From pv journal 01/23
On the finish of September 2022, a faint cheer might be heard in Berlin. Germany’s financial committee has accepted a authorities movement for additional modifications to a proposed modification to the vitality safety legislation, the Energiesicherungsgesetz (ENSIG). The amended laws provides the next sentence to Germany’s renewable vitality act, “In sentence one, the phrases ‘attributable to technical defect, harm, or theft’ are deleted.”
That small wording change discovered deep in Germany’s Renewable Power Act (EEG) might have a big affect. Earlier than January 1, 2023, photo voltaic modules in a photo voltaic park can solely get replaced in circumstances of technical defects or if they’re broken or stolen. Basically in such situations, the undertaking’s manufacturing capability will not be allowed to extend from the unique specification on account of such panel alternative, if the developer needs to proceed to be eligible for funds beneath the EEG.
Nonetheless, every thing has modified now. The Bundesverband Neue Energiewirtschaft (BNE), a federal renewable vitality trade physique, has been campaigning for months to loosen up the beforehand strict limits on changing photo voltaic modules set by the EEG.
“We’re very joyful that the [coalition government] accepted our proposal to permit the repowering of photo voltaic parks,” stated Carsten Pfeiffer, BNE head of technique and politics. “Which means that the urgently wanted further photovoltaic capacities may be put in instantly in there’s a spot.”
Karl-Heinz Remmers, one of many BNE members who function photo voltaic parks in Germany, says that by introducing the choice of lively repowering for photo voltaic modules, it would improve the capability at present put in in Germany from 63 GW of current places to 100 GW or extra. The repowering laws doesn’t apply to rooftop modules however, nonetheless, it’s estimated that 36 GW of Germany’s 63 GW photo voltaic capability has the potential to be doubled or in some circumstances even quadrupled by way of repowering.
EEC subsidies
The legislation change signifies that photo voltaic mills can improve the manufacturing capability of their properties indefinitely any longer. Nonetheless, the photo voltaic vitality subsidy funds obtained beneath the EEG are solely relevant to the electrical energy generated within the unique manufacturing capability agreed within the tenders. Any extra technology have to be offered by way of energy buy agreements or on the wholesale market, Pfeiffer confirmed to BNE.
That does not cease photo voltaic park operators like Remmers. “At present, about 17 GW of ground-mounted techniques have been put in on about 32,000 hectares,” he stated. “If new techniques are put in on 32,000 hectares immediately, an output of not less than 35 GW might be potential even together with places optimized for biodiversity – a further 18 GW.”
In industrial areas, the nearer location of the modules signifies that the output may be greater than doubled. “Along with the brand new design, that is additionally attributable to a big improve within the effectivity of the module, since many ground-mounted techniques had been constructed earlier than 2013,” added Remmers.
Earlier than 2009, about 6 GW of ground-mounted photo voltaic was put in in Germany, with panel conversion effectivity starting from 5% to 12.5%. That signifies that 8 sq. meters to twenty sq. meters are wanted for every kilowatt-peak of technology capability. Within the increase years, from 2009 to 2013, about 30 GW of PV had been added, with efficiencies of 5% to 14%, due to this fact requiring 7 meters to twenty meters / kWp. Remmers estimates the 9 GW of photo voltaic added between 2014 and 2018 consists of modules with 14% to 17% effectivity and a footprint of 6 meters to 7 meters. As of 2019, the effectivity of the module is from 18% to 22%, for an area requirement of not less than 4.6 sq. meters per kilowatt-peak.
Venture instance: 12-year-old crystalline ‘workhorses of yore’
A 5.5 MW grid-connected photo voltaic park has 60-cell modules with a median peak energy of 230 W every measuring 1 meter by 1.6 meters. The modules are situated in 4 rows and are linked to central inverters. Because of the provide disruption on the time, the mounting constructions for about 200 kW further modules had been put in and had been empty. Such phenomena are seen in lots of ground-mounted techniques. If the modules are exchanged for 350 W merchandise, the elevated effectivity will consequence within the undertaking’s nameplate capability growing to eight.4 MW. The fifth row may be added with a small quantity of further funding, due to the angle of the shadow. In that case, 10.5 MW – plus a reserve of virtually 400 kW – can be potential. If the racks are dismantled and restructured, about 13 MW may be produced with six rows equivalent to the identical floor space.
Remmers speaks from expertise. He needed to exchange the panels at his websites attributable to vital harm and was capable of hold the agreed EEG charge. On the identical time, he additionally modified the facility by putting in extra environment friendly modules. In 2017, Remmers repowered the three MW website to eight MW by changing outdated thin-film modules. With 350 W merchandise now the norm, the identical variety of modules and racks – with modules equally spaced – ends in a ten MW website. With undertaking design modifications that imply it is now potential so as to add an additional row of panels with out growing the positioning’s footprint, the situation can broaden to 12 MW, Remmers defined.
The discount in PV system efficiency over time is a driving motivation to deliver concerning the change within the legislation. Social Democratic Occasion (SPD) politician Timon Gremmels says panels usually lose 10% to 25% of their unique efficiency over 20 years. He advocated legislative change attributable to BNE’s estimate that 60 GW of photo voltaic in Germany could possibly be 100 GW by way of repowering “though we won’t attain these numbers as a result of rooftop techniques usually are not included,” he stated.
The necessity to approve the repowering for the ground-mounted system is obvious, says the politician. “As a result of the necessity for area is a bottleneck within the growth of photovoltaics,” he defined. “Within the visitors gentle coalition, we at the moment are making an attempt to make extra locations obtainable for photo voltaic parks if potential.”
BNE’s Pfeiffer is assured that provisions for renewable vitality will even be launched for roof panels, ultimately.
Second use?
However what occurs to the changed photo voltaic modules that aren’t faulty? “Used modules can deliver reduction to the offered market and can be utilized for photovoltaic techniques on the balcony, for instance,” stated SPD’s Gremmels, referring to the demand for photo voltaic which at present exceeds the provision.
Venture operator Remmers additionally promotes the continued use of alternative modules, for plug-in photo voltaic units, for instance. “We have to present all obtainable modules from repowering very cheaply, and even ‘free from the photo voltaic park’ for secondary use,” he stated. “In bigger portions, knowledgeable inverter answer will certainly be developed.”
There are doubts concerning the variety of obtainable photo voltaic panels that repower can do, nevertheless. “I believe there have been numerous thin-film modules, particularly within the early days,” stated Martin Schachinger, from wholesale photo voltaic buying and selling platform pvXchange, which stopped shopping for thin-film merchandise years in the past. the previous. “The skinny movie modules have little or no energy and an excessive amount of weight. Due to this fact, the transportation prices don’t pay,” stated Schachinger.
Nonetheless, Schachinger is satisfied that lots of the photo voltaic modules produced on account of repowering tasks will find yourself being recycled for glass. That in itself could possibly be a boon, says Remmers, in a world that also lacks a compelling enterprise case for photo voltaic panel recycling. The massive variety of panels that may be made for recycling in Germany, he stated, might drive an “environment friendly full-module recycling economic system,” making the nation a world chief.
Zain El Jouhari, basic supervisor of German panel maker TrippleZ, says that due to Germany’s repowering, extra multicrystalline photo voltaic modules at the moment are obtainable, greater than the changed thin-film merchandise. “Fifty % to 70% of exchanged modules can nonetheless be used,” he stated. “With a remaining service life of virtually 10 years, such modules are notably attention-grabbing for tasks in Africa, the Center East, and all different sunny areas.”
TrippleZ delivers used modules to these markets to be used in small off-grid installations and the demand for panels of that nature has elevated because the begin of the warfare in Ukraine. “Used modules are as much as 70% cheaper and export is worthwhile regardless of the rise in transport prices,” stated El Jouhari. His firm collects changed panels from repowered websites and treats them as dictated by authorized financial necessities, together with offering disposal certificates. “The modules which are nonetheless in use are ready in our personal manufacturing facility in Hilden, close to Düsseldorf,” added El Jouhari.
“Africa will not be our dumping floor,” warns Stefan Wippich, of the brand new and used photo voltaic buying and selling platform Secondsol, expressing concern concerning the export of decrease high quality merchandise to growing nations. world. Remmers, alternatively, says that making certain that such panels proceed to be created is an efficient factor. “Photo voltaic modules that also work usually are not instantly thrown away in a growing nation, as a result of electrical energy is extra invaluable there.”
Secondsol has partnered with photo voltaic operations and upkeep firms to develop a “repowering device” to assist determine whether or not to reuse or recycle changed panels. The product displays used module high quality, amount, and efficiency and offers thermographic and upkeep info to make sure that solely good, protected merchandise stay in use.
Amid the thrill concerning the technology potential of recent, extra environment friendly modules, Secondsol’s Wippich believes that used modules will even be retained by photo voltaic website homeowners as spares. It isn’t all the time applicable to exchange all modules in a undertaking.
No matter is used within the second lifetime of the changed panels, there is no such thing as a hope that their EEG cost rights might be transferred with them anytime quickly, as confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Economics. The physique liable for settling disputes arising from the EEG, and from the mixed warmth and energy act the Kraft-Wärme-Kopplungsgesetz, reached the identical preliminary conclusion. Funds, for now, will dwell with the undertaking supplied, which makes it extra doubtless that used panels have a second life overseas or on balconies.
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