Solar ... In the news 7 January 2013 at 5:36PM edited 7 January 2013 at 5:48PM in Green & ethical MoneySaving 3.2K replies 466.6K views

zeupater

Hi All

Thought it was about time we had a thread specifically to discuss relevant press articles relating to solar pv & thermal ..... so here goes ...

Z

zeupater

First article ....

"Over 300 small Chinese solar companies stopped operating in 2012"
http://www.pv-tech.org/news/over_300_small_chinese_solar_companies_stopped_operating_in_2012_says_enf

.... looks like a number of customers will be sitting on a pretty meaningless warranty, but the good news is that "Crystalline-based module prices stood at €0.68/Wp (US$0.92) in December 2011 but by December 2012 had fallen to just €0.46/Wp (US$0.60)." ....

HTH
Z

The_Green_Hornet

Warren Buffet has invested between $2 and $2.5 billion in two SunPower solar photovoltaic power plant projects in California.

Warren Buffett In $2 Billion Solar Deal

There's money in them thar panels.

jamesingram

I believe California has some kind of FITs scheme about to start ?

Martyn1981

Hiya, not exactly news as this article is 10 months old. But it gives a lot of info, especially supply & demand curve economics in a very neat package.

Also the PV install graph (near the bottom) is up to date.

http://carbonclear.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/uk-feed-in-tariff-shifting-demand-curve.html

Mart.

Cardew

The_Green_Hornet wrote: »

Warren Buffet has invested between $2 and $2.5 billion in two SunPower solar photovoltaic power plant projects in California.

Warren Buffett In $2 Billion Solar Deal

There's money in them thar panels.

The peak period in many of the 'sunshine states' in the USA is when it is hottest, and Aircon is flat out.

P.S.
Pity Warren Buffet doesn't realise that solar farms are not as efficient as small sub 4kWp systems on roofs of houses;)

Cardew

jamesingram wrote: »

I believe California has some kind of FITs scheme about to start ?

I think that they have had Solar PV FIT since 2008, there is a new system for Poor Communities'

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/06/california-feed-in-tariff-for-poor-communities-passes-assembly

I have no idea how the system works, but got the impression it wasn't aimed at private dwellings.

My elder brother has lived in California(in one of the hottest regions) for many years and he doesn't know anyone who has Solar PV on their property. He has, like many others, solar thermal for his swimming pool.

Martyn1981

jamesingram wrote: »

I believe California has some kind of FITs scheme about to start ?

Some Californ i a news:

http://pvsolarreport.com/

"Q3 2012 California Residential Sales & Install Report - Nearly 11,000 California homeowners signed up to install over 66MW of home solar. Completed installations topped 45MW for the quarter, with nearly 8,000 residential installations completed. This marks the largest residential solar sales and installations quarter in the history of California."

and:

http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/california--new-roofs-must-be-solar-ready-from-2014_100007010/#axzz2HOWrzoYC

"The California Energy Commission has introduced new energy efficient standards for all new residential and commercial buildings. The new measures mean that from January 1, 2014, all new buildings must have solar-ready roofs."

Mart.

zeupater

Hi

Information for US solar incentives .... Federal & by state ....

http://www.pvpower.com/SolarIncentives.html

Interesting to note that despite the USA having been such a slow starter, California alone now has a similar installed capacity to the UK.

HTH
Z

grahamc2003

zeupater wrote: »

Hi

Information for US solar incentives .... Federal & by state ....

http://www.pvpower.com/SolarIncentives.html

Interesting to note that despite the USA having been such a slow starter, California alone now has a similar installed capacity to the UK.

HTH
Z

Not really surprising though. California is almost twice the size of the UK and away from the daily fog of San Fransisco has almost constant sunshine in the daytime for almost all months of the year. Also a very good correlation of generation with air con demand.

zeupater

grahamc2003 wrote: »

Not really surprising though. California is almost twice the size of the UK and away from the daily fog of San Fransisco has almost constant sunshine in the daytime for almost all months of the year. Also a very good correlation of generation with air con demand.

Hi

The issue isn't space available or population density (~2/3 the population on ~2/3 more land, that's a population density of around 40% of what we have) ..... it's simply the rate of increase from what it was when we were debating whether FiTs existed, or not, in the USA about a year or two back ....

.... as for San Francisco, don't believe everything on TV - I spent quite some time around the Bay Area around 20 years ago, it seemed to be much colder and windier around SF itself with some early mist, but cross any of the bay bridges and move inland and the temperature and air clarity increases by the mile .... I've got the requisit pictures of the base of the Golden Gate shrouded in mist with the towers in gleaming sunshine, but needed to get up pretty early to get the best effects ....

HTH
Z