Seven Days of Solar 12-18-11 | Green Energy News

January 15, 2012 – Vol.16 No.44

SEVEN DAYS OF SOLAR 12-18-11.

Eventually a breakthrough will be found to dramatically increase the efficiency of photovoltaic cells to make solar as cheap as coal.

Maybe this is it!

From a Natcore Technology press release:

“Natcore Technology has been granted a patent license agreement from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop and commercialize a line of black silicon products--including equipment, chemicals, and solar cells---based on NREL patents. The license grants Natcore exclusivity in the field of diffused emitters with liquid phase passivation.

"Black silicon" refers to the apparent color of the surface of a silicon wafer after it has been etched with nano-scale pores; the black color results from the absence of reflected light from the porous wafer surface. R&D Magazine awarded the black silicon technology an R&D 100 Award in 2010, identifying it as one of the top 100 technological innovations of the year.

“A panel made from black silicon solar cells will produce a significantly greater amount of energy (KwHrs) on a daily basis than will a panel made from cells using the industry standard thin film coating, not only because the reflectance is lower but also because the angular dependence of the reflectance from black silicon is much lower as well. The latter fact means a black silicon panel will perform better during the morning and afternoon hours when the sun hits at an angle and will also outperform standard cell panels on cloudy days. The combination of lower cost and higher energy output per kilowatt of installed array peak power should quickly make black silicon the antireflection control technology of choice in the industry.

“For solar cells, minimum reflectivity is desirable because sunlight that is reflected, rather than absorbed, is "wasted." The reflectivity of a polished silicon wafer surface approaches 40 percent, giving the wafer its shiny appearance. Adding the industry's typical antireflective coating reduces the average reflectivity to approximately 6 percent and gives the cells their distinctive dark blue color. The black silicon process has been shown by Natcore scientists and NREL researchers to reduce average reflectivity to less than 1.5 percent.

"Black silicon solar cells have been studied since the 1980s because of their potential for significantly improved performance compared to standard production cells. But a key obstacle to turning their increased light absorption into increased power output is a significantly increased area of exposed silicon on the sidewalls of the pores and on the small mesas that remain at the top surface of the wafer itself. This increased area must be passivated, or treated to keep it from trapping the light-generated electric charges as they migrate toward the contacts of the solar cell, a process that robs the cell of output power.

"The NREL license contains a development and commercialization plan that establishes technical and market milestones for Natcore, along with a royalty structure. These are subject to confidentiality provisions set by the parties. The technical milestones include solar cell efficiency goals, some of which are to be met by August of 2012. The market milestones include commercial sale dates and dollar targets. The agreement is dated December 12, 2011, and is effective for as long as the NREL patents are enforceable."

Natcore Technology http://www.natcoresolar.com

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During the week beginning December 18, 2011, this publication received news announcements regarding 660 kilowatts (kW) of solar energy projects completed and more than 239 megawatts (MW) in the development pipeline.

Completed.

--- Enphase Energy’s Microinverter System is powering a 660 kW solar farm located near Delavan, Wisconsin, the second largest solar installation in the state. Convergence Energy, a Wisconsin-based full-service integrator of solar energy systems, developed the 14-acre site, which is the first in Wisconsin to allow qualified individuals to own part of a solar farm. Referred to by Convergence as Networked Solar, those who may not otherwise be able to go solar, due to space restrictions or other issues on their properties, can still derive the potential economic and environmental benefits of a solar installation.

Enphase Energy http://www.enphase.com

In the development pipeline.

--- The California Public Utilities Commission approved Pacific Gas and Electric Company's 25-year contract to purchase 150 MW of renewable power from Sempra Generation's Copper Mountain Solar 2 project in Boulder City, Nevada.

Sempra Generation announced that construction on the 1,100-acre solar plant will begin this year.The first 92 MW of solar panels at Copper Mountain Solar 2 are expected to be installed by year-end 2012, with the remaining 58 MW slated for completion by 2015. Under the terms of the contract, PG&E has the option to accelerate the commercial operation date of the second phase.

First Solar will provide the ground mounted thin film panels and serve as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the solar project.

Sempra Generation http://www.sempra.com
First Solar http://www.firstsolar.com
Pacific Gas and Electric http://www.pge.com

--- Google, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (together with its affiliates, “KKR”), and Recurrent Energy have announced an investment in a portfolio of solar photovoltaic (PV) facilities serving the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), of California

The four solar PV facilities included in the transaction will provide 88 MW of power to SMUD and were the first to be awarded as part of the utility's feed-in tariff program (FIT) introduced in January 2010. Construction on three of the Sacramento area projects will be complete early in 2012, with the fourth coming online later in the year.

Google’s investment in these projects brings its total invested to more than $915 million in renewable energy projects. This represents Google’s first investment in the U.S. in utility scale solar PV.

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. http://www.kkr.com
Recurrent Energy http://www.recurrentenergy.com
Google http://www.google.com/about.html

--- NRG and The Kraft Group have announced a comprehensive sustainable energy supply agreement for Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution, and Patriot Place, The Kraft Group’s shopping, dining, and entertainment destination in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Under the agreement, NRG will triple the amount of clean, renewable solar power generated at Patriot Place. The Kraft Group and NRG will also pursue the addition of a full-sized wind turbine that would elevate Patriot Place to be one of the largest renewable power installations at a major sports venue in the United States. In addition, NRG will provide all the additional power for the nearly 70,000-seat stadium and the more than one-million-square-foot retail and entertainment complex.

The new, custom-designed one-megawatt solar power installation will provide up to 60% of Patriot Place’s power. A combination of standard and translucent solar panels will partially cover Patriot Place’s outdoor walkways, generating power while providing shade and cover for visitors throughout the year. Additional rooftop panels will provide more power, bringing the expected annual output of the new solar power system to 1.1 million kilowatt hours.

The new PV project is in addition to an existing 525-kilowatt photovoltaic power system at Patriot Place, creating one of the largest solar power systems at an NFL stadium. Construction of the new system is expected to be complete in time for the 2012-2013 NFL season.

The Kraft Group http://www.thekraftgroup.com
NRG http://www.nrgenergy.com