90% of new electricity capacity in Europe renewable (50%+ offshore wind) – In the US we saw that 67% of the electricity coming from hardware built in 2016 was clean, with wind+solar+nuclear doing the heavy lifting. In Europe, the capacity installed was 90% renewable. That’s hardware that is going to be producing energy with no additional fuel, only human upkeep, for decades on end. Clean energy.
What the world can learn from Australia’s no apology transmission system evolution – First – key data point: The Aussies are cool with managing up to 40% of their grid being distributed, intermittent generation. Second – they’re adding really damn smart battery storage volume. And the third item, which also happens to be the “The third stage” of this transition: likely not occurring for another decade – involves the potential launch of a digital network optimization market, enabling peer-to-grid and perhaps also capable of supporting peer-to-peer market transactions, for energy and potentially other grid services. Hell yeah! A true transition allows you and I to sell energy directly with the utilities managing their resources and giving a medium to move the energy.
Two things – China polysilicon imports surged in October and November, as there is expected to be a large first half of 2017 solar power build-out associated with the timing of the incentive structure. Also noted in that article is the image of where the polysilicon is coming from – almost all of the US volume is shifting to South Korean. “OCI and Hankook have benefited from low import duties of 2.4% and 2.8%, respectively, while US manufacturers have effectively been shut out from the Chinese market by prohibitive duty rates of 53.6% to 57%,” added Bernreuter. This import duty is due to the US taxing Chinese solar panels. Here’s a trade war the USA is losing since the US is still buying Chinese panels, but no longer with US silicon in them. C’mon you dumbass politicians – fix this crap – because we’re all paying higher prices (for polysilicon from manufacturers and solar panels)!
Speaking of China…Solar panel prices staying flat, while solar cells increase slightly – Really weird to consider that global pricing of solar panels can be affected by the holidays of China. Weekly price quotes from PVTrend.
https://www.clcouncil.org/ – The website put together by those pushing the carbon tax from the right side of the US political spectrum. My thoughts on why Exxon would push the tax – and also of note: the tax is at $40/ton (2.3¢/kWh natural gas electricity, 4¢/kWh coal & 36¢/gallon for gasoline) and revenue neutral – both, in my opinion, making this a weaker than needed action – but it is an action that can be built upon.
The European Union lowers time frame on Chinese solar panel tax – Does the whole planet have a debt to Germany, China and the United States for early and/or heavy investment in clean energy technology? US did a lot of the base research, Germany scaled the industry when it was expensive and China lined up a trillion dollars in state money to collapse the price of solar panels. Something to think about if we make it a few hundred more years.
Thanks North Dakota –
North Dakota's House unanimously rejects proposed $1.50/MWh tax on #wind energy
— EQ Research (@EQresearchEQ) February 8, 2017
From the Department of Energy funded website DSIRE, a nice map of all of the states that have a renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The numbers needed and the year to meet it by ranges state by state. Quite noticeable is the southeast USA gap…as a former Floridian for a few decades – not surprised.
#Maryland increased its #renewable standard to 25% by 2020! DSIRE summary details all other changes https://t.co/1RX3e8vZgK pic.twitter.com/Nf2V2CLWi9
— DSIRE (@DSIREUSA) February 8, 2017
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