Siemens Wind Power secures order for the largest European wind farm

Siemens Power Generation (PG) has been awarded a contract for the delivery of 140 wind turbines for the Whitelee Wind Farm to be located south of Glasgow in Scotland, United Kingdom. With an installed capacity of 322 megawatts (MW) it will be Europe’s largest wind farm. The capacity will be sufficient to supply electricity to about 200,000 households in Scotland. The Whitelee Wind Farm project is the largest wind farm contracted by Siemens Power Generation to date. Total contract value is approximately EUR350 million. Completion of the project is scheduled for summer 2009.

The contract has been awarded by the utility Scottish Power. For the Whitelee Windfarm, the 140 2.3 MW wind turbines will be split into 100 SWT-2.3-93 wind turbines and 40 SWT-2.3-82 VS wind turbines. The Siemens PG scope of supply includes the delivery of wind turbines, installation, commissioning and a service and maintenance agreement. Scottish Power is responsible for the infrastructure works, including the civil and electrical part with transformers located outside the wind turbine towers.

Since the early 1990s, Siemens has successfully implemented several o­nshore wind turbine projects in the United Kingdom. In fall 2005, Siemens PG’s wind power division signed an agreement for Burbo Banks, its first offshore project in the United Kingdom. "Following the successful completion of the Black Law Wind Farm I and II projects for Scottish Power, the Whitelee Wind Farm order will enable us to further expand our strong presence in the United Kingdom," said Andreas Nauen, CEO of Siemens Power Generation’s wind business. Later this year, Siemens also will commence the delivery of 14 wind turbines with a capacity of 1.3 MW each for Scottish Power's Wether Hill Wind Farm in Scotland.

Renewable energy is an integral part of the UK’s aim at reducing CO2 emissions. The British government has set a target of 10 percent of electricity supply from renewable energy by 2010. "Wind projects like Whitelee will play an important role in reaching this goal by providing clean energy to this region," Nauen added.

Nanosolar to Build 430MW Solar Cell Factory

Nanosolar Inc., a global leader in solar power innovation, today last week that it has started executing o­n its plan to build a volume cell production factory with a total annual cell output of 430MW o­nce fully built out, or approximately 200 million cells per year, and an advanced panel assembly factory designed to produce more than o­ne million solar panels per year.  Presently in pilot production in its Palo Alto, California facility, Nanosolar announced that it has started ordering volume production equipment for what is going to be the world's largest solar cell manufacturing factory. The company also announced today that its first cell fab will be located in the San Francisco Bay area and that its first panel fab -- for a broad array of novel product form factors using advanced processes -- is expected to be located in Berlin, Germany.
Seed-financed by the founders of Google, the company's team started pursuing its mission of making solar electricity vastly more affordable in 2002. After four years of intense commercial research and development, including two years of manufacturing process development and engineering, the company has now delivered o­n its ambition to produce a fundamentally less expensive, mass-manufacturable solar cell.

"Thin-film printing overcomes the complexity, high cost, and yield and scalability limitations associated with vacuum-based processes. Nanosolar?s technology enables low-cost, high-yield production previously unattainable," said Chris Eberspacher, Nanosolar's head of technology, noting further: "This allows us to produce cells very inexpensively and assemble them into panels that are comparable in efficiency to that of high-volume silicon based PV panels."

Added Werner Dumanski, Nanosolar's head of manufacturing and a storage-disk industry manufacturing veteran: "Given the square meter economics of solar, high-throughput high-yield processes have to be used to succeed in this industry. With Nanosolar's printing process, the fully-loaded cell cost -- including materials, consumables, energy, labor, facility, and capital -- is less than the depreciation expense alone that vacuum thin-film companies have to pay for the equipment that produces their cells."

Regarding the scale of the factory, Dumanski points out: "A factory of this capacity would cost more than o­ne billion dollars to build if o­ne used conventional solar technology. Given the distinctly superior capital efficiency of our unique process technology, we can achieve this scale with a lot less capital and as a startup company."

About Nanosolar

Nanosolar is a global leader in solar power innovation. Nanosolar's solar electricity panels deliver unparalleled cost efficiency, enabling customers to use green power without paying more. With its proprietary nanoparticle ink and fast roll-printing technology, Nanosolar owns the processes and designs to produce the world's most cost-efficient solar cells and make them available in many versatile product forms. The company's headquarters are in Palo Alto, California, with European operations based in Berlin, Germany. 

Idaho Power Seeks 100 Megawatts of Geothermal Power

Idaho Power issued a request for proposals (RFP) in early June for 100 megawatts of geothermal power. Although the request may seem bold for a state that currently has no geothermal power plants, the Idaho Power RFP actually allows for geothermal power developments outside of the state, so long as the power can be transmitted to the Idaho Power service territory, which covers much of southern Idaho and parts of eastern Oregon.  The RFP is based o­n the company's 2004 Integrated Resource Plan, a biennial effort to examine the company's need for future power generation facilities or other means to meet power requirements over the following 20 years. Idaho Power prefers projects that will be o­nline by June 2009, but will also consider other proposals that include a reasonable development schedule. The company will hold a pre-bid meeting in Boise for all interested parties o­n June 29th; proposals are due o­n August 11th..
The RFP has already benefited Idaho's sole geothermal power developer, U.S. Geothermal, Inc. The company had signed an agreement to sell 10 megawatts of power to Idaho Power from its proposed 13-megawatt Raft River geothermal power plant. U.S. Geothermal now plans to submit a response to the Idaho Power RFP, which could allow it to sell the full 13 megawatts of power to the utility.

Meanwhile, the company is negotiating with the Eugene Power and Water Board for the sale of power from its second proposed geothermal plant, which will also produce 13 megawatts of power. The Raft River Geothermal Project is located in south-central Idaho, and the first plant is expected to start producing power next year.



For more information see the Idaho Power announcement and RFP

Solar Thermal in Europe grows significantly

The use of solar thermal has increased significantly in 2006, the same applies for sales of solar thermal systems in Europe which grew by 35 % up to 1.900 megawatts of solar thermal power. The most dynamic markets are in France, in the UK, and in Germany, where growth rates are in between 40 % and 70 %. Industry and research institutions - motivated by their large success - are developing a common vision for the use of solar thermal in 2030 and have just launched the European Solar Thermal Technology Platform (ESTTP). Current developments in the international markets, in industry, in technology and in politics will be discussed at the European Solar Thermal Energy Conference (estec2007) o­n June 19-20, 2007, in Freiburg, Germany. This conference will be the most important international meeting point of the industry in the next year.

The European solar thermal market has become more and more dynamic within the last few years. France shows annual growth rates from 50 % up to 100 % and aims to increase the newly installed capacity from 150 megawatt-thermal (MWth) per year today until 700 MWth per year in 2010. In order to achieve this goal investors receive a tax reduction of 50 % for each solar thermal system installed. Italy will grant a 55 % tax reduction to achieve a similar goal. In Spain, the government has obliged homeowners to to installing a solar thermal system when renovating an existing building or during the construction of a new building in order to reach their ambitious goals. Further market growth is expected also in the UK and in the leading markets of Austria and Germany.

„The current development in solar thermal is very encouraging”, says Ole Pilgaard, President of ESTIF, “and we are positive that it will accelerate in the coming years”.

This dynamic is heightened by the insight that solar thermal technology will play a much more important role in the fight against climate change and against the dependency o­n fossil fuel imports. Experts consider that in the long run, 50 % of the low temperature heating needs in Europe can be covered by solar thermal. In order to discuss the necessary technological developments, experts from industry and science have launched the European Solar Thermal Technology Platform (ESTTP), which kicked-off their work o­n December 6, 2006. Until 2008, this platform will elaborate a strategy for research and development as well as for support policies and other positive framework conditions.

The European Solar Thermal Energy Conference is the most important forum worldwide for discussing these new developments. From June 19 – 20, 2007, it will take place in Freiburg for the third time, just two days before the Intersolar trade fair, the biggest solar-only trade fair in Europe. At estec2007, more than 400 experts form industry, science, politics and consultancies are expected for an exchange about market-, technological and political developments. Abstract proposals can be submitted o­nline by January 8, 2007. Interested participants and press representatives can pre-register o­nline as of the beginning of December.

The estec2007 is a conference of the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation, ESTIF, and organized by the German Solar Industry Association, BSW, in co-operation with Intersolar2007. This industry-oriented conference is supported by the most important European solar thermal companies, among them the German manufacturer of absorbers and collectors, KBB Kollektorbau. The copper industry is highly positive about the development of solar thermal, which is the rationale for the commitment of the European Copper Institute to be o­ne of the important sponsors.

Further information about this conference is available at www.estec2007.org, where you can register for the monthly newsletter, giving information about the international development of solar thermal in the lead up to the conference and about the most important conference topics.

Wind power ready to meet looming energy gap, says report

 The paper entitled ?Plugging the Gap ? A survey of world fuel resources and their impact o­n the development of wind energy? was launched by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and Renewable Energy Systems Limited (RES) at a press conference at the Renewable Energy House in Brussels. The report has been prepared by RES in co-operation with GWEC and the EUREC Agency?s Masters programme.International Energy Agency (IEA) figures predict that 60% of the world?s energy supply could still be provided by oil and gas by 2030 ? with demand for electricity doubling. The report, however, estimates that global production of oil could ?peak? in as little as eight years time with production of gas likely to ?peak? in 2030, with prices rising steeply well in advance of this. The report says that while coal could last until the end of the century and could increase its share of energy supply, its large-scale use for electricity generation will o­nly be acceptable with the development of clean coal technologies, which still have cost and technological barriers.

As a result, the report estimates that a serious shortfall between demand and supply could become evident soon after 2010. It predicts there could be a 10% shortfall by 2020 and an 18% short fall by 2030.

Eventually this gap will be filled by a mix of technologies ranging from renewables, coal and nuclear. The report concludes that wind power, as a safe, carbon-neutral, economic and indigenous energy resource, is the best choice to fill the electricity generation gap left by gas.

According to Dr Ian Mays, Managing Director of the RES Group, ?Fossil fuels cannot sustain our expected growth in energy demand and low energy prices are gone forever. Wind power is very much ready to keep the lights o­n and fill the gap. Wind power technologies are working successfully all over the world and with foresight and appropriate policy frameworks there is enough resource to roll out wind power o­n a huge-scale. Wind is a sustainable, free resource and the wind energy technology is cost effective, reliable, clean and green ? so what are we waiting for??

?GWEC forecasts that the global installed capacity for wind power will reach 135 GW by 2010. Furthermore, GWEC estimates that more than 1,000 GW of wind capacity could be installed by 2020, if significant policy changes are implemented,? said Prof. Arthouros Zervos, Chairman of GWEC. ?This potential is technically realisable but will require continuing development of policies to facilitate more substantial integration of wind energy into the generation mix.? 

Maui Windpower

In Hawaii—where there are no fossil fuel resources, and 90 percent of the state’s energy consumption must be imported—the decisions become more immediate. Last year, the Hawaiian legislature enacted a Renewable Portfolio Standard requiring that by 2020, 20 percent of electricity sold needs to be generated from renewable sources. [As of last year, 18 states plus the District of Columbia had passed similar legislation.]
“Hawaii has one of the best wind resources in the country, but the state hasn’t been using the resource to its fullest potential,” says Gaynor. “It’s a situation where wind is extremely competitive, compared to conventional power sources. It makes sense for consumers, it makes sense for the state, and it has environmental benefits.”
In March, Gaynor secured financing for a $70 million project on the island of Maui. [The project is a joint venture with Makani Nui Associates, which owns 49 percent.] The 30-megawatt wind farm at Kaheawa Pastures will be Hawaii’s first utility-scale project to be put into service since the 1980s. Plans call for 20 towers, 180 feet tall, with 1.5-megawatt General Electric turbines. Construction is expected to begin this summer, and the project should be completed by the first quarter of 2006. When operational, the wind farm will supply up to 9 percent of demand to customers of Maui Electric Company.
The Kaheawa Pastures site is situated on state conservation land, between Ma’aleaea and Olowalu, at elevations ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 feet. Gaynor describes the spot with elation, as he points to it on a wind resource map (opposite page) that shows where strong trade winds are squeezed between the West Maui Mountains and the Haleakala volcano. He is equally enthusiastic about the natural beauty of the site. “In the morning,” he says, almost reverently, “when the sun is rising, you can see over to the big island. It’s virgin land, with nothing but a few Jeep trails. It is absolutely gorgeous.”
Why, then, add a wind farm?
“Hawaii had to make a choice,” he answers. “On Maui, consumers pay about 25 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity.” [Retail rates in Hawaii are about twice the national average.] According to reports by the Hawaii Wind Working Group, the project was welcomed by residents: at hearings held by the Board of Land and Natural Resources in the early stages of the project, there was no opposing testimony from the homeowner, environmental, and native Hawaiian associations present.
“They want us to do this,” says Gaynor. “They’re saying, ‘I would rather look at wind turbines than have my kids unable to afford electricity and have to deal with the effects of global warming.’ They understand that it’s not a panacea but a piece of the solution toward becoming more energy efficient and less dependent on foreign oil. But there aren’t enough Hawaiis out there. That’s why we have to proceed slowly and surely.”