province's office in Buenos Aires. All bids submitted will be opened on July 13 this year. The total investment is estimated at about USD 60 million.
Argentina has significant geothermal potential, mostly along the hude Andes mountain range, on the western border of the country.
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May 29th, 2009 | Posted in
Solar | No Comments
An agreement between BP Solar and RGE Energy will develop some 66 MW of solar energy projects in Germany, one of which by itself will account for 46 MW of installed solar power. BP Solar is going to supply crystalline PV modules with an "innovative" energy guarantee. The 46 MW solar power plant will be built in Koethen, Saxony-Anhalt, featuring about 210,000 crystalline PV modules with an output of 220 Wp each supplied by BP Solar, and installed by RGE Energy.
The project is planned for Q3 2009, with the approval procedure being processed currently. The new solar power plant will deliver 43 GWh annually, and will supply 11,500 households with power. Other projects include a 15 MW solar power plant at Eberswalde airport, and an option for another 15 MW of solar power.
The mentioned "innovative" guarantee include yield for the solar modules installed in projects. This kind of guarantee was thus far reserved for BP Solar installed turn-key projects. The guarantee basically means that if installed solar modules fail to deliver the promised energy output, BP Solar will cover the difference on the basis of the currently valid feed-in tariff.
Even though BP Solar has recently announced it is changing direction in their solar energy operations, the company has remained a player in the solar energy arena. It has just made a joint agreement with SolarEdge to include their integrated power harvesting system into BP Solar modules which will maximize energy generation and reduce complexity and costs. BP Solar is working on integrating active electronics directly into their modules.
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May 29th, 2009 | Posted in
Solar | No Comments
A long-term supply agreement was signed between First Solar and Pfalzsolar, a German solar project developer owned by Pfalzwerke AG, for the supply of First Solar's PV modules to Pfalzsolar, starting immediately, for use in rooftop installations and free-field solar projects in Germany.
Both companies see this as a great opportunity for collaboration. First Solar sees a greater interest in local utility developers, who are now starting to see solar power as an important part of the energy portfolio, while Pfalzsolar finds advantage in being able to offer high-performance modules at competitive prices.
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May 29th, 2009 | Posted in
General | No Comments
Turkey has significant geothermal energy potential.
This is the first ever financing for renewable energy development that came from the World Bank, and it goes to Turkey. The country will receive USD 600 million for developing renewable energy projects, which will significantly improve country development, and more particularly inject capital into the development of numerous geothermal projects in the country.
The main goal of the finance project is to aid in the increase of privately owned and operated energy generation from renewable sources available in the country, within the market based framework provided by the Turkish Electricity Market Law. This will help enhance energy efficiency.
Turkey is experiencing a great increase in electricity demand due to the country's economic growth in the past years. It is now between a rock and a hard place – higher energy consumption means higher carbon output from fossil fuels, so renewable energy is needed to provide the much needed electricity, but reduce carbon emissions. The new development will tap into the country's large potential from hydro, wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and other resources. Measures for reducing energy consumption are also part of the effort.
Five hundred million will come from the World Bank, while another hundred million will come from the Clean Technology Fund.
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May 29th, 2009 | Posted in
Solar | No Comments
Image credit: Solarstrom
The Czech Republic has already been identified by renewable energy companies as the most interesting new solar energy market in Europe. The latest development to support such an opinion is a new 13 Mw solar power plant to be built in Stříbro, Plzeň district (known also as the home of the beer), by Solarstrom AG, from Freiburg, Germany. The plant is to be commissioned in autumn this year.
Solarstrom is planning to build a free-standing solar power plant, consisting of polycrystalline solar modules. The solar farm will occupy about 30 hectares of area, about 30 km to the west of Plzeň. The electrical energy produced will be equivalent to the power needs of about 3100 households.
Czech Republic legislation guarantess low feed-in tariffs, at a level of about EUR 0.48, and this should remain so for the next 20 years. The new plant is Solarstrom's largest solar project yet, and represents an important step towards strengthening the company's presence in Europe. Solarstrom also has projects in Germany and Italy.
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May 29th, 2009 | Posted in
Solar | No Comments
Applied Materials announced that their SunFab Thin Film Line 5.7 m2 solar photovoltaic modules, claimed to be the largest in the world, have received IEC certification. International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) certification has been awarded after extensive outdoor exposure. This opens a wide area of possibilities for the SunFab modules to be incorporated in utility scale solar power projects, further driving down the price of solar electricity.
TÜV InterCert awarded the certificate itself, confirming SunFab module compliance with IEC standards 61646 abd 61730.
According to TÜV InterCert, the SunFab modules were four times bigger than solar modules the company has tested so far, and further praised the module's mechanical and electrical integrity with regard to their large size.
One of the characteristics that enables the newly certified module to maintain positive characteristics under harsh outdoor conditions is the innovative integrated bonded rail support structure, which strengthens the module. This way it can withstand wind and seismic forces while reducing installation costs.
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May 28th, 2009 | Posted in
Wind | No Comments
Wind speeds at 50 m height in Ireland.
The new wind farm will be a project worth about EUR 200 million. Located on Mount Callan, near Co Clare, the wind farm will provide electricity for Clare and half of Co Limerick.
The new company, West Clare Renewable Energy, the developer of the future wind farm, will be owned mostly by 30 farm families. They collectively run over 3000 acres of land on Mount Callan, between Ennis and Miltown Malbay, where 30 wind turbines are planned to be erected, each with 3 MW of power capacity, making the total planned installed capacity 90 MW.
Construction is expected to last about two and a half years, and will provide some 300 jobs. This project will help reverse depopulation of the area, as well as reduce the amount of energy generated by fossil fuels.
Currently, Ireland satisfies its energy by getting as much as 90% of energy from fossil fuels, spending billions of euro annually on fuel imports.
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May 28th, 2009 | Posted in
Solar | No Comments
SunPower announced its T5 Solar Roof Tile. Claimed by the company to be the most powerful solar rooftop system in the industry, the system doubles the energy per squared meter generated compared to systems mounted onto flat rooftops. In combination with SunPower's 96-cell solar panels, the T5 produces the industry's maximum solar energy per roof and provides great energy savings.
This is the industry's first all-in-one non penetrating rooftop product that combines a solar panel, frame and mounting system into a single pre-engineered product. The interlocking solar tiles provide wind resistence and a secure installation. The design is further adaptable to any flat or low-slope rooftop surface. The whole assembly is made from an engineered glass filled non-reactive polymer which eliminates the need for electrical grounding of the array. This makes the T5 easier and faster to install.
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May 28th, 2009 | Posted in
Geothermal | No Comments
President Obama announced USD 467 million from the Recovery Act as aimed towards financing development, deployment and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the US. This is a substantial injection of capital that will help geothermal and solar overcome obstacles that have slowed down development, but also provide financing for demonstration new technologies. Development in geothermal and solar power will also bring employment, as well as increase American competitiveness, while moving towards a cleaner economy.
Energy Secretary Chu announced the governement wants to put millions of people to work by investing in clean energy technology like geothermal and solar, a formidable goal to say the least.
US geothermal resources map. (Image credit: EERE)
Geothermal technology development will receive about USD 350 million in new investments, which is a gigantic increase compared to government commitments in this area so far. The money will be used to support geothermal projects in these four crucial areas – geothermal demo projects, enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) research, innovative exploration techniques and a National Geothermal Data System, Resource Assessment and Classification System.
Solar energy will receive about USED 117.6 million mostly for scaling up production and distribution so solar can become more competitive with other sources of energy. Activities towards commercializing solar energy across the US will leverage partnerships including DOE's national laboratories, universities, local government and the private sector.
For a more detailed breakdown of what the money will be used for in geothermal and solar energy development, see this page.
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