The Growing Pains of Solar Independence for Hawaiians

Diamond Head

FC Note:

What's a better problem for the consumer?  

Engineers supported by modern-day technology having to grapple with the problem of too much clean energy from an inexhaustible source -- which no one controls -- or recurring shortages from the traditional sources and their ever-increasing costs that are controlled by monopolies operating with technology that is decades old?

"As customers generate more than they need and feed the excess back into the grid for others to use, it makes managing the system much more complex. What happens when a cloud passes over and dozens of rooftop units suddenly grind to a halt? What's to be done on a sunny autumn day, when rooftop solar systems are producing way more power than the grid can use?

Hawaii finds itself pushing the envelope not just because of its abundant sunshine. A bigger driver has been the state's reliance on oil to fuel its power plants. Oil is always more expensive than natural gas, but prices shot up even higher last year when Japan's nuclear disaster sent demand, and soon prices, skyrocketing on the Asian markets where Hawaii buys its supplies.

The state has set a goal of obtaining 40% of its power from locally generated renewable sources by 2030. Already, the Big Island has jumped ahead and is producing 44% of its power from renewable sources, and it could hit 100% by the end of the decade."

Los Angeles Times

Solar Yield

Photon Test Site Aachen, Germany

"A module’s nominal power is interesting, as is its efficiency – and, depending on the customer’s expertise, so are a few other pieces of technical module data. But the single most important factor for PV system operators is yield: how many kilowatt-hours per kW of installed power flow from the PV system to the inverter? This is exactly the question PHOTON Lab intends to answer with its module field tests."

Photon Laboratory

National Solar Jobs Census 2012

"On November 14th, 2012, The Solar Foundation released its National Solar Jobs Census 2012, which found that the U.S. solar industry currently employs 119,016 Americans. This figure represents the addition of 13,872 new solar jobs and a 13.2 percent employment growth rate over the previous year. During the same period, employment in the overall economy grew at a rate of 2.3 percent* (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), signifying that 1 in 230 jobs created nationally over the last year were created in the solar industry."

Full Report (PDF)

City of Palo Alto Goes Private For Solar

Stanford University

Palo Alto’s Utilities Advisory Commission and Finance Committee announced their unanimous approval of a 25-year contract with Brannon Solar LLC on Nov. 5. This is the city’s first solar energy contract, and the company will provide up to 52,000-megawatt-hours, 5% of the city’s electricity needs, per year for no more than $91 million for the duration of the contract.

“Palo Alto is moving to a carbon-free energy growth plan, which would be completely carbon neutral [by 2015],” Palo Alto Vice Mayor Greg Scharff said.

The efforts to provide 33 percent of Palo Alto’s energy from renewable sources by 2015 are part of a larger effort to make Palo Alto a greener city.

“We’re in the process of another RFP [Request for Proposals] for renewable energy contracts,” Cook said. “We also have ongoing energy efficiency projects, so we don’t need as much energy in the first place.”

“We have to invest as the fields go into place,” Shepherd said. “As the Utilities Commission makes these relationships, these companies…would rather work with the city of Palo Alto than places like [Pacific Gas and Electric]. They offer it to us because they know that we build up a reserve in order to go in and make these types of investments to secure our renewable energy supply, to maintain our portfolio.”

The Brannon Solar project that will provide Palo Alto’s energy is based in Fresno County. In addition to building facilities in Palo Alto, Brannon Solar’s parent company, Trina Solar, is building a total of four other solar projects in Fresno County and Sacramento County.

The Stanford Daily

Solar Instructor Training Network

"Launched in 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy established the Solar Instructor Training Network (SITN), composed of nine Regional Training Providers (RTPs) to help fulfill a critical need for high-quality, local, and accessible training in solar system design, installation, sales, and inspection through train-the-trainer programs.  The nine RTPs are well-established solar training institutions that offer expert trainers and first-class training facilities across the U.S."

U.S. Department of Energy

Parks Powered by Clean Energy

“St. Petersburg will use a $2.4 million federal grant to install solar panels at 18 of the city's parks and recreational sites, officials said Tuesday.

The project, called Sunlit City Parks, will not only save the city energy costs but also serve as an education program about solar energy.

With the city of St. Petersburg recognized in the Guinness book of world records for having the most consecutive days of sunlight, it seemed fitting that we participate in this pilot program," said Mayor Bill Foster. The program "is another example of how St. Petersburg continues to demonstrate leadership in environmentally sustainable best practices and long-term reduction in operational costs."

Tampa Bay Online

Solarize Massachusetts

“Thank to this year's Solarize Massachusetts program, which ended on November 4, more than 800 businesses and residents in 17 municipalities across the state elected to go forward with a solar energy installation, according to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). In total, the program, which offered more financial incentives when more property owners signed up, was responsible for the installation of more than 5 megawatts of new PV capacity.”

GetSolar.com

U.S. Army Goes Solar

Fort Bliss

"Balfour Beatty Communities, LLC and SolarCity® have announced plans to provide up to 4,700 military homes with solar energy systems at Balfour Beatty-managed residential communities on Fort Bliss, Texas, and the adjacent White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico. The 13.2 megawatt project is an equipment lease arrangement, primarily financed by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which directly supportsthe U.S. Army’s vision for ‘Net Zero’ energy consumption at all installations."

"The Defense Department is currently the largest energy consumer in the United States and has designated Fort Bliss a “Net Zero Installation”, meaning the Army expects the installation to produce as much energy as it uses while sending no waste to landfills and maximizing water reuse. Balfour Beatty Communities is the Army’s only military housing partner on Net Zero Installations at both Fort Bliss and Fort Carson (CO) and, with family housing responsible for close to 20% of a typical installation’s energy, waste and water footprint, it is important the company provides proactive support. The projects will also help the military meet Department of Defense goals to have 25 percent of its energy requirements met by renewable energy by 2025."

Energy Digital

Island of Tokelau To Become World’s First Solar-Powered Nation

"Living in America, it can feel like it’s nearly impossible to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, but even our car-obsessed society doesn’t have it as bad as island-dwellers. The island nations of the South Pacific are among some of the most petroleum-dependent countries in the world. That’s because islands don’t have massive oil reserves or coal deposits. In order to generate electricity, South Pacific nations must import huge amounts of fuel to power diesel generators.

Now, one island nation has said enough is enough. The South Pacific nation of Tokelau is aiming to ditch its diesel dependency and transform itself into the world’s first solar-powered country.   Using 4,032 solar panels and 1,344 batteries, the island nation will generate 150% of its own current electricity demand."

Earth Techling

A New Breed of Solar Utility Challenges the Old Guard

"Georgia Solar Utilities wants to build a large solar farm within the state and has petitioned the Georgia Public  Service Commission to sell the electricity directly to customers rather than to Georgia Power or other providers within Georgia.

Georgia Power has challenged Georgia Solar’s request. It argues allowing the Macon-based company to operate as a utility would violate Georgia Power’s standing as a regulated monopoly and would 'create barriers to future solar development.'"

Savannah Now

2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Powered by the Sun

Tesla Model S

Solar Power - How Many Moving Parts?

Check out Semiconductor-Based Microinverter Technology @ Enphase

Farmers Grow Profits With a New Crop: Solar Panels

"Solar panels cover a 35-acre field that once produced corn, tobacco and other crops. When the sun shines, the panels generate enough electricity for hundreds of homes."

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/11/2478266/farmers-grow-profits-with-a-new.html#storylink=cpy

"North Carolina’s renewable and energy-efficiency industry employs more than 15,000 people and has generated some $3.7 billion in gross revenue this year, the association says. Companies providing solar energy services have increased 76 percent since the renewable energy requirement passed the General Assembly five years ago, according to surveys by the Sustainable Energy Association."

“It is guaranteed money,” said Hunt, 63, a Marine Corps veteran. “Farming is a risky business. If you can take some of the risk out and the liability, you are ahead of the ball game. If I die, my wife will have income because she couldn’t farm the land anymore.”

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/11/2478266/farmers-grow-profits-with-a-new.html#storylink=cpy

New Observer

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/11/2478266/farmers-grow-profits-with-a-new.html#storylink=cpy

Solar Mamas

“A girl is not supposed to continue school past age 10 because it is shameful. Is it not shameful that the youth of these girls is wasted without work? Without an education or purpose in life?”

Explore India’s Barefoot College, providing impoverished women with skills to change their communities.

PBS

Major League Baseball Goes Solar

Kauffman Stadium - Home of the Kansas City Royals

"Spring means one thing to the American sports fan — the start of a new Major League Baseball (MLB) season. For the environmentally conscious sports fan, however, it means the debut of new sustainability initiatives at ballparks across the country as the MLB continues its efforts to go green."

Clean Technica