Solar Power World-November 2012
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Online Now
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November 2012
www.solarpowerworldonline.com
INSIDE:
>> Racking and
mounting:
NEW CELLS
FOR ALCATRAZ
PagE 22
>> SolaR BuSineSS:
ThESE COmpANiES
SuppORT SOLAR
PagE 34
>> manufactuRing
PRoceSSeS:
pROduCTiON BEgiNS
AT CONCEpTiON
PagE 38
Technology Development Installation
PagE 28
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T H E F I R S T W O R D
Now We Can Get BackTo Business
Im wriig is at the end o October. The election is still too close to call, buthere is one thing I am certain about: Even I will be glad when its over.
Weve spent much o the last 18 months (didnt it seem like a decade?)
debating, arguing and sometimes ghting about which candidate would be best
or the solar industry. I made my position abundantly clear, and those on theopposite side o the political spectrum did, too. It was an incisive, spirited debate,
and Im glad to have taken part in it.
On Nov. 6, the American people will make their decision. Regardless o who
wins, well all get back to doing what we do best working to urther the best
interests o the solar industry.
Here is my ve-point list o items that should top our agenda in 2013:
1. Many o you may know that Ive been on the subsidy bandwagon or morethan a year, and Ive taken a lot o heat or it. But I had a conversation with
Peter Lynch, a board member o the Principal Solar Institute, who made a
compelling case or a eed-in tarif instead. Im now on board: Scrap the
subsidies. Getting a national FiT should be our top priority in 2013.
2. We must nd a (relatively painless) way to accelerate the industrys inevitable
consolidation. The slow drip o high-prole bankruptcies is drowning out the
good-news message o our industry. It needs to end sooner rather than later.
3. The Chinese tarif decision, or better or worse, has been decided. It split the
industry, and blood was spilt. Now its time to bind those wounds and unite
again to push our industry orward with one voice.4. We must have national licensing or solar installers. Im not sure what body
would be the most appropriate to do this, but the barriers to entry or this
industry are too low. As my riend Yann Brandt articulated so well on his blog
(and our website), solar schemers have the potential to sink the industry. We
cant allow that to happen.
5. We must hold the presidents (and Congress) eet to the re to make sure
they build policies that support our industry, now and in the uture. They
wont support what they dont understand, so make your voices heard. By
the time you read this, the election will be over but advocacy on behal oour industry should never stop.
Id love to hear whats on your solar priority list in 2013. Please drop me a line at
[email protected] call me at 440-234-4531 (Ext. 110).
E d i t o r i a l D i r e c t o r
a n d o r k a @ s o l a r p o w e r w o r l d o n l i n e . c o m
What do you
thInk?
Discuss this, andother solar issues
at www.engineering
exchange.com
Frnk Andoa
www.solarpowerworldonline.com 11 2012 SOLAR POWER WORLD 1
Natalie HoltgrefeSolectria Renewables
Jose GomezIngeteam
Raheleh FolkertsRenewable Energy
Systems Americas
Steve HoganSpire
Gary MullWestinghouse Solar
Devon CichoskiSolarWorld
Marcelo GomezUnirac
Justin BarnesNorth Carolina (State
University) Solar
Center
Scott WiaterStandard Solar
EditorialAdvisoryBoard
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Moxa, Inc.Tel: 1-888-669-2872
Fax: 1-714-528-6778
[email protected] www.moxa.com
Smart Solar Ideas from Moxa
RISC-based Industrial Embedded Computer
Moxa ART 32-bit ARM 9 Industrial Processor
4 DIs and 4 DOs with 3 KV digital isolation protection
2 AIs and 2 thermocouple inputs; sensor types J, K, T, E, R, S, B, N
2 software selectable RS-232/422/485 serial ports
50 bps to 921.6 Kbps serial speed, supporting non-standard baudrates
Dual 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports for network redundancy
SD socket for storage expansion
Supports Modbus TCP library to retrieve AI and thermocouple data
The IA3341Series Rcore Software PlatformMoxas Rcore ready-to-run platform makes it easy for programmers
to develop embedded software. Rcore includes easy-to-use
application libraries, tested bug-free sample code, and requires
less time for the concept validation and development cycle
enabling a faster time-to-market that meets or exceeds customer
requirements. The Rcore Community also offers our partners easy
access to software and technical knowledge about embedded
systems, along with an interactive forum to share knowledge with
embedded computing professionals.
Visit http://rcorecommunity.moxa.com/ for details.
Industrial Wireless Industrial Ethernet Serial Connectivity and Networking Embedded Computing
Use your Smart Phone toscan for more information.
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.solarororldonlin.com 11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 3
[ S O L A R S N A P S H O T ]
Editors Note: Solar Power World is proud to introduce Solar Snapshot, a new department that
provides a glimpse of the solar industry in pictures. If you have an infographic youd like to see on this
page, email it to Editorial Director Frank Andorka at [email protected].
State Rankings by Cumulative Installed Solar Electric Capacity
as of Q2 2012Installed Solar Electric Capacity
1-California
2-New Jersey3-Arizona
4-Nevada
5-Colorado
6-New Mexico
7-Florida
8-Pennsylvania
9-New York
10-North Carolina
11-Hawaii
12-Massachusetts
13-Texas
14-Oregon
15-Ohio16-Maryland
17-Tennessee
18-Illinois
19-Delaware
20-Connecticut
21-Wisconsin
22-Washington
23-Vermont
24-Missouri
25-DC
Other
State Rankings by Q2 PV Installed Capacity
CommercialResidential Utility
1-California
2-Arizona
3-New Jersey
4-Nevada
5-Texas
6-Illinois
7-North Carolina
8-Massachusetts
9-New Mexico
10-Hawaii
11-New York
12-Tennessee13-Pennsylvania
14-Maryland
15-Colorado
16-Oregon
17-Ohio
18-Florida
19-Missouri
20-Washington
21-Connecticut
22-Delaware
23-Wisconsin
24-DC
25-Vermont
Other
103 MW
173 MW
217 MW
Residential Total = 94
Commercial Total = 196
Utility Total = 447
Sources: (Clockwise from upper left) SEIA; SEIA and VoteSolar; SEIA and Vote Solar; SEIA; BarackObama.com
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Noember 2012 ol 2 no 5
EDITORIAL
Edtoral Drector
Frank Andorka
440.234.4531 x110
andorka@solarpowerworl-
donline.com
@SolarFrankA
@SolarPowerWrld
Assocate EdtorKathie Zipp
440.234.4531 x107
kzipp@solarpowerworldon-
line.com
@SolarKathieZ
@SolarPowerWrld
Assstant Edtor
Steen Bshong
440.234.4531 x118
sbushong@solarpowerworl-
donline.com
@SolarStevenB
@SolarPowerWrld
ART/DEsIgn
Drector, Create Serces
Mark Rook
440.234.4531 x103
@wtwh_graphics
Graphc Desgner
Matthew Claney
Trac Manager
Mary Hedelof
440.234.4531
sALEs
natonal Sales Manager
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512.426.2378
@wtwh_ttidmore
Key Accont Manager
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@jpowers_media
Regonal Sales Manager
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310.386.0302
@wtwh_suren
Regonal Sales Manager
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Regonal Sales Manager
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440.523.1685
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Regonal Sales Manager
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312.882.9867
@wtwh_ngleason
CORPORATE
Pblsher
Mke Emch
508.446.1823
Managng Drector
Scott McCaferty
310.279.3844
sVP Onlne Media
Marshall Matheson805.895.3609
sOLAR POwER wORLD does not pass judgment on subjects o controversy nor enter into disputes with or between any individuals or organizations.
sOLAR POwER wORLD is also an independent orum or the expression o opinions relevant to industry issues.
Letters to the editor and by-lined articles express the views o the author and not necessarily o the publisher or publication. Every eort is made to provide accurate
inormation. However, the publisher assumes no responsibility or accuracy o submitted advertising and editorial inormation. Non-commissioned articles andnews releases cannot be acknowledged. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned nor will this organization assume responsibility or their care.
sOLAR POwER wORLD does not endorse any products, programs, or services o advertisers or editorial contributors. Copyright 2012 by WTWH Media, LLC.
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sOLAR POwER wORLD (ISSN 2164-7135) is published by WTWH Media, LLC, 2019 Center Street, Suite 300, Cleveland, OH 44113.
4 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012
WTWH Meda, LLC 2019 Center Street, Ste 300, Cleeland, OH 44113
Ph: 440.234.4531 Fax: 216.453.0617
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F e a t u r e s
28
The Capitalist Case for Solar Despite its (false) reputation, solar is completely compatible with a
free-market economy.
34
Solar Means Business
38
Taking Solar Products from Concept to Production
45
Harmonics and Noise in Photovoltaic (PV) Inverter and the Mitigation Strategies.
50
Test and Verify Will your solar array stand up to heavy winds? Heres how you can fnd out.
c o n t e n t s
D e p a r t m e n t s
01 th Fi Wd
03 sl sh
06 Dvl
11 s f h s
12 pj rviw
18 F f Fi
20 tiig
22 rkig d mig
56 Products
60 Contractors Corner
59 Ad Index
12
ab h cv:
Done in the illustration
style of unfettered
capitalisms greatest
champion Ayn Rand,
this imposing skyline
made us think of Wall
Street, capitalisms
humming hub.
11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 5
38
50Illustration: istockphoto.com
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6 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonli ne.com
[ D E V E L O P M E N T S R E S I D E N T I A L ]
The Largest Solar NeighborhoodIn The Southeast
Kathie Zipp/Associate Editor
In the 1940s, the St. Thomas Housing
Project provided housing for low-
income residents of New Orleans. But
by the 1980s, it had become one of the
countrys most dangerous developments.
After Hurricane Katrina, the project
received grants from several government
agencies to revitalize the neighborhood.
The funds helped build affordable and
sustainable housing where St. Thomas
once stood.The new housing, known as River
Garden Apartments, is a mixed-income
development that stretches eight blocks
and spans almost a square mile. Its also
the largest solar project in Louisiana, as
well as the largest solar neighborhood
in the southeastern United States.
Pontchartrain Mechanical Co. installed
420 KW of photovoltaic systems on the
developments roofs.
Installing PV systems on multiple
roofs, each with a specic conguration
and mounting angle, posed a challenge
for the company. Turning to SolarEdges
power optimization system allowed using
maximum roof space for optimum power
harvesting, even in areas with partial
shading or obstructions.
Generating maximum power from
each module, independent of type, string
length or mounting angle, was key to the
projects success, the company says.
The SolarEdge system monitors thenumerous arrays through built-in, real-
time performance data at the module
level. The system automatically provides
web-based alerts on underperforming
modules and faults, and pinpoints affected
modules on a virtual site layout map.
Also, the systems SafeDC mechanism
keeps residents, installers, maintenance
personnel and reghters safe. Damaged
arrays could potentially start arc faults and
home res. SolarEdge guarantees a safe
installation with its inverters and power
optimizers. This has special importance in
hurricane-prone areas where ying debris
resulting from high winds can damage solar
installations.
The residents of the apartments
pay $0.10/KWh of electricity. The solar
installations on each home were combined,
which enabled a volume discount for further
reduced electricity costs. Residents are
expected to save an average of $50 per
month in utility bills.We overcame many challenging issues,
specically installing modules on multiple
roofs and different angles, in a safe manner
and with reduced maintenance costs, says
Micah Galy of Pontchartrain Mechanical
Co. This revitalized community is now able
to sustain itself with reliable energy and will
be able to stabilize their energy costs for
the long term in a clean and sustainable
way. SPW
SolarEdge
www.solaredge.us
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[ D E V E L O P M E N T S C O M M E R C I A L ]
.solarororldonlin.com 11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 7
Moxa, a manufacturer of
industrial networking products,
has partnered with So-Cal Solar
to install a 35,000 square-foot
solar power system at its global
sales-and-marketing headquarters
in Brea, Calif. The installation
is one of the largest in Orange
County and is expected to reduce
green house gas emissions by
9,309 tons of CO2 over the next
25 years. The system includes
rooftop and carport arrays, and it
produces more than 311 KW DC,
using 1,133 panels and a central
inverter.
It is important to Moxa to
be environmentally mindful as a
company through green product
design, conservation of natural
resources and compliance with
ISO 14001 standards, says
Ben Chen, president of Moxa
Americas.Chen says Moxa has also
implemented other resource
conservation efforts such as
low-ow aerators, rain sensors
for irrigation and motion sensors
for lighting. A Moxa team
will research other means of
conserving resources, such as
retroftting parking lights to LED,
an electronic HVAC system and
a building energy-management
system.
Moxa Installs Solar At U.S. Headquarters
The solar power system is also
an opportunity for Moxa to provide
education on solar technology and
related Moxa solutions. Visitors can
see a live-monitoring demonstration
and learn about power output and
system metrics. The demonstration
incorporates Moxas own industrial
switches, surveillance cameras,
computers and I/O modules. Aseparate monitoring system is also on
display to provide a birds-eye view of
system productivity. SPW
Moxa
www.moxa.com
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[ D E V E L O P M E N T S U T I L I T Y ]
.solarororldonlin.com 11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 9
[ D E V E L O P M E N T S U T I L I T Y ]
Hard soil patches posed a challenge for installers
working at a water treatment plant in the Thermalito
Water and Sewer District in Oroville, Calif. But they
were able to make up for lost time with quick module
mounting.
Integrator Elite Solar chose Creoteccs Creoterra
mounting system because of its insertion-rail design,
which holds modules without clamps. Instead,
modules are inserted into rails, making installation
easier than with other systems, the company says.
I was impressed by how fast and easy the
mechanical assembly was, and how quickly the
modules installed without clamps, says project
foreman Rich Sanchez.
Creotecc says the Creoterra system suits almost
all terrains and site conditions. A versatile pile bracket
allows a tilt range of 10 to 50 degrees, and slotnut connectors are fully adjustable. This allows the
system to meet demanding site conditions.
Creotecc also delivered the rail to the job site
pre-cut. Sanchez estimated a time reduction of 50%
when compared to other mounting systems hes used
on similar projects.
Support from the team at Creotecc was there
from the beginning of construction to commissioning,
says Kirk Short, owner of Elite Solar. Creotecc will
be my go-to racking based on ease of install, product
support and cost. It will keep me competitive in this
highly competitive eld.
The system at the treatment plant is expected
to eliminate 100% of the districts electricity bill,
resulting in more than $3.8 million in positive cash
ow over the 25-year life of the system. SPW
Creotecc Solar Mounting Systems
www.creotecc.com
Speedy Solar InstallationAt Thermalito
Project Overview
Development Group: Elite Solar, City National
Bank, Creotecc Solar Mounting Systems
Commissioned: Aug. 17, 2012
Installation Time Frame: 45 Days (May 25
through June 10, 2012)
High/Low Temperature: 115F/12F
Annual AC Production: 708,994 KWh
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Helical Products Company, Inc. and its engineering team have over 50
years of experience designing and manufacturing innovative products for
controlling mechanical movement, including heliostats tracking the sun.
Offering a variety of materials for challenging environmental
conditions and the option of integrating several parts
into one piece, Helicals exible couplings provide
you the perfect design solution for
accommodating angular misalignment,
parallel offset, and axial motion.
With over 8,000 successfuldesigns and 35,000
satisfed customers
served, why not let
Helical start coupling
your dreams with
reality today!
When the temperature is 1000F
Quality and Precision are Critical!
AS9100C & ISO 9001:2008 Certied
PO Box 1069 901 West McCoy Lane
Santa Maria, California 93455
877-353-9873 Fax 805-928-2369
Flexible Couplings for motion control systemsrequiring accuracy, reliability and value
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[ S T A T E O F T H E S T A T E ]
The Solar State By State Reports:Arizona
Background
On Oct. 31, 2006, the Arizona Corporation
Commission voted 4-1 to expand the states
renewable portolio standard to require 15%
renewable energy, and 30% o that to come rom
distributed generation resources. In 2012, the
renewables goal is 3.5% o retail load.
We think much o the renewable energy
standard will be met with solar. With a world-class
solar resource and strong population growth,
Arizona has the potential to emerge as a key solar
market.
Arizona currently has no cap on the total
amount o solar that can be net metered. Individual
net-metered systems are not allowed to exceed
125% o the customers total connected load.
Policy Needs and Next Steps
Utility implementation o the RES will be an
ongoing issue, as will deending the standard
rom attacks by opponents o clean energy in the
state legislature. Long-term, Arizona must keep
increasing in-state demand or clean energy to
compete with other western states or solar jobs.
Streamlining permitting on ederal and private
lands will also continue to be a priority. SPW
Annie Lapp is Vote Solars lead or Arizona. She
can be reached at [email protected].
Arizona is a rising star in the race among statesor solar leadership. Its now third in the country
or solar jobs, according to The Solar Foundations
2011 Jobs Census (behind Caliornia and
Colorado). But given Arizonas abundant sunshine
and burgeoning solar manuacturing industry, the
state has made good on only a small sliver o its
solar potential. As o August 2012, Arizona had
installed 448 MW o solar capacity, or enough to
power 57,491 homes. The state ranks third in the
United States, right behind Caliornia and New
Jersey, in solar installed.
On the small-scale solar ront, solar incentives
are dropping quickly in 2012 as demand or solar
soars. We are working with partners in the state to
prepare or a post-incentives ramework. We will
ocus on the details o solar rate design to ensurethe small-scale solar market continues to grow
apace.
On the large-scale solar ront, we are working
to site solar projects eciently and responsibly.
The Arizona Bureau o Land Management (BLM)
has released a rst-o-its-kind proposal to map
the best areas or renewable energy development
throughout the state and to streamline permitting
in those areas on BLM lands.
In February 2012, Arizona BLM releaseda drat environmental impact study (EIS) on
its Restoration Design Energy Project (RDEP)
website. In May, Vote Solar submitted comments
to the BLM in partnership with Arizona utilities,
land conservation groups and the solar industry,
including detailed suggestions or how to make
RDEP most efective at choosing the best BLM
lands or solar and how to make the program a
model or other states in the uture.
Annie Lapp
www.solarpowerworldonline.com 1 1 2012 SOLAR POWER WORLD 1 1
Solar Power World thanks our riends at Vote Solar or allowing us to help get the word
out about whats happening in the solar industry, state by state. Our frst installment
ocuses on Arizona.
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One of the greatest issues with renewable energy generationis its intermittency. Utilities still need to provide people
with power when the sun is not shining or the wind is not
blowing.
Many times, fossil fuels such as natural gas are used to provide
back-up power when renewable sources alone can not generate
enough electricity to meet demand. The ability for solar and
wind facilities to provide consistent power like conventional coal
or nuclear power plants is critical to the widespread success of
renewables.
The key to obtaining it is storage, but this is easier said than done.
Many companies are working on such solutions, but one is already
implementing its technology into a project that will be operational as
soon as next year.
1 2 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012
The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project will providerenewable power without intermittency
[ P R O J E C T R E V I E W ]
Setting The Standard For Solar Storage
Kathie Zipp/Associate Editor
So
larReserve
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.solarororldonlin.com 11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 1 3
Renewable Resources Welcome In Nevada
Nvadas grat solar rsourc and rnabl
ortolio standard has attractd solar
dvlomnt in th stat, including intrst
rom Santa Monica, Cali.-basd dvlor
SolarRsrv.
Th local utility NV enrgy took intrst inth comanys rojct roosal, articularly
bcaus SolarRsrvs cor concntratd solar
or (CSp) tchnology has intgratd nrgy
storag, hich rovids th utility ith rliabl
or hn ndd and solvs th utilitys
concrns ith intrmittncy rom its rnabl
gnrators.
Storage: The Holy Grail For Renewables
SolarRsrv uss moltn-salt tchnology frst
dvlod by pratt & whitny Rocktdyn,
rockt scinc nginrs or NASA. SolarRsrv
no holds th xclusiv orldid licns to
commrcializ this tchnology.
Basically, hliostats ocus th suns nrgy
to th rcivr, hich sits ato a cntral tor.
Liquid moltn salt is umd rom th cold
tank at 500 degrees Fahrenheit, up the tower
to th rcivr, hr it collcts th suns
thrmal nrgy. Th moltn salt is hatd to
1,050 degrees Fahrenheit and pumped downth tor, hr it is stord in th hot tank.
whn ndd, th thrmal nrgy is
rlasd into a hat xchangr to crat
stam and or a standard stam turbin
to gnrat lctricity. In this ay, th lant
can orat just lik a convntional or
plant, providing 100% output at any given
tim vn hn its not ossibl or othr
rnabl nrgy gnrators to orat,
such as in riods o cloud covr or at night.
SolarRsrvs CeO Kvin Smith says this is th
Holy Grail or th rnabl industry.
Lts say th sun shins rom 6 a.m. to
5 .m., Smith says. Th utilitys ak
SolarRsrv
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requirements are really noon to 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. so
they want us to run frm baseload during those periods
to solve their peak power requirements. We can actually
run 24 hours a day i the utility wants us to, and thats
unusual in the renewable energy sector.
The technology also uses hybrid cooling that keeps
water use at a strict minimum, which is especially
important in a desert ecosystem like Nevada.
SolarReserve is using it to build the 110-MW Crescent
Dunes project near Tonopah.
Crescent Dunes Challenges
Though the new technology was intriguing, it took time
to convince lenders to fnance the project. SolarReserve
applied to the U.S. Department o Energy (DOE) Loan
Guarantee Program, so the DOE had third parties
perorm due diligence on the technology, SolarReserve
as a developer, NV Energy as a utility and more.
SolarReserves Senior Vice President o Development
Tom Georgis says ACS Cobra, the projects engineering,
procurement and construction (EPC) frm out o Spain,
reassured lenders with its willingness to guarantee the
acilitys perormance.
That obviously makes any lender eel comortable,
Georgis says. They just want to make sure they get paid
with interest.
Critical components o the technology came rom
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, which was at the time a
part o United Technologies Corporation (UTC). UTC is a
Fortune 30 company that built a pilot solar-tower plant
with storage or the DOE to demonstrate its technology.This also reassured the DOE, which approved a $737
million loan. SolarReserve was relieved to be able to
take advantage o the DOEs program and also the 1603
Treasury Grant Program, which has since expired.
There was urgency around the fnancing because o
the uncertainty and imposed deadlines on the DOE loan
program and the treasury grant, Georgis says. We were
always in danger o unding getting cut or appropriations
not coming through.
The loan, along with $260 million o private equity rom
SolarReserve, ACS Cobra and Banco Santander (a global
1 4 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonl ine.com
[ P R O J E C T R E V I E W ]
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.solarororldonlin.com 11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 1 5
[ P R o j e c T R e V I e W ]
bank out o Sain), as nough to
nanc th $997 million rojct.
prior to vn nancing th rojct,
challngs aros in th arly stags odvlomnt, scically through th
siting and rmitting has. with much
o ara bing dral land or military
tsting rangs, it as a rocss to nd
a location acctabl to all artis.
w r ortunat not to hav
nvironmntal or cultural issus or th
sit, Smith says. But snt a air
amount o tim orking closly ith
Nllis Air Forc Bas and th Burau oLand Managmnt.
Th Air Forc as concrnd th
650-foot-tall tower would obstruct
ying zons, and that th lant ould
intrr ith its radar. So Gorgissays vn though th rojct ould
encompass only 1,500 acres, he and
his team studied more than 20,000
acrs to nd a sit satisactory to all
artis.
To mak th sit assssmnt
vn mor challnging, som o th
militarys issus r classid.
It as difcult bcaus didnt
kno xactly hat som o th issusr, Gorgis says. w brought on
a consultant to ork ith th Air Forcs
scintic advisory board. Th consultant had
clarancs to communicat th issus and
advis us ithout disclosing anything. It aschallnging daling ith an unknon.
Atr adjusting th sit a tims, nally
a location as ound that suitd vryon.
But Gorgis asnt rustratd by th rocss.
In act, h vid it as a grat larning
xrinc.
No on had rally built this kind o
rojct on dral land it as th rst
o its kind, Gorgis says. But [Scrtary
o th Intrior] Kn Salazar rcognizd thimortanc o this rojct or Nvada, hich
So
larReserve
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1 6 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonline.com
already looking forward to taking its
technology to other markets. Smith
says it has contracted the 150-MW
Southern California Rice Solar Energy
Project with Pacic Gas & Electric, has
late stage developments in other states
across the United States and is also
active in areas like South Africa, Peru
and China.
Were also seeing tremendous
interest internationally, Smith says.
Utilities and governments want aconsistent supply of power from
renewable sources. The basis of
renewable energy with storage that can
provide consistent supply is really key.
Georgis is also looking forward to
the spread of SolarReserves molten-
salt technology and cautions not to be
deterred by the price.
It certainly is more expensive than
PV and wind, he says. But we dont
require natural gas-peaking facilities to
come online when the sun goes down,
or what will be costly transmission
system upgrade requirements to support
all the PV and wind thats coming online.
All of these costs need to be factored in.
This is kind of the best of both worlds
a renewable-energy resource that
operates like a conventional power
plant. The key issue for solar thermal
and other technologies is scale. We need
to have more projects nanced, into
construction and operating. We need to
exercise the supply chain, and thats how
were going to reduce our costs. SPW
expedited the process.
Overall, it went pretty
smoothly.
Currently Under
Construction
The project began
construction in September
2011.
As far as solar projects in
remote locations, its one of
the easiest interconnects Ive
seen over the past ve years,
Georgis says.
It should be generating
consistent solar energy by
December 2013. During a
25-year power purchase
agreement, 100% of theelectricity generated will be
sold to NV Energy and used to
power 75,000 homes during
peak periods. It will generate
500,000 MWh annually,
which is twice the amount of
a similarly sized photovoltaic
project.
The local residents of Nye
County couldnt be more thrilled
by the economic development
and job creation brought on by the
Crescent Dunes solar project. During
construction, the project will create
600 direct jobs on site, and over 4,300
direct, indirect and induced jobs across
the supply chain, with a signicant goal
of hiring locally rst. Once completed,
the plant will employ about 50 full-time workers and generate tax revenue
for the region. Georgis says he is
grateful for the communitys support.
The community and elected
ocials have been fantastic
throughout, he says. Anytime there
was an issue or challenge they could
weigh in on, theyve been more than
happy to do so.
The Beginning Of A Beautiful Thing
Though the Crescent Dunes Project
isnt yet nished, SolarReserve is
[ P R O J E C T R E V I E W ]
and other Solar issues at
www.engineeringexchange.com
Discuss This
Email, Post, or Share on your
favorite social network
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arReserve
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We believe all people around the globe deserve access to clean, renewable, solar energy and clean water.So weve partnered with Water Missions International to provide energy to the safe water projects theyveinstalled all over the world, in places like Haiti, Uganda, Kenya, Honduras and more. Right now, water borneillnesses lead to 3.5 million deaths per year. Using our solar technology, Water Missions International has beenable to give over 600,000 people access to this basic need that most of us take for granted. To learn about howyou can hel p brin g safe water to more communi ties, go to www.watermi ssions.org.
At SolarWorld we believe our energy is different because weredifferent. And its not just because weve been powering American
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ALL SOLAR ENERGY IS NOT CREATED EQUAL
Were SolarWorld Americas Authority on Solar
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The Solar MarketPost-1603 Grant:
1 8 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonli ne.com
[ F U T U R E O F F I N A N C E ]
At the Solar Power International show inOrlando this past September, I moderated a panelof leading experts in the solar market representingthe following companies: Washington Gas,SunEdison, Clean Power Finance, Martifer Solar andNew Energy Finance. Among the many issues wediscussed, one that aroused varied opinions was
securitization. But prior to discussing it, lets rst
dene what it is.As one of the panelists smartly pointed out,securitization means debt. Securitization is theissuance of bonds as a replacement for otherpotential debt you can use to lever transactions,either at the project or corporate level. The bondstypically have a longer tenor or lower interest rates,are of larger size or otherwise oer some additionaladvantage to the typical bank market. Thesebonds are also typically rated, whether publiclyor privately, to ensure that insurance companies,banks and other long-term investors can own themwith lower capital requirements than if they issuedthe debt directly.
As Chris Bailey from SunEdison rightly said,when we talk about securitization, we should alsoinclude private placements, which are privatelyplaced bonds backed by either portfolios of dealsor large single-asset deals like Mid-AmericansTopaz issuance.
So my question to the panelists, who seemed to
hold an extremely opposite viewpoint from mine,was: Will securitization make a material dierencein the market?
Though they said yes, my answer was and is a resounding no.
Why not? If bondholders will accept longertenors, lower-interest rates and more constructionrisks, why wont securitization change the game forthe solar industry in the United States?
Can Securitization Make A Diference?
Here are a few reasons why I dont believesecuritization is a game-changer:
1. Rating agencies arent yet prepared to rateportfolios of deals and, if they are, they willstart with residential products prior to movingon to portfolios of commercial systems.
2. Fixed costs of securitization are expensive
and are currently hard to overcome.3. If the bond issuances are limited to less than$1 billion per asset-class annually, investorswill continue to charge a premium becauseof a lack of liquidity of the bonds in thesecondary market.
4. Investment banks need to warehouse thedebt prior to issuance and the market needsto exist before they will demonstrate suchinterest.
5. Few sponsors have the balance sheet, trackrecord and wherewithal to becomeacceptable issuers.
6. Mixing securitization with any sort oftax-equity nancing will prove dicult.
Accordingly, for 90% of the solar market,securitization is but a mythological entity. Yes,it will exist. Yes, it will be magical for companieslike SolarCity that may be able to avail themselvesof it. But for your average or even better-than-
average developer, sponsor, panel manufactureror long-term owner, securitization is irrelevant.
As a consequence, I encourage our clients andthose other developers in the market to continueto focus on the more conventional forms ofnancing, many of which are becoming evenmore commonplace and increasing in scope andscale, while the largest of sponsors gure out howto open up the securitization market for everyone.SPW
Robert Sternthal
President of
Reznick Capital Markets
Securities
Sternthal is president o Reznick Capital Markets Securities and has extensive experience in nancing renewable energy transactions,
whether they are in the wind, solar or biomass sectors. Working alongside Reznick Group and Reznick Think Energy, Reznick Capital
Markets Securities ofers one o the most comprehensive nancial advisory platorms in the industry.
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Accredited Solar TrainingMakes For A Successful Business
2 0 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonli ne.com
[ T R A I N I N G ]
The solar industry is young and growingfast. As a result, many of its professionals havehad relatively short experience in the eld. Manyinstallers come from other trades and often possessa wealth of experience, which is tremendouslyvaluable on the job. But its not solar expertise.
With installation prices around $6.23/W forprojects less than 100 KW, according to SolarBuzz
U.S. Deal Tracker, installer training is not a luxuryanymore its a companys survival tactic. Themore popular and mainstream solar becomes, themore a company must establish itself as a team oftrustworthy, experienced professionals that workssafely, focuses on quality, and delivers maximumyield and the highest return on the customersinvestment every time.
Why is this particularly vital for smaller installers,who primarily focus on the residential and small-scale commercial market? Because these companiesare the heart of the solar industry. Nobody engageswith the public more than these folks do. More than78% of solar companies are installing residentialsystems, and more than 61% focus on commercialsystems up to 50 KW, according to The SolarFoundation. Thats engaging with thousands ofcitizens on hundreds of installations, every day. Forthem, obtaining PV-training and certication maybe the best long-term business investment theycan make in the (potentially) largest solar PV market
on the planet.Dozens of providers oer traditional classes, but
online courses, e-courses and crash courses arebecoming increasingly common. The educationalsector understands that every hour spent studyingin the classroom or in front of the computer is timeaway from installations. Also, more detail-orientedcourses are being developed to ll more variedknowledge niches (grounding and bonding, forexample).
While meeting needs and accommodatingconvenience is important when selecting trainingcourses, beware of attending dressed-up marketingclasses. Opportunities to learn specic productsshould be provided for free, but they will not
replace solid, product-agnostic training from areputable educational facility.
Make sure that the course content is taughtby NABCEP or UL-certied instructors and, whenpossible, that the content is approved by a neutralauthority like NABCEP, so the earned credit hourscount toward certication.
Check that the classes are up-to-date in terms
of technology, as well as National Electrical Code,or NEC, requirements. In an environment like solarwith rapidly changing technology, this is a must.The 2008 NEC wont get you far anymore adetail some providers forget to mention.
In the case of a PV 101 entry-level course,for example, evaluate if all relevant topics arecovered, from design and construction, towiring, site analysis, pulling permits, calculatingROI, securing nancing, project management,troubleshooting and maintenance issues. If youre
not sure after reading the catalog, ask, and thenask again. Also, inquire about facilities for hands-on training and how much time is set aside fromtheoretical instruction to really get down anddirty. More is generally good, and there shouldbe ample time to practice with assistance andfeedback from a well-seasoned instructor.
Last, but not least, the best PV-training facilitiesdeliver great after-sales service the ones whereyou can go back and continue to ask questions,
discuss specic problems encountered in the eldor just keep in touch.
One of the best compliments we ever got wasafter a PV 101 class, when one of the studentscommented how much the class had enabled himto take his business to the next level and growwith the future. Back then, the gentlemen had
just started a small PV installation business he wasoperating out of a garage.
While in class, he connected with an electrical
engineer, and both of them soon found out theyhad similar ideas about what they wanted to pursue.Today, they conduct a successful installationbusiness and employ around a dozen people proof positive that training does work. SPW
Sylvia Minton
Senior Vice President for
MAGE Solar
Member of Board of
Directors for MAGE Solar
Academy
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CentroPack- German engineered, turn-key packaged systems.To order your custom packs, Go to: centro-pack.com
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2 2 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonline.com
From 1934 to 1963, theAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
was the preeminent prison
of the United States. Indeed,
it was declared inescapable.
Surrounded by the cold, rapid
waters of the San Francisco
Bay, a mile from the coast and
outtted with advanced securitysystems, ocials believed that
inmates would never escape its
concrete walls at least not
alive.
Five inmates, however, did
escape. Their whereabouts
remain unknown, and ocially
they are presumed drowned.
But a tourist, as he crosses the
bay on a ferry from FishermansWharf, might consider an
alternate ending. He looks up
at the prison and down at the
bay. He considers the water
Generator Jailbreak
Racking company engineers system for high wind loads at Alcatraz
Alcatraz Solar
Installation:
Roof Height: 40 feet
Installation: 9/2011 to 6/2012
Product: SunLink RMS
Entities Involved: About 10
System Size: 307 KW
Number of Panels: 959
Module: SunPower
temperature and the distance to the coast.
He thinks he could make it.
Whats important to the National Park
Service is that, in this moment of wonder, he
does not think about solar power. But as he
and a million other tourists step foot onto
Alcatraz Island this year, they are visiting a
100-year-old structure that is powered in
part by a solar array. Only a lighthouse oersa view of the 959 SunPower panels on the
cell-house roof, and ocials say thats the
way it should be.
Because Alcatraz is a historic landmark,
we couldnt alter that by putting on this
massive installation of solar panels that were
visible, even from the city, says Alexandra
Picavet, a spokesperson for the park services
Golden Gate National Recreation Area. All of
the solar panels are below the parapet wall.That may sound simple enough. Just
put the panels below the parapet wall. But
when it came to the racking, engineering
challenges came from two directions:
[ R A C K I N G A N d m o u N t I N G ]
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2 4 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonli ne.com
environmental conditions primarilythe wind, which also contained corrosivesalt and the historical integrity of thebuilding.
SunLink, a Bay Area balance-of-system components provider thatprides itself on its ability to solve dicultengineering problems, was brought into design the racking. The company hadworked on other high-prole landmarks Google headquarters, the SanFrancisco International Airport and theAtlantic City Convention Center butnothing quite as well known as Alcatraz.
The prison sits high in the middle of abay. The wind sweeps in from the PacicOcean, funnels through the steel beams
of the Golden Gate Bridge and shootsdirectly at The Rock. In engineeringwind parlance, its in whats called anExposure D, says SunLink CEO ChrisTilley. Wind exposure category D isa designation for areas that face thehighest wind loads.
The prison roof reaches heights of40 feet and experiences a wind loadsimilar to a coastal lighthouse. Leaning
on extensive research and development,SunLink went to work developing thebest system for the former prison.
This wasnt the rst time the parkservice had tried to install solar on
[ R A C K I N G A N d m o u N t I N G ]
Alcatraz, according to the NationalRenewable Energy Laboratory, whichcollaborated on the solar projects thenand now. In the 1990s, contractors hadinstalled some mounting before a groupprotested the array, which would havebeen on the industries building, a placewhere Al Capone ran a sewing machineand Machine Gun Kelly did the laundry.The protesters said the installation wouldbe visible.
When funds became availablethrough the American Recovery andReinvestment Act, the $3.6 millionproject got a second chance. The parkservice and NREL sought to put a 307-KW installation on the roof of the cell
house. The electricity would run into2,000-amp-hour battery strings (storingpower for cloudy days) and supplantingenergy created on the island by apollution-spewing diesel generator. Theisland is not connected to the mainlandfor power, which a misplaced anchortook care of decades ago.
But in addition to challenges withwind and visibility, the cell house itself
has quirks. Its an ancient concretestructure that wasnt built with the samebuilding codes used today.
When you put a solar system ona building like that, you need to make
sure youre not damaging it in any way,Tilley says. Understanding what thematerials are and how to attach from anengineering point of view all of thosethings can be calculated based on testsor other things to make sure there wontbe a problem with the building.
The company used its SunLink RMSmounting system as a base product, onewhich Tilley says has been extensivelytested in wind tunnels and is madefrom aluminum and stainless steel. Italso mounts panels at 5, 10, 15 and 20degrees. At the time of the installation,RMS was SunLinks primary product. Thecompany now distributes Core RMS fortilts less than 10 degrees and in extreme
conditions, and Precision RMS, with feetthat adjust on-site to accommodaterooftop anomalies, enhancing thecompanys ability to install at irregularsites.
Tilley says that each SunLinkinstallation is specic to the project,though, because of the interchangeablecomponents in each system. You mayhave a strong link in one place because
you really need it for this project, butthe basic geometry of the system is thesame, he explains.
But the solution for Alcatraz alsorequired custom components, which
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2 6 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonline.com
[ R A C K I N G A N d m o u N t I N G ]
dierentiates it from nearly all of
SunLinks previous installations. One
such custom piece was the lateral link,
which connects subsegments of an
array. Because the park service wanted
a certain size system on the roof, nearly
all the available roof space had to be
used to place solar panels. This customlateral link allowed SunLink to maintain
the structural integrity of the system and
make it stronger, while installing over
deep drainage crickets that installers
would normally avoid.
One of the key aspects of SunLinks
approach to designing mounting
systems is trying to keep everything
strongly interconnected, Tilley says.
The more interconnected a systemcan be and by that I mean structural
components going north, south, east
and west the better you can deal with
loads. The design is rated for high wind
speeds that will both push and pull on
the system.
The system also used customized
short connector posts to keep a low
prole and resolve waterproong issues
specic to the site. Special ashing and
waterproof foot boxes were also used on
the rooftop. Finally, the company chose
a combination of 5- and 15-degree tilt
angles to ensure the system was out
of sight while maximizing eciency in
relation to roof slope.
After the mechanical matters were
sorted out and the design was approved,
it was simply a matter of planning but
it was not simple. Bryan Bucci, who was
a project manager and now works in
marketing for SunLink, was charged withcoordinating all logistical components
associated with the project.
This was a huge project, he says.
When it was handed to me, I had to take
a breath and be like, All right sort of
get red up for it.
Bucci broke the project down to
a daily plan. He set goals and kept
priorities. He documented every e-mail
and phone call. He organized weeklyconference calls with a dozen of the
systems stakeholders. He says these
things were essentially his role with any
installation as a project manager, but
Alcatraz required more.
With installation beginning in
September 2011 and ending in June,
a barge not the normal ferry was
required to transport the materials to
the island. All the skids, pallets, boxes of
metal and aluminum, combiner boxes
and inverters then had to be craned
to the roof, where the installation was
staged.
The installers, who were not aliated
with SunLink, often arrived in the early
morning, sometimes before sunlight
and as fog obscured the bay. The wind
was erce, and workers sometimes hadto tape their helmets to their heads.
Their ngers were nearly frozen from
the morning chill. But they got the work
done and were often leaving the island
just as the rst visitors arrived.
A sign that said solar was being
installed greeted visitors as they arrived.
No one could see the project, though.
And today, the solar system is collecting
energy and cutting down on the costlydiesel generators use by 60%.
This is fantastic for us because were
a Bay Area company, says Tilley. Its
great for our employees to go across
the Golden Gate Bridge and look down
over there and know thats one of our
projects. SPW
and other Solar issues at
www.engineeringexchange.com
Discuss ThisEmail, Post, or Share on your
favorite social network
Share this online
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Despite its
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2 8 SOLAR POWER WORLD 9 2012 www.solarpowerworldonline.com
Illustration:istockphoto.com
(false) reputation,
solar is completely
compatible with a
free-market
economy.
By Michael Gorton and
Dan Bedell
Th
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(For the purpose of this paper, it is assumed that that gridparity will occur when solar panels can be produced forunder $0.70/watt with a total system cost under $2/watt.)
With solar costs on a strong decline, this clean renewable
energy has emerged as a viable power partner or generating cost-eective peak electricity generation was 4,361 billion kWh gross, with
annual electricity demand projected to increase to 5,000 billion kWh
by 2030.1
According to Energy Inormation Administration (EIA) data, 42%
o the nations electricity is generated rom coal-fred plants, 25% rom
natural gas, 19% nuclear and 6.5% rom hydroelectric.
This paper examines the recent past and potential uture o
photovoltaic (PV) solar in terms o how it has compared with
traditional generation and how, even without government subsidies,
solar utility-scale projects will reach a price per KWh that will be at
or less than traditional generation, possibly as soon as 2014.
Now is the time or traditional conservative thinking to re-
examine the acts about solar energy and explore its potential or
11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 2 9
The
Capitalist
Ca$e for
Solar
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not only delivering more ecient and less
costly power, but also or creating jobs and
opportunities that jump-start economic
growth.
This jump-start would be possible because
electricity drives almost every part o the
economy, and cheap abundant electricity
keeps industry competitive.
Clean, Abundant And Renewable
Photovoltaic solar essentially is made rom
one o the Earths most abundant resources:
silicon. O the 92 elements ound on the
periodic table, silicon (Si) is the Earths most
prevalent semiconductor and second
most common element o any kind, ater
oxygen. Appearing in silicon oxides such as
sand (silica), quartz, rock crystal, amethyst,agate, int, jasper and opal, silicon makes
up about a quarter, by weight, o the Earths
crust.2 Furthermore, the uel source is ree
(presuming the sun rises).
As or cost, in response to growing
demand or renewable energy sources, the
manuacturing o solar cells and photovoltaic
arrays has advanced considerably in recent
years. With continued advances in technology
and increases in manuacturing scale andsophistication, the cost o PV will continue
to decline steadily, resulting in competitive
electricity in a growing number o regions.
The annual exponential drops in the cost
o solar will not only result in competitive
electricity, but also in cheaper electricity
coupled with higher prot (the hallmark o
any successul capitalist system, o course).
Solar PV vs. Concentrated SolarConcentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology
3 0 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonl ine.com
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS
uses optical devices such as lenses to
concentrate large amounts o sunlight onto
small areas o solar photovoltaic materials to
generate electricity. This was viable when PV
was expensive and plastic lenses were cheap.
As this paper demonstrates, PV is now low-
cost, so CPV is less important.
CSP simply uses concentrated sunlight
to heat steam, which drives a turbine. Atone point in time, CSP was less expensive
than PV. This has not been the case or
several years. Not only does CSP have all o
the moving parts o traditional generation,
thousands o mirrors must also track the sun
accurately on a daily basis. The expense o
these components alone, coupled with the
ailure rates, deeats the value o potential
saving rom heat storage and CSPs ability togenerate or periods ater the sun has set.
For many years, solar power was not a
viable alternative source o energy, but the
cost o PV went down year ater year just as
electricity costs rose.
From 2005 to 2008, the cost o PV
rose and maintained this level in response
to signicant transitions in the industry.
Substantial volumes o solar parks were being
constructed in response to the 2004 revisionsto the eed-in tarifs in Germany, which
created demand or materials on a large scale
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.solarororldonlin.com 11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 3 1
to meet demands o solar arms.
During this time the silicon industry,
which had previously produced materials or
the microchip manuacturers, adapted and
began renements that would ultimately
drive a new trend line in decreasing PV costs.
To understand this, one need only to realize
that microchips are small, while solar arms
are huge.
For the past eight years, siliconmanuacturers have been developing new
methods o mass production on a scale that
is (potentially) orders o magnitude greater
than historical demand, while simultaneously
developing efciencies to dramatically lower
costs.
This number is based on the total cost o
a system and nancing large-scale projects
using the same methods or nancing a new
combined cycle gas-powered generating
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3 2 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonli ne.com
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS
acility. Reerring to the previous chart, we
can see that in 2010 PV was approaching $2/
watt.
2012-2014: Solar PVs Big Leap
Forward
In early 2012, solar PV began to approach gridparity, and its almost there. In looking at the
spot market price or PV rom 2009-2012,
note the same downward trend in cost or PV
in Germany, China and Japan.
Because China has cheaper labor, its
understandable that this labor-intensive
industry produces lower-cost products in
China than in Japan and Germany.
The chart above shows the May 2012 spotprice o (Chinese) PV to be $0.91 per watt.
From this trend line, it can be extrapolated
that in the next two years, assuming a
continuing trend, solar PV may reach $0.70/
kWh by 2013 and could be as low as $0.50/
kWh by 2014.
These numbers are supported by many o
the largest solar cell and PV manuacturers.
The projected 2014 price will make solar PV
not only competitive with but less expensivethan nuclear, coal and natural gas.
Michael Gorton, Chie Executive
Ocer and Chairman o Principal
Solar, is an entrepreneur, mentor
and company builder, applying
proven strategies in the felds o
renewable energy, telecommu-
nications, music and healthcare.
Drawing on his extensive business
expertise, scientifc education
and training, Gorton serves as a
strong voice and proponent o
solar power.
Dan Bedell is Executive Vice
President o Corporate
Development or Principal Solar.
Cost Analysis: Apples To Apples
Heres a look at a 2009 MIT study3 that evaluated the
resulting cost per kWh o new plants that would be
constructed in 2009. For this analysis, the cost per kWh
(green) o solar built in the same period has been added
to the chart. For 2009, clearly the cost o electricity rom
a new construction nuclear, coal and natural gas plantproduces lower electricity rates than solar PV.
In 2014, solar and natural gas are level, and coal costs
less, although a coal plant will probably cost more to
build than it did ve years earlier in 2009.
From these projections, it can be concluded that
2014 is the year that solar may reach parity with the Big
Three. Solar could cost hal as much as its competitors
by 2020.
Perfect Energy Partners: Solar & Natural Gas
Rootop solar is unlikely to become a truly viable orm
o energy or individual homeowners. Its similar to
making bread. A wheat armer in Kansas grows, harvests
and sells the wheat to a co-op. The co-op sells it to a
transportation company that takes it to a four grinder. A
baker buys the four rom a middleman, bakes bread and
sells the bread to a grocery store. Consumers buy it and
get more consistent and less expensive bread than i they
grew wheat in their back yard.Even though consumers can grow gardens, it doesnt
compare to producing energy by rootop solar panels.
The sun sets. Some days are cloudy. Mother Nature and
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the elements conspire to destroy panels and
their inversion or mounting equipment.
Everyone needs a reliable source o back-up
energy rom a power company.
Most people will agree that producing
electricity is more complicated than bringing
bread to the market. Too much rootop solar
will change the economics o grid power.
Put simply: I everyone had solar, the
power companies would sell a lot less. When
they sell a lot less, the price will go up. Today,the world relies upon the power companies
to provide reliable power at a reasonable
price.
One more important point is that solar
only generates when the sun is shining.
Backup is critical or any solar installation.
Nuclear and coal produce baseload
power. They need to run 24 hours a day.
When a nuclear or coal plant is shut down, ittakes hours and even days to restart. Natural
gas, on the other hand, can start in minutes.
For this reason, solar and natural
gas work well together compared with
nuclear power and coal. Many calculations
and approximations have been made on
how many years supply o natural gas we
currently have. Clearly, using solar as a
supplement to natural gas will extend that
supply.On the other hand, the Achilles heel o
earth-based solar will always be access to
sunlight. Because o this, many experts have
.solarororldonlin.com 11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 3 3
suggested battery and storage methods. Thebest backup system is already on the grid in
the orm o natural gas and combined-cycle
generation.
LOOKING AHEAD
In the nal analysis, solar must be able to
compete on an even playing eld without
subsidies. Based on the projections shown in
this paper, that should happen in the coming
years. A solid capitalist oundation will bethe primary actor driving the coming gold
rush in solar development. It is simply icing
on the cake that solar energy is a carbon-
ree domestic energy source that is widely
available.
Unused land throughout the desert
southwest represents an abundant natural
resource o energy. More precisely, one
county in west Texas sees enough sunshineto provide the entire electricity needs o the
United States or the next 50 years.
Still, its not likely that solar will provide
much more than 15% o the total grid power.
There are many reasons or this, almost all o
which relate to the reliability o the grid.
Solar PV has experienced exponential
cost drops year-ater-year or more than 30
years, with projections putting PV module
costs at $0.50/watt, total system costs under$2/watt and output electricity at just under
6 cents per kWh grid parity in 2014. In
the next three years, this nation will see a
dramatic rise in utility-scale solar productionthat will support the existing inrastructure.
Many will compare the next ew years to a
gold rush, as billions o dollars are made rom
converting sunlight to electricity.
I America continues or expands a carbon-
regulated market, solar will ll the bill with no
uel costs, low maintenance and carbon credits
rather than carbon costs when compared to
coal, nuclear and gas-red power plants.
Again, it is important to note that solarwill not replace the Big Three, but it will add
to the diversity o the nations power grid,
easing congestion in energy-stressed grids and
providing afordable power. Most importantly, it
should produce electricity at a price that is equal
to or lower than its competitors. SPW
ENDNOTES
1 World Nuclear Organization; Nuclear Power inthe USA; http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf41.
html; accessed May 25, 2012.
2 Solar World; Energy for you and me; How we
make solar panels to capture the power of the
sun; http://www.solarworld-usa. com/about-
solarworld/~/media/Global/PDFs/solar-101.ashx;
accessed May 31, 2012.
3 Deutch, John M. et al; Update of the MIT
2003 Future of Nuclear Power; Massachusetts
Institute of Technology; 2009; http:// web.mit.edu/nuclearpower/pdf/nuclearpower-update2009.pdf;
accessed May 25, 2012.
SEIA and Vote Solar
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Solar Means BusinessW
hat do Walmart, Costco, IKEA, McGraw Hill,
Johnson & Johnson and FedEx have in common?
They know a smart investment when they see one,
and all are adopting solar energy wholeheartedly.
From large corporations to small businesses,
U.S. companies are installing solar energy to control energy costs and
improve bottom lines. As o mid-2012, businesses as well as non-prot
organizations and governments across the United States have deployedmore than 2,300 MW o photovoltaic systems on more than 24,000
individual acilities and this number is growing rapidly. During the
rst hal o 2012, over 3,600 non-residential PV systems came online,
an average o one every 72 minutes.2
The rapidly alling cost o solar energy has made solar an
increasingly appealing investment or American businesses. Between
the second quarter o 2011 and the second quarter o 2012, the
average price o a completed commercial PV system ell by nearly
14%.3
The economics o PV have become so attractive that many othe best managed corporations, which are synonymous with low cost
and efciency, are adopting solar energy on a massive scale across the
United States.
This report, prepared by the Solar Energy Industries Association
(SEIA) and the Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar), highlights those
companies that have deployed the most solar energy capacity at
their acilities or onsite consumption. In total, the 42 companies
analyzed or this report have deployed at least 321 MW o PV capacity
at more than 750 locations in at least 26 states and Puerto Rico. The
20 companies with the highest installed capacity have deployed at
3 4 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonli ne.com
Rank The Top
Commercial Solar
Customers in the
United States
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.solarororldonlin.com 11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 3 5
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BUSINESS
least 279 MW, enough to supply the
electricity needs o 46,500 American
households. These solar leaders
include some o Americas most iconic
brands and biggest businesses.
In addition to installed capacity,
this report also ranks companies by
the number o operating installations as
well as the geographic diversity o their solar
deployment.
Solar Value Proposition
Energy can make up a signicant portion
o a businesss operating costs. Companies
are installing solar at record rates because
it reduces operational expenses, improves
their bottom lines and allows them to ocus
resources on their core business strategies.
The price o solar-energy systems hasdropped rapidly over the past 5 years. In
some places, it is more cost-efective to
deploy solar than buy electricity rom thelocal utility. No matter where the company
is located, solar provides predictably priced
electricity or 20 to 30 years. This hedge
against utility price volatility is highly
valuable to businesses that are ocused on
managing long-term budgets. Combined
with innovative nancing options that
urther reduce upront costs, solar has a new
value proposition that makes business senseor major companies nationwide.
3 6 SOLAR POWER WORLD 1 1 2012 www.solarpowerworldonli ne.com
Companies across the country have
made enormous investments in solar
to manage their operating costs. The
list at let ranks the Top 20 o these
companies by the installed capacity o
all o their onsite solar installations.
Some companies have high energy
demand at a single acility and build
one or two large systems to meet that need.
Others have dozens or hundreds o storesand acilities that could benet rom solar.
The rankings (opposite, below) list the
Top 20 companies by the number o solar
installations at company locations. Those
at the top o this list have made repeated
decisions to go solar, building of o earlier
successes.
Solar Leaders by Percent of StoresThe data demonstrates the percentage o
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Tracking is important in solarenergy collection systems thatoperate under concentratedsunlight.
SIKO is specialized in positionfeedback and offers a wide rangeof encoders for sun tracking systems.Our benefits: Non-contact, wear-free,
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arts in about six sts. Convntional
coatings rquir as many as 16.
Study MethodologyMacys 5%Solar Leaders byPercent of Stores
Th data at lft dmonstrats
h f U S
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U.S. company stores with solar or a ew
notable companies. It is not a ull ranking,
but a comparison between some o the top
solar users that were already part o this
reports analysis. It should be noted that
smaller companies could well have solarat all o their company locations or could
even be net exporters to the grid, meaning
companies generate more solar energy
onsite than is consumed by their acility.
Top Companies by
Geographic Diversity
While companies with acilities in Caliornia
and the Southwest have certainly takenadvantage o the ample solar resources
and eective solar policies, corporations
have gone beyond those well-known solar
markets with installations all across the
country. Many corporations have solar
energy systems in diverse states including
Michigan, Wisconsin and Massachusetts,
which is a strong indication that solar energy
can make business sense in all U.S. climates.
This list (above) ranks the top companies
by the number o states in which they have
deployed PV at their acilities.
Big Plans
The companies ranked here and
many more continue to expand their
investments in solar energy at a rapid
pace. Companies such as Apple,
which has a 20-MW system under
construction at a datacenter in North
Carolina, have announced plans or
major solar deployment. Others such
as General Motors have decided to
enter the solar business themselves.
Businesses as well as other large
energy consumers like nonprofts,
schools and public agencies are
expected to add 7,000 MW oadditional PV systems over the next
fve years. Thats enough to replace
seven retiring coal power plants. SPW
y gy
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
and the Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar) set out
to rank the top corporate users o solar energy inthe United States. To do this, SEIA and Vote Solar
combed public databases and contacted company
representatives to collect data on their use o PV
systems.
While researchers made every eort to collect
detailed, complete and accurate data, not every
company responded to surveys, and public
databases do not capture all installations.Furthermore, new systems are installed every day.
In the frst hal o 2012 alone, more than 3,600
individual non-residential systems came online in
the United States. Ultimately, SEIA and Vote Solar
believe this is an accurate portrayal o the leading
corporate users o solar energy in the United
States but reserve the right to make adjustments
as new data becomes available.
SEIA and Vote Solar only counted on-site PV
systems that supplied power directly to company
acilities. This does not include utility PV power
plants that sell wholesale electricity. While some
companies buy solar renewable energy credits
(SRECs) rom solar power generated o-site,
this report does not consider such transactions
because o the limitations in data collection and
verifcation.
Likewise, SRECs produced by many onsite PV
systems are sold to utilities or other buyers, while
companies that sell their SRECs do not retain
the environmental attributes o the system, such
systems are still counted or the purposes o
this report as the decision to deploy an onsite
solar system is an essential step in solar energy
development.
Many important companies have made massive
investments in helping others go solar. Bank o
America, Merrill Lynch, Google and others have
provided billions o dollars in fnancing or solar
energy systems in the United States. While these
investments are big business and central to the
development o the solar energy industry, they are
not the ocus o this report. These rankings only
include PV systems that were operational as o
mid-August 2012.
11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 3 7
COSTCO 14%
IKEA 79%
REI 20%
th rcntag of U.S. comany
stors ith solar for a f notablcomanis. It is not a full ranking,
but rathr a comarison btn
som of th to solar usrs that
r alrady art of this rortsanalysis. It should b notd that
smallr comanis could ll
hav solar at all of thir comanylocations or could vn b ntxortrs to th grid, maning
comanis gnrat mor solar
nrgy onsit than is consumd by
thir facility.
Kohls 11%
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3 8 SOLAR POWER WORLD 9 2012
Image:dreamstime.c
om
Takin
gSolar
Prod
ucts
From
Concept
ToProd
uction
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11 2012 SOLAR pOweR wORLD 3 9
With volatile demand for solarenergy products across the world,
successfully bringing a solar
product from concept to reliable
volume production is one of the
solar industrys biggest challenges. The drumbeat to make
the product cost less by using fewer parts and materials,
design it so it assembles in half the time, fabricate and
assemble it anywhere and everywhere places pressure in an
industry that is faced with potential commoditization.
Going into volume production on a global basis means
leveraging the assets and expertise of a manufacturing
partner when your company doesnt have the in-house
capability and capacity and resources. Market forces require
a new approach and mindset to meet time to market and
competitive pressures.
Josh Chien/Sr. Director of New Product Introduction at Sanmina-SCI
>
M A N U F A C T U R I N G P R O C E S S E S
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M A N U F A C T U R I N G P R O C E S S E S
Design is Job 1A study by Ford Motor Co. showed that
although product design non-recurring
engineering (NRE) and development
comprise only about 5% o the product cost,
design can inuence the nal cost up to 70%,
whereas the combination o materials, labor
and overhead together only inuence the
remaining 30%. The most eective way to
manage quality and cost is to start with the
products design.
When you look at the dierent elements
o a solar products lie cycle, there are many
challenges:
Product design issues such as:
1) Energy collector obstacles with optics
alignment and silicon quality;
2) Designing efciency into Balance
o Systems (BOS) mechanical support
structures, inverters, control systems, etc. Manuacturability issues such as element
proong and coating (i.e. plating) large
support structures;
Parts abrication process selection
e.g. cold orging vs. machining o
complex high-precision components,
sand casting vs. pressure casting,
stamping vs. orging, etc.;
Sourcing and supplier t assuming the
supplier can handle prototypes well, will
they also be able to handle scale and
sizing? (i.e. equipment, process);
Deployment and launch challenges,
i.e. documentation in multiple languages,
organizing multiple sites, orchestrating
material delivery and ulllment
worldwide, completing regulatory
requirements (to just name a ew); and
Volume scaling and global production.
4 0 SOLAR POWER WORLD 11 2012 www.solarpowerworldonli ne.com
O all the elements, design represents thegreatest opportunity or cost reduction and
quality improvement in each one o these
areas.
The Value Chain
Solving these dilemmas is the raison dtre
o the value chain the entire team o
people who are responsible or ensuring the
product gets to market. This includes design
engineers, manuacturing engineers, quality
engineers, logistics specialists, procurement
specialists, test engineering, assemblers,
machinists, inspectors, application engineers,
sales reps, nancial analysts, supply-chain
managers, marketing managers and thats
not even a complete list. Each o them has
a role to play in the success o the product,
and each can contribute (to a greater or less
degree) at various stages to reducing costs,
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11 2012 SOLAR POWER WORLD 4 1
increasing quality and speeding the delivery
o the product. The key to success is getting
them all involved, right at the start, when
the product is in the concept stage.
The products design process
signicantly afects each o the value chain
members unctions. As an example, insteado designing a BOSs 20-oot structural
member which requires hot-dipped
galvanization where only a handul o
suppliers have large enough plating tanks
that can handle such a size (based on the
ndings rom the m