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RENEWABLE qM ENERGY qMqM PreviousPage|Contents|Zoomin|Zoomout|FrontCover|SearchIssue|NextPage qMqM RDWORLD H Qmags NORTH AMERICA THE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND® Suntech. Now Powering America, from America. Our factory in Arizona is now supplying the country with Buy American Act/ARRA-compliant panels. Join our team and become a Suntech Authorized Dealer. BUY AMERICAN ACT As the global leader in solar, we offer our Authorized Dealers robust sales and marketing support to drive business growth and ensure success. And all of our panels are backed by an industry-leading COMPLIANT 25-year power output warranty. Apply now to become a Suntech Authorized Dealer at suntech-power.com/goodyear. Solar powering a green futureTM RENEWABLE qM ENERGY qMqM WORLD PreviousPage|Contents|Zoomin|Zoomout|FrontCover|SearchIssue|NextPage qMqM RDH Qmags NORTH AMERICA THE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND® Contents | Zoom in | Zoom outFor navigation instructions please click here Search Issue | Next Page Geothermal Storing Wind, Small Projects Hydro Implications Industry’s Struggle Solar Energy That Think Big of FERC Order 1000 for Acceptance Strategies for Solar Growth WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Industry execs weigh in (And you can, too at RenewableEnergyWorld.com)__________________________ • VOLUME 3 : 5 VOLUME 3 : • 2011 FREE Subscription: NOW AUDITED BY: www.rewna-subscribe.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER Contents | Zoom in | Zoom outFor navigation instructions please click here Search Issue | Next Page RENEWABLE qM ENERGY qMqM PreviousPage|Contents|Zoomin|Zoomout|FrontCover|SearchIssue|NextPage qMqM RDWORLD H Qmags NORTH AMERICA THE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND® Certainty. 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RENEWABLE qM ENERGY qMqM WORLD PreviousPage|Contents|Zoomin|Zoomout|FrontCover|SearchIssue|NextPage qMqM RDH Qmags NORTH AMERICA THE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND® RENEWABLE qM ENERGY qMqM PreviousPage|Contents|Zoomin|Zoomout|FrontCover|SearchIssue|NextPage qMqM RDWORLD H Qmags NORTH AMERICA THE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND® 12 Financial Trends 14 The Interview 36 The Deal Can the geothermal industry We asked, you answered. Solar Financing a community wind farm was overcome challenges to raising executives and Renewable made possible because of the 1603 Cash capital? Energy World’s social media Grant in lieu of Tax Credit. With the Editor’s Letter 4 community all chimed in to grant expiring in December 2011, will defi ne strategies they believe community wind ever be possible again? will lead to a thriving U.S. solar Renewable Street 6 industry. 8 76 Final Word Even without a formal cap-and-trade program in place, it’s a mistake for Renewable Utility 10 companies to think they are immune to carbon controls. To remain competitive, companies must minimize their carbon 12 footprints now. 14 CONTENTS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 SOLAR Strengthening PV’s Backbone Through Inverter Innovation The competition is fi erce in the inverter market. Check out recent trends, technological advancements and how the industry is working to reduce costs. 40 In The News 28 36 50 GEOTHERMAL 58 BIOMASS 60 WIND 66 HYDRO Geothermal Industry The Biomass Carbon Energy Storage Industry How FERC Continues To Struggle Debate: When To Start Grows To Integrate Order 1000 for Acceptance Counting? Wind, Solar Could Affect Hydro The industry is on track to add In the last issue we published an If costs come down, storage FERC’s Order 1000 ammends the 700 MW of capacity by 2013, article that stated Manomet got could be the silver bullet for way public utilities can allocate according to GEA’s Karl Gawell, its carbon accounting rules widespread renewable energy costs for transmission projects. with 27 projects in phases III backwards. In this issue the adoption. Several demonstration Hydropower and other renewable (drilling) and IV (construction). organization explains why they projects in place today show the energy technologies could benefi t Why do projects take so long? believe they got it exactly right. technology’s increasing promise. from the new regulation. RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD MAGAZINE NORTH AMERICA is published 6 times a year, Bi-monthly, by PennWell Corp., 1421 S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa, OK 74112; phone (918) 835-3161. ©Copyright 2011 by PennWell Corp. (Regis- tered in U.S. Patent Trademark Offi ce). Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specifi c clients, is granted by RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD MAGAZINE NORTH AMERICA provided that the appropriate fee is paid directly to Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA 508-750-8400. Prior to photocopying items for educational classroom use, please contact Copy- right Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 USA 508-750-8400. Periodical Pending postage paid at Tulsa, OK and additional mailing offi ces. Subscriptions: USA $95 per year; Canada $125 per year; International $190 per year. Single copies: USA $16, Canada $21, International $32. Copies of back issues are available on microfi lm and microfi che from University Microfi lm, a Xerox Co., 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Available on LexisNexis, Box 933, Dayton, OH 45402; (800) 227-4908. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD MAGAZINE NORTH AMERICA, PO Box 3264, Northbrook, IL 60065-3264. “RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD MAGAZINE NORTH AMERICA” is a registered trademark of PennWell Corp. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 122, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6S4. Ride–a–Long enclosed. Member American Business Press. Printed in the U.S.A. GST No. 126813153, Publications Mail Agreement No. 40052420 RENEWABLE qM ENERGY qMqM WORLD PreviousPage|Contents|Zoomin|Zoomout|FrontCover|SearchIssue|NextPage qMqM RDH Qmags NORTH AMERICA THE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND® RENEWABLE qM ENERGY qMqM PreviousPage|Contents|Zoomin|Zoomout|FrontCover|SearchIssue|NextPage qMqM RDWORLD H Qmags NORTH AMERICA THE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND® 38 38 Data Points The U.S. solar power pipeline 40 shows the exponential expansion of solar capacity as large-scale projects work their way through the development stage. What Can We Expect for the Solar Project 50 Finance Market? 54 Industry experts from Chadbourne and Park, Borrego Solar and East West Bank discuss the 54 perils and pitfalls of solar project fi nance. 58 60 Smaller Projects That Think Big While large developments push the needle closer toward a path of sustainability, it’s often the projects taking uncharted roads that allow us to envision our 68 energy future. Here, we give you projects in the solar, 66 wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal industries that are helping to reshape how we do business. 68 Advertisers’ Index 72 Seeing the Forest and 73 the Trees: Utilities and Regulators Consider Biomass Power Plants Final Word 76 As the EPA struggles to understand biomass power plant emissions, some utilities across the U.S. are converting coal plants to biomass plants without hesitation, while Cover photo 73 others think it’s best to wait it out. © Muhamad Kautsar | Dreamstime.com________ RENEWABLE qM ENERGY qMqM WORLD PreviousPage|Contents|Zoomin|Zoomout|FrontCover|SearchIssue|NextPage qMqM RDH Qmags NORTH AMERICA THE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND® RENEWABLE qM ENERGY qMqM PreviousPage|Contents|Zoomin|Zoomout|FrontCover|SearchIssue|NextPage qMqM RDWORLD H Qmags NORTH AMERICA THE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND® REACTORS MINING FRONT END BACK END RENEWABLE ENERGIES & SERVICES Solar Simplified: High efficiency that is low-cost and water-wise James AREVA’s Compact Linear Fresnel Refl ector solar steam generators are installed at the Kimberlina solar thermal power plant, Bakersfi eld, CA. Experience you can bank on. Technology that delivers. AREVA combines our global energy experience and turnkey concentrated solar power solutions to help customers thrive in a dynamic energy market. We bring the project delivery and commissioning services needed to establish a ready-to-operate Art credit: Eric James Swearingen, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo of Eric it! - ©2011 AREVA waste Energy is our future, don’t concentrated solar thermal power plant, power augmentation installation, or industrial process steam facility. Our Compact Linear Fresnel Refl ector solar steam generators are customized to meet our customers’ exacting energy requirements and are backed by AREVA’s performance guarantees. Simple Solutions. Powerful Results. What can we build with you? Please visit our booth #6319 at Solar Power International Contact: [email protected] www.solar.areva.com RENEWABLE qM ENERGY qMqM WORLD PreviousPage|Contents|Zoomin|Zoomout|FrontCover|SearchIssue|NextPage qMqM RDH Qmags NORTH AMERICA THE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND® RENEWABLE qM ENERGY qMqM PreviousPage|Contents|Zoomin|Zoomout|FrontCover|SearchIssue|NextPage qMqM RDWORLD H Qmags NORTH AMERICA THE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND® For more articles like this, log onto 4 EDITOR’S letter www.RenewableEnergyWorld.com Contact Jennifer at [email protected] or call (603) 925-3206 What is Environmentalism, Vol. 3, No. 5, September/October 2011 Anyway? 1421 South Sheridan Road Tulsa, OK 74112 P.O. Box 1260, Tulsa, OK 74101 One Saturday in August, I took my kids to an outdoor science center in the Lakes Region Telephone: (918) 835-3161 of New Hampshire. Th e center is a place where visitors can learn about animals native Fax: (918) 831-9834 E-mail: [email protected] to the region. I was impressed that the center used solar hot water in its bathrooms World Wide Web: http://www.