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Impax New Energy Investors boosts PV investment in Spain
Company showcase
Denver Museum installs a “Solar System”
SolarPower Restoration ties up with T.Clear
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science has tapped into the Colorado sunshine for a portion of its power needs with the installation of a new 100 kW solar PV system, the largest roof-mounted PV array in the state. The system consists of 465 panels split between roofs on the southeast and southwest wings of the museum, designed to generate an average 134,500 kWh of electricity per year – enough to power 30 homes. The system uses SunPower 215watt solar modules. George Sparks, president and CEO of the museum, said, “we are delighted to be able to offset some of
SolarPower Restoration Systems of California has signed an exclusive global product license agreement with Ohio-based T.Clear Corporation. T.Clear will manufacture and distribute the Solar LG Lightguard and Solar HG Heavyguard protected membrane roof (PMR) insulation panels based on SolarPower SolarSeal Technologies “Surface Overlay” and “Power Island Systems” design. Michael Gumm, CEO of SolarPower Restoration, said, “Solar PV modules get hot. So by placing the T.Clear Solar LG Lightguard and Solar HG Heavyguard PMR insulation panels
World’s first “eco-labelled” fuel Responding to the food for fuel controversy, a new label promotes sustainable fuel. Claimed as a world first, the “Nordic Ecolabel” is given to ethanol, biodiesel, biogas and/or a mixture. Grains are not accepted as a raw material. Ragnar Unge, CEO, Nordic Ecolabel in Stockholm, said, ”we want to point the way to future alternative fuels. Nordic Ecolabelled fuels are a much better alternative to petrol with evident lower effects on the climate than fossil fuels. We also hope to contribute to the development of more sustainable farming and
Olympics propels Chinese battery producer into renewables China Shoto, China’s largest producer of back-up lead acid batteries, has moved into the renewables sector with the delivery of 40 sets of super-capacitors for solar-energy street lighting in the Beijing Olympic Village. The company, best known in the telecoms market, believes the completion of the Olympic contract will pave the way to future sales into the green energy economy.
the museum’s power consumption with this new source of renewable energy.” The museum’s PV array was made possible by a collaboration of several community leaders in renewable energy, including Hybrid Energy Group, Partnership for Sustainability, and Namasté Solar Electric. Hybrid Energy will own and operate the PV array. After 6 years, the museum can purchase the array at a discount.
Impax New Energy Investors boosts PV investment in Spain Intensifying its new focus on solar energy, Impax New Energy Investors (NEI) has acquired 15.5MW of operating solar PV projects in three transactions in the Spanish regions of Extremadura and Castilla-la-Mancha, bringing its total built and operating PV investments in Spain to 35MW. In May and June of this year, NEI added 15.6MW of solar PV projects, including 3MW in
over the roof surface, we avoid accelerated heat ageing to the roof membrane from thermal loading”. The PV module consists of an engineered metal-polymer composite panel and high efficiency crystalline silicon cells with a new advanced polymer top surface film. When laminated directly to the T.Clear LightGuard and HeavyGuard panels, the module utilises a corrugated polymer centre core for back surface cooling with a low reflective solar transparent polymer top surface, creating a more energy efficient PV module compared to traditional glass modules, reports the company. increase the possibilities for better social and work conditions.” Any company may apply. Criteria for the Ecolabel cover the entire life-cycle of a product, from raw materials to the finished product, including fuel sold at petrol stations. These include reduced CO2 emissions, restrictions on energy used at the production stage, and crop traceability. A small annual fee is charged for the label. Nordic plans to revise its criteria within a year to incorporate results from technical research, certifications and EU directives. The super-capacitors were manufactured by China Shoto’s subsidiary, Nanjing Shuangdeng Sci &Tech Academy in Jiangsu Province. China Shoto’s executive chairman, Cao Guifa, said, “our success in this bid follows development work to produce capacitors that combined low current output with high storage capacity. We are pleased both to be contributing to the environmental objectives of the 2008 Olympics and to have developed a product we believe opens new markets for China Shoto.” The company plans a steady advance into the renewable energy industries. Extremadura and two projects totalling 12.6MW in Castilla-la Mancha. In 2007 NEI purchased about 4MW now operational in the Toledo region. Peter van Egmond Rossbach, Director of Investments at Impax Asset Management, manager of NEI, said: “We are now invested in a portfolio of Spanish PV companies with a value of almost €300 million”. The projects sell power to either Iberdrola or Union Fenosa under Spain’s 40-year feed-in tariff. NEI sold its minority interest in wind developer Airtricity earlier this year, and retains an investment in an 80MW wind farm in Germany.
Sopogy scores with concentrated microsolar technology. Hawaii-based Sopogy Inc. has become the first renewable energy company to win the National Society of Professional Engineers’ (NSPE) New Product of the Year Award. The company’s MicroCSP (concentrating solar power) Solar Collector SopoNova 4.0 harnesses solar energy in a solar collector said to be “revolutionary”. In the process, precise mirrors are used to reflect solar energy onto a receiver where heat transfer fluid is circulated. The fluid passes through MicroCSP concentrators into an array, where the fluid’s temperature is raised to achieve mass flow, creating solar process heat. Darren T. Kimura, CEO of Sopogy, said, “SopoNova 4.0 combines the reliable performance of conventional Concentrating Parabolic Trough technologies with several novel concepts that include the world’s first integrated 270º MicroCSP tracker, integrated stands and custom controls”. Sopogy specialises in MicroCSP solar technologies that aim to bring the economics of large solar energy systems to the industrial, commercial and utility sectors in a smaller, robust and more cost effective package.
10
renewable energy focus
ref0905_p10_11.indd 10
September/October 2008
21/08/2008 10:03:06
Denver Museum installs a “Solar System”
SolarPower Restoration ties up with T.Clear
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science has tapped into the Colorado sunshine for a portion of its power needs with the installation of a new 100 kW solar PV system, the largest roof-mounted PV array in the state. The system consists of 465 panels split between roofs on the southeast and southwest wings of the museum, designed to generate an average 134,500 kWh of electricity per year – enough to power 30 homes. The system uses SunPower 215watt solar modules. George Sparks, president and CEO of the museum, said, “we are delighted to be able to offset some of
SolarPower Restoration Systems of California has signed an exclusive global product license agreement with Ohio-based T.Clear Corporation. T.Clear will manufacture and distribute the Solar LG Lightguard and Solar HG Heavyguard protected membrane roof (PMR) insulation panels based on SolarPower SolarSeal Technologies “Surface Overlay” and “Power Island Systems” design. Michael Gumm, CEO of SolarPower Restoration, said, “Solar PV modules get hot. So by placing the T.Clear Solar LG Lightguard and Solar HG Heavyguard PMR insulation panels
World’s first “eco-labelled” fuel Responding to the food for fuel controversy, a new label promotes sustainable fuel. Claimed as a world first, the “Nordic Ecolabel” is given to ethanol, biodiesel, biogas and/or a mixture. Grains are not accepted as a raw material. Ragnar Unge, CEO, Nordic Ecolabel in Stockholm, said, ”we want to point the way to future alternative fuels. Nordic Ecolabelled fuels are a much better alternative to petrol with evident lower effects on the climate than fossil fuels. We also hope to contribute to the development of more sustainable farming and
Olympics propels Chinese battery producer into renewables China Shoto, China’s largest producer of back-up lead acid batteries, has moved into the renewables sector with the delivery of 40 sets of super-capacitors for solar-energy street lighting in the Beijing Olympic Village. The company, best known in the telecoms market, believes the completion of the Olympic contract will pave the way to future sales into the green energy economy.
the museum’s power consumption with this new source of renewable energy.” The museum’s PV array was made possible by a collaboration of several community leaders in renewable energy, including Hybrid Energy Group, Partnership for Sustainability, and Namasté Solar Electric. Hybrid Energy will own and operate the PV array. After 6 years, the museum can purchase the array at a discount.
Impax New Energy Investors boosts PV investment in Spain Intensifying its new focus on solar energy, Impax New Energy Investors (NEI) has acquired 15.5MW of operating solar PV projects in three transactions in the Spanish regions of Extremadura and Castilla-la-Mancha, bringing its total built and operating PV investments in Spain to 35MW. In May and June of this year, NEI added 15.6MW of solar PV projects, including 3MW in
over the roof surface, we avoid accelerated heat ageing to the roof membrane from thermal loading”. The PV module consists of an engineered metal-polymer composite panel and high efficiency crystalline silicon cells with a new advanced polymer top surface film. When laminated directly to the T.Clear LightGuard and HeavyGuard panels, the module utilises a corrugated polymer centre core for back surface cooling with a low reflective solar transparent polymer top surface, creating a more energy efficient PV module compared to traditional glass modules, reports the company. increase the possibilities for better social and work conditions.” Any company may apply. Criteria for the Ecolabel cover the entire life-cycle of a product, from raw materials to the finished product, including fuel sold at petrol stations. These include reduced CO2 emissions, restrictions on energy used at the production stage, and crop traceability. A small annual fee is charged for the label. Nordic plans to revise its criteria within a year to incorporate results from technical research, certifications and EU directives. The super-capacitors were manufactured by China Shoto’s subsidiary, Nanjing Shuangdeng Sci &Tech Academy in Jiangsu Province. China Shoto’s executive chairman, Cao Guifa, said, “our success in this bid follows development work to produce capacitors that combined low current output with high storage capacity. We are pleased both to be contributing to the environmental objectives of the 2008 Olympics and to have developed a product we believe opens new markets for China Shoto.” The company plans a steady advance into the renewable energy industries. Extremadura and two projects totalling 12.6MW in Castilla-la Mancha. In 2007 NEI purchased about 4MW now operational in the Toledo region. Peter van Egmond Rossbach, Director of Investments at Impax Asset Management, manager of NEI, said: “We are now invested in a portfolio of Spanish PV companies with a value of almost €300 million”. The projects sell power to either Iberdrola or Union Fenosa under Spain’s 40-year feed-in tariff. NEI sold its minority interest in wind developer Airtricity earlier this year, and retains an investment in an 80MW wind farm in Germany.
Sopogy scores with concentrated microsolar technology. Hawaii-based Sopogy Inc. has become the first renewable energy company to win the National Society of Professional Engineers’ (NSPE) New Product of the Year Award. The company’s MicroCSP (concentrating solar power) Solar Collector SopoNova 4.0 harnesses solar energy in a solar collector said to be “revolutionary”. In the process, precise mirrors are used to reflect solar energy onto a receiver where heat transfer fluid is circulated. The fluid passes through MicroCSP concentrators into an array, where the fluid’s temperature is raised to achieve mass flow, creating solar process heat. Darren T. Kimura, CEO of Sopogy, said, “SopoNova 4.0 combines the reliable performance of conventional Concentrating Parabolic Trough technologies with several novel concepts that include the world’s first integrated 270º MicroCSP tracker, integrated stands and custom controls”. Sopogy specialises in MicroCSP solar technologies that aim to bring the economics of large solar energy systems to the industrial, commercial and utility sectors in a smaller, robust and more cost effective package.
10
renewable energy focus
ref0905_p10_11.indd 10
September/October 2008
21/08/2008 10:03:06