Solar PV

Where is the smart money going - in the US and worldwide?

US President Obama has been making much of the potential of renewables. He says that “We know that the country that harnesses the power of the clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century” and as part of the US Economic Stimulus package he allocated over USD150 billion over ten years to a range of renewable energy and green energy projects – a tenfold increases on previous levels of departmental support.

China – a greening giant

As the global installed base of renewable electricity generation capacity continues to expand, China is increasing in importance both as a consumer of green technologies, and as an exporter. The world’s biggest manufacturing nation in solar PV cells is increasingly consuming its own output in this area, and China is also ramping up production of wind turbines fast enough to supply half of a colossal domestic demand – and is established as a major exporter too.

The global renewable generation context

Germany Country Profile

The expansion of renewable energy sources in Germany has been an unprecedented success. The country has emerged as Europe’s leader in wind utilisation and biofuel production. Also, despite being geographically positioned with modest solar radiation, Germany has been experiencing a remarkable boom in solar energy. It is the largest solar thermal market in Europe and a major producer and consumer of PV power systems. Over the past few years, the share of total final energy consumption from renewables has more than doubled, standing at 8.6 % in 2007.

Abu Dhabi's renewable city emerges from the sand

In the heart of the Middle East’s oil-rich nations, the small Emirate of Abu Dhabi continues to pin its economic future on renewable and low-carbon technologies. Two years after the announcement of the Masdar Initiative - a clean-tech investment fund, property developer and renewable-energy start-up designed to position Abu Dhabi as a green leader – the government announced that it is setting a goal of 7% of the country's power to come from renewable energy by 2020.

Spain Country Profile

Economic growth spurred by EU membership has driven a large increase in energy consumption in Spain - over 100% since the mid-1970s. The Iberian Peninsula has limited energy resources, so both Spain and Portugal are characterised by a high dependence on oil and gas imports, but also by significant changes in their energy systems. During the past decade, rapid growth and big investments have made Spain the world’s third biggest producer of wind energy, after the US and Germany.

Portugal country profile

Portugal has one of highest levels of sun radiation in Europe and strong winds from the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Portugal also has strong flowing rivers and possibilities for marine energy with ocean waves along 800 kilometres of coastline. Without its own oil, coal or gas, and with no expertise in nuclear power, in recent years the country has taken a clear path towards leading Europe’s clean-tech revolution with some of the most ambitious targets and timetables for renewable energy adoption.

Policy Summary

A trans-continental supergrid

Dr Gregor Czisch from the University of Kassel in Germany claims that a 100% renewable power supply for Europe is possible. In a series of papers and reports he suggests that a programme of renewable energy - largely wind power supported by biomass and existing hydro power for storage and smoothing - can meet the EU's entire future electrical energy needs at cost levels similar to those at present, with the same level of reliability, and without the need for nuclear or fossil fuel.

PV solar: opening up the options

This article examines developments in photovoltaic cell and module technology, with reference to the US government's support programme for the industry, and highlights the likely future direction of an industry that is well-positioned for continued advance and growth.

Edging into solar

A team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) led by, among others, Professor Marc Baldo, has devloped a solar PV concentrator system which uses large glass panes with PV cells round the edges. That way you can have a big collector area but fewer cells. The new technique involves coating glass with a specific mixture of transparent dyes, which redirect light to photovoltaic cells in the frame edge. The technology, outlined in the journal Science, could be used to convert glass buildings into energy generation systems.

Changes to German feed-in tariffs push wind and biomass

The German feed-in tariffs (FITs) for renewable energy have been revised to take account of recent developments in policy, markets and technology. To push wind on harder, in line with Germany's targets for renewables, from 2009 the tariff for electricity from onshore wind farms is to rise from the current 8.03 cents/kWh to 9.2 cents/kWh.

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