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In green technology news this week, Ontario has exercised the authority to revise its FIT program; U.S. President Barack Obama has pushed the Green Button as one of four new “all of the above” energy initiatives; the U.S. Commerce Department has handed down a preliminary finding on China’s subsidies to solar PV manufacturers; and much, much more.
On March 22, the Ontario Power Authority(OPA) and Ministry of Energy completed a mandated biennial review of the province’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program and announced plans to pull back slightly on subsidies, while pushing ahead to meet renewable energy targets. Under the revised program, the date for achievement of the province’s 10,700-megawatt (MW) renewable energy target has been moved up from 2018 to 2015.
Two renewable energy sectors will see a reduction in funding. The prices being offered for wind and solar projects under new 20-year power purchase agreements from the OPA will be between 10 percent and 30 percent lower than under power purchase agreements issued prior to the review. The 30 percent-level reduction will be limited to solar PV ground-mounted systems generating less than 10 kilowatts (kW) and to solar PV rooftop arrays generating less than 10kW. There will be no change to prices offered for hydro, biomass, biogas, or landfill gas projects. Tariffs will be adjusted every year in November and will take effect two months later, on January 1.
Also this week, U.S. President Obama announced new and continuing efforts to support his all-out, “all-of-the-above” strategy for green energy in America. First, utility customers will get secure online access to their own energy data in a user-friendly format called “Green Button.” Second, the Departments of Agriculture and Energy will provide up to $35 million over three years to support research and development in advanced biofuels, bioenergy, and high-value bio-based products. Third, the Energy Department will fund up to $14.2 million to accelerate the development and deployment of stronger, lighter- weight materials to build next-generation vehicles. Fourth, the Energy Department will invest $450 million over five years to support the design, first-of-its-kind engineering, and licensing of U.S. small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs).
After months of deliberation, the U.S. Department of Commerce has handed down a preliminary decision to impose modest tariffs on solar panels from China based on its finding that the government there had unfairly subsidized its manufacturers. The duties, ranging from 2.9 percent to 4.73 percent, are lower than had been anticipated – raising questions as to how much U.S. manufacturers will benefit.
The decision stems from a complaint by the Oregon-based subsidiary of Germany's SolarWorld AG and six other manufacturers, alleging that Chinese rivals have been dumping crystalline silicon solar cells and panels in the United States at artificially low prices and receiving billions of dollars in Chinese government subsidies. The resulting investigation is among several pending trade cases that have escalated tensions between the economic superpowers in recent months. It has also fractured the U.S. solar industry during a period of record growth. A finding in the anti-dumping case against China is scheduled for May 16—and it may bring the U.S. tariffs up to double-digits. SolarWorld originally sought the tariffs to offset the flood of low-cost Chinese solar panels that now make up about half of the U.S. market, up from eight percent in 2008.
Xylem, a global water technology company, has expanded its presence in Russia—opening a new distribution and customer service base in Moscow. A spinoff from the ITT (News - Alert) Corporation, Xylem will enable customers to transport, treat, test, and offer wastewater and clean water pumping products and systems to the Russian market. With the company’s seven-year resume of business in Russia through two independent local distributors, the creation of a local subsidiary in Moscow highlights the significance of its presence in the marketplace and Xylem's status in emerging markets.
Suntech Holdings has announced that it has achieved a world record 20.3 percent efficiency in solar Pluto Cell Technology. The company achieved this feat in collaboration with the University of New South Wales and the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore has confirmed the efficiency of the improved Pluto cell technology. The company said that this breakthrough technology is important to Suntech’s strategy of achieving grid parity and increased global adoption of solar energy solutions. The customers of the company can now get increased efficiency and power output, which in turn will provide better usage of space and lower installation costs.
For the past three years Bloomberg (News - Alert) New Energy Finance has recognized businesses that are working to change the current energy landscape through a variety of channels. This year Tendril has been named the 2012 New Energy Pioneer. Tendril was chosen based on two major services — Tendril Connect and Tendril Energize. Tendril Connect connects energy service providers with utilities, while Tendril Energize uses proven behavioral models to shape energy services. Professionals in banking, academia, corporations, utilities and technology vote for companies that made the biggest impact on the energy front. Each professional rates companies based on potential scale, innovation, and momentum.
What is the next technology to go wireless? Believe it or not, Evatran, a startup, has been able to develop a wireless charging station for plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) that only requires a driver to park his or her car over a recharging pad on the ground. Because the system eliminates the hassle of transporting cables, it may well accelerate the mass adoption of EVs. The concept has been intriguing enough to see companies like Google, Duke Energy (News - Alert), Hertz Rent-A-Car, Clemson University, and others show an interest. Sears will be one of the authorized nationwide installers of Evatran’s units to be used at home. The company is backed by $3.7 million in funding, most of which comes from an electronics manufacturer called MTC Transformers.
Finally, seven manufacturers have been selected by Bilbao, Spain-based Iberdrola, S.A., to provide a total of one million smart meters for the next stage of the company’s nationwide rollout. The participating companies include: ZIV MEDIDA SL (Spain), Landis
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