EGEB: Solar panels offering grid services, green politicians in VA, wind/oil boom, more

Electrek Green Energy Brief: A daily technical, financial and political review/analysis of important green energy news.

What are these solar panels doing in the middle of nowhere? Solving low-voltage issues on a remote power line – “We didn’t want a lot of backflow, we just wanted enough to solve the low voltage,” Perry said. “The name of the game isn’t to power the whole area.” – I’m showing an example of how solar power on rooftops lowers the cost of grid upgrades, giving strength to the argument that residential customers have a pathway toward full retail net metering credit. This situation, per what I’ve read, seems to exist through 10% of grid needs, and begins to evolve up – but is still the case – through 30% penetration. There is a reason ConEdison will pay you extra for installing solar and batteries at strategic locations within NYC – much easier than building a fossil plant.

Don Cuddy: Wind director says industry will be like oil boom in 1810 – The computer models are predicting that the overall economic impact of the first 1600 megawatts over the next decade will be measured in the billions, he said, with a return on investment exceeding ten to one. This project will position the commonwealth for something in the future that people don’t see yet. They don’t understand that this is Titusville, Pennsylvania, 1810 when we discovered oil. I’m writing from a coffee shop downtown in New Bedford, about half a mile from the custom-built port structure that allows for large pieces of wind infrastructure to move out to sea. Kinda cool to read about some of the world’s first and largest offshore wind projects that will be built and deployed around me. Maybe I should put in an application…anyone got a connection to the HR department at Ørsted/Bay State Wind?

Thirteen “Dominion $ Deniers” to Serve in the State Legislature, Countering Climate Deniers – 13 elected House of Delegates members have pledged not to accept campaign contributions from Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power. This is an intriguing political position to me. Lobbying and politics are large drivers in how the energy industry is managed. Politicians, loudly, staking a claim as ignoring fossil fuel campaign money is much like the fossil fuel divestment movement. I happen to think the current version of Citizens United is flawed – corporations don’t fit as people within our current legal structure (nor a few logic tests), as such I cannot envision allowing them to ‘speak’ similarly.

China aims to stop renewable energy being wasted by 2020 plus China unveils electricity trading pilot scheme – Two programs that I think turn out to complement each other. First, if China can make it so their power grid is ready to take all the solar power it can find, their grid will clean. As well, the economics of projects will increase. At some point – 20-30 percent of huge volumes of energy were being put into the dirt. But the long game is on China’s mind – and with that – China is doing the second item: wholesale markets direct from energy providers to energy users. I don’t know much about the ground level machinations of the Chinese power market, but I will latch onto one line from the article – “Direct trading will mean less dependency on subsidies for PV, as PV would compete head-to-head with coal-fired power plants.” China is looking ahead, thinking hard about the time periods after which they stop paying solar power extra money for production.

We saw that the USA is projecting an emissions growth in 2018 after some flattening out, and now the world for 2017. A bump doesn’t mean uncontrolled growth following, however, it definitely means further consequences. Source.

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