Green Energy

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

European PV market expected to grow by 35% in 2018 – “The European market is entering a phase of sustainable growth, no longer driven by the Feed-in-Tariff boom and bust cycle,” said GTM analyst Tom Heggarty. This phase of growth without the boom bust of the tariffs is starting to play out in many places. This is a lot of growth in Europe – if India and China have a big 2018 again (which it looks like they already are per announcements made) – 100GW of new solar power installed every year is here to stay.

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

Pennsylvania State Grants: $5,000 for Every New Solar Job – The program will now allow for grants of up to $5,000 or loans of up to $40,000 for each solar-manufacturing job created over three years for companies that make solar panels and equipment. Will there become a competition between various states to build these future robotic solar panel factories? I’d bet Pennsylvania has been watching the Tesla Energy Gigafactory being built just north of them in Buffalo and might have a touch of envy. Should every state – and every country – have its own solar panel factories?

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India has laid out plans to auction off 20.6GW of solar power in their 2017-2018 fiscal year, with an additional plan to auction off 30GW in 2018-19 and the same 2019-20.

This volume is part of a 100GW goal of solar power to be built by 2022 as part of the country’s goal of 175GW of Renewable Energy.

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

Harvesting the Sun for Power and Produce – Agrophotovoltaics Increases the Land Use Efficiency by over 60 Percent – Winter wheat, potatoes, celeriac and clover grass were the first crops to be tested. The south-west orientation and the extra distance between the five meter high rows of bifacial glass-glass PV modules ensured that the crops were exposed to uniform solar radiation. “The crop yield of clover grass under the PV array was only 5.3 percent less than the reference plot,” reports Prof. Petera Högy, agricultural expert at the University of Hohenheim. The yield losses for potatoes, wheat and celeriac are between 18 to 19 percent and therefore somewhat higher.” This is another example of infrastructure integrated photovoltaics (IIPV). This is also a very interesting step in my mind – if we can open up huge swathes of global farmland to be used for solar power the land use argument goes away, and the amount of land that can be used for solar power is suddenly far in excess of what would be needed to power the planet.

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The US House of Representatives passed a tax-reform bill on Nov. 16 that would change the amount of tax credit each kWh of wind power created gets going forward. The US Senate, disagreeing, has returned a bill without this change.

While being argued, signed projects at various stages of development are on hold – and some estimate $50 billion worth of planned wind projects might not be developed.

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ZeroMassWater has developed a solar panel kit – “Source” – that uses its electricity to draw water from the atmosphere. The kit delivers up to 5 liters (1.3 gallons) of pure water per day in optimal locations. The unit can be installed and integrated into a regular house.

“Our vision is perfect water for every person, in every place” – Cody Friesen, the founder, CEO and MIT PhD.

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

Air pollution may cause infertility for a ‘significant number of couples’, warn scientists – The study showed that for every 5 ug/m3 increase in tiny particles called PM2.5s, there was a 26 per cent increased risk of being in the bottom 10 per cent of normal sperm size and shape. The effect was found when particle counts rose over 25 µg/m³. In London yesterday, particulates rose to 69 µg/m³ in some areas. This just adds to the list people. It kills us. It lowers our IQ. It deforms our children. It warms our planet. And it slows us down from having children.

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

Scotland ‘on target’ for 100% renewable energy by 2020 – Scotland had been clever in dealing with objectors to wind farms with grants to local communities which allowed them to take an equity share in developments. “There is clear evidence in Scotland that supporting local communities to get involved in – and benefit from – the local energy system enables a range of related social and economic co-benefits.” – Two things here, 1. Scotland is going to have a completely emission free electricity system in less than two and a half years. How cool is that? 2. One of the base emotions of the distributed energy philosophy is that it also distributes the revenue. Germany’s programs – even though they increase the prices of electricity a non-trivial amount – are widely supported because, my gut says, that 50% of the renewable energy is owned by regular people directly. Money fixing a lot of issues.

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

How Local Utilities Gamed the Natural-Gas Market – On 37 cold days, when demand was high, unused pipeline space resulting from the scheduling changes represented about 28% of the daily capacity typically used by gas-fired generators. Eversource and Avangrid, routinely booked large gas deliveries, then cut orders sharply at the last minute. Yet nine other gas utility companies taking gas from Algonquin didn’t cancel at the last minute. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is reviewing the findings, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to open an investigation on the matter, and both the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and the Massachusetts Public Utilities Department are launching inquiries of their own. Here’s the key – the utilities are now using these peak periods of demand, when the pipeline was 29% empty, to lobby for a new pipeline that will be paid for by consumers and guaranteed to be used. Research from around the country will probably show us the truth of the situation.

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Heliatek installed the ‘world’s largest building integrated organic photovoltaic’ (BIOPV) system on top of a school in La Rochelle, France. 22kW of their ‘HeliaSol’ product was installed in one day by six people.

The ultra-environmentalist solar installation is seemingly 7-8% efficient, weighs 1/10th the weight of a standard solar panel and is held to the roof via an adhesive sticker on the backside of the panel.

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

40% of U.S. Homeowners Interested in Bundling Solar Power With Electric Utility Bill – “Bundling solar with energy services received the most consumer interest—40% of U.S. homeowners in broadband households are interested in bundling solar power purchasing with their electricity bill.” Over 50% of U.S. broadband households would purchase a smart device to manage energy consumption during TOU peak hours. The first quote here – 40% of broadband households wanting solar is a huge opportunity for the electric utilities to make money off of a lot of people. A chance to stay relevant. That second item could be a home battery system – lots of people wouldn’t mind throttling house hardware to take advantage of pricing disparities. Maybe batteries at home and solar on the grid is a big subset of buyers.

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I’ve made a mistake – I’m sorry. In my haste and excitement to see show off solar power – I’ve given it undue credit. Wind Power got these bids and I initially misinterpreted a piece of ambiguous information. While solar power did amazingly get a bid at 1.97¢ – it did not break below the recently set Saudi Record. Anything written in this article hereafter has been updated.

Per a press release from the Centro Nacional de Control de Energía (Cenace) of Mexico, the department received bids for 3TWh of solar wind electricity, with the lowest bids being 1.77¢/kWh coming from Italian multinational ENEL Green Power.

This record low price of green electricity on earth, just beats out the 1.79¢/kWh from Saudi Arabia, and is part of a pattern marching toward 1¢/kWh bids that are coming in 2019 (or sooner).

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

Chinese Solar Maker LONGi Mulling U.S. Plant as Tariffs Loom – Longi began evaluating the move before a U.S. trade case was filed in April. The company is evaluating multiple sites for a cell and module plant, and potential state incentives would play an important role in any decision. “Our analysis has become more complex. We can’t make an investment decision without knowing the 201 tariff rate, and know how long it would be implemented for.” The tariffs have been suggested for last for four years. A solar panel manufacturing panel seems to be able to come online within a year once negotiations are complete (with an existing structure in place). Solar cell factories I’ve been told – but not seen direct analysis – take 2-4 years. The silicon would likely come from US manufacturers.

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

Cheese and Bourbon Face Risk of Backlash From U.S. Solar Tariff – The dispute hinges on an obscure trade law that bankrupt panel manufacturer Suniva Inc. has invoked to ask Trump for protection against imports. The measure gives the president broad authority to levy tariffs, but the U.S. has lost every time the law has been challenged at the WTO. “If we tell the WTO to shove it, China may target Kentucky bourbon and Wisconsin dairy, creating natural opponents to the tariffs in Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan,” Clark Packard, a trade policy analyst for the Washington free-market think tank R Street Institute. Ahhh, I love the smell of fresh politics with my coffee! The article notes it could take up to 18 months for the case to hit the courts after the tariff is imposed, and then the US could appeal.

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The solar power manufacturing industry is having to deal with two component shortages that are affecting margins today and possibly influencing volume availability.

Solar panel manufacturers are seeing a shortage of polysilicon that has driven solar cell pricing up, even while panel pricing is moving down. Solar inverter manufacturers are seeing the consequences of a tight global market in memory chips, driven partially by iPhone demand.

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The US Government is terrible at projecting the total amount of solar electricity that will be installed. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2006, predicted that 0.8 gigawatts (GW) of solar power would be installed in the USA by the end of 2016. The actual number was closer to 40GW – 4,813% greater.

Of course prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future – but this type of mistake should not be ignored. This inability to properly project data harms our economy, health, environment, and planet because public policy is designed off of these expectations of the future.

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

California may reach 50% renewable power goal by 2020 — 10 years early – In 2016, 32.9 percent of the electricity PG&E sold to its customers came from renewable sources, according to the report. Edison reached 28.2 percent renewable power in 2016, while SDG&E — the state’s smallest investor-owned utility — hit 43.2 percent. Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. — are collectively on track to reach the 50 percent milestone by 2020, although individual companies could exceed the mark or fall just short of it. Now, we’re in the phase of the machine where we have to figure out how to extend the renewables to 24 hours, 365 days and above a certain level. Regional coordination will probably be required, energy storage also.

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SolarCity was once, without a doubt, the leading name in residential solar power in the United States. Solar leasing was 72% of residential installations in 2014 – and the largest lessor, SolarCity, had a 34% market share of all solar installed, leased and sold. The second largest company, Vivint, was less than half their size.

Today, even after adjustments in strategy due to broader market shifts that started in 2014, and alterations of sales reachout techniques as part of their sale to Tesla, they are still the residential volume leader but their heading has definitely changed.

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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.

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Arkup, the “avant-garde life on water” company, has designed a new luxury home that integrates solar on the roof and a newly approved lithium ion marine battery system. The main selling features are that it can rise with sea levels via jacks, withstand extreme weather, move as a regular electric propelled boat, and provide it’s own water plus – of course – electricity.

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

India plans 20GW solar tender, eyes domestic manufacturing boost – “The tender is being conceptualized by the Minister of  Renewable Energy. These contracts will be awarded in one go with developers to construct projects in phases. Once people see visibility of such projects, then manufacturing can kick in.” India has goals of 175GW of renewables by 2022, with 100GW of it being solar power. They’d prefer to jump-start their own manufacturing industry instead of feeding China their hard cash. Doing the 20GW in phases and you give local business people a chance to believe. After seeing contracts cancelled in India because later contracts were lower, it’s understandable that there might be unease in the business world.

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