Copia Energy becomes newest distributer of Tigo Energy’s Maximizer
June 30, 2010 | Comments Off
Tigo Energy has signed with Copia Energy, a Japanese distributor, for the global distribution of Tigo’s Maximizer Solution. The technology, introduced in 2009, is said to provide up to a 20% increase in energy production, active management capabilities, and safety for utility, commercial and residential PV solar arrays. Orders for the Maximizer will be available through Copia’s catalog and website.
Programme for IPVEA PV Production Forum revealed
June 30, 2010 | Comments Off
Being held in conjunction with the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), in Valencia, Spain, during the second week of September, the PV Production Forum 2010 will be part of the 25th EU PVSEC/WPEC-5. Having been organized by the International Photovoltaic Equipment Association (IPVEA), the one-day PV production-focused conference program has now been made available.
Siemens Wins Order to Connect Lincs Offshore Wind Farm to UK Grid
June 30, 2010 | Comments Off
Jun 28, 2010 – Siemens has been awarded a major order with Lincs Wind Farm Ltd to implement the grid connection for the Lincs offshore wind farm. The order volume for the grid connection is GBP101 million (approximately EUR120 million). Siemens Energy announced in December it is also supplying 75 of its high-performance 3.6 megawatts (MW) wind turbines for the wind farm. Construction is scheduled to start in late summer this year, with first generation planned for 2012. When operational, the Lincs wind farm could provide green power for approximately 200,000 homes in the East of England, contributing towards a significant reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.
The wind farm with an installed capacity of up to 270 MW will be installed 8 kilometres offshore, near Skegness, Lincolnshire on the east coast of the UK. Siemens will supply an offshore substation platform, which will bundle the power generated by the wind turbines before it is transported via high-voltage cable to the mainland. The substation will be equipped with two 240 MVA transformers as well as 132 kV high-voltage and 33 kV medium-voltage switchgear. The requisite protection and instrumentation and control equipment will also be installed on the platform.
The transformers on the substation platform will step up the 33 kV voltage from the wind turbines to a transmission voltage of 132 kV. High-voltage subsea cables will transport the power to the grid feed-in point, which is located at the Walpole 400 kV substation near King’s Lynn. In addition to the offshore substation, an onshore substation is to be supplied, which will be equipped with two 300 MVA power transformers (400/132/13.9 kV), Siemens will install two filters, 132 kV and 400 kV switchgear, and a reactive-power compensation system in order to meet the requirements of the UK power supply network on the quality of the power infeed (Grid Code).
Udo Niehage, CEO of the Power Transmission Division of Siemens Energy said: “We not only have the technology and know-how but also extensive project management experience with grid connections for offshore wind farms. Our recognized expertise in offshore connections is benefiting a number of international projects, especially in the UK, a fast growing market for renewables. In the UK, Siemens is the leading provider of integrated grid connection solutions for renewable energy, connecting 75 percent of the UK’s offshore wind farms to the UK grid. Our current projects will provide over 2.2 gigawatts of energy to homes and businesses across the UK.”
Siemens will use its new SVC Plus system for this purpose. SVC Plus operates with Siemens’ innovative voltage-sourced converter (VSC) technology and can be continuously controlled with the aid of insulated–gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). The central feature of SVC Plus, a refined statcom (static synchronous compensator) is its modular multilevel converter technology. By contrast with other self-commutated converter topologies, the voltage waveshape produced by SVC Plus is practically sinusoidal by virtue of the multilevel technology. This makes existing low-frequency harmonic filters, found in current solutions unnecessary, and significantly reduces the space requirements for the overall system.
Siemens will also prepare the requisite design studies for all of the wind farm’s electrical components and the grid studies to provide evidence of fulfillment with grid connection requirements.
Energy-efficient grid connection of offshore wind farms is part of Siemens’ Environmental Portfolio. In fiscal 2009, revenue from the Portfolio totaled about EUR23 billion, making Siemens the world’s largest supplier of ecofriendly technologies. In the same period, the company’s products and solutions enabled customers to reduce their CO2 emissions by 210 million tons. This amount equals the combined annual CO2 emissions of New York, Tokyo, London and Berlin.
Photo-voltaic (PV) system basics
June 30, 2010 | Comments Off
Over many years of involvement in the PV industry it has become apparent that there is a great lack of understanding and a great deal of misinformation in the industry, not only amongst consumers but also amongst suppliers… (more)
From light to power
June 30, 2010 | Comments Off
Solar energy is witnessing a truly stunning growth. Today, about 4500 MW of photovoltaic capacity is being installed annually worldwide – a figure that was below 100 MW in 1996 – and this expansion is continuing exponentially. The rapid spread is driven by national incentives: mainly by so-called feed-in tariffs… (more)
New Product: KEMPER offers duel-axis tracking system for large-scale power plants
June 28, 2010 | Comments Off
Product Briefing Outline: KEMPER has extended its family of duel-axis tracking system for Photovoltaic (PV) modules, and includes a larger ‘KemTRACK’ 120 system, capable of handling a combined module area of 120 square meters. The construction is torsion-free, extremely robust and durable and modular in construction.
Project Focus: S.A.G. Solarstrom concludes long-term financing for 13.6MWp project in Stribro
June 28, 2010 | Comments Off
S.A.G. Solarstrom has concluded the long-term financing of its 13.6MWp project located in Stribro, Czech Republic, with the Bayern LB and the LBBW via the project company Solar Stribro. The company will pay the loan on June 30, 2010 in the amount of €30.4 million. The sales negotiations for the project, with a total investment volume of over €60 million, are also nearing completion.
Order Focus: CNPV to supply Photon Hellas with 20MWp of modules through 2012
June 28, 2010 | Comments Off
CNPV Solar Power has entered into a long-term sales agreement with Photon Hellas for the supply of 20MWp of PV modules from 2010 to 2012. The agreement includes 3MWp of scheduled delivery during second half of 2010 with the remaining 7MWp and 10MWp scheduled for delivery in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Avancis breaks ground on 100MW 3rd gen CIS thin film plant
June 28, 2010 | Comments Off
With a current capacity of only 20MW, CIS (Copper Indium Selenide) thin film manufacturer, Avancis has broken ground on a new 100MW plant in Torgau, Germany. The company will ramp the facility in the first quarter of 2012, using its third generation cell process technology, which achieved 15.1 % efficiency (30 x 30 cm², fully encapsulated CIS solar module) in January, 2010. The company announced plans in early June, 2010.
Solar Frontier Americas chooses industry vet Greg Ashley as VP/COO
June 27, 2010 | Comments Off
Solar and energy industry vet Gregory Ashley has joined Solar Frontier Americas as VP and COO for the thin-film PV company’s pan-American operations. He will oversee sales and marketing for Solar Frontier in North and South America and will be responsible for commercializing the Tokyo-based firm’s copper-indium-selenide (CIS) technology in those markets.