QUICK NEWS, April 24: BEST UTILITIES FOR SUN; BIRDS SAFE IN THE WIND; PHOTONS FOR BETTER SOLAR CELLS

BEST UTILITIES FOR SUN Utilities Are Influencing Solar Markets In New Ways

18 April 2012 (Renew Grid)

"Solar power s the fastest-growing electricity source for utilities…In 2011, utilities interconnected over 62,500 photovoltaic (PV) systems…SEPA's fifth annual Top 10 Utility Solar Rankings analyzes the amount of new solar power interconnected by U.S. electric utilities in 2011. It covers more than 240 of the most solar-active utilities, representing more than 99% of the U.S. solar electric power marketplace.

"Thirteen utilities interconnected more than 1,000 PV systems, and 22 utilities interconnected more than 500 systems. This annual volume of smaller, distributed solar interconnections is unlike anything the utility industry has previously managed, and conservative forecasts indicate that this number will grow to more than 150,000 interconnections in 2015, according to SEPA."

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"However, the magnitude of these numbers poses strategic questions related to how utilities will physically process this volume of interconnection requests, how the distribution grid will accommodate this high-penetration growth, and how the utility and solar industries will resolve the economic implications of reduced sales of electricity.

"The nation's most solar-active utilities integrated almost 1.5 GW of new solar - equivalent to six natural-gas power plants - breaking the 1 GW threshold for the first time…[and] 15 utilities reported integrating more than 20 MW each, and eight reported integrating more than 50 MW each. While residential homes accounted for more than 89% of the installations, commercial rooftop installations accounted for more than 53% of the capacity…These 2011 numbers represent a 38% growth in the number of installations and a 120% growth in the capacity installed over 2010. SEPA expects continued growth this year, driven by sustained price decreases and a build-out of large solar power plant contracts…"

BIRDS SAFE IN THE WIND Wind farms do not effect most bird populations concludes new study

April 16, 2012 (The Information Daily)

"A new study has found that most bird populations do not suffer long term decline from wind turbines. The study, from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and RSPB, is the first of its kind based on bird populations during the construction as well as operation phases of new wind farms…

"The report was published in the April edition of the Journal of Applied Ecology. Scientists from both bodies had monitored ten bird species at 18 wind farms in upland areas of the UK and compared breeding bird densities and population trends before, during, and after wind farm construction."

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"Their findings suggest that impacts differed among species…[P]opulations of red grouse, snipe and curlew numbers declined during construction with red grouse recovering afterwards, unlike snipe and curlews…[Skylark] numbers soared as the turbines rose, but this could be because turning over the vegetation helped them nest and find food. There was no significant change in the population of lapwings, golden plovers and dunlins.

"Rob Norris, Renewable UK spokesman said…the report should…dispel the longstanding myth about wind turbines damaging birds…Wildlife organisations such as RSPB and WWF said they were in favour of development of wind farms as long as they were in the right locations. RSPB had recently objected to only 8% of the 2,100 wind farm cases between 2001 and 2010."

PHOTONS FOR BETTER SOLAR CELLS Berkeley Scientists Focus On LED-Like Solar Cells

20 April 2012 (Solar Industry)

"New research from scientists at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) has demonstrated that for maximum efficiency, solar cells might be designed to be similar to light-emitting devices (LEDs).

"…[T]he better a solar cell is at emitting photons, the higher its voltage and the greater the efficiency it can produce…[Researchers] came across a solution [ to the large gap between the theoretical limit and the limit they have been able to achieve] based on a mathematical connection between absorption and emission of light."

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"Designing solar cells to emit light - so that photons do not become ‘lost’ within a cell - has the natural effect of increasing the voltage produced by the solar cell…

"PV manufacturer Alta Devices…has used the concept to create a prototype solar cell made of gallium arsenide (GaAs). The prototype broke efficiency records, according to UC Berkeley. The company achieved this milestone, in part, by designing the cell to allow light to escape as easily as possible from the cell…[E]fficiencies close to 30% may be possible in the coming years…"