Malaysia postpond 20 MW quota until 2013

Malaysia: 20 MW solar quota postponed   The release of a new 20 MW quota for small-scale photovoltaic installations in Malaysia has been postponed until Q1 2013. The FIT quota is for installations smaller than 500 kW and was scheduled to be released on December 17th. Malaysia continues to manage its FITs closely, which were launched by Loo Took Gee last year, and has delayed the release of its small scale photovoltaic quota. Photo: Solarpraxis AG/Jonathan Gifford Malaysia’s photovoltaic market has been growing steadily since FITs were launched in 2011. However, in a sign that the government is still keen to ensure the growth doesn’t get out of hand the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA Malaysia) is holding back the release of 20 MW of quotas. Green Prospects Asia has reported that SEDA Malaysia’s COO Ali Askar Sher Mohamad said that the delay is to "allow time for a dialogue on degression rates." The COO also added that the quota will be released in Q1 2013, "if sufficient funds become available." SEDA also appears to be trying to clear up some of the details in the FIT application process, by placing a two-year moratorium of FIT approval holders, who then do not meet the conditions of approval. This move is attempt to prevent “quota hogging,” under the Malaysian FIT system, where limited capacity qualifying for the FIT is available. New rules for a rooftop rental system are also in the pipeline, SEDA announced.\ Source

Apple, Google and Pig Manure!

Apple And Google Race For Black Gold

Tim Worstall 

I write about business and technology.

I thought this was a fun little piece about a putative race for “black gold” between Apple and Google. Although I will admit that there’s one part that really puzzled me. The black gold though, no, it’s not oil: rather, it’s pig….manure I suppose we’d better call it.

The argument is around the electricity for data centres. Both Apple and Google have one in North Carolina, both of them are using or thinking of using solid oxide fuel cells to at least partially power them. I think I’m right in saying that they’re using equipment from the same supplier as well: Bloom Energy. I know the Apple cell is and Google has certainly used Bloom in the past elsewhere.

The black gold that they may or may not be fighting over is the plentiful pig…manure in the state. From which you can make biogas (methane) which can be used to power those fuel cells. It’s not a no carbon method but it is a low carbon one. The fight being mooted is over whether there’s enough manure in the state to power both data centres. To which the answer is yes, no problem at all, leaving us to conclude that the “race” and “fight” is just the original journalist getting a little over excited.

Forbes

SEDA will monitor market price for FiT

Sustainable Energy Authority Malaysia (SEDA) empowered under Renewable Energy Act, passed by Malaysian Parliment will oversee market price for Feed-in-Tariff (FiT)

The Act under provision  Section 18(1) gives power to SEDA to continuously monitor the market price trend for renewable resources in Malaysia.

This practice will see SEDA to regulate and review the rate for every 3 years.

Rush for Solar Panel Permit in Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: Within the first 24 hours of opening, applications for the special tariff allocation for almost all the capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) renewable energy projects had been applied for.

According to Sustainable Energy Development Authority Malaysia (Seda), applications for 140.6MW in cumulative installed capacity for solar energy had been received.

The quota for producing solar PV for non-individual applicants (including corporations) has been taken up for the next three years. It should be noted that these applications will be processed within 14 days by Seda and if there are unsuccessful applicants, their allocation may be up for grabs again. For individual applicants, another 11.41MW was available as of yesterday afternoon.

To recall, under the Renewable Energy Act 2011, Tenaga Nasional Bhdis obliged to buy renewable power produced by licensed players at special rates. The rates are known as the “feed-in-tariff” (FiT), and refer to the idea of producers selling their energy to the power grid.

In total, Seda received 168 applications wanting to secure the FiT through various forms of renewable technology, ranging from solar to biomass and biogas to mini-hydro. This was as at 1.45 pm yesterday.

Of the applications, 146 or 87% were from parties wanting to produce and sell solar power. There were six applications for biomass and eight each for biogas and mini-hydro.

The FiT will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, which explained the rush by renewable energy players in their applications.

When contacted, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin said as expected there was so much interest in solar PV that the quota was exhausted soon after with only a small portion left pertaining to small household connections.

“As regards to other renewable energy sources such as biomass, biogas and mini hydro, the response or demand has been rather quiet and parties who are interested should look into these areas and submit their bids online.

“Overall, the computer system seems to hold up quite well and there should not be any further problem. In any case, I visited Seda and was briefed by the chief executive officer who had been instructed to get as much feedback as possible and to fine-tune the system,” Chin said.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/2/business/10016763&sec=business

Energy Department Offers Funds to Ease Rules for Rooftop Solar Panel

By Zachary TracerDec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Department of Energy will distribute $12 million to local governments, universities and others to help simplify rooftop solar regulations.
The money is intended to ease permitting for solar panels installed on roofs by creating online systems and changing local ordinances, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said today.

The program is intended to make it less costly for homeowners and businesses to install solar panels, Chu said. It’s part of the SunShot Initiative, which aims to make the cost of solar energy competitive with the cost of power from traditional sources.

“Today we’re making it quicker, easier and cheaper for Americans to go solar,” Chu said on a conference call with reporters. The program will “break down the barriers that make it more costly and cumbersome for families and businesses to install rooftop solar systems.”

Local permitting and inspection requirements, which can vary significantly in each municipality, add $2,500 to the cost of a residential solar installation, according to a statement today from the Energy Department which cited a study by solar leasing company SunRun Inc.

--Editors: Will Wade, Charles Siler

Al Maidah. Verse 3

Lonely is a gift for tortured soul