WORLDNEWS House of Lords consider cuts
A SLIM CHANCE remains that the government proposed FiT cuts will not make it past the House of Lords or at least htat is the hope of lobbyists trying to change the plans for large scale PV. Industry bodies told the Lords that proposed Government cuts will have a “significant negative impact” on solar power generation, a Lords Committee report says.
The Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee received submissions from the industry about the Government’s proposed licence modifications which would cut subsidies available to low
carbon electricity generation. The Government wants to cut subsidies available under its Feed-in Tariffs “FITs” scheme, which was introduced last March to encourage small scale low carbon electricity generation.
The scheme is forecast to overspend after demand exceeded expectations and the Department of Energy and Climate Change, which is responsible for the scheme, says that it will overshoot its spending targets unless it reduces FITs funding. The Government also says it wants to cut funding because capital costs associated with solar power
Price drop driving markets
AFTER declining for two consecutive quarters, PV module shipments are set to recover in the second half of 2011, according to IMS Research. Falling PV module prices will be key in demand return in the second half of the year. Weak demand in key markets in early 2011, due to reductions and confusion over incentive levels, has led prices to fall.
Similar to the market response during the period of weak demand in 2009, price declines have further impacted demand causing customers to postpone projects, with the aim of securing lower prices. Developments in the first half of 2011 set up a second half recovery. The most
significant in Germany with lower installations reducing the need for a mid- year FiT review.
“As predicted, module prices have fallen incredibly quickly in the first half of 2011,” commented Sam Wilkinson, senior PV market analyst at IMS Research. “We’ve seen modules from recognised brands being offered for less than $1.45/W. Such reductions in prices, and no FiT reduction in Germany, will make investment in PV attractive, and IMS predicts that this will reignite the German market from Q3’11”.
IMS Research forecasts that PV module shipments will grow sequentially by an
average of 30% in the 3rd and 4th quarter, stimulated by demand from Germany and fast-growing markets. Full year PV module shipments are forecast to pass 23 GW.
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According to IMS Research, strong growth of PV module shipments will stabilise prices in the second half of the year, and will help to deplete the record levels of channel inventory that has built up throughout the supply chain during the first half of 2011.
Channel inventory levels are predicted to return to a more sustainable level (approximately equivalent of one quarter’s production) by the end of the year.
eTap opens first UK solar powered car charging station
TRANSPORT MINISTER Norman Baker is to open the first eTap at CEME in Rainham. eTap is an electric car charging system that combines solar panels with the charging points. The eTap (electricity on tap) consists of 45 solar panels.
These earn an immediate income from the Feed-in Tariff and contribute to the electricity required to charge electric cars. The power from the panels is first routed through a nearby building (where it can be used for free) before being routed to the 6 eVolt electric car chargers (provided by APT Technologies). The eTap has a pay by phone operating system and any excess demand from the chargers will be
met by the National Grid. The eTap is the managed by Use the Sun.
Use The Sun managing director Charles Montlake says the eTap is capable of topping up an electric car's range by about 15 miles for each hour it is plugged in. But there are plans to upgrade the system, enabling it to charge vehicles twice as quickly. According to the eTap website, new electric cars will also be fitted with sat navs that show drivers where the closest pump is, so they will never be stuck for energy.
An Energy Saving Trust spokesman said: “Transport accounts for around 40 per
cent of the UK’s energy consumption, so it’s clear we need to clean up our act on the road. We need to increase the amount of electric vehicles out there is making sure there’s a charging network in place.”
This is an important step towards renewable energy directly powering electric vehicles and it is interesting that this has come from a renewable energy company, rather than an electric car manufacturer or charging company. It will be interesting to see the performance of the eTap and how much ultimately needs to be pulled from the grid. The eTap will be located on campus at the CEME in Rainham.
generation have fallen by about 30% since the scheme was introduced. The Committee says the Department “will wish to learn any lessons” about its planning, given that it wants to change a new scheme so soon after introducing it.
www.solar-pv-uk.com Issue III 2011
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