Staples and SunEdison have hosted a dedication ceremony to unveil the largest single rooftop solar power installation in Maryland at Staples' 200,200 square foot fulfillment center in Hanover. The 1.01 megawatt solar installation covers nearly 175,000 square feet of roof space, larger than three football fields.
The environmental savings associated with the system will offset more than 43 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) over 20 years, equivalent to removing CO2 produced by more than 4,200 automobiles driving 12,000 miles per year. The zero-emission, silent photovoltaic system will generate approximately 1.2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, and 21 million kWh during the initial 20 years of the project.
The solar installation was financed, built and maintained under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with SunEdison. Under the PPA, Staples will purchase the electricity produced for the term of the contract.
"The solar power system installed at our Hanover fulfillment center is the latest example of Staples' ongoing commitment to environmental leadership," said Mark Buckley, vice president of environmental affairs for Staples.
"Through our relationship with solar services provider SunEdison, we are able to purchase solar energy from our rooftop at a rate below or equal to the cost of electricity from the grid. This reduces our operating costs while freeing up more electricity during peak times for use by local homes and businesses."
"We are proud to be a long time partner of Staples in providing economical solar solutions to meet their energy needs and commitment to the environment," said Carlos Domenech, President of SunEdison.
"SunEdison continues to be an industry leader by combining cutting edge technologies with our unique project finance capabilities to enable large-scale development of solar."
"EPA applauds Staples for initiating this solar energy project to power its Hanover facility," said Shawn M. Garvin, administrator for the EPA's mid-Atlantic region.
"I hope this work inspires other companies to use energy in a manner that does not contribute to global climate change. Staples is demonstrating the kind of leadership that is needed to reduce greenhouse gases and move our nation into a clean energy future."
Source - Solar Daily
Showing posts with label Solar power system. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solar power system. Show all posts
Monday, 18 January 2010
Sunday, 13 September 2009
West vs. China in solar war
Europe's solar energy industry is facing a wave of bankruptcies because Asian companies offer their products much cheaper.
Several German producers of solar cells, panels and modules, including large market-leading companies, have reported massive first-half losses.
Q-Cells, one of the world's largest makers of solar cells, said it would cut 500 jobs, nearly a fifth of its workforce, to ensure its survival after it reported a first-half loss of $69 million before interest and tax. The sales of Conergy, Germany's second-biggest solar firm by revenue, were slashed in half in the first half of 2009 compared with a year earlier. Solarworld sales dropped 6 percent to $585 million in the first half, the company said in July.
Shares of those three companies dropped between 40 percent and 80 percent. "A large part of the German solar cell and solar module manufacturers will not survive," UBS analyst Patrick Hummel told the Financial Times Germany newspaper.
Thanks to a lucrative government-imposed feed-in-tariff, Germany has developed into the world's biggest solar energy market. But Asian giants, including China's Suntech Power, Yingli Solar and Trina Solar, are flooding the market with high-quality solar panels that they sell for 20 percent to 30 percent cheaper.
Conergy and Solarworld officials have accused the Chinese producers of price dumping and have called on Western governments to protect the European solar industry. According to newspaper reports, U.S. companies share that concern.
The Germans say Beijing is helping its companies with interest-free loans from state banks and by blocking foreign companies' access to China's quickly growing domestic renewable energy market. This should be answered with an EU import tariff for solar energy products from China, Conergy and Solarworld officials have demanded.
But economic experts have said protectionist measures could hurt the entire industry in the long run.
Meanwhile, German solar energy companies
are pursuing two strategies to escape the economic downward spiral: Several firms have already set up or are planning production facilities in Asia to slash costs. At home, they are investing in huge solar power plants to make money with the feed-in-tariff stipulated by Germany's renewable energy law EEG.
And finally, all major industry players hope for the U.S. and Chinese markets to drive global demand for solar power systems to an extent that all companies can benefit from.
Source - Solar Daily
Several German producers of solar cells, panels and modules, including large market-leading companies, have reported massive first-half losses.
Q-Cells, one of the world's largest makers of solar cells, said it would cut 500 jobs, nearly a fifth of its workforce, to ensure its survival after it reported a first-half loss of $69 million before interest and tax. The sales of Conergy, Germany's second-biggest solar firm by revenue, were slashed in half in the first half of 2009 compared with a year earlier. Solarworld sales dropped 6 percent to $585 million in the first half, the company said in July.
Shares of those three companies dropped between 40 percent and 80 percent. "A large part of the German solar cell and solar module manufacturers will not survive," UBS analyst Patrick Hummel told the Financial Times Germany newspaper.
Thanks to a lucrative government-imposed feed-in-tariff, Germany has developed into the world's biggest solar energy market. But Asian giants, including China's Suntech Power, Yingli Solar and Trina Solar, are flooding the market with high-quality solar panels that they sell for 20 percent to 30 percent cheaper.
Conergy and Solarworld officials have accused the Chinese producers of price dumping and have called on Western governments to protect the European solar industry. According to newspaper reports, U.S. companies share that concern.
The Germans say Beijing is helping its companies with interest-free loans from state banks and by blocking foreign companies' access to China's quickly growing domestic renewable energy market. This should be answered with an EU import tariff for solar energy products from China, Conergy and Solarworld officials have demanded.
But economic experts have said protectionist measures could hurt the entire industry in the long run.
Meanwhile, German solar energy companies
are pursuing two strategies to escape the economic downward spiral: Several firms have already set up or are planning production facilities in Asia to slash costs. At home, they are investing in huge solar power plants to make money with the feed-in-tariff stipulated by Germany's renewable energy law EEG.
And finally, all major industry players hope for the U.S. and Chinese markets to drive global demand for solar power systems to an extent that all companies can benefit from.
Source - Solar Daily
Sunday, 28 June 2009
World's First Hybrid Solarized Gas Turbine Power Station
AORA has launched the world's first hybrid solar thermal gas turbine power station at Kibbutz Samar in southern Israel. This marks the first time that a CSP solar power station has the capability of providing environmentally-friendly, or "green" power 24 hours a day, seven days a week - at a local level.
"The size and relative price of our solar power system means it can be implemented in local as well as large-area instillations," said Haim Fried, AORA's CEO.
"This marks the beginning of a new era for solar energy, where any city, town or village can now consider AORA for its energy needs, due to the attainable price point and build-out time of just several months, versus other CSP timelines of several years."
AORA's Samar "Power Flower" station - so named due to the unique yellow tulip design concept created by architect Haim Dotan for the plant's solar tower - consists of a field of 30 tracking mirrors (heliostats) situated on half an acre of land. The power module is expected to supply 100 kW of power to the national grid, enough to sustain approximately 70 households.
Each of the station's 30 heliostats tracks the sun and reflects its rays towards the top of a 30 meter-high tower housing a special solar receiver along with a 100kW gas turbine. The patented receiver uses the sun's energy to heat air to a temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius and directs this energy into the turbine. The turbine converts the thermal energy into electric power that will be fed directly into the national grid.
AORA's hybrid approach allows the system to run on solar radiation input, as well as almost any alternative fuel, including biogas, biodiesel and natural gas.
This flexibility enables the module to run in a variety of operation modes - from solar-only mode, where electricity is supplied when there is ample sunlight, to hybrid mode, where fuel helps generate electricity when sunlight is insufficient, such as at night or when it is cloudy. This capability offers uninterrupted, green power 24 hours-a-day.
Among the dignitaries in attendance at the AORA launch was a delegation of businesspeople from Spain, representatives from the Spanish and Israeli government and executives from power companies in Australia, Mexico and Germany who have already expressed interest in purchasing AORA's system.
At the launch, Chile-based CAM, an integrated energy solutions company, signed an agreement with AORA giving CAM the exclusive rights to market, distribute and construct AORA's technology in Chile while Greenearth Energy Ltd, a green energy company based in Melbourne, signed an agreement with AORA to exclusively market and distribute the company's technology across Australia.
Additionally, AORA and the Spanish company AORA SL signed an MOU awarding AORA SL the right to sell the technology in Spain and Portugal.
Source - Solardaily
"The size and relative price of our solar power system means it can be implemented in local as well as large-area instillations," said Haim Fried, AORA's CEO.
"This marks the beginning of a new era for solar energy, where any city, town or village can now consider AORA for its energy needs, due to the attainable price point and build-out time of just several months, versus other CSP timelines of several years."
AORA's Samar "Power Flower" station - so named due to the unique yellow tulip design concept created by architect Haim Dotan for the plant's solar tower - consists of a field of 30 tracking mirrors (heliostats) situated on half an acre of land. The power module is expected to supply 100 kW of power to the national grid, enough to sustain approximately 70 households.
Each of the station's 30 heliostats tracks the sun and reflects its rays towards the top of a 30 meter-high tower housing a special solar receiver along with a 100kW gas turbine. The patented receiver uses the sun's energy to heat air to a temperature of 1,000 degrees Celsius and directs this energy into the turbine. The turbine converts the thermal energy into electric power that will be fed directly into the national grid.
AORA's hybrid approach allows the system to run on solar radiation input, as well as almost any alternative fuel, including biogas, biodiesel and natural gas.
This flexibility enables the module to run in a variety of operation modes - from solar-only mode, where electricity is supplied when there is ample sunlight, to hybrid mode, where fuel helps generate electricity when sunlight is insufficient, such as at night or when it is cloudy. This capability offers uninterrupted, green power 24 hours-a-day.
Among the dignitaries in attendance at the AORA launch was a delegation of businesspeople from Spain, representatives from the Spanish and Israeli government and executives from power companies in Australia, Mexico and Germany who have already expressed interest in purchasing AORA's system.
At the launch, Chile-based CAM, an integrated energy solutions company, signed an agreement with AORA giving CAM the exclusive rights to market, distribute and construct AORA's technology in Chile while Greenearth Energy Ltd, a green energy company based in Melbourne, signed an agreement with AORA to exclusively market and distribute the company's technology across Australia.
Additionally, AORA and the Spanish company AORA SL signed an MOU awarding AORA SL the right to sell the technology in Spain and Portugal.
Source - Solardaily
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Hyatt Regency Flips Switch On New Solar Power System
Hyatt Regency New Brunswick has flipped the switch to dedicate its newly installed SunPower solar power system, marking the hotel's initial step towards generating clean, renewable solar power.
The hotel partnered with SunPower to design and install the 32,000-square-foot, 421-kilowatt system over the top floor of the hotel's garage.
At a dedication ceremony, Hyatt Regency New Brunswick celebrated the completion of the new photovoltaic (PV) solar panel system. General Manager Adrian Hughes and Director of Engineering Scott Stahl addressed a group of attendees, including New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill.
"We are thrilled to be moving forward in our efforts to conserve resources," said Hughes. "The hotel has instituted many successful energy saving programs over the past several years, and solar is the next logical step to furthering our environmental commitment."
Hyatt Regency New Brunswick's solar power system utilizes SunPower's high-efficiency solar panels with its patented PowerGuard roof tile technology. PowerGuard is a non-penetrating, wind-resistant system that lies flat on the roof and provides added thermal insulation for the building and environmental protection to the roof membrane.
The output from the system will help reduce New Jersey's CO2 emissions by 10,000 tons over the next 30 years, and will further lessen oil dependence by at least 749 barrels annually, according to conversion formulas provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"Using SunPower technology will maximize the amount of power generated by the system, and will also maximize Hyatt Regency New Brunswick's return on investment, saving on annual electricity costs now and over the long term," said Tom Leyden, managing director, SunPower. "We commend Hyatt Regency New Brunswick for their leadership in environmental stewardship, and for helping New Jersey attain its renewable energy goals."
Hyatt Regency New Brunswick is strongly committed to shrinking its environmental footprint by reducing, reusing and recycling. Some of the steps the hotel has taken include:
+ In April, the hotel implemented food composting with a combined recycling of metals, plastic, glass, cardboard, paper and food.
+ With the installation of a kitchen exhaust hood control system in May, the hotel anticipates an average energy savings of 206,000 kWh annually and $28,000 per year on reduced heating and air-conditioning costs.
+ The hotel has converted to CFL lights wherever possible, and has also replaced the garage lighting with QL lights, resulting in energy saving of over 192,000 kWh per year. LED lighting can also be found in various locations around the hotel, reducing electricity consumption by 375,000 kWh annually.
Source - Solardaily
The hotel partnered with SunPower to design and install the 32,000-square-foot, 421-kilowatt system over the top floor of the hotel's garage.
At a dedication ceremony, Hyatt Regency New Brunswick celebrated the completion of the new photovoltaic (PV) solar panel system. General Manager Adrian Hughes and Director of Engineering Scott Stahl addressed a group of attendees, including New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill.
"We are thrilled to be moving forward in our efforts to conserve resources," said Hughes. "The hotel has instituted many successful energy saving programs over the past several years, and solar is the next logical step to furthering our environmental commitment."
Hyatt Regency New Brunswick's solar power system utilizes SunPower's high-efficiency solar panels with its patented PowerGuard roof tile technology. PowerGuard is a non-penetrating, wind-resistant system that lies flat on the roof and provides added thermal insulation for the building and environmental protection to the roof membrane.
The output from the system will help reduce New Jersey's CO2 emissions by 10,000 tons over the next 30 years, and will further lessen oil dependence by at least 749 barrels annually, according to conversion formulas provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"Using SunPower technology will maximize the amount of power generated by the system, and will also maximize Hyatt Regency New Brunswick's return on investment, saving on annual electricity costs now and over the long term," said Tom Leyden, managing director, SunPower. "We commend Hyatt Regency New Brunswick for their leadership in environmental stewardship, and for helping New Jersey attain its renewable energy goals."
Hyatt Regency New Brunswick is strongly committed to shrinking its environmental footprint by reducing, reusing and recycling. Some of the steps the hotel has taken include:
+ In April, the hotel implemented food composting with a combined recycling of metals, plastic, glass, cardboard, paper and food.
+ With the installation of a kitchen exhaust hood control system in May, the hotel anticipates an average energy savings of 206,000 kWh annually and $28,000 per year on reduced heating and air-conditioning costs.
+ The hotel has converted to CFL lights wherever possible, and has also replaced the garage lighting with QL lights, resulting in energy saving of over 192,000 kWh per year. LED lighting can also be found in various locations around the hotel, reducing electricity consumption by 375,000 kWh annually.
Source - Solardaily
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
FedEx Express Breaks Ground Largest Solar Facility
FedEx Express has broken ground on its largest solar facility and first outside the U.S., when it began construction of its new Central and Eastern European gateway at the Cologne/Bonn, Germany, airport. The hub is slated for completion in 2010.
"Moving to Cologne enables FedEx to plan effectively for the future," said Robert W. Elliott, president, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Indian subcontinent, FedEx Express.
"With the availability of space to expand and more flexible night flight regulations, we have found innovative and practical solutions to meet the needs of our customers worldwide."
The facility will be equipped with new ramp, freight and sort facilities with a fully-automated sort system that will cover a floor space of approximately 50,000 square meters. FedEx opted to build its new hub in Cologne because of the region's excellent freight transport infrastructure and the central location of the airport within Germany and Europe.
In addition, the Cologne hub installation will be a 1.4-megawatt (MW) solar power system and will generate approximately 1.3 gigawatt hours of electricity per year-equivalent to the annual consumption of 370 households.
Solar panels, fitted to the roof of the new ramp and sort facilities, will cover a total surface area of 16,000 square meters.
"On-site renewable energy generation has been extremely efficient and successful for FedEx, and we are continuously looking for new investments," said Mitch Jackson, director of environmental affairs and sustainability. "The solar-energy installation at the Cologne hub will nearly double FedEx's use of on-site solar energy."
The Cologne hub solar installation joins a growing list of FedEx on-site renewable energy investments. In August 2005, FedEx flipped the switch on a solar-electric system at its regional hub in Oakland, then California's largest such rooftop system.
In its first three years, it has provided more than three million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy, avoiding the release of more than 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The system can provide approximately 20 percent of the facility's total electricity needs and can meet 80 percent of its peak load demand.
Most recently FedEx Freight completed the installation of solar-electric systems, supplied by BP Solar, at facilities in Whittier and Fontana, California. The three California systems generate 1.5 megawatts (MW) of clean energy, avoiding the release of 2.9 million pounds of CO2 emissions each year.
In Europe, FedEx's use of on-site renewable energy expands beyond solar. In Geneva, Switzerland, a FedEx station uses a system of pipes running deep into the ground to warm the building's air in winter and cool it in summer. The system reduces the facility's reliance on gas for heating or freon for cooling and therefore, requires less energy to operate.
Source - Solar daily
"Moving to Cologne enables FedEx to plan effectively for the future," said Robert W. Elliott, president, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Indian subcontinent, FedEx Express.
"With the availability of space to expand and more flexible night flight regulations, we have found innovative and practical solutions to meet the needs of our customers worldwide."
The facility will be equipped with new ramp, freight and sort facilities with a fully-automated sort system that will cover a floor space of approximately 50,000 square meters. FedEx opted to build its new hub in Cologne because of the region's excellent freight transport infrastructure and the central location of the airport within Germany and Europe.
In addition, the Cologne hub installation will be a 1.4-megawatt (MW) solar power system and will generate approximately 1.3 gigawatt hours of electricity per year-equivalent to the annual consumption of 370 households.
Solar panels, fitted to the roof of the new ramp and sort facilities, will cover a total surface area of 16,000 square meters.
"On-site renewable energy generation has been extremely efficient and successful for FedEx, and we are continuously looking for new investments," said Mitch Jackson, director of environmental affairs and sustainability. "The solar-energy installation at the Cologne hub will nearly double FedEx's use of on-site solar energy."
The Cologne hub solar installation joins a growing list of FedEx on-site renewable energy investments. In August 2005, FedEx flipped the switch on a solar-electric system at its regional hub in Oakland, then California's largest such rooftop system.
In its first three years, it has provided more than three million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy, avoiding the release of more than 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The system can provide approximately 20 percent of the facility's total electricity needs and can meet 80 percent of its peak load demand.
Most recently FedEx Freight completed the installation of solar-electric systems, supplied by BP Solar, at facilities in Whittier and Fontana, California. The three California systems generate 1.5 megawatts (MW) of clean energy, avoiding the release of 2.9 million pounds of CO2 emissions each year.
In Europe, FedEx's use of on-site renewable energy expands beyond solar. In Geneva, Switzerland, a FedEx station uses a system of pipes running deep into the ground to warm the building's air in winter and cool it in summer. The system reduces the facility's reliance on gas for heating or freon for cooling and therefore, requires less energy to operate.
Source - Solar daily
Saturday, 13 September 2008
SkyPower And Excess Energy Team Up In Solar Power Joint Venture
SkyPower has entered into a new joint venture with Excess Energy, a leading installer of solar power systems in Ontario. The joint venture, called SkyPower Lite, will offer Canadians turnkey solar solutions, and will initially focus on solar hot water solutions.
The effort is an important part of SkyPower's strategic direction, and leverages its experience in large wind and solar development.
"SkyPower Lite is another important step toward building a cleaner and greener energy future for Ontario," said Kerry Adler, President and Chief Executive Officer of SkyPower.
He noted that the pilot project coincides with the Ontario government's 2007 green objectives, which targets 100,000 installed solar systems as part of their innovative 'Go Green' climate change strategy.
"SkyPower Lite is proud to play an important role in this initiative," added Adler.
"This partnership brings together a combination of 15 years of experience in both off grid and grid-tie solar and wind energy systems for light commercial and residential buildings," added Vern Sherwood, Managing Director, SkyPower Lite and former President of Excess Energy.
"Canadians need and want an opportunity to have solar solutions on their roofs as a responsible option to reduce pollution and energy costs."
Source - Solardaily
The effort is an important part of SkyPower's strategic direction, and leverages its experience in large wind and solar development.
"SkyPower Lite is another important step toward building a cleaner and greener energy future for Ontario," said Kerry Adler, President and Chief Executive Officer of SkyPower.
He noted that the pilot project coincides with the Ontario government's 2007 green objectives, which targets 100,000 installed solar systems as part of their innovative 'Go Green' climate change strategy.
"SkyPower Lite is proud to play an important role in this initiative," added Adler.
"This partnership brings together a combination of 15 years of experience in both off grid and grid-tie solar and wind energy systems for light commercial and residential buildings," added Vern Sherwood, Managing Director, SkyPower Lite and former President of Excess Energy.
"Canadians need and want an opportunity to have solar solutions on their roofs as a responsible option to reduce pollution and energy costs."
Source - Solardaily
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