www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk Cane End Lane | Bierton | Aylesbury | HP22 5BH www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk The Changing Face of Solar Where it has come form , and where it is heading James Hoare CEng MIET MEI
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk My background Engineer with career in Utility Electricity Generation & Distribution Founder and Director Ardenham Energy 2007 – a multi disciplinary Renewables Installer Involved with Renewables since 1991 Involved with PV since 1990s Initially off grid, and grid connected since 2000
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk The Very Start Humans have always made use of solar energy. When man’s earliest ancestor realised that a patch of sunlight was warmer than the shade, or that rocks heated all day by the sun remained warm long into the night, ….solar energy industry was born….
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk The First Solar Legislation Ancient Roman structures were routinely built with south- facing windows to gather in the warmth of the sun. As so many Roman residences and public buildings made use of passive solar heating - the “Imperial enactments of the Justinian Codex”, a part of the “Corpus Juris Civilis” issued between 529 and 534 AD by order of the Roman Emperor Justinian I, addressed individual citizens’ sun rights.
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk The Start of Modern Solar All early attempts to harness solar energy focused on heat. In 1767, a Swiss scientist named Horace-Benedict de Saussure constructed an insulated box with an opening covered by three layers of glass. This device is generally considered to have been the world’s first solar collector
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk The first known sunlight to electricity occurred in when a French scientist named Edmond Becquerel exposed two electrodes in an electrolyte to sunlight. He observed an increase in electrical current that he could not explain. Becquerel is credited with first observing what is now known as the photovoltaic effect. 1839
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk The First Industrial Applications PV Battery Systems for Cathodic Protection BP Solar & Shell – major players as PV key for oil industry 1980s
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk 1994 - First Grid PV Wind & Sun designed and installed the first grid connected PV system on the UK July 27th 1994. 2.16 kWp Array comprising 36 x 60Wp Modules
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk 1998 – First volume PV BP Solar commence Project Sunflower 200 PV Canopies of typically 17 kWp a top petrol stations around world - including 30 in UK
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk The First DTI Grant Funded Domestic Field Trial • 28 Projects • 20 New Build • 13 Retrofit • 2 Mixed • 474 Systems totalling 724 kWp 2001-2004
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk By End 2012 Installed Capacity was 1600 MWp Domestic FIT Rate circa 15p (1/3 of original rate) 65 times as much installed PV by Christmas 2012 as was installed in total by July 2009
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk What is New since FITs Significant Price Reductions • Cost of PV Modules, Inverters and balance of system componentry has tumbles by more than 50%
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk What is New since FITs Free Solar • 3rd Party Ownership of PV located on Roof or Field • Occupant gets electricity, PV owner gets all FIT Benefits • Popular with Social Housing
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk PV Technology Modules • Market still dominated by Poly & Mono Silicon technology • Moderate efficiency improvements • Mono/Poly Prices not expected to fall much • Thin Film and other emerging technologies may finally start to impact on market • AC Module with on board inverters will start to take market share
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk PV Technology Inverters • A trend towards module inverters over string • Moderate price reductions • Moderate efficiency improvements • More data intelligence
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk The Grid Short Term • The National Grid Company has suggested an upper limit of 10 GWp of grid connected PV • There will be more and more constraints placed upon new connections by DNO on use of grid • DNOs asking customers to turn off PV will become a growing issue.
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk The Grid Long Term • Smart Grid Technology will manage and maximise export potential • Localised demand side management / energy storage will balance demand profile, and will empower the ability to turn off merchant power stations, rather than leave as spinning reserve • “Smart” appliances will match energy consumption to energy availability • Localised network islanding will become normalised
www.ardenhamenergy.co.uk Government Policy • DECC are Committed to 20 GWp installed by 2020 (NB Not necessarily HM Treasury) • DECC are aware of need for SMART grids, and Energy Storage • FITs and ROCS are hopefully a part of route to Grid Parity • DECC publishing a PV Strategy paper in April • Potential EU VAT risk and Anti Dumping of Chinese modules
energynowexpo
sstephenson
smashingmag
lara
kastner
jakevdp
jlugia
ddemaree
sugarenia
shpigford
chriscoyier
yeseniaperezcruz
mza
