US and China close to formal trade settlement talks

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  Both sides have confirmed progress with talks on the draft settlement.

The US and China are close to opening formal negotiations based on the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) draft settlement of the ongoing solar trade dispute between the two countries, according to officials from both sides.

The SEIA put together a six-page draft document at the end of summer 2013 with a view to ending existing trade legislation and replacing it with a settlement fund that Chinese manufacturers would pay into. The document was produced in an attempt to bring an end to the long-running solar trade disagreement between the US and China.

“It’s still very early stage. We think there is a real opportunity to start a negotiating dialogue in the near term,” John Smirnow, vice president of trade and competitiveness at SEIA told PV Tech. “I’m not aware of any talks around any other proposal. As far as we know this is the only thing people are working on now. We are working to get everyone in the room, we don’t have a date yet, but we want to kick-start the negotiations.”

Smirnow also said the six pages had been whittled down to one page of key conditions that has now been circultaed around all parties.

Since the draft was put together, SolarWorld Americas has launched a new petition that would close what it calls “a loophole” in existing US trade tariffs on Chinese manufacturer.

The SEIA proposal would also include the termination of this latest petition and Smirnow said SolarWorld was ready to talk.

“We have an open dialogue with SolarWorld about trying to get a negotiation started. SolarWorld has signalled that it is open to negotiations,” he said adding that the SEIA's Chinese members had contributed to the proposal as well.

Smirnow also said consultation with China’s Chamber of Commerce Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) were ongoing.

The CCCME, which represents the Chinese manuafcturers, told PV Tech it was in the interest of both sides to find a solution.

“We are still at very early stage with SEIA,” an official said. “Like the case with the European Union, we always uphold the industry through cooperation to resolve trade friction. If SolarWorld have any ideas they can communicate them to our industry, we do not want it to use such an extreme way to solve problems and cause trade friction. We hope to resolve the friction through cooperation,” she said.

“SolarWorld has recently launched a new investigation, we believe this is an abuse of the rules; the product range in its complaint is very vague. Such investigation is for its own benefit. They put aside the benefit of the photovoltaic industry of both countries.

“Having a growing shortage of fossil fuel energy, new energy is the future development direction; the photovoltaic industry is a very important branch of new energy. To initiate such an investigation not only harms the interests of the two countries, it will cause damage to the environment and new energy development. We are reluctant to see such things happen,” she added.

The talks between the SEIA and CCCME were alluded to by new Wuxi Suntech CEO Eric Luo during an interview with PV Tech.

“I have seen the package deal, it is still under discussion between SEIA and CCCME but I think it is highly possible that they will strike a deal and present it to the US Department of Commerce,” he said. “I hope they can reach a deal. Otherwise us module manufacturers will have too much uncertainty. We are against any trade barrier.

“President Obama has a big renewable energy policy and I don’t think this second investigation is helping anyone, SolarWorld or Chinese manufacturers.”

Luo also revealed that the idea for a negotiated settlement originally came from the US department of commerce following the conclusion of the EU-China trade talks. The Wuxi Suntech CEO has vast experience of China's solar trade disputes and was one of five industry representaitves that negotiated the EU-China deal alongside the CCCME.

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Texas utility secures rock-bottom price for solar

Austin Energy in Texas is set to sign a deal expected to result in one of the lowest-priced solar power arrangements in the world.

According to a report by The Austin American-Statesman, the utility, owned by the city of Austin, has approved an agreement with SunEdison to buy electricity from two solar farms in West Texas at a price of just below $0.05 per kilowatt hour – considerably lower than the standard price for solar energy and less than a third of the price Austin Energy agreed to pay in 2009 for electricity from a smaller solar installation east of the city.

Raj Prabhu, CEO of energy consulting group Mercom Capital, told the newspaper that the deal was “the cheapest I’ve seen,” adding that it appeared "to be new territory."

The Austin American-Statesman also cited Jurgen Weiss, an energy economist with the Brattle Group, who added, "It is certainly at the very low end of the prices I have seen. As many had predicted, we’re entering a time in which, with some caveats, solar presents quite an attractive alternative to conventional sources."

The two solar farms comprise a 350,000-panel, 100 MW facility and a nearby 150,000-panel, 50 MW plant. Austin Energy declined to say where exactly the proposed project is in West Texas, saying the location had to be kept confidential for competitive reasons until the contract was signed.

Austin's city council is scheduled to vote March 20 on the 25-year contract, under which the utility would pay up to $21 million a year, depending on the plants' output. The installations will be able to power some 14,000 homes at peak output.

Austin Energy hopes to employ solar energy to help handle the increasing strain that the city’s growing population is putting on the grid during peak-demand times in the late afternoon and early evening.

The Austin American-Statesman notes that SunEdison's price is nearly identical to that of natural gas and even cheaper when the cost of building a gas plant is taken into account.

A number of factors contributed to the low price, according to the newspaper, including a federal tax credit that helped lower the original price from $0.08 per kilowatt hour to $0.05.

In addition, the city's large-scale purchase of solar energy as well as the utility's strong credit rating also helped to keep the price down, said Austin Energy General Manager Larry Weis.

"I think they're willing to take a haircut on price to have that steady income coming from us," Weis said, cited by the newspaper. He added that prices would probably not fall much further in the near future, partly because federal subsidies are set to be reduced in 2016.

Austin Energy had asked companies to submit proposals and about 30 offered prices near those of SunEdison, Weis said, adding that the company received a very good price.

Austin Energy expects the agreement to lower rates slightly for customers.

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Iowa raises solar tax credits

As the U.S. state of Louisiana awaits the results of a study into the costs and benefits of solar before setting its solar energy tariff, Iowa has increased the amount of solar tax credits available and Minnesota has drawn up the country's first methodology for calculating a solar tariff.

The Iowa Senate voted on Thursday to raise the level of tax credits available to homeowners and businesses in a move which would boost the solar industry if the vote, by the Senate's ways and means committee, passes into state law.

The proposal would see the annual solar tax credits available rise from $1.5 million to $4.5 million, according to a report carried on the Des Moines-based Omaha.com news website on Friday.

As part of the proposal, homeowners would qualify for up to $5,000 in solar tax credits – up from the current $3,000 cap – with the cap for businesses rising from $15,000 to $20,000 and all limits backdated to January 1.

The Twin Cities newspaper reported the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted on Wednesday to approve the adoption of a methodology for calculating the price of solar.

The methodology, which would be the first in the U.S., was drawn up by the Minnesota Department of Commerce after a widespread consultation with stakeholders.

Solar tariff cannot undershoot retail price for three years

With the PUC decision expected to be adopted on April 1, utilities would have the option of using the new calculation method although, with a stipulation the rate cannot be lower than the retail price of electricity for its first three years and an expectation it would exceed the retail price utilities have to pay, the extent of its adoption by energy companies remains to be seen.

Under the terms of the methodology, the rate would have to be recalculated annually.

In an eventful week for U.S. solar, Baton Rouge newspaper The Advocate reported the Louisiana Public Services Commission is preparing a report into the costs and benefits of solar with the results, which will be used to work out the state's solar tariff, expected on November 30.

The move came after commissioner Clyde Holloway withdrew a motion to remove a contentious 0.5% cap on the proportion of customers Louisiana utilities are obliged to pay for net metered solar generation.

Commissioner Holloway offered to remove the cap – which solar supporters say is based on a misinterpretation of the rules anyway – in return for shifting the burden of paying for solar infrastructure onto homes and businesses with panels rather than all power consumers.

Commissioner Holloway withdrew his motion after commissioner Scott Angelle asked for more information on the solar issue, prompting the body to commission the solar report.

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Solar revival sparking next-gen tech revolution, says IHS

Analysts at IHS Technology say that next-generation PV technologies such as n-type substrates and diamond wire will become more mainstream in 2014 as solar companies ramp up their capital expenditure.

Added buoyancy and confidence in global solar markets, coinciding with refreshed spending cycles, will help solar's transition from standardized technologies to advanced PV techniques, say the analysts, who also estimate that capital spending will reach $3.4 billion in 2014.

"Innovative technologies will be atop the agendas of major solar manufacturers globally now that supply and demand has come to closer alignment," said IHS solar demand analyst, Jon Campos.

"While most experts thought that overcapacity issues would remain significantly longer, the fundamental assumptions made by IHS were that the industry would move toward market equilibrium behind increasing demand in the emerging markets, and that PV manufacturers would turn to advanced technologies to compete with traditional forms of energy production – assumptions that are now coming to fruition," added Campos.

Diamond wire, n-type and CdTe on the up
The PV Manufacturing Technology Report – World 2014 from IHS suggests that solar manufacturers that have survived the last 18 month shakeout will be seeking cost-effective alternative slicing tools, with diamond wire set to replace steel wire as the tool of choice. Last year, diamond wire accounted for 5.5 GW of the marketplace, with IHS forecasting that figure to grow to 27.2 GW by 2017, and 43.1 GW by 2020.

Industry norms will also shift in the monocrystalline market, where N-type cells will begin to replace p-type substrates thanks to their higher tolerance to common impurities and high minority carrier diffusion lengths. The N-type technology is also less susceptible to light-induced degradation (LID), and IHS reckon the market could mature from 5% currently to 32% by 2020.

Finally, the new capital expenditure cycle will be good news for companies such as First Solar and Solar Frontier, the two dominant players in the thin film industry, which is set to grown further in 2014. CdTe technology will continue its dominance, says IHS, with both technologies enjoying increased take-up after falling last year to their lowest level in five years.

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US anti-subsidy decision on China extended to June 2

US anti-subsidy decision on China extended to June 2 

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOE) has postponed a preliminary anti-subsidy ruling on the import of cells and modules from China, citing the complexity of the issues as the reason for the delayed decision.

The initial anti-subsidy decision date was set for March 28, but the DOC will now make a preliminary ruling on June 2, announcing the result the following day.

The countervailing duty (CVD) investigation has focused on China-made crystalline silicon solar PV cells and modules, initiated at the end of 2013 by SolarWorld Industries Americas.

A preliminary investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in February found evidence that solar equipment originating from China was incorporating cells made in third-party countries – chiefly Taiwan – in an effort to avoid paying subsidy duties.

A joint anti-dumping investigation was also launched by the ITC, with the DOC stating that a preliminary decision on that case – scheduled for June 12 – could also be postponed to a later date.

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Positivity reigns at Power & Electricity World Africa 2014 show

Positivity reigns at Power & Electricity World Africa 2014 show 

The heavy downpours in Johannesburg were unable to dampen the solar mood during the opening day of the Power & Electricity World Africa 2014 exhibition in South Africa, where it was positivity that reigned instead.

pv magazine can confirm that more than 100 solar companies have exhibited at the show on the first day this year, representing a 20% increase on last year, according to the show organizers.

The presence of European and Chinese companies that had made the trip to Johannesburg’s Sandton Convention Centre was obvious, with a particular proliferation of top inverter and panel manufacturers dotted about the exhibition floor.

Many of the exhibitors whom pv magazine spoke to reported increased market activity from South Africa, with JA Solar, Trina Solar, Yingli, Solarworld and Canadian Solar all revealing buoyant local interest. Equally, SMA, ABB, Fronius, Kaco, Ingeteam and Bonfiglioli have so far enjoyed a brisk opening to the exhibition, with plenty of interest shown in their products.

Each company pv magazine spoke with is expecting growing interest in both the utility scale solar sector and the self-consumption sector, driven by rooftop and residential applications. "We see a growing demand for energy management applications," said Silvia Blumenschein, head of sale EMEA at German-based Solar Datensysteme, a company that is exhibiting for the first time in Johannesburg.

There is also a high presence of foreign equipment manufacturers at the exhibition, such as Schmid, Meyer Burger and Mondragon. These companies are banking on the widening of domestic content rulings in the bidding process for utility scale projects, and also the continued high-profile that solar currently enjoys in South Africa, particularly as the sector continues to create much-needed local employment.

Solar in South Africa is currently being driven by a growing energy demand, rising electricity rates, declining solar equipment costs and a political push for more renewable energy. Chief hurdles include bureaucratic red-tape and the powerful opposition interests of the nuclear and fossil fuel industries.

Solar, though, has more than held its own at the show so far, with the promise of more exciting developments to come over the next few days.

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ABB reaps benefits of Power-One purchase

ABB reaps benefits of Power-One purchase

Swiss power systems giant ABB's acquisition of solar inverter manufacturer Power-One in July is already paying dividends according to the parent company's annual report, published on Friday.

ABB became the world's second largest solar inverter manufacturer when it incorporated the Californian company into its discrete automation and motion (DAM) division last summer.

The latest set of figures show DAM aping the growth seen across four of ABB's five divisions in 2013 with Power-One already making a significant contribution.

The DAM division, which includes Power-One's inverters and electric vehicle charging points as one of the 13 types of product it manufactures, boasted revenue of $9.9 billion, up from $9.4 billion in 2012 and the second largest slice of the parent company's revenue stream with 22%. Revenue raised by the acquisition was cited as a significant factor in the corporate report outlining the figures.

Power-One helps pick up the slack

DAM orders were up from $9.6 billion to $9.8 billion and although the order backlog dipped slightly, from $4.4 billion to $4.35 billion, that was down to other segments of the division with Power-One orders helping pick up the slack.

Although the income from operations for the DAM unit was hit by the Power-One acquisition cost, falling from $1.47 billion to $1.45 billion, the division boasted the highest earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) figure of the ABB group with $1.8 billion, up from $1.7 billion in 2012.

The parent company announced plans last year to start manufacturing inverters in South Africa to supplement production lines in Estonia, India and China with the division also expanding its electric vehicle (EV) charging station portfolio.

Having installed the world's first nationwide EV charging network with 165 units in Estonia, the DAM division of ABB secured a contract from Fastned to install a similar, 200 station, network in the Netherlands which will ensure a charging station within 50km of every Dutch resident.

The company has also signed a six-year deal to provide charging stations in China for the long-range DENZA vehicle being developed by Daimler and BYD Auto.

With mentions in EBB's corporate document of the electrical and control systems supplied to South Africa's largest, 75 MW, PV park; a solar multi-purpose battery charging station installed in West Bengal in co-operation with conservation group WWF India; and the launch of the abb-livingspace.com website to showcase the group's energy efficiency and smart home technologies, ABB's commitment to solar seems assured.

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