ASEAN's energy map

Photovoltaic technology could save the planet

2010-03-30 13:27
This is the 14th in a series of articles introducing the Korean government`s R&D policies. Researchers at the Science & Technology Policy Institute will explain Korea`s R&D initiatives aimed at addressing major socioeconomic problems facing the nation. - Ed.

By Yoo Eui-sun

If global warming continues on its present course, the temperature of the planet is projected to rise by 6.4 degrees Celsius by 2100. However, in order for the global community to effectively manage the risks caused by climate change, it needs to keep the temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius by 2050. To achieve this goal, it is essential to step up our efforts to increase energy sustainability through a diffusion of solar energy technologies across the world. As the growth of the renewable energy sector is gathering pace, the number of green jobs is on the rise. This paper aims to present a brief overview of the current state and features of solar energy technology, which is crucial to tackle climate change, and to discuss the future outlook and challenges, with the focus on solar photovoltaic technology.

The technical solutions to mitigate the threats of climate change can be divided into the following three categories - energy efficiency, decarbonization and natural sink. PV technology belongs in the decarbonization category. Improving energy efficiency is considered a powerful solution in the short and mid-term. Decarbonization is seen as a mid- and long-term solution. In particular, decarbonization should be first applied to the electricity supply sector, since the marginal cost incurred from carbon emissions reduction is relatively low in this sector when compared to other fields.

The total amount of solar energy that hits the earth`s surface is more than 8,000 times the amount of energy consumed by all human activities. Despite its low energy conversion efficiency, solar energy technology is reckoned by many to have the greatest potential to serve as a viable alternative. Solar energy technology posts the fastest growth rate among other renewable energy technologies, with the annual growth rate of 70 percent from 2006-2008.

Solar energy technology paints a rosy picture in terms of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and energy acquisition. Throughout the entire life cycle of solar cells, the greenhouse gas emission of PV is very low - in the range of 1/10 to 1/40 of that of electricity production by fossil fuels.

The cost per watt of PV technology is widely expected to achieve grid parity in 2015. Grid parity is the point at which renewable electricity is equal to or cheaper than grid power. The development of PV technologies, the economies of scale, and the optimization of solar cell production processes will contribute to the achievement of grid parity. Once grid parity is attained, it will encourage widespread proliferation of PV technologies.

PV technology is foreseen to experience a "double technology shift," where the first-generation technology shifts to the second-generation and to the third at the same time. Crystalline silicon solar cells represent the first-generation technology. Thin-film technology lies in the core of the second-generation technology, which aims to lower the cost by reducing previously-used silicon materials and replacing those materials with non-silicon materials. The third-generation technology pursues a "low-cost, high-efficiency" strategy, which aims to improve technology efficiency at a low cost.

The future direction of PV technologies will be determined by how the competition among the first-, second- and third-generation technologies proceeds in the future. From the mid-term perspective, we expect an intensification of competition between crystalline silicon technology, which is by far the predominant technology now, and thin-film technology, which is gradually increasing its market share. In the long run, competition between thin-film technology and the third generation technology will become the main issue.

The proliferation of renewable energy sources, including PV, is closely associated with the development of smart grid technologies. Substantial automation and intelligence in the smart grid will facilitate the realization of a renewables-driven grid including PV. Furthermore, smart buildings and vehicles will increase applications of PV.

In addition, the development of energy-storage technologies complements the intermittent surges of electricity supply by PV cells, thereby facilitating the expansion of the PV markets. In this regard, the "ubiquitous energy storage" technology, which permits energy to be saved anytime, anywhere, is required. In the meantime, with the proliferation of hybrid and electric cars, it is likely that plug-in car batteries become a practical storage options.

Germany, Japan and the United States are the biggest players in the PV technology industry, with China rapidly catching up. Germany achieved rapid growth in this field by introducing a "feed-in tariff" system at an early stage. Japan has led the pack in terms of solar cell manufacturing and accumulated installation capacity, but has recently witnessed a slowdown in its growth rate.

China`s production volume of PV cells has recently skyrocketed. If combined with Taiwan`s output, China accounted for 44 percent of the global PV market in 2008. Korea also has great potential for future development of PV technology, taking into consideration its top-notch semiconductor and nano technologies.

Let me suggest some of the technical and policy-level agenda to speed up the diffusion of PV technologies. First, it is necessary to improve performance and economic efficiency of the first- and second-generation technologies in addition to the continuous development of next-generation technologies. We need to focus on improving efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells (first-generation) while reducing the input of resources. Also, it is necessary to increase the efficiency and lifespan of thin-film solar cells (second-generation).

Furthermore, Korea needs to develop a variety of advanced new models for third-generation PVs. To this end, it is necessary to develop PVs with advanced new materials and structures (ex: nanomaterials), highly-efficient dye-sensitized solar cells and organic solar cells, as well as solar concentrator technologies. Another urgent task ahead of us is to develop super-efficient solar cells (an efficiency of over 40 percent) and ultra low-cost cells. Under these circumstances, Korea should focus on expanding research and development in the second- and third-generation technologies in the mid- and long-run.

Second, complementary research and development to support the proliferation of PV technologies needs to be further strengthened. We need to prioritize improving solar cell`s capability to be integrated into the structure of buildings. In addition, we need to promote R&D to complement possible drawbacks of PV technologies and to expand their applicability by using ubiquitous energy saving, smart grid, smart green buildings and smart transport technologies. We need to enhance our cross-sectional research in the areas which penetrates overall PV technologies, such as performance measurement standard.

Third, we need to promote "solar city," "solar fund," and "solar knowledge" projects to advance toward the "tipping point" for PV. Under the existing and dominant "high carbon society" paradigm, it is necessary to put in place a sustainable and effective incentive mechanism offsetting the disadvantages of solar-cell introduction. One solution is continuing the "feed-in tariff" system, while gradually scaling back financial support from the government, or introducing a "renewable portfolio standard." The RPS mechanism generally requires electricity supply companies to produce a specified fraction of their electricity from renewable energy sources.

In addition, the "solar city" program needs to be implemented at an early date. A pilot program to build a "carbon-zero eco-city" and eco-remodeling programs for old cities are other options. These programs will make use of PV in their design.

We need to focus on the possibility of promoting the proliferation of "green buildings" built on PV technologies. We can push programs to build 1 million green homes, develop green buildings standards and provide various incentives for those who over-achieve them.

In addition, an optimal solution for incorporating the PV system into the structure of buildings needs to be explored, taking into account the requirements of construction technologies. Moreover, we need to set up a "solar fund," an investment vehicle mobilizing public and private R&D capital to support the development of new third-generation PV technologies. Also, ensuring social and ecological sustainability of PV technologies should not be neglected.

Ecological effect assessments on PV technologies need to be carried out to minimize the adverse impact of new technologies on our ecosystem. It is also essential to revitalize "solar knowledge flow" by developing a database for the PV technology application process and materials, or sharing information and experience on the best practices for PV applications.

Fourth, strengthening cooperation among nations is required in setting international standards for PV technologies. To this end, it is necessary to establish a technology cooperation mechanism which supports the application and manufacturing of solar cells in developing nations.

At the same time, we need to actively pursue close international cooperation in carrying out R&D in next-generation PV technologies, while encouraging active participation of advanced nations. We also need to work closely together to come up with a performance measurement standard for PV modules and systems.

Fifth, launching the cross-Asian "Super Grid Initiative" needs to be reviewed. As in case of Europe, we need to expand the deployment of our solar energy technologies on a large scale to other parts of Asia, moving beyond our territorial boundaries. In the mid and long term, the "Super Grid Initiative" linking Mongolia, China and India is worth our consideration. The main purpose of this initiative is to strengthen international cooperation in jointly developing and using the solar energy abundant in Asian deserts or tropical regions.

Yoo Eui-sun is associate research fellow at the Future Study Team of the Science and Technology Policy Institute in Seoul. His research interest is climate change, sustainable development, environmental technology and policy, and foresight. He is now working to develop a "green index" to systematically assess the realization of a low-carbon society. He achieved his Ph.D. in environmental engineering at Technical University of Berlin. He can be reached via email at esyoo@stepi.re.kr - Ed.

Developing green economy necessary, achievable

English.news.cn 2010-08-16 20:10:05

by Zhang Xiaojun, Liu Ying and Liu Zan

BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Developing a green economy based on sustainable development is necessary for our world that is short of energy.

While many have suspected that the financial crisis will discourage the costly green projects, more countries are committed to continued investment in the sector.

Oil-rich Gulf countries and fast-growing Asian economies are likely to continue to invest on renewable energy.

Western powers also pledged to increase their green spending despite the looming budget squeeze.

U.S. President Barack Obama, who has long said renewable energy sources will play a vital role in the nation's future, has asked the Congress for 9 billion U.S. dollars in loan guarantees for renewable energy projects.

Analysts say global spending on the green economy has bounced back and is likely to exceed 2008 levels and reach 200 billion dollars in 2010.

What motives these governments to invest boldly in green economy is obvious -- whoever builds the first efficient and effective economy will lead the global economy in this century.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said striving for the green economy is "an ambitious goal, but it is achievable and is necessary."

The question is, how can we reach this goal?

The governments should focus on at least two areas: developing renewable energy and improving energy efficiency.

Renewable energy, which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind and tides, has its pros and cons.

On the one hand, it has great potential. For instance, solar power can provide as much as 1000 times the total world energy consumption in 2008, but only 0.02 percent of the total energy consumption that year came from the Sun.

But the return from investment on renewable energy would not be seen in short term. For example, although the commercialization of solar cells started almost 50 years ago, solar power still cannot compete in the market with fossil fuels that generate electricity more cheaply.

For quick benefits, improving energy efficiency is a good choice. The governments may urge enterprises and individuals to improve building insulation or replace obsolete heating and cooling equipments.

Besides, long-term projects can also be carried out in an effort to develop green economy.

Fossil fuels, which produce considerable greenhouse gases, remain the stable sources of electricity in the foreseeable future. The International Energy Agency predicts that the demand for coal will increase 53 percent between 2007 and 2030.

Some governments began to support the development of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) demonstration projects to reduce the effects of fossil fuel emissions on global warming. The idea is to make coal burn cleanly by injecting millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the ground.

From a historical perspective, Germany has set a good example in developing green economy. It has not only lowered its dependence on fossil fuels, but also created a new economic engine, which is cleaner and provides more jobs.

Since the oil crisis in the 1970s, Germany has begun to cut energy consumption and look for alternative resources. In 1986, Germany set up a federal ministry to regulate issues on environment and energy policy. In 1991, Germany introduced feed-in tariff to further support the development and use of renewable energy technologies.

Consequently, by 2008, renewable energy sources have accounted for 15.1 percent of total German power consumption and helped cut greenhouse gas emission by 112 million tons. It employed over 280,000 people and had a turnover of 30 billion euros (38.2 billion dollars).

The seven habits of highly efficient companies

Leading firms that give greater attention to energy efficiency report billions of dollars in savings and millions of tons of avoided greenhouse gas emissions, according to the new report 'From Shop Floor to Top Floor: Best Business Practices in Energy Efficiency' from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

This report stems from a historic shift in business leaders' perceptions of energy and climate change
issues. In the last decade, rising and volatile energy prices have converged with increasing concern about climate change and growing consumer support for action on energy and environmental issues to drive a surge of corporate environmental commitments. As companies have begun to act on these commitments, energy efficiency has emerged as a first-priority strategy. Accordingly, many companies have launched aggressive efficiency strategies, in many cases well beyond the scope and reach of earlier efforts.

This report documents these leading-edge energy efficiency strategies, distilling the best practices and providing guidance and resources for other businesses choosing this path. It was developed over nearly two years of effort from Pew Center on Global Climate Change staff, a project advisory committee, members of the Pew Center's Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC),1 project consultants, and report authors.

The project encompassed a detailed survey of BELC members and other leading companies, in-depth case studies of six companies, a series of workshops on key energy efficiency topics, broader research in the corporate energy field, and development of a full-featured web portal to provide a platform for highlighting and updating key findings from the project as well as providing tools, resources, and other important information. The report covers efficiency strategies encompassing internal operations, supply chains, products and services, and cross-cutting issues.

A key finding from this report is that climate change has reframed corporate energy strategies. Companies that take on carbon footp inting and reduction strategies quickly come to see their energy use in a whole new light. On average, companies surveyed for this study reported spending less than five percent of total revenues on energy-even in today's relatively high cost energy environment.

But when these companies calculate their carbon footprint, they typically find that their energy consumption accounts for the great majority of their directly measurable emissions impact. Suddenly, energy shifts from a small cost item to the biggest piece of their carbon footprint. Viewed from this perspective, energy efficiency becomes a sustainability2 imperative.

The report was released at the energy efficiency conference in Chicago, which addressed key report findings, including The Seven Habits of Highly Efficient Companies.

These seven habits distill the elements of an exemplary corporate energy efficiency strategy into a set of core practices and principles. These are:

1. Efficiency is a core strategy, and not just another sustainability 'box' to check;
2. Leadership and organizational support is real and sustained, all the way up to the CEO;
3. The company sets ambitious energy savings goals, and has a clear plan for how to meet them;
4. The strategy runs on a robust tracking and performance measurement system that allows decision makers to quickly identify problem areas and take corrective action;
5. The organization puts substantial and sustained resources into efficiency;
6. The energy efficiency strategy shows demonstrated results, meeting or beating prescribed energy savings targets;
7. The company communicates energy efficiency results as part of the core 'stories' the company tells.

To read the full report and six in-depth case studies, visit here.

Spreading the Word

Sal Rand Talks About Petroleum — and ASTM's Standards for It — Around the World

by Richard Wilhelm

Sal Rand with participants in the training course on gasoline in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Sal Rand knows quite a bit about petroleum. Fortunately, he has been more than happy to share his knowledge with the rest of the world.

An ASTM International member for more than 30 years, Rand has been instrumental in Committee D02 on Petroleum Products and Lubricants since his earliest days on the committee.

During his career with Texaco, Rand managed the Fuels Testing Laboratory, which tested all liquid fuels and some gaseous fuels. His work led to the development of a quality assurance program that included the use of mobile testing vans to perform tests in remote areas. The program became the standard in the industry.

While acting as chair of Subcommittee D02.05 on Properties of Fuels, Petroleum Coke and Carbon Material, Rand became involved with a then-new to D02 task group on pitch and helped develop a number of important standards on petroleum coke, manufactured carbon material and pitch.

Rand also recalls his participation in the development of the key standard D6045, Test Method for Color of Petroleum Products by the Automatic Tristimulus Method. D6045 is used by the paint, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, among others, in determining color automatically.

While Rand thought that his ASTM work might be curtailed after his retirement from Texaco in 1994, it was actually the beginning of a new adventure. Approached to teach an ASTM Technical and Professional Training course on gasoline, Rand took some time to design such a course and wrote a manual for it. He first taught it soon after his retirement and has now presented "Gasoline: Specifications, Testing and Technology" in more countries than he can readily remember, though he can say that he has taught it everywhere from Taiwan to Ecuador to Bahrain to Singapore.

"I've taught the course close to 100 times and it keeps changing," says Rand. "There are new things happening out there and I've got to stay abreast of it. ASTM is a good resource for doing that."

According to Rand, the gasoline course covers a broad and comprehensive look at many subjects relating to the fuel. Topics include an overview of ASTM and its standards developing process, refining, chemistry and volatility, which Rand notes is a crucial component.

In addition, Rand talks about fuel additives and oxygenates, and touches on the U.S. Clean Air Act — what is mandated by it, what testing is needed and what the Act restricts.

While course participants from the petroleum industry range from those in marketing to researchers, Rand says that many of his students do not work directly in the petroleum industry. These include attorneys, regulators and chemists from a variety of testing laboratories. Rand gives participants his e-mail address and says that he'll often receive follow-up questions from them even a few years after they've taken the course.

In addition to the gasoline course, Rand has developed aan ASTM "Fuels Technology Course" that combines gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels that he has also presented throughout the world.

Rand says he has gained much from his ASTM experience, with his favorite part being interaction with other people. "You get to know the top people in the world who are working on test methods and specifications and the meetings are beautifully informal," Rand says. "Anybody will talk to anybody. ASTM is here for a reason and I think it is doing a magnificent job." Rand's wife of 53 years, Agnes, has accompanied him on many of his trips to both ASTM meetings and training sessions around the world. When he's not on the road, Rand enjoys spending time with his five children and nine grandchildren, and doing volunteer work near his home in Florida.