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HVIFP_PwrRMelv_150123 1
1/23/15 3:15 PM
VOLUME
18
ISSUE
MAY/JUNE 2015
Solar,
Storage,
or Both?
Quantifying Economic
Returns of PV + Batteries
Wind
Geothermal
Data Points
Finance
Making the most

of your turbines.
The Japanese
market is a new
hot spot.
Steady progress
towards EU
2020 goals.
How well do
you understand
yieldcos?
p. 32
p. 41
p. 38
p. 51
1505REW_C1 1
5/7/15 8:23 AM
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1505REW_C2 2
5/7/15 8:23 AM
contents
PROJECT PROFILE
Wanapam
Dam Spillway
Response
44
features
24
COVER STORY
Quantifying Returns:
Does Energy Storage
Coupled with PV Offer
Big Savings?
A recently released NREL
report investigates the
economic returns of energy
storage with and without PV.
32
WIND
Making the Most

Energy from Wind
How repowering and
performance upgrades bring
in big money for wind farm
owners.
Jennifer Runyon
46
BIOENERGY
UK Biomass Plant
Generates Electricity
and Opportunity
A straw-fired CHP plant
strengthens ties between the
power industry and those it
serves.
Jim Wechsler
Andrew Burger
41
GEOTHERMAL
Is Japan the Next

Boom Market for
Geothermal?
24
1505REW_1 1
ON THE COVER
Solar Panels in a City.
Credit: Shutterstock.
While geothermal industry

players have their eyes on
promising locations in East
Africa and Indonesia, Japan
is a quiet contender for the
next hot spot.
Meg Cichon
RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD MAGAZINE
MAY/JUNE 2015
5/7/15 8:10 AM
North Americas Premier Exhibition

and Conference for the Solar Industry
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Intersolar Your key for successful business in the growing U.S. solar market!
with special exhibition
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Co-located with

1505REW_2 2
5/7/15 8:10 AM
features
departments & columns
51
5 Editors Letter
44 Project Profle
Progress in Finance
6 Regional News
FINANCE
Wanapam Dam
Spillway Response
News from the Global

Renewable Energy Industry
55
Trainings and
Educational Events
Te Big Question
57
Calendar
What Is the Most Frustrating

Part about Working in
Renewable Energy?
57
Advertisers Index
Understanding Yieldcos for

Renewable Energy Project
Finance
17
Securitization, yieldcos and other

methods of bundling assets are giving
renewable energy project developers
greater access to capital.
38 Data Points
58 Last Word
Steady Progress toward

EU 2020 Goals
Paint Your Way To

More Efficient Wind
Turbine Production
Gregory F. Jenner, Edward D. Einowski

and Adam D. Schurle
On RenewableEnergyWorld.com
RenewableEnergyWorld.com gives you a daily
dose of news, opinion and technology updates
about the renewable energy industry.
Visit us on the web to:
Stay Updated on the Latest News
Check out our Total Access Partners
Read Op-eds from Industry Leaders
Register to attend our Conference
Comment on a Feature Story
1505REW_3 3
MAY/JUNE 2015
5/7/15 8:10 AM
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5/7/15 8:10 AM
From t he Editor
CHIEF EDITOR Jennifer Runyon

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Meg Cichon
SENIOR OPERATIONS MANAGER
Stephanie Kolodziej
EDITORIAL OFFICES
REW Magazine
PennWell Corporation
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PRODUCTION
ART DIRECTOR Kelli Mylchreest
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ADVERTISING
For information on advertising in future issues

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2015 PennWell Corporation. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may be
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whether electronic, mechanical or otherwise
including photocopying, recording or any
information storage or retrieval system without
the prior written consent of the Publishers.
I remember interviewing project finance lawyers back in 2009 about

the difficulty in finding capital for renewable energy transactions.
Banks view every project as a one-off, they would explain adding
that banks like to fund projects that they understand because they
have done them before. Every time we come to the bank for funding,
its like we are starting all over again, they lamented.
One of our headlines from 2009 on RenewableEnergyWorld.com
was Project Finance Markets Return But Shun Risk, which discussed
how banks needed low-risk wind projects to feel comfortable parting with the small amount of capital they had to lend. (Recall that they
were just starting to recover from the fnancial crisis of 2008.)
Today, more than fve years later, the industry has moved well
beyond that point. The Global Wind Energy Council recently calculated that more than 369,000 MW of wind power capacity was installed
worldwide in 2014. Further, the U.S. Department of Energy said that
it expects as much as 5,000 MW of large-scale solar capacity to be
installed in 2015. These numbers are proof that investors are more
comfortable funding renewable energy projects because they are confdent that they will be proftable.
This issue looks at some of the innovations we are seeing in the
fnance arena of renewable energy. We delve into yieldcos, performance upgrades for wind farms, and look at the economics of solar PV
coupled with energy storage for commercial facilities.
Money makes the world go around and renewable energy is no exception. Thankfully, some of the struggles of the past are behind us.
While every attempt is made to ensure the

accuracy of the information contained in this
magazine, neither the Publishers nor the authors
accept any liability for errors or omissions.
Jennifer Runyon, Chief Editor

1505REW_5 5
MAY/JUNE 2015
5/7/15 8:10 AM
REGIONAL
news
NORTH AMERICA
Grid Defection Analyzed

Could grid-connected solar-plus-battery systems supply the majority of customers electricity needs that are
traditionally met by the grid? Thats the focus of a new
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) report, The Economics
of Load Defection, which looks at when and where the
increasingly cost-effective option of detaching from the
grid and using solar PV and batteries to meet electricity needs is viable. As retail prices for grid electricity
climb and costs for solar PV and batteries decline customers may begin to defect in the next 1015 years in
many geographies, the report says.
The report explains just how much electricity load
and revenue loss utilities could face, including implications for utilities and regulators and possible paths
forward.
ers and technology providers, said RMI Principal
and report author James Mandel. No matter how
expensive retail electricity gets in the future, customers that invest in these grid-connected systems
can contain their electricity costs at or below a peak
price, yielding significant savings on their monthly
utility bill.
could have major implications. Even if only a fraction
of customers adopt such systems, utilities could face
lost kWh sales from central generation, potentially
undermining revenue needed for ongoing grid investment and maintenance. For example, in the Northeast
United States, by 2030 maximum residential and commercial load defection could total 140 million MWh
and $35 billion per year.
Click here to add your comment to this news, the
topic of which was discussed in an article on
RenewableEnergyWorld.com in April.
1505REW_6 6
product line from the Green Machine to the

Power+ Generator. The new name was developed to better describe the product and its primary function, according to the company.
The company said that its Power+ Generator produces fuel-free, emission-free power
from waste heat utilizing Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)
and proprietary
company decided on the name
Power+ Generator because ElectraTherms heatto-power systems do
more than generate clean
power: they they can reduce onsite power costs,
But for many utilities, this customer opportunity
MAY/JUNE 2015
ElectraTherm has changed the name of its
technology. The
These findings should be compelling for custom-
ElectraTherm
Announces New
Name for Waste
Heat to Power
Generator
replace radiators on stationary engines, lower

cooling costs, provide additional heating, and
much more, according to ElectraTherm. Power+
Generators can fit within varying waste heat-topower applications.
The companys generators will still be
offered in three models, which all function
by taking hot water into the machine where it
heats a working fluid into pressurized vapor.
As the vapor expands, it drives ElectraTherms
twin screw power block, which spins an electric generator and produces up to 110kWe.
5/7/15 8:10 AM
EUROPE
First Offshore Wind Farm To Use

Siemens 6-MW Turbine Complete
In March, the 210-MW Westermost Rough offshore wind farm
celebrated lifting the last of its 35
turbines into position by the specialist jack-up vessel Sea Challenger. The wind farm is located off
the UKs East Coast and is the first
offshore wind farm to make commercial use of the Siemens 6-MW
wind turbine. The wind farm is a
joint venture between DONG Energy (50 percent) and its partners
Marubeni Corporation (25 percent)
and the UK Green Investment
Bank (25 percent).
Siemens 6MW Offshore Turbine. Credit: Siemens.
Duncan Clark, Programme

Director for Westermost Rough
the offshore construction pro-
high levels of safety perfor-
at DONG Energy, said: Over 900
gramme, and reaching instal-
mance is a credit to their great
people have been employed on
lation of the final turbine with
teamwork.
France Offers Geothermal

Drilling Insurance
France has announced a new risk insurance fund
risk profile of deep geothermal projects. The fund
dedicated to deep geothermal energy. GEODEEP
is also expected to ensure the opening of ten new
focuses on the exploration and exploitation phases
deep geothermal plants, and the creation of more
and is financed by ADEME (a public institution), La
than 800 new jobs. By launching GEODEEP, the
Caisse des Dpts (a public bank) and private oper-
French government clearly demonstrates its com-
ators. European Geothermal Energy Council post-
mitment to foster the development of renewables
ed a statement: EGEC warmly welcomes this new
and proves the key role that geothermal plays in
support scheme for geothermal energy in France.
achieving the energy transition towards a low-car-
GEODEEP will indeed facilitate project operators
bon economy.
investment decisions by significantly reducing the
News Story Courtesy GEA

1505REW_7 7
MAY/JUNE 2015
5/7/15 8:10 AM
REGIONAL
news
Sustainable Biofuels Highlighted

for Future Transport Needs
In April, the UK-based Transport Energy Task Force
By providing expertise from a broad stakeholder
highlighted in a report the important role sustain-
group, including the fossil fuel, biofuel, aviation and
able biofuels will play in meeting the UKs future
agricultural industries, motor manufacturers, envi-
transport needs. The report showed that there is a
ronmental NGOs and Government Departments, the
clear role for sustainable biofuels over the medium
final report emphasized the growing importance of
to long term and at least to 2030 when fossil trans-
sustainable biomass. Chief Executive of the Renew-
port fuels will still be dominant. It also called for a
able Energy Association, Dr. Nina Skorupska said
robust and long-term route for ensuring the sus-
that the task force hopes that Ministers in the next
tainability of all transport energy including biofuels.
UK Government make early decisions to safeguard
The Task Forces role is to explore options for
the significant investment that has already been
meeting the 2020 renewable transport target and
made in sustainable UK biofuels and to encourage
the role of biofuels in decarbonizing UK transport
investors to look to the UK as a good place to invest
by 2030.
in the next generation of biofuels.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Solar and Bioenergy Key to Socio-Economic

Development in Swaziland
Developing Swazilands vast
Swazilands current electrici-
renewable energy resourc-
ty supply comes from imports,
es would provide substantial
predominantly from South
socio-economic benefits for
Africa. Electricity import tar-
its population, according to a
iffs in Swaziland doubled
new report by the Internation-
between 2009 and 2012 and
al Renewable Energy Agen-
are expected to continue this
cy (IRENA). The Swaziland
upward trend. This, combined
Renewables Readiness Assess-
with the falling cost of renew-
ment estimates that bagasse,
able energy technologies,
a by-product of the local sugar
makes renewable energy more
industry, could meet half of all
cost competitive in Swaziland
Map of Swaziland. Credit:
domestic electricity demand
than ever before.
Shutterstock.
while solar power could con-
Roughly 45 percent of Swa-
tribute substantially to the
zilands population does not
countrys solar resources, com-
remaining demand.
have access to electricity.
bined with the falling cost of
The report estimates that the
solar PV, could bring
More than 76 percent of
1505REW_8 8
MAY/JUNE 2015
[ cont >]
5/7/15 8:10 AM
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1505REW_9 9
5/7/15 8:10 AM
REGIONAL
news
[Swaziland cont. from p. 8]
electricity to more people

through solar PV systems.
Suntech Opens Warehouse

in Cape Town
Swaziland forms a key link

in the Africa Clean Energy
Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. has officially announced the estab-
Corridor, IRENAs initiative to
lishment of a local warehouse in Cape Town, South Africa. This new
meet Eastern and Southern
facility will initially store 500 kW of modules and will expand its
Africas growing power needs
storage capacity to 1 MW later in 2015. Suntech established a full
sustainably and with a high
time presence in South Africa in 2014 as part of its expansion efforts
share of renewable energy. As
in the region.
Swaziland is interconnected
The opening of a local warehouse in Cape Town will allow Sun-
with Mozambique and South
tech to increase its sales capacity in South Africa, and in the South
Africa, it could potentially
African Development Community, which serves as a free trade zone.
use this existing infrastruc-
We are also eliminating the effort involved in the PV modules ship-
ture to develop more renew-
ping and importation procedure, which will help our customers to
able energy than is needed for
better plan their project schedules, said Joey Zheng, Regional Direc-
the country and sell whatever
tor to Suntechs Africa and South Asia markets.
surplus power was produced,
Recently, Suntech supplied 100 MW of its PV modules to two
transitioning the country from
projects selected during the Department of Energys Renewable Ener-
an electricity importer to an
gy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programs (REIPPPP)
electricity exporter.
first bid round.
Zayed Future Energy Prize Seeks

Clean Energy Innovators
Abu Dhabi-based clean ener-
schools come from five differ-
inception. Over the past seven
gy leaders visited New York last
ent regions of the world. The
years, winners of the Zayed
month to tout the benefits of the
prize also names one recipi-
Future Energy Prize have impact-
Zayed Future Energy Prize and
ent of a Lifetime Achievement
ed more than 150 million people
drum up potential nominations.
Award. The prize looks for actu-
because the work of our winners
Since 2008, the UAE government
al achievements in clean energy
touches people in ways that help
has offered $4 million in prize
development, focusing on inno-
provide clean drinking water, elec-
money annually to global lead-
vation, long-term vision, impact
trify rural communities and cre-
ers in the clean energy indus-
and leadership, except in high
ate jobs, said Nawal.
try as a way to honor the lega-
schools, where the prize seeks
cy of Sheikh Zayed who founded
to inspire those same criteria,
UAE government. Our leader-
the UAE and was a champion of
according to Dr. Nawal Al-Hosa-
ship believes that addressing ener-
sustainability. Prizes are award-
ny, Director of the prize.
gy security, climate change and
ed in five categories: large cor-
The prize has a huge impact on
Prize money comes from the
water security is a global chal-
porations, SMEs, non-profits and
the industry, said Nawal, award-
lenge that needs global action,
high schools. The winning high
ing more than $22 million since
Nawal said.
10
1505REW_10 10
MAY/JUNE 2015
5/7/15 8:10 AM

1505REW_11 11
5/7/15 8:10 AM
REGIONAL
news
LATIN AMERICA
Atacama Deserts 69.5-MW Javiera

Solar Project Complete
Tracker commissioning for SunEdisons Javiera proj-
Sasan Aminpour, Senior VP of Operations, SunE-
ect in Chiles Atacama Desert was completed in
dison. Collaborating with NEXTracker and build-
April. At 69.5 MW, the Javiera project is one of Latin
ing upon best practices pioneered during the con-
Americas largest utility-scale solar power plants.
struction of our nearby Crucero plant, SunEdison
Thanks in part to NEXTrackers independent
and NEXTracker refined lean construction tech-
rows and reduced foundation requirements, our
niques to dramatically accelerate deployment of a
Javiera project was completed in record time
large power plant. NEXTrackers careful attention
the mechanical aspects of this system were sub-
to component quality and customer support fur-
stantially complete in about two months, said
ther facilitated the rapid installation.
Costa Rica Running on 100 Percent

Renewable Energy Since Start of 2015
The Costa Rican Electricity Insti-
ICE attributes this clean feat to
tute (ICE) announced that the
its massive hydropower reserves,
1 GW of hydropower, geother-
country set aside its fossil fuel
which typically account for up to
mal energy is the second high-
reserves and has been running
75 percent of the nations elec-
est energy resource at nearly 200
on 100 percent renewable energy
tricity generation. Its hydro
MW, accounting for about 12 per-
since early January.
resources have been work-
cent of electricity generation.
ing in overdrive for the past few
Last year, Costa Rica approved
months due to heavy rainfall.
a $958 million geothermal proj-
Costa Rica has a diverse mix

of resources, including solar, biomass, wind and geothermal, but
Namely, its four major hydro-
In addition to the more than
ect in two phases. The first phase
power plants, 157.5-MW Are-
will establish about 55 MW of
nal, 102-MW Cachi, 210-MW
capacity, and the second phase
La Angostura and 134-MW Pir-
will add 100 MW.
rs, have been running at maxi-
The government has also
mum capacity and are expected
approved hundreds of megawatts
to continue for at least the next
of solar, small-scale hydro and
few months. Taking advantage
wind projects for the near future
of this trend, ICE announced in
in an effort to reach its ambitious
April that it will be building an
goal of becoming carbon neutral
Costa Rica has its massive
additional unit onto the Cachi
by 2021. The country said that
hydropower capacity to thank for
plant, which will add nearly 60
renewable generation is the main
kicking its fossil fuel habit in 2015.
MW of capacity when it is com-
reason that electricity rates are
missioned in May.
down nearly 15 percent.
12
1505REW_12 12
MAY/JUNE 2015
5/7/15 8:10 AM
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1505REW_13 13
5/7/15 8:11 AM
REGIONAL
news
ASIA PACIFIC
Canadian Solar Acquires Recurrent Energy

from Sharp; CEO Steps Down
Chinese solar company Canadian
The acquisition of Recurrent
power purchase agreements
Solar announced that it has com-
increased Canadian Solars total
(PPAs) with investment grade
pleted the acquisition of Recur-
solar project pipeline by approx-
counterparties, and are expected
rent Energy a leading North
imately 4 GW to 8.5 GW, includ-
to generate significant cash flow
American solar energy devel-
ing an increase in its late-stage
after they have been completed,
oper, from Sharp Corporation.
project pipeline to 2.4 GW. Recur-
serving as the cornerstone for the
The transaction was supported
rents seven late-stage projects
launch of Canadian Solars own
by Export Development Canada
totaling approximately 1 GW are
Yieldco in the quarters ahead, the
(EDC)s issuance of Performance
located in California and Texas
company said.
Security Guarantee of up to $75
and are expected to complete
million to backstop letters of cred-
construction and be connected to
Recurrents new CEO to replace
it issued against project devel-
the grid prior to the ITC expira-
Arno Harris. Michael Metzner,
opment obligations by Recur-
tion at the end of 2016.
Recurrents CFO is also stepping
David Brochu was appointed
rent Energy. In conjunction with
This transaction significant-
down from his role. This man-
the acquisition, Credit Suisse will
ly increases Canadian Solars late-
agement transition had been
provide Recurrent Energy with a
stage project pipeline in low-risk
planned in advance.
US $150 million, one-year senior
geographies. Recurrents seven
To learn more about yieldcos,
secured bridge loan.
late-stage projects have long-term
see our article on page 51.
Chinese Solar Companies Can Go Solar

Without Putting Any Money Down
UGE International and Blue Sky Energy Efficiency
off-taker. The two companies announced that fund-
announced a partnership to deliver fully financed
ing is immediately available for qualified commer-
solar energy to commercial businesses in China.
cial businesses, with a goal of funding US $10 million
The partnership will finance and install on-site
worth of projects during the next 18 months.
solar systems with zero upfront cost, immediately
Renewable energy deployment continues to grow
lowering clients energy costs and providing a reli-
rapidly in mainland China. By eliminating up-front
able and clean source of energy.
costs to the customer, solar PPAs are an afford-
UGE and Blue Sky will provide local and multina-
able way for customers to benefit from solar energy,
tional corporations operating in China with a turn-
including reduced electricity bills, long term cost
key solution for their facilities through the use of a
certainty, and the positive Corporate Social Respon-
power purchase agreement (PPA) in which a third-
sibility (CSR) impact of going green. This is the
party financier owns the solar energy system and
countrys first PPA solution targeting the commer-
sells the electricity in a long-term contract to an
cial sector in China
14
1505REW_14 14
MAY/JUNE 2015
5/7/15 8:11 AM
German-Japanese Partnership Researching

Solar and Power-to-Gas
The Centre for Solar Energy and
same fields and their skill-sets
capacity is 16 GW higher and the
Hydrogen Research Baden-Wrt-
are a good match.
integration of solar power into the
temberg (ZSW) and Japans Gifu
Grid management is an area
distribution network is on track.
University announced a collabo-
targeted for cooperation. PV sys-
The partners also intend to
ration on clean energy research.
tems popularity surged last year
share their insights into green
Projects will focus on the intel-
in Japan, with installed capaci-
P2G energy storage technology.
ligent integration of PV into the
ty soaring to 23 GW by the end of
The increasing number of fuel
grid, production forecasts, and
2014. Concerned about grid sta-
cells in Japan is driving demand
green power-to-gas (P2G) energy
bility, local electricity suppliers
for hydrogen that can be used in
storage. The partnership hopes
are viewing the booming PV mar-
energy converters. Gifu Universi-
to accelerate technology transfer
ket with unease. By teaming up
ty officials are considering build-
to reshape the energy landscape
with the German institute, the
ing a P2G plant and the Stutt-
after Fukushima. The new coali-
Japanese researchers expect to
gart-based scientists will be able
tion is built on solid ground: Both
benefit from the lessons learned
to provide assistance if this proj-
partners conduct research in the
in Germany, where the installed
ect goes ahead.
1505REW_15 15
5/7/15 8:11 AM
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1505REW_16 16
5/7/15 8:11 AM
The Big Question
Stakeholders weigh in on worldwide renewable energy issues
What Is the Most Frustrating Part

about Working in Renewable Energy?
EVERY INDUSTRY HAS ITS CHALLENGES and misunderstandings. Sometimes the obstacles we face in simply trying to do our jobs can be very frustrating. This month, we went to our social media audience, posing our Big Question to our LinkedIn groups (Renewable Energy World Conference, North
America and RenewableEnergyWorld.com). We got some excellent responses, many of which present
business opportunities for savvy entrepreneurs. Since this is social media, were also linking to our
respondents profles so you can connect with them should their words speak to you as well.
Read the comments below to gain insight on this issues big question: What Is the Most Frustrating Part about Working in Renewable Energy?
Kendra Hubbard, MBA, Sales Professional for Renewable Energy and Cleantech Industries
Lack of other women in sales and operations roles.

Michael Swan, Vice President, SunCore Corp
Overcoming all the poor-performing renewable energy products that have come
before us and left a bad taste in consumers mouths. I have spent the last year
and a half re-educating buyers, OEMS and consumers on how to properly evaluate solar products to determine if they will meet their power needs. You cant
take the same technology on your roof and put it on a cell phone and expect it to
work, nor can you expect the same technology that powered your solar calculator
for the last 20 years keep up with the power needs of todays devices.
Alexander Richter, Principal, ThinkGeoEnergy
The lack of knowledge and misconception about geothermal energy. There simply is no understanding about geothermal opportunities. It is only seen as a
minor part in the renewable energy sector. However, there is a misconception in
our industry, as well. Acceptance and support will not arrive on its own simply
because we provide baseload power or heat. We need to do more in promotion
and public outreach to get attention, which we as an industry need and deserve.
Leonardo Valencia, Consultant, Eurus Energy America Corporation
The most frustrating part, by far, is dealing with the classical paradigms: Oh!,
wind power! But what happens when the wind is not blowing?, or Solar and
wind? Great! Where do you install the batteries?
1505REW_17 17
MAY/JUNE 2015
17
5/7/15 8:11 AM
The Big Question
James M. Dryden, Jr., Wind Resource Associate/Meteorologist, EDP Renovveis
The lack of long-term tax subsidies for renewables. It makes it very diffcult to
effciently plan development activities over several years.
Michael Campbell, CEO, RA POWER & LIGHT Inc.
The imbalance in federal subsidies vs. big oil.

Nigel Morris, Director/Principal Consultant, SolarBusinessServices
Lies from government. In Australia we have seen a proliferation of outright

lies and manipulation of the facts to make renewable energy look like the
main driver of electricity price rises, but the opposite of the truth. The second is a lack of leadership and courage when it comes to electricity reform.
Change is never easy but it is 100 percent inevitable, so its a huge waste of
time and money to not just get on and evolve the system.
Scott Phipps, President and CEO, Clean Development Group Inc.
Two primary issues concern me working in the renewable sector:First, the

pervasive, and what should be illegal, misinformation campaigns against
renewables that are well funded by the oil, gas, and coal industries. Second, the inappropriate level of subsidies, at all levels of government and in
most nations, for renewable energy. Renewables are not just superior in every
way to fossil fuels, they have already declined in price and continue to do so,
they create 7 times the employment that fossil fuels do, and yet they only get
1/10th the subsidies of the fossil fuel sector. Such imbalance has to change.
Evelyn Carpenter, President, Solas Energy Consulting US, Inc.
In the U.S. the PTC. Make it permanent already.

Marc Van Dongen, GRC Officer for CEE & CIS, SAP
What massively irritates me are the frequent and often completely illogical
ROI comparisons I read on many blogs. Too often these comparisons lack
any foundation, and set a clear and negative tone. My best guess is that the
ambassadors of the old world are continuously pushing their dinosaur industries. Fossil fuel reserves are depleting and global warming is a given. If we
dont start the transition today, well be in for a rough future!
Mike Reynolds, Executive Director, M7M
The most frustrating part is trying to convince central government that

marine renewable energy has got huge potential and deserves some real capital funding support so we can create a new industry in the UK (England). I
dont think the Scots have this problem!
Aur J Beck, Chief Tech, Advanced Energy Solutions
Being a techie but having to fgure out ways to sell solar. Completely outside
my comfort zone.
18
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5/7/15 8:11 AM
The Big Question
Gordon Stogre, Independent Energy Efficiency Consultant
The most frustrating problem I experience is overcoming deeply seated ideas

that renewables are very expensive. Many just close their mind upon hearing
renewable energy.
Greg Smith, Senior Technical Trainer, SMA America
On the solar side, there are a lot of misconceptions that installers and homeowners have about module-level electronics, i.e. micro inverters and optimizers. It is a fun endeavor for me to educate them.
Axel Raven, Manager, Ilaanga
Finances are the biggest obstacle at the moment.

Juan Pablo Vargas Bautista, Professor & Researcher, Universidad Privada Boliviana Fundacin Educativa
In Bolivia the problem is the lack of information, human resources in the

area, regulations and misconceptions. For example, we observed that some
engineers presented renewable projects in industries but they were defcient
and poor in technical and economical aspects, so now some industries think
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1505REW_19 19
MAY/JUNE 2015
19
5/7/15 8:11 AM
The Big Question
that renewable energy is not feasible. Another obstacle is the price of fossil
fuels, since Bolivia has a lot of natural gas for its consumption, this resource
is very cheap $2-4 US/MMBtu and also electricity $0.14 US/MMBtu so people here dont use them effciently and the worst thing is that a lot of factories
dont care about sustainability and energy effciency because of lack of laws
and regulations in this feld.
Michelle Arenson, Regional Director, Wind Generation and Operations, Alliant Energy
The renewable sector is full of challenges, possibilities and unknowns. Will

the PTC be renewed? What is the next technology that will peak? How do
we know the useful life of assets? These are exciting issues to tackle along
with the education of our companies, stakeholders and constituents all in
an ever-changing environment. It is a tall order, sometimes frustrating but
always a thrill. The need for energy policy is paramount. We must be able to
plan for the long-term in order to best serve the consumer.
Steven Andrews, Inventor, IQEnergy1
I am an inventor and have a U.S. patent for wind turbines, but one of my very
diffcult and frustrating problems is precisely the fact that so many start-ups
claim unrealistic and unproven effciencies, costs, etc. I have come to realize that when I start to describe my patented wind turbine I fnd it diffcult
to convince people of the potential of my turbine because there are so many
misleading claims by the competition.As I still dont have a working prototype, I have preferred to wait until I have substantial data to back up my
claims.I really hope others in my shoes understand the importance of being
truthful and down to earth with our claims and present real information or
expectations.
Bhaskar Valluri, Thermal and Renewable Energy Professional
In India, with biomass-based power plants, sometimes there is surplus biomass available at favorable prices to obtain fnancial approvals, loans etc. for
feasibility reports. After implementation, however, when we reach the operation and maintenance stage, we fnd that the availability of biomass is lower
and prices higher than originally projected. Then, we must appeal to the government, showing it that the higher cost of generation justifes an increase
in the tariff.In this process, plants are kept shut down or run at lower loads,
thus compounding the fnancial worries.As a result, old players are not much
interested in taking up new projects and new players spend some time and
money on studying the existing plants and then give up. This is very frustrating for the developers, employees and also for fnancial institutions.
Alistair Marsden, Commercial Manager, Dulas Ltd
The large imbalance of subsidies and the lack of reports on the subject. The
last report I could comfortably quote was $523 Billion on Fossil Fuels vs. $88
20
1505REW_20 20
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5/7/15 8:11 AM
The Big Question
on Renewables (International Energy Agency, 2011). Although the IMF [International Monetary Fund] puts it closer to $1.8 trillion on fossil fuels or 2.7
percent GDP. Due to the above, the perpetuation of NIMBYism and the resultant use of renewables as a political football.
Weronica Ekholm, Project Manager, wpd Scandinavia AB
In Sweden, there is a municipal veto against wind power, which means that
projects can be denied permission for any reason or existing cause. There
are no regulations regarding the timeline on this veto decision, and the veto
decision cannot be appealed! This is the most stupid and counterproductive
rule ever made, by a government with high ambitions for renewables.This is
the reason why so many groups spread misinformation (and lies) about wind
power impacts, because they are sometimes successful.And in Sweden there
is also a national version of EU-directive 92/43/EEG about protected species,
which says that if there is a risk that ONE single eagle can be hurt (note: NOT
population) by a turbine, you wont get permission. One bird can stop the production of 1 TWh of renewable electricity, how crazy can it get? These two
issues drain 90 percent of the positive energy to work with renewables in
Sweden.Its a miracle that anyone still loves this work!
1505REW_21 21
5/7/15 8:11 AM
The Big Question
Debotosh Mahato, Freelance Research Consultant, Rural Spark
First, villagers who need electricity sometimes lack patience. After conducting a feasibility study for village electrifcation I received many calls from villagers regarding the installation of a solar electrifcation grid who worried
that I was no longer focused on it because it wasnt happening fast enough.
Second, corrupt offcers from the customs department often stop our goods
and demand money. Third, sometimes the product is not delivered on a timely basis even after villagers have deposited money. Fourth, sometimes, even
in liaison with a government agency, low-quality product is provided and the
product will not work within one month.
Hanush Ravindran, Intern, SgurrEnergy
Countries irrespective of investments are dedicated to the theory of decarbonization as it is the sole requirement for sustainable growth. As every
system has a disadvantage, renewable energy generation systems have the
drawback over intermittency. Energy storage is the solution and government
policies have to be designed to promote the market and resolve the price distortion conditions for energy storage.
Sithembile Nyirenda, Regional Coordinator, Community Energy Malawi
It pains me a lot here in Malawi to see a tobacco farmer struggle for six
months to save enough money from farming in order to light up his/her home
just to end up buying fake products. Six months later, the battery is gone,
charge controller burnt, etc. This makes people believe that renewable energy
technologies are not part of the solution to their energy needs.
Amitava Sengupta, Independent Financial, Investment & Management Consultant, Kolkata, India
Even though associations like the CTI PFAN (Climate Technology Initiative Private Financing Advisory Network) and others are making a commendable effort educating manufacturers to prepare a successful business
plan for investors and fnanciers, fnancing options are still very limited.
Lack of third-party standard certifcations in many countries make buyers and fnancier skeptical of manufacturers claims. Sadly, the lack of standards also allows ordinary technology pushers to make tall claims, which
often fall fat soon after operations start, which then leaders to more skepticism. Reluctance of insurance companies to insure technology in most countries is another issue. If we recall, automobile sale in developing countries
sky-rocketed after viable and multiple fnance options became available to
buyers. We have to work hard toward creating viable fnancing options for
the renewable sector.
22
1505REW_22 22
MAY/JUNE 2015
To lend your voice to future discussions, email megc@pennwell.com for more details.
5/7/15 8:11 AM
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1505REW_23 23
5/7/15 8:11 AM
S O L A R A N D E N E RG Y S TO R AG E
Quantifying
Returns:
Does Energy Storage Coupled
with PV Offer Big Savings?
ANDREW BURGER, Contributor
Still in their infancy, battery-based intelligent storage

systems havent built up the performance track record
most banks and investors like to see when committing
capital to a new technology, project or company. However, a recently released National Renewable Ener-
Some commercial and industrial

facilities are betting that PV plus
smart energy storage solutions
will help them save money. But how
much savings is up for debate.
gy Laboratory (NREL) report by Jeremy Neubauer and
Mike Simpson investigates the economic returns of
grid-connected Li-ion battery-based energy storage systems with and without on-site solar power generation.
Peak Shaving to Lessen Utility Demand Charges

The ability to reduce utility peak-period demand
charges in states where time-varying rate (TVR)
structures have been enacted so-called peak
24
1505REW_24 24
MAY/JUNE 2015
5/7/15 8:11 AM
Sharps SmartStorage
Solution. Credit: Sharp.
1505REW_25 25
MAY/JUNE 2015
25
5/7/15 8:11 AM
S o l a r a n d E n E r g y S to r ag E
shaving is proving to be
a boon to pioneering smart
energy storage solution providers, as well as grid operators looking to reduce strains
on power grids. A small, but
growing group of advanced
energy storage system vendors from young, small
startups to large, well established power and electronics
companies are targeting
commercial and industrial
companies, school districts,
municipalities and other large
utility customers as they
look to expand and further
develop their systems and
businesses.
Peak power demand
has been rising faster than
demand for electricity at
other times of the day. That
rise has led utilities to steadily raise peak-power demand
charges, the charge they add
onto a utility bill that is based
on the highest peak electricity demand that the entity has had over a given time
frame. In some cases, utility demand charges have risen
to the point where they can
account for as much as 50
percent of a large electricity
users monthly bill.
However, recently developed advanced energy
storage solutions that are
installed behind the meter
on customer sites, employ
real-time predictive analytics
26
1505REW_26 26
MAY/JUNE 2015
Current demand charge (kW)
Midnight 6AM
9AM
Noon
3PM
6PM
9PM
Midnight
A typical facilitys electrical usage showing peaks in energy demand.

Credit: Sharp.
$ Saved
SmartStorage caps your
demand charge (kW)
Midnight 6AM
9AM
Noon
3PM
6PM
9PM Midnight
A typical facilitys electrical usage showing demand charges offset with

energy storage. Credit: Sharp.
$ Saved
SmartStorage caps your
demand charge (kW)
Solar energy
offset (kWh)
Midnight 6AM
9AM
Noon
3PM
Solar energy further

reduces your bill when
producing energy
on-site.
New energy
charge (kWh)
6PM
9PM Midnight
A typical facilitys electrical usage showing how energy storage plus solar
PV can further reduce electricity bills. Credit: Sharp.
and battery packs to intelligently store and discharge energy

in order to shave peak-power demand and optimize fnancial
returns to the end-user.
How much of a return can organizations expect? That answer
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1505REW_27 27
5/7/15 8:11 AM
is complicated by numerous
variables, including end-user
load profles, utility rate structures, the type, power-energy ratio and capacity of the
battery-based energy storage
solutions, and whether or not
on-site solar power generation
is included in the mix.
Green Charge Networks Li-ion

battery-based intelligent energy
Estimating Returns
In its latest report, Deployment of Behind-The-Meter
Energy Storage for Demand
Charge Reduction, NRELs
Neubauer and Simpson use
historical solar irradiance,
end-user demand profles
and TVR pricing from Southern California Edisons (SCE)
TOU-GS-2 option B rate structure from around April 2013
to take a stab at quantifying
expected returns.
The researchers said they
selected this structure for two
reasons: (1) its format is similar to many other demandcharge rate structures via
inclusion of continuously
active facility demand charges and additional time-sensitive demand charges, and (2)
the peak demands on record
are reset at the end of each
month (i.e., it uses a monthly
ratchet).
Their analysis is based
on installed costs for energy storage systems including the inverter of $300/kW
and $300/kWh, respectively;
28
1505REW_28 28
MAY/JUNE 2015
storage system. Credit: Green

Charge Networks.
acknowledging however that these

price levels may well be lower than
what is necessary to purchase suitable hardware today. They
point out that R&D efforts in battery and inverter costs target
price points even lower than these.
The results of their analysis showed that small, short-duration batteries [30-40 minutes] are most cost-effective regardless
of solar power levels, serving to reduce short load spikes on the
order of 2.5 percent of peak demand.
The researchers also found that the size and optimal operation of an energy storage system plays a large role in determining end-users payback periods and fnancial returns. The
peak demand reduction achievable with an energy storage system depends heavily on the shape of a facilitys load profle, so
the optimal confguration will be specifc to both the customer
and the amount of installed solar power capacity, Neubauer and
Simpson said.
They also noted little gains to the grid through these systems
and said that this highlights the need for modifed utility rate
structures or properly structured incentives.
While onsite PV does reduce overall energy costs, Neubauer and Simpson said, solar intermittency due to cloud cover
may cause the peak load and thereby demand charges to
remain unaffected.
This then makes demand charges an even larger fraction of
the remaining electricity costs. Adding controllable behind-themeter energy storage, however, can more predictably manage
building peak demand, in turn reducing electricity costs.
5/7/15 8:11 AM
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1505REW_29 29
5/7/15 8:11 AM
Field Trials Challenge Findings

Neubauer and Simpsons conclusion that shaving peak
electricity demand and reducing associated utility demand
charges provides large electricity users with incentive to
use energy storage is one that
Green Charge Networks a
provider of behind-the-meter
Li-ion-based energy storage
solutions reached several
years ago, company founder
and CEO Vic Shao said.
Shao echoed NRELs fnding that utility rate structures
and customer load profles
play large roles in determining the optimal size and confguration of, as well as the
returns generated by, energy storage solutions. He
explained that power-toenergy ratios (kW:kWh) are
extremely important in calculating optional confgurations:
Power to energy ratios loom
large in any calculation of the
optimal size/scale of a battery storage solution power
being the rate at which energy is used and energy being
the actual quantity. In turn,
utility rate schedules, and
TVR rates in particular, play
a defning role in setting the
basis for determining a given
systems optimal power-toenergy ratio, and hence size
or scale.
For example, in California, [utility demand charges]
30
1505REW_30 30
MAY/JUNE 2015
Median payback period (years)

12
10
Without With
PV
50% PV
240 min system
120 min system
60 min system
40 min system
30 min system
8
6
4
2
0.00
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
Battery energy scale factor
1.00
The payback period in years (y-axis) verses the energy ratio (x-axis) for 98
facilities that NREL analyzed in its report. The x-axis shows the percentage of
the max storage system size that would yield the max amount of peak load
shaving. Smaller system sizes show shorter payback times. Credit: NREL.
are centered around two-hour discharge cycles, so a system with

a 30kW:60kWh [or 1:2] power-to-energy ratio tends to afford the
optimal sizing and economics, Shao elaborated. But utility rate
structure in New York is based on four-hour discharge cycles,
so we tend to use a 1:4 power-to-energy ratio, he added.
Shao said Green Charge has found that energy storage coupled with a solar PV system adds to the benefts and enhances end-users overall returns. During any billing period it only
takes one instance of a solar inverter tripping or some other factor to cause a huge spike in an end-users demand profle, he
pointed out, which would wipe out all the demand-charge savings from solar for a month, and that happens more than you
might think, Shao continued. Having an energy storage system in place can sort of backfll those energy savings lost on the
solar side.
In our experience, it [solar PV] has been a strong plus. Solar
should reduce demand. However, it cannot guarantee demand
charge reduction; energy storage can provide that.
The biggest challenge for energy storage system vendors and
their customers is predicting future electricity demand, according to Carl Mansfeld, who heads up Sharp Electronics Corporations energy storage division. Sharp just recently introduced its
SmartStorage system for commercial and industrial facilities.
You cannot predict future loads, or PV production, per
5/7/15 8:11 AM
15-minute intervals perfectly, and small errors can make big differences, Mansfeld explained.
Neubauer and Simpsons conclusion that a 30-40 minute storage solution has the best payback is dependent on this assumption, Mansfeld said. If you ignore prediction error, that can
be true, he added but said that the 30-40-minute conclusion is
inaccurate. With that small a capacity, a system has to be sized
relatively small compared to a sites peak demand, so the probability of prediction errors being signifcant is relatively high. He
said that depending on specifc end-user load profles, storage
systems with 1-1/3 hour to 2-1/2 hour durations tend to be optimal. NREL researchers acknowledge that their study assumes
perfect forecasts. Economic sensitivity to forecast errors, while
not explored herein, could be high, as such errors could result
in commanding too little action from the battery system when
meter loads are over predicted, or in running out of battery
energy during peak load times when meter loads are under predicted, the report states.
Although theres no hard and fast rule, Sharp has found that
in general, properties and facilities that have a very high load
factor and relatively broad, fat peaks arent good candidates for
peak shaving through energy storage systems.
In addition, Mansfeld said that Neubauer and Simpsons conclusion of a three-year payback period, without incentives, for a
behind-the-meter energy storage solution is fairly low.
Maximize yields
without losing
a watt.
Sharp conducted more

than 18 months of feld-testing on its behind-the-meter
storage system. We fnd that
in many cases, payback periods can be in the 4-5 year
range. He noted, however, that payback periods and
ROIs can be quite variable,
and theyre also dependent
on the net impact of solar PV
generation if PV is installed.
Sharp has found installation of energy storage plus
solar PV shortens the payback
period, he added. What we
see with storage in general
is that you have to design the
system for a particular property. Solar narrows the peak,
so the residual work a storage
system has to do is less when
they are co-deployed. You
can downsize the storage to
achieve the same results.
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1505REW_31 31
MAY/JUNE 2015
31
5/7/15 8:11 AM
WIND
Making the Most

Energy from the
Wind
Better technology is allowing some wind farm operators
to get more out of their existing wind farms by completely
repowering the farm replacing old technology with new
or by conducting performance upgrades on their turbines.
JENNIFER RUNYON, Chief Editor
There is an old piece of wisdom that states: If it aint broke,

dont fx it. But some wind farm operators, especially in Germany and North America, are fnding that advice diffcult to
heed. Thats because technology improvements in turbines coupled with software analytics are revealing that signing up for a
performance upgrade could allow them to squeeze even more
wind energy and money out of existing wind farms.
Replacing Old Technology with New

According to the recently released Global Wind Report by
the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Repowering has
become a billion euro market. The report shows that in Germany 544 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 264 MW
were taken offine in 2014 and replaced by new turbines with
a capacity of 1000 MW. While repowering has not become a
very substantial market yet anywhere besides Germany, the
potential is huge, said Steve Sawyer, GWECs president and
CEO. Especially in places like California, Denmark, Germany,
even in India where a lot of the best wind sites are now occupied by, in some cases, comically ancient machines that look
like they belong in a museum, he said. Sawyer predicts there
will be much more action in the re-powering market in the
coming years.
32
1505REW_32 32
MAY/JUNE 2015
Performance Upgrades
It isnt only old technology
that is being upgraded, however, sometimes turbines that
have been in the feld for just
four or fve years are candidates for an upgrade.
Navigant Consultings Jesse
Broehl is one of the authors
of the recently released World
Wind Energy Market Update
2015 published by BTM
5/7/15 8:11 AM
The Vestas V100-1.8 MW turbines

at Macho Springs Wind Farm in New
Mexico, USA. Credit: Vestas.
Navigant. He explained that wind performance upgrades are a

recent development where major turbine vendors such as Vestas, Siemens, and GE (the number 1, 2 and 3 suppliers in 2014,
respectively) among others are looking for every opportunity
that they can to diversify their revenue stream and increase their
income beyond just turbine sales, he said. Broehl explained that
performance upgrades are taking place on relatively young turbines. He pointed to a deal in which EPD purchased GEs PowerUp package for 402 turbines spread out over 5 different wind
farms. Maybe those [turbines] are 4 or 5 years old. Probably in
that range, maybe even newer, he said.
Ken Siddall, Director of Service Technology Americas at
Siemens said that his company offers its modifcations

and upgrades packages on
turbines that are as little as
two years old. He explained
that upgrades span the entire
power curve. In low-wind
situations, weve got a reactive power offering. In the
ramp of the power curve, as
the wind speeds are coming
up, we offer a power-curve
1505REW_33 33
MAY/JUNE 2015
33
5/7/15 8:11 AM
WIND
With traditional maintenance,

[you would, for example] change
Annual installed capacity (Repowering)
the gear oil, he said, adding,
Annual installed capacity (New projects)
you could also do customizaAnnual dismantled capacity
tion of the car and thats what
(MW)
(MW)
were doing with performance
4,500
45,000
upgrades. Mildebrath said that
3,000
30,000
Vestas works with customers to
2,000
20,000
do anything it can to customize
1,000
10,000
and optimize the turbines that
0
0
are already installed in the feld.
92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14
Vestas performance upgrades
take
place after the compaDevelopment of the annual
ny, in partnership with the wind farm owner, has conducted a
installed and cumulative capacity
site specifc analysis of that turbine to make sure we understand
(MW) of land-based wind energy
which upgrade or upgrades would be best. Vestas offers a prodin Germany including repowering
uct suite called PowerPlus, which encompasses power upgrades,
and dismantling as of December
extended cutouts, and aerodynamic upgrades, said Mildebrath.
2014. Source: Platts Power Vision
Power upgrades and extended cutouts are most effective on high
2015. Credit: GWECs Global
wind sites, and aerodynamic upgrades have the most impact on
Wind Report.
low wind sites, he explained. To date, Vestas has sold PowerPlus
upgrades for more than 1,300 wind turbines less than a year
upgrade kit, at the top, at full
after its public launch.
winds, we can offer a power
Data collection and analysis of turbines in the feld is a big
boost to customers with cerpart of both Vestas and Siemens offerings. Its that data analtain turbine models, he said.
ysis that helps Siemens know when it is best for customers
Siemens also keeps customto entertain the idea of implementing these modernizations
ers informed about available
upgrades to its existing feet
Vestas (DK) 12.3%
of turbines. Every year or so
Siemens launches new turSiemens (DK) 9.9%
Others 28.2%
bines with new upgrades or
enhancements for improved
GE Wind (US) 9.1%
power performances and
Envision (PRC) 3.8%
as much as we can we try
Mingyang (PRC) 4.4%
Goldwind (PRC) 9.0%
to bring those back into the
Gamesa
(ES)
4.7%
existing feet thats already
Enercon (GE) 7.8%
United Power (PRC) 5.1%
out there, he explained.
Wille Mildebrath, ProdSuzlon Group (IND) 5.8%
uct Manager at Vestas likened
The Top 10 Wind Turbine Suppliers, World Markets in 2014. Credit:
power performance upgrades
to customization on a car.
Navigant Research.
OWTs (feeding-in)
34
1505REW_34 34
MAY/JUNE 2015
OWTs (feeding-in)
Cumulative capacity
(Repowering)
Cumulative capacity
(New projects)
5/7/15 8:11 AM
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1517 July 2015
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1505REW_35 35
5/7/15 8:11 AM
WIND
The offshore Wind Farm Horns

Rev in Denmark uses Siemens
turbines. Credit: Siemens.
and upgrades. The company is constantly monitoring its entire feet of turbines,
according to Siddall gathering terabytes of data from all
of our turbines onshore and
offshore.
Software plays a big role in
upgrades. Improving the software that controls the turbine is probably the largest part of these performance
upgrade packages, said Navigants Broel. He said that better algorithms are able to
improve how the turbine
operates and how it reacts to
the wind environment it is
experiencing.
Attractive Costs
Since the money to perform
an upgrade often comes from a wind farm owners O&M budget, rather than the capital expenditure budget, OEMs have made
doing them quite enticing. Vestas PowerPlus is basically free for
customers to install, said Mildebrath. The customer pays for the
additional energy produced through a revenue share arrangement that is worked out before the upgrade is installed.
GE has a similar arrangement, said Andy Holt, general manager for global projects/services, GE Renewable Energy. Our
customers pay very little upfront costs to implement our PowerUp
services platform, he
explained adding that
GE only profts if its
customers do. Siddall
said that Siemens has
a proft split arrangement where the company shares in any
increased revenue
they might get from
DinoTails can be installed
directly on the rotor
blades of existing
wind turbines.Credit:
Siemens.
36
1505REW_36 36
MAY/JUNE 2015
5/7/15 8:11 AM
WIND
the upgrades.
How much more revenue
are they going to get? That
is dependent on a lot of factors of course, including wind
conditions, which upgrade
was specifed, the site itself
etc. However, Siddal, Holt and
Mildebrath said that a 5 percent increase in annual energy production (AEP) is a good
target. Up to 5 percent AEP
increase is not uncommon,
said Mildebrath.
One Note of Caution?

With no upfront costs, performance upgrades seem to
offer what everyone wants: the opportunity to gain more revenue from an existing asset. However Navigants Broehl offers one
word of caution. Basically if you run your turbine harder then
there might be a compromise on its end-of-life use, he said. You
might be taking away years on the back end in order to get that
up-front increased performance. Broehl cautioned that a taxequity investor who plans to exit the deal after a certain rate of
return has been reached, say in 10 years, and a different organization that will own the wind farm once that investor has left,
may have differing fnancial motivations. Its a little bit like how
you might prefer to buy a used car from the retirees down the
street instead of from a college student, he said.
Nevertheless, most OEMs are committed to a long-term relationship with their customers. Siddall talked of the 10- and
15-year O&M contracts that Siemens makes with its customers. It
seems that any risk of prematurely wearing out a turbine could
be mitigated with the right kind of contract in place. We take a
long-term approach to this, Siddall said.
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1505REW_37 37
JUNE 28-JULY 2, 2015

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5/7/15 8:11 AM
dat
a
poi
nt s
STEADY
PROGRESS
TOWARDS EU 2020 GOALS
SHARE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN GROSS FINAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Canarias (ES)
50.8 65.9
Guadeloupe (FR)
20.3 50.8
Martinique (FR)
13.1 20.3
Guyane (FR)
10.1 13.1
Runion (FR)
1.9 10.1
Aores (PT)
0.2 1.9
Madeira (PT)
SHARE OF ENERGY FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES IN THE EU

20
Europe
2020 target
15
% of gross
fnal energy 10
consumption
5
0
04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
38
1505REW_38 38
MAY/JUNE 2015
2020
5/7/15 8:11 AM
The renewable energy share of energy consumption

reaches 15 percent in the EU.
The EU 2020 strategy set out
specifc renewable energy targets
for all 28 European Union (EU)
member states. While the goals
are different for each state, the
overall renewable energy target
for the EU is 20 percent of fnal

electricity from renewables by
2020. The latest fgures are out.
In 2013, the share of energy
from renewable sources in gross
fnal consumption of energy
SHARE OF ENERGY FROM RENEWABLES

IN EU MEMBER STATES (2013)
Sweden
Latvia
Finland
Austria
Denmark
Portugal
Estonia
Romania
Lithuania
Slovenia
Bulgaria
Croatia
Italy
Spain
EU
Greece
France
Germany
Czech Republic
Poland
Hungary
Slovakia
Cyprus
Belgium
Ireland
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Malta
Luxembourg*
2013
reached 15 percent in the EU,

compared with 8.3 percent in
2004, the frst year for which the
data is available. Three of the
member states have already
reached their goals.
Europe 2020 target
Sweden
Finland
Austria
France
Germany
Poland
Czech Republic
Denmark
Bulgaria
EU
Hungary
Slovakia
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Lithuania
Romania
United Kingdom
Belgium
Luxembourg*
Slovenia
Malta
Latvia
Croatia
Norway
Greece
Cyprus
Portugal
Spain
Estonia
TRANSPORT
TARGET GOAL
FURTHER AWAY
The EU 2020 strategy
also sets out a goal for
the use of biofuels in
the transportation
sector. Member states
have a target of using
10 percent biofuels in
transportation by 2020.
0
5
10
15
20
% of gross fnal energy consumption
10
20
30
40
50
% of gross fnal energy consumption
60
* Eurostat estimates
based on the national
data transmission
under Regulation (EC)
No 1099/2008 on
energy statistics.
ALL DATA AND INFORMATION CREDIT: Eurostat

1505REW_39 39
MAY/JUNE 2015
39
5/7/15 8:11 AM
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1505REW_40 40
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5/7/15 8:11 AM
G E OT H E R M A L
Is Japan the Next Boom

Market for the Geothermal
Energy Industry?
While many geothermal industry players have their eyes on
active development regions like East Africa or Indonesia,
Japan may actually be a quiet contender for the next hot spot.
MEG CICHON, Associate Editor
A Baseload Dilemma
As Japan continues to bounce back from the Fukushima

nuclear disaster in 2011, it has focused on renewable energy
to lessen its reliance on nuclear and carbon-heavy fossil fuels.
In just two years, Japan installed more than 11 gigawatts
(GW) of renewables, thanks in part to a generous feed-in tariff
(FIT) program established in 2012. While most of that development has been centered on solar, Japan has recently turned
toward its abundant reserves of geothermal energy, with the
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) expecting
380 to 850 MW of new installed geothermal capacity by 2030.
The 9.5-MW Matsukawa

Geothermal Power Station,
built in 1966, was one of
the first geothermal plants
in Japan.Credit: Wikipedia.
When Japan shut down its

nuclear capacity more than
29 percent of its baseload
power capacity was turned
off. As a result, many regions
have dealt with scheduled
blackouts.
According to a recent
report from Japans Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP), the
country must increase homegrown energy, rather than
rely on fossil-fuel imports.
The report calls for 25 percent more baseload power,
which is music to the geothermal industrys ears: the
industry has long touted its
baseload resource benefts.
Home to more than 100
active volcanoes, Japan holds
the third largest reserve of
geothermal potential in the
word at more than 23 GW.
Despite this huge potential,
there was less than 540 MW
of installed capacity before
the 2011 accident. This lag
may soon see an uptick.
1505REW_41 41
MAY/JUNE 2015
41
5/7/15 8:19 AM
G e ot h e r m a l
Policy Change
Geothermal development in Japan faced several barriers before
the Fukushima accident, according to Kasumi Yasukawa of the
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
(AIST). One major obstacle was due to, of all things, environmental considerations.
Nearly 80 percent of Japans geothermal resources are located
within national parks or protected hot springs, areas designated
as restricted zones with limits on the type and location of work
that can be done in them. Japan set a moratorium on geothermal production within these parks, with heavy restrictions even
on light research.
In 2012, the Ministry of the Environment relaxed the rules for
each zone, known as ordinary, special protection (SP) or special
class 1, 2 or 3 (S1, S2, or S3). In the past, surface surveys and
small-scale development was only allowed in ordinary zones.
Now, however, survey work is allowed in SP and S1 zones; smallscale development is allowed in S2 and S3 zones and large-scale
development is allowed in ordinary zones.
Keeping a balance between geothermal power and national parks has been a very big issue, said environment minister Goshi Hosono during a press conference when the new rules
were released. We plan to develop geothermal power in earnest
as the importance of renewable energy is increasing.
In 2012, the government also increased funding for geothermal exploratory drilling from $15 million to $90 million, according to AISTs Yasukawa. Exploratory drilling is considered the
most costly and risky aspect of a project and usually a deterrent
for many developers. It accounts for about 50 percent of geothermal costs. In addition to this funding, Japan set 15-year feed-in
tariff (FIT) prices for geothermal projects at 27.3 yen/kWh [US
$0.23/kWh] for projects 15 MW or larger, and 42 yen/kWh [US
$0.35/kWh] for projects less than 15 MW.
Increased Interest
These measures have brought new interest in geothermal development, leading to the inception of the Japan Geothermal Association (JGA), which today provides support for more than 50 companies that are stakeholders in the industry. Over the past year,
several companies have announced that they are starting exploratory research.
Tokyo-based fnancial services company Orix announced in late
42
1505REW_42 42
MAY/JUNE 2015
2014 that it plans to build as

many as 15 geothermal plants
within the next fve years.
The company plans to expedite this initiative by building
smaller scale plants of around
2 MW in capacity in order to
avoid costly and lengthy environmental assessments that
plants larger than 7 MW must
undergo. Orix also helped
develop the 2-MW Kumamoto geothermal plant built by
Chuo Electric Power in 2014. It
was Japans frst 1-MW+ geothermal project to go online
in 15 years. Chuo also plans
to build fve more small-scale
plants in the next fve years.
Other companies are working to improve the few established geothermal plants in
Japan. For example, Idemitsu Kosan Co. announced in
March that it would build a
5-MW binary project near
an existing 27.5-MW plant in
southern Japan. Binary plants
are able to take advantage of
lower-temp resources, and are
often used to enhance production at existing plants. Idemitsu plans for the plant to be
commissioned in 2017.
In addition to these smallscale developments, METI
said that exploratory operations are taking place in
more than 40 locations across
Japan, signaling an exciting time for the geothermal
industry.
5/7/15 8:19 AM
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1505REW_43 43
5/7/15 8:19 AM
the
he
project
Profling Stand-out
Renewable Energy
Projects Worldwide
Wanapam Dam Spillway Response

In February 2014 a fracture was discovered on the
upstream side of Wanapum
Dams spillway pier monolith No. 4 in Grant County
Washington, USA. The fracture ran the length of the
65-foot-wide structure and
was two inches tall at its widest spot. Following an extensive 11-week investigation
it was determined that a
mathematical error during
the pre-construction design
of Wanapum Dam (which was
constructed between 1959 and
1963) was the primary contributing factor to the fracture
developing on the dams spillway. Engineering consultants
worked to repair and reinforce the entire spillway and
in March 2015, the Grant PUD
began reflling the reservoir
back to its normal levels.
3.
1.
1: Anchor Tendon Spool

2: Wanapum Spillway
3: Crescent Bar Drawdown
4: Anchor Tendon Hole Sheath
5: Wanapum Dam Deck
6: Kittitas Boat Launch
7: Wanapum Dam Fish Ladder Flume
All images credit: Grant PUD.
44
1505REW_44 44
MAY/JUNE 2015
2.
4.
5/7/15 8:19 AM
5.
3.
6.
4.
7.
1505REW_45 45
MAY/JUNE 2015
45
5/7/15 8:19 AM
B I O E N E RG Y
Biomass Plant
Generates Electricity
and Opportunity for UK
Community
Te Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant, a straw-fred combined
heat and power plant in predominantly agricultural
Lincolnshire, UK, provides environmental, fnancial, and social
benefts to its community and to the country, strengthening
the ties between the power industry and those it serves.
JIM WECHSLER, Parsons Brinckerhof
The Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant (REP), a 38.5-MW strawfred biomass combined heat and power facility, exemplifes
the virtues of locally sourced power and the mutually benefcial relationship it creates between provider and customer.
The plant, located in Kirkby-la-Thorpe, near Sleaford, in
predominantly agricultural Lincolnshire, England, is owned
by Glennmont Partners and managed by Eco2 Ltd. It generates
enough power for 65,000 homes and will provide free heat and
hot water to fve local public buildings for 25 years under a
district energy scheme.
Project History
In May 2012, Parsons Brinckerhoff was appointed as the owners engineer of the 165 million [US $249 million] project with
responsibility for technical oversight of the EPC (engineer-procure-construct) contractor during the execution phase, including design review, site inspections, supervision of construction
and commissioning activities, and quality assurance.
The plant began exporting electricity to the UK national
46
1505REW_46 46
MAY/JUNE 2015
power grid in January 2014

and entered commercial service in September 2014.
How It Works
Sleaford REP is designed to
use wheat and barley straw,
by-products of grain production, as its principal fuel. The
plant consumes 1,000 bales
of straw per day at an average rate of one bale per minute. It will burn approximately 240,000 tons of straw
each year.
5/7/15 8:19 AM
The Sleaford Renewable Energy

Plant in Lincolnshire, England, uses
locally sourced straw to produce
electricity for 65,000 homes as well
as heat and hot water for five public
buildings under a district energy
scheme. Credit: Glennmont Partners.
The bulk of this straw is purchased during the seasonal harvest and stored off-site until it is needed. The plant maintains a
three-day supply of straw in a warehouse on the premises.
As fuel straw is consumed by the boiler, gantry cranes transfer a new layer of bales 12 at a time onto the main conveyor
system, which transfers them to one of four identical feeder lines.
Each line consists of three subsystems transport, dosing and
fuel feeding that work together to ensure that the fuel straw
supply to the boiler is constant and consistent. Maintaining a continuous rate of supply is essential to producing a reliable power
output, so the feeder lines are designed to adjust dynamically to
the variations of bales provided by the assorted suppliers.
The transport subsystem begins with a weighing conveyor, which measures the length, weight and moisture content of
each bale. These values are used to calculate the calorifc value
of the bale and the necessary

feed rate.
The bales then pass into
a sealed compartment with
interlocked gates at each end.
The entry and exit gates cannot be opened at the same
time. This chamber acts as a
fre safety mechanism, preventing possible fre spread
between the enclosed and
exposed sections of the conveyor system. A bale arriving
here is held until the preceding bale passes through the
1505REW_47 47
MAY/JUNE 2015
47
5/7/15 8:19 AM
B I O E N E RG Y
exit gate. From that point, a

supply conveyor transfers the
bale to the dosing subsystem.
The dosing subsystem controls the fow of fuel to the
feeding subsystem and, consequently, to the boiler. The
frst segment, the adjustment
conveyor, can detect gaps
between bales and compensate for them by accelerating a subsequent bale so that
it catches up to the prior
bale. Next, the dosing conveyor varies its speed according
to current fuel demand and
accounts for any adjustments
required based on the calculations taken at the weighing conveyor and the desired
plant electrical output.

The bale twines are then cut, and the straw is spread into a
continuous stream. This loose straw then falls by gravity down a
chute into the feeding subsystem, which consists of a twin-screw
stoker feeder. The variable speed screws rotate individually. The
rotation of the screws pushes the straw forward through a duct
that leads to the furnace grate. The duct is lined with sensors to
detect back burning within the feeding system.
As the stoker screws push the straw into the duct, the straw
itself acts as a plug to create an air seal. Isolation dampers before
and after the stoker screws allow the system to be shut off as
needed.
Burning straw in the boiler creates high-pressure steam,
which drives the rotor of a steam turbine at 5,500 rpm. The output of the generator is 11 kV at 50 Hz. The voltage is increased
to 132 KV at the step up transformer for transmission on the
national power grid. The spent steam is condensed, and returned
to the boiler for re-use.
The electrical output of the plant follows the boiler, said Parsons Brinckerhoffs Project Manager Tadhg OConnor. Ideally, the boiler should maintain
a constant pressure of 111 bar
(1600 psi). As the boiler pressure drops, the demand for
steam increases. The dosing
conveyor responds by increasing the feed rate and the combustion air.
Environmental Measures
The Sleaford REP air-cooled condenser system. Steam rises up the

branching steam ducts. As it cools and condenses, the water then drips
down a series of sloping narrow tubes and flows into the condensate
tank in the lower left corner of the image. Credit: Tadgh OConnor /
Parsons Brinckerhoff.
48
1505REW_48 48
MAY/JUNE 2015
Immediately exiting the boiler, the fue gas passes through

selective non-catalytic reduction treatment to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. Lime, in
powder form, is then precisely dosed to neutralize acids. The
fue gas is then fltered through
1,800 6-meter (20-foot) fabric flter bags to reduce particulate
emissions and capture the lighter fy ash. The induced draft fan
5/7/15 8:19 AM
B I O E N E RG Y
Straw from farms in Lincolnshire is burned in the Sleaford Renewable
Stoker screws in the feeding
Energy Plant. Most of the plants straw is sourced from within a
subsystem push the straw
50-kilometer (30-mile) radius of the plant, seen in the background.
into the boiler. Credit: Tadgh
Credit: Tadgh OConnor / Parsons Brinckerhoff.
OConnor / Parsons Brinckerhoff.
blows the clean fue gas through a 60-meter (180-foot) exhaust

stack to the atmosphere. The exhaust stack is ftted with a continuous emission monitoring system ensuring that faults do
not result in excessive harmful emissions. The exhaust stack is
also ftted with selective catalytic reduction to enable further
reduction of nitrogen oxides emissions should this be required
in the future.
Ash produced during the burn is recycled for revenue. Bottom
ash can be sold to the construction industry as aggregate, while
phosphate- and potassium-rich fy ash can be sold to local farmers to fertilize their crops.
The plant also captures some of the heat produced during the
generation of electricity and directs it to a district heating system. This type of closed system uses energy more effciently
saving an estimated 2 million [US $3 million] in energy costs
and releases less waste heat into the environment.
Such fuel purchases are

expected to pump about 5.6
million [US $8.5 million]
into the local economy on an
annual basis.
Glennmont has created a real synergy here, said
OConnor. The plant feeds
revenue to the local farmers by purchasing their
straw. Energy from straw
creates further diversity in
the energy market, reducing the dependency on fossil fuels. The burned straw,
in turn, produces recyclable byproducts like heat and
ash. Farmers can buy the
ash to fertilize their crops
for the next season, and then
the whole cycle starts over
Everybody wins.
Jim Wechsler is a technical editor with WSP | Parsons
Brinckerhoff.
Local Boon
Sleaford REP sources all of its straw from within an 80-kilometer
(50-mile) radius; most of it from fewer than 50 kilometers (30
miles) away. This proximity reduces both the operational cost
and the environmental toll of acquiring and transporting fuel to
the plant.
The arrangement also provides a boon to area farmers, who
have signed long-term contracts to provide straw to the plant.
50
1505REW_50 50
MAY/JUNE 2015
5/7/15 8:19 AM
FINANCE
Understanding the Yieldco

Structure for Renewable
Energy Project Finance
Securitization,
yieldcos and
other methods of
bundling assets are
giving renewable energy
project developers
greater access to capital.
GREGORY F. JENNER, EDWARD D.
EINOWSKI AND ADAM D. SCHURLE,
Contributors
In the 1950s, the federal government sought to boost home

ownership by increasing private lending. To this end, the
government facilitated mortgage lending by creating Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They provided liquidity to private
lenders by buying and holding mortgages, replenishing the
funds needed to make additional loans.
Renewable energy developers have a similar need to
replenish their capital to keep developing new projects.
While many developers have always sold some or all of their
projects to accomplish this, they have begun to focus on dedicated mini Fannie Maes in the form of yieldcos.
Renewable energy projects have been fnanced through a
combination of equity, debt
and tax-equity fnancings,
with the latter being used to
monetize federal tax credits that the developer cannot
use due to insuffcient tax
liability. Tax-equity fnancings range from 35 to 50
percent of the construction
cost of the project, with the
remaining funds contributed as equity by the developer, sometimes in combination with debt fnancing.
After initial fnancing and
construction, however, a
project generally does not
produce suffcient free cash
to allow the developer to
fund new projects. Consequently, developers seek an
1505REW_51 51
MAY/JUNE 2015
51
5/7/15 8:19 AM
Finance
exit opportunity that allows

them to replenish capital by
monetizing their remaining
project interests.
Residential Solar Market

Gains Access to Capital
through Securitization
For companies that develop residential solar facilities, securitization of power
purchase agreements (PPAs)
and lease agreements could
become the standard method
for replenishing capital. The
rooftop solar industry has
seen successful securitization
of solar leases, with SolarCity
bundling three pools of solar
asset-backed leases in the last
two years, raising more than
$200,000,000 from its third
pool. In addition, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has established a
Solar Access to Public Capital
working group to review solar
securitization and draft best
practice guidelines for installation, operations and maintenance of solar facilities. The
working group has released
model lease and PPA forms.
In addition to SolarCity,
other key developers in the
rooftop solar market are
exploring securitization.
Because of the volume of rooftop solar leases and PPAs
and the small size of individual installations, residential solar has gravitated to
52
1505REW_52 52
MAY/JUNE 2015
Solar on a residence. Credit: SolarCity.
standard forms and the work that NREL is doing helps continue
this process. It is possible that such securitization will become
the prevailing method for residential solar developers to replenish capital.
Standardization More Difcult for Large-scale

Renewable Development
On the other hand, large-scale renewable projects are not likely
to experience the same level of standardization due to the larger project size and the need to tailor projects and related documentation to the particular needs of the offtaking utility. Instead,
yieldcos are becoming a very effective way for utility-scale
developers to replenish capital.
A number of utility-scale developers have formed yieldcos. The
trend began in 2013 when NRG Energy formed NRG Yield. By
January 2015, public trading opened on other yieldcos, including Pattern Energy Group, NextEra Energy Partners, TerraForm
Power, and Abengoa Yield. More are reportedly coming, with
news indicating that First Solar and SunPower are in talks to
form a joint yieldco.
A yieldco is a growth-oriented publicly traded corporation
formed to hold operating assets that generate long-term, lowrisk cash fows. The cash fows are distributed to investors as
dividends. Corporate level tax is shielded in whole or in part
by the developers retained share of accelerated depreciation
5/7/15 8:19 AM
Finance
and, in some cases, tax credits, and may also be offset by interest deductions on project acquisition debt. Additionally, yieldcos tend to attract investors that may be tax indifferent, such as
tax-preferred pension plans.
Because the yieldco sponsor is a developer, yieldcos usually
have access to the developers project pipeline through a right of
frst refusal. This provides the developer with a ready repository for its completed projects to replenish its capital and gives the
yieldco the promise of growth.
Despite this attractive access to public markets, yieldcos will
not necessarily overtake other methods for developers of largescale renewable energy projects to obtain back-end fnancing.
Yieldcos have drawbacks, including the high cost of an IPO and
the need to keep acquiring projects to maintain cash fows and
stock value. NRG Yield recently proposed a stock split that was
driven partly by the need to raise capital for NRG Yield to obtain
more projects. This is a good reminder that because they are
publicly held, the public yieldco structure does not permit the
most nimble decision-making processes.
A Yieldco By Any Other Name

Other yieldco-like equity vehicles will continue to provide developers with viable capital raising options, without all the attendant challenges with yieldcos. For example, many private equity funds have entered the renewable energy project acquisition
market in recent years. These

funds tend not to develop
projects, but rather are made
up of fnancial investors who
purchase contracted projects that are nearly completed or ready for construction.
The funds investors tend to
be a limited number of large,
institutional investors.
Because these funds are
not publicly held companies,
they may prove to be more
fexible over time. They are
not forever investments like
a public yieldco where the
investors only out is to sell
stock. Rather, most have limited terms say 12 or 15
years. Thus, there is not the
same ongoing pressure to
keep generating new projects.
The investors have a limited commitment to invest a
stated amount over a stated

1505REW_53 53
MAY/JUNE 2015
53
5/7/15 8:19 AM
Finance
period, and once those investments are made, the fund

does not acquire more projects (though the fund and
its investors may amend
the fund to allow additional investments, or form a new
fund with all or some common investors). Furthermore,
as the investment and renewable energy markets change
over time, the funds can be
fexible in how they respond;
they can renegotiate arrangements with their limited
number of institutional investors in a manner that would
not be possible when dealing with thousands of public
yieldco shareholders.
The industry has also seen a growing number of developers bring in cash-equity investors (driven by a cash return, not
tax credits and depreciation) to take a portion of the developers
remaining interest after tax equity is in place. Such cash-equity investments may acquire an interest in a single project or a
portfolio of projects. For example, over the last few years Enel
Green Power North America has completed several such transactions where subsidiaries of GE took a cash equity position in wind
projects constructed by Enel. The benefts of this approach are
similar to those for funds: investments are limited in scope, relieving the pressure for continued development in changing markets,
and the number of investors is small and thus can provide greater
ability to deal with changes and problems as they arise.
Another yieldco-like vehicle is an entity formed to acquire a
particular developers projects with a discrete number of institutional investors. This is effectively a private yieldco where
no public stock offering is involved. It operates like a cash equity
investment, but can be more open-ended in duration and investment commitment. It has the benefts noted above for funds and
cash equity investments, but can be more fexible in terms of
structure than your typical fund (which is
structured to meet prevailing expectations
of investors, rather than being tailored to
the specifcs of a developers situation and
project opportunities).
Over the next few years, expect to see further evolution of these capital raising techniques. While we may see residential solar
developers gravitate toward securitization,
developers of large-scale renewable energy projects will continue to look to other
yieldco-like structures as a viable means of
raising capital.
Gregory F. Jenner is a partner in the
Washington, DC offce of Stoel Rives and is
co-chair of the frms energy team. Edward
D. Einowski is a partner in the Portland,
OR offce of Stoel Rives where he specializes in renewable energy project fnance
and development. Adam D. Schurle is a tax
associate in the Minneapolis, MN offce of
Wind Farm. Credit: Enel Green Power.
Stoel Rives.
54
1505REW_54 54
MAY/JUNE 2015
5/7/15 8:19 AM
Renewa ble Energ y

Tra ining Event s
Here is a sampling of training institutions that offer renewable energy educational events and certificate programs throughout the year.
Visit their websites to see specific dates, locations and topics offered. Many universities and community colleges also offer renewable energy training programs.
The Renewable Energy Mini-MBA

Green Power Conferences
Mexico City, Mexico
18-22 May
Solar PV Mastery Training
Kaplan Clean Tech Education
Arlington, TX, USA
18-23 May
Renewable Energy and Communication

TowerTechnician Program
Airstreams Renewables
Tehachapi, CA, USA
1 June 10 July
Design & Install Grid Connect

Photovoltaic Systems
Global Sustainable Energy Solutions
Sydney, Australia
10-12 June
Wind Turbine Design and Construction

Midwest Renewable Energy Association
Online
8-13 June
Solar PV Mastery Combo

everblue
Boston, MA, USA
15-19 June
If you would like your training event to considered for inclusion in this listing, please email REWNews@Pennwell.com subject line: Education and Training.
Product Showcase
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outlining the various requirements.
The leading global

magazine for renewable
energy professionals.
www.greenlancer.com
1505REW_55 55
MAY/JUNE 2015
55
5/7/15 9:18 AM
Abstract
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1505REW_56 56
5/7/15 8:19 AM
Renewa ble Energ y Wor ld C a lenda r 2015

Selected multi-day conferences, expos and events for the Renewable Energy Industry
AWEA WINDPOWER
18 - 21 May 2015
Orlando, FL, USA
W: www.windpowerexpo.org
Energy Storage
Association Annual
27 - 29 May 2015
Dallas, TX, USA
W: www.annual-conference.
energystorage.org
EWEA Technology
Workshop: Resource
Assessment 2015
2 - 3 June
Helsinki, Finland
W: www.ewea.org
European Biomass
Conference and
Exhibition (EUBCE)
1 - 4 June 2015
Vienna, Austria
W: www.eubce.com
Adver t iser s Index
Caspian International
Power and Alternative
Energy Exhibition
2 - 5 June 2015
Baku, Azerbaijan
W: www.caspianpower.
az/2015
Edison Electric Institutes
Annual Convention
7 - 10 June
New Orleans, LA, USA
W: www.eei.org
Renewable Energy
World Europe
9 - 11 June 2015
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
W: www.
renewableenergyworldeurope.com
POWER-GEN Europe
9 - 11 June 2015
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
W: www.
powergeneurope.com
Intersolar Europe
10 - 12 June 2015
Munich, Germany
W:www.intersolar.de/en
Asia Clean Energy Forum
15 - 19 June 2015
Manila, Philippines
W: www.
asiacleanenergyforum.org
Global Offshore Wind 2015
24 - 25 June 2015
London, UK
W:www.renewableuk.com
UK AD & Biogas Exhibition
1 - 2 July 2015
Birmingham, United Kingdom
W: http://adbioresources.
org/uk-ad-biogas-2015
Asia Pacific Conference
on Sustainable Energy
2 - 5 July 2015
Seoul, Korea
W: submit.confbay.com/
conf/apcseet2015
Energy Storage USA 2015

7 - 8 July 2015
San Diego, CA, USA
W: www.
energystorageupdate.
com/usa
International Conference
on Energy and Environment
Research (ICEER)
13 - 14 July 2015
Lisbon, Portugal
W:www.iceer.net
Intersolar North America
14 - 16 July 2015
San Francisco, CA, USA
W:www.intersolar.us
Hydrovision International
14 - 17 July 2015
Portland, OR, USA
W: Www.hydroevent.com
POWER-GEN Africa
15 - 17 July 2015
Cape Town, Republic
of South Africa
W:www.powergenafrica.com
For more information on the products and services found in this issue click here.
ABB Oy, Power Conversion31
Nuscale Power13
Solar Energy Trade Shows, LLC16
ASME37
Hydrovision InternationalCV1A
AWS Truepower LLC55
Power-Gen Middle East 201556
Solar Promotion
International GmbH2
Capstone Turbine Corp. 55
Power-Gen Africa 201535
Dresser RandCV2
Power-One Inc. 9
Greenlancer55
REW Asia 201523
Hammond Power Solutions21
Power-Gen & REW Europe 2015 21
Hytorc, Division Of Unex Corp. 53
REW North America 201519
MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH11
Shoals Technologies Group4
Surrette Battery Co. Ltd.19

Trojan Battery Company27
WIP15
Zayed Future Energy Prize21
The Adveritsers Index is published as a service. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.
1505REW_C3 3
MAY/JUNE 2015
57
5/7/15 8:20 AM
Last
the
WORD
Paint Your Way To More Efficient

Wind Turbine Production
Anders
Voldsgaard
Clausen is Group
Power Generation
Segment Manager at
Hempel, a coatings
supplier for the
decorative, protective,
and marine markets.
Anders has worked
with Hempel since
2011, and specializes
in positioning Hempel
and its products to
be the most optimal
fit when coating any
structure within the
power generation
segment including
wind power.
58
1505REW_C4 4
MAY/JUNE 2015
For the wind energy industry, the

ultimate goal remains reaching
a cost per kilowatt-hour that is
level with or below non-renewable
energy industries. A layer of paint,
although only microns thick, could
have a bigger role to play than
most people think.
Traditionally, onshore wind turbine producers have used a threecoat paint system, made up of a
primer, a mid-coat and a topcoat,
to protect the towers from corrosion and wear. But these systems
take between six and 12 hours
to dry. This makes them one of
the biggest causes of production
bottlenecks in the industry and
drains energy in drying halls.
Two-coat systems combine the
primer and mid-coat in one coating, and so use less paint, cause
less waste and release less VOC
into the environment. They also
dry up to 30 percent faster than
three-coat systems, which vastly reduces bottlenecks and significantly increases production
speeds.
For true coating efficiency, its
worth bearing in mind that a onesize-fits-all approach may not be
the most cost-efficient. The coating industry uses a five-step scale
to measure corrosive conditions,

with C5 being the most corrosive
environment. Onshore wind turbine tower producers tend to use
C5-classified coating systems,
depending on the site and local
needs, because these offer the
best anti-corrosive performance.
But this high level of protection
comes at a price and is rarely
needed.
Very few onshore wind towers are erected in locations classified above C3. The C5-classified
coating system is normally only
required for transport and erection, when the tower pieces are
potentially exposed to heavy
impacts. These bumps and bangs
tend to occur on the flanges the
overlapping sections at the end
of each tower piece and there
is a significant cost-saving to be
had by mixing and matching coating systems: using a C3-classified
coating system for the middle of
the tower pieces and a C5-classified system for the flanges.
These are just a few examples
of how coating systems can be
customized to suit specific needs.
It may be time that wind turbine
tower producers took a fresh look
at how they do their coatings.
5/7/15 8:20 AM

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