September 2011 - Welcome to Issue No. 4 of the Emirates Solar Industry Association (ESIA) Newsletter. We look forward to your feedback and comments.  
ESIA News Brief:

1. ESIA in the News - "The Dawn Of A New Energy Era"
2.Solar Energy News Brief
3. ESIA Announcements, Sponsored Events and Activity Calendar
4. Upcoming Solar Conferences & Exhibitions in the MENA region and around the world
5. ESIA Membership Information

1. ESIA in the News - AA   The Dawn Of A New Energy Era - Vahid Fotuhi 

Chairman of the Emirates Solar Industry Association (ESIA).  The year 2011 has been memorable for the Middle East. But while all the media attention has been focused on the unfolding political changes, a more subtle shift is taking place in the region's energy sector. Historically, the Middle East has been focused on the extraction and exportation of fossil fuels. But as oil and gas reservoirs start to show their age and as new fields become harder and more expensive to develop, the

Middle East is starting to look for alternative forms of energy to satisfy its growing energy needs.

 

Quote of the Week:  Solar power's "elephant in the room" - " Solar power generation is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. This year, solar module shipments will exceed 7.8 gigawatts globally. Taking an average output of 200 Watts per module, this represents 39,000,000 modules per year with an annual growth rate of 30 percent expected over the next several years. " - Solar Engineering and Manufacturing Association president Matthew Holzmann  

 

2.Solar Energy News Brief -  BBB

  • UAE: World's First Solar Building Exporting Energy Shelved by Masdar 
    Sept. 16, 2011 (Bloomberg) -- Masdar shelved plans for the world's first building that makes more energy than it consumes, a year after the financial crisis forced the Abu Dhabi company to step back from setting up the first carbon-neutral city.
    The Abu Dhabi state-owned company said it's evaluating a different design for its headquarters than the one selected in 2008 from Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture for a 100,000 square-meter (1.1 million square-foot) structure equipped with enough solar panels to cover four soccer fields.
    The headquarters, planned in the capital city, "will now be built in phases, in line with market demand and economic conditions at the time," Abu Dhabi-based Masdar said in an e- mailed response to questions. Officials declined to say whether the revised design would still allow for the headquarters to generate more power than it uses.
    Masdar, promoter of the Middle East's most ambitious plan to develop renewable energy, accepted its latest setback after the financial crisis curbed Abu Dhabi's ambitions for its $22 billion government-funded venture. Set up in 2006, it was to build Masdar City, a carbon-neutral town in which students and companies pursued renewable energy projects. 
  • Sept. 14, 2011 (The Green Prophet) - Energy subsidies keeping petrol and electricity prices low in the Middle East are jeopardizing the chances for renewable energy projects. The Middle East may be unique for many reasons - the stunning souks, the hospitality of the people and explosive political mentality - but they are probably known for just one thing:oil. Indeed, Gulf nations have emerged from the wilderness and built entire economies and industries around their oil wells. The steady supply of cheap energy also means that petrol prices in Gulf nations are some of the lowest in the world, with many paying under $0.2 per litre at the pump. However, according to a new report by Carboun, these low prices are negatively impacting energy efficiency in the region and undermining the commercial viability of renewable energy projects.   
  • Sept. 7, 2011 (American Progress) - The U.S. media is abuzz over last week's bankruptcy of thin-film solar manufacturer Solyndra LLC, with some conservative politicians trying to use the demise of the start-up to argue against federal financing for green energy. But the Chinese media is focusing on a far more important solar power development: two major energy plans that will lay the policy roadmap for China's clean energy development over the next decade.The first is the 12th Five Year Plan for Renewable Energy Development, covering 2011 to 2015, which focuses on sources of renewable energy such as hydropower, wind, solar, and biomass. The second is the Emerging Energy Industry Development Plan, covering 2011 to 2020, which also includes nuclear energy, clean coal, smart grid, and alternative fuel for new-energy vehicles.
  • Solar Feedstock: Does the Middle East Have What It Takes? Sept 15,2011 (Fuel Flex) -  This year has brought little relief to the polysilicon glut. The combination of China's emergence as a cheap manufacturer and the paring back of Italian and German solar subsidies in the wake of Europe's financial crises has been detrimental to the solar manufacturing industry. The entry of Chinese firms - totaling 90,000 tons of production capacity in 2011 - has caused the spot price of polysilicon to drop from $500/kg in 2008 to $50/kg in Q2 2011. The slump in demand among the solar industry's largest market, Europe, sealed the polysilicon industry's fate. Yet as the glut was emerging, GCC mega-projects inked EPC contracts to develop and export the overstocked solar material. In 2010, polysilicon production facility Qatar Solar Technologies was launched as a joint venture between Qatar Foundation and SolarWorld AG; it plans to manufacture 3600 tons of polysilicon for export annually.  Saudi followed soon after with a polysilicon project of its own: Polysilicon Technology Co., a joint venture between Saudi Mutajadedah Energy Co and South Korea's KCC Corp, signed a deal to construct a manufacturing plant that will cost a total of $1.2-$1.5 billion by 2017. In Dubai, UAE-based MBM Solar Holdings Inc. plans to build a $400 million polysilicon plant to compliment the country's downstream activities.
  • ESIA "Members Only" News, Research and Leads Extranet - GCC/MENA region solar project pipeline - contact info and project profile 

3. Announcements, Events & Calendar  

  • ESIA Breakfast Briefing & Discussion : "Is Solar Energy Commercially Viable in the Middle East" - Wednesday , October 5, 2011 - 9:00 -11:30 am - Radison Blu Hotel, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi , U.A.E. (sponsored by Chadbourne & Parke LLC)  - Siemens presents : "PV vs fossil fuel argument". Robin Mills, Dubai based energy consultant will discuss the business of solar in the GCC and MENA region.  Ivan Innnelli founder of Estidama and the Dubai Carbon Center of Excellence will discuss energy efficiency vs solar energy as the renewable model.
     Register Now !  - Limited registration  
  • Welcome new ESIA Members: Power-One,  SCHOTT Middle East FZE , First Solar, M+W Group,   
  • Event promotion: ESIA Members 30% discount: Power, Utilities, Infrastructure Finance & Investment MENA Conference  October 4-5, 2011 , Abu Dhabi Intercontinental. ESIA has secured a 30% discount for our members to attend the Power, Utilities, Infrastructure Finance & Investment MENA conference to be held at the Intercontinental, Abu Dhabi on October 4-5, 201.  

    Please call Ajla on: +44 (0)20 7045 0920 or email [email protected] quoting code 'ESEA30' before the 30th of September to take advantage of your exclusive saving.    

  • Saudi Arabia Solar Industry Association (SASIA) founders meeting Monday October 3 , 2011
    Time:  11:00 am  - 3:00 pm (lunch provided)
    Location: Saudi Aramco , Dhahran
    Please send copy of your national ID or passport if you plan to attend so a Saudi Aramco Gate Pass can be issued in advance. Please contact: [email protected]   Saudi Aramco PSP&E Energy Management has agreed to host the first meeting of the Saudi Arabia Solar Industry Association (SASIA).   To date, the following companies have expressed interested in attending, Saudi Aramco, KA-CARE, Dar Al Riyadh, Saudi Oger, ACWA Power, Olayan Financing Company, Al Naizak Global Engineering. The SASIA first organizational meeting is open to all interested parties.   

4. Upcoming Solar Energy Exhibitions & Conferences  - CCC     

5. ESIA now taking membership applications - Join nowEEE           

Membership benefits

ESIA membership can help your business expand in the UAE and the broader Middle East region by providing you market insight and giving you networking opportunities with industry leaders.

 

As an ESIA member, you will receive discounts, critical news updates, invaluable partnership opportunities and powerful advocacy.  

 

ESIA Membership Contact information:  

Email: [email protected]

 

ESIA Membership Application  

ESIA Brochure 

 

Emirates Solar Industry Association   

Festival Tower, 19th Floor

PO Box 36605

Festival City, Dubai, UAE

Tel: +971 4 293 2565  

Fax: +971 4 293 2525

 

 

Please send your questions, comments and suggestions to [email protected]

 

Browning Rockwell
President
Emirates Solar Industry Association (E.S.I.A)
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.emiratessolar.com

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