IKEA comes to us wind market with largest renewable energy investment so far

New Hampshire, USA-IKEA is at it again. In an effort, their goal to produce more renewable energy than it, until 2020 to reach consumed the retail giant announced yesterday that it has acquired the 98-MW-Hoopeston-wind farm in Illinois. Its first wind-project investment in the United States and the largest investment in renewable energy around the world marked this purchase. IKEA will have the wind park and American developers Apex clean energy will manage the project.

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Largest Texas wind power entry operator sets

The large operators of Texas reported this month a record for wind power generation.
Credit: Todd Spink

The electric reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), state the largest operators have achieved a new State record for wind power generation at the 10 wind power output 8.521 megawatts (MW), almost 26% workload currently represents, surpassing the current record of more than 150 MW. ERCOT manages the electrical flow of Texas 23 million customers in 85% of State electric consumers.

Almost 7,000 MW of new record include electricity from wind farms West Texas wind, followed by more than 1,100 MW of wind farm along the coast of Texas. ERCOT has more than 10,000 MW of wind power capacity with almost 21,000 MW of additional wind generation in the year under review for development. Completion of the high-voltage transmission projects until end of 2013 improved the ERCOT wind power to the metropolitan areas of West Texas moved ability where the grid demand. See the press release of ERCOT.

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One of World's Largest Wind Farms Starts Up in Oregon

The Shepherds Flat wind farm, one of the largest in the world, is now operating in Oregon.
Credit: Energy Department

Caithness Energy announced on September 22 that its Shepherds Flat Wind Farm in Oregon—one of the largest in the world—is now operational and generating up to 845 megawatts of electricity. The Energy Department supported the project with a $1.3 billion partial loan guarantee through the Recovery Act in 2010. The company said the project in the northeastern part of the state will generate enough electricity to power 235,000 U.S. homes.

Sponsored by Caithness and General Electric (GE) Energy Financial Services, the project consists of 338 GE 2.5xl turbines, which are being deployed for the first time in North America. The project's output is contracted through 20-year power purchase agreements with Southern California Edison. The project will eliminate nearly1,216,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, an amount equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from more than 212,000 passenger vehicles. See the Caithness press release and the October 13, 2010 edition of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy newsletter.

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Washington State Becomes the Largest Public Biodiesel Consumer

Washington State Ferries, owned and operated by the state transportation department, is the largest ferry service in the United States and third largest in the world. Twenty-two ferries transport 11 million passengers from the mainland and larger islands across Puget Sound each year at a cost of 18 million gallons of diesel fuel.

In 2009, Washington's transportation department concluded a five-year pilot program that determined biodiesel fuel blends—soy-based biodiesel blended with petroleum diesel—to be a viable fuel source for normal operations in any weather condition. Today, thanks to a $165,000 American Recovery Act and Reinvestment Act loan through the DOE State Energy Program, the ferries run on a blended biodiesel fuel that will prevent over 65 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the environment each year.

The pilot program proved the viability of the fuel, but there was still a kink in the biodiesel supply chain. Traditionally, the blending process needs to be performed in a specialized facility and then transported to customers, which is costly in time and resources. Instead, biodiesel producer Whole Energy Corporation installed a system with the State Energy Program loan to blend biodiesel with petroleum-based diesel on distribution trucks.

Using this method, the corporation has been able to deliver this biofuel blend to its customers at a competitive rate and keep the state-owned ferry service afloat with locally blended biofuel. Since making the cost-competitive upgrade, Whole Energy has also expanded its customer base to other ferry lines serving Puget Sound communities and also the Army Corps of Engineers. See the Energy Blog post.

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National Laboratory 'Flips Switch' on East Coast's Largest Solar Array

On November 18, the DOE Brookhaven National Laboratory "flipped the switch" on the largest solar photovoltaic array in the eastern United States. The 164,312 solar panels hosted at the lab in New York state—one of the largest solar farms built on federal property—will produce enough energy to power up to 4,500 homes.

The 32-megawatt Long Island Solar Farm Project, a collaborative project between the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and BP Solar International, Inc. (BP Solar), also boasts the smallest carbon footprint of any solar array with its amount of output. The use of a DOE site has helped attract investments from public and private sources, ensuring the economic success of the project and serving the nation's goal to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil.

"The result is a significant source of clean energy for Long Island, as well as a positive economic impact for the local workforce and businesses," said Mike Petrucci, CEO of BP Solar, noting that a true "team effort" contributed to the successful development and construction of the project. LIPA chief operating officer Michael D. Hervey said that the project will help New York state meet its goal of 30% renewable resources by 2015, in addition to the "creation of new, high-quality energy jobs." See the Energy Blog post.

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Repsol makes its largest oil find

Repsol has confirmed its biggest ever oil discovery following the first exploratory efforts in the Vaca Muerta formation in Argentina’s Neuquen province, one of the world’s largest non-conventional reservoirs.

The company has confirmed recoverable resources of 927 million barrels of oil equivalent of non-conventional hydrocarbons, of which 741 million are high quality oil (40-45? API), in an area of 428 km2 of the Loma La Lata Norte formation in the Neuquen province.

A total of 15 vertical wells were drilled, and they produced an initial 5,000 boepd of high quality shale oil.

Repsol YPF has also begun exploratory and production activities in another discovery, in a 502 km2 producing area in the same Vaca Muerta formation. The well is producing 400 boepd of high quality shale oil (35° API).

This new area has significant potential for large volumes to be developed in the future once the appropriate studies and preliminary work to determine resources is completed.

Until now, the company has concentrated its exploratory efforts for non-conventional resources on an area of Loma La Lata Norte. This 428 km2 area is part of the 12,000 km2 to which YPF owns rights in the Vaca Muerta area, site of one of the world’s largest (30.000 km2) and highest quality non-conventional resources.

Wood Mackenzie identified the Vaca Muerta shale as one of the best in the world in its “Unconventional Gas Service,” describing the formation as “excellent” after evaluating areas in Australia, China and various European countries.

The evaluation included the development of the hydrocarbons market, infrastructure, regulation, availability of water, fiscal terms, quality, comparative volume, potential for enhanced recovery and organisation of the supply chain.

Wood Mackenzie said in its report that YPF is the world’s second largest company in non-conventional acreage, with 3 million acres (12,000 km2) in the Vaca Muerta formation.

Repsol in December 2009 launched its “Exploratory Programme 2010-2014” which begun in the middle of 2010. One of its objectives was the creation of a non-conventional resources exploration plan.

Additionally to the reported 428 km2, studies are being carried out to quantify the additional resources in a new 502 km2 area, where results obtained so far allow the company to estimate similar potential to the aforementioned area.

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World's Largest Solar Power Plant Produces Power with Canadian Solar Modules

 Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ), one of the world's largest solar companies, today announced that it has supplied 636,000 solar modules for the world's largest solar complex in southern Brandenburg, Germany. Canadian Solar provided 148 MW of the system's total 166 MW to its two partners, saferay and GP JOULE. A portion of the system's core output, approximately 78 MW, was implemented by saferay.  The system will be able to produce enough green energy for the usage needs of approximately 50,000 homes. The park was opened by Prime Minister Matthias Platzeck on September 24. The inauguration ceremony was held on the premises of the Senftenberg II/III solar power plant.  

In his speech, Prime Minister Platzeck thanked the companies involved and said: "Large solar plants, like the Senftenberg and Schipkau installations, play a key role in Germany's energy supply and help accelerate the aspired energy change. Compared to other German states, Brandenburg has a leading position in supporting and promoting renewable energies, earning the state the 'Best State for Renewable Energies' award. This latest solar power plant is another example of Germany being ideally suitable for projects of this dimension, an opinion shared by Andreas Fredrich, Senftenberg's mayor: "Thanks to the large number of former surface mining sites and developed energy grids, our region is a perfect location for large-scale photovoltaic systems."

The Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar, Dr. Shawn Qu, noted another key point for many communities: "Cities and communities not only profit from the positive environmental impact, they also receive trade tax income from the solar parks – or receive the feed-in tariffs when they operate the parks themselves. In addition, projects like this one also have a positive impact on the local economy. Most construction and operation contracts are awarded to local companies. Therefore, we are happy to have made our contribution to Brandenburg's economic development."

The Senftenberg II/III system was built on 200 hectares of the former Meuro surface mining plant in three months.  The premises are property of the Agrargenossenschaft Grossraeschen eG coop. providing space for 330,000 crystalline solar modules.  "With the Senftenberg project, we show that large-scale photovoltaic systems are faster to develop and build than any other type of power plant. Even today, in a country with fewer sun hours like Germany, we can produce energy cheaper than offshore wind power systems, for instance," said Dr. Marko Schulz, CEO of saferay GmbH. The project's investment frame of approximately 150 million Euros was provided by three German banks. Saferay holds two thirds of investments and operations.

The solar park development effort was initiated by Berlin-based project development company unlimited energy GmbH.  Besides establishing the required legal framework, unlimited energy focused on environmental protection in the plant's design. Torsten Kasch, Managing Director of unlimited energy GmbH, added: "We have established a total of 24 hectares just for the larks alone, outside the PV system. Moreover, the PV module rows are embedded into splendid wind protection belts and green belts that can become a welcoming habitat for birds and other species. Also, in the concept design for area maintenance, there is a strong focus on the protection of plants and animals."

About saferay GmbH

The saferay company, with headquarters in Berlin Berliner, is leading in the fast and cost-efficient construction of large-scale solar systems. Safeway builds and finances power plants primarily operated by themselves in order to take an active role in the design of future energy concepts in the world's largest energy markets. The team boasts an experience of more than 350 MW of power plant capacity.

About unlimited energy GmbH

The unlimited energy GmbH is a project developer in the field of renewable energies, in particular solar and wind energy. The company, with headquarters in Berlin, specializes in the special requirements on large-scale projects and already successfully developed solar parks and wind parks with several hundreds of Megawatts since its foundation. Besides the German key market, unlimited energy GmbH is mainly active in Bulgaria in the development or renewable energies.

About Canadian Solar

Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) is one of the world's largest solar companies. As a leading vertically integrated provider of ingot, wafer, solar cell, solar module and other solar applications, Canadian Solar designs, manufactures and delivers solar products and solar system solutions for on-grid and off-grid use to customers worldwide. With operations in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, Canadian Solar provides premium quality, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solar solutions to support global, sustainable development. For more information, please visit www.canadiansolar.com.

Safe Harbor/Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements are made under the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by such terms as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include the risks regarding the previously disclosed SEC investigation, as well as general business and economic conditions and the state of the solar industry; governmental support for the deployment of solar power; future available supplies of high-purity silicon; demand for end-use products by consumers and inventory levels of such products in the supply chain; changes in demand from significant customers; changes in demand from major markets such as Germany; changes in customer order patterns; changes in product mix; capacity utilization; level of competition; pricing pressure and declines in average selling prices; delays in new product introduction; continued success in technological innovations and delivery of products with the features customers demand; shortage in supply of materials or capacity requirements; availability of financing; exchange rate fluctuations; litigation and other risks as described in the Company's SEC filings, including its annual report on Form 20-F filed on May 17, 2011. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance, or achievements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All information provided in this press release is as of today's date, unless otherwise stated, and Canadian Solar undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE Canadian Solar Inc.

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