Solar ... In the news

Martyn1981

Interesting article here looking at the value of PV (small to large scale) when you take all factors into account.

Solar Surprise: Small-Scale Solar A Better Deal Than Big

ASavvyBuyer

I saw this on the main Energy forum and thought it was worth reposting here for info:

"I've got a letter here from Mayor of London & Solar Together talking about registering for a London-wide group buying scheme for solar panels.

Their website is www.solartogetherlondon.co.uk and claims around 2000 people have signed up for it so far. Also seems to be supported by my local council which has its own page: www.solartogetherlondon.co.uk/brent which redirects to a page on my council's website.

What do people on MSE think of this?

PS there's a timetable:
Registration opens – 1 March 2018
Auction takes place – 18 April 2018
Personalised offers sent out – early May 2018
Acceptance ends 15 June 2018
Installations take place – June to December 2018"

theboylard

Their estimates for savings on energy usage are massively over rated?!

Reads like a typical sales trick, thats a bit shoddy by the mayors office.

[B]Earnings & savings[/B]             [B]Rate per kWh[/B]            [B]Amount of kWh[/B]          [B]Income[/B]
 Savings on energy (50%)        [I]16[/I] p                              [I]1980[/I] kWh                   [I]£316[/I] 
          Generation Tariff                      [I]3.85[/I] p                           [I]3960[/I] kWh               [I]£152[/I] 
Export Tariff (50%)                  [I]5.03[/I] p                           [I]1980[/I] kWh                  [I]£100[/I]           
    [CENTER][B][I]                                                             £568[/I][/B]
[/CENTER]

theboylard

Layout on this forum is awful!!

Martyn1981

Talking about PV import duties (as we were recently), here's some more news with German panel manufacturer SolarWorld going bankrupt again.

They can't compete against the removal of the MIP (in the future) and ironically because they sell to the US, so will be hit by their recent import tariff announcement.

Whilst it is of course sad to see a loss of manufacturing jobs in the EU, it's important to recognise that very few are employed in the manufacturing, whereas 100's of thousands are employed in the solar industry, and associated supply chains.

Similarly, the number of US jobs in the manufacturing of PV panels peaked at 1,200, whilst 250,000 are employed in the solar industry.

SolarWorld heads back into insolvency

Martyn1981

Big investments in PV planned by the Saudi's, and I mean BIG!

SoftBank, Saudi sign incredulous 200 GW solar MOU – comment

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and Japan-based SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, to establish the world’s largest solar PV energy project by 2030. How likely it is to materialize, and what will be done with the power, if it it is realized, however, remains to be seen. Of more interest, says BNEF, is the first 7.2 GW phase.

Bloomberg further reports that up to US$200 billion could be invested in the 200 GW project which, if realized, would be 100 times bigger than any other planned PV project – the announced 2 GW Solar Choice Bulli Creek PV Plant in Australia and the permited 2 GW Helios PV Plant Phase 1 in Greece – and a third more than what the entire PV industry produced, globally, in 2017.

zeupater

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Big investments in PV planned by the Saudi's, and I mean BIG!

SoftBank, Saudi sign incredulous 200 GW solar MOU – comment

Hi

Isn't this the 'massive' project that's been on the horizon for a few years? ... I seem to remember articles introducing the concept of Saudi Arabia processing bauxite & smelting aluminium at source using large scale solar energy was a development option to reduce the country's exposure to weakening oil prospects ...

HTH
Z

Martyn1981

Tesla Begins Rolling Out Solar Roof Tile Installations In California

Several reports from customers on Twitter show that Tesla Solar Roof installations are starting to get out into the wild, with non-Tesla employees and even customers without a Tesla now getting rooftops full of Tesla’s Solar Roof Tiles.

The installations are exciting to see, as they show that the product is real and that Tesla is testing the waters with its product in low volumes with customers near its factory in Fremont, California. Additionally, it’s fun because we get our first real look into the installation process and the final product itself.

Martyn1981

Council turns to solar to tackle fuel poverty for 500 households

North Ayrshire Council has approved a plan to install rooftop solar on up to 500 properties in its housing stock to save residents up to £115 within the first year.

The council’s cabinet approved the plan as part of its Environmental Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy and its strategy to tackle fuel poverty.

Cabinet member for place, councillor Jim Montgomerie, said: “We know that many our tenants struggle to make ends meet and rising energy prices place so much pressure on families, particularly those on low incomes.

Martyn1981

PV at 33% efficiency, but don't expect mass production for another 5-10yrs.

Fraunhofer ISE announces 33% efficiency for multi-junction solar cell

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and equipment manufacturer, EVG have achieved a new efficiency record of 33.3% for a silicon-based multiple solar cell.

The researchers achieved the high conversion efficiency with 0.002 millimeter thin semiconductor layers – less than a twentieth of the thickness of a hair – from III-V compound semiconductors, which were deposited onto a silicon solar cell.

“The layer of the comparatively expensive III-V semiconductor material is so thin that ultimately the material costs are no obstacle,” Frank Dimroth from Fraunhofer ISE told pv magazine. With the success that has now been achieved, Fraunhofer aims to demonstrate the potential of the technology, which achieves a significantly higher degree of efficiency compared to conventional silicon cells.