All About Solar | Green Energy News

April 16, 2006 – Vol.11 No.4

All ABOUT SOLAR.

This week’s news...

According to EUFORES (the European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources) latest Barometer on PV (photovoltaics), nearly 645 megawatts of solar photovoltaic power was installed in European Union member countries in 2005. The new installations were an increase of more than 18 percent over 2004 when more than 546 megawatts were installed in the 25 nations.

Germany was the solar leader in 2005, accounting for more than 600 megawatts installed in 05.

EUFORES says that more solar capacity would have been installed had more raw materials been available to make solar cells. As of the end of 2005, 1793.5 MW of solar photovoltaic power has been installed in the EU. Visit EUFORES at http://www.eufores.org/ for the new Photovoltaic Barometer 2006.

Arizona Public Service (APS), Solargenix and Schott North America have jointly announced the dedication of Saguaro Solar Generating Station, the first solar thermal power plant to be completed in 17 years.

The one-megawatt, 100,000 square foot facility has six, 1200-foot rows of parabolic trough receivers whose mirrors focus sunlight on an oil-filled steel pipe encased in a glass tube. Heated to about 550 degrees F, the oil is piped to a power generation block where, through a heat exchanger, the oil vaporizes a working fluid such as isopentane. The gasified working fluid spins a turbine and makes electricity.

The use of a high molecular mass organic compound as a working fluid gives the cycle the name Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). ORCs use require a lower temperature heat transfer fluid to generate power: i.e. less sunlight is needed to make electricity.

Saguaro is the first solar thermal power plant to utilize an ORC.

Solargenix was the system integrator for Saguaro which was built with solar receivers from Schott and power generating equipment from geothermal power specialist Ormat. APS, which will own and operate the power plant, built the facility under Arizona’s Environmental Portfolio Standard which mandates 15 percent of power to be generated from renewables by 2025.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL, which provided technical assistance with the project, predicts that solar thermal power might be cost-competitive with conventional fossil fuel electricity generation as soon as 2020.

Solargenix has broken ground on a similar, 64-megawatt solar thermal power plant near Boulder City, Nevada. Visit Solargenix at http://www.solargenix.com/ , Schott North America at http://www.us.schott.com/ , APS at http://www.aps.com and Ormat at http://www.ormat.com/

Software giant Microsoft has installed a 480-kilowatt solar system at its Silicon Valley Campus. PowerLight, a specialist in large solar systems for corporate clients, installed the 2288 solar panels that were supplied by SunPower. SunPower claims its panels, which incorporate the company’s high-efficiency A-300 cells, can generate up to 50-percent more power per square foot than competing panels. The all-black cells operate at about 20 percent solar to electric conversion rate, according to the company.

SunPower has a long term supply agreement with PowerLight.

The power from the solar system, which is the largest in Silicon Valley, is used to offset peak demand. Visit Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/ , PowerLight at http://www.powerlight.com/ , SunPower at http://www.sunpowercorp.com/

Footware and apparel maker Timberland has installed a 400-kilowatt solar system atop its distribution center in Ontario, California.

The system will be the primary source of electricity for the center, providing 60 percent of its electricity. The system uses panels from Sharp Solar and was designed, engineered and installed by Northern Power.

Timberland utilizes renewable energy at some of its other facilities including wind, waste steam and small-scale hydro-power sources for its European Distribution Center in Enschede, Holland, and wind generated electricity and solar thermal water heating at its Dominican Republic manufacturing facility. Visit Timberland at http://www.timberland.com/ , Sharp Solar at http://www.sharpusa.com/ .

Suntech Power of China has been awarded a contract to provide 130 kilowatts of solar for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Solar panels will be installed at each ot the 12 entrances at Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium, the main stadium for the Olympic games.

The company, which began operations in 2002, claim to be one of the world’s top ten in terms of solar cell production as of the end of 2004. The company has its sights set on being the world’s lowest cost producer of photovoltaic solar power. Visit Suntech at http://www.suntech-power.com/