Wave Energy Pros and Cons – Tidal and Ocean Wave Power Still Niche Technologies

7 Jul, 2011
Renewable Energy

Wave Energy is one of the niche renewable energy technologies which is still in its infancy stage.While other forms of alternative energy like solar,wind and biomass see hundreds of  billions of dollars in investment each year,wave energy does not see even $1 billion in investment.This is because Wave Energy is still much behind in the technology curve in terms of costs and reliability.Also there are many varied approaches and technologies to harness the power of the ocean waves.However developed countries like UK are promoting this renewable energy since it has huge potential like solar and wind energy.Given the energy shortages that we are facing,we need to promote all forms of sustainable green energy and wave energy definitely has strong promise.Here we present the various pros and cons of wave energy

Pros of Wave Energy

  1. Minimal Greenhouse Gas Emissions/Air Pollution – Wave Energy does not produce any GHG emissions or cause air pollution from the combustion of fossil fuels unlike coal,oil or gas.This makes them very attractive as a source of cheap,non carbon dioxide producing electricity.Note Wave Energy does release some carbon dioxide when cold water reaches the upper surface of the ocean but the GHG emission from this is only 5% of what similar amounts of fossil fuel burning products so it can safely be ignored
  2. No Fuel Cost - Waver Energy does not require any fuel like most other sources of energy.This is a huge advantage over other fossil fuels whose costs are increasing at a drastic  rate every year.Electricity prices are increasingly rapidly in most parts of  the world much faster than general inflation.Wave Energy is powered by the waves of the ocean which are totally free just like Wind and Sunlight.
  3. No Pollution and Deaths- Wave Energy does not lead to pollution disasters like the BP Oil Spill and Coal Deaths which are directly related to Dirty Energy Production.
  4. Size Advantages - Wave Energy Generators can be installed in various sizes with as little as 1 MW.This is not possible for other energy forms which require a minimum large size such as Coal,Nuclear etc.

Cons of Wave Energy

  1. Immature Technology –  Wave Power is quite immature,costly and unproven in large scale.While some companies have made good progrss,the technology remains largely unproven and has only been put to actual test in pilot cases.Some companies have gone out of business as their technology failed in actual field tests.The hazards of operating 24/7 in ocean conditions is not easy
  2. Slow Technology Improvement –Wave  Energy has the potential to generate 100s of gigawatts of electricity through .However the technology improvement has been slow with setbacks.While Wave Energy has been known since the 1700s the progress has been extremely slow
  3. Difficulty in Transmission of WaveElectricity – Wave Power generate power quite far away from the consumption of electricity.Transportation of Wave Energy can be quite combersome and expensive.Some Wave Energy Generators are converting power at the bottom of the ocean or far away from the shoreline.Moving that power towards where it is used can be difficult.
  4. Weather Effects – Severe Weather like Storms and Typhoons can be quite devastating on the Wave Power Equipment especially those place on the Sea Floor.
  5. Intermittent Nature - One of the biggest problems of Renewable Poweris that it is intermittent in nature as it generates energy only when there are waves.This problem can be solved with energy storage however this leads to additional costs.
  6. High Capital Investment – A Wave Power Plant can cost around$6-10 million million to be spent in building 1 Megawatt.T
  7.  Loss of Scenery - The sight of wave generators around the shoreline can look quite ugly and cause loss of tourism potential around shorelines.Also local residents can have problems even with wave power equipment which is not far offshore..The Cape Wind Energy project off the shore of Massachusetts has been delayed by over 10 years as it has drawn serious objections from the owners of coastal homes about loss in their property values
  8. Cannot be Built Anywhere - This is a disadvantage which is common to all  the 3 types of Water based Energy that is Tidal,Hydro and Waver Energy..Some forms of Energy are just better suited to some places.For example you can’t build a nuclear plant on top of an earthquake prone region,you can’t build a wind farm near the Dead Sea etc.Hydro Energy can only be built in particular places though enough of those places exist globally.Ther are areas like the Pacific Northwest which are more suited to this form of energy.

Also read about other forms of Water based EnergyAdvantages and Disadvantages of Tidal Energy

Other Interesting Reads

  1. Pros and Cons of Wind Power,Turbines and Farms – The Advantages outweighs the Disadvantages
  2. Ten Advantages of Biomass Energy – Oldest Alternative Energy Form gets back in vogue
  3. Is Algae Based Biofuel a Great Green Investment Opportunity
  4. Advantages of Solar Energy – Declining Cost the Biggest One

Nuclear Power cost in Kilowatt Hour (kwh) and Comparison Nucler Energy vs Coal Energy cost

6 Jul, 2011
Nuclear Energy

Nuclear Power like other forms of Energy cannot be defined by a single cost as nuclear power plants differ in their technology and sources of fuel.No two power plants can have the same cost of electricity production similarly nuclear energy plants cannot have the same kilowatt hour cost.However nuclear energy is known for its very low costs of 2-3c/kilowatt hour which can only be currently be met by coal.But nuclear energy cost is based on older nuclear power plants which have already been depreciated.This cost is also controversial as the costs of nuclear waste storage is generally not included.USA and Japan which are the largest nuclear power producers have not constructed permanent nuclear waste storage sites despite accumulating thousands of tons of nuclear waste.Also these days extra safety measures are being taken due to the Fukushima disaster which means that the costs of nuclear energy is going up.

Factors to consider behind nuclear power costs

1) Fuel Costs – Uranium costs are currently quite low due to the surplus uranium from the Soviet Union Stockpile.For the last decade uranium fuel prices have been low due to the conversion of nuclear warheads into usable fuel for nuclear reacotrs

2) Technology – There are different technologies such as light water reactors etc. and they have different costs associated with them though most fall in the same ballpark.

3)Location – Developed country nuclear power has become much more costlier in recent times than the LCOE for nuclear energy in developing countries such as China which have lower construction and regulation costs .Large nuclear power plants require a long time to build with delays due to permitting,environment clearances,financing etc. This can lead to project risk and cost escalations which may make a nuclear plant too expensive when it finally gets built. On top of these problems the “3 mile” and “Chernobyl” disasters have made nuclear power plants a NIMBY for a lot of the developed countries.

4) Local  Opposition – The backlash against the new and existing Nuclear Power Plants has started in different places around the world despite defiant expressions by Nuclear Plant Owners and Operators.In Asia,doubts are being raised against the big investments being made in new nuclear plants.

Nuclear Cost vs Coal Costs

Currently nuclear power is costlier than coal as constructing a nuclear power plant has become much more costlier.Also the risks with nuclear power in developed countries has risen manifold.The risks are so high that some companies have cancelled their nuclear power plants.The time and cost  escalation has become a very high danger with nuclear power plant construction which does not exist with Coal.Also when you consider coal and nuclear costs you have to see that nuclear energy does not pollute the environment like Coal does not only with GHG emissions but also harmful substances like mercury.

Coal power costs can also vary from 3-5c/kwh due to differences in the coal fuel costs and the technology being used.Newer coal plants cost much more as they have to use clean coal technologies in order to reduce emissions.Nuclear Power Plants also do not have to pay for Carbon Emissions in the form of buying CERs in developed countries.

Nuclear Pros

  1. Reliability - Nuclear Power is a highly reliable form of energy almost as good as other fossil fuel energy forms like coal,gas etc.Nuclear Power Plants except in drastic situations continue to run reliably for the whole day without any changes.
  2. Low Fuel Cost - Large amounts of Nuclear Energy can be produced from the fission on radioactive elements like uranium.The costs of nuclear fuel is relatively  very low compared to other energy sources like coal and gas.Also uranium prices currently are quite low making the nuclear electricity price even lower
  3. Low Electricity Cost – The Electricity produced from Nuclear Power is quite low at around 3-5c/Kwh making it very attractive to construct hydro plants.Nuclear  Plants also  have long lives of between 40-60 years which means that they are extremely profitable once constructed within reasonable costs
  4. No Greenhouse Gas Emissions/Air Pollution – Nuclear electricity does not produce any GHG emissions or cause air pollution from the combustion of fossil fuels unlike coal,oil or gas.This makes them very attractive as a source of cheap,non carbon dioxide producing electricity.
  5. High Load Factor - Nuclear Power Plants have very high load factors in excess of 80%.They can generate power almost 24/7 and only require shutdown for periodic maintanance
  6. Huge  Potential –Nuclear Energy Potential is almost infinite compared to the limited and peak features of other forms of  energy like Wind,Geothermal,Oil,Gas and others.Only Solar Energy can be said to have more potential.Note new technologies and fuels like fast breeder and thorium are still in the works which can increase the potential of Nuclear Power more

Nuclear Energy Cons

  1. Nuclear and Radiation Accidents - This is the biggest con for Nuclear Energy and has been repeated 3 times in the last 30 years in Japan,Russia and USA.The fear of a repeat is so great that despite all the safety arrangements touted by the nuclear equipment operators and suppliers,Nuclear Energy faces an uncertain future
  2. Nuclear Waste Disposal – Again a massive problem as the spent Nuclear Rods of Nuclear Reactors are prohibitively costly and difficult to dispose of.Spent nuclear fuel is initially very highly radioactive and so must be handled with great care and forethought.There is no foolproof way to dispose nuclear waste fuel after it is used in the Nuclear Reactors.The area around Nuclear Waste Sites can be dangerous to humans for hundreds of year as complex nuclear elements have half lives running into many years.the United States had accumulated more than 50,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel from nuclear reactors.Permanent storage underground in U.S. had been proposed at the Yucca but that project has now been effectively cancelled.Presently, waste is mainly stored at individual reactor sites and there are over 430 locations around the world where radioactive material continues to accumulate.
  3. Low level of Radioactivity from Normal Operations - The nuclear industry also produces a large volume of low-level radioactive waste in the form of contaminated items like clothing, hand tools, water purifier resins, and (upon decommissioning) the materials of which the reactor itself is built
  4. Nuclear proliferation – Many countries have used the ruse of nuclear energy programs to generate fuel for developing nuclear weapons.Currently there is a major international controversy with regards to the Iranian Nuclear Energy Program.Nuclear Reactors are targets for rogue state actors who can steal the fuel for creating radiation weapons
  5. High Capital Investment,Cost Overruns and Long Gestation Time - The time to construct a large Nuclear power project can take between 5-10 years which leads to time and cost overruns.The Nuclear Plant being built in Finland has been one of the biggest failures in Project Finance.The reactor has been delayed by many year and has led to a massive cost overrun.Areva the main nuclear equipment supplier has endured huge losses.In fact the safety regulations and the long time of construction has brought the Nuclear Energy in the Developed World to almost a halt.
  6. Regulations – The Regulations for Nuclear Energy Power Plants are many and cumbersome due to the massive risks of a failure of a nuclear reactor.This greatly increases the costs of generating nuclear power.It also leads to a long time in the actual start to the completion of a Nuclear Plant .

Advantages of Coal

1) Abundance – Coal is located almost universally,it can be found on every continent in over 70 countries, with the biggest reserves in the USA, Russia, China and India.

2) Continuous,Predictable,Reliable Source of Power – Coal Based Energy can be generated almost 24×7  unlike other forms of renewable energy like wind and solar that are intermittent in nature

3) Low Capital Investment - The capital investment required for Coal based Power plants is relatively less at $1-2/watt of Thermal  Capacity.Note wind energy is slightly higher while Solar is even higher.Coal Mines are also quite cheap to build and Mine with Open Cast Mines providing Coal at a very Low Cost.

4) Low Cost – Coal is one of  the cheapest forms of energy making it the energy of choice in developing countries like India and China.In India its possible to get cheap coal at just $20/ton while international prices of coal range in the region of $100/ton.Note Coal based electricity can be produced at 2-4c/KwH making it the cheapest electricity source.

5) High Load Factor - Thermal Power Plants have very high load factors in excess of 80%.They can generate power almost 24/7 and only require shutdown for periodic maintenance.Coal Based Plants which have become too old or have been shutdown due to environmental concerns can still be used for backup power.

6) Large  Potential compared to Oil –Coal  Energy Potential is quite large compared to other Fossil Fules like Oi and Gas.Coal Reserves globally are estimated to be around 1 trillion tons which implies that Coal can be consumed at the current rates for another 200 years.

7) Big Industrial Base - Coal Energy has been present since the start of the Industrial Revolution with the development of the Steam Engine based on Coal .The technology and industry of the Coal Industry and Thermal Power Plants is well developed and mature.This allows a rapid deployment of Coal Power in most places in the world.

8 Coal to Liquids and Coal to Gases - Coal is now being looked upon as source of Transportation Fuels as Oil becomes scarce and increasingly costly.Coal to Liquid Plants are being constructed in India and China though the Technology is quite immature and the use of the technology is still questionable on environmental grounds.

Disadvantages of Coal

1) Greenhouse Gas Emissions - One of the biggest cons of Coal Energy is that it releases Carbon Dioxide which has been sequestered for millions of years in the dead bodies of plant and animals.This transfer the Carbon from the Earth to the Environment leading to the Global Warming Effect.Global Treaties have failed in putting a Cost on this,though individual countries are tying to account for this through Carbon Taxes and Cap and Trade.

2) Coal Mining Deaths - Coal Mining has resulted in thousands of deaths each year ever since man discovered coal.Note Coal Deaths happen not only in countries which don’t have good safety regulations like China but also in developed countries like USA and New Zealand.

3) Devastation of Earth and Scenery Near Coal Mines – Open Cast Mining of Coal has resulted in destruction of the habitat and destruction of the scenery.It leads to removal of trees and pollution of air and water in areas surrounding the mines.Coal Mine Fires have burned for hundreds of year underground and make living in those areas hazardous.Those burning underground can be difficult to locate and many cannot be extinguished. Fires can cause the ground above to subside, their combustion gases are dangerous to life, and breaking out to the surface can initiate surface fires as well.

4) Displacement of Humans due to Mining Destruction - In West Bengal,India people are being displaced in huge numbers as the hollowing of the earth due to underground coal mining has made those places unsafe as the  Land Caves in without warning.

5) Emission of Harmful Substances like Sulfur Dioxide,Carbon Monoxide,Mercury,Selenium, Arsenic ,Acid Rain - Thermal Plants emit harmful substances such as Mercury and Sulfur Dioxide which cause health hazards among the surrounding population and Acid Rain.While modern equipment has reduced the emission of these harmful substances,it is still very harmful to humans.

Pros and Cons of Hydroelectric Energy

6 Jul, 2011
Hydro Energy

Hydro Electric Energy is second largest source of electricity in the world accounting for roughly 20% of the worldwide demand of electricity with around 800 GW of capacity installed.Hydroelectricity power plants are the biggest power stations in the world dwarfing the biggest nuclear and coal power projects.The world’s biggest power plant is the Three Gorge Dam in China which at 22.5 GW is more than 50% larger than the 2nd biggest power station in the world.s.China is the by far the world leader in hydro power plant capacity with around 200 GW which it aims to double to around 400 GW  by 2020The advantages of hydroelectricity energy are substantial enough to far outweigh any disadvantages.But like nuclear energy,hydro power has some tail risks which can lead to catastrophic damage.

Pros of  Hydroelectric Energy

  1. Carbon Neutral- Note Hydro Electric  Energy results in no new net GHG emissions as it is part of the carbon cycle.Unlike coal and others forms of fossil fuel which have been buried millions of years ago and burning them adds to carbon in the atmosphere,responsible biomass energy generation results in no new carbon emissions or pollution
  2. Continuous Source of Power – Hydro Electric Energy can be generated almost 24×7  unlike other forms of renewable energy like wind and solar that are intermittent in nature
  3. Can be built on small scale - Hydroelectric Energy Power Plants can be built in 1 Mw sizes unlike other types of power which require much larges scale.For example nuclear energy requires a typical plants size of at least 500 MW to make it economical
  4. Reliability - Hydroelectric Energy is a highly reliable form of energy almost as good as other fossil fuel energy forms like coal,gas etc.Hydroelectric Energy Power Plants except in drastic situations continue to run reliably for the whole day without any changes.
  5. Low Electricity Cost – Hydroelectric Energy Electricity Cost is quite low at around 3-5c/Kwh making it very attractive to construct hydro plants.Nuclear  Plants also  have long lives of between 40-60 years which means that they are extremely profitable once constructed within reasonable costs
  6. Long Life - Hydro Plants  has a very long life of around 50- 100 years which is much longer than that of even Nuclear Power Plants.The long life implies that the lifecycle cost of a Hydel Power Plant becomes very low in the long term
  7. High Load Factor - The Load Factor for Solar and Wind Energy ranges from 15-40% which is quite low compared to Fossil Fuel Energy.Hydroelectricity on the other hand  has a load factor of almost 40-60% .
  8. Energy Storage – Pumped Hydro Storage is possible with most of the hydro power plants.This makes them ideal storage for wind and solar power which are intermittent in nature.Hydro Dams can be modified at low costs to allow pumped storage.
  9. Low Operating Costs and little Maintenance - Operating labor cost is also usually low, as plants are automated and have few personnel on site during normal operation.
  10. No Fuel Cost - Hydro Energy does not require any fuel like most other sources of energy.This is a huge advantage over other fossil fuels whose costs are increasing at a drastic  rate every year.Electricity prices are increasingly rapidly in most parts of  the world much faster than general inflation.Price shocks due to high fuel costs are a big risk with fossil fuel energy these days

Cons of  Hydroelectric Energy

  1. External Costs of Hydroelectricity  Besides the normal cots of  hydroelectiricyty,there are external costs to hydroelectricity as well.The massive displacement of people due to the creation of reservoirs,wildlife affects,potential losses from catastrophic failure should also be factored in.However in the real world these costs are not added as the society bear the external costs while the hydroelectricity owners only bear the normal intrinsic costs.
  2. Cannot be Built Anywhere - This disadvantage of Hydroelectric Energy is present with other forms of Energy as well.Some forms of Energy are just better suited to some places.For example you can’t build a nuclear plant on top of an earthquake prone region,you can’t build a wind farm near the Dead Sea etc
  3.  Land usage and Loss of Scenery – Hydroelectric Energy can sometimes use large amounts of land if not properly planned and built.The construction of roads to access the Dams also takes up some land.
  4. Effect on Marine Life - The operation of commercial Hydroelectric Energy Stations has known to moderately affect the marine life around the Power Plant.It leads to disruption in movement and growth of fishes and other marine life..Turbines can also kill fish passing through it.
  5. Long Gestation Time and Project Delays – The cost and time overruns can be huge for Hydroelectric Energy Power Plants can sometimes lead to great problems.Big Hydel Power Plants take around 4-6 years to be built
  6. Tail Risk,Dam Failure - Because large conventional dammed-hydro facilities hold back large volumes of water, a failure due to poor construction, terrorism, or other cause can be catastrophic to downriver settlements and infrastructure. Dam failures have been some of the largest man-made disasters in history.The Banqiao Dam failure in Southern China directly resulted in the deaths of 26,000 people, and another 145,000 from epidemics.
  7. Earthquake Vulnerability – Large Dam Construction has been linked to increased propensity of Earthquakes.Massive Earthquakes in China and Uttarakhand in India were linked to the building of Massive Dams in these countries
  8. Environmental, Dislocation and Tribal Rights - Large Dam construction especially in populated areas leads to massive Tribal Displacement,Loss of Livelihood and Religious Infringement as potentially sacred Land is occupied by the Government.

 

Thin Film Solar – All about Panel Manufacturers (Amorphous Silicon,CIGs),Stocks,Material Technology,Efficiency and Costs

6 Jul, 2011
First Solar,Miasole,Renewable Energy,Schott Solar,Sharp,Solar Energy,Solar Frontier,Solar Panels,Trony Solar

Thin Film SolarSolar Thin Film Technology has been growing rapidly despite falling costs of the mainstream Photovoltaic Crystalline Silicon Technology.While the current solar supply glut has resulted in some of the thin film solar film companies going out of business,big thin  film suppliers continue with their growth plan.Solar Thin Film Technology is supposed to be  the 2nd Generation successor to the mainstream Crystalline Silicon (c-Si) Technology which accounts for around 85% of world production.While a number of Weaker Hands in Thin Film have downed shutters,Thin Film Producers continue to grow and expand.The massive growth potential of Solar Energy makes it possible for both of these PV technologies to flourish.Thin Film Technology unlike c-Si has a number of variants.Amorphous Silicon (a-Si),Copper Indium Gallium Sulphide (CIGs) and Cadmium Tellurium (Cd-Te) are the 3 main types of Thin Film Technology.There are a number of manufacturers of all of these 3 types of Technology.CIGs Technology is said to have the most potential in improving efficiency and competing with c-Si,however Cd-Te is currently the top dog as the world’s biggest solar producer First Solar currently uses this technology.a-Si Technology is not that hot with low efficiencies however Oerlikon and Sharp are pushing ahead with developing this technology.

Efficiency of Solar Thin Film Technology

Amorphous Silicon Technology (a-Si)

This Thin Film Technology has the lowest average efficiency of all the solar cell technologies except immature ones like Organic Dye Cells.With most of the a-Si thin film competitors bankrupt or in a moribund state,Sharp is the only big player remaining claiming a 10% efficiency.Oerlikon has said that its new generation equipment will cuts cost to 70c/watt and improve efficiency to 10% from the current 9%.

Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide (CIGs)

This Thin Film Technology has the highest Solar Cell Efficiency and a number of established companies like TSMC,Q-Cells,Honda and startups like Miasole,Nanosolar,Solyndra are using this technology.However its production is not easy as four different materials are used.Miasole has been claiming to have achieved an efficiency of 13.8%.General range is between 11-14%.

Copper Indium Selenium (CIS)

Solar Frontier claims 11.5% efficiency for its CIS modules which are expected to go upto 14% by 2014.Note it is very closely related to the CIGs Technology differing only in the fact that it does not use Gallium.

Cadmium Tellurium (CdTe)

This technology has around 12% efficiency  though GE has said that it has managed to attain 15% efficiency on commercial glass.Don’t know how much of it is true since First Solar only manages around 12% efficiency despite around 10 years of dedicated R&D.First Solar has claimed a best cell efficiency of more than 17% and is targeting to reach 15% solar panel efficiency in a couple of years  as well.

Copper Zinc Tin Sulfure Selenium (CZTS)

 It is a very new technology unlike the other thin film technologies and has a long way to go.However the USP is that it uses widely found metals unlike the exotic materials like Tellerium and Indium used in other Thin Film Technologies.IBM and Solar Frontier are developing this  technology.It has efficiencies around th 9-10% range

Cost of Thin Film Solar Panels

Thin Film Solar Panels Cost has touched almost $1/watt as it normally is priced 15-20% cheaper than crystalline solar panels,though some companies like First Solar and Sharp manage to sell at higher price because of their brand name and system business.For utility large scale buyers of solar panel buyers,the cost is much lower.Solar Panels Costs have trended down quite in the last 3-4 years except in 2010 when they went up as solar panel demand increased by more than 150% .Solar Panel Costs are the biggest component of a Solar System Cost.The reason for the lower price of Thin Film Solar Panels is that they produce lower amounts of power for the same area of solar panels.This increases the balance of system costs like wiring,construction etc.However Thin Film Solar Panels can give better performance in some conditions like high temperature compared to silicon solar panels.

Manufacturers of Solar Thin Films

1) First Solar – First Solar is the only Solar Thin Film Manufacturer in the world and a benchmark for other thin film companies thinking of making it big.The company was promoted by Wal-Mart promoters and has seen remarkable growth in the last few.This US based company uses Cadmium Tellurium (Cd-Te) Technology and  is the lowest cost panel producer in the world today if you don’t include any penalty for low efficiency.Even if you penalize the Cd-Te Technology for its lower efficiency vis-a-vis the higher efficiency crystalline technology,First Solar is clearly the leader with a core cost of 74c/watt.The company has a roadmap of  reducing the cost to 52c/watt by 2014 and given its track record it seems quite achievable.There is little doubt about First Solar’s ability to survive and flourish due to its massive first mover advantage.

2) Sharp – Sharp,the Japanese Zaibatsu known more for its Electronics Products is also the world’s No 1 Company in terms Solar Module Revenues.Despite its leadership in c-Si Technology,it has shifted focus to a-Si thin film due to higher costs.Sharp has started shipping a-Si modules from its 1 GW capacity plant in Sakai.With its established distribution strengths and technological abilities in LCD Technology,Sharp is one company that can survive the c-Si onslaught.With most of the a-Si thin film competitors bankrupt or in a moribund state,Sharp can capitalize to completely capture this space.However the cost structure of Sharp is not clearly known right now to make a clear call on how this will turn out.Also a 10% efficiency while decent for a-Si technology fall far short of the 13% claims by CIGS start-ups like Miasole.

3) Solar Frontier - Solar Frontier is a subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu and is listed on the Japanese Stock Exchange.The Company has big plans for the Solar Energy Market planning to increase its capacity by more than 10 times in 2011 to around 1 Gw in total.All its 3 plants are located in Miyazaki in Japan and uses previous plasma plant of Hitachi.Solar Frontier claims 11.5% efficiency for its CIS modules which are expected to go upto 14% by 2014.The Company is spending around $1 Billion in Capex for building the 1 GW capacity implying roughly $1 capex/watt which is not exactly cheap though not very expensive either.

4) Miasole – Miasole made a major splash announcing a record breaking 13.8% efficiencythin film module which it will ship in 2011.The company has also raised another $100 million in equity finance despite fall in its pre-IPO valution to $550 million from $1.2 billion earlier.Seems an attractive target for a takeover.

5) Nanosolar – This secretive CIGs startup has big backers in the form of Google and others.The company is planning to build a massive plant in US but till now there has been little news about its commercial shipments,efficiency or costs.Remains to be seen if it manages to succeed or joins the long list of thin film deaths.

6)  Abound Solar - Abound Solar which is a CdTe startup has also received a massive loan guarantee like Solyndra earlier.This money is going to be used to set up manufacturing facilities in Indiana and Colorado.Abound Solar has been heavily supported the the US government’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is in the process of starting a 200 MW plant in Colorado.

 7) General Electric - GE has invested in a Cadmium Tellurium Startup Prime Solar which is ramping up production.Note Cd-Te is the same technology which is used by First Solar.GE has said that it has managed to attain 15% efficiency on commercial glass.Don’t know how much of it is true since First Solar only manages around 12% efficiency despite around 10 years of dedicated R&D.However if GE can even manage to get near to that level then it would surely give First Solar a run for its money.GE has also tied up with Japanese Solar Frontier to market its CIGs based modules

8) TSMC- Stion – TSMC recently bought a 21% equity stake in CIGs startup Stion for $50 million.The partnership will involve TSMC licensing Stion’s technology and doing  joint research on further enhancing the technology.Stion has claimed that it has achieved a >13% efficiency and plans to increase it to 15% in the near future.TSMC has been quietly making further investments to build a large capacity in Taiwan using this technology.It recently bought module making equipment from another Taiwanese company and has also invested a substantial amount in constructing buildings and facilities for the new CIGs fab.TSMC has earlier invested in c-Si through a equity stake in Motech.

9) Masdar -Masdar PV the Abu Dhabi backed Renewable Energy company is facing problems with it its thin film business,recently firing top executives at  its German thin film division.It uses SunFab Technology which has been shuttered by Applied Materials.The company ships some thin film modules here and there but is no longer an important player.

10) Saint Gobain- Hyundai – Global Glass Giant Saint Gobain is expanding its presence in the Solar Energy Manufacturing by partnering with Hyundai Heavy Industries to build a CIGs plant in South Korea with a $198 mm investment.The 50:50 JV which will be known as Hyundai Avancis will be situated in South Korea which is one of the hottest GreenGeographies in the world currently.

11) Ascent Solar – This US Based Company has a long history of making Thin Film Panels on Flexible Substances.The company is trying to survive against the onslaught of competition through strategic tie-ups with a number of companies around the world which will uses its Niche Technology.

12) Energy Conversion Devices – After First Solar,Energy Conversion Devices seemed the mostly likely viable c2mpany in Thin Film Technology.After a few quarters of profits in 2008,the company went into the red as its flexible a-Si modules failed to cut costs as fast as others.It has been shutting factories in the US and shifting to low cost locations.Still one of the biggest independent Thin Film Producers.Seems more likely that it will be bought out then survive independently.

13) Trony Solar - Trony Solar is the largest Solar Thin Film Producer in China and uses a-Si Technology to producer Solar Panels used mostly in Off-Grid Applications.The company uses its own custom made equipment and manages to get decent margins for its products.The company recently listed on the HK Stock Exchange.

14) Astronergy – Astronergy is a producer of high-efficiency thin film PV modules in mainland China, and also makes monocrystalline and polycrystalline PV modules.It is a part of the Chint Group which is one of the largest electronics suppliers in China.The company used equipment from the Oerlikon Group and produces thin film amorphous solar panels in the range of 110-140 Watts.

There are also small number of Thin Film companies like Solexant,Heliovolt and others which are still in the stealth stage.DuPont Apollo began production in the fourth quarter of 2009 with two lines that could produce 50 megawatts of panels per year in Shenzen.Other famous producers are Mitsubishi,NexPower,Kaneka,Moser Baer,Topray,Schott Solar.However for small companies to survive is becoming increasingly tough in a cutthroat market where established solar companies like Q-Cells are facing the specter of bankruptcy

Thin Film Solar Stocks

Note Thin Film Solar Companies are mostly privately held like Miasole,Nanosolar,Stion and others.However there are a few solar thin film stocks which trade on stock exchanges.Note most of the stocks have small market capitalization except for First Solar which is the biggest thin film stock by value.Some of the solar stocks have faced a torrid 2011 with massive oversupply of solar panels and competition from low cost Chinese Solar Panels.Here is a list of Solar Thin Film Stocks

1) First Solar (FSLR)

2) Ascent Solar (ASTI)

3) Energy Conversion Devices (ENER)

4) Trony Solar (it is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange)

5) Sharp (listed in Japan and US Pink Sheets)

Besides these companies here is list of the solar thin film ventures and companies that have shut down or are in the process of shutting down

The First Wave of Thin Film Bankruptcies

  1. Applied Materials is perhaps the biggest loser with the managment all but giving up on its Thin Film Equipment Division (SunFab).This turnkey technology has failed to keep up with the decline in costs and improvment in Technology.With most of its customers already writing off their investments,AMAT too has reduced support to SunFab
  2. Oerlikon Solar like AMAT had bet its future on supplying a-Si Thin Film Equipment to customers and was giving Applied Materials tough competition.However the falling poly prices  have resulted in sharp order cuts for Oerlikon and the survival of its thin film division too is in doubt
  3. Q-Cells has written off its investments in 2 of its thin film divisions -Calyxo (CdTe) and Sunfilm (aSi).Only Solibro (CIGS) division has survived the major restructuring of Q-Cells which saw a multi billion dollar loss in 2009 and resignation of its CEO.
  4. Suntech a-Si Division which was set up in Shanghai with a SunFab equipment from Applied Materials  has been written off according to the management and will be retooled to manufacture high efficiency c-Si cells.
  5. Moser Baer was one of the first customers of Applied Materials SunFab Line.However the company had problems in ramping up its line.Recent results do not inspire any confidence in the success of its thin film venture
  6. Signet Solar was one of the best known a-Si startups with a strong management team.However like other SunFab customers it is too facing a bleak future with recent news of cancellation of its expansion plans
  7. Sanyo had set up a JV with Nippon Oil with grandiose plans to manufacture a-Si panels with a planned 1 GW capacity by2015.This JV Sanyo Eneos too is deferring its expansion plans with the cost/efficiency metrics not being competetive against c-Si modules
  8. Masdar PV the Abu Dhabi backed Renewable Energy company is facing problems with it its thin film business,recently firing top executives at  its German thin film divisio

Second Wave of Solar Bankruptcies

1) Solyndra – The biggest and most famous solar bankruptcy of all times with the Obama administration coming under a massive attack.The company raised a billion dollars in equity and debt for its custom made cylinderical thin film CIGs solar panels.However the relentless competition from the low cost Chinese and its high cost structure has made it almost impossible for the company to survive any longer.

2) Suntech closed its CSG division which it had bought in the 2008 boom but was facing an uncertain future.

Heliovolt and Ascent Solar have sold controlling equity stakes to Asian conglomerates like the SK Group being unable to go ahead alone given the substantial costs of manufacturing expansion and marketing etc.

 

Is Solar Energy Renewable – Differences with Nonrenewable Sources

5 Jul, 2011
Renewable Energy,Solar Energy

WHAT IS RENEWABLE ENERGY

Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. Climate change concerns and increasing government support are driving increasing renewable energy legislation, incentives and commercialization. Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RENEWABLE & NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY:

  • Renewable energy can be easily replaced, such as water, sunlight & geothermal energy. Nonrenewable energy cannot be easily replaced as in the fossil fuels like natural gas, oil, coal.
  • Renewable resources are those that are replaced in nature. They are derived from natural sources. Non-renewable resources exist in fixed amounts or are used up faster than they can be replaced in nature.
  • There is unlimited supply of renewable sources as against non-renewable resources.
  • Renewable resources do not produce green house gasses that harm our planet. That’s why renewable energy is called “clean energy”. Non-renewable resources produce gas emissions that harm our planet

Renewable energy resources has its own advantages & disadvantages.

SOLAR ENERGY- IS IT RENEWABLE

By definition it goes that Solar Energy is renewable. The sun rises every morning & sets every evening. It has continued like this since last billions of years & will continue for more billions of years. Hence there is an unlimited supply of sunlight. Unlike coal & oil which is fast depleting, there is an abundance of sunlight. Hence the prices of these products are getting dearer, whereas the solar energy will definitely be very reasonable in the near future. The day is not far off when all our homes & offices will be lit by this solar energy & that too for almost free.

Strictly speaking nothing in this universe is renewable but if the time-line of the energy source is sufficiently long for example in the case of the sun which will be billions of years then it is renewable.Solar Energy is definitely more renewable than Hydro or Geothermal sources of energy .

SOME OF THE CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF SOLAR ENERGY AS A RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCE-

  • Unlimited Supply – Sunlight like other renewable energy resources is in abundant supply in this universe. There has been a continuous supply of sunlight. This is in contrast to the non-renewable resources which cannot be replenished.
  • Clean Technology – Solar Energy does not lead to any major mining activity,does not lead to significant GHG emissions,does not lead to health hazards like thermal power. This is a similarity with Renewable resources which do not produce gasses that harm our planet. Non- renewable resource generate hazardous gas emissions.
  • Low Costs – Solar Energy does not require any fuel like Wind Energy and the Operation and Maintainance Costs are extremely low.This is a huge advantage in these days when gas and oil disruptions are causing energy insecurity. In contrast to this is the coal & oil which is a fast depleting non- renewable energy resource. These are getting costlier by the day, since they are on their brink of exhaustion.
  • No Pollution and Deaths- Solar Energy does not lead to pollution disasters like the BP Oil Spill and Coal Deaths which are directly related to Dirty Energy Production. Coal Mining has resulted in thousands of deaths each year ever since man discovered coal.
  • Size Advantages – Solar Installations can be installed in various sizes with as little as 200 Watts and as big as a 1000 MW.This is not possible for other energy forms which require a minimum large size such as Coal,Nuclear etc.

CONCLUSION

Since Sun power is so abundant, reasonably cheap & a greener approach towards living, it is being used by the mankind in many ways. Countries like Germany generate almost 20 GW of power from the Sun. Italy, Spain & Japan too generate a lot of electricity through the sun. Some of the smaller European countries like Czech,Belgium too are generating lots of solar energy through proactive Green policies.The bigger countries in the world like USA,China and India are slowly realizing the potential of Solar Energy and are rapidly increasing the amount of Solar Energy products. It is a very energy efficient & clean technology, which has its many commercial applications. Some of the very basic ones are listed below:

  • ELECTRICITY – as we know sunlight is the largest source of light & energy. This light is absorbed by the solar cells by the “Photovoltaic Effect” converting them into usable electricity. This is a greener approach with no pollution. This is also much cheaper, reducing the electricity bills.
  • LIGHTING – Use of solar lighting is a foot forward to a cleaner environment since it is less polluting.Residential, commercial and institutional customers can all benefit from solar lighting. Solar lights can be used anywhere ranging from homes, gardens, industries to parking lots, private roads, campuses, walkways, pathways. Other than the benefits of lighting that it provides, solar lights are very efficient in cutting electricity bills, involve no operating costs and are easy to install.

 

  • HEATING – Solar thermal technology is used to heat water for applications such as pool heating and water heating for homes and businesses. Solar water heating systems use solar panels often called collectors that fits on the roof, collects heat from the sun & then heats water which is stored in a hot water cylinder. The benefits of solar water heating will be hot water throughout the year & that too at costs much cheaper than the electric geysers.

 

  • COOKING – A solar cooker is a low- tech, relatively cheap device that uses the energy of sunlight to heat food or drink to cook it or sterilize it. They help reduce fuel costs & air pollution, since they use no fuel and cost nothing to operate. It is useful for outdoor cooking and is often used in situations where minimal fuel consumption is important, or the danger of accidental fires is high. There are three types of solar cookers/ solar ovens – box cookers, panel cookers and reflector cookers.

Also read how Coal  vs Green Energy contrast

 

 

 

Chemicals,Textile Companies enter Solar Renewable Energy in India (Kanoria,Oswal Woolen Mills)

5 Jul, 2011
Energy,Renewable Energy,Solar Energy,Wind Energy

Renewable Energy is a sunshine industry in India right now and a number of non traditional players are getting into the clean energy industry right now.Companies with surplus cash or lack of growth opportunities are turning to solar energy generation to fuel growth.The JNNSM first phase saw a large number of companies bidding and some unknown players winning the auction.While a large number of these solar companies will never their projects see the light of the day (pun intended),some will survive and thrive.More companies are getting into the solar power busness attracted by the long term potential of solar energy in the country.Kanoria Chemicals which recently sold off a large chunk of its chemical business is sitting on a huge pile of cash.The company has decided to get into renewable energy generation by setting up a 2-3 MW solar plant.Note Kanoria Chemicals has little to any relation between its core operations and solar energy.

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