renewable energy wolrd magazine sep oct 2015

Wind New drivetrain technology for the industry.

Data Points UK residential solar hotspots.

GeothermalLow-enthalpy geothermal raises the bar.

p. 38 p. 44 p. 46

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015VOLUME 18 ISSUE 5

Bioenergy Renewable generation for decades at closed landfills.

p. 53

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contents

features

RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 1

The TeMihi

geothermal

power station

in New Zealand.

Credit: Mighty

River Power.

22COVER STORY

Renewables Help US States Meet Clean Power Plan Goals

The historic plan gives

states one more reason to

build renewable energy

generation now

Jennifer Runyon

30SOLAR

Inverters on Parade

Intersolar 2015 attracted

a wide array of innovators

eager to show their new solar

products to the industry.

Charles W. Thurston

38WIND

Wind Turbine Manufacturers Consider New Drivetrain Technology

A changing power-

generation landscape

has led to new challenges

for both wind-turbine

manufacturers and makers

of turbine components.

Tildy Bayar

46GEOTHERMAL

Low-Enthalpy Geothermal Raises the Bar

Low-enthalpy capture could

ultimately be transformative

for the geothermal-energy

industry.

Chris Webb

ON THE COVER

The U.S. Clean Power

Plan will show the world

that the country is

serious about renewable

energy.

22

46

1509REW_1 1 9/2/15 10:52 AM

A global centre for

commerce and trade, with

solid economic stability

covering the energy, tourism,

healthcare, wholesale and

retail trade sectors, as well

as many more, Abu Dhabi

is also a vibrant business

hub, boasting content-driven

conferences, trade-specic

exhibitions, and unique

incentive programmes, as

well as being a capital city

with exceptional connectivity

whether by land, sea or air.

It meets all the requirements

to become your destination of

choice.

Theres more to

business events in

Abu Dhabi


1509REW_2 2 9/2/15 10:52 AM

On RenewableEnergyWorld.com

departments & columns

features


RenewableEnergyWorld.com keeps you updated on news,

opinion and technology for the renewable energy industry.

Visit us on the web to:

Get All the Latest Renewable Energy News

Need a new job? Find out which companies are hiring.

Read our editors picks popular articles highlighted for you.

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53BIOENERGY

Renewable Electricity at Closed Landfills

How can landfill managers squeeze the

maximum possible amount of renewable

energy out of the gases their landfills

produce over time?

Alain Castro

59 HYDROPOWER

Record-Breaking Conference Reveals Excitement Surrounding Hydropower

HydroVision International attracted

record attendance this July and

highlighted many accomplishments

within the industry.

Elizabeth Ingram

5 Editors LetterThree Reasons 2015

Will Go Down in Clean

Energy History

6 Regional NewsNews from the Global

Renewable Energy Industry

15 The Big QuestionWhere Are the Major

Geothermal Opportunities

Around the World Today and

What Should the Industry Do

to Take Advantage of Them?

44 Data PointsUK Residential Solar

62 Resources

65 Advertisers index

66 Last WordMeeting the Need for Uniform

Energy-Storage Codes,

Standards and Regulations

1509REW_3 3 9/2/15 10:52 AM

Reliable energy automation solutions for wind farms


1509REW_4 4 9/2/15 10:52 AM

WW

From the Editor

Jennifer Runyon, Chief Editor


With the year more than half-way over, its clear to me that 2015 will

be a year for the history books in terms of the clean energy transition.

First, in 2015 globally there is greater recognition of climate change.

When the head of the Catholic church calls the replacement of fossil

fuels with renewable energy a moral imperative, people sit up and take

notice. I think it could be argued that Pope Francis has done more for

the clean energy industry than any other global leader in history.

Second, 2015 is the year that the United States finally got serious

about cleaning up its power supply. This summer the U.S. Environ-

mental Protection Agency released the final rules for the Clean Power

Plan; rules that will force states to curb carbon emissions from power

plants over the next 15 years. Its big deal for America, a country that

has fought curbing carbon since 1997 when it refused to sign on to the

Kyoto protocol. Finally the U.S. will head to the Climate Talks in Paris

this December with a firm plan in hand for how the second biggest

emitter of carbon pollution will lessen its carbon impact on the world.

Third, in 2015 the U.S. began construction on the first offshore wind

farm off the coast of Rhode Island. Why is this momentous? For 10+

years Jim Rogers attempted to develop the 468-MW Cape Wind and

for 10 years he faced challenge after challenge, mostly through NIMBY

activists with homes on Cape Cod. The message those lawsuits sent to

the wind industry was clear: stay away. But the 30-MW, 5-turbine Block

Island wind farm, now actively under construction, opens a new chapter

in the country. With it, the U.S. shows the world that is it serious about

large-scale renewable energy and its waters are open for business.

CHIEF EDITOR Jennifer Runyon

INTERIM EDITOR Kat Friedrich

SENIOR OPERATIONS MANAGER

Stephanie Kolodziej

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6 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD MAGAZINE

newsREGIONAL

NORTH AMERICA

The Nature

Conservancy

Installs Bird-Safe

Wind on PalmyraA United States-based non-

profit, The Nature Conser-

vancy, has completed its first

phase of installation of Sheer-

Winds INVELOX funnel-based

wind-power technology at the

Palmyra Atoll, 1,000 miles

(1,600 km) south of Hawaii in

the Pacific Ocean.

Palmyra Atoll is home to

coral-reef and tropical-island

ecosystems. It is co-owned

and managed by The Nature

Conservancy and the United

States Fish and Wildlife Ser-

vice. It is a national wildlife

refuge and hosts more than a

million nesting seabirds.

Low wind speeds and the

risk of bird strikes meant

conventional wind turbines

were deemed inappropri-

ate. The SheerWind design is

some 83 feet long (25 meters)

and features a venturi sec-

tion to increase wind veloc-

ity by a factor of three to six.

With nets over the intake and

enclosed blades, a single tur-

bine has been installed inside

the venturi.

Fundy Tidal-Monitoring Platforms Ready for TrialsIn Dartmouth, Canada, Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy

(FORCE) is completing final testing of two advanced underwater

monitoring platforms in preparation for sea trials in the Bay

of Fundy.

The Fundy Advanced Sensor Technology (FAST) platforms are

recoverable instrument platforms designed to monitor and char-

acterize the FORCE site. Using a variety of onboard sensing equip-

ment, the platforms

enable real-time data

collection from the

Minas Passage. They

measure currents and

turbulence, seabed sta-

bility, marine life activ-

ity, and noise levels.

Tony Wright,

FORCEs general man-

ager, said: To har-

ness the enormous

power of the Bay of

Fundy responsibly, we

have to understand it.

Weve built two subsea

instrument platforms

that will give us a clearer, moment-by-moment picture of whats

happening under the water.

Part of a CAN $6.8-million FAST program that has supported

FORCE efforts to better understand the Minas Passage, the project

has included subsea data collection, subsea data cable installation,

shore-based radar, and meteorological equipment.

Many ocean sensors were not designed to operate in the

extreme high flows at the FORCE site in the Minas Passage. The

platforms help take ocean monitoring to the next level, said FORCE

Platform Manager Simon Melrose.

FundyOcean Research Center for Energy (FORCE)

is completing finaltesting of this advanced

underwatermonitoring platform in Canada.

Credit: FORCE.

1509REW_6 6 9/2/15 10:52 AM

EUROPE


European Commission Sets out ETS Reform PlansA raft of energy-sector propos-

als were unveiled by the EU Com-

mission. The commission plans to

reform its flagship tool for tack-

ling climate change its EU

Emissions Trading System (ETS).

To accomplish this, the com-

mission proposes increasing the

pace of emissions cuts after 2020

and providing additional support

mechanisms to help the indus-

try and power sectors meet the

challenges of the transition.

According to the commission,

this is the first legislative step

toward implementing the EUs

commitment to reducing green-

house gas emissions by at least

40 percent domestically by 2030.

To achieve the target, the sec-

tors covered by the ETS have to

reduce their emissions by 43 per-

cent compared to 2005 levels.

This includes revising the

system of free allocation to focus

onsectors that are at highest

riskof relocating their produc-

tion outside the EU. In addition,

more flexible rules aim to bet-

ter align free allowances with

production figures. It is expect-

ed that around6.3 billion allow-

anceswill be allocated for free

to companies from 2021-2030.

These allowances will be worth

as much as 160 billion euros.

Standardized Wave Power-Offtake Device Gets FundingA 1/10-scale prototype of a marine hydrokinetic

project has received $3.1 million USD in new fund-

ing from the Scottish governments Marine Renew-

ables Commercialization Fund (MRCF).

It is hoped the research can lead to standardized

subsea units that will be able to be attached to a

variety of different wave-energy machines.

The Wave Power Offtake Device (WavePOD)

project run jointly by Aquamarine Power, Bosch

Rexroth, and Carnegie Wave Energy is testing the

prototype at the Institute for Fluid Power Drives

and Controls at RWTH Aachen University in

Germany.

When generating electrical power, the scale-

prototypes drivetrain is using real-life hydrody-

namic data from Aquamarines Oyster 800 device,

installed at the European Marine Energy Centre in

Orkney in 2012.

Its backers say the new funding should enable

the team to complete the scale-prototype testing

and deliver the design and specification for a full-

scale prototype.

These developments coincided with a new

analysis from Frost & Sullivan that found the UK

remains the front-runner in the development of

newer tidal-energy solutions, buoyed by a good

tidal resources and a supportive regulatory scenar-

io. Canada, China and South Korea are also show-

ing steady progress. And the United States is one of

the top innovators, the report said.

Research Analyst Lekshmy Ravi said, The suc-

cess of smaller demonstration plants will propel

the immediate adoption of tidal stream and tidal

barrage technologies. The deployment of hybrid

energy systems consisting of a combination of tidal

and offshore wind energy seems probable in the

long term.

1509REW_7 7 9/2/15 10:52 AM

newsREGIONAL


Frances Feed-in-Tariffs for Biogas and PV Increase The French government is to increase its feed-in tariffs (FiTs) for

biogas installations and small photovoltaic (PV) systems, according

to the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Energy.

Part of an overall strategy for France to meet 32 percent of its

energy demand by renewables by 2030, the FiT for electricity pro-

duced by combined heat and power installations running on bio-

gas will reportedly be raised for both new and existing installations

between 10 and 20 percent under the terms of a ministerial decree.

The ministry is also expected to increase the price premium

given to building-integrated solar PV installations of up to 100 peak

kW by 10 percent.

Serbian Onshore

Wind Set to Soar

Total installed onshore wind

installed capacity in Serbia is set

to rise five-fold from 102.5 MW

in 2015 to an estimated 522 MW

by 2025 following the introduc-

tion of a new energy law.

According to new analysis by

GlobalData, several new proj-

ects and the governments new

Energy Law, which came into

effect in January 2015, will boost

installations to an impressive

Compound Annual Growth Rate

(CAGR) of 48 percent.

According to GlobalData Ana-

lyst Sneha Susan Elias, Plant

operators must hold Privileged

Power Producer (PPP) status in

order to receive the appropri-

ate price support for electricity

generation in accordance with

legal requirements. Following

completion of the power-pur-

chase agreement with the plant

operator, Serbias state-owned

power utility company, Elektro-

privreda Srbije, is legally obliged

to purchase the total electrici-

ty produced by PPPs at an incen-

tive price. Technologies eligible

for feed-in tariffs include hydro-

power, biogas, biomass, geother-

mal energy, solar power, and

wind power.

Serbia will reach approx-

imately 250 MW of onshore

installed capacity by 2020. This

is only half of its 500-MW capac-

ity cap for wind energy by 2020.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

Finance Deal Accomplished for Kenyan WindKipeto Wind Power Project in Kajiado, Kenya is set to go ahead with

the conclusion of a $233-million-USD financing deal with the Over-

seas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).

The United States governments development finance institution

committed the debt financing for construction and operation of the

project as part of President Obamas Power Africa initiative.

Located south of Nairobi, the 100-MW project will be one of the

first utility-scale wind projects to come online in Kenya, where over

75 percent of the population still lacks access to reliable electricity.

Kipeto is being developed in partnership with African Infra-

structure Investment Managers, Kenyan independent power pro-

ducer Craftskills Wind Energy International, Ltd., and International

Finance Corporation (IFC).

President and CEO of OPIC Elizabeth Littlefield said: Kipeto is a

transformative project for many reasons, principally for the clean

and reliable energy it will supply to Kenyan citizens. It will be one

of Kenyas first utility-scale wind projects and can contribute more

than 20 percent of residential power consumption at current usage

rates.

1509REW_8 8 9/2/15 10:52 AM


1509REW_9 9 9/2/15 10:52 AM

newsREGIONAL


PV Tracking System

to Be Installed in

South Africa

Construction has begun on a 558-kW ground-mounted solar tracking

PV power plant at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Researchs

(CSIR) Pretoria campus in South Africa.

Under turnkey development by a Capetown-based subsidiary of

Germanys juwi, the project will cover one hectare and will produce

power at a lifetime levelized cost of six euro cents/kWh (according to

CSIRs lifetime-cost-of-electricity model).

The tracking system is expected to produce more than 3.5 GWh in

the first three years of operation, during which juwi will also provide

operations and maintenance services for the facility.

Greg Austin, managing director of juwi South Africa, said: By

pushing the market towards the lowest cost per kWh offered over the

projects full lifetime, the CSIR has demonstrated that it is possible

for government and public entities to procure smaller-scale renew-

able-energy facilities at lifetime cost rates highly comparable to

[those from] large-scale facilities such as the various larger PV power

plants in the Northern Cape.

Grid connection is scheduled for the end of August.

Sudans Plans for 500 MW of Hydro by 2020Plans to boost generating capaci-

ty in Sudan, including around 500

MW of new hydropower develop-

ment, have been released by the

Ministry of Water Resources and

Electricity.

A document detailing increas-

ing hydroelectric power gener-

ation in the country from 1,500

MW to 2,000 MW by 2020 has

been approved by the technical

committee of the economic-devel-

opment sector at Sudans Council

of Ministers.

Among the projects, Sudan

aims to complete construc-

tion of the 320-MW Upper Atba-

ra and Setit hydroelectric project,

including Rumela Dam on Upper

Atbarah River and Burdana Dam

on Setit River. These locations

are in the eastern region of the

country.

The $1.9-billion-USD project

began construction in 2011. Both

dams are expected to be complete

by March 2016.

Even at maximum capacity, the

1250 MW Merowe plant, Sudans

largest hydroelectric facility, can-

not fully power Khartoum. Sudan

routinely faces a 5-percent deficit

in electricity supply during peak

hours.

Of the countrys 39 million

inhabitants, only 35 percent have

access to electricity.

Solar Developments in JordanFour solar PV projects are under

development in Jordan with a

combined capacity of 57 MWp.

Located near the cities of Maan

and Mafraq, the four projects

were awarded power purchase

agreements under Round 1 of Jor-

dans National Renewable Ener-

gy Plan.

Three of the projects, each

rated at 11 MW and located near

the city of Maan in south-central

Jordan, are Al Ward Al Joury, Al

Zahrat Al Salam, and Al Zanbaq.

Jordan Solar One is rated at 24

MW and will be constructed near

the northern town of Mafraq.

Martifer Solar, a subsidiary of

Martifer SGPS, will provide the

engineering, procurement and

construction services for the

portfolio and perform the sub-

sequent operations and main-

tenance for all four solar PV

projects.

The projects were also

1509REW_10 10 9/2/15 10:52 AM


supported by the World Bank Group through Mul-

tilateral Investment Guarantee Agency investment

guarantees as well as part of an IFC $207-million-

USD debt-financing package. IFC also acted as the

lead arranger for the financing together with a syn-

dicate of other financiers including Bahrains Arab

Bank, the European Arab Bank, FMO, FinnFund,

and OPECs Fund for International Development.

Jordan currently imports 95 percent of its

power which costs approximately a fifth of the

countrys GDP. The development and construction

of renewable energy projects such as these will be

essential for its future, said Henrique Rodrigues,

CEO of Martifer Solar.

Peruvian Hydro FinancedUnion Group has secured a $59-million-USD financing pack-

age for two hydropower plants in Peru that will generate a

combined 27.4 MW.

A consortium of development banks have invested in senior

debt in Union Groups El Carmen and 8 de Ogosto hydropower

plants. These plants will be linked to the national power grid

by a 60-km transmission line.

El Carmen, which will generate 8.4 MW, and 8 de Agosto,

which will generate 19 MW, are anticipated to produce up to

215 GWh per year.

The $88-million-USD project marks the first stage of a plan

to build nine hydropower plants with 125 MW of capacity in

the countrys mountainous Huanuco region in central Peru.

Union Group subsidiary Generacin Andina is building the

plants backed by two 20-year power purchase agreements

with the Peruvian government under its under Renewable

Energy Resource Program.

Within Peru, Union Group is developing a hydropower

portfolio of close to 1,000 MW, including two plants in the

district of Monzn, Huamalies, which are due to enter ser-

vice in January 2016. Union Group also recently acquired

Empresa de Generacin Elctrica Canchayllo S.A.C, a sub-

sidiary of Rurelec. The $14.3-million-USD deal includes a 5.2

MW run-of-river hydro power plant in Junin, Peru.

According to Perus General Directorate of Electricity of the

Ministry of Energy, national electricity consumption rose on

average by close to 5 percent a year between 2004 and 2014.

Uruguay Strikes a Wind Turbine DealSpains wind turbine manufacturing

company Gamesa signed a new con-

tract with developer Smartener for the

supply of 50 MW of machines to the

Maldonado II wind farm in Uruguay.

The agreement reached with Smart-

ener encompasses the supply, instal-

lation and commissioning of 25 of its

G114-2.0 MW turbines at the wind

farm, located in Maldonado and

Lavalleja in southeastern Uruguay.

This is Gamesas first contract in

Uruguay for the installation of the

G114-2.0 MW, a new model designed

for low- and medium-wind-speed sites.

Gamesa will also provide the facil-

itys operations and maintenance ser-

vices under a five-year agreement.

Delivery of the turbines is expected

to begin in November and the wind

farms construction should be com-

pleted by Q2 2016.

This new order is an extension of

the operational first phase of Maldo-

nado wind farm, also developed by

Smartener in 2013.

To date, Gamesa has installed 150

MW in Uruguay.

LATIN AMERICA

1509REW_11 11 9/2/15 10:52 AM

newsREGIONAL


Seawater Air-Conditioning

Economically Viable in Caribbean

Eight locations in the Caribbean

have been analyzed for seawater

air conditioning development in

a study which suggests that dis-

trict cooling is economically via-

ble for at least two sites.

In a study commissioned by

the Development Bank of Latin

America with co-financing from

the Agence Franaise de Dvel-

oppement, Makais district cool-

ing modelling software was

used to assess the sites. The fea-

sibility study also produced two

conceptual designs and cost

estimates at the most economi-

cally attractive locations: Mon-

tego Bay in Jamaica and Puerto

Plata in the Dominican Republic.

The technology uses deep

seawater, which even in the

tropics can be as cold as 5C

(41F) for district cooling. It

replaces conventional A/C sys-

tems is large buildings such as

hotels, reducing electricity con-

sumption.

Flinders Island Hybrid Energy Hub Project BeginsWork is scheduled to begin on the Flinders Island

Hybrid Energy Hub, off the southern coast of Aus-

tralia. The hub will integrate wind and solar gener-

ation with existing diesel power-station technology.

Project Director Simon Gamble said, Like many

remote or island locations, Flinders Island is cur-

rently heavily reliant on expensive diesel fuel to

supply its electricity needs. Diesel fuel remains the

single largest expense in these remote energy sys-

tems. Using renewable energy makes good eco-

nomic sense.

Within two years, the $12.88 million Austra-

lian dollars ($9.5 million USD) Flinders Island proj-

ect will be capable of displacing up to 60 percent of

the annual diesel fuel used on the island to gener-

ate electricity. The go-ahead came after Hydro Tas-

mania signed contracts totaling nearly $4 million

Australian dollars ($3 million USD). The Australian

Renewable Energy Agency also supported the proj-

ect with $5.5 million Australian dollars ($4 million

USD) of funding.

Development of the Hybrid Energy Hub follows

the King Island Renewable Energy Integration Proj-

ect, which plans that the nearby islands ener-

gy needs will be supplied solely from renewables

when conditions allow. The Flinders Island project

will use similar technology.

Hydro Tasmanias has worked with Tasma-

nian manufacturers to develop a series of modu-

lar units to house and ship the technologies essen-

tial for this energy solution. The technology will be

developed and tested for the first time through the

Flinders Island Hybrid Energy Hub project.

These modular enabling units will provide a

lower-cost and scalable solution that will allow

easy and rapid transport and installation for

renewable-energy projects and which could also

serve temporary uses such as in disaster relief or

in the mining industry, Gamble said.

The project is due to be completed in November

2016.

ASIA PACIFIC

1509REW_12 12 9/2/15 10:52 AM

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3 GW of Solar

Projects Slated for

Chinas ShanxiPlans for up to 3 GW of new solar

power in Chinas Shanxi prov-

ince have moved ahead after

Hong Kong-based United Photo-

voltaics Group, Ltd. said it had

won exclusive rights to develop

and construct a 100-MW dem-

onstration project there.

Located at the Datong Dem-

onstration Base, Datong City,

installed capacity at the site is

anticipated to reach 3 GW by

2017.

The deal forms part of Nation-

al Advanced Photovoltaic Tech-

nology Demonstration Base in

coal-mining subsidence areas in

Datong.

According to the overall plan-

ning, the target aggregate capac-

ity of the base in 2015 is 1000

MW, including seven power

plant projects with an aggre-

gate capacity of 100 MW for each

project and five projects with

an aggregate capacity of 50 MW

each. A further 50 MW will be

community-based.

Credit: United PV.


1509REW_13 13 9/2/15 10:52 AM

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The Big QuestionStakeholders weigh in on worldwide renewable-energy issues

Where Are the Major Geothermal

Opportunities Around the World

Today and What Should the Industry

Do to Take Advantage of Them?

Geothermal technology offers renewable energy that comes from under the earth.

The energy is baseload, dispatchable, and 100-percent renewable. The industry

is making slow-but-steady progress in various regions of the world. As attendees

head to the Geothermal Energy Expo and Geothermal Resources Council Annual

Meeting in September, we ask our readers this months Big Question.

In organizing the biggest annual event in the industry (the

GRC Annual Meeting & the GEA Geothermal Energy Expo),

the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) gets an insight

into current trends. From these, we can see that the big-

gest opportunities remain in Indonesia and The Philip-

pines in Asia and in Kenya and Ethiopia in Africa.

However, the recent news that the Japanese government

will allow drilling for geothermal resources in parts of

national parks bodes well for the industry there. Also, new

legislation in Mexico will potentially be a boon for geother-

mal energy.

I hope legislation will be passed to restore the Salton Sea

in Southern California. This would involve the development

of more than a GW of geothermal energy, providing a much-needed push for

the industry in the United States.

In addition, the research into Enhanced Geothermal Resources (EGS) here

in the United States, in particular at the Frontier Observatory for Research in

Geothermal Energy (FORGE) program, might provide the breakthrough for the

industry that will make geothermal energy available anywhere in the world.

Paul Gilbert, Construction Project Manager, Falck Renewables Wind

There are probably many untapped areas. But in Kenya, they have enough

Ian Crawford

Director of

Communications,

Geothermal

Resources Council

1509REW_15 15 9/2/15 10:52 AM


The Big Question

geothermal potential to possibly power a major part of East Africa. The added

bonus is that the transmission lines that are being installed for the Lake Tur-

kana Wind Project pass close by allowing connection points and substations

to be built. External companies should be encouraged to invest and be a part

of Kenyas 5,000-MW vision for future energy provision.

Jim Goldmann, Sponsor Energy Capital

The age-old issue for geothermal power generation is proving resources and

developing risk with a utility rate of return on completing a successful proj-

ect. This single issue has sidelined potential projects for decades. Sponsor

Energy Capital is forming a fund to solve this issue for worthy projects.

Len Hering, RADM, USN(ret), Executive Director, Center for Sustainable Energy

Geothermal is abundant in many places around the globe. I see the real prob-

lem as that in most areas where geothermal is present, there is insufficient

grid capacity to handle the load that can be generated.

If you closely examine the geothermal domes that exist throughout the

southwestern United States, for example, you will find that the grid neces-

sary to support larger amounts of energy is not present or is dedicated to the

transfer of energy from areas supplied by larger fossil-fuel generation plants.

The costs to upgrade this power structure and to connect these plants to the

grid end up being higher than the developers of the projects can bear.

There are two important trends in geothermal ener-

gy that have the opportunity to drive new growth in the

ground-source heat pump industry.

First, the development of innovative geothermal HVAC-

financing models will enable many more buildings to

keep their occupants comfortable while conserving ener-

gy and keeping operating costs low.

These new business models are allowing property

owners to avoid large upfront cash outlays for upgrading

to geothermal while still keeping monthly cash payments

below their properties previous monthly heating and

cooling bills.

The geothermal industry is following in the footsteps of successful solar

PV financing models, which are growing rapidly by selling no-money-down

solar installations.

Craig Immel

Founder, Steady

State Asset

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The Big Question

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Second, there is a growing recognition that geothermal heat pump sys-

tems can be used for thermal energy storage. While there is a lot excitement

around solar PV and grid storage, much of that electricity is ultimately used

to provide thermal comfort and water heating.

Storing BTUs underground and simply pumping them into or out of build-

ings as needed is a smart way to use electricity and heat energy. It is also a

great opportunity for utilities to comply with the Clean Power Plan by reduc-

ing overall energy loads on the grid.

Pedro Nava, Chair, California Little Hoover Commission

In California, we need the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) to

recognize the importance of geothermal energy and eliminate barriers to its

development.

There is something wrong when geothermal is only 4 percent of Califor-

nias renewable energy portfolio. The area around the southern end of the

Salton Sea is the richest deposit of geothermal energy in North America and

has resources to replace the shuttering of San Onofre.

1509REW_17 17 9/2/15 10:52 AM


The Big Question

Today there are almost 80 countries around the world

at some stage of exploring or developing their geother-

mal resources, so there are opportunities on every con-

tinent. The best scenarios for success and growth are

those where there is an understanding of the resource

and geology, the governments support its development

and the economies needs power. All three of these fac-

tors are found in East Africa, particularly in Kenya and

Ethiopia, making this a leading region for geothermal

opportunities.

Equally strong potential exists for new geothermal

development in Mexico and Indonesia as these governments each move for-

ward on geothermal initiatives and open doors for new investment. Oppor-

tunities also abound in the ripening geothermal markets of Central Ameri-

can countries, Caribbean Islands, and Pacific Islands.

But dont write off the United States.As climate emissions become a mar-

ket driver, the firm and flexible attributes of geothermal power make it an

essential part of any greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan. Only a small

fraction of geothermal resources are developed, so its still a pioneer indus-

try with a lot of room for advancement.

To take advantage of the opportunities, first support GEA as it works to

open and promote new markets and to keep companies informed of new

opportunities.Second, develop the best technology and the best team.Then

prepare your plans knowing the risks...and seeking to reap rewards.

Frank Prautzsch, President, Velocity Technology Partners

Geothermal opportunities are best capitalized upon in physical locations

where the potential exists. Such opportunities are greatest on or near major

volcanic activities or tectonic plate underlap areas.

The entire tectono-magmatic activities around the Red Sea gave rise to sev-

eral geothermal provinces over the continents surrounding the Red Sea, rep-

resented by thermal springs and fumaroles at several locations in the State of

Eretria, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Ideally, an offshore system in the Red Sea could provide a major source

of steam energy for electrical production. A high-voltage DC undersea cable

could carry this energy ashore for mass storage or immediate use.

The United States Navy Operates the COSO Geothermal Well in California.

The energy produced from this facility powers an entire base plus overcapac-

ity for adjoining communities.

Geothermal planning requires high-quality research on understanding

location, technology, environmental impact, the cost of feeder transmission

Karl Gawell

Geothermal

Energy Association

1509REW_18 18 9/2/15 10:52 AM

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The Big Question

lines, mass storage, maintenance and operation.

Most geothermal systems require extensive maintenance and lifecycle sup-

port which must be factored into the business case for any such project.

Alexander Richter, Founder and Principal, ThinkGeoEnergy

The perspectives on what constitutes a great geothermal opportunity dif-

fer. For developers and investors, it is about accessibility and support-

ing schemes. For suppliers, it is about the market structure, openness and

competitiveness.

Overall, the key markets for suppliers are Indonesia, Philippines, Kenya,

Turkey, Mexico, and the several smaller nations with smaller projects.

For investors supporting schemes such as the Geothermal Risk Mitigation

Facility in Eastern Africa, a new insurance scheme in Mexico and Latin

America, as well as good feed-in-tariffs, are helpful.

Germany, for that matter, still is likely one of the better return opportuni-

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1509REW_19 19 9/2/15 10:52 AM


The Big Question

Kate Zerrenner, Climate and Energy Project Manager, Environmental Defense Fund

There are some good geothermal resources in East Texas.

One of the things that concerns me the most about geothermal is the water

withdrawal and consumption. I know that a lot of companies are looking for

ways to reduce their water impact (in particular by using recycled water -

much like in the natural gas industry), but the water component is still one I

think needs to be part of any discussion.

If the geothermal potential is in areas that are predicted to see an increase

in drought or heatwaves in the coming decades, I think that water availability

should be part of the calculus of whether it is worth harvesting those resourc-

es. At the very least, developers should consider how to be smart about reduc-

ing their freshwater use.

Ted Clutter, Association Executive, Geothermal Exchange Organization

When we talk about geothermal energy development, we should not for-

get geothermal, or ground-source, heat pumps (GHPs). This technology for

the past few decades has been quietly building its contribution to pollu-

tion reduction, job creation, and energy/cost savings for millions of people

around the world.

Here in the United States, its a 50-state technology that is not dependent

on ideal natural conditions of heat source availability and permeable rock.

Around 700 MWt of capacity is installed every year in the United States

alone, by far outpacing development of hot rocks on an equivalency basis

with electrical production. Best of all, GHPs eliminate onsite use of fossil fuels

like fuel oil, natural gas, and propane that are not only pollutants, but are

hazardous as they are burned by conventional equipment.

The GHP industry is still nascent in the United States, primarily because of

its higher upfront installation cost. This cost is due to the need for excavation

or drilling to install ground-loop heat-exchange systems.

The industry is working to overcome that initial cost barrier through inno-

vative financing that secures cost savings immediately for building owners. It

is also seeking to apply government incentives resulting from amendments to

energy-efficiency laws and renewable-energy portfolio standards.

The industry also advocates renewal of its tax credits for residential and

commercial installations at the federal level, which are set to expire next year.

Several business tax incentives are now under scrutiny by a cost-conscious

Congress.

Most of all, the GHP industry must continue its efforts to inform the public

about its economic and environmental advantages, especially carbon emis-

sion reduction, at a time when climate change is on everyones minds.

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JENNIFER RUNYON, Chief Editor

In early August, the United States Environmental Pro-

tection Agency (EPA) released the final rules for its

much-anticipated Clean Power Plan (CPP), an over-

arching method designed to cut emissions from power

plants across the country. The final rules were the

result of hundreds of meetings and millions of stake-

holder comments.

According to EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, the

rules are meant to capture the momentum that already

existed in the electricity industry. We are not going

against the grain of how the energy world is transition-

ing, she said in a publicly-broadcast interview during

a luncheon at the Resources for the Future. In order to

establish energy policy, we wanted to look at where the

energy world was heading and follow that.

Setting State Compliance Plans

The plan sets uniform emission rates from power

Renewables Help States Meet

Clean Power

Plan Goals

COV E R S TO RY

The historic carbon-cutting plan could be just enough to spur

states to build more wind and solar capacity but they have to act fast.

1509REW_22 22 9/2/15 10:52 AM


U.S. Flag with Wind

Turbine. Credit:

Shutterstock

1509REW_23 23 9/2/15 10:52 AM


Cover Story

plants that are alike across the country. Every coal and natural

gas plant in the United States has the same standard goal, but

each state has its own target that it must meet by reducing car-

bon emissions.

These targets were set based on the number and type of gen-

erating facilities that already exist in each state. States can

achieve their target emission rates however they wish. In addi-

tion, they can either meet their targets alone or by linking up

with other states and setting up a market for trading emission

reduction credits (ERCs) or allowances.

The plan calls on states to comply by using either a rate-based

system or a mass-based system. If they choose the rate-based

option, then every megawatt-hour (MWh) of energy generated

must average out to whatever the state target is for emissions

think of it like as being like a miles-per-hour requirement.

If the goal is mass-based, then the sum of emissions generat-

ed in the state must be at or below the states mass goal or allow-

ance. State goals are listed in the PDF at this link.

For example, New Hampshire, which has one of the more

stringent goals, has a 2030 rate-based goal of 858 pounds of CO2

per megawatt-hour (MWh). This equals 3,997,579 short tons of

CO2 emissions annually in a mass-based system. In 2012, the

states rate-based emission rate was 1,119 pounds per MWh and

emitted 4,642,898 short tons

of carbon annually.

Through the plan, the EPA

has allowed states to set up

trading mechanisms to meet

their targets with the cave-

at that they need to be using

the same mass- or rate-based

system, (there are some

minor exceptions here). It

envisions that in a rate-based

system, states could buy and

sell ERCs, and in a mass-

based system they could buy

and sell allowances.

Incentivizing Clean Energy

For the renewable-energy

industry, one of the most com-

pelling aspects of the Clean

Power Plan is the Clean Ener-

gy Incentive Program (CEIP),

which rewards states specifi-

cally for wind and solar power

projects as well as for energy-

efficiency improvements for

low-income households.

Essentially, once states

have filed their plans with the

EPA, which can take place

as soon as September 2016

(unless they file for an exten-

sion until 2018), they can

begin constructing new wind

and solar generation.

As long as those new

renewable-energy power

plants are generating in 2020

and 2021, those states will

receive one additional emis-

sion reduction credit (ERC)

for every zero-emission MWh Solar PV with U.S. Flag. Credit: Shutterstock.

1509REW_24 24 9/2/15 10:52 AM


Cover Story

Wind turbine on green

wheat farm hill in

Palouse, Washington.

Credit: Shutterstock.

created. Efficiency upgrades in low-income neighborhoods will

be worth two additional ERCs.

McCarthy said the reason for the CEIP was twofold. First, the

EPA wanted to give states more time to meet the goals. Original-

ly, states had to start complying by 2020, but the new compliance

date is 2022. But at the same time, EPA didnt want to stop the

momentum of renewable energy in the market.

We wanted to make sure that there wasnt a hiatus, McCar-

thy said, adding that EPA received a lot of comments from people

in the renewable-energy industry that people were sitting still

now, waiting for the final rule to get done.

We were worried and they were worried that it would

send the wrong signal to have that much empty time, she said.

J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director at Fresh Energy in

Minnesota, said she is very happy that the rule has been final-

ized. She has been part of energy stakeholder meetings that the

state has held for the past two years. These meetings include all

the Minnesota utilities, members of the Minnesota Public Utili-

ties Commission and the Midcontinent Independent System Oper-

ator, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, legislators, compa-

nies, and public interest advocates like Fresh Energy. She said in

a recent meeting there were more than 144 people in attendance.

For Minnesota, Hamilton

said the CEIP could allow

utilities, if they wished,

to develop and implement

renewable energy soon-

er. We are very intrigued

because...we think that low-

income energy efficiency

is very important. Having

those two pieces is going to

be a very important part of

our discussions.

Minnesota already has

utility-scale and community

solar projects under devel-

opment, as well as large

wind farms Hamilton said.

And an added incentive to

give an extra carbon cred-

it for going sooner is going to

be something that we very

carefully consider.

1509REW_25 25 9/2/15 10:52 AM


Cover Story

Putting Solar and Wind

Experts at the Ready

Tanuj Deora is the executive

VP and chief strategy officer

at Solar Electric Power Asso-

ciation (SEPA), an organiza-

tion that works with utilities

and other stakeholders to help

them do many activities that

advance the industry from

implementing community

solar programs to figuring out

rate reform.

SEPA works on stakehold-

er engagement, according

to Deora. A lot of folks are

interested in what the Clean

Power Plan can do. With our expertise in renewables, specifical-

ly in solar and increasingly in other distributed energy resources

like energy storage and demand response, we can help facilitate

conversations [and] make sure folks are using the same language

and people arent miscommunicating or misunderstanding each

other.

SEPA is there to answer questions about all types of solar

power, Deora said. Our primary mission is to provide another tool

in the toolbox for utilities when they think about how they want to

take advantage of the CPP. And those tools are utility-scale solar,

distributed solar, and some distributed energy resources.

Another excellent resource for utilities, according to Deora, is

SEPAs 51st-state initiative. Over the last year, interested parties

submitted plans to SEPA for how they would design an electric

power system for a hypothetical 51st state.

In other words, if you could start from scratch, how would you

design a new electric power system?

Energy farm in Palm Springs

California features solar

panels and wind turbines.

Credit: Shutterstock.

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There are 13 final submissions, which can be found on

SEPAs website. Each one describes a vision for a utility busi-

ness model. Deora described the documents as dense reading.

He said that to make the plans easier to digest, SEPA summa-

rized them in a paper available on the SEPA website.

Distributed generation is already pushing utilities to rethink

how they buy and sell energy. The EPAs new rule will further that

discussion. The CPP is an important driver on why and how the

utility would need to adapt its business model, Deora said.

Michael Goggin, the senior director of research for the Amer-

ica Wind Energy Association (AWEA), said he sees the CPP as a

major driver for wind energy. We think wind energy will be the

lowest-cost compliance solution in many regions. He said wind

is an easy solution for compliance.

So particularly if a state already has an RPS [renewable port-

folio standard], they can ratchet up the target and that will count

as a compliance mechanism. If they dont have an RPS, they

could do a new RPS, he said. Further, he said regulated-utility

states can go through the

integrated resource process

and include procurement of

renewables through the pub-

lic utilities commission and

that would count.

In May, AWEA, in col-

laboration with Solar Ener-

gy Industries Association,

released a handbook for reg-

ulators that explains exactly

what states need to be doing

to comply with the CPP, said

Goggin. It walks through

what the states need to do to

use renewables to comply, he

said, and it shows how they

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Both Goggin and Deora

stressed that a key ingredient

in the CPP is flexibility. There

will be no one-size-fits-all

solution for compliance. Each

state will have to find a gen-

eration mix that works within

its borders and economy.

The crucial point is that

wind and solar resources,

because they are zero-emis-

sion, will allow states to be

even more flexible with what

types of traditional generation

they keep in their energy mix.

There is a lot more flexi-

bility in a system with zero-

emission resources like wind

energy combined with the optimal compliance mix using every-

thing in your portfolio, Goggin said.

Going Above and Beyond

McCarthy and others hope that states will view the CPP as a mini-

mum instead of a limit. I have every expectation that we will go

way ahead of what this actually calls for, she said.

If do this correctly and we set this up in a way that allows

states to enter into markets to have utilities operate the same

way they always have, which is regionally and nationally, then I

think youll see this happen seamlessly, McCarthy said.

Hamilton agreed. What I have heard around the table is that

we dont have to be limited to what the CPP says. We can go far-

ther and faster if that means that Minn. will benefit in other ways.

McCarthy also said that the CPP could boost domestic manu-

facturing. You know, one of the biggest criticisms of a lot of the

movement in solar has been that there is too much of the equip-

ment being manufactured in China. Well, do it here!


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S O L A R

Intersolar 2015 Inverters on Parade

Intersolar 2015 attracted a wide array of innovators eager to show their new solar products to the

industry. Cost reduction, increased performance, and faster installation times were three of their goals.

SolarEdges new StorEdge

lengthens strings. Credit:

Charles W. Thurston.

CHARLES W. THURSTON

The beginning of the industry trend toward 1,500-VDC invert-

ers increased the buzz at Intersolar 2015 in San Francisco this

July. Several companies touted mid-way narrow-range invert-

ers that combine with the best of the wide 1,000-VDC compo-

nents to yield more power than their competitors.

The inverter exhibition space was crowded with at least

three dozen companies showing off their latest innovations

targeting cost reduction, increased performance, and faster

installation times.

Here are a few of the

most eye-catching products.

The companies are listed in

alphabetical order.

ABB

New products from ABB

include a family of rapid shut-

down devices, a new Wi-Fi

1509REW_30 30 9/2/15 10:53 AM


logger card, and a new revenue-

grade meter.

All of these products are compat-

ible with ABBs solar inverters and

can boost the efficiency of a PV sys-

tem, according to Christopher Law-

son, global director of marketing

communications at the companys

Phoenix Power-One Renewable Ener-

gy Solutions location.

The rapid-shutdown device was

one of many products at the show

that achieve compliance with section

690.12 of the NEC 2014 standard.

The company also showed off

its new VSN300 Wi-Fi Logger Card

for PV system management, monitoring and control. The card

includes an advanced expansion board designed for ABBs UNO

and TRIO string inverter product lines. Two of its advantages are

ease of installation and cost efficiency, the company said.

APS America

Touting what it called the industrys first true three-phase micro-

inverter, APS showed off its APS YC1000. This microinverter han-

dles 277 V/480 V grid voltages with 900 W of maximum output.

Up to 11 of these microinverters can be linked in a single

15-amp circuit, supporting 44 modules of either 60- or 72-cell

layout, according to Jason Higginson, the companys senior

director for marketing.

The company also showed off its new iOS smartphone-based

Energy Monitoring and Analysis (EMA) app that allows APS

microinverter system owners to track solar array performance in

real time. This allows system owners to perform day, month, year

and lifetime analyses of the array. The app calculates energy sav-

ings based on price per kWh. It also calculates environmental sav-

ings in terms of gallons of gasoline, trees, and carbon emissions.

Cree

To boost inverter power, this company, based in Durham, N.C.,

has created the industrys first 900-V metal-oxide semiconduc-

tor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) platform, staff said at the

show.

The new platform is opti-

mized for high-frequency

power electronics applications

for inverters, electric vehicle

charging systems, and three-

phase industrial power.

Earlier this year, Cree

announced a high 99.1-per-

cent efficient 50-kW invert-

er made with its MOSFETs

and diodes, which staff said is

one-fifth the average size and

weight of todays silicon-based

inverter units.

While the new MOSFETs

are more expensive, both the

inductor and capacitor size

can be reduced, staff said, so

a unit-cost savings of close to

15 percent can be achieved.

Continental Control Systems

The company promoted a

new firmware version of its

Modbus Revenue energy

meter at the show. It updates

Ginlong staffer stands

beside a new three-

phase inverter. Credit:

Charles W. Thurston.

1509REW_31 31 9/2/15 10:53 AM

Solar


every 200 milliseconds.

This Option Fast Power update supports revenue-grade

meters to match feed-in limit requirements by utilities

that may curtail AC power fed into the grid, according to

Cynthia Boyd, the director of sales for the Boulder-based

company.

The fact that weve been getting inquiries about fast-

er response times from our power meters may partly be

driven by the anticipation of recent developments where

PV plants and producers are evolving into an asset for grid

operators, Boyd said.

CyboEnergy

The Rancho Cordoba, Calif.-based company CyboEnergy

displayed its On/Off Grid CyboInverter mini-inverter. This

mini-inverter melds the functions of both central inverters

and microinverters.

Operating in either an on-grid or off-grid mode, the unit

has four input channels that can connect to four 300-W

DC sources including solar panels, wind generators, hydro-gen-

erators or batteries, producing 1150 W of AC peak power.

Each channel has its own control and maximum power point

tracking (MPPT) to optimize power production. The product is pat-

ented and UL-1741 certified, the company said.

Enphase

While he announced no

new products at the show,

Enphases Greg Wolfson,

director of storage products,

offered Renewable Energy

World an embargoed descrip-

tion of its new strategic sup-

ply relationship with SunRun

for its home solar installation

business.

While AEE Solar and Sun-

runs network of certified

partners have long sold and

installed Enphase systems,

this agreement marks the first

time that Enphase will pro-

vide its module-level power

electronics systems to Sun-

runs direct installation ser-

vices business, Wolfson said.

Enphase will continue

to work with Sunrun across

its multi-channel platform,

IdealPower presents its bi-directional power converter. Credit: Charles W.

Thurston.

Crees new MOSFET boosts inverter

power. Credit: Cree.

1509REW_32 32 9/2/15 10:53 AM

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Solar


strengthening its relation-

ship with Sunruns whole-

sale distribution business,

AEE Solar, and collaborat-

ing on operational efficien-

cy-focused product devel-

opment with SnapNrack,

Sunruns solar photovoltaic

racking and mounting sys-

tems group, Wolfson said.

At some point in the

near future, the company

is expected to address the

commercial energy-storage

market the range from 10

kWh to 100 kWh with a

plug-and-play system includ-

ing its inverters.

Fronius

The Fronius Rapid Shutdown Box was also

on display. It offers a solution for all single-

phase Fronius SnapINverters from 1.5 kW

to 15 kW, according to Richard Balding-

er, the group leader for solar energy mar-

keting and sales support for the Portage,

Ind.-based company. Directly connected to

the inverter through the same DC conduit

as the DC homeruns, the Fronius solution

minimizes the number of boxes that are

needed.

Fronius also showed off its new Eco

inverter from its SnapINverter series. This

product was designed for use in the 25.0

kW and 27.0 kW power categories in large-

scale solar plants.

Baldinger also said Fronius inverters

will be used in the Tesla Powerwall under

the companies new strategic agreement.

Ginlong

Ginlong Technologiespresented what

Susanna Huang, the general manager of

the Dublin, Ohio company, called the industrys first four-MPPT

30-kW and 36-kW three-phase inverter.

The new 70-pound inverter is UL 1741 certified, CEC-listed and

DNV GL-tested. The inverter also features 98.2-percent peak effi-

ciency in an ultra-wide input voltage range of 200 V to 800 V.

Ginlong also recently announced a strategic supply agreement

with AEE Solar.

Ideal Power

The Austin-based company showed its new grid-resilient 125-kW

bi-directional power conversion system, scalable to over a mega-

watt for large-scale applications.

The new system includes the companys patented Power Pack-

et Switching Architecture (PPSA). This chip-based conversion

system precludes traditional wound metal cores in inverters,

reducing the size and weight of conventional power conversion

systems by one-quarter to one-eighth, said Bill Alexander, CTO of

the company.

Tabuchi demos its United States market plug-and-play

entrant. Credit: Charles W. Thurston.

1509REW_34 34 9/2/15 10:53 AM

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Solar


The PPSA technology was

refined through a variety of

grants including a SunShot

award.

KACO

KACO announced its blueplan-

et 1500 TL3 with Ampt Mode

at the show. This product is

a 1,500-kVA transformer-less

solar inverter with protection

class IP 54/NEMA 3R for out-

door use, said Ben Castillo, a

technical sales and market-

ing lead for the Rocklin, Calif.-

based company.

The inverter is also available

as part of a 3,000-kVA integrat-

ed power station. When used in

combination with Ampt String

Optimizers, the blueplanet

1500 TL3 achieves a 50-percent

increase in rated output power,

lowering the specific cost of a

system inverter solution by 33

percent, the company said.

With the MPPT on each

string, the blueplanet 1500 TL3

inverters operate with a high-

er and narrower input volt-

age range. This optimized input

range allows each inverter to

deliver 50 percent more power,

increasing the rated output

power and lowering the inverter

cost per watt, staff said.

Outback Power Technologies

Outbacks star at the show was

its new preassembled 4 kW or

8 kW FLEXpower Radian that

staff said allows installers to

complete faster, high-quality installations at larger voltages when

needed, since the main balance-of-system components ship con-

nected in place.

The new units are compatible with the companys GridZero tech-

nology and Advanced Battery Charging in a plug-and-play format.

Schneider Electric

Schneider touted its new Conext Core XC ES inverter line of cen-

tral inverters designed for advanced battery-based energy storage

applications. This line has been designed to be integrated into the

companys ES Box, a medium-voltage power conversion substa-

tion ranging from 500 kW to 2 MW. The new line is also compat-

ible with the Conext Control SCADA-based monitoring and con-

trol system. Schneider also showed off its new Conext Insight, a

remote monitoring and asset management platform for decentral-

ized grid-tie and battery-based systems.

SolarEdge

StorEdge was the new product announced by SolarEdge at the show.

It is an all-in-one solution that uses a single DC-optimized inverter

to manage and monitor both solar generation and energy storage.

The StorEdge inverter was recently announced to fully support

the Tesla Powerwall for electric vehicles.

The new inverter includes rapid shutdown capability and

includes a full monitoring solution that can display power pro-

duction, home consumption, and battery status in a single view.

StorEdge is expected to be available by the end of 2015.

The company also launched its SE14.4K and SE33.3K three-

phase inverters, meant to minimize the number of required

inverters in an array and have integrated safety, monitoring and

communication features.

Designed to operate with two SolarEdge commercial power

optimizers, the P600 and P700, the new inverters can allow up to

2.5 times longer strings than traditional inverters do.

Sparq Systems

Microinverter-maker Sparq Systems announced that it has

licensed a portfolio of GE-applied and granted patents. It has part-

nered with GE Global Research on the construction of a next-gener-

ation microinverter system and AC module solution.

More than a microinverter bolted to the module frame, the

anticipated solution will replace a standard junction box and

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comply with new grid require-

ments by delivering adjustable

reactive power and performing

other grid-stabilizing function

requirements.

The microinverter and

AC module that GE Glob-

al Research is designing with

Sparq can change the way solar

is deployed around the world

by improving grid stability and

resilience, said John Vogel,

vice president of technology

development at GE Ventures.

Kingston, Ontario-based

Sparq Systems now produces

the Q1000 four-port microin-

verter with a 1,000-W footprint

and a monitoring system scalable to fleet management.

Tabuchi Electric Company of America

Finally, a newcomer to Intersolar North America was Tabuchi,

which demonstrated its plug-and-play EneTelus Intelligent Battery

System (EIBS).

This is a grid-friendly inverter and storage system, said Daniel

Hill, director of sales and marketing in North America for the San

Jose-based company.

The EIBS features a three-MPPT 5.5kW bidirectional inverter,

an automatic transfer switch, and a battery management system

for the Panasonic-supplied 10-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Rather than creating a patchwork of batteries and invert-

ers, weve optimized our technology to include everything in one

system. Our all-in-one solutions make it much simpler for solar

installers to sell and install storage, marking a critical step in

reducing intermittency and powering the solar revolution, said

Harumi McClure, the companys general manager.

For more information, enter 16 at REW.hotims.com For more information, enter 17 at REW.hotims.com

1509REW_37 37 9/2/15 10:53 AM


WIND

Wind Turbine Manufacturers Consider New Drivetrain Technology

Tests simulate the different kinds of fault

conditions that could happen in a real

power grid through circuit tests in multiple

combinations. Credit: ABB.

A changing power-generation landscape has led to new challenges for both wind-turbine

manufacturers and makers of turbine components. Will a shift toward new technology ensue?

TILDY BAYAR, Contributing Editor

In response to the changing nature of power generation and

distribution, some manufacturers of utility-scale wind tur-

bines are considering moving away from electrical drivetrains

based on doubly-fed induction generators toward those using

full-converter technology. This potential paradigm shift could

ultimately determine which

wind OEMs will dominate in

a changing energy market.

Below the OEM level, but

working symbiotically toward

the same efficiency and profit-

ability goals and subject to the

1509REW_38 38 9/2/15 10:53 AM


same market factors, are

the companies that man-

ufacture and supply wind

turbine components. One

such firm is Finlands ABB,

which makes both types of

drivetrain package.

On a recent visit to the

companys electrical drive-

train testing facility in Hel-

sinki, Renewable Energy

World spoke with ABB staff

about how they test the different components, why they need to

test them, and whats in store for the future.

Two Drivetrain Concepts

A wind turbines electrical drivetrain is composed of the generator,

the converter, the transformer, and medium-voltage switchgear.

The difference between doubly-fed and full-converter drivetrains

lies primarily in the type and size of the generator and that in the

full converter type, all the power is fed through the converter. Full-

converter drivetrains are offered in low-speed (also called direct-

drive), medium-speed, and high-speed versions.

The electrical drivetrain sits between mechanical and electrical

forces, said Teijo Krn, wind market manager at ABB Finland. It

must withstand both types of interactions and also fulfil grid-code

compliance requirements at the turbine and power-plant levels.

It is perhaps not surprising, then, that electrical drivetrain

components are responsible for one-third of all wind turbine

failures, resulting in 37 percent of annual turbine downtime.

According to Krn, the high number of failures is due to

how the different components within the drivetrain interact

with each other. If one component is optimized, how well does

it operate with a different suppliers converter? In other words,

he said, failure rates are about how well you can optimize your

overall design to maximize reliability and minimize downtime.

While the doubly-fed drivetrain model has traditionally dom-

inated the market, full-converter drivetrains are catching up

fast. Drivers for this trend include the need for compliance with

new and more demanding grid codes and a growing need to

optimize power generation at lower wind speeds. Increasing-

ly, todays wind turbines need to produce higher-quality output

more reliably and be able

to help stabilize the grid by

feeding in reactive power.

According to Timo Hei-

nonen, content manager at

ABB Motors and Generators,

the full-converter concept

multiplies all the benefits of

the doubly-fed system.

It offers a full-speed-range,

full-grid compliance with the

most advanced grid-fault sup-

port and ride-through func-

tion, full control of the gen-

erator and the grid, and total

grid decoupling of mechanical

parts, Heinonen said.

ABB noted that an OEMs

choice of electrical drive-

train will result in different

wind turbine weights, sizes,

and maintenance needs.

Thus, the company cautioned

that selecting a drivetrain

must be undertaken with

The test setup is self-powering,

consuming its losses to drive the

motors downstairs that run the

testing rigs. Credit: ABB.

1509REW_39 39 9/2/15 10:53 AM

Wind


care, weighing the turbines

requirements against the nec-

essary certifications and grid-

code specifications.

In addition, because where

the turbine will be installed

and thus which grid codes

will apply is not always

known ahead of time, some-

times the OEM is forced to

estimate, which can lead to

extra costs. Testing can elim-

inate this, the company said.

The Importance of Grid Codes

Grid codes define the techni-

cal specifications that a grid-

connected power-generating

installation has to meet to

ensure the safe, secure and

economic functioning of a

regional or national electrici-

ty network.

In Europe, many grid codes

have recently been modi-

fied to cope with the increas-

ing penetration of renewable

energy sources, bringing new

challenges for OEMs and com-

ponent makers.

Krn said that in Europe,

power-plant operators are

not allowed to disconnect

anything [in the event of a

grid failure] the plant must

be online at all times and be

in a position to support the

grid. And individual wind

turbines, he said, can no lon-

ger [operate as] conventional

units, but must operate in the

same way as a power plant.

ABB is given requirements by OEMs, but the grid-code

requirements are first set by the transmission-system operators

or distribution-system operators.

The OEM is just happy if they are able to comply with the

requirements for the turbine, Krn noted.

While a wind turbine cant comply with all of the grid-code

requirements on its own, as these are typically applied at the

point of common coupling for an entire wind farm, the quality of

the power that the turbine produces is nevertheless increasingly

important, as electrical problems such as flicker, harmonic dis-

tortion, and fault ride-through will all affect the grid.

In addition, said Krn, the challenge for OEMs and compo-

nent manufacturers is often not to fulfil the grid-code require-

ments as such, but to understand their intended functionality

and the details of the technology requirements, as the grid codes

themselves can be moving targets.

Jari-Pekka Matsinen, account manager and area sales man-

ager at ABB Oy BU Drives & Controls, PG Wind Converters, said

that at the moment, OEMs are satisfied with todays European

grid-code requirements.

However, Matsinen said, there have been discussions, specif-

ically in Germany, in which some OEMs using full-power tech-

nology were actively promoting its capability to support the grid

In the frequency-converter testing hall,

different breaker configurations are

arranged to demonstrate transient grid

conditions. Credit: ABB.

1509REW_40 40 9/2/15 10:53 AM

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1509REW_41 41 9/2/15 10:53 AM

Wind


under different kinds of fault conditions.

How the turbine should operate under symmetrical and

asymmetrical faults, however, is more or less questionable,

Matsinen said.

At least so far, the current trend in grid-code development has

been that grid support shall always be conducted as a positive

renewable energy wolrd magazine sep oct 2015

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