Electrek Green Energy Brief: A daily technical, financial and political review/analysis of important green energy news.
Energy storage saves Arizona utility from building 20 miles of transmission, distribution lines – One argument often overlooked for solar power when considering what the value of net metering ought be, is that solar power – adding consistent power generation far from the power source – lowers the need for hardware upgrades because it generally lower system stress. Energy storage is now doing the same thing. This was an economic choice – nothing to do with ‘green.’
Per the Solar Energy Institute of America (SEIA) – Suniva and SolarWorld “cannot satisfy the legal standards required in the injury phase of the ITC’s global safeguard investigation of CSPV cells and modules.” – Yesterday, news broke that Suniva/SolarWorld think they can increase total jobs in the US solar industry by doubling the price of imported solar panels. Today we get to see other arguments – for one – that neither Suniva nor SolarWorld made panels that would fufill the needs of utility scale solar power (72 cell products). September 22nd is decision delivery day…
Forty Years Before Tesla Solar Roofs, NASA Solar Was “Far Out” – Forestieri estimates it would have cost anywhere between $250,000 and $400,000 in 2017 dollars to install enough of their solar shingles to power a home. This was the estimated cost of a ‘solar roof’ in 1977 – as per the designs from NASA. Since we’re talking history of solar – I also want to point out that solar research started in the later 1800s, with a solar cell made of selenium being tested in 1884 in New York City (see below image).
An Hour’s Difference Triggers Pushback Over California’s Time-of-Use Rates – Electric utilities in California are changing the period of the day when they charge the highest rates, solar proponents are pushing back. For decades it was 12-6PM. The power utilities now say 4-9PM – some analyzing the data say it should be 3 PM until 9 PM. TOU peaks will cut SDG&E customers’ savings from solar systems from 9 percent to 22 percent for commercial customers, and from 10 percent to 15 percent for residential customers. We know how electrical utilities work – so when I hear a statement like, “easier for customers to manage” I hear, “utilities making a little extra money.” As an aside – at some point this peak argument will gone as we start adding energy storage in heavy volumes.
Equis to build 1GW solar project in Australia – Western Downs Regional Council has approved the AU$1.5 billion (US$1.19 billion) plans for the installation located 21 kilometres south-west of the Wandoan township. – from reader William Driscoll – “We calculate that project PPA of sub $50/MWh for mid-high single digit project returns on an unsubsidized basis.” Credit Suisse “Renewable Roundup” 8/6/17. $0.05/kWh to buy rights to the electricity for, usually, 20+ years – and here is a key point – no subsidies.
Solar markets see increase in total funding in first half of 2017 – Overall corporate funding in the industry, including venture capital (VC) funding, debt funding and public market financing, reached $4.6 billion over the first half of the year, up from $4.5 billion in 2016, but also dropped from $3.2 billion in 60 deals in the first quarter to $1.4 billion in 37 deals in the second quarter. Should Tesla raising $1.5B in bonds for the Model 3 count on a list of green financing?
Governor Says Trump Interested in His Plan to Prop Up Coal Mining by $15/ton – U.S. power plants burned at least 110 million short tons of Appalachian coal in 2016, according to Andrew Cosgrove, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. A payment of $15 for each of those tons would cost at least $1.65 billion. Funny thing is – this money is being requested to come from the Department of Homeland Security…the misguided ideologies of the shortminded.
Header image from a Dong Energy wind turbine
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