New business models

ISSN 1861-2741 74714
www.sunwindenergy.com
€ 12.00 • International issue
5/2013
The Magazine for Renewable Energies
Solar thermal
Approaching a feed-in tariff
Aspettando le tariffe incentivanti
photovoltaics
Waiting for a turnaround
In attesa della svolta
solarexpo 2013
New business models
Nuovi modelli di business
Editorial
Italy – testing ground for the future
Italia – laboratorio per il futuro
D
evelopment rarely occurs in straight
lines, but rather more in spirals. This
can be seen well in the example of
photovoltaics. At the beginning of its development you had ecologically motivated citizens
who were shaken into action by warnings
from the Club of Rome and others. They wanted to do something to counter the limits of
growth and the limited nature of resources.
Their idea was of the environmentally friendly
and unlimited energy source of solar power.
With a lot of individualism and without thinking much about the economic viability, they
installed the first photovoltaic and solar thermal systems. With the introduction of costcovering compensation in the form of feed-in
tariffs, the spiral underwent a further halfturn. Yields became the main motivation amid
the turbulent development of the whole field
of renewables worldwide. Thinking in straight
lines, then this development could have continued like this for a while longer. Indeed, the
hectic expansion of (over)production capacities suggests that many thought that too. But
due to the non-linear path of developments,
these companies are not doing any better today. As a reaction to this, new business
­models are now being sought. Storage solutions and independence from rising electricity
­prices are the prevailing buzzwords right
across the sector now – and once again customers are required who have high ideals
rather than exclusively economic motivation.
If a new growth market is to develop from this
in the near future, then other clear advan­
tages must be added in. Italy could develop as
a testing ground for the future here, in which
exactly such solutions may be found – quickly
implementable, with the accustomed level of
comfort for the users, and with advantages
that are easy to identify and are independent
of government support. The foundations for
this – a developed industry, high solar irradiation and an affinity of the population towards independent solutions – are good here.
We shall see how the spiral continues to turn.
Sun & Wind Energy 5/2013
D
i rado il progresso avanza in modo lineare, e di solito il suo è piuttosto un
andamento a spirale. L’esempio del
fotovoltaico lo dimostra in maniera chiara.
­Alla base del suo sviluppo vi furono cittadini
motivati da uno spirito ecologista, risvegliati
dai moniti lanciati, fra gli altri, dal Club di Roma. Per contrapporsi a problemi quali i limiti
della crescita e l’esauribilità delle risorse, si
affidarono all’idea di una fonte energetica
ecologica e a disponibilità illimitata come
quella solare. Con molte iniziative individuali,
e senza riflettere troppo sulla convenienza
economica, furono così installati i primi impianti fotovoltaici e solari termici. Con l’introduzione di misure per la compensazione dei
costi quali le tariffe incentivanti, la spirale è
cresciuta di un altro mezzo giro. Il rendimento
economico è diventato il motivo principale di
uno sviluppo repentino dell’intero complesso
delle rinnovabili a livello mondiale. In base al
modello lineare, il progresso avrebbe dovuto
avanzare ancora un po’ in quella direzione.
L’espansione impetuosa di (eccessive) capacità produttive è un’indicazione inequivocabile
del fatto che erano in molti a pensarla così.
Tuttavia, poiché la situazione non si è evoluta
in modo lineare, oggi le imprese non stanno
affatto meglio di ieri, e per reagire si muovono
alla ricerca di nuovi modelli di business. L’importanza dei sistemi di stoccaggio e l’indipendenza dai crescenti prezzi dell’energia elettrica sono i concetti chiave che prevalgono nel
settore: si cerca di nuovo una clientela mossa
da una buona dose di idealismo e non spinta
esclusivamente da motivazioni economiche.
Affinché nel prossimo futuro si sviluppi una
nuova fase di crescita del mercato, dovranno
tuttavia aggiungersi altri vantaggi tangibili.
L’Italia potrebbe, in questo senso, diventare
un laboratorio per il futuro dentro al quale
scoprire soluzioni di questo tipo, che siano
cioè facilmente applicabili, nonché dotate di
un certo confort per l’utente e di vantaggi che
siano immediatamente percepibili e indipendenti dall’incentivazione statale. I presupposti
favorevoli ci sono: l’industria ben sviluppata,
il forte irraggiamento solare e l’affinità della
popolazione alle soluzioni indipendenti. Vedremo in quale direzione continuerà a girare
la spirale.
Dr. Volker Buddensiek
Editor-in-chief
volker.buddensiek@sunwindenergy.com
3
Graphic: Eilers Media
Table of contentS
Politics in Italy: Unpredictable
Politica in Italia: Imprevedibile
Italy is in trouble. The economic situation is deteriorating
­rapidly and the desperate need for political stability has been
negated by the outcome of the elections in February. The subsequent insecurity about the incentives for solar installations
takes its toll on the solar market.
Page 16
Solar industry in Italy
Italy’s Conto Energia V will expire in the course of the year
and a sixth version of the incentive law is not in sight. It’s
time for the PV companies to develop business models that
work without subsidies. The solar thermal industry ist hop/ Battery Charging
Systems / Welding
Technology / Sola
r Electronics that will have a positive
ing for new incentive
programmes
effect and allow renewed growth. S&WE reports on a market with high potential and gives you an overview of the
market participants in Italy’s solar industry.
Photo: dpa
L’ industria solare in Italia
The Magazine for
Renewable energie
s
ISSN 1861-2741 7471
4
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com
€ 12.00 • international
issue
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Page 20 - 43
5/2013
Solarexpo 2013: New business models
Nuovi modelli di business
With fresh concepts and a new location Solarexpo confronts the
global crisis in the solar industry in general and the Italian PV
­industry in particular. The motto is simple: perseverance. There is
life after the crisis. The same applies to the companies, who
­exhibit in Milan. A lot of them have announced products and
package solutions specially tailored to the Italian market.
FRONIUS AGILO 75.0
-3 / 100.0-3
/ The Fronius Agilo
is the first centr
al inverter for trade
Its sophisticated
and industry that
design makes it aston
is both powerful
ishingly portable
in its base enable
and portable.
and simplicity itself
it to be moved aroun
to install. The speci
d safely using a
added flexibility
al recesses
lift truck. The integ
when space is at
ral heavy-duty roller
a premium. The
Europallet to guara
Fronius Agilo is
s provide
ntee low storage
deliv
ered on an indus
costs. Not only
installers will now
try-standard
is moving the inver
be able to install,
ter so straightfor
service and main
Find out more at:
ward, trained
tain it themselve
www.fronius.com
s without any speci
al tools. Curious?
4
Page 6 - 15
Solar thermal
approaching a fee
d-in tariff
aspettando le tar
iffe incentivanti
photovoltaIcS
Waiting for a turn
around
in attesa della svo
lta
Solarexpo 2013
New business mo
dels
Nuovi modelli di b
usiness
Photo: Cosmit Sp
a
Sun & Wind Energy 5/2013
­
Module logistics: The
global flow of goods
The percentage of Chinese modules in photovoltaic installations is
increasing rapidly. The demands
on logistics experts are also increasing. The direction of the flow
of goods makes no difference for
them.
Photo: dpa
Page 64
Solar stations:
High-efficiency pumps carry the day
Whether in heat transfer stations with heat exchangers or solar stations without them, it is
­getting harder to find pump assemblies that do not include high-efficiency pumps.
Photo: Oventrop
Solarexpo
6 Realignment:
Staying the course
Bisogna tenere duro
10 Product preview:
System solutions and self-consumption
Soluzioni complete e autoconsumo
Italy
16
20
24
28
Politics:
Unpredictable
Imprevedibile
Conto Energia: What next?
PV market assessment:
Wanted – new business models
PV market:
Waiting for a turnaround
In attesa della svolta
Sun & Wind Energy 5/2013
38
40
Page 44
Solar maps:
Solar industry in Italy
L’industria solare in Italia
Solar thermal:
Approaching a feed-in tariff
Aspettando le tariffe incentivanti
Solar Thermal
44
52
56
Solar stations:
High-efficiency pumps carry the day
Absorber tubes:
A tube is not tube
ISH post-show report:
Brussels pushes efficiency
Photovoltaics
64
68
Module logisticts:
The global flow of goods
PV investments in Greece:
Means to fight the crisis
Company Profile
11
31
Danfoss:
La strategia globale crea eccellenze locali
Photon Energy:
Complete solutions for peace of mind
Department
73 Directory
81 International events
82 Preview and imprint
62 Trade tariffs:
Hardly negative effects expected
5
Realignment
Staying the course
Bisogna tenere duro
With fresh concepts and a new location Solarexpo confronts the crisis in the global and the Italian
solar industry. The motto is simple: perseverance. There is life after the crisis.
Con nuove idee e in una nuova sede,
Solarexpo prova ad opporsi alla crisi
globale che sta colpendo tutta
l’industria solare, ed in particolare il
settore del fotovoltaico italiano. Il
messaggio è semplice: tenere duro. C’è
vita dopo la crisi.
N
After 13 years in Verona,
Solarexpo has moved
to Milan. Solarexpo is
expected to get a boost
from its new home in the
northern Italian business
centre.
Photo: Fiera Milano
Dopo 13 anni Solarexpo
si è trasferita da Verona
a Milano. La nuova sede,
nella capitale economica
del Nord Italia, dovrebbe
dare nuovo slancio a
questa manifestazione.
S
olarexpo has developed into by far the most
important solar trade fair in Italy and one of
the largest worldwide. The catalyst of this success was primarily the boom in photovoltaics in Italy.
Alas, the boom has passed and with it Solarexpo’s
trajectory of growth. For now, at any rate.
The development of Italy’s PV market is sobering.
Not long ago it was for a brief period the largest in the
world. In 2011 alone, 9 GW of PV capacity was installed. A year later only 3.2 GW was installed, and in
2013 the market will shrink to an estimated 2 GW or
less. The brutal collapse following a comparatively
short solar rush has affected the whole Italian PV industry and by extension Solarexpo as well. After hosting more than 1,000 exhibitors last year, Solarexpo’s
organisers will consider the event a success if exhibitors number more than 600 this year. The trade fair
has taken some steps to counteract this trend which
had already started to emerge in 2012. For instance,
the organisers banded together with Solar Power
­International in the USA and China’s SNEC PV Power
Expo in Shanghai to establish the Global Solar
­Alliance, an international series of trade fairs.
Global Solar Alliance
“The Global Solar Alliance is a network of leading exhibitions and conferences aiming at the global development of the solar markets and industry,” explains
Luca Zingale, Founder and Scientific Director of
6
egli anni passati Solarexpo è cresciuta fino a
diventare di gran lunga la più importante fiera
solare in Italia e una delle maggiori a livello
mondiale. A fare da catalizzatore a questo successo
vi era soprattutto il boom che il fotovoltaico stava vivendo in Italia. Ma adesso il boom si è spento, e con
esso si è esaurita anche la fase di crescita di Solarexpo. Almeno per il momento.
Il mercato italiano del fotovoltaico si è svegliato
dal sogno: solo poco tempo fa l’Italia era stata per un
breve periodo il più grande mercato fotovoltaico al
mondo. Nel 2011 vennero installati impianti fotovoltaici per una capacità di 9 GW. L’anno dopo tale cifra
era scesa ad appena 3,2 GW e per il 2013 ci si deve
attendere un’ulteriore contrazione fino ai 2 GW, o addirittura di meno. Il crollo verticale, seguito ad un periodo di sviluppo prodigioso ma durato relativamente
poco, ha coinvolto l’intero settore fotovoltaico italiano,
e con esso anche Solarexpo. Se l’anno scorso erano
stati oltre 1.000 gli espositori presenti, quest’anno gli
organizzatori di Solarexpo hanno individuato già a
quota 600 il numero oltre il quale potersi ritenere
soddisfatti. La fiera ha deciso quindi di prendere alcuni provvedimenti per invertire un trend che aveva già
cominciato ad emergere nel 2012. È per questo motivo
che è stata creata la Global Solar Alliance, un circuito
di fiere a livello mondiale, in collaborazione con la
statunitense Solar Power International e la cinese
SNEC PV Power Expo di Shanghai.
Global Solar Alliance
“La Global Solar Alliance è una rete composta dalle
principali fiere e conferenze del mondo con l’obiettivo
di sviluppare a livello globale l’industria e il mercato
fotovoltaici”, spiega Luca Zingale, fondatore e direttore scientifico di Solarexpo: “L’alleanza punta a
promuovere l’energia solare come soluzione principale per un’economia low-carbon, creando centinaia
di migliaia di contatti commerciali e diffondendo al
tempo stesso consapevolezza, informazione e soste-
Sun & Wind Energy 5/2013
Realignment
Luca Zingale, the Founder and
Scientific Director of Solarexpo
Photo: The Innovation Cloud
Luca Zingale, fondatore e direttore scientifico di Solarexpo ­ olarexpo. “The alliance strives to promote solar enS
ergy as a mainstream solution for a low-carbon economy, creating hundreds of thousands of business
contacts, while spreading awareness, information
and advocacy among the professional community,
public opinion and political decision makers.”
To better achieve these goals, the Global Solar
­Alliance will soon be expanded. In an interview with
SUN & WIND ENERGY, Zingale said that as early as
­Solarexpo the alliance will announce new events that
have joined forces with the Global Solar Alliance. The
organisation is focusing particularly on emerging markets. “We look forward to working together with events
that might be smaller but have a leading character in
key countries to further increase the magnitude of our
global reach.” The Global Solar Summit, the annual
international conference on solar energy promoted
by the Global Solar Alliance, will open the exhibition
on May 8th and 9th.
In addition to its integration into a global network, Solarexpo wants to raise its profile as part of
an event which aims to promote a comprehensive
­renewable energy supply and a significant reduction
in carbon emissions. This gave rise to The Innovation
Cloud, the new trade fair concept surrounding
­Solarexpo. “Hybridisation and synergy among
­renewables and between renewables and energy
­efficient technologies are trends that emerge with
full strength in all advanced energy markets,”
­explains Zingale.
gno tra la comunità dei professionisti, l’opinione
pubblica e chi ha il compito di prendere decisioni a
livello politico”.
Per raggiungere più facilmente questo obiettivo la
Global Solar Alliance ha bisogno di espandersi in
maniera rapida. Secondo quanto affermato da Zingale
in un’intervista a SUN & WIND ENERGY, già a Solarexpo
dovrebbero venir resi noti i nomi di nuove fiere che
entreranno nel circuito Global Solar Alliance. L’attenzione in questo senso è rivolta particolarmente ai
mercati emergenti: “Puntiamo a lavorare in sinergia
con eventi magari più piccoli, ma che abbiano un
ruolo di primaria importanza in alcuni paesi chiave, in
modo da allargare ulteriormente la portata della nostra dimensione globale”. Il Global Solar Summit, la
conferenza internazionale annuale sull’energia solare
promossa dalla Global Solar Alliance, aprirà i battenti
l’8 e il 9 maggio.
Accanto a questa integrazione in una rete globale,
Solarexpo, sul piano dei contenuti, intende distinguersi in maniera sempre maggiore come parte di
un’organizzazione che si pone l’obiettivo di rendere
preponderante l’utilizzo delle energie rinnovabili e di
ridurre fortemente le emissioni di CO2. Così è nata
“The Innovation Cloud”, il nuovo concetto fieristico
che ruota attorno a Solarexpo. “L’ibridazione e la sinergia tra le diverse rinnovabili e tra tecnologie ad
alta efficienza energetica e le rinnovabili sono dei
trend che emergono in tutta la loro forza in tutti i
mercati energetici avanzati”, spiega Zingale.
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Sun & Wind Energy 5/2013
Italy
Politics
Unpredictable
Imprevedibile
Italy is in trouble. The economic situation is deteriorating rapidly and the desperate need for
political stability has been negated by the outcome of the elections in February. The subsequent
insecurity about the incentives for solar installations takes its toll on the solar market.
L’Italia è nei guai. La
situazione economica sta
peggiorando rapidamente e
il disperato bisogno di
stabilità politica è rimasto
insoddisfatto dopo il
risultato delle elezioni di
febbraio. La conseguente
incertezza sugli incentivi
per le installazioni solari si
sta facendo fortemente
sentire sul mercato.
Italy’s President ­
Giorgio Napolitano (left)
appointed the so called
­10 “wise men” to draft
a pro­gramme of reforms
that could get cross-party
backing after Democratic
Party leader Pier Luigi
Bersani was unable to
end the political stale­
mate to form a government.
Photos (2): dpa
Il Presidente della Repubblica Italiana Giorgio
Napolitano (a sinistra)
ha incaricato i cosiddetti
“10 saggi” di redigere
una bozza di programma
su riforme che possano
essere approvate trasversalmente dai partiti,
dopo che il leader del
Partito Democratico Pier
Luigi Bersani non è stato
in grado di risolvere lo
stallo politico e di formare un nuovo governo.
16
T
he results of February’s elections in Italy have
not been a big surprise for the common Italian
citizen. Everyone expected the Five Star
­Movement, founded by the comedian Beppe Grillo, to
collect plenty of votes from youths, from voters disappointed by a starched left coalition, and from many of
the small and medium business entrepreneurs, who
are the crucial piece of the Italian economy. Neither
surprising is the inextricable political situation, from
which the only way out could possibly be new
­elections.
The only really unexpected result is Silvio
­Berlusconi’s resurrection, unanimously considered in
decline, plagued by judicial troubles and unappreciated in Europe because of the terrible economical
performances of Italy in these last years. Nevertheless, he surprised everyone and his coalition received
almost 30 % of votes. This premise of the political situation is necessary for the better understanding of
the tricky path on which the world of renewable energies has been forced.
Aiding Enel and Terna?
The government of Mario Monti did not stand out in
terms of supporting renewable energies. It is true
that the so called “Conto Termico” (Thermal Account)
was born thanks to the work of the Minister of the
­Environment Corrado Clini, and we will talk about that
later. But the very negative effects of the introduction
of Conto Energia V, with the serious problems related
to the obligation of installing an inverter interface in
all systems bigger than 6 kW, are pretty evident to
everyone. In the second semester of 2012 the
­medium-sized enterprises have encountered sudden
I
l risultato delle elezioni politiche dello scorso
febbraio non è stato una sorpresa per i cittadini
comuni: non era un mistero che il Movimento 5
Stelle del comico Beppe Grillo fosse in grado di attirare a sé moltissimi voti dei giovani, dei delusi di una
sinistra ingessata e sicuramente di moltissimi imprenditori di aziende medio-piccole (l’ossatura
dell’economia italiana). Non era un mistero neanche
la percezione che si sarebbe entrati in una fase buia
e paludosa da cui probabilmente si sarebbe usciti
con nuove elezioni.
Il vero mistero invece è quello legato a Silvio Berlusconi, che tutti ormai davano sul viale del tramonto,
circondato da guai giudiziari e poco stimato in Europa
date le performance economiche pessime dell’Italia
negli ultimi anni. Invece lui ha stupito tutti raggiungendo quasi il 30% dei voti. Questa premessa politica
che purtroppo non appassiona più gli Italiani, stremati dalla crisi economica e desiderosi di avere un governo in grado di fare le riforme, anche indigeste, che da
anni sono in embrione, è necessaria per meglio comprendere il terreno insidioso su cui è stato spinto il
mondo delle energie rinnovabili.
Un aiuto per Enel e Terna?
Il governo Monti non ha brillato per sostegno alle
energie rinnovabili. È vero che, grazie all’intervento
del ministro dell’Ambiente Corrado Clini, il Conto
Termico – di cui parleremo più avanti – ha visto la
luce. Ma gli effetti nefasti dell’introduzione del 5°
Conto Energia, con le forti problematiche legate
all’adozione obbligatoria dell’interfaccia degli inverter per gli impianti sopra i 6 kWp, sono sotto gli occhi
di tutti. Nella seconda metà del 2012 imprese medio-
Sun & Wind Energy 5/2013
and huge difficulties since they had their
warehouses full of inverters that could not
be used because of the rigorousness of the
legislator, in this case the Ministry of
­Economic Development.
One could consider this strategy simply
as an aid for Enel and Terna: an expedient
that technically does not have any actual
reason to exist, but that can be helpful to
keep delaying the modernization Terna
should provide to the medium voltage power lines and to slow the PV market down.
This would allow Enel, and particularly its
subsidiary Green Power, to prepare invading the residential market, the only promising market sector left.
To make the picture complete, GSE is
now requiring to obtain the incentive rate for
an amount of documents that is more or less
double than the past. The requests presented by GIFI and other professional associations that asked loudly that the reduction of
the incentive should go along with the reduction of the bureaucracy on the single systems, have been left unheard so far. Unfortunately, the rising number of documents requested by GSE seems to be necessary to reduce the number of frauds as much as
possible, which have never fallen since the
introduction of the Conto Energia I.
grandi si sono trovate immediatamente in
difficoltà con magazzini pieni di inverter
resi inutilizzabili dall’intransigenza del legislatore, in questo caso il Ministero dello
Sviluppo Economico.
Difficile non ravvedere un aiuto per Enel
e Terna: un espediente che di fatto non serve
tecnicamente a nulla se non a procrastinare
il ritardo nell’ammodernamento delle linee
di media e alta tensione da parte di TERNA e
rallentare fortemente il mercato del fotovoltaico permettendo ad Enel, in particolare la
sua divisione Green Power, di prepararsi ad
invadere il mercato del residenziale, il vero
segmento strategico rimasto.
A completare il quadro, il GSE ora richiede per l’ottenimento della tariffa incentivata
una mole di documenti pressoché raddoppiata rispetto al passato. Non sono state
dunque ascoltate le istanze del GIFI e di altre
associazioni di categoria che avevano chiesto a gran voce che la riduzione dell’incentivo andasse di pari passo con la riduzione
della burocrazia sui singoli impianti. Purtroppo il GSE risponde con l’aumento dei
documenti richiesti per restringere il più
possibile il numero di frodi mai diminuito
sin dall’introduzione del I Conto Energia.
Scepticism and resignation
I commenti da parte delle associazioni di
categoria sono tutti molto simili tra loro e
oscillano tra scetticismo e rassegnazione.
Valerio Natalizia, del GIFI, più volte ha
espresso perplessità sul fatto che i tavoli di
trattativa tra il governo di Monti e le parti in
causa non si siano mai realizzati. Gli incontri bilaterali si sono sempre svolti con dirigenti del Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico non in grado di decidere. Corrado Passera e i suoi più stretti collaboratori non si
sono mai visti. Ma la loro posizione era
chiarissima: le rinnovabili, fotovoltaico in
testa, costano carissime al contribuente
italiano. Quindi bisogna porre un freno. Il
danno all’immagine ormai era già avvenuto.
A ciò il governo ha fatto seguire l’ennesima
revisione del Conto Energia, dando vita alla
sua versione numero V.
Non si è voluto proseguire sulla strada
già sperimentata con successo in Germania
di riduzione automatica degli incentivi al
raggiungimento di un quantitativo di MW
installato. Si è preferito “garantire” gli incentivi creando, tuttavia, una gara ad ostacoli burocratici per il loro ottenimento.
Dunque nessuna procedura di snellimento
burocratico, confusione tra gli operatori e un
profondo senso di stanchezza in particolare
da parte di operatori medio-piccoli che
hanno visioni di mercato di medio e lungo
The reactions of the professional associations are almost all alike and they go from
scepticism to resignation. Valerio Natalizia
of GIFI expressed over and over his disappointment about the fact that the negotiating tables between Monti’s government and
the stakeholders have never been realized.
The bilateral meetings have always involved
only personnel of Ministry of Economic
­Development, without any real decisional
power. Minister Corrado Passera and his
closest co-workers have never been seen,
but their position was pretty clear: renew­
ables, and first of all photovoltaics, are too
expensive for Italian taxpayers, and so they
must be limited. This position alone already
damaged the public perception. The government followed that up with yet another
overhaul of the Conto Energia and gave way
to version number V.
The decision has been to not follow the
path of Germany, where an automatic mecha­
nism to reduce the incentives when a certain
amount of installed MW has been reached already has proven to be a successful strategy.
In Italy, they have preferred to “guarantee”
the incentives, but simultaneously to create
a bureaucratic obstacle course in order to
obtain them. So there has not been any
Sun & Wind Energy 5/2013
Scetticismo e rassegnazione
17
Solar thermal
solar stations
High-efficiency
pumps carry the day
Whether in heat transfer stations with heat exchangers or solar stations
without them, it is getting harder to find pump assemblies that do not
include high-efficiency pumps.
New solar stations
Resol’s FlowSol B HE
WMZ has its own heat
meter.
The R586S-1 by
­Giacomini is equipped
with an HE pump and an
electronic flow sensor.
Three-line solar station by Barberi
Photo: Jens-Peter Meyer
T
he European Ecodesign Directive (ErP Directive)
for glandless circulation pumps looms large
over the industry. Starting in August 2015 solar stations in Europe must be equipped with energyefficient pumps. After 2020, defective solar pumps
may only be replaced by high-efficiency pumps. But
the new stations of today are already ErP-ready. “We
are ready to fit the high-efficiency pumps,” says
­Claudio Bertolini, who works in the R&D department
of Italian manufacturer Tiemme Raccorderie S.p.A.
Both solar stations designed for systems with heat
exchangers built into the tank (see table 1) and those
designed for heat transfer systems (see table 2),
which separate the solar circuit from the tank with a
plate heat exchanger, are ErP-ready.
The market too is already demanding high-­
efficiency pumps. Some 60 % of the manufacturers
surveyed agree. The remaining manufacturers have
44
Photos supplied by manufacturers, unless otherwise indicated.
not registered this trend so keenly, but none of the
manufacturers denied that high-efficiency pumps are
clearly trending. These pumps are generally con­
trolled via a PWM signal. Only the German companies
Meibes System-Technik GmbH and KaMo
­Frischwarmwassersysteme GmbH prefer a 0 to 10 V
signal. For some of the larger stations in its SolarBloC
line, Germany’s PAW GmbH & Co. KG uses both 0 to
10 V control signal and PWM.
Stations without heat exchangers
The German manufacturer Oventrop GmbH & Co. KG
has introduced a new solar station called the Regusol
ELH-130-B with a high-efficiency pump and a new
generation of controller.
Tiemme launched its new single- and dual-line
­solar stations with high-efficiency pumps (see
Sun & Wind Energy 5/2013
S&WE 6/2012, p. 58) last year. The company offers its
customers the choice between four high-­efficiency
pumps, the Grundfos Solar PM 15/85, ­Wilo Stratos TEC
ST 15/7, ITT-Lowara Ecocirc EA 15/6 e and the Halm
HEP 15/7.0. However, the pump assembly will also accommodate conventional solar pumps made by
­Grundfos und Wilo. The Italian manufacturer has also
been refining the details of its systems. “The safety assembly has been revised. The connection for the expansion vessel is now located on the side,” says Bertolini.
This was done to make it easier for installers to attach
the pipe connection to the expansion vessel. In addition, the fill and drain assembly is now connected to the
flow meter. The compact design is also intended to
make life easier for the installer. Most of the other manufacturers connect just one of the two valves needed to
fill and drain the system to the flow meter. The second
valve is then connected to the safety assembly.
The German company Gebr. Tuxhorn GmbH & Co.
KG has adapted all of its stations to operate with
­Wilo’s Yonos Para high-efficiency pump. The company also has a new single-line solar station called the
Tubra-PGS 01. PAW is another company that has introduced a new single-line station, the SolarBloC
maxi Basic return station. Customers have the choice
between either a Grundfos or Wilo pump.
The German solar controller manufacturer Resol
GmbH introduced its FlowSol B two years ago. It now offers a new HE version with the new DeltaSol CS Plus
controller equipped with two PWM outputs. “The
­DeltaSol CS Plus offers an inexpensive way to operate
systems requiring a standard controller without the
need for external accessories, such as interface adapters,” says Resol’s Marketing Director ­Gerald Neuse.
Steca ­Elektronik GmbH is another solar controller
­manufacturer from Germany that offers its own solar
station. Until now, Steca’s station has had a totally
unique design.
Sun & Wind Energy 5/2013
The new versions of the controller, however, the
TPS A20 AFR52 and TPS A25 AFR52 equipped with
the TR A502 TT multifunctional solar controller
­appear to be patterned after the PAW SolarBloC.
­Steca is one of the few providers of solar stations not
to have integrated high-efficiency pumps into their
stations yet.
Integrated heat meters
SUN & WIND ENERGY also asked companies if they
saw a trend toward solar stations with integrated volumetric flow sensors for heat metering. About half of
the respondents answered in the affirmative; 20 %
said that, while they had noticed the trend, they did
not consider it a strong one. Still, 30 % of companies
did not see much demand for these devices in the
market. The Austrian firm Technische Alternative
­GmbH was among the companies offering stations
that included heat metering but without an external
volumetric measuring device. The company introduced such a station a year ago. Now Resol has
caught up with the trend with its FlowSol B HE WMZ.
Resol uses a Grundfos direct sensor which measures
volumetric flow using the vortex principle. Technische
Alternative also uses a vortex sensor supplied by
Swiss manufacturer Huba.
PAW takes a different approach. The new SolarBloC midi Premium and SolarBloC maxi Premium
models also have integrated heat metering. The volumetric flow in these units is measured by a rotor
whose number of rotations is measured using the
Hall Effect. Unlike vortex sensors, rotors can also
measure very slight volumetric flow.
Italy’s Barberi Rubinetterie Industriali s.r.l. is
working on a sensor which uses ultrasonic
­measurements to determine volumetric flow. Like the
vortex, this measurement process does not require
45
Photovoltaics
trade tariffs
Hardly negative effects expected
Europe’s PV installers hope for the
survival of the European solar
manufacturing industry. This is the
result of a survey conducted by
Europressedienst in the 27 EU
member states. 84 % of the
participating installers consider it
“very important” or “important”
that European solar modules
continue to be available to them as
an alternative to the products from
Chinese competitors.
PV installers want to be able to
choose between products from
Europe and Asia.
Photo: Europressedienst
E
uropressedienst surveyed European PV installers on their opinion regarding the solar industry and cheap imports from China. The survey
shows that many of the installers agree with the
­European Commission’s current investigations concerning the alleged price dumping and unfair subsidies from Chinese solar manufacturers. 66 % of the
respondents believe that the EU proceeding is justified. 65 % of the installers would agree with protective measures and countervailing duties, if the allegations against Chinese manufacturers of unfair trade
practices are confirmed by the European ­Commission.
Only 18 % of the installers are against imposing protective tariffs, which would lead to price increases for
Chinese-made solar panels. If, as a result of protective measures, the prices of Chinese modules rose in
Europe, the installers would be affected in very different ways: around 57 % of the respondents state that
the higher prices would not have any immediate effect on their business. 15 % would change their product portfolio and buy fewer modules from China. 7 %
of the installers in the 27 EU member states would
Agreement with justification EU complaint
Italy
76.3 %
Austria
75.0 %
Germany
71.3 %
65.6 %
France
60 %
62
62 %
64 %
66 %
Source: Europressedienst
68 %
Labour costs not really relevant
Solar panels from China are significantly cheaper for
the European PV installers than those offered by their
competitors based in Europe. However, the price difference cannot be explained by lower labour costs in
China, since worldwide, the share of labour costs lies
only between 7 and 10 %. In the survey, the opinions
of the installers as concerns the reasons for the lower prices differ widely. When asked what gives China
that price advantage, 68 % of respondents mentioned state subsidies. 65 % of installers believe that
the Chinese manufacturers have to fulfil less regulatory requirements at their production sites than in
­Europe. 63 % presume that the Chinese manufacturers have better access to fresh capital, whereas 60 %
believe that the Chinese cost advantage is a result of
the lower energy costs. In the survey, the majority of
installers indicate that they do not think that the price
advantage of Chinese companies is due to better production facilities or more efficient research and development. 60 % do not see any advantages in R&D.
57 % believe that the production facilities in China
are no more modern than in Europe.
Responses vary markedly
66.7 %
Belgium
pursue a different strategy and try to lower the purchase prices of other components such as solar inverters and mounting systems. 15 % of the installers
see the danger of more drastic consequences: 10 %
expect lay offs whereas around 5 % fear that they
would have to shut down their business.
70 %
72 %
74 %
76 %
78 %
Importantly, the responses of the PV installers vary
greatly by country. The complaint filed against ­Chinese
dumping prices is believed to be justified by 80 % in
Sun & Wind Energy 5/2013
Sweden, 76 % in Italy, 75 % in Austria, and 71 % in
Germany. In Spain, only 22 % agree with the proceeding. In the UK, the rate is higher with 46 %. 83 % in
Belgium and 79 % in France and Italy state that protective tariffs against cheap Chinese products would
be appropriate. In Bulgaria and the UK, the rate is ­only
43 % while Germany arrives at 64 %. 91 % of the installers in France and 83 % of respondents in Italy say
it is “very important” to have a European solar industry. In Germany, 68 % of the installers give the same
answer. In the UK, only 39 % of the installers and in
Sweden only 40 % consider a European industry to be
“very important”. However, the opinions differ also
when assessing the Chinese market, for example,
whether companies from China have to fulfil less regu­
latory requirements than their European competitors.
In Austria, Slovenia and Sweden 100 % of the respondents answered with “agree” or “fully agree”. In
the UK and in Bulgaria only 50 % shared this view
whereas slightly more than 60 % of the respondents
gave this answer in Italy, France and Germany.
In March this year, Europressedienst contacted a
total of 2,303 PV installers in the 27 EU member states
to see in advance where the decision of the ­European
Commission on June 6th will be leading. 532 installers
participated in the survey. The number of the companies interviewed in each country was proportional to
the newly installed capacities in these countries in
2012. Most of the installers were therefore based in
the largest European markets Germany, Italy and
Approval of possible protective tariffs
83.3 %
Belgium
Italy
78.5 %
France
78.1 %
Spain
77.8 %
Germany
0%
64.4 %
10 %
20 %
30 %
40 %
50 %
60 %
70 %
80 %
90 %
Source: Europressedienst
France. Overall, the participating companies had installed a PV capacity of more than 1.1 GW in the last
year. Approximately 16.5 GW were newly installed in
Europe in 2012. Experts estimate that thin-film technologies – which are not part of the EU complaint –
contributed about 8 % to the total PV growth. The remaining 15.2 GW comes from installations using crystalline modules. ­Europressedienst’s survey shows that
the perspectives of the European installers on the Euro­
pean solar industry and the import of cheap modules
from ­China differ widely by country. Installers in PV core
markets hold quite a different view than those based in
countries where solar power still plays a minor role.
Michael Forst
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