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Canadian Solar Awarded 364 Megawatts Of Solar Projects In Latest Brazil Auction
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Canadian Solar Awarded 364 Megawatts Of Solar Projects In Latest Brazil Auction

by Joshua S Hill
written by Joshua S Hill

Canadian Solar, one of the world’s leading solar power companies, announced on Tuesday that it had successfully been awarded 364 megawatts (MW) worth of solar projects in Brazil’s most recent renewable energy auction which was held earlier this month and which awarded around 1 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity.

Brazil’s government-run energy agency, Empresa de Pesquisa Energetica (EPE) and the Electric Energy Trading Chamber (CCEE) announced last week the winners for its A-4 auction which was held on April 4. In total, around 1 GW was awarded including 114.4 MW worth of wind power, 61.8 MW worth of biomass, 41.6 MW worth of small-scale hydroelectricity, and a mammoth 806.6 MW worth of solar power.

According to reports, the average price for solar projects in the A-4 auction was around 118 BRL ($35.2)/MW-hour (MWh) after the country’s energy regulator, ANEEL, had established a maximum price of 312 BRL (US$96.5)/MWh for PV.

Canadian Solar was definitely one of the big winners out of this auction, announcing on Tuesday that it had been awarded a total of 364 MW for three solar PV projects in the auction. The three projects were awarded in the states of Minas Gerais and Ceara and were each awarded under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement. Upon completion, the three Canadian Solar projects are expected to provide approximately 706,056 MWh of clean electricity to the grid, and are all expected to begin commercial operation in 2022.

“We are proud to be the only company that has been successful in winning projects in all of the five Federal Auctions held to date in Brazil,” said Dr Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar. “Brazil has proven to be an important market for us. Relentless innovations and focuses on driving down cost while improving efficiencies in all aspects have allowed Canadian Solar to deliver a 55.5% reduction in energy prices from the first auction, which accelerated the adoption of solar energy in the country.”

French renewable energy EDF Energies Nouvelles was another of the auction’s successful recipients, being awarded the contract to build a 114 MW wind farm. The project, which is to be built in the state of Bahia, is expected to be commissioned in 2021 and will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of around 290,000 Brazilian homes each year.

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SunPower Sells Off 110 Megawatt Chilean Solar Plant To Actis
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SunPower Sells Off 110 Megawatt Chilean Solar Plant To Actis

by Joshua S Hill
written by Joshua S Hill

SunPower, one of the world’s leading solar companies, has announced this week it has sold off the 110 megawatt Pelicano Solar Plant in Chile to leading investor Actis. 

SunPower announced on Thursday that Actis had acquired the Chilean 110 MW (megawatt) Pelicano Solar Plant in the municipality of La Higuera (Coquimbo Region) near Vallenar (Atacama Region), which is expected to deliver 300 gigawatt-hours (GWh) each year of electricity to the Metro de Santiago, Santiago’s underground railway system.

The Pelicano Solar Plant was completed on January 11, and Metro de Santiago will purchase the electricity generated by the project under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). 

“With a supportive regulatory environment and abundant solar resource, Chile is a market we know extremely well through our investments in the Aela Energía and Atlas Renewables platforms,” said Javier Areitio, director at Actis. “We are confident that in partnership with Metro de Santiago and SunPower, the El Pelicano plant will be a terrific illustration of clean, sustainable energy for many years to come.”

The move by Actis joins existing Chilean investments, including in the 1.2 GW (gigawatt) Pan-Latin American renewable energy platform and other plans which is targeting 330 MW worth of renewable energy.

“Actis is focused on sustainable value, which makes the El Pelicano Solar Plant a great fit for its portfolio,” said Chuck Boynton, SunPower chief financial officer. “High performance SunPower Oasis technology is designed to cost-effectively maximize power generation for decades. Forward-looking organizations like Actis and Metro de Santiago are a global model for the development of solar power, reducing reliance on unsustainable energy sources.”

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Shell Invests In Solar With Acquisition Of 43% Stake In Silicon Ranch Corporation
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Shell Invests In Solar With Acquisition Of 43% Stake In Silicon Ranch Corporation

by Joshua S Hill
written by Joshua S Hill

Originally published on PlanetSave.

Oil giant Shell has stepped up its investment in renewable energy, announcing this week that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 43.83% stake in leading US solar developer, owner, and operator Silicon Ranch Corporation, a deal set to be worth up to $217 million.

The two companies announced the move this week which will see Shell acquire a 43.83% stake in Silicon Ranch in a move which will be worth between $193 and $217 million, depending on Silicon Ranch achieving predetermined milestones. A parallel agreement between the two companies opens the door for Shell to increase its ownership after 2021. The current deal is expected to close this quarter, subject to regulatory approvals.

“Partnering with Silicon Ranch Corporation progresses our New Energies strategy and provides our US customers with additional solar renewable options,” said Marc van Gerven, Shell Vice President of Solar. “With this entry into the fast-growing solar sector, Shell is able to leverage its expertise as one of the top three wholesale power sellers in the US, while expanding its global New Energies footprint.”

Silicon Ranch has an existing solar portfolio of approximately 880 MW (megawatts), and doubled its operating portfolio for three consecutive years. The company also boasts close to 1 GW (gigawatt) worth of solar in its development pipeline. Shell’s investment in the company will help Silicon Ranch accelerate its growth strategy and allow it to develop new projects, expand into new markets, and expand its current offerings.

Standing left to right: Silicon Ranch board member Byron Smith; Shell GM Solar Projects, Shell New Energies, Boris Schubert; Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and CFO Reagan Farr; Silicon Ranch Chief Corporate Development Officer David Vickerman; Sitting left to right: Silicon Ranch Chairman Phil Bredesen; Shell VP of Solar Marc van Gerven; Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and CEO Matt Kisber

“Our goal at Silicon Ranch has always been to ensure that Americans have access to a reliable, affordable, and clean energy supply, and we are honored to welcome Shell as our newest business partner,” said Matt Kisber, Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and CEO. “By pairing our solar expertise and trusted brand with the scale, resources, and brand equity of Shell, we are well-equipped to collaborate with our utility partners to provide comprehensive, win-win energy solutions for them and their customers. As we welcome Shell to our team, Silicon Ranch also wants to thank Partners Group for the financial and commercial support that enabled us to surpass our ambitious growth targets over the last two years.”

“Shell shares our steadfast commitment to long-term partnership, and together we will unlock tremendous value in the US solar market,” added Reagan Farr, Silicon Ranch Co-Founder and CFO. “This significant and strategic investment by Shell is in the best interest not only of our company and our employees, but also of our customers and the communities we serve, because it will allow us to capture synergies with Shell’s businesses and benefit from its long heritage in providing energy services around the world.”

Reprinted with permission.

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Canadian Solar Modifies Q4 & FY17 Guidance, Increases Expected Module Shipments
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Canadian Solar Modifies Q4 & FY17 Guidance, Increases Expected Module Shipments

by Joshua S Hill
written by Joshua S Hill

Canadian Solar, one of the world’s largest solar power companies, have modified their financial guidance for the fourth quarter and full year 2017, resulting in increased total solar module shipments for 2017 of nearly 7 gigawatts.

As announced last week, Canadian Solar updated its fourth-quarter and full year 2017 guidance “to reflect timing of certain solar project sales.” Specifically, in its third-quarter financial report announced in November, the company explained that it had entered into definitive agreements with two buyers to sell a portfolio of 6 solar power projects in California amounting to 703 megawatts (MW). These transactions have not been completed yet, subsequently modifying the expected revenue the company will take in during the fourth quarter.

In particular, Canadian Solar has adjusted its guidance for total revenue for the fourth quarter to be in the range of between $1.04 to $1.08, down from an originally guided range of between $1.77 and $1.81 billion.

However, that is the only downward shift in Canadian Solar’s guidance modifications, as the company also announced that it was updating its solar module shipments for the fourth quarter, from an original range of  1,650 MW to 1,750 MW to a new guided range of between 1,720 MW to 1,820 MW. Gross margin has also been modified upwards as well, from between 10.5% to 12.5% up to 16.5% to 18.5% (due to low margins on the expected solar portfolio transaction).

Canadian Solar has also increased its solar module shipments guidance for the full year 2017 to be in the range of 6.8 GW to 6.9 GW, compared to previous guidance of between 6.7 GW to 6.8 GW. Total revenue for the full year 2017 is now expected to be in the range of $3.33 billion to $3.37 billion, down on the previously guided $4.05 billion to $4.09 billion.

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NREL Releases Landmark Residential Solar + Energy Storage Cost Breakdown
Energy StorageRooftop Solar

NREL Releases Landmark Residential Solar + Energy Storage Cost Breakdown

by Joshua S Hill
written by Joshua S Hill

Originally published on CleanTechnica.

The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory has published a landmark report extensively detailing component and system-level cost breakdowns for residential PV solar systems equipped with energy storage.

The decreasing cost of solar systems has been well documented over the last several years, with increased innovation and decreasing manufacturing costs combining to make solar PV a competitive and economic choice for residents and utilities across the United States, and in fact the world. As such, the costs attributed to the development of residential and utility-scale solar projects has been well defined for some time — even though that figure keeps decreasing.

However, in the same way that technological innovation and manufacturing has helped to lower the costs of solar PV projects, the same catalysts have acted on energy storage technology. As a result, the attractiveness and economic viability of energy storage systems has increased dramatically over the last year or two, to the point where energy storage options are more and more frequently being considered to run in tandem with solar systems.

Researchers from the US Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have therefore published what is currently the most detailed component- and system-level cost breakdowns for residential solar PV equipped with energy storage. The report, Installed Cost Benchmarks and Deployment Barriers for Residential Solar Photovoltaics with Energy Storage: Q1 2016, also serves to quantify the previously unknown or uncertain soft costs for combined solar PV and energy storage.

“There is rapidly growing interest in pairing distributed PV with storage, but there’s a lack of publicly available cost data and analysis,” said Kristen Ardani, lead author of the report and a solar technology markets and policy analyst at NREL. “By expanding NREL’s well-established component- and system-level cost modeling methodology for solar PV technologies to PV-plus-storage systems, this report is the first in a series of benchmark reports that will document progress in cost reductions for the emerging PV-plus-storage market over time.”

Putting aside for a moment the cost factors involved with energy storage options, their use with residential solar PV systems are invaluable, as they increase the viability and function of a solar system which is otherwise restricted to use only when the sun is shining. Energy storage allows for excess generated electricity to be stored onsite for use when the clouds come in, or the moon comes up.

Not only has energy storage become more appealing, but the falling costs of solar have opened the door for people to begin affording energy storage options with their solar PV systems. However, according to NREL, “gaps remain in developing an in-depth understanding of the costs of combined PV and battery systems and in effectively communicating their value proposition.”

This is where the new report steps in, by extensively detailing the costs and any barriers to adoption currently in play in the market. As can be seen below, the authors of the report separated installation costs into 13 categories that cover both hard and soft costs. The report’s findings are centered around two grid-tied system applications — a “small-battery case” and a “large-battery case.” Of particular interest is the small-battery case, which is made up of a 5.6 kW solar PV array combined with a 3-kW/6-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery. Unsurprisingly, as the image shows below, the benchmarked price for the small-battery case is approximately twice as expensive as a standalone 5.6 kW PV system.

Modeled total installed cost and price components for residential PV-plus-storage systems, small-battery case (2016 U.S. dollars)

As can be seen, there are variances depending on whether the PV and battery system are installed at the same time, or added to an existing array, and whether you choose DC or AC — which itself has its own pros and cons.

The large-battery case is made up of a 5.6 kW solar PV array combined with a 5-kW/20-kWh lithium-ion battery system, and is much more expensive — though its intended use is to meet greater backup power and energy requirements in the event of a grid outage.

Modeled total installed cost and price components for residential PV-plus-storage systems, small-battery case (2016 U.S. dollars)

Reprinted with permission.

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Sunrun Expands Residential Solar Service Into Wisconsin
Rooftop Solar

Sunrun Expands Residential Solar Service Into Wisconsin

by Joshua S Hill
written by Joshua S Hill

Originally published on CleanTechnica.

The United States’ largest dedicated residential solar company announced this week that it is expanding its home solar service into the state of Wisconsin, which represents the first time a national residential solar company is serving the Midwest.

I like making note of these residential solar company expansions because it shows a continuing and inexorable growth of an industry which is going to be very important in the necessary low-carbon transition we are in the middle of. Further, it’s good to raise awareness of which US states now have the option to get residential solar from an industry leader.

Sunrun is definitely not the biggest residential solar provider in the US — a title that goes to solar behemoths like SolarCity, which deals in residential, utility, and industry solar projects as well. However, Sunrun is nevertheless a leading residential solar provider in the US, and its move into Wisconson is good news for the Midwest, as it is the first expansion into the region.

By the end of 2016, Sunrun had deployed a cumulative total of 879 megawatts (MW) of solar across the US, and boasts nearly 135,000 homeowners with solar.

“We are excited to bring affordable clean energy solutions to homeowners in Wisconsin,” said Lynn Jurich, Chief Executive Officer of Sunrun. “We see a demand for solar that has been underserved in the state and look forward to giving residents a choice to reduce their electric bills with solar, while providing value to the grid.”

Now, Wisconsin residents in Dodge, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Rock, Sheboygan, Walworth, Waukesha, and Washington counties (to name just a few) can have the opportunity to go solar.

“Wisconsin is a great place to do business and we are always encouraged when companies decide to set up shop in the Badger State, especially to see them investing in our talented workforce,” said Ray Allen, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD). “The energy sector offers good job opportunities and a path forward for the state to continue growing its economy and developing the workforce.”

Reprinted with permission.

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Solar Energy Industries Association Launches US Consumer Solar Education Campaign
Going SolarRooftop Solar

Solar Energy Industries Association Launches US Consumer Solar Education Campaign

by Joshua S Hill
written by Joshua S Hill

Originally published on CleanTechnica.

The US Solar Energy Industries Association has launched a nationwide consumer education campaign in an effort to inform and protect solar consumers with the fundamentals of solar, while also further simplifying the process of choosing to go solar.

Announced on Wednesday, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the country’s solar industry trade association, launched a nationwide effort to educate and protect solar consumers including a series of new disclosure forms to help consumers compare and better understand the solar offers available to them from competing solar companies. These forms will aim to provide solar customers with a better understanding of the fundamentals of solar, helping them to ask the right questions, empower them to compare competing solar company offers, and know what they should expect from their solar system over the life of the system.

The disclosure forms will be accompanied by further educational material that the SEIA is providing to a range of state bodies, including governors, attorneys general, state consumer advocates, public utility commissions, solar companies, financial institutions, lead generators, federal agencies, and other allied organizations across all 50 states. In addition to the provision of these resources, the SEIA is also intending a media campaign so that consumers will not only have access to these materials, but also know they exist in the first place.

“We’ve been developing top-of-the-line resources for years — now it’s about spreading the word and getting these resources into the hands of people who need it,” said SEIA’s president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper.  “Solar is still a new power choice for millions of Americans, and it’s critical that we cultivate a well-informed customer base. By doing their homework and making use of these tools, consumers and stakeholders alike will feel confident and comfortable in the decision to go solar.”

Everything is available to consumers free of charge through SEIA’s consumer protection portal, including consumer guides for going solar in both English and Spanish, guides for community solar and land leasing, and information for both consumers and industry. The SEIA hopes to continually evolve these resources and to provide more and improved tools for consumers as the solar industry continues to evolve.

“The Better Business Bureau supports SEIA’s efforts to provide accountability and transparency that will help strengthen the industry and increase trust in the marketplace,” said Mary Power, CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. “The disclosure forms released this week demonstrate SEIA’s commitment to building a strong industry while ensuring greater consumer protection.”

“Using these resources benefits everyone — consumers, solar companies and financial institutions,” said Nick Mack, General Counsel of Spruce Finance and co-chair of the SEIA Consumer Protection Committee. “We feel strongly that solar companies across America, large and small, should be using these tools today.”

Reprinted with permission.

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Trina Solar Goes Private After $1.1 Billion Buyout Offer
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Trina Solar Goes Private After $1.1 Billion Buyout Offer

by Joshua S Hill
written by Joshua S Hill

Originally published on CleanTechnica.

The world’s second largest solar PV manufacturer, Trina Solar, has announced the completion of its move to de-list itself and go private, less than a year after the company announced the $1.1 billion move.

In December 2015, Trina Solar announced that it had received a buyout offer from its chairman and chief executive, Mr Jifan Gao. In August 2016 the company announced that it would move forward with the buyout offer, in a move to de-list itself from the New York Stock Exchange and go private that would be worth approximately $1.1 billion.

On Monday, Trina Solar revealed that the company had ceased to be a publicly traded company and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of its new parent company, Fortune Solar Holdings Limited. The transaction is actually a merger with Fortune subsidiary Red Viburnum Company Limited.

Trina Solar fell to be the world’s second largest solar PV manufacturer in 2016, according to figures released by GlobalData earlier this year. The company was surpassed by Jinko Solar, which shipped between 6.6 to 6.7 gigawatts (GW) of solar PV modules, compared to Trina Solar’s 6.3 to 6.5 GW.

Reprinted with permission.

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Google Project Sunroof Now Provides Rooftop Solar Potential Data For All 50 US States
Rooftop Solar

Google Project Sunroof Now Provides Rooftop Solar Potential Data For All 50 US States

by Joshua S Hill
written by Joshua S Hill

Originally published on CleanTechnica.

Google’s has announced that its revolutionary Project Sunroof tool is now able to provide a reliable estimate of how much sunlight a given rooftop might receive in all 50 US states, up from 42 states nearly a year ago.

The last we heard from Project Sunroof, it was revealed that it had been expanded to provide data to 42 states across the US, up from 10 states only a few months earlier. Project Sunroof started as one of Google’s 20% projects — projects Google employees can work on in 20% of their time at Google, which sometimes then get branded as a Google product with the company’s full backing. Project Sunroof uses imagery from Google Maps and Google EARTH, 3D modelling, and machine learning to estimate how much sunlight a given rooftop receives, helping to answer how much energy a given rooftop could produce if it had solar panels.

Visualization of solar potential at the Googleplex in Mountain View, CA.

Google announced on its The Keyword blog this week that Project Sunroof is now providing data for all 50 US states, and according to Joel Conkling, product manager, the expanded data has shed some light (get it?) on some interesting insights about the potential US solar industry:

  • 79% of all rooftops analyzed are technically viable for solar, meaning those rooftops have enough unshaded area for solar panels.
  • Over 90% of homes in Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico are technically viable, while states like Pennsylvania, Maine and Minnesota reach just above 60% viability.
  • Houston, TX, has the most solar potential of any US city in the Project Sunroof data, with an estimated 18,940 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of rooftop solar generation potential per year. Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio, and New York follow Houston for the top 5 solar potential cities — see the full top 10 list in the chart below.

“If the top ten cities above reached their full rooftop solar potential, they’d produce enough energy to power 8 million homes across the US,” Conkling said.

Sample of Project Sunroof solar energy potential map

Reprinted with permission.

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Solar Installations In Europe Dropped 20% In 2016, Despite 50% Increase Globally
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Solar Installations In Europe Dropped 20% In 2016, Despite 50% Increase Globally

by Joshua S Hill
written by Joshua S Hill

Originally published on CleanTechnica.

Europe installed a total of 6.9 gigawatts of new solar power in 2016, a 20% decrease over the previous year’s figures, a decrease which flies in the face of a global increase in installations of more than 50%, according to new figures from SolarPower Europe.

New figures from the European solar trade body, SolarPower Europe, showed that Europe’s solar industry backslid while the rest of the world powered forward in 2016. European countries only installed 6.9 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity in 2016, compared to the 8.6 GW installed in 2015 — a 20% decrease. However, while Europe fell backward, the rest of the world — led by Asia and America — saw their installations over the same period increase by around 49%, from 51.2 GW in 2015 to 76.1 GW in 2016.

“Once a solar leader, the European Union is in danger of being eclipsed by Asian powerhouses, such as China, in both solar power production and installations,” said Michael Schmela, Executive Advisor and Head of Market Intelligence at SolarPower Europe. “Even the US, with a much smaller population than the EU’s 28 member countries combined, added about twice as much solar power capacities in 2016.”

In reality, these figures are not entirely surprising. Policy support for renewable energies of any kind has recently been fluctuating in several major European countries, and the demand for solar in Asia, particularly, has skyrocketed over the past few years as the demand for non-fossil fuel-based electricity generation has increased (backed by government initiatives and policies).

Unsurprisingly, therefore, China was the largest solar market in 2016, installing 34.2 GW according to official reports — a 125% increase over 2015. The United States followed behind, installing 14 GW in 2016, up from only 7.3 GW in 2015. Japan ranked third, installing 8.6 GW, and India fourth with 4.5 GW.

“2016 will be remembered as the year that the first solar power purchase agreements were signed at levels that have made solar the lowest-cost power in many regions of the world,” explained James Watson, CEO at SolarPower Europe.

“With clean solar being cheaper than inflexible generation technologies in much of Europe today, there is the need to drive the next solar investment cycle so we can pursue the decarbonisation of the European power sector. This requires the right policy framework. The Clean Energy Package recently presented by the European Commission provides very concrete and actionable levers, though there is still room for improvement.”

Given the consistent, if lackluster, performance of the European solar industry, SolarPower Europe is calling on European Parliament and Member States to consider five priorities that it believes will “unleash growth for cheap and clean solar power in Europe” when it comes time to negotiate the Clean Energy Package. Those five priorities are:

  • We need a strong and ambitious governance framework to steer investment in clean energy
  • We need to ensure that flexibility roadmaps are set-up in all countries, to facilitate the uptake of more variable renewables but also address the overcapacity issue in the power sector
  • We need to adjust market rules to make them fit for variable solar electricity and we need to create local flexibility markets to ensure that all the services provided by solar and storage are properly remunerated
  • We need best practices for the design of tenders to accompany further cost decreases while ensuing project realisation
  • We need a strong framework for self-generation and consumption to place consumers and communities at the center of the energy transition

“After having inspired so many regions in the world, Europe needs to find its own inspiration again and act as the leader of the energy transition,” added Alexandre Roesch, Policy Director at SolarPower Europe. “We need to build a major industrial project around solar and renewables. To start with, increasing the 2030 renewable energy target to at least 35% will send a strong signal that Europe is back in the solar business.”

Reprinted with permission.

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