Opportunities and challenges for PV
utility scale projects (MEA Region)
Ronald Saade – April 2014
Brief on Z-One Holding
Z-ONE Holding provides Integrated Value-Chain Solutions in the field of PV SOLAR ENERGY.
Z-One ‘s objective is to conserve its unique position of servicing the complete value chain related
to PhotoVoltaics (PV) through relationships and partnerships strictly with international market
leaders of the PV industry.
As such therefore, not only do we get involved with existing and available opportunities, but we
also have to face and handle the relevant challenges on several fronts: Political, Regulatory,
Financial and equally importantly, Technical.
We operate and cover the whole MEA Region from our headquarters in Dubai - UAE, as well as
from other operational subsidiaries in Egypt, Morocco, and Turkey.
Subsidiaries & Joint Ventures
Basis for Growth Potential
Solar Irradiation Around the World
• Today, solar energy is less than 0.1 % of global energy
• The “sunny” parts of the world are ready for photovoltaic
• Cost reduction of cells and modules will drive photovoltaic
• Photovoltaic will be one of the most economic energy sources with a large
market potential
Source: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts; http://www.ecmwf.int/.
Basis for Growth Potential
MW
3500.000
3000.000
2500.000
2000.000
1500.000
1000.000
OECD Pacific
Africa
Middle East
China
India
Developing Asia
Latin America
North America
Transition Economies
Europe
Evolution of
Cumulative
Installed Capacity
(Accelerated scenario)
500.000
0.000
2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Source: Greenpeace/EPA Solar Generation VI, 2010.
Opportunities in MEA Region
Opportunities in MEA Region
Opportunities in MEA Region
•
•
•
•
•
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High Irradiation
Available Land
Power Shortages
Very low electricity penetration rate
Huge off-grid market
High appetite for international financing institutions to the African market
And in the Gulf some differences are:
•
The high potential growth in electricity consumption, and
•
The cheap(er) financing due to political stability
Challenges in MEA Region
Already stated above……challenges on several fronts:
Political,
Regulatory,
Financial,
and equally importantly,
Technical.
CHALLENGES
POLITICAL/REGULATORY
• Regulatory Framework: Lack of Availability of FIT/PPA regulation:
Countries having already an established regulation: Jordan, Kenya, Rwanda,
South Africa & Uganda ONLY
• Region Stability
CHALLENGES
FINANCIAL
• Local banks for example are not familiar with PV sector - high interest rate for
debt financing due to political instability (1 to 100M $ projects)
• We can also argue that as developers “Only thing holding cleantech back is the
financing,” financiers respond that there’s a lack of supply and the market is not
scalable enough for a feasible business case, too high barriers of entry, not
enough economies of scale, no sufficient standards have been developed…
CHALLENGES
FINANCIAL
CHALLENGES
TECHNICAL
Are deserts the right place for PV modules, Inverters…etc?
Benefits:
Large and low cost area
High annual irradiance
Problems:
High temperature
Sand storms
Efficiency
( for modules at least, we already have “desert qualified” standards)
CHALLENGES
DEGRADATION EFFECTS
1 Degradation:
The abrasive effect produced by sand moved by wind is a negative effect
2 Other typical problems:
a) High temperature decrease efficiency due to negative thermal coefficient
b) High irradiance produce strong hot-spot effects (and subsequent ones)
c) High temperature may decrease the adhesion of the layers of modules
3 Other problems:
a) Wind (standard test up to 130 km/h)
b) Flying stones: comparable to hail
c) Dune movement
d) Inadequate O&M (cleaning)
e) Structural Strength of Mounting Systems
CHALLENGES
HIGH TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
We analyzed the effect of a long exposure to high temperature. In particular some
results of adhesion between encapsulant and backsheet/glass are compared after 3
consecutive periods of 1000 hours exposure to 85°C. (These parameters have a key
role on the quality of the lamination process and materials).
We can see in the next graph the strong degradation effect on adhesion due to the
above described test conditions (peel test)
The «Peel» test consists in pulling the backsheet with growing force to determine
the minimum necessary value ( in N) to delaminate (disconnect ) the different
layers.
CHALLENGES
HIGH TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
Backsheet 2 (1000h )
Backsheet 2 (0h )
Peel distance (mm)
time
Degradation
CHALLENGES
HIGH TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
Module Power vs Temperature
d
300
280
experimental data
< of
1w for
each
degree
>
Power at 1000W/m2 [W]
Linear behavior
260
Non linear behavior
44°C
240
60°C
220
80°C
200
180
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Module Temperature [°C]
70
80
90
100
CHALLENGES
HIGH TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
HOT SPOT EFFECT: Low quality modules/backsheet are almost always damaged
CHALLENGES
HIGH TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
Mechanical stress produced by hot spot can crash cells, if the cells are too thin or badly laminated
CHALLENGES
CONCLUSION
Challenges are many, but so what? our area offers many opportunities;
So in conclusion, we would love to hear from you and discuss:
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FINANCE & PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
----------- EMERGING POWER
ENGINEERING DESIGN & CONSULTANCY
----------- SOLARPRAXIS
ENGINEERING PROCUREMENT CONSTRUCTION ----------- Juwi
RAW MATERIALS & SYSTEMS
----------- Disctech
TESTING, CERTIFICATION & STANDARDS ----------- T ÙV InterCert
Experienced, world renown experts with references over the MEA region as well as
globally