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Do you know what a FIT is? How about PACE? Are you up-to-date with your RECs? And how about an EPA-set RPS? People in every industry tend to speak in shorthand; this short group of items will get you up-to-speed on these acronyms. Also Powerful – as if Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had not destroyed enough, now, via the FHFA, they are seeking to get around the PACE requirements. Bad!
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Is solar PV, CSP, and/or thermal going to be installed everywhere? Sometimes it may seem that way – including this week, when you’ll find here five stories from California and three from Massachusetts. Also Powerful – solar issues and installations in Colorado, Florida, Michigan, N. Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah & Wisconsin are noted (& linked).
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A special focus on Electric Vehicles. Included: “Juicing up” a Leaf in New York state would cost $4.37 (gets you 100 miles of range – that’s vs. one gallon of gas = $2.90). Also: A green industry source sees EV charging industry consolidation “looming.” Also Powerful – about “range anxiety,” planned output of 195,000 EVs (just the Volt and the Leaf) in 2012, and reluctance by most fleet owners to buy into EVs.
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The latest wind power news contains some negativity. A round-up of the latest wind power news includes AWEA’s announcement of a 71% fall in U.S. installations in the year’s first half. And: Oppositions to wind farms, including some from Walmart. Also Powerful – recently reported projects from California, Hawaii, and Ohio, plus a wind turbine nacelle manufacturing plant going up in Amarillo.
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What has the California Solar Initiative done for anybody, in its three years of existence? Actually, quite a lot. The state is already 42% toward its program goal (it’s a 10-year program). And, going by 2010 results, the demand is actually increasing. Also Powerful – Greentech Media thinks the solar PV shakeout that didn’t happen in 2009 will hit next year.
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Find Smart Grid ideas from a Baltimore-area electric utility and the regulators response of no, thanks. Now BG&E has come back with an amended proposal, but it’s not quite as Smart. Also Powerful – a member of Congress raised the privacy issue of the toaster in your house having the ability to “rat you out” via The Smart Grid. And: Exactly how easy is it to “hack” into the national Grid?
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On the sunny side of the street, there’s a mini land rush in Arizona for solar PV sites, and homebuilders are jumping on the solar-roof-leasing bandwagon. How do you get to the market faster with PV modules? Answered. Plus: What’s a “pseudo-tie” . . . ? Also Powerful – on the darker side of solar, California acts to deter abuse, Arizona argues over solar system water needs, and a utility in Georgia gets a slap in the face.
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Alternative energy is this week’s focus, leading off with fuel cells. Energy experts are now looking at how to figure out the cost of portable power. Also find a graphic on electricity generation by fuel supply from here to 2035. Also Powerful – The DoE is looking at the viability of hydrokinetics. And: Do solar PV and smart meters mix today?
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The Smart Grid (TSG) is coming. Thanks to great funding from your tax dollars, it’s here and it’s now. How will solar and TSG work together? Can you identify the “six most important trends” in the TSG effort? If not, read up and get smart with this week’s Eco-Power News. Also Powerful – find out what’s going on in Michigan, New York, and Oklahoma, plus a look at a few Smart Grid negatives. One example: 33,000 smart meters need replacing.
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Is the concentration of solar power the real deal? Maybe. How cheap can solar power become? Maybe a lot cheaper than it is now if hidden and soft costs can be removed. Don’t miss finding out about solar cooling. Also Powerful – a real estate company built a PV test site. A billboard in Times Square is solar-powered. A recent quote from a utility: “We live what we preach.”
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An MIT study says that while wind is not the best power source for utilities, they can turn that around with “large storage batteries.” Another article asks if “are all the best spots taken?” for wind farms. And more Eco: Venture capitalists finally get into the wind! Not weak either – modern-day wind turbines make the old ones look like bicycles; DoE looks to figure out short-term wind-energy forecasting; bigger is better.
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Do you know what the phrase “solar insolation value” means? Are you aware of the big mistake that solar salespeople typically make in talking to potential customers? What does the acronym “BOS” have to do with solar work? Learn in this section! Also Powerful –Floridians left hanging on solar rebates; CSP and CPV; building owner and two real estate perspectives on solar.
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Remember fuel cells? They are still out there, and progress is being made. A report from FuelCells.org looks at what’s going on, state-by-state and region-by-region. Which state is #1? California, of course, followed by CT, NY, OH & SC. Also Powerful – there are no national renewable energy standards yet, but you can see a state-by-state comparative analysis.
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Is the wind still blowing? Not necessarily, according to the outlook from WindPower 2010, held recently in Dallas. One reporter concluded that 2010 will be “tough” for wind. Plus a report: Even the wind is bigger in Texas! Also Powerful – homeowners buy turbines in western Pennsylvania, but folks fight a northern Vermont wind farm even after it won an election! Also: Optimism on offshore.
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Local solar reports come from California and Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah . . . and New Jersey! Yes, despite what you may have assumed, the Sun does shine on The Garden State. See also: The FL solar rebate program expires. Also Powerful – Ikea & Kohl’s go for solar PV; Los Angeles’ biggest “shadeport” is at an Air Force Base. Plus, a shopping center specialist is just getting started.
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Where’s is the fuel cell industry headed these days? The Wall Street Journal looked at it; we give you a bit more. Plus, with all of the hoop-de-doo over solar and wind, somehow we missed the 26% boost in geothermal projects in development. Also Powerful – energy storage is the coming thing, and a short roundup includes two (really divergent) estimates of the size of the market in the next decade.
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The Smart Grid has a lot of technology, a number of aspects, and one heck of a lot of details. You’ll find explanations from a national lab – and one written for Canadians. How will TSG work with EVs when the time comes? Someone took a guess! Also Powerized – SmartGridNews.com makes a list of 10 “pretty darn interesting” TSG projects (and it omitted all that smart metering). Plus: TSG problems.
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In the electrical utility industry, they are either enthusiastic about solar PV . . . or must feign such excitement. One example if Southern California Edison, which plans to put 1.5 square miles of photovoltaics on warehouse roofs in the coming years. A bit less Powerful – every positive has a negative, and in solar PV, while there are positives, there are also problems like a solar panel fire in San Diego and alleged toxic waste.
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A first: A wind turbine built into, rather than onto, a building (video!). The AWEA says U.S. wind capacity went up, but we need more manufacturing here. And erection of offshore wind turbines will outpace those built on land. Also Powerful – problems for wind energy include noise levels that some people can’t stand, rural residents turned off by tall towers, and high costs in RI.
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Did you know that a package of eight Chinese solar stocks soared 268% in value over a year? What do you know about plastic solar panels? Can you identify what “CSP” is, why it’s important, and who is working to improve it? Plus some First Solar details. Also Powerful – leasing works for solar, it turns out. “PPA” is another acronym you should know. And: An accounting magazine writer tackles solar incentives.
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Find fourteen items on The Smart Grid, including some of the basics, including what U.S. News & World Report had to say and a link to a summary of the NIST V1.0 of smart grid standards. Plus: Synchrophasors! Also Powerful – the consumer/privacy angle gets attention this week. Schneider Electric’s latest move. And: What 45 key organizations and corporations collectively asked President Obama to do
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Have fuel cells “turned the corner?” Did you ever think about the maintenance work all the new alternative power generation facilities will need? Have you considered using a kite instead of a wind turbine? How about getting power from waste heat? Also Powerful – the question businesses in MA have for their state government – on a new solar law – is along the lines of “why did you do this to us?”
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There’s plenty in the wind these days, including an increased estimate of the nation’s wind potential (the last one dates to 1993); the TVA’s effort to grab 815 mW of wind generation, and a small town’s move to spend $326K in free wind $ before it vanishes. Also Powerful – why not put 40 wind turbines (generating maybe 100 mW) along a stretch of Colorado road? Also, Adobe & S.C. Johnson add turbines to their HQs.
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Solar Facts & Fancies Areas & differences for solar – from Mike Hall, CEO of Borrego Solar Systems (part of a Q and A) “The agencies for the most part are relatively new to the industry. The major difference
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There’s more to The Smart Grid than even Horatio might have thought, and we bundle some of the newest stuff here, including several pieces that purport to explain the thing. One respect magazine claims “substantial carbon abatement” is a likely TSG result. Also Powerful – Lux says the TSG market will grow to $15 billion by ‘15 (from $4.5B now). But: Zpryme, thinks the smart appliance market will hit $15B by ‘15.
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Solar stories from coast to coast take you in various directions. In one, an electrical contractor is in on a $17-million project. In another, they’re looking at the impact of solar PV installations on the environment. And: Oregon copies Germany. Also Powerful – solar installation angles include a job for a unit of Quanta Services and a different idea – powering neighborhoods with a solar plant.
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Thinking about energy storage and geothermal? No? You will after a brief browse of this section – which includes info on integrating storage, wind, and solar; 2009’s 6% installed geothermal gain . . . and the intersection of geothermal & earthquakes! Also Powerful – someone figured out states could institute FITs. FERC asks if it should changes it rules to accommodate solar, wind, etc. And: Greenpeace vs. Facebook.
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An electrical contractor in Idaho liked what he saw in the wind biz, traveled to China to find a supplier first-hand, and now, according to a state agency, has started a wind energy subsidiary. Have you heard of Pontneuf Electric? Apparently, you will! Also Powerful – hydraulic fluid freeze-ups turn 11 expensive Minnesota wind turbines into a “no-spin zone.” Plus: Wind turbines that can predict future gusts, etc. True?
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Solar projects, on the ground or on the drawing board, range from the grandiose to the sublime. In Los Angeles, they’re slapping solar PV on bus stop shelters and using the energy for lighting. At Edwards Air Force base, the plan is for a 500 mW project. Also Powerful – Intel plans eight solar PV plants. And: A Californian sues his homeowner’s association (he wins) when it objects to his solar installation plans.
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Solar news from five states, including California (and two from NJ, which is #2 in solar PV) leads. Add information on four companies in the solar game including First Solar, HelioVolt, and SunEdison (which apparently plans to put PV on 130 shopping centers). Also Powerful – the DoE ponies up money (not all of it from the stimulus bucket) to support “early-stage” solar energy technologies. And: One Block Off The Grid.
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Many things are possible, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (a DoE operation) says – including the Eastern U.S. reaching 20% wind generating capacity by 2024 and the creation of 40,000 wind-construction jobs (4,000 of ‘em permanent) by 2030. Also Powerful – to balance things out, we posted some bad news items about wind power as well, including the abandonment of HUGE earlier plans by T. Boone Pickens.
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Two estimates of where The Smart Grid will be by 2013 and 2014, from different sources, arrive at different conclusions. Nexans says the DoE likes a technology it owns for TSG. And a Michigan utility talks about a technology demo project on TSG & PEVs. Also Powerful – what about the place that TSG and the smart building meet? And how about “unresolved privacy issues” and TSG? Money for energy storage.
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There’s a default green power “offer” mandated in Maine. The DoE will help Native Americans create more “tribal green energy.” And in Oregon, the business energy tax credit (chiefly about wind) is working so well, they’ve started a major rethink. Also Powerful – between 2001 and 2007, which state made “the biggest strides” in renewable energy? Turns out, according to an NREL tally, it’s . . . Kansas!
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A look at where solar photovoltaics is going in 2010 (and thereafter). One prediction is for near-20% annual growth on out to 2014. The various outlooks, combined, are so bright that you will, literally, need sunglasses! Also Powerful – solar PV prices are falling, but sales are rising in California. Q3 saw a global record set for sales of solar PV inverters. And a new efficiency record!
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“Rope specialists” really like the work that wind energy has created for them, according to no less of a source than The New York Times. An SRO session on wind in Pittsburgh is part of a project to get businesses more interested in getting into the game. Also Powerful – the American Wind Energy Association looks at what happened in 2009 and take two peeks at 2010. Plus, a look at wind energy stock investments.
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Just how much have you thought about solar shingles, and other building-integrated photovoltaics? Well, perhaps we all ought to be thinking more about them – although an article claims that BIPV is in the “luxury” category (and not doing too well right now). More Powerful – solar issues dealt with (and linked) include durability/reliability and “5 steps” to financing solar rooftops. Plus a couple of videos and permitting in CA.
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Wind reports from Alaska, Massachusetts (Harvard), Michigan, Montana, and Rhode Island are included here. Plus, what EDP of Portugal, Iberdrola of Spain, and Siemens are doing well in the wind power business. Also Powerful – small wind is a big deal to GE, according to at least one report. Plus: A DoE lab studies wind farm location and property values, and comes up smiling.
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The Smart Grid (TSG) is the topic – you’ll get the positive, including a prediction of a “smart meter avalanche,” as well as the negative. Your favorite might be the tale of PG&E in Bakersfield, where one customer’s power usage tripled – during a blackout! Also Powerful News – the Northwest did better in DoE’s TSG funding than did the Northeast; the stimulus slowed TSG, an expert opines; and where smart buildings meet TSG.
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Who’s doing what in solar photovoltaics” Well, there’s the U.S. Army (going big) and Chipotle Mexican Restaurants (75 getting PV in the next year). And if you park at one of two NJ National Guard lots, your car will soon be sheltered by solar PV panels! Also Powerful – what’s happening in Berkeley, Calif. (you can see it via an online map), and what Germany’s decisions might mean for the solar PV industry.
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With wind and solar (and The Smart Grid) dominating the news, we don’t often get to ocean power, fuel cells, biomass, and hydropower. But they are renewable alternatives, too, and you’ll find information (plus a couple of neat graphics). Also Powerful – financing for renewables is part of the picture, as is (very important, it turns out) . . . energy storage. Did you know: California will need 4 gW of that?
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Second-hand wind power (used turbines from Denmark & Germany come here). A study involving DoE, Siemens & more. The Wind for Schools program. And more money for the DoE’s wind efforts. All that adds up, as does the 1,679 mW installed in Q3. Also Powerful – did you know that TX has 9,000 mW of wind power – and that a new addition is coming courtesy of Chinese dollars? And info from 5 other states.
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Solar’s the tune we’re calling in this week’s square dance, including a big jump in attendees at the big solar shindig, what to do about lower utility power factor, avoiding a solar installation that goes wrong, and an ambitious U.S. PV mapping project. Also Powerful – news about net metering in CA, a project that floated like a lead balloon in AZ, and a bit of sun from NJ. Sunshine from Jersey? Yep – 100 mW of it!
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President Obama and the U.S. DoE last week unveiled the destinations of $3.4B in U.S. money for The Smart Grid; you’ll find full coverage, including links to PDFs specifying where the money is going and the full text of the President’s remarks. Also Powerful – more on TSG, including how to explain it, where cable networks fit in, unifying the various players, and links to three videos to help you get up to speed.
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By Mike DeFillippo, from the Fall 2009 tED GreenRoom supplement.
THE CURRENT ELECTRICAL GRID—which was constructed over the
course of a century as a transmission and distribution system for power
generated by continuously operating fossil fuel, hydro, and nuclear
facilities—is a one-way system specifically designed for the delivery
of power. Investment in the electrical grid has not kept pace with the
demands placed on it—until now.
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You’ve heard about The Smart Grid, here’s a chance to read up on it. Articles linked here provide TSG basics; what’s up in SmartGridCity (Boulder, Colo.), how GE & Whirlpool are integrating home appliances; and four ways TSG offers profits to integrators. Also Powerful – the Solar Decathlon, which occupied The National Mall (in D.C.) for pieces of two weeks, is over. Read & view (videos) summaries and highlights.
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We’ve found one place where renewable-generated power is cheaper than standard electricity (and it’s in NY state!). The first "renewable energy market hub" (in NM). And where you’ll find 12 to 100 alternative energy projects under discussion (in GA). Also Powerful – water is a problem for renewable energy. Who knew? Bigger companies over small, and corporations over consumers, are gaining ground in green.
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Solar farms? Yes, there was a ground breaking recently near Mendota, Calif., and a proposal is floating to add 10 mW of solar PV to a standard electrical generating station near Houston. Plus, solar PV without the panels (which = BIPV). And: The SunCube. Also Powerful – Arizona is possibly solar snubbed, a solar farm in the middle of nowhere gets upended, and expanded “net metering” legislation disappears.
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8,000 turbines, generating wind energy (at an average 1 mW each) in the year 2015 – that’s one research firm’s view of the future. What about bats? The problem may be solved? What about reliability? That issue is tackled, too. And: What about . . . Texas? Also Powerful – $140 million for three eastern Oregon wind farms (from your taxes, or the Chinese government?). Plus: Wind as the global magic bullet (really?)
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Yes, GreenRoom talked solar power last week – but there’s more. New Jersey has 4,000 solar installations; how did it get there? And: The cost of solar PV installations in California is falling so fast that state subsidies might soon be unnecessary. Also Powerful – Google is reportedly working on two potential technological breakthroughs in solar. A neighborhood in D.C. moves to rooftop PV. And much more.
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On the “pro” side of the solar issue, prices are dropping for installations (according to both the New York Times and Los Angeles Times). The current tough times are making solar manufacturers stronger. And someone sees 22% growth to 2013! Also Powerful – On the “con” side, solar stocks have swooned; solar PV module pricing may be “nuts;” and there’s one charge of solar fraud pending out in Oregon.