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Home solar panels doubled electric output last year

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Homes generated twice as much power from rooftop solar panels last year than in 2008, says a new report by the solar power industry.

These photovoltaic (PV) systems were buoyed by expanded federal tax credits and falling PV prices, causing them to produce 156 megawatts of electricity in 2009, up from 78 megawatts a year earlier, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

“Despite the Great Recession of 2009, the U.S. solar industry had a winning year and posted strong growth numbers,” Rhone Resch, the group’s president and CEO, said in the announcement. “We expect 2010 to be a breakout year for the U.S. solar industry.”

Last year, the U.S. government lifted its $2,000 tax credit cap on residential solar panels (also on windmills and geothermal heat pumps), allowing homeowners to deduct 30% of their total costs. Also, the report says, the price of PV modules has fallen more than 40% from mid-2008.

Still, solar energy continues to provide only a tiny amount of U.S. electricity — less than 1% of the total.

Solar Power In Ontario Could Produce Almost As Much Power As All U.S. Nuclear Reactors, Studies Find

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

Solar power in southeastern Ontario has the potential to produce almost the same amount of power as all the nuclear reactors in the United States, according to two studies conducted by the Queen’s University Applied Sustainability Research Group located in Kingston, Canada.

One study, accepted for publication in the journal Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, discovered that if choice roof tops in southeastern Ontario were covered with solar panels, they could produce five gigawatts, or about five per cent of all of Ontario’s energy. The study took into account roof orientation and shading.

“To put this in perspective, all the coal plants in all of Ontario produce just over six gigawatts. The sun doesn’t always shine, so if you couple solar power with other renewable energy sources such as wind, hydro and biomass, southeastern Ontario could easily cover its own energy needs,” Professor Pearce says.

A second study, published in May issue of the journal Solar Energy, looked at land in southeastern Ontario that could be used for solar farms. The study considered land with little economic value — barren, rocky, non-farmable areas near electrical grids — and concluded it has the potential to produce 90 gigawatts.

“Nuclear power for all of the United States is about 100 gigawatts. We can produce 90 on barren land with just solar in this tiny region, so we are not talking about small potatoes,” Professor Pearce says.

Pennsylvania Invests $5m In 4 MW of Solar Projects

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell announced 13 new solar energy projects in the state today. The projects were made possible by more than $5 million from the Alternative Energy Investment Fund, in turn made possible by federal ARRA funds earmarked for renewable energy. Rendell has helped push Pennsylvania to the forefront of the solar industry, overseeing the introduction of the state’s first solar energy rebate program last summer (the Pennsylvania Sunshine Solar program, currently providing up to $22,500 for home solar projects).

Where Will Solar Power Plants Be Built—Deserts or Rooftops?

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Both distributed and utility-scale solar energy projects are vital to accommodate the world’s growing energy needs as they are both suited to harness the extraordinary power of the sun. The underlying technology used by utility and distributed solar is different and understandably, each has its own proponents and detractors. For the most part, utility-scale solar projects use solar collectors to generate enough heat to power a steam turbine that in turn generates electrons. Distributed solar energy derives primarily from the use of photovoltaic panels that capture photons and convert them into electrons. Distributed PV efficiency is improving all the time. Currently, there is a conversion efficiency of approximately 17% for crystalline silicon panels and 10% for thin film panels — a dramatic improvement from only a few years ago.

In California alone, there are plans for 35 utility-scale projects that would generate approximately 12,000 Megawatts (MW) of energy annually — an amount of energy comparable to the combined power of ten nuclear power plants. The Mojave Solar Project and the Genesis Solar Energy Project, both located in southern California, are two of the largest projects under consideration and are each aiming to generate 250M watts of energy. These projects are expensive, however, in terms of both dollars and natural resources required. The federal government has promised to help reduce the financial cost by allocating a portion of the stimulus plan for this purpose. Companies that have their plants ready to be opened by the end of this year will receive a portion of the $67 billion of federal money that has been set aside for renewable energy projects (including loan guarantees and grant programs).

Despite these incentives, it is risky to undertake a large-scale enterprise like utility-scale solar power in an uncertain economic climate, as financial institutions are reluctant to be involved in billion-dollar projects. Another issue is the fact that such solar ‘farms’ require huge tracts of land. Another challenging issue for utility-scale solar projects is the use of water. Combined, the Genesis and Mojave projects would use 1.24 billion gallons of water per year due to the wet cooling systems involved.

An alternative to utility-scale projects is the use of distributed solar energy. There are various types of renewable power technologies in use, but sub-utility scale power photovoltaics (PV’s) account for 98% of the distributed solar energy market. Unlike utility-scale projects, distributed energy is solar power on a small scale and entails the installation of solar panels on the roofs of buildings.

Distributed solar power does not involve the legal red tape, the large tracts of land, or the vast quantities of water that utility-scale projects require, and has the ability to generate enough energy for homes, schools and hospitals. Installation is easily addressed and solar panels can last for up to 30 years if well maintained. The price of solar panels has dropped dramatically to approximately $2.40 per watt (price depending on scale of order) for silicon panels and is likely to drop even further in 2011. Furthermore, unlike utility-scale projects, distributed solar projects such as the Southern California Edison’s Plan spread capacity evenly, distributing benefits and drawbacks. If a utility-scale project “crashes,” it affects a huge area. With distributed energy, only individual units are affected in the case of a power outage.

In many locations and in certain circumstances, distributed solar projects are less expensive than utility-scale solar projects because of the avoidance of both new transmission lines and line losses — the latter of which typically accounts for approximately 7% of the power shipped over transmission systems. The costs associated with utility-scale solar projects are often not included in the side-by-side economic comparison made between the two forms of solar power development. An additional benefit of distributed solar is its ability, when developed in clusters (i.e., local micro-grids), to alleviate the need to upgrade distribution substations and add local peaking plant capacity.

As mentioned, distributed solar plans have their detractors. Solar certainly is not the cheapest source of electricity and is only effective in areas with a high percentage of sunshine. More than 50 million Americans live in Community Associations where we might expect to see efficient adoption of distributed solar plans. But these locations commonly have policies limiting the use solar equipment due to height restrictions or other specifications regarding roofing materials.

A Boom in ‘Distributed’ Solar Projects

Friday, February 5th, 2010

As big solar power plants planned for the desert Southwest remain bogged down in environmental disputes, utilities increasingly are turning to so-called distributed solar rooftop arrays and small photovoltaic farms that can be built close to transmission lines.

Over the past few weeks, some 1,300 megawatts’ worth of distributed solar deals and initiatives have been announced or approved. At peak output, that is the equivalent of a big nuclear power plant.

Two weeks ago in California, regulators authorized the utility Southern California Edison’s program to install 500 megawatts of solar on commercial rooftops. A few days later, they recommended that Pacific Gas and Electric, the dominant utility in Northern California, be given the green light for its own 500-megawatt initiative that aims to install ground-mounted photovoltaic arrays near electrical substations and urban areas.

“Distributed solar is faster on permitting, on environmental issues and interconnection to the grid,” said Arno Harris, Recurrent’s chief executive. “It offers a safety valve for utilities who don’t want to put all their eggs in one basket.”

Mass. unveils new solar-rebate programs

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Massachusetts energy officials unveiled the heirs apparent to its wildly successful Commonwealth Solar rebate program, using a mix of ratepayer funds and stimulus money to pay for the incentives.

Dubbed Commonwealth Solar II and Commonweath Solar Stimulus, the programs aim to fill the gap in financial incentives left when the first, $68 million Commonwealth Solar program ran out of money in October — more than two years ahead of schedule.

At the time, solar installers told the Boston Business Journal they were concerned the lack of incentives would stop projects from moving forward.

Commonwealth Solar II will provide rebate incentives for small residential and commercial systems, with total allocations up to $4 million per year. This program will be funded through the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, which managed the last Commonwealth Solar program and is funded by a surcharge on electricity bills.

For larger projects, state officials plan to tap $8 million in state energy plan funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide rebates to projects.

Both programs are expected to begin in late January.

Massachusetts quickly burns through $68m in solar rebates

Friday, December 4th, 2009

A $68 million state fund to provide sizable rebates to homeowners and business owners who install solar panels was expected to last three or four years. But the program – offering homeowners rebates that averaged more than $13,000 – proved so popular that the $68 million was tapped out in October, just 22 months after the program began.

Pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming demand, Massachusetts officials are developing a successor to the original program, dubbed Commonwealth Solar, and hope to have it ready by Jan. 1. Officials are trying to make the new subsidies as generous as the original ones.

A Competitive Boost For Solar Energy

Friday, November 27th, 2009

The dream of every green energy acolyte is that there will come a time when it is no stranger for homes to have solar panels than to have air conditioning units.

The chief executive of Standard Renewable Energy, thinks that in the next decade the U.S. could get well down the road to making that a reality.

Houston-based Standard Renewable got 75% of its $35 million in revenue this year from installing solar systems. Just 10 months ago it was buying solar panels for $4 per watt. Today, prices have plunged to $1.90 a watt.

It’s not for lack of demand. What’s brought prices down is a surge in worldwide manufacturing capacity. New plants have opened across China. Factories are even coming to the U.S.

As a result, insists Berger, solar power is starting to look affordable and even competitive with grid power. To the educated observer, this may sound implausible. But Berger says Standard has installed residential solar systems for as little as $4 per watt.

Berger’s bean counters have extrapolated that price for 31 metropolitan areas, factoring in average sunshine and cloud cover, applying the federal government’s 30% investment tax credit, and assuming that a homeowner can finance a system at the going mortgage rate of around 5%. Amortized over 20 years, the effective rate that a homeowner would pay for electricity in the New York metro area is 12.7 cents per kilowatt/hour. In Dallas it’s 11 cents/kwh, and in Las Vegas, just 9.3 cents.

The nationwide average residential electricity price is 12.05 cents, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Add in generous subsidies on municipal and state levels and in some green utopias like Austin, Texas, and Berkeley, Calif., and the cost goes even lower.

“In some locations,” says Berger, “solar could achieve grid parity next year.”

Solar Power Heavily Forecast in North Carolina

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

North Carolina could meet a substantial portion of its electricity needs from the sun, according to a new report by Environment North Carolina Research and Policy Center. The study, “Growing Solar in North Carolina,” projects increasing numbers of solar farms and nearly 700,000 solar panels on top of homes and businesses in the next twenty years, including 100,000 solar roofs in the Triangle alone.

“Move over Sunshine State,” said Elizabeth Ouzts, State Director of Environment North Carolina and co-author of the report. “With 250 days of sunlight each year, the forecast for solar energy in North Carolina is bright.”

With nearly as much annual solar energy intensity as Florida, North Carolina’s solar potential is vast. But it is limited by the availability of roofs and land suitable for solar systems and the speed with which new projects can be installed. Taking these factors into account, Environment North Carolina determined that solar power could supply 2 percent of the state’s electricity needs by 2020, and 14 percent by 2030.

Last year North Carolina’s solar installations grew more than six-fold, catapulting the state to one of the nation’s leaders in solar power. The state’s growth in solar power was fueled largely by a 2007 law requiring a certain percentage of solar power. If all announced solar power projects are completed, solar capacity will grow another six-fold by the end of 2010.

The Environment North Carolina analysis assumes a modest growth rate in solar capacity between 2010 and 2030, but new policies to promote solar power will still be required to achieve 700,000 solar roofs. The report recommends reinstating the solar manufacturing tax credit and requiring all of the solar power mandated in the state’s 2007 law to come from in-state sources.

Demand for solar energy subsidies puts stress on New York state program

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

More New York homeowners than ever want to put solar panels on their houses.

That should be good news for the 174 contractors registered with the state to install solar photovoltaic systems. But the demand has put such a strain on subsidies for residential solar that the state has reduced the amount offered, hoping to make a dwindling pot of money last through the end of the year.

A new round of funding for 2010 and beyond has not yet been approved, and that leaves solar power installers hanging. They can’t sign up customers until they know what the subsidy will be. And without customers, an emerging industry employing between 800 and 1,000 people statewide can’t create more “green-collar” jobs.

Solar is popular for a couple of reasons. The price of solar panels is coming down due to increased production in China and falling prices for materials. It’s also easier for people with solar installations to sell their surplus electricity back to the grid.

On Oct. 13, to keep the money from running out, NYSERDA cut the incentives for residential solar photovoltaic installations from $3 per watt to $2.50 per watt, up to the first 4 kilowatts. Incentives for commercial and nonprofit solar power installations also were cut.

In one day, the agency was flooded with applications — several installers heard it was more than 100, though NYSERDA will only say it was “quite a few.” Some installers were left with the impression those applications would soak up whatever money was left in the solar incentive program.