I just received this terse question from a reader: “What’s the ROI (return on investment) on solar thermal?”

I responded, hoping to prompt more discussion: “That’s an interesting but impossible question to answer. What is the nature of your interest in the subject, if I may ask?”

I post this brief conversation because it’s indicative of two much larger and incredibly important issues:

1) Computing the ROI for investors in new technologies like these is impossible, as no one can pick the winners from the losers at this point. Personally, I’m betting on solar thermal, and, though many agree, there are far greater minds than mine that don’t see it this way.

2) Not to get too flippant, but what’s the ROI on saving our civilization from destruction? According to Lester Brown, whom the Washington Post calls “one of the world’s most influential thinkers,”

Ice is melting so fast that even climate scientists are scrambling to keep up with the shrinkage of ice sheets and glaciers. The melting of the earth’s largest ice sheets—Greenland and West Antarctica—would raise sea level dramatically. If the Greenland ice sheet were to melt entirely, it would raise sea level 23 feet. Melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet, the most vulnerable portion of the Antarctic ice because of its exposure to both warming air and warming ocean water, would eventually raise sea level 16 feet. Many of the world’s coastal cities would be under water; over 600 million coastal dwellers would be forced to move.

Solar thermal holds the single greatest promise of clean, abundant, inexpensive energy — in the absence of which mankind will be unable to make its way across these next critical 50 years.

I’m sure this latter point was not contemplated in the reader’s question, but some folks may find it worth considering.

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The solar thermal market has been showing steady growth, but I predict the U.S. industry is on the path for record growth on par with the solar photovoltaic industry. Let me explain why.

Based on the 2010 solar markets trends report, the solar thermal market is not showing fast growth. It saw nine percent growth in 2010 — much faster than the U.S. economy as a whole, but much slower then it’s cousin, the solar PV industry, which had 69 percent growth.

According to the EIA, the US market is strong compared to the world market, which actually shrank. More over, according to a recent SEIA study, about 75 percent of American’s believe that solar thermal technology is good for job’s growth and deserves government support.

I believe that the foundation for increased growth is currently being set and the industry is about to see much faster growth. I’d like to discuss the 7 trends that point toward much faster solar thermal growth. But first, let’s get a little review of solar thermal.

First, here is a snapshot of the industry, how the technology works and the current bottlenecks.

1. The majority of the solar thermal industry is residential.

This is a large difference between the solar pv industry and the solar thermal industry. While solar pv has the largest number of residential installations, pv only represents 29 percent of capacity. On the solar thermal side, residential installations represent around 79 percent of capacity.

Solar Thermal Residential – 79 percent of capacity
Solar PV Residential – 29 percent of capacity

2. Solar thermal is a very simple, efficient and cost competitive technology.

Solar thermal has been around for decades and is extremely reliable. See a video of Bob Ramlow, who wrote the book on solar thermal, explaining how the systems work in three minutes. If you’re more interested in the technology, you can download the Solar Thermal Design and Installation 101 Guide.

Basically, solar thermal collectors use the sun to heat water up so that when it goes through a boiler or furnace, less or no fuel is needed.

3. China dominates the world market.

China manufactures and uses about 80 percent of the world market.

4. The industry is driven by federal policy and fuel prices, and is less reliant on state policy. Thus, it’s a national industry.

Solar thermal numbers are mainly driven by federal policy and the cost of fuel prices they offset — less driven by state policy than PV. Why? It’s a more efficient technology, so the 30 percent ITC is enough. This is useful because it means that the solar thermal market has nationwide appeal until 2016. It is then regionalized based on energy costs — areas with higher energy costs have more demand. Also warmer areas also have better economics because they don’t have to deal with cold temperatures that make solar thermal slightly more expensive.

5. Two Barriers for homeowners: cost and maintenance.

SEIA reports that demand for solar thermal remains strong. When surveying home owners, 46 percent of survey respondents are interested in installing solar thermal with the main objections being the cost of purchasing and maintaining the system.

I’d argue the foundation for solid growth is being set for 7 reasons. Listed here in no particular order

1. Solar thermal SRECs

A few states including Washington D.C., North Carolina and Arizona are experimenting with solar thermal SRECs. This means they are allowing solar thermal production to counted and sold in the SREC market. In the case of Arizona, solar thermal technologies can receive a general REC credit.

If you’re curious what an SREC is, you can read more about them the development of the U.S. SREC market here.

None of the solar thermal SREC markets are hot, nor is allowing solar thermal SRECs to be sold really driving the industry yet. But the foundation is being set. If these policies are successful, I expect to see surrounding states copy them, much like we saw with the solar PV market. Both Washington D.C. and North Carolina are experimenting with solar thermal SRECs.

2. State governments are backing the technology

Solar thermal, due to it’s already high energy and capital efficiency is mainly driven by federal incentives and the high energy costs it offsets – not state incentives. This means that any state support just makes the technology more attractive then it already is. Many states, including Massachusetts, are starting to promote solar thermal because it provides an extremely attractive investment in terms of public dollars spent over fossil fuel reduction and utility bills reduced.

3. Credentialing and training is growing

NABCEP, long known for the solar PV credential is now offering both NABCEP solar thermal entry level and professional certifications. You can find the solar thermal entry level learning objectives here. Note, in NABCEP documentation you’ll see solar thermal or solar hot water being called “solar heating.” This is because solar thermal collectors can be used for space heating, process heating, as well as hot water. I refer to as solar thermal because this is what it’s called in the industry, but all the terms are interchangeable.

Training and credentialing is key for industry growth and workforce development because the industry must be training on how to sell, design and install jobs correctly for proper growth to happen. If you’re looking to get your NABCEP solar hot water entry level certification, there currently is only two approved NABCEP entry level solar heating providers.

4. Financing options are emerging

Financing has created a boom in the solar photovoltaic space and its just a matter of time before the same principles are applied to the solar thermal market. There are a few solar thermal projects that have attracted third-party financing, and a small number of companies focused on financing commercial solar thermal projects, including RedCo Power and Skyline Innovations.

5. Commercial solar and district heating
Large scale commercial solar thermal systems are now being tested when interconnected with a district heating system. Although district heating is less popular then it could be in the US, it very popular in Europe. If selling solar thermal BTUs into a district heating system proves to be cost effective, the demand for residential and commercial solar thermal systems will surely increase.

6. Product innovation are decreasing costs and increasing reliability

The solar thermal industry is much more mature then the solar PV industry. The technology is already well over 90 percent efficient and the construction processes are known and relatively efficient. However, like the solar PV space, renewed interest in the industry is resulting in product innovations that are decreasing costs, while increasing reliability and reporting. This includes the Sunnovations passive pumping system that eliminates all active pumping mechanisms and allows contractors to install a system in one day instead of two. Also, Sunreports has created an awesome output monitor for solar thermal systems that provides very specific measurements on the outputs of the housing that is wirelessly transmitted to a web client. The service seems basic but most solar thermal systems have no such system. The result is that many people don’t know if their system is broken or not working properly.

7. Solar cooling

If you have a heat source, you can cool something. This is something we’ve known for a while but companies are now finding new ways to use the heat generated form solar thermal systems to cool building. The huge plus here is that the buildings with big cooling loads tend to have the most sun. The University of Arizona has installed a solar cooling system, EnerWorks has installed the world’s largest solar thermal heating and cooling system in North Carolina and one of the winners of GE $200 million dollar smart grid competition was a European company called Climate Well. Climate well has trademarked the term “solar cooling” and produces units that connect with flat plate solar thermal equipment, the most basic and reliable collectors, to provide air conditioning to residential, commercial and industrial facilities.

The ability to use solar thermal for air conditioning is going to create HUGE amounts of demand and rapid growth for the solar thermal industry.

Article by Chris Williams, Chief Marketing Officer at HeatSpring Learning Institute. Chris writes about solar and geothermal marketing, sales, design and installation. You can find more interviews with industry experts at HeatSpring TV or contact him @topherwilliams or cwilliams@heatspring.com

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A roof is more than a way of keeping the rain off. Nowadays many people think of a roof as a place to put solar panels to collect all of that free sunshine. The problem is that not all roofs are created equal. Scientists from the University of Gothenburg have launched a tool that uses the actual conditions to determine the maximum possible magnitude of solar incidence (and implied the maximum amount of time in shadow) – in a whole town, a neighborhood, or a particular roof. The scientists have surveyed Gothenburg in a pilot project.

If you have the free area at ground level this will do as well, but many houses do not have this area available and the roof is sometimes the only area that can be used. It must cost more to put it on the roof, and maintenance is going to be more difficult, against that the panels are faced with glass and this might get damaged more if it is accessible at ground level. It’s a matter for each householder to decide.

Solar power does not work if there is no sun which is why the effect of shadows must be understood. The roof must be clear of obstacles such as overhanging trees and the shadows of other buildings for the ideal effect.

On top of that the best sites need the sun rays to be presented at the optimal angle for maximal power generation.

The new tool is based on computer-based geographical information systems (GIS) that collect, store, analyse and present geographical data. This means that the tool describes real roofs in the correct surroundings. The sun in the model illuminates the three-dimensional built environment and simulates how surrounding buildings, terrain and vegetation throw shadows.

The shadow effect can be calculated for each month or for a complete year, and this means that certain parts of a roof may turn out to be unsuitable for collecting solar energy, even though the roof has both optimal direction and gradient. In this way, it is possible to calculate the total solar radiation on each part of a roof structure within a given area, calculated as kilowatt hours per square meter.

Thus, SEES can provide a map over the suitability, based on the user’s requirements for good, less good and poor annual solar incidence. Climate data (either measured or calculated values) with a resolution as high as 1 hour is used for the location at which SEES is being used, in order to obtain as accurate an estimate of solar incidence as possible.

“We have used Gothenburg as pilot town in the project, but the method can be used in all municipalities where the necessary data is made available. The users can judge the suitability of a roof for solar voltaic panels or solar thermal panels across a wide range, based on this”, says Fredrik Lindberg.

The solar energy project has been carried out by the University of Gothenburg in collaboration with WSP Analys & Strategi, and it has just presented its final report. The project has been financed by the SolEl programme, the Research Foundation of Göteborg Energi, the City Planning Administration of Gothenburg and the Region Västra Götaland County Council.

Article by Andy Soos, appearing courtesy ENN.

photo: PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

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Who ever thought that every home in America would have a radio, a television, a phone, a computer, and now a solar rooftop? If it can be imagined, then it can be done.

As crude oil price fluctuates between $70 and $110 a barrel in the past year, and nuclear power plant expansion has been restricted after Japan’s disaster, renewable energies, such as photovoltaic (PV), have potential to fill the void left by the dwindling nuclear capacity. Let’s imagine what if every residential home in the U.S. had a solar roof? It is our interest to estimate the maximum potential of rooftop PV capacity in America, assuming 100% market penetration.

Before the market size estimation, let’s review the current trend of the U.S. solar markets. Recent report from Interstate Renewable Energy Council shows the solar installed base of PV installation in 2010 doubled compared to the solar installed base in 2009, while installed capacity for other solar technologies, such as concentrating solar power (CSP) and solar thermal collector, has also increased significantly. Based on a study by Solar Energy Industries Association, cumulative grid-connected PV in the U.S. has now reached over 2.3GW, with top seven states (such as California and New Jersey) installed 88% of all PV in Q1 2011. However, U.S. solar markets fall behind some European countries, most notably Germany. In 2010 alone, Germany installed 7.4GW of PV systems and currently has an install base of 14.7GW install base, more than six times the U.S. cumulative solar installation. Germany’s solar market is traditionally driven by residential installation, supported by generous government incentives. The primary barrier stopping American homeowners from PV installation is cost.

Historically, the U.S. PV market has been driven by the non-residential sector with 42% of total installation in 2010, including commercial, public sector, and non-profit. However, residential and utility sectors have been gaining ground steadily with market share of 30% and 28%, respectively. Distributed rooftop represents the largest segment of the U.S. PV market. It is fueled by declining PV prices, government incentives, retail electricity rate earning, and lack of transmission losses.

Simple estimation of rooftop PV market size can be started with total roof space available. Based on data from U.S. Census Bureau, total U.S. housing units were 127.7 million in 2009. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the average home size in the United States was 2,700 square feet in 2009. If we assume average number of floors per building is two, the total residential roof space available is 172.4 billion square feet. In a more detailed rooftop PV market penetration scenario analysis, Navigant Consulting Inc. (NCI) used PV access factor and PV power density to estimate technical rooftop capacity for both residential and commercial buildings. The PV access factor takes into account of shading, building orientation, roof structural soundness, as well as cooler and warmer climates in different states. The resulting PV access factors for residential and commercial buildings are 25% and 60%, respectively. The PV power density is calculated with a weight-averaged module efficiency using market share for the three most prevalent PV technologies today: crystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, and CIGS. The resulting PV power density is 13.7 MW/million ft2, assuming an average module efficiency of 18.5% in 2015. The total rooftop PV technical potential can be calculated as:

Rooftop PV technical potential = Total roof space available * PV access factor * PV power density

Based on the NCI study, the combined U.S. rooftop PV technical potential, independent of economics, for both residential and commercial building will reach 712.2GW in year 2015. The following chart represents the state-by-state results of the technical potential:

Figure 1. U.S. rooftop PV technical potential in 2015, estimated by Navigant Consulting Inc.

National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) applied a different approach, the Solar Deployment System (SolarDS) model, to estimate that the technical potential of residential and commercial rooftop PV market are approximately 300GW each by year 2030. In the NREL model, shaded roofs and obstructed roof space were eliminated, and customer adoption rate was considered to cover economic factors, such as PV cost, policy incentive, and financing.

Based on above potential market size analysis, the current cumulative grid-connected PV installation only represents 0.3% of total U.S. rooftop PV technical potential, which indicates a huge market potential. In addition, the rooftop PV system has to be replaced every 15 to 20 years, which represents another market opportunity. If we use the NCI estimated U.S. rooftop PV technical potential of 712.2 GW in 2015, assuming 100% market penetration, we can estimate how much electricity energy can be generated by such power. If we assume 10 hours/day and 200 days/year with sunshine, the total rooftop PV generated electricity energy will be 1,424 billion kWh, or 1,424 TWh, in U.S. by 2015. Compared to the total U.S. electricity generation of 3,953 TWh in 2009, the technical potential of electricity generation from rooftop PV can take over 1/3 of U.S. electricity consumption demand. As indicated in the following chart from U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), total solar generated electricity, from both solar thermal and PV, only represents less than 0.1% of total electricity generation in 2009. Rooftop PV has a huge market capacity to grow, and the dramatic installation cost drop will accelerate the rooftop PV market penetration. The current crystalline solar module price has dropped to $1.25/watt, compared to $2.80/watt two years ago.

Figure 2. U.S. electricity generation mix in 2009.

(Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, October 2010)

There are two ways to assimilate PV arrays with rooftops: either integrated into them, or mounted on them. Mounting PV panels on rooftop requires more dangerous labor practices and is not aesthetically pleasing. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are photovoltaic materials used to replace conventional building materials in roof, skylights, or facades. The advantage of BIPV over conventional roof-mounted PV panels is that the initial cost can be offset by reducing the amount spent on building materials and labor. BIPV also appears unobtrusive on a building structure. Current innovations have led to increasing diversity of BIPV products on the market, including rigid BIPV tiles and transparent BIPV glass. Advances in thin-film PV technologies have led to flexible solar tiles and shingles.

BIPV market competition has shifted from module provider to construction site. The fight for BIPV leadership in building and construction has begun. A recent article from Greentech Media points out the only way to realize BIPV is to be active in the architecture and early design of the building, consulting on matters as integral as the compass orientation of the building. For example, OneRoof Energy, a California-based residential BIPV provider, established strategic alliance with a national network of roofing contractors. The exclusive integrator relationship, as well as its innovative financing program to reduce homeowner installation cost, provides strong competitive advantages for the company to gain market share nationwide. Please excuse our shameless self-promotion as David Anthony one of the authors of this article is an investor and board member of OneRoof Energy.

Figure 3. Residential BIPV Installation

By comparing residential and commercial market for BIPV, residential sector has more advantages using standard-sized BIPV materials. Many commercial buildings require custom size panel, due to specs from the building designer. It is impossible for BIPV makers to prepare a variety of custom-sized modules in a mass production line. In addition, landlords of commercial building in many cities have no incentive to install BIPV. For example, in New York City, the electricity bill is paid by the tenant not the landlord. Therefore, the real BIPV opportunity stays with residential sector, not commercial building. Residential rooftop PV market has a bright future with huge market potential, and already shows strong growth in recent years. The BIPV market could reach $5.8 billion in 2016, based on a report from Pike Research.

Beside electricity generation, the rooftop PV market could also have potential to create millions of job opportunities for America. For a typical 0.5 MW solar installation, it will take 6 contractors for installation and another 3 full-timers for maintenance per year. We assume rooftop PV market will take 20 years to reach 100% penetration. In the past 10 years, the average number of annual new home construction is 1.47 million units. Considering recent housing market slow down, we can assume the new home construction will be 1 million units per year over the next 20 years, which is 0.78% growth of U.S. total housing units. Therefore, the total U.S. rooftop PV technical potential will reach 800 GW in 2030. For a simple estimation, we assume 40 GW/year for the next 20 years. Each year, we assume the rooftop PV market will create 480,000 jobs for installation. In addition, it will create 240,000 jobs per year for maintenance service, with total 4.8 million jobs for the next 20 years. Therefore, the rooftop PV market could generate more than 5 million jobs for U.S., if we assume 100% market penetration by 2030. This “back of the envelope” excludes the re-roof market which could add to both employment and BIPV installation.

With potential to create over 5 million jobs and one third of U.S. electricity energy, the rooftop PV system will become more lucrative for investors, government and US home owners. As PV electric rates are approaching “grid parity”, there is no reason for U.S. to lag so far behind Germany, if government provides enough inventive and infrastructures for PV market development.

Given the upcoming 2012 election year we hope President Obama, Texas Governor Perry and former Massachusetts Governor Romney read this article.

Article by David Anthony and Tao Zheng

Tao Zheng is a material scientist in advanced materials and cleantech industry. He held 20+ patents and patent applications, and published many peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals. Tao Zheng received his B.S. degree in polymer materials sciences from Tsinghua University in China, and a Ph.D. degree in chemical engineering from University of Cincinnati. He obtained his MBA degree with distinction in finance and strategy from New York University, Stern School of Business, where he was designated as “Stern Scholar” and received “Harold Price Entrepreneurship Award”.

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In most countries solar power is often perceived as synonymous with solar photovoltaic (PV), the classic rooftop panels that convert sunlight to electricity through solar cells. But that could be a misconception, says Environmental Protection, since solar thermal, which gets less attention than PV, actually is more efficient.

Solar thermal is cheaper and more efficient, EP points out. “PV converts 12 per cent of energy into usable electricity at a cost of 25 to 35 cents per kilowatt hour. Solar thermal, which includes solar air and solar water … offers 55 per cent efficiency at 12 to 15 cents per kilowatt hour, and solar air delivers 80 percent at 3 to 9 cents per kilowatt hour”.

If that’s the case, why does PV get more airplay than thermal? Enerconcept Technologies president Christian Vachon says it’s because PV gets most subsidies. “Governments should stop thinking that solar is expensive and needs to be heavily subsidized in order to be sustainable. With PV, we’re putting all our eggs in the longest possible payback basket. Our leaders should instead focus on an energy policy that promotes the lowest-cost energy technology”, he told EP.

Solar thermal electricity can be produced on a large scale as well. Spain recently became home to the world’s first 24/7 solar thermal plant near Seville in the south of the country and it’s expected to produce 110 GW/h per year.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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While solar thermal plant costs are expected to “decline steadily as plants get bigger”, pinpointing how costs can otherwise be reduced remains a challenge, due to the presence of many variables.

CSP Today’s latest report, ‘CSP Parabolic Trough Report – Cost & Performance’, provides indispensable lessons on how to navigate this complicated landscape.

According to the report, a staggering 40-45% of the overall lifetime cost of the plant is attributable to capital cost – land acquisition, construction and commissioning. Of the total investment cost, the report highlights solar field and operation and maintenance (O&M) as being most expensive.

The burning question is how, and where, to make savings. Common belief dictates that increasing plant size would automatically reduce component costs. But the report challenges this theory, saying that while enlarging solar fields may lower the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), it also entails greater thermal losses.

The report’s author notes this would require increased pumping “leading to higher electricity consumption, reducing the net power output”. Instead, the report advises the industry to focus on the reduction of component prices such as mirrors, absorbers, hydraulic actuators, HTF piping and in particular, collectors.

Another complication with regard to cost forecasting is the dependence of concentrated solar power on raw materials such as steel, aluminum, molten salts and concrete. Fluctuating prices have a direct influence on LCOE.

The report, which provides a comprehensive breakdown of costs and variables, stresses that the material chosen therefore affects the type of technology implemented, which in turn affects salvage value. Certain components (for example, those using extruded aluminium) can make recycling a “profitable business upon decommissioning”.

The report’s authors emphasize the potential of investment into research and development to create technologies capable of reducing O&M and LCOE costs. Active research topics include Direct Steam Generation, Compressed Gas HTF, Advanced Storage Systems and Large Aperture Troughs.

Read more here.

Article by Francesca Boothby, appearing courtesy CSP Today.

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A new product launched by a Turkish solar company called Solimpeks offers an ingenious solution to homeowners who would like to benefit from own solar power. The company’s Volther is a hybrid photovoltaic-solar thermal collector, which produces electricity and hot water simultaneously.

The company said in a press statement that the hybrid system allows extra module heat to be absorbed to produce hot water while optimizing efficiency.

The science behind is fairly straightforward. Any PV cell is negatively affected by heat, with output dropping by around 0.5 % for every Kelvin degree. A 10-degree rising in temperature, for example, would mean a loss in power output of about 5%.

Solimpeks scientists succeeded in turning the problem into an advantage with the development of its “PV-T”, described as a hybrid PV and solar thermal collector. The device enables the PV cells to be cooled using water circulating around them. As a result, the electrical output from the cells is bigger and hot water is produced.

Tests showed an improvement of 20% in electric generation compared with conventional PV panels – plus hot water at 140 – 160 degrees Fahrenheit. There are two versions of the Volther Panels: PowerTherm, which is optimized for hot water production; and PowerVolt, optimized for electricity production.

Besides higher efficiency rates, another advantage offered by the system is that less rooftop space is required since only one system is required to carry out solar thermal and photovoltaic functions. Calculations made by scientific and university bodies have shown that an average family house in northern Europe would require only 25 square meters of PV-T collectors to meet its hot water and electricity demands.

Solimpeks said the hybrid PV-T system’s ROI is shorter than standard PV systems. It added that cell lifetime is longer thanks to a reduction in cell temperature.

Volther costs more than conventional PV-only panels, and so does installation. But the cost/benefit ratio does seem to compensate for higher upfront expenses. The product is distributed in Europe and does not have an official distributor in the U.S. However, it can be bought straight from the manufacturer.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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I was disappointed to learn that the gigawatt solar project in Blythe, CA decided to switch from CSP to PV.

The issue, at least on the surface, is “bankability,” i.e., maturity of the technology, along with the obvious fact that the price of PV is falling sharply – 30% in 2010 alone. But at a certain point, I’m hoping that someone somewhere sees the awesome potential of CSP and really starts to crank on it.

When that happens, we’ll start to see ideas like Ahura Energy start to come into greater focus, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Solar thermal, of course, comes in many different flavors — some (like Ahura) claiming to have made breakthroughs in cost and/or efficiency. I’ve met with these people, like the concept as I understand it, but still haven’t been told the details of the secret sauce.

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Italy is looking to get a solar energy boost from Enel Green Power, which just announced plans to construct two large concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. But Italy’s still got a ways to go to catch up with the CSP world leaders.

Solar thermal power plants have their supporters and skeptics. They offer utility-scale power from solar energy, providing the opportunity to produce more electricity from clean, renewable energy than would be produced on rooftops alone. But they come with a pretty hefty price tag, too.

After years of development, such plants are starting to get off the drawing board. Gemasolar recently announced that the first 24/7 solar thermal power plant in the world was completed in Spain, a 19.9-MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant. Now, Italy’s renewable energy giant Enel Green Power (EGP) has announced plans to build two CSP plants of a similar size.

While EGP currently generates about 80% of its power from wind energy, it is looking to increase its solar energy share now that utility-scale solar is becoming cheaper and more viable, and supported by the EU.. (and I imagine Italy’s rejection of nuclear power doesn’t hurt either).

The two projects EGP announced on Friday are a 30-MW plant and a 25-MW plant in Italy. Both projects rely on EU funding, which is not yet guaranteed but expected.
Concentrated Solar Thermal Power (CSP)

What is CSP, you ask? CSP plants “use mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight, or solar thermal energy, onto a small area.” The concentrated light is turned into heat that is then used to drive a heat engine (often steam turbine) that is connected to an electrical power generator.

Over 1 GW of power capacity from CSP plants are online around the world so far, but as I said, the option is picking up.. steam. CSP plants with a total capacity of about 17.5 GW are currently under construction worldwide.

Spain currently leads the world in power capacity from CSP plants (582 MW) and the U.S. is second with 507 MW. While the U.S. is leading in power capacity from plants under construction (8.7 GW), Spain is second (4.46 GW), and China is third (2.5 GW). ENG’s announcement certainly steps up Italy’s figures in this arena, but the country still has a ways to go to catch up to these three CSP leaders.

Article by Zachary Shahan, appearing courtesy Earth & Industry.

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I love solar thermal. It’s a simple, reliable, provides solid returns and can have a significant impact on reducing business costs for heavy hot water use facilities; hotels, car washes, laundry mats, food processing plants, you name it. Unfortunately in the past few years the solar pv industry has taken the lead to both geothermal and solar thermal in the hearts and mind of consumers and politicians alike. The growth of the solar pv industry when compared with geothermal and solar thermal is evidence enough.

However, Maryland has created solar thermal renewable energy credits (SRECs), similar to solar pv SRECS, that will allow Maryland based solar hot water owners to produce and sell up to 5 SRECS per year. Although 5 SREC limits the program to smaller installations, this is a huge step for the solar thermal industry.

Why will SRECs help grow the solar thermal industry?
There are two main types of incentives, ones based on installed cost (tax credits, rebates, etc) and the others based on production (feed-in tarrifs, srecs). Incentives based on production are best because they provide cash flow for the life of the system but also ensure that the installer will maximize output of the system for the lowest possible price. Solar thermal has traditionally been seen as an energy efficiency measure that was simply offsetting the use of another fuel (electric, natural gas, heating oil) and not as a source of energy in its own right. By creating SRECs, solar thermal image is now being changed into a source of energy and not just an efficiency measure, a key ingredient for investing a financing systems.

By creating SRECs solar thermal systems will generate cash both in the offsetting of a fossil fuel source but in the production of BTUs that the system creates. This will make investing in solar thermal systems more attractive to heavy water users and it will also incentive solar installers to maximize production at the lower costs. Also, the generation of SRECs will make it easier for financing of systems by PPA providers, further decreasing upfront costs needed and accelerating adoption.

What does this mean for solar thermal installers?
Right now, it depends where you are. The solar thermal SRECs are just being put into place in a select few states. What we’ll be waiting for is to see if the programs work and how effective they are. If they are effective other states will begin to adoption them, particularly states that have high oil or natural gas prices. Also, you’ll start to see solar thermal PPA companies start or established solar pv PPA providers expand their business into the thermal industry. My hunch is that solar pv PPA companies will not touch it because they can’t keep up with solar thermal demand. For now, we need to wait, but if all goes well the solar thermal industry should see huge growth with the development of thermal SRECs followed by PPAs.

Article by Chris Williams who works with HeatSpring Learning Institute delivering world-class IGSHPA Geothermal Training, NABCEP Solar Training, and BPI Certification training to professionals who are installing, designing or selling renewable energy systems. Cleantechies readers can received a $100 discount off all HeatSpring courses, both online and offline, with the code “cleantechies”. Chris can be reached directly at cwilliams@heatspring.com

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• When it Comes to Rebates, SRECs Make Long-Term Sense
• Solar Thermal: More Efficient, Less Talked About
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