From Industrial Wind Action Group
Highland County Supervisors liable for non-compliance with Endangered Species Act - letter
December 28, 2009 by James T. Rodier
Summary:
Wood Rogers PLC, the Roanoke law firm representing Highland Citizens, has advised the Highland County Board of Supervisors that allowing Highland New Wind Development to proceed without the Incidental Take Permit (ITP) required by the Endangered Species Act will place the county in legal jeopardy. The letter by Attorney James T. Rodier which details the supporting law can be accessed by clicking on the link(s) at the bottom of this page.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wood Rogers PLC, the Roanoke law firm representing Highland Citizens, has advised the Highland County Board of Supervisors that allowing Highland New Wind Development to proceed without the Incidental Take Permit (ITP) required by the Endangered Species Act will place the county in legal jeopardy. The Highland supervisors have ignored previous warnings on the advice of the county's attorney.
The new warning follows the recent federal court ruling requiring Chicago-based Invenergy Inc., to stop further construction of its Beech Ridge Project in nearby Greenbrier County, WV and to dramatically curtail operation of 40 completed turbines until the required ITP permit is obtained.
As outlined in the Woods Rogers letter, the issues related to Highland New Wind Development, which has started site preparation without an ITP, are even-more compelling.
Whereas the Beech Ridge project threatens one endangered bat species, the Highland project threatens two endangered bat species and both bald and golden eagles. Moreover, unlike the the Beech Ridge case where only the developer was responsible for compliance, in the Highland case, both the developer and the authorizing local officials are responsible for compliance.
Both the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) have advised Highland New Wind to obtain an ITP before proceeding. Based on the importance of the site as a migratory pathway for birds and bats, the VDGIF contended in testimony presented to the State Corporation Commission that the project may result in the highest mortality rates for any wind energy project in the eastern U.S.
Web link: http://www.vawind.org/
Friday, January 1, 2010
Recreational Areas Matter
Story posted Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Resident Fights Plan To Plop Wind Turbines On Lake Michigan
By TODD WESSELL Journal & Topics Editor
For the last 35 years, longtime Des Plaines resident Emil Schwarz has regularly driven south around Lake Michigan and straight north on Highway 31 to his small home in Pentwater, Michigan.
Pentwater, with its population of approximately 1,000, is a scenic, quiet village known for its summer music concerts at the village green and its close proximity to Lake Michigan.
If a newly-formed company has its way, however, Schwarz and many other local residents believe Pentwater and the 100-mile long coastal stretch from Muskegon on the south to Ludington on the north will dramatically alter the area for the worse.
Scandia Wind Offshores (SWO) is hoping to apply for state lease permits sometime in the first quarter of 2010 to develop a huge wind farm along the western shoreline of Lake Michigan. If all the necessary permits are granted following a process that could take years, the coastal landscape in that region will be filled with as many as 200 rotating, white wind turbines. Plans call for the windmills to jut out of the water at a maximum location of 3.7 miles from land.
The purpose of the billion-dollar project is to let the west and southwesterly winds generate electricity that eventually could serve large urban centers such as Detroit and Chicago. The spot across Pentwater is considered ideal because of wind speeds that can regularly reach 20 mph, which are normally only attainable in states such as North Dakota and Texas.
A similar kind of wind farm is located along I-65 north of Indianapolis. Unlike the proposed development, the Indiana operation is located on land.
The proposal has created an abundance of controversy pitting those who want to leave the lake undisturbed against others who believe a wind farm is an ideal way to generate cheap, environmentally clean electricity with little disruption.
"I don't like to see anything on the lake," said Schwarz during a telephone interview with the Journal & Topics Newspapers last week. "It's such a great asset."
Schwarz said that while his home is not directly located on Lake Michigan, he believes allowing 200 wind turbines to be erected and easily observed from the shoreline is wrong.
A Des Plaines resident for the last 40 years, Schwarz values the quality time he spends in his quiet west central Michigan home.
"It's like going to the beach and seeing wind turbines out there," Schwarz added. He has weighed in on the issue by voicing his concerns in local newspapers and will continue to do so as the process of allowing or rejecting the proposal runs its course.
Scandia is in the process of trying to gauge local opinion and support before it moves forward.
More public meetings are scheduled in mid-January.
Resident Fights Plan To Plop Wind Turbines On Lake Michigan
By TODD WESSELL Journal & Topics Editor
For the last 35 years, longtime Des Plaines resident Emil Schwarz has regularly driven south around Lake Michigan and straight north on Highway 31 to his small home in Pentwater, Michigan.
Pentwater, with its population of approximately 1,000, is a scenic, quiet village known for its summer music concerts at the village green and its close proximity to Lake Michigan.
If a newly-formed company has its way, however, Schwarz and many other local residents believe Pentwater and the 100-mile long coastal stretch from Muskegon on the south to Ludington on the north will dramatically alter the area for the worse.
Scandia Wind Offshores (SWO) is hoping to apply for state lease permits sometime in the first quarter of 2010 to develop a huge wind farm along the western shoreline of Lake Michigan. If all the necessary permits are granted following a process that could take years, the coastal landscape in that region will be filled with as many as 200 rotating, white wind turbines. Plans call for the windmills to jut out of the water at a maximum location of 3.7 miles from land.
The purpose of the billion-dollar project is to let the west and southwesterly winds generate electricity that eventually could serve large urban centers such as Detroit and Chicago. The spot across Pentwater is considered ideal because of wind speeds that can regularly reach 20 mph, which are normally only attainable in states such as North Dakota and Texas.
A similar kind of wind farm is located along I-65 north of Indianapolis. Unlike the proposed development, the Indiana operation is located on land.
The proposal has created an abundance of controversy pitting those who want to leave the lake undisturbed against others who believe a wind farm is an ideal way to generate cheap, environmentally clean electricity with little disruption.
"I don't like to see anything on the lake," said Schwarz during a telephone interview with the Journal & Topics Newspapers last week. "It's such a great asset."
Schwarz said that while his home is not directly located on Lake Michigan, he believes allowing 200 wind turbines to be erected and easily observed from the shoreline is wrong.
A Des Plaines resident for the last 40 years, Schwarz values the quality time he spends in his quiet west central Michigan home.
"It's like going to the beach and seeing wind turbines out there," Schwarz added. He has weighed in on the issue by voicing his concerns in local newspapers and will continue to do so as the process of allowing or rejecting the proposal runs its course.
Scandia is in the process of trying to gauge local opinion and support before it moves forward.
More public meetings are scheduled in mid-January.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Lawsuit Over Windfarm
From Northwest Herald
Complaints breeze in as wind turbines take off
By ELENA GRIMM - Shaw Suburban Media
Some of the wind turbines in southwest DeKalb County spin on Wednesday morning. The turbines have been harnessing wind and turning it into electricity for a few weeks. (Rob Winner – Shaw Suburban Media)
NextEra Energy Resources plans to “officially commission” its 145-tower wind farm in southwestern DeKalb County by the end of this week, although the turbines in the southern part of the county have been harnessing wind and turning it into electricity for a few weeks.
That’s keeping in line with the company’s goal of having the wind farm operating by the end of 2009, said Neil Palmer, a representative for NextEra. The company applied for the permits for the wind farm in January, and the county board approved it in June
“Everything is operable,” he said Monday. “We’re simply going through a bit of a shakedown.”
He said the past few weeks had been spent in a process that’s typical for any kind of machinery: The company is running the equipment to make sure everything is working properly and making adjustments to get the gear to optimal running capacity.
“If anything looks out of the ordinary, it can be taken offline while a technician goes and checks it. It’s not unusual in this early part of the shakedown,” Palmer said.
Crews were on site last week during an ice storm to see whether the ice buildup caused any equipment malfunctions, but there weren’t any problems, he said.
A crew of 14 has been hired to run the wind farm. Most of their work is done by a remote monitoring computer system, although a local control center will be completed in Shabbona, likely in February, Palmer said.
On Tuesday morning, all turbines were still, appearing frozen against the snowy landscape. But Mel Hass, spokesman for a group of people living near the wind turbines that has sued FPL, NextEra’s parent company, and the county over the wind farm, said he and others already had heard “significant” noise coming from the wind towers.
In lower winds, Hass can hear a “whoosh.” In higher winds – such as one evening last week when he went to a neighbor’s house to listen – it can sound like a jet engine, he said.
Towers face Hass’ home on McGirr Road in three directions. He said that, depending on the wind direction and speed, he could hear towers nearly a half-mile away while standing in his yard. Inside his house, the ones nearest his backyard sometimes are audible.
Hass and others who live close to the towers have called the company’s hot line and the DeKalb County Planning and Zoning office when noise issues arise.
DeKalb County Planning Director Paul Miller had taken four complaints as of Tuesday: three were related to noise, and one was about shadow flicker, which happens when sunlight catches the rotating blades at an angle that creates a moving shadow through windows.
The first complaints, noise and shadow flicker, were called in Dec. 16 by different people, Miller said. Another noise complaint came in Dec. 17. On Dec. 22, a complainant called Miller’s office to follow up on their first noise complaint.
“The first thing property owners should do is call the FPL hot line to take complaints and respond to concerns and questions,” he said. “Second, if they don’t feel they’ve gotten any kind of response or are not happy with the response they got, they can call me; call my office. We follow up if there’s an issue, provided it’s one of the conditions of approval.”
Compliance with noise and shadow flicker levels are among the 36 conditions that the energy firm had to agree with in order to build the wind farm.
Miller said these early complaints did not come as a surprise.
“Considering the size and scope of this operation, I wouldn’t characterize the number of complaints as high or excessive yet,” he said. “Inevitably, there are going to be complaints, especially because there’s a lawsuit.”
The plaintiffs, 38 property owners collectively known as Citizens for Open Government, are pushing forward with the lawsuit against FPL and the county, Hass said.
They were given about a month to amend their complaint after a judge dismissed the original complaint in December. Hass said a court date had not been set, but they are “nearing completion” to file an amended complaint next week.
Although litigation is pending, “we have to work together to resolve some of these issues to go forward,” he said.
Complaints breeze in as wind turbines take off
By ELENA GRIMM - Shaw Suburban Media
Some of the wind turbines in southwest DeKalb County spin on Wednesday morning. The turbines have been harnessing wind and turning it into electricity for a few weeks. (Rob Winner – Shaw Suburban Media)
NextEra Energy Resources plans to “officially commission” its 145-tower wind farm in southwestern DeKalb County by the end of this week, although the turbines in the southern part of the county have been harnessing wind and turning it into electricity for a few weeks.
That’s keeping in line with the company’s goal of having the wind farm operating by the end of 2009, said Neil Palmer, a representative for NextEra. The company applied for the permits for the wind farm in January, and the county board approved it in June
“Everything is operable,” he said Monday. “We’re simply going through a bit of a shakedown.”
He said the past few weeks had been spent in a process that’s typical for any kind of machinery: The company is running the equipment to make sure everything is working properly and making adjustments to get the gear to optimal running capacity.
“If anything looks out of the ordinary, it can be taken offline while a technician goes and checks it. It’s not unusual in this early part of the shakedown,” Palmer said.
Crews were on site last week during an ice storm to see whether the ice buildup caused any equipment malfunctions, but there weren’t any problems, he said.
A crew of 14 has been hired to run the wind farm. Most of their work is done by a remote monitoring computer system, although a local control center will be completed in Shabbona, likely in February, Palmer said.
On Tuesday morning, all turbines were still, appearing frozen against the snowy landscape. But Mel Hass, spokesman for a group of people living near the wind turbines that has sued FPL, NextEra’s parent company, and the county over the wind farm, said he and others already had heard “significant” noise coming from the wind towers.
In lower winds, Hass can hear a “whoosh.” In higher winds – such as one evening last week when he went to a neighbor’s house to listen – it can sound like a jet engine, he said.
Towers face Hass’ home on McGirr Road in three directions. He said that, depending on the wind direction and speed, he could hear towers nearly a half-mile away while standing in his yard. Inside his house, the ones nearest his backyard sometimes are audible.
Hass and others who live close to the towers have called the company’s hot line and the DeKalb County Planning and Zoning office when noise issues arise.
DeKalb County Planning Director Paul Miller had taken four complaints as of Tuesday: three were related to noise, and one was about shadow flicker, which happens when sunlight catches the rotating blades at an angle that creates a moving shadow through windows.
The first complaints, noise and shadow flicker, were called in Dec. 16 by different people, Miller said. Another noise complaint came in Dec. 17. On Dec. 22, a complainant called Miller’s office to follow up on their first noise complaint.
“The first thing property owners should do is call the FPL hot line to take complaints and respond to concerns and questions,” he said. “Second, if they don’t feel they’ve gotten any kind of response or are not happy with the response they got, they can call me; call my office. We follow up if there’s an issue, provided it’s one of the conditions of approval.”
Compliance with noise and shadow flicker levels are among the 36 conditions that the energy firm had to agree with in order to build the wind farm.
Miller said these early complaints did not come as a surprise.
“Considering the size and scope of this operation, I wouldn’t characterize the number of complaints as high or excessive yet,” he said. “Inevitably, there are going to be complaints, especially because there’s a lawsuit.”
The plaintiffs, 38 property owners collectively known as Citizens for Open Government, are pushing forward with the lawsuit against FPL and the county, Hass said.
They were given about a month to amend their complaint after a judge dismissed the original complaint in December. Hass said a court date had not been set, but they are “nearing completion” to file an amended complaint next week.
Although litigation is pending, “we have to work together to resolve some of these issues to go forward,” he said.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Who Oversees Turbine Safety?
From the Utica Observer Dispatch
Officials: Smaller wind farms not under state regulations
Photos
Syracuse Post-Standard via The Associated Press
This wind turbine near Buyea Road in the Madison County town of Fenner collapsed around 4 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 27. Later in the day, officials from the wind farm's owner, Enel North America, said they did not know what had caused the incident.
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Featured Business » By JENNIFER BOGDAN
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Dec 28, 2009 @ 10:47 PM
Last update Dec 29, 2009 @ 05:10 PM
FENNER — As officials continue to investigate what could have caused a 200-foot-tall wind turbine to collapse in Madison County, it was not at all clear Monday what agency, if any, is responsible for overseeing turbine safety issues at Fenner Wind Farm in this town northeast of Cazenovia.
State officials said the farm does not produce 80 megawatts of energy annually, and therefore, is not large enough to fall under their jurisdiction. Madison County officials also don’t believe they’re responsible for regulation and pointed to town officials for oversight.
However, officials in this rural town of about 1,600 residents said while they played a role in awarding permits for the project before it was completed in 2001, they thought that Enel North America, the company that operates the farm, was responsible for regulating the structures manufactured by General Electric.
“I think they’re pretty conscientious,” Fenner Supervisor Russell Cary said of Enel North America. “They don’t want this to happen again.”
The turbine, which weighed close to 190 tons, toppled over in a cornfield at about 4 a.m. Sunday, shutting down the wind farm’s 19 other turbines. No one was injured.
The collapse on Buyea Road in Fenner followed a power outage recorded at about 3:30 a.m., Enel North America spokesman Hank Sennott said. The cause remains under investigation by the company.
While it was the first time the company saw one of its turbines fall over, collapses of the structures are not unprecedented.
In March, another General Electric turbine split in half at the Noble Altona Windpark, northwest of Plattsburgh in Northern New York. That incident also followed a power outage.
Noble Environmental Power, the company operating the turbine, declared a wiring anomaly was to blame for the incident. General Electric wind turbines are equipped with a system that should shut them down when a loss of power occurs. Without the system working property, the turbine will spin faster than its design allows, the company said in a news release.
However, the collapse at Noble Altona Windpark remains under investigation by the state Public Service Commission because the operation produces enough energy to fall under that agency’s jurisdiction, said Anne Dalton, a spokesperson for the state commission.
“As I understand it, this one owned by Enel North America would be investigated locally,” Dalton said. “All I know is it’s not subject to our jurisdiction.”
The collapse that occurred in Altona on March 6 created a small fire and flung Fiberglass debris as far as 345 feet from the base of the turbine, the company said. No one was injured in the incident.
But Milissa Rocker, a spokesperson for General Electric, said the company’s windmills are safe. Just five of General Electric’s 13,000 turbines operating globally have collapsed since 2002 when General Electric took over the wind power operation from Enron, she said.
“It’s important to understand this is a very rare occurrence,” Rocker said. “This turbine is one of the most reliable in service.”
Despite the apparent resemblance between the incidents in Altona and Fenner, officials from both General Electric and Enel North America said there is no way to draw a parallel until an investigation is complete.
“What’s similar is that a turbine collapsed,” Rocker said. “That’s about as far as the similarities go right now.”
Wind turbines are an increasingly common part of the regional landscape, particularly along U.S. Route 20 and near Lowville.
There are no wind farms in Oneida or Herkimer counties, but three projects are pending in Herkimer County, according to data from New York Independent System Operator, a nonprofit organization that operates New York’s electrical grid. One plan for the Herkimer County town of Litchfield has raised the ire of residents near Sauquoit in Oneida County; they say turbines would mar the landscape and pose possible risks to home values and health.
Members of Save Sauquoit Valley Views -- a group opposing the Litchfield windmills - said theFenner tower collapse sparks concern over the Litchfield project.
“Despite the industry’s assurances, large turbines are intrinsically unsafe,” Liz Waszkiewicz said in a statement e-mailed on behalf of the organization. “Since the Fenner incident wasn’t related to high winds or other conditions that should have led to collapse, should a landowner take that chance?”
Sennot said the company does not believe strong winds or foul play were involved in the incident, but declined to discuss other possible causes until an investigation is complete, which likely won’t be until the end of January.
“Generally speaking, turbines are a far enough distance away that -- should something like this happen -- homes wouldn’t be hit,” Sennott said. The company is not concerned about additional turbines collapsing, he said.
The other 19 turbines at Fenner Wind Farm, which produces enough electricity to serve at least 10,000 homes, have been temporarily shut down as a safety precaution, he said.
Officials: Smaller wind farms not under state regulations
Photos
Syracuse Post-Standard via The Associated Press
This wind turbine near Buyea Road in the Madison County town of Fenner collapsed around 4 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 27. Later in the day, officials from the wind farm's owner, Enel North America, said they did not know what had caused the incident.
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Featured Business » By JENNIFER BOGDAN
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Dec 28, 2009 @ 10:47 PM
Last update Dec 29, 2009 @ 05:10 PM
FENNER — As officials continue to investigate what could have caused a 200-foot-tall wind turbine to collapse in Madison County, it was not at all clear Monday what agency, if any, is responsible for overseeing turbine safety issues at Fenner Wind Farm in this town northeast of Cazenovia.
State officials said the farm does not produce 80 megawatts of energy annually, and therefore, is not large enough to fall under their jurisdiction. Madison County officials also don’t believe they’re responsible for regulation and pointed to town officials for oversight.
However, officials in this rural town of about 1,600 residents said while they played a role in awarding permits for the project before it was completed in 2001, they thought that Enel North America, the company that operates the farm, was responsible for regulating the structures manufactured by General Electric.
“I think they’re pretty conscientious,” Fenner Supervisor Russell Cary said of Enel North America. “They don’t want this to happen again.”
The turbine, which weighed close to 190 tons, toppled over in a cornfield at about 4 a.m. Sunday, shutting down the wind farm’s 19 other turbines. No one was injured.
The collapse on Buyea Road in Fenner followed a power outage recorded at about 3:30 a.m., Enel North America spokesman Hank Sennott said. The cause remains under investigation by the company.
While it was the first time the company saw one of its turbines fall over, collapses of the structures are not unprecedented.
In March, another General Electric turbine split in half at the Noble Altona Windpark, northwest of Plattsburgh in Northern New York. That incident also followed a power outage.
Noble Environmental Power, the company operating the turbine, declared a wiring anomaly was to blame for the incident. General Electric wind turbines are equipped with a system that should shut them down when a loss of power occurs. Without the system working property, the turbine will spin faster than its design allows, the company said in a news release.
However, the collapse at Noble Altona Windpark remains under investigation by the state Public Service Commission because the operation produces enough energy to fall under that agency’s jurisdiction, said Anne Dalton, a spokesperson for the state commission.
“As I understand it, this one owned by Enel North America would be investigated locally,” Dalton said. “All I know is it’s not subject to our jurisdiction.”
The collapse that occurred in Altona on March 6 created a small fire and flung Fiberglass debris as far as 345 feet from the base of the turbine, the company said. No one was injured in the incident.
But Milissa Rocker, a spokesperson for General Electric, said the company’s windmills are safe. Just five of General Electric’s 13,000 turbines operating globally have collapsed since 2002 when General Electric took over the wind power operation from Enron, she said.
“It’s important to understand this is a very rare occurrence,” Rocker said. “This turbine is one of the most reliable in service.”
Despite the apparent resemblance between the incidents in Altona and Fenner, officials from both General Electric and Enel North America said there is no way to draw a parallel until an investigation is complete.
“What’s similar is that a turbine collapsed,” Rocker said. “That’s about as far as the similarities go right now.”
Wind turbines are an increasingly common part of the regional landscape, particularly along U.S. Route 20 and near Lowville.
There are no wind farms in Oneida or Herkimer counties, but three projects are pending in Herkimer County, according to data from New York Independent System Operator, a nonprofit organization that operates New York’s electrical grid. One plan for the Herkimer County town of Litchfield has raised the ire of residents near Sauquoit in Oneida County; they say turbines would mar the landscape and pose possible risks to home values and health.
Members of Save Sauquoit Valley Views -- a group opposing the Litchfield windmills - said theFenner tower collapse sparks concern over the Litchfield project.
“Despite the industry’s assurances, large turbines are intrinsically unsafe,” Liz Waszkiewicz said in a statement e-mailed on behalf of the organization. “Since the Fenner incident wasn’t related to high winds or other conditions that should have led to collapse, should a landowner take that chance?”
Sennot said the company does not believe strong winds or foul play were involved in the incident, but declined to discuss other possible causes until an investigation is complete, which likely won’t be until the end of January.
“Generally speaking, turbines are a far enough distance away that -- should something like this happen -- homes wouldn’t be hit,” Sennott said. The company is not concerned about additional turbines collapsing, he said.
The other 19 turbines at Fenner Wind Farm, which produces enough electricity to serve at least 10,000 homes, have been temporarily shut down as a safety precaution, he said.
Where/ What is Digby??
Digby, Nova Scotia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nickname(s): "The Scallop Capital of The World"
DigbyLocation of Digby, Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 44°37′20″N 65°45′38″W / 44.62222°N 65.76056°W / 44.62222; -65.76056
Country Canada
Province Nova Scotia
County Digby County
Founded 1783
Incorporated February 28, 1890
Electoral Districts
Federal
West Nova
Provincial Digby-Annapolis
Government
- Type Town Council
- Mayor Ben Cleveland
- Governing Body Digby Town Council
Area
- Total 3.15 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Elevation 0 - 152 m (-499 ft)
Population (2006)[1]
- Total 2,092
- Density 667.0/km2 (1,727.5/sq mi)
- Change (2001-06) ▼0.9%
- Dwellings 1,070
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
- Summer (DST) ADT (UTC-3)
Canadian Postal code B0V 1A0
Area code(s) 902
Telephone Exchange 245
Median Earnings* 28,551
NTS Map
GNBC Code
Website http://www.townofdigby.ns.ca
*Median household income, 2005 (all households)
Digby is a town in western Nova Scotia which lies on the Annapolis Basin of the Bay of Fundy. Digby is the shire town and commercial hub of Digby County. The town is famous for its scallop fishing fleet.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Economy
3 Tourism
4 Fishing
5 Transportation
6 Shopping and services
7 Demographics
8 Notable residents
9 Public library
10 References
11 External links
[edit] History
Digby, Nova Scotia in 1906.The area was settled in 1783 by the United Empire Loyalists under the leadership of Sir Robert Digby.
The town developed a sizable shipping fleet in the 19th century. One famous Digby vessel was the brigantine Dei Gratia, which discovered the famous mystery ship Mary Celeste in 1872. The town became an important regional transportation centre in the 1890s with the arrival of the Dominion Atlantic Railway. Trains connected with a series of steamships such as the City of Monticello and later the SS Princess Helene.
[edit] Economy
Digby’s economy is still based largely on the fishing and tourism industries. The annual Scallop Days Festival, held the first week of August annually, brings the two industries together to showcase the town’s history and heritage to the tourists. The festival offers a variety of themed activities for all ages, including scallop shucking contests, a parade, and an exhibition of local artists.[2]
Since 2004, Digby has become the destination for a major regional motorcycle rally, the annual Wharf Rat Rally. It attracts many times the town's population, up to 17,000 motorcyclists, so many that schools and some roads have to close for the day due to crowds and motorcycle traffic.[3] The Wharf Rat Rally event is generally held the week of Labour Day in September each year.
The area is also widely known for the enormous Bay of Fundy tides that sweep the coastline boasting some of the highest tides in the world. The town's history is preserved and interpeted by the Admiral Digby Museum, located in a historic home facing the harbour.
[edit] Tourism
Tourism has played an important role in Digby during the 20th century following the construction of a large resort on the town's outskirts named The Digby Pines. Built in 1905 and then purchased in 1917 by the Dominion Atlantic Railway, the resort provided a focal point to the local tourism industry. Continuously expanded, it was bought by the Government of Nova Scotia after the Dominion Atlantic sold its hotels.
There are many places to stay if you visit Digby, including[4]:
Accommodation Name Open Year Round
Admiral Digby Inn No
Breaker's Bed & Breakfast Yes
Bayside Inn Yes
Boardwalk Cafe & Suites Yes
Coastal Inn Kingfisher Yes
Digby Campground Yes
Digby Backpacker's Inn Yes
Dockside Suites Yes
Gallery Loft Housekeeping Unit Yes
Harmony B&B/Suites Yes
Montague Row B&B No
Nova's B&B Yes
Ocean Hillside Bed & Breakfast Yes
Shoreline Restaurant, Gifts & Accommodations No
Siesta Motel Yes
Summers Country Inn Yes
The Pines Resort No
Thistle Down Country Inn Yes
[edit] Fishing
Fishing has been an essential economic activity since the town's settlement. Digby's schooner fishery reached its peak in the early 1900s, documented by the famous Canadian historian and photographer Frederick William Wallace. In later years, trawlers, especially those harvesting scallops became the mainstay.
[edit] Transportation
Access to Digby is primarily by Highway 101 and by the M/V Princess of Acadia ferry service to Saint John, New Brunswick (operated by Bay Ferries Limited).
The Kings Transit public transit system has stops in Digby at the Atlantic Superstore/Walmart, Sobeys/Canadian Tire, and the Digby General Hospital, although the bus can be hailed to stop at any location along Hwy 303 between Atlantic Superstore and the hospital.[5] Buses going east or west bound are only available every other hour. The fare covers if you are traveling from Weymouth, Nova Scotia or to Windsor, Nova Scotia.
Kings Transit Fares[6]
Adults / Seniors (Age 60+) Children (5-11) Children (under 5)
$3.50 $1.75 FREE
There are three taxi companies that operate in Digby. They are Admiral Taxi, Basin Taxi, and Digby Cab. All three companies provide the same rates to riders.
[edit] Shopping and services
There are two groceries stores located in Digby, both Atlantic Superstore and Sobeys. There is also a Wal-mart and a Canadian Tire.
Restaurants include franchises such as two Tim Horton's locations, Subway, Pizza Delight, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and McDonald's along with several other locally owned restaurants filling the downtown Water Street area. Most of the locally owned restuarants serve seafood dishes with a high concentration on scallops. Many restaurants close during the winter months due to the slow tourism during that time.
Downtown also has locally owned shops.
Circle K, Ultramar, Shell, and Esso have gas stations located in Digby.
There is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) station located on Victoria Street.[7]
The Digby General Hospital, located on Warwick Street, provides basic medical care to the residents, including primary care, inpatient, restorative care, ambulatory, day surgery.[8] Although they note on the website they provide emergency care, it is only available when a physician is available. Many patients are redirected to the hospital in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia or Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in the case of an emergency. [9]
[edit] Demographics
According to the Canada 2006 Census:[10]
Population: 2,092 (-0.9% from 2001)
Land area: 3.14 km2 (1.21 sq mi)
Population density: 667.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,728 /sq mi)
National population rank: Ranked 1,274th out of 5,008
Median age: 46.4 (males: 44.3, females: 48.9)
Total private dwellings: 1,070
Dwellings occupied by permanent residents: 966
Median household income: $28,551
Digby Main Street of Digby
Harbour of Digby
Balancing Rock near Digby
Tidal Boatworks, Digby. 2008.
Mist on Digby bay
[edit] Notable residents
Pop Smith, major league baseball player
[edit] Public library
Isaiah W. Wilson Memorial Library; Digby
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nickname(s): "The Scallop Capital of The World"
DigbyLocation of Digby, Nova Scotia
Coordinates: 44°37′20″N 65°45′38″W / 44.62222°N 65.76056°W / 44.62222; -65.76056
Country Canada
Province Nova Scotia
County Digby County
Founded 1783
Incorporated February 28, 1890
Electoral Districts
Federal
West Nova
Provincial Digby-Annapolis
Government
- Type Town Council
- Mayor Ben Cleveland
- Governing Body Digby Town Council
Area
- Total 3.15 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Elevation 0 - 152 m (-499 ft)
Population (2006)[1]
- Total 2,092
- Density 667.0/km2 (1,727.5/sq mi)
- Change (2001-06) ▼0.9%
- Dwellings 1,070
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
- Summer (DST) ADT (UTC-3)
Canadian Postal code B0V 1A0
Area code(s) 902
Telephone Exchange 245
Median Earnings* 28,551
NTS Map
GNBC Code
Website http://www.townofdigby.ns.ca
*Median household income, 2005 (all households)
Digby is a town in western Nova Scotia which lies on the Annapolis Basin of the Bay of Fundy. Digby is the shire town and commercial hub of Digby County. The town is famous for its scallop fishing fleet.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Economy
3 Tourism
4 Fishing
5 Transportation
6 Shopping and services
7 Demographics
8 Notable residents
9 Public library
10 References
11 External links
[edit] History
Digby, Nova Scotia in 1906.The area was settled in 1783 by the United Empire Loyalists under the leadership of Sir Robert Digby.
The town developed a sizable shipping fleet in the 19th century. One famous Digby vessel was the brigantine Dei Gratia, which discovered the famous mystery ship Mary Celeste in 1872. The town became an important regional transportation centre in the 1890s with the arrival of the Dominion Atlantic Railway. Trains connected with a series of steamships such as the City of Monticello and later the SS Princess Helene.
[edit] Economy
Digby’s economy is still based largely on the fishing and tourism industries. The annual Scallop Days Festival, held the first week of August annually, brings the two industries together to showcase the town’s history and heritage to the tourists. The festival offers a variety of themed activities for all ages, including scallop shucking contests, a parade, and an exhibition of local artists.[2]
Since 2004, Digby has become the destination for a major regional motorcycle rally, the annual Wharf Rat Rally. It attracts many times the town's population, up to 17,000 motorcyclists, so many that schools and some roads have to close for the day due to crowds and motorcycle traffic.[3] The Wharf Rat Rally event is generally held the week of Labour Day in September each year.
The area is also widely known for the enormous Bay of Fundy tides that sweep the coastline boasting some of the highest tides in the world. The town's history is preserved and interpeted by the Admiral Digby Museum, located in a historic home facing the harbour.
[edit] Tourism
Tourism has played an important role in Digby during the 20th century following the construction of a large resort on the town's outskirts named The Digby Pines. Built in 1905 and then purchased in 1917 by the Dominion Atlantic Railway, the resort provided a focal point to the local tourism industry. Continuously expanded, it was bought by the Government of Nova Scotia after the Dominion Atlantic sold its hotels.
There are many places to stay if you visit Digby, including[4]:
Accommodation Name Open Year Round
Admiral Digby Inn No
Breaker's Bed & Breakfast Yes
Bayside Inn Yes
Boardwalk Cafe & Suites Yes
Coastal Inn Kingfisher Yes
Digby Campground Yes
Digby Backpacker's Inn Yes
Dockside Suites Yes
Gallery Loft Housekeeping Unit Yes
Harmony B&B/Suites Yes
Montague Row B&B No
Nova's B&B Yes
Ocean Hillside Bed & Breakfast Yes
Shoreline Restaurant, Gifts & Accommodations No
Siesta Motel Yes
Summers Country Inn Yes
The Pines Resort No
Thistle Down Country Inn Yes
[edit] Fishing
Fishing has been an essential economic activity since the town's settlement. Digby's schooner fishery reached its peak in the early 1900s, documented by the famous Canadian historian and photographer Frederick William Wallace. In later years, trawlers, especially those harvesting scallops became the mainstay.
[edit] Transportation
Access to Digby is primarily by Highway 101 and by the M/V Princess of Acadia ferry service to Saint John, New Brunswick (operated by Bay Ferries Limited).
The Kings Transit public transit system has stops in Digby at the Atlantic Superstore/Walmart, Sobeys/Canadian Tire, and the Digby General Hospital, although the bus can be hailed to stop at any location along Hwy 303 between Atlantic Superstore and the hospital.[5] Buses going east or west bound are only available every other hour. The fare covers if you are traveling from Weymouth, Nova Scotia or to Windsor, Nova Scotia.
Kings Transit Fares[6]
Adults / Seniors (Age 60+) Children (5-11) Children (under 5)
$3.50 $1.75 FREE
There are three taxi companies that operate in Digby. They are Admiral Taxi, Basin Taxi, and Digby Cab. All three companies provide the same rates to riders.
[edit] Shopping and services
There are two groceries stores located in Digby, both Atlantic Superstore and Sobeys. There is also a Wal-mart and a Canadian Tire.
Restaurants include franchises such as two Tim Horton's locations, Subway, Pizza Delight, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and McDonald's along with several other locally owned restaurants filling the downtown Water Street area. Most of the locally owned restuarants serve seafood dishes with a high concentration on scallops. Many restaurants close during the winter months due to the slow tourism during that time.
Downtown also has locally owned shops.
Circle K, Ultramar, Shell, and Esso have gas stations located in Digby.
There is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) station located on Victoria Street.[7]
The Digby General Hospital, located on Warwick Street, provides basic medical care to the residents, including primary care, inpatient, restorative care, ambulatory, day surgery.[8] Although they note on the website they provide emergency care, it is only available when a physician is available. Many patients are redirected to the hospital in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia or Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in the case of an emergency. [9]
[edit] Demographics
According to the Canada 2006 Census:[10]
Population: 2,092 (-0.9% from 2001)
Land area: 3.14 km2 (1.21 sq mi)
Population density: 667.0 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,728 /sq mi)
National population rank: Ranked 1,274th out of 5,008
Median age: 46.4 (males: 44.3, females: 48.9)
Total private dwellings: 1,070
Dwellings occupied by permanent residents: 966
Median household income: $28,551
Digby Main Street of Digby
Harbour of Digby
Balancing Rock near Digby
Tidal Boatworks, Digby. 2008.
Mist on Digby bay
[edit] Notable residents
Pop Smith, major league baseball player
[edit] Public library
Isaiah W. Wilson Memorial Library; Digby
Labels:
Digby Nova Scotia
Bay Windfields
President's Report
It has been a very positive experience serving as President of Bay Wind since November of 2007 and I am delighted to be presenting the 2009 Bay Windfield president's report. After this AGM, I will be stepping down from my role as President but expect to continue assisting the company as a Director on the board.
Looking back at the past year, financially speaking, it has been very 'interesting' to say the least. Unless you had your money in a GIC, pretty much all public investment vehicles decreased in value. Fortunately for us, Bay Wind, being a CEDIFand not publicly traded, avoided the downturn in financial markets and maintained its value. Also, fortunately for shareholders of Bay Wind, all our current investments are with companies who are not publicly traded. This is fortunate because there were very few public companies that did not reduced in value over the past year.
During these interesting economic times Bay Wind has managed to keep busy. I will start this report by listing our events of the past year followed by updates on our past investments:
On February 29th 2008 the Bay closed its 5th successful offering. This offering increased our number of shareholders to over 160.
In August of 2008, the Bay made a strategic investment in The Gold Coast . We purchased 51% of the company which also provides us with excellent investment potential for future projects due to the geographic location of their territory. For those unaware, they have the rights between Hfx and Canso.
Also in August 2008, The Bay signed an agreement with a local company which produces wood bricks from waste wood. These bricks are used as an alternative to firewood for heating purposes. This agreement is in the form of an interest bearing loan to the company which provides the Bay with a revenue stream in the form of monthly interest cheques.
In September of 2008, the Bay completed a 10 for 1 stock split. This split was deemed necessary to prevent further dilution of existing shareholder's investments. This factor was determined according to the current market values of investments held by the Bay.
As far as updates on the companies we have previously invested in, two have provided information and the third, being 4G (Fourth Generation Capital) has not supplied any recent information. As far as we have been told, 4G is active in China and has imported Chinese technology to Ontario as it relates to a Biomass power generating plant. We cannot quantify this information but hope that 4G becomes very successful.
RESL (RENEWABLE ENERGY SERVICES LTD)
RESL recently held their AGM in Halifax earlier this month. There were 7 shareholders in attendance, this including representation from The Bay. RESL currently have 5 turbines operating. They have sold the following in the last year:
Project with Shear Wind. The two turbines that were part of a joint agreement with Shear Wind were sold to them. They stated it was for operational reasons.
T600 Turbines. They have sold two T600 turbines to Boston and helped to install the product. The turbines were small and were the only ones that they could use at that location that were available at that time.
The installation of the turbine at the Generating Plant at Point Tupper. was not feasible due to unsuitable ground conditions, though the project was cancelled the turbine was relocated to the near-by Wind Farm. Currently RESL has a 25Mw RFP from NS Power and they are concentrating on the Point Tupper wind farm.
Alberta. RESL and AESO (Alberta Electric System Operator) are still carrying out environmental assessments of 2 projects. They currently have 170 Mw under development, but we do not have any additional details on these developments.
RESL is looking for significant investors and are apparently in talks with one or more entities but would not provide any additional details. They are also interested in investment and the Equity Tax Credit is still available for individuals who invest from Nova Scotia.
At this point the company made no reference to going public in the near future.
Scotian WindFields Inc (SWFI)
SWFI now has one "inside the fence" up and running. This is at the Porter's Lake Superstore. It is expected that another one should be announced soon.
In June Scotian WindFields launched Carbon Services Division.
In 2008, Scotian WindFields bought Doctor Solar to help expand into the solar energy industry. Doctor Solar has more than 20 years of experience installing solar thermal systems in Nova Scotia, and was a perfect fit to the community based Scotian WindFields team.
SWIFI considered a merger earlier in the year which promised to bring more financial resources to the Digby Neck project. The merger did not take place but talks are ongoing.
As with RESL, financing is proving to be more difficult in these hard economic times for everyone.
Services SWFI currently provide include:
Utility Wind: bidding on grid scale development in the 30 to 40 MW range as suppliers to Nova Scotia Power Inc.
Embedded Generation: developing 'inside the fence' projects to service commercial retailers, industrial applications, and institutional facilities.
Small Wind: providing turnkey packages to homeowners and small businesses with alternative energy solutions, as well as the tools to reduce their carbon footprint.
Solar: working with clients to provide turnkey solar solutions in hot water heating and photovoltaic applications.
In conclusion, The Bay has been busy looking out for the best interests of our shareholders. We aspire to continue investing in select projects whereby we expect to generate future financial gain to our shareholders while making the environment a more sustainable and energy efficient place. Thank you very much. Alain Belliveau President - The Bay WindField
It has been a very positive experience serving as President of Bay Wind since November of 2007 and I am delighted to be presenting the 2009 Bay Windfield president's report. After this AGM, I will be stepping down from my role as President but expect to continue assisting the company as a Director on the board.
Looking back at the past year, financially speaking, it has been very 'interesting' to say the least. Unless you had your money in a GIC, pretty much all public investment vehicles decreased in value. Fortunately for us, Bay Wind, being a CEDIFand not publicly traded, avoided the downturn in financial markets and maintained its value. Also, fortunately for shareholders of Bay Wind, all our current investments are with companies who are not publicly traded. This is fortunate because there were very few public companies that did not reduced in value over the past year.
During these interesting economic times Bay Wind has managed to keep busy. I will start this report by listing our events of the past year followed by updates on our past investments:
On February 29th 2008 the Bay closed its 5th successful offering. This offering increased our number of shareholders to over 160.
In August of 2008, the Bay made a strategic investment in The Gold Coast . We purchased 51% of the company which also provides us with excellent investment potential for future projects due to the geographic location of their territory. For those unaware, they have the rights between Hfx and Canso.
Also in August 2008, The Bay signed an agreement with a local company which produces wood bricks from waste wood. These bricks are used as an alternative to firewood for heating purposes. This agreement is in the form of an interest bearing loan to the company which provides the Bay with a revenue stream in the form of monthly interest cheques.
In September of 2008, the Bay completed a 10 for 1 stock split. This split was deemed necessary to prevent further dilution of existing shareholder's investments. This factor was determined according to the current market values of investments held by the Bay.
As far as updates on the companies we have previously invested in, two have provided information and the third, being 4G (Fourth Generation Capital) has not supplied any recent information. As far as we have been told, 4G is active in China and has imported Chinese technology to Ontario as it relates to a Biomass power generating plant. We cannot quantify this information but hope that 4G becomes very successful.
RESL (RENEWABLE ENERGY SERVICES LTD)
RESL recently held their AGM in Halifax earlier this month. There were 7 shareholders in attendance, this including representation from The Bay. RESL currently have 5 turbines operating. They have sold the following in the last year:
Project with Shear Wind. The two turbines that were part of a joint agreement with Shear Wind were sold to them. They stated it was for operational reasons.
T600 Turbines. They have sold two T600 turbines to Boston and helped to install the product. The turbines were small and were the only ones that they could use at that location that were available at that time.
The installation of the turbine at the Generating Plant at Point Tupper. was not feasible due to unsuitable ground conditions, though the project was cancelled the turbine was relocated to the near-by Wind Farm. Currently RESL has a 25Mw RFP from NS Power and they are concentrating on the Point Tupper wind farm.
Alberta. RESL and AESO (Alberta Electric System Operator) are still carrying out environmental assessments of 2 projects. They currently have 170 Mw under development, but we do not have any additional details on these developments.
RESL is looking for significant investors and are apparently in talks with one or more entities but would not provide any additional details. They are also interested in investment and the Equity Tax Credit is still available for individuals who invest from Nova Scotia.
At this point the company made no reference to going public in the near future.
Scotian WindFields Inc (SWFI)
SWFI now has one "inside the fence" up and running. This is at the Porter's Lake Superstore. It is expected that another one should be announced soon.
In June Scotian WindFields launched Carbon Services Division.
In 2008, Scotian WindFields bought Doctor Solar to help expand into the solar energy industry. Doctor Solar has more than 20 years of experience installing solar thermal systems in Nova Scotia, and was a perfect fit to the community based Scotian WindFields team.
SWIFI considered a merger earlier in the year which promised to bring more financial resources to the Digby Neck project. The merger did not take place but talks are ongoing.
As with RESL, financing is proving to be more difficult in these hard economic times for everyone.
Services SWFI currently provide include:
Utility Wind: bidding on grid scale development in the 30 to 40 MW range as suppliers to Nova Scotia Power Inc.
Embedded Generation: developing 'inside the fence' projects to service commercial retailers, industrial applications, and institutional facilities.
Small Wind: providing turnkey packages to homeowners and small businesses with alternative energy solutions, as well as the tools to reduce their carbon footprint.
Solar: working with clients to provide turnkey solar solutions in hot water heating and photovoltaic applications.
In conclusion, The Bay has been busy looking out for the best interests of our shareholders. We aspire to continue investing in select projects whereby we expect to generate future financial gain to our shareholders while making the environment a more sustainable and energy efficient place. Thank you very much. Alain Belliveau President - The Bay WindField
Labels:
Nova Scotia wind turbines
World Photovoltaics Conference and Expo
From seopressreleases
Nashua, NH, December 29, 2009 — The conference program for the Photovoltaics World Conference & Expo, to be held February 23-25, 2010 in Austin, Texas, has been finalized. Recent advances in photovoltaics technology and manufacturing processes will be addressed, as well as emerging applications for photovoltaic-based solar power generation systems. Information will be presented in two different tracks and seven sessions over a three-day program. The conference will be held in conjunction with PennWell’s Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, which covers all forms of renewable energy, including the wind, solar, biomass, hydro, geothermal, ocean/tidal/wave, bio-power, bio-fuels hydrogen and energy sectors. Nearly 4,000 renewable energy power professionals attended the 2009 conference, and strong growth in 2010 is expected.
“I’m delighted that we are able to present such a strong conference program on photovoltaics that covers not only new manufacturing technologies, but strategic market and policy concerns,” said Pete Singer, Editor-in-Chief of Photovoltaics World and program committee chair. Photovoltaics World, launched in 2009, is the newest member of PennWell’s Electronics Media Group and the Renewable Energy World Network. Through its magazine, website and e-newsletters, Photovoltaics World covers photovoltaics manufacturing and solar power generation.
Opportunities in the photovoltaics (PV) market in 2010 remain strong according to analysts. “Utilities and home-owners are increasingly interested in PV systems and large utility ecosystem partners, such as construction and merchant power generation firms, are looking into photovoltaics,” said Alfonso Velosa, Research Director, Semiconductors, Gartner, Tucson, AZ. Dave Cavanaugh, Senior Analyst, Pike Research, Boulder, CO, is also positive: “Led by a strong recovery of demand in Germany and burgeoning growth in Italy, Japan and the United States, we are forecasting that demand for solar modules in 2010 will grow by 43% to reach almost 6.8GW. This offers great news to a solar industry whose market demand as little as two quarters ago was looking dismal.”
Still, there is some degree of uncertainty about how the PV market will be impacted by the stability of the global economy, the fate of government incentives, feed-in-tariff (FIT) restructuring, and overall sliding module prices. Another uncertainty is which of the many different types of competing photovoltaic technologies will emerge as the winner. Conventional crystalline silicon PV technology remains the market leader, but thin-film technologies are rapidly improving and are poised to gain in market share, particularly in the U.S. Organic photovoltaics (PV on plastic substrates) have also shown dramatic improvements of late, and are an ideal choice for some applications.
These and other critical issues will be addressed at the Photovoltaics World Conference. Conference sessions include:
New Frontiers in Photovoltaics Manufacturing: A variety of competing technologies are now being investigated or deployed for photovoltaics/solar cell manufacturing. This session looks at some of the recent advances in these technologies, ranging from simple silicon, to III-V and IV materials. Challenges of photovoltaic cell reliability will be addressed, including that of thin films, crystalline silicon and concentrator PV technologies. New developments in holographic solar concentrators will also be presented, as will new developments in integrated photovoltaic combined thermal systems.
Advances in Photovoltaic Materials: The range of candidate biomass feedstocks (e.g. algae) which have the attributes for success is expanding and many of these will be compared and contrasted. Recent, high-impact innovations that enable the use of these feedstocks will be presented.
PV Manufacturing Process Technologies: Photovoltaics manufacturing technology has moved into high volume, with throughput reaching 3000 substrates per hour or more. Development of new processes continues, however, in order to obtain higher cell efficiency, higher tool throughput and reduced cost-of-ownership. This session will examine a variety of new process techniques, including surface texturing, atmospheric surface modification, bulk analysis of trace impurities and dopants, and fluorinated elastomer seals.
Photovoltaics - The Quest for Grid Parity Track: One of the main drivers in photovoltaic solar cell technology is the goal of reducing the cost of the power generated to be equivalent to or less than that provided by conventional technologies. This so-called grid parity is usually considered to be about $1/Watt at peak times. This session will take a broad look at what can impact the cost of PV.
Photovoltaics in Practice: Photovoltaic systems have been in use for more than 20 years but are now being implemented in a wide variety of configurations, from building-integrated PV to solar farms and rooftop installations on homes and businesses. This session will look at PV’s role in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) efforts, provide an engineering and financial analysis of installing a solar power system on a residential house, a sizing method for security PV systems, a report on the new Net Zero neighborhoods plans, and recent progress in PV sun tracking systems.
Panel Discussion on DC-DC Optimization: This panel session will consist of representatives of two manufacturers of optimizer products, a non-panel manufacturing integrator/operator, and a major panel manufacturer. Likely discussion topics include: the technology itself; the factors behind the proposed economic feasibility of the technology; likely context of use and scale; and factors concerning the eventual marriage of the technology with other components, most notably the panels.
Solar-oriented solar sessions are also scheduled as part of the general Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, including PV case studies and applications, solar energy market trends and CSP near-term solutions.
More details on the conference, including speakers, registration information, keynote talks, technical tours, networking breakfasts, and conference hours, can be found at http://www.pvworldevent.com.
About Photovoltaics World
Photovoltaics World, the newest member of PennWell’s Electronics Media Group, covers photovoltaics manufacturing and solar power generation. Our coverage focuses on solar cell design and manufacture, including cells made of multi-, mono- and nano-crystalline silicon, amorphous thin-film silicon, cadmium telluride, copper indium diselenide (CIS), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) and GaAs. Multijunction cells and concentrator technology are also covered.
About PennWell Corporation
PennWell Corporation is a diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following global industries: oil and gas, electric power, water, electronics, semiconductor, contamination control, optoelectronics, fiber optics, information technology, fire, emergency services and dental. Founded in 1910, PennWell publishes 75 print and online magazines and newsletters and conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents. In addition to PennWell’s headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Company has major offices in Nashua, New Hampshire; Houston, Texas; London, England; Mountain View, California; Fairlawn, New Jersey; Moscow, Russia; and Hong Kong, China. (http://www.pennwell.com)
Nashua, NH, December 29, 2009 — The conference program for the Photovoltaics World Conference & Expo, to be held February 23-25, 2010 in Austin, Texas, has been finalized. Recent advances in photovoltaics technology and manufacturing processes will be addressed, as well as emerging applications for photovoltaic-based solar power generation systems. Information will be presented in two different tracks and seven sessions over a three-day program. The conference will be held in conjunction with PennWell’s Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, which covers all forms of renewable energy, including the wind, solar, biomass, hydro, geothermal, ocean/tidal/wave, bio-power, bio-fuels hydrogen and energy sectors. Nearly 4,000 renewable energy power professionals attended the 2009 conference, and strong growth in 2010 is expected.
“I’m delighted that we are able to present such a strong conference program on photovoltaics that covers not only new manufacturing technologies, but strategic market and policy concerns,” said Pete Singer, Editor-in-Chief of Photovoltaics World and program committee chair. Photovoltaics World, launched in 2009, is the newest member of PennWell’s Electronics Media Group and the Renewable Energy World Network. Through its magazine, website and e-newsletters, Photovoltaics World covers photovoltaics manufacturing and solar power generation.
Opportunities in the photovoltaics (PV) market in 2010 remain strong according to analysts. “Utilities and home-owners are increasingly interested in PV systems and large utility ecosystem partners, such as construction and merchant power generation firms, are looking into photovoltaics,” said Alfonso Velosa, Research Director, Semiconductors, Gartner, Tucson, AZ. Dave Cavanaugh, Senior Analyst, Pike Research, Boulder, CO, is also positive: “Led by a strong recovery of demand in Germany and burgeoning growth in Italy, Japan and the United States, we are forecasting that demand for solar modules in 2010 will grow by 43% to reach almost 6.8GW. This offers great news to a solar industry whose market demand as little as two quarters ago was looking dismal.”
Still, there is some degree of uncertainty about how the PV market will be impacted by the stability of the global economy, the fate of government incentives, feed-in-tariff (FIT) restructuring, and overall sliding module prices. Another uncertainty is which of the many different types of competing photovoltaic technologies will emerge as the winner. Conventional crystalline silicon PV technology remains the market leader, but thin-film technologies are rapidly improving and are poised to gain in market share, particularly in the U.S. Organic photovoltaics (PV on plastic substrates) have also shown dramatic improvements of late, and are an ideal choice for some applications.
These and other critical issues will be addressed at the Photovoltaics World Conference. Conference sessions include:
New Frontiers in Photovoltaics Manufacturing: A variety of competing technologies are now being investigated or deployed for photovoltaics/solar cell manufacturing. This session looks at some of the recent advances in these technologies, ranging from simple silicon, to III-V and IV materials. Challenges of photovoltaic cell reliability will be addressed, including that of thin films, crystalline silicon and concentrator PV technologies. New developments in holographic solar concentrators will also be presented, as will new developments in integrated photovoltaic combined thermal systems.
Advances in Photovoltaic Materials: The range of candidate biomass feedstocks (e.g. algae) which have the attributes for success is expanding and many of these will be compared and contrasted. Recent, high-impact innovations that enable the use of these feedstocks will be presented.
PV Manufacturing Process Technologies: Photovoltaics manufacturing technology has moved into high volume, with throughput reaching 3000 substrates per hour or more. Development of new processes continues, however, in order to obtain higher cell efficiency, higher tool throughput and reduced cost-of-ownership. This session will examine a variety of new process techniques, including surface texturing, atmospheric surface modification, bulk analysis of trace impurities and dopants, and fluorinated elastomer seals.
Photovoltaics - The Quest for Grid Parity Track: One of the main drivers in photovoltaic solar cell technology is the goal of reducing the cost of the power generated to be equivalent to or less than that provided by conventional technologies. This so-called grid parity is usually considered to be about $1/Watt at peak times. This session will take a broad look at what can impact the cost of PV.
Photovoltaics in Practice: Photovoltaic systems have been in use for more than 20 years but are now being implemented in a wide variety of configurations, from building-integrated PV to solar farms and rooftop installations on homes and businesses. This session will look at PV’s role in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) efforts, provide an engineering and financial analysis of installing a solar power system on a residential house, a sizing method for security PV systems, a report on the new Net Zero neighborhoods plans, and recent progress in PV sun tracking systems.
Panel Discussion on DC-DC Optimization: This panel session will consist of representatives of two manufacturers of optimizer products, a non-panel manufacturing integrator/operator, and a major panel manufacturer. Likely discussion topics include: the technology itself; the factors behind the proposed economic feasibility of the technology; likely context of use and scale; and factors concerning the eventual marriage of the technology with other components, most notably the panels.
Solar-oriented solar sessions are also scheduled as part of the general Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America, including PV case studies and applications, solar energy market trends and CSP near-term solutions.
More details on the conference, including speakers, registration information, keynote talks, technical tours, networking breakfasts, and conference hours, can be found at http://www.pvworldevent.com.
About Photovoltaics World
Photovoltaics World, the newest member of PennWell’s Electronics Media Group, covers photovoltaics manufacturing and solar power generation. Our coverage focuses on solar cell design and manufacture, including cells made of multi-, mono- and nano-crystalline silicon, amorphous thin-film silicon, cadmium telluride, copper indium diselenide (CIS), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) and GaAs. Multijunction cells and concentrator technology are also covered.
About PennWell Corporation
PennWell Corporation is a diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following global industries: oil and gas, electric power, water, electronics, semiconductor, contamination control, optoelectronics, fiber optics, information technology, fire, emergency services and dental. Founded in 1910, PennWell publishes 75 print and online magazines and newsletters and conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents. In addition to PennWell’s headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Company has major offices in Nashua, New Hampshire; Houston, Texas; London, England; Mountain View, California; Fairlawn, New Jersey; Moscow, Russia; and Hong Kong, China. (http://www.pennwell.com)
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