SOLAR POWER: INDUSTRY REPORTS STRONG 2007 GROWTH BUT SEES HURDLES AHEAD
Greenwire, 22 April 2008
The U.S. solar industry expanded across its various sectors last year, and utility-scale photovoltaic systems saw especially strong growth, according to a new year-end report by the Solar Energy Industries Association.
The trade group is warning, however, that the good times will end if Congress fails to extend the 30 percent investment tax credits that expire at year's end.Overall, 254 megawatts of photovoltaic and concentrating solar power were added last year, according to the report, in addition to 900 MW of solar thermal pool heating and 100 MW of solar thermal hot water and space heating.
On the photovoltaic side, the level of PV installations tied into the electric grid grew by 45 percent, with more than 12,700 grid-connected sites added last year. Overall, grid-tied PV in the United States now totals 750 MW. California -- which launched a multi-year, multibillion-dollar solar program in 2006 -- remains the largest market by far, but other states also saw significant gains, the report said.The fastest growth last year was in the larger-scale photovoltaics, capped by the 14 MW installation that came online at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and Xcel Energy's 8 MW plant in Colorado. The report also notes new photovoltaic installations or announcements by "big box" retail stores like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and others.
Concentrating solar power (CSP) -- those big arrays of mirrors or lenses -- also saw new development and planned investments, SEIA said. Acciona's 64 MW Nevada Solar One plant came online in June. A host of even larger projects are at various stages in the planning and development process, according to the report, which estimates that the amount of CSP in the pipeline is roughly 4,000 MW, or enough to power about a million homes.SEIA finds that state programs, such as renewable portfolio standards that have specific solar or distributed generation set-asides, are helping to spur growth. But the group says that Congress should extend the investment tax credits or the growth could sputter. The wind industry is also pressing for fast action to extend a separate incentive, the production tax credit, that will also expire at the end of the year without congressional action.
GERMAN SOLON TO SUPPLY SOLAR MODULES TO GREECE
German News Digest, 22 April 2008
German photovoltaic-module maker Solon AG won an order from Greek Hypervolt Renewable Energy S.A. for the supply of solar modules with a total capacity of 10 MWp in 2008 and 2009, the German company said on April 22, 2008.This is the first major order the German company receives from Greece.Hypervolt, a subsidiary of German projects developer and investor Stelio Solar GmbH & Co. KG, will use the modules for the construction of a solar power plant in Greece.Greece, being one of the sunniest countries in Europe, adopted a special law regulating the generation of solar energy in 2006. The market there is still not very well developed, but is considered highly promising, which makes the order from Hyperion an important strategic step for Solon.
No financial details regarding the deal were disclosed.
SUNTECH EXPANDS OVERSEAS PRESENCE BY ACQUIRING GERMAN PLANT
Xinhua's China Economic Information Service, 22 April 2008
China’s leading photovoltaic cells and modules producer Suntech Power Co., Ltd. has acquired a Germany-based manufacturer Kuttler, a Deloitte source was quoted by Shanghai Securities Journal as saying.It is said that Suntech and Kullter will co-establish a new large- scale plant in Germany, taking advantage of the latter’s production facilities and R&D talents.Financial terms of the deal are unknown by far.As early as 2006, Suntech acquired Japan’s largest photovoltaic device producer MSK Corporation.
SUNTECH SETS UP IN AUSTRALIA; LONG-TERM SOLAR PLAN IN CHINA
Dow Jones Energy Service, 22 April 2008
China-based Suntech Power Holdings Co. (STP), one of the world's largest manufacturers of solar panels, Tuesday opened a regional office in Sydney to pursue investment opportunities in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands."With abundant sunlight and low population density, Australia is ideally suited to distributed solar energy generation, and well-placed to take a leading role in the development and utilization of this clean and sustainable energy solution," Suntech Chief Executive Shi Zhengrong said in a statement.After years of solar energy struggling to gain a foothold in Australia, which is heavily reliant on coal-fired power, demand has picked up, Shi told reporters, since Australia ratified the Kyoto protocol and began increasing support for solar projects at the state level.Globally, the solar power market is looking at a bright future, Shi said. Prices for solar panels are falling, pushing market expansion, and generation capacity is set to grow about 30% to 40% globally this year - from 3.8 gigawatts last year. But growth is constrained by raw material supply, he added."There could be 50% to 100% growth if it weren't for shortages of silicon. The tightness of material supply will ease as of 2009," he said.Germany is currently the biggest growth market for solar energy, but Suntech is also working to tap China's potential, he said."Solar energy in China is currently too expensive. Average income is too low, and wind and biomass are much cheaper. We're targeting to become competitive in five years time," Shi said.