Energy Digital magazine - May 2016

www.energydigital.com | May 2016

TOP 10 sustainable companies

The future of wind power

VISION BACKED BY

EXPERIENCE We take a look inside Mpower’s vision to build the next wave of energy solutions, products and power systems

EDITOR’S COMMENT

IN THIS ISSUE

Sustainable success W E L C O M E T O M AY ’ S E D I T I O N

of Energy Digital. In this issue we will be looking at the Solar Summit, which is taking place in Arizona this month. The two-day summit, presented by Green Tech Media and its consulting arm GTM Research, aims to address the current needs of the solar energy industry. Another renewable energy source is also covered, in our feature on the power of wind, looking at what can be done to increase our use of wind energy to generate electricity. Then, we are analysing the top 10 global sustainable companies, according to research by Toronto-based Corporate Knights, so turn to page 22 to find out who ranked this year – and why.

As ever, please send any comments to us @EnergyDigital

Lucy Dixon Managing Editor EMEA lucy.dixon@bizclikmedia.com

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CONTENTS

Features

R E N E WA B L E S

14

The future of wind power

Innovation

6

2016 Solar Summit overview

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May 2016

TOP 10

22

World’s top sustainable companies

Company Profiles

52

AUSTRALIA MPower

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BRAZIL ALSOL Energias Renovรกveis

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I N N O VAT I O N

2016 Solar Summit overview  The Solar Summit is a conference where authorities in the industry share findings and create opportunity as a result WRIT TEN BY: ENERGY DIGITAL STAFF

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I N N O VAT I O N THE NINTH ANNUAL Solar Summit is scheduled to be held at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia in Paradise Valley, Arizona on May 11-12, 2016. The two-day summit, presented by Green Tech Media and its consulting arm GTM Research, aims to address the current needs of the solar energy industry. It also strives to create business opportunities with solar power’s technological achievements and evolution, share and analyse data from research, and provide unmatched networking to attendees seeking opportunities within the exciting field of solar energy.

Benefits of attendance GTM and the summit’s speakers have harnessed the power of data to discover what the market needs and how to contend with regulatory, political, and market risks to meet these alternative energy needs and help solar technology continue to evolve. Attendees can expect to reap the following benefits: The hub for networking with green tech thought leaders Over 20 presentations, panels, and interviews by highly accomplished executives, engineers, and innovators 8

May 2016

Resources for residential, commercial, and utility solar developers The opportunity to network with over 500 industry professionals from around the world Connecting with sponsors, supporting organisations, and media partners Speakers Over 150 speakers from all facets

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of the energy and green tech industries will be presenting at the 2016 Solar Summit. Prominent energy professionals and executives will be conducting keynote interviews and speeches as well as specialized panel tracks. This year’s featured speakers include: • Tom Werner, President & CEO, SunPower • Ken Zagzebski, President, AES

• Bill Magness, CEO, ERCOT • Trevor Houser, Energy Policy Advisor to Hillary For America • Alta Yen, Managing Director of Investment Strategy, GE Energy Financial Services • Stefan Kratz, Vice President of Energy Technology, Sungevity • Matthew Sachs, Vice President of Distributed Energy, National Grid • Convention Tracks On the first day of the summit, 9

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there are two different tracks that attendees can choose from after lunch. Both tracks feature one fireside chat and three half-hour talks by leading industry players.

The “Balance of Systems in Focus” track focuses on increasing the efficiency of solar energy systems in various capacities and increasing their reliability. The “Getting Solar Deals Done” track is centered around procuring funding, tax benefits, and successful management of 10

May 2016

solar projects. Afternoon tracks include “The Future of Solar Power Electronics,” which aims to educate attendees on the latest innovations in PV inverters and distributed solar, while the “Evolution of the PV Module” track focuses on both the technological advancements and marketing opportunities for the latest PV modules.

The second day of the summit will be dedicated to the future of the solar industry in the U.S. and achieving

HEADLINE

growth in commercial and utility solar power. Briefings will be on the U.S. and global energy markets, an hour of speed networking, and a recap of the conference sponsored by the GTM Research roundtable.

Presentations and keynote Industry leaders and visionaries will be presenting a myriad of research findings, innovations, and debates on the future of solar energy in the different tracks as well as the general

and sponsored presentations on both days. Over 20 sessions have been scheduled in various aspects of business and technology pertaining to solar power. The entire agenda can be see on the Solar Summit 2016 website, including: Next Generation PV Module Technology Presented by Jinko Solar, DSM, and Boviet Solar USA, this panel will focus on evolutions coming to PV modules and what the future holds for them.

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I N N O VAT I O N

“In addition to RedBalloon’s immense success, Redii has nearly reached the same level of prosperity as it attracted nearly 25,000 users before even officially launching in October.”

Finding Growth for Commercial Solar This presentation aims to address challenges in finding commercial opportunities for solar energy.

The Anatomy of Successful Projects - Avoiding Project Pitfalls Project management is a challenging endeavor and solar power projects face even more complications on the regulatory and market fronts.

Talent from Sol Systems, Borrego Solar, and Wiser Capital will discuss the pitfalls in funding, management, and development of solar projects.

Sponsors and partners Green Tech Media is proud to have achieved alliances with several solar energy industry leaders, and Folsom Labs is the summit’s event partner for 2016. Folsom Labs offers

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development solutions for advanced PV system design that integrates system layout and performance modeling to facilitate the engineering and sale of solar projects, with HelioScope being used by hundreds of leading engineers and developers.

The platinum sponsor SunGrow is the world’s second-largest PV inverter manufacturer, celebrating almost 20 years in business as a leading provider of PV inverters for commercial and utility projects with offices in San Francisco and Toronto.

The 2016 Solar Summit is also being sponsored by 32 other sponsors, including Huawei, Solis Inverters, SunLink, AP Systems, the Center for Sustainable Energy and others.

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R E N E WA B L E S

The future of wind power Harnessing the power of the wind is within the energy industry’s grasp. We review some of the obstacles and opportunities rolling in over the next few years Writ t e n by: E N E R GY D I G ITA L STA F F

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R E N E WA B L E S AS PERHAPS THE most inexpensive alternative energy with practical implications, wind power is an exciting concept for the future of how to utilise the earth’s resources.

The transition away from fossil fuels and less efficient forms of energy has already begun. Here are some of the highlights of the current state of wind power technology and where it may go in the future.

The cost of wind energy Many obstacles in the transition to alternative energy sources are more political and economic than they are technical. The first hurdle the future of wind power must overcome is winning the discussion of cost.

Although wind is the least expensive alternative energy source available, detractors of the technology argue that infrastructure is still more expensive than traditional energy sources. A large part of this cost comes from the massive wind turbines that most wind farms use to collect and harness the energy; however, there are improvements in the technology that are reducing the cost and completely removing the need for the huge hardware.

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From Japan comes the LoopWing, a type of turbine that incorporates looped blades into the turbine instead of traditional spinning blades. The looped version is also quieter and safer with less energy required initially to turn them on. The Mixer Ejector Wind Turbine (MEWT) is another improvement that creates a low pressure air space that draws wind into a traditional turbine, generating more energy than the

HEADLINE

turbine could generate on its own.

The technologies mentioned above have yet to be introduced into mainstream wind turbine technology, and politicians who are against alternative energy are using old cost measures to claim that wind energy generation is still more expensive.

Currently, the wind energy that is used is often subsidised in tariffs.

Detractors of alternative energy policy also argue that wind is by its

very nature intermittent, giving at best huge swings in the output of wind energy factories. Neither of these arguments really holds weight in the face of the huge tech updates that have recently come to light.

Grid operators Wind energy grids are beginning to take hold in larger wind turbine factories. These grids have the ability to conserve energy at high points 17

R E N E WA B L E S

of intake in order to subsidise lower points of intake later on, much like the traditional energy grid. Large-scale grids now have the ability to integrate a penetration rate of up to 20 percent without any problems whatsoever.

As smaller wind turbine factories become more stable, they can also be joined together in interconnected groups over larger land areas. This larger amount of hardware gives its own subsidy to the total energy across 18

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the area, guaranteeing a minimum amount of power no matter what.

Researchers at Brown University are also studying how to incorporate batteries into these large systems for increased electric energy storage.

One idea that is being tested in Opelika, Alabama and other tech savvy cities around the United States is mounted turbines above interstate highways. These turbines harness the power of traveling

this foray into the next generation of energy transmission, with its R&D reportedly focusing $5 million into the very early stages of research.

cars, feeding a naturally occurring source of energy into larger grids.

The personal turbine Other research groups are trying to determine how to incorporate the turbine into the personal life of individuals. Just as solar panels are now a viable energy source for housing, personal wind turbines are already charging smart phones and tablets. Apple is helping to lead

Government backing The United States government is hunting for the most viable wind turbine use. The US Department of Energy has created a full subdivision known as the Wind Program that identified many key elements of current progress and future hopes for wind energy. The Wind Vision Report found that wind power capacity has tripled since the year 2008, and the report states that wind has the potential to provide up to 35 percent of the total energy used in the nation by 2050.

Economics will certainly lead the train of support that is slowly finding its way into the wind industry. As jobs are created from wind, more politicians will be forced to accept its merits. The Wind Vision Report states that wind has the ability to support over 600,000 jobs in all 50 states by the year 2050. It will also save energy consumers across the nation up to $280 billion by the same year while reducing pollution and 19

R E N E WA B L E S

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preserving precious water resources.

Finally, the wind industry has the potential to increase tax revenue by $3.2 billion per year because of property tax and land leasing.

Other nations are following the lead of the US. Denmark has already begun to look heavily into wind, enough that its current efforts have produced 122 percent of the country’s needs for total energy. By 2020, the country plans to have 1,000 hours per year of surplus energy at its disposal.

The next step The transition to energy that is clean and clear is already underway, and there is virtually nothing to stop it, save the short term interests of politicians and special interests. The resources of the earth, the citizens of the world, and all of the statistics of research scientists have all placed themselves firmly in the corner of wind energy.

The question is not whether wind will play a vital part in the energy needs of the future; the real question is, when will everyone finally give in to the inevitable conclusion that there are better solutions available?

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TOP 10

World’s

SUSTAINABLE

Energy Digital takes a look at the global corporations an Companies, as compiled by Toronto-based media comp 100 companies are getting the most out of their capital, use of resources. Those seen here are achieving top pe

Corporate Knights (CK) is a media, research and financial information products company base social, economic and ecological costs and benefits, and market participants are clearly aware

’s top 10

LE COMPANIES

nd brands who ranked in the World’s Most Sustainable pany Corporate Knights. Each year, it determines which maximising employee performance, and making careful erformance - we have highlighted the top 10 from the list

ed in Toronto, Canada, focused on promoting an economic system where prices fully incorporate re of the consequences of their actions. The company calls such as system "clean capitalism."

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TOP 10

10 City Developments Limited Real estate company City Developments Limited (CDL) came in tenth in the rankings.

CDL is the first and only Singapore company to be listed on the ranking for seven consecutive years. It first appeared at 81st place on the list in 2010, and moved up to 34th place in 2015.

City Developments Limited (CDL) is a Singapore-listed international real estate operating company with a global presence spanning 94 locations in 26 countries. As one of Singapore’s largest companies by market capitalisation, its income-stable and geographically-diversified portfolio comprises residences, offices, hotels, serviced apartments, integrated developments and shopping malls, totalling over 18 million square feet of floor area globally.

Chief Executive Officer Grant Kelley says: “We are focused on sustainable development and have helped to green Singapore with more than 80 Green Mark buildings.

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09 RB - Reckitt Benckiser Group RB (formerly Reckitt Benckiser), a global company that operates in more than 60 countries, now ranks ninth in the Corporate Knights’ listing.

In 2012 RB launched its global sustainability strategy, betterbusiness, which includes four big goals to be achieved by 2020; 1/3 less carbon footprint & water impact; 1/3 net revenue from more sustainable products; reach more than 200 million people to improve their health and hygiene behaviour; and partner with Save the Children to ‘Save a Child Every Minute’.

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TOP 10

08 STARHUB

StarHub was named eighth most sustainable company and also ranked as the most sustainable organisation in Singapore.

StarHub is a fully integrated info-communications company providing a wide range of services for TV, mobile, internet and other platforms in Singapore.

Mr Tan Tong Hai, Chief Executive Officer of StarHub, says: “It is an honour for us to be ranked as the eighth most sustainable company in the world. I am very happy that our efforts to create a sustainable future and to deliver long term value for our stakeholders are recognised. It has always been important to us to do what is right for the business, community and the environment. Our efforts are ongoing, and we will continue to work hard in our sustainability efforts.�

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07 Danske Bank

Danske Bank achieved seventh place in the list. Danske Bank is a Nordic universal bank, headquartered in Copenhagen, offering a full range of banking services.

Measured by total assets, the Danske Bank Group is the largest financial enterprise in Denmark and one of the largest players in northern Europe.

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TOP 10

06 Enagás

Enagás has managed to reach sixth position of the 2016 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World.

Enagás is Spain’s leading natural gas transmission company and technical manager of the country’s gas system. It has around 11,000 km of gas pipelines, three underground storage facilities in Serrablo (Huesca), Gaviota (Vizcaya) and Yela (Guadalajara) and four regasification plants in Barcelona, Huelva, Cartagena and Gijón. It also owns 50 percent of the BBG regasification plant in Bilbao, 30 percent of the regasification plant in Sagunto and 100 percent of Gascan, a company constructing two regasification plants in the Canary Islands.

Sustainability is one of the four strategic pillars of Enagás. The company also boasts a presence on the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI).

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05 Adidas

Adidas, the second-largest sportswear manufacturer in the world, which clocked in at number three last year, came in at number five this year (Its biggest competitor, Nike, did not make the list.)

Adidas is a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures sports clothing and accessories based in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the holding company for the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok, Taylor Made - Adidas golf and Rockport.

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TOP 10

04 Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Commonwealth Bank has been named the most sustainable company in Australia, as well as the most sustainable bank in the world. It is Australia’s leading bank, offering a full suite of financial products and services. Kylie Macfarlane, General Manager, Corporate Responsibility, Commonwealth Bank says: “This diverse scorecard approach to sustainable business practices is valuable in that it ensures every part of the way we do business is considered.

“This includes everything from our achievement of 35 percent women in senior management ranks to a new target to have 40 percent by 2020; to reducing our energy consumption; as well as ensuring that we have industry-leading and transparent reporting around a range of indicators such as tax paid, superannuation fund status and carbon emissions.”

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03 Outotec

Outotec has been ranked for the second time the world`s third most sustainable company on the Global 100 Index. As the global leader in minerals and metals processing technology, Outotec has developed many breakthrough technologies over the decades. The company also provides innovative solutions for industrial water treatment, the utilisation of alternative energy sources and the chemical industry. “We are extremely happy about our third place on the Global 100 list which recognises Outotec`s continued efforts to enable sustainable use of natural resources. We work hard to reduce the environmental impact of our customers` operations through resource efficient and cleaner processing technologies and services as well as solutions for waste-to-energy, industrial water management, recycling and reprocessing of tailings and effluents,� says Pertti Korhonen, CEO of Outotec.

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TOP 10

02 Dassault Systèmes

For the fifth consecutive year, Dassault Systèmes has made the list and is also now the highest ranked technology company on the list. Dassault Systèmes provides business and people with 3D experiences to imagine sustainable innovations capable of harmonising product, nature and life. Sustainability is at the heart of all company activities—from its industry sectors to research and development, site management and human resources.

In a statement about its commitment to sustainability the 32 May 2016

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company says: “A leader in sustainable innovation, Dassault Systèmes delivers digital technologies, which have helped companies make headway in areas such as energy transition, sustainable mobility, and in the creation of intelligent cities designed to satisfy the evolving needs of the urban citizen. … In the face of dire statistics, repeated climate warnings and dying ecosystems, it is encouraging to know that ground-breaking and promising alternatives, which can save our ailing planet, exist.”

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01 BMW

BMW won the top spot thanks to a strong performance in areas such as energy and resource efficiency, as well as waste minimisation. It also won praise for its transparent approach to paying taxes, its high investment in innovation, low employee turnover, and a small disparity between the pay of top management and average workers.

In a statement, Harald Krüger, chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, says: “Sustainability is part of our identity. We have accomplished a great deal and set ourselves further goals for the future. Of course, winning ratings and rankings is not our main priority – but it shows that our activities continue to have an impact and that we are on the right track.”

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VISION BACKED BY EXPERIENCE We take a look inside the company’s vision to build the next wave of energy solutions, products and power systems Written by: Robert Spence Produced by: Vince Kielty 37

MPOWER

H

aving dominated the distributed power generation and emergency power markets for many years, MPower is now building Australia’s renewable future.

The expertise and alliances developed over many years have positioned MPower well to tackle emerging markets within the renewable energy sector.

IN A NUT SHELL MPower has grown from small but diversified beginnings to become a multi-faceted group with various businesses within different niches of the power industry.

“If you look at everything we do, everything is about distributed power,” said MPower Managing Director Anthony Csillag. “We take a lot of pride in where we come from, and it’s exciting to see the scope of projects we’ve been able to lead, with a very interesting and bright future ahead.”

MPower specialises in three distinct segments; solar power, energy storage, and sophisticated power systems for the oil and gas and mining industries.

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Yungngora Solar Plant

SOL AR POWER MPower builds solar farms from small remotes communities through to megawatt (MW) scale projects.

MPower’s vertical integration of the solar industry includes project development, engineering, procurement and construction

AUSTRALIA

(EPC) through to operations and maintenance for the life of the power-generating asset. Its scale of vertical integration has proven beneficial to many of its clients.

Having completed a 1.7MW solar farm for Rio Tinto, MPower is nearing completion of a 5MW solar

farm in Samoa for Solar for Samoa.

E N E R GY S T O R AG E MPower has led the energy storage revolution in Australia.

Its defining moment was solving the problems associated with maximising the amount of solar w w w . m p o w e r. c o m . a u

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MPOWER power that could be integrated into remote indigenous communities to reduce fossil fuel consumption.

MPower’s solution was to support the solar power with stored energy through periods of cloud cover. The solar power became more stable and predictable facilitating larger amounts of solar power as an overall percentage of the off grid power plant.

Utilising this patented remote community technology, MPower solved problems in the residential

energy market segment with its residential energy storage units (RES); the results of which have now been published by AusNet Services.

By storing energy generated from solar panels MPower can essentially time shift when solar power is used, even at night.

MPower recently completed and commissioned a large scale lithium-ion energy storage system for the University of Queensland Gatton Campus. The University’s research will essentially stress test

LIFE CYCLE COST REDUCTION - ENERGY MANAGEMENT - CONTAINERISED POWER SOLUTIONS Established in 2001 Energy Contracts has developed and designed leading edge containerised substation solutions for the resources and power distribution sector.

Energy Storage - Solar Inverter Switchrooms - Temporary Power

www.energycontracts.co.nz

Telephone: +64 (9) 415 3311

10 Omega St, Albany, 0632, Auckland, New Zealand

CONSTRUCTION

University of Queensland - Inside Energy Storage Unit

the advances in lithium-ion battery technology in preparation for the full scale commercialisation of large scale energy storage.

P OWE R SYSTE M S MPower’s founding core capability of distributed power and emergency power in the commercial sector has enabled it to tackle the more critical and technically advanced oil and gas and mining markets. Oil and

Gas operations emergency power systems can best be defined under a famous NASA quote “Failure is not an option.” In recent years MPower has provided emergency power packaged solutions to the likes of Woodside for its NR2 Project, Chevron for its Barrow Island Project and to INPEX for its current Ichthys projects.

To understand how and why MPower is in the market segments w w w . m p o w e r. c o m . a u

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Inpex Engineers

AUSTRALIA

it is today, it is important to understand the beginnings where its ASX listed parent TAG made strategic synergistic acquisitions.

One of the strategic acquisitions was Westpower Rectifiers which specialised in Direct Current (DC) applications, the acquisition to supplement its own battery distribution business. The use of DC was in decline due to the evolution of Alternating Current (AC) inverter technology, primarily used in variable speed control and UPS Power systems. With this decline DC applications were predominantly DC traction for rail, battery chargers and high current rectifiers used in water purification and electrowinning metal recovery applications. The DC expertise in the market declined; however, MPower continued in these and other unique DC markets growing its expertise.

Solar power Photo Voltaic (PV) technology produces DC power, MPower was thus well positioned to meet the needs of the PV market and develop advanced technologies. These

technologies included its patented grid stabilisation system (GSS) introduced earlier. The GSS is being used in remote communities to maximise the amount of PV embedded in local off grid power systems by compensating for power dips associated with cloud cover. This same technology was used to develop its residential energy storage (RES) unit being successfully trialed in the AusNet Services network.

Advancements and developments continue such as its current project for the Karratha Airport on grid solar farm. MPower is providing a solution for the smooth ramp w w w . m p o w e r. c o m . a u

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C O M PA N Y N A M E

DESIGNED AND BUILT ONE “ WE OF THE HIGHEST DENSITY DIESEL POWER SYSTEMS FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT. IT WAS DESIGNED AND STRUCTURALLY BUILT TO WITHSTAND AND OPERATE IN CATEGORY 5 CYCLONES.

“

– Anthony Csillag, Managing Director of MPower Projects

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down of the solar farm power onto the Horizon Power grid to prevent shock load drop off associated with intermittent cloud cover. The enhancement being engaged here is the integration of cloud predicting technology. This will enable MPower to start ramping down solar power before any cloud arrives, using a normal unsupported power ramp down that minimises the requirement for stored energy support. The net result is a more cost effective solution, due to

SECTOR

minimising the battery support required.

LEADER IN R E N E WA B LE S What makes MPower different to other companies is how it combines new and old technologies with a skilled and experienced workforce to create products and power systems that go the distance. Add state-of-the-art engineering and project management facilities, and MPower is equipped to deliver

150-300

Number of employees depending on projects on hand w w w . m p o w e r. c o m . a u

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MPOWER

Gorgon Project completed

on all manner of power related projects, stamped with a degree of sophistication that is unparalleled in the region.

“The pioneering spirit motivates our team. Anyone that works for us is not bored — nothing is mundane,” said Csillag.

This pioneering spirit can be seen in multiple projects headed up by MPower. The Chevron Gorgon project for MPower involved 46

May 2016

supplying a 32MW power station that was originally meant to be temporary but is still operating today.

“Given the challenge of limited space for the power plant, we also had to build it so it could operate continuously in emergency conditions, even in a cyclone,” said Csillag.

“We designed and built one of the highest density diesel power

AUSTRALIA

systems for that particular project.

It was designed and structurally built to withstand and operate in Category 5 cyclones.”

Another example of MPower’s ever improving technology of renewable energy includes a 200 KW solar farm in the Kimberley region in Western Australia.

Contracted to design and install the solar farm for the indigenous community of Yungngora, MPower delivered on all its promises. The community now receives roughly 25 percent of its power from solar.

“Completing the Yungngora project leaves us with a sense of satisfaction, not only for helping remote communities become less reliant on fossil fuels, but also having an Australian-based MPower engineering team continue to progress this important technology,” Csillag said.

C U LT U R E O F EMPOWERMENT Much of MPower’s success can be attributed to the learning culture it strives to create. As such, MPower has affiliations with all major universities, and

continually sources and support talent from these institutions. As such, MPower has relationships with local educational institutions, from selective high schools through universities. MPower also supports a trade-based workforce and an apprentice scheme with ongoing training programs that have seen young recruits progress within the organisation through the organisation. w w w . m p o w e r. c o m . a u

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Keeping the power on, hundreds of kilometres from land

AUSTRALIA

“We empower our young people early on and tend to have high employee retention rates, which help to attract a lot of applicants through word-of-mouth,” said Csillag. “We’re proud of our employees and it’s good to see their careers and ambitions being fulfilled.”

On the other end of the spectrum, MPower has assembled an army of talented veteran employees, most of which have been with the company for 10 years or more.

“We tailor programs around new and present employees, with everything from electrical to mechanical programs,” Csillag said.

“Our workforce is very ambitious and we want to watch them grow.”

ON THE HORIZON What’s next for MPower? MPower is working on energy storage applications from esidential energy storage (RES) to utility scale storage systems.

“With the potential proliferation of the electric car, power networks could see peaks in power consumption that may not be accommodated. These peaks occurring when people arrive home from work docking and recharging their vehicles. To test the network’s capability to accommodate for

“WE TAILOR PROGRAMS AROUND NEW AND PRESENT EMPLOYEES, WITH EVERYTHING FROM ELECTRICAL TO MECHANICAL PROGRAMS.” – Anthony Csillag, Managing Director of MPower Projects w w w . m p o w e r. c o m . a u

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MPOWER this surge, we installed RES units with three kilowatts of solar on 10 different residential homes, and designed the system so it could be controlled and interrogated remotely from a central location,” said Csillag.

The test revealed that MPower could limit the residential demand by charging the batteries during the day with solar. Then, when the power limit of the residence was exceeded, it would be taken from the RES unit, instead of the grid.

“We’ve gone through different stages with trials and modifications.

Conceptually all remote energy storage sites could be mapped and managed from a central location to see how much storage each resident has and or needs, not just the 10 sites trialed but whole communities,” said Csillag.

According to Csillag, many of the power network’s small power lines — known as SWER lines — have never been upgraded.

While communities have grown significantly in size so has the demand for power. The average power demand is generally accommodated however not peak 50

May 2016

power; another application for MPower’s RES unit known as peak power lopping, a natural extension of the developments to date.

“Moving forward, we’re continually looking at all potential usage of energy storage in the renewable energy sector and other markets,” said Csillag. “And

AUSTRALIA

Company Information INDUSTRY

Energy HEADQUARTERS

New South Wales Australia FOUNDED

1984 EMPLOYEES

Variable 150-300 depending on projects on hand REVENUE

$70M MANAGEMENT

we’re not just looking — we’re trialing new applications and putting ideas into motion.”

“We expect to make announcements later this year of the successful integration of a seamless off grid project where the plant can switch between diesel engine generated power to 100 percent solar power maintaining protection systems, an Australian and potentially world first application.”

Managing Director MPower Projects: Anthony Csillag

w w w . m p o w e r. c o m . a u

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PHOTOVOLTAIC

SOLAR ENERGY

Through projects to generate its own electrical power with commercial and housing solutions, the company aims to spre positive growth throughout Brazil Written by: Flรกvia Brancato | Produced by: Carolina Majer

ead its

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A L S O L E N E R G I A S R E N O VÁ V E I S S . A

R

unning projects in 12 Brazilian states, ALSOL Renewable Energies acts in different segments, including commercial, industrial and rural clients, and supports both highconsumption clients to those who produce their own energy from biogas.

Using turn-key solutions, the company produces and distributes clean energy from renewable sources as the sun, biomass, wind and water.

PIONEERING AND SUSTAINABILITY Founded in 2012, the same year Brazil introduced distributed generation legislation, the ALSOL technical team is responsible for the first photovoltaic (PV) system connected to a Brazilian distribution network. This system benefited from using the net metering compensation system, regulated

by REN 482/2012 from the National Electrical Energy Agency (ANEEL).

The first biogas connection of small generation was in 2014 – the same year ALSOL celebrated its 54

May 2016

Algar Tech Ube Center with

first hybrid generation, combining PV sources with biogas coming from pig manure.

“We highlight the pioneer projects of Energetic Efficiency Program in a residential condo, the first data center with PV connected to the Latin America network and a low voltage commercial client,” said

BRAZIL

erl창ndia - Photovoltaic Power Plant (700 kWp): First Data Center and Contact Photovoltaic Solar Energy connected to a electrical network in Latin America

Technical Operational Director and ALSOL founder, Gustavo Malagoli Buiatti.

The company was certified with the SELO SOLAR in 2014, issued by the Latin American IDEAL Institute of Alternative Energy, a partnership with GIZ, a Brazilian/ German organization, and with the

CCEE (Electrical Energy Chamber of Trading), for generating more than 50 percent of the energy usage for the head office through solar.

BUSINESS GROWTH The company continues to innovate in all areas, developing technical, commercial and financial solutions w w w. a l s o l e n e r g i a . c o m . b r

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and products as new business verticals.

Buiatti emphasized the importance of projects developed over the last year, such as: • An interface panel between biogas generators and the electric network • The development of a new solution to evaluate the potential of solar energy generation on each consumption unit • A global academic partner network that creates agile service, 56

May 2016

using 3D technology for the final PV installation added to the property.

In April 2016, ASOL published eight technical articles about different works developed by the company at the Sixth National Congress of Solar Energy. This sharing and promoting of results from projects with the scientific community contributes greatly to energy sectors advances in Brazil.

Since its creation starting with a 6.5 kWp system three years ago, the company has now achieved

BRAZIL

Residential Photovoltaic Power Plant in Minas Gerais (8kWp): Sufficient solar photovoltaic generation to meet 100 percent of annual consumption

4.8 MW of power installations all over the country. This includes 3.6 MW of solar photovoltaic energy and 1.2 MW of biogas energy. This number indicates a composed annual growing rate of 800 percent, compared with the traditional power previously installed.

SECTOR CHALLENGES The director confirmed that according to ANAEEL data, by 2024 there will be over one million PV roof systems all over Brazil.

“Nowadays there are 1,300 photovoltaic installations throughout the country, which means that will have a growth close 116 percent during this period. ALSOL plans to be one of the players that will contribute to this growth and have bigger rates,” Buiatti said.

To give a better idea of this growth, the Energetic Research Enterprise (EPE) estimates that Brazil has a capacity of photovoltaic solar generation of 118 GW. “Today we have installed 50 MW, which w w w. a l s o l e n e r g i a . c o m . b r

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C O M PA N Y N A M E

ALSOL’s e (Superinten

means that only 0.04 percent of the potential of photovoltaic solar energy generation was explored until now,” said Buiatti.

To overcome the challenges, of acquiring a specialized workforce and dealing with a product that has a lifetime over 25 years, the 58

May 2016

company has made partnerships with universities, institutes and technical schools, participating in diversified sector activities through the ABGD (Brazilian Association of Distributed Generation). “We look for interactions with different country distributers, sharing

SECTOR

executives: Renato Mangussi (Commercial Director), Oswaldo Firmino JĂşnior ndent Director) and Gustavo Malagoli Buiatti (Technical Operational Director)

experimental field results about the technology, and searching for financial partners,� said Buiatti.

As a result, ALSOL has more agility within the installation processes, and a natural raise on the number of adherents to the technology.

OPERATIONS AND FUTURE PROJECTS Operating in half of the Brazilian states, by 2016, the company seeks to achieve a truly national reach.

In May, ALSOL inaugurates a new branch in Belo Horizonte and plans to open another ten all over the w w w. a l s o l e n e r g i a . c o m . b r

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A L S O L E N E R G I A S R E N O VĂ V E I S S . A

Algar Tech

country within the next five years.

Last year, the company made large investments in solutions for pre-analysis, as well as rooftop PV systems. This year the company is investing in a smaller process, using biomass to generate power as a universal remote monitoring system.

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May 2016

ALSOL plans on delivering 14 telecommunication sites to different cities of Minas Gerais state, each generating its own energy from the sun and exporting the excess to the CEMIG and Algar Telecom networks. “This project will cost about US$113 million and has an

BRAZIL

Company Information INDUSTRY

Energy HEADQUARTERS

Uberlândia, Minas Gerais Brazil E S TA B L I S H E D

2012 EMPLOYEES

50 PRODUCTS

Photovoltaic systems conected to a power netwok, biogas, biomass, wind sector, turn-key solutions on distributed generation, epc of large plants

Campinas Photovoltaic Power Plant (200 kWp) MANAGEMENT

installation of 1,800 photovoltaic modules,” said Buiatti.

Resulting from a bid that ALSOL won last year, more than 1 MWp of photovoltaic power will be installed by July 2016 in the states of Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte and Piauí. Total cost for this project is estimated at approximately US$2 million.

Superintendent Director: Oswaldo Firmino Júnior Technical Operational Director: Gustavo Malagoli Buiatti Commercial Director: Renato Mangussi

w w w. a l s o l e n e r g i a . c o m . b r

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