Solar Progress Winter 2012 by CommStrat

ISSN: 0729-6436

Horizon Power Solar on a small scale Smart Grid The all-round benefits of interlinked systems BluesScope Steelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s solar roofing Taking BIPV to the next level CSP Unravelling the potential of large-scale solar

07/12 Winter

THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN SOLAR ENERGY SOCIETY

It’s time to look at

Solco in a new light

You may know us as Australia’s first choice for Solar PV and Pumping products. But today, we’re so much more.

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Building on the success of our wholesale components and system supply business, last year we established new divisions in Power Generation (IPP) and Project development (EPC). For our existing wholesale customers, Solco Solar Products is extending its product lines and service offerings to further improve our customer service levels across Rural and Regional Australia. With Solco Solar Power, we’re actively investing in our own or joint-venture large-scale PV power generation opportunities.

Talk to us at the East Solar Expo & Conference Melbourne Exhibition Centre, 21-22 August 2012 Call 1800 074 007 or visit solco.com.au

Powering Australia’s solar energy future.

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And where project scale and risks exceed our wholesale partners’ capabilities, Solco Solar Projects can step in to manage commercial PV project development from design, through procurement, installation and maintenance. With over 25 years experience and a long term, ongoing commitment to Australia’s sustainable energy future, what can we do for you?

Contents Solar Society

Special features

Review of solar landscape by AuSES

Solar intermittency under the

CEO and Solar Progress Editor

microscope 18

East Solar Expo and Conference

VSASF research team focuses on

AuSES state branch activity

thin-film technology

AuSES AS5033 and Best Practice workshops

Colac residents form a solar collective 34 37

ASI’s three minute solar challenge

AuSES Golden Jubilee in late 2012 47 AuSES Corporate Members

Products and services Solar perspective by Anthony Coles

Tech Talk

of Solco

Glen Morris helps usher in AS5033 36

Solpac, RA Power, Sungrow and REFUsol 43

Solar advances Horizon solar on a small scale

Smart grids, efficient systems, by Ishaan Khanna

Saudi Arabia’s quantum leap to RE 16 BlueScope’s BIPV mission:

ASI funded research

CSP’s potential spelt out, by Bill Parker

News and views Local and global solar developments 4 Nigel Morris takes stock of the solar market

45 SOLAR PROGRESS Published by CommStrat for Australian Solar Energy Society Ltd. Solar Progress subscriptions: contact Anna Washington Executive Assistant, AuSES anna@auses.org.au or call 0409 802 707

Wayne Smith: generating 20% of power from solar by 2030

Beyond the laboratory, by

Front cover: Children from the Marble Bar Primary School get a handson introduction to the town’s solar power station.

Warwick Johnston 46

EDITOR Dr Bill Parker, AuSES Phone: 0403 583 676 editor@auses.org.au CONTRIBUTORS: Paul Gipe, Warwick Johnston, Ishaan Khaana, Glen Morris, Nigel Morris and Wayne Smith. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Nicola Card NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Brian Rault Phone: 03 8534 5014 brian.rault@commstrat.com.au

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Annette Epifanidis COMMSTRAT MELBOURNE Level 8, 574 St Kilda Rd MELBOURNE 3004 Phone: 03 8534 5000 AUSTRALIAN SOLAR ENERGY SOCIETY LTD CEO John Grimes PO Box 148, Frenchs Forest NSW 1640 www.auses.org.au ABN 32 006 824 148 CommStrat ABN 31 008 434 802 www.commstrat.com.au

Solar Progress was first published in 1980. The magazine aims to provide readers with an in–depth review of technologies, policies and progress towards a society which sources energy from the sun rather than fossil fuels. Except where specifically stated, the opinions and material published in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or AuSES. While every effort is made to check the authenticity and accuracy of articles, neither AuSES nor the editors are responsible for any inaccuracy. Solar Progress is published quarterly

SolarProgress | 1

Bill Parker Editor

John Grimes Chief Executive, Australian Solar Energy Society SOLAR WON! The war is over. Solar won. We know we can deploy solar – generate electricity – at a very reasonable 15 cents per kW hour. Nowhere in the country can you buy electricity as cheap as this; the average price of grid electricity across the country is 22 cents per kW hour, and by 2014/2015 the average price of electricity around the country will be 34 cents per kW hour. Why so? It has been estimated that Government needs to invest over $100 billion on grid infrastructure between now and 2020. Already a staggering $56 billion has been spent, which is almost twice the cost of the broadband network, but incredibly there is no debate around this. We know who pays for that – it is electricity users. Governments are being deceptive by stating electricity prices are rising because of solar energy; the fact is, green energy raises prices by just three percent. That means 97% is due to other factors, including marketing costs. But those of us in the solar energy sphere can see the future and it is only a matter of time before the whole electricity sector transitions much more fundamentally. It will be breathtaking; the solar future is extremely bright. This is helped in part by Australia’s carbon tax which sends a signal to the public that we are moving toward renewable energy. STATE OF PLAY IN CHINA Having spent around two months in China thus far this year, I have observed a fundamental shift in the solar scene. With significant and strategic investment by the Chinese government, the country is fast becoming a super player in solar manufacturing and the imminent introduction of domestic feed-in tariffs in China is poised to significantly boost solar energy. This year China is on track to take solar installation capacity to between 3 and 5 gigawatts, and to a staggering 21 gigawatts by 2015. Let us not forget the Chinese solar industry exists because of Australia; many industry leaders were educated here and have a natural affinity with Australia. We want to see more of that value come back to our county and believe that the strategic partnership we have forged will take us a long way.

John Grimes 2 | WINTER 2012

In this edition, one year after our new format was launched; we have articles about innovation and the challenges that are presented by the inevitable penetration of solar generation into our electricity grids. The issues can be distilled down to Australia’s differences from the rest of the world. We have solar radiation about as good as it gets. Solar technology, at whatever scale, is functional and will be a significant part of our energy system, but we also have the legacy of a multiplicity of electrical networks; a large underpopulated area where small towns generally have radial grids, which have inherent limitations. The poles and wires of our ageing networks require upgrading to accommodate intermittent sources such as solar and wind. Yet the public has hardly any concept of what this means, and the costs of making the grids solar amenable are substantial. However, on the other side of the ‘ledger’ are scientists and engineers who are capable of solving the problems. It is a case of political will. CHANGING THE PARADIGM One senior engineer interviewed for this edition is firmly convinced that the electricity supply industry will change to taking on the role as ‘balancer’. Instead of the uni–directional energy flow, it will be bidirectional and, to manage the new paradigm better, the customer will install the means to store electricity both short and longer term, even though they are connected to a grid. Storage devices such as capacitors and fuel cells could become part of the household generation system based on PV. The balance extends to the marriage of PV with large–scale solar plants that store energy. Nothing will move smoothly until the deliberate misinformation is quashed.

Bill Parker

Printed using FSC® mixed source certified fibre by Printgraphics Pty Ltd under ISO 14001 Environmental Certification.

Making news

IEA’S

rosy forecast An International Energy Agency (IEA) report says that despite economic uncertainties in many countries, global power generation from hydropower, solar, wind and other renewable sources is projected to increase by more than 40% to almost 6 400 terawatthours – or roughly one-and-a-half times that of current electricity production in the United States. Renewable generation will increasingly shift from the OECD to new markets, with non-OECD countries accounting for twothirds of this growth. Of the 710GW of new global renewable electricity capacity expected, China accounts for almost 40%. Significant deployment is also expected in the United States, India, Germany and Brazil, among others.

GERMANY

sets 52GW cap on PV support German legislators have hammered out a compromise deal over cuts to the nation’s support regime for PV installations – which will now end altogether once 52GW of capacity is in place. The capacity cap is part of an agreement reached by Germany’s federal and state governments over plans to lower support levels by between 20% and 30%, depending on system size. The proposed revisions have been locked up in Germany’s parliamentary mediation committee after several states blocked the original plan, fearful of its impact on the country’s solar industry. Most of the changes first unveiled in February remain, although a new feed-in tariff (FIT) support band of 10kW-40kW for rooftop installations will receive €0.185/kWh – above the €0.165/kWh originally mooted. The changes will be backdated to 1 April. Plans to remove FIT support altogether for projects larger than 10MW remain in place. As well as setting the 52GW "absolute upper limit" for support – roughly twice the figure currently in place in Germany – the agreement maintains an annual growth target corridor of 2.5GW-3.5GW. 4 | WINTER 2012

WA Low Energy Emissions DEVELOPMENT FUNDING The West Australian State Government will invest $12.7million in new low emissions energy projects in Perth, the Mid-West and the Wheatbelt. In June, Environment Minister Bill Marmion and Energy Minister Peter Collier announced in-principle funding from the Low Emissions Energy Development (LEED) Fund for Curtin University; Morton Seed and Grain; Biogass Renewables; Green Rock Energy Ltd; Solastor, in consortium with Carbon Reduction Ventures; and The University of Western Australia (UWA). “The funding is subject to these companies matching every $1 of Government funds with at least $3 from elsewhere, which will lead to a direct total investment of more than $50million in low emissions technology in WA,” Marmion said. “LEED funding provides vital support to technological development aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Government is proud to support these important projects.” One of the recipients, Solastor, in consortium with Carbon Reduction Ventures, plans to spend $3.775 million on a 1.5MW grid-connected CSP

plant incorporating heat storage technology near Morawa, a mining town on the fringe of the South West Interconnected Grid. The heat storage medium is high purity graphite and heat transfer is via an embedded heat exchange system. Since Morawa is in an arid area, the water conservation features of the plant are ideally suited. Similar technology is being used at Lake Cargellico in NSW where a plant commenced producing electricity in May 2011 using heliostats and graphite storage (although the operator there has no connection with Solastor).

That

One

With the carbon tax kicking in on July 1, the economics around solar power are looking rosier. Jeff Bye of ASX listed CBD Energy stated the carbon tax widens the gap between low cost solar power and more expensive traditional generation and that “If you have your own solar power station on your roof you not only avoid these costs but your source of power, the sun, is free and your low cost is locked in for 25 years.” Blackening the landscape however is the spike in pokies’ revenue, which coincided with cash hand-outs from the government.

In late June up to 50,000 Queenslanders lodged solar applications in the nick of time to benefit from the 44 cents per kilowatt hour rebate for households exporting power back to the electricity grid before it plummeted to 8 cents.

new TAX …

MAD DASH …

Making news

BOSCH …

Coordinated by Frederik Troester and Paul Scerri, PV manufacturer Bosch Solar Energy proudly supports Holmesglen (Victoria) by providing samples and other teaching material for the institute's Clean Energy Council Accreditation courses for PV systems. In its latest effort to showcase a high quality system, Bosch sponsored the installation of 10x240W monocrystalline solar panels at the Moorabbin campus’ Renewable Energy Training Centre. Visit www.bosch-solarenergy.com.au and sales.se@au.bosch.com

Solar dawn The future of Australia’s biggest solar energy scheme – the 250 MW Solar Dawn project in Queensland – is in the balance and will be determined by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. Federal Energy Minister, Martin Ferguson, has written to the agency referring the project to it for further consideration following a decision by the Queensland Government to withdraw $75 million funding from the project at Chinchilla. Ferguson says Solar Dawn offers Queensland the opportunity to be at the forefront of solar thermal technology and home to one of the largest solar power stations in the world and that such opportunities “have to be grabbed but the Queensland Government seems content to let them slip by”. The State Government, he says, is putting at jeopardy a project that represents $1.5 billion in economic investment to regional Queensland, 300 construction and local manufacturing jobs and a $68 million solar research and development program at the University of Queensland. Canberra has committed $464 million to the Solar Dawn project under the Solar Flagships Program and the project was given until 30 June to meet financial close. According to Ferguson the project’s proponents indicated they couldn’t meet the conditions. 6 | WINTER 2012

PV wins out OVER WIND The construction of the 300MW Silverton wind farm has been set aside in favour of PV. AGL will now focus on thin-film solar projects, which will be built with the help of Solar Flagships support scheme and state funding. AGL and US thin-film giant First Solar

“That’s going to bring the solar project online first...and that will sit ahead of Silverton.” Thomas adds that there is significant overlap between the work on Silverton and the solar projects, for example in grid connection. Thomas insists Silverton remains a priority for AGL, which bought the project

won A$195 million in federal and state government funds to build two PV projects with a combined capacity of 159MW – a 106MW project at Nyngan and a 53MW project at Broken Hill, both in NSW. “There are some key milestones around when [the solar projects] need to be delivered, in order to get Solar Flagships funding,” says AGL’s general manager of power development, Scott Thomas.

development rights in March from Germany’s Epuron and Australia’s Macquarie Capital. Silverton has development approval for an initial 282 turbines with a maximum capacity of 300MW, subject to market conditions and electricity network capacity. This could be expanded to as much as 1GW in later stages. The rapidly-falling price of PV means that many proposed wind projects owned by larger developers will be put aside in favour of solar.

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Award winning

STADIUM

The solar and wind energy map that featured in Autumn 2012 Solar Progress listed larger solar installations, which meant some notable and significant structures were omitted. Among these was the multi award-winning Metricon Stadium 215kW BIPV system at Carrara, that won Best System at ATRAA and Ecogen. The Gold Coast structure also took out the prestigious NECA awards. The designer of the Metricon Stadium solar system was Warwick Johnston, Managing Director of SunWiz and AuSES Award Winner 2011 for Outstanding Industry Contribution.

A powerful partnership Trina Solar is proud to partner with the Advanced Solar Research Team at ANUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, on the development of our next generation silicon cell technology. In a project supported by the Australian Solar Institute, the team in Canberra is using advanced nanotechnology for precise structuring of the solar cell surfaces to deliver significant increases in cell efficiency whilst cutting manufacturing cost. A powerful partnership. www.trinasolar.com.au

Special technical feature

Solar power in WA– open for business In the past, power stations in outback WA were fuelled by diesel or diesel-gas hybrids running 24 hours a day. Now, with the massive input from PVs, the local grids have to be managed to respond to the intermittency of the solar resource. Solar Progress met with two of the engineering staff at Horizon Power – David Edwards and Jeremy Rotstein – to hear about the challenge of incorporating PV into isolated power grids. Story by Bill Parker.

Horizon Power is an electricity retailer and infrastructure manager with a difference. Formed in 2006 following the disaggregation of Western Power, vertically integrated Horizon generates, distributes and retails electricity for the area well beyond the populous South West corner of Western Australia. That’s 2.3 million square kilometres but only 45,000 customers, in environments ranging from the cold south coast, through to deserts in the state’s centre and stretching way up north to tropical rainforests. Apart from a small inter–connected grid in the North West at Port Hedland, Horizon’s customers are located in small towns and communities serviced by radial grids mainly fuelled by diesel or gas or a mixture of both. Two notable exceptions are Marble Bar and Nullagine, which have solar–diesel power stations. In the far north, hydro–power from Lake Argyle contributes, as does wind at Esperance, Hopetoun, Denham, Coral Bay, and Exmouth. The cost of diesel is an issue for any dependant user, and certainly for an electricity utility. Security of supply is also critical and may become more so in the future. With road transport the only means

8 | WINTER 2012

of delivery for the isolated power stations in WA, that too is a further cost issue. The answer is solar, and here is where Horizon Power has been innovative. In September 2009, the company commenced construction of their own solar–diesel hybrid power stations in what is Australia’s hottest region, just inland from Port Hedland. These two power stations at Marble Bar and Nullagine are also unusual for the use of 500kW flywheels as system smoothing buffers – spinning reserve to cope with fluctuations in solar supply. Awarded prizes and now well known and unique in the world, these two stations may be the only ones that Horizon Power builds. The reason is simple. In the time since the two stations came on-line, there has been a massive increase in the installations of roof–top PV in remote WA, and according to David Edwards, Senior Engineer in the Commercial and Business Development Division at Horizon Power, the drive is now to give the consumer more opportunity to generate their own electricity and empower them to make informed decisions not just about their consumption, but also where they get their energy from.

The net result is that rural and isolated customers will be generating their own power, just when the power is needed. However, it is clear from local experience in the region and elsewhere, that the introduction of uncontrolled PV needs careful management. From July 1 this year, Horizon presented customers with a renewable energy buyback scheme that offers a rate that differs according to location. The rate varies from 10 to 50cents/kWhr reflecting the cost of electricity production for each town. Where other factors act (hydro, wind, proximity to gas pipelines and diesel delivery costs) to reduce production costs, the buyback rate is lower, and clearly fine–tuned when the published rates are quoted down to the last cent, eg Marble Bar at 47.10 cents/kWhr, and Nullagine (a further 100kms inland) at the maximum 50 cents/kWhr. The main issue underpinning the success of the new scheme is generation management. In the days before solar, a diesel plant would run 24 hours a day. Now, the intermittent and growing uncontrolled solar input has its challenges, one of which is the radial nature

of the small town power supply networks that are unsuited for the dispersed solar input. “We needed to find ways of increasing the hosting capacity for solar on our networks, to meet customer demand for installing renewable energy systems but do so without compromising on our quality of supply obligations,” David Edwards said. “Like many other utilities, Horizon Power has been grappling with the challenge of managing customer demand for renewable energy technology with the need to provide reliable and secure power supplies,” he added. “I am thrilled to say that Horizon Power is well progressed to overcome this challenge and from 1 July 2012, customers have had the option, subject to an approvals

process, of installing a generation managed system, that is a system where the output can either be stored or managed by Horizon Power, in towns where restrictions are currently in place.” Clearly in a small town there is a limit to the penetration of PV, and Horizon publishes hosting capacity data for each town. Once the “uncontrolled” capacity is reached, Horizon Power will manage the additional solar systems, even if it does not export to the town system. In order to maximise the amount of renewable energy connected to the electricity system, new connections will need to meet Horizon’s generation management requirements (some exemptions exist regarding generation management).

Solar developments

MARBLE BAR

NULLAGINE

Capacity (diesel)

1280kW (4 units)

960kw (3 units)

Capacity (solar)

300kW

Max/Min load

600kW/200kW

450kW/120kW

Solar System (SunPower T20 tracking system)

Flat plate single axis tracking. >65% of daytime energy. World record of 92% achieved. 34% of year–round energy.

FLYWHEEL Powerstore 500kW, 3tonne, magnetic bearings in helium environment Diesel savings

405,000L/year each station

This control is written into the agreements the customer has with the utility, and when the system cannot take more input from a solar system, an automatic signal is sent to the customer’s system to “ramp down”, but not to switch off. However, there has to be a limit in such small supply areas – demand must exceed supply, there is no possibility of “wheeling” the energy to another location.

From the market aspect, things have moved and will move further away from the utility being the sole supplier towards being an ‘energy balancer’. The costs of electricity supply by the conventional means and the imperative for companies like Horizon is to find ways of providing supply that minimises fossil fuel usage and allows the public to become its own generator. The sustainable energy industry has responded extremely positively to the new renewable energy buyback offer, says David Edwards.

“We have developed simple standards that will provide the market with a clear pathway to be innovative,” he said. Edwards explained that the inclusion of energy storage as a ‘shock absorber’ to the network during a cloud event opens the door for higher levels of renewable energy, and that by providing a clear framework for connection he expects the market to find the most cost effective solution, which at first will likely include wet energy storage. “It’s not too hard to imagine the advent of a home–based fuel cell as a possibility for the smoothing capacity, although there are many options already available such as solid state forms of energy storage for example super-capacitors,” he explained. “The door is open for commercial enterprises to offer renewable energy power supply technologies, but clearly these will be smaller systems considering the hosting capacity of most of Horizon’s local town supplies being in the kilowatt range. Horizon Power is keen to provide as much information as it can, and commendably so, since we are taking

“Learning from our experiences with system stability using flywheels at Marble Bar and Nullagine, we are moving towards a technology agnostic way in for the customers to offer their own energy storage systems.

steps further towards the change from the one way supplier of electricity to our own ‘power stations’. This approach may well succeed in other remote areas of the world blessed with an adequate solar resource.

The utility as ‘energy balancer’

10 | WINTER 2012

Horizon Power supply areas

Further information http://www.horizonpower.com.au/

E E W AD ’s TR C ST

Smart technology

The Great Power Across the globe smart grids are providing more reliable, secure and efficient networks via two-way digital information which, among other benefits, facilitate consumer management of electricity consumption. The subsequent reduction in demand also benefits the environment. By Ishaan Khanna.

From the early days of small isolated power systems developed in the early part of the 20th century to today’s huge and highly complex centralised power systems, the electricity industry has come a long way. Our large, centralised interconnected systems were developed to take advantage of economies of scale, and utilities encouraged higher consumption, which in turn brought the costs down. Today, the challenges of climate change and energy security call for flexible, robust, resilient and reliable power systems capable of adapting dynamically to the changing environment. Energy security and broad public awareness of the need to use limited resources in a more sustainable way are key considerations that are likely to herald a substantial restructuring of our electricity supply systems. Besides the infrastructure, households and businesses also want to actively control their own energy consumption, improve environmental impacts and manage costs. Moreover, in order to introduce competition and promote economic efficiency and attract private investment, governments around the world are opening up and ‘unbundling’ the electricity sector. This liberalisation has allowed a variety of generators (of all sizes and different technologies) and retailers to move into the power industry. Peter Fox-Penner, in his book Smart Power calls this transformation of the industry as “The Great Power Shift”. The aging power grid in Australia is facing significant pressures to defer or avoid new capital investment. It needs to maintain reliability and quality of supply, and integrate more distributed generation and storage technologies like renewable energy and electric vehicles and manage peak demand. Changes on the demand side are also fundamentally changing long-run electricity demand patterns. The industry’s business model is changing.

What is so ‘smart’ about the Smart Grid? The level of attention currently being focused on energy supply and demand around the world is unprecedented. A

12 | WINTER 2012

smarter grid makes the transformation to a more reliable, secure and efficient network possible by the application of two-way digital Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to the (poles and wires) electricity network infrastructure. It brings the technologies that enabled the internet to the electricity network. This incorporates the benefits of distributed intelligence into the electricity network, and for the first time, provides consumers a level of control and choice with their electricity usage. Other benefits come from the ability to monitor all elements of the network from power generators to household appliances and deliver this information in real time. Although the Australian electricity industry has always invested in advanced communication and sensing technology, most of this investment has so far been applied to the transmission systems. With the application of smart technologies to the lower voltage electricity distribution networks and inside customer homes, the impact of the ‘smart grid’ will be profound. The smarter grid will provide better understanding and enhanced control of power and information flow within the distribution networks to automatically detect and repair faults (“self–healing” networks), re-route power flows and enable a range of products and services for the benefit of consumers. For the first time, consumers will be able to better manage their own electricity consumption (and production via PV), reduce demand and produce environmental benefits. The current grids were designed to transport power from large, mainly fossil–fuel fired generating plants to consumers with generally fixed loads. With the introduction of higher penetration of distributed generation sources, including intermittent renewable sources, electric vehicles and storage technologies, the grid model of one-way flow of energy will no longer suffice. Without integrated monitoring and control to enable bi-directional flow of power, the current network infrastructure is likely to suffer power quality and reliability issues.

r Shift

SolarProgress | 13

Smart technology

Features of the Smart Grid The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) of the United States Department of Energy (DoE) lists six key characteristics of the smart grid: SELF HEALING Using advanced monitoring and sensing technology, the smart grid will perform continuous self-diagnostics to detect existing issues, predict potential problems and take corrective actions to isolate and rapidly restore normal operation with little or no human intervention. Today’s grid already has some self-healing features such as autoreclosing and auto-sectionalising most of which use local information for decision–making. The smart grid, on the other hand, will have Wide Area Monitoring Systems capable of decision–making using information at an holistic level. CONSUMER PARTICIPATION Smart grid platform will enable consumers to make informed choices regarding the amount of electricity they consume, when they consume it and the financial and environmental impact of their actions. RESISTS ATTACK The smart grid will include security technologies and demonstrate resilience to physical and cyber attacks in its design and operation. The security protocols will contain elements of deterrence, prevention, detection, response and mitigation to minimize impact on the infrastructure. IMPROVED POWER QUALITY (PQ) With increasing amounts of sensitive digital loads, power quality is of growing importance. Smart grid will provide system wide monitoring and control capabilities that will quickly identify and mitigate power quality events and thus help improve PQ by minimising the effect of lightning strikes, surges, faults and harmonics. OPTIMISES ASSETS AND OPERATES EFFICIENTLY Real time information from advanced sensors will provide operators with sophisticated tools to assess risk and more accurately determine the state of the grid at any moment. This will in turn enable operators and engineers to maximise grid utilisation and efficiency by improving load factor, lower losses and improve asset life. ENABLES MARKETS As consumers become more engaged with their energy consumption and production, demand for new products and services will establish new markets and expand existing options and choices. New opportunities will arise from distributed generation, electric vehicles, energy management services, smart appliances and producers, consumers, brokers and aggregators will be able to interact with each other. 14 | WINTER 2012

“With the introduction of higher penetration of distributed generation sources, including intermittent renewable sources, electric vehicles and storage technologies, the grid model of oneway flow of energy will no longer suffice.”

A key characteristic of the smart grid is to enable the grid to accept input from many different types and sizes of generators including intermittent renewable sources and better adapt to the dynamics of distribution generation. Widespread benefits will accrue from distribution intelligence, Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) and automation.

Challenges and opportunities While there are considerable challenges, the transformation of the power industry in my view also represents a momentous and sizable opportunity. The need for grid modernisation is compelling and it must be done, however, significant barriers exist in its implementation. It has been said that the biggest challenges to the implementation of smarter electric power grid are neither technological nor economic. Rather, regulatory and legislative issues remain a key barrier and more needs to be done to align policy makers around a common smart grid vision. New regulatory frameworks are needed that recognise that although the majority of investments in smart grid would be borne by grid owners and operators, the benefits would accrue far more widely. Governments also need to recognise that the benefits of a modern grid are so far reaching and long term, that utilities would be unwilling to bear the cost unless appropriate incentives are in place and they are given due credit for providing societal benefits. More work also needs to be done in developing a robust value proposition and communicating the fundamental value of a smarter grid to stakeholders including the consumers. ‘Smart Grid’ has become a catch-all term and generally, there is lack of understanding regarding technologies, benefits, opportunities and value. However, the societal and economic cost of doing nothing would not be acceptable.

Future of the Smart Grid A number of key initiatives are already underway in Australia to better understand the

challenges and opportunities associated with the transition to a smarter grid. Smart Grid Smart City is the first commercial scale smart grid demonstration project and is part of the Australian Government's National Energy Efficiency Initiative. This project is being led by Ausgrid (formerly EnergyAustralia), and their consortium partners IBM Australia, GE Energy Australia, Sydney Water, Hunter Water, and Newcastle City Council. This project aims to test a number of technologies and applications and gather robust information about the costs and benefits of smart grids to help inform future decisions by government and industry. The Perth Solar City project has implemented more than 30 energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, including one of the largest smart grid trials in the country. Preliminary results show a broad range of benefits to the utility, households and the community and provide perhaps the nation’s first illustration of what the intelligent networks of the future may look like particularly with regard to demand response. Further work is being undertaken to evaluate whole-of-system options from an end-toend perspective under Australia’s Future Grid forum, led by CSIRO and GE. This stakeholder led forum will systematically evaluate all the major options and with the greatest potential to deliver a secure, sustainable and lowest cost outcomes for the country. The views expressed here are entirely those of the author. Ishaan Khanna works as a Senior Engineer within the Smart Grid Development Branch at Western Power Corporation, in Western Australia. His recent experience has been with Smart Grid applications and Home Area Networks (HAN). Ishaan also serves as the President of the Australian Solar Energy Society (WA Branch). Acknowledgement: The work described here has been supported by the Solar Cities Program. Further information: www.perthsolarcity.com.au/annual-report/ www.netl.doe.gov www.sgiclearinghouse.org/ www.smartgridaustralia.com.au/ Peter Fox-Fenner “Smart Power” www.islandpress.org/

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Innovation

Saudi Arabia’s renewable revolution While many countries continue to dawdle on the road to the renewable revolution, the conservative, oil-rich Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has proposed one of the most sweeping and massive moves to renewable energy on the planet. By Paul Gipe. Saudi Arabia has announced a massive renewables program with hybrid FITs to tap onshore wind, solar, geothermal and waste-toenergy to generate 54,000 MW of renewable energy by 2032. In typical Saudi fashion, where everything from oil fields to opulence is done on a colossal scale, the proposed renewable program is gargantuan. Starting from zero, the Kingdom’s plans to install 54,000 MW of renewable-generating capacity during the next two decades is staggering. For comparison, the United States, with more than ten times the population of Saudi Arabia's 27 million, operates about 50,000 MW of solar panels and wind turbines.

Peak oil and crash solar program? While the move to renewables is significant in itself, it raises an even bigger question. Do the Saudis see the handwriting on the wall of the Kingdom's fossil fuel endowment? Are they, for the first time, acknowledging limits? Could the announcement of the Saudi program mark a turning point in the Kingdom's attitude toward natural resources, or is it just hard-headed economics finally winning out? With oil trading at over $100 per barrel, the avoided cost of offsetting the use of fossil fuels – the "opportunity cost", as the Kingdom's consultants call it – is already much higher than the cost of solar power today, justifying the huge undertaking. Still, there's no escaping the fact that whatever the reason, the move is momentous.

Proposal not final The proposal for the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KA-CARE) procurement program was announced at a conference in Saudi Arabia in May 2012. KA-

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CARE's board is yet to approve the proposal but is expected to do so shortly. The objective is to generate one quarter of the Kingdom's electricity from solar energy alone, while developing a domestic renewable energy industry. The latter is a key part of the program. While much of the renewable energy trade press has focused on the amount of solar photovoltaic (solar PV) capacity proposed, an even larger amount of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) is anticipated. The program's initial targets are: CSP: 25,000 MW, Solar PV: 16,000 MW, and Wind: 9,000 MW. Interestingly, the amount of electricity generated by 9,000 MW of wind at moderately windy sites is of the same order of magnitude as the 16,000 MW of solar PV – even in sunny Saudi Arabia.

Feed-in tariffs to build out program The Kindgom's conservative world view is revealed in the hybrid nature of their proposal. The KA-CARE program will begin with two rounds of bidding for solar PV, CSP, wind, geothermal and waste-to-energy capacity. The first round of bidding will take place in 2013. Solar PV: 1,100 MW CSP: 900 MW Wind: 650 MW Geothermal & Waste-to-Energy: 200 MW The second round of bidding will take place in 2014. Solar PV: 1,300 MW CSP: 1,200 MW Wind: 1,050 MW Geothermal & Waste-to-Energy: 250 MW

But unlike other jurisdictions that have recently opted for renewable auctions, Saudi Arabia plans to move quickly to feed-in tariffs to build out the program, because of their simpler administration. This may occur as early as 2015. Of the 54,000 MW in the proposed program, nearly 90% of the capacity will be assigned through the application of technologydifferentiated feed-in tariffs. Here are some of the program's key elements. Maximum project size: No limit Minimum project size: 5 MW Technology specific targets: Flexible Term: 20 years Evaluation: Price and non-price factors Feed-in tariff launch: After second auction Review: Every three years Localisation: Domestic content requirements The Saudi proposal makes it clear that this program is as much about industrial policy as it is energy policy. The Saudis want to be as influential internationally in renewable energy as they are now in oil exports. Toward that end, the Saudis emphasise that price is a factor, but only one factor, determining how much of which technology is developed and – equally as important – who gets to participate in the program. The Saudi announcement could well send such powerful shock waves through the world's oil industry that they reach the highest levels of policy makers in Canada and the USA, leading them to reconsider their recalcitrance toward the renewable revolution sweeping the globe. Further information: www.energy.gov.sa/default-en.htm The article is republished by kind permission of Paul Gipe (pgipe@igc.org, www.wind-works.org)

Special feature

Solar intermittency: Australia’s clean energy Published in June 2012, the much anticipated ASI funded CSIRO Report into Solar Intermittency is a timely and valuable resume of the effect of the penetration of PV and other intermittent sources of renewable energy into grid systems. The report is a compendium of the current knowledge, the challenges to be met and is a useful broad spectrum introduction. This is a defining document. By Bill Parker

Cloud cover may come as a welcome relief to sweltering hot communities, but for those who rely on sunshine for power it’s an entirely different proposition. Along with the daily sun cycle, clouds are a prime cause of solar generation intermittency, variations that act as a basic barrier to the uptake of large-scale solar power. Although much is said about the effect of renewable energy intermittency on electricity networks, the information shared and views expressed are often anecdotal, difficult to verify and limited to a particular technical, geographical or social context. There is surprisingly very little real-world data on the effects of intermittency on electricity networks, particularly in regard to solar intermittency. Australia is different from the rest of the world because of its size (and population). It has one network, the NEM, that is about the same size as Europe and within it there is a far greater diversity in PV generation. Yet in the West, there is only one integrated system, the rest being small isolated town grids. The overriding need is to gather local data, and because Australia is a long way behind Europe in the penetration it has the advantage of time before the grid penetration of solar becomes an issue.

Shedding light on challenges Characterising the Effect of High Penetration Solar Intermittency on Australian Electricity Networks presents a number of findings that shed light on the challenges and opportunities behind intermittency and grid integration. Solar Progress spoke to Dr Saad Sayeef, the report’s lead author, who said that the threshold figure of 20% solar penetration is said to be the

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turning point when the intermittency of solar becomes a problem is a generalisation based on anecdotal evidence. “There are many different numbers quoted for the level of penetration when risks might appear. The 20 percent is based on a range of factors and for a value to be valid, the context must be known– there is no major issue with current penetration level,” he said. For the successful integration of high penetration intermittent generation, we need to understand the local issues and there is a strong emphasis on research and the expansion of existing knowledge. The solar resource differs greatly from Europe. The power flows are different. Instead of being highly interconnected, we are often dispersed with long “skinny” transmission networks. Weather patterns are different; system frequency standards differ across the country (here the report was sounding like a description of the railway systems). In short, there is significant study to be undertaken to ensure that PV, both domestic and large scale can be brought on stream to its full potential. The need for research and demonstration was clearly important and the work of Horizon Power in Western Australia (see pages 8-10) was a good example. There, the need for fast acting responses to compensate for the ramp up and down has been identified. Dr Sayeef said that devices such as “super capacitors” were still at the R&D stage. “Lead acid batteries and fuel cells, even electric vehicles, are well known, but too slow in response to cloud events giving rise to changes in power output in seconds,” he explained. “It is axiomatic that we need more locally derived data given the peculiarities and uniqueness of Australia’s electricity grid system.”

Large coverage area Market dynamics

Unique network aspects in Australia

Network subject to Australian usage, weather and environmental conditions*

challenge Australia is a leader in wind forecasting and “the best in the world” said Dr Sayeef. But for solar forecasting, the work is at a much earlier stage. “We are developing ground based digital imagery of clouds to predict solar radiation, and this needs to be matched with actual pyranometer data for verification.”

Report findings The report contains a summary of key findings. The first key finding is not an overstatement considering the magnitude of the need for high quality (local) data that is a recurring theme throughout the report. The work needs to involve a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines. Grid integration according to the report is well underway at NREL and Sandia as well as other institutions – and to quote the report: “There is a strong need in Australia for something similar, that: • encourages analysis and investigation in this area and provides openly accessible published reports and information • brings together key industry players in a dialogue to discuss the issues, and • makes relevant information accessible to all stakeholders (eg a portal).”

Low levels of interconnection

High impedence network compared with Europe

Low average population density

Areas of high population density

Large number of 'skinny' feeders

Key findings of the Intermittency Report KEY FINDING 1: Intermittency could stop the adoption of renewable generation. KEY FINDING 2: Existing research has conflicting outcomes, suffers from a lack of quality data and consequently often overemphasises anecdotal evidence. KEY FINDING 3: There is considerable intermittency in the existing electricity system. KEY FINDING 4: The effect of solar intermittency is not uniform. KEY FINDING 5: The amount of high penetration solar generation that can be integrated is application specific.

KEY FINDING 6: Solar intermittency can be managed. KEY FINDING 7: Accurate solar forecasting is essential. KEY FINDING 8: Research and demonstration work is required in Australia. Report Authors: Saad Sayeef, Simon Heslop, David Cornforth, Tim Moore, Steven Percy, John K Ward, Adam Berry and Daniel Rowe. The project was made possible with funding from the Australian Solar institute (ASI) with in-kind support from CSIRO, Australian Energy Market Operator, and Energy Networks Association.

Practical measures Three Australian PV plants were involved in analysing and evaluating output power fluctuation ramp rates: the Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre (DKASC) in Alice Springs; CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle’s 22 kW PV system; and the University of Queensland’s 1.22 MW PV system.

The CSIRO report can be accessed at: www.csiro.au/science/Solar-IntermittencyReport

Researchers at the DKASC spent ten months measuring 10-second resolution solar data, and a CSIRO simulation model was used to examine the likely impacts of these output power fluctuations on the differing types of Australian electricity networks which are subjected to differing levels of solar power.

Enquiries can be directed to the Project Manager: saad.sayeef@csiro.au

Global research: Fluctuations have been both observed and analysed in Europe (Germany and Belgium), the USA and Japan, however analyses of power output fluctuations are somewhat scarce.

Further Information

The California Solar Initiative Research, Development, Deployment and Demonstration Program explories the ‘planning and modelling for high penetration PV on the California transmission and distribution network’, but findings are specifically targeted towards California, and limited to photovoltaic generation. The worldwide state of the art in solar intermittency study is represented by information collated by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

AuSES Conference

EAST SOLAR Expo and Conference 2012 Presented by AuSES and international partner AUPVSEE at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre from August 21-22, East Solar Expo and Conference promises something for everyone.

www.eastsolar2012.com Hundreds of people are expected to attend the EAST SOLAR Expo and Conference www.eastsolar2012.com at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from Tuesday August 21 to Wednesday August 22, 2012. Attendance is entirely FREE, but registration is essential! More than 100 solar exhibitors are expected to provide insights into the latest solar technology, including PV panels, inverters, “balance of system” components, monitoring equipment and solar water heating systems. A continuous “General Stream” of oral presentations will be provided in a special area of the Exhibition Hall, where all participants can freely attend presentations that interest them while having a break from the Exhibition.

DAY ONE, TUESDAY AUGUST 21 Simon Corbell MLA, the ACT Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development will deliver the Opening Keynote at 9.30am on Tuesday, August 21. Minister Corbell will address the topic “Canberra: The Solar Capital”, and is expected to outline a vision for the future of the ACT, involving one of Australia's largest utility-scale solar installations, a community wide approach to reducing energy dependence, improving energy security and energy efficiency, and embracing the rollout of the first electric vehicle recharging infrastructure in the country.

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Leader of the Greens Senator Christine Milne will make a video presentation in which it is anticipated she will highlight the opportunities for industry in a carbon-reduced Australia. Dr Fang Peng, CEO of JA Solar, will present the opening Industry Keynote at 10 am. With more than 20 years of executive management experience in both the US and China, Dr Fang will address how “Low cost PV is Changing the World”. Our Market/Political Analysis bracket is designed for presentations that review the current and future solar scene to 2020 and beyond. Led off at 11am by Kobad Bhavnagri of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, other session presenters include Nigel Morris of SolarBusinessServices, Dr Muriel Watt of Australian PV Association, and industry blogger Dan Cass. This session concludes with an address by John Macdonald of DesignInc on Sustainable Buildings in Australia. The afternoon highlight is International Australia: Solar and Industry Partnerships. Simon Troman of IT Power will introduce a couple of exciting PV projects in Pacific Islands Tokelau and Samoa, and a later presentation will highlight some of the technical and design issues encountered. Mark Twidell, who has led the Australian Solar Institute and was recently appointed to the ARENA Board will address Australia's potential to capture and add value in the global solar market. Other presentations follow: solar cell pioneer Professor Andrew Blakers of ANU, Dr Renate Egan of Suntech, Douglas Smith of Trina Solar, Tom Zhao of BYD Solar, Blair Pester of Winaico Australia and Glen Morris of Solarquip. Also included is an overview of the Hervey Bay Hospital project delivered by Lachlan Bateman of Clean Technology Partners. Dr Extra Li who is Chief Technology Officer of Heda Solar Technology, an East Solar Conference sponsor, will present a paper on PV tile roof, leading the trend of BIPV. With his in-depth research in ceramic material combined with photovoltaic technology, Dr Li and his team invented a range of PV tile products in 2010, and created more than 30 Chinese and international patents. Leading Climate Spectator columnist Tristan Edis will round off the program with his view of “Why Solar is set to Explode”. www.eastsolar2012.com Opposite (from top): Simon Corbell MLA, the ACT Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development; Greens Senator Christine Milne; and Kobad Bhavnagri of Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Parallel stream In a parallel stream on Day 1, Tuesday August 21, there will be a series of presentations that provide insights for those companies newly established in Australia and those contemplating entering the local solar and renewables market. We have assembled a range of eminent experts to explain the Australian renewables marketplace, among them Joe Wyder of APVA who will present his views of the Australian market and Dan Cass who will provide an easy-to-understand overview of solar policy. Considerations for entering the Australian market will be presented by Nigel Morris, Suntech's experience of establishment in Australia presented by Stefan Jarnason; and “Lessons from the Leaders” by eminent commentator and analyst, Warwick Johnston, the Australian “Sunwiz”. Participants can also attend the Expo and other presentations in the General Stream.

DAY TWO, WEDNESDAY AUGUST 22 Day Two kicks off with Opening Keynote speakers Ric Brazzale of Green Energy Trading and Andrew Livingston, representing the new Office of the Clean Energy Regulator. Industry Keynotes will be delivered during the morning from eminent IT Power solar thermal scientist Dr Keith Lovegrove, Oliver Hartley of Q-Cells Australia, Graeme Pollock from SMEC Australia and Matthew Wright of Beyond Zero Emissions. Resuming the Industry Partnerships theme in the afternoon, we will hear presentations delivered by Anthony Coles of Solco, Michael

Anthony of Solar 360, Dr Andreas Luzzi of Laros Technologies, Danin Kahn of Todae Solar, Gonzalo Muslera from Schott Solar, Jeremy Rich of Energy Matters, Collin Wang of Jinko Solar and Matthew Haddad of Clean Technology Partners. The afternoon concludes with presentations addressing the finance aspects of solar projects, with Ivor Freschknecht of Starfish Ventures “Renewables: Private Equity and Venture Capital”, and leading (now US-based) entrepreneur, Danny Kennedy of Sungevity addressing “Leasing as the Future of Solar”. www.eastsolar2012.com

Solar Professional Development Day 2 of the East Solar Expo & Conference, Wednesday August 22, also features a FREE Solar Professional Development Day. Come along and hear 13 experts drawn from the "sharp end" of the solar industry. Presentations are specifically focused on sales, installer and design issues. This day-long program complements our Solar Best Practice Seminars and is designed to enhance design and operational performance in a cost-effective way. The full programme for Day 2 "PV Professional Development Stream" is available at www.eastsolar2012.com Key presentations from: • Glen Morris of Solarquip "Solar PLUS: the industry standard" and "New Challenges through AS/NZ 5033" • Mike Russell of AuSES on "Solar Best practice" • Dr Ted Spooner of UNSW, "PV Array Fires: “Why and what to do?" • Geoff Stapleton of GSES "Ask Geoff" - open forum • Sandy Pulsford of CEC PV components: Performance, Safety and Reliability", also • Selectronic on battery backup; and Dean Condon of Ergon "Townsville Solar City: grid intergration issues"; Geoff Bragg from the SEIA and others.

*** Make it a day and attend the Expo where more than 100 exhibitors showcase the latest in solar products available in Australia ***

“Leading Climate Spectator columnist Tristan Edis will round off the program with his view of “Why Solar is set to Explode”.

Want to understand some of the technical issues, current requirements and fill in the gaps of information currently available only to electricians ... ? Register now to attend the EAST SOLAR EXPO and CONFERENCE - it's FREE!

www.eastsolar2012.com After registering to attend the Expo & Conference, you are invited to use our online request form to speak with the experts, and for introductions to suppliers, distributors and importers. This is entirely free and there's no obligation. Visit http://auses.org.au/east-solar-meet-the-exhibitors .

SolarProgress | 21

Case Study

Blue Sun Group - PV Modules

About Blue Sun Group Blue Sun Group Pty Ltd is an Australian owned company with its head offce in Brisbane, specialising in Renewable Energy Products. The photovoltaic modules, solar roof mounting systems and other renewable products are designed in Australia and manufactured by Blue Sun Group factories. Blue Sun started to import photovoltaic modules from China in 2006. With the aim of uncompromised quality and continuity of supply, Blue Sun Group designed its own photovoltaic modules and invested in the construction of a new photovoltaic factory in Shenzhen China to produce the modules. The Blue Sun factory currently employs 190 people, including 120 factory workers, 50 offce and R&D workers, and 20 management staff. The automated production capacity of the factory for photovoltaic modules is 138,000 watts per shift which can be increased during peak load periods. The factory has extra capacity in manual production lines, which is currently used for 12 volt and special order panels. The overall production capacity of the factory is 150MW per year. With Australian owned production lines the quality control measures are operated beyond Australian standards, with 100% traceability from raw materials to the end product. Orders can be produced within as few as four working days and leaving China within 10 days from order. In early 2010, by request and with the assistance of its dealer base, Blue Sun designed and manufactured its first solar roof mounting

system. 2012 has seen an improved Blue Sun solar Blue Sun Group – PV Modules roof mounting system with the introduction of new rails that have Easy Slide ‘U’ shaped bolt channel and added reinforced cross bracing for stability. This year sees the introduction of some new rails designed to suit Blue Sun solar modules for caravan, RV and marine applications. Having strong relationships with other manufacturers, Blue Sun Group completes the Renewable offer with a wide range of inverters, controllers, solar hot water and LED product. Blue Sun Group is involved in multiple projects world-wide. Some of the projects are listed below:

• Supply of modules for a roof grid connection solar power generation system of Quanyuan Industrial Park, the largest roof top solar power system in China, total 8.7MW • Street light update project in Guangdong Province, last year the factory supplied 8000 x 100w modules for this project for LED street lights with a total of 40000 panels still to be supplied to this project this year. • Supply of modules for a 1.2MW Terrestrial Solar Power Generation System in Valencia, Spain. • Under contract for a 1MW system in Shandong Province with options for addition capacity.

Blue Sun Group Photovoltaic Modules A full complement of photovoltaic modules are available for the on grid and off grid market, ranging from 6 Watt to 140 Watts in 12 Volt Monocrystalline Modules, 160 Watt to 250 Watt CEC approved Monocrystalline Modules in 5 Watt increments, 200 Watt to 300 Watt CEC approved Polycrystalline Modules, and Custom Photovoltaic Modules available on demand. The modules can be found on the CEC Currently Approved Modules list under â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blue Sun Groupâ&#x20AC;?. The Blue Sun Group photovoltaic modules were developed taking Australian conditions into account and mitigating issues identifed with solar modules in Europe. Continuous improvement is achieved by assessing the modules in the factories testing facilities, in the field, and independent feedback. Upgrades are made through consultation with TUV-SUD test laboratories. Blue Sun Group photovoltaic modules have features such as matched cell selection, concealed cross connections, O-ring resealable junction boxes, replaceable blocking diodes, high grade EVA, anodised frames and 3.2 mm toughened glass. Cell selection and cell matching are an important part of the process in building the Blue Sun modules, using both visual selection and electronic testing. Shunt resistance (Rsh) is a key aspect of cell selection. Blue Sun selects cells with high Rsh values as those cells provided better performance in low light conditions such as rainy, snowy and cloudy days. This also provides better output in the mornings and late afternoon low light conditions. Blue Sun matches cells by grade and output, and builds positive tolerance wattage modules rather than mixing grades of cell to achieve a specifc overall wattage. This provides better long term efficiencies as all photovoltaic cells in a module degrade at the same rate. The concealing of the cross connections gives the Blue Sun Group modules a few distinct advantages; first by removing the direct impact of sunlight on the soldering joints thus eliminating potential for degradation of solder joints by UV rays; secondly by removing the main solder joints from the top edge of the panels which can be the hottest area of the module, thus reducing thermal degradation of solder joints; and thirdly enhancing the aesthetic aspect of the module giving the module a more professional finish.

The O-Ring sealed junction box gives the installer or service agent the ability to access the blocking diodes making the photovoltaic modules one of the few on the Australian market that is a truly maintainable and serviceable. There are 3 replaceable (push in- pull out) blocking diodes in the 160 to 190 Watt range and 4 replaceable blocking diodes in the 220 to 250 Watt range. The Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) used in Blue Sun Group modules comes from one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest suppliers of EVA, giving consistent high grade quality results. EVA is placed on both side of the photovoltaic cells and sealed through high temperature baking onto the cells. EVA is used to hold and fix photovoltaic cells in position; increase transmittance of sunlight, isolate cells from harmful environmental factors, provide electrical insulation, conduct heat away from the cells, strong encapsulation adhesion, and provided excellent weather resistance. The EVA Blue Sun uses has excellent UV stability with a UV cut off wavelength of 360 nm. Blue Sun modules are framed in anodised aluminium and the front glass is 3.2 mm high transmittance, low iron toughened glass in compliance with IEC 61215 Ed. 2 which is the Australian Standard. The Blues Sun Group modules have been tested by TUV-SUD and surpassed the IEC 61215 Ed. 2 hail impact test of 25mm hail at 23 m/s.

Dealership enquiries 1300 326 688 We use and recommend

Case Study

Blue Sun Group - Mounting System

Blue Sun Group Mounting System In early 2010 by request and with the assistance of our dealer base Blue Sun created its first design of approved mounting system. A key feature is that the mounting system was developed as an integrated product with emphasis on stronger interfacing between components, ease of instalment and the strength of the rails. The Blue Sun Group Mounting System saves time and money on installation. 2012 saw the launch of the next generation of the Blue Sun Group Solar Roof Mounting System with new improved features. These features include, Easy Slide â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Uâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shaped bolt channel in the rails, added internal cross bracing in the rails for strength and stability, easy use T bolt friendly earth plates as well as the ongoing existing features such as serrated ribbed surfaces on rails and fittings to allow finger tight setting before tools are required, solid stainless steel tile hooks, wide mid clamps for standard tooling use and tilt kits. This years

changes and certifications see the ability to use the rail in commercial applications for spanning up to 1700mm purlin span widths, without requiring individual certifications. The Blue Sun rails, tin feet, joiners, clamps and tilt legs are made of anodised 6061 T6 Aluminium. This grade of aluminium is one of the highest grades used in this market. 6061 T6 Aluminium is for heavy duty structures with very good corrosion resistance. This makes the mounting system ideal for commercial applications; and marine and coastal applications. Although physically lighter than other grades used in the Australian market, this grade of aluminium has a higher torque load than many comparable products used in Australia. Being lighter makes it easier for the installer to install. The Blue Sun tile hooks, bolts and nuts are made of Stainless Steel SUS304. Combined with components using 6061 T6 grade aluminium, the Blue Sun Solar Roof Mounting System is one of the strongest and more reliable mounting system ideal for Commercial and Residential Installations. The table shows a comparison chart with the 6061 T6 grade of aluminium that Blue Sun Group uses for its Solar Mounting System compared to the common grades of aluminium used by other solar mounting manufacturers.

Case Study Blue Sun Group

BLUE SUN GROUP has been working closely with Delta and Latronics internationally and is a proud supplier of their products, including grid connect inverters. Delta Energy Systems Australia Delta Energy Systems Australia specialises in high quality PV inverters. Delta’s SOLIVIA string inverter range feature a wide operating temperature range, peak efficiency up to 96.0% and a user friendly display. The SOLIVIA range can be used indoor or outdoor with a sleek, compact appearance and brushed aluminium finish. Externally coated with protective IP65, Delta’s SOLIVIA inverters are water and dust proof. Complete with a 10 year factory warranty, Delta’s SOLIVIA inverters are perfect for the Australian climate.

Start off with a standard Grid Connect System, later add panels and batteries for sustained export output without needing to change you inverter at all. It’s “Peak Shifting” PV Edge 1200 (Battery Mode) Peak Shifting

10 to 16 Panels

200Ah - 700Ah

PV Edge Inverters

www.latronics.com.au

Other Inverters Available Blue Sun Group also supplies Power One Aurora inverters and SMA inverters. SMA quality German inverters. As market leader for solar inverters SMA is setting benchmarks again and again: leading-edge efficiencies of 98 % and new technology ensures maximum yields and the highest user convenience.

Aurora Inverters from Power One Italy: Currently the second largest manufacturer of solar power inverters globally, Power-One has also made heavy investment in North American manufacturing by recently opening two manufacturing centers in Phoenix, Arizona and Toronto, Canada. The Power-One Aurora brand of renewable energy power inverters offer best-in-class performance and reliability along with a global customer care package.

Blue Sun Group 31 Depot Street, Banyo QLD 4014 | PO Box 238, Northgate QLD 4013 | Phone: 07 3266 8668 Email: sales@bluesun-group.com.au | Website: www.bluesun-group.com

Innovation

Bluescope's trial installation of PV panels

SCOPE for improvement With a mission to identify and foster areas of solar enhancement, the ASI is backing a program led by BlueScope Steel to lower the cost of building integrated PV by boosting cell performance. By Nicola Card Rendering building integrated PV more viable, economic and accessible to existing buildings sounds attractive, and such is the mission of a newly established collaborative research team. Not long after the deal was sealed the team leaders received more good news – and funding – for developments of a related nature that take in new builds. Whichever way you look at it, busy times lie ahead for the BlueScope researchers. Solar Progress caught up with Dr Troy Coyle of BlueScope Steel Research. As Manager of Coated Products Development, she has a strong track record of project managing R&D programs through to commercialisation. Here she leads the program in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute and University of Wollongong.

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Coyle explained that the aim of the $1.6 million project is to lower the cost of building integrated PV (BIPV) by broadening the value proposition to building owners installing BIPV systems. In a nutshell the performance of the cells will be improved by being kept cool through the integrated BIPV-T (thermal) structure as opposed to the international trend to laminate directly onto insulated panels, and by boosting functionality to an installed BIPV system by improving the overall thermal performance of the building through the use of daytime solar thermal energy and night time ventilation. Investigating the viability of integrated energy storage via PCMs is integral to the process, she said. A systematic approach and methodology will optimise the design configuration and sizing of BIPVT systems and a feasibility study will investigate the viability of BIPVTPCM systems for retrofit. Coyle said that the research will focus on BIPV using Generation Two thin-film technologies, “which have typically not been the focus of PVT research for Australian conditions.”

Thin-film Retrofit thin-film PV laminate solutions offer the opportunity to install the PV laminate above the current roof structure, leading to: • in summer during the day, ducting of air underneath to avoid overheating of the PV system, with air ventilated at the top of the PV system;

• in summer during the night, ducting cool air from outside and applying the “night sky cooling” principle to create temperatures below ambient for night purging of the building; and • in winter during the day, ducting of air underneath the PV system to provide PVT functionality, with heated air used as space heating. “We have a technology agnostic approach and we want to work with thin-film as the cells themselves are inherently flexible unlike silicon (which is glass encapsulated), and there are many technologies to choose from,” Coyle said. “It is hard to see who will be the technology leader, so we will switch between them as more technologies become appropriate.” She added that thin-film advantages include relatively lower costs “and for us it is about flexibility”.

Retro-fit Uniquely, this project will focus on the retrofit of existing buildings (both residential and commercial) rather than the development of BIPV-T systems for new-build. This is regarded important as each year just one or two percent of the existing building stock is added to or replaced; clearly retrofitting offers the greatest opportunity for commercialisation and greatest scope for renewable energy generation.

But it is a double-edged sword as there are significant technical challenges accommodating existing building and roof designs. “This is perhaps why, globally, the research focus has been on designing PVT systems for new build despite the relatively more limited potential impact and market size,” Coyle said.

tool that can help existing building owners to understand the performance/cost saving outcomes of installing a BIPV-T system. Builders will be able to identify the ideal design configuration of BIPV-T systems for integration with existing roof types to ensure optimal performance and cost savings.

Phase change materials

And in other developments …

PCM provides the potential to achieve the desired outcomes. Building integrated PCMs have not been broadly commercialised because of current high costs, however, the team will perform simulations and test-rig/laboratory analyses in order to investigate the use of new materials and design/integration options that may make this a more commercially viable opportunity for retrofit. They will also investigate opportunities for further cost reductions by boosting PCM functionality. “The German based Fraunhofer Institute has particular expertise in phase change materials so we wanted to tap into that, then the Institute expressed a broader interest in BIPV so it worked out quite well, hence the collaborative venture,” Coyle said. She explained that while the bulk of the workload fell to Wollongong University and Bluescope, the three parties presented equal intellectual contributions.

In early July Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson announced that under the Emerging Renewables Program, $2.3 million would be funnelled into enabling the mass deployment of prototype building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems across residential, commercial and industrial rooftops in Australia. This accelerates the development of a new roofing profile that combines Australian steel roofing and inverter systems with secondgeneration thin-film solar technologies. Importantly, the prototype is to be scaled up to the operational stage ensuring future

To market The commercialisation process will fall into the lap of BlueScope, and Coyle explained that the outcome will be a decision support

Robert Scott, Damien Jinks, Troy Coyle and Robert Klees

BIPV systems can be cost-effective without Government subsidies. The project will be solely run by BlueScope Steel. Coyle said “This is a much larger project as, while the ASI grant is focused on retrofit, this bigger picture project looks at new build as well. This is a unique and large grant, even when compared to university grants, so it particularly exciting and positions us well … helps us establish ourselves as a market leader across the world in BIPV. “It is a good fit for BlueScope in terms of our roofing, and expands the value proposition in that field.” Coyle says they hope to develop their first generation marketable product within two years, to capitalise on the global BIPV market that looks set to jump tenfold by 2015*. “BIPV offers an expanded role for Australian manufacturing, so we could be an exporter. Knowledge and trust in the BlueScope brand is an important part of the proposition, the name will be a significant asset. “And when you use Generation Three solar cells and technologies the whole process could be Australian manufactured,” she explained. “Market pricing is yet to be determined but the product would have to be cost competitive in the absence of government subsidies. And we are aiming for parity with grid electricity.” *Australia’s installed rooftop PV capacity increased from 23 to 1450 MW between 2008 and 2012 and is expected to grow to more than 5100MW by 2020 and 12,000MW by 2031.

SolarProgress | 27

Technical feature

The of

A recent ASI report examines the untapped potential of CSP in Australia and concludes that by 2050 as much as half of the nation’s electricity could derive from CSP. Led by Keith Lovegrove, six prominent solar specialists presented their analysis of the key issues in the ASI report. Poor track record

Story by Bill Parker The Australian Solar Institute is to be commended for commissioning and publishing the report Realising the Potential of Concentrating Solar Power in Australia. The study was undertaken by IT Power (Australia) and is probably the most comprehensive overview of what “concentrating solar power” is and what the prospects are for the deployment of the various technologies. The potential is massive according to the report; it is suggesting a build of 2GW in the next eight years, followed by 10GW in the next decade. By 2050, CSP could be providing between 30% to 50% of Australia’s electricity in a 100% clean energy market. This report clearly details, and in depth, the broad spectrum of issues that need to be addressed to achieve those ambitious goals.

CSP technologies What is CSP? The terminology can be confusing. There are two distinct technologies being discussed. One is the conversion of solar thermal heat into steam to drive turbines that create electricity, ie concentrating solar thermal or CST. The other is the use of PV or mirrors that focus sunlight to create DC electricity; that is concentrating PV or CPV. (See table which summarises the complete spectrum of applications.) The report however is “technology agnostic” and no particular technology is favoured in the analysis. We have reached a significant stage of development in a major sector of a viable solar industry, namely domestic PV, and we are edging towards larger scale CPV. Yet despite our expertise and substantive R&D base in 28 | WINTER 2012

CST, Australia has only one contemporary functioning plant - with the imminent construction of another. CSP remains as some kind of dark horse that is still subject to ignorant claims that “it cannot provide energy when the sun goes down”. In the case of CPV that clearly is true, but for CST, energy storage gives the lie to that statement. It sounds reminiscent of the days when people looked at PV panels and asked why there were no water pipes. The reality of global development is still away off.

“This is a must read report” The biggest challenge is the cost gap. We successfully closed this with various government programs to assist small scale PV. Now we need a robust policy roadmap to ensure that Australia’s advantage in CSP is not lost. One starting point could be smaller <50MW plants in off-grid and endof-grid situations. The experience and training gained will serve the building of bigger projects well. And regional employment gains. But defining costs is yet another vexatious issue. The global growth of the CSP industry is exponential with 1.5GWe at the end of 2011, and the report authors expressed the view that so much activity is in progress that the figure would be out of date before report publication.

Even though our expertise and R&D capacity ‘punches well above its weight’, the history of built projects is slim with an early venture in WA and at White Cliffs in NSW. This latter project is now no longer solar thermal after 25 years of operation, and following conversion to CPV in 1998 by Solar Systems is now mothballed. The Australian venture Ausra (now AREVA Solar) built a small Linear Fresnel Plant as an adjunct to a coal fired power station at Liddell in the Hunter Valley. Novatec is extending this plant to bring it to 9.3MWth and will come on line soon. However, as the ASI report suggests, there are opportunities for small <50MW CSP plants in particular locations around Australia. For CPV, there are several examples of small plants - both dish and linear configurations that have been providing electricity to remote communities for some years. It is hardly surprising that the authors of the report suggest that one thing that should be considered is the “guided tour” for prospective investors of bigger plants overseas in order to demonstrate what has been achieved. And moreover to recognise that as build and operational experience grows, costs decline. This is hardly news – any technology exhibits this cost reduction path – examples abound in unrelated industries. The report is firm on the need for deployment. We have passed the R&D phase and now need to move on. In some depth, the ASI report discusses the needs and priorities pertinent to today. More than that, there is discussion of Australia’s peculiar operational environments, both physical and economic. We are “close to the forefront” of international activity and have some conditions the may favour the pursuit of a different pathways with for example, unique end-of-grid and off-grid markets. These could be capability building.

Where taxpayer funds are involved, the report suggests, the priority should be on hybridisation with fossil fuel systems, and smaller systems in special grid environments, improved energy storage, as well as advanced cooling systems, considering our arid conditions. Scale up could bring other benefits beyond the technologies. These can be local manufacture of components, and jobs where none existed before, as has been found in Spain. Standardisation of protocols in monitoring, measurement verification and technical certification were all considered critical in scale up.

“The potential is massive according to the report; it is suggesting a build of 2GW in the next eight years, followed by 10GW in the next decade.”

CSP TECHNOLOGIES CURRENTLY IN USE

“CSP technology is conceptually simple and appealing” This is a succinct conclusion, but the requirement to move from prototype to first operational plant requires more. This is not the time for unrealistic optimism about the performance of technology. We have the ‘research intelligence’ gained from years of R&D. Yet as anyone who has been involved in R&D knows, the scale up to full scale commerciality is challenging. This report is unflinching in its reality checking. To say that a model demonstration approach might be from the 1MW scale is sound advice. It is practical and realistic (noting that we are at the 10MW scale in one project in NSW). We know from our earliest attempt as CST in WA what the lessons were, and it is good to see the reasons for failure clearly laid out in the report. Closing the cost gap is not easy. “Build it and we’ll finance the operation” is not a good starting point, yet common enough. Another wider consideration is the suction effect the mining and resources industry has in the competition for capital, hence the start small(er) and prove up the totality of the project advice in the report. Some concluding messages were to build the credibility of CSP within the key stakeholders, build solar parks in high solar resource areas, foster research, development and demonstration, ensure that Australia has the best solar radiation data to better support plant output prediction, and ensure that the facts are known and understood by the wider population. This is a must read report. This review of the ASI report was conducted by Keith Lovegrove (lead author), Muriel Watt, Robert Passey, Graeme Pollock, Joe Wyder and Josh Dowse. Further information: http://www. australiansolarinstitute.com.au/reports/.aspx

Key features and status of the five CSP technology categories Technology

Annual solar to electricity efficiency

Focus type

Practical Operating Temperature for thermal conversion

Power cycles considered

Commercial maturity

Installed Generating Capacity as at end 2011

Parabolic Trough

12 to 15%

Linear

150 to 400ºC

Steam Rankine Organic Rankine PV

High

1,500 MWe

Central Receiver Tower

20 to 30% (concepts)

Point

300 to 1,200ºC

Steam Rankine Brayton (gas turbine) PV

Medium

60 MWe

Linear Fresnel

8 to 10%

Linear

150 to 400ºC

Steam Rankine Organic Rankine PV

Medium

38 MWe

Fresnel lens

12 to 15%

Point

Medium

15 MWe

Parabolic Dish

20 to 30%

Point

Stirling Engine Steam Rankine Brayton (gas turbine) PV

Low

2 MWe

300 to 1,500ºC

4 MWe SolarProgress | 29

R&D

VSASF:

cutting edge research The Victoria-Suntech Advanced Solar Facility has fast forged a presence on the global solar stage and is on track to deliver outstanding results. By Nicola Card. In early 2012 Victoria-Suntech Advanced Solar Facility (VSASF) published its scientific findings on NanoPlas solar cells which sparked significant global and local interest and prompted up to 20 inquiries from PhD hopefuls. Titled Broadband Enhancement in Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells Enabled by Nucleated Silver Nanoparticles, the paper cemented the facility’s position as a world leading research facility. Not bad given the VSASF was established just two short years ago, in June 2010.

With the vision ‘Nanophotonics for a sustainable future’ supported by the mission ‘To develop innovative nanophotonic and nanoplasmonic technology to integrate research excellence with industry engagement’, VSASF is the $12 million collaborative venture funded by the Victorian Government, Swinburne University of Technology and Suntech Power Holdings, whose CEO Dr Zhengrong Shi is a regular visitor. Photonics expert Professor Min Gu leads the VSASF team of 20 which includes four PhD students and several undergraduates who have

at their disposal a cluster of world class nanophotonics equipment in the series of labs dedicated to development of nanostructures and nanomaterials. Applied to solar cells to manipulate and control light, the efficiency of solar cells is being improved by increasing the wavelength range of the absorbed light and improving the conversion of photons into electrons. Min Gu is optimistic about the team’s ability to boost cell efficiency, along with broader use and greater efficiency in solar energy storage

Dr Baohua Jia (bottom left) and the VSASF team 30 | WINTER 2012

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R&D

and is on record as saying “This initiative is promising and I am confident that in five years we will have a new type of solar cell.” Solar Progress spoke to Dr Baohua Jia who is Senior Research Fellow at VSASF and co-authored the paper on Broadband Enhancement in ThinFilm NanoPlas solar cells. “Several significant players are querying whether this thin-film technology will lead us to the next level. It has sparked a lot of interest from external companies and others,” she said. “The future of solar cell is low cost, high efficiency. Wafer technology already stands at high efficiency, so during our deliberations [over the focus of our R&D] we realised thin-film would be more of more value as the starting point is not that high. The lower production costs render it more attractive.” The team aims to double the efficiency of thin-film solar cells, taking them to 12% from the current production levels of 6%. Dr Xi Chen, co-author of the Nano Letter paper commented “Costs [of thin-film production] will be very low compared to wafer solar cells. So while efficiency may not be as high you need to factor in the comparatively cheaper cost.” Dr Jia added that Suntech was keen to see strong results in the shortest possible time and “To quickly produce something effective and simple which the industry can take up in a relatively short time.” Spurring velocity is the use of superior base cells. “The Suntech solar cell is world leading, it has a high efficiency and is high quality, so we use Suntech cells [in our research] and incorporate our nanomaterial to improve efficiency,” Dr Jia explained.

A look at Broadband Enhancement in Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells enabled by Nucleated Silver Nanoparticles The paper was co-authored by Xi Chen, Baohua Jia, Jhantu K. Saha, Boyuan Cai, Nicholas Stokes, Qi Qiao, Yongqian Wang, Zhengrong Shi and Min Gu. It proposes a novel idea of using nucleated silver nanoparticles to effectively scatter light in a broadband wavelength range to realise pronounced absorption enhancement in the silicon absorbing layer. The solar cells incorporated with 200 nm nucleated silver nanoparticles at 10% coverage density demonstrate a broadband absorption enhancement and 14.3% enhancement in the short-circuit photocurrent density and a 23% enhancement in the energy conversion efficiency, compared with the randomly textured reference cells without nanoparticles … well up on the highest achieved efficiency of 8.1%.

“This initiative is promising and I am confident that in five years we will have a new type of solar cell.”

Suntech has expressed an interest in investing in a Victorian based plant to bring the NanoPlas solar cells to market. The first stage of the research program was to be the two years from 2010 spent on research and development and technical validation; the second stage for the three years from 2012 to build up a pilot production line and validate technology on standard procedure; that is transfer direction to production. “The original plan was to develop a plant in Victoria but it depends on the industry,” Dr Jia said. “We are currently in the process of trying to attract external grants to establish the pilot production line. This involves identifying local partners and collaborating with them, and our business manager is in the process of exploring funding opportunities.” Dedication mixed with pride and enthusiasm seem to be hallmarks of those engaged in solar research and Dr Jia is no exception, commenting on the “Very, very exciting prospects for the new nano particle we have developed.” ‘Nano’ may be microscopic, but stay tuned for gargantuan advances. For more information visit www.vsasf.com and www.suntech-power.com

Dr Zhengrong Shi (left) of Suntech with Professor Min Gu 32 | WINTER 2012

Electrifying ideas.

nsw

By Noel Barton, Branch President Recent speakers at our regular series of information evenings have been Alistair Sproul from NSW who in April addressed the topic Low energy buildings and PV; Paul Dastoor from the University of Newcastle (May, The potential for an organic solar PV industry in Australia) and Muriel Watt from APVA (June, The Australian PV market and the meaning of grid parity). These events are held on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the inner city campus of UTS, and typically attract up to 40 participants. In July Nigel Morris of Solar Business Services presents an address on The Australian solar industry; an independent analyst’s view on 2012 and beyond. Other guest speakers are Keryn Hassall of Carbon Capability and Blair Pester of Winaico. Details are to be determined. A feature of these AuSES Branch meetings is a ten-minute ‘Future Directions’ segment presented by someone at the start of their solar career. Recent speakers have included James Cox and Jonathon Dore. We continue our collaboration with the Alternative Technology Association (Sydney Central Branch), which meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Their speakers have been Wolfgang Spranz (April, Energy efficient windows), Jacinta Green (May, Understanding coal seam gas in your neighbourhood) and David Kennedy (June, Solar heating and cooling). We are staging an Ancillary Event on Sustainable House Day (Sunday, 9 September 2012). This will take the same format as last year in that we will hire a hall and feature details of five or six sustainable houses, together with presentations by the householders. Several companies that provide services to sustainable houses will also participate to present insights. For more information about AuSES activities in NSW, email Noel Barton: barton.sunoba@gmail.com or at nswbranch@auses.org.au Phone: Matt Scaddan 0402 979 958

We develop new ground-breaking products from brilliant ideas. With knowledge, guts and technical creativity we make today, what will lead the way tomorrow.

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AuSES Branch contact details Contact the following Branch Presidents for more information about AuSES activities in your state:

WA: Ishaan Khanna, email ishaankhanna@hotmail.com or wa@auses.org.au

Victoria: Dale Brown; email VICBranch@auses.org.au Queensland: Antony Sachs, email QLDbranch@auses.org.au phone: 0407 121 321

ACT: Jeff Knowles, email ACT@auses.org.au or phone: 0416 960 939 Tasmania: Matthew Pettit, email matthew.pettit@bigpond.com phone: 0406 481 283

SA: Stewart Martin, email stewart.martin@unisa.edu.au NT: Prof Jai Singh, email Jai.Singh@cdu.edu.au or NTbranch@auses.org.au

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Solar community

Sun shines on Colac Last year more than 100 households in the wider Colac region formed a collective and converted to solar power in time to take advantage of the premium feed-in tariff. Solar Progress talked to Virginia Wallace who drove the community initiative. By Nicola Card

One industrious person, one progressive idea, widespread interest and voila! – one small Victorian township boasts 318kW of solar power and slashes greenhouse gases by 530 tonnes annually. Legal eagle Virginia Wallace says she has “no particular sustainability skills” but clearly bucket loads of enthusiasm and passion. And that, she says, was all that was needed to develop The Colac Otway Sustainability Bulk Buy Group. To kick start the process Wallace approached the local shire but this proved less than encouraging, she says as “They tend to see the pitfalls such as the potential for people suing, and worry about the time and cost; however they did offer the use of a meeting facility and promoted the event on their website.” To garner greater interest Wallace posted notices in shops and circulated a media release which gained local media coverage; all up she estimates it took a month to get to first base. “That was back in November 2010 when we started out with just 35 interested households. We charged them $10 per household to attend a meeting and this covered only some of the attendance cost of well known Warrnambool environmentalist Peter Reefman … so while I brought energy to it he came into it with generosity of spirit.”

buying group were pretty well educated as to what sort of PV system was right for them. They had calculated what size system was necessary which turned out to be around 3.2 kW, slightly above the average residential capacity. “Interest in inverters was toward the better quality German models … eight in ten participants opted for SMA. That said the rush on SMA resulted in us having to source some from local suppliers rather than all direct from Germany as we normally do.” Over the subsequent two months Solargain was kept busy installing more than 10 systems a week, 1700 panels all up, in a bid to meet the June 30 deadline. “All sites were inspected for safety, as is necessary for all SGU ie small generation unit installs, and presented with a certificate of electrical safety,” said Novak.

Pulling power of a community As word spread so did interest and the number of meetings staged, and by February 2011 enough had expressing serious interest to warrant taking the next step, says Wallace. “Up front we had up more than 160 EOIs which resulted in 108 taking up the offer – mostly householders with a sprinkling of farmers and community organisations – and that was enough to give us confidence to go to tender. “Of the 20 solar companies we approached, 15 responded and Perth based Solargain was selected on the basis it was large entity that was unlikely to run out of stock.” Appointed in March, Solargain was charged with the task of installing all Round one solar PV systems by June 30 2011. In which they succeeded. Solar Progress talked to Solargain’s Peter Novak who oversaw installation and remarked on how well informed the community was. “We visited each of the sites and presented customers with options for panels and inverters and it was evident that as a result of the information presented by Peter Reefman and Virginia, people in the

34 | WINTER 2012

Above: Virginia Wallace with Peter Novak (seated) and Peter Reefman signing the Memorandum of Understanding between Peter Novak and the Colac Otway Sustainability Group. Opposite: (Top) Peter Novak announcing Solargain donation of a 1.5kw system to a local school. (Below) A PV system installed in the Colac Otway area.

She also commented that part of the success in the Colac community program – other than a desire to be more ‘green’ and reduce carbon emissions – can be attributed to the appeal of a reduction in electricity bills. “People around here are quite practical and cost conscious, and the prospect of lower feed-in tariffs [that were looming] helped speed decisions. The landscape was fast changing and timing was critical due to the government multiplier reduction on June 30 2011.”

The next steps Interest dropped off somewhat in the second round of Solar PV installations due to the winding back of premium FiTs. “Yet the cost of solar installations was only slightly higher due to reductions in the Federal Government rebates, and these were mitigated by the strong Australian dollar and reduction in panel prices,” Wallace said. “But the revised landscape benefits businesses which use more power during the day – so there are opportunities there, and disincentives for buying power from grid.” Wallace is currently busy encouraging business to convert to solar power, co-sponsoring a sustainability award, and staging a solar hot water bulk buy program. Colac Otway was a finalist in the 2011 Keep Australia Beautiful Awards in the Energy Efficiency category, she proudly reported. Those who have recently visited the small yet proud and tidy rural township might agree it is deserving of a win.

Seeing the light

Results Round one of the Solar PV program resulted in 318kW capacity being installed in the Colac Otway region, each year saving 530 tonnes of greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere. Novak believes it would be tough duplicating such a successful collective in city environs. “City dwellers do not know their community as well, group loyalty is not so strong and they tend to have a more competitive spirit … and are less likely to get involved in bulk buying groups.” Group founder Wallace concurs, saying “There is more noise and activity in the city and groups are tougher to target. In the country people know each other better and word spreads. And liaising with school communities makes good sense; there are opportunities for fund raising and more.”

Two generations of Cuthbertsons benefitted from the bulk-buying deal. Brian Cuthbertson says since installing a SolarKing smart meter in September last year he has not received one power bill from his utility, and estimates he has generated around $700 worth of power, although in the depths of winter he and wife Pam naturally draw more power from the grid to power their household appliances. “We have a smaller 1.5 kW system and it was running at its peak in summer, it's very efficient, as is our solar hot water system. They start working at the crack of dawn and are still generating power until eight at night in summer,” Brian enthused. “One of the best things was tapping into the premium feed-in tariff of 66 cents per kWh, which enables us to sell power back to the utility.” Costing about $3500 – an extra $500 had to be spent on roof brackets for better orientation – pay-back is estimated at five years. Brian and Pam’s son James and his partner Kirsty also installed a solar PV system at their property on the outskirts of Colac.

SolarProgress | 35

Tech Talk

Lifting solar standards In recent weeks Glen Morris has been around the country at AuSES workshops presenting insights to solar installers on the updated standards AS/NZS 5033:2012. Here he itemises the key changes. This is the second edition of AS/NZS 5033 to be released. The original, which was published in 2005, was the first comprehensive standard in the world that covered PV arrays. Since then much has changed both in our understanding of the safety and performance issues of PV systems and the sheer number of systems installed. We have also moved from largely ELV (<120VDC) off-grid systems to LV(>120 VDC) on-grid systems operating at ever higher DC voltages. Many of the changes made in the

Fast move The new standards require rooftop isolators in all states. When Glen mentioned this at the Brisbane workshop there was “a loud groan from the audience, with some complaining that plastic boxes on roofs wouldn't last in the Queensland sun”. The following day Glen received this photo from an installer who, on arriving home after the AuSES workshop, designed a stainless steel protective cover and quickly located a Sydney company which could mass produce the cover for just $33 a piece. An order was immediately placed for 2000 protective covers. All in just 24 hours!

36 | WINTER 2012

updated standards address the safety concerns that have come to light during the intervening seven years.

Some of the major changes seen in AS/NZS 5033: 2012 are: • 600 VDC limit for domestic installations • Bonding to earth of all modules and mounting systems • Earth fault detection by inverters connected to PV arrays • Multiple input inverters and isolation/ overcurrent protection • All LV systems to have “roof-top isolators” • Maximum system voltage calculated based on actual temperature minimum • No polarised breakers in DC cables • HD conduit for all DC cables inside buildings • Connectors must be of the same brand/type both sides of connection • Comprehensive list of compulsory documentation • New commissioning requirements, and • All modules in a string must face the same direction More specifically, the scope of the Standard has been enlarged to cover all DC voltages and any power level for the array. The maximum open circuit voltage for domestic installations (without secured access to the array) will be 600Voc_max. PV array cables run internally through the building must be in heavy duty conduit; or run external to the building in medium duty UV stable conduit. Polarised DC circuit breakers will be banned. The frame and the mounting system of all LV PV arrays will be bonded to earth. String

overcurrent protection, where required in LV arrays, will be on both poles. Modules in the same string shall all face the same direction at the same angle (plus/ minus 5 degrees). DC isolators adjacent to the array for all LV systems (currently only required in some states), though this is not required for microinverters. There are requirements for improved signage and a compulsory user manual with each system. There is a three month transition period from the date of publication (12 July 2012) except for some clauses which rely on the implementation of IEC and EN standards and thus have 12-24 month transition periods. Although the changes will increase the time taken to install PV systems (hence push up costs a bit), in the writer’s opinion this is preferable to having the industry fall from public favour due to perceived safety and performance concerns of PV systems.

AuSES programs

AuSES updates and initiatives

In mid July AuSES staged workshops around the country to bring AuSES members up to date on newly updated PV installation standards and two innovative programs being launched by the society. The new AS/NZS 5033:2012 AS/NZS 5033:2012 INSTALLATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) ARRAYS The newly updated Australian Standards AS/NZS 5033 came into effect from July 2012. To help spread the word, AuSES staged workshops around the country which attracted great interest among several hundred solar installers. Leading the presentation was Glen Morris, who was involved in the committee that was instrumental in shaping the standards. A full copy of AS/NZS 5033:2012 is available through www.auses.org.au/shop/AS5033-2012

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and lends consumer confidence by showcasing the top tier of competent solar professionals. Designed by AuSES staff, SBP is recommended for companies with an interest in safe solar installations, high performance and a commitment to improvements. For convenience and ease of access, specialists can tap into online training modules and complete accreditation training modules in their own time. Other features include a simple sign-up process and company compliance checks and periodic training updates and audits, also receipt of the Quality Best Practice branding promotional material as a stamp of authority for customers. For more information visit www.auses.org.au SolarProgress | 37

Industry perspective

Are we there yet? With a finger on the solar pulse, consultant Nigel Morris of Solar Business Services looks at market dynamics and concludes there is room for guarded optimism.

During the past two decades in solar I can recall being so excited about where the solar industry has got to, that I could barely sleep. And it happened again recently. Recent events in two key solar markets have got me all worked up again and wondering, are we finally “there”? In 2010, with a 60 cent Gross Feed-in Tariff available, New South Wales managed to stimulate around 375MW of solar installations in around 10 months, which at the time was unparalleled. It was estimated that on “Solar Tuesday” when the scheme was abruptly halted, around 75MW of applications were received in a single night. Yet in Queensland with the swish of a pen, Premier Campbell Newman set a new record this year with an estimated 350MW of new applications in the final 13 days of their 44 cent Net FiT scheme. Broadly speaking, it means that despite the fact that in NSW your annual revenue was around five times higher (from the gross 60 cent scheme), Queensland still managed to get 27 times more applications. Of course, PV prices have fallen and competition is intense but balancing that out we have a lower STC price and 2 times less multiplier; so NET prices to consumers are not dissimilar. The other fascinating thing that is happening is that despite the fact that New South Wales has (virtually) no export tariff at all, demand is slowly but surely coming back. Although it’s a long way from the heady days of 30MW/ month, in June this year the market registered almost 17MW after hovering around 7-8MW per month since the scheme ended. So despite the fact that the economic proposition for exports in New South Wales is the worst in Australia, it seems consumers are once again starting to rationalise the purchase of solar PV. Therein lies the reason I was tossing and turning; the underlying demand from two key

38 | WINTER 2012

markets is providing us with un-mistakable signals about “socket parity”. And we haven’t even got started on commercial PV. There is no doubt that solar consumers are as fickle as any other and can be tempted to act in droves – or not – by an array of market signals. A case in point is the TV news coverage on the final evening of Queensland’s scheme, which sent a number of solar company call centres into overload. A bit of mass market prompting from a “credible” source such as the evening news and suddenly the light bulb went on for a bunch of consumers. Equally, I am hearing stories that when the multiplier dropped from 3 to 2 on June 30 2012, the phones just stopped ringing in many solar companies. While wanting to save around $750 on a 1.5kW system is a logical reaction, over the system’s life I would argue that this is largely an emotional market reaction driven by marketing rather than an astute financial reaction. A slightly larger system at lower dollars per watt, along with a better deal on export tariffs or installing some energy efficient appliances is likely to provide a better 10 year proposition. But we are emotional creatures. As tremendously exciting as this is, we remain in a precarious position. A proportion of all the demand in our states is now lag from previous schemes, so measuring real, new demand is increasingly difficult. The RET is under threat, the multiplier that was responsible for June’s surge is now gone and foreign exchange rates are 10% lower than six months ago. And perhaps most importantly, there is a very strong possibility that by the end of 2012

“Consumers are [again] starting to rationalise the purchase of solar PV … it is clear that it’s time to become far more bullish … Our industry has a momentum and a competitive force that is now building like a snowball and there are more signs than ever that it will grow stronger not weaker.” Australia’s installed capacity of solar PV may exceed 2GW - around 4% of Australia’s stationary generation capacity. On a clear, sunny day that’s quickly becoming a material chunk of lost coal fired revenue that a lot of people don’t and won’t forgo without a fight. The rug could quite easily be pulled from under us. Despite this I must admit that after many years of building solar industry forecasts based on sound facts then multiplying it up, testing it against logic and multiplying it up again, it is clear that it’s time to become far more bullish. We have a massive transition to make if we are to avoid a mess in the energy sector, assuming solar PV growth rates continue unabated. Programs such as Horizon Energy’s needs based, incentivised FiTs are important to monitor. This is one methodology that could provide a clear guide for the deployment of PV where its merits are most valuable, and valued. Our industry has a momentum and a competitive force that is now building like a snowball and there are more signs than ever that it will grow stronger not weaker. www.solarbusiness.com.au

Solar forecasting: a mug’s game Forecasting the future of renewable energy is a notoriously difficult business, says Wayne Smith of Clean Economy Services. The World Bank estimated in 1996 that China would install half a gigawatt (500 megawatts) of solar PV by 2020. China reached 900 megawatts by 2010, and is now committed to installing 21 gigawatts (GW) by 2015. The Australian Treasury’s carbon price modelling estimated that around 9 GW of solar would be installed in Australia by 2050, but it is likely that 2.5 GW will be installed by the end of 2012 and on current forecasts we could reach 9 GW of rooftop solar alone before 2020. Economic modelling undertaken by MMA for the Australian Government in 2009 on The Benefits and Costs of the Expanded Renewable Energy Target predicted geothermal energy would deliver 10,000 GW hours of electricity by 2020 (one quarter of the Renewable Energy Target). Solar PV did not figure at all. The three examples have one thing in common – they have seriously underestimated the uptake of PV and, in doing so, have missed some significant energy market and public policy trends. Both Australian and global studies have failed to predict the massive reduction in the cost of solar modules resulting from the shift of manufacturing to China. They failed to see the Chinese Government’s strategic play in positioning the country to be the global leader in the clean energy revolution. The Australian reports, in particular, failed to recognise the popularity of solar, with Australians fervently adopting solar power both as a form of personal action on climate change and as protection against soaring electricity costs. Commensurately, they failed to foresee the desire of politicians from all political parties to capture that enthusiasm through generous solar support programs. Given the many forecasting errors of the past, it is a dangerous game to make further predictions, but that task is critical in thinking through what energy policy should look like over the next two decades. It is particularly important in considering what, if any, shape the Renewable Energy Target should take in 2020 and 2030.

The contrast between the 2009 MMA report and a 2012 report by the Australian Energy Market Operator, Rooftop PV Information Paper, could not be starker. Where PV failed to register in the MMA report, AEMO is now predicting that rooftop solar could deliver 8 GW of electricity to the National Electricity Market by 2020 and 16 GW by 2030. The AEMO report provides high, medium and low uptake scenarios, but even the high uptake scenario is limited and based on some conservative assumptions. The AEMO projections only cover the National Energy Market, thus excluding the rapidly growing South West Integrated System (SWIS) and regional WA. The figures only relate to rooftop solar and do not cover solar farms. The AEMO report does not include assumptions on the use of battery storage, or the combination of PV and electric vehicles, which are likely to be major trends over the next decade. Already, the AEMO report appears conservative. It states “rooftop PV uptake is expected to be relatively restrained to 2017 (averaging 320 MW per year for the moderate scenario)”. It is likely more than one GW will be installed in 2012, and there is no reason to believe demand will drop by a third in coming years with rising electricity prices. There is, unfortunately, a lack of public data on projections for WA’s SWIS and other non-NEM markets. The demand for energy is growing faster in the Mid West and Pilbara regions than in any other part of Australia, and that trend is likely to continue in the immediate future. Given these regions boast some of the best solar resource in the world, and high gas prices, it is not unreasonable to assume the solar market will grow rapidly off a low base. Interestingly, Solar Business Services has estimated Australia’s total cumulative PV production – including the NEM, SWIS, offgrid, residential, commercial and large-scale – could reach 28 gigawatts by 2030.

There is some pessimism, however, regarding the growth of large-scale PV in Australia. The APVA report Modelling of Large-Scale PV Systems in Australia, released in November 2011, argues “while residential and commercial PV applications may be approaching, or are at, the point of grid parity, a significant feasibility gap remains for large scale PV”. The report notes even with carbon pricing, additional government assistance will still be required over the next decade or so. Large-scale solar thermal has similarly taken its time finding its feet in Australia. Solar thermal has struggled to compete with PV on price and the trend globally is for Big Solar projects to choose PV rather than solar thermal. That trend may ease up as the cost of solar thermal comes down. The Australian Solar Institute report Realising the Potential of Concentrating Solar Power in Australia, written by IT Power, found concentrating solar power could realistically provide 2 gigawatts by 2020 and 10 gigawatts by 2030. The PV and solar thermal reports point to the importance of consistency in government policy in providing a safe and secure investment environment. That is a strong argument for the maintenance of the Renewable Energy Target, carbon pricing and the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Looking to 2030, and based on recent projections, it is not unreasonable to assume that 28 GW of PV and 10 GW of solar thermal could be installed in Australia. Australia’s Renewable Energy Target is 45,000 GW hours of renewable energy in 2020. The figure flatlines to deliver the same level (45,000 GWh) in 2030. These projections suggest solar will provide a massive proportion of that figure, and provide an argument for significantly increasing, and extending, Australia’s 2030 Renewable Energy Target. The projection of 36 GW of solar by 2030 is worth storing away, to bring out again in later years as a way of embarrassing this author. SolarProgress | 39

Developments

Speed rating:

Three-minute Solar Thesis Challenge In mid July The Australian Solar Institute presented a novel twist on speed dating by staging a three-minute Solar Thesis Challenge. The mission for eager students from ASI's Skills Development Program was to explain in 180 seconds or less why they should be selected for a PhD, Post Doctoral or a People’s Choice Award. The event took place in Canberra at the ANU during ASI’s Knowledge Sharing Series which provides information on research highlights and workshops with a focus on overcoming the key barriers to solar. Among the presenters were well known solar identities Dr Keith Lovegrove and CSIRO’s Wes Stein. All up 11 post-graduates bravely fronted the line-up of judges, who were also under pressure to fast make a determination on the relative merits of the presentations.

And the winners are … With a presentation on polycrystalline silicon solar cells on glass formed by diode laser annealing, Jonathan Dore from UNSW took out the PhD category and the overall People’s Choice award. Jonothan’s mission is to increase the efficiency of thin-film crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules by improving the silicon quality via a new laser crystallisation process. The Postdoctoral Fellow category was snapped up by Kean Yap from Charles Darwin University won for his presentation on ways to optimise hybrid solar-diesel systems in remote areas using smart grids. “In a fun format of three slides and three minutes only, the earlycareer researchers worked to convince a panel of eminent solar researchers, and the audience, of their project’s significance,” ASI Executive Director Mark Twidell said. During the event Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson announced $1.3 million in new funding for two ASI PhD scholars and five ASI Postdoctoral fellows, a move described by Twidell as “a win for the specific projects and teams they are part of”. “The Program helps to ensure there is a supply of new talent coming up through the ranks to maintain Australia’s reputation for world-class solar innovations,” he said. For more information: www.australiansolarinstitute.com.au As tremendously exciting as this is, we remain in a precarious position. A proportion of all the demand in our states is now lag from previous schemes, so measuring real, new demand is increasingly difficult. The RET is under threat, the multiplier that was responsible for June’s surge is now gone and foreign exchange rates are 10% lower than six months ago. 40 | WINTER 2012

David Rogers and Scott Ferguson

Solpac: Products for solar professionals

David Rogers and Scott Ferguson are well established in the PV solar industry, with both operating as CEC (Clean Energy Council) electricians for many years. In that time they have witnessed many changes in the industry, particularly in the field of electrical requirements for solar installations. “What took up most of our time while installing and managing thousands of installs was that we couldn’t get all the products required at one place. We had to have and manage accounts from over five different suppliers to maintain the install standards,” they said. It was this situation that spurred the duo to form their own company, Solpac, which they say sources the finest local and overseas solar components quickly and cost-effectively and delivers every necessary electrical component all in one box to solar retailers and installers. In their words: WHY CHOOSE SOLPAC The beauty of Solpac is that we’ve done all the work for you so you don’t have to. We’ve done the research, built the relationships, obtained the products and packaged it all up. All you need to do is place an order online – how easy is that! When you choose Solpac, you are choosing the smartest, most simplified way to source high-quality solar components. Put simply, we’ve created a one-stop shop – in a box! THE SOLPAC PACK: TECH SPECS Our isolators are high-quality European DC isolators with all four poles offering 1000 volts each. This has been one of the largest changes in the industry and has seen an end to 2 pole and 4 pole polarity-sensitive circuit breakers. Sheathed corrugated conduit eliminates the problem of UV-accelerated breakdown that occurs with standard corrugated conduit. The extra sleeve of the corrugation protects the conduit from UV radiation better than any other existing solution. Solpac also continues to explore the industry to source the highest-grade solar label kits, while performing ongoing checks and research into the requirements laid out by each state electrical regulator. Our solar label kits are made from the highest-quality traffolyte – the longest-lasting label on the Australian market. These are made locally in Victoria. Our DC cable is fully compliant with all current regulations, offering a separate double-insulated dual core labelled to CEC requirements. The MC4 leads and plugs conform to TUV standard. Other items in the box include AC isolators, corrugated adaptors and nylon glands. For a full list of Solpac products visit www.solpac.com.au

For a full list of all of our products visit us at www.solpac.com.au

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Industry Comment “In a carbon and water challenged world we are part of the solution – in partnership with the sun.”

Solar directions Solar Progress chatted to the welltravelled Anthony Coles of Solco whose goals are to influence the uptake of renewable energy in Australia, and for alternative energy solutions to be mainstream by the end of the decade. By Nicola Card Anthony Coles is not alone in his view that Australia’s residential solar market is somewhat influenced by legislation. He also notes that while much of the 800MW installed last year was residential, in the past few months there has been a big shift toward small commercial systems. Commercial as a definition in this sense simply means a bigger system, and Solco itself has successfully secured a contract to install grid connected photovoltaic (PV) systems on a range of buildings operated by the Parkes Shire Council in NSW. All up a total solar generation capacity of up to 250kW will be installed across several buildings. According to Anthony Coles, many councils are now looking at means of offsetting their own electricity consumption and turning to solar power. “The Parkes Shire Council chose to look at the maths in terms of their broader sustainability agenda and funded the system themselves,” he said. “People who want to produce their own power are doing the maths on a PV installation and finding the rates of return are looking better and better. And in this industry when you have got ownership of a building or a large roof area, solar power numbers look very appealing, especially when you can offset costs with your own generation.” He added that trust is always an important factor and that “part of the difficulty facing the solar industry has been the boom and bust cycle … there have been many new entrants who [consumers] are not sure about and many players have moved on or disappeared.” The solar market at present he says is relatively immature and up against some well established power generators – namely coal and gas and distribution companies and retailers. “The renewable sector has a big job to do to but I think we have public sentiment on our side and the drive to solar power has got some good traction and industry support.” 42 | WINTER 2012

With a background in the dot com digital media space, Coles likens the current solar scene to the pre-iPhone [smart phone] era, saying a few things need to line up before renewable energy becomes mainstream. “Lots has already been achieved, it is true, but we are not yet part of the broader market psyche. In a sense we are still at the stage of Motorola or Nokia!” With an eye on the future, Solco has joined forces with AuSES in various programs and was a key sponsor of the recent Best Practice Workshops. “AuSES has stepped into its role as a leading voice for PV sector, but our greatest asset is the connection we as an industry have with the community; Australia's colloquial culture supports the independently minded and that goes for [solar] energy contributors.”

Anthony Coles of Solco

Anthony Coles joined listed company Solco Ltd (ASX:SOO) in a General Management role in November 2011, and was appointed CEO in April 2012. His mission is to help reshape the market in a post-rebate solar energy world. Back in 1997 Anthony established one of Australia's first Digital Agencies which by 2001 had been ranked in the Top 10 in Australia. With over 20 years’ trading, Solco Solar Products is a wholesaler of solar energy systems: batteries, inverters, panels, frames, regulators and DCs and supplies a broad range of customers. The company tagline caught our eye: “In a carbon and water challenged world we are part of the solution - in partnership with the sun.” www.solco.com.au 1800 074 007

Are your customers

GIVING AWAY SOLAR POWER

????????????????? Sunsink Solar Storage uses the

Owner and director of Si Clean Energy, Peter Bulanyi

Si Clean Energy (Si) Si Clean Energy (Si) sponsored the recent AuSES Best Practice training workshops. Si firmly believes that it is only by constant improvement and technical innovation that the solar industry can evolve and mature. The PV industry is a high tech business that historically has experienced rapid change and is one that attracts the archetypal “new adopter”. During the past twenty or so years much has changed in the way that we install PV. Those who have been active in the industry since the early days often cringe at how we used to perform our installations. At the time however, the installs were done according to the current best practice, and the fact is that we just didn’t know any better. Much of what is known now comes from the early experimentation, perseverance and pioneering hard work. The beautiful thing about the PV business is that for a tradesman it presents the opportunity to remain forever young. This trade has never stood still and it never will. There is so much more to discover and learn, and the opportunity exists for each and every one of us to participate, contribute and push the technical envelope to places we can’t even yet imagine. INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICE Best Practice as applied to the PV industry is a way of thinking that is a must for both individuals and the collective. It is a mindset that everyone who is active in the industry should be naturally attracted to. For tradesmen it goes without saying, for operations managers it is essential, and for company executives who look for risk mitigation, it is mandatory. The latest Best Practice lectures provided by AuSES are of tremendous value to the industry and continue a tradition of many decades of service. Si Clean Energy is proud to sponsor the workshops and make this invaluable information available to all participants across Australia. Much has been learned, shared, and discussed that will assist in making the business of PV installation faster, more efficient, more reliable and, most importantly, safer. Si Clean Energy was pleased to be involved at each workshop in the knowledge that Best Practice is the single most important thing that the industry can undertake as it moves towards a time when PV is entrenched as the mainstream electrical technology and no longer considered the alternative. www.sicleanenergy.com.au

latest battery technology to collect and store solar PV energy for use when it is most benificial to the system owner. Sun Sink units can deliver power at times when grid power is at it’s highest price. The system comes complete with five years warranty and a full service scheme for the life of the unit. Future-proof design ensures the unit can adapt to future grid demand applications. The units are small, efficient and SAFE. Available sizes: Sunsink Mini 2.4 KWh (suits 1.0-1.5kw of PV) Sunsink Midi 4.8 KWh (suits 1.5- 2.2kw of PV) Sunsink Maxi 7.2 KWh (suits 2.2-3.0kw of PV) Sunsink Mega 9.6 KWh (suits 2.5-4.0kw of PV) Size selection will depend on daytime usage, refer our website for further sizing data.

www.SUNSINK.com.au

Cheap, Clean Power To The Grid

“at the right place and at the right time” Orders, Distributor and Agent Enquiries to: VULCAN ENERGY Pty Ltd 29-45 Ashmore Road Bundall Qld. 4217. Tel. 07 55 935553 Fax. 07 55 267447 email. sales@vulcanenergy.com.au Web. griddemand.com.au

Solar Products & Services

Design Developments In this section we take a look at solar products, services and developments in the fast moving world of solar energy.

RA Power Group’s

new website

RA Power Group recently launched its new, customer-centric website which introduced the RADvantage customer loyalty and support program. This is the group’s promise to provide best-in-class quality products, excellent levels of customer service and support, while continuing to source full turnkey service options that add value to their products and services. “The results of our new website launch, and the RADvantage program have been amazing and the customer feedback has been very positive,” said George Dion, CEO. “Our new look website is geared to be a solar hub of information relevant to the solar market as well as a portal to our quality range of products.” Members of the RAdvantage Program enable RA Power Group’s customers to experience the full turnkey service which includes the latest industry news and solar power analysis information through to marketing and point of sale support.

RA Power Group CEO George Dion “We want to work closely with our customers to achieved shared goals” says George when asked about the Advantage program. “By sharing our skill sets and industry knowledge with our clients we believe we are developing mutually beneficial relationships with our customers, we they grow, we grow, let’s work together.” The Australian distributor and supplier of photovoltaic panels, inverters and racking equipment, attributes its success to customer guarantee and focus on “providing excellent levels of customer service”. “We believe in working ‘with’ and ‘for’ our customers, and building professional relationships that will foster growth for our business and theirs; we believe in delivering on our promises; we believe in providing value and competitive prices for all our products and services,” says George Dion. For more information contact Ben Marquis on 1300 850 904

REFUsol HIGH-EFFICIENCY SOLAR INVERTERS AND INNOVATIVE MONITORING TOOLS Solar inverter manufacturer REFUsol showcased its 5kW, 10kW and 20kW inverters and innovative accessories for monitoring PV systems at the recent Clean Energy Council Week. With a rated AC power of 19.2kW, the compact inverter REFUsol 020K can be smoothly integrated into solar installations to help them reach maximum output. The inverter belongs to the 8-20kW series that is specifically made for rooftop systems and solar parks, from 8kW up to multi-megawatts. Featuring excellent MPP-tracking and a wide input voltage range of up to 380 to 850V, the solar inverter reaches a peak efficiency of up to 98.2 per cent, even at a low irradiation level. Based on this high efficiency, heat is dissipated by convection cooling. Thanks to the low voltage fluctuations against earth, the transformerless device can also be used for numerous thin film modules. 44 | WINTER 2012

The company also displayed its newly revised monitoring tool REFUlog. The web based portal is available in a basic and a pro version and supports operators in controlling and analysing the efficiency of PV plants. Due to the optimised email reports, the monitoring of PV installations has become even simpler – as the display of additional parameters as well as new export functions also were added. Moreover, the statistic functions in the basic, and even more comprehensively in the pro version, were optimised. Further additions to the portal will follow soon. In the course of the makeover, the REFUlog app has been updated. It now includes tabular statistics and a user-friendly view in landscape format for charts and graphics. Specific sorting and filtering configurations as well as current values per plant and solar inverter can be displayed. www.refusol.com

A mighty 10MW of PV inverters

Sungrow Sungrow Power Supply which claims to be the largest Asian producer of inverters recently announced the successful connection of 10MW of PV inverters to the grid for 15 roof top projects in Belgium, the biggest of which is a 4.2MW rooftop featuring 267 units of Sungrow inverters. All the 10MW PV inverters are Sungrow’s newly developed SG15KTL, which is a transformerless inverter with higher efficiency. Its aluminum housing makes it very compact, robust and light in weight. The direct plug-in terminal port provides easy, safe and reliable cable connection under any circumstances. It obtained the TüV, Enel-GUIDA,AS4777, G83/1,G59/2 certification and is ideally suited for the project and fits perfect in the European solar market. Recently SG15KTL was tested by Photon and awarded with A degree.

The project highlights the growing success of PV panels in rooftop and wall mounting installations. It demonstrates one of solar PV’s key strengths: the ability to be deployed on rooftops and on walls, large and small, anywhere in the world. Once again, it reflects the large “Sungrow “recognition by European clients, especially in a climate of FiT cuts. Sungrow’s high quality, prompt service, low-cost inverter will bring more and more benefits to overseas clients. With over 150MW operational systems, one of the Belgium’s largest solar project developers in Invictus, which partnered with Sungrow on the successful installation of solar systems in Europe. Cao Renxian who is CEO of Sungrow said "Even during this European financial crisis, Sungrow is ready to provide cost-effective, large-scale solutions for electricity generation." Founded in February 2007, Invictus presents itself not only as a turnkey operator, but also as a specialized developer of solar projects through investment funds. The complementary operations together with the TEC Servicegroup and their combined expertise, enable Invictus to provide customers with the best technical solutions and service in solar power plant installation. www.sungrow.com.au

Prompt supply from Victoria Warehouse

Industry intelligence

Beyond the laboratory: delivering results for the Australian solar industry By Warwick Johnston of SunWiz

Australia is internationally renowned for its solar research. Often overlooked, however, are Australian discoveries of more immediate commercial importance. While the word ‘research’ may conjure up images of professors in lab coats researching exotic paint-on nano-solar materials, a large amount of research supports the immediate commercial development of the Australian solar industry. This research happens at the desktop rather than the laboratory, and solar companies are wise to pay attention to this desktop research, for it often identifies gold nuggets: emerging market opportunities. At a national level, desktop solar research is proving influential in shaping national debate. Research into the potential for Australia’s electricity needs to be met by 100% renewable energy has been performed by both the Melbourne Energy Institute and the University of New South Wales’ (UNSW) Institute for Environmental Markets. These studies have had significant influence, for the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has since been charged with expanding their planning scenarios to include further consideration of energy market and transmission planning implications of moving towards 100% renewable energy. Perhaps more than any other organisation, AEMO’s opinions count in the realm of Australian energy. Beyond the impressive results of the UNSW laboratory, its Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets (CEEM) puts out a large volume of highly sophisticated research. This includes weather forecasting for solar, assessing the impacts of high-penetration PV, reducing the costs of solar grid integration, merit order effects, and other broader market impacts of renewable energy. This research helps to dispel fears held by electricity distributors, while preparing the energy market for the arrival of a disruptive technology. CEEM’s work also 46 | WINTER 2012

contributes to Australia’s participation in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) PV research collaboration.

International perspective Australia contributes to a number of international research collaborations through the IEA Photovoltaic Power System (PVPS) tasks. In a spirit of open sharing of intellectual treasure to support the global advancement of solar power, Australia learns from international experience, while contributing its own insights. One of the foremost issues for Australia’s PV industry is the impact of grid integration, and while colleagues in Austria perform live physical experiments on laboratory microgrids, Australian researchers investigate the experiences of network operators in regions of high-penetration PV. Studies of Carnarvon and Alice Springs have thus far revealed that the actual impacts of solar PV upon the grid are far smaller than network operator’s fears. Australia also participates in IEA-PVPS studies of PV in diesel mini-grids, developing countries, and in Building Integrated PV – thereby developing our expertise in PV applications of relevance to our nation and region. The IEA-PVPS studies are coordinated by the Australian PV Association, which also produces highly-respected studies of its own. As an example, the Clean Energy Council (CEC) commissioned the APVA to identify the most favourable combination of financial-support measures for large-scale PV, which should assist in development of policies that create sustainable benefits for a nascent sector of Australia’s PV industry. This built upon a solar cost model built by the APVA for the Australian Solar Institute (ASI). Work recently initiated relates to the development of business models and regulatory frameworks for a Distributed Energy market and the development of a

climate-based PV module rating scheme, both funded by the ASI. Other APVA research includes annual PV status reports, assessments of the impact of feed-in tariffs upon electricity bills, briefing papers and invaluable submissions to government policy issues papers.

Sunny forecasts Recently, SunWiz and Solar Business Services (SBS) produced a ten-year PV deployment forecast for AEMO, which incorporated this into a glowing 20-year outlook for the PV industry (in strong contrast to that of the Draft Energy White Paper). The two firms also coauthor the CEC’s annual PV report, produce indepth forecasts, and make government policy submissions of their own. Solar PV is gaining the attention of decision makers. But having won recognition, there’s still a battle to be fought for legitimacy. Here desktop research by respected institutions is invaluable in countering vested interests’ arguments against solar, and in re-educating politicians that solar is no longer expensive. Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s insightful graphs illustrating how Australia was leading the way for ‘socket parity’ have helped in this regard, but there is still plenty more work to be done. While advances in solar materials offer exciting prospects for continuing PV cost reductions, influencing the national debate is important for the today’s health of the entire solar industry, and when it comes to competitiveness, improvements in solar business efficiency can far outstrip the impacts of gains in panel efficiency. Tracking market trends and understanding policy interactions can assist smart solar businesses to stay ahead of the wave. SunWiz provides a range of strategic intelligence and advice. www.sunwiz.com.au

Solar conference

AuSES Golden Jubilee AuSES invites all solar specialists to share in its Golden Jubilee celebration When: Thursday December 6 and Friday December 7 2012 Where: Swinburne University in Hawthorn, Victoria AuSES is proud to be hosting the Solar 2012, the organisation’s 50th anniversary event, in early December in Melbourne. This ‘Golden Jubilee’ conference will showcase solar research, and spotlight real solar projects that are delivering cost effective, emissionfree residential and commercial electricity. Being held at Swinburne University on Thursday December 6 and Friday December 7, Solar 2012 will feature a multi-stream format. The new Victoria-Suntech Advanced Solar Facility is co-located near the Swinburne Hawthorn Campus, and it is anticipated that tours of the facility will be on offer. “Australian inventiveness, and our can-do attitude, has proven decisive in many solar breakthroughs," says AuSES CEO John Grimes. “From the pioneering engineers of the CSIRO who helped develop solar hot water, to the Australian National University and our first Institutional Member, the University of New South Wales, Australians continue to be sign posts in world solar activities. “Our universities have trained some of the global solar leaders including executives at SunTech, China Sunenergy, Trina, CSG Solar and Solarfun, among others.”

“Australian graduates continue to lead world's best research departments and projects, and we continue to train the best and brightest in solar and renewable technologies.” John Grimes went on to say that Australian graduates continue to lead world's best research departments and projects, and we continue to train the best and brightest in solar and renewable technologies. “Aussie University staff, researchers and students regularly set global solar photovoltaic efficiency records, achieve revolutionary solar technology breakthroughs, and act as crucibles for world-best solar PV and concentrating thermal technologies. We have also seen leading solar companies and technologies launched in Australia to become international exemplaries, like Areva Solar (formally Ausra) and Dyesol." Included in the Conference Registration fee will be admission to the AuSES Annual Awards Dinner on the night of Thursday December 6, where the annual 'Wal Read' Memorial Awards will be presented to under-graduate and post-graduate students submitting the best academic papers for presentation to the Conference. The Australian PV Association plans to again hold its AGM and provide an additional stream of expert speakers for a sub-programme show-casing its participation as a key member of the International Energy Agency PV Power Systems Programme. An additional programme on Wednesday December 5 will focus on the solar/renewables training professions; enhancing understanding and liaison between TAFE and Secondary educators, installers and industry. Also on offer are excursions to key renewable energy installations within southern and central Victoria, on Saturday December 8. John Grimes said: “This is an exciting time as millions of Australian homes have solar hot water, and solar panels, and in a carbonpriced world, we anticipate more Australians will embrace solar and renewables, improved energy efficiency and sustainability. We expect much more to be achieved during the next three years as the cost of solar falls to record lows. "'Solar 2012', our Golden Jubilee, 50th Annual Conference, will be a celebration of Australia's successes and opportunities. AuSES will continue to show leadership, and to work strongly to create a more efficient, sustainable and less-polluted environment, to encourage world best practice design and installation, and to stand for solar and renewable excellence."

SolarProgress | 47

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AuSES Corporate Members Winter 2012 24 Hour Efficient Energy

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N–Q

Navitus Solar NEOLEC NeuTek Energy Pty Ltd Newkirk Solar Newman Mundy Electrical Pty Ltd NextGen Solutions Nu Energy Oceania Solar Holdings Pty Ltd Orca Solar Lighting PJ Electrical Pure Sun Solar Q-Cells Australia Pty Ltd

R F Industries Pty Ltd Rainbow Power Company Ltd REFUsol Regen Power Pty Ltd Renewable Energy Traders Australia Replenishable Energy Pty Ltd Rescue the Future Pty Ltd Rheem Australia Pty Ltd Riverina Solar Power

Sanyo Oceania Pty Ltd School of PV & RE Engineering, University of New South Wales Schott Australia Pty Ltd Schüco International KG Shamash Australia Pty Ltd Shanghai JA Solar PV Technology Co Ltd SI Clean Energy Pty Ltd SMA Australia Pty Ltd Sola Connections Australia Solahart Solar 360 Pty Ltd Solar Pty Ltd Solar Charge Pty Ltd Solar Choice Solar Depot Pty Ltd Solar Distributors Pty Ltd Solar Energy Australia Group P/L Solar Energy Options Solar Quotes Solar Save

Solar Wise Wagga Pty Ltd SolarHub Solaris Sustainable Homes Solarmatrix Sondase Pty Ltd South Western Technologies SR Energy Pty Ltd Starr Electrics / Solar Choices FNQ Sunburst Solar Pty Ltd Sunpowercorp Sunrain Solar Energy Co Ltd Sunready Pty Ltd Suntech R&D Australia Pty Ltd SunTrix Sustainability Victoria Sustainable Energy Consulting Sustainable Works Pty Ltd

T-Z

TCK Solar Pty Ltd Thomas + Naaz Pty Ltd Todae Solar Trina Solar University of Queensland WINAICO Australia Pty Ltd Wise Earth Pty Ltd York Electrical Service

Advertisers Index Blue Sun Group

22-25

Bosch

EnaSolar Ltd

1 5

Green Energy Trading

IMACA Pty Ltd (Neopower)

Infinity Solar

NHP Electrical

Power Pioneer Group / SUNGROW 17 RA Power

REFUsol

RM Solar & Electrical Pty Ltd

Si Clean Energy

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SMA Australia Pty. Ltd SOLCO

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Solpac Solutions

SunWIZ

Trina Solar Ltd

Urban Group Energy

Vulcan Energy (Solace)

“

At Si Clean Energy, our aim is to facilitate the design, supply, installation and operation of the highest achievable quality, Clean Energy systems.

”

1300 336 737 www.sicleanenergy.com.au wholesaleinfo@sicleanenergy.com.au

CENTRAL INVERTERS

SOLAR PANELS

SHADE ANALYSIS TOOLS

POWER-ONE INVERTERS

ALLSOLUS WIRELESS ENERGY MONITORING

OFF GRID INVERTERS & REGULATORS

Power-One Satcon

Kyocera EGing

Solmetric

Trio Indoor Outdoor

MeterLINK EnviroLINK LiveBase

Selectronic Apollo

SMA Bonus Programme SMA Solar Technology AG has extended its rewards programme to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. The SMA Bonus Programme is available to any person or company that installs SMA inverters for the end customer. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free of charge and easy to register at www.SMA-Bonus.com. Inverters can be registered online or on the go, via the SMA Sunny Dots application for Apple and Android platforms. There is a Sunny Dots QR code on the side of every new SMA string inverter and the installer will receive 10 bonus points per kilowatt of inverter power. There is something for everyone in the Rewards Shop, with gifts beginning at 300 points.