By Terrence Stutz, The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN: Legislation that would create a $100 million-a-year state program to encourage use of solar energy and require homebuilders in new subdivisions to offer solar energy to home buyers won approval from the Senate on Tuesday.
The measure, which would also set up a loan program for public schools to install solar systems, would be funded through a fee on all energy bills in the state. Homeowners would pay a fee of 20 cents a month, while large businesses would pay $20 a month.
"We take pride in the fact that Texas is recognized as the national leader in renewable energy, especially wind generation," said Sen. Troy Frasier, R-Horseshoe Bay, author of the bill.
"This legislation allows our state to become more energy dependent and meet our renewable energy goals through the installation of solar generation."
Senators voted 26-4 to approve the measure, which now goes to the House.
Fraser said the $100 million-a-year incentive program, which would operate for at least five years, would provide a "jump start" for the use of solar energy in homes and businesses.
The Public Utility Commission will decide how to distribute the incentive money, which will be used to pay for up to one-third the cost of installation of solar panels and related technologies.
When combined with existing federal tax credits of up to 30 percent, the legislation would make solar energy more feasible for thousands of Texas families, according to experts.
"This bill would put Texas on the map when it comes to solar power," said Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger. "We have the sun, we have the technological know-how. Now we'll have a market that that can make Texas a world leader in solar power."
Besides requiring that home buyers in new subdivisions be offered the option of solar energy, the bill also would prohibit homeowners associations from having policies that ban the installation of solar panels on residences.
The bill also would provide rebates for solar products manufactured in Texas and establish net metering policies that require customers to receive real-time market price for energy that is exported from them by a retail electric provider.
Metzger said with Texas' tremendous amount of sunlight, the state could become a world solar leader, creating thousands of manufacturing, engineering and installation jobs, and attracting billions of dollars of investment to the state.
"Texas can have a great deal of control over how rapidly solar power becomes cost competitive," he said. "By getting in on the ground floor of this new market, Texas can also benefit economically."
Source: Dallas Morning News
Showing posts with label solar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solar. Show all posts
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Need For New
In the past, meaning only a month ago, I can say that I was not a big believer that human actions were contributing to the global warming issue. Aside from not believing that it is our fault, I failed to see the magnitude of the problem. I did not realize how catastrophic global warming can be to life here on Earth until I watched a video, titles Sea Change, that was posted on the blog. The video defined the importance of us immediately changing our way of life. If we continue living the way we are, the ice caps will eventually run out, and the temperature will shoot up. It follows the basic laws of thermodynamics. The ice is melting and absorbing all the heat we are putting out, keeping the planet at a relatively steady temperature. When all the ice is gone, there will be nothing to buffer the heat flux.
This realization has greatly increased my interest in renewable energy sources, so I began looking around at what options are available. I came upon a news webpage that talks about different renewable energy issues. It discusses new ideas that are in early development stages and show much potential for the future.
One such idea is to use solar power to produce electricity. This sounds like it is probably something that we have heard about many times, but it is not based on the traditional solar energy harnessing technique of using photovoltaic silicon panels. It is based on the simple idea of reflecting the sun’s light at a tank, heating up the water inside the tank. Using a field of mirrors, which orient themselves based on the sun’s position, to reflect the light at the tank (or boiler), it acts as a magnifying glass. The water inside the boiler is heated and cycled through a turbine, producing electricity. Based on the need for rapidly change, this technique is ideal because the manufacturing is much simpler and environmentally friendly than creating silicon panels.
Another creative renewable energy technique that I found on the webpage dealt with hydro power. One issue that exists with hydro power is the need for a strong current. This technique overcomes that by using the vortexes created by fluid flow over a cylinder to oscillate the cylinder up and down. The technique works in current flow as little as one knot. This is a difficult concept to understand without seeing, so take a look at the video .
Both of these techniques are very simple in design, yet have been overlooked. I am sure there are many more answers to replacing fossil fuels. We just need to find them. Until recently, renewable energy sources have simply been cool ways of getting energy that makes minimal impact. Now I realize the importance of research for renewable energy, and I hope that major discoveries are made in the near future.
This realization has greatly increased my interest in renewable energy sources, so I began looking around at what options are available. I came upon a news webpage that talks about different renewable energy issues. It discusses new ideas that are in early development stages and show much potential for the future.
One such idea is to use solar power to produce electricity. This sounds like it is probably something that we have heard about many times, but it is not based on the traditional solar energy harnessing technique of using photovoltaic silicon panels. It is based on the simple idea of reflecting the sun’s light at a tank, heating up the water inside the tank. Using a field of mirrors, which orient themselves based on the sun’s position, to reflect the light at the tank (or boiler), it acts as a magnifying glass. The water inside the boiler is heated and cycled through a turbine, producing electricity. Based on the need for rapidly change, this technique is ideal because the manufacturing is much simpler and environmentally friendly than creating silicon panels.
Another creative renewable energy technique that I found on the webpage dealt with hydro power. One issue that exists with hydro power is the need for a strong current. This technique overcomes that by using the vortexes created by fluid flow over a cylinder to oscillate the cylinder up and down. The technique works in current flow as little as one knot. This is a difficult concept to understand without seeing, so take a look at the video .
Both of these techniques are very simple in design, yet have been overlooked. I am sure there are many more answers to replacing fossil fuels. We just need to find them. Until recently, renewable energy sources have simply been cool ways of getting energy that makes minimal impact. Now I realize the importance of research for renewable energy, and I hope that major discoveries are made in the near future.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
High-Voltage Lines Wouldn’t Need State Action Under Senate Plan
(Here is an update on legislation pertaining to the transmission corridors meant to bring renewable energy from the central U.S. to the coasts):
March 10 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. regulators would take from states the authority to approve certain high-voltage power lines in order to speed development of renewable energy, under draft legislation released by a Senate panel today.
The proposal by the Democratic staff of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, posted online, would give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authority to approve lines that would carry electricity such as wind and solar energy.
President Barack Obama has called for the U.S. to build 3,000 miles of new transmission lines and double renewable energy use by 2012. The proposed legislation would eliminate an obstacle to the goal that has been cited by builders of power lines: individual states blocking multi-state projects.
“This is only one step toward a truly comprehensive energy security bill, but it is an important one,” said Robbie Diamond, president of Securing America’s Future Energy, a nonpartisan group that supports reducing U.S. oil dependence.
The draft measure would increase the authority FERC gained under 2005 legislation, which let it approve power lines if states failed to act within a year of an application. Federal siting authority would apply to power-line projects of 345 kilovolts or higher that are included in a FERC-designated group’s regional transmission plan.
Economic stimulus legislation signed last month by the president includes $11 billion for new transmission lines and improving the nation’s power grid.
The energy committee, led by Democratic Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, plans to hold a hearing on March 12 to consider new transmission-line legislation.
“It’s not a Bingaman draft, necessarily,” David Marks, spokesman for the committee, said of the proposal in a telephone interview. “These are ideas that the committee staff has proposed.”
Reid’s Plan:
The committee will also consider transmission legislation offered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid, a Nevada Democrat, last week introduced legislation that would give FERC authority to step in to approve transmission projects in areas designated as “renewable energy zones.”
Rob Thormeyer, a spokesman for the Washington-based National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, said in an e-mail his group is “still analyzing” the legislation.
Renewable-power supporters, including wind-power developer T. Boone Pickens, have called for greater federal authority over high-voltage transmission. Renewable-energy projects such as wind and solar power are often located in areas far from major urban centers, where the demand for power is greatest.
A study released last month by regional grid operators estimated that more than $80 billion in new transmission infrastructure spending would be needed to get 20 percent of the eastern U.S.’s electricity from wind by 2024.
Source: Bloomberg.com
March 10 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. regulators would take from states the authority to approve certain high-voltage power lines in order to speed development of renewable energy, under draft legislation released by a Senate panel today.
The proposal by the Democratic staff of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, posted online, would give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authority to approve lines that would carry electricity such as wind and solar energy.
President Barack Obama has called for the U.S. to build 3,000 miles of new transmission lines and double renewable energy use by 2012. The proposed legislation would eliminate an obstacle to the goal that has been cited by builders of power lines: individual states blocking multi-state projects.
“This is only one step toward a truly comprehensive energy security bill, but it is an important one,” said Robbie Diamond, president of Securing America’s Future Energy, a nonpartisan group that supports reducing U.S. oil dependence.
The draft measure would increase the authority FERC gained under 2005 legislation, which let it approve power lines if states failed to act within a year of an application. Federal siting authority would apply to power-line projects of 345 kilovolts or higher that are included in a FERC-designated group’s regional transmission plan.
Economic stimulus legislation signed last month by the president includes $11 billion for new transmission lines and improving the nation’s power grid.
The energy committee, led by Democratic Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, plans to hold a hearing on March 12 to consider new transmission-line legislation.
“It’s not a Bingaman draft, necessarily,” David Marks, spokesman for the committee, said of the proposal in a telephone interview. “These are ideas that the committee staff has proposed.”
Reid’s Plan:
The committee will also consider transmission legislation offered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid, a Nevada Democrat, last week introduced legislation that would give FERC authority to step in to approve transmission projects in areas designated as “renewable energy zones.”
Rob Thormeyer, a spokesman for the Washington-based National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, said in an e-mail his group is “still analyzing” the legislation.
Renewable-power supporters, including wind-power developer T. Boone Pickens, have called for greater federal authority over high-voltage transmission. Renewable-energy projects such as wind and solar power are often located in areas far from major urban centers, where the demand for power is greatest.
A study released last month by regional grid operators estimated that more than $80 billion in new transmission infrastructure spending would be needed to get 20 percent of the eastern U.S.’s electricity from wind by 2024.
Source: Bloomberg.com
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Energy's Silicon Valley
I recently happened upon an article from MIT's Technology Review about a new city that is proposed to be for energy what silicon valley is for computing. Like nearly structure with a huge pricetag and even bigger ambitions - it's being built in the United Arab Emirates. Located on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, it is called Masdar City, where masdar translates to 'source' in Arabic.
Consistent with the development programs and construction projects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the Masdar Initiative, the organization behind the city's planning, has created a program that will dwarf every similar project in the world. To be completed by 2016, the $15bn project (with $18bn from outside investors) will provide a sustainable oasis in the desert. In the end, 50,000 residents are expected to reside in the city and work at some of the 1,500 clean tech business the Masdar Initiative is hoping to attract to the development projects.
The city will include some of the most innovative resource conservation technologies, while also leveraging construction methods used in pre-electrification cities in the UAE. The plan is to reduce the city's power consumption to just 20% of an average city while being completely carbon neutral. Since they are going to rely entirely on solar power, they plan on using natural gas power from Abu Dhabi at night, which means they will have to generate a surplus of solar power during the day to offset their nighttime carbon emissions, no small feat for any city, and not a plan with a low price tag either. They also plan on virtually eliminating waste water and trash streams by recycling as much as possible.
A project on a scale such as this faces a lot of challenges. Getting any construction project finished on time and on budget is difficult and that task will be made all the more difficult when applying technologies that have been applied only in models or small scale projects thus far. If the project is successful and profitable, particularly in the area of building energy management controls, it may serve as a model for development plans in other cities, particularly those in hot places with water problems, like Texas.
Consistent with the development programs and construction projects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the Masdar Initiative, the organization behind the city's planning, has created a program that will dwarf every similar project in the world. To be completed by 2016, the $15bn project (with $18bn from outside investors) will provide a sustainable oasis in the desert. In the end, 50,000 residents are expected to reside in the city and work at some of the 1,500 clean tech business the Masdar Initiative is hoping to attract to the development projects.
The city will include some of the most innovative resource conservation technologies, while also leveraging construction methods used in pre-electrification cities in the UAE. The plan is to reduce the city's power consumption to just 20% of an average city while being completely carbon neutral. Since they are going to rely entirely on solar power, they plan on using natural gas power from Abu Dhabi at night, which means they will have to generate a surplus of solar power during the day to offset their nighttime carbon emissions, no small feat for any city, and not a plan with a low price tag either. They also plan on virtually eliminating waste water and trash streams by recycling as much as possible.
A project on a scale such as this faces a lot of challenges. Getting any construction project finished on time and on budget is difficult and that task will be made all the more difficult when applying technologies that have been applied only in models or small scale projects thus far. If the project is successful and profitable, particularly in the area of building energy management controls, it may serve as a model for development plans in other cities, particularly those in hot places with water problems, like Texas.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A Road Not Taken
In June of 1979, President Jimmy Carter made a dedication speech honoring the scientific achievement and proactive governmental involvement in the construction of solar thermal panels on the top of the White House. The 32 panel, $28,000 solar thermal energy system was anemic from an engineering standpoint, boasting the capability to supply hot water to the White House only during meteorologically favorable conditions, but paramount from a symbolic point of view. The press conference was a portentous occasion being the first (and last) on the roof of the West Wing, and more importantly because it marked a categorical shift in the environmental attitude of the United States Executive Branch. Carter was launching a "sweeping drive" to restructure America's energy portfolio - 20% of US energy consumption to be supplied by renewable sources of energy by 2000.
In a moment of idealogical clairvoyance, Carter admonished:
In a move no less symbolic, and sharpened by its irony, Reagan removed the system in 1981.
We've happened upon the proverbial fork in the Road, and not taken it.
Today, the US energy portfolio is comprised of 0.07% solar thermal and photovoltaic energy, but the industry shows signs of promise, especially compared to other renewable technologies (see below).
Thin-film technology, the next generation of PV cells, have the potential to reduce production costs by a factor of 10 or more without major efficiency losses. With the volatility of the crude oil market and continued "quick-learn" solar market characteristics due to technological breakthroughs, there may very well be Another Dawn for Solar Power. Currently, the PV market grows by roughly 30% per annum with an associated 0.8 experience factor (a doubling in PV market activity corresponds to an 80% price reduction per peak Watt). With even limited government incentives for PV installations in the form of tax rebates, feed-in tariffs, etc. the market can be catalyzed forward. The Japanese and German governments have been stellar performers in solar energy policy enactments - in Germany, a 350% increase in installed PV Wattage has occurred since 1995. Austin Energy already has such an incentive program: "Austin Energy offers customers one of the country's best solar photovoltaic rebates, at $4.50 per watt. This pays between 45% and 75% of the cost of installing a system."
Carter's words hold all of the relevance of their contextual climate even now and speak to the Baby-Boomer Generation's failure to heed the careful cautiousness of his undertones. The rhetoric found in Carter's Malaise Speech and in Obama's Inaugural Address has brought these issues to the forefront of the public discourse. Now we find ourselves in the midst of another energy crisis, one which is not simply a foreign policy predicament - as perhaps Carter's was, but one of society, environment, and human survival.
In a moment of idealogical clairvoyance, Carter admonished:
This dependence on foreign sources of oil is of great concern to all of us. In the year 2000, this solar water heater behind me, which is being dedicated today, will still be here supplying cheap, efficient energy. A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people.
In a move no less symbolic, and sharpened by its irony, Reagan removed the system in 1981.
We've happened upon the proverbial fork in the Road, and not taken it.
Today, the US energy portfolio is comprised of 0.07% solar thermal and photovoltaic energy, but the industry shows signs of promise, especially compared to other renewable technologies (see below).
Thin-film technology, the next generation of PV cells, have the potential to reduce production costs by a factor of 10 or more without major efficiency losses. With the volatility of the crude oil market and continued "quick-learn" solar market characteristics due to technological breakthroughs, there may very well be Another Dawn for Solar Power. Currently, the PV market grows by roughly 30% per annum with an associated 0.8 experience factor (a doubling in PV market activity corresponds to an 80% price reduction per peak Watt). With even limited government incentives for PV installations in the form of tax rebates, feed-in tariffs, etc. the market can be catalyzed forward. The Japanese and German governments have been stellar performers in solar energy policy enactments - in Germany, a 350% increase in installed PV Wattage has occurred since 1995. Austin Energy already has such an incentive program: "Austin Energy offers customers one of the country's best solar photovoltaic rebates, at $4.50 per watt. This pays between 45% and 75% of the cost of installing a system."
Carter's words hold all of the relevance of their contextual climate even now and speak to the Baby-Boomer Generation's failure to heed the careful cautiousness of his undertones. The rhetoric found in Carter's Malaise Speech and in Obama's Inaugural Address has brought these issues to the forefront of the public discourse. Now we find ourselves in the midst of another energy crisis, one which is not simply a foreign policy predicament - as perhaps Carter's was, but one of society, environment, and human survival.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Texas Solar Forum held a few surprises
On Thursday and Friday, the Texas Solar Forum was held at the Capital Auditorium here in Austin. The event targeted a policy-maker audience, and its venue 1 level below the state's capital underscored the important role that policymakers can play in creating the environment needed for the solar industry in Texas to thrive.
There were many speakers and I encourage you to check out any transcripts, presentations, or video that they will eventually put up on the website (http://www.texassolarforum.com/).
Since I work for a wind developer, I was most interested in the final panel discussion, which featured representatives from Austin Energy, CPS (San Antonio's municipal utility), and executives from major solar manufacturers and developers including industry major First Solar and trailblazing concentrated solar startup Ausra.
I wasn't the only one to raise my eyebrows at hearing that Ausra is now able to offer long-term PPAs for electricity priced at 9 cents/kWh!!! That's on par with peak natural gas prices here in Texas and actually beats Arizona Public Service's peaker prices by a factor of 2...
Key takeaway: solar still has a long way to go, but grid parity is right around the corner for some technologies. And where better to launch a revolution in the U.S. than in the only state that can legally suceed from the union any time it chooses!
There were many speakers and I encourage you to check out any transcripts, presentations, or video that they will eventually put up on the website (http://www.texassolarforum.com/).
Since I work for a wind developer, I was most interested in the final panel discussion, which featured representatives from Austin Energy, CPS (San Antonio's municipal utility), and executives from major solar manufacturers and developers including industry major First Solar and trailblazing concentrated solar startup Ausra.
I wasn't the only one to raise my eyebrows at hearing that Ausra is now able to offer long-term PPAs for electricity priced at 9 cents/kWh!!! That's on par with peak natural gas prices here in Texas and actually beats Arizona Public Service's peaker prices by a factor of 2...
Key takeaway: solar still has a long way to go, but grid parity is right around the corner for some technologies. And where better to launch a revolution in the U.S. than in the only state that can legally suceed from the union any time it chooses!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Continued M&A Activity in Solar Industry
Last week, I blogged about the increasing levels of M&A in the solar industry, with manufacturing and development capacities being brought together and scale, both geographical and in terms of development and manufacturing capacity, bringing competitive advantage to the largest players.
On Friday, yet another major aquisition was announced, this time bringing Renewable NRG's expertise and client base in Oregon under the SunEdison flag.
Both companies have employed an innovative business model that offers customers long term solar power purchase agreements in lieu of any upfront costs.
It seems to be the case that as SunEdison goes, so goes the U.S. solar industry, so look for more emphasis on this kind of business model in the coming years.
On Friday, yet another major aquisition was announced, this time bringing Renewable NRG's expertise and client base in Oregon under the SunEdison flag.
Both companies have employed an innovative business model that offers customers long term solar power purchase agreements in lieu of any upfront costs.
It seems to be the case that as SunEdison goes, so goes the U.S. solar industry, so look for more emphasis on this kind of business model in the coming years.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Solar Industry Sees Partnerships As The Way to Go
Partnerships, Joint Ventures, and mergers/aquisitions are starting to become the norm in the solar industry.
Last year, Ausra, solar development startup with its own proprietary concentrated solar technology, inked a 177 MW power purchase agreement with PG&E.
First Solar, a large module manufacturer, announced the aquisition of Ted Turner's Turner Renewables, giving the manufacturer development ("integration") capacity.
And just this Thursday, Solar Semiconductor, a module manufacturer, announced a major partnership with IBC SOLAR AG, a solar integrator in Europe (click here for details)
Look for more M&A, JV, and partnership activity as the solar industry looks for ways to reduce cost, gain competitive edge, and deal with supply shortages in the face of skyrocketting demand.
(Note: The only wind turbine manufacturer with development capability in the U.S. is Clipper. It will be interesting to see if Clipper will be able to create a competitive advantage in this way).
Last year, Ausra, solar development startup with its own proprietary concentrated solar technology, inked a 177 MW power purchase agreement with PG&E.
First Solar, a large module manufacturer, announced the aquisition of Ted Turner's Turner Renewables, giving the manufacturer development ("integration") capacity.
And just this Thursday, Solar Semiconductor, a module manufacturer, announced a major partnership with IBC SOLAR AG, a solar integrator in Europe (click here for details)
Look for more M&A, JV, and partnership activity as the solar industry looks for ways to reduce cost, gain competitive edge, and deal with supply shortages in the face of skyrocketting demand.
(Note: The only wind turbine manufacturer with development capability in the U.S. is Clipper. It will be interesting to see if Clipper will be able to create a competitive advantage in this way).
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Another Reason Austin Energy May Deny Your Solar Rebate
You may recall my previous energy-themed LOLCAT, "I IZ CAPTURIN CARBENS!" In the spirit of the class's solar power related group project, I hope that you enjoy the latest installment below.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
McCain: Atomic Apostle or Solar Sheik?
.gif)
In a December 2007 Foreign Affairs article, Senator McCain stated that he planned to "greatly increase the use of nuclear power, a zero-emission energy source." After reading this, two things struck me as particularly interesting.
Firstly, although nuclear power does not produce atmospheric emissions, such as CO2, nuclear power plants certainly do have emissions; byproducts that seem, at least to me, much scarier than CO2. The problem of nuclear waste disposal leads to numerous "nimby" (not in my backyard) problems, as dad's desire for his son to become the star quarterback probably doesn't include an extra throwing arm. To date, no serious effort has been given to the very real nuclear waste disposal problem.
Secondly, nuclear power's mammoth water use raises many questions as to its widespread use for electricity generation. Thermoelectric cooling, used in nuclear power generation, represents one of the most water-intensive methods (in terms of withdrawals) of generating electricity. Around 195 billion gallons of water is withdrawn each day for this purpose alone.
It seems that this aspect of nuclear power generation would be particularly acute to a Senator from a water-scarce state like Arizona. In terms of environmental/resource trade-offs, it would seem that Arizona has much more land (and Sunlight) than water to spare for power generation.
Although Senator McCain has had a historically rocky relationship with the Sun--he was diagnosed with melanoma (skin cancer) in 2000--perhaps he will give his home state's most prodigious natural resource a second chance. In fact, Arizona has already announced plans to build the world's largest solar power plant, which is to be completed in 2011.
However, completion of the new solar plant is wholly dependent on whether or not Congress renews the clean energy tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of 2008. Hmmm, if only there was a tax-cutting Congressman from a sun-drenched Southwestern state to make sure those tax credits were renewed...
Given Senator McCain's lip service toward reducing America's dependence on "oil sheiks [and] their troubled politics", one would think that he might want to be first in line in the effort to make Arizona the "Persian Gulf of solar energy," and perhaps become the world's first "solar sheik" in the process.
Just some humble advice from a McCain supporter.
Image Courtesy of: The Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/images/HC-GF036_McCain_20051014064133.gif
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Solar is slowly making its way into Texas
I read an article on the plane this weekend about Heliovolt's new solar manufacturing plant in Austin. The Austin-born thin-film photovoltaic company is going to be the first manufacturer to produce photovoltaics in Texas.
In another sign that solar is making it's way eastward its stronghold in silicon valley, startup solar-thermal company Ausra is starting an office in Texas, and looking to hire an executive, according to a job posting on the Berkeley Institute of the Environment webpage (find it here).
With the cost of solar electricity dropping each year, growing demand for electricity, and a public/regulatory environment that makes development of coal-powered plants less desireable than alternatives, Texas is in a great place to soak up a lot of solar business in the next few years.
And with the ERCOT North and West transmission zones congested almost to capacity with wind power, solar is looking better every day.
My prediction: Look for a boom in Texas solar, starting in late 2009 (right around when a lot of you will be graduating). My recommendation: start tailoring your resume to take advantage of the next energy boom, right here in Texas...
In another sign that solar is making it's way eastward its stronghold in silicon valley, startup solar-thermal company Ausra is starting an office in Texas, and looking to hire an executive, according to a job posting on the Berkeley Institute of the Environment webpage (find it here).
With the cost of solar electricity dropping each year, growing demand for electricity, and a public/regulatory environment that makes development of coal-powered plants less desireable than alternatives, Texas is in a great place to soak up a lot of solar business in the next few years.
And with the ERCOT North and West transmission zones congested almost to capacity with wind power, solar is looking better every day.
My prediction: Look for a boom in Texas solar, starting in late 2009 (right around when a lot of you will be graduating). My recommendation: start tailoring your resume to take advantage of the next energy boom, right here in Texas...
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The Answer for Cheap Solar?
After reading through all the blogs the last couple days I was surprised I didn't see much written about Solar Energy. For one, solar is the ultimate in renewable energy...there's wind, but at some point it has a limit...there's energy in ocean currents and waves, but we don't really know what kind of effect it might have if we harness this energy on a large scale...there's nuclear, but until breeder reactors are utilized there is a limit to the fuel source.
What I like about solar is that it's always there. The sun comes up every morning and goes down every night. We don't have to invest time and money into planting it, drilling for it, harvesting it, or refining it. All we need to do is learn how to effectively utilize it.
Up till recently, everyone knew the one reason we don't simply get all our energy needs from solar sources...cost. Photovoltaic cells needed to be made out of a super pure silicon and were therefore very expensive; in addition the manufacturing process was slow and expensive. So expensive that it was not cost effective for the typical homeowner to get a solar panel on their roof. But have times changed??
I recently saw an episode of Modern Marvels on the History channel called Renewable Energy (I love the History channel). In this episode I learned about a new technology in solar energy. A company called Nanosolar is making a new type of photovoltaic. Using a Copper-Indium-Gallium-Diselenide (CIGS) alloy in the correct proportions they were able to create a semiconductor that was so effective they could create a thin film solar cell (so thin it could be painted onto a metal substrate). This breakthrough allowed them to significantly reduce the cost of producing solar cells by streamlining the manufacturing process (literally painting on the semiconductor to a thin metal sheet). Check out the YouTube video showing their manufacturing process! So, to review they eliminated the high material cost (expensive silicon) and high manufacturing cost.
In the November 12, 2007 issue of Popular Science, the new technology was named the magazine's 'Innovation of the Year Winner', check it out here. Nanosolar was also named #1 in a list of the top 20 companies that are "pushing the ecological envelope" by Plenty magazine (an environmental news and issues publication). Check out the pdf article here.
Based on these articles, Nanosolar has been able to produce their new solar cells at a cost of less that $1 per watt, which is a tenth of the traditional cost of Silicon based PV's! Nanosolar is also currently building the world's largest solar cell factory in California, touting that is will be able to produce enough solar cells to generate 430 MegaWatt's of energy a year (three times as much as the US currently produces per yr)!
Hopefully this technology will cause a revolution in green building so that we will not be so heavily reliant on fossil fuel plants for energy...now if only we could make the sun stay up all day and we could cover our cars with this photovoltaic paint! Maybe the company that does one of these two will win innovation of the year next time...
Want to read more about thin film solar?? Then check out this article in EnergyAndCapital
What I like about solar is that it's always there. The sun comes up every morning and goes down every night. We don't have to invest time and money into planting it, drilling for it, harvesting it, or refining it. All we need to do is learn how to effectively utilize it.
Up till recently, everyone knew the one reason we don't simply get all our energy needs from solar sources...cost. Photovoltaic cells needed to be made out of a super pure silicon and were therefore very expensive; in addition the manufacturing process was slow and expensive. So expensive that it was not cost effective for the typical homeowner to get a solar panel on their roof. But have times changed??
I recently saw an episode of Modern Marvels on the History channel called Renewable Energy (I love the History channel). In this episode I learned about a new technology in solar energy. A company called Nanosolar is making a new type of photovoltaic. Using a Copper-Indium-Gallium-Diselenide (CIGS) alloy in the correct proportions they were able to create a semiconductor that was so effective they could create a thin film solar cell (so thin it could be painted onto a metal substrate). This breakthrough allowed them to significantly reduce the cost of producing solar cells by streamlining the manufacturing process (literally painting on the semiconductor to a thin metal sheet). Check out the YouTube video showing their manufacturing process! So, to review they eliminated the high material cost (expensive silicon) and high manufacturing cost.
In the November 12, 2007 issue of Popular Science, the new technology was named the magazine's 'Innovation of the Year Winner', check it out here. Nanosolar was also named #1 in a list of the top 20 companies that are "pushing the ecological envelope" by Plenty magazine (an environmental news and issues publication). Check out the pdf article here.
Based on these articles, Nanosolar has been able to produce their new solar cells at a cost of less that $1 per watt, which is a tenth of the traditional cost of Silicon based PV's! Nanosolar is also currently building the world's largest solar cell factory in California, touting that is will be able to produce enough solar cells to generate 430 MegaWatt's of energy a year (three times as much as the US currently produces per yr)!
Hopefully this technology will cause a revolution in green building so that we will not be so heavily reliant on fossil fuel plants for energy...now if only we could make the sun stay up all day and we could cover our cars with this photovoltaic paint! Maybe the company that does one of these two will win innovation of the year next time...
Want to read more about thin film solar?? Then check out this article in EnergyAndCapital
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
