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The solar ediTion

The Magazine for Renewable energies ISSN 1861-2741 74714 www.sunwindenergy.com € 12.00 • international issue

Geleceğin piyasaları için inovasyonlar

MerkezI redreSörTerMoSIfoN SISTeMlerI

Yeni piyasa arayışları

TürkIye’de Solar TerMal eNerjI

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Editorial

Solar Edition 3

By definition, energy policy covers all measures of a state which regulate the supply of energy in the country. The

definition is broadly correct, but also inade-quate. However, if you look at the decisions made recently by the European Union and its member countries, then they have pretty much acted according to this definition – with dire consequences.

While Europe has been making efforts for decades on the noble aims of climate protec-tion and a sparing use of resources (and looking back it has almost been touching), it has apparently been suppressed that energy policy also has a dark side: energy as a power-political means of securing and ex-tending the spheres of political influence.

The current example of the Ukraine shows the importance of having access to energy sources and energy supplies in the case of a conflict. The European caution in the dispute over the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia is certainly linked to the desire for a political solution. But it is also linked to the decision by Brussels in the year 2000 to pri-oritise the construction of a direct gas pipe-line from Russia to Central Europe as part of the EU “Trans-European Networks” project.

Since the opening of Nord Stream, European energy supplies – especially German gas supplies – have been increasing-ly dependent on deliveries by the Russian state company Gazprom at a level which can-not be compensated for. The reason why there is no way around the Russian gas supplies is partly because the EU has itself stopped a potential alternative. The Nabuko gas pipeline, which would have enabled sup-plies of natural gas from Azerbaijan to travel around Russia to the south, was never com-pleted. It was replaced by the South Stream project – a shorter pipeline which, like Nord Stream, will supply Russian gas to Europe. As if this were not enough on its own to make

Europe susceptible to blackmail, Gazprom is currently on the move through subsidiary companies and is being allowed to buy stakes in gas storage sites – exactly the infrastruc-ture whose primary function is to temporarily secure gas supplies if there are supply shortages.

While Russia’s aim in the current conflict is to secure its influence on its neighbouring countries, western companies have long since begun to secure licenses to exploit the Ukraine’s oil and gas reserves. Exxon and Shell have invested billions of dollars on this, apparently with the blessing of their govern-ments. The European adviser to the US ad-ministration, Victoria Nuland, who became known through her pithy use of language, has made appearances at events supporting pro-west developments in the Ukraine – with unmissably large logos of the two companies advertising them as the event sponsors.

Large projects such as Nord Stream and South Stream throw the door wide open to political blackmail. Any attempts to prevent this merely by swapping out the players will inevitably lead to dangerous conflicts. Unfor-tunately the European Union has not drawn the conclusion that it must make itself inde-pendent of such structures. Instead of push-ing on with the expansion of decentralised energy generation and making its own energy supplies independent of energy resource im-ports, Brussels is currently making super-soft and far from ambitious targets for the expan-sion of renewable energy. It is arguing this path based on potential adverse effects that member countries’ economies may otherwise suffer. Those making decisions in such a way are dangerously cutting back the scope of what energy policy is all about – ignoring that in a world of mutual dependencies, energy policy is always power policy too.

Dr. Volker BuddensiekEditor-in-chief volker.buddensiek@sunwindenergy.com

On energy and power

Sun & Wind Energy 3/20144

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Central inverters: Innovations for the markets of the future

Are there any new developments in the central inverter market segment? How do companies assess their future prospects in this segment? What markets are they eyeing and what products do they have in their lines? SUN & WIND ENERGY posed these questions to a number of manufacturers and presents an overview of central inverters.

Page 70

Mounting systems:Cost pressures as innovation driver

In order to reduce the costs for solar farm mounting systems, manufacturers are focussing in particular on the installation time and materials. Additional services such as the installa-tion by local personnel are also intended to attract customers.

Page 62

Table of conTenTS

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The world of solar process heat

Some 37 companies from ten countries participated in our survey to establish the first world map of concentrated process heat collectors. India and the Middle East are primary regions, while the food industry is the chief segment.

Page 36

Solar Edition 5

RevIew 6 The new SUN & WIND ENERGY: Our why, how and what 8 Spanish feed-in tariff scheme: The ongoing storm 10 Morocco: Ambitious projects in North Africa 14 Recycling rules for the PV industry 16 Giant solar farm planned in India 18 Nanotechnology for solar energy FoCus RegIons 20 Preview Solarexpo 2014: A special birthday party in turbulent times 24 PV market Italy: Interview with Luca Zingale 26 Solar thermal in Italy: Waiting for the tariff 28 Interview with Dr. Jochen Brandhoff 30 Solarex Istanbul 2014 : Good prospects 32 Photovoltaics in Turkey: Slow growth 34 Solar thermal in Turkey: Booming market without subsidies

solaR TheRMal 36 World map: solar process heat collector industry 2014 46 Thermosiphonic systems: The search for new markets 58 SMEThermal: The costs must be cut 60 District heating: Swords to solar ploughshares

PhoTovolTaICs 62 Mounting systems: Cost pressures as innovation driver 70 Central inverters: Innovations for the markets of the future 78 Cell and module efficiency: PV industry takes a breather 86 Module industry: SolarWorld reinvents itself

DePaRTMenT 89 Directory 96 International events 98 Preview and imprint

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Thermosiphonic systems: The search for new markets

The European market for solar water heaters is not doing well in the wake of the euro crisis. Things look better elsewhere. Chile and the BRICS countries in particular are seen as growth markets.

Page 46

Focus regions: Italy and Turkey

In this edition S&WE focuses on the solar energy market in Italy and Turkey. Solar thermal in Italy should already have a feed-in tariff, but system purchasers are still waiting. S&WE reports which options buyers have to cover their costs. In the inter-view Luca Zingale, Scientific Director of Solarexpo, explains why he is optimistic about the PV market in Italy. Turkey’s solar thermal market grows even with-out subsidies. In contrast the Turkish market for large PV systems is still in its starting blocks. Pages 20 to 35

speaking Italian or Turkish?We are combining our focus on selected markets with a main distribution of the magazines at the most important events, plus individual mailing in relevant countries. In this issue there will not only be the usual contributions in english, but also extra translations into Italian and Turkish language. If you live in T urkey or Italy, you may find extra pages with compiled translations in your own personal copy. Also you may notice that the cover picture differs from the one that is shown on the left. We provide this extra service to increase our reach in the non-English-speaking countries and accompany renewable energy companies on their journeys in an increasingly globalised world.

Sun & Wind Energy 3/20146

Review on ouR own behalf

The new SUN & WIND ENERGY: Our why, how and whatAs the renewable energy generation industry is

not only becoming more international, but also

more specialised in order to win out over the

tough competition in the global marketplace,

SUN & WIND ENERGY is aligning itself to the

changing information and communication

needs of the wind power and solar power

industries by realigning its main themes.

S tarting from issue 1 of 2014, SUN & WIND ENERGY is being published six times a year as

an “S&WE Solar Edition”, which puts emphasis on the fields of photovol-taics and solar thermal, as well as having current news from all fields of renewables. Four times a year SUN & WIND ENERGY is published as a corresponding “S&WE Wind Edition”, which directs its focus on onshore wind power.

Still, both editions remain the well-known SUN & WIND ENERGY for our readership, in terms of the journalistic preparation of infor-mation, but now they each concentrate primarily on the respective sectors of solar power and wind power.

Subscribers thus continue to receive information on the various forms of renewable energy at the high level of quality they are used to, but each field is now grouped together into more separate issues.

We continue to report on technical developments in the tried-and-tested manner, introduce new products and analyse market conditions and new market models. But we also wish to additionally offer support to renew-able energy companies who are having to internationalise more and more. Therefore, SUN & WIND ENERGY is focussing especially on selected main markets – e.g. on Italy and Turkey in this issue. SUN & WIND ENERGY combines technical and market information together in an even more tar getted way, and provides the readership

with valuable know-how for decision-making across the board, from questions of product development to the strategy for company activities.

Volker Buddensiek

Subscribers thus continue to receive information on the various forms of renewable energy at the high level of quality they are used to, but each field is now grouped together into more separate issues.

developments in the tried-and-tested manner, introduce new products and analyse market conditions and new market models. But we also wish to additionally offer support to renewable energy companies who are having to internationalise more and more. Therefore, SUN & WIND ENERGY is focussing especially on selected main markets – e.g. on Italy and Turkey in this issue. SUN & WIND ENERGY combines

Combating Combating Combating the conditions

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The wind ediTion

The Magazine for Renewable energies ISSN 1861-2741 74714 www.sunwindenergy.com € 12.00 • international issue

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Our why, how and whatAs the renewable energy generation industry is

not only becoming more international, but also

tarting from issue 1 of 2014, SUN & WIND ENERGY is being published six times a year as

an “S&WE Solar Edition”, which puts

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ISSN 1861-2741 74714 www.sunwindenergy.com € 12.00 • International issue

1/20

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Solar power IN the UK

Staying ahead of the game

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ThE MagazINE for Renewable Energies

The solar ediTion

Speaking Italian or Turkish?We are combining our content focus on selected markets with a main distribution of the magazines at the most important events, plus individual mailing in relevant countries. For these countries we provide translations of selected editorial contributions into the lan-guage of each respective country. In this issue there will not only be the usual contributions in English, but also extra translations into Italian and Turkish language. If you live in T urkey or Italy, you may find extra pages with compiled translations in our own personal copy. We provide this extra service to increase our reach in the non-English-speaking countries and accompany renewable energy companies on their journeys in an increasingly globalised world.

Solar Edition 7

MILAN - RHO • 7 - 9 MAY 2014

Infotel +39 0439 840 922info@innovationcloud-expo.cominfo@solarexpo.com

www.innovationcloud-expo.comwww.solarexpo.com

CONCEPT BY

Sun & Wind Energy 3/20148

Review SpaniSh feed-in taRiff Scheme

The ongoing storm

Operators of wind and solar plants have to face a new reduction in Spain’s

remuneration scheme. A governmental proposal may even force some

projects into insolvency. Affected foreign investors have filed complaints to

the Spanish government.

T he Spanish renewable energy sector (both wind and solar) is facing an ongoing storm, not only figuratively but literally too. In January, due to a

combination of strong winds and heavy rainfall, hydro and wind plants had record production and the average day-ahead electricity market touched 33.97 €/MWh. This price was the lowest in January since 2010. Most surprisingly, for 64 hours the marginal spot market price was € 0! As a contrast, in December 2013, diffe-rent climate conditions such as high pressure and low wind production favoured a larger penetration of thermal (gas and coal) sources. Hence the prices soa-red and the average spot market price in December was 63.64 €/MWh – some 47 % higher than in January and way above the average spot market price for the rest of 2013 (41.8 €/MWh).

Although there is consensus now on how a higher penetration of renewable sources can lower the market prices and reduce energy dependence, the eye of the storm was still to arrive. The conservative People’s Party government (Partido Popular) decided in 2013 that the effective feed-in tariff scheme applied for re-newables had been increasing the country’s energy tariff deficit, i.e. the difference between income and ex-penses of the electricity sector. That deficit reached € 29,000 million in 2013 and, even though renew ables are not considered to be the main source for this defi-cit, which is rather formed by the nuclear moratorium

and subsidies to thermal power sources, the govern-ment agreed to introduce measures reducing the feed-in tariffs to renewables, even with a retroactive effect.

On February 3rd, the Ministry of Industry published a new order with over 1,500 pages of new standards for the remuneration of renewables. Although the new norm is still not officially approved and some amend-ments may be forced, the new standard would estab-lish an average acknowledged profitability of 7.38 % for current projects, based on the 10-year state bond performance, plus 300 points. Depending on the type of plants, the reduction of income may be dramatic. To give an example, according to the renewables asso-ciation APPA some plants may see a decrease of up to 50 % in current revenues. APPA estimates a total in-come reduction in 2014 of € 3,400 million for the entire renewable energy sector. That may lead to the bank-ruptcy of several ventures.

This news threw cold water especially on the wind sector. With almost 23 GW installed, wind power was the major source of electricity generation in Spain in 2013 for the first time ever. According to the new drafts, all the plants set up prior to 2005 will now only receive payments under the spot market price. The government estimates that this price will be some 49 €/MWh during the next 6 years, but of course there is no certainty about this price range, as we have seen earlier in this article.

According to new Spanish legislation this 17 MW park, that was set up prior to 2005 and received a prize by Unesco, will receive only the spot market price for electricity. It will not be the only renewables project affected. Photo: Sotavento