China solar giant Suntech falls back to Earth

The last thing you want to hear from the solar photovoltaic industry is players going into bankruptcy.

Just a year ago, China's Suntech was the world's largest solar panel producer, but has plunged to a near bankruptcy, if what's reported is true.

Top 10 solar module producers in the world. Source: Renewable 12 Global Status Report

"What (Suntech) has done is increase supply to the market so much, that they really almost can't sell anything at a profit now. It is going to be difficult for them going forward. You might end up seeing a very different company down the road."
-- Ben Cavender, China Market Research Group in Shanghai.

Falling back to earth? Source: France24

Bleak day for Solar PV industry

China’s Suntech has made a painful journey from being the world’s largest solar panel producer to flirting with bankruptcy in just a year, highlighting the woes of the industry it shaped.

Oversupply as Chinese producers flooded the market and trade disputes over alleged Chinese dumping caused a sudden and spectacular reversal of fortunes for Suntech, which has defaulted on repayments for a $541 million bond issue.

The board ousted the company’s renowned founder just days ago after 12 years in which he led it from nothing to world market domination and now to the edge of ruin, leaving it scrambling to secure new funding and hold creditors at bay.

The global solar industry has been burned by the economic slowdown in Europe and the United States, together with weak prices blamed on Chinese companies which sought to build market share by under-cutting competitors.

References:
a) Renewables 2012 Global Status Report
b) PVinsights
c) France24 Internation News

Berlin Wall Memorial uprooted for condo project

Remember Atkinson Tower, the one sitting on the fringe of Kota Kinabalu city?

It's a colonial clock tower and is one of the very few structures that are still standing today. The British built quite a number of things of historical value but in the name of modernisation (or the lack of it?) they were replaced or simply torn down.

The Atkinson Tower, also called Atkinson Clock Tower almost made a date with extinction in 2011 when a developer tried to lure the authority to build a multi-storey mixed-commercial complex  there.


Berlin Wall Memorial

Flip to the other side of the globe; the story-line is not too far different. Historic building and monument seem to be similarly less appreciated. Berlin Wall Memorial is one of them.

The Berlin Wall was built in 1961. Photo: pinkbigmac-BERLIN

What is Berlin Wall?

It was supposed to prevent East Berliners and citizens of East Germany from fleeing to the West, a time during which East Germany was ruled by the SED, the ruling Communist Party.

Who built it?

Hardline East German leader Walter Ulbricht gave the order to build after winning backing from Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

People died trying to escape through the wall?

Varying estimates. Berlin prosecutors say 169 people were killed between August 13, 1961, and November 9, 1989. A recent study found that 1,065 people were killed trying to flee East Germany across all Cold War borders

An estimated 5,000 people reached West Berlin. More than 75,000 people were imprisoned for trying to leave East Germany without permission

And the "Death Strip"?

A border strip between the inner and outer segments of the wall in East Berlin is called the “death strip” because so many people were killed there while trying to flee.

When did the Berlin Wall fall?

The Berlin Wall that the SED used to maintain its power fell in 1989 during the downfall of East Germany that year.



Protests stall Berlin Wall removal

Section of the memorial wall has already been uprooted. AP Photo

(BERLIN) — Berliners are protesting as a construction company removes a section of a historic stretch of the Berlin Wall known as the East Side Gallery to provide access to a riverside plot where luxury condominiums are being built.

An approximately 20-meter (22-yard) stretch of the 1.3 kilometer (3/4 mile) section of wall is being removed by crews Friday while demonstrators look on.

Since German reunification, the stretch of the wall has been preserved as a historical monument and transformed into an open air gallery painted with colorful murals, and has become a popular tourist attraction.

District chairman Franz Schulz tells Bild newspaper that the section of the wall is being removed to allow access to a new luxury apartment building planned for the banks of the Spree river.
Source - Yahoo News, Mar 1, 2013.


Source and references:
a) The Times
b) Reuters Factbox
c) Photo by pinkbigmac-BERLIN

Rooftop solar PV launched at SM St. Michael, Sabah

While 10 schools in Sabah celebrate their achievement of 100% passes in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) this year, SM St Michael has a bonus reason to celebrate.

Greenery welcomes you as you approach St. Michael secondary school.

The school became the first in Sabah to have the solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed on its roof to reduce the school's electricity consumption. More importantly, this will pave the way for Malaysians to learn and appreciate the technology at early stage.

The installation of the 5.4kWp rooftop solar here was completed in January 2013, thanks to a worldwide project named dena Solar Roofs Programme, coordinated by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH, and co-financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

Brief information of the rooftop installation:

Installed capacity       : 5.4 kWp
Solar module              : 24 panels
Area of roof covered  : 41m²
Panel rating                : 225W
Inverter                       : 2 nos (to convert DC to AC supply)
Energy production     : 6,800 kWh annually. Approximately 567 kWh per month
Cost                             : €2,000 to €2,500 per kWp without battery (RM8,000 - RM10,000)

For educational purposes:
A display panel has been installed in the centre of the school to display the actual power in kW and the accumulated generated energy (in kWh) and CO₂ savings over the entire period.

"The main goal is to support the cooperation between German and Malaysian experts in the field of photovoltaic and also sharing of knowledge about the systems under the specific conditions in Malaysia." 

           - Gabriele Eichner of the German Energy Agency.

The school became the programme's first recipient in Malaysia

Another school with solar PV installation is SK Pulau Sepanggar, located half an hour boat-ride from Kota Kinabalu. This is a full capacity installation which means the school gets all its power requirement from this installation alone. The school is not connected to the power grid due to its location.

It is a self initiative by the government to improve the quality of life of the local community as well as to provide a better learning environment for the school children.

SK Pulau Sepanggar hybrid system: The 25kWp solar PV is coupled with diesel generator set

TheGreenMechanics' two cents:

While fully agreeing to the school selection, I am hoping that the "dena Solar Roofs Programme" will also look into the many underprivileged rural schools in the interior. They acknowledged that the programme is most suited for places such as those in the remote areas in East Malaysia.