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Archimid

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2800 on: June 02, 2018, 09:27:42 PM »
The real National security emergency is getting rid of coal as fast as possible. Once again the traitor president is working against the best interests of the US.
I am an energy reservoir seemingly intent on lowering entropy for self preservation.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2801 on: June 03, 2018, 12:35:35 AM »
Oil:  we may be bad, but we’re not as bad as coal!

“This has got to be one for the record books. Oil industry joins with solar and wind industry to condemn Trump admin plan to prop up coal industry by forcing electric grid to buy coal power. Oil/wind/solar as allies? Fascinating times. ”

https://twitter.com/EricLiptonNYT/status/1002609347745099776
Images below.
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Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2802 on: June 03, 2018, 01:22:53 AM »
At least most of the major oil companies have admitted that climate change is happening and fossil fuels are largely the cause.  I haven't see a similar admission from a coal company.

numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2803 on: June 03, 2018, 04:08:25 AM »
"Oil" meaning gas in this context. The gas industry is who would take the biggest hit from an emergency declaration.

Sleepy

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2804 on: June 04, 2018, 03:08:09 PM »
Renewables 2018 Global Status Report
http://www.ren21.net/status-of-renewables/global-status-report/

https://twitter.com/Oliver_Geden/status/1003565372258377728
Quote
Result is obvious but not known by most policymakers, journalists & public: #Renewables volume has drastically increased, but share in overall energy consumption hasn't. See @REN21 numbers for 2006 (note that accounting methods have changed since) http://www.ren21.net/renewables-2007-global-status-report/ … #GSR2018
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2805 on: June 05, 2018, 07:04:38 PM »
California gets more power from solar than gas in May
• 17% of in-state generation (not including rooftop solar or other solar generation behind a customer meter)
Quote
California was one of only three states in 2017 to get more than 10% of its power from solar, but has not stopped there. According to an analysis of data from California’s grid operator compiled by pv magazine collaborator and self-described data geek Joe Deely, in May solar generation in the area managed by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) rose to a new record of 3.02 terawatt-hours (TWh), representing nearly 17% of in-state generation. With gas falling to only 2.67 TWh, or around 15%, this means that solar provided more electricity for Californians than gas – for the first time ever on a monthly basis.

It is important to note that as CAISO does not track rooftop solar or other solar generation behind a customer meter, all of the solar projects in the state actually generated as much as 50% more electricity than the CAISO figures show. ...
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2018/06/04/california-gets-more-power-from-solar-than-gas-in-may/


And, California is now the world's fifth-largest economy.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-california-economy-gdp-20180504-story.html
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sidd

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2806 on: June 07, 2018, 10:11:43 PM »

Sleepy

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2807 on: June 08, 2018, 01:25:41 PM »
China’s Bombshell Solar Policy Shift Could Cut Expected Capacity by 20 Gigawatts
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/chinas-bombshell-solar-policy-could-cut-capacity-20-gigawatts
Quote
China’s recently announced changes to national solar policies will bring significant impacts for the global PV market and possibly the first contraction in global PV demand since before 2000, according to GTM Research.

The country’s National Energy Administration, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance released new guidance that terminates any approvals for new subsidized utility-scale PV power stations in 2018.

China will also reduce its feed-in tariff for projects by RMB 0.05 per kilowatt-hour (a fraction of a U.S. cent), cap distributed project size at 10 gigawatts (down from 19 gigawatts), and mandate that utility-scale projects go through auctions to set power prices. Projects connected to the grid past June 1 will not receive feed-in tariffs.

In all, the changes will significantly chill growth in a country that’s driving the global solar market.

“When the industry talks about China, it’s always about how demand in the region exceeds expectations,” said Jade Jones, a senior solar analyst at GTM Research. “That is not going to be the case anymore.”
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Yuha

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2808 on: June 08, 2018, 06:59:01 PM »
World’s largest li-ion battery and 707 MW of solar power in Colorado proposal
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2018/06/07/worlds-largest-li-ion-battery-and-707-mw-of-solar-power-in-colorado-proposal/

Quote
If the Preferred CEPP plan is implemented, it would see the utility move from 28% renewables as of 2017, to 53% by 2026. The most important piece of all of this are deep emissions reductions. By 2026 generation serving Xcel’s Colorado customers would emit nearly 60% less CO2 and 90% less SO2 and NOX, compared to 2005 levels.

And this is coming at a bargain for these customers. When these bids came out back in January, CarbonTrack.org noted that at 3.6¢/kWh for solar+storage 74% of coal would be would priced higher. With the new pricing of the solar+storage turning out to be 3.0-3.2¢/kWh – 100% of coal powered generation is now more expensive.


Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2809 on: June 08, 2018, 07:26:55 PM »
From the PV Magazine article -

Quote
The solar power bids ranged from 2.3-2.7¢/kWh, while solar plus storage ranged from 3.0-3.2¢/kWh. While it makes for an imperfect comparison as solar project costs vary, the solar vs solar+storage delta is 0.5-0.8¢/kWh.

Even more eye popping was the wind power pricing that ranged from 1.1-1.8¢/kWh.

Those prices apparently are lowered by the 30% investment tax credit (ITC).  Removing the ITC, as will happen as wind and solar subsidy programs fade away, would raise the cost some but not the full 30%.  At 30% solar would rise to 3.3 - 3.9 cents and wind to 1.6 - 2.6 cents.

Those are very encouraging numbers.  Wind seems to be hitting 2 cents, unsubsidized.  Solar is breaking under 4 cents.  These sorts of numbers speed the death of fossil fuels.

And storage (I assume short term) for less than 1 cent per kWh.  That is a duck killer.  Waterfowl road pizza.

Sciguy

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2810 on: June 09, 2018, 12:03:56 AM »
China's solar slowdown could be good news for India (and elsewhere):

https://qz.com/1298585/chinas-solar-power-slowdown-is-great-news-for-india/

Quote
This is great news for India, coming at a time when the country is chasing a target of 100,000 megawatts (MW) of solar power capacity by 2022. That’s mostly because a slowdown in China’s solar industry could result in a fall in solar panel costs globally. Nearly 90% of all solar panels used in India are imported, predominantly from China.

“If they (China) are holding back, that means their manufacturing capacity would be available for the global market, which will have an impact on reducing the cost,” said Amit Kumar, cleantech partner at consulting firm PwC. “If the availability (of panels) is increased and costs come down, tariffs will come down and it is a positive sign.”

Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2811 on: June 09, 2018, 01:37:51 AM »
Cross-posted from Batteries thread.  Using clean energy to make sustainable energy products for the world! 

Elon Musk tweeted:
“Gigafactory should be on 100% renewable energy (primarily solar with some wind) by next year. Rollout of solar already begun.”

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1005133546665566208
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2812 on: June 10, 2018, 03:21:04 PM »
Britain has gone nine days without wind power
Quote
Britain’s gone nine days with almost no wind generation and forecasts show the calm conditions persisting until the middle of the month.

The wind drought has pushed up day-ahead power prices to the highest levels for the time of year for at least a decade.

U.K. turbines can produce about as much power as 12 nuclear reactors when conditions are right. During the “Beast from the East” storm that hit Britain in March, they generated record levels of power and at times provided the biggest share of the nation’s electricity.

Low wind power isn’t a threat to supplies in June when demand is low, but on a dull, dark day in winter, this could be a different story.

The government has to make sure that there is enough back up generation for times when the wind isn’t blowing. Greg Clark, secretary of state for business energy and industrial strategy announced Monday that the U.K. will take the next step toward agreeing to help Hitachi Ltd. finance a new nuclear reactor.
http://governorswindenergycoalition.org/wind-disappears-in-britain-leaving-turbines-at-a-standstill/


Other solutions:  Solar.  More storage.  Overbuilding.  Efficiency.  Wave power generators.
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Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2813 on: June 10, 2018, 07:03:51 PM »
The claim that the UK experienced nine days with no wind is false.



The UK experienced five days with very low wind input and four days of lower than average but not unusual input.

There are multiple solutions.   We don't know what is likely to be best because we don't have enough data.  One would need to do an analysis of demand and input from all sources. 

Add in solar, hydro, existing nuclear, and imported electricity.  Then do some modeling to find the lowest cost solution rather than simply turning to the most expensive. 

Just a guess on my part but overbuilding offshore wind and increasing power trades with the mainland is likely to be cheaper than nuclear.


Sciguy

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2814 on: June 11, 2018, 08:41:55 PM »
Revised projections of solar power installations after the China announcement still estimate more than 100 GW of new solar this year:

https://cleantechnica.com/2018/06/11/global-solar-demand-to-increase-11-despite-china-cuts-predicts-ihs-markit/

Quote
Market research firm IHS Markit has published new figures that show the global solar market will still increase by around 11% to 105 gigawatts (GW) in 2018 despite recent cuts to China’s solar policy that have shrunk expectations for the country’s solar industry.

Quote
It’s worth noting that Bloomberg New Energy Finance is now predicting that the Chinese cuts to its solar policy will have a direct impact on the price of solar modules around the world, which are expected to now fall by around 35% this year, which might in turn help to make up for the lack of capacity added in China.

Confirming another strong year ahead — and, specifically, the possibility of surpassing the 100 GW mark for the first time — market research firm IHS Markit has published new figures taking into account the new Chinese solar policy. Specifically, IHS has cut its predictions for China’s solar industry from new additions of 53 GW down to only 38 GW — with the majority of that installed through the first half of the year.

Sciguy

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2815 on: June 11, 2018, 08:45:33 PM »
India is revising it's planned installation of renewables upward due to the lower prices for solar and wind power:

https://cleantechnica.com/2018/06/10/india-increases-its-massive-2022-renewable-energy-target-by-28/

Quote
For the last several years, CleanTechnica has covered renewable energy development in India quite closely. Several years ago, India set what seemed like a lofty target of 175 gigawatts of wind and solar energy by March 2022. Few believed that was a practical target, but then India plowed forward and happily impressed the world. This week that goal was increased to 227 gigawatts!

Quote
For a few years, renewable energy prices in India were rather high due to high finance costs. Now that those finance costs have come down substantially, renewable energy investment is accelerating. In a recent statement to the media, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) wrote, “New opportunities have emerged — altogether a new business space has been created. Indian companies have begun to explore foreign stock exchanges as a source of funds. India is progressively becoming a most favored destination for investment in renewables.”

Of course, global prices for renewable energy have continued to drop as well, allowing this goal to be increased. R K Singh, Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy, recently stated at a press conference, “India’s current renewable-based power capacity stands at 70 Gw, and we will cross the 175-Gw target well before 2022. We have new schemes like offshore wind, floating solar, which will help us over-achieve the current target.”

etienne

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2816 on: June 11, 2018, 09:54:55 PM »
France has a project to inject hydrogen in a local natural gas network.
https://abonnes.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2018/06/11/quand-dunkerque-injecte-de-l-hydrogene-dans-son-reseau-de-gaz_5313128_3234.html?xtor=RSS-3208
Two years of testing were needed to get all the needed autorisations.

This is in the renewable topic because hydrogen is suposed to be produced with renewable energy when in oversupply.

Sciguy

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2817 on: June 12, 2018, 12:49:22 AM »
More on the impacts from China's decision to suspend new solar projects.  The lower prices for solar panels due to the project glut could offset the new US tariffs on solar panels:

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08062018/china-solar-subsidies-panel-prices-cancel-trump-tariffs-impact-energy-analysts-bnef-seia

Quote
The American solar market may be about to get boost from an unexpected source: Energy analysts say the Chinese government's decision to dramatically cut its solar power subsidies will create a glut of solar panels and send their prices tumbling worldwide.

It comes at a crucial time for American solar installers. Falling prices could take the sting out of President Trump's solar panel tariffs, which have raised costs in the United States and led to billions of dollars in cancelled and frozen U.S. investments.

jacksmith4tx

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2818 on: June 12, 2018, 01:53:54 AM »
Ken,
I was listening to some podcasts of solar analyst a few months ago that said most the big installers tried to lock in pre-tariff prices and inventory orders. Their take at the time was smart business decision and they were forecasting across the board price hikes to extend out to 2020. There will be a sharp increase of Chinese panels as production is diverted from domestic consumption but after that supply will contract and wholesale prices will recover a little bit.
What we need is cheap storage and everyone knows it. Today there was a IPO in China of the battery maker CATL. Good market reaction, limit up @44% increase in stock price.
https://www.ft.com/content/27a0297a-6d38-11e8-92d3-6c13e5c92914
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Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2819 on: June 12, 2018, 03:49:58 AM »
Apparently some are predicting a move to bifacial panels (light is captured on both front and back of panels.  This can add 30% more electricity per panel with little to no cost increase.  That would mean an up to 30% system cost decrease.  More output per same amount of racking, land, and labor.

The cost of panels is almost certain to drop over time. 


jacksmith4tx

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2820 on: June 12, 2018, 11:08:13 PM »
(I installed my Enphase M212s in 2012, and they are solid products)
Enphase Systems has a 5yr deal to supply all the microinverter products for Sun Power. Enphase claims they now have the De Facto standard in residential AC modules (ACM). I wonder why Sun Power let Enphase have the deal when Sun Power actually has better margins on their micros? On the other hand if Sun Power thinks Enphase actually has a better microinverter it's a win-win + Enphase is working on even bigger ACM aimed at 360w-400w future panels.

On the downside, at lot of projects are stalled out because of the tariff.
"US Solar Tariffs Cost Billions In Cancelled Projects, But 2018 To Remain Flat"
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/06/12/__trashed-53/
Solar PV accounted for 55% of all US electricity capacity added during the first quarter of 2018.
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Sciguy

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2821 on: June 13, 2018, 12:55:29 AM »
Good article in the Wall Street Journal about the current prospects for renewables:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-investment-in-wind-and-solar-energy-is-outshining-fossil-fuels-1528718400

A few excerpts:

Quote
Last week, Xcel Energy  Inc. announced a $2.5 billion plan to add 1,800 megawatts of new wind and solar generation, plus a substantial amount of batteries to store the power. The plan, which needs to be approved by state regulators, would retire 660 megawatts of coal-burning generation and result in savings for consumers, the Minneapolis-based utility said.

Quote
Renewable-energy prices are now competitive with fossil-fuel generation in many places. In 2017, the global average cost of electricity from onshore wind was $60 per megawatt hour and $100 for solar, toward the lower end of the $50 to $170 range for new fossil-fuel facilities in developed nations, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

The combination of falling costs and large pools of available capital is also spurring renewables growth in developing countries.

In November, Italy’s Enel SpA, a global energy company, won a bid to build power plants in Chile in an auction open to both renewable and fossil-fuel generators. Enel will build wind, solar and geothermal facilities and sell power from the facilities at about $32.50 per megawatt hour, an unsubsidized rate that is lower than the cost of natural gas or coal to burn in existing plants.

Recent power auctions have suggested that renewable energy prices have further to fall. Earlier this year, an auction in Saudi Arabia awarded a contract to build a 300-megawatt solar facility for $17.90 a megawatt hour. Very low labor costs in the Middle East and India are resulting in record-breaking low bids for solar.

A Mexican auction last year drew international bids for power at an unsubsidized price of below $21 per megawatt hour. That was substantially below the spot market price for electricity, which averaged around $70 per megawatt hour last year, said Veronica Irastorza, an associate director of economic consulting firm NERA and a former Mexican undersecretary of energy planning.

“Renewables are going to be able to compete with thermal plants. They will be incorporated into the system faster than I thought five years ago,” she said.

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2822 on: June 13, 2018, 06:53:21 AM »
" In 2017, the global average cost of electricity from onshore wind was $60 per megawatt hour and $100 for solar, toward the lower end of the $50 to $170 range for new fossil-fuel facilities in developed nations, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency."

According to Lazard the global median (high/low average) unsubsidized prices for onshore wind was $45/MWh and PV solar was $50/MWh.


numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2823 on: June 13, 2018, 02:42:49 PM »
Lazard numbers are consistently lower than IRENA numbers; the methodology is just slightly different. Either way you get similar conclusions, that renewables are now cheap.

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2824 on: June 13, 2018, 05:24:00 PM »
" the global average cost of electricity from onshore wind was $60 per megawatt hour and $100 for solar,"

Lazard = $45 for wind and $50 for solar.  The numbers for solar aren't even close. 


Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2825 on: June 13, 2018, 05:35:57 PM »
Good news out of Europe.  Looks like Italy and Spain may get back to work cutting fossil fuel use.

Quote
New political leaders in Italy and Spain have brightened the outlook for renewables in two of Europe’s biggest energy markets.

In Italy, the fourth-largest economy in Europe, new Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in his inaugural speech this month that “we will work to speed up the process, already in progress, of the ‘decarbonization’ of our production system.”

Conte was sworn in as a caretaker head of state after months of wrangling between the two coalition partners that emerged from Italy’s latest elections.

The center-right federation called League (Lega in Italian) and the populist Five Star Movement (Movimento 5 Stelle or M5S) both claim a commitment to environmental causes that might affect energy policy.

And last month Platts reported the coalition had agreed on measures including greater support for electric vehicles and renewables.

In Spain, citizens are still reeling from a change in government that took place within a week.

There, Pedro Sánchez used a no-confidence vote to oust Mariano Rajoy as prime minister after senior figures in Rajoy’s right-wing People’s Party (Partido Popular or PP in Spanish) were convicted of corruption.

Pulling a cabinet together over the weekend after the vote, Sánchez put distance between his center-left Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español or PSOE) and the PP.

His pick to lead energy policy was an acknowledged climate action advocate. On taking office, Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera was hailed as representing “a 180-degree turn in the fight against climate change in Spain.”

She is widely expected to seek a repeal of Spain’s notorious solar self-consumption "tax on the sun," and in one of her first ministerial interviews said, “I don’t think coal has much of a future.”

Ribera’s stance contrasts that of the PP, which clamped down on admittedly out-of-control renewable subsidy payments in 2011 and then steadfastly refused to offer any concessions to the industry afterward.

Plant owners found themselves in a regulatory quagmire as the rules of the game continued to change. Wind and solar installation rates plummeted.

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/italy-and-spains-new-leaders-smile-on-renewables#gs.x4zyc08

numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2826 on: June 14, 2018, 03:17:07 AM »
" the global average cost of electricity from onshore wind was $60 per megawatt hour and $100 for solar,"

Lazard = $45 for wind and $50 for solar.  The numbers for solar aren't even close.

Equally one could say: “The anomaly from 1980-2010 climatology is 0.2C, whereas from 1900 is 1.1 C. The numbers for temperature aren’t even close.”

Within either methodology you can fairly compare technologies. In either count, renewables are cheap.

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2827 on: June 14, 2018, 05:27:46 AM »
In your  1980-2010 to 1900 comparison you aren't making the same sort of comparison as was the case when both sets of numbers are supposedly about current prices.

numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2828 on: June 14, 2018, 02:33:54 PM »
Both anomalies are about current temperatures.

You’re annoyed at IRENA having a methodology that makes renewables look more expensive than Lazard does. Are you equally annoyed at Lazard having a methodology that makes fossil fuels look cheaper than IRENA does?

Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2829 on: June 14, 2018, 04:17:41 PM »
Solar Has Overtaken Gas and Wind as Biggest Source of New U.S. Power
Solar power in U.S. climbed 13% in first quarter, SEIA says
Quote
Despite tariffs that President Trump imposed on imported panels, the U.S. installed more solar energy than any other source of electricity in the first quarter.

Developers installed 2.5 gigawatts of solar in the first quarter, up 13 percent from a year earlier, according to a report Tuesday from the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research. That accounted for 55 percent of all new generation, with solar panels beating new wind and natural gas turbines for a second straight quarter.

The growth came even as tariffs on imported panels threatened to increase costs for developers. Giant fields of solar panels led the growth as community solar projects owned by homeowners and businesses took off. Total installations this year are expected to be 10.8 gigawatts, or about the same as last year, according to GTM. By 2023, annual installations should reach more than 14 gigawatts.

“Solar has become a common-sense option for much of the U.S., and is too strong to be set back for long, even in light of the tariffs,” SEIA Chief Executive Officer Abigail Ross Hopper said in a statement.
https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2018-06-12/solar-surpasses-gas-and-wind-as-biggest-source-of-new-u-s-power
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Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2830 on: June 14, 2018, 04:44:39 PM »
Both anomalies are about current temperatures.

You’re annoyed at IRENA having a methodology that makes renewables look more expensive than Lazard does. Are you equally annoyed at Lazard having a methodology that makes fossil fuels look cheaper than IRENA does?

I pointed out the fact that Lazard reports lower costs, especially for solar. 

I follow wind and solar developments fairly closely and know that $100/MWh for utility solar has to be wrong.  What annoys me is bad data being circulated.


Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2831 on: June 14, 2018, 06:07:09 PM »
Solar prices continue to fall...

Quote
8minutenergy’s 300-megawatt Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar Farm, which clocks in at a flat rate of $23.76 per megawatt-hour throughout its 25-year PPA term.




https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/nevada-beat-arizona-record-low-solar-ppa-price#gs.am7rYg8

That's 2.4 cents per kWh and it will be 2.4 cents per kWh 25 years from now when 2.4 cents won't pay for a penny candy. 

To estimate the unsubsidized cost add a penny which means that utility solar has now dropped under 4 cents.

Solar dropping this low means that coal and that other way we boil water for electricity are going to be losing a lot of money going forward.  And, as one can see from the chart, when the Sun is shining CCNG plants are going to curtail.

numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2832 on: June 15, 2018, 02:27:41 AM »
IRENA gives the LCOE for plants that entered service in 2017 globally. Lazard gives LCOE for a model plant based on costs for the present year (seemingly US costs, but they’re not super clear about that).

They are both valid data, and provide independent validations of the same phenomenon.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2833 on: June 16, 2018, 03:00:04 PM »
U.S.:  How Georgia Became a Top 10 Solar State, With Lawmakers Barely Lifting a Finger
The state has plenty of sun, but little support for solar power in the legislature. Here’s how a Republican who goes by ‘Bubba’ changed the energy landscape.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14062018/georgia-solar-power-renewable-utility-scale-clean-energy-investments-2018-election
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2834 on: June 16, 2018, 03:04:43 PM »
“At CleanTechnica, we have published numerous stories projecting that the price of solar would continue to decline despite already low prices. Nevertheless, I still feel the need for someone to convince me that I am not dreaming every time a solar price record is obliterated. (Notably, not even 5 years ago, 2–3¢/kWh solar was projected for 2050.)”

Updated: New US Solar Record — 2.155 Cents Per kWh! (with Escalator for Inflation)
Quote
We have seen solar power in the Middle East come into the low 2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) range. We have seen it under 2 cents per kWh in Mexico. Misguided, casual observers claimed these prices only occurred due to heavily exploited labor, but now we have also seen 2.155 cents per kWh in the United States (h/t RenewEconomy). This contract was one of six contracts that Nevada Power recently signed. All 6 contracts came in under 3 cents per kWh. Update: This particular project had a 2.5% per year escalator for inflation. Another project had a higher price/kWh in the first year but with no escalator it came to an average of 1.795¢/kWh over the 25 year PPA period. ...
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/06/14/new-us-solar-record-2-155-cents-per-kwh-400-mwh-of-energy-storage/
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jai mitchell

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2835 on: June 18, 2018, 04:41:53 AM »
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032118303897

The feasibility of 100% renewable electricity systems: A response to critics

Highlights



    Large-scale electricity systems based on 100% renewable energy can meet the key requirements of reliability, security and affordability.


    This is even true where the vast majority of generation comes from variable renewables such as wind and solar PV.


    Thus the principal myths of critics of 100% renewable electricity are refuted.


    Arguments that the transition to 100% renewable electricity will necessarily take as long or longer than historical energy transitions are also refuted.


    The principal barriers to 100% renewable electricity are neither technological nor economic, but instead are primarily political, institutional and cultural.

Abstract

The rapid growth of renewable energy (RE) is disrupting and transforming the global energy system, especially the electricity industry. As a result, supporters of the politically powerful incumbent industries and others are critiquing the feasibility of large-scale electricity generating systems based predominantly on RE. Part of this opposition is manifest in the publication of incorrect myths about renewable electricity (RElec) in scholarly journals, popular articles, media, websites, blogs and statements by politicians. The aim of the present article is to use current scientific and engineering theory and practice to refute the principal myths. It does this by showing that large-scale electricity systems that are 100% renewable (100RElec), including those whose renewable sources are predominantly variable (e.g. wind and solar PV), can be readily designed to meet the key requirements of reliability, security and affordability. It also argues that transition to 100RElec could occur much more rapidly than suggested by historical energy transitions. It finds that the main critiques published in scholarly articles and books contain factual errors, questionable assumptions, important omissions, internal inconsistencies, exaggerations of limitations and irrelevant arguments. Some widely publicised critiques select criteria that are inappropriate and/or irrelevant to the assessment of energy technologies, ignore studies whose results contradict arguments in the critiques, and fail to assess the sum total of knowledge provided collectively by the published studies on 100RElec, but instead demand that each individual study address all the critiques’ inappropriate criteria. We find that the principal barriers to 100RElec are neither technological nor economic, but instead are primarily political, institutional and cultural.

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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2836 on: June 18, 2018, 07:00:29 PM »
Samsung Commits to 100 Percent Renewable Energy by 2020
Quote
Samsung Electronics announced Thursday an aim to source 100 percent renewable energy for its energy used in all of its factories, office buildings and operational facilities in the U.S., Europe and China by 2020.
...
As part of its initial commitment, the company will install around 42,000 square meters of solar panels at its headquarters in Suwon. It will also add about 21,000 square meters of solar arrays and geothermal power generation facilities at its campuses in Pyeongtaek and Hwaseong.

What's more, the electronics firm plans to work with 100 of its top partner companies to assist their own renewable energy targets in alignment with the Carbon Disclosure Project supply chain program, which Samsung intends to join next year.

The Carbon Disclosure Project's supply chain program helps organizations and suppliers identify and manage climate change risks, as well as deforestation and water-related risks. ...
https://www.ecowatch.com/samsung-renewable-energy-2578047250.html
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numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2837 on: June 18, 2018, 07:39:55 PM »
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/national-grid-targets-80-carbon-cut-across-buildings-transport-power/525839/

A utility in New England and New York proposes a path to 80 % decarbonization:
- converting oil heat to electricity or gas
- 51% renewables including hydro (lame)
- 100% of new cars electric by 2030

gerontocrat

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2838 on: June 19, 2018, 07:20:50 PM »
What a rotten Government I've got here in the UK. (Worst in the OECD (and many others) for solar power growth ?) Even makes the USA under Trump look bloody good.

ps: the UK govt. has also screwed up on-shore wind, the cheapest renewable energy choice for our climate.
pps: And what on earth is going on in Italy of all places?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/19/uk-solar-power-growth-halves-for-second-year-running.

UK solar power growth halves for second year running
Labour says figures show government’s commitment to green energy is ‘nothing but an empty PR move’


Quote
New solar power installations halved in the UK last year for the second year in a row, as the fallout of government subsidy cuts continued to shake the sector.

Labour said the figures showed the government’s commitment to green energy was “nothing but an empty PR move”.

The UK numbers were so poor that they caused overall EU solar growth to flatline at a time when record amounts of new solar were added globally.

Europe’s solar trade body said the UK had the slowest growth of the world’s top 20 solar markets, the lowest prospect for growth among its European peers in coming years and the worst political outlook.

James Watson, the chief executive of SolarPowerEurope, said: “Solar power has been voted the most popular energy source in the UK, it is therefore sad to see the UK government not take advantage of the huge potential of solar.”

New solar capacity in the UK declined to 0.95GW last year, down from 1.97GW in 2016 and 4.1GW in 2015. By 2022, SolarPowerEurope forecasts the UK will add just 2.1GW of solar, while Germany will add 20GW, France 11.7GW and Spain 8.8GW.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2839 on: June 19, 2018, 07:56:38 PM »
Lightning Bolts Send New York Power Prices Surging
Quote
Thunderstorms sent New York City power prices to the highest in almost two years after the state’s grid operator pulled a transmission line out of service Monday afternoon.

Spot power skyrocketed to $576.57 a megawatt-hour between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. local time. That was the highest average for the period since August 2016, according to Genscape Inc. data compiled by Bloomberg. The uptick occurred after New York Independent System Operator Inc. went into Thunderstorm Alert mode and took a 345-kilovolt line between Pleasant Valley and Leeds offline.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-19/lightning-bolts-boost-new-york-power-prices-to-two-year-high


Would microgrids be less susceptible to failure in such lightning storms? ???
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Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2840 on: June 19, 2018, 08:41:06 PM »
Quote
What a rotten Government I've got here in the UK.

England is having an onshore wind problem.  Not so much Scotland.  It's not an all-UK issue.  Offshore wind is doing well.  From 2016 to 2017 UK electricity production with wind rose 33%.  (BP)

And England/the UK is doing a good job of eliminating coal.  I think coal is largely finished.  I haven't started working with the latest FF numbers yet, only getting started with RE.

The overall England problem seems to be that powerful interests would rather Englanders paid significantly more for electricity in order to not see wind turbines and solar panels when they go to the country for a weekend.

wili

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2841 on: June 19, 2018, 09:18:09 PM »
"Would microgrids be less susceptible to failure in such lightning storms?"

I don't know, but GW is predicted to increase frequency of lightning strikes in the coming decades, so this will likely be an increasing problem with any system.
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gerontocrat

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2842 on: June 19, 2018, 09:35:11 PM »
"Would microgrids be less susceptible to failure in such lightning storms?"

I don't know, but GW is predicted to increase frequency of lightning strikes in the coming decades, so this will likely be an increasing problem with any system.

When a grid depends on a few really high capacity transmission lines to carry power from the very large power generators to the spread out energy consumers, then a failure in one high capacity transmission line can chew up the whole grid.

In a distributed system there are potentially a very large number of small (even individual houses and EVs) / medium sized power generation sites moving power (in most cases) to energy users in the locality - the grid can be built of large numbers of low capacity transmission lines.

Chances of a failure from lightning strikes remains the same - but the effect is localised (most / all the time).

I guess that is the direction of travel with smart grids.
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numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2843 on: June 20, 2018, 07:05:17 PM »
Intermittent renewables generally end up with more transmission, not less.

Relatively cheap storage could change that drastically. If you can store a few hours of power before a storm, you can be fine cutting off a transmission link for a few hours while storms go by.

numerobis

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2844 on: June 20, 2018, 07:29:04 PM »
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/world-on-track-for-50-renewables-by-2050-says-bloomberg-energy-outlook/526052/

BNEF now expects 50% wind and solar, 71% total renewables, plus a bit of nuclear — only about a quarter of electricity to be fossil fuels by 2050.

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2845 on: June 20, 2018, 07:45:55 PM »
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/world-on-track-for-50-renewables-by-2050-says-bloomberg-energy-outlook/526052/

BNEF now expects 50% wind and solar, 71% total renewables, plus a bit of nuclear — only about a quarter of electricity to be fossil fuels by 2050.

In a few years look for Bloomberg to be predicting higher than 71% well before 2050.

Utilities will be facing the question of why they should continue to pay more for fuel than a wind/solar PPA would cost. 

jacksmith4tx

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2846 on: June 20, 2018, 09:02:21 PM »
Behold the invisible hand of the market at work.
"US Continues Trade War Against China With New 25% Solar Tariff"
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/06/20/us-to-impose-further-25-tariff-on-chinese-solar-cells-modules/

June 20th, 2018 by Joshua S Hill
This 25% tariff is in addition to the 30% tariff that Donald Trump imposed on all imported solar cells and modules in January of this year.

The 'hand' has moved production to Malaysia, Korea and Vietnam. ;D
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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2847 on: June 20, 2018, 09:42:18 PM »
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/world-on-track-for-50-renewables-by-2050-says-bloomberg-energy-outlook/526052/

BNEF now expects 50% wind and solar, 71% total renewables, plus a bit of nuclear — only about a quarter of electricity to be fossil fuels by 2050.

Currently, fossil fuels produce 60% of the world's electricity. This would be great news. Not fast enough but great none the less.

Shared Humanity

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2848 on: June 20, 2018, 09:45:02 PM »
Behold the invisible hand of the market at work.
"US Continues Trade War Against China With New 25% Solar Tariff"
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/06/20/us-to-impose-further-25-tariff-on-chinese-solar-cells-modules/

June 20th, 2018 by Joshua S Hill
This 25% tariff is in addition to the 30% tariff that Donald Trump imposed on all imported solar cells and modules in January of this year.

The 'hand' has moved production to Malaysia, Korea and Vietnam. ;D

We are ceding leadership of emerging renewable energy technologies to China.

You got to hand it to our orange shitgibbon of a president.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2018, 04:34:02 AM by Shared Humanity »

Bob Wallace

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Re: Renewable Energy
« Reply #2849 on: June 20, 2018, 11:23:45 PM »
We need a smart and competent president who would put her/his administration to work identifying manufacturing activities at which we could be competitive.

China has been beating us out due to their low labor costs.  But in a highly automated factory cheap labor has little value.  An automated factory could sell cheaper into the North (possibly South) America market because they could avoid the cost of shipping halfway around the world.