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India self sustaining
NEWS Like many things PV, it looks as if an hybrid approach, using both certificates (with solar specific targets) and the feed in tariff system would provide the best among alternative routes.
US PV appropriations US House of Representatives Energy and Water Development Appropriations opted to combine solar energy technologies include concentrating solar power, PV energy systems, and solar building technology research in a single account. The recommendation for solar energy in fiscal year 2003 is $87,6m - the same as the budget request, a decrease of $7,3m compared to 2002. Of these funds, $5m is for 20-25kW DishStirling and 20kW Dish-PV development. Senate appropriation recommendations for solar energy is $95m in three sub accounts. The Committee recommends $12m to fund solar building technology development, and enhanced support to zero energy building; $77m for PV energy systems; $3m for the Million Solar Roofs at current year levels and $2,5m for the Southeast and west PV experiments stations;. Additionally, $3,m for Navajo electrification and $6m is recommended for concentrating solar power and implementation of 1kMW new solar capacity supplying Southwest US by 2006.
India self sustaining The Indian government is planning to phase out subsidies extended to promote renewable energy utilisation in the country, proposing a shift in renewable energy utilisation strategy from ‘subsidy-driven to a self sustaining market driven approach,’ said Minister of State for Non Conventional Energy Sources Shri M Kannappan. The states had been asked to evolve preferential tariff structures for grid power from renewables and promotion for off-grid generation and distribution. ‘We have been able to persuade State Electricity Boards to incorporate renewable energy into their systems,’ Kannappan said, adding that some had provided concessional tariffs, banking, third party sales and power evacuation facilities, ‘This needs to be applied uniformly all over the country.’
Canada energy savings Canadians will pocket $200bn in energy savings by 2030 if Ottawa meets and exceeds
November 2002
the Kyoto protocol’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, says a new study from the David Suzuki Foundation and the Climate Action Network of Canada. The report is in contrast to big business interests claims that the Kyoto targets are too expensive. Kyoto and Beyond sets out how Canada can dramatically cut its emissions by 50% by 2030,creating jobs and cutting costs. Kyoto and Beyond examines several sectors, such as transportation and buildings, proposing long-term emission reduction strategies using proven, available technologies. Strategies generally take two forms: reducing the overall energy demand or substituting low-to-zero emission for processes that now use coal or oil. For more information contact: Sarah Marchildon, David Suzuki Foundation 604-732-4228
$11m for New England Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, which manages the state’s $150m Renewable Energy Trust, launched a $10m Solar-toMarket Initiative. Initial award of $2.6m in grants is made to six organizations that will install roughly 250 solar power systems on homes, businesses, farms, institutions, and local government buildings. A $5.3m loan fund will support PV businesses in the state. $600,000 goes to support public education; training programmes for solar installers, inspectors, and utility representatives; metering and evaluation programmes to document solar power system performance. Connecticut Clean Energy Fund launched its $1m PV programme seeking pre-applications by December 13th to install PV on commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 15 states have established such clean energy funds, expecting to collect $3.8bn between 1998-2012 for renewable investments. For more information got to: http://www.mtpc.org/ NewsandReports/press/pr_10_10_02_smi.htm or http://www.ctcleanenergy.com/news/archives/n10 2002_solor_pv.html or http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/EMS/ cases/EMS_case.html
Japan to raise exports Kyocera will raise annual output of solar panels at its Youkaichi plant in Shiga Prefecture by 70% to 100MW by the end of 2003, 28MW more than earlier planned in anticipation of greater home use demand and exports to the U.S. and Europe. It will install extra production lines at the plant by summer 2003 which currently produces slightly more than 60MW panels annually.
IN BRIEF Developing collectors Out of the A$12m awarded to ACT scientists in the latest round of Australian Research Council grants, a team of solar energy researchers, led by Dr Andres Cuevas of Australian National University, is receiving A$800,000. This is to develop low cost solar cell to help bring down the cost of homebased solar collectors. Dr Cuevas says the grant will be used to develop new production methods for PV.
Vocabulary boost for public contracts Companies will find it easier to identify and select relevant procurement opportunities in the EU, following approval by the European Parliament of a regulation which establishes a common system for publishing tenders, the Common Procurement Vocabulary. CPV for public procure-ment in the EU, will be in use from next year. It should ensure that contracts can be easily identified, allow automatic translation of tender notices into all official EU languages and boost transparency in public procurement - a market that is worth over 1,000bn yearly across the EU.
Chinese tax change From January 2003, Chinese corporation tax on foreign companies will be increase to 25% (15% currently). The tax rate for Chinese companies will also be reduced to 25% (from 33%). China is also eliminating preferential tax treatment for foreign companies in compliance with WTO rules, requiring countries to treat foreign and domestic companies equally. Chinese tax authorities will also establish a ‘transfer pricing tax’ allowing them them to impose an extra tax in cases of international corporations setting ‘unreasonable’ transfer prices for products and services which transfer profits to other companies within a group.
Dual version UAV NASA and AeroVironment, Californiabased developer of solar-powered aircraft, are to join forces. Both are focused on two versions of the AeroVironment ‘Helios’ unmanned air vehicle (UAV). One version will be capable of low-altitude flights of up to six months using a regenerative fuel cell energy storage system for providing ‘night’ power. The other system will use fuel cells, without the regenerative feature and based on atmospherically derived oxygen and stored hydrogen. This will be able the UAV to fly for two weeks at any altitude. Proposed applications for both versions will include security monitoring, television connectivity and mobile telephone relays.
Photovoltaics Bulletin
3
US PV appropriations US House of Representatives Energy and Water Development Appropriations opted to combine solar energy technologies include concentrating solar power, PV energy systems, and solar building technology research in a single account. The recommendation for solar energy in fiscal year 2003 is $87,6m - the same as the budget request, a decrease of $7,3m compared to 2002. Of these funds, $5m is for 20-25kW DishStirling and 20kW Dish-PV development. Senate appropriation recommendations for solar energy is $95m in three sub accounts. The Committee recommends $12m to fund solar building technology development, and enhanced support to zero energy building; $77m for PV energy systems; $3m for the Million Solar Roofs at current year levels and $2,5m for the Southeast and west PV experiments stations;. Additionally, $3,m for Navajo electrification and $6m is recommended for concentrating solar power and implementation of 1kMW new solar capacity supplying Southwest US by 2006.
India self sustaining The Indian government is planning to phase out subsidies extended to promote renewable energy utilisation in the country, proposing a shift in renewable energy utilisation strategy from ‘subsidy-driven to a self sustaining market driven approach,’ said Minister of State for Non Conventional Energy Sources Shri M Kannappan. The states had been asked to evolve preferential tariff structures for grid power from renewables and promotion for off-grid generation and distribution. ‘We have been able to persuade State Electricity Boards to incorporate renewable energy into their systems,’ Kannappan said, adding that some had provided concessional tariffs, banking, third party sales and power evacuation facilities, ‘This needs to be applied uniformly all over the country.’
Canada energy savings Canadians will pocket $200bn in energy savings by 2030 if Ottawa meets and exceeds
November 2002
the Kyoto protocol’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, says a new study from the David Suzuki Foundation and the Climate Action Network of Canada. The report is in contrast to big business interests claims that the Kyoto targets are too expensive. Kyoto and Beyond sets out how Canada can dramatically cut its emissions by 50% by 2030,creating jobs and cutting costs. Kyoto and Beyond examines several sectors, such as transportation and buildings, proposing long-term emission reduction strategies using proven, available technologies. Strategies generally take two forms: reducing the overall energy demand or substituting low-to-zero emission for processes that now use coal or oil. For more information contact: Sarah Marchildon, David Suzuki Foundation 604-732-4228
$11m for New England Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, which manages the state’s $150m Renewable Energy Trust, launched a $10m Solar-toMarket Initiative. Initial award of $2.6m in grants is made to six organizations that will install roughly 250 solar power systems on homes, businesses, farms, institutions, and local government buildings. A $5.3m loan fund will support PV businesses in the state. $600,000 goes to support public education; training programmes for solar installers, inspectors, and utility representatives; metering and evaluation programmes to document solar power system performance. Connecticut Clean Energy Fund launched its $1m PV programme seeking pre-applications by December 13th to install PV on commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 15 states have established such clean energy funds, expecting to collect $3.8bn between 1998-2012 for renewable investments. For more information got to: http://www.mtpc.org/ NewsandReports/press/pr_10_10_02_smi.htm or http://www.ctcleanenergy.com/news/archives/n10 2002_solor_pv.html or http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/EMS/ cases/EMS_case.html
Japan to raise exports Kyocera will raise annual output of solar panels at its Youkaichi plant in Shiga Prefecture by 70% to 100MW by the end of 2003, 28MW more than earlier planned in anticipation of greater home use demand and exports to the U.S. and Europe. It will install extra production lines at the plant by summer 2003 which currently produces slightly more than 60MW panels annually.
IN BRIEF Developing collectors Out of the A$12m awarded to ACT scientists in the latest round of Australian Research Council grants, a team of solar energy researchers, led by Dr Andres Cuevas of Australian National University, is receiving A$800,000. This is to develop low cost solar cell to help bring down the cost of homebased solar collectors. Dr Cuevas says the grant will be used to develop new production methods for PV.
Vocabulary boost for public contracts Companies will find it easier to identify and select relevant procurement opportunities in the EU, following approval by the European Parliament of a regulation which establishes a common system for publishing tenders, the Common Procurement Vocabulary. CPV for public procure-ment in the EU, will be in use from next year. It should ensure that contracts can be easily identified, allow automatic translation of tender notices into all official EU languages and boost transparency in public procurement - a market that is worth over 1,000bn yearly across the EU.
Chinese tax change From January 2003, Chinese corporation tax on foreign companies will be increase to 25% (15% currently). The tax rate for Chinese companies will also be reduced to 25% (from 33%). China is also eliminating preferential tax treatment for foreign companies in compliance with WTO rules, requiring countries to treat foreign and domestic companies equally. Chinese tax authorities will also establish a ‘transfer pricing tax’ allowing them them to impose an extra tax in cases of international corporations setting ‘unreasonable’ transfer prices for products and services which transfer profits to other companies within a group.
Dual version UAV NASA and AeroVironment, Californiabased developer of solar-powered aircraft, are to join forces. Both are focused on two versions of the AeroVironment ‘Helios’ unmanned air vehicle (UAV). One version will be capable of low-altitude flights of up to six months using a regenerative fuel cell energy storage system for providing ‘night’ power. The other system will use fuel cells, without the regenerative feature and based on atmospherically derived oxygen and stored hydrogen. This will be able the UAV to fly for two weeks at any altitude. Proposed applications for both versions will include security monitoring, television connectivity and mobile telephone relays.
Photovoltaics Bulletin
3