Thin Film: a key PV technology to reach 12 percent of EU’s electricity by 2020
December 2, 2009
The Thin Film industry is more than ever ready to contribute to the 12% target set by EPIA in its recent SET For 2020 study. This was confirmed by the 260 participants of EPIA’s 2nd International Thin Film Conference that took place on 12 November 2009 in Munich. EPIA recently released the Study, SET For 2020, demonstrating how PV could become a mainstream power source in Europe by 2020. The most progressive scenario (Paradigm Shift Scenario) sets the target of 12 percent of EU’s electricity demand to be supplied by solar photovoltaic electricity by 2020. In this context, the conference looked at how the different stakeholders within the Thin Film sector will approach future challenges and opportunities in order to match the high expected demand.
“By 2020 Thin Film technology is expected to represent about one third of the total PV market; this constitutes a challenge but at the same time represents a great opportunity for the whole PV industry and related sectors”, said Adel El Gammal, EPIA Secretary General.
In the current financial context , securing finances is absolutely critical as investments need to be made now in order to increase competitiveness. Bringing down the costs, increasing both the efficiency and the lifetime of PV systems and upscaling towards mass production are essential elements to reduce the cost of PV-generated electricity and bring PV technology to full competitiveness with conventional energy sources.
Thin Film manufacturers recalled their readiness to reach the Paradigm Shift Scenario confirming that fundamentals remain excellent. “The PV industry has proved today that the technology and the capacity for mass production are ready to make PV a mainstream energy source, however we need to ensure that the market and legal conditions are appropriate to guarantee a sustainable market in the next years”, concluded Bernhard Dimmler, CEO of Würth Solar and Chairman of the conference.
Thin Film technologies offer many advantages such as low cost per m2 (important in the development of building integrated applications), vast availability of materials, high flexibility and an environmental footprint. Already some Thin Film technologies present energy pay-back1 times below one year (down to six months in best locations) still decreasing as manufacturing processes optimise and material usage improves. Thin Film technologies, present a huge potential for cost reduction and bring an excellent solution to accelerate the achievement of a sustainable energy production in Europe.
More information on the conference is available here: http://www.thinfilmconference.org/
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Commission and Swedish Presidency sign EU’s accession to the International Renewable Energy Agency
December 1, 2009
Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and the Swedish Secretary of State Ola Alterå have signed in Berlin the Statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). By their signing the European Union has become the 138th Member of this new organisation that aims at speeding up the use of renewable energy sources in the world. It is the first time that inter-governmental organisation joints this organisation.
Commissioner Piebalgs: “By joining IRENA the European Union has shown that the promotion of renewable energy sources worldwide is a key element of our external energy policy. With less then a month before Copenhagen, this again underlines that the EU collectively supports a shift away from fossil fuels and towards renewable technologies. Making this shift today rather then later benefits us in terms of the climate, security of supply and also the economy. ”
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Mandelson Welcomes World Class Advanced Biofuel Centre
November 30, 2009
A cutting-edge technology development centre planned for Hull will help to grow the UK’s economy and enhance its reputation as a world-class centre for innovation and research, Lord Mandelson said during a visit to the region. Energy industry giant BP and sustainable science solutions company DuPont have joined forces to form Kingston Research Ltd, which will focus on the commercialisation of advanced biofuel technology, at a £25m purpose-built development and demonstration facility at BP’s Saltend site, near Hull.
Working closely with Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency for Yorkshire and Humber and UK Trade & Investment, this new joint venture emphasises the region’s and the UK’s ability to attract crucial research and development operations. Twenty-seven jobs will be created in the region.
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Günther Oettinger named as new Energy Commissioner
November 29, 2009
José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, has unveiled his team of Commissioners for his second term at the helm of the European Commission. The new Energy Commissioner will be Günther Oettinger, current Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg in Germany.
Since 2005, when Oettinger became President of Baden-Württemberg, the Land has raised its targets for renewable energy. In 2007, the Land’s target for renewables was raised to 20% of electricity by 2020, up from 11.8% in 2006. Nonetheless, there is still very little wind energy production in the region; wind currently provides less than 0.5% of electricity – a level well below the EU average.
“The renewable energy targets have improved under Oettinger’s presidency, but the level of wind energy is still low,” Christian Kjaer, Chief Executive of the European Wind Energy Association, said. “Wind has a huge potential for CO2-free electricity generation.”
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IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2009 confirms EU energy and climate policies are on the right track
November 14, 2009
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has recognised the contribution of the EU energy policies in the fight against climate change but highlighted that if global temperature rise is to be kept below 2 ° Celsius, much remains to be done. This is one of the main messages of a presentation of the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2009 for European Commission high level officials, hosted by Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs today. The IEA’s Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka and Chief Economist Fatih Birol presented the recent upheavals in energy markets and discussed their implications for EU policies.
“The findings of the World Energy Outlook 2009 confirm that the EU energy and climate change policies are steering Europe firmly in the right direction. The transition toward a low carbon economy is urgently needed, not only in Europe but also globally. The findings of the report are a welcome contribution as we prepare to push for an ambitious global climate agreement in Copenhagen and as we continue to develop and implement our energy policy,’ said Commissioner Piebalgs.
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64 MW of wind capacity for Enel in Calabria
November 13, 2009
Enel Green Power acquired a majority stake in two wind power projects in the region of Calabria, for a total installed capacity of 64 MW.
The two plants, already fully authorizations, will be constructed in the Municipalities of Maida, Cortale (56 MW) and San Floro (8 MW) in the Province of Catanzaro – both of which are high wind power output areas – and will become operational in 2010.
Once into service, the two plants will generate around 150 million kWh, sufficient to meet the power needs of around 60,000 households, avoiding the annual emission of more than 110,000 tons CO2.
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Solar Europe Initiative funding: positive but incomplete way forward
November 12, 2009
The European Commission (EC) has presented its communication on the financing of low carbon technologies. It proposes an ambitious budget for the Solar Europe Industry Initiative, including photovoltaics (PV), but does not sufficiently address the challenges the European PV industry will have to face until 2020. Technology roadmaps to clarify the way forward are very much awaited.
“We are very glad that the EC explicitly acknowledges the strong potential of solar photovoltaic technology. By 2020, provided that the appropriate framework conditions are met, PV could contribute as much as 12% of EU electricity demand” said Adel El Gammal, Secretary General of EPIA. “However we regret that the communication does not properly reflect the current state of development of PV technology” added El Gammal. The technology is evolving extremely fast: with an EU market of 4.5 GW in 2008, PV represented 19 % of new installed power capacity in Europe. Already next year, PV will be competitive with retail electricity prices in some regions of Europe.
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Bulgaria set for massive growth in wind power
November 11, 2009
Bulgaria is set to dramatically expand its wind power output in the next 10 years, delegates at a workshop on integrating wind power in Bulgaria heard today. From the current 330 MW installed to over 3,000 MW by 2020, wind energy will meet 13.5% of Bulgaria’s electricity demand.
The workshop, organised by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) in cooperation with the Bulgarian Association of Producers of Ecological Energy (APEE), pooled industry, government representatives, and national electricity companies together to discuss the potential for wind power development in the country.
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The future of Waste, November 19, Amsterdam
November 10, 2009
A public dialogue organised by the Club of Amsterdam on November 19th
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Registration:18:30-19:00, Conference: 19:00-21:15
Location: WTC – World Trade Center, Metropolitan Boardroom of Amsterdam In Business, D tower 12th floor, Strawinskylaan 1, 1077 XW Amsterdam
What is ‘waste’? Waste is the result of production and consumption of material goods. Only a short while ago, waste was simply thrown away or burned. In most economic theories, the absorption capacity of ‘the environment’ is deemed to be infinite. With 6.5 billion people on the planet earth, we are confronted by the fact that this assumption is blatantly incorrect. As a result, we have no other choice than to rethink ‘waste’ and treat it as a new type of resource. However, can everything be re-used? Is it possible to just treat waste as a resource? What do we need to do, to do so effectively? If it were simple, wouldn’t we have done so long before? During this event, some examples of effective and promising approaches to waste-management are presented.
- Cradle to Cradle, what to do with it?
- Second Generation Biofuels
- Bitumen End of Life Solutions
- Plastic to Oil
More info at www.clubofamsterdam.com
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RWE Innogy granted permission to build the 300 MW offshore wind farm Tromp
November 10, 2009
RWE Innogy received final permission from the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Hydraulic Engineering (Rijkswaterstaat) to build the offshore wind farm Tromp and for the realisation of an offshore meteo mast. The installation of an offshore meteo mast is the first step towards the realisation of the offshore wind farm.
The planned wind farm will have an output of presumbly 300 megawatts and will be built around 75 kilometres off the coast at Callantsoog in northern Holland. The wind farm will consist of 59 wind turbines, which will be installed in sea on gravity foundations and will have a height of 150 metres. This gravity construction is needed to ensure the stability and safety of the offshore wind farm. According to the current state of planning start of construction of the wind farm shall be from 2013/2014 on.
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