Bangaloreans, get ready for 'Rock the Sun' concert

After grooving to DJ David Guetta’s music, Bangalore is now gearing up to ‘rock the sun’ all thanks to Swizz designer Cédric Carles’ innovation. The city will witness a music concert that is powered by solar energy and we get Cédric to tell you about the show… “3S, a mobile sound unit that I have put together will be used to support the concert. The unit can be operated without using the electric grid as it is completely dependent on solar energy.”

The battery that needs to be charged for three-four hours comes with a 10-hour back up. “What’s more is that we can use it even as it is getting charged,” add French musicians Eric and Marylise, of the band Vialka, who will be performing at the concert.

The concert is an environmental awareness initiative and it couldn’t be better timed given that 2012 has been declared the ‘International year of sustainable energy’. “Environmental concerns are increasing with each passing day and I thought what better way than music to have today’s youth warm up to the idea of renewable energy resources,” says Cédric. He is meeting up with several musicians and DJs to explain the concept as well. The unit can be used for presentations and lectures too. “I am now thinking of adding a projector to the unit to support the screening of films,” he adds. 3S that takes a little over ten minutes to assemble is ideal for a gathering of 100 people. “This is my first attempt at amalgamating art, technology and social cause so, I have built a system with a small capacity. I will update the unit soon,” adds Cédric. For future use, 3S will be placed at Jaaga, a community space dedicated to local art, culture and technology.

Cédric will next be travelling to Japan for a similar cause. “I generally modify the design of the unit by making use of local resources to make sure that it suits the needs of the respective cities,” he adds. The concept has already gained popularity in Switzerland, France, Haiti, Greece, Italy and Brazil. It is endorsed by the United Nations Foundation. In India, Swissnex, a global network that focuses on the growth of science and technology, is supporting the cause. Wanting to have the final word, Cédric says, “We are here to share the fact that solar energy is just a starting point from where many ideas can be explored!”

Rock the Sun concert is at 7.30pm, this evening at Alliance Francaise, Vasanthnagar. Entry is free for all.

Soon, Green Trains And Stations With Solar Lights

Indian Railways is expanding its green footprint. Wanting to do away with stinky toilets and waste that causes environmental damage and track corrosion, it is looking to replace them with odourless bio-toilets.

The Railway Minister, Mr Dinesh Trivedi, who announced a slew of green measures while presenting the Rail Budget in Lok Sabha, said that, besides bio-toilets, solar-powered lights and green trains will be part of the scheme. We are committed to protecting our environment. The year 2011-12 was declared as the ‘Year of Green Energy' by the Railways.

At least 2,500 coaches will be equipped with bio-toilets. The proposed toilet system has been developed by the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation), he said.

An estimated two million passengers use train toilets daily, wasting huge amounts of water and creating massive hygiene problems, with 2,74,000 litres of waste being dumped on the rail-tracks each day. Track corrosion costs the Railways more than Rs 350 crore every year.

Also on the anvil is the setting up of 72-MW capacity windmill plants in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Mr Trivedi has also proposed the setting up of 200 remote railway stations as “green energy stations,” powered entirely by solar energy. Solar lighting systems will also be used at 1,000 manned level crossing gates. He said mobile emission test cards will be introduced to measure the pollution level of diesel locomotives.

Two bio-diesel plants will come up at Raipur and Tondiarpet. A green train will run through the pristine forests of North Bengal. And SMSes on mobile phones will be treated as valid proof of reservation, thus saving paper.

India likely to see 76,000 MW capacity addition in 12th Plan

The country is projected to see capacity addition of 76,000 MW during the next Five-Year Plan period ending March 2017, Minister of State for Power K C Venugopal today said.

The power sector, grappling with acute fuel shortages, is expected to achieve capacity addition of around 54,000 MW in the 2007-12 Plan period."Looking ahead, it has been estimated that a capacity addition of about 76,000 MW is required during the12th Plan. Capacity addition envisaged during the 13th Plan is about 93,000 MW," Venugopal said at a function here to give away national awards for meritorious performance in power sector.

In the current Plan period, about 52,000 MW capacity has been added so far and another 2,000 MW is anticipated this month, he noted.

The government had earlier set a target for adding 78,577 MW of capacity in the 11th Five-Year Plan period and it was scaled down to 62,000 MW. Presently, the country has an installed power generation capacity of nearly 1,70,000 MW. Speaking on the occasion, Power Secretary P Uma Shankar said hydro power projects should be developed at a faster pace than being done at present.

Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was also present.

Boeing, Airbus, Embraer launch joint biofuel project

 

Plane makers and bitter rivals Airbus of Europe, Boeing of the US and Embraer of Brazil have announced a joint plan to develop affordable biofuels for the airplane industry.  The airplane sector leaders yesterday agreed to seek opportunities “to speak in unity” to Government and biofuel producers “to support, promote and accelerate the availability of sustainable new jet fuel sources,” a joint statement from the companies said.

The collaboration is intended to come up with a so-called “drop in” technology that all airplane models could use, regardless of the make. Airbus and Boeing have already launched programmes independently to develop alternatives to kerosene, a major greenhouse gas pollutant, to power its airplanes.

“We are all committed to take a leading role in the development of technology programmes that will facilitate aviation biofuels development and actual application faster than if we were doing it independently,” said Mr Paulo Cr Silva, Embraer Chief executive. The planemakers said they were committed to reducing the industry’s substantial carbon footprint, the term commonly used for emissions of greenhouse gases.

“We’ve achieved a lot in the last 10 years in reducing our industry’s (carbon) CO2 footprint — a 45 per cent  traffic growth with only three per cent more fuel consumption,” Airbus chief executive, Mr Tom Enders, said. Airbus on Wednesday announced a collaboration with airline Virgin Australia to explore biofuel production from eucalyptus leaves that grow in arid regions.

REpower Systems installs first 6.15 MW offshore turbine

 REpower Systems SE, part of Suzlon Group, and Belgian entity C-Power NV have installed the first 6.15 MW offshore turbine. "The turbine, with a rated power of 6.15 megawatts (MW), is the first of 48 REpower 6M to be constructed in the phases two and three of the Belgian offshore wind farm Thornton Bank," wind turbine maker Suzlon said in a statement.

The installation of the first 30 turbines is planned for 2012 and the remaining are scheduled for installation during an extension stage by mid-2013. C-Power has been set up to develop offshore wind farm in the concession area on the Thornton Bank in the North Sea. It is owned by four Belgian entities -- SRIW Environnement, Socofe, Z-Kracht/Nuhma, DEME, and two European strategic partners RWE Innogy EDF-EN in a partnership with the Marguerite Fund.

China plays down US trade row over solar products

China Wednesday sought to defuse a trade a row with the United States after the latter imposed duties on Chinese solar products, saying it would not hurt ties, even as state media cried protectionism.

The United States said Tuesday it would collect duties of between 2.9 and 4.7 percent on Chinese solar cells and panels, in a preliminary ruling after an investigation over whether companies received unfair financial support.

US companies have accused China of improperly subsidising its solar sector as part of a no-holds-barred commercial battle for supremacy of the lucrative market.

"It is normal for the two sides to have friction and differences of views," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular news briefing in Beijing.

"We should not allow such friction to impair the sound development of Sino-US economic relations," he said, calling for negotiations to help resolve trade disputes.

China had expected duties of up to 10 percent, state media said. Shares of some Chinese solar companies rose in domestic trading Wednesday given the less-than-expected duties, brokers said.

A commentary issued by the official Xinhua news agency called the US duties lighter than expected but it still warned Washington against resorting to protectionism.

"Although the solar panel case has proven to be less devastating than expected, the U.S. government recently intensified shots against a range of Chinese imports... recalling the phantom of protectionism," it said.

"Punitive duties, big or small, will distort normal trade relations and risk disturbing the fragile global economic recovery process."

Chinese producers denied the US findings and accused Washington of erecting obstacles to trade.

Suntech, the world's largest solar panel producer, said its success was based on "free and fair" competition.

"Unilateral trade barriers, large or small, will further delay our transition away from fossil fuels," Chief Commercial Officer for Suntech Andrew Beebe said in a statement.

Another Chinese company, Yingli Solar, defended its business practices.

"We are not dumping, nor do we believe that we are unfairly subsidised," Robert Petrina, managing director of Yingli's US subsidiary, said in a statement.

The US Department of Commerce is due to announce more findings in May for a parallel investigation into whether Chinese makers are dumping -- or predatory pricing -- underpriced solar cells into the United States.

Chinese solar-related shares were mixed in Shanghai trading Wednesday. Solar cell component makerTianwei Baobian Electric slid 0.92 percent but TDG Holding jumped 2.10 percent.

Smart Solar International's 36% efficient triple junction solar cell

Smart Solar International Inc, an offshoot organization from the University of Tokyo is developing their advanced version of a highly efficient solar cell. Fundamentally, their conception is based upon a uniaxial tracking light condensing system, embedded with triple junction compound photovoltaic cells. This triple junction compound cell insinuates a structure in which InGaAs (indium gallium arsenide) and InGaP (indium gallium phosphide) are trapped on a Ge (germanium) substrate.

However, beyond mere technicality, the researchers are touting that their creation has incredibly high levels of efficiency, when used in a practical scope. For example, when the set up is utilized in conjunction with a module, the cell conversion efficiency is 32 percent without light condensing, and 36 percent in the range of 100x to 500x light condensing. In fact, in normal or even low natural lighting situations, the system can give up to 23 percent efficiency; which is claimed to be a world record of sorts by the associated scientists.

When these high efficiency percentages are translated into solid output figures, maximum output of power generated by this triple junction fueled 15kg module is 200W, with the size of the integrated mirror being marked at 200 x 60cm. But, more importantly, the researchers have also kept the overall cost of their prototype system to manageable limits at ¥84,000 (approximately $1,007).

3-D solar cell reduces payback period by least 40%

 the developer of a breakthrough 3-dimensional solar cell technology to maximize the conversion of sunlight into electricity, today explained how its super-efficient solar cell can reduce investment payback on solar power systems. These revolutionary cost benefits, which have eluded the solar industry to date, can make solar power affordable for millions of people.

"We have achieved these cost benefits with our 3-dimensional cell design," said Jim Nelson, CEO of Solar3D. "Cost savings come from two very important features. First, our 3D cell can deliver a high conversion efficiency of 25% using low cost silicon, which is nearly 50% more efficient than current commercial solar cells. Second, our 3D cell features an integrated wide-angle light collection surface that grabs light from a wider range of angles. Wide-angle collection allows our solar cell to collect light more effectively early and late in the day, as well as in the winter months. The result is that our 3D solar cell can deliver 200% more power output than conventional solar cells."

Nelson continued, "Because of our high power density, solar panels using Solar3D cells can also produce more power from space limited areas, such as rooftops. Because of wide-angle collection, solar panels using Solar3D cells will have less need for elaborate tracking systems that follow the sun to maintain high efficiency. Based on our calculations, we conclude that our breakthrough technology will reduce the payback on a solar system by at least 40%."

Though solar is the fastest growing industry in the world, it still produces less than 1% of the world's electricity. Most industry analysts believe that the reason for this slow rate of adoption is the high total system cost for solar. The DOE and others estimate that when the cost of electricity from solar approaches grid parity, or a level at which it is competitive with other sources of electricity, it will produce up to 20% of the world's electricity -- independent of government incentives. Solar3D sees reducing the cost of solar energy as a key part of its mission.

Nelson concluded, "Reducing the payback of a solar system by 40% is dramatic. Most systems have a payback period of 10-15 years. Using Solar3D cells, the payback period can be reduced to 6-9 years, making the purchase decision more like buying a car rather than a house. Lastly, after completing the short payback period, the solar system becomes a cash flow generating asset. This is the kind of economics that will open the floodgates for mass affordability and consumption of solar panels. From solar farms, to rooftops, to mobile devices, to military applications, to consumer products, we believe our Solar3D cell will be the obvious choice for next generation solar panels and systems."

About Solar3D, Inc.

Solar3D, Inc. is developing a breakthrough 3-dimensional solar cell technology to maximize the conversion of sunlight into electricity. Up to 30% of incident sunlight is currently reflected off the surface of conventional solar cells, and more is lost inside the solar cell materials. Inspired by light management techniques used in fiber optic devices, our innovative solar cell technology utilizes a 3-dimensional design to trap sunlight inside micro-photovoltaic structures where photons bounce around until they are converted into electrons. This next generation solar cell will be dramatically more efficient, resulting in a lower cost per watt that will make solar power affordable for the world. To learn more about Solar3D, please visit our website at http://www.Solar3D.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of the Company and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting the Company and its operations, markets, product, and distributor performance, the impact on the national and local economies resulting from terrorist actions, and U.S. actions subsequently; and other factors detailed in reports filed by the Company.

Gujarat has made remarkable achievements in the energy sector'

 Gujarat had made remarkable achievements in the energy sector in the last one decade, Minister of State for Energy, Saurabh Patel, claimed in the state Assembly.

"Gujarat is the only state where there is no load shedding. The policies framed for solar, wind, and tidal energy have helped the state become number one," Patel said, in reply to discussion on budgetary demands for Energy and Petroleum department.According to Patel, the state is set to have power production capacity of 18,457 MW by next year.

"By May this year, the state is expected to have 600 MW of solar power generation capacity, the highest by any state in the nation," Patel said.

The government had provided Rs 50 crore in FY 2012-13 budget for 50 MW power generation from tidal and geo-thermal sources, he said.

Patel also told the house that the state had installed capacity of 3,831 MW through gas-fired power plants. Due to shortfall in natural gas supply from Centre, the state was incurring losses to the tune of Rs 3,600 crore, he alleged.

Hydro projects in Western Ghats face green hurdle

It is not only mining sector that will get affected by the report of Western Ghat Environment Panel. Hydro-power projects in the region stretching across five states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Goa may also see red.

According to officials, the Environment ministry’s panel recommended the government to not give a go-ahead to as many as two proposed hydel power projects in Karnataka and Kerala together worth over Rs 5,500 crore. The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), set up by the environment ministry last year to assess the current status of ecology of the Western Ghats region has reportedly said that the Gundia Hydro Electric Project should not be executed. The WGEEP had submitted their observations months back but the environment ministry is yet to make the report public.

Suzlon wind power to bring new low-wind turbines to India this year

"As the Indian wind energy market continues to grow at over 40 percent per year, we believe the S8X will be a game changer in the high-growth 1.5 MW segment," said Tulsi Tanti, chairman of the Suzlon Group.

Suzlon Group, the world’s fifth largest wind power maker, announced its latest turbine in the 1.5 MW range focused on harnessing Class III, low-wind sites.

The new wind turbine is specifically designed to deliver high efficiency and cost effective power generation even at low wind speeds, therefore increasing the size of the market and making wind farm projects even more financially competitive than they are today.

The S8X, scheduled for launch in 2012, is designed specifically for the Indian wind energy market where the majority of potential lies in medium-to-low wind farm sites. This turbine is designed with advanced rotors, with diameters of 86.5 and 89 meters, and a tower height of 90 meters, which will bring improvements in energy yields of between 15 to 20 percent over the current S82 – 1.5 MW offering in low wind conditions.

Additionally, the S8X is designed specifically to operate in high temperatures, and to meet the current and future grid requirements in India.

This wind turbine is an evolution of the proven S82 – 1.5 MW platform, with approximately 2,400 MW in installations consistently delivering 97 percent plus availability (uptime). The new design also incorporates several key features from the S9X suite of wind turbines, helping to achieve higher reliability, improved power output, higher safety and improved lightening protection.

Like the S9X, the new turbine offers an improved pitch and yaw system, hub assembly, main frame and other key components, ensuring easier maintenance, greater reliability and higher uptime. Speaking on the subject, Mr. John O’Halloran, President, Technology – Suzlon Energy Limited, said: “This marks an extremely important step forward in our product strategy. The S8X builds on our extensive operating experience with our highly successful S82 – 1.5 MW fleet in some of the most challenging environments in the world. The development program drew extensively on feedback from our key customer groups – primarily PSUs and IPPs in India – to create a product that meets their current and future needs, and provides consistently improving returns on investment.

“The S8X features advanced blade designs and highly efficient control systems to optimize loads and performance – delivering higher reliability, significantly improved energy output and ultimately, increased financial performance for our customers.

These wind turbines will be built to the latest guidelines issued by certification agencies, with even more advanced and stringent testing standards than previous guidelines.”

“As the Indian wind energy market continues to grow at over 40 percent per year, we believe the S8X will be a game changer in the high-growth 1.5 MW segment –delivering higher reliability, uptime, energy production and ultimately greatly improved returns on investment to customers over its lifecycle.”

The Suzlon Group is ranked as the world’s fifth largest wind turbine supplier, in terms of cumulative installed capacity, at the end of 2010. The company’s global spread extends across Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa and North and South America with over 18,000 MW of wind energy capacity installed in 28 countries, operations in 32 countries, a workforce of over 13,000. The Group offers one of the most comprehensive product portfolios – ranging from sub-megawatt on-shore wind turbines at 600 Kilowatts (KW), to the world’s largest commercial 6.15 MW offshore turbine – built on a vertically integrated, low-cost, manufacturing base. The Group – headquartered at Suzlon One Earth in Pune, India – comprises Suzlon Energy Limited and its subsidiaries, including REpower Systems SE.

Wind class: The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) defines three wind classes for wind turbines based on annual average wind speed, Class I / high wind – 10 m/s; Class II / medium wind – 8.5 m/s; and Class III / low wind – 7.5 m/s.

Wind mill owners, Tamil Nadu, to try novel approach to power trading

Wind mill situated near Kaavalkinaru in Tirunelveli district 

 Windmill owners are considering partnering directly with wind energy consumers to facilitate power trading and get around power supply restrictions.

The Tamil Nadu Spinning Mills Association (TASMA) along with its members is likely to float a special purpose vehicle (SPV) in which the windmill owners and power consumers will be partners. This will mean the consumers who do not own wind mills or have adequate captive capacity will in effect own a share in the wind mill asset and can avail of benefits of captive power, says Dr K. Venkatachalam, Chief Advisor, TASMA.

PARTNERSHIP

The electricity rules dictate that only those with at least 26 per cent stake in a wind mill and consume at least 51 per cent of the power generated can avail of captive power benefits. A direct partnership between wind mill owners and consumers will help address this limitation, he said.

For the power suppliers, a partnership with the consumer means they are not constrained by the complex power trading mechanism or the several months' delay in payment from the power utility when they supply to the State grid.

TASMA members own about 3,000 MW of wind energy generation capacity, that is over half the total wind mill capacity in Tamil Nadu, and nearly 40 per cent of this is sold to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, he said.

The details of the SPV are being worked and TASMA will set up a power division which will coordinate the establishment and operation of the SPV. Meanwhile, some of the members are trying to arrive at one-on-one agreements themselves, he said.

FUTURE PLANS

A long-term plan includes establishment of an independent power plant for the exclusive use by the spinning mills. The gas-based or coal-based plant close to a port is to be funded by the members.

These decisions met with strong support from the members at a recent meeting of the association.

Last month the power utility passed an order curtailing energy banking adjustment for HT consumers using wind mill energy. It also said the consumers could not purchase third party power or exchange power, and cannot wheel energy from wind mills and captive power plants during power holidays and load-shedding.

TASMA members went to court on this issue and have obtained a stay on this order.

PV 2012: A "Correction" Year

2011 was a year of extremes for the solar industry: record installations; a dramatic fall in module prices; and a plethora of companies closing their doors. Going forward, indications are that 2012 will remain extremely challenging, with the industry having been firmly caught in the crosshairs of Europe’s economic crisis. Continued oversupply and less installed capacity are to be expected.

After all the ups and downs, the 2011 solar market ended strongly, mainly due to Germany’s unexpected three gigawatts (GW) of installations added to the grid at the end of December. With final photovoltaic installation numbers still trickling in, it looks like the year will total around 27 GW, up almost 10 GW from 2010’s 17 GW. With rapidly falling photovoltaic module prices a key demand driver in 2011, Germany and Italy installed about 17 GW between them, thus accounting for most of the demand in 2011.

As has been widely reported, severe oversupply was the primary driver behind the huge drop in module prices which, in January 2011, averaged around $1.80, and bottomed at $0.90 to $1.00 by the end of the year for Tier 1 Chinese suppliers. With the dramatic and rapid fall in prices, policies and rate adjustments simply could not keep up in most markets, resulting in a rush of installations as project rates of returns became very attractive.

Correction year

All indications are that 2012 will be extremely challenging – a "correction" year. The oversupply situation will continue and, adding to the woes, the major markets in 2012 – Germany and Italy – are expected to barely install half of what they did in 2011, particularly if Germany goes along with its proposed feed-in tariff (FIT) plans. Consequently, predictions are that just 25 GW will be added to the global grid this year.

With political pressure in Europe to reduce debt, solar is squarely in the cross hairs of the European economic crisis. Furthermore, there are a number of pivotal events scheduled for 2012, which could have an enormous impact on the solar market, including final policy decisions in Germany, the U.S.- China anti-dumping case, the Chinese push to spur domestic demand, knee-jerk reactions by many countries to cut subsidies, and protectionist policies with local content preferential rules.

The question, therefore, is who will pick up the slack in 2012?

Germany

In 2011, there were a record number of installations – 7.5GW – in Germany, which triggered a series of events that could drive significant policy adjustments around the world. Of the 7.5 GW, Germany installed three GW in December alone, spurred on by record low module prices and the looming January 1, 2012, tariff cuts.

This installment rush took the country’s government by surprise, resulting in a scramble to re-haul existing policies. While the proposed cuts are aggressive, a more important concern for the industry is the suggested installation cap of between 2.5 to 3.5 GW per year for 2012 and 2013, followed by yearly reductions of 400 megawatts (MW) – all of which would result in a reduction of installation levels of 900 MW, to 1.9 GW by 2017. For companies, basing business plans on any FIT proposals beyond one year is a risky proposition.

Through its leadership, Germany has helped lay a solid foundation for the global solar industry to build on. However, the time has come for other markets to step up demand as the blistering pace of installations in the country has become unsustainable.

Italy

Technically, Italy, at 9.2 GW, added the most photovoltaic capacity to its grid in 2011. According to Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (GSE), the country's energy regulator, total installations for the year included 3.74 GW installed in 2010, but which were operational in 2011.

In response to the high installation levels in 2011, it is likely that the government will review and lower the FIT over the next few months. However, while the government can reduce the tariffs significantly, it is unlikely to eliminate them entirely.

There are a few policy changes that happened under the January 20 Decree. Under Article 65, the government has stopped incentives for ground-mounted PV plants on agricultural lands. However, installations on greenhouses will receive the full tariff for rooftop photovoltaics, instead of the current average between the tariffs for rooftop and ground-mounted facilities. Furthermore, GSE announced that the budget for the second half of 2012 for large photovoltaic plants has already been exhausted due to excessive demand in 2011. As a consequence, there will be no registration procedure for the second half of 2012.

One of the biggest fears for Italy's industry, however, is the fact that the six billion euros set aside for the country’s solar market until 2016, is more than likely to run out this year.

France

France is another country in the middle of the Eurozone crisis, with huge economic and political uncertainties, primarily due to the upcoming elections. It was one of the first countries in Europe to shift from a FIT to a system based on bidding for large-scale projects (above 100 kilowatts). The only thing supporting the French market in 2011 was the exemption of about 3.5 GW of grandfathered systems, after it introduced a 500 MW hard cap on annual new installations.

The Commission de Regulation de l’Energie (CRE) further announced in January that the tariffs for new installations connected in the first quarter of 2012 will decrease by up to 10 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2011.

The French government also reportedly plans to propose a new FIT for photovoltaic plants, and will offer a higher rate for those produced with domestic material. Under the new tariff, it has been said that plants with more than 60 percent of the components produced in the country will receive a premium of at least 10 percent.

United States

The U.S. installed about 1.7 GW worth of photovoltaics in 2011 – almost double that installed in 2010 – primarily due to a strong push in the fourth quarter before the 30 percent cash grant expired. The U.S. solar market is expected to continue to do well in 2012 and could double again, making it one of the top solar markets in the world. The big uncertainty factor hanging on the U.S. solar market is the anti-dumping case involving Chinese solar manufacturers.

The country currently has over 25 GW of utility-scale solar projects in various stages of development. Although many of these projects will not be successfully completed, it is still the most robust pipeline of projects compared to any other solar market.

China

China is estimated to have installed over two GW of photovoltaics in 2011, which is much higher than initially expected. The country claims to be targeting very aggressive installations of four to five GW in 2012. There was a recent announcement by China's National Development and Reform Commission that the 2015 photovoltaic installation target in China's 12th Five-Year Plan has been increased to 15 GW – 50 percent higher than the previous target.

This focus on increasing domestic solar demand has largely been due to the number of Chinese manufacturers going out of business or incurring large losses. Extremely aggressive increases in manufacturing capacities among Chinese manufacturers, resulting in large oversupply, started the trend that resulted in huge price declines that affected every country in the world. This has also pushed most countries towards protectionist policies, as their domestic companies continue to fail.

There has been some recent talk from Chinese government officials indicating support to curtail manufacturing capacity expansions. This could indicate a pull back from the government in supporting manufacturers with subsidies and loans going forward.

Japan

Japan installed around 1.1 GW in 2011, which is not a significant increase compared to 2010. This is understandable due to supply chain disruptions and confusion after the Fukushima disaster. Solar can play an active role in helping get Japanese energy production back on track in the absence of nuclear power. There has been some delay in announcing new FIT scheme, and the industry is waiting to see how supportive it will be.

Japan may end up shutting down all of its 54 nuclear power reactors, according to Japanese Trade Ministry officials. The renewable energy companies are hoping that they will all benefit. Since nuclear power is base load and solar is not, solar cannot be the only answer, however. The country, which is currently struggling with regular power shortages since the Fukushima disaster, has set a goal of achieving 28 GW of cumulative photovoltaic capacity by 2020.

India

From almost no solar installations a few years ago, India is poised to become a gigawatt market by the end of 2012. Solar demand in India is mainly supported by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), which is a central government policy to install 20 GW of solar power by 2022. In the early phases of JNNSM, solar projects have been selected based on the lowest bid, which has led to aggressive bidding and the problems that come with it.

Complementing JNNSM are individual state policies, led by the state of Gujarat, which announced FITs for almost one GW of solar power.

The challenge in India is project execution and financing. More than half of JNNSM projects have been late coming online and most of the projects in Gujarat have also been late. Indian solar bids have been one of the lowest in the world from companies that are mostly new to solar and, in many cases, new to the power sector. These low bids for projects are making it difficult to secure external funding, not to mention borrowing costs in India (13 to 15 percent) are almost double borrowing costs in parts of Europe and U.S.

Mercom’s forecast is based on current market conditions, policies and estimated pipelines in various countries as they stand today. A close eye should be kept on upcoming policy changes as forecasting will change with it.

Seiko Astron - Solar powered, GPS enabled watch

Travelling through the world's 39 different time zones soon? Worried about all the time you'll waste adjusting your watch? Concerned about getting time zones wrong? Seiko's GPS-enabled solar powered Astron to the rescue. 
While adjusting your watch after skipping from Adelaide to Melbourne is a very minor inconvenience that probably doesn't justify the purchase of a high end watch; for high-flying execs jumping from destination to destination on a regular basis, keeping track of the time can be a little more challenging*.
Seiko has developed a low-energy-consumption GPS receiver and incorporated it into the solar powered Seiko Astron, a watch that can identify time zone, time and date data all over our planet. 
The programming in the watch divides the world into one million 'squares' and allocates a time zone to each. Once a day (or on demand), Seiko Astron automatically receives the time signal by connecting  to four or more of the GPS satellites that orbit Earth, allowing the watch to pinpoint its position and identify the time zone it's in. The process for manual updating involves pressing a single button.
Packing all this technology into such a small device (47mm diameter, 135 grams weight) was no mean feat - Seiko says the research and development that went into the Seiko Astron resulted in no less than 100 patent applications. 
Energy efficiency came to the fore in the development of the Seiko Astron, allowing it to run entirely off solar power or any form of ambient light.
Another feature of the Astron is Seiko's new proprietary anti-reflective coating applied on both the front and back of the glass, which prevents 99% of light reflection and allows the dial to be easily legible, even in bright light. It's not clear from the company literature, but this anti-reflective coating may also assist in the light harvesting attributes of the watch's solar cells; which are embedded in the dial.
The perpetual calendar in the watch is correct to February 2100 - past that date will probably not be a concern for people buying the watch soon.

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Cogenra awarded 2012 ideas and innovation award for energy technology

Cogenra Solar, a leading provider of distributed solar cogeneration systems and renewable energy service solutions, today announced it has won a 2012 Ideas and Innovations Award from the Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal. Recognized in the energy category, Cogenra was honored for its solar cogeneration technology that produces five times the energy, three times the greenhouse gas reductions and twice the financial savings over traditional solar panels.

“It’s an honor to have been recognized for our contribution to energy innovation in Silicon Valley, the hub of pioneering cleantech companies,” said Cogenra’s CEO Dr. Gilad Almogy at the award ceremony last Thursday evening. “Cogenra’s technology is designed to be both practical and affordable, delivering heat and electricity in one hybrid solution. Organizations around the world have selected solar cogeneration as their renewable energy solution to reduce costs and support their sustainability efforts.”

Cogenra combines proven photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal technologies to deliver low-cost electricity and hot water in one modular and scalable system. Capturing up to 75 percent of the sun’s delivered energy, Cogenra’s technology maximizes energy production by producing hot water from the waste heat of PV generation. Performance and efficiency advantages drive industry-leading payback periods of four to six years for industrial and institutional sites.

Cogenra’s solution is being rapidly adopted into a variety of industries such as the military, food and beverage, hospitality, healthcare and multi-tenant housing including college dormitories, corporate campuses and assisted living facilities. Most recently, the company announced installations as Facebook’s new headquarters in Menlo Park and the University of Arizona.

Organized by the Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, the Ideas & Innovations Award celebrates the most cutting edge advancements in technology and science, and the companies and individuals that are leading the way.

NTPC to supply 250 MW power to Bangladesh

The country’s largest electricity producer NTPC will supply 250 MW power to Bangladesh, a move that will help strengthen trade ties between the two nations.
NTPC will export 250 MW power to Bangladesh from the unallocated quota available with the Power Ministry, according to a company official.
A power purchase agreement was inked between NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVN), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC, and the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) on Tuesday.

Power situation in TN to improve in next 6 months

Power situation in Tamil Nadu is expected to ease in next six months with the commissioning of North Madras and third unit of Mettur thermal power stations, the Highways Minister, Mr Edapadi Palanisamy, has said.

Within six months, the North Madras power plant (first stage) would be commissioned contributing 600 MW to the state grid, he said at an AIADMK function in Mecheri after distributing welfare assistance to several people

13 more hydro power projects, Orissa, in the offing

The state energy department has plans to operationalize 13 hydro electric power projects over and above the 13 running projects.

According to Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, minister for energy, of the 13 new hydro power projects, four projects will be executed by state owned Orissa Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) with the remaining nine to be developed by private players. These hydro power projects are to be taken up in Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Malkangiri, Koraput, Bargarh, Khurda, Rayagada, Gajapati and Cuttack districts and are expected to be commissioned in the 12th Plan period (2012-17). The cost of hydro power projects to be implemented by OHPC can be assessed after preparation of detailed project report (DPR), the minister said.

OHPC is currently operating seven hydro-electric projects- Hirakud-I (Burla)- 275.5 MW, Hirakud-II (Chipilima)- 72 MW, Balimela- 510 MW, Rengali-250 MW, Upper Kolab- 320 MW, Upper Indravati- 600 MW and Machkund- 14.75 MW.

The 13 hydro power projects currently running in the state have collectively generated 5,165.48 million units of electricity in this fiscal till February 17.

The state government had signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with 32 developers for hydel power projects envisaging generation capacity of 409 MW and involving investment of Rs 2,250 crore.

Rs. 44-crore solid waste management facility lying unused in Salem

The Rs. 44-crore modern solid waste management facility for Salem city is gathering dust. Non-availability of vehicles to transport garbage collected from 60 wards in Salem Corporation and erratic power supply have put the Solid Waste Management (SMW) plant in Chettichavadi, on the city's outskirts, grossly under-utilised.

The modern scientific recycling unit for safe disposal of solid waste is undertaken on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis by a private contractor based in Gujarat. But the project is still on a trial run since it went on stream eight months ago since the civic body is unable to supply 350 tonnes of waste every day to make the plant run to its full capacity. Situated on a sprawling 100-acre land, the plant is supplied only 150 tonnes of solid wastes currently for recycling. The Corporation spends about Rs.1.5 crore a month for collecting waste from 39 wards, while the private contractor is paid Rs. 37 lakh for collecting waste from 31 other wards.

The non-availability of lorries and tractors to transport the waste to the plant results in continuous dumping of solid waste at Erumapalayam yar.

Commissioner M. Ashokan says currently 120 to 150 tonnes of wastes are being taken to the plant for recycling. Under the Integrated Urban Development Scheme (IUDS), tenders would be floated for purchase of two compactors that would each carry 10 tonnes of wastes and 110 stainless steel bins, all at a cost of Rs. 1 crore.

Low wind speed serious obstruction for Chandigarh's projection as a 'Solar City of future'

With several hiccups, including too less wind speed in the city (3 metres per second), negligible biogas and lesser municipal waste to meet 10% energy needs through non-conventional sources, Chandigarh's projection as a 'Solar City of future' appears to be a serious challenge and an arduous task for the UT administration.

With Chandigarh figuring in the list of 11 prospect solar cities in India that have already received a grant of Rs 47.58 lakh by the Union government, brain-storming on its practical implementation has begun.

Challenges concerning planning and implementation of 'Chandigarh as the future solar city' were deliberated upon by experts at a seminar on Tuesday.

"Switching over to alternative sources needs a lot of public participation and immense support from the local administration. Even meeting 10% of power needs could take a lot of time and could go up to 3 years," said Ankit Narula, a research associate in TERI.

In a survey done to calculate power needs of the city, it was recorded that 42% of the power consumption could be reduced by usage of T5 copper ballast tubelights of 28 watts instead of the T20 ones (40watts). He added that in Chandigarh, there was negligible wind energy, biogas and municipal waste available to generate alternative sources.