QUICK NEWS, November 19: SOLAR COSTS KEEP DROPPING; REPOWER DEBUTS HUGE OCEAN TURBINE; DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAMS AROUND THE WORLD

SOLAR COSTS KEEP DROPPING Integrated Solar PV Polysilicon and Wafer Suppliers to Drive Production Costs Below $0.20 per Watt in 2014…

November 18, 2013 (SolarBuzz)

"Average costs for vertically integrated tier 1 makers are now forecast to fall yet another 6 percent in 2014 to a record low of $0.20 per watt (W)…Since 2008, solar PV wafer manufacturing costs (the combined costs of polysilicon and wafer processing) have declined more than 16 percent per year…[T]hough the rapid pace of cost reduction is starting to decline, the severe oversupply and extremely low selling prices are forcing polysilicon and wafer makers to continue to find ways to lower costs to previously assumed impossible levels…” click here for more

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REPOWER DEBUTS HUGE OCEAN TURBINE REpower launches new offshore turbine

November 18, 2013 (Repower)

"…[Repower, part of the Suzlon Group, the world’s fifth-largest wind turbine manufacturer, unveiled] its new offshore turbine, the REpower 6.2M152…The new turbine features a rotor diameter of 152 metres, with the rotors sweeping an area larger than three football pitches. The nacelle alone is as big as two detached houses and will be constructed offshore at a height of between 95 and 110 metres…[It} achieves an increase in energy yield by up to 20 per cent at wind speeds of 9.5 m/s. With a rated power of 6.15 megawatts, each REpower 6.2M152 turbine can supply around 4,000 homes with electricity…” click here for more

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DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAMS AROUND THE WORLD Demand Response Tracker 4Q13; Global Demand Response Programs by Region, Country, DR Market, Resource Type, and Customer Segment

4Q 2013 (Navigant Research)

“Demand response (DR) has proven to be an effective way for utilities and grid operators to manage supply and demand of electric power, such as during peak periods when demand exceeds supply or when the demand is unstable and fluctuates…Regulatory and technological changes are making it possible for DR to evolve to the next and more advanced phase in every nation…At present, there are only a few dozen DR schemes outside of the United States, in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. However, China, Singapore, India, Malaysia, and Israel, which are currently testing the use of DR, will become the next frontier. Navigant Research has identified 1,364 DR programs currently underway worldwide…” click here for more

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