PV system upgrade part of ‘Greening of National Parks’ initiative in US

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Photovoltaics Bulletin

PV system upgrade part of ‘Greening of National Parks’ initiative in US Schott Applied Power Corporation (SAPC) has been chosen by the US National Park Service to renovate the power system at Natural Bridges National Monument near Moab, Utah. The system, which uses a hybrid design of PV, batteries and diesel generators, was the largest of its kind at the time of installation in 1980. While the solar arrays continue to produce energy today, over time the system’s battery backup and storage components have degraded, and its DC/AC inverters have become obsolete. The National Park Service instituted a program called ‘Greening of the National Park Service’ in July 1999. The goal of the program is to conserve the parks and wildlife and keep them unimpaired. One way to accomplish this is through the use of solar systems, which reduce the pollution and environmental harm caused by burning fossil fuels, and reduce or replace generator run-times and associated consequences. ‘SAPC has supplied thousands of systems to state and local government agencies, the US Geological Survey, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, the US military and the National Park Service, powering their critical energy needs, often in rugged, remote areas,’ said Scott Williams, manager of industrial and government sales for SAPC. ‘We’ve also supplied and installed some of the largest solar/hybrid genset systems to the federal government, including a 161 kW PV system for the National Park Service in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and a 155 kW PV system for the US Navy on a remote island off the California coast.’ For more information, contact: Schott Applied Power Corporation, 4051 Alvis Court, Rocklin, CA 95677, USA. Tel: +1 916 625 9033, Fax: +1 916 625 9032, www.appliedpower.com More information on the ‘Greening of the National Park Service’ can be found at: www.nps.gov/renew

Quantum Solar Energy Linz acquired by Konarka Konarka Technologies has acquired Austrianbased Quantum Solar Energy Linz from Linz AG. As a result, Konarka is now likely to be the world leader in organic photovoltaics. Quantum Solar will now be renamed Konarka Austria Forschungs- und EntwicklungsgesmbH (that is, R&D) subsequent to the acquisition.

The acquisition includes organic PV technology to complement Konarka’s existing dye-based solar cell nanotechnology. In addition, Konarka’s roll-to-roll manufacturing and low-cost processing expertise fits the newly acquired technology. Organic PV technology will likely find take-up in hybrid solar cells combining the advantages of nanocrystalline titanium dioxide and conducting polymers. For more information, contact: Konarka Technologies, 100 Foot of John Street, Boott Mill-South, Third Floor, Lowell, MA 01852, USA. Tel: +1 978 569 1400, Fax: +1 978 569 1401, www.konarkatech.com

CANMET backs Sustainable Energy Technologies The CANMET Energy Technology Centre of Natural Resources Canada is contributing up to C$100 000 (US$66 000) to the cost of commercializing Calgary-based Sustainable Energy Technologies’ renewable energy inverter for grid-connected solar photovoltaic markets. Sustainable Energy’s renewable energy inverter incorporates patented power inverter technologies developed by the company for residential fuel cell applications. The company has been successfully testing a 5 kW version of the renewable energy inverter with a commercial-scale solar PV array for several months, and is in the final stages of product commercialization. According to industry observers, the market for renewable energy inverters will grow at a rate of 34% pa over the next five years, making it one of the fastest growing segments of the electric power industry. This growth will be fueled primarily by demand for grid-connected solarPV systems, and industry experts estimate that, by 2010, more than 700 MW of grid-connected solar power systems will be installed every year. CANMET will contribute 32% of costs incurred to a maximum of C$100 000. ‘The contribution by Natural Resources Canada reflects the critical importance of advanced power electronics to the integration of renewable and alternative energy systems,’ said Michael Carten, president/CEO of Sustainable Energy. ‘Investments in new technologies, like those being developed by Sustainable Energy and others, represent Canada’s best opportunity to contribute to meeting the threat of climate change around the world.’ For more information, contact: Sustainable Energy Technologies Ltd, Suite 103A, 1439 17th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta T2G 1J9, Canada. Tel: +1 403 508 7177, Fax: +1 403 205 2509, www.sustainableenergy.com

March 2003