Source: Environment America Research & Policy Centre (Solar electricity capacity refers to all solar technologies that generate electricity, including concentrating solar power systems).

Australian Renewable Energy Agency, US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Australian Solar Thermal Energy Association, IT Power Australia; BrightSource Energy; Environment America Research & Policy Centre

Tools released for assessing commercial viability of CSP

Australian Resources and Energy Minister Gary Gray has launched new online tools supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to evaluate the commercial prospects of concentrating solar thermal power projects in the country.

The tools will make it easier for developers and financiers to assess the commercial viability of such projects, said Gray. He said that this type of analysis is critical to attracting investors.

These tools will optimise an industry-leading United States model for Australian conditions. The System Advisor Model (SAM) was developed by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and adapted for Australian conditions by the Australian Solar Thermal Energy Association (AUSTELA) through a $73,500 ARENA investment. It provides information that can help a developer make an assessment of a proposed site’s suitability, the economic performance of the system and the financial viability of the project.

The SAM model is general purpose in nature and can predict hourly, monthly and annual output of CSP, CPV, flat plate PV and also a range of other renewable energy systems. There has been an extensive body of work around its application to CSP systems in particular.

IT Power Australia localises NREL’s SAM model

The Australian Solar Thermal Energy Association (AUSTELA) commissioned IT Power Australia (ITP), a specialist renewable energy consulting firm, to lead a project focused on evaluating the commercial prospects of concentrating solar thermal power projects.

The association recently chose to adapt the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s System Advisor Model (SAM) for local conditions.

The SAM model features appropriate technical parameters and a set of Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) data and associated weather related variables, the model will predict half hourly output from a system. This can be presented and exported in a range of graphical and tabular formats. There is scope for automated sensitivity analysis. It also builds on the system performance, if appropriate financial parameters are entered, the model further calculates financial performance including time series cashflows and Levelised Cost Of Energy.

The work was carried out by ITP working in collaboration with members of NREL’s SAM team to suit Australian market and weather conditions. The key document from this project is the “Australian Companion Guide to SAM for Concentrating Solar Power”. This guide includes step by step instructions on how to download and use SAM for Australian conditions.

Resources also include:

A collection of SAM project files with financial settings for Australian conditions for modelling of trough, tower, linear Fresnel and dish based CSP systems.

A selection of solar data files for input to SAM for selected representative Australian sites and years.

BrightSource raises $15 million

Concentrating solar power technology company BrightSource Energy has garnered $15 million of its planned $35 million round of funding, as per the Form D filing from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. According to a report filed by Oakland Tribune, the company has raised $15 million in an equity and promissory note offering, and 44 investors were involved in the equity and note offering.

BrightSource is evolving from being a U.S. project developer to becoming a global technology provider that also offers development support as well as engineering and operational services. BrightSource is not only gearing up to advance its technology, but also planning to expand its geographic scope. The company is in the process of appointing a new CEO after John Woolard stepped down last month.

Reports highlights prowess of solar energy in the U. S.

A report in the U. S. has shared that top 12 solar states ranked by per capita solar are: Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii New Jersey, New Mexico, California, Delaware, Colorado, Vermont, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Maryland.

These states account for 85 percent of total U.S. solar electricity capacity, according to Environment America Research & Policy Centre’s report, Lighting the Way: What We Can Learn from America’s Top 12 Solar States.

The report mentions that the pathway to a solar future laid out by these states is open to every state. By following their lead and implementing a new wave of public policies to expand access to solar energy, the U. S. can work toward the goal of getting at least 10 percent of our energy from the sun by 2030.

The report asserts that solar energy can lower electricity costs by providing power at times of peak demand.

Also, solar energy costs are falling rapidly. The cost of installed solar energy systems fell by 27 percent during 2012.

The vast majority of the states allow for creative financing options such as third-party power purchase agreements and property assessed clean energy financing.

==