This week a South African blockchain startup called Sun Exchange raised $1.6 million in seed funding to launch a peer-to-peer solar energy trading platform. It is hardly unique, though.

Recent weeks have seen new blockchain-based energy hopefuls cropping up like mushrooms after the rain. Here are 15 of the top names making headlines.

Conjoule

Conjoule offers a blockchain platform designed to support peer-to-peer trading of energy among rooftop PV owners and interested public-sector or corporate buyers. The company was hatched in Innogy’s Innovation Hub in 2015 and pulled in $5.3 million in funding from Tokyo Electric Power Company and others in July. Conjoule has been running a pilot in Germany for the past year.

Drift

Seattle-based Drift is leveraging distributed ledger technology, machine learning and high-frequency trading to create a differentiated competitive retail energy provider. It raised $2.1 million in May and is currently operating in New York City.

Greeneum

Greeneum, developed by the team behind the first renewable energy currency, SolarCoin (see below), this month revealed it is running test nets and pilots for its peer-to-peer energy trading platform “in Europe, Cyprus, Israel, Africa and the U.S.” It expects to have a viable product platform out by mid-2018.

Grid+

In one of the most hotly hyped launches in the energy blockchain world, Grid+ last month raised $40 million through its token sale, which will fund the development and launch of its blockchain-based competitive retail provider in Texas. The hype was partly a result of Grid+’s origins: It was created by top New York blockchain shop ConsenSys.

Grid Singularity

Grid Singularity is an Austrian startup developing a blockchain purpose-built for the energy industry, backed by a team of experienced energy market professionals and leading blockchain and smart contract developers, according to its website (see also: Energy Web Foundation).

Electron

U.K. startup Electron began with a blockchain-based solution to help customers in the U.K. switch energy suppliers, but has since been communicating a vision of leveraging its platform to support broader energy trading and grid-balancing solutions. Last month, with help from Siemens and National Grid, it won U.K. government support to scale up its platform.

Energy Web Foundation

Established in February by Grid Singularity and the Rocky Mountain Institute, Energy Web Foundation is not so much a startup as an alliance body aimed at introducing an open-source blockchain designed for the electricity market, identifying use cases and helping build an ecosystem of participants. Big-name energy firms pumped $2.5 million into the foundation in May. 

ImpactPPA

While most energy-based blockchain players offer a token for trading, Manhattan Beach, California-based ImpactPPA has two: one to fund projects and one to consume energy. The company is targeting the estimated 16 percent of the world population that lacks a reliable source of energy.

LO3 Energy

As well as backing Electron in the U.K., Siemens last year announced a tie-up with New York peer-to-peer blockchain developer LO3 Energy. The promising startup this month pulled in an unspecified amount of funding from Braemar Energy Ventures and Centrica Innovations.

MyBit

MyBit is designed to help crowdfund solar panels by distributing the ownership of each system across several owners. The company raised the equivalent of around $2.7 million in a token sale in August.

Power Ledger

Australia’s star energy blockchain player, Power Ledger, had pulled in more than $24 million from around 15,000 supporters by the time it completed a token generation event earlier this month. The company is rolling out pilot projects for its blockchain platform, built to support a broad range of energy market applications, in Australia and New Zealand.

SolarCoin

SolarCoin was launched in 2014 as a rewards program for solar electricity generation, with one of its coins equaling a megawatt-hour of production. The scheme is set to reward 97,500 terawatt-hours of generation over 40 years, but for now its value remains low.

Sun Exchange

Sun Exchange’s motto is “solar-powered money.” Founded by U.K. utility-scale solar pioneer Abraham Cambridge, the company aims to let supporters around the world crowdfund PV down to the level of an individual solar cell and lease them to schools and businesses in Africa. Sun Exchange recently raised $1.6 million in seed funding.

Veridium Labs

Veridium is a financial technology firm aiming to create a new asset class called “EcoSmart Commodities.” “Veridium will provide a new vehicle for corporations to embed environmental replacements into the cost of their products,” co-founder Todd Lemons told GTM.

WePower

WePower is developing an Ethereum-based platform to fund renewable energy projects through the sale and trading of the “tokenized” energy produced by those systems. The company is looking to raise $30 million from an ICO next month.

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Simply put, a string inverter is a device for converting DC to AC power and which is designed for high voltage DC inputs.
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Using a string inverter, the solar panel array, still typically rated at 12V, 24V or 48V each panel (although higher voltage panels are now coming out) is wired in series, rather than in parallel. It's that simple: The panels are arrayed in a "string" to produce the same amount of total power but at higher voltages (typically 200-800V), thus lower current, allowing much smaller wiring and much smaller and lighter weight inverter construction. The IR losses encountered in wiring are also present in the inverter equipment's electronics, thus higher voltage DC input circuitry can be built more economically and with lower internal losses, improving efficiency in the electronics as well as in the cabling between the solar array and the inverter.
The popularity of this new approach in PV (photovoltaic solar power) applications has not fallen on deaf ears in other arenas, as well. Small-scale wind generators, for instance, have followed a similar evolution. Starting with 12V and 24V automotive-type generators or other low voltage DC units and batteries, the more current crop of home wind generator systems are now using higher-voltage principals and, for grid-tied systems, are skipping the batteries, too. The term "string inverter" is somewhat nonsensical in this context because the small-scale wind generators are not typically done in arrays like solar panels and there is typically only a single generator per installation (for small systems). Now high-DC-voltage "grid-tie string inverters" are all the rage for use in wind systems, too.
So, string or no string, the bottom line is that the budding homebrew power industry is getting hip to high voltage as a means of improving system and inverter efficiency and lowering the costs of getting the power from one place (the roof or tower, etc.) to another (the location of the inverter). String inverters should more accurately be called simply "high input voltage inverters", probably, since the "string" moniker really applies only to multi-panel PV solar systems and these same units are very popular for wind and hydo-generation systems where there is no "string" of series-connected sources, per se.

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According to Van Roosmalen, this product has an acceptable balance between appearance, yield and sustainability.
​“We have managed to find a “sweet spot” that is made up of 30% coloured print as well as having a guaranteed yield of 80%. We are able to achieve this through the use of Metal Wrap Through back-contact technology which gives an excellent background for the full-colour print and flexibility in dimensioning and production. This technology improves the yield by 5 to 10 percent compared to standard solar cells, by conducting the metallisation of the solar cells to the rear of the MWT cells through laser-drilled holes, so that we can connect the cells in series using conductive copper foil.“
Material sustainability plays a pivotal role in the development and testing phase. Van Roosmalen: “Up to now the panel has passed ECN's outdoor, indoor and UV lighting tests with flying colours. The results show that the panel more than meets the solar panel industry's standard test duration and so confirms our ambition to guarantee its sustainability and colour-fastness for 20 years.”
One of the great advantages of the façade module is its flexibility in use. According to Van Roosmalen the module's size of 120 x 90 centimetres may be smaller than a standard panel, but puts it in line with standard construction sizes – multiples of 30 cm – and the flexible MWT technology makes various applications and sizes possible. “The DSD façade panel can be used in various sizes. A relevant factor for the PV industry is that the colour prints can be used on different types of solar cells: from monocrystalline and multicrystalline silicon to thin film.”

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Sun Exchange, a peer-to-peer solar equipment leasing firm has raised $1.6 million (R22 million) in seed financing from several strategic partners to accelerate global access to solar power.
With Sun Exchange anyone can buy remotely located solar cells and earn rental income from them. Assets are recorded on the blockchain, and income is paid in crypto-currency – streaming monetized sunshine around the world.
Sun Exchange members can have their solar cells installed and rented to hospitals, factories, schools and rural communities in Africa and the Middle East, earning them decades of rental income from solar powering the developing world.
Partners include Network Society Ventures (New York City), Kalon Venture Partners (Johannesburg, South Africa) and three technology accelerators, BoostVC (San Francisco Bay Area), Techstars (Boulder, Colorado) and Powerhouse (Oakland, California).
The funding, Sun Exchange said, will boost the firm’s capacity to meet the demand for its pipeline of commercial-scale solar power projects.
Sun Exchange said it is the first company in its field to leverage blockchain technology to allow individuals to purchase solar cells in solar projects which are mostly situated in emerging markets that are solar-rich but power-poor.

Read: You may soon need to register and pay Nersa for your personal generators and solar panels
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Using its blockchain-based platform, Sun Exchange said it democratizes the green economy by giving retail customers around the world the chance to lease solar cells bought on their platform to medium to large solar installations in emerging markets.
Solar panels are sold by the single solar cell, reducing the cost of solar plant ownership to below $10 (R13.67).
“By breaking down solar panel ownership to a single cell we reduce the cost of going solar by two orders of magnitude and we’re utilizing empty roof space in some of the sunniest cities on the planet, such as Dubai and Johannesburg,” said Abraham Cambridge, CEO of Sun Exchange.
“To super-charge the process we’ve combined our solar leases with another breakthrough technology – blockchain, namely Bitcoin. Putting the two together empowers anyone to go solar and be part of the global solar energy transformation with just a few taps on a screen.”

Essel Infraprojects’s move to sell its solar power business comes at a time when solar and wind power tariffs have fallen to record lows.

New Delhi: In an indication of accelerating consolidation in India’s green energy space, Subhash Chandra’s Essel Infraprojects Ltd has mandated Investec to find a buyer for its solar business, said two people aware of the development.

Essel’s move comes at a time when financing at the lowest cost has become key to success in India’s renewable energy sector after solar and wind power tariffs fell to record lows.

Solar power tariff fell to a record Rs2.44 per kWh in May before firming up to Rs2.65 per kWh in an auction by the Gujarat government last month.

“Essel Infra has appointed Investec as the banker for the sale of their solar business,” a person aware of the development, requesting anonymity. A second person confirmed the development.

Essel Infraprojects, an Essel Group firm, has a presence across green energy, transportation, electricity transmission and distribution, and urban infrastructure.

According to information available on its website, Essel Infraprojects has 685 megawatt (MW) solar capacity, with six of its 12 solar projects being operational. It also has a portfolio consisting of 163 MW of hydropower and 560 MW of wind power.

An Essel Group spokesperson declined to comment. Queries emailed to Ajeeth Narayan, head of the Indian unit of Investec, remained unanswered.

Essel Group has been trying to ramp up its energy sector plans, including exploring a solar module manufacturing facility with one of China’s largest solar equipment makers, GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd, Mint reported on 22 March.

The London and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges listed Investec has a presence in the UK and Europe, South Africa, Asia and Australia.

Analysts say India’s solar sector will witness a lot of transactions at the right valuations.

“Solar sector has seen significant capacity addition and allocations in the past two years and developers are scrambling to raise capital to sustain business growth,” consulting firm Bridge to India wrote in a 3 October note.

“Nine private developers have built up solar portfolios exceeding 500MW in the past couple of years—Adani (2,038MW), Acme (1,713MW), Renew (1,659MW), Greenko (1,407MW), Tata Power Renewable (1,382MW), Azure Power (1,102MW), Essel Infra (710MW), Engie (694MW) and Hero Future Energies (540MW) in addition to wind capacity as of September 2017,” the note added.

Overseas investors have been attracted by India’s emerging green economy. Last month, Singapore-based power producer Sembcorp Industries Ltd announced the acquisition of IDFC’s remaining 28% stake in renewable energy firm Sembcorp Green Infra (SGI) for Rs1,410.2 crore to become its sole owner.

“In such an environment, lots of portfolios, across market, are available for sale or IPOs (initial public offerings) but deals are held up because of mismatch in pricing expectations. Our view is that investors are driving hard bargains and closures are likely to happen only for credible developers at the right prices,” the Bridge to India note added.

India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer after the US and China, plans to achieve 175 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2022 as part of its commitments under the global climate change accord. Of this, 100GW is to come from solar.

The National Democratic Alliance government seeks to reduce import of fossil fuels, boost underutilized power plants and meet its climate change commitments by providing universal access to electricity. Given the scale of the Indian market, the country’s green energy play is expected to grow substantively with federal policy think tank NITI Aayog projecting 597-710GW of capacity by 2040 in its new draft energy policy.

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LM Wind Power announces the signing of an agreement to develop a 71.8 meter blade for Chinese offshore leader Envision. The deal is followed by a supply agreement from LM Wind Power's Jiangyin factory in Jiangsu, China that will require the company to expand the manufacturing facility by 50%.

The new 71.8 meter blade will equip Envision's new 4.5 MW platform and is expected to be installed in H1 2018. The new large-rotor turbine is designed to effectively serve the Wind Class II and III areas in north China offshore.

Dick Xie, Envision Offshore Business Head, said: "Envision has a strong ambition to continue to lead the development of the Chinese offshore wind market and we are pleased to engage in this strategic partnership with LM Wind Power. Our collaboration will ensure high-performing, reliable blades on this new and powerful platform that will contribute to reducing the Levelized Cost of Energy offshore."

LM Wind Power Vice President Offshore, Alexis Crama, added: "The Chinese offshore wind market is expected to grow on average by 40% annually for the next five years. LM Wind Power has been part of this journey since the very beginning and we are investing significantly in new product development and technologies for the Chinese market, including manufacturing capacity and people. Together with industry leaders like Envision, we look forward to further accelerating the development of a domestic offshore industry, helping China meet its growing demands for clean, renewable and affordable energy." 

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The UK’s Energy Minister Richard Harrington has confirmed that £557m (€621 million) will be made available for less established renewable electricity technologies for future Contracts for Difference (CfD) auctions, starting with the next auction in 2019.

The news forms part of the government’s ‘Clean Growth Strategy’ to drive economic growth and clean up the energy system.

Since 1990 the UK’s emissions are down by more than a third while the economy has grown by two-thirds. Low-carbon generation provided more than half (52%) our electricity this summer, according to National Grid, while PwC analysis shows the UK decarbonising faster than any other G20 nation.

The Clean Growth Strategy, which will be published this week, will build on this success and ensure Britain remains a global leader in the move towards a low-carbon economy. It will ensure the whole country can benefit from new technologies, jobs and businesses that are good for consumers, the environment and the economy.

As part of the strategy, developers will compete for up to £557 million of funding in Contracts for Difference auctions which drive down energy costs for consumers and increase business confidence. The latest auction saw the cost of new offshore wind fall by 50% compared to the first auction held in 2015 and resulted in over 3GW of new generation which could power 3.6 million homes.

Technologies such as offshore wind, energy from waste, marine and biomass CHP will be focused on. However, the government will not be investing in biomass conversion.

Response
Energy Minister Richard Harrington said: “The government’s Clean Growth Strategy will set out how the whole of the UK can benefit from the global move to a low-carbon economy.

“We’ve shown beyond doubt that renewable energy projects are an effective way to cut our emissions, while creating thousands of good jobs and attracting billions of pounds worth of investment.”

Commenting on the report, James Court, Head of Policy and External Affairs at the Renewable Energy Association said: “The last auction showed what government support and consistency can do for an industry, with offshore wind showing incredible cost reductions.

“Yet we still find ourselves in a situation where the government will support new nuclear, new gas, new diesel, yet won’t support the most cost effective technologies such as solar, onshore wind and biomass, which are still blocked to market.

“The energy market is changing rapidly, with cheaper renewables, a more decentralised grid, smart meters and battery storage driving this revolution. Yet the UK will be left behind globally if the government don’t start supporting the industry and we will be left with a higher cost, higher carbon and out of date system that we will all end up paying for.”

 This story was written by Liz Gyekye, editor of Bioenergy Insight. 

Solar power grew faster than any other source of fuel for the first time in 2016, the International Energy Agency said in a report suggesting the technology will dominate renewables in the years ahead.

The institution established after the first major oil crisis in 1973 said 165 gigawatts of renewables were completed last year, which was two-thirds of the net expansion in electricity supply. Solar powered by photovoltaics, or PVs, grew by 50 percent, with almost half of new plants built in China.

“What we are witnessing is the birth of a new era in solar PV,” Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, said in a statement accompanying the report published on Wednesday in Paris. “We expect that solar PV capacity growth will be higher than any other renewable technology through 2022.”

This marks the sixth consecutive year that clean energy has set records for installations. Mass manufacturing and a switch by governments away from fixed payments for renewables forced down the cost of wind and solar technology.

The IEA expects about 1,000 gigawatts of renewables will be installed in the next five years, a milestone that coal only accomplished after 80 years. That quantity of electricity surpasses what’s consumed in China, India and Germany combined.

The surge of photovoltaics in China is largely due to government support for renewables, which are being demanded by a population concerned about air pollution and environmental degradation that has led to deadly smogs. The country is seeking to reduce its reliance on coal and has become the world’s largest market for renewables, particularly solar.

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Assessing a 500 kWp photovoltaic (PV) plant to provide a simplistic approach to determine the performance which PV plants can achieve after a certain period in operation. The 500 kWp PV plant discussed in this article operates in the Northern Cape and has been in operation for over a year. The plant was commissioned by Brand Engineering SA, which is responsible for the generation of 360 MW of power for Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) projects and other related renewable energy initiatives.

The plant is rated at 450 kW/502 kWp and therefore has an AC to DC ratio of 89,6%. It consists of 18 25 kW string inverters which convert DC power from 1620 310 W PV panels into AC power at 400 V, and stepped up to 11 kV and fed into the client’s MV network.

Fig. 1: Costs for commercial scale photovoltaic installations have dropped to below R15/kWp
SANS 50010 Guidelines for measurement and verification of energy savings provides guidance for a more complicated approach but, in principle, uses the following core equation:

Energy saving = (baseline period energy use) – (reporting period energy use) ± adjustments.

In this particular case, the energy saving should be equal to or exceed the upfront guaranteed yield and performance ratio value. The baseline period energy use of the client on the network is not discussed in this report but the demand exceeds the output of the PV plant at all times. No “+/-” adjustments have been taken into account, but an example of this could be network downtime by others.

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