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2009年09月的文章
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September 21, 2009
全球風力機發展進況
Wind Technology Trends: Why Small Steps Matter
Although the current slide in overall wind market demand means 2009 figures are unlikely to match recent booms, the dip has not come at the expense of wind technology innovation.
Ref: by Eize de Vries, Wind Technology Correspondent
London, UK [Renewable Energy World Magazine], 2009/9/16
More than 31,000 MW of new wind capacity was added worldwide in 2008, a record that can be described as an absolute milestone in the modern history of wind power development. Fortunately that build up -- and the dip in overall wind market demand that has followed the financial constraints -- did not take place at the expense of wind industry development nor technology innovation.
The past year has seen another raft of developments and announcements. For instance, from Vestas, the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, comes the new 3-MW V112-3.0 MW. This new turbine, possibly the most important new turbine model introduction since the V90-3.0 MW was launched in 2003, joins the company’s existing range of models from 850 kW to 3 MW along with two other new products announced earlier this year.
Among the features of the V112 are a three-point gearbox support, a permanent magnet-type synchronous generator with full converter, and a 112-metre rotor. Interestingly, this gearbox support solution signals a return to the drivetrain technology principles of the former NEG Micon, and is a mechanical layout that is also widely applied elsewhere in the industry. The switch of design concept is widely viewed as a departure from the lightweight V90-3.0 MW turbine model, which features a compact design with a semi-integrated drivetrain system. Also new from Vestas is the V100-1.8 MW, which builds on the mechanical design principles of the V80-2.0 MW series.
Compared with the V90-3.0 MW, the new V112-3.0 MW turbine offers a 55% larger rotor swept area, while compared with the V80-2.0 MW, the new V100-1.8 MW offers a 56% larger swept area. Both of these Vestas products also present a new 2009 corporate nacelle design, featuring a distinct CoolerTop radiator on top.
Finally, an 850-kW model version with an enlarged 60-metre rotor (V60-850 kW) has been introduced, specifically focused on low and medium wind speed sites in markets such as China.
Moving on from Vestas, US giant GE began series production of its 2.5-MW GE 2.5xl turbine in both Salzbergen, Germany, and Noblejas, Spain, in September 2008. The company’s focus for this machine is initially European wind markets, but a 60 Hz 2.5xl version will be introduced into the US in 2010.
According to a GE spokesperson, the 2.5xl will offer an alternative to the company’s 1.5-MW workhorse series in densely populated US regions with land constraints. There are now more than 13,000 of GE’s 1.5-MW machine in operation, a record number that is expected to hit the 20,000 mark by the end of 2010. Despite dominating the 1.5-MW sector, in the 2- to 3.3-MW segment, GE faces stiff competition from suppliers such as Acciona, Clipper, Fuhrländer, Mitsubishi, Nordex, REpower, Siemens and Vestas.
Meanwhile, GE has taken Japan’s Mitsubishi to court over a dispute related to rights to variable speed technology, allegedly incorporated into Mitsubishi’s 2.4-MW MWT 92 and MWT 95 models, which have been in operation since 2006. This ‘patent war’ reportedly involves three of GE’s patents, and – depending on court rulings – could potentially ban future US imports of these machines. This is but the latest in a series of patent battles. In the early 1990s, a bitter variable speed patent dispute with GE (which lasted until May 2004) left Enercon of Germany banned from the US market. Since 1992 Enercon has marketed variable-speed direct drive turbines with synchronous generators and a full converter, but ownership of the initial 1992 patent during the period to 2004 changed hands from Kenetech, via the one-time Enron Wind, to current holder GE.
The GE patents relating to the current Mitsubishi dispute were awarded in 1992, 2005 and 2008, according to various media reports, while according to Mitsubishi technical specifications, the 2.4 MW MWT turbine series is fitted with a doubly-fed induction generator, of a type widely applied in the wind industry.
Also during 2008, GE Drivetrain Technologies, a unit of GE’s transportation division, entered the wind industry with a new line of IntegraDrive gearboxes. Earlier in 2009, it announced that it was to immediately offer doubly-fed induction and permanent magnet generators to the wind industry in the 2–6 MW power range.
Liquid Cooled
In 2008, Gamesa of Spain experienced only limited growth and the company’s workhorse remains the 2-MW wind turbine series. However, a prototype of the newest addition to the company’s range, the 4.5-MW G128-4.5 MW, has been erected recently at the Cabezo Negro R&D wind farm located in the Jaulín local authority in the Spanish province of Zaragoza. Its product specifications include segmented rotor blades of a record 128-metre rotor diameter and a 120-metre high tower comprising steel and concrete.
The machine is also expected to feature a single rotor bearing, a two-stage gearbox and an in-house designed permanent magnet, medium-speed, synchronous generator. In terms of transport logistics, Gamesa claims that transportation equipment similar to that used for the G8X-2.0 MW turbine series can be re-employed.
Enercon of Germany also saw only minor growth in 2008, yet it remained the world’s undisputed direct-drive market leader, with about 14,400 systems installed. Enercon manufactures wind turbines ranging from 10 kW (E-10) to its E-126 flagship turbine, currently rated at 6 MW. In the past year, one E-10 turbine has been erected in Antarctica, joining two 300 kW E-30 installations installed in 2003.
In the Netherlands, the company completed a major wind farm, comprising 67 units of its 3-MW E-82 (normally rated at 2 MW) and which had been fitted with a newly designed, liquid-cooled annular generator. Several more operate in Germany, but the future prospects of this model remain uncertain.
In early July the company announced an upgrade in the rated capacity of its air-cooled 2.0 MW E-82 volume model to 2.3 MW. Enercon is also engaged in a number of other product development activities that go beyond wind turbines. Examples include wind power storage technologies, integrated power generation solutions (wind, solar, biogas), an Enercon design hydropower plant, a wind–diesel powered E-ship featuring four rotating Flettner-type rotors, and wind-powered water desalination technology.
Suzlon of India is Asia’s largest wind turbine maker and its 2.1-MW S.88 is the company’s main volume model. Suzlon owner Tulsi Tanti has acquired large stakes in REpower of Germany and Belgian gearbox manufacturer Hansen Transmissions. However, according to a 15 June article in The Economic Times of India, Suzlon – forced by a roughly US $2.5 billion (€1.8 billion) debt burden – is exploring the option of selling a large portion or even its entire 61.28% stake in Hansen.
Suzlon also reportedly made a final payment to Portugal-based Martifer Group, thus completing the acquisition of the latter’s stake in the German subsidiary, REpower Systems. This means Suzlon now owns 90.72% of REpower. It is also ‘close to exercising its option to transfer REpower’s technology to emerging markets such as India and China, where Suzlon plans to increase its presence’, according to the report.
Since taking over Bonus Energy in 2004, Siemens has increased annual installations by a factor of six. Initially, turbine assembly and in-house rotor blade manufacture were in Brande, Denmark, but the company spread its wings two years ago by starting blade manufacture in Iowa in the US. This international expansion is now being reinforced again with new nacelle assembly facilities in Kansas, also in the US, and nacelle plus rotor blade production in Shanghai, China.
Siemens erected a new 3.6 MW direct-drive concept turbine model in Denmark during July 2008 and earlier this year (2009) it introduced a 2.3 MW SWT-2.3-101 (rotor diameter: 101 metres) model, which it says is ideally suited for low to medium wind speed sites. Siemens expects the low to medium wind market segment to grow further to reach up to one-third of the total global wind power market during the coming years.
Floating Wind Turbine
June 2009 saw StatoilHydro of Norway and Siemens install the world’s first large-scale floating wind turbine. The installation is located approximately 12 km south-east of Karmøy, Norway, in about 220 metres of water. StatoilHydro developed the Hywind project, while Siemens supplied a SWT-2.3 MW wind turbine with an 82.4-metre rotor diameter and 65-metre hub height. StatoilHydro is also responsible for the floating structure, which consists of a ballasted steel float that extends 100 metres beneath the surface and is fastened to the seabed by three anchor wires.
Hywind technology is designed for installation in water depths of 120–700 metres, which ‘could open up many new offshore wind turbine technology opportunities,’ Siemens says. The partners have also jointly developed a dedicated turbine control system that addresses the special operating conditions of a floating structure. For instance, the system takes advantage of the turbine’s ability to dampen out part of the wave-induced motion of a floating system. The Hywind turbine is expected to commence generating power by mid-July 2009, marking the start of a two-year testing period.
Several Hywind competitors are also at work on floating structures with a wider shallower base and which are designed to be fixed to the seabed with, for instance, ‘tension legs’ (for example Blue H from the Netherlands) or with anchoring (such as Principle Power from the US).
In the ‘conventional’ offshore wind market, wind turbines are put on fixed foundations with maximum water depths of about 50 metres. During 2008 Siemens captured market leadership in this segment and the company has over 600 MW installed in seven offshore projects today. It also has five on-going offshore projects in Denmark and the UK and an order backlog of 3300 MW of turbines.
Regarding the company’s wind technology, the Siemens 3.6-MW SWT-3.6-107 turbine appears to have rapidly developed into the favoured offshore wind industry workhorse. Offshore wind investors claim that in today’s uncertain economic times, wind turbine track record, company reputation and proven financial strength are all key project equipment decision-making factors.
3 MW-class Entrance from the Chinese
Sinovel of China doubled its sales in 2008 and thereby overtook its Chinese competitor GoldWind. As a relatively new wind market entrant, until recently Sinovel relied entirely on a 1.5-MW turbine model, built under an American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) Windtec subsidiary license. In 2007, AMSC announced that it signed a multi-million dollar contract with Sinovel Wind, under which 3-MW and 5-MW wind turbines would be developed. The latest serial product is the 3-MW SL 3000 wind turbine, which has GL certification and, Sinovel says, is now available for commercial onshore as well as offshore applications.
Early in 2008, Goldwind of China acquired a 70% stake in German wind technology developer Vensys Energy AG. The latter has developed series-produced direct-drive turbines of 1.2 MW, 1.5 MW, and 2.5 MW all featuring permanent magnet generators. Goldwind had already commenced series manufacture of the two smaller Vensys sister models in China. Another plan under consideration is to build a wind turbine plant in Germany together with Vensys, involving a total investment of about €5 million ($7 million), but the current project status is unknown.
Four years after having launched its 1.5-MW AW-1500 turbine series, Acciona Windpower of Spain introduced a 3-MW AW-3000 series in 2008. This latter machine comes with three different rotor sizes, including a record 116-metre diameter version. Acciona currently has four production facilities, two in Spain, one in China, and one in the US.
Nordex of Germany continues to grow faster than the world market and in 2008 installed a record 1075 MW. Nordex currently produces both 1.5-MW turbines and their rotor blades in China, whereas the 2.5-MW N80/N90 product family and matching blades are supplied from Rostock, Germany. This HQ location is currently being substantially expanded too. Having left the US wind market in 2003, Nordex made a re-entry in 2008. New US production facilities are planned in Jonesboro, in Arkansas, where N90/N100 nacelle assembly (some 750 MW annually) is to commence in 2010 supplemented by rotor blade manufacture in 2012. The latest N100-2500 features an enlarged 100-metre rotor.
Power-rating World Record in Development
During the past year, REpower Systems of Germany introduced two new geared wind turbine models. First is a new 3.3-MW 3.XM land installation with 104-metre rotor and a three-point gearbox support solution. The second is a scaled-up 6M offshore turbine. Furthermore, the company erected three 6M prototypes at an onshore location earlier this year. Built on the proven 5-MW 5M (whose prototype was launched in 2004) design principles, 6M turbines will be fitted with new REpower-designed rotor blades, but will retain the 126-metre rotor diameter of the 5M model. The new flagship turbine is designed for 6.15 MW continuous electrical output, a record.
DarWinD is a Dutch company founded in 2006 that developed a 5 MW-class direct-drive offshore turbine with 115-metre rotor diameter. With a top head mass (nacelle + rotor) of only about 265 tonnes, the installation is a genuine lightweight in its class.
Converteam, one of DarWinD’s two main shareholders, designed and manufactures the permanent magnet-type generator. However, DarWinD’s second main shareholder, sustainable energy company Econcern (NL), recently (June 2009) filed for bankruptcy. DarWinD itself went bankrupt early July, creating uncertainty over the project’s planning – a first prototype planned at the end of 2009 and a second during the first quarter of 2010 – and the company’s future. Besides two Asian contenders, an undisclosed German supplier is also named as a potential DarWinD takeover party.
Mitsubishi is another future super class entrant, having announced development of a 5-MW turbine with a rotor in the 120-metre range. However, it is the case that Clipper Windpower’s 7.5–10 MW Britannia offshore wind turbine, being developed in the UK and featuring a 150-metre rotor diameter, remains, for the moment, the largest horizontal axis wind turbine actually under development today.
Also from the UK comes a futuristic 5–10 MW NOVA (Novel Offshore Vertical Axis) Aerogenerator offshore wind turbine vertical-axis concept, an ambitious ‘high-risk’ project currently in a feasibility study phase (see image, below). Comprising a pair of V-shape fixed angle composite rotor blades rotating around their central (vertical) axis, this machine is a variant on the Darrieus aerodynamic lift operating principle.
Other known Darrieus models include the classic ‘egg-shape’ and ‘H-type’ – in reference to their rotor shape. The largest envisaged version, at 10 MW, features a wingspan of more than 300 metres, with total height from wing tip to generator bottom section measuring about 130 metres. The corresponding wing length is around 220 metres. As large Darrieus-type turbines – including the envisaged Aerogenerator – typically feature fixed-angle stall-type blades, high wind power output control will represent just one of many major development challenges.
The German BARD Group has announced further development of its 5-MW ‘BARD 5.0,’ which is being up-scaled to a 6.5-MW ‘BARD 6.5’ while retaining the 122-metre rotor diameter (see illustration, below). The BARD 5.0. offshore wind turbine (with two prototypes installed, one in 2007 and one in 2008) is a state-of-the-art geared wind turbine, fitted with a six-pole doubly-fed induction generator and electronic power converter.
BARD, an offshore wind farm developer, operator and turbine manufacturer, describes the up-scaling as important in achieving higher commercial wind farm viability. This is because BARD’s offshore turbines will typically operate in a harsh environment with average wind speeds of 10 m/s and up, justifying, says BARD, a higher relative power rating.
The company is developing two different BARD 6.5 drive system variants – with the first involving a new high-performance gearbox. Winergy AG of Germany – already the supplier of BARD’s 5 MW drivetrain system including main shaft, gearbox, intermediate shaft, generator, and power converter – developed this major component.
For the development of the second variant, BARD co-operated with Voith Turbo, a division of Voith AG Group and a world renowned specialist in hydrodynamic drives, couplings and braking systems for road, rail and industrial applications.
In this version of the machine, the central drive system element is Voith’s WinDrive, a variable-speed planetary gear with integrated torque converter. For this achievement Voith was given a Hermes Award at the Hannover Messe 2009 international wind technology fair. This second drive variant further consists of a newly-designed main gearbox with two parallel output shafts developed by Jahnel-Kestermann of Germany, and each connected to an individual WinDrive and 3.25 MW synchronous generator. Explaining the decision-making process behind this specific layout choice, Voith spokesperson Friedrich Fisher said: ‘Reliable standard synchronous generators offering proven performance are today only available up to 5 MW power rating.’
A key WinDrive operational function is to continuously control and convert variable wind turbine rotor input revolutions into a constant generator output speed. The configuration enables direct grid connection, eliminating the need for an electronic power converter, which is normally required with variable speed wind turbines. BARD 6.5 turbines are expected to enter active service in BARD’s offshore wind projects over the next few years.
In addition, this summer sees the start of the offshore construction of the 400 MW ‘BARD Offshore 1’ North Sea project, located about 100 km north of the German island of Borkum. The company will be making use of its new installation vessel BARD Wind Lift I. This latest BARD-Voith co-operation is the second time a WinDrive has been applied in a commercial wind turbine model. The first was in a 2 MW DeWind D8.2 turbine (see REW March/April 2007). A key design driver on that occasion was the need to optimize total systems efficiency by minimizing mechanical, electrical and hydraulic losses set against a ‘conventional’ variable speed 2 MW D8 which has to contend with mechanical plus electrical losses.
Other Developments
Canadian firm EXRO Technologies has developed a new generator concept for various applications, including wind power, launched under the name ‘Variable Input Electrical Generator’ (VIEG). The VIEG is a modular, scalable, permanent magnet-type (PM) electric machine made up of coil sets arranged in a number of stages and managed by electronic switching. Independent air-cooled coils, or groups of coils, can be configured in any required number of parallel and series combinations. The company claims that with this new generator technology ‘lack of control disadvantages linked to conventional PM type generators can be eliminated.’ EXRO currently conducts extensive bench testing of a-5 kW VIEG, to be followed by field tests with a 50 kW system at the beginning of 2010.
In another North American development, NextGen, a subsidiary of Minnesota-based Juhl Wind Inc., says that it has found a new niche market in community power applications. The company markets a 33-kW wind turbine (see image, left), the NG Twelve-Five, with a rotor diameter of 12.5 metres. A famous two-bladed fixed-speed pitch-controlled German design of the 1980s, this machine was originally marketed as the AEROMAN. According to NextGen, demand is brisk for the turbine, which has now been customized for US Midwest conditions. 
Elsewhere in the small wind sector, a comprehensive one-year test programme involving 10 small-scale wind turbines from various manufacturers was completed in the Dutch town of Schoondijke in March 2009. While the study showed rather disappointing results overall, a 5-kW Fortis Montana and a 1.8-kW SouthWest Skystream 3.7 far outperformed other machines in the test. Besides various technical issues, another major factor explaining the generally poor results was a combination of a location with a relatively poor wind regime and a 15-metre total height restriction on the installations. This latter requirement was based on the persistent misperception that these units can be top performers while simultaneously appearing to be almost invisible in their natural surroundings – a key advantage smaller machines claim over their larger cousins.
Elsewhere in the small wind sector, a comprehensive one-year test programme involving 10 small-scale wind turbines from various manufacturers was completed in the Dutch town of Schoondijke in March 2009. While the study showed rather disappointing results overall, a 5-kW Fortis Montana and a 1.8-kW SouthWest Skystream 3.7 far outperformed other machines in the test. Besides various technical issues, another major factor explaining the generally poor results was a combination of a location with a relatively poor wind regime and a 15-metre total height restriction on the installations. This latter requirement was based on the persistent misperception that these units can be top performers while simultaneously appearing to be almost invisible in their natural surroundings – a key advantage smaller machines claim over their larger cousins.
Time-critical Operations
Optimized offshore wind turbine installation technology remains another hot topic. In the Netherlands, for instance, several specialized companies including shipyards, naval engineering consultancies and civil engineering contractors are focusing on designing multi-purpose vessels and methods aimed at substantially speeding up time-critical offshore operations. Some of these clever concepts under development can pick up pre-assembled and pre-tested wind turbines from shore, sail to a wind farm construction site, and mount complete units on top of substructures in a single operation. Other integrated concepts can install monopile type foundations and matching transition pieces as well.
Finally, Dutch civil engineering contractor Ballast Nedam has developed a novel prefab concrete drilled monopile that can be floated to offshore wind farm construction sites. It comprises multiple rings of the required length assembled onshore in a pre-stressed assembly with the aid of steel cables inside the concrete walls. A portable drilling device temporarily put inside these monopiles, removes the soil, and under the action of gravity the pile gradually sinks to the required depth.
Conclusion
What all these highly different developments and innovations show is that technology takes a lot of time and effort to develop, test and mature. Sometimes stakeholders succeed in making great strides forward, but it is the small steps which usually set the standard. In any event, sustained global efforts remain necessary to achieve ambitious goals set for rapidly expanding wind power to the overall benefit of the world’s climate protection and long-term energy security.
September 18, 2009
能源局第一次公告再生能源收購價格(9/18):
再生能源類別 | 電能躉購費率 (元/度) |
1瓩以上至10瓩太陽光電* | 8.1243 |
10瓩以上至500瓩太陽光電 | 9.3279 |
500瓩以上太陽光電 | 9.0270 |
1瓩以上至10瓩風力 | 5.3440 |
10瓩以上風力 | 2.1826 |
風力發電離岸系統 | 4.3064 |
川流式水力 | 2.0961 |
地熱能 | 4.4655 |
生質能及廢棄物 | 2.0961 |
其他 | 2.0961 |
*考量一般家庭用戶資金壓力高於企業用戶，規劃於融資體系完備之前，就1瓩以上至10瓩太陽光電設置案另外提供5萬元/kW設備補助。 | |
September 14, 2009
美國加州通過SB14法案: 2020年能源公司必需使用33%再生能源
33% Renewable Energy Bill Approved by Legislature (California)
Ref: California Progress Report, 2009/9/13
While the Senate was scaling back the prison reform efforts and water was caught up in political maneuvers, late last night, the legislature did approve SB 14, which requires all energy providers to buy 33 percent of their energy from clean renewable energy sources by 2020 has been approved by the legislature.
Supporters argue that this bill will put California on the forefront in terms of its renewable energy portfolio.
“Renewable energy provides an immediate response to the threat of global warming, cuts air pollution, reduces our dependence on foreign energy, and helps to limit the threat of another energy crisis,” according to a description of the bill.
“Increased development of renewable energy in California has tremendous potential as an economic development tool. These are clean, green jobs that belong in California. SB 14 sets a clear target with a real deadline, and then makes it as easy as possible to bring renewable energy on line.
In light of the state’s ambitious new carbon emission targets, SB 14 will give energy agencies the flexibility they need in order to meet those goals. Current law “caps” the amount of renewable energy that the Public Utilities Commission may order utilities to buy or build at 20 percent. This bill would remove this cap and require utilities to acquire 33 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2020.”
“California can and should act sooner rather than later to increase the use of renewable energy,” said Senator Joe Simitian (Democrat-Palo Alto). “Renewable energy provides an immediate response to the threat of global warming, cuts air pollution, reduces our dependence on foreign energy and helps to limit the threat of another energy crisis.”
Moreover, said Simitian, “Increased use of renewable energy here in California has tremendous potential as an economic development tool. These are clean, green jobs that belong in California”, said Simitian.
“In passing SB 14, Sen. Simitian gives the Governor a golden opportunity to give Californians clean, reliable energy, create good working-class new jobs and implement AB 32 at the same time,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg. “The coalition that Sen. Simitian has built is unprecedented: Two out of the state’s three largest investor-owned utilities, California’s largest municipal utility, labor, environmentalists, ratepayer advocates and others. The Governor should listen to them all and sign SB 14.”
“Senator Simitian's bill puts California on record as endorsing Los Angeles' effort to become the greenest big city in America,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “With a state mandate for renewable energy, L.A. will lead the way as we achieve our promise of a coal-free power supply by 2020, saving our environment, cleaning our air, and creating the green jobs of tomorrow.”
“Since clean and green energy is essential for the environment and for the future of the Silicon Valley economy, we support Sen. Joe Simitian’s SB 14, requiring 33 percent of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020,” said Carl Guardino, President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.
Current law requires that investor owned utilities procure 20 percent of their renewable resources by December 31, 2010. Existing law “caps” the amount of renewable energy that the Public Utilities Commission may order utilities to buy or build at 20 percent. This bill would remove this cap and require utilities to acquire at least 33 percent of their energy from renewable resources by 2020.
Electricity generation now accounts for 32% of California’s gross carbon dioxide emissions. According to our state energy agencies, California’s electricity sector produced about 108 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2004, an increase of 35% over 1990 levels. Furthermore, emissions from the electricity sector are increasing twice as fast as emissions from any other sector, including transportation.
Senator Simitian serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality, and authored SB 107 which requires the state to get 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2010. In signing SB 107 two years ago, Governor Schwarzenegger noted “the science is clear. The global warming debate is over. We have a responsibility to act now. SB 107…will help California reduce greenhouse gas emissions and continue our leadership on protecting the environment.”
“In passing SB 14, Sen. Simitian gives the Governor a golden opportunity to give Californians clean, reliable energy, create good working-class new jobs and implement AB 32 at the same time,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg. “The coalition that Sen. Simitian has built is unprecedented: Two out of the state’s three largest investor-owned utilities, California’s largest municipal utility, labor, environmentalists, ratepayer advocates and others. The Governor should listen to them all and sign SB 14.”
“Senator Simitian's bill puts California on record as endorsing Los Angeles' effort to become the greenest big city in America,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “With a state mandate for renewable energy, L.A. will lead the way as we achieve our promise of a coal-free power supply by 2020, saving our environment, cleaning our air, and creating the green jobs of tomorrow.”
“Since clean and green energy is essential for the environment and for the future of the Silicon Valley economy, we support Sen. Joe Simitian’s SB 14, requiring 33 percent of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020,” said Carl Guardino, President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.
Current law requires that investor owned utilities procure 20 percent of their renewable resources by December 31, 2010. Existing law “caps” the amount of renewable energy that the Public Utilities Commission may order utilities to buy or build at 20 percent. This bill would remove this cap and require utilities to acquire at least 33 percent of their energy from renewable resources by 2020.
Electricity generation now accounts for 32% of California’s gross carbon dioxide emissions. According to our state energy agencies, California’s electricity sector produced about 108 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2004, an increase of 35% over 1990 levels. Furthermore, emissions from the electricity sector are increasing twice as fast as emissions from any other sector, including transportation.
Senator Simitian serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality, and authored SB 107 which requires the state to get 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2010. In signing SB 107 two years ago, Governor Schwarzenegger noted “the science is clear. The global warming debate is over. We have a responsibility to act now. SB 107…will help California reduce greenhouse gas emissions and continue our leadership on protecting the environment.”
Posted on September 12, 2009
Comments
Supporters argue that this bill will put California on the forefront in terms of its renewable energy portfolio.
In the few small niches where green energy is economically competitive, you don't need to provide any inducement to the energy companies to go green - they'll do it because it's economically to their advantage.
That automatically means that when they are doing it only because of state pressure, they are not serving the interest of their users by coming up with the most economical option. They are instead being compelled to do something that will increase utility costs to all of us.
That just MAY not be what the California economy needs to attract back many of the manufacturing jobs (good 'family wage' jobs, remember?) that we have lost.
As for the global warming issue, as long as the developing nations like China (below) and India (below that) continue on their present course, anything we do here will be little more than pissing in the breeze. With China's 1.4 Billion people and India's 1.17 Billion people burning coal up the ying-yang, anything California's 37 million people might do will have little effect other than rendering us even LESS economically competitive against our fellow states like Nevada who lack such environmental 'enlightenment.'
California is on a death spiral and we've done it to ourselves with bills just like this one.
http://i.treehugger.com/images/2007/10/24/smoke%20stack-jj-001.jpg
http://www.richardharland.net/worldshaker/Images/smokestacks-coal-01.jpg
September 11, 2009
日本新任首相鳩山由紀夫承諾日本將努力削減溫室氣體排放量(2020年減少 1990年CO2之排放量25%)，發展可再生能源和節能產業，並將在之後哥本哈根氣候變遷會議上，要求世界各主要國家積極配合，簽定有約束力的條約
Japan's new prime minister promises ambitious greenhouse gas cuts
Yukio Hatoyama seeks to reduce CO2 emissions by 25% below 1990 levels by 2020
Japan's new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, has promised to make ambitious cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, months before world leaders meet for crucial climate change talks.
Hatoyama, who will take office next week, said Japan would seek to reduce CO2 emissions by 25% below 1990 levels by 2020, but said the target would be contingent on a deal involving all major emitters in Copenhagen in December.
"We can't stop climate change just by setting our own emissions target," he said at a forum in Tokyo. "Our nation will call on major countries around the world to set aggressive goals."
Hatoyama will discuss the initiative, which is far more ambitious than the equivalent 8% cut unveiled by the outgoing government in June, at a UN meeting on climate change in New York this month.
Connie Hedegaard, Denmark's minister for climate and energy, described the plan as a bold step forward. "For a long time, everybody has been waiting for everybody else to move in the negotiations. Japan has taken a bold step forward and set an ambitious target. I hope this will inspire other countries to follow suit."
The commitment places Japan firmly among countries committed to aggressive CO2 emissions cuts, despite mounting opposition from business and industry groups, which claim the measures will put jobs at risk.
"We have concerns about its feasibility in view of the impact on economic activities and employment, as well as the enormousness of the public burden," said Satoshi Aoki, the chairman of the Japan automobile manufacturers' association.
Harufumi Mochizuki, the outgoing vice minister of trade and industry, said Hatoyama had chosen a "very tough road ahead for the Japanese people and economy".
Hatoyama said his plan would create jobs in sectors such as renewables and manufacturing amid an expected rise in demand for solar energy, home renovations and energy-efficient cars and consumer electronics.
"There are cautious people who worry that it will hurt the economy and livelihoods, but I think it will change things for the better," he said.
To help achieve the reduction, Japan will create a domestic emissions trading market and introduce a "feed-in" tariff – financial rewards for industries that expand their use of renewable energy sources.
The Copenhagen talks will be dominated by attempts to persuade China, India and other big emerging economies to sign up to emissions targets.
Kim Carstensen, the head of the WWF's global climate initiative, said: "The decision by an important player such as Japan to do more and get serious about low carbon future can help break the deadlock between developed and developing countries.
"The climate negotiations are at a critical point and we need urgent progress to get a fair, ambitious and binding deal in Copenhagen."
The target brings Japan, the world's fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, alongside the EU, which is committed to a 20% cut by 2020 from 1990 levels and 30% if other nations agree to match the target. But it is still at the lower end of the 25-40% cuts recommended by the UN climate change panel.
Hatoyama will have to reconcile his bold initiative with election pledges to eliminate road tolls and petrol surcharges.
As host of the Kyoto summit in 1997, Japan is keen to reposition itself at the forefront of the battle against climate change. Its emissions rose 2.3% in the year to March 2008, putting its 16% above its 2012 Kyoto target.
Yvo de Boer, the head of the UN climate change secretariat, said: "With such a target, Japan will take on the leadership role that industrialised countries have agreed to take in climate change abatement
September 9, 2009
美國GE公司併購挪威ScanWind公司加強離岸風力機競爭力
GE Energy to Acquire Offshore Wind Turbine Supplier ScanWind of Norway
Morphic Technologies AB has signed an agreement to sell ScanWind to GE Energy. ScanWind Group AS, headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, was founded in 1999 to develop and commercialize direct drive wind turbine technology suitable for offshore deployment. The company has approximately 45 employees, a subsidiary in Karlstad, Sweden, and an assembly plant in Verdal, 90 kilometers north of Trondheim, real estate that is excluded from the deal with GE.
"This acquisition will give GE the ability to provide a direct drive, offshore wind turbine offering as an option to our customers. Scanwind represents the next strategic fit for our wind turbine line and we look forward to further developing their proven technology," said Victor Abate, GE’s vice president of renewables, commenting on the deal.
The €18.2 million(~8.6億NTD) transaction, announced on August 12, is subject to customary closing conditions and expected to be completed in early September. Morphic, the current ScanWind Group AS majority shareholder, is also involved with fuel cells. Nord Trøndelag Elektrisitetsverk is the current minority shareholder at 18.5%.
Strategic fit
GE’s offshore wind power involvement dates back to 2000 when a first offshore project comprising seven 1.5-megawatt (MW) former Enron Wind (now GE) units was grid connected in Utgrunden, Sweden. It was later followed by seven of its 3.6-MW 3.6s Offshore turbines that became operational at Arklow Bank in the Irish Sea during 2004. Since then GE has kept a low profile in the offshore segment, even though the company developed an upgraded 3.6-MW 3.6sl Offshore turbine with enlarged 111-meter rotor (initially 104 meters).
However this new turbine model was either shelved or at least not explicitly offered to the offshore wind market during recent years. One possible explanation is that according to official GE Energy statements the global onshore market offers huge sales potential, whereas weather and other project risks are by comparison substantially less. However, one senior manager during a past interview also said that once a substantial number of major U.S. offshore projects enter an advanced stage GE will feel obliged to step in again.
That moment may have come now, amid a global financial credit crisis, but also with an entirely different political climate in the U.S. According to recent press reports the U.S. government has awarded five offshore wind development leases to developers that have planned projects off the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware.
The Right Time
The acquisition can therefore be viewed as a clever move at perhaps the right time. As a key advantage it immediately provides GE Energy with proven state-of-the-art 3.5-MW class (rotor diameter 90.6 meters) direct-drive wind technology specifically developed for coastal onshore and offshore deployment. ScanWind has an operational track record of over six-years with a 3-MW prototype to draw upon, supplemented by operational experiences with three more prototypes and eleven upgraded serial installations.
Interestingly, offshore wind market leader Siemens Wind Power of Germany currently dominates the market with a 3.6-MW geared turbine. In addition, in 2008 the company erected two of its new 3.6-MW direct drive Concept turbines for prolonged testing and analysis.
ScanWind’s pitch-controlled variable speed 3-MW prototype featuring a direct-drive permanent magnet Siemens generator was erected during March 2003 in Nærøy on the windy Norwegian coast. A second demonstration unit was erected during the autumn of 2004. This variable speed 3-MW turbine concept is equipped with a multi-speed variation gearbox and fixed speed generator that enables direct grid connection and eliminates an otherwise required electronic power converter.
The next two prototypes (3 and 4) have an increased 3.5-MW power rating with almost unchanged rotor diameter. These latest prototypes and the remaining 11 of a total of 15 operational ScanWind turbines are fitted with a 3.5-MW directly driven permanent magnet generator originating from Finnish supplier The Switch Ltd.
Upscaling
Back in 2003 ScanWind had already indicated its aim of further upscaling its 3-MW concept to a 5-MW power rating. In 2008 the company revealed a comprehensive staged product development strategy aimed at, “Increasing output on existing platform and optimize cost." This finally resulted into an optimized 4.X megawatt offshore turbine with corresponding rotor size.
Only the future will tell when and in what manner the world’s second-largest wind turbine supplier will decide to enter the U.S. — and perhaps also the global — offshore wind market. A combination of determination, together with its huge financial, technical and other company means and resources, may well turn GE Energy into an albeit late but formidable offshore wind market competitor.
September 9, 2009
英國需要更多核能發電才能達成CO2減量目標(by McKinsey & Co.)
Ref: Energy Business Daily, 2009/9/2
McKinsey & Co., in a recent report for the Confederation of British Industry advised the United Kingdom to invest more in nuclear energy and cut down in natural gas and wind to meet its emission reduction targets. Venkie Shantaram, the London-based McKinsey partner wants the United Kingdom to commission 10 more nuclear reactors to get 34 percent of its consumption from nuclear source by 2030, compared to 20 percent now as otherwise it will be difficult to meet the target of 80 percent reduction of greenhouse gases from 1990 levels by 2050.
The “balanced pathway” scenario presented by McKinsey to CBI project an 83 percent energy target via low-carbon generation in 2030 while “Business as usual” policy would achieve 64 percent energy via low-carbon generation at the same cost. John Gridland, the Deputy Director General of the CBI wants to keep the energy inflation to 30 percent by 2030 and keep the CO2 output down to help the energy-intensive industry and employment as the nation’s utilities are likely to spend 150 billion pounds ($242 billion) on energy assets through 2030 with risk of high CO2 output.
McKinsey prefers to cap natural gas generation at 16 percent in 2030 compared to 36 percent now and the wind energy to 20 percent as against 24 percent of the present level. The report also recommends the UK to form a government-industry task force by September to seek further measures to invest in low-carbon energy generation.
Observer on July 5 reported that Electricite de France SA, the leading power producer of Europe has decided to scale down the building of new generation reactors in the UK unless the government fixes the price of carbon. CEO of the company’s UK unit has also come out openly for the CBI report.
Advocates of atomic energy argue that atomic power is a sustainable energy origin that brings down carbon emissions and increases energy security by diminishing dependence on foreign oil. Advocates also emphasize that the dangers of storing waste are small and can be further brought down by utilizing the most recent technology in newer reactors, and the operational safety record in the Western World is superior when likened to the other major kinds of power plants. Critics consider that nuclear power is a possibly serious energy source, with decreasing proportion of nuclear energy in power production, and challenge whether the risks can be reduced through new technology.
September 9, 2009
美國First Solar 公司(Thin Film PV)和中國簽訂開發2GW太陽能發電廠合約
First Solar looks to add 2 GW of solar power in China
Ref: Power Engineering International, 2009/9/8
First Solar and the Chinese government both signed a memorandum of
nderstanding to build a 2 GW solar power plant in Inner Mongolia.
The project will be built over several years. Phase 1 will be a 30 MW demonstration project that would begin construction in 2010. Phase 2 would be 100 MW, Phase 3 would be 870 MW and Phase 4 would be 1,000 MW. Phases 2 and 3 are expected to be completed by 2014 and Phase 4 by 2019. The agreement is subject to approvals among the parties.
The MOU also states that First Solar can look into module and supplier manufacturing sites during implementation of the initial phases.
The project will operate under a feed-in tariff which will guarantee electricity production pricing by the plant over a long-term period.
September 8, 2009
太陽能產業回顧與前瞻
The PV Industry 2009: In Search of Stability and Sustainability
As an industry, the photovoltaic sector has witnessed its share of ups and downs but it has nonetheless recorded 30 years of growth. How is the sector dealing with falling revenues in 2009?
Ref: Navigant Consulting, Renewable Energy World Magazine, 20009/8/31
After four years of boom times in the solar industry, a significant softening of demand along with lower module prices has led to anxious times -- fewer sales, at lower selling prices and so lower revenues and, significantly, lower profits.
Even without the expected decrease in demand in 2009, technology revenues would be lower than the US $20.4 billion (€14 billion) of 2008 as cell and module prices are around 40% below 2008 levels. Figure 1 (shown below) provides technology revenues from the manufacturer to the first point of sale in the market from 2003 through 2013. For 2009 and 2010, an estimate of revenues for the recession forecast has been provided. With technology prices at the current level, even growth in sales volume, which is highly unlikely, would result in lower revenues in 2009.
Figure 1. Worldwide module revenue volume for recession, conservative and accelerated growth models 2003-2013.
Accelerated growth in the photovoltaic industry continued in 2008, with 79% market growth over the previous year to 5.5 GW. Unfortunately, the market was significantly oversold in 2008, stranding around 2 GW of product in supply side inventory at the beginning of 2009.
Most of the overselling was into Spain, which with a market volume coming in at 2.3 GW in 2008, represented 42% of total photovoltaic system sales worldwide. Along with high prices for modules and PV systems, quite a few instances of poor module product and poorly constructed systems, and permit speculation, the oversold market led the Spanish government to alter its support programme. The new decree capped the market, lowered the feed-in tariff and effectively closed Spain to new product sales for perhaps two years, or more.
Other than Germany, the PV industry currently has no other global market capable of accepting a volume of sales remotely similar to Spain. Moreover, the global recession and financial crises have further hobbled an industry that had been enjoying accelerated growth since 2004. For these reasons, the PV industry is set to experience its first decrease in demand in more than 30 years — and not just flat growth, but a decrease in sales volume of perhaps 30%, or even more.
Figure 2, (below), provides data for 35 years of PV industry growth, from 1974 through 2008, while Figure 3, (below), reveals three forecast scenarios for 2009, which are on based on assumptions related to recession, conservative and accelerated growth for the sector.
Though the PV industry enjoyed accelerated growth from 2004 through 2008, this rate will not continue in 2009, and accelerated growth is unlikely into 2010. In 2009, lending from the international debt markets continues to be depressed. Meanwhile, the loss of a major market — Spain — is having a deleterious effect on growth, inventories remain high, and global economies remain in recession.
Figure 2. Photovoltaic industry history 1974-2008 (CAGR = compound annual growth rate).
Furthermore, although market development is underway, Germany remains the only market capable of consuming more than a gigawatt of product, and other markets, such as Italy, are underperforming. Japan, South Korea, the United States and others continue to experience slow growth. The good news is that module prices in the soft market seen in 2009 continue to decrease significantly.
As previously noted, while the PV industry has experienced slow or flat growth so far this year — to July 2009 — it is an industry that has not experienced negative growth in 35 years or more. Conversely, years of significant strong growth of more than 70% include: 1975 at 150%, 1976 at 141%,1977 at 87%, 1978 at 112%, 1980 at 128%, 1983 at 88%, and 2008 at 79%.
Since 1974, the PV industry has only experienced three years of soft growth, defined here as demand growth of less than 10% in a given year: 1986 at 8%, 1993 at 3% and, 1994 at 10%.
The Incentive Driver
Historically, the PV industry has enjoyed strong growth, though at much lower volumes than today. The strong growth that the PV industry enjoyed since 2004 was driven by incentives, in particular, the feed-in tariff laws in Europe, and even more specifically, Spain’s generous programme. Though for countries in Europe (in general) there is no reason to assume that feed-in tariff programmes will stop altogether, the problems experienced in Spain (overselling, fraud and poor quality products among them) are having a sobering effect on government incentive planning in other EU countries. The support programmes of the future will need to include mechanisms that manage growth along with stimulating it.
The incentives that the industry relies on come with downward price pressure, which is a significant constraint. However, given the goal of grid parity, there is literally nowhere for price to go but down. Grid parity, nonetheless, is a complex subject, differing in most global markets. Moreover, grid parity provides a level competitive playing field for solar (a worthwhile goal on its own), but does not ensure success.
The industry also needs an increasing number of highly trained installers, sales personnel, engineers and such like, and this comes at a cost. Lower costs and prices are necessary for the continuation of incentives and, therefore, demand. For accelerated growth to continue, and for the eventual slowing of demand to happen gradually, unlike the expected steep decline in 2009, the PV industry must learn to manage its demand. It must develop incentives with triggers to control demand when it accelerates too quickly.
The industry must also control its supply chain from expensive raw material, to consumables, and through to the end user, and must participate with balance of systems (BOS) manufacturers to innovate and develop inexpensive and robust BOS. All raw materials, consumables and machinery are more expensive at this point because of the higher price of oil, which is necessary for transportation.
Other caveats to limitless growth are the high price of PV systems, and the availability of less expensive alternatives, including conventional energy sources such as natural gas and coal. In recent years, the current high volume of industry demand, coupled with raw material shortages, threw the industry into a panic. Instead of the technology standard, ‘if we build it they will come,’ the new mantra became, ‘they are coming and we can’t build it.’
The industry reacted by buying silicon feedstock and cell futures, and by raising component (module) and system average prices, globally. These long-term contracts for raw material, wafers and cells are proving unsupportable and in many cases, are being rewritten or ignored.
Figure 3. Recession, conservative and accelerated forecast scenarios for grid-connected PV, 2008-2013.
The Past Can Inform the Future
It is useful to study specific periods in the PV industry’s history, in terms of growth and drivers for growth, to see what can be learned from these periods which can be useful in understanding the direction of this still young industry. Figure 2, offers compound annual growth rates for the PV industry for specific periods, 1974–1984, 1984–1994, 1994–2004 and 2004–2008.
During 1974–1984, strong compound annual growth of 84% was due to utility and government-backed grid-connected demonstration projects. During this period, the grid-connected application was 30%–50% of total demand, though from annual totals less than 20 MW. Following this decade-long period of significant growth, lower compound annual growth of 13% for 1984–1994 was due to an almost complete cessation of these projects. During this period, grid-connected applications (primarily unsubsidized or incentivized) was less than 10% of annual demand.
Stronger compound annual growth of 33% during 1994–2004 reflects the beginning and continuation of the strong incentive programmes that continue to drive PV industry growth. Specifically in Europe, the feed-in tariff model has proven to be the most successful incentive model. Japan’s residential rooftop programme in the late 1990s, a capacity subsidy, built a sustainable market for solar roofs in that country. In the US, incentives in California created the most significant market in that country.
The 2004–2008 period also managed to encompass two significant events for the sector: the PV industry’s greatest raw material (silicon feedstock) shortage and its strongest period of sustained accelerated growth.
During this period, demand for large field grid-connected applications in Europe, largely driven by the feed-in tariff model of incentives, created the largest global market (79% in 2008) for solar systems. However, the solar-grade silicon raw material shortage that had pushed up prices for crystalline silicon modules also created an entry point for thin-film technologies, which had previously been viewed as risky. The industry’s compound annual growth for this period was 51%.
Grid-connected Growth Drivers
Like it or not ... strong growth in the PV industry comes with strong growth in grid-connected applications. Off-grid (remote) applications show slow, steady growth over time, but have not driven the industry into gigawatt sales. It is the grid-connected applications (residential, small, medium and large commercial, large field commercial and utility) that dominate the market for photovoltaic modules. Indeed, at 94% of total sales in 2008, the volume of grid-connected installation leaves very little module product available for off-grid applications.
The grid-connected application remains driven by government subsidy/support programmes (Europe’s feed-in tariffs, US rebates, for example). Without such programmes the market for grid-connected PV products would decrease dramatically. The significant decrease in demand in 2009 is a lesson to the industry about the significant changes that could take place in demand, revenues and profitability when markets are abused, and when so-called ‘black swan’ events, such as the global recession, alter the playing field and force reactive market and price setting.
Figure 3 (shown above) offers an aggregate five-year forecast for grid-connected applications. The recession forecast is presented in Figure 3, but is considered a two-year anomaly. Meanwhile, Figure 2 excludes off-grid applications. However, at more than 90% of the total market demand, the volume of grid-connected applications effectively represents the total industry volume.
All is not doom and gloom, however, with encouraging current market developments in the US and some other countries. There is continued progress in lowering manufacturing costs so that a reasonable margin can be maintained along with lower system prices. We see progress in increasing efficiencies for all technologies, and business model innovations, meaning that accelerated growth will resume for the PV industry. Certainly, at this stage in PV industry development (which could be likened to its preadolescence) there is room to grow and much to learn before a stable, sustainable level of annual growth settles in. Until then, exciting, and sometimes painful times remain ahead.
This article is reproduced in part from a recent Navigant PV Services Program report: ‘Analysis of Worldwide Market for Photovoltaic Products and Five Year Application Forecast.’ by Paula Mints.
Sidebar: A Brief History of the PV Industry
1980s: The market for PV products changed from ‘demand-limited’ to ‘supply-limited,’ largely due to a restriction in silicon wafer supply.
1992: The market situation changed to ‘demand-limited’ with the addition of significant increments of manufacturing capacity, a recession in the semiconductor device market that brought a surplus of silicon wafers to the photovoltaic industry, and the impact of a worldwide recession.
1995: The photovoltaic market again experienced a restriction in the supply of wafer and silicon starting material. This did not bring about a complete switch to a ‘supply-limited’ market but did restrict the output of some manufacturers and served to maintain a general flat pricing condition in the general trend of photovoltaic price reduction.
1999: The photovoltaic industry encountered a period of high growth and supply-limited market conditions that was sustained for three years. Grid-connected markets, the majority of which were funded by federal programmes in Japan and Germany, primarily drove the demand portion of this imbalance.
2001–2002: Having experienced more than two years of shipment delays, a number of distributors and installers over-ordered at the end of the year. This resulted in a filled distribution pipeline, just as market demand paused in early 2002. In addition, the cell manufacturers that had been racing to meet market demand had succeeded in bringing on a record 58% in run-rate capacity during 2001. During 2002, market conditions remained oversupplied, with heavy end-userz demand returning during the latter half of the year. Extreme price reductions in 2002 drove down revenues.
2004: the PV industry again experienced a supply-limited situation, driven by strong demand in Germany, Japan, and California, and by an upsurge in demand for grid-connected product in other areas of Europe and the US. Demand for silicon wafer material also picked up from the semiconductor market, further straining the PV industry’s access to the raw material supply. Supply constraints contributed to flat or moderate increases in module pricing.
2005: A year of full-blown crisis in terms of raw material supply for the PV industry. Prices for silicon feedstock (influenced by demand and raw material scarcity) increased from $65/kg (€45/kg) by the end of 2004 to close to $90/kg (€63/kg) on the spot market by the end of 2005. Demand continued unabated, but shortages kept demand participants at a disadvantage in terms of controlling module sales prices.
2006–2007: Reports of spot silicon feedstock prices in the $200–$400/kg (€140–€280/kg) range. Silicon capacity expansions planned, but needing at least 18 months to realize. Much of the silicon feedstock that would become available had already been acquired. In 2007, raw material constrains continued to limit shipments of crystalline product, but provided a boon to thin-film start-ups and sales. Higher transportation costs favoured locating manufacturing close to the market. Though silicon raw material supplies increased, most of the silicon was sold under long-term contracts, limiting the ability of new crystalline manufacturers to enter the market. Extremely strong demand in Spain drove up module prices globally. At more than 70% of demand for solar products, Europe drove the market for PV systems.
2008: Module and system prices remained high, with sales into Spain dominating the market. Anxiety over changes in Spain’s feed-in tariff and the announced cap led to overselling the market. By the end of 2008, inventories were at an extremely high level. During the last quarter of 2008, the new cap in Spain (given inventory levels in that country) effectively ended the market in that country. With the market in Spain essentially closed, a global economic crisis – on the banking side, debt markets shut down, leaving investment for large systems dry – led to a sudden drop in demand. Module prices began to fall.
2009: A veritable crash in demand and cell/module prices for the following reasons: the global economic meltdown and on-going recession, loss of Spain as the primary market with no near-term replacement, and continued dysfunction in the debt markets.
September 8, 2009
中國起動風力發電收購制度(Feed-in-Tarriff)
China Launches Differentiated Wind Energy Tariffs
Ref: China , RewableEnergyWorld.com, 2009/9/2
China has instituted a new system of differentiated wind energy tariffs based on four wind energy zones. The move is the first in Asia since South Korea implemented a feed-in tariff program in 2005. China now joins a growing list of developing countries with feed-in tariffs, including South Africa and Mongolia.
China is also the first jurisdiction outside Europe to implement wind energy tariffs differentiated by geographic location. Canada's Ontario province is expected to implement wind tariffs this fall differentiated by two simple classes, those on land, and those offshore. Germany, France, and Switzerland have wind energy tariffs based on wind resource intensity. Currently, no North American jurisdiction has implemented tariffs for wind turbines on land that are differentiated by wind resource intensity or geographic location.
The new program by China's National Development and Reform Committee [NDRC Pricing Reg. (2009)1906] was issued July 20, 2009. The tariffs for new projects were to go into effect August 1, 2009.
Costs of the new program above the cost of coal-fired generation will be split between provincial grid operators and the central government as in current policy.
The tariffs themselves are less than those in Germany and France and less than those proposed in Ontario. Though the Chinese tariffs are thought to be based on the differences in the wind resource across the vast country, it is impossible to estimate the effectiveness of the tariffs without knowing the specific wind resources of the four wind energy zones. Nevertheless, the Chinese program may represent an innovative hybrid between the graduated wind energy tariffs in Germany and France and those single-value tariffs in Ontario, Vermont, and California.
No further details are available.
The nominal parliament of the Peoples Republic of China passed a Renewable Energy Law on February 28, 2005. The law was widely rumored at the time to include provisions for feed-in tariffs. However, as in most countries, the path to implementation is never direct and only now has specific tariffs been proposed in a program that could be called a system of feed-in tariffs.
RenewableEnergyWorld.com reported last month that China is expected to announce feed-in tariffs for solar PV sometime later this year. The industry trade magazine quoted Suntech chairman Zhengrong Shi as suggesting the tariff for large-scale solar PV plants could be equivalent to $0.22/kWh. Whether these tariffs also include access to state subsidies is unknown.
September 8, 2009
September 2, 2009
Spectrolab公司成功開發出CSP太陽能電池效率世界第一:41.6%
Spectrolab Develops Concentrator Solar Cell With World-Record 41.6% Efficiency
Ref: SI, 2009/8/31
Spectrolab Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., says a solar cell it manufactured has set a new world record for terrestrial concentrator solar cell efficiency. The cell can convert 41.6% of concentrated sunlight into electricity.
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory independently tested the efficiency of the Spectrolab cell in June, validating that it surpassed the previous record of 41.1% held by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany.
Produced in February 2008, the new Spectrolab cell is an advanced version of the lattice-matched, triple-junction technology already produced in high volumes for space and terrestrial applications at Spectrolab, the company adds. The new cell incorporates multiple improvements in wafer processing to reduce metal grid shadowing and series resistance, raising the cell's overall efficiency for conversion of sunlight to electricity.
SOURCE: Spectrolab Inc.
September 2, 2009
美國Fishermen能源公司開始興建離岸風能觀測平台(亞特蘭大市外海)
Fishermen's Energy Offshore Geophysical Survey Begins Met-Tower Installation Process
Ref: NAW, 2009/8/31
Energy consortium Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey LLC has announced that the Cape May, N.J.-based fishing vessel The Capt. Bob has been outfitted with a suite of scientific equipment to study a site for a possible 350 MW offshore wind project off of Atlantic City.
Fishermen's Energy is also taking steps to install a met tower 12 miles offshore. The met tower will be about 300 feet tall to allow data collection at the hub height of future turbines. The Fishermen's met tower will serve as a platform for scientific studies of the atmosphere, the oceanography and biological conditions - not only for wind farm planning, but for university and ocean science programs.
Powered by solar panels and small wind turbines, the data-collection systems continuously measure and transmit information to shore for analysis. Data will be shared among engineers, marine biologists, avian specialists and others interested in the characteristics of the site.
After data collection begins, Fishermen's Energy will make much of this information available to the public through a Web site. The met tower will be built by Fishermen's Energy, with the assistance of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
In order to begin planning for the met tower, Fishermen's has commenced detailed site studies by contracting with Norwood, N.J.-based Alpine Ocean Seismic Survey to perform a geophysical and archeological survey of the met-tower site.
Over a period of two weeks, Fishermen's and Alpine will measure water depths, as well as collect sonar imagery of the seafloor and sub-bottom information about the geological conditions below the seabed. The team will also use iron-detecting magnetometers to locate any targets of archeological interest, such as shipwrecks or debris dumped offshore over the past century.
Fishermen's has rigged The Capt. Bob, one of the scallop-harvesting vessels managed by Atlantic Capes Fisheries Inc., to bring the geophysical data-collection equipment and personnel out to sea each day of the study, as well as to traverse the study area. Principals of Atlantic Capes Fisheries are also investors in Fishermen's Energy.
In addition to the five members of the Alpine team conducting the surveys, there will be National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration observers onboard to record marine mammal data. If any marine mammals are observed, strict measures would be taken by the vessel and technicians to protect them.
SOURCE: Fishermen's Energy of New Jersey LLC
September 2, 2009
美國亞利桑那州啟動Solar Thermal Disk發電計畫
1.5 MW Solar Dish Project to be Built in Arizona
Source: Clean Edge News, 2009/8/24
Tessera Solar and Salt River Project (SRP) have unveiled plans to partner on a 1.5 MW solar project, Maricopa Solar LLC, in Peoria, Arizona, located in the West Valley of the greater Phoenix area. Maricopa Solar will be the first commercial-scale solar facility built using the Tessera's SunCatcher concentrating solar‐thermal technology, manufactured by Scottsdale, Arizona‐based Stirling Energy Systems (SES).
According to the company, the project will consist of 60 SunCatcher dishes and serve as a milestone for the nationwide deployment of the larger commercial projects previously announcedin California and Texas totaling more than 1,600 MW.
The project will be located next to the Agua Fria Generating Station, a power plant owned and operated by SRP in Peoria. The solar plant, which is scheduled to break ground in September, is expected to employ 40 to 50 construction workers. Planned for completion in January 2010, the plant will be operated by Tessera Solar under a 10‐year agreement.
Tessera Solar says it will lease the land from SRP, which will purchase the solar energy generated at the site. The plant will help fulfill SRP's sustainable portfolio goal set by its publicly elected Board of Directors, which calls for the utility to meet 15 percent of its retail energy needs with sustainable energy by 2025.
The SunCatcher system uses precision mirrors attached to a parabolic dish to concentrate the sun's energy onto a high‐efficiency Stirling Engine. Each dish can generate up to 25,000 watts of power. One advantage of the technology, according to Tessera, is that the SunCatcher requires no water for heating or cooling and a minimal amount of water is required to wash the mirrors.
The company says more than 90 percent of the SunCatcher components will be manufactured in North America, creating thousands of new jobs.
"We're pleased to partner with SRP and the City of Peoria to deploy our SunCatcher technology here in our home state of Arizona in advance of our utility‐scale deployments in 2010," said Stirling Energy Systems CEO Steve Cowman. "We considered several sites across the Southwest, but our future growth plans and the plant's proximity to our headquarters will allow us the opportunity to showcase the SunCatcher to our stakeholders."
According to the company, the project will consist of 60 SunCatcher dishes and serve as a milestone for the nationwide deployment of the larger commercial projects previously announcedin California and Texas totaling more than 1,600 MW.
The project will be located next to the Agua Fria Generating Station, a power plant owned and operated by SRP in Peoria. The solar plant, which is scheduled to break ground in September, is expected to employ 40 to 50 construction workers. Planned for completion in January 2010, the plant will be operated by Tessera Solar under a 10‐year agreement.
Tessera Solar says it will lease the land from SRP, which will purchase the solar energy generated at the site. The plant will help fulfill SRP's sustainable portfolio goal set by its publicly elected Board of Directors, which calls for the utility to meet 15 percent of its retail energy needs with sustainable energy by 2025.
The SunCatcher system uses precision mirrors attached to a parabolic dish to concentrate the sun's energy onto a high‐efficiency Stirling Engine. Each dish can generate up to 25,000 watts of power. One advantage of the technology, according to Tessera, is that the SunCatcher requires no water for heating or cooling and a minimal amount of water is required to wash the mirrors.
The company says more than 90 percent of the SunCatcher components will be manufactured in North America, creating thousands of new jobs.
"We're pleased to partner with SRP and the City of Peoria to deploy our SunCatcher technology here in our home state of Arizona in advance of our utility‐scale deployments in 2010," said Stirling Energy Systems CEO Steve Cowman. "We considered several sites across the Southwest, but our future growth plans and the plant's proximity to our headquarters will allow us the opportunity to showcase the SunCatcher to our stakeholders."
September 2, 2009
日本投入兩兆日圓（約台幣六千九百億元）發展太空太陽能發電計畫
Ref: 自由時報（圖：彭博社 ╱文：編譯鄭曉蘭）2009/9/2 |
太空發電想像圖
日本經產省一日公布官民合作的太空太陽能發電計畫，投入兩兆日圓（約台幣六千九百億元）經費，預計三十年內將在高度約三萬六千公里的太空中，設置長約兩公里的太陽能發電面板，並將電力以微波方式傳送至地球。太空中的太陽能收集不會受到日夜、氣候等因素影響，發電效率為地球上約五至十倍。日本政府希望在二○一五年前能發射小型衛星，進行實證實驗，約二○三○年邁入實用階段後，太空太陽能發電系統所發電力可達十億瓦特，相當於一座核電廠發電量。圖為太空太陽能發電模擬圖。
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September 2, 2009
28歲的革命
39歲的告別信
切.格拉瓦永遠活在對社會有改格熱情的心中!
39歲的告別信
切.格拉瓦永遠活在對社會有改格熱情的心中!
September 1, 2009
日本將投資5.6億日圓研發智慧型電力網路
日本經濟產業省官員宣布將投資5.6億日圓研發智慧型電力網路，對於供應商與顧客之間的電力傳輸系統可使用數位科技以提升節能效率並降低成本，也包括充電電池以及幫助客戶自行管理的智慧型電表。
Japan Industry ministry raises its voltage for new power delivery system
Ref: TOKYO News, 2009/8/26
The industry ministry aims to invest more in research and development of a highly advanced electricity delivery system that is expected to help enable more efficient use of energy resources, ministry officials said Tuesday. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is seeking 5.5 billion yen in its initial budget request for the next fiscal year starting in April in order to assist the study of a ‘‘smart grid,’’ which has also attracted attention from the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama.
A smart grid help achieve efficient electricity delivery from suppliers to consumers by using digital technology. Not only saving energy and reducing necessary costs, it also helps suppliers more precisely understand shifting demand and consumption of energy. Under climate conditions unfavorable for solar and wind power generation, for example, the next-generation system would automatically increase power transmission from such facilities as nuclear and thermal power stations.
The ministry plans to offer support to technology development of rechargeable batteries to be used in the system, and other smart-grid features including ‘‘smart meters,’’ which are designed to help customers manage their energy use and electricity costs while helping utilities manage peak demand.
A smart grid help achieve efficient electricity delivery from suppliers to consumers by using digital technology. Not only saving energy and reducing necessary costs, it also helps suppliers more precisely understand shifting demand and consumption of energy. Under climate conditions unfavorable for solar and wind power generation, for example, the next-generation system would automatically increase power transmission from such facilities as nuclear and thermal power stations.
The ministry plans to offer support to technology development of rechargeable batteries to be used in the system, and other smart-grid features including ‘‘smart meters,’’ which are designed to help customers manage their energy use and electricity costs while helping utilities manage peak demand.
September 1, 2009
綠能預算明年454億創新高
【經濟日報╱記者蘇秀慧／台北報導】
2009/8/3
馬英九總統本周三（8/5）聽取明年度中央政府總預算案，儘管中央政府財政吃緊，明年歲出規模負成長3.8%，但投入能源、綠色相關產業的經費，達454億餘元，是歷年最高。
另外，振興經濟擴大公共建設特別預算1,922億元中，有10%的經費、約192億元，也要用於具綠色內涵的設施及工法，有助綠色產業發展。
因稅收減少，明年度中央政府總預算歲出規模僅1.74兆元，較今年減少693億元。各部會必須撙節預算。
不過，馬政府全力推動節能減碳、綠能產業，能源、綠色相關產業的經費有增無減。
明年行政院將投入454億餘元推動16項能源、綠色產業相關旗艦方案。
其中，綠色運輸網絡方案獲得的經費最高，達278億餘元；其次是六大新興產業之一的「綠色能源產業旭升方案」，投入的經費是86億餘元；以及能源國家型科技計畫投入46億餘元。
除此之外，核能發電合理使用評估方案，也投入了24億餘元經費。
另外低碳城市推動方案將整合地方政府推動減碳城鎮，並訂定目標，未來二年每個縣市完成二個低碳社區，未來五年推動六個低碳城市，2020年完成北、中、南、東四個低碳生活圈。
「綠色能源產業旭升方案」明年將推動擴大內需，包括振興經濟擴大公共建設10%經費用於綠色內涵，創造1,000萬再生能源市場。
官員表示，為提供綠能產業設廠協助，提升綠能產業關鍵技術效率，將辦理綠能產業相關國際專業展覽、組織海外參展拓銷團，協助廠商儘速切入國際大廠供應鏈，運用新鄭和計畫提供出口貸款、轉融資與保險，拓銷海外新興市場。綠色運輸網絡方案，則包括建構便捷大眾運輸網、智慧型運輸系統、營造自行車友善環境、進行城市與道路全面綠化等。
September 1, 2009
根據聯合國國際原子能機構（IAEA）報告指出，目前全球核能需求遽增，光是2008年，全球就有10個地方開始建構核子反應爐。到2008年年底為止，全球共有438座核能發電廠，所產生的電力佔全球電力的14%
Interest in nuclear power continues to grow, UN reports
Ref: UN News Center, 2009/8/13
Global interest in introducing nuclear power is on the rise, with ground being broken for the largest number of reactors in decades last year, the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported.
According to the IAEA’s Year in Review 2008, while no new reactors came online last year, construction started on 10 new sites, the largest number in any one year since 1985, bringing the total number being built to 44.
At the end of last year, 438 nuclear power reactors were supplying roughly 14 per cent of the world’s electricity.
Expansion prospects continue to be centred in Asia, with over half of the reactors under construction in the region, especially in China.
“India’s planned 15-fold expansion of its civilian nuclear power programme over the next two decades is expected to be facilitated by the removal by suppliers in 2008 of restrictions on the supply of nuclear technology that were previously imposed on it,” the report, which will be discussed by member States at the IAEA’s annual General Conference this September, said.
“While every country has the right to use nuclear power as an energy source, it also has the responsibility to ensure that this energy source is employed in a safe and secure manner,” the agency said, adding that it received a large number of requests last year from States considering the nuclear energy option for assistance in analyzing energy options.
September 1, 2009
美國能源局為減少能源消耗，投入LED照明的研究並計劃在2030年前達到照明能源減量三分之一，在美國LED的普及還有很大空間，而該計畫可望減少每年24萬千瓦小時的能量消耗
LED light bulbs yield big savings in energy
2009/8/13
One way the United States could slash its electricity use, dependence on fossil fuels and emissions of heat-trapping gases is really quite simple: better light bulbs.
The Department of Energy is backing research and development aimed at getting light-emitting diodes into common use in homes and businesses at a price that saves money. Hurdles remain: Costs are still high, the quality of what's on the market varies and not all the technical issues have been worked out. Energy experts are confident, however, that this new lighting is the future and that energy savings will be enormous.
Lighting consumes 22 percent of electricity in the United States. The DOE predicts that solid-state lighting -- which uses semiconducting materials to convert electricity into light, and includes LEDs -- has the potential to reduce energy use for lighting by one-third by 2030. That's the equivalent of saving the output of 40 large (1,000-megawatt) power plants, the greenhouse gas emissions of 47 million cars and $30 billion.
LEDs already light universities from Miami to Anchorage, Alaska, streets in many cities and an increasing number of businesses that need lights on all the time.
"In your home, lighting may be 10 percent of your bill. But in an office building it's probably 40 percent, and so if you reduce your lighting energy consumption by a large fraction, the savings will be huge," said James Brodrick, who leads the DOE's solid-state lighting program.
A fact sheet from Brodrick's office says this about LEDs: "In the coming decade, they will become a key to affordable net-zero energy buildings, buildings that produce at least as much energy annually as they use from the grid."
The technology is advancing quickly, and costs will continue to drop, Brodrick said. The DOE tests LEDs and sets performance and efficiency guidelines under its Energy Star program.
LEDs are directional lights, used in recessed lighting and under-counter lights, for example. They're not yet available as bulbs that cast light all around and fit in ordinary sockets.
"There's an enormous and exciting potential, but we have a long way to go before we see anything besides directional lighting," said Jeffrey P. Harris, the vice president for programs at the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit group that promotes energy efficiency.
Even so, LEDs already are used to light offices, hotels, restaurants and other businesses.
The DOE predicts that LEDs will have better performance capability than fluorescent lighting in the next few years, and that they'll continue to improve after that. They're now comparable with fluorescent fixtures in efficiency, and the DOE says its Energy Star LEDs last two to five times longer.
Cost is the biggest reason that LEDs aren't used more widely, Brodrick said.
A common PAR 38 floodlight at Home Depot, for example, costs about $35 online as an LED, about $3.70 apiece in a pack of 15 as a halogen floodlight and about $11 for a compact fluorescent.
Chuck Swoboda, the chairman and chief executive officer of Cree Inc. of Durham, N.C., a leading company in LED lighting, said that commercial use of LEDs would drive down costs, and that a lower initial cost plus the value of energy savings would make them attractive. "It's not that different from the argument of why you should put insulation in a home," he said.
LEDs have other advantages: They can be dimmed, don't emit heat, don't contain mercury -- unlike compact fluorescents -- and can produce warm-toned light.
Swoboda said that Cree was focusing on commercial sales now because that market was bigger than the residential market and commercial users got quicker paybacks from reduced energy and maintenance costs.
In April, Cree announced that it had a new LED PAR 38 bulb designed for stores and museums that uses 12 watts of power instead of 50 to 90 watts for a halogen bulb.
"What happens with LEDs is people think of them as things that go in your cell phone or things you put in the car dashboard, but they don't think of it as truly a lighting product," Swoboda said. "And so this was the latest innovation to kind of go out and show people you can pretty much do anything you can do in an incandescent bulb technology or in fluorescents with LEDs."
Home Depot, the world's biggest retailer of light bulbs, is starting to stock LED bulbs this summer and plans to have 10 kinds by September, said Jorge Fernandez, who's in charge of light bulb purchases for the company.
"There's definitely a lot of interest, but the price is high, and a lot of people say they're waiting to see when the price drops," he said.
Felicia Spagnoli, a spokeswoman for Philips Lighting Electronics North America, said commercial users could make up for the higher costs of LEDs in as little as a year or two.
"We can address environmental concerns at the same time we improve the quality and use of light," she said. "Many people when they think of doing good for the environment think it means going without or having lesser quality, but that's absolutely not the case with LEDs."
Philips is working on many kinds of LEDs, including one to replace a 40-watt incandescent bulb that's scheduled to be available next year, she said.
Derrick Hall of RE/Construct Inc. in Asheville, N.C., said that residential customers weren't asking for LEDs because of the high upfront cost. Still, he's hearing of some nonresidential customers who are looking into LEDs for the energy savings.
LEDs are much better than other lighting options, Hall said. The quality of the light is "far superior," they offer big energy savings and there's no cost to society for dealing with mercury, he said. Mercury, a neurotoxin, is found in small amounts in compact fluorescent bulbs.
Swoboda said that some of the biggest commercial users for LEDs now were fast-food restaurants, because LEDs' light makes food look appealing.
A McDonald's that opened in July in Cary, N.C., is lit almost entirely with daylight and LED lights. Ric Richards, the franchise owner, said the restaurant used 78 percent less electricity than a traditional one.
And the quality of the light?
"Awesome," he said. "The restaurant has great ambience."
Richards estimated that the upfront costs of the lighting would be paid back in two to four years with lower electricity bills.
Mark Buffler, an official in charge of technology in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, said in a report that switching from conventional fluorescents to LEDs would conserve large amounts of energy 240,000 kilowatt hours annually and save money on maintenance and mercury disposal. Buffler also wrote that the project was meant to demonstrate the energy savings potential of LEDs for the rest of the federal government.
ON THE WEB
Department of Energy information on LEDs: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/index.html
Energy Star information on LEDs: http://tinyurl.com/mlgeqq
(c) 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
Visit the McClatchy Washington Bureau on the World Wide Web at http://www.mcclatchydc.com
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