Six months after going online, Woolwich’s solar array is on track to reach its estimated yearly generating capacity. As of July 30, the system has produced 17,500 kilowatt hours (kWhrs) of solar energy, according to Jennifer Hatch, a manager and marketing representative of ReVision Energy of Portland and Liberty.
Hatch responded to questions the Wiscasset Newspaper emailed her. ReVision built the 80-panel array at the town’s former landfill off Middle Road. The array was fully activated Jan. 11. ReVision has estimated it would generate approximately 29,656 kWhrs of solar energy a year.
A few months ago, ReVision installed on the town website a link where people can monitor the solar array’s output.
“Our hope is that residents will be curious about the solar array and use the link to follow its performance,” she wrote. “You can view the performance by month, day or even time of day. People hopefully will find it interesting to see when it performs best and perhaps be surprised to find that it performs well even in inclement weather.”
The panels continue to generate power on overcast days. “The panels actually perform at a higher efficiency in the cooler temperatures, so even if it’s not as sunny the panels still might be performing at high efficiency,” added Hatch.
Because there are no moving parts with these systems, there’s no maintenance. Wrote Hatch, “The panels will shed themselves of snow and in our climate we typically get enough rain to wash the panels clean.”
The array was financed through a power purchase agreement allowing the town to invest in solar energy with no upfront cost.
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Aug. 7 (UPI) — French energy company ENGIE declared Tuesday it was setting records in the country by securing hundreds of megawatts of solar projects.
Though its subsidiaries, the company said it won 25 photovoltaic projects in France following a call for tenders from the nation’s energy regulatory commission. Of the 710 megawatts of design capacity awarded, ENGIE secured 32 percent.
“ENGIE thereby confirms its position as solar leader in France with already 1,000 MW of installed capacity,” the company’s statement read.
The leadership claim is its second this year. It boasted in June that it solidified its position at the top of the renewable energy foodchain in France by acquiring producer LANGA group.
By year’s end, the LANGA Group should have 215 megawatts of installed renewable energy capacity, with most of that existing as solar energy. Another 1.3 gigawatts of projects could be completed by the group by 2022.
Through the agreement, French renewable energy major ENGIE said it had support for a goal of developing about 3GW of wind and 2.2 GW of solar power by 2021. Last year, 30 percent of the renewable energy added to the French grid came from ENGIE installations.
“With this new record, ENGIE is once again showing its great dynamism and leadership in this fast-growing sector,” Gwenaëlle Huet, the CEO ENGIE France Renewables, said in a statement. “It is through concrete and tangible results that we will be able to respond to the major challenges of the energy transition and thereby contribute to harmonious progress in France.”
France has one of the least carbonized electricity sectors among members of the European Union.
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The Vermont utility says that net metered solar capacity in its service area grew from less than 10 MW in 2010 to more than 150 MW through July 2018. These behind-the-meter installations represent 65{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} of the solar installed in its service area.
Much of that solar is on the homes and businesses of GMP customers, as revealed in statistics published by the utility last week. As of the end of July 2018, GMP noted that it has signed more than 150 MW of net metering agreements with distributed solar power systems. This value is up 1500{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} since late 2012 when it hit ~10 MW. It took about a year and a quarter to double to 20 MW, then it shot up in a year to 40 MW. The 80 MW doubling took about 21 months, and it looks like the 160 MW doubling will occur in about two years and three months.
Green Mountain Power net-metered solar power
This volume doesn’t include utility owned solar+storage facilities, such as those that came online in Panton and Stafford. These plants are not net metered, and instead are part of a long-term power purchase agreement. However, 65{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} of all solar power within GMP’s coverage area is net metered, and with the 80 MW of additional solar (including Panton and Stafford) under other arrangements, this totals 230 MW. As the utility services 265,000 customers – that means about 860 watts per account are online.
Green Mountain Power line worker Matt Butler working at the Panton solar/storage facility.
Green Mountain Power
John Weaver
John Fitzgerald Weaver is a solar developer; known digitally as the ‘Commercial Solar Guy. ‘ As a project developer and installer, he’s sold and managed 50+ solar projects, valued over $25 million, ranging in size from 5kW to 1500kW.
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Alternative energy sources are a means of rational resource saving. Development of nanotechnology is a path toward such alternative energy sources. For several years, scientists at South Ural State University have been working on the creation of solar batteries from organic, light-sensitive material. Such batteries are nontoxic and would provide great advantages in alternative power engineering of the future.
Usually, solar batteries are thought of as panels of photovoltaic converters (photoelements). Research fellows of Nanotechnology REC and the Faculty of Chemistry of the SUSU Institute of Natural Sciences and Mathematics are working on the creation of new materials for organic photovoltaics.
“Over the last 10 years, photovoltaics became the most rapidly developing branch of alternative power engineering. Annual gain of installed photovoltaic capacity within the period from 2000 till 2013 inclusively amounted to 40 percent. For example, Germany is not the sunniest country, but it possesses the largest photovoltaic capacity. And today, photovoltaic technology provides 17 million people with electricity,” notes research fellow of Nanotechnology REC, Oleg Bolshakov.
Due to innovations by scientists from around the world, prices for solar batteries are rapidly decreasing. Therefore, renewable energy sources are rapidly replacing traditional energy carriers. In photovoltaic systems, conversion of solar energy into electric energy is performed in photovoltaic converters (PV converters). Depending on the material, structure and method of production, three generations of PV converters are usually distinguished: “Photovoltaic elements of the first generation are considered as mature technology dominating the market. They are represented by two types: mono- and polycrystalline silicon. The second generation, the so-called thin-film (generation), places a lower position on the market, though it demonstrates higher rate of (capacity) gain,” explains Oleg Bolshakov.
The third generation offers an immensely larger variety of technology solutions based on new materials, instrumentation and concepts of light conversion into electricity. Such variety means a wider dynamics of engineering measurements in photovoltaics, which is the main competitive advantage. Solar batteries of the third generation will likely usher in breakthrough technologies.
Chalcogenides for flawless solar batteries
Third-generation PV converters will further decrease the cost of PV converters, while avoiding the use of expensive and toxic materials in favor of cheap and recycleable polymers and electrolytes.
“One of the most important advantages of the third generation batteries is their fast recoupment compared to the first and the second generations,” says Oleg Igorevich. “For example, according to the Energy and Environmental Science journal, the period of recoupment for PV converters of the third generation takes months, whereas consumer cost recovery for the first two generations takes years. But the problem is that the existing samples of the third generation of photovoltaics are the least efficient. We are planning to sufficiently change the current situation on the market and bring organic photovoltaics to the front row of efficiency while preserving their advantages – flexibility and low cost.”
Scientists of South Ural State University are planning to reach the enhanced efficiency of PV converters through a unique method of introducing chalcogenides of the higher order (sulfur, selenium), which will significantly narrow the width of excluded region (the narrower the excluded region is, the higher is the possibility for PV converters to generate energy under effect of visible light).
The team of Nanothechnology REC has many-years experience in the sphere of conversion of chalcogen-nitrogen heterocycles. Moreover, scientists intend to enhance conductivity through modification of molecular organization using methods of organic synthesis.
“Photocatalytic processes are the brand identity of Nanotechnology REC. Much experience has been accumulated in the sphere of photocatalysis. Using the unique method of synthesizing photocatalysts made of titanium peroxocomplexes, materials that massively exceed commercial analogues by their efficiency were obtained. Therefore, we are planning to increase efficiency from 12 to 20 percent. This is really a breakthrough in alternative power engineering, and we have all the necessary to achieve such goal,” says Aleksey Galushko.
More information:
Roman Morozov et al. Microporous composite SiO 2 -TiO 2 spheres prepared via the peroxo route: Lead(II) removal in aqueous media, Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2017.11.031
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For the CFO position we are looking for a candidate who is a Chartered Accountant and has experience in consumer finance, fund raising, public issue. managing the investors etc. These are the basic prerequisites. Candidate has to be problem-solver with a strong operational focus. Clear communication style is essential, as is the ability to foresee potential obstacles and develop creative solutions. Client is looking for a dynamic leader possessing a forward-thinking mindset and the capacity to think on their feet and must be excited to work in multi-cultural organisation.
Candidate who has been a CFO for an organisation of repute preferably who has handled these.
– A minimum of 15 years- experience in leadership roles, either as CFO or a Vice President.
– A successful track record in presenting to prospective investors and managing subsequent investor relationships
– A background at high-growth companies, ideally consumer-financing, and a comprehensive understanding of both the operational and financial demands that come with growing revenues.
– Strong knowledge of and background in developing systems and processes to support rapid scaling
– Raising the right forms and amounts of capital to maintain a healthy balance sheet in a fast-growing, private company. This will include both equity and debt, and will evolve in form and structure as the company grows.
– Business experience stemming from either consumer products, clean technology or technology hardware industries
– Experience operating across multiple emerging market countries, ideally including India and Africa
Salary:Not Disclosed by Recruiter
Industry:Oil and Gas / Energy / Power / Infrastructure
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The U.S. rating agency expects France will reach a cumulative capacity of 28 GW by 2027, 3 GW more than previously forecast. The reasons for the increase are the renewed efforts of the French government to push for more solar, and the solar plans of big energy players such as EDF and Total.
France reached around 8.3 GW of installed solar power at the end of March.
Image: Flickr, Expertise France
U.S. credit rating agency Fitch Solutions – part of the Fitch Group – says it has revised up its guidance for the growth of the French solar market up to 2027.
The company now believes France will deploy approximately another 20 GW by 2027, thus reaching a cumulative installed PV capacity of 28 GW. In its previous forecasts Fitch had predicted a total of 25 GW.
The ratings agency also mentions, as reported by pv magazine, that French retail groups Auchan and Carrefour have promised to install 60 and 20 hectares of solar panels, respectively, at their facilities, while two more retailers – Magasins U and Les Mosquetaires – have committed to 50 hectares each.
At the end of March, France’s installed solar power had reached around 8.3 GW. That capacity, however, still accounts for only a minimal share – 1.1{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} – of the country’s power demand.
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Some people dream of a white Christmas. But today, many retirees (and those looking ahead to retirement, for that matter) are dreaming of a green (And not as in wealthy, though that counts, too) retirement.
In his new book (which I highly recommend you read), Retirement Game-Changers, author Steve Vernon shares 10 tips for saving money during your retirement years that will also help to leave a better planet for our grandchildren.
So, we thought we’d ask financial advisers what advice they might have for those who want a green retirement. Here’s what they had to say.
Invest green. Invest in line with your green and environmental values, to do well and good, says Allan Moskowitz, a certified financial planner with Transformative Wealth Management. “You don’t have to give up returns to do both, but it helps to work with someone that has experience and understands and takes into account your unique values,” he says.
Use your voice. Danielle Howard, a certified financial planner with Wealth by Design, recommends making sure your investments reflect your values. “Are there companies that you want to support or stay away from as a matter of principle?” she asks. “Your money has a voice. Use it wisely.”
Install solar panels. Monica Dwyer, a certified financial planner with Harvest Financial Advisors had a home in the country 15 years ago that ran on solar electric. “We were very conscientious about the time that we spent using things like fans and television because we were ‘budgeting our energy,'” she says. “I think that nowadays, you will find that solar panels can be used almost anywhere to supplement your energy use and keep your electric bill low.”
Dwyer notes that the cost of solar has gone way down and the technology has improved quite a bit, too.
Save energy in big and little ways. “When budgeting your energy, consider those things that run all the time but you don’t really use, like the DVD player,” Dwyer says. “Can these devices be turned off during their down time? You can save a lot of money that way.”
Dwyer noted, for instance, that she has a friend who decided that he could live without hot water all day with the exception of when he and his wife showered. “So, every day after their showers he would run to the basement and turn off the gas,” she says. “Fifteen minutes before his wife showered, he would run down and turn it back on.” The friend claimed, according to Dwyer, that he would be able to pay off his home five years earlier.
While you’re searching for way to save energy, consider doing an energy audit your home, says Leon LaBrecque, a certified financial planner with LJPR Financial Advisors. He also suggests turning heat down in your house and “snuggling with a significant other in the cold season.” Consider also buying a programmable thermostat.
Downsize. Instead of an owning a house, why not consider a condo or an apartment? “Something that is walking distance to shopping and other services will most likely have small lawns,” says George Gagliardi, a certified financial planner with Coromandel Wealth Management.
Join the sharing economy. Avail yourself to the “sharing economy,” says Howard. “What can you share instead of purchasing new? Instead of buying a second home, try out VRBO or Airbnb.”
Plan your errands. Dwyer also recommends planning your errands in a way that allow you to do a few things at once rather than going out multiple times. And long before planning your errands, LeBrecque suggests using sustainable energy where possible, including hybrid vehicles. “Look at the carbon footprint of the vehicle,” he says. “An electric car is a coal-fired auto. Ride a bike: you’ll get exercise and save carbon.”
Consider also buying a used car that is also highly fuel efficient instead of a new car. “It’s much less expensive than a new car,” says Gagliardi.
Grow your own. “I know people that, even in suburbs, have chickens that provide them with eggs and keep the bugs at bay,” she says. “Some keep bees which provide honey and beeswax and there are co-ops that will teach you how to do this so that there is very little cost to set it up, but then you have to give back a certain amount of honey each year.”
Gagliardi also recommends using “farm-share” programs with local farms, to both save money and support local farming.
Don’t buy more food than you need. Americans reportedly discard 40{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} of the food supply each year. “That is just so wrong,” says Dwyer. “So, we should think of ways to use up food that is sitting in the fridge by planning better and getting creative about what we throw into our meals.”
Consider using, for instance, an online ordering grocery story pickup service, which might help you avoid impulse shopping.
Howard also recommends talking to your grandkids about your money values and sharing your money history. “Making financial decisions based on mindful intention minimizes waste,” she says.
It’s never too late — or too early — to begin planning and investing for the retirement you deserve. Get the best ideas, latest strategies and the information that’s right for you in TheStreet’s newest premium product, Retirement Daily. Get a free trial subscription to learn more about saving for and living in retirement. Got questions about money, retirement and/or investments? Email Robert.Powell@TheStreet.com.
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Louisiana’s solar power industry will remain in eclipse without the mandate.
When I was a child my family purchased two bricks on the walkway outside the Aquarium of the Americas as a part of the campaign to help finance its construction. It was a community effort; nearly 30,000 bricks were sold.
Today a similar concept is gaining traction across the nation, this time in the field of solar power. With federal support for renewable energy on the wane, what’s called “community solar” allows participation by citizens who back the shift to renewable fuels but are unable to commit to rooftop collectors. Reasons vary: a roof may be unsuitable due to shade or architectural style; low credit scores may be a factor, and renters are normally disinclined to pour money into a landlord’s property, even if permitted to do so.
Here’s how community solar works. A utility agrees to either supply power or purchase it from a large solar field of several thousand panels — sometimes called a solar farm or garden. The utility customer then opts to buy or lease a single solar panel or a “block” of them.
The energy from the solar panels can not be routed directly to the participating customer’s home, of course. Instead it’s fed into the grid and the customer is compensated at a rate commensurate with his or her investment. It’s a way into the solar game for folks who are reluctant to take the plunge or who have been left out altogether.
Just as New Orleanians from all across the economic spectrum helped finance the aquarium, the subscription of solar panels is playing a significant role in the construction of fields that will supply power in coming decades.
Forty-two states and the District of Columbia have at least one utility offering a community-solar program. Louisiana is not one of them — yet. But even the Deep South is getting with it. Take Georgia, for instance.
Walton Electric Membership Corporation, a ratepayer cooperative headquartered 40 minutes east of Atlanta, is now on its third community solar project. The first installation — with 750 blocks of solar — sold out within seven business days. A second community solar installation, this time with 1800 blocks, sold out before the project went online.
“ ‘I’m proud of what you’re doing’ — we heard that all the time,” said Greg Brooks who directs Walton’s community outreach and public relations.
Walton customers pay $25 a month for a block of solar on a first-come, first-served basis with no long-term commitment required. The electricity from solar costs Walton slightly more than what it generates from natural gas, averaging about $1.50 more per month per ratepayer. But that still leaves the participating customer with a net monthly savings of $23.50 and the satisfaction that comes with supporting a source of clean, renewable energy.
It’s catching on. In July, I attended the Community Solar Summit, in Minneapolis. Hundreds of solar stakeholders from around the country turned out: policy experts, developers, utility representatives, advocates, engineers, attorneys. That a nascent industry is quickly moving into a new phase of legitimacy was evidenced by the number of participants wearing suits and wingtip shoes — financiers.
Minnesota is just one of the states providing community solar at rates equal to or even lower than what customers currently pay for power generated conventionally. Large commercial and industrial customers — hospitals, school districts, municipalities and the like — are now able to lower their electric bills as much as 10 percent simply by signing up for community solar. How so?
It’s all about economies of scale. A few years ago the state of Minnesota created a Renewable Energy Standard mandating that utilities source 25 percent of their electrical generation from renewables by 2025. That was an incentive for the development of larger and larger solar fields. Larger projects brought cheaper prices.
Will community solar reach Louisiana? In one sense the process has already begun. The City Council voted recently to require Entergy New Orleans, which it regulates, to take the first steps toward a community solar program. The council will develop guidelines for the program this fall, making it possible that New Orleans residents will be able to participate in community solar within a year or two.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that Louisiana doesn’t have the mandate to develop renewables that is brightening Minnesota’s energy future. And without one, there is no top-down pressure on utilities to get smart about solar.
According to Jessica Hendricks, the state policy director for the nonprofit advocacy group Alliance for Affordable Energy, community solar is included in an open docket of the state Public Service Commission. The docket also addresses net metering, whereby homeowners are compensated for surplus solar energy they feed into the electric grid.
But even if the first regulations for community solar are approved this year or next, implementation will be another hurdle. Approval by the Public Service Commission doesn’t necessarily lead to community solar. “Without a renewable portfolio standard, there really isn’t that push for renewables,” Hendricks said.
Nevertheless, small pockets of engaged citizens are beginning to make a difference, even in Louisiana. Abita Springs is the first community in the state to accept the Sierra Club Ready for 100 Campaign and commit to 100 percent renewable energy by the year 2030. “What that means for Abita is finding a way to bring solar power to people both inside the downtown historic district, and outside it,” said LeAnn Magee of the citizens group, Abita Committee for Energy Sustainability. “Louisiana is ready. Abita is ready. Who doesn’t like cheaper, cleaner energy? The ball is now in the court of the utilities,” said Magee, who recently announced she’s running for the Abita Springs Town Council.
Today’s U.S. electric grid has 50 times as much solar energy as was available in 2007, and community solar is helping to grow that amount. As more states across the country adopt legislation mandating renewable energy, community solar will become more commonplace. With all our abundant sunshine, it’s time for Louisiana to come off the sidelines and get in the game.
Kevin Fitzwilliam is a fellow with Environmental Entrepreneurs, a branch of the Natural Resources Defense Council. He has worked in the solar industry in Louisiana since 2014. A survey he recently conducted through the Gulf States Renewable Energy Industry Association revealed that more than 95 percent of respondents would like to see solar energy provided by their utilities. He can be contacted at kfitzwilliam@gmail.com.
The opinion section is a community forum. Views expressed are not necessarily those of The Lens or its staff. To propose an idea for a column, contact Lens founder Karen Gadbois.
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ENGIE has signed an agreement with Gabonese financial institution, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC), to deploy eight hybrid solar plants in Gabon, with a combined capacity of 2.2MW.
Under the deal, solar energy will be supplied in locations that currently draw electricity from oil-fired thermal power stations. The project is expected to save Gabon one million litres of oil per year, while reducing generation costs by 30{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974}.
The hybrid solution was developed by ENGIE’s subsidiary, Ausar Energy, in collaboration with CDC, the Gabonese Ministry of Energy, and the Gabonese energy and water company Société d’Énergie et d’Eau du Gabon (SEEG). Ausar Energy’s hybrids range from 50kW to 2.5MW in capacity and come with an option to include energy storage.
Construction of the Gabon projects will commence in a few weeks.
ENGIE is no stranger to off-grid and small-scale renewables solutions in Africa having recently invested in Husk Power Systems, a developer of microgrids which is expanding its efforts in Asia and Africa.
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Kevin Fitzwilliam is a fellow with Environmental Entrepreneurs, a branch of the Natural Resources Defense Council. He has worked in the solar industry in Louisiana since 2014. A survey he recently conducted through the Gulf States Renewable Energy Industry Association revealed that more than 95 percent of respondents would like to see solar energy provided by their utilities. He can be contacted at 
