16 Dezember 2009

Season's Greetings




Seasonal Greetings from Pensato+Partners team.
We would like to thank you for your confidence in us. Hoping you are happy and smiling always. We wish you Marry Christmas and Happy Holidays and look forward to an exiting and successful 2010 to come. Our outlook for 2010 is sunny!

*** TIPP ***
Light your christmas tree with solar powered LED light strings / fairy lights (click here or here for pictures).
You can find some inspirations at amazon, dooyoosolarcosa, greenpeace.

23 November 2009

Conto energia 2011+

As is known, Italian PV market currently suffers market uncertainty, because it is still not clear what exactly the new tariffs incentive after 2010 will be. Even though the Ministerial Decree of 19 February 2007 which established the Nuovo Conto Energia Bill has announced several times to provide a tariff revision 2011, down to the present day there was no new ministerial decree or binding decision by Italian government.

The three Italian PV associations GIFI ANIE, APER and ASSOSOLARE, decided to take action and have developed a common understanding and shared inherent in the revision of the Energy Bill 2011. Their proposal was sent to the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Environment.

The proposal includes:
  1. New feed-in tariff shall be valid for five years (2011-2015) and the total power to reached through new incentives in this five-year period shall be raised from 1.200 to 8.000 MWp;
  2. New feed-in tariff shall only have a decrease of 4% per year, starting from July 2012, after the incentive came into force in 2011, with the aim of underpinning the market towards the "grid parity";
  3. Reformulation of the subdivision for power classes into new groupings: 1-6 kW, 6-20 kW, 20-200 kW 200-1.000 kW and over 1.000 kW;
  4. Adoption of only two types of installation and simpler: "on earth" and "on building"; and
  5. Special provision of special bonuses:
  • for total architectural integration of photovoltaics (+15%);
  • for installation in areas affected by environmental as quarries and landfill at the end of life cycle (+10%); as well as
  • for the replacement of asbestos roofing and Eternit (+10%).
Here is the table of new incentive rates as proposed common of GIFI ANIE, APER and ASSOSOLARE:


Classi di Potenza
kWp 

Impianti a Terra
€/kWh (vs. 2010)
 Impianti su Edificio
€/kWh 

1-6
0,365 (-5%)

0,401 (-5%)

6-20
0,339 (-7%)
0,375 (-7%)
20-200
0,313 (-9%)
0,330 (-14%)
200-1.000
0,304 (-12%)
0,323 (-16%)
> 1.000

0,297 (-14%) 

0,315 (-18%)



Sources: pienosole.itGIFI ANIE, APER, ASSOSOLARE.

19 November 2009

The mother of all questions

<<When exactly in 2010 will Italy 
reach the 1.200.000 kWp?>>

01 November 2009

Technological trends (BIPV) from SAIEnergia 09


Italy slowly discovers Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), building integration of PV solar power systems, and thus Photovoltaic modules that are integrated directly into a roof's surface to provide more aesthetic appeal.


Here are the best italian solutions and products for perfect integration of solar power systems into the roof of a building seen at SAIEnergia 09 in Bologna:

Tegolasolare: Traditional hand-crafted clay roof ceramic tile with a small, modular, discreet photovoltaic panel (4 cells) integrated and fitted on the front (see picture above).

Tech-tile: Techtile System can generate both electricity (Techtile Energy) or heat (Techtile Therm). It permits maximum integration with the building because the Techtile roof tile looks exactly the same as a conventional tile.

System Photonics: The ROOF collection replaces or becomes a part of traditional roof coverings (shingle roofing or cascade tiling), while maintaining and improving their insulation and protective properties.


Read more about this topic at:
pienosole.it;
design.tv.it;
solarserver.de.

20 Oktober 2009

Germany — unchallenged european market leader in the field of solar energy

In 2008 only in Germany photovoltaic plants with a total capacity of 1650 MWp were newly installed. The addition of a nationwide solar year roughly corresponds to the performance of two conventional coal-fired power plants and overall, through the use of photovoltaic installations, by 2008 Germany was able to save 8,530,671 tons of CO2.

Given these figures, and a business turnover of 9.5 billion euros, the year 2008 marked the most successful year of German Photovoltaic industry. Besides its strong domestic market, Germany also benefits from a strong export economy and growing global markets for alternative Energy.

10 Oktober 2009

Is the German Renewable Energy Industry in Jeopardy after the election?

"Germany's newly elected government could hinder the expansion of renewable energy in the country with its plans to extend the lifetime of nuclear reactors, warns the German Renewable Energy Federation (Source: Bundesverband Erneuerbare Energie - BEE)."

Like BEE spokesman Daniel Kluge, many other experts of renewable energy industry worry that renewable energy upstarts could be the ones bumped aside by the new government. The main issues to be disputed will be the tariffs for wind, solar and other renewable energy sources. Is the feed-in tariff for solar, which many argue is too high, in jeopardy or is Germany now heading in the right policy direction by seeking market-oriented feed-in tariffs?

click here to read the full article by by John Blau on renewableenergyworld.com

Read more Articles about this Topic (click LINKS indicated below):

19 September 2009

Solar Evolution — The beginning of a new era for solar power


"A new era for solar power is approaching. Long derided as uneconomic, it is gaining ground as technologies improve and the cost of traditional energy sources rises.Within three to seven years, unsubsidized solar power could cost no more to end customers in many markets, such as California and Italy, than electricity generated by fossil fuels or by renewable alternatives to solar. By 2020, global installed solar capacity could be 20 to 40 times its level today."

McKinsey & Company | Authors: Peter Lorenz, Dickon Pinner, and Thomas Seitz
Source: Climate Change Special Initiative and McKinsey Quarterly

Forecast — The growing competitiveness of solar power: McKinsey forecasts grid parity within the next three to seven years. This means that solar energy's unsubsidized cost to end users will approach the cost of conventional electricity in a number of markets, including parts of the United States (California and the Southwest), as well as Italy, Japan and Spain.

Outlook — The global solar market in 2020: According to McKinsey, the worldwide installed global solar capacity will grow by roughly 30 to 35 percent a year, from 10 gigawatts today to about 200 gigawatts in 2020.


TO READ THE FULL ARTICLES:
McKinsey Quarterly — The economics of solar power (LINK);
McKinsey Quarterly — Evaluating the potential of solar technologies (
LINK1, 2).

18 September 2009

Endless potential of the sun


"The total power needs of the humans on Earth is approximately 16 terawatts. In the year 2020 it is expected to grow to 20 terawatts. (Ed. A terawatt is a trillion watts.)
The sunshine on the solid part of the Earth is 120,000 terawatts. From this perspective, energy from the sun is virtually unlimited."

Eicke Weber, director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems,
in Freiburg (Germany)
Source: National Geographic Magazine | Author: George Johnson


TO READ THE FULL ARTICLES:
National Geographic — Plugging Into the Sun (LINK)
National Geographic — Ranking Renewables (LINK)
National Geographic — Renewable Futures (LINK)

08 September 2009

ON VACATION

BLOG on vacation - 8th of september until 17th of september.
PENSATO+PARTNERS CONSULTING will be back for you soon!

31 August 2009

Americans invade Apulia

Texas-based JMJ Holdings is close to purchase the AS Bari football club from the Matarrese family. JMJ president and CEO Tim Barton has already signed an exclusive agreement to buy the team pending due diligence over the next 30 days.

The takeover of AS Bari marks only the beginning of JMJ's italian venture. Barton said he first heard the team was for sale when he was in southern Italy on a business trip to develop environmentally friendly energy investments a few months ago.

JMJ Holdings, founded in 1990 by CEO Tim Barton, is a real estate firm engaged in the acquisition, development, management and advisement of luxury real estate assets on a global basis. Since renewable energy offers high returns, like many other international real estate firms and investment funds, JMJ is on the search for green energy projects and investment opportunities.

Barton mainly focuses on photovoltaics in Apulia. He sees "photovoltaic installations on every rooftop in the city of Bari."

Conclusion: International financial crisis has not only slown down project developments in Italy but also brought harsh market conditions to solar industry. Thus we definitely need more courageous entrepreneurs like Barton, equipped with visions and the necessary capital.

14 August 2009

Ferragosto – Italy in shut-down mode

Ferragosto, celebrated on the fifteenth of August, is an italian phenomenon. It celebrates the rise of Mary up to heaven to join her son Jesus, taking her place by his side to look after those of us remaining here on Earth. It is a day of great festivities with celebrations in the streets and prayers to the Virgin Mary for thanks and support.

As during the month of August, in almost every metropolitan area, temperatures peak and air quality plummets, cities become very hot and hazy places. It might be a pragmatic custom, sole succor to a cruel summer in town, that most Italians even take the entire month of August off, seeking cool, clean mountain retreats or the idle pleasures of a seaside respite. Nevertheless it is an excellent excuse to substitute an office- with a beach chair and suddenly tourists find themselves wandering in italian cities nearly void of Italians.

All of Italy shuts down to celebrate Ferragosto and this means that most of the country is literally in shut-down mode. Towns, cities, authorities and offices seem to be deserted. Thus August might not be the best month to make important business in Italy. So, if you are in Italy no matter if job-related, for business reasons or on vacation, better adapt and join in the festivities celebrating the Virgin Mary - it is the only thing that is going to be happening in most Italian cities anyway.

03 August 2009

'Stay hungry, stay foolish'

This is an excerpt of the Commencement address at Stanford University by Steve Jobs, delivered on June 12, 2005:

"When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."

02 August 2009

TERNA to invest in photvoltaics

Italian high-voltage grid operator TERNA S.p.A. plans to develop and construct small sized photovoltaic plants, in the areas of the substations owned by Terna, that are currently free and available. For this purpose the company has founded a subsidiary named Sungrid S.p.A. (“Sungrid”), to undertake building and management activity. According to "pienosole.it" the sum of all these small sized solar PV installations could equal a cumulative capacity of 100 MW. The company has announced in a press release, that a European tender will shortly be published for the selection of suppliers. The company structure, that could eventually be sold to third parties, meets both the operating and economic unbundling requirements from the parent company, and is compliant with TERNA S.p.A’s concession and By-laws, as well as with the terms envisaged by Legislative Decree 79/99 (known as the “Bersani Decree”). Also, in order to improve the management of dispatching activity from non programmable renewable sources, and in agreement with the Authority, Terna has initiated a study to identify the opportunity for developing pumping basins and for technologies for energy accumulation in central and southern Italy.

29 Juli 2009

Autostrada del Sole – Multifunctional Carports and house top solar PV installations on petrol and service stations

Good ideas are only those that are implemented and finally turn into reality. I am sure many visionaries had similar ideas along those lines, but sometimes even sleeping giants seem to wake and pick up those ideas, concepts and start sustainable initiatives.

Autostrade per l'Italia Spa plans to invest, install and operate a network of many small size PV integrated carports and house top solar PV installations on petrol and service stations. Along the 2854 Km of motorway managed by Autostrade per l'Italia Spa, there are round about 3000 parking sites, gas stations, roadhouses and service areas with parking possibilities. According to "pienosole.it" the sum of all small solar PV installations could equal a cumulative global PV installations capacity of approximately 5,5 GWh/year and could supply all motorway facilities with clean solar energy.

Conclusion:
"Every little helps" since many small size solar PV installations in the end form one large-scale power plant and sometimes great ideas can only be implemented by great corporations right at the source.

23 Juli 2009

Market-sector leader plans to conquer PV consumer-market

German cell-producer and market-sector leader has kicked off a massive b2c marketing campaign and pushes into photovoltaic consumer market. I found out by pure chance as in the evening I was watching German's second programme ZDF and suddenly during a commercial break of "Markus Lanz" this ad (click title or here to watch) caught my attention. Later I read a press notice on the company website. Part of this Marketing offensive is the Website www.werden-sie-stromerzeuger.de. I dare say that this is not a bad business idea at all and definitely a trend. In Italy ENEL follows a similar idea with ENEL.si. Both concepts and programmes prove high market potentials of photovoltaic in the private consumer sector.

17 Juli 2009

What costs the sun? | Was kostet die Sonne?

Deutschland zählt im Bereich der Solartechnik zur Weltspitze, es sind Tausende neue Jobs entstanden und deutsche Wissenschaftler machen mit ständig neuen Weltrekorden bei den Wirkungsgraden von sich reden. Stehen wir vor dem Durchbruch in eine solare Zukunft?

Watch a stream of yesterdays german telecast by clicking here!

Copyrights: Jörg Moll Fernsehproduktion
All rights ZDF/3sat.

13 Juli 2009

WE FEED THE WORLD


"If you go to the market in Senegal you can buy European produce for a third of the local prices. So the Senegalese peasant farmer no longer has any chance of earning a living."
Jean Ziegler, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food

Every day in Vienna the amount of unsold bread sent back to be disposed of is enough to supply Austria's second-largest city, Graz. Around 350,000 hectares of agricultural land, above all in Latin America, are dedicated to the cultivation of soybeans to feed Austria's livestock while one quarter of the local population starves. Every European eats ten kilograms a year of artificially irrigated greenhouse vegetables from southern Spain, with water shortages the result. In WE FEED THE WORLD, Austrian filmmaker Erwin Wagenhofer traces the origins of the food we eat. His journey takes him to France, Spain, Romania, Switzerland, Brazil and back to Austria. Leading us through the film is an interview with Jean Ziegler, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. WE FEED THE WORLD is a film about food and globalisation, fishermen and farmers, long-distance lorry drivers and high-powered corporate executives, the flow of goods and cash flow–a film about scarcity amid plenty. With its unforgettable images, the film provides insight into the production of our food and answers the question what world hunger has to do with us. Interviewed are not only fishermen, farmers, agronomists, biologists and the UN's Jean Ziegler, but also the director of production at Pioneer, the world's largest seed company, as well as Peter Brabeck, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé International, the largest food company in the world.

10 Juli 2009

Nuclear energy


"Die jüngsten Vorfälle in Krümmel beweisen,
dass eine Laufzeitverlängerung für ältere Kraftwerke
nicht zu verantworten ist."
Sigmar Gabriel

08 Juli 2009

Monthly review

22.05.
RAI TG1 Economia "energia rinnovabile";
16.06.
German corporations plan to invest in mega desert solar power plants (click 1 and 2);
22.06.
Accident: 5 MW BP-Solar roof pv plant catches fire;
23.06.
TERNA 500m network expansion plans;
30.06.
Longest, but at the same time very enjoyable, business meeting in Torremaggiore (FG);
01.07.
Nice to be back in Munich;
02.07.
Nano Technologies — Certainly the next big thing (check it out: 1, 2, 3, 4);
03.07.
Crisis prevention in Eggenfelden;
04.07.
RAI 2 Voyager — energia (part 1, part 2);
04.07.
Climate scientist Mojib Latif "only the sun can save our world";
05.07.
Sunday rainy blues, so I watched Wimbledon finals and Zeitgeist Addendum;
07.07.
07.07.
07.07.
Bye MJ, R.I.P. We are the world!

29 Juni 2009

Bureaucracy slows down Project development of Photovoltaics in Italy, but according to GSE by end of 2009 Italy could reach 900 MW

In the first four month of 2009, an overall of 8.000 new plants (82,6 MW) were connected to the grid; which equals a media of 3,4 MW per week, contra 6,5 MW per week reached in 2008. Thus compared to the year 2008 PV project development has slown down a little. This trend maybe caused by several circumstances: a worldwide recession, financial crisis and last but not least by italian bureaucracy with its non-uniform and protracted authorization procedures.

Nevertheless by end of april 2009 a total of 39.753 PV plants were installed and operational. This equates to more than 500 MW, of which Lombardia reaching 49 MW by the end of 2008 and Puglia with 51,6 MW represent Italy's leading solar regions.

More importantly GSE expects market improvements and italian renewable markets to gain momentum. According to GSE Italy could break the 900 MW barrier by end of 2009. We will definitely contribute our part!

[Sources: http://www.energia24club.it; http://www.pienosole.it]

27 Mai 2009

Silicon Valley Fun

Tesla Motors, makers of high-performance electric sports cars, like the Tesla Roadster, another Silicon Valley Innovation and success story:



[Copyright ZDF production "Amerikas andere Seite - Was Kalifornien besser macht";
watch part1; part2; part3; part4; part5]


Watch Jay Leno testing the Tesla Roadster:

27 April 2009

20 % renewable energy by 2020

The European Union has set itself the ambitious goal of raising the share of renewable energy sources in the final overall energy consumption of the Union from 8.5 % in 2005 to 20 % in 2020.

25 April 2009

Home Project

In 200,000 years on Earth, humanity has upset the balance of the planet, established by nearly four billion years of evolution. The price to pay is high, but it's too late to be a pessimist: humanity has barely ten years to reverse the trend, become aware of the full extent of its spoliation of the Earth's riches and change its patterns of consumption.

More than a movie, HOME will be a major event all over the globe: for the first time ever, a film will be released on the same day in over 50 countries and on every format: movie theatres, TV, DVD and Internet.

On June 5th we all have a date with the planet!

http://www.home-2009.com
http://www.youtube.com/homeproject
http://www.ppr.com

Movie Trailer:


Watch full movie by clicking here or the title of this post!

10 März 2009

10 Important ways to save energy & fight global warming

  1. Use energy-efficient appliances, such as energy-saving lightbulbs;
  2. Switch to an electricity provider that offers electricity derived from renewable sources;
  3. Ride a bicycle for distances under e.g. 10km. Consider a bus or train for longer distances;
  4. Lower your thermostat by 4 to 5 degrees Celsius during the night and when nobody's home;
  5. Make sure your home is well insulated;
  6. Completely switch-off appliances that you do not use;
  7. Consider going to your holiday destination by bus or train, instead of car or airplane;
  8. If possible, work at home instead of an office location;
  9. Support forestation programs that focus on planting indigenous trees in tropical regions; and
  10. Educate others. Tell people of the importance of an energy-efficient lifestyle.

photovoltaik online

SolareNews.it

Pienosole.it

Rinnovabili.it

Solar Thermal Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

PV Tech - News

FTD.de - Schnellleser