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Solar Summit
Based in Studio City, CA, Solar Summit is a full-service systems integrator of renewable and distributed energy generation and distribution equipment. The company specializes in installations on recreational vehicles (RVs) of all sizes and residential installations, mostly grid-tied.

For instance, this 10 kW grid-tied system located in southern California generates between 60 percent and 100 percent of the owners' electrical energy demand, which includes water pumping and household use. Solar Summit offers products from a variety of manufacturers, including solar panels, modules and mounts; solar charge components, wind generators, inverters and inverter/chargers, converters and converter/chargers, deep-cycle batteries, battery maintenance, wire and cable components and DC appliances.

Recently, Solar Summit installed this off-grid system at the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex in southern California. The primary goal of Hopper Mountain is the re-establishment of the nearly extinct California condor. Hopper is tucked into rugged mountains. The complex is manned 24/7 by a team of three to five biologists and interns. Prior to the installation of this system, the only sources of power were a small gasoline generator, which failed regularly due to overuse, and about 70 watts of photovoltaic generation to power a few DC lights. With the help of Solar Summit, Blackwell Construction, Inc. of Studio City, CA installed this hybrid power system, which includes 1760 watts of solar, a 4,000-watt inverter, 1540Ah of battery capacity and an 8.5kW LP-fired backup generator. The system powers the entire complex, including a main house, cabin, shop and some portable units. The system is an overwhelming success—rarely does the generator start, other than to equalize the batteries.

For more information on Solar Summit, go to www.solarsummit.com.

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-- Simone Schwarz-Bart (b. 1938), Guadeloupe author: The Bridge of Beyond

New Question
Q1, Vol. I, Issue 11
I'm in the research phase of designing a swimming pool and attached spa. I would like to make sure the entire operation is handled with alternative energy. Because a swimming pool requires different processes to keep it clean, warm and sanitary I was wondering if there are any pump manufacturers of automatic pool cleaners, automatic pool covers, heaters (for both the pool & spa), etc. that are designing products for this market?
-- Joe Rodriguez, Memphis, TN
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Solar Retrofit Architecture Contest?
I propose a design competition whose purpose is to encourage the design and installation—in architecturally creative and attractive ways—of solar energy technologies (solar photovoltaics in particular) on existing large-scale buildings: a Solar Retrofit Architecture Design Competition that might be sponsored by the American Institute of Architecture, the American (or the International) Solar Energy Society, the Solar Energy Industries Association, the United States Department of Energy (perhaps as a project of the DOE's Solar Decathlon competition) and/or one or more schools of architecture.

It is fair to say there is little time to lose in promoting this, and quite a number of other ideas that collectively will create the new sustainable civilization we humans had better put together, soon, on this beleaguered planet!
-- Gregory Wright, communications director, SUN Utility Network, Los Angeles, CA

We have put Gregory Wright's longer discussion of his proposal on our website. Click here to read his article, and then tell us what you think.

First Solar Installs New Management
First Solar, a leader in the development and manufacture of high-quality, high-performance solar modules, appointed Michael Segraves to the position of director of finance and administration. Located in First Solar's Perrysburg, OH facilities, Segraves will be responsible for the development of finance, administrative and human resources organizations. Most recently, Segraves was the CFO of Chase Industries, a $400 million manufacturer of brass rods; before that, he was CFO of AMP Circuits, a $250 million electronics components manufacturer. Segraves holds a bachelor of science degree in engineering from the United States Military Academy and an MBA in finance/accounting from Indiana University.

Other recent management changes include the appointment of Chip Hambro to VP/general manager of First Solar's manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, and the appointment of Ken Schultz to vice president of sales and marketing, working from First Solar's offices in Phoenix, AZ.

Los Angeles Utility Confirms Solar Commitment
Commissioners of the Los Angeles, CA Department Board of Water & Power, the municipal utility in Los Angeles, have agreed to increase the department's budget for the current fiscal year and next year to help meet increased consumer demand for solar panels. The vote also calls for a temporary pause in submission of new applications until the existing commitments can be fulfilled.

"Solar energy is a strategic resource for the city of Los Angeles," Mayor Jim Hahn said. "Solar power is clean and, once it is in operation, solar can provide significant cost savings to energy consumers facing the effects of rising natural gas prices."

The US$150 million solar PV buy-down incentive program will run until June 2011. It subsidizes the cost of installing solar systems. The program has fostered creation of a solar industry in Los Angeles and the vote to reaffirm the original commitment will boost this industry's confidence and lead to more growth, Hahn said.

To send solar energy news, click here.

Latest Statistical Review of World Energy
Renewable energy use is growing much more slowly than use of more conventional sources, the annual British Petroleum (BP) statistical review says. Non-hydraulic sources of renewable energy have been growing rapidly around the world, but their share of total global electricity generation in 2000 was 1.7 percent, up only seven-tenths of a percent from the 1 percent share shown 10 years earlier, in 1990.

One problem is, there's still plenty of oil. The world's oil supply is becoming more diverse and production "comfortably exceeds" world demand, says economist Peter Davies in the annual BP Statistical Review of World Energy. Oil producers have been able to meet consumer needs despite recent wars and supply disruptions, but OPEC production has declined in three of the last four years. Natural gas continues to grow in popularity, and nuclear and hydroelectricity each account for 6 percent of total world energy consumption.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) generation is a larger market than solar thermal water heating, with capacity increasing more than tenfold over the last decade, "albeit from a very low base." Total PV capacity in the larger markets is 1GW, with Japan, Germany and the United States accounting for 80 percent of total capacity. Japan is the world's largest solar PV market, with 450MW of capacity. Europe has added 98MW to achieve a growth rate of 50 percent. Germany accounted for 80 percent of that addition in Europe and has become the second-largest market, surpassing the United States.

Commercial renewables used to generate electricity accounted for 2.5 percent of commercial primary energy in 2000. Geothermal capacity was 6GW in 1990 and expanded by only 3 percent per year until 2000, the report found. Meanwhile, wind and solar were described as "relatively immature and fast growing"—with their rapid growth being driven by a "combination of technology advances and supportive government policy, which create a virtuous circle of expanding markets and falling unit costs."

Installed wind capacity increased more than tenfold during the 1992-2002 decade, with recent increases exceeding those of nuclear reactors and "signaling wind's emergence as a mainstream energy source." Capacity grew by 7,200MW in 2002, an increase of 29 percent over 2001, with total capacity now at 32GW and generating 65TWh of power each year. Europe continues to be the main market for wind, accounting for 75 percent of total capacity and 85 percent of the capacity additions in 2002. Germany is the world's largest wind market with 12GW and a government target of 20GW by 2010; wind accounts for 4 percent of Germany's total generation. The second largest market, Spain, is grew 42 percent last year, while Denmark grew 17 percent to provide 17 percent of total Danish power. In the U.S., wind grew by 10 percent last year. India and Australia also are growing strongly.

BP was not able to include data on renewables in its main statistical review because of problems with the completeness, timeliness and quality of the data, but provides data to illustrate some key trends in the field. To read the complete online report, click here.

U.S. Promotes Hydrogen Auto Development
U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham has called on the European Commission (EC) to join the United States in forming what he called The International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy. The secretary issued the challenge last week during his keynote to the EC's Conference of the High Level Group on Hydrogen and Fuel Cell (HLG-HFC) Technologies convening in Brussels.

In 2002,HLG-HFC Technologies—a coalition of EC auto and transport companies, utilities research institutes, and policy makers—made advances in hydrogen a top priority. At the same time, U.S. President George Bush established the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative to develop hydrogen infrastructure and hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles and introduced the Freedom CAR program to develop automotive systems that use hydrogen fuel.

To submit solar political news or opinion pieces, click here.

Experience Solar Culture in Nicaragua
Grupo Fenix invites interested parties to participate directly in an 11-day workshop/tour in which participants learn about solar energy systems, study applications specific to central America, visit renewable energy installations and install a PV lighting system in a rural village.

The program includes recreational and cultural activities as well as excursions. The next 10-day workshop is Aug. 5-15, but another session is planned for January 2004. The January course will be taught in English (although Spanish ability greatly enhances your experience of Nicaragua). The cost of the entire trip, excluding airfare and airport expenses, is $850 per person, which includes a $200 subsidy towards solar equipment for the village where students work. Another $100 goes to improvement funds in the barrio and villages areas where Fenix is working. The extra cost for staying on longer should amount to around $25 per day, depending on the type of activities and accommodations.

Americans don't often think twice about turning on the light switch. But for more than 60 percent of Nicaragua's rural population, this is not even possible; they have no electricity. Grupo Fenix was started in 1996 by a group of enthusiastic engineering students and Prof. Susan Kinne at the National Engineering University (Universidad Nacional de Ingeneria or UNI). They chose the name "Grupo Fenix" after the mythical bird of Egyptian sun worship, the Phoenix, which is forever renewed. This was a perfect symbol for a group focused on researching and promoting the use of renewable energy sources. It also expressed the hope of these young Nicaraguans that their poor, strife-torn country would rise from the ashes of war and build an enlightened society. Kinne contacted Richard Komp, PhD. in Maine. Dr. Komp had been a proponent of solar energy since the 1960s and continues this passion as the president of the Maine Solar Energy Association and of his small company, SunWatt Corp. Komp, a chief technical adviser, will lead the January workshop. For more information on this work, go to www.grupofenix.org.

Costa Rica Workshop
Solar Energy International is offering a opportunity to study solar energy technology in the natural setting of Costa Rica. The workshop will be at Rancho Mastatal, Costa Rica, Feb. 16-21, 2004. The tuition is US$600. This workshop will be open to only 20 students, so early registration is recommended.

The six-day workshop will include classroom sessions and labs, and will have a strong hands-on component. The workshop will focus on three main areas: solar electricity, solar hot water and solar cooking.

There also will be survey coverage of wind and hydroelectric systems, and the social and financial issues surrounding renewable energy in the developing world. The focus will be on simple systems that work in the real world conditions in less-developed countries. For more information or to register, go to www.solarenergy.org.

Solar Glossary
A short list of common terms:
Passive solar—Harvesting the sun's radiant heat through greenhouse windows, Trombe walls, transpired solar walls, brick floors and other non-electric uses.

Solar hot water—Sometimes called solar thermal; usually involves storing solar energy in a heat storage device to heat water for household or commercial use. It also can be used to heat a home through baseboard radiators or embedded floor tubing, as well as to heat and cool swimming pools.

Solar electric—Using the sun's energy to run electrical systems, excluding electric heating elements.

Grid-tied and off the grid—Remaining on the electric grid after converting to a solar-electric system is called "grid-tied." A solar electric system that stands alone and is not connected to the electric utility is considered "off the grid."

Net metering—When you convert to solar energy and remain hooked to the larger electric utility, you have an automatic backup if your solar system does not generate as much electric power as you need to use on any given day. On the other hand, most of the time your solar system will generate more power than you are using, and will let that generation flow into the larger electric "grid." Most states now have "net metering" laws that allow you to connect your renewable energy system to the grid and bank your electrons there, literally making your meter spin backward and reducing your electric bill, often to a credit rather than a debit charge. To download a table of state net metering programs, click here.

To submit a news item or tip for people beginning to explore the world of solar energy, click here.

U.S. and British Companies to Develop Hydrogen-Solar Generator
Companies from the United States and the United Kingdom will develop and commercialize a hydrogen generator that uses solar panels. Altair Nanotechnologies of Reno, NV, and Hydrogen Solar Production (HSP) of Reading, Berkshire, are forming and will own equally a new company based in Nevada. The new firm will develop a solar hydrogen generator using the tandem cell technology that was invented at the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland. HSP owns the international rights for the technology.

Production of hydrogen from conventional photovoltaic (PV) cells and electrolyzers cannot compete economically with hydrocarbon processes. However, officials say, the availability of nanocrystalline semiconductor materials using the tandem cell concept can produce hydrogen directly via water splitting. The use of two sandwiched cells allows the transparent front cell to capture the blue/violet range of light and allows the green/red range to pass through to second cell behind it. The second cell uses a surface of dye-sensitized nanocrystalline titanium dioxide.

The concept was first reported in 1999 by Michael Graetzel at EPFL and was reproduced by Hydrogen Solar in March 2003 using industrial processes in a non-laboratory setting. The efficiencies of the tandem cell will provide a more economic solar energy utilization of hydrogen production than the approach using separate solar cells and electrolyzers. The new company will improve efficiencies by optimizing the nanocrystalline compounds and deposition methods.

The new company will partner with the University of Nevada-Reno, which has worked on a project, Renewable Energy Hydrogen Based System For Off-Grid Applications, that was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). UNR has requested $2 million in DOE funding for 2004 to accelerate research into hydrogen from tandem cells.

To submit a news item or tip for users or providers experienced in solar energy use, click here.

SUN-Enews has created four directories (with links) on our website, www.SUN-Enews.com. There is a nominal fee for listing, to cover costs of content management. These directories are always growing. To find out more about listing in one of our directories, click here.

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SUN-Enews has created two calendars that run in monthly segments on the website, www.SUN-Enews.com. The May calendars list (1) meetings of non-profit associations, and (2) trade shows.

To list your meeting, conference or trade show in the July 2003 calendars click here. Include the name of your association or trade show, date, meeting place (building), town and state/province/country. Also include an email contact, please. Submit July items by June 30. Thanks!

RPS Only Helps Wind in the United States
An analysis prepared for the U.S. Congress says having a national renewable portfolio standard (RPS) of 10 percent in the United States would increase wind capacity by 400 percent by 2025—but geothermal, solar thermal, solar photovoltaic (PV) and ocean technologies would not benefit. Several bills or amendments currently in Congress call for a RPS to stimulate an increase in the use of renewables.

The legislation would provide "a subsidy to renewables to make them competitive with other resource options," says the Energy Information Administration's Analysis of a 10% Renewable Portfolio Standard, a study that was requested by U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, member of the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources.

The parameters for the analysis included a de-indexed extension of the renewable energy production tax credit and implementation of a 10 percent RPS by 2020 that would cover 8.8 percent of all sales. For the study, the program is assumed to start in 2004, with the required share of renewables growing from 2.5 percent of retail electric power sales by 2011, 5 percent by 2015, 7.5 percent by 2019, and 10 percent through 2030.

The results were discouraging. Under the reference case, the target of 8.8 percent would not be met because of the declining real value of the 1.5¢/kWh credit cap and the end of the program in 2030, when suppliers would purchase credits from the government rather than invest in additional renewables. The level of total renewable generation by 2025 would be 5.6 percent of all U.S. sales, with maximum renewable share of generation in 2019 at 6.2 percent.

The study concluded that a 10-percent RPS would lead to greater generation from wind turbines and the co-firing of biomass in coal facilities, with lower generation from natural gas and coal plants. The retail price of electricity would be small because of the RPS; natural gas prices would decline slightly due to reduced demand by utilities. Total residential expenses by 2025 would be $540 million higher (constant dollars) under a RPS, which is offset by $290 million less to buy natural gas compared with the reference case.

Generating stations that use fossil fuels will meet most of the growth in U.S. demand for power over the next 20 years, the study found, while output from non-hydroelectric renewables will grow from 80 billion kWh in 2001 to 185 b-kWh in 2025 in the reference case, with much of the growth in non-hydro facilities "to be encouraged by various state mandates, RPS and other programs, with a smaller amount coming from new merchant power plants." Even with the increase, the reference case predicts that the share of generation from non-hydro renewables will increase from 2.2 percent in 2001 to only 3.2 percent in 2025.

To submit renewable-energy news, click here.

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