China Turns On The World’s Largest Floating Solar Farm

By Jason Daley

June 7 2017

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Last week, workers switched on a solar energy plant capable of producing 40 megawatts of power, which floats on a manmade lake in China’s Anhui province near the city of Huainan, reports Sarah Zheng at the South China Morning Post. The array is the largest floating solar project in the world, though at the brisk pace China is building new renewable projects it’s unlikely to hold that title very long.

Built by the company Sungrow Power Supply, the power plant will produce enough energy to power 15,000 homes, Zheng reports. While the company has not revealed the exact size of the operation, it produces twice as much energy as the previous holder of the largest-floating-solar-plant title, which is located in the same area and was launched by the company Xinyi Solar in 2016.

Anhui province is a coal-rich region, and the Sungrow plant is located on a lake that was once the site of intensive mining. Heavy rains filled the area with water. As Zhen reports, the depth of the lake varies from 12 feet to 30 feet.

So why build solar plants on top of lakes and reservoirs? Fiona Harvey at The Guardian explains that building on bodies of water, especially manmade lakes that are not ecologically sensitive, helps protect agricultural land and terrestrial ecosystems from being developed for energy use. The water also cools the electronics in the solar panels, helping them to work more efficiently, reports Alistair Boyle for The Telegraph. For similar reasons Britain built a 23,000-panel floating solar farm on the Queen Elizabeth II reservoir near Heathrow airport in 2016 to help power the Thames Water treatment plant.

The Sungrow solar farm is just one tiny piece in China’s push towards renewable energy. According to Irina Slav at Business Insider, the country recently announced it would invest $361 billion in renewable power by 2020, and by 2022 could produce 320 gigawatts of wind and solar power and 340 gigawatts of hydropower. Zheng reports that currently renewables are responsible for 11 percent of China’s energy and may reach 20 percent by 2030.

While the floating solar plant is the largest in the world, it pales in comparison to some of China’s non-floating solar projects. The Longyangxia Dam Solar Park on the Tibetan plateau hosts 4 million solar panels that produce 850 megawatts of energy. Even that will soon be eclipsed by a project in the Ningxia Autonomous Region, which will have 6 million solar panels and produce 2 gigawatts of power.

US Army Base Goes Green With Renewable Energy Project

By Reuters

June 6, 2017

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NEW YORK — 

The U.S. military’s biggest base on American soil has begun drawing nearly half of its power from renewable energy, days after President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of a global agreement to fight climate change.

Fort Hood, in Texas, has shifted away from fossil fuels to wind- and solar-generated energy in order to shield the base from its dependence on outside sources, a spokesman said.

“We need to be autonomous. If the unfortunate thing happened and we were under attack or someone attacked our power grid, you’d certainly want Fort Hood to be able to respond,” Chris Haug, a spokesman for Fort Hood, said in a phone interview.

The project brings the Army base, home to 36,500 active-duty personnel and some 6,000 buildings, in line with the Department of Defense’s decade-long effort to convert its fossil fuel-hungry operations to renewable power.

It comes in the wake of Trump’s decision last week to withdraw the United States from a landmark global agreement to fight climate change, the Paris accord, a move that drew condemnation from world leaders and heads of industry.

The project is already fully operational. Its 63,000 solar panels, located on the base’s grounds, and 21 off-base wind turbines provide a total of some 65 megawatts of power, according to an Army statement.

Previously, some 77 percent of base’s energy was generated by fossil fuels, a 2015 draft report assessing the renewable energy plan shows.

Burning fossil fuel generates greenhouse gases that are blamed by scientists for warming the planet.

The Paris accord aims to reduce such emissions, including by encouraging a shift to clean energy.

Fort Hood’s new solar field and wind farm will result in savings of more than $100 million over some 30 years, the Army said.

Over the last decade, the U.S. military and intelligence officials have developed a broad agreement about the security threats that climate change presents, in part by threatening to cause natural disasters in densely populated coastal areas, damage American military bases worldwide and open up new natural resources to global competition.

The number of military renewable energy projects nearly tripled to 1,390 between 2011 and 2015, a Reuters analysis of Department of Defense data previously showed.

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), a Department of Defense agency assisting the Army in its renewable-energy shift, is also working with the U.S. Air Force on long-term renewable energy projects, a DLA spokeswoman told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Prince Secretly Donated Thousands To Help Solar Power Startups

By Tod Perry

June 6, 2017

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It’s been a little over a year since the world lost Prince, but his influence is still strong as ever and not just in the world of music. It was recently revealed that Prince anonymously gave $250,000 to support solar energy entrepreneurship—a generous cash infusion that ultimately led to Powerhouse, a for-profit incubator that links solar entrepreneurs with investors. Prince’s interest began after a conversation with Obama’s former green jobs advisor and current CNN commentator, Van Jones.

“He asked ‘If I have a quarter million dollars, what can I do with it?’ ” Jones said in an interview. “My wife said he should put solar panels all over Oakland.” Since Powerhouse was established in 2013 in Oakland, California, it’s helped over 43 clean energy startups create $52 million in revenue, raised $287 million in capital, and generated over 240 million megawatts of solar energy.

Nearly half of the companies backed by Powerhouse were founded by minorities and women, far beyond the industry norm. These companies include: BrightCurrent, PVComplete, UtilityAPI, and Hot 4 Solar. Prince’s investment is even more important now, given the harsh political climate in Washington. The Trump administration is expected to propose a 70 percent budget cut to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. In 2018, the cut would slash up to $1.45 billion from its current $2.09 billion budget.

Prince and Jones also collaborated on the #YesWeCode initiative that works to help young people of color enter the tech industry. The initiative was inspired by the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. “I was talking to Prince and he said, ‘You know, every time people see a young black man wearing a hoodie, they think, he’s a thug. But if they see a young white guy wearing a hoodie they think, oh that might be Mark Zuckerberg. That might be a dot-com billionaire,’” Jones recalled. “I said, ‘Well, yeah, Prince that’s true, but that’s because of racism.’ And he said, ‘No, it’s because we have not produced enough black Mark Zuckerbergs. That’s on us.’”

[Correction: An earlier version of this article stated Prince’s anonymous donation was $25 million. The correct amount is $250,000. The post has been updated for accuracy.]  

Solar Power Has Finally Proven That It’s The Energy Source of the Future

By Kaitlyn Wylde

June 5, 2017

A NEW AGE IN ENERGY?

As with most energy and cost efficient power alternatives, there’s a lot of misinformation surrounding solar energy — even when we’re faced with hard facts outlining their benefits. Consider the fact that it took nearly 30 years for fluorescent light bulb (also known as CFL) sales and dependency to rise, as Americans were unwilling to switch over from incandescent bulbs until 2010.

Tried and true sustainable products often sit on the market for a while before they become “trendy enough” to be purchased. But now, thanks to some promising developments from Tesla,(including some slicker-than-expected solar panel roofs) the value and importance of solar power is finally getting the momentum it so critically needs.

These moves are important because, not only is solar power cost effective, it reduces our reliance on fossil fuels, which is an imperative issue we need to tackle. Humanity’s current net emission is 37 gigatonnes of CO₂, meaning we’ll need a reduction of at least 700 gigatonnes to keep global warming within safe limits. By switching over to solar power, we reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by over 37 million metric tons. And while it might be hard to see past your own finances, switching to solar power saves the United States over $400 billion in healthcare and environmental cleanup costs. But back to your wallet: solar panels pay for themselves in six to 15 years and increase the resale value of a house by about $15,000.

But solar power technology is nothing new. In fact, a similar standard of today’s models has been around since the 1960s. And since that time, panels have only become more efficient, more dynamic, and more attractive. So, what’s taken us so long to consider the switch?

MAKING A CHANGE

It’s the myths that deter people from trusting in the technology. Most commonly, potential consumers worry that solar panels will not work in cold or cloudy climates. The truth is, they’re highly functional in cold climates, as conductivity is increased at colder temperatures. And, Germany, a country that receives half as much sun as the sunniest city in the United States, has the most successful solar power system in the world.

Now that Tesla has shown us how chic the solar panel roof of the future will look, skeptical homeowners will be more likely to make that change.

If you’re curious about the potential to save money and the planet, check out a solar power advocate like Understand Solar and get a proper estimate for your home. When faced with the facts, it’s hard to see it any other way: solar power roofs are essential investments for your home and the future. Fill out a cost estimate form and get access to exclusive deals in your area, and a fast and easy estimate to get things started.

Clean energy too big to be shut down by Trump

By Carolyn Lochhead and David R. Baker

June 4, 2017

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WASHINGTON — President Trump’s decision to abandon the Paris Accord will slow the battle against climate change in the U.S., but there’s too much momentum in the nation’s clean-energy economy to shut it down, energy experts say.

Trump’s move on Thursday sent a “shock wave” through the renewable energy sector, said Mark Bauhaus, a partner at Just Business, a San Francisco tech incubator. But the business opportunity in the so-called decarbonization of the economy is “bigger than the Internet,” he said.

“We have to remake the economy for low-carbon, clean energy, efficient everything: transportation, agriculture, appliances, houses, generation, all the grids,” Bauhous said. “The fact that the federal government is going backwards doesn’t change that inexorable momentum.”

Two broad trends have driven the country’s growing reliance on renewable energy. One is the plummeting cost of solar and wind power, now cheaper in many circumstances than electricity from plants that burn fossil fuels. The other is the increasingly visible evidence that damage from a warming climate will bear an enormous cost.

The combination, analysts say, is driving city and state governments, businesses and individuals alike to embrace the new forms of energy, even in deep-red states.

The city of Carmel — not the California coastal enclave, but a Republican-dominated town in Indiana — has committed the community to 100 percent renewable energy in 20 years, Mayor Jim Brainard said in a conference call Friday. The plan began long before the Paris Accord.

Carmel is changing its design, from installing walking and biking trails to adding hundreds of traffic roundabouts that each save 25,000 gallons of fuel a year, Brainard said. And the city is replacing its streetlights with energy-efficient LEDs.

“Other cities are going to do the same thing,” he said. “Those forces are far stronger and make a lot more difference than the president’s proclamation.”

California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, may have seemed to be on a quixotic tangent when in 2015 he linked up with the German city of Baden-Württemberg to found the Under 2 Coalition, an organization of states, regions and cities that have pledge to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050.

Currently in China to expand the Under 2 Coalition, Brown has gained the national spotlight as Trump’s chief climate antagonist. On Thursday, he countered Trump’s announcement by forming a new coalition with the governors of Washington and New York to try to meet the goal American negotiators agreed to in Paris in 2015 — to cut nationwide emissions at least 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg followed Brown’s path on Friday, forging yet another coalition of cities, states and businesses to try to meet the U.S. targets. So far, 30 mayors, three governors and more than 80 university presidents and over 100 businesses have signed on.

Last month, Atlanta officials committed to operating on 100 percent renewable energy, joining 27 other cities.

Twenty-nine states now have standards for increasing their use of renewable power. California gets more than 27 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, and state law requires 50 percent by 2030.

States can also set energy-efficiency standards for buildings and adopt policies encouraging the use of lower-carbon fuels. They can help fund mass transit, while local governments can shape land-use policies to build more housing near transit or job centers in an effort to cut commutes.

They can even try tackling greenhouse gas emissions directly through a cap-and-trade system or a tax on carbon emissions, although no state has adopted a carbon tax. California has a cap-and-trade system that covers most of the economy, while nine northeastern states use cap and trade to limit emissions from power plants.

“You’re talking about a long list here of important policies that aren’t federal,” said Mark Muro, senior fellow with the Brookings Institution. “We’ve somewhat underestimated that set of potential actions. And like it or not, the nation is now going to have to see how much we can leverage from bottom-up activity.”

But some analysts say, as meaningful as the efforts are, they probably won’t be enough to make up for the goal set down in Paris.

“Without re-engagement at the federal level, presumably starting in 2021, that target will be hard to meet, even with ambitious actions at the state and local levels,” said Kevin Kennedy, deputy director of the U.S. Climate Initiative at the World Resources Institute think tank.

If anything, though, the decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord may have provided a heightened incentive to move forward, said Andrew Beebe, managing director of Obvious Ventures, a venture capital firm in San Francisco that focuses on businesses that operate on environmental and social problems.

“Businesses feel a sense of greater vigilance and need to step in and make these things happen, but they were already there,” Beebe said. “Utility executives are not going to suddenly say, ‘Let’s start building coal plants.’ They build on 20-year horizons, and this presidency has another seven years at most.”

Other major factors that will keep driving the change to renewable energy are the plummeting price of solar and wind power across the country — a recent study from financial advisory firm Lazard found both to be cheaper in most circumstances than new coal-fired generation — and lifestyle benefits associated with it.

“People are not stupid. They see that it’s much cheaper and much healthier and much better for their kids’ survival to go to clean renewable energy,” said Mark Jacobson, a professor of environmental engineering at Stanford University.

A less recognized force propelling many people to reduce emissions is the “increasing obviousness of the damage” from climate change, and the costs of adapting to it, said John Holdren, who served as President Barack Obama’s science adviser.

“All around the world, we’re seeing increases in torrential downpours and associated flooding directly attributable to climate change,” Holdren said. “We are seeing increases in the intensity and length of heat waves. We’re seeing in drought-prone regions increases in drought.

“We’re seeing increases in the annual area burned by wildfires,” he continued. “We’re seeing thawing in the permafrost and the release of additional greenhouse gases. We’re seeing the disappearance of mountain glaciers, coastal glaciers and the great ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica, losing ice at an increasing pace, raising sea level, with resulting increasing damages and nuisance flooding on almost every high tide in low-lying places.”

Trump’s decision “will have an adverse impact,” Holdren said, “but it can be partly alleviated by what states, cities, individuals, businesses and civil society decide to do.”

California’s aggressive climate change efforts, now more than 10 years old, have produced results. But progress has taken time.

The state’s greenhouse gas emissions peaked in 2004, at 487.6 million metric tons. By 2014, the most recent year for which data are available, emissions had fallen 9.5 percent. The historic drought, which slashed the output of California’s hydroelectric dams, didn’t help. Neither did the surprise closure in 2012 of the San Onofre nuclear plant.

And while California produces fewer greenhouse gases per person than does the country as a whole, the state’s 2014 per capita emissions of 11.4 tonsremain well above those of China (7.6 tons per person), India (1.8 tons) and the European Union (6.7 tons).

“Our policies are just now beginning to ramp up and reduce carbon across our economy,” said Laura Wisland, a senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “If we continue to stay that course, we will begin to see very dramatic reductions in carbon in the coming years.”

Ali Zaidi, Obama’s former energy adviser, now at the Morrison Foerster law firm and a scholar at Stanford University, said the economics of clean energy are now “hardwired” to the point where it will continue penetrating the economy. The only question is how fast and “who’s going to lead us getting there.”

As Trump proposes slashing climate spending, China has announced a $360 billion investment in renewable energy.

“If we’re not innovating the next generation of (photovoltaic) cells and modules in the United States,” Zaidi said, “there’s no question about where those jobs are going to expand.”

Carolyn Lochhead and David Baker are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com, dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead, @DavidBakerSF

Renewable energy generation in the US dramatically exceeds 2012 predictions

By Megan Geuss

May 30, 2017

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The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released numbers on US electricity generation for the first quarter of 2017, and renewable energy numbers are coming in big.

According to the EIA, renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and geothermal power accounted for 10.68 percent of total electricity generation in the first quarter of 2017. If you include electricity from conventional hydroelectric plants, renewables made up nearly a fifth of total electricity generation—as much as 19.35 percent.

The striking part about that number is that the EIA, a statistical department within the Department of Energy, couldn’t foresee how dramatically renewables’ share of the electricity mix would increase just five years ago. In 2012, the administration predicted (PDF, page 87) that electricity generation from renewable sources would increase “from 10 percent in 2010 to 15 percent in 2035.” Even by 2015, the administration predicted (PDF, page ES-6) that “The renewable share of total generation grows from 13 percent in 2013 to 18 percent in 2040.”

Non-profit organization Sun Day Campaign said in a statement that, if the EIA were to extend its 2012 renewable growth forecast further out into the future, “renewables would not be expected to reach 19.35 percent until roughly the year 2057.”

The renewable energy numbers for the first quarter of 2017 include about 4.786 TWh of residential and small-scale solar electricity, as well as 9.2 TWh of utility-grade solar electricity. In the previous year’s first quarter, utility-grade solar generated only 6.67 TWh of electricity, meaning utility-grade solar electricity generation increased 38.5 percent year over year.

The EIA’s projections didn’t foresee the explosion of solar installations caused by compelling federal tax incentives combined with plummeting photovoltaic costs. Instead, five years ago, economists were predicting that “most of the growth in renewable electricity generation comes from wind and biomass facilities.”

Wind certainly contributed a major proportion of renewable energy in the first three months of 2017 (67.64 TWh), but biomass faltered, with wood and wood-derived fuels losing 1.2 percent of the total electricity generation year over year. “Other biomass” lost 2.3 percent of the share it had in 2016.

For the entire year, the renewable energy portion of total electricity generation won’t track exactly with the first quarter of the year. Solar might increase as the days get longer and sunnier, while hydro could fall behind if any reservoirs experience droughts. Depending on where you are in the country, wind can become more variable in the summer.

Outside of renewable energy, nuclear power plants provided 1 percent less electricity, year-over-year. Older nuclear facilities have been facing retirement (like the recently-announced planned retirement of Three Mile Island in 2019), while newer and proposed nuclear plants have faced stiff competition from cheap wind and natural gas. Earlier this year, the status of three proposed nuclear plants was thrown into question as Westinghouse, the reactor builder owned by Toshiba, declared bankruptcy.

Coal also saw a 5-percent bump in the first quarter of 2017 from the first quarter of 2016, but it was a bump that was largely expected by economists due to demand for natural gas. Natural gas has been incredibly cheap, driving up demand. As demand goes up, some electricity purchasers have turned back to coal in the short term. But the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis says that bump is short-lived, barring dramatic policy intervention.

Correction: The watt-hours generated in the first quarter of 2017 have been corrected from GWh to TWh. 

Home solar power becomes a brighter prospect for many

By Sarah Shemkus

May 28, 2017

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Just out of view on the back side of Rob and Irene Kneeland’s Colonial house in Sutton, 28 photovoltaic panels are transforming light into power every time the sun shines.

The system came online in December. By March, the Kneelands’ monthly electric bill had dropped from $150 to $38.

“I imagine the next bill will be about zero,” Rob Kneeland said. “It appears that they’re performing as promised.”

Historically, installing solar panels was a pricey proposition — usually something only committed environmentalists with money to spend did. In recent years, however, improvements in technology, falling manufacturing costs, government incentives, and worries about the perils of fossil fuel dependence have come together to accelerate the adoption of solar technologies among everyday homeowners.

Between late 2013 and mid-2016, Massachusetts’ solar capacity more than tripled, from 362 megawatts to 1,174 megawatts, according to numbers from regional electric grid operator ISO-New England.

If you want to consider joining the surge, here’s how it works.

First, determine whether solar panels are feasible for your home. Generally, you will need a roof that isn’t facing north and doesn’t receive too much shade from the south, said Andrew Belden, senior director for renewable energy generation at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

Your roof should also be large enough to accommodate at least 10 to 15 panels and be relatively new.

“You want to make sure you’re not going to be taking the system down in the next five years to replace your roof,” Belden said. Just about all installers will provide a free on-site assessment.

Next, study up on the basic economics of residential solar. In the past, leasing and power purchase agreements were popular ways for homeowners to get solar power. Under such arrangements, a business builds and retains ownership of a solar system then sells the energy produced to the homeowner.

But today, the price of a residential solar installation is about one-third what it was just 10 years ago, according to a report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. At the same time, financing options have multiplied, making straightforward ownership more economically advantageous.

“More financial institutions are familiar with solar now,” said Tom Kimbis, interim president of the Solar Energy Industry Association, a Washington-based trade group. “Today, you’ve got lots of options.”

The median price per watt of capacity for systems financed through the Mass Solar Loan Program is $4, and the median installation size is 8.1 kilowatts. Those numbers suggest a new solar system could easily run more than $30,000.

Fortunately, several programs can help defray the costs. Federal tax incentives allow you to take a credit worth 30 percent of the cost of the installation. Massachusetts also offers a tax credit of 15 percent of the remaining cost after the federal incentive has been subtracted, with a maximum value of $1,000.

Together, these credits could reduce the cost of a $30,000 system to roughly $20,000 — still a pretty hefty total. To help cover that balance, the Mass. Solar Loan Program will assist you in locating a participating bank or credit union and, for income-eligible households, it also can provide further financial assistance.

Households below 80 percent of median income — the threshold is currently $87,183 for a four-person household — are eligible for a principal reduction of 30 percent. Those below 120 percent of median income — $130,774 for a family of four – qualify for a 20 percent reduction.

Some individual communities may have further incentives — DSIRE.org maintains an updated database of renewable energy programs, state by state

Once the system is installed, ongoing savings will come from two places: net metering and solar renewable energy credits, or SRECs.

When your system is producing more power than you use, the excess electricity flows back into the grid and your meter runs backward, deducting kilowatt-hours from your usage — and your bill. This phenomenon is known as net metering.

If your power is currently delivered by a utility company, your system will almost certainly be able to take advantage of net metering. Homes served by municipal electric plants, however, may not be, so research eligibility before moving forward.

SRECs are certificates representing the environmental benefits generated by your solar system. They can be sold to companies looking to meet regulations, boost their green credentials, or offset their carbon emissions.

An 8-kilowatt system could produce as many as 10 SRECs per year and, though prices fluctuate, one SREC can sell for well over $200. While homeowners can sell their SRECs on their own, many choose to work with aggregation companies, which pool many SRECs and then sell them on behalf of their members.

Once you understand the financial basics, it is time to start shopping for an installer. If you are interested in the Mass. Solar Loan program, start with its list of prequalified businesses. Make sure to contact several installers. But limit your search to companies that are solar specialists, rather than roofers or general contractors who have added solar to their menu of services.

Ask vendors questions until you are completely satisfied with the answers, Kimbis said. He recommended asking how many systems the company has installed in your area, and requesting at least three references.

A potential installer should provide detailed cost estimates, including expected annual production, available incentives, and projections of how long the system should take to pay for itself. Be wary of companies that offer vague assurances instead of hard numbers.

An installer also should arrange for local inspections, connections to the utility, and the paperwork involved in signing you up to receive SRECs.

Finally, once you’ve chosen a company, be prepared to wait. Solar is becoming so popular that there will probably be a delay before you can schedule installation.

“Crews might be scheduling six, eight, 10 weeks out,” Belden said. “There’s a lot of solar activity going on in the state.”

Sarah Shemkus can be reached at seshemkus@gmail.com.

How the Paris Climate Agreement Could Impact the Global Solar Market

by MJ Shiao GreenTech Media
December 13, 2015

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The news from Paris this weekend was as good as anyone hoped: world leaders signed an accord that seeks to limit global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees.

This is historic and represents a huge step for the multilateral process. But make no mistake: this is just the start of the heavy lifting.

The first major task will be ratification by individual countries. The agreement won’t come into effect until 55 countries representing at least 55 percent of global emissions ratify it. Since there are no legally binding carbon targets, the deal doesn’t have to go through the U.S. Senate  — one of the major issues that killed momentum on the Kyoto Protocol.

The carbon reduction targets will be voluntarily determined and set by individual countries. These “nationally determined contributions” will start in 2020 and will be reviewed every five years. For reference, the voluntary targets proposed in Paris put us on a path of 2.7 degrees of warming.

Some estimate that we’re close to locking ourselves into 2-degree future — meaning we need to quickly ratchet up the targets. Many are worried about the non-legally-binding nature of the targets themselves. Yet, it’s a framework and a start.

The fact that 195 countries have agreed to lower carbon emissions is a big deal. And that means more investment certainty for the solar industry.

America’s goal is to cut carbon emissions 26 percent to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. Solar will definitely play a role in this this, most prominently through the Clean Power Plan, which was foundational to the submitted carbon reduction targets.

Solar and other renewables have been a key piece of broader policy efforts by the Obama administration. Over the past six months, the White House has thrown its support behind community solar, solar for low-income households, and training programs. Through initiatives like DOE’s SunShot, it continues to invest in companies working to bring down the cost of manufacturing, installation and sales.

The Obama administration has also worked with a consortium of over 150 corporations targeting emissions cuts, water-usage reduction, and renewable energy procurement. The initial 13 members, including Apple, Google, Wal-Mart and Goldman Sachs, were targeting 1.6 gigawatts of new renewable procurement alone. Much of that procurement is coming from solar.

The big question on the federal level will be whether Congress can extend the Investment Tax Credit. The politics around the ITC are mostly divorced from the international climate talks, so the Paris deal likely won’t have much influence on the current horse-trading or different pathways for extension in the short term.

Globally, the result is equally unclear — but certainly positive.

Just like the U.S., most countries are vague about how they’ll achieve planned reductions. Only one country specifically calls out solar PV (Nauru, with a population of 10,000) in the summary statement of its plan. Many more call for adoption and investigation of renewables generally — the most significant being China and India’s 2030 targets for “non-fossil” electricity generation at 20 percent and 40 percent, respectively.

Similarly, Brazil hopes to get 23 percent of its electricity from non-hydro renewables by 2030. In addition, the EU will certainly count on its Renewable Energy Directive — the region-wide renewable energy targets of 20 percent by 2020 — to meet its targeted reductions.

In that sense, we will likely see additional country renewable portfolio targets emerge, providing incentives or other support mechanisms for renewables like solar.

The developed countries have the biggest reduction targets (they’re the biggest historical emitters), so that’s where most of the resulting solar development is likely to occur. However, emerging economies (Brazil, China, India and South Africa) have huge potential for policies that encourage rapid expansion as their energy footprint grows. As mentioned, India, China and Brazil all have big 2030 targets for renewable penetration.

In addition, the non-binding preamble of the Paris deal calls for $100 billion of financing commitments to help developing countries most affected by climate change. Climate finance has been a huge sticking point ever since it was proposed at Copenhagen and formalized in Cancun, sparking intense debates over how much rich countries should spend, when the money should be delivered, how it’s administered, and which projects should qualify.

This climate fund is a potential avenue for financing clean energy in nontraditional renewables markets. However, the funding hasn’t been there — only $10 billion has been pledged thus far, and half of that hasn’t actually been signed over.

Nevertheless, with the Paris convention looming, the Green Climate Fund awarded its first projects in early November. One award went to an Acumen venture fund for off-grid solar and microgrids in eastern Africa, and another for the Inter-American Development Bank to finance energy efficiency in Latin America. It still remains unclear whether these investments will scale to support large-scale renewable projects.

Outside of the negotiations, there were some non-binding initiatives being pushed, too. Paris provided a launching platform for Dubai’s plan to build solar on all roofs by 2020, the Breakthrough Energy Coalition pushed by Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, a parallel investment initiative by 19 countries, and an ambitious $400 million global solar alliance founded by India.

Cumulative solar installations are nearly 12 times greater globally than they were during the Copenhagen climate conference in 2009. Solar was bound to explode with or without a deal in Paris — but the new framework will undoubtedly widen the available markets for the technology.

Medway residents show interest in Solarize Mass

From The Milford Daily News

MEDWAY —The entire world consumes about 16 terawatts of energy each year, while there is currently a reserve of finite energy totaling about 900 terawatts.

On the other hand, our most powerful renewable energy source, the sun, pumps out 23,000 terawatts of energy per year – more than enough to go around.

Several dozen residents, officials and business owners turned out for Meet Your Installer night to kick off the town’s involvement in Solarize Massachusetts – a clean energy education and group-buying initiative. The town is one of 10 communities that have been chosen to participate in the first round of the 2013 Solarize Mass program – which is offered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the Department of Energy Resources to increase the use of solar energy while reducing the price.

Edward Whitaker, president of Second Generation Energy of Hopedale, which has been selected as the town’s solar vendor, joined resident Dan Hooper, a volunteer coordinator for the program, and Elizabeth Kennedy from Mass Clean Energy Center.

Kennedy began with a presentation on solar energy, in which she addressed a question she often gets: Does Massachusetts have enough sunlight to make solar a viable energy source?

Germany has the most solar projects in the world, Kennedy said, and has less solar exposure than anywhere in the United States, including Alaska.

“If they can make it economically viable, we can too,” said Kennedy, adding that Massachusetts has one of the highest electricity costs in the country because it’s at the end of the pipeline.

Those prices will continue to go up, Kennedy said, because electrical grid infrastructure will need to be updated in the future.

Solar is environmentally and economically efficient because it not only reduces, if not eliminates, electrical bills, but there are other incentives as well.

Kennedy said the federal government provides a 30 percent tax credit for the total cost of installing a system, while the state offers a $1,000 income tax credit. Additionally, residents who install systems through Solarize Mass can receive a rebate of $2,000 to $4,000 from the Clean Energy Center.

Solarize Mass also lowers the cost for systems because it is a group-purchasing model, of which already 41 Medway residents have expressed interest.

“As more people sign up, the more you save, whether you’re the first person to sign up or the last person to sign up,” Kennedy said. “You as a homeowner really just need to sign up.”

Whitaker then offered more information on the company, which served as the installer for Solarize Mass in Millbury and Sutton last year.

He said there will be two solar options, including ownership or a third party lease, which each have their own perks.

“We’re agnostic to your ownership preference, and we think it’s a personal decision,” Whitaker said. “It really depends on your financial preference more than anything.”

Owning a system, which lasts up to 50 years, costs about $10,000 on average after deductions.

Residents and business owners can sign up for a free, full assessment by Second Generation to find out if a solar system is feasible for their property, and then they have until Sept. 30 to sign a contract.

Global Solar PV Demand To Hit 31 GW In 2013, Report Forecasts

From Clean Technica

Global solar photovoltaic (PV) demand is set to advance by two gigawatts (GW) to 31GW in 2013 compared to the previous year, thanks in part to firm Chinese demand, a new report suggests.

NPD Solarbuzz projects that world PV consumption will rise by 7% on a year over year basis, with China overtaking Germany for the top spot in PV demand. The report also said 83% of the world’s PV demand will come from the top ten markets global markets.

“2013 will represent another transition year, as the PV industry adjusts to softness across legacy European markets,” according to senior NPD Solarbuzz analyst Michael Barker.

“The Chinese end-market will largely compensate for the downturn in demand from Germany, which previously led PV demand,” he said.

Much of the 2 GW increase will come from strong demand from the Asian Pacific markets, with a 50% year over year increase, thanks to China, India, and Japan providing 11 GW of solar PV demand.

Barker also suggest declining prices for solar PV systems, competitive rates due to higher electricity prices, and increasing renewable energy standards will also provide some continuous solar PV demand.

Asia’s strength will make up for Europe’s weakness, as the region is expected to see a 26% year over year drop to 12 GW installed capacity, thanks to declining incentives.

Emerging Markets: Future Room for Solar PV Growth

While traditional solar markets have been the backbone for solar PV markets, future growth could come from emerging regions, including Latin America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia.

Emerging markets in 2013 only make up 8% of the total PV market. However, that is expected to reach 16% by 2017.

To give you an example of further potential of emerging market PV potential, in 2011, Mexico had just 37 MW of total installed PV capacity. However, laws passed in the Mexican legislature aim to have energy generation from renewables reach 35% by 2024. With 70% of the nation having insolation values more than 4.5 kWh/m2 /day, higher than most parts of solar giants Germany and Spain, Mexico could certainly be a future powerhouse in solar energy.

Overall, the trend seen with the NPD report shows continued strong growth in solar demand, despite weakness in Europe. If the trend of future growth of potential emerging markets like Mexico hold their ground, those 31 GW installed of solar energy this year are a sign of things to come.