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Solar Progress Issue 3, 2013
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07/13 issue 3
ISSN: 0729-6436
The OffIcIal JOurNal Of The AustrAliAn solAr CounCil
Quiet achiever changes the face of solar Dyesol mimics nature to notch up another breakthrough
The power of rooftopsNovel CST for all types of roofs
Game changing impact on network operatorsGiles Parkinson assesses keys to future incentives
Brilliant Half CenturyMy, how far solar has travelled …
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Contents
37
Australian Solar CouncilWords by ASC CEO and Solar Progress Editor 2
Solar 2013 conference:
Insights and updates 24
State Branch activities 39
Brilliant Half Century – Reflecting on developments in solar technologies and applications 42
Conference images and quotes of note 46
ASC Membership listing 56
Political updateGreens Leader Senator Milne assesses the political landscape 4
Solar energy developmentsDyesol nurtures nature in significant breakthroughA solar cell that uses no silicon, instead mimicking photosynthesis 8
Rooftop integrated concentrating solar power Tanzeen Sultana taps into novel CST for rooftops 14
Special featuresDoug Fletcher of Solar Inception reinforces the need for quality 16
Reality check: Giles Parkinson on network operators 20
Early PV in contrast with today’s PV: Bill Parker’s practical wrap 28
Advanced microinverters 47
Solar communitySolar citizens get serious 37
Hidden Valley Cabins – off grid, off diesel and onto solar 48
News and viewsLocal and global solar news 36
Advertorials: Solar products and services
Clenergy, Fronius, Regen, Positronic, SMA and UGE 50
2816
48
8
Front cover:Advances in domestic PV deliver greater sophistication and more user friendly processes
edITOr
dr Bill Parker
Phone: 0403 583 676
cONTrIBuTOrS: doug fletcher, Giles
Parkinson and Tanzeen Sultana
cONTrIBuTING edITOr
Nicola card
NaTIONal SaleS MaNaGer
Brian rault Phone: 03 8534 5014
deSIGN & PrOducTION
annette epifanidis
cOMMSTraT MelBOurNe
level 8, 574 St Kilda rd Melbourne 3004
Phone: 03 8534 5000
auSTralIaN SOlar cOuNcIl
ceO John Grimes
PO Box 148, frenchs forest NSW 1640
www.solar.org.au
aBN 32 006 824 148
commStrat aBN 31 008 434 802
www.commstrat.com.au
Solar Progress was first published in 1980. The
magazine aims to provide readers with an
in–depth review of technologies, policies and
progress towards a society which sources
energy from the sun rather than fossil fuels.
except where specifically stated, the
opinions and material published in this
magazine are not necessarily those of the
publisher or auSeS ltd Trading as australian
Solar council. While every effort is made
to check the authenticity and accuracy of
articles, neither aSc nor the editors are
responsible for any inaccuracy.
Solar Progress is published quarterly.www.solar.org.au
SOlar PrOGreSS is published by commStrat for the australian Solar council (aSc).
Solar Progress subscriptions: contact anna Washington executive assistant, aSc [email protected] or call 0409 802 707
2 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
Bill Parker Editor
John Grimes Chief Executive, Australian Solar Council
A society based entirely on solar and wind energy derived electricity is yet
to be achieved. However, looking at our historical effort in Australia and
its spin-offs and market developments we can say with confidence that
we are making excellent progress. The Brilliant Half Century presentations
at Solar 2013 were wide ranging and thorough resumes of the history of
the technologies, the people and our organisation. One conclusion from
two prominent speakers was that we are not there yet. We need to leave
behind the “hybrids” and go for the total renewables.
The future will be a renewable electricity driven future, whether that is
powering transport or buildings, using solar, wind and more. As well as
issues of funding and the response of politicians, we face paradigm shift
in the way we “manage” electricity production and distribution. Solar
2013 may well have been a watershed conference. This is discussed in
depth in these pages.
Naturally, we always see a broad range of exhibitors at our annual
solar conferences, mainly the solar industry, but this year the people of
Australia were also represented. Looking at Solar Citizens efforts (http://
www.solarcitizens.org.au/ ) you can get a regularly updated snapshot of
basic data for your electorate, state and more. For the whole country in
early July there was a total of 2468 MW installed and this was saving us
some $550 million in avoided power bill costs. And herein lies the needs
for the paradigm shift since this “lost” income is a significant dent in our
state and territory government’s traditional income.
And with this edition, I am proud to welcome a new contributor –
Giles Parkinson. Giles produces the daily e-newsletter Renew Economy,
a thoughtful and hard hitting publication that tracks the next industrial
revolution, monitoring not just solar but the broader spectrum of
activities and technologies that will constitute our new industrial society.
Giles is a journalist of 30 years experience, a former Business Editor
and Deputy Editor of the Financial Review, a columnist for The Bulletin
magazine and The Australian, and the former editor of Climate Spectator.
You can see his daily round–up at http://reneweconomy.com.au It’s well
worth a daily read no matter where you sit in the renewable energy
spectrum, and it is free to sign up.
Bill Parker
EnERGy GluttonyIt is time to change our thinking about solar energy.
For too long the energy debate has been framed as a choice
between those who back economic development, and those who back
sustainable development.
The choice has been between economic progress or abating
climate change.
This is a false choice. We can actually have both.
Because we use limited polluting fossil fuels, the mantra has been to
use less, to do less to go backwards.
Step back, beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, and one thing is crystal
clear, the power of the stars.
Our sun provides an infinite supply of energy, without any harmful
side effects.
By harnessing this external star power we can power more, create
more, develop more, and lift more people out of poverty than we could
ever do by burning up the finite resources of the Earth.
The sun’s power is truly awesome, and dwarfs any other energy source
available to us.
I for one am not interested in going backwards, in making do with less,
in imposing limits on my children’s generation.
I want more. I want development, I want growth. In short I want to be
an energy glutton!
The sun is the answer. The sun can do both at the same time. Join me
in gorging on the infinite clean power of the sun!
John Grimes
Printed using fSc® mixed source certified fibre by Graphic Impressions Pty ltd.
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4 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
The Australian Greens envision lots of solar in all of its forms – residential
roof-top, commercial roof-top, large scale PV, large scale solar thermal
and manufacturing!
The reason is simple. The world needs to decarbonise rapidly to reduce
the impact of global warming.
The energy policies of the Australian Greens are based on the fact that
we are in a climate emergency and the world needs to decarbonise very
quickly. As was recently reiterated by the Climate Commission, if we are to
retain a 75 per cent chance of constraining warming to 2 degrees Celsius
(in itself a dangerously high temperature increase), then globally we can
emit no more than 1,000 billion tonnes of CO2 between 2000 and 2050.
In the 13 years since 2000, which is 26 per cent of the period, we’ve
already used up nearly 40 per cent of that global budget. If we continue
at this rate, and that seems pretty certain until at least 2020, then our
allowable emissions budget will have been used up completely by 2028.
If we are a society that cares about leaving a safe climate for our
children, and if Australia is to contribute fairly to the global challenge of
limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees, our long-term carbon
budget is going to be tight and emissions from the electricity sector must
ultimately fall to zero. Nuclear energy is too dangerous and too slow to
build, carbon capture and storage is not ready and very unlikely to ever
prove cost-competitive. A 100 per cent reliance on renewable energy is
therefore necessary and inevitable; it is just a question of when.
Climate Change CommitteeTo progress action on climate change, on a range of policy fronts, the
Greens insisted on the establishment of the Multi Party Climate Change
Committee (MPCCC) as a condition of supporting the Gillard Government
after the last election. The MPCCC designed the carbon pricing scheme
and a range of complementary measures.
To investigate what a 100 per cent renewable energy future might look like
for Australia, the Greens negotiated, during the MPCCC deliberations for the
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to model the feasibility and cost.
AEMO’s draft report on achieving 100 per cent renewable energy
shows that by using a range of renewable energy options Australia can
maintain existing electricity supply reliability standards. Similar results
have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Energy Policy by a
research group at University of New South Wales. It also shows there is a
big future for solar.
The AEMO report developed two scenarios. The first assumes rapid
technology transformation and moderate economic growth and the
second assumes moderate technology transformation and high economic
growth. While obviously the results are sensitive to assumptions about
that rate at which technology costs fall (and there have been criticisms
made about AEMO’s assumptions about solar thermal in particular), it
is interesting to note the projections. Below is a table setting out AEMO
projections with respect to solar technologies in 2030 – remembering
that is modelling for a 100 per cent renewable energy system. With a little
over 2,000 MW of PV and with solar thermal yet to really get going it’s
clear we should anticipate a massive expansion in the solar industry.
Scenario 1 Scenario 2
(MW) ( per cent) (MW) ( per cent)
PV, rooftop 16,970 21 10,905 11
PV, utility 16,500 20 11,000 11
Concentrated Solar Thermal
12,500 15 11,000 11
Policy initiatives To help achieve the sectors potential the Greens have recently released
three policy initiatives, and there are more to come before the federal
election. These include:
1) The creation of an Energy Savings Agency, whose primary goal will
be to place downward pressure on electricity prices. One of its main tasks
will be to develop recommendations about fair prices electricity retailers
should offer for distributed generation from a range of sources, including
PV systems and battery storage. Calculating the economic value of
electricity exported to the grid is complex and contested.
To date this task, at least as far as PV is concerned, has been undertaken
by entities such as IPART in NSW, Victorian Competition and Efficiency
Commission and the Queensland Competition Authority. Their approach,
however, has been widely criticised as being limited and so unduly
conservative as to be unfair to the owners of distributed generators.
Solar Progress invited Senator Christine Milne to present insights into the Greens’ staunch support for solar and other renewable energies. The burning question perhaps is: what is more ambitious, maintaining high levels of carbon emissions or transitioning to 100 per cent clean energy?
The Greens vision for solar
Political update
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The recommendation of the Agency should be transparent, specific to
particular technology types and could vary by region and/or time of day,
noting the value of distributed generation is higher at peak times and in
areas of requiring network upgrades. The Government will be required
to either implement the recommendations and compel all electricity
retailers to offer at least the rate recommended by the Agency or publish
comprehensive statement of reasons as to why they were failing to do so.
2) Increasing the Renewable Energy Target to 90 per cent by 2030.
This policy is based on the view that incrementalism is expensive and the
cheapest way to transition to a 100 per cent renewable energy future is to
develop long-term plans to achieve it. It is also supported by the findings
of the AEMO 100 per cent renewable energy study which showed that
achieving 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030 is projected to increase
electricity prices by an amount similar to business as usual if there is at least
some global action on climate change.
3) Increasing the guaranteed funding for the Clean Energy Finance
Corporation from $10 billion over five years to $30 billion over ten. This
would increase spending from an average of $2 billion each year, to $3
billion each year. The CEFC seeks to overcome the range of financial barriers
to commercialising and deploying cleaner energy technologies, including
large scale PV and solar thermal plants. If we are to roll out renewable
energy fast, the CEFC needs the capacity for greater investment.
More detail about these initiatives is published at http://greensmps.org.
au/election2013.
Election issuesWith regards to the upcoming election, the most important thing is that
the gains that have been made over the last three years, all of which are a
result of the MPCCC process, are maintained. These include:
• thecarbonpricingmechanism,whichwillincreasinglyboostthe
relative competitiveness of renewable energy;
• theindependentClimateChangeAuthority,whosemainjobisto
depoliticise the task of setting emission reduction targets; and,
• boththe$3billionAustralianRenewableEnergyAgency(ARENA)and
the $10 billion CEFC, whose combined mission is to drive renewable
energy research, development and deployment.
Tony Abbott has promised to tear down each of of these measures and
institutions, except ARENA. In addition, Abbott refuses to commit to the
existing 41,000 gigawatt hour RET, with many of his Coalition members arguing
that the target should be reduced because energy consumption has fallen.
Standing up for these measures and institutions, all of which are
essential to the solar industry, is simple – as well as holding the new Labor
line up to account, the Greens have to prevent Tony Abbott from winning
control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
How can the sector help itself? By publically communicating that all
of these measures and institutions (and more) are essential and Tony
Abbott’s current policies are not in the sector’s interest.
1 http://www.climatechange.gov.au/reducing-carbon/aemo-report-100-renewable-electricity-scenarios
2 elliston, B., MacGill, I. & diesendorf, M. (2013) 'least cost 100 per cent renewable electricity scenarios in the australian National electricity Market', energy Policy.
Political update
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8 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
The co–invention in 1988 of Brian O’Regan
and Michael Grätzel (then at UC Berkeley)
of the dye solar cell can be regarded as a
milestone in photovoltaics. The cell was based
on a semiconductor formed between a photo-
sensitised anode and an electrolyte. The work
was developed by O’Regan and Grätzel at the
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
in Switzerland and published in Nature 1991
describing the first low cost high efficiency Dye
Sensitised Solar Cell. Then, silicon based PV cells
were described as “prohibitively expensive”.
The device was based on a 10micron thick,
optically transparent film of titanium dioxide
particles a few nanometres in size, coated
with a monolayer of a charge-transfer dye
to sensitise the film for light harvesting. The
technology can best be described as ‘artificial
photosynthesis’.
Dyesol (ASX: DYE) more recently has used
an electrolyte made of a layer of titanium oxide
and ruthenium dye deposited on glass, metal
or polymer substrates. The term mesoscopic
(particle sizes between visible and needing
a microscope to see) has been introduced,
particularly where a perovskite is substituted for
dye as a sensitiser. Light striking the sensitiser
excites electrons that are absorbed by the
titanium oxide to produce the electric current.
Compared to conventional silicon based
photovoltaic technology, the technology
has lower cost and embodied energy in
manufacture, it produces electricity more
efficiently even in low light conditions and
can be directly incorporated into buildings by
replacing conventional glass panels or metal
sheets rather than taking up roof or extra
land area.
The outcome is the first 3rd generation
PV cell that will operate well in reflected or
refracted light, opening up wide opportunities
for electricity generation. In 2010, solid-
state DSC performance was at a mere 5%,
significantly lagging the performance of liquid
based systems. However, subsequent technical
advancement has been significant. Dyesol,
through the work of its scientist Dr Peng Qin,
based at the EPFL, has achieved solid-state
laboratory efficiency of 11.3%.
Facilitating BIPVThe breakthrough comes as the technology
transitions from liquid-based to solid-state
systems to meet the demands of product life
and mass manufacture. The variation meets the
technical challenges of mass manufacturing
Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV)
products and will allow the company and its
multi-national commercialisation partners to
confidently address the multi-billion dollar
global market. Dyesol is also confident of
achieving industrial efficiencies greater than
10% because of the added simplicity of working
with solid-state systems. At this level of module
performance, the technology will be grid
competitive – the "holy grail" for renewable
energy technologies. Being solid state also
means that issues of corrosion and thermal
expansion have been eliminated and pave the
way for direct application to glass and steel. The
problems associated with liquid are history.
This development is particularly important in
solar markets where light conditions are sub-
optimal, such as Europe, North America and
North-East Asia, where there is a considerable
advantage over first and second generation
photovoltaic technologies.
Dyesol Chairman Richard Caldwell said: "The
business case for solar remains compelling;
however there is every reason to question which
technologies will emerge from the current
solar industry maelstrom as winners. The
announcement in May represents a quantum leap
for Dyesol and its commercialisation partners and
The story of another solar cell that uses no silicon, instead mimicking photosynthesis. Bill Parker traces the history and present day success of Dyesol.
Nature nurtures solar energy
Technology developments
SolarProgress | 9
we look forward to a rapid transition from the
laboratory to the production line".
From its status as an original EPFL “pioneer
licensee”, Dyesol (which listed on the ASX
in 2005), has developed its own suite of
patents and also has a commercial presence
in Switzerland in its subsidiary Greatcell SA
which continues R&D work with EPFL and has
rights to commercialise EPFL advances.
The company’s patents cover a wide range
of Dye Solar Cell (DSC) applications from
scale-up from cells and modules to entire
DSC panels; miniaturised DSC devices, eg for
powering remote sensors; multifunctional
means for electrical device contacts;
electrochemical surface modification for
enhanced device performance and higher
device voltage in particular; and substrate
preparation for reliable sealing.
Steel coatingOf particular interest is the partnership with
Tata Steel (part of the large Indian company)
based in Wales UK where a process of
coating steel with DSC is in development.
It’s early days yet, but at the Shotten plant
in North Wales, Tata (one of the world’s
largest steel producers) has successfully
completed the 11m pilot production phase
of integrating DSC on steel sheets in coil
coating. This, in its own right, is the world’s
largest dye-sensitised photovoltaic module.
The module is over three metres in length
and approximately one square metre in area
and represents an important step in the
development of large-scale micro energy
generation capability within the infrastructure
of buildings.
The creation of the module has shown the
potential, using continuous printing and coating
processes, for scaling up the production of steel
strips onto which a dye sensitised photovoltaic
coating has been printed.
Importantly, this is produced as a
single length of coated steel, rather than
separate cells connected together, and the
breakthrough brings closer to commercial
realisation the ambition to develop a
manufacturing process that can produce
long roofing panels with an integrated
DSC function.
Based on the successful pilot phase, the
project has recently been expanded with
intent to industrialise the manufacturing
process as part of planning for commercial
production.
ReferenceBrian O'Regan, Michael Grätzel. "A low-cost,
high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-
sensitised colloidal TiO2 films". Nature 353
(6346): 737–740.
Powerful facts
2012 Global investment in energy sources:
HigHest:soutH
australia30%
6%
*Suitable dwellings = owner occupied detached and semi-detached homes
lowest:NortHerN territory
reNewables
billioN
$187
PV Module =
20% of total system cost
20%
Per watt
Wholesale PV module prices predicted to be
below US$0.50 per watt by 2015
US$.050
gigawatts
102
Global PV cumulative
capacity
solar PV
is the fastest growing industry worldwide
Australian installed solar PV increased
75fold 80%
reduction inmodule costs
Have reached grid parity
102couNtries
Percentage of homes* with solar Pv
Fossil Fuels
billioN
$157
between 2008 and 2012
Solar by
numberS
10 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
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MY
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12 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
There is an opportunity to use novel concentrating solar thermal systems for domestic, commercial and industrial rooftops. The application range is wide with domestic hot water, industrial process heat and solar air conditioning for commercial, industrial and institutional buildings all being potential candidates. Tanzeen Sultana explains why.
Concentrating solar thermal systems offer a promising method for
large scale solar energy collection. Although concentrating collectors
are generally thought of as large-scale stand-alone systems, there is
an opportunity to use novel concentrating solar thermal systems for
rooftop applications.
The thermal performance of a new low-cost solar thermal micro-
concentrating collector (MCT) developed by Chromasun [1], which
uses linear Fresnel reflectors, is designed to operate at temperatures
up to 200°C.
We found that the MCT collector has relatively small heat loss
compared to conventional flat plate and evacuated tube collectors at
temperatures above 150°C and has efficiency about 60% at its design
operating temperature of 200°C. The efficiency can be increased by
improving the design of current MCT [2].
Why rooftop integrated concentrator collector? Rooftop collectors for solar cooling applications need to be very space
efficient to deliver energy above 140°C to drive more efficient double
effect absorption chillers. Conventional flat plate solar collectors need
more roof area to produce sufficient heat for a low rise building cooling
system and are limited to single effect chillers with lower coefficient
of performance.
By contrast, higher temperature systems, such as parabolic trough
collectors, require more space to avoid shading as they track the sun, and
have inherently higher wind loading.
The MCT collector has been developed to overcome these limitations.
Figure 1 shows an example of a typical concentrating solar thermal
cooling system.
The modules of this collector system are approximately three metres
long by one metre wide and 0.3 metres high (Figure 2a &b). This provides
a thermal system for rooftop applications such as domestic hot water,
industrial process heat and solar air conditioning for a wide range of
building usages.
Rooftop CSP
Figure 1: Concentrating panel solar cooling schematic
rooftop integrated concentrating solar power
Figure 2: (a) Exploded view of a solar micro-concentrator system, (b) Cross-section of the MCT collector
SolarProgress | 13
The absorber in the MCT is contained in a sealed enclosure to minimise
convective losses. Figure 3 shows a schematic cross section of the MCT
collector along with the internal modes of heat transfer [3].
Modelling the performance of the MCTA computational model for the prototype collector was developed using
ANSYS-CFX [4]. It was found that the main heat losses in the MCT were due
to natural convection inside the enclosure and radiation heat transfer from
the absorber tube. Radiative heat loss increases significantly with emissivity
and thus increases total heat loss [2].
Therefore, the selective surface is critical for receiver design to maximise
the thermal efficiency.
Temperature distributions in the cavity and near the receiver area in
the collector are shown in Figure 4 from computational fluid dynamics
(CFD) simulation. For the boundary conditions specified in CFD; the results
showed significant thermal gradients in the cavity only around the absorber
and secondary reflector.
In addition to measurements of overall heat loss, a particle imaging
velocimetry
experiment, a
non-intrusive and
indirect optical
flow measurement
Figure 3: Cross-section of the micro-concentrating collector showing modes of internal heat transfer
Figure 4: Temperature contours, (a) in the cavity receiver, (b) near the receiver (absorber tube temperature 200°C and absorber emissivity = 0.2)
b
a
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14 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
technique that gives an instantaneous local velocity vector-map over a
two-dimensional illuminated plane, was used to visualize the flow field
within the enclosure. The results have shown that the receiver heating
creates a thin relatively high velocity layer of hot fluid near the receiver
area (Figure 5).
Going outdoorsTo measure the instantaneous efficiency of the MCT collector, outdoor tests
were undertaken. The test was carried out at temperature from 20°C to 70°C
and was undertaken under AS/ANZ2535 [5] standard conditions.
The incoming solar energy available for a single axis-tracking collector (ie
MCT collector) was taken into account the cosine losses of direct normal
irradiance due to the solar transverse and longitudinal incidence.
The instantaneous efficiency of the collector was found to be 58 ̴ 60 % at
ambient inlet temperature condition (i.e. the optical efficiency).
A comparison of the efficiency of various types of collectors was studied
and it was found that the MCT collector has relatively small heat loss
compared to typical flat plate and evacuated tube collectors at temperatures
above 150°C (Figure 7).
A number of recommendations and areas for future work can be made.
From our study, it was found that the receiver section in the existing MCT
collector is the main heat loss and affects the efficiency of the collector and
therefore, further design optimization can be carried out to investigate the
flows in the receiver area by optimising the air gap between the absorber
tube and secondary reflector and the glass cover and also a PV system can be
integrated into system to make it a hybrid collector (up to 30% more efficient).
Future directionsIn Australia, Chromasun Pty Ltd will partner with the Futuris Group of
Companies and the ASI in a $9 million project (ASI contribution $3
million) to develop and establish an Australian pilot manufacturing
capability for the MCT concentrating solar thermal product.
Phase 1 will include a pilot deployment with MCT collectors in Victoria
at Echuca Hospital that will be coupled with a double-effect absorption
chiller to provide air-conditioning directly from solar energy. Another
pilot deployment will be built in WA at Little Creatures Fremantle Brewery
coupled to an ammonia chiller to simultaneously provide chilled water
and heat for boiler feedwater.
Phase 2 of the project will involve developing and commissioning
a hybrid (CPV-T) receiver manufacturing capability for integration into
MCT units. MCT-Hybrid units will then be deployed at the University of
Southern Queensland and at the Australian National University. Both these
MCT-Hybrid installations will conveniently and simultaneously provide
electricity and hot water.
AcknowledgmentThe author would like to thank Chromasun Inc., San Jose for their support
and assistance during the course of this project.
NomenclatureQabs = Absorber heat loss, W
Tabs = Absorber tube temperature, °C
Tm = Collector mean fluid temperature, °C
Ta = Ambient temperature, °C
G = Radiation, W/m2
ReferencesChromasun, Inc. (2012). San Jose, CA 95112, USA, www.chromasun.com
Sultana, T., Morrison, G.L, Rosengarten, G. (2012). Thermal performance of a novel rooftop solar micro-concentrating collector. Journal of Solar Energy, 86(7): 1992-2000.
Sultana, T., Morrison, G.L, Rosengarten, G. (2011). A Numerical and Experimental Study of a Novel Roof Inegrated Solar Micro-Concentrating Collector. 49th Australian Solar Energy Society annual conference, AuSES, Sydney, Australia
ANSYS (2012). CFX Help Manual 12.1, www.ansys.com.
AS/NZS 2535 Test methods for solar collectors: Thermal performance of glazed liquid heating
collectors including pressure drop.
Tanzeen Sultana is PhD scholar and solar thermal consultant and
researcher at the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering,
UNSW [email protected]
Rooftop CSP
Figure 6: Efficiency comparisons
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16 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
Solar energy possibilities abound. Consider the Solar Impulse. This Swiss-built
aircraft, powered entirely by 12,000 solar cells mounted on the wings and
horizontal stabilizer, landed at Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport
on 16 June after a cross-country trip from California. Sporting the wingspan
of a Boeing 747 but as light as a passenger car, the Solar Impulse also carried
400 kilograms of solar storage batteries, enabling 24-hour flight.
Fast flight clearly wasn’t the point – the Solar Impulse had a cruising
speed of about 70 kilometres. Instead, the goal was to demonstrate the
immense possibilities of solar technology. A round-the-world sojourn is
planned for 2015, and Solar Impulse pilot Bertrand Piccard believes small
solar-powered airplanes could go commercial within the next five years1.
All solar professionals are connectedThis and other exciting solar energy advancements have resulted from the
work of varied professionals, including investors, academics, researchers,
designers, developers, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, salespersons,
financing companies, installers and industry associations. We’re all part of
the professional chain that ensures a bright future for this clean technology.
Yet there are proven chinks in the solar success chain that share a
common component –– lack of quality. Poor quality product design and
manufacturing, faulty solar installation, dollar-driven sales, insufficient
or nonexistent maintenance and/or warranty support have resulted in
unhappy solar customers, failed solar systems and crashed companies.
Our industry is fast-paced and rapidly changing. It’s easy to miss critical
elements along the way. Yet there are systematic approaches all solar
professionals can use to ensure high quality results - results that will help
grow our industry and achieve new and exciting uses for solar energy.
Robust Systems: The Quality Link“Not only is my short-term memory horrible, but so is my short-term
memory.” Anonymous
It’s well proven that human beings have limited memory. We are also
subject to temptation – like cutting corners to complete an action and/or
meet a deadline.
That’s why it is so critical to invest in robust systems from the very start.
You need core capabilities suited to your particular solar profession, your
clientele and your business size and approach.
By the way, “robust” doesn’t necessarily mean expensive or highly
automated, particularly if you’re just starting out. Also, a ‘system’ can be
a physical tool, software automation, and/or simply a well-thought out
process. Yet regardless of business size or where you fall along the solar
professional chain, you must have systems that enable built-in quality
in all you do, and that capture the information you need to continually
improve as you grow.
Business ethics
In this article Doug Fletcher of Solar Inception advocates quality product via a reliable business.
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18 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
They include:
• therightfinancialsystem
• solidqualityassurance
• reliablewarrantybackupsystem
• solidCustomerRelationshipManagement(CRM)
Financial systems that fitFinance is an area that affects all solar professionals. If you’re an academic
or industry researcher, you have to stay within a stated budget. That
means tracking your activity and related expense along the way.
If you run a solar business, you need to match the finance system to
your level, type and size of business. You must first determine the breadth
and depth of information and analysis needed, then locate the best-
matched solution.
For example, a basic accounting application like QuickBooks may be
perfectly suited to individual contractors or small start-ups, but would
be of no value to a large regional, national or international company.
In those more complex environments, you must know where and how
money is being spent on functions including physical infrastructure,
employee salaries, commissions and bonuses, travel, sales and marketing,
customer service, etc. Then you must analyse how productive your
investment has been in each area, so that you can correct any deficiencies
and plan effectively moving forward. More robust financial systems,
such as ACCPAC, SAP or Sun Microsystems work well in these larger
environments.
Quality Assurance (QA) SystemQuality assurance applies not only to panel manufacturers or solar
distributors but also to individual professionals. It involves taking the
steps necessary to ensure quality products and services that meet client
expectations.
Those who work in academic settings often have established QA
processes and checkpoints already “built in” to the way they work. For
example, a researcher studying and reporting on solar energy must
verify that that his (or her) sources are accurate. Peer review of research
conclusions further validates accuracy. These ingrained academic QA
processes help ensure that research findings and recommendations are
high quality and market-useful.
Quality assurance steps depend on where you are in the solar
professional chain. For example, developers or investors interested in large
PV solar projects might have the following in their QA checklist:
• Isthemanufacturersolvent?
• Hasthecompanybeeninbusinessforyears?
• Whataretheproductspecifics,e.g.,theabilitytowithstandextreme
weather conditions, and the warranty claim track record?
• Whatarethewarrantydetailsandisthemanufacturerreservingfunds
for potential warranty claims?
• Isthereathirdparty,independentfromtheproject,whowillbe
present to ensure the project construction is completed to investor
expectations?
• Isthereasolidoperationsandmaintenanceproviderinplaceand
committed for the long term?
Warranty backup: a matter of ethicsThe tumultuous ride of the solar industry proves one thing – any business
large or small can disappear virtually overnight.
Your professional reputation and business success rest on how well you
care about and protect your customers over time. A solar installation is a
long-term proposition and warranty protection is critical. Unfortunately,
as solar enterprises have come and gone, the warranty protection they
promise too often disappears with them.
Here are some practical tips to ensure a sound warranty backup system.
• Choosemanufacturersandsupplierswithlongevity,financial
strength and a reputation for quality products backed by solid
warranty support. Most quality panel manufacturers warranty their
products for 25 years (90 percent performance for 10 years, 80
percent through 25 years).
• Ensurethatdefectscanbeidentifiedandcorrected.Trackandmeasure
the number and type of warranty requests and replacements that flow
from and to your customer base.
• Reportproblemsbacktothesupplierormanufacturer,thenfollowup
to ensure the defect has been fixed.
Finally, even if you offer a warranty, make certain that you can pass
warranty protection back to the product supplier or manufacturer if
you move out of the market. Sounds reasonable, but too many solar
companies have ignored this basic ethical tenet. Whatever happens, care
about your customers.
A Must Have – Solid Customer Relationship Management (CRM)Managing customer relationships is the core around which any business
is built. Truly “knowing” your customers -- who they are, what appeals to
Solar Impulse is powered by 12,000 solar cells
Business ethics
them, what doesn’t, what you’ve sold them and what they may need in future,
whether they are willing and happy to act as a referral -- can differentiate you
from your competitors more than price ever could or should.
A robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is as critical as
having good sales and customer support staff. Every customer interaction should
be captured, whether questions, general feedback, compliments or complaints.
(Remember, someone who complains once is likely to complain again – and may
well try to pass responsibility for the problem to your company.)
If you are an individual installer or other contractor, you may not need to invest
in an automated CRM system. But you should partner with suppliers who do –
they will be an important source of QA backup. Also, a simple Excel spreadsheet
can be your valuable QA tool. If you populate it daily with client information and
related activity, you can analyse how well you’re doing in providing quality solar
installations as you simultaneously build a record of potential client references.
With automated CRM systems, you should ideally be able to analyse captured
information from every angle – by post code, sales amount, product, what
was sold where and when…..you name it. Your CRM can also provide valuable
information about sales and marketing – it can help determine what’s working
and what isn’t. Use your CRM system not only to interact with and communicate
with your customers, but to find new and improved ways to operate.
One final tip. When you install a CRM system of any kind or complexity, it
will be a culture change for your employees. Training is essential and includes
motivating staff to enter all needed information all the time. Remember, you
cannot track or evaluate what you do not capture.
Never settle for second bestThere’s no doubt that all involved with the design, construction, maintenance
and flight of the Solar Impulse depended upon systems and processes that were
exacting and quality driven. The result was the first fuel-free coast-to-coast flight
and the beginning of a new and potentially promising use for solar energy.
Don’t take shortcuts by ignoring the importance of these system
underpinnings. With forethought and the right quality-based approaches in
place, our shared profession and our industry can continue to soar.
Doug Fletcher is General Manager of Solar Inception Pty Ltd.
1 Boyle, Alan, Solar-powered plane lands in Washington after 'pit stop' in Ohio, NBC News, 16 June 2013
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20 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
Giles Parkinson who is founding editor of Renew Economy reviews the game changing impact of solar energy on network operators.
Market commentary
At the massive Intersolar trade show in San
Francisco in early July, there was no doubt what
was top of people’s minds as they looked to the
future of the solar PV industry.
Storage is emerging as the make or break
technology for the electricity industry – not just
for manufacturers who hope to fulfil what some
people believe will be the greatest economic
opportunity the world has seen.
It is also key for both consumers, who need
to sculpture their own production and demand,
and the network operators, who will need it to
deal with the inevitable – electricity grids with
high penetration of variable energy sources,
wind and solar. Welcome to the next instalment
of the energy revolution.
“It is clear that with the transformation of the
global energy networks, wind and solar will be
the two main pillars of these new systems,” said
Professor Eicke Weber, the head of Germany's
Fraunhofer Solar Institute. "And to address that,
we need to do something about storage. But it
is the fastest growing sector and we will see big
falls in costs."
The beating drum of storage was one
repeated by all who spoke at the conference.
From California Governor Jerry Brown, who
said that the energy systems needed to be
compatible with nature, to the head of the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and
just about everyone else who spoke about the
prospects of the solar industry going forward.
Solar energy targetsCalifornia finds itself at the cutting edge of
renewable penetration in major economies,
along with Germany. It has set itself a target of
33 per cent by 2020 and will likely meet that
easily. The talk is that the next target currently
being discussed by the legislature will move it to
50 per cent.
But as Edward Randolph, the energy director
for the California Public Utilities Commission
told RenewEconomy in an interview in July, if
an energy system is going to get to 40 per cent
or beyond, and wants to continue to make
meaningful reductions in emissions, then storage
is critical.
And as the conference heard, there are
two ways to look at the storage – one is on
the basic cost, and one is on the value that it
delivers to consumers, to network operators, or
to both. Price is a basic function of technology
costs, and is forecast to fall dramatically in
the years to come. Value is a function on how
a market is structured, and what incentives
it provides. The key to the future is to ensure
that those incentives reflect the technologies
of the future, not those that have been
incumbent for the past 100 years.
This has a special resonance for the
Australian solar market, which is now nearing
penetration levels in some areas that are
testing the boundaries of economics, even
if they are still well short of the limits of
technology.
PV remodels the landscapeThis much was made clear in a fascinating
insight into the dynamics of network operators
at the recent Solar 2013 conference in
Melbourne, and just how the arrival of rooftop
solar in huge numbers is changing the nature
of the energy game forever.
The Queensland utility Energex is at the
forefront of this because no other Australian
network operator has had to deal with quite
as much of a rush on solar as this network
– centred around the state capital Brisbane
and the high growth areas of south-east
Queensland, including the Gold Coast, the
Sunshine Coast and their hinterlands.
Energex already has installed 212,000
systems and is still adding them at 3,000 a
month. One in five solar available households
have put solar on their rooftops and the rest are
thinking about it - talk of time of use pricing
and further increases in electricity prices is
making sure of that.
Mike Swanston, who goes under the title of
“consumer advocate” for Energex, began his
presentation by delivering a few home truths
to the solar industry. The first was that the
industry was kidding itself if it thought the
network operators were not going to try to
recover their regulated return on investment
– even if solar was subtracting demand from
the grid in a significant way. (The only obvious
alternative is for the value of networks to be
written down, particularly in light of some
established over-spending.)
Swanston also sought to dispel a few of the
myths that have been circulated in the media.
One was that solar had not been having an
impact on coal-fired generation. He noted that
some 700MW of coal-fired generation had
been sidelined in Queensland, a comparable
amount to the amount of solar capacity in the
state. “You don’t need to be Einstein to work
out where that energy has come from,” he said.
“ The key to the future is to ensure that those incentives reflect the technologies of the future, not those that have been incumbent for the past 100 years.”
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TO DELIVER GREEN
22 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
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13/10/2009 12/10/2010 11/10/2011 (1,021 kW - 11.1 SH) 09/10/2012 (1,879 kW - 11.2 SH)
Time
Load
(Am
ps)
CMD3A - IMPACTS OF SOLAR PV2nd Tuesday of October for the last four years
“The essential problem from the network point of view is that they need to recoup their investment – which has been approved
by regulators. … [and] it is quite clear that the utilities are going to have to find a
new business model. Exactly how that evolves is anyone’s guess …”
But he gave some fascinating insight into
just what impact high penetrations of solar are
doing to the shape of the load curve – and on
the habits of household energy users.
Consider this load curve (in the graph below)
from one of the network’s key feeders. (In
California they call a similar impact the “duck
curve”, but this is probably closer to a “sea
horse”.)
There was a time when night-time electricity
demand was so low that governments had to
come up with proposals such as off-peak hot
water to provide the generators some demand.
Now, the night-time use on certain parts of the
grid is virtually more than the daytime. Partly this
is due to the enormous number of appliances that
are on stand-by or charging during the night –
plasma TVs, laptops, mobiles, and games.
Swanston said electricity from rooftop solar
kicks in after the morning peak – to such an
extent that on sunny days some feeders run
backwards. Then, hey presto, the sun goes
down, householders return, turn on the plasma
TV and the air-con, and the load rises from 3
per cent to 100 per cent in the matter of a few
hours. Swanston said there was no doubt that
this was a network challenge. But it was not
insurmountable. “We will fix it and we will deal
with it.”
To give an illustration of what has happened
over the past four years, the graph below shows
plotting the load on the same day (second
Tuesday in October) as solar is being added to
the grid.
As Swanston summarised it – midnight hasn’t
moved, the morning peak is down slightly, the
midday peak is “going down the gurgler” and
the evening peak hasn’t moved an inch. “That
presents technical issues,” he noted. “It presents
much larger commercial issues.”
Network investmentSo what does this mean for networks? The
essential problem from the network point
of view is that they need to recoup their
investment – which has been approved by
regulators. That, though, is the short term
solution. As CPUC’s Randolph pointed out, it is
quite clear that the utilities are going to have
to find a new business model. Exactly how that
evolves is anyone’s guess, but it seems pretty
clear that it will evolve around preserving what
remains of the grid and combining that with the
“distributed model” that values new technologies
and concepts such as “self generation” (ie solar),
storage, and e-mobility, which is an American
way of describing electric cars.
As Swanston noted in his delivery to Solar
2013, the issues are not so much technical
issues as commercial ones. Swanston vigorously
defended the right of the network operators
to recoup their investment, but he made clear
that over the long-term it would require a
change to the way that customers were billed
– continuing on the kilowatt-hour basis would
accelerate the “death spiral”, while raising fixed
charges was also an unlikely long-term solution.
(Others have pointed out that it would likely
cause a backlash from consumers, and reduce
incentives for energy efficiency).
Swanston said battery storage would play
a key role. The eventual solution would have
to incorporate demand management – be
that in storage (such as batteries), or in traffic
control. Indeed, Swanston suggested that there
would need to be a revolution in the way that
electricity and grid access was charged. Battery
storage would be important because it could
flatten the remaining peaks. Home storage,
where people had options and “could make
their own decisions”, was the likely future. How
that pans out for tariffs and networks was not
yet clear. At the moment, the opportunity for
battery storage was a straight arbitrage. “How
cheap can I charge it, and how expensive can I
spend it.”
www.reneweconomy.com.au
The effect of Solar PV over four years at one location in Queensland. The daytime peak has gone but the night time peak is still there. A technical and commercial issue that can be solved.
neweconomyTracking the next industrial revolution
Market commentary
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24 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
Solar 2013
If one word could sum up the Solar 2013 conference, it would be honesty. a realistic picture of solar energy as it stands today and the opportunities that must be tapped into to secure a cleaner future. and that includes building momentum for change.
May 2013 probably seems a heck of a long time ago … but time does not
diminish the importance or the relevance of the academic, scientific and
business presentations delivered at Solar 2013. Here we present some of the
key messages that were delivered by the top line-up of guest speakers.
Big pictureKicking off proceedings was Simon Corbell, ACt Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, who is driving the push
toward 90 per cent renewables for Canberra and carbon neutrality in the ACT.
A key step forward will be delivered by the 20 MW PV plant being
developed at Royalla, 23 kilometres south of Canberra. Fernando Salinas
of project developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures said “Full marks to
the ACT government for understanding the project and its deadlines”
and revealed that development will come in at $186 mWh.
Funded to the tune of $87 million over five years, Manuel Blanco, Director
of the Australian Solar Thermal Research Initiative outlined some of the major
‘big picture’ projects underway in conjunction with six universities.
Australian Solar Council CEo John Grimes was hailed as
a key industry contributor, so much so that “The Grimes Era” of
decarbonisation and commercialisation was named for him.
All ears were tuned in to Samuel yang of Haeron Solar who
presented an overview of the mass production of panels leading to
cost cutting exercises, and China’s push to reduce fossil fuel coal
plants with wind power and other clean energy. The Australian
educated expert and PV pioneer declared:
“Australia has the most stable government system and a rich sunshine resource which is a gift of our god – so use it!”
Wise and profound words. To get there, the industry needs both
recognition and support, which is forthcoming from ARENA which
has approximately $3 billion to invest in renewable energy projects.
Strategy Manager lara olsen provided an update on funding
allocation which is based on demand and supply opportunities,
and where renewables would do well such as in remote and
off-grid regions.
Big numbers are involved: R&D $400 million to $500 million;
Demonstration $1400 million to $1700 million; and Deployment
$1000 million to $1300 million. (See page 32 for more.)
Stepping in for Climate Change Minister Greg Combet was Kate lundy who itemised key initiatives in the Clean Energy Plan and
Solar energy
movers and shakers
Simon Corbell
Samuel Yang
Market wrap Using a series of smiley to glum sun faces, Ric Brazzale of GET who boasts three decades’ industry experience presented an animated – yet realistic – wrap of the market. A beaming sunny face graced residential solar PV (less than 10kW) due to the 300,000 systems (near 1GW) installed in 2012. Glum suns sat alongside solar hot water indicating its continued decline, also large scale solar with few projects committed.
Ever the star gazer is Nigel Morris of Solar Business Services who addressed the practical impact of exchange rates and warned importers to tread carefully, noting however that in the long term the impact of fluctuations is minimal.
By his estimates approximately 200 solar related companies representing 5% of the total have left the industry.
Energex Consumer Advocate Mike Swanston noted that around 700MW (equivalent to Queensland’s solar capacity) of
coal-fired generation had been sidelined in the state, and he remarked that network operators would do all they could in a bid to recover their regulated return on investment, even if solar was subtracting significant demand from the grid. Quality matters
For his part, Doug Fletcher of Solar Inception advocated the ethical imperative of business, stating: “Industry peaks and troughs have caused problems across the board … robust systems underpin quality …” (Read more on pages 16-19.)
Later in the day Glen Morris of Solar Quip reinforced the ‘robust’ message, promoting ongoing training for quality installations and systems via the ASC’s Best Practice Program.
Answering his own question about what was important about solar modules Daman Cole of Yingli listed warranty replacement, long term warranty, quality, independent testing and price.
Ric Brazzale of GET
Doug Fletcher of Solar Inception
ARENA’s role in driving billions of investment dollars in renewable
energy by 2020. “A thriving solar industry plays a vital role in a clean
energy future,” she said, listing several significant localised PV projects
of the 58 earmarked that tally $7.5 million. Lundy also touched on
the CEFC’s role in driving loans and equity investments in clean energy
worth $10 billion, with a corporate objective to overcome capital
market barriers.
“The carbon price provides a secure and predictable framework for
the Australian solar industry [and] by 2050 we could derive 50% of our
power from wind and solar,” she announced.
For his part oliver yates of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation explained the stability that the CEFC could bring to
the sector and why the cost of finance was so important. “Much of
Australia is semi-Kodak at present … but we are here to assist in clean
energy programs, if you have got a decent proposal just approach us
[CFEC] … we are like an investment bank, a dedicated financier.”
Addressing political concerns raised by conference participants, Yates
explained the CEFC had a statutory obligation to continue its mission
until such a time as the Clean Energy Act changes, but that from about
10 August no large contracts would be awarded.
Shadow Minister for Climate Action Greg Hunt described the
unique position of solar energy in the renewable energy sphere and
outlined the Coalition’s Direct Action Plan which aims to cover eight
million roofs with PV.
“The answer lies in driving down the cost of electricity,” he said. “The
Coalition will have draft legislation in 100 days and policy in 150 days
… our goal is to reduce emissions at the lowest cost … to create an
underpinning long term sustainable framework ... low cost distributed
energy which takes the pressure off utilities.”
Hunt’s address sparked uncertainty and a series of hard-hitting
questions about project investment, CEFC and ARENA.
Oliver Yates
26 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
Solar messages, solar citizens Don Henry of the Australian Conservation Foundation is a softly spoken man with a hard hitting message: “Millions of Australians care about renewable energy and their voices need to be heard,” he said. “It is important that Australians who are pro-solar to rally to generate more political power.
“Visit your local MP, give people hope and build momentum for change.”
He urged industry delegates to inform thus empower their customers, to connect them with environmental associations and present a powerful catalyst for change. The newly formed Solar Citizens campaign (see page 37) is an ideal practical measure, Don Henry said.
Echoing his delivery was Former NSW Leader of the Liberal Party Peter Debnam who stated: “My belief is that solar and Australia were made for each other, and it makes sense for Australians to know the sun’s power, but the Australian government is slow to embrace.
“When it comes to fighting for your interests, your industry is timid … the solar industry under-invests in marketing and PR, efforts are low-key. But the story needs to be told time and time again. With one million rooftops sporting PV there are potentially two million voters [yet] neither political party feels vulnerable to the solar industry.
“Identify those people – contact them and harness their commitment to the cause … the government needs to see and recognise solar as a well organised group that is well regulated and united with a strategic plan. Being determined and relentless will [help] get you there.”
Peter Debnam added that the solar industry had much to be proud of, with assets and goodwill “to be jealously guarded”.
“It has tremendous opportunities before it and a huge reservoir of support across Australia. With about 4000 enterprises in solar industry about 30,000 are indirectly involved. This, combined with a turnover of about $1.5 billion, is a beautiful set of numbers … politicians would love to have those two million supporters!”
“People need to see solar energy is here to stay as an important player in the Australian Economy. We need people to ask “what can solar do for … [the nation]”.
Debnam’s address triggered rousing applause.
Among those nodding their head in approval was Mark Diesendorf of UNSW Institute for Environmental Studies who later on outlined the feasibility of transitioning to 100 per cent renewable energy.
The Green scene Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne won a round of applause when she stated the Greens not only want 100 per cent renewable energy but as soon as possible.
Senator Milne is a regular presenter at ASC solar conferences, which she describes as “consistently upbeat”.
“The sector defies expectation” she remarked, citing that 2.5 million Australians are now living under solar. She highlighted two recent technological breakthroughs: development of a 3D printer for PV cells; and low grade silicon to produce a top quality
wafer, a development steered by conference guest speaker Stuart Wenham.
The Senator announced that the Greens would create a new federal government Energy Savings Agency to deliver a more balanced and efficient market. Its three priorities: driving down power bills by achieving $1 billion in energy savings; paying Australians fairly for the clean energy they produce; and designing a National Energy Efficiency Scheme.
In short, an agency that will lower electricity bills, save energy and cut the pollution driving global warming while making Australia’s energy system fairer, cheaper and cleaner.
“We need an independent agency to provide information, analysis, advocacy and financial support to help remove the barriers to cheaper and cleaner energy options. The permanent independent statutory agency will address and progress complex areas of reform and help change the merit order."
“Solar energy is central to a clean energy future [and] the Greens will continue to work hard to remove impediments to a clean energy future,” said the Senator whose parting advice was: “Translate your love of solar into political action.”
Solar 2013
Don Henry
Senator Christine Milne
28 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
PV's progress
In the mid1990s, PV systems on roofs in cities in Australia were rare,
however a few pioneers were testing the water. Peter Fries in Solar
Progress edition 3/13 relates the story of his ‘Solar One’ project to build
a rammed earth passive solar house and to install a PV system; a step
towards the zero energy house.
Pioneering timesTwo homeowners in Perth followed in the footsteps of Solar One.
The first a lawyer, who chose to incorporate battery storage and was
not grid connected. The other person was this writer, who chose grid
connection. For the public, this was unheard of, but for the then utility
and retailer, Western Power, connection to the grid was something
that had only been done successfully in 1995. This was with a 20kW
tracking plant at Kalbarri, a town at the end of the northern fringe of
the south west grid system in WA. (Opened by the then Energy Minister
Colin Barnett, it was the first of its kind in Australia and the largest
such project to be connected to a grid system in Australia, at a cost of
$475,000.) Western Power were the pioneers. They had successfully
applied experience by way of technology suppliers, installers and
engineers, but at the same time they had complete operational control.
Homeowners who wanted to connect PV systems were an unknown.
However, early correspondence with Western Power was encouraging,
although as I later learned, the ground rules were yet to be developed.
Domestic PV then and now
The documentation wrangle was no mean feat, as indeed it was in
other States, and relationships with utilities were sometimes so difficult
that an on-line newsgroup (Argon) was launched to share ideas and
help each other. It was a very lively and busy group at first, but has been
quiet for years, largely I think because the teething troubles have passed.
However, no consumer could be expected to sign a 28-page agreement
that would hold them liable for the entire grid if their own system went
haywire. I made my disquiet felt.
The inverter was the source of the problems. The model installed
was designed for off-grid standalone use. For grid–connect, the same
model required the coupling of some large “bolt on” capacitors in
casing attached to one side. After a few weeks of loud humming
it “blew up” and required replacing, the installer staff came back
(presumably after some weight training!) and took the box away.
Weeks passed. This consumer was getting angry and some
sparks started flying, considering the substantial investment. I still
suspect inverter supplier Trace then did not know where Australia
was. After all, “WA” usually means Washington state in the USA.
Normal service resumed, but things were still not right and this
was possibly (we thought) because the house was located near to a
very old transformer station with voltage spiking at 260V. Western Power
to their credit did some testing and their professional thoroughness
revealed nothing that could cause problems. Nothing abnormal was
found, apart from the predictable performance of the old transformer
station. Re-installation eventually occurred, and the only thing left now
was the failure of the inverter to switch off at nightfall. It was consuming
I believe about 2kWh/day just to remain in standby mode ay night. A
photoelectric remedy was found and hard wired in.
Then and nowThe contrast between then and now is stark. Back then, little followed
installation. The Trace operator’s manual was not an easy read, nor were
the installer’s instructions. Now, the SMA instructions. Today, the inverter
(in this case SMA) instructions and website are comprehensive enough
The contrasts and comparisons of roof top PV systems from the earliest adopters to the present day. Bill Parker relates his story.
The PV installation circa 1998
SolarProgress | 29
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But the comprehensive analysis and descriptions that I got from
Sunday Energy (the present installers) also did not leave any stones
unturned and better still I can download the performance data via
Bluetooth. (All I need now is a Windows computer…) An estimate
of system performance of the first system was given at about 5kWh/
day averaged over the year. How that was worked out I never found
out, and the only way of determining actual performance was to
install a separate spinning disk meter and read it every day or week.
This time round I know, and I have year round performance data that
shows the production for any given time specific to my roof and the
equipment used, even including the CO2 emissions saved per annum.
Below:Front and back view of a 1970s 11kW PV panel, still running. Picture courtesy Rod Eyre
30 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
THE SYSTEM AT A GLANCE5.5 kW solar modules
5kW inverter
Annual Average production per day: 25kWhMax in December of 32.6kWhMin in June of 16.3kWhYearly production of 9,117kWh
One of the strong take home messages is that any installer must pay a
site visit to assess roof positioning and determine what can be achieved
if for example there is shading, or no north facing roof and of course to
work out the wiring logistics and actual costs. Some of the installation
is not obvious, and since we are talking about a product that must
withstand all weathers for decades, the attention to manufacturing detail
both in design and materials must be there, and it is. And that attention
to detail must carry through to the installer and it did. The ASC’s Solar
Plus can help all along the way before you sign-up.
Managing electricity usage and beyondFor most people, the management of electricity comes into play with a
solar system. With a buyback rate of 8.4¢/kWh the most sensible thing
to do is to set all the electricity consuming appliances where optional use
is possible to run between 10 am to 2pm (for this north facing system).
Why send electricity to the utility for an 8.4 cent credit per kWh when it
can be used for free? Compare that with purchasing power from Synergy
at 25.88¢, the July 2013 price (and rising no doubt). Of course a reverse
usage regime would apply if the user had a feed in tariff better than
equal to the standard purchase tariff.
And the politics. I am providing the state government with electricity
producing infrastructure and at no cost to the public purse. Looking at
what makes up the electricity bill in Western Australia last year the large
slice is generation at 46%, followed by transmission at 33%, retailing at
11% (including carbon pricing), billing at 7% and profit 3%. Any punitive
financial measures (rumoured additional charges for solar users) would
be counterproductive. There must be a re–evaluation of the role utility
should play and begin to adopt the role of energy manager. It is also
clear that we are a way off the level of solar penetration that causes
major problems at the street level and that would require substantial
expenditure to accommodate PV systems.
Cost benefit considerationsBeing a pioneer carries a price. The major one is dollar cost. In 1998 there
were no rebate schemes and no assistance from any sources except a
freedom from Sales Tax; and that would certainly have killed off the deal.
“There must be a re–evaluation of the role utility should play and begin to adopt the role of energy manager.”
The present system output on a heavily overcast day. ( Not sure about the instruction at the bottom to speak German.) Picture taken after nightfall.
PV's progress
SolarProgress | 31
1998 2013
Inverter Trace 4.5kVa Efficiency unknown. This was built as an off grid model but had an additional side attachment containing several large capacitors for grid connect use. Not weather proof.
SMA SunnyBoy SB5000 TL-21 (with Blue Tooth). Weather proof (IP65 rating), installed on external wall. Efficiency 97%.
System Size 1.2kW 5.5kW
RECs Credit No Yes
Feed in tariff None, although the buyback rate was 1:1 after an argument with Western Power.
8.4¢/kWh
PV 12 x BP Solar 83W. No obvious racking system and overheating in summer was easily demonstrated by applying cooling with high pressure hose.
20x Winaico WSP-275M6 (275w) quantum. Proper racking and reassuring in a very high wind sheer area.
the utility side of things Required an extra large zinc plated meter box with 2x “Smart” meters”, days to install. Specialist Electrical engineer to approve circuits and wiring.
One very small bi-directional meter, installed in 30 minutes.Two page agreement.
number of customers Residential, one. The other customer not grid connected.
Thousands (est. 280MW+ installed capacity in the WA South West Integrated System)
Issues There were never any quality issues with the panels and they are still functioning. The inverter was replaced after six weeks and the replacement unit still has a fault after 15 years. It does not turn off after nightfall – a photoelectric cell was hard wired to provide a shut down. Estimated to be using 2kWh/day on “standby” at night until the photoelectric device was installed. No means of data collection without installing a separate meter and reading manually. Impossible to listen AM radio, and the inverter hums very loudly. Not weather proof.
The panels are visually different - thinner, more efficient. (To be expected after 15 years of development, with 2.3 times the output for a solar panel that is only 1.6 times bigger in physical size – compared to original system.) The racking system allows for heat dissipation and the panels stand clearly off the roof, and are obviously secure.The most obvious visual change is with the inverter. A status window offers several criteria and gives a continuous display of each sector of panels, the grid voltage and the kWh output of the system in real time. Data is downloadable via Bluetooth to a Windows computer (Macintosh compatible software is in development)
Fire risk management Impossible to turn off from exterior without meter box key.
One action pull motion deactivates system, especially useful in bush fire prone areas as this one is in. For fire fighters an easy and obvious action.
TABLE: ThE 1998 And 2013 sysTEms AT A gLAncE
32 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
At the Solar 2013 Conference, ARENA Strategist Lara Olsen presented some welcome news about funding and investment in clean energy. Here we learn more about the agency’s sphere of activity and the recently announced second round of investments that will bolster solar energy developments.
Solar research organisations and companies can pursue support from up
to $900 million in new programs that have been announced as part of the
Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s second Investment Plan, building on
over half a billion dollars in programs already launched.
In the lead up to the release, ARENA’s Lara Olsen shared information on
the plan, including ARENA’s approach and rationale to investment, at the
Australian Solar Council’s Solar 2013 conference. Ms Olsen said a major
focus for ARENA is exploring opportunities for renewable energy hybrid
power plants.
“Adding renewable energy, such as solar thermal, to fossil fuel based
energy production has the benefit of demonstrating renewable energy
technologies at a lower cost as the infrastructure associated with the fossil
fuel plant can be utilised,” Ms Olsen said.
“This approach recognises that changing the energy landscape is a
process of transition and aims to pave the way for stand-alone renewable
energy plants by first building confidence, knowledge and expertise around
new technologies in a hybrid setting.
“Our immediate priority is to support and help attract investors to those
renewable energy projects with the best chances of success in the near
future by giving them funding certainty.”
Investment directionsIn addition to the hybrid program, the 2013/14 – 2015/16 Investment Plan
launched in July by Minister for Resources and Energy Gary Gray includes a
program that recognises the success of policy measures and accompanying
cost reductions for solar photovoltaics.
ARENA is developing a program to review grid integration barriers to
higher levels of renewable energy penetration to increase deployment at
a residential and commercial scale. The focus will be on demonstration
projects, developed in consultation with network and distribution operators.
ARENA is also developing a world leading commercial readiness index
for each renewable energy technology that will help identify how ARENA
and other government agencies can best provide support to help each
technology progress (see Figure 1).
Minister Gray in releasing the Investment Plan said it allows ARENA to
remain flexible and responsive in its approach while providing strategic
support right across the innovation chain- from research in the laboratory to
large scale technology projects.
The new programs build on those announced in June this year, including
a $400 million initiative expected to generate 150 megawatts of electricity
from renewable energy sources in regional and remote locations within five
years, including at least two large-scale renewable energy plants.
Ms Olsen said Regional Australia’s Renewables includes an industry
program, which aims to increase the use of renewable energy in industries
in these areas, especially where it is close to being cost competitive.
ARENA switches on a new phase of investment
Industry investment
“The Investment Plan … includes a program that recognises the success of policy measures and accompanying cost reductions for solar photovoltaics. ARENA is developing a program to review grid integration barriers to higher levels of renewable energy penetration to increase deployment at a residential and commercial scale.”
ARENA’s Lara Olsen
34 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
It also includes the Community and Regional Renewable Energy program,
which aims to work directly with electricity distributors to demonstrate high
penetration renewable energy through, for example, innovative energy
storage systems.
“The focus is on regional and remote locations that are either off
the electricity grid or on the fringe of the grid, where energy demand is
growing.” Ms Olsen said.
“These programs are about demonstrating it works and that it works
affordably, paving the way for widespread roll-out.”
ARENA has also expanded the successful Emerging Renewables Program
to a $215 million program.
As well as continuing to provide support for projects to develop,
demonstrate and deploy renewable energy technologies, it now also
provides support for knowledge sharing activities and activities to remove or
reduce roadblocks to the delivery of ARENA’s strategic initiatives - currently
activities to reduce roadblocks to deploying renewable energy systems in
regional and remote locations.
Solar projectsThis program has committed funding to a range of solar projects, including
$2.3 million to BlueScope Steel to develop a prototype building-integrated
photovoltaic system, and $2.5 million to RATCH-Australia to assess the
viability of converting Queensland’s 180 MW coal-fired Collinsville Power
Station to a 30 MW hybrid solar thermal/gas power station.
The Australian Government through ARENA and its predecessor the
Australian Solar Institute, have also provided 86 solar PhD scholarships and
postdoctoral fellowships to build the next generation of Australian solar
researchers and ARENA plans to accept new applications this financial year.
Ms Olsen outlined how these programs fit into ARENA’s indicative
funding along the innovation chain, which is published in the Investment
Plan. The indicative funding includes $400-$500 million for research and
development, $1400-$1700 million for demonstration and $1000-$1300
million for deployment.
See Figure 2 that outlines these allocations and their uncommitted portion.
ARENA was established by the Australian Government to make renewable
energy technologies more affordable and increase the amount of renewable
energy used in Australia. ARENA started operating on 1 July 2012.
ARENA’s Commercial Readiness Index – with indicatorsFigure 1. Commercial readiness – NASA’s TRL and ARENA’s CRI (Status Summary)
Research and DevelopmentEmergingTechnology
ExistingTechnology
¬
¬
¬
$40 – $60m
$200 – $300m
$35 – $55m
Knowledge Management
Uncommitted funding by innovationchain stage
Figure 2.ARENA's Indicative Funding along the Innovation Chain
Demonstration
Pilot Scale CommercialScale
Deployment
SupportedCommercial
CompetitiveCommercial
$1400 – $1700m
$1000 – $1300m
$900 – $1200m
$600 – $900m
¬
Indicativefundingallocation(all funds) $400 – $500m
Figure 2
Key facts as of 1 July 2013:• Approximately $1 billion committed to projects,
scholarships and fellowships
• Over $450 million in financial assistance to solar projects
• 96 projects managed by ARENA
• 86 solar phd scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships
Industry investment
SolarProgress | 35
News and views
CPV powers MILDURAMildura in north west Victoria now boasts Australia’s largest Concentrating Photovoltaic (CPV) Solar
Power Station, with the fully commissioned 40 CPV ‘Dense Array’ dish systems now feeding clean
renewable energy into the national electricity grid.
The 1.5MW plant is capable of generating enough electricity for about 500 average-sized homes.
Silex CEO Dr Michael Goldsworthy describes this as a major step forward in the commercialisation of
Solar Systems’ unique ‘Dense Array’ CPV technology.
“If successfully commercialised, the deployment of utility-scale solar power stations around the world
has the ability to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues within a few years. This
could be a game-changing renewable energy technology,” he said.
The 1.5MW Mildura plant received $10 million from the Victorian State Government plus additional
funding from the Federal Government. Planning for the utility-scale, 100MW Mildura Facility is now
underway, with construction expected to begin in late 2014, subject to securing a power purchase
agreement and the finalisation of funding arrangements, including the following commitments which
are conditional upon a $75 million grant from the Australian Federal Government (ARENA); and $35
million from the Victorian State Government.
In related developments, construction of the 1MW Demonstration Facility at the Nofa Equestrian
Resort near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is on track to be completed later this year. The Nofa plant will be the
first offshore facility using Solar Systems’ ‘Dense Array’ CPV Dish technology.
Silex says operation of the Mildura and Nofa Demonstration Facilities is a key step towards
establishing bankability for commercial deployment of Solar Systems’ technology.
www.silex.com.au
a round up of developments in the world of solar energy
Thin film development RSI, a Silicon Valley developer of thin film
solar PV modules, with Australian and other
venture capital sources, has claimed an
engineering breakthrough that could cut
the manufacturing costs of PV modules by
one third.
The company has created a 1.5 square
metre cadmium telluride PV (CdTe) module,
twice the size of conventional modules.
It says this will enable solar PV modules
to be manufactured at a cost of less than
40c/Watt, around one third cheaper than
current mass-produced thin film and silicon
based modules.
Left:The completed Mildura ‘Dense Array’ CPV Demonstration Facility Right: Nofa May 2013 - construction progress
food for thought - oil versus the sun According to research findings if Libya
covered just 0.1 per cent of its land mass
with solar panels, it could generate around
five times the amount of energy from solar
power that it currently produces in crude oil.
Libya boasts high solar radiation: about
7.1 to 8.1 kilowatt hours per square metre
per day and could generate the equivalent of
seven million – yes you heard right – barrels
of oil a day; five times the current 1.4 million
produced.
Oil currently contributes about 95 per cent
of export earnings, about one quarter of gross
domestic product, and 60 per cent of public
sector wages.
Sunny South Africa Sunny, dry South Africa boasts consistent and
reliable solar radiation which is climate friendly
for concentrated solar power generation.
Ample Solar, a key South African CSP
development company is weighing up
prospects, foreseeing “big changes ahead
in the way the country generates power,
especially renewable.”
AREVA Solar in Johannesburg, South Africa,
is also enthusiastic about prospects given the
sunny forecast for Compact Linear Fresnel
Reflector technology (CLFR) technology.
CLFR is firming up as a favourite in Africa as it
offers the highest local content and job creation,
the lowest cost and is the most environmentally
benign solution.
Some confidently predict this technology
“could sooner rather than later lead to a solar
breakthrough for the whole of the South
African region”.
36 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
News and views
Flying closer to the sunThe one-man craft Solar Impulse has completed an
historic flight across the US in short hops as part of
a 13-year privately funded $150 million European
project. The sun powered the entire flight from San
Francisco to New York with five stops in between.
Solar Impulse carries 11,000+ solar cells,
10,746 of them on the wing that stretches 63
metres. Despite having the wingspan of a jumbo
jet, the plane weighs just 1591 kilograms, the size
of a small car.
"It's also a poetic project," said pilot Bertrand
Piccard, "It's about flying with the sun. It's about
flying with no fuel.”
www.solarimpulse.com/
Solar vehicles: the race is on! Showcasing ingenious and idiosyncratic vehicles
powered by the sun, the 2013 World Solar
Challenge is the world’s largest solar electric
vehicle event.
This year’s new look World Solar Challenge
which incorporates three distinct classes:
challenger, cruiser and adventure – has
attracted a record breaking 48 teams from
26 countries. Each is putting the final technical
touches to their crafts which from October
6 take on the Aussie outback in the 3000
kilometre journey from Darwin to Adelaide.
Based on the original notion that a 1000W
car would complete the journey in 50 hours,
solar cars are allowed a nominal 5kW hours of
stored energy. All other energy must come from
the sun or be recovered from the kinetic energy
of the vehicle.
Everybody loves a winner
Congratulations to Phillip Johnson and Wes Fleming for flying the flag for the environment and
solar energy at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. Their Trailfinders Australian Garden was voted
Best in Show Chelsea Flower Show – and in the world of landscape design, awards do not get
much higher than that.
It took 20 volunteers six weeks to create garden which was powered by solar panels, and
Melbourne-based landscaper Phillip Johnson says they attracted enormous attention from Show
judges and visitors alike.
“Judges asked us about the position of the solar panels in the garden [and we explained] they
were easier to clean and are more efficient when surrounded by cooling vegetation. Visitors
asked what they were powering - which was assisting in powering the pumps for the waterfalls,
night lights and the hot water system for the outdoor shower,” Johnson told Solar Progress.
“Importantly, the solar panels were a crucial power source during the actual build of the garden,
used to charge batteries and appliances.”
Wes Fleming and Phillip Johnson and solar panels
take to the stage at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Sensational solar sight. Photo credit: Nuon Solae Delft University of Technology 2011
SolarProgress | 37
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Massive solar parks are springing up
in Japan as part of a rapid build-
up, with technology companies
and private investors across Japan
“racing” to install devices.
They are encouraged by the
government policy which guarantees
generous payments to those selling renewable
energy, and the feed-in tariff whose rates are
guaranteed for two decades makes Japan one of
the world's fastest-growing users of solar energy.
Among the investors are farmers, lumber
companies and local governments who install
solar panels and double as small power-generation
companies.
This year alone Japan is forecast to install solar
panels with the capacity of five to seven modern
nuclear reactors.
Solar users in Australia have joined forces to
launch Solar Citizens to help protect the interests
of those wanting to generate clean, renewable
energy. They also want to ensure that solar
homeowners are able to connect to the grid
and are paid a fair price for the power they
contribute to the grid rather than be subject to
unreasonable charges or tariffs.
Campaign director Geoff Evans says the Solar
Revolution is here—and it is growing: earlier
this year renewable energy in Australia notched
up a significant milestone, with one million
households in Australia sporting rooftop PV,
representing $8 billion in investments in clean
energy generation at home.
He sums up the ‘Solar Revolution’ thus: 15,500
jobs created: 2,462 MW of installed PV capacity:
3,078,250 tonnes of CO2 saved; and $551,622
,400 saved on power bills.
This represents a big threat to the business
model of the big energy companies, which
are flexing their lobbying and financial muscle
to ensure their profits remain high — even if
it means blocking solar and costing ordinary
Australians, says Geoff Evans.
Hence the development of The Solar Revolution
Briefers 100% Renewable http://100percent.org.
au/content/solar-revolution-briefers-state which
highlights the growth of solar energy across the
nation, lists the number of solar homes in each
electorate and state, and details their financial
investments in solar energy, savings on power
bills, megawatts of clean energy produced, and
subsequent reduction in carbon. The briefers also
rank the 150 electorates based on solar installations,
and the figures are impressive.
The Briefers is a powerful tool in convincing
local politicians to support solar and highlight that
voters across the nation want solar and are investing
heavily in it.
Solar Citizens has also created the Solar
Scorecard http://solarscorecard.org.au/ which ranks
politicians by their commitment to energy issues:
their stance on the carbon price, renewable energy
target, community energy funding, building big
solar and more. Local politicians can be contacted
directly using the handy tools on the Solar Scorecard
site. As Evans says, it’s essential that no matter who
wins the election, renewable energy wins as well.
Become a Solar Citizen at: solarcitizens.org.au
solar Citizens to the fore!
Japan embraces solar energy
38 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
SP: How would you characterise the present state of the Australian PV market?
RS: The Australian market is healthy but changing.
It is currently in the final stages of transition to
becoming a complete mainstream power resource
as the cost PV local generation can be better than
the true cost of distributed black power. We have
moved from being just a green technology, to that
of being a viable alternative. This is especially now
the case for virtually all of Australia’s residential
users, and for many commercial applications.
With the introduction of smart/intelligent
modules that can give real time feedback and
control, and can be applied in more difficult sites
that have some shading, the only missing link now
for complete grid independence (24/7 operation)
is cost effective storage. Viable household storage
is fast approaching, I am certain that this will be
available from mid this decade.
SP: How does this compare or contrast with North America, Europe and other markets?
RS: The market here is quite different from
Canada and North America, where the
commercial and utility scale deployments are the
majority of the PV market rather than residential.
In North America commercial buildings tend to
lend themselves to PV with flat concrete roofs
and extensive use strip shopping malls that go
out with car parks surrounding, rather than
Australia shopping centres and commercial
buildings that mostly go up with multi-level car
parks and thus small roof area. Also capital tax
incentives in the USA for commercial PV make
this particularly viable.
Because of the high cost of mainstream
power generation / construction, some of the
largest PV solar farms in the world are or have
been built there.
In Europe, PV application can vary. In
Germany with extensive government incentives,
household deployment has been extensive
and also large scale is impressive, but this
is becoming a little more difficult finding
appropriate land availability. In other countries
such as the UK the recent residential uptake has
been particularly impressive, which given their
lower solar resource, is surprising.
The Chinese market will shortly become
the largest solar market in the world, largely
as a result of government policy and their
thirst for cost competitive energy. The central
government seems to lay down very significant
plans and targets for each of the provinces to
achieve, and then every year or so, double it
because of the cost effectiveness of solar.
SP: What are the influencing factors or market drivers, and deterrents?
RS: Market drivers in Australia are now the
need for the largely lower cost power of PV and
future proofing against continued electricity
price rises.
Deterrents are obvious and largely put
in place by the Gentailers (fixed charges
for connection etc) as they are seeing their
potential revenue base diminish with overall
lower network demands, as building and
appliances become more efficient, and
distributed power generation alternatives such
as PV make significant inroads.
SP: What lies ahead for PV in Australia?
RS: My view for PV in Australia is that the
market will continue to increase in the short
term, over the next few years, and then will
significantly get larger in the latter part of this
decade as PV electricity costs become naturally
lower than coal and gas fired generation, and
we are able to supply 24/7 electricity.
About the authorPrior to being appointed General Manager
for Canadian Solar in Australia, Rod Seares
worked for BP Solar and travelled extensively
internationally in Europe, North America and
Asia. He lived and worked in the USA for three
years as Director of Operations for BP Solar
North America.
Founded in Ontario in 2001, Canadian
Solar is the vertically integrated provider of
ingots, wafers, solar cells, solar modules and
other solar applications. The company designs,
manufactures and delivers solar products and
solar system solutions for on-grid and off-grid
applications.
Operations span six continents, with solar
modules delivered to customers in over 70
countries.
Shipments in 2012 topped 1.54 GW,
positioning the company fourth in the world.
PV’s march forward Solar Progress invited Rod Seares of Canadian Solar to comment on the current state of the market. Following are his insights
PV market insights
SolarProgress | 39
Trevor Lee, President, presents a report on the critical decade ahead for snow skiers
tHE CRItICAl DECADE 2013: ClIMAtE CHAnGE SCIEnCE, RISKS AnD RESPonSE By Professor Will Steffen and Professor Lesley Hughes (Climate Commission).
General media coverage of the Climate Commission’s latest report has
been widespread and sometimes sensationalist (eg “Scorching increase in
bushfire danger”, p1, Canberra Times, 17 June 2013). The report rightly
dwelt on the more serious risks that we face from climate change; but
the media missed reporting on the projected depressing impact in store
for the local ski industry and its participants – perhaps because the report
itself omits this factor from its own summary called “Key Findings”.
But our own projected future climate data recently prepared in
conjunction with CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship, corroborate the
Commission’s pessimism. Even allowing for improvements to man-made
snow production, the reduced frequency and duration of usefully sub-
zero temperatures will result in a gradual but erratic decline. While the
most likely scenario to 2030
suggests only a gentle change
for Thredbo (about 10% less
days and 20% less hours), the
warmest likely scenario for
2050 suggests that hours at
or below -2°C will fall from
1175 to 697 per year (-41%)
and those at or below -4°C
will shrink from 662 to 345
(-48%). Along with reductions
in natural snow falls, we can
expect declines in snow-
making capabilities in similar
proportion.
Ishaan Khanna, President
Notification of upcoming event: Information Session on AS4777 -
End of July
On an individual level, I have been selected for Standard's Australia
Young Leaders program, which is at the national level. They in turn,
nominated me and I got through the International Electro-technical
Commission (IEC) Young Professionals programme, which is similar but
at the international level.
ACT Branch
Australian Solar Council State Branch activity
WA Branch
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This is already as much history as it is a projection. In concert with
the dismal start to this year’s Australian ski season, the report says on
page 28 (see inset graphs), “The Australian Alps have also experienced a
decrease in snow cover over the past half century. Although there is much
variability from year to year, the overall downward trend in snow depth in
the Snowy Mountains is clear.”
Unless the international community, Australia included, co-operates to
achieve the transition to a carbon constrained economy, in large part by a
rapid shift to renewable energy, we should all enjoy our skiing while it lasts.
Global Warming Projection for Japan More Frequent Extremely Hot Days, Intense Rainfall EventsOf course, Australia is not alone in anticipating negative impacts from
climate change. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) recently
released the eighth volume of its Global Warming Projection Studies,
which provide detailed forecasts of global warming effects in Japan.
JMA has made public the results of forecasts on global warming effects
since 1996, in an effort to contribute to considering mitigation and
adaptation measures against global warming. The latest forecasts
are based on a new, more precise climate model, which enables a
projection of the incidence of intense rainfall events for the first time.
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/032889.html
The trend in snow amount and date of snow melt at Spencers Creek, NSW alpine region, from 1954 to 2008.
40 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
Manager: Dhevaksha (“Dee") Naidoo, 0416 790 779 [email protected]
Wednesday May 8 marked the start of a new chapter for the ASC’s
Victorian branch. With the backing of ASC Community Projects and
Membership Development Manager Mary Hendriks, Dee Naidoo of
Energie Australia convened a Melbourne chapter meeting which attracted
40 solar energy specialists.
Guest speaker was well known identity Paul Scerri of Solar Inception,
whose optimistic address ‘Life after Government rebates’ forecast the end
of coal generated electricity, with PV and geothermal among the winners.
Noting that ‘fast mover’ solar now commands a 14% share of the renewable
energy sphere, Paul listed factors both driving and impacting PV demand.
While 2012 was a buoyant year for PV installs, 2013 is buzzing along,
clocking up 30 per cent greater rates.
Paul’s address prompted many interesting questions: the prospect of
PV panels atop electric cars for daytime charging; possibility of utilities
charging for grid connection, amount of coal reserves, SHW rebates; and
the importance of promoting ‘clean’ energy when marketing solar.
Duplicating the popular success of the NSW branch ‘Future Directions’
program, Jophiel Bushnell of Energie Australia whose background is
in architect design revealed his main interests lie in the way we use
and develop spaces and surrounds in everyday life. He illustrated why
distributed (self generated) energy is so important.
tECH tAlKJune’s meeting took a more technical turn with Russell French of Enphase
Energy describing microinverters as a ‘hot topic’ and the next evolution in
solar beyond string inverter technology.
He demonstrated their scalability, positioned behind solar panels and
explained that at just 45 V DC the ‘plug and play’ micro inverters are
much safer than the traditional 240 V and eliminate the ‘Christmas light’
effect. Debris on one panel will not knock out performance of other
panels.
Future Directions speaker was Engineer Ed Cotter of One Planet Living
who presented a dynamic snapshot of practical affordable sustainable
living, showcasing several developments in the UK and elsewhere, including
the futuristic layout of Madsar city in Abu Dhabi; BedZed – UK zero carbon
and the one planet prototype. Local sites include Barangeroo in Sydney
and WestWyck Eco Village in Brunswick and West Cranbourne. The
Melbourne chapter gets up and running
company name reflects the imperative to curb consumption to one planet
– Australia needs four given its current levels of consumption.
tHE MoMEntuM ContInuESHeld at CommStrat offices which house Solar Progress, the July meeting
of the Melbourne branch was attended by ASC CSE John Grimes,
President Steve Blume, Vice President Glen Morris and Treasurer Paul
Scerri, along with 20 others from the industry.
Guest speaker was PhD student Tristan Simons who authored Solar
Progress article ‘Sun to Socket: The Zinc-air rechargeable battery’ in the
10/2012 issue.
He commented on the fact that electricity is generated a long way
from where it is used, hence the importance of (battery) storage. What
sort? Zinc batteries are cheaper than lithium and “If you want to make
something dirt cheap, use dirt!” said Tristan in his animated delivery.
Although zinc air batteries have been around for 100 or so years and
supply good voltage, the life cycle is poor due in part to water based
electrolytes that clog up pores. Tristan will be devoting the next six
months to advances in battery recharging technology.
As a chemical engineer Future Directions speaker Fowzi Dahhan of
Bioregional Sustainability was set to pursue a career in the mining and
natural gas sector before having an epiphany about wanting to give
something to the world. The realisation promoted his enrolment in the
Sustainably Energy course at RMIT which provides “great insights into
clean technology”. Fowzi also juggles three part-time jobs in the clean
energy sector.
Superb insights from an equally superb line-up of guest speakers in the
solar community, who also enjoy catching up under the one roof before
and after branch meetings. The Victorian Branch would like to thank
Rainbow Solar for generous catering provisions.
upcoming Victorian branch meetings: Wednesday August 13, Wednesday September 10, Wednesday october 16, and november 14.
Ed Cotter and Paul Scerri
Russell French of Enphase
Tristan Simons and Fowzi Dahhan
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42 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
If you are starting a career in solar or renewable
energy, this collection of presentations is about
the most comprehensive and wide ranging
as you might find in one place. Here are clear
pictures, sometimes personal, always factual, of
the way solar energy has been captured for the
benefit of mankind by Australian researchers
and practitioners. These are the stories of the
technologies and people at the forefront
of solar.
Garry Baverstock and David MillsThe day began with an historical review by
Garry Baverstock and David Mills. Setting the
stage was a question: how crazy would it be
to dream of a technologically advanced society
that would run itself on sunbeams? Some
certainly thought so fifty years ago and pursued
the task of moving that dream to reality.
But are we there yet? Baverstock and Mills
say no and why not. Now, the dream has
changed from a percentage reduction in
carbon dioxide emissions to zero emissions,
no more hybrid cars but electric ones, and
buildings that are net energy generators. And
the job cannot be finished only with today’s
tools they say.
The “Energy Crisis” of the early 1970s
was really an oil crisis, but it affected solar
positively with increases in membership of the
Society and the Australian R&D effort. If you
can imagine a way of using solar energy, there
was someone busy working on it.
Bill ParkerThis writer also offered some thoughts through
the eyes of an observer, and commenced with
a graphic reminder of the solar progress that
now sits on more than a million rooftops – a
PV system. A map of details is contained in our
previous edition of Solar Progress and also on-
line. Compare the national tally of 2300MW+
of PV today with 13MW in the late 1990s.
Going back another decade and comparing
Solar energy revolution
Brilliant Half
Century
An overview of the history of solar technologies and applications presented at Solar 2013. By Bill Parker
Hans Tholstrup’s solar powered journey across
Australia at 23km/h to the speeds reached
today in the World Solar Challenge. We have
truly made solar progress.
Steve SzokolaySteve Szokolay broadened out the history to
include the early work of solar “amateurs”
showing their ideas at the World Expo in
Paris 1880. This was also a backgrounder on
where and how ‘Solar Progress’ started and
reminders of epoc-making conferences in the
1960s and 70s. Steve has also been a prolific
author with his first book ‘Solar Energy and
Building’ from 1975. He also showed us his
own solar progress by way of buildings and
more books and images from Solar Progress in
the early years.
Garry Baverstock and Deo PrasadGarry Baverstock and Deo Prasad
continued by asking what ecologically
sustainable architecture is and by answering:
solar architecture.
Buildings use the majority of materials on the
planet, and reflecting on the earlier question
of are we there yet, conclude that our energy
inefficient buildings consume 60% more energy
than they need to. With smarter materials and
passive use of the sun we now have two major
keys to success.
Urbanisation in Asia is a key issue as
Asians move towards a level of 54%. The
need for zero emissions housing and mobility
is paramount and that also applies to
Australia according to Baverstock and Prasad.
Retrofitting and “future” fitting are needed as
never before.
Their presentation also detailed building
placements and the importance of solar
access from an urban planning aspect; here
the solutions are simple from the first steps in
sub-divisional layout to the shape and size of
buildings. Numerous case studies
are presented.
SolarProgress | 43
Wasim SamanWasim Saman picked up on the same theme
of zero emission buildings, noting that we live
in much bigger homes than 50 years ago, have
many more energy consuming appliances and
spend much more of our income on energy.
The pathway to a zero carbon society will be
a composite of renewable energy and energy
efficiency with the latter offering the biggest
outcome for the investment.
In terms of thermal comfort an old home
in Adelaide would have a 2 star rating and
require 325MJ/m2/annum compared to a
new 8 star home requiring 46MJ/m2/annum.
The extensive results of building in smarter
ways were shown at Lochiel Park, an Adelaide
suburb. And another “holy grail”– that of
solar air-conditioning – was dealt with in some
depth. And what might be Saman’s “dream”
home? Designed for the local climate, roof
integrated PV and thermal panels, smart
appliances, thermal and electrical storage, and
no environmental impact.
Graham MorrisonGraham Morrison spoke of the first
documented solar water heater of 1941 – the
work of G. Bates at the Merimba Research
Station near Cairns. Bates thought:“It is…
astonishing to find that the principle has never
been adopted here.” The original paper can be
found at www.solar.org.au
Roger Morse of the CSIRO was the mover
and shaker who from the late 1940s went
on to develop more sophisticated flat plate
water heaters that became the foundation
of the local industry for many years. He was
also the primary architect of the Solar Society
in Australia.
Later the selective surface Dewar absorber
tube was developed at Sydney University by a
sequence of scientists and licensed to Japan
and China. Morrison showed IEA data from
2010 showing China with 92% evacuated
tubes and Australia with 4%, even though
it was locally developed. Over 100 million
evacuated tubes worldwide were produced in
2010. A “water in glass” integrated system
was also developed at Sydney University with
Rheem. It was not thought commercial in
Australia because of potential for fractures
and spillage, but Prof. Zhiquiang Zin, who had
worked at Sydney University, took back the
low cost idea to China in 1984 together with
a low cost version of the absorber surface. As
Morrison notes, the rest is history.
Later, David Mills and “QC” Zhang
developed and patented an improved double
cermet absorber coating, ultimately licensing
the IP to Himin in China, who pushed the
improved tube production to huge levels,
advertised there as the “Sydney Tube” These
are now being sold extensively in Australia.
The number of suppliers grew in the late
2000s, many with little technical knowledge.
In the same time, the demand for design
and testing increased, but the lack of skills in
testing labs and the auditing of certification
claims has become haphazard.
And the future? Morrison sees seven
technologies coming into play and
overlapping and integrating with other
technologies such as PV, heat pumps and
hydronic space heating.
Richard CorkishRichard Corkish provided a detailed and
comprehensive overview of PV since the early
days of Becquerel in 1839 and the later re-
discovery of the same effects by Minchin who
claimed that the invention would “dispense
with the steam engine”.
Some significant persons have emerged
in Australia, including the internationally
acclaimed Martin Green and Stuart Wenham.
Green established PV research at UNSW
with Lou Davies in 1974. Green, Wenham
and young researchers like Andrew Blakers
demonstrated an 18% efficiency of PV. Their
Photovoltaic Centre led the world for many
years (eventually achieving 25%). The UNSW
licensed early technology to BP Solar.
The large Chinese photovoltaic industry
owes much to creativity of the UNSW group;
many of their business leaders were educated
there. Advanced PV research continues at the
UNSW and Swinburne University, with Chinese
industry support. Most of the 2GW of panels
imported into the large Australian domestic PV
installation industry can be traced back to the
UNSW work.
Andrew Blakers conducted a strong
PV program at ANU with the support of
Origin Energy.
But PV research was not entirely exclusive to
eastern Australia, and Corkish also summarises
44 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
the work led by Phillip Jennings at Murdoch
University and the various spin-off activities
from there. Australia can be proud of its solar
graduates leading the global industry.
David MillsDavid Mills gave a history of the larger scale
solar thermal technology. Early work began
in Western Australia in 1976 when SECWA
(the predecessor of Western Power) set up
a program to supply solar power to isolated
communities. In the early days however, the
focus was on thermal power. Two plants
designed by Ansaldo were established near
Perth, using parabolic troughs, one with a PV
receiver and the other with a little tried organic
Rankine cycle turbine. No results were published
and Mills suggests deliberate concealment.
Later a bigger plant was built by MAN at
Meekatharra that ran for eighteen months. It
was considered a failure, and again, any data is
not to be found.
In the 1970s, the Australian National
University was switching from nuclear
fusion to solar with the intention of mass
manufacturing parabolic dishes with high
receiver temperatures. The program went
forward with ERDC funding although Steve
Kaneff commenced the White Cliffs project
with alternative funding from the NSW state
government. The 14-dish array rated at
25kW(e) ran until 1988.
The White Cliffs project was successful,
and led in 1988 to the Big Dish project in
Canberra (ANU). The 400m2 first dish was
built by 1994. A larger dish was constructed
in 2004 with Wizard Power securing exclusive
licensing rights. Five years later, the 500m2
dish goes “on sun”. The plant was to be the
core technology for a 300 dish, 40MW(e)
plant to be built north of Whyalla. Recently,
however, the Federal funding promised has
been withdrawn.
In 1992, Mills was working on concentrating
systems and ways of minimising the reflector
area. This optical study led to the Compact
Linear Fresnel Reflector system. By 1995
Mills (as inventor) set up his own company
with Graham Morrison. A first 5 MW plant
was planned at Stanwell in Queensland but
the project manager, the utility Austa, was
disaggregated by the government by 2000.
In 2001, Mills, Morrison, and Peter Le Lievre
formed Solar Heat and Power P/L. A trial plant
was built and demonstrated steam production
at Liddell in NSW in 2004 and was followed by
a 20,000m2 5MW stage in 2006.
Like all early start up companies, capital
was critical. Mills and Le Lievre went to the
USA and formed Ausra Inc., building a large
demonstration plant, which was on-sold to
Areva in 2010 and became Areva Solar. One
outcome of the buyout is a 44MW(e) plant at
Kogan Creek, now approaching completion,
the largest solar thermal electricity plant ever
built in Australia. Areva won an international
tender for Solar Dawn, a 250MW(e) plant
in Queensland, but could not gain energy
purchase agreements from Queensland utilities.
Mills also described other work that SHP/
Ausra devised; one project being the innovative
heliostat field built at CSIRO in Newcastle.
Graphite solar energy storage now being
demonstrated at Lake Cargellico by Graphite
Energy also originated from a concept put
forward by Mills and Le Lievre.
So where to for CST? On the development
curve, CST lags behind PV and wind. But which
technology will prevail? PV fields with battery
storage or CST fields with molten salt? Maybe
neither, because they have different niches, but
both can technically replace fossil fuels entirely
with storage.
Mark Diesendorf Mark Diesendorf set the (wind) scene by
quoting the incoming Australian Wind Energy
Association president “The first thing to grasp
is that energy is political and renewable energy
is especially political.” Diesendorf as a young
scientist in the late 1970s saw the potential of
wind. At CSIRO then, he submits an application
for NERDDC funding to study the integration
of wind into electricity grids. After a shaky
start the work on modelling commences and
from the data, the significant possibility of the
replacement of base load coal stations with
peaking gas or hydro.
The AWEA was formed and has widespread
reach and activities, operating in much the
same way as ANZSES, bring researchers,
practical people and small businesses. Western
Australia was taking the lead and by 1987 had
the country’s first wind farm at Esperance with
6 x 60kW turbines.
From Diesendorf’s presentation it is clear
that AusWEA did not fight shy of political
protest. But CSIRO closed down all renewable
energy research. After being retrenched in
1985, Diesendorf’s presentation jumps to
2011 when at UNSW, his group showed that
the NEM could run on 100% renewables,
confirming the data generated in 1983 that
wind could replace base-load coal.
Muriel WattMuriel Watt concluded the presentations
starting with a “story so far” and saying that
things have now gotten serious. We got there
by reductions in the price of PV and various
financial stimuli. There are now tangible
impacts on the status quo in all energy markets.
The growth curves for PV are smooth growth,
but for SHWS there are upswings and dips. But
on the other side of the coin are increases in
electricity prices, and more in interestingly, data
is emerging on price breakdowns for purchased
electricity costs which are very revealing. In
terms of future market growth predictions,
the large increases seen in recent years are not
likely to return according Watt, rather a more
conservative growth to a possible 8GW by
2020.
What is next? Storage, net zero energy
buildings and electric vehicles. But the empire
will still fight back in a variety of ways. The
dirty tricks will be played and there is no
doubt that Nicolò Machiavelli’s analysis half a
millennium ago will be played out. Watt spells
it out: low buyback rates, gross metering, high
fixed charges, new connections restricted and
once installed operation restrictions applied,
anti-renewable lobby groups mobilised,
and political interference. On the to–do list
are maintaining political, utility, and public
support. And finally changing the system so
that distributed energy can compete fairly.
Steve Blume Steve Blume rounded out the day by talking of
a full return to the standard conference format
with full peer review in 2014 and beyond.
All presentations are available at www.solar.org
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46 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
Solar 2013
“Robust systems underpin quality”
Doug Fletcher, Solar Inception
John Grimes and the Spanish Consul
John Grimes, Senator Milne and Samuel Yang
The Winaico stand
Solar Inception
Kate Lundy and team on walkabout
Peter Debnam and John Grimes
“Australia has the most stable
government system and a rich sunshine resource which is a gift of our god – so
use it!”Samuel Yang of Haeron Solar
“Much of Australia is semi-Kodak at present … but we [CEFC] are here to assist in clean energy
programs; if you have got a decent
proposal just approach us.”
Oliver Yates of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation
“It is important for
Australians who are pro-solar
to connect [and help] generate
political power”Don Henry of the Australian
Conservation Foundation
“A thriving solar industry plays a vital
role in a clean energy future.”
Kate Lundy, stepping in for Climate Change Minister
“We need a paradigm shift for the solar industry … people need to see that
solar energy is here to stay as an important player in the Australian economy.”
Former NSW Leader of the Liberal Party Peter Debnam
“Solar energy is central to a clean energy future. The Greens … will
work hard to remove impediments to a clean
energy future ... Translate your love of solar into
political action.”Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne
SolarProgress | 47
Advanced microinverters make going solar easySolar technology should be simple and affordable. Russell French from Enphase Energy explains how microinverter technology has evolved to make installation less complicated and costly.
Before the launch of Enphase in 2008, microinverter technology had long
been a dream of the solar industry. The concept was introduced in the
1970s, and the first prototypes emerged in the 1980s, crafted as small
versions of central inverters. Similar concepts in the 90s and 2000s faced
problems in terms of cost, reliability and efficiency.
As a result, the industry grew sceptical of microinverter technology.
Enphase founder Martin Fornage understood the futility in trying to
overcome doubts through another small version of a central inverter.
Instead, he developed a new electronic topology based on a digital
architecture. This allowed for a high degree of semiconductor integration,
improving efficiency and reliability while reducing cost.
The process begun by Fornage resulted in an intense interdisciplinary
approach, combining technologies from the semiconductor, power
electronics, telecommunications and software industries. It also resulted
in new hardware designs, packaging systems and testing processes. To
date, more than 100 patents have been filed to protect the Enphase
Microinverter System.
Microinverters are the first technology to take low-voltage DC and
efficiently transform it upward to AC voltages. To achieve power conversion
efficiencies of 95-96% requires precision and responsiveness that is not
possible with analog design. Instead, microinverters’ digitally controlled
architecture delivers rapid response time and predictive modelling capabilities.
This architecture also enables system monitoring and control within
the array, down to the individual module level, making each module its
own system. Installers now have increased flexibility in system design,
such as co-planer arrays, and can leverage system intelligence to identify
underperforming modules and perform maintenance remotely over the
Internet. In fact, the Enphase Web-based monitoring service gives installers
highly accurate data that can be used for remote analytics and system
diagnostics, ensuring maximum system health and efficiency.
Russell French has 17 years’ experience in the Australian solar power and
electrical industries. Prior to joining Enphase, French was managing director
for Sun Empire Solar Systems.
Sunsink Solar Storage uses the latest battery technology to collect and store solar PV energy for use when it is most benificial to the
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Are your customers
GIVING AWAY SOLAR POWER ?
48 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
Carbon neutral resort Hidden Valley Cabins has a broad sustainability agenda which includes an 11.7 kW PV system that comfortably supplies all necessary power. As told to Nicola Card
Solar community
Across the land millions of people are
committed to solar energy but some are more
visible than others. Tucked away well off the
beaten track in the hilly hinterland 1.5 hours
north west of Townsville is the eco-resort
Hidden Valley Cabins which is owned and
managed by Ian and Bonnie McLennan, with
son Ross and his wife.
The eco-resort which is 100 per cent solar
powered and Australia's first stand alone system
for a tourism resort with no support from grid
power can proudly claim the distinction of
being Australia’s first Carbon Neutral Resort,
and has been certified at the highest level:
Advanced Ecotourism operation.
The journey began back in 1986 when
ex-tin miners the McLennans bought and re-
developed the land, avoiding steel structures
and using predominantly recycled or selectively-
logged local hardwood. External claddings were
crafted from recycled railway sleepers.
Back then the McLennans relied on diesel-
fired generators; enough to charge and power
12 volt battery lighting in guest cabins once the
generator was turned off. Fast forward a decade
or so and a small 24 volt system powered a few
small appliances including lighting and television.
The year 2007 saw the big step forward into
solar PV, which now powers the site around
the clock.
“We had dabbled in solar energy prior to this
and had a reasonable idea of what we wanted
and had already researched solar energy,” Ross
McLennan explained.
“Where we are positioned our solar radiation
is about the third best on the planet. The stretch
from the Simpson desert to Townsville reaps
about 300 days of sunshine annually, so it is
ideal. We had a good idea of our yields and had
checked Bureau of Meteorology charts, mindful
however that in the process you lose about 20
per cent [of the estimated levels] so you have to
factor that in to be comfortable.”
The family spent 12-18 months preparing the
property to make way for solar, with a cleared
area at the back ideal for installing the panels on
concrete slabs for footings, and the old garage
was converted into a shed to accommodate
the battery. That area doubles as an Interpretive
Centre for guests interested in the technical side
of solar energy.
“The biggest hurdle at the outset was finding
a company to install the chosen system, but
once we found Rainbow Power Company they
designed the system around our load profiling
and recommended the brands in line with our
specific needs.”
Resorting to solar energy
SolarProgress | 49
Tech specs:
Panels: Kyocera 90 x 130 watt solar panels (11.7 kW) delivering 120 volts DC into 60 x 2 volt 1660 Ah batteries; 75 KWh/day.
Inverter: Selectronic 12 KVA inverter
Regulator: Plasmatronic
Actual installation took just 14 days.
Few technical hitches were encountered
post-installation other than the need for
replacement board to enable the regulator
screen to operate. The 120 volt system was
characterised as “a bit rare”.
The McLennan’s carry out a strict
maintenance regime on solar systems, in
particular the batteries which they say are the
weakest component.
“Of the batteries there were just four weak
cells out of 60, these were replaced and sorted.
In five years of running [solar PV] we have
encountered only minor issues … especially
when compared to what you would encounter
running a diesel powered generator.
“For every 150 hours of diesel generation
you need to carry out maintenance and at 250
hours the belts and oils need to be changed,
all of which adds up, and you need to factor in
replacement generators. By contrast over a 20
year period of PV we’d anticipate replacing the
batteries just once.”
He went on to say that with “reasonably
good” grid power in Australia there are few
off-grid solar powered resorts. They drew
information from solar powered resorts in
Mexico and Africa. But as the price of diesel
escalates so will solar powered off-grid resorts
become more common.
Serenity The absence of [diesel generation] noise was
welcomed and in keeping with the tranquil
surrounds of the eco-resort. “We found that
once the noisy diesel generators were turned
off the wildlife piped up, we were soon
seeing more wildlife and birds, it seemed very
different. The other big difference is vastly
reduced diesel deliveries in contrast with the
previous transportation in large quantities,”
McLennan explained.
The eco-resort still operates a diesel back-up
system which kicks in during tropical lows, but
fuel consumption has been slashed to just 500
litres over the past five years.
Canny clean investmentLocated off grid, the McLennans were eligible
for the then Howard Government’s remote
renewable energy scheme which amounted to
a 50 per cent rebate and were eligible to sell
RECs. Thus a system that came with a price tag
of $180,000 ended up costing just $75,000.
Prices have dropped significantly over the
past five years and today that same system
would cost around $100,000, “But at the time
we were burning 26,000 litres of diesel a year
and based on cost of around $1.50cpL that
came in at $45,000 minus the 30 cent diesel
rebate,” Ross McLennan explained.
The payback period on the PV system was
just 2.5 years; also important is the system
saves 26,000 litres of diesel or 78 tonnes of
CO2 emissions. Carbon credits are purchased
to offset the CO2 emissions produced by LPG
used for heating water and cooking, thus
rendering the entire resort carbon free.
Spreading the wordSolar energy tours and courses catering for
groups up to 10 are conducted on an as-
needed basis by a local experienced engineer,
with an emphasis on technical matters for
those considering building their own systems.
The course covers system design analysis and
installer negotiations; overview of available
funding programmes and government
assistance; load auditing, profiling and
management opportunities, principle of
operation in off-grid power supply systems;
review of component technologies, including
types of photovoltaic solar panels, battery
banks, inverter and charger systems, data
logging options, etc; examples of system
configurations for typical applications;
practical system operation and maintenance;
and examples of solar yield and system
cost calculations.
When we asked Ross McLennan what drove
them to solar energy, he said “We have done
it because we care about the environment;
we have a business to run and want to do
it in a sustainable manner. We are a family
run business, a mum and dad and son and
wife, we are not rocket scientists or geniuses,
anyone could do the same. But we always say
to people save the energy before you put the
solar system in.”
Should you find yourself journeying
to Hidden Valley Cabins you may on arrival
spot a familiar magazine gracing the
reception area – guests can read copies of
Solar Progress.
Like we said, spreading the good word.
More information email [email protected]
07 4770 8088 or 1800 466 509
www.hiddenvalleycabins.com.au
www.climatefriendly.com
Relaxed retreat in Queensland’s hinterland Solar energy on show
50 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the Australian Solar Council or the publisher.
Solar products services
SoLAR PRoGRESS AdvERTISERS’ SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL
sMA GooD SERVICE MAKES All tHE DIFFEREnCEDavid Horan, Service Director at SMA Australia, explains why service has
become one of the most important factors in the purchase decision and
offers an insight into how SMA Service supports their valued customers.
Why is good service so important?
DH: Good service sets SMA apart from the rest. Service is becoming a key
factor in helping us to stand out from other suppliers, primarily because
consumers are increasingly looking beyond hardware and further into the
additional services the manufacturer offers. Who can I get in touch with
if the product does not work properly? Who will help me with product
life cycle support? All of these things play an important role in the buying
decision. Good service guarantees that customers make the best use
of the product in the long term. Anybody who invests in a PV system
wants to ensure that the investment delivers the best possible results
throughout the system’s entire service life and, most importantly, a return
on investment.
So, WHAt you ARE SAyInG IS tHAt SERVICE IS ABout MoRE tHAn JuSt PRoVIDInG SuPPoRt WHEn SoMEtHInG GoES WRonG?DH: Exactly. People’s understanding of service has changed. Customers
expect a full-service package. They want comprehensive support and
assistance throughout the product’s entire life cycle. It’s a perfect fit
because at SMA we also approach service holistically to meet all system
requirements for the whole service life of a PV system.
WHAt IS SPECIAl ABout SMA SERVICE?DH: SMA Service draws fully on the expertise of SMA. Nobody
understands our products better than we do. What clearly sets us apart
from other manufacturers is our global presence and network. This is
something that cannot easily be replicated by others. Our Sydney-based
team of highly qualified service engineers supports the Asia Pacific region.
We also offer our customers individual, tailor-made services, or, if needed,
we can also deliver a complete package.
WHAt ExACtly Do you MEAn By “CoMPlEtE PACKAGE”?DH: This means that we offer genuine full service, from commissioning
to maintenance and remote monitoring to decommissioning and
disassembly for commercial and industrial scale plants.
WHAt DoES SMA SERVICE In AuStRAlIA PRIDE ItSElF on?DH: SMA’s service is best-in-class. Service counts. We aim to provide
the highest quality service and form valuable partnerships with our
customers. We work with our customers to find the best solution that
suits their needs. Fast response times and dependability are also our
core strengths.
HoW DoES SMA SERVICE SuPPoRt SolAR PoWER PRoFESSIonAlS?DH: If there are any problems with one of our inverters, we are, of course,
the first point of contact. Our SMA Service Line offers technical support
and takes the initial steps to analyse the fault over the phone, and upon
request, our service engineers can also assist with replacing the inverter.
We offer services that solar professionals can add to their portfolio of
services. This is a good opportunity to improve business, support your
own customers and build customer loyalty. It is important to us to further
strengthen our partnership with solar power professionals.
WHAt KInD oF SERVICES Do you oFFER? DH: One example is our SMA warranty extension for residential systems.
A solar professional can customise their warranty extension offer to
suit their service portfolio, ensuring a long-term relationship with their
customer, while also ensuring a profit for the plant operator. With the
extended warranty, there are no hidden costs. If service is required, we
send a replacement device with all necessary updates.
Further information about the range of services on offer from SMA Australia can be found at www.SMA-Australia.com.au
David Horan, Service Director at SMA Australia
Technical inspection and diagnosis in Germany
Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the Australian Solar Council or the publisher.
52 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
Solar products services
SoLAR PRoGRESS AdvERTISERS’ SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL
Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the Australian Solar Council or the publisher.
The Energy of urban Group Given that energy bills have risen by 30 per cent in the past five years, businesses of all size have no choice but to be more aware of their energy consumption, says UGE Group CEO Adam Pearce. Here he explains what his company is doing to help.
The Urban Group Energy business model is simple, “to rapidly reduce our
customers energy consumption through technology, generate cheaper
greener power onsite, and then supply the remainder of our customers
energy needs from the GRID at extremely competitive prices”.
To that end, UGE offers a ‘Free Energy Audit’ to all businesses and
assesses their energy inefficiencies. We present a proposal to the
customer based on where we can help with savings, for example; their
lighting. By analysing the data from their energy supplier we are able to
make assumptions on how much money the client will save, and it’s the
same with solar, we can analyse their data and then size up their solar
system requirements.
UGE has been a distributor of Ultralite products and its own OEM
b-efficient brand. Our focus is now on developing our own b-efficent
range of products which is sold with an Australian Warranty and backed
by UGE.
With the purchase of SunGrid, we acquired a great product and brand
and stringent QA/QC process. We have built on this by opening an office
in Shanghai, employing full time staff including senior LED, Solar and
Electrical Engineers. The Shanghai office is responsible for the testing,
certification and QA/QC of all product which is made to our agreed
specifications. Our staff oversee every order by working on the production
lines when orders are being processed, checking bill of materials and
following our detailed QC checklist. We have appointed TUV Rheinland to
assist with QA/QC processes and to verify suppliers that we have carefully
selected to manufacture our OEM products.
TUV also perform stringent product testing on our behalf. The supply
partners that we work with are large well established manufactures that
produce products for other well known brands. We have established
strong supply partnerships to manufacture our products, however we
never take anything for granted and our team continually verify quality
with every batch of any product that carries our name.
In other news, UGE became a utility; GoEnergy is a division of UGE and
is fully licensed to sell Electricity and Gas in Queensland, NSW, Victoria
and SA. GoEnergy has developed its GoHub energy management and real
time billing system which it plans to roll out this year bundled with highly
competitive energy contracts, energy efficient products and Solar PPAs
(Power Purchase Agreements).
GoHub adds a new dimension to energy management. It offers a
real time view into a multitude of measurements like power factor and
voltage to mention a few, customer live consumption data and allows
customers to see any device real time, set alerts and take control of
any device that is monitored. This is all done through our web portal.
Customers can login anywhere in the world. GoHub also offers real time
billing information and allows the customers to view and print their bill
anytime. GoHub offers a lite, pro and enterprise version.
Head office is based in Erina, on the Central Coast. We employ more
than 80 staff and have six warehouses nationwide, to include, but not
limited to, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Townsville.
UGE has expanded into the US, with an office on the west coast, and has
an office in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
UGE has worked with many ‘big names’: Hungry Jacks, Toys R Us, Luna
Park, Wilsons Parking, Secure Parking, Reject Shops, JB Hi Fi, Toyota and
Lloyd’s Insurance. We now have a particular focus on hotels.
www.urbangroupenergy.com.au
SolarProgress | 53
SoLAR PRoGRESS AdvERTISERS’ SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL
Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the Australian Solar Council or the publisher. Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the Australian Solar Council or the publisher.
Ps Electrical Wholesale PS ElECtRICAl WHolESAlEJohn Inglis moved to Brisbane in 2004 and established Positronic Solar
soon afterwards. In 2011, Positronic expanded into wholesale, becoming
a partner with MML International distributing ET Solar, Antai, Trannergy
and associated products throughout Australia. The company established
its warehouse at Brendale, Brisbane from where it distributes about one
MW of panels each month under the banner of PS Electrical Wholesale.
Here, John Inglis outlines company products and services.
The PS Electrical Wholesale Brendale warehouse in Brisbane holds a
minimum of four containers of ET Solar panels, two containers of Antai
racking and a container of Trannergy inverters.
“The equipment we sell is high quality and reliable, at the right price,”
company founder and director John Inglis said. “Our business is sourcing
quality Chinese manufacturers, ensuring the quality of the equipment and
delivering quality equipment at the right price. We aim for accurate, same
day shipping of orders all over Australia.”
He added that to date company marketing activity has been low-
key. “We have relied on personal contacts so our customers are quality
installers interested in using quality components. We don’t want to be the
biggest wholesaler in Australia, we want to sell the best equipment to the
best installers”.
Retail arm Positronic Solar has been using Trannergy inverters for the
past 18 months.
“They’ve proven themselves to be reliable and easy to install [and]
we are now actively marketing them to our wholesale customers. Every
Trannergy comes with built in Ethernet-over-powerline datalogging to
pvoutput.org. If the installation develops a fault, the inverter sends us an
email,” John Inglis said .
“They’re a dual current limited mppt inverter, which means that the
array size is only limited by practical cost benefit concerns. Before the
CEC issued its their latest guidelines we were installing 7kWp of panels
on the 4.6kW inverter for average outputs of ~27kWh per day. We have
a 4.6kW Trannergy in Cairns with a 13.5kWp array averaging 37kWh
per day. After eight hours running full load this inverter’s heatsink
temperature is only 53ºC.
“If installers are in the habit of only bringing one line down from the
roof and using only one mppt, there are no switches, jumpers or mppt
current limits to worry about. The Trannergy is quite happy with >6kWp
on one mppt and will deliver the full 4.6kWAC to the grid,” said John who
has been involved in the solar industry since 1990.
“In the early days all the work was small stand alone systems of around
1 kW. I installed one of the first grid connect systems in Australia for the
Rainbow Power Company in Nimbin, which had 5 kW of panels, two wind
generators and a steam generator feeding to the grid via three Xantrex
SW3048 inverters.”
www.positronicwholesale.com
Fronius Don’t just produce energy – use it!
Variable electricity tariffs, continually rising electricity costs and falling
prices of PV systems make private consumption of solar energy
increasingly attractive. A common reaction to the reduction of solar feed-
in tariffs has been to look to storage solutions as a way to get the highest
economic return on investment.
However upon finer analysis, it is often quickly realised that storage
solutions are still quite expensive and that suitable and reliable storage
technology while currently emerging, is not yet widely available. So does
that mean at present solar in Australia is a poor investment? Not at all -
through self-consumption of PV, significant costs can be saved. Even in
states where a government funded feed-in tariff exists, offsetting power
from the grid where net metering is available can be worth more than
feeding into the grid due to high electricity costs.
A key to maximising profitability under a reduced FiT is to increase
the self-consumption ratio of the PV system, which is the ratio of the
PV energy directly consumed in the household compared with the total
energy generated by the PV system.
In response to the growing trend toward the self-consumption of
PV power, Austrian inverter manufacturer Fronius has developed a new
product designed specifically for this market: the Fronius Galvo.
The Fronius Galvo is a single phase, high frequency transformer
inverter with integrated WLAN and datalogging. The integrated energy
management relay allows the self-consumption component to be
maximised. With power categories ranging from 1.5 to 3.1 kW it is
especially suitable for private self-consumption systems. Including an AS/
NZS5033 compliant internal DC disconnector this inverter is particularly
safe to install and reduces balance of system cost.
In early June, the Fronius Galvo received the Plus X Award, prize for
innovative technologies. In the Energy product group, it scooped the
award in no less than three categories: High Quality, Functionality and
Ecology and was also named “Best product of the year 2013”.
The Fronius Galvo will be available from August 2013.
For more information: www.fronius.com.au or email [email protected].
54 | ISSUE 3 • 2013
Solar products services
SoLAR PRoGRESS AdvERTISERS’ SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL
Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the Australian Solar Council or the publisher.
regen Power Rent 'N Own Commercial Solar Systems
Today's businesses are faced with an ever increasing cost of power, which
in turn is dipping into their bottom line profits. Grid-connected solar
photovoltaic energy systems offer a clean and inexhaustible supply of
energy to supplement the conventional sources of energy.
Regen Power has over 15 years of experience in research, development,
design and successful installation of over 7000 residential solar projects and
several commercial and off-grid power systems all over Australia.
With our experienced team of CEC accredited designers and engineers, we
are able offer advanced, innovative and cost-effective technology solutions for
commercial size solar power systems.
With in-house experts and extensive global solar energy experience, our
engineers offer advanced, innovative and cost-effective technology solutions
for commercial-size solar power systems.
Regen Power provides the following comprehensive services for commercial
solar installations, ensuring quick start-up time and a smooth transition for
your business:
Energy Assessment - Our energy experts will perform a baseline analysis
of your facility's energy use and create a usage profile for your business.
Site Analysis - Our professional engineers will determine the optimal
location and solar technologies to meet your production objectives
Financial Analysis - Our analysts will review your financial options and
present the most cost effective strategies according to your objectives and
site constraints
Manage Building Permits and Inspections - We will handle all
interaction with local permit offices and will be present during the final site
inspection
Enrolling in Government Incentive Programs - We will identify and
manage each and every rebate, tax incentive, and special program offered
by the Australian government for which your business is eligible.
Utility Liason & Administration - We will initiate any necessary
agreements with the local utility company and schedule all required site
inspections on your behalf
System Engineering & Design - Our engineers are experts at solar
technology system design and will tailor each solution to maximize your
investment and your system's useful life
Installation - Our field supervisors and staff are industry veterans with
years of experience installing solar thermal and photovoltaic systems on
rooftops and on the ground. You'll be assured of a quality product every time.
Provide & Manage Warranties - We will take care of all the
products warranties and replacements through the life of your system.
Regen Power understands that the initial investment for a solar systems
for your commecial establishment can be daunting. That's why Regen
offers several Rent 'N Own options with absolutely no initial payment and
only a convenient monthly rental to fit your financial goals.
You can own the system after the rental period of five years. So instead
of opting for a third party to finance solar, opt for the highly beneficial
Rent 'N Own scheme and we will take care of you directly every step of
the way.
Some of our recent commercial installations:
Regen Power has developed an innovative solution – Hybridgen
Solar Hybrid Power Pack – to replace conventional diesel generators by
combining solar photovoltaic panels with our patented variable speed
generator technology to provide a reliable power source that is both
economically and environmentally sustainable. Running the engine at
optimum speed reduces diesel fuel consumption, extends engine lifetime
and allows high penetration of solar power with reduced battery storage.
The system comes in a fully wired container and can replace conventional
diesel generator to reduce diesel fuel consumption, while increasing the
use of solar and wind energy.
Our Rent 'N Own scheme is now available for regional and off-grid
customers.
Phone: 1 300 876 354 /08 9456 3491Fax: +61 8 9456 3492email: [email protected]
SolarProgress | 55
SoLAR PRoGRESS AdvERTISERS’ SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL
Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the Australian Solar Council or the publisher.
The Australian Solar Council’s flagship publication Solar ProgressSpread the word about YOUR business
As the official journal of the Australian Solar
Council, Solar Progress continues to represent
the broad interests of Australia’s solar industry,
covering solar energy initiatives, groundbreaking
advances and market dynamics presented by
solar scientists, consultants and reporters.
More and more solar professionals are turning
to Solar Progress as the definitive source of
industry information.
The magazine is circulated to 5000 people
across Australia with a stake in solar energy:
researchers, engineers, renewable energy
consultants, training organisations, solar installers
and architects, officers in state and federal
government, students, and the general public.
Solar Progress is distributed at solar conferences
and presented to prominent overseas solar
specialists during overseas delegations.
Establish your presence in the solar energy
industry by promoting your goods or services to
the wider solar community.
Contact Brian Rault [email protected] or 03 8534 5014 to secure your advertising presence
Issues each year 4
Read byup to 18,000
Circulatedto 5000solar
specialists
Did you know? By advertising in Solar Progress you are reaching key
decision makers across the full spectrum of Australia’s solar energy industry.
Advertisers’ Index Altenergy Power System Inc (APS) 41
Clenergy 33
Franklin 6
Fronius Australia Pty Ltd 23
Global Sustainable Energy Solutions P/L 39
Infinity Solar 37
Positronic 15
Power Pioneer Group 51
REFUsol 19
Regen Power Pty Ltd 27
SI Clean Energy IBC
SMA Australia Pty. Ltd oBC, 13
Solar Inception 29
SolarMax 17
SoLCo IFC
Solpac Solutions 11
Talente Renewable Energy Pty Ltd (TdG) 21
Trina Solar Ltd 7
Urban Group Energy 5
vulcan Energy (Solace) 47
Yingli Green Energy Australia Pty Ltd 3
Clenergy Clenergy International is a leading Sino-Australian joint venture in the solar PV industry,
with its headquarters in Xiamen, China, and branch offices in Australia, Germany, the
United Kingdom, Japan and the United States.
The company provides high quality, versatile solar PV mounting products and
solutions for commercial, residential and utility-scale customers. Its inverters and power
electronics equipment are supplied with full technical and service support. Clenergy
is an ISO 9001 accredited company and all of its products comply with international
standards.
Clenergy maintains long-term strategic partnerships with many leading companies
in the solar PV industry, and through its partners, provides Clenergy products and
solutions in more than 19 countries around the world.
In May, in the Federal Court of Australia, Clenergy was successful in obtaining
judgement against the Chinese company, Grace Solar for infringing one of Clenergy’s
certified innovation patents. Grace was prohibited from selling its infringing products in
Australia.
“As an innovative market leader in the solar industry, Clenergy values all of its
intellectual property very highly and will continue to protect it,” said Vince Mobilio,
Clenergy's regional manager.
“We have an established track record of success and deliver genuine solutions with
exceptional local support and availability,” he said.
www.clenergy.com
ASC Corporate Members Issue 3- 2013
Large Corporate Members Chromagen
DKSH Australia P/L
Energy Matters
Enphase Energy®
EnviroGroup
Greenbank Environmental
Infinity Solar
L&H Solar + Solutions
MaxiSolar P/L
Nu Energy
R F Industries P/L
Rheem Australia
Solar Depot P/L
Solar Inception P/L
SOLIMPEKS
Institutional Members University of New South Wales, School of Photovoltaic & Renewable Energy Engineering
SME Corporate Members 24 Hour Efficient Energy ALCO Battery Sales Australian All Energy Solutions
Pty Ltd Autonomous Energy Bramalco Pty Ltd City of Sydney Sustainability COzero CSR Delta Energy Systems Pty Ltd DNM Electrical Pty Ltd Earthconnect Pty Ltd Ecoult Edson Pty Ltd Elcoda Pty Ltd Energy Assist Victoria Pty Ltd Free Energy Australia Fronius Australia Pty Ltd Garrad Hassan Pacific P/L Going Solar Grundfos Holding A/S Home Green Pty Ltd Horizon Solar Technologies IT Power Australia Pty Ltd Keemin Pty Ltd Keystone Environment Solutions Positronic Solar Data and
Electrical PowerWill New Energy
Technology Co Ltd Q-Cells Australia Pty Ltd Rainbow Power Company Ltd REFUsol Regen Power Pty Ltd Renewable Concepts PL T/A
Baker Renewable Energy Schletter Australia Pty Ltd SI Clean Energy Pty Ltd Solar Charge Pty Ltd Solar360 Pty Ltd Solarmatrix SolarMax (Sputnik Engineering
Australia and NZ Pty Ltd) SolarReserve Solarsave NSW Pty Ltd Solco Ltd Springers Solar SunBurst Solar P/L SunTrix Todae Solar Thomas + Naaz Pty Ltd Urban Solar SA Venergy Westgen WINAICO Australia Pty Ltd
Micro Corporate Members 1800 TAS SOLAR A & A Solar Pty Ltd A1 Ductwork Solutions Absolute Solar AC Solar Warehouse Adam Solar Pty Ltd Adelaide Electrical Solar &
Security AdR Sustainable Engineering
Solutions AEA Solar Energy's Pty Ltd AELEC AES Technology Affordable Eco Systems P/L AICA Engineering Pty Ltd All Type Solar Almaden Aust Pty.Ltd Amara Electrical Services Anything Solar Apollo Solar Pty Ltd Arise Energy Pty Ltd ASAP Maintenance Services P/L Ausdaws Electrical Pty/Ltd Australian Home Services Australian Solar Systems Pty Ltd /
Vulcan Energy Australian Sustainable Energy
Services BakerAir Baylec Electrical Pty Ltd Bernie's Greener Homes Bisi p/l Blu Sky Solar Pty Ltd Blue Mountains Solar Pty Ltd Bosch Solar Energy BTS Energy Camberwell Electrics Central Solar Systems Charlie Walder Electrical Services City Solar Clean Economy Services Clean Energy Solar Clean Energy Works Clean N Free Pty Ltd Clean Technology Partners Clements Airconditioning
Refrigeration & Electrical Clewers Solar Solutions Coastwide Solar Pty Ltd Collridge Pty Ltd Complete Automation Services
& Electrical Control-Tech Electrical Coolgaia Pty Ltd Couts Electrical Pty Ltd Cromack Electrics CSA Solar Current Generation Technology D & T Electrical Service Pty Ltd Dan Cass & Company Davey Electrical David Bajjali David Ross Electrical & Solar
Pty Ltd DC Solar Des Mullins Electrical Devlin Anthony Dimark Constructions Down South Solar Power DS&R Electrical Dutchy's Electrical Contracting
Pty Ltd E.L. & R.J. Polack Earth Potential ECO Heating Cooling & Electrical Eco Power and Lighting Eco-Footprints Solutions Pty Ltd Ecoast Energy EcoSmart Solar EcoSouth Solar Electricity Ecospark Electrical Edwards Solar Plus Electec Technologies Pty Ltd Electrical Effect Electroforce Electrical pty ltd Elliott Peter Ellsworth Adhesives Australia . Energie Australia Energy & Climate Change Unit Energy On Sustainable Solutions Energy Scene EnergyPak EnergySpec Electrical ENVIREN EnviroSure International Exlites Pty Ltd FES Contractors Focused Solutions Pty Ltd Forty Foot Gapsolar GBH industries GE HUNT Geelong Solar Energy Geographe Green Glen Clark & Co Glynncorp Electrical Godwins Green Energy Green Energy Options Greener Housing Solutions Harelec Services HINES ELECTRIX PTY LTD Independent Power Systems
Pty Ltd
Industrial Air (S.A.) Pty Ltd Inverter Solar iSolar J McMicking Electrics Jet Electrical Solutions JNS Electrical Jones Redmond pty ltd K & K Electrical Kangaroo Valley Solar Know How Technology P/L Kurta Electrics leadsun Australia Lekcom Liberty Saver Light Touch Electrical Lightning Bult Electrical and
Plumbing Pty Ltd Linked Electrical Log-On Electrical (MyPowerMP) Lone Star electrical Services
Pty Ltd LP Electrical Australia Pty Ltd M Ballantine Industrial Electrical Madison Australia Pty Ltd MANNIX AIRCONDITIONING
& SOLAR Martin Taylor Matt Hatty Electrical Mel Hughes Electrical Services Meyerburger Mighty Mouse Solar Millers Electrical Group Mission Beach Electrical Mode Electrical Moon Power Solar and Electrical More Clean Pty Ltd. MPV Group Pty Ltd MV Solar nATEC Navitus Solar Negawatts ELectrical Nelson South Electrical
Contractor NEOLEC NeuTek Energy Pty Ltd Newkirk Solar Newman Mundy Electrical
Pty Ltd Nicholls Group Nigel Griffin Electrical Noble Electrical Services NoCarbon Pty Ltd Northern Electrical olaire Onshore Designs Orca Solar Lighting Outback Energy Supply Pesce Pty Ltd Peter Lyons Pink Building Services Pty Ltd PJ Electrical Pty Ltd Power Import Export P/L Profx Prologic Group PSE Communication & Electrical Queensland State Solar Rainbow Solar REA Global Pty Ltd Red Phase Electrical Services Reform Electrical and Solar Regen Power Renewable Energy Traders
Australia Rescue the Future Pty Ltd Residential Solar Systems Pty Ltd Rising Sun Electrics RJ. CORD Enterprises Pty Ltd RK Solar & Consulting Services
P/L RMIG Electrical Rob Lucarelli Electrical Services Roos Electrical Saint-Gobain Solar Avancis Schueco Selectronic Australia Self-Sufficiency Supplies Seymour Solar sgl solutions pty ltd
Shamash Australia Pty Ltd Siemax Electrical & Security SMART WATER & ENERGY
SOLUTIONS Snapfrozen Sola Connections Australia Solaire Lifestyle Pty Ltd Solar Access Group Solar Backup Solar Central Solar Connections Solar Creations Solar Daily Pty Ltd Solar Direct Solar Distributors Pty Ltd Solar Energy Options Solar Pty Ltd Solar Pumping Solutions Solar Quotes Solar Reaction Pty Ltd Solar Wise Wagga Pty Ltd solar2 Solar2020 Solarcorp SolarGods SolarHub Solaris Sustainable Homes Solaron Solazone Pty Ltd Solis Australasia Pty Ltd Soma Power Pty Ltd Sondase Pty Ltd Southwest Solar SPACE SOLAR SERVICE PTY LTD Spectracraft Pty Ltd SR Energy Pty Ltd Starr Electrics / Solar Choices
FNQ Steven Zilm - Solar & Electrical
Contractors Structured Electrical Sunday Energy / Ecofficient
Pty Ltd Sungevity Australia Sunspark Solar Suntech R&D Australia Pty Ltd Sunvalley Solar Sunwise Solar Systems Sunwiz Sustainable Energy Consulting Sustainable Impact SW Renewable Energy Group
Pty Ltd tAFE SA Taylor Developments The MGA Electrical Trust The Solar Power Pro The Solar Professionals Thirroul Solar Pty Ltd Tony Attard Electrical Top Notch Electrics pl Total Energy Systems Total Solar Solutions Townsville Solar Solutions Pty Ltd urban renewables p/l VIP Solar Voltmaster Electrical Contracting Wallace Chris Warren Smith & Partners Watt Else Pty Ltd West Coast Solar nrg West Coast Sustainability Westsun Solar Wildy Airconditioning and
Electrical york Electrical Service
Sponsoring Members Benq
Canadian Solar Australia
Green Energy Trading
Jinko Solar Australia Holdings Co P/L
Linuo Ritter
Shanghai BYD Co Ltd
Shanghai JA Solar PV Technology Co Ltd
SMA Australia P/L
Trina Solar (Australia) P/L
True Value Solar
Yingli Green Energy Australia P/L
Diamond Member Hareon Solar
University of Queensland
THE ONLY POWER-ONE AUTHORISED AUSTRALIAN SERVICE AND REPAIR CENTRE
REDUCE YOUR OVERHEADSPurchase your products from the only
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Solar Progress-March.indd 1 5/02/13 12:31 PM
BECAUSE SERVICECOUNTS
Our market-leading range of Sunny Boy inverters offer the highest efficiency ratings, are easy to install, and incorporate the smartest technology available. They’re safer and more reliable, thus cost effective. That’s why they’ve become the brand of choice among installers across the country and around the world.
With every PV project, you want the confidence that you are installing top quality products. You also want the assurance that you are investing in a reliable, flexible and competent service partner. Our service team is constantly growing and evolving to suit your changing needs.
As an SMA customer, you benefit from global uniform standards and processes. As part of this initiative, we regularly train our service team members at our headquarters in Germany to keep them up to date on product innovations and modifications. This guarantees that you receive consistent assistance and service quality.
We are here for you, today and in the future. SMA has a dedicated Australia-based team of Service Engineers offering the highest level of technical support and backup that installers have come to know and rely on over the years.
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