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France

France To Add Battery Storage For Its Islands

by Steve Hanley June 26, 2015

France is soliciting bids from private companies to provide up to 50 megawatt-hours of battery storage for its islands and offshore territories in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and for Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea. More than 3,000,000 live on these islands.

Islands present special problems when it comes to electrical grids because they often operate independently of mainland power. This makes it harder to moderate the peaks and valleys in demand that occur every day. Combined, the projects are expected to cost €100 million (more than $100 million).

According to pv magazine, the specifications require the projects to include a minimum of 500 kWh of storage for every 1 MW of solar power. They must ensure that grid fed in matches demand loads. Furthermore, in “extreme cases,” they must be capable of “peak shaving” during periods of high electricity demand.

“The [RFP] contains special requirements for the forecast of time slots that are critical for the grid,” explains Thomas Hillg, founder of THEnergy, an electrical industry consulting organization. “Innovative factors are required of successful projects, they must comply with certain rules including forecasting requirements, and services such as helping to shave peak electricity demand.”

Out of the total of 50 megawatts planned, half will come from rooftop solar installations and the other half from ground-mounted systems, including those attached to shading for parking lots. The minimum size of a system must be 100 kilowatts.

The [RFP’s] objective, says the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, is to “deploy solar energy which is particularly adapted to island electrical systems.” Combining innovative storage technology solutions with PV, the installations will limit the consumption of electricity when demand is high, it added.

Furthermore, the application of innovative battery and PV configurations will allow these systems to both predict their power output and enhance the quality of the generated electricity. The new solar power will be especially suited for use by isolated island grids, enabling the overseas territories to achieve energy autonomy.

June 26, 2015 2 comments

CO2 Emissions Investment Rooftop Solar

41 MW Of SunPower Solar Panels Going To France

by Jake Richardson October 21, 2014

written by Jake Richardson

American solar panel manufacturer SunPower is providing 41 MW of high-efficiency solar panels to four solar power plants in France. The French company in charge of them is La Compagnie du Vent. Three of the projects are 12 MW: Roc du Doun in the Limousin region, La Foret Marcoles in the Auvergne region and Langele solar in the Aquitaine. Le Mouruen Signes in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region
is 5 MW.

“Since 2012, La Compagnie du Vent has been a valued SunPower partner, and we are pleased to assist them in delivering an additional 41 megawatts of emission-free solar power for homes and businesses in France.Today more than 1,500 megawatts of solar plants around the world are powered using our technology. With high-performance SunPower solar panels, power plant developers may maximize power production and generate reliable returns on investment for 25 years or more,” explained SunPower Executive Vice President Jorg Heinemann.

The 12 MW Langele project has been estimated to be able to provide electricity to about 9,700 people. If we used this estimate as the standard for all the solar projects, we would expect about 800 people powered per megawatt. Each of the 3 12 MW projects would supply about 9,700 people or 29,100 total. The 5 MW project
would provide electricity to about 4,000 people, so the grand total for the 41 megawatts would be about 33,100 people.

The total number of people potentially impacted is worth mentioning because 41 MW might not sound too significant, until one considers the number of people that are likely to receive electricity. All four of the new solar plants will likely be completed by 2015 and should also be running by then. Solar power plants can be constructed quickly – especially compared with coal and nuclear power plants. France is ranked in the top 10 nations in the world for solar power capacity, but is far behind world leader Germany.

Then there is the fact that using solar power will reduce climate change emissions. One 12 MW solar system will probably offset about 14,000 tons of C02. Most of France’s electricity is generated by nuclear power, so they aren’t burning enormous amounts of coal every day, like some countries. However, some of its nuclear power plants are aging and there is a concern over potential safety issues.

One great thing about solar power is that there are zero safety concerns. It can’t blow up and send radioactive material into the air, or water. It doesn’t release toxic air pollution anywhere, because it doesn’t generate any.

Image Credit: Abbyblind, Wiki Commons

October 21, 2014 0 comment

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IEA Solar Report Provides Wealth of Information (14 Charts)

by James Ayre October 16, 2014

written by James Ayre

The newest edition of the Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme report was recently released by the IEA — detailing a huge quantity of different aspects of the global solar PV market as well as country- and region-specific solar PV markets.

This 19th edition of the report provides a number of highly interesting/useful graphs, some of which are posted below. Providing visual representations for everything from the 20 largest single-country solar PV power capacity additions from the last five years, to the contribution of electricity from solar PV systems relative to overall country electricity demand, to which solar PV market incentives and enablers have most driven solar PV growth, etc.

Enjoy.

Germany’s steadily high installations for years keep it at the top in terms of cumulative solar PV capacity, but that may change in 2014 thanks to another year with a huge red bubble floating far above the rest.

Here’s a table if you’re into tables or lists.

And here’s a broader look at the 2013 breakdown. China and Japan together account for ~half of all solar PV power installation.

But Germany is still far ahead in terms of total cumulative solar PV capacity… We’ll see if it stays there after 2014. The US, sadly, sits at #5 despite being the 3rd-most-populated country in the world and the richest.

Notice Europe’s shrinking market share. However, that’s not just due to shrinking solar PV markets in Europe — it’s also due to strong growth in North America and Asia… especially Asia.

It’s fascinating here to look at how the electricity from solar PV is differently “consumed.” Also, congrats to Italy for leading the way on this chart — nice solar resources help, but that’s certainly not the only factor at play! The US and China actually perform pretty horribly from this angle. Europe dominates the top rankings.

We still have a long way to go.

That’s some strong growth.

Somewhat crazy how much three countries contribute to the 2013 total. The story will be similar in 2014.

Feed-in tariffs are still the premier market enabler for solar PV power. Note, also, that self-consumption and “pure competitive EV” is already making up 5% of the pie.

As far as renewables go, more mature wind still dominates.

China dominates solar cell production. Who knew?

While there is often talk of Chinese solar cell and solar module producers killing US and German companies, we can see here that US and German solar cell production never came close to Chinese production even as far back as 2010, or even Taiwanese production for that matter. But there’s no denying that the German market collapsed in 2010.

Chinese domination is even stronger in the module business.

Source: IEA, via Sustainnovate

October 16, 2014 0 comment

BIPV Investment New Technology Startups

18 Million Euros Raised By Organic Solar Film Startup Heliatek

by Jake Richardson September 30, 2014

written by Jake Richardson

Heliatek GmbH, a German organic solar film startup, has brought in €18 million from a number of investors. One is AQTON SE investment holding headed by German entrepreneur and BMW heir Stefan Quandt. This latest round is the C or third round. The company has raised a total of €46 million. Previous investors include Bosch, BASF, Innogy Venture Capital1, Wellington Partners, eCAPITAL, HTGF and TGFS.

The extra funds will help Heliatek with its entry into the marketplace. Currently, its prototypes are being supplied to auto manufacturers and construction material companies.

For a startup, Heliatek has some impressive accomplishments. It holds the world record in efficiency for opaque organic solar cells at 12%. Their technology has also performed at 7% efficiency with up to 40% transparency.

“In the last 12 months, Heliatek has made enormous progress as the technology leader in organic solar films, and we are now looking forward to taking the next steps towards commercialization together with AQTON SE,” explained Paul-Josef Patt, CEO of eCAPITAL AG.

Solar film is appealing because it can be integrated into buildings to generate electricity using existing surface areas. Building integrated photovoltaics are an important part of new construction projects that will be near net-zero, or will be net zero due to legal requirements, “As early as 2018, all new public buildings will have to conform to a “nearly zero” standard. In the “Costs and Benefits of BIPV” study commissioned by the Economic Forum Ltd., architect Torsten Massek from the Polytechnic University of Barcelona predicts strong growth in the wake of the new EU Directive. According to Massek, high-rise buildings, for example, that have too little roof surface area to generate a sufficient amount of solar energy will only be able to meet the new criteria if photovoltaics or solar thermal is installed on the facade.”

Germany and France currently are leaders in BIPV.

NREL did a good job summarizing why BIPV might become more attractive, “Form has long played second fiddle to function in the world of solar PV, but building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are out to change that paradigm. BIPV encompasses a group of solar technologies that are built directly into the envelope of the host building, instead of mounted on the building’s exterior.

Whether it’s a roof, a window, a façade, or a curtain wall (an outer covering to a building that doesn’t carry any structural load; see bottom-left photo), BIPV modules can actually replace the construction materials that would otherwise be incorporated into such surfaces. BIPV performs the same functions as the replaced structures
(e.g. keeping out the weather) while at the same time generating electricity for onsite use. The semiconducting materials found in BIPV applications are much the same as you would find in the traditional PV technologies—and just as with traditional PV, crystalline silicon (c-Si) modules dominate the market.”

It will be fascinating to see what efficiency levels can be reached with organic solar film, especially when we are at the beginning phases of the higher ones.

September 30, 2014 0 comment

Market Research PV Rooftop Solar Solar $Solar Policy Solar Research

Commercial Solar Grid Parity Now Reality In Italy, Germany, & Spain

by Zach March 23, 2014

written by Zach

The days when solar power was more expensive than other power sources are quickly passing us by. News out of Europe is that commercial solar power is now at grid parity in some major European countries.

A new study, the PV Grid Parity Monitor, conducted by consulting firm Eclareon, has found that commercial solar power hit grid parity in Italy, Germany, and Spain in 2013. Based on levelized cost of energy (LCOE) calculations, commercial solar now competes with retail electricity in these European countries.

“In countries such as Italy and Germany, both at grid parity and with proper regulation, PV systems for self-consumption represent a viable, cost-effective, and sustainable power generation alternative,” said David Pérez, partner at Eclareon in charge of the study.

As you can see in the chart above, of the 7 countries studied, 4 are yet to hit commercial solar grid parity. Of them, Mexico certainly looks the best-positioned to hit it next, and France seems to be next in line after that.

You can also see large variation in the solar policies of these countries. For example, Spain is infamous now for its retroactive solar feed-in tariff cuts. It has also made it illegal for people to consume electricity they generate from their own solar panels.

Italy and Germany, on the other hand, have largely cut solar feed-in tariffs as initially scheduled. Overall, their solar policies have been much more stable. They also have policies supporting the adoption of energy storage, which is a good supplement to rooftop solar, especially if costs can be brought down as they were with solar panels.

Of course, Brazil and Mexico are seen as having the most supportive policies for solar PV electricity self-consumption.

Notably, LCOE for commercial solar power has been coming down in all 7 countries a great deal, but, as might be expected, they’ve been coming down slowest in the countries already at grid parity, which have more mature solar PV markets and have less incentive to further cut prices:

For more details, check out the full PV Grid Parity Monitor.

This was the first commercial solar grid parity monitor from Eclareon. I’ll keep you up to date with changes in the coming ones.

March 23, 2014 1 comment

Going Solar PV Rooftop Solar Solar $Solar Modules

Solar Leasing Comes To France Through Upsolar

by Zach December 6, 2013

written by Zach

Solar leasing has dominated the residential and commercial solar markets in places it’s been introduced in the US. Now, the innovative financing model for going solar has made its entrance into France.

Solar module manufacturer Upsolar has take the proactive step as the one to first bring the model to the French people. Its new Pass Locasolaire program lets homeowners benefit from leased solar panels on their rooftops for up to 20 years.

The solar panel systems can be 6 kW to 9 kW in size. The specifics of the program are a bit different than in US markets. From an email to sent to me the other day, here are some of the interesting specifics:

“During the first year of operation, Upsolar will offer participating homeowners up to €500 for rooftop rental. Each year thereafter, participants will receive a payment equal to 15 percent of the generated power’s value. Alternatively, participants will have the option to purchase their systems after one year of operation.”

Interestingly, even the way the leasing company talks about its offering is a bit different from how US companies talk about solar leasing.

“Our rooftop leasing program allows homeowners the unique opportunity to monetize an otherwise unusable area of their buildings. Essentially, we are rewarding participants for doing nothing while boosting France’s share of renewable energy,” said Sébastien Prioux, Project Development Director with Upsolar. “Consumers in France are already growing accustomed to sharing resources – everything from cars to Playstations – to save money and live sustainably, and Pass Locasolaire is the logical next step.”

I had several questions related to this news for Upsolar, which I passed along to them about 13 days ago. The rep that initially contacted me about the news said she passed my questions along, but I’m yet to receive answers back, so I’ll simply post those questions here and publish an update if I ever get a reply.

Update December 7: the answers have been provided, so I’ve pasted them in below.

Q 1. In the US, the way solar tax credits are set up makes solar leasing and solar PPAs quite logical and attractive tools for the rooftop revolution. Sometimes, solar leasing companies can take advantage of tax credits that homeowners wouldn’t qualify for. How do French solar incentives work with this model? Is there any particular benefit/incentive available to a solar leasing company that householders perhaps wouldn’t be able to take advantage of themselves?

A 1. The French leasing company installs panels and is the owner of the installation. All the electricity produced by the system feeds into the grid and the local utility “buys” it from Upsolar vis-à-vis the FIT. Upsolar “rents” the rooftop from the homeowner by paying an annual rent to the homeowner, a proportion of what is earned from the FIT. The FIT for BIPV in France is still pretty interesting (currently 29c€/kWh).

Solar incentives in France do not provide any additional advantages to solar leasing companies over homeowners. The BIPV FIT is accessible for both homeowners and companies alike. The model works because of the challenges that homeowners face globally – not being familiar with the technology and high fixed costs, and because of the expertise and resources that leasing companies bring to the table. We can appease many of their concerns about the long-term performance/return of their systems, tracking incentive policies, and financing by doing the work, eliminating risk, and remaining a partner throughout the lifetime of the project.

Q 2. In the US and Poland (where I currently live), I know that people are quite averse to paying a lot up front for something, and are also averse to taking out big loans (if they are even able to). I’m positive these are huge reasons why solar leasing has done so well in the US. I imagine this is the same in France, and I’m just wondering if these common aversions, and the way solar leasing goes around them, were the main impetus for Upsolar’s decision to diversify in this way. If not, what pushed Upsolar to go down this road?

A 2. The relative advantage we have to open up the residential rooftop market through our service is certainly one of the reasons we decided to take this route. There is momentum working for residential markets that we believe we can contribute to and benefit from at the same time. The other reason is the largely untapped French residential market. The incentives offered in neighboring regions- Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, for example – are lower than the ones offered to the French market, yet a higher proportion of their rooftops are solar PV-equipped.

Q 3. Different solar leasing companies use different methods for acquiring customers in the US. What methods to you intend to use for customer acquisition in France?

A 3. We are working with our extensive installer and agent base to get the word out, executing mailing (and possibly social media) campaigns, participating in exhibitions and reaching out to industry media.

December 6, 2013 1 comment

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Australian Solar PV Is Cheaper

by Zach August 22, 2013

written by Zach

Cheaper Australian Rooftop Solar PV (via Clean Technica)

This post originally published on RenewEconomy One of the most comprehensive reports on the decline in solar PV prices has just been released by the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Labs. Its Tracking the Sun report details…

August 22, 2013 0 comment

Solar Projects

Construction Starts On Solar-Powered Stadium In France

by Tim April 20, 2013

written by Tim

A new, completely solar-powered stadium has just broke ground in Bordeaux, France. The stadium is set for completion in 2015. It will be named the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux and designed by Swiss design firm Herzog & de Meuron.

The solar-powered stadium has been in concept for many years, first unveiled to the public in July 2011. Work on the foundation has recently started in Bordeaux’s Lac quarter (also known as the green belt district). The Bordeaux Lac Quarter was partially chosen for its accessibility, since it can be easily reached via public transportation.

The solar-powered stadium is set to hold the Euro 2016 football championship, but it will also serve as the new headquarters of the Girondins de Bordeaux team year round. Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux is expected to seat around 43,500 spectators and provide enough electricity from the solar photovoltaic plant to power the stadium.

In addition to the solar photovoltaic panels used for the stadium, the nearby car park will be shaded with its own set of solar photovoltaic panels, which will offer additional electricity to the stadium. The overall cost of the stadium is estimated to be around $223 million.

The swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron is no stranger to epic stadium designs. One of its most recent monumental designs is the “bird’s nest” National Stadium for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. This new design will provide an airy feel with a rectangular roof sloping inward, supported by thin white poles — that is supposed to give a sense of being in an open forest.

April 20, 2013 0 comment

Market Research Solar Research

Global Solar PV Power Capacity Rose To 101 GW In 2012

by Zach February 15, 2013

written by Zach

Rooftop solar panels in Germany. Image Credit: R. Engelhardt

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power had another great year in 2012, increasing by about 30 GW (about the same as in 2011). As noted above, the cumulative global solar PV power capacity is now just above 100 GW — 101 GW at the end of 2012, according to preliminary figures from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA). The association notes that the 30 GW total (and, thus, the 101 GW total) may go up 1 or 2 GW once the numbers are finalized (which should happen in May with the publishing of “Global Market Outlook for Photovoltaics 2013–2017”).

“This global capacity to harness the power of the sun produces as much electricity energy in a year as 16 coal power plants or nuclear reactors of 1 GW each,” EPIA wrote in a news release this week.

“No one would have predicted even 10 years ago that we would see more than 100 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity in the world by 2012,” said EPIA President Winfried Hoffmann. “The photovoltaic industry clearly faces challenges but the results of 2012 show there is a strong global market for our technology. Even in tough economic times and despite growing regulatory uncertainty, we have nearly managed to repeat the record year of 2011.”

Shift In Location Of Solar Power Installations

While the installation total in 2012 was about the same as in 2011, where that solar power was installed did change. In 2011, about 23 GW of solar power were installed in Europe, while about 8 GW were installed outside of Europe. In 2012, however, only about 17 GW were installed in Europe (mostly due to broader economic difficulties and policy shifts), while 13 GW or so were installed outside of Europe. I think that globalizing trend is likely to continue in 2013.

According to EPIA, the top three European PV markets in 2012 were:

Germany (with 7.6 GW)
Italy (3.3 GW)
France (1.2 GW)

And the top three non-European markets were:

China (with at least 3.5 GW and possibly as much as 4.5 GW)
U.S. (3.2 GW)
Japan (2.5 GW)

The fact that Germany alone installed about 25% of all solar power in 2012 is astounding to me. That super grey country has apparently nailed solar power incentives and has not gained a mature solar PV market that benefits from all of those cost drops that come from market saturation.

Any thoughts?

February 15, 2013 2 comments

Solar Projects

France Installed Solar Capacity Hits 4,000 MW, Wind Energy Now Cheaper Than Nuclear There!

by Zach December 7, 2012

written by Zach

According to French General Commission on Sustainable Development (CGDD) data, France’s solar PV capacity was up to 3,923MW at the end of September (2012). There was a 241 MW increase in solar power capacity in Q3 of 2012, 34% higher than Q3 2011. Over 1,ooo MW of solar were added in the first 9 months of this year. Unfortunately, that amounted to a 24% decrease from what was installed in the first 9 months of 2011. Hopefully the Q3 increase is a sign of a shift. Up through Sept 30, France has seen “25,529 new grid connected PV installations, domestically and internationally, with 18,063 of those installations at less than or equal to 3kW of power” this year.

But here’s perhaps some even bigger news — sister clean energy technology wind has now become cheaper than nuclear in France. Anyone familiar with the energy industry should know that France is a (if not the) nuclear leader of the world. If even its nuclear is now more expensive than wind energy, well, I think you know what that means.

“Liberation reports that for the second time in a little more than a year the cost of a new reactor under construction at Flamanville, France has risen dramatically,” Paul Gipe of Wind-Works.org writes.

Originally scheduled to be completed this year for a cost of €3.3 billion, the cost of the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) doubled in 2011 to €6 billion and completion was delayed until 2016.

Constructors Areva and Electricité de France (EDF) have announced the cost has again risen, now to €8.5 billion ($10.6 billion) for the 1,650 MW reactor.

Similar cost overruns and completion delays have plagued Areva’s EPR reactor under construction in Finland. Originally planned for operation in 2009, the Finnish reactor’s start date has been extended to 2015, six years behind schedule.

A clean energy transition must involve solar and wind energy, but nuclear doesn’t fit too well with those due to its long start-up and shut-down times. It’s hard to imagine anyone in their right mind (and not corrupt) getting behind nuclear at this point.

December 7, 2012 0 comment

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