Harlow council partners with Bluesky to map district’s solar potential

Kier Harlow, a joint venture company between Kier and Harlow Council, has joined forces with solar mapping firm, Bluesky to support an ambitious scheme to install solar panels on Council-owned properties in Essex. The solar scheme aims to help residents save money on their energy bills, provide a steady income stream for the Council and significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Bluesky’s innovative solar mapping service helped Keir’s energy solutions arm to identify which of the council-owned properties would benefit most from the installation of a solar photovoltaic array.

“The Bluesky Solar Potential assessment allowed us to target properties that would provide the greatest potential return on investment,” commented Paul Slater of Kier’s energy solutions team. “By identifying properties with suitable roofs the cost of installation could be offset by the income generated by the feed-in tariff. This intelligence was invaluable as it allowed us to make initial assessments and decisions at the desktop saving thousands of pounds on site surveys.”

Commenting on solar scheme, Kier Harlow’s Operations Director, John Phillips, said: “This is a really exciting project and it is the first fully funded scheme Kier has worked on. This is just the first phase of the scheme and we have plans to install solar PV panels to further council properties once this is complete, potentially including council corporate buildings too. We plan to give each tenant a full briefing on the benefits of the solar panels and explain how they can maximise their efficiency.”

Portfolio Holder for Harlow housing, Councillor Clive Souter, added: "This is a very progressive deal for Harlow. It means residents get cheaper bills while we make big cuts in our carbon footprint. The important thing is that it has no cost to our tenants and minimal disruption as it takes just one day to install panels that will deliver cheap electricity for quarter of a century."

Kier Harlow has estimated that those Harlow residents lucky enough to receive a free solar array can expect to slash almost £200 off their annual electricity bill.

Source:http://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/news/harlow_council_partners_with_bluesky_to_map_districts_solar_potential_2356

Varsity Produce turns to solar power

Varsity Produce, Bakersfield, Calif., began using its new solar power system about two months ago.

The company added the 428.40 kilowatt Cenergy Power solar system to offset energy needs and reduce the plant’s carbon footprint.

Brent Rhodes, operations manager, said the system will power the onion-peeling processing equipment and cold storage facility that operate year round, as well as the packing shed, which runs seven months of the year.

The solar system should offset approximately 97% of the company’s utility bills and pay for itself within four years.

It should reduce the plant’s carbon footprint by more than 1,000,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

It’s still early to see major results in the company’s energy bills, but Rhodes is optimistic for the upcoming summer months.

“Once the summer heat comes around and solar (production) is at it’s peak of production, as is our onion operation, we should see some really good results,” he said in an email.

Rhodes said the only noticeable difference after adding the system is the 1 1/2 acres of solar panels next to the packing shed that are now visible.

The system will be connected to the company’s utility meter, and the solar power will be used primarily. In peak times, if the plant’s energy needs are greater that what the solar panels can provide, the rest of the power will come from the utility company automatically. No change should be noticeable in the power supply.

Source:http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/Varsity-Produce-turns-to-solar-power-148674105.html

UPDATE 1-Japan panel to set solar power fee at 51 cents/kwh -Nikkei

A Japanese government panel is likely to recommend utilities pay 42 yen (51 cents) per kilowatt-hour (kwh) for solar power supplies in a feed-in tariff scheme, in line with requests by the solar power industry, the Nikkei business daily said.

Japan is overhauling its energy policy after the Fukushima nuclear crisis shattered public confidence in the safety of atomic power, and is set to introduce a new subsidy scheme from July which covers all kinds of renewable energy to support the budding market for domestically produced power.

The recommended rate for solar power includes tax and is to be paid for about 20 years, the report said on Monday. That is roughly double the rate that households pay for electricity usage and almost meets the solar power industry's request for 42 yen without tax, it added.

The rates could encourage potential business investors to enter the market, but the higher rate would come at a greater cost to consumers, to whom the utilities pass on the burden.

Solar power in Japan accounts for less than 1 percent of total power due to lack of sufficient subsidies in the past.

A group of experts appointed upon approval by parliament will recommend a price and a period for each type of renewable energy, including wind, biomass and geothermal, as early as this month. Japan's Trade Minister Yukio Edano will decide the final price taking into account the panel's recommendation.

Source:http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/23/japan-solar-idUSL3E8FN00R20120423