centrotherm photovoltaics becomes second largest equipment supplier as sales soar 35.9% in 2009
February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
centrotherm photovoltaics has posted preliminary financial results for 2009, highlighting strong revenue growth for the past three years and forecasted continued growth in 2010. The multi-market equipment and turnkey supplier posted revenue of €509.1 million in 2009, an increase of 35.9% compared to revenue of €374.7 million in 2008.
Order Focus: Asia-based customers place US$200 million in news orders with GT Solar
February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
Renewed wafer capacity expansion plans at some of the major Asia-based PV manufacturers have led directly to new orders for GT Solar’s ingot growth furnaces. The company noted that it has received new orders worth more than US$200 million for its ‘DSS450’ furnaces and ancillary equipment and services. One China based customer placed a follow-on order worth US$137 million. Other orders came from Tianwei New Energy, Phoenix Photovoltaic Technology, Yingli Green Energy, JA Solar, Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS), and one other unidentified customer.
Trina Solar doubled shipments in 2009 but revenue flat with 2008
February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
Full year financial figures from Trina Solar highlight the price declines seen by one of the major China-based PV manufacturers. Although solar module shipments were approximately 399MW in 2009, virtually double (98.5% growth) 2008 shipments of 201.0 MW, revenue remained flat (1.6% higher) with the previous year at US$845.1 million. However, module shipments and capacity expansion will double again in 2010. Trina Solar remains nearly 100% allocated even with planned capacity expansions in 2010.
M+W Group acquires shares in Schmid Silicon Technology Holdings
February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
The M+W Group, Stuttgart, acquired shares in Schmid Silicon Technology Holdings, effective from January 1, 2010. Through this acquisition, the companies will partner in global activities in the engineering and construction of polysilicon plants based on monosilane technology.
NREL says Global Solar first to exceed 13% efficiencies for CIGS on flex stainless-steel substrate
February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
In the latest example of increasing CIGS conversion efficiencies, the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has confirmed that Global Solar Energy has achieved 13.2% aperture-area efficiency on a thin-film photovoltaic module integrated with flexible cell-strings from its copper-indium-gallium-(di)selenide production line in Tucson, AZ. CEO Jeff Britt told PV Tech that median efficiencies have risen above 11% on the production line and that the company plans to launch its BIPV product line this year. The latest numbers exceed the company’s efficiencies announced in September 2009, when NREL said it had measured 15.45% total area conversion efficiencies for the individual cells, and Global Solar had cited record peak efficiencies at the time of 11.7% on its flexible stainless-steel cell strings and median efficiencies between 10 and 11%.
iSuppli: PV component price declines set to continue with polysilicon declining 56.3% in 2010
February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
Polysilicon, wafers and solar module prices all declined severely in 2009, according to a new report from iSuppli. On average, crystalline module prices dropped 37.8%, solar wafer prices fell by 50%, and polysilicon prices declined by 80%. The market research firm expects further price declines in 2010, though not at the steep levels seen last year. In 2010, iSuppli is forecasting price declines for crystalline modules of 20%, solar wafers to decline by 18.2%, and polysilicon prices falling by a further 56.3%. Falling prices is now set in stone for the PV industry, which will benefit from becoming increasing competitive with other renewable energy forms, according to iSuppli.
Project Focus: Colexon begins work on its latest solar power plant in Italy
February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
Colexon Energy has begun the construction of a solar power plant with a total capacity of almost 1MWp in the North Italian community Imola. The plant will benefit from the feed-in tariff in Italy, which is set for 20 years.
Bloom Energy Claims a New Fuel Cell Technology
February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
Feb 25, 2010 – Todd Woody reports in The New York Times, “A Silicon Valley company is claiming a breakthrough in a decades-old quest to develop fuel cells that can supply affordable and relatively clean electricity. Google, Bank of America, Wal-Mart and other large corporations have been testing the devices, which will be formally introduced on Wednesday. [Feb 24, 2010].
The start-up, Bloom Energy, has raised about $400 million from investors and spent nearly a decade developing a new variety of solid oxide fuel cell, considered the most efficient but most technologically challenging fuel-cell technology.
K. R. Sridhar, Bloom’s co-founder and chief executive, said devices made by his company were generating electricity at a cost of 8 to 10 cents a kilowatt hour, using natural gas. That is lower than commercial electricity prices in some parts of the country.
“We got into this business to make affordable electricity, not fuel cells,” Mr. Sridhar said Tuesday as workers assembled stacks of fuel cells in tall, round cylinders and installed them in silver metal cubes at Bloom’s headquarters in a Silicon Valley office park.
The company has been working on the technology for eight years while saying little. The secrecy, and the prominence of the venture capitalists backing Bloom, have fueled both hype and skepticism about its efforts. Bloom is scheduled to unveil the technology Wednesday at a news conference attended by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Colin Powell, the former secretary of state and a member of Bloom’s board.
While Bloom may well have created one of the most efficient fuel cells, it is unclear how widely the company’s technology will be adopted. Cost and durability have limited the use of other types of fuel cells, and it could be years before the potential of the company’s approach is clear.
“We have been working with solid oxide for 30 years but are still in the lab,” said Mike Brown, an executive with UTC Power, a division of the United Technologies Corporation and a leading fuel-cell maker. “Nobody has been able to resolve the reliability problem.”
Read the full article in The New York Times.
Siemens Acquires Stake in Marine Current Turbines: Entry Into Promising Ocean Power Market
February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
Feb 25, 2010 – Siemens Energy has acquired a minority stake in Britain’s Marine Current Turbines, a pioneer in the design and development of tidal current energy turbines. With the acquisition of a stake of just below 10 Percent in Marine Current Turbines, which is based in Bristol, England, Siemens is entering a new market with good future prospects and at the same time expanding its Environmental Portfolio.
“With this investment in an early stage company we’re securing access to an innovative technology in the field of renewables,” said René Umlauft, CEO of the Renewable Energy Division of Siemens Energy. “As one of the technology leaders in ocean power Marine Current Turbines is a suitable partner for us to enter the promising ocean power market.” By 2020, experts anticipate double-digit growth rates for the ocean power market.
Marine current turbines generate electricity by utilizing water flows such as tidal currents. The turbine is fixed on a pile and is driven by the flow of the tides. This technology effectively is similar to an underwater wind turbine. The rotor blades are not driven by wind power but by marine currents. The water has an energy density of more than 800 times that of wind. Twin rotors rotate with the movement of the tidal flow and pitch through 180 degrees to optimally track tidal current direction and speed. The key advantage is that the generated power is predictable in the tidal cycle.
Marine Current Turbines has already successfully implemented its first commercial demonstrator project SeaGen in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. Since November 2008, two axial turbines with a combined capacity of 1.2 megawatts have been feeding power into the grid to supply about 1500 homes. SeaGen is therefore currently the world’s most powerful marine current turbine. Suitable sites are essential for the success of such projects. In particular, coastal regions with strong tidal currents such as those in the UK, Ireland, Canada, France and East Asia, offer major potential for this ecofriendly power generation technology. Tidal power stations are part of the Green Grid plan for the North Sea. Nine European countries are planning to connect renewable power generation sources like wind, tidal or hydro power to a HVDC underwater energy grid in the North Sea.
Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “Siemens’ investment in MCT underlines the significant commercial potential that exists for tidal energy across the globe, and enables us to draw upon the company’s extensive knowledge and experience in turbine generation technology. We are delighted to have Siemens on board. Siemens is a company with an outstanding international reputation and will help us develop our technology and deliver tidal energy on a commercial and global basis.”
The full text of the press release can be found in the attached PDF and at:
http://www.siemens.com/press/en/pressrelease/2010/renewable_energy/ere201002040.htm
The Siemens Energy Sector is the world’s leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas. In fiscal 2009 (ended September 30), the Energy Sector had revenues of approximately EUR25.8 billion and received new orders totaling approximately EUR30 billion and posted a profit of EUR3.3 billion. On September 30, 2009, the Energy Sector had a work force of more than 85,100. Further information is available at: www.siemens.com/energy.
Marine Current Turbines Ltd was established in 2000. The company has its first commercial demonstrator project SeaGen in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland and it is working on a deployment in Canada’s Bay of Fundy with Canadian company, Minas Bay Pulp & Power. Since February 2008, the company has partnered RWE npower on plans to develop a tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, North Wales. Other shareholders include Carbon Trust Investments (since December 2009), EDF Energy, ESB International and Bank Invest. In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 survey, and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards. www.marineturbines.com
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Siemens awarded 2 Climate Innovation Prizes by German Environment Ministry
February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
Feb 11, 2010 – Siemens Technologies took first place in 2 categories of the first Innovation Prize for Climate and Environment awarded by Germany’s Federal Environment Ministry and the Federation of German Industries (BDI). German Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen and BDI Director General Werner Schnappauf presented the awards – totaling €125,000 – to winners in 5 categories in Berlin on Thursday. For the world’s most efficient gas turbine, Siemens Energy placed first in the “Green products and services” category. For the first dishwasher to use special minerals for speeding up the drying process, BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH was awarded first place in the category “Innovation for climate protection – products and services.”
The SGT5-8000H gas turbine developed by Siemens for the power plant in Irsching was completed in Berlin in late April 2007. With an output of 375 megawatts (MW), it is the largest and most powerful gas turbine in the world.
“The award proves that innovations for climate protection and sustainability are the right approach,” said Barbara Kux, member of Siemens’ Managing Board and the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “Technological leadership is helping us continue our success in these difficult economic times. Our Environmental Portfolio grew 11 percent in 2009 and is, thus, a key stabilizing factor in our business. At some €23 billion, the Portfolio accounts for nearly a third of our total revenue, making Siemens the world’s largest supplier of green products and solutions.”
“Our new gas turbine shows that climate protection and fossil power generation are not mutually exclusive,” said Michael Süß, CEO of the Fossil Power Generation Division of Siemens’ Energy Sector. “This innovation will make it possible to continue supplying electrical energy at an affordable price in the future.” The gas turbine is the centerpiece of a combined-cycle power plant (CCCP) operated by E.ON in Irsching, near Ingolstadt, Germany. The turbine of superlatives is more than 13 meters long, five meters high and, at 444 tons, weighs more than the world’s largest passenger airplane. On its own, the gas turbine generates 375 megawatts of electricity. Once it is connected with a steam turbine, output will rise to roughly 570 megawatts, an amount sufficient to meet the electricity needs of some 3.4 million people – roughly the entire population of Berlin. The plant will achieve a world record efficiency level of more than 60 percent, which will benefit both the environment and the climate: annual CO2 emissions from each new plant of this type will be about 700,000 tons below the average emission level for power generation worldwide – a reduction equal to the total emissions of 350,000 cars driven 15,000 kilometers a year.
The speedMatic dishwasher proves that consumers, too, can contribute to climate protection. “In the last 20 years, we’ve cut our dishwashers’ energy consumption in half. The new zeolite technology provides an enormous increase in efficiency, using a further 20 percent less electricity than the most economical dishwashers on the market today,” said Kurt-Ludwig Gutberlet, head of BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte. “In 2008, we were designated the most sustainable company in Germany. This is just the next step.” The dishwasher’s unique technology utilizes zeolites – aluminum silicate minerals with a very large surface area and hollow pores – which can absorb water and become hot in the process. As a result, the drying cycle is considerably faster and more efficient. Even the puddles of residual water that accumulate in the indentations of cups and plastic containers that are otherwise always covered with water are dried up in seconds by the warm air released from the zeolite pellets. In the next washing cycle, the minerals are regenerated when moisture is removed from them as the dishwasher heats up. Plans now call for using the technology not only in top-of-the-range dishwashers but also in medium-priced models.
Pictures are available at: http://www.siemens.com/photonews/pn201002e