PIVOTRY RADIOMETER:  April 2011

Pivotry Radiometer is a free monthly newsletter about new developments in the solar renewable energy industry and based upon the "game changers" from the Pivotry Perspectives Workshops conducted by Wayne Chang, Ph.D.  You are welcomed to share this newsletter with others.

Pivotry Radiometer is in four sections this month:

1.       New Materials

At the University of Texas at Austin, a very innovative idea is being researched for using iron oxide (rust!) material doped with specific elements to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen (ref-1.1).  Imagine solar panels of iron oxide (nano-columns of hematite) exposed to sunlight that converts water to oxygen and hydrogen.  The hydrogen is captured and used as fuel.  These solar panels could be the conceptual basis for solar fuel farms in the future.

2.       Hybrid Systems and Integration

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are traditionally assembled with the supporting racking at installation sites.  Zep Solar has introduced an integrated drop-in rackless mounting system that significantly shortens installation times by as much as 4X and reduces materials waste (ref-2.1).  The patented Zep Groove panel frame geometry is integrated into the panel manufacturing process.  Some notable leading panel manufacturing partners include Canadian Solar Inc. and Trina Solar (ref-2.2).  The Zep System claims to save as much as $0.50/Watt.

3.       Photovoltaic Technology Roadmaps and Standards

At the recent 5^th PV Fab Managers Forum, Berlin, Germany (March 21, 20110), one of the keynote presentations was about the updated PV Technology Roadmap (ref-3.1).  The latest version was released last month (ref-3.2) and describes the three key areas of Materials, Processes and Products for improvements.  Contributions from approximately 40 companies and institutes indicated significant efforts in mapping the key areas for improvements.  The roadmap also shows the future trends for cost reductions out to the year 2020.  A very instructive perspective from this technology roadmap is the assignment of industry solutions into four separate categories ranging from existing production solutions to those with no known solution at this time.  Silicon wafer cell size dimensions currently at 156mm x 156mm are expected to remain constant through to 2020, and wafer thickness currently at 180um is to be reduced to 100um (almost a 50% reduction).  Significant cost reductions need to be achieved for annual 10% decrease in cost per Watt peak of PV panels, and new technologies need to be in production on the roadmap between 2013 and 2015.

4.       CULTURE Perspectives

The City of Kitchener (Ontario, Canada) last month officially activated the largest rooftop solar PV system for a municipality in Canada (ref-4.1).  The 500kW system is under the province's feed-in tariff (FIT) program and is expected to generate $363,900 net revenue annually and more than $3.5M over the 20 year FIT contract.  The solar panels are made in the nearby city of Cambridge by Photowatt Ontario (ref-4.2).  Approximately 2,660 panels were installed on a single maintenance facility building owned by the city.  When cities today successfully lead renewable energy opportunities such as solar PV at this large scale, it shows a real culture shift towards sustainability.

REFERENCES & LINKS

1.1 http://web5.cns.utexas.edu/news/2011/02/fueled-by-the-sun/

2.1 http://www.zepsolar.com/

2.2 http://www.pv-tech.org/news/trina_solar_signs_licensing_agreement_with_zep_solar

3.1 http://www.pvgroup.org/Events/p042976

3.2 http://www.itrpv.net/doc/roadmap_itrpv_2011_brochure_web.pdf

4.1 http://www.kitchener.ca

4.2 http://www.photowattontario.com/

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This newsletter is based upon information that we consider reliable, but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete, and it should not be relied upon as such.