SolarSummary: January 7 – 13, 2003

by Kirsten Elder

Companies in the news

BP Solar www.bpsolar.com
Duke Solar Energy www.dukesolar.com
Evergreen Solar www.evergreensolar.com
Kyocera Solar www.kyocerasolar.com
PowerLight Corp www.powerlight.com
Solon AG www.solonag.de
Spire Solar, Inc. www.spiresolar.com
Uni-Solar www.uni-solar.com

New Products

Uni-Solar has announced an exclusive strategic alliance with Solar Integrated Technologies of Los Angeles, California to use Uni-Solar flexible solar electric laminates for integration with single-ply roofing membranes for Southern California. The partnership will produce the first (in North America) building-integrated photovoltaic roofing membrane system for commercial and industrial uses. (SolarAccess.com, 09/01/03)

Applications

Kyocera Solar has been chosen by the California Fair Industry to provide 2.4 MW of solar modules for electric power generation to fairgrounds throughout the state. The California Fair Industry estimates that the grid-tied solar systems will allow state fairs to take advantage of California’s net metering program and will reduce their energy costs by approximately 20 percent. (SolarAccess.com, 06/01/03)

The largest solar electric rooftop system at any university in the world and the largest system in Southern California will be installed at Los Angeles Loyola Marymount University in early 2003 due to a partnership between the university, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the Southern California Gas Company, and PowerLight Corp. Estimated at a total outlay of more than $4.3 million, the project expense will be offset by rebates; $3.7 million from the LADWP, and $325,000 from the Gas Company resulting in an actual cost to the university of only $325,000. (Solarbuzz.com, 08/01/03)

Evergreen Solar has supplied and installed a 9 kW PV system at the White House in Washington D.C. The system was placed on the roof of the main building used for White House grounds maintenance and will directly feed solar-generated power into the White House grounds’ distribution system, providing electricity wherever it is needed. Two solar thermal systems, one to heat the pool and spa and one to provide domestic hot water, were also installed. (Evergreen Solar, 08/01/03)

Markets

A new agreement signed this week by the governments of the UK and the Philippines is expected to boost British involvement in South East Asia’s burgeoning energy sector. The deal will see both countries joining forces to develop their power industries and will particularly focus on expanding development sustainable energy technology, and its application. The agreement on Collaboration in Power Sector Development and Sustainable Energy Research and Development and Technology Transfer will enable both countries to pool resources to develop renewable energy, and will lead to the establishment of a Centre of Excellence, based in the Philippines to cover energy technologies and power generation. (Solarbuzz.com, 13/01/03)

Government ministers of Sarawak, situated on the northwest coast of Borneo, are seeking the help of Japanese experts in solar and wind power generation to overcome a crippling fuel-shortage problem faced by 10,000 natives in the Bario Highlands near the border of Kalimantan. The Bario residents depend totally on petrol sent from Sarawak for their vehicles and to operate their power-generators. Ministers have said that comprehensive measures would be taken to resolve the problem that had constantly affected the daily lives of the people in the region. (The Star Online via Solarbuzz.com, 07/01/03)

A new UNI-Solar system has been launched in Sri Lanka which is hoped will help solve the energy crisis plaguing the country and to minimise domestic electricity tariffs. A campaign will be launched shortly to popularise the Uni-Solar system, provided by Solardynamics Private Ltd., in rural areas. The solar PV system is said to have 40 percent more po
wer than the usual solar PV system on the market. The new system will be made available to villages through several World Bank projects and through the Samurdi and Seva Lanka projects. (Sunday Observer via Solarbuzz.com, 12/01/03)

Investments and Finance

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to fund the promotion of Renewable Energy and energy efficiency in both Indonesia and India through new programs. The Renewable Energy Development Sector Project in Indonesia will receive a US$161-million loan approved by the ADB to connect 76,000 new consumers to the grid and benefit over 5 million people. In addition, ADB will administer a technical assistance grant of US$800,000 from its Danish Cooperation Fund for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to pilot a plan allowing 10,000 low-income families in Indonesia’s outer islands to defer the start-up costs of connections. The ADB has also agreed to provide a US$600,000 technical assistance grant to India to promote more efficient use of energy, especially in industry. (SolarAccess.com, 13/01/03)

Policy & Incentives

The UK energy minister, Brian Wilson, has stated that under the 20 million PV Major Demonstration Programme, 126 small-scale applications had been received by the end of November 2002. Of these, 25 had been completed, a further 79 had a grant offered, nine were on hold, eight had been withdrawn and five rejected. Total grants (which represent 50 percent of the total cost of the PV systems) to date is around 860,000. (Greenpeace UK via Delphi, 10/01/03)

In a similar scheme to Germanys Renewable Energy Law, Austria has introduced a feed-in tariff for solar electricity. Power generated from solar PV will be remunerated at a level up to 60 euro cents/kWh. Solar plants below 20 kW in size will qualify for the 60 cents/kWh rate, while larger systems will receive 47 cents/kWh. These rates will be payable for a period of thirteen years from start up of the solar installation. (Solarbuzz.com, 10/01/03)

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has praised Congressman Rep. J.D. Hayworth for reintroducing his residential solar energy tax credit bill on January 7. The bill would provide homeowners who install solar systems with a tax credit of 15% to offset the start-up costs of adding clean, renewable solar power to their homes. (Solarbuzz.com, 13/01/03)

In his annual address to the Legislature, Gov. George E. Pataki said he would direct that, within the next decade, 25 percent of New York State’s electricity supply come from sources like solar and wind power. Although New York already produces more renewable energy than many states – around 17 percent of its electricity – mostly from hydroelectric power, achieving an additional 8 percent in a state as big as New York would still be a significant step, energy experts said. There is speculation that the proposal could mean the construction of perhaps 4,000 MW of alternative power across the state and, more important, financing for it, since suppliers like Con Ed will be required to buy the energy produced. Thirteen states already have renewable energy goals, called portfolio standards, but environmentalists said that New York’s would be among the most aggressive of all. (New York Times via Solarbuzz.com, 09/01/03)

The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has approved legislation that will require public utilities to obtain 5 percent of their total electricity supply from Renewable Energy. That percentage must increase at least one percent per year until 2011, when Renewable Energy must supply at least 10 percent of the electricity sold by public utilities. (SolarAccess.com, 09/01/03)

Elsewhere in Solar

Sierra Pacific Resources’ two Nevada-based utility subsidiaries have signed long-term contracts with Duke Solar Energy to supply 50 MW of electricity generated by a solar thermal plant to be located in Eldorado Valley, Nevada. The plant will serve as many as 50,000 customers and will be the first time in over 10 years that a solar thermal power plant has been built in the US. (SolarAccess.com, 06/01/03)

Corporate News

Evergreen Solar, Inc. has received notification from The Nasdaq National Market that it is has regained compliance with Marketplace Rule 4450(a)(5) and that the matter is now closed. Evergreen Solar originally received notice on September 18, 2002, from Nasdaq that its common stock failed to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 over the previous 30 consecutive trading days. Since then, the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock has been at $1.00 or greater for at least 10 consecutive trading days. (Evergreen Solar, 06/0103)

Spire Corporation has formed its wholly owned subsidiary, Spire Solar Inc., as a separate business unit. The company has said that with its own identity Spire Solar, Inc. can more easily pursue its strategic goals in the distributed energy industry and acquire the capital to fund growth opportunities, if necessary. It will afford Spire Solar greater operating flexibility to exploit its technological capabilities and market position developed over more than two decades.” (Spire Corp via CNN Money, 07/01/03)

After efforts failed to find a buyer for their thin film solar PV manufacturing facility in Toano, Virginia, BP Solar is initiating layoffs and shutting down the plant. This facility is closing as a result of BP Solar’s November decision to discontinue production of thin film PV in order to focus on crystalline-based PV technology. The Toano plant will close down entirely unless any last minute bids prove fruitful. (SolarAccess.com, 10/01/03)

Solon AG, the German solar module manufacturer and system integrator has announced that it has successfully raised additional capital. The shareholders of Solon AG signed 1,807,530 shares at a price per share of 1.70, which has given Solon AG additional capital of more than 3 million. (Solarbuzz.com, 07/01/03)

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