Free Solar Tools (III)

On Internet we can find free tools for basic or low complexity solar systems dimensioning and for certain components or accessories estimation.

Sopelia research team has carried out an exhaustive search and testing from which a new corporate website section called Free Solar Tools has been created.

Selected tools were classified into 4 categories.

Today we will analyze the third of them: Solar Thermal.

In first category we have already analyzed tools to obtain data about solar resource and other variables to be considered in energy estimation solar system will provide in our location.

In the second category we have analyzed tools to calculate the “load”, ie the energy demand to be met.

Now we are going to analyze tools to solar thermal system dimensioning and others to estimate individual components of a system.

The order of the tools is not random. We have prioritized the most intuitive, the most universal and those that can be used online without download.

For this third category our selection is as follows:

1) Solar Thermal Calculator

Approximate calculation tool from which budget, production data and system performance study is automatically obtained.

A Navigation Guide and Manuals can be found at page bottom.

Resultado de imagen para calculadora solar térmica

2) Simulation for Solar Thermal System Pre-design

Online application based on the TSOL software that allows solar energy system simulating to ACS and ACS + heating contribute.

Available in German, English, Spanish and French.

Resultado de imagen para simulación solar térmica

3) Solar Fraction Calculation

Free download program developed by IDAE (Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving) and ASIT (Solar Thermal Industry Association) that allows to define a wide variety of solar systems introducing a minimum of project parameters, associated to each system configuration; and in this way, obtain solar system coverage on ACS and pool conditioning energy demand.

Resultado de imagen para fracción solar

4) Solar Expansion Vessel Calculation

Tool developed to calculate solar expansion vessel volume.

Volume values (total circuit, solar collectors, pipes), Maximum system temperature (ºC), Glycol concentration (%), Height between expansion vessel and system highest point (minimum value 1 Bar) and safety valve Pressure setting must be introduced.

Resultado de imagen para vaso de expansión solar

5) Thickness Insulation Pipes Calculation

Calculator that allows to estimate minimum and more economical water pipes insulation thickness.

Pipe Grade and Size, Insulation Material, Humidity and Temperature (Internal and Ambient) must be entered.

Resultado de imagen para aislamiento tuberías

Solar energy wherever you are with Sopelia.

The Renewable Mirage Of Spain

The fact that large-scale renewable projects development started later in Latin America than in other locations, gives the region the possibility of adopting policies that have been successful in other places.

Contrary to what some may think the case of Spain is, in many ways, an example of what should not be done.

The country has only renewable native energy resources and an irrelevant carbon reserve.

Spain was the world leader in renewables and an important industrial, professional and services sector was created in the country.

Unfortunately, this development was not genuine or fruit of energy planning but the result of a custom deeply rooted in Spanish idiosyncrasy: “the pelotazo”.

Mess produced, common sense indicated to apply gradualism and long-term planning to at least preserve all that acquired know-how.

The government did the opposite.

Legal security was violated by sector regulation modifying and placed Spain on the podium of countries with most ICSID complaints.

It decreed a renewable moratorium, which has been going on for 7 years, causing small and medium-sized enterprises disappearance.

Only large companies with capacity to develop activity outside their borders survived.

In last 5 years, 1 renewable MW has not been installed.

In 2016, government has realized that it will most likely not meet European commitments made regarding renewables participation in its energy matrix.

Resultado de imagen de matriz energética renovables

The reaction has been to present an auction draft (made public last December 28th, Holy Innocents day) which shows, once again, the energy planning lack.

In the auction project:

* A Marginalist model is proposed in which the most expensive awarded price, fixed the one of previous awards.

This favors the appearance of proposals that will present reckless bid to be adjudicated and to obtain the most expensive price offered.

This criterion opposes the PAB (pay as bid), adopted in all successful international auctions.

* An Indeterminate Variable Price is proposed, a mathematical paranormal phenomenon that reflects State intervention in private activity and the total ignorance of renewable technologies operation by those who have drafted and in 2014 sanctioned the legislation that supports it.

This criterion also goes against the Fixed Cost Price per kWh offered , adopted in all international auctions that have obtained good results.

* A Technologically Neutral criterion is adopted instead of auctioning quotas for each renewable technology.

This is very dangerous because it leaves out younger technologies that now are less profitable than others, but could be more profitable in the future; as is the case of solar thermal in which Spain is the world leader.

It also goes against Technological Specification criterion, adopted in all the international auctions that have obtained good results in order to favor the renewable energy matrix diversification and several technologies development.

* There is no size discrimination. A portion of the auctioned amount is not reserved for plants under 10 MW.

* Prequalification is not required and there is no need for real projects.

It is an absurd and unreasonable proposal that turns renewable energy into a financial product and not into an energy policy tool that promotes employment and technological and industrial development.

It favors the macro projects and deepens energy sector concentration.

At international level auctions a low price concentration is taking place, with the consequent dominant position in few actors’ creation, which in long run will dilute the advantages of short term low prices.

Surely the auction will go ahead virtually unchanged and the 3000 MW will be awarded because after 7 years without business there is real desperation in the sector.

However, that auction is a success does not mean that all projects are going to materialize nor is it a guarantee that objectives will be fulfilled.

The explosive cocktail of Variable Indeterminate Price, legal uncertainty, huge initial investment, high financial leverage and yields even lower than 4% is very dangerous.

If it explodes, who will pay for the broken dishes of this irresponsible act ? We know the answer. Spanish citizens already had to “rescue” the bank sector and “compensate” energy sector.

The option of going outside auctions is not viable because in Spain there is no legislation that encourages or allows connectivity to set PPAs between private, but “Sun Tax”.

Resultado de imagen de impuesto al sol

Renewable energies grid parity is already a reality in developed countries and in some developing countries.

If aid and subsidies received from fossil fuels had been withdrawn, it would have been much earlier.

If we consider auctions as the only tool to increase renewables participation, we will be keeping an obsolete energy matrix paradigm and making a very serious error.

The energy matrix of the future is based on 3 pillars:

1) Energy efficiency

2) Renewable energies

3) Distributed generation

Real energy revolution and citizen empowerment path goes through prosumer figure and energy cooperativism development.

Concentration and energy centralization route involves only changing fossils for renewables to maintain the “statu quo” for benefit of the usual suspects, who will continue to act as a collection agency in collusion with political power of turn.

Solar energy wherever you are with Sopelia.

Solar Guatemala

In 2003, Guatemala approved the Incentives Law for Renewable Energies Generation.

In 2005 tax incentives were established for 10 years, with import taxes payment exemption for equipment, components and accessories related to projects of electric power generation from renewable sources.

In 2010, the PEG-1 Indicative Expansion Plan for Generation System was launched as part of the energy matrix transformation, with the objective of at least 60% of energy being produced through renewable resources by 2022.

Resultado de imagen de mapa solar en guatemala

Guatemala conducts auctions to award electricity and energy production contracts, in which renewable energy may have a specific quota or compete with other technologies.

Since 2012, the CNEE has held bids to hire power.

Distribution companies are the off takers.

The first tender awarded a total of 393 MW to hydroelectric (221 MW), wind (101 MW), solar (55 MW) and biomass (16 MW) plants with 15-year power purchase contracts.

The second tender, in 2014, aimed at contracting 250 MW. The auction hired 322 MW and renewable energy (solar, biomass and small hydro) were awarded 116 MW.

Auctions have been the main driver of renewable energy investment in the country.

With a total of U$D 702 million 2014 was a record year of clean energy (biomass, solar, hydroelectric and wind power plants) investment.

In 2015, the first auctioned projects began to connect to the grid.

Two large-scale photovoltaic plants (30 MW and 50 MW) were connected.

Investments declined markedly in 2015, when only the solar sector received a total of U$D 66 million.

Guatemala is the second Central American energy market, with a total generation capacity of 3.7 GW.

In 2015 it generated 10.3 TWh of electricity; of which 46% came from fossil fuel-based generation, 26% from hydroelectric and 28% from renewable energies.

Resultado de imagen de energía solar en guatemala

Net metering distributed generation is allowed in the country.

In December 2015, 1,274 prosumers with a total installed capacity of 7.4 MW were connected to the grid.

The energy market in Guatemala has state and private actors operating in generation, transmission, trade and energy distribution segments.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines oversees electricity sector planning, while the National Electricity Commission (CNEE) is in charge of regulation. The Wholesale Market Operator organizes the system dispatch based on marginal cost of generation.

Guatemala is connected through the Central American Electric Integration System (SIEPAC) to Honduras and El Salvador, and northern Guatemala is also connected to Mexico´s transmission system.

The renewable energies installed capacity of Guatemala increased 38%, reaching 1 GW in December 2015.

The country’s average retail electricity prices fell 21% from U$D 228 / MWh in 2014 to U$D 181 / MWh in 2015.

In 2017 Guatemala is preparing a 420 MW tender for a 15-years period.

Solar energy wherever you are with Sopelia.