QUICK NEWS, June 15: ITALY DUMPS NUCLEAR; GOOGLE BACKS LEASED SUN; 1 MACHINE, 6 MEGAWATTS; NO BEST SUN

ITALY DUMPS NUCLEAR
Nuclear vote forces Italy to ponder renewables
Mathieu Gorse, June 14, 2011 (AFP)

"The resounding no from Italians to nuclear power…will force the government to adopt a new strategy based increasingly on renewable energy…Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi…[said Italy] will have to commit strongly to renewable energy…

"…Italy abandoned nuclear power in 1987 in another historic referendum following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster…[but] the government will have to look for new sources of energy since Berlusconi's government had set itself the target of producing 25 percent of Italy's electricity needs with nuclear by 2030."

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"In 2010, 64.8 percent of the electricity consumed in Italy was produced with fossil fuels, 22.2 percent with renewable energy and 13 percent imported including from French nuclear power stations…The government has said it will host a conference bringing together local officials and companies after the summer to fix new targets and come up with a new energy strategy before the end of the year…

"Hydroelectric power -- the main source of renewable energy in Italy -- has little scope for growth…[W]ind power is tricky because of moderate wind speeds and sea depths that make offshore wind farms difficult…Solar power also needs major subsidies at the moment…Last year, hydroelectric power accounted for 14.9 percent of electricity consumed, biomass 2.7 percent, wind power 2.5 percent, geothermal power 1.6 percent and solar power just 0.5 percent."

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"...[Gianni Chianetta, head of the solar industry group Assosolare said solar can supply eight to 10 percent by 2020 without subsidies and Luigi De Paoli, professor of energy economics at Bocconi University said New Energy could supply more than 30 percent]…

"Another key question is Italy's energy import dependency, particularly as uprisings in the Arab world are pushing up oil and gas prices…The three main gas suppliers to Italy are Russia, Algeria and -- at least before the start of military action -- Libya…The government has begun reinforcing Italy's capacity in handling liquefied natural gas, which would allow it to diversify its sources of imports...It will also aim to increase energy efficiency in new buildings to reduce consumption…"


GOOGLE BACKS LEASED SUN
Google invests $280 million in rooftop solar fund for SolarCity
Dana Hall, June 14, 2011 (San Jose Mercury News)

"…[A] $280 million fund financed by Google…will allow SolarCity to install solar panels on thousands of homes across the country…Google, which has about $30 billion in cash on its balance sheet, has been aggressively investing in clean-energy projects, primarily in solar and wind, that earn a return on its investment and help grow the nation's cleantech economy…The new fund, Google's largest cleantech investment to date, will raise the total sum it has invested in clean-energy projects to $680 million -- and the company says there's more to come…

"Advocates of renewable power have long argued that California needs both large, utility-scale solar power plants and smaller rooftop installations known in the industry as ‘distributed generation.’ In April, Google made a $168 million equity investment in BrightSource Energy's Ivanpah project, a solar thermal power plant under construction in California's Mojave Desert. The $280 million fund with SolarCity shows Google's support for both approaches."

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[Rick Needham, director of green business operations and strategy, Google:] "This is our first distributed generation investment, and it allows SolarCity to grow their business model for residential customers…What we like about the distributed model is that it is generation at the point of use, and it allows residential customers to both shift to clean energy while reducing their overall energy bill."

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"Google's energy investments and projects are spread across different parts of the company. While Google has invested $680 million on clean energy to date, the company's philanthropic arm, Google.org, invested about $45 million in early-stage clean-energy companies in 2007 and 2008. Google Ventures, the company's venture arm, now plays the role of investing in early stage companies…Google invests in larger companies and has largely focused on solar power plants and wind farms, with plans to add geothermal to the portfolio…

"Since it began operations in July 2006, SolarCity has made a name for itself by being the first company in the solar industry to provide homeowners a lease option -- or solar for no money down. Instead of footing the bill for a solar system all at once, customers pay as they go, with the monthly lease payment to SolarCity offset by lower electric bills. The company has nearly 1,200 employees nationwide and serves customers in 10 states…The new fund creates a huge bank account for SolarCity to draw on, and is intended to give Google a return on its investment…"


1 MACHINE, 6 MEGAWATTS
Siemens starts operating its first 6 megawatt wind turbine; Low weight design of SWT-6.0-120 will reduce costs for future offshore wind projects
June 9, 2011 (Siemens)

"Siemens Energy has installed the first prototype of its next generation offshore wind turbine in Høvsøre, Denmark, and… initiated the first trial operation. The new SWT-6.0-120 wind turbine with a power rating of 6 megawatts (MW) and a rotor diameter of 120 metres uses the innovative Siemens direct drive and proven rotor technology. Nacelle and rotor of the SWT-6.0-120 weigh together less than 350 tons, setting a new low-weight standard for large offshore machines.

"The new SWT-6.0-120 is the third direct drive wind turbine type developed by Siemens…The low weight of the SWT-6.0-120 wind turbine will contribute to a significant reduction in the cost of energy for offshore wind power plants. The low weight positively impacts the costs of the turbine itself, but also that of the tower and the support structures…"

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"The new Siemens SWT-6.0-120 makes use of several key technologies that are well-proven in offshore applications…[by the] Siemens 3.6 MW turbine…[including] the same proven B58 blade… Other proven technologies employed…include the Siemens IntegralBlade® design for blades manufactured without glue joints.

"The SWT-6.0-120…features the Siemens advanced diagnostics systems to reduce customer risk and enable maximum reliability and availability. A particular offshore feature is a helicopter-hoisting platform which is integrated in the nacelle rear and allows easy and safe access for service technicians."

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"The first 6MW prototype will now undergo an extensive commissioning and trial operation process before being released for automatic operation. During 2011, Siemens will install additional prototypes of the SWT-6.0-120 wind turbines for further testing and validation. A number of pre-series 6 MW wind turbines will be installed during 2012 and 2013 for further tests and optimization of the turbine performance. Serial production is planned for 2014.

"Over the last 20 years, Siemens has successfully installed more than 600 offshore wind turbines with a combined capacity of more than 1,800 MW in European waters…[It also has] a secured order backlog for further offshore projects with a total capacity of about 3,600 MW…Electricity from offshore wind power plants is expected to make a major contribution toward a clean and sustainable power supply…"


NO BEST SUN
No Single Solar Winner: Developers, Utilities Embracing PV And CSP
Jessica Lillian, 31 May 2011 (Solar Industry)

"As the U.S. solar market continues to reach new heights, both photovoltaics and concentrating solar power (CSP) will be required in order for the industry to achieve future goals. Given the inherent advantages and disadvantages of each of these technologies, diversification within a single company is becoming an increasingly popular strategy.

"Developers and equipment suppliers that work with both PV and CSP enjoy attractive synergies…[that] can broaden their geographic range, help utilities meet renewable energy mandates in a more grid-friendly fashion, and contribute more fully to the industry's aggressive solar deployment goals…"

solar tower power plant (click to enlarge)

"…SolarReserve received a $737 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its 110 MW Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project…[which will use a] proprietary molten-salt power-tower technology allows it to deliver power as a baseline operating facility or as a peaking facility eligible for favorable time-of-day pricing…[but] CSP technology relies on high solar resources, thus limiting its footprint…[so SolarReserve builds PV] in a joint venture with GCL Solar, a subsidiary of China-based silicon manufacturer GCL Poly.

"For utilities, varying the size and type of solar power projects brought online can help mitigate the grid-connection issues that have historically challenged renewable energy integration…Arizona Public Service (APS)… has deliberately pursued solar technology diversification… to streamline connections and speed overall deployment…[It] has a power purchase agreement in place with Abengoa for the Solana plant, a 250 MW trough CSP facility under construction…[and] five contracts totaling 80 MW in place under its Arizona Sun Initiative, which focuses on small- to medium-scale PV…"

PV solar power plant (click to enlarge)

"...[APS] is also pursuing residential-scale PV deployment…Residential PV faces its own set of policy hurdles nationally, but both CSP and utility-scale PV development remain particularly vulnerable to the whims of policymakers.

"…The DOE's loan-guarantee program – which…has filled a critical finance void over the past few years – is set to expire at the end of the year…Many industry executives have expressed little faith that the program will be extended and are now operating under the assumption that it will no longer exist in a matter of months…[They say] U.S. permitting procedures for large-scale solar - PV and CSP alike - can stifle development…"