An Ignoble Experiment

2. CA solar research provides insights for designing residential energy programs

The U.S. continues to lead the world in wind energy, ranking second in installed capacity, according to two reports released recently by the Department of Energy. The wind market in the United States remains strong due to increasing wind energy generation of decreasing wind technology prices, driving the U.S. closer to doubling wind power generation once again by 2020, the reports predict.

Total U.S. installed wind power capacity is currently 61 GW, and provides almost 4.5 percent of the nation's electricity, according to one of the reports by DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The report also notes that wind energy prices are at an all-time low, with more utilities selecting wind as a cost-saving option.

"As a readily expandable, domestic source of clean, renewable energy, wind power is paving the way to a low-carbon future that protects our air and water while providing affordable, renewable electricity to American families and businesses," said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz in a statement. "However, the continued success of the U.S. wind industry highlights the importance of policies like the Production Tax Credit that provide a solid framework for America to lead the world in clean energy innovation, while also keeping wind manufacturing and jobs in the U.S."

Utility-scale turbines installed in more than 39 states and territories are partially credited for the success of the U.S. wind industry and the ripple effect it has had on the economy, driving more than $500 million in exports and supporting jobs related to development, siting, manufacturing, transportation and other industries.

In total, approximately 72,000 turbines in distributed applications installed across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands accounted for more than 80 percent of all wind turbines installed in the U.S. in 2013, and reached a cumulative capacity of more than 842 MW, according to a report by the DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

In fact, 14 states, including Iowa, Nevada and California, now each have more than 10 MW of distributed wind capacity, according to the research.

For more:
- see this report
- see this report

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China, U.S. driving wind capacity

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By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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3. IL could be first to require adoption of national energy data access standard

The energy efficiency actions of California homeowners who installed rooftop solar electric systems are the focus of a new report from the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) to provide insights into the connection between solar adoption and energy upgrades -- insights that could help in the design of future residential energy programs. Understanding the relationship between solar adoption and energy efficiency measures is critical given the state government's efforts to expand the residential energy efficiency market and its aggressive plans calling for reducing energy consumption in existing residential buildings 40 percent by 2020, CSE states.

CSE surveyed 2,350 homeowners with solar installed in the San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) service territory to understand their motivation behind investing in a solar photovoltaic (PV) system and to assess their perspectives on energy efficiency.

While the majority of respondents indicated saving money on electricity costs was the most important reason for going solar (74 percent) and for making any energy efficiency upgrades (71 percent), nuances in motivations across demographic groups reveal some distinct differences that shed light on differing energy views. The survey found that 87 percent of survey participants had engaged in energy efficiency, with the majority only taking basic actions prior to solar installation, such as installing low-energy lighting and appliances.

A portion of the survey group was divided into "leading achievers" and "practical spenders," based largely on household income, education and other demographics. The survey revealed that "leading achievers" were more motivated to install solar because of environmental concerns and the desire to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, while "practical spenders" saw solar as a more significant investment that increased their property value.

Further, practical spenders link energy efficiency to home maintenance as an ongoing process but with the added benefits of comfortable indoor temperatures and improved air quality. Leading achievers see energy efficiency as a way to reduce their carbon footprint and were more likely to see energy efficiency upgrades as a prerequisite to solar to reduce consumption and minimize PV system size.

The research indicates that solar customers appear to understand that deeper energy efficiency upgrades not only offer cost savings, but improvements in home comfort and health and safety engage them in taking additional measures. This finding could have potentially large implications, considering the savings missed when energy efficiency is not addressed comprehensively before installing solar.

"Consideration should be given to integrating solar into energy efficiency programs and framing solar as a component of a comprehensive home energy upgrade," Ria Langheim, a CSE research analyst recommended.

For more:
- see the report

Related Article:
CA IOUs will meet residential solar goals

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By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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4. Recycled car batteries driving 19 percent more efficient solar cells

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Citizens Utility Board (CUB) of Illinois have filed an "Open Data Access Framework" with state regulators that would, for the first time, give customers the right to automatically receive detailed information about their own energy usage, empowering customers control their energy usage, conserve energy, and reduce carbon pollution.

Credit: ThinkStock

The framework is intended to provide guidance to public utility commissions throughout the country on how to set a standard for customer access to their own energy data, and create a consistent national regulatory model (much like Green Button Connect has done as a technical standard) to enable third-party energy software and hardware providers to scale to all markets.

"This new framework will make Illinois the first state that requires utilities, at a minimum, to adopt a national data access standard -- like Green Button Connect -- that will ensure consumers have easy and timely access to their own energy data," said Andrew Barbeau, EDF consultant and president of the Accelerate Group.

The passage of the 2011 Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act, and resulting smart meter deployments, secured many benefits for local utilities -- Commonwealth Edison and Ameren -- including greater control over peak energy load, grid resiliency, and cost savings resulting from the energy conservation efforts of their electricity customers. Smart meters are now well-positioned to provide customers benefits, as well, by empowering customers with easy access to their own energy data. Giving consumers access to their energy data makes way for better demand response, energy efficiency, and renewable energy programs, which is key to making energy more affordable and reliable.

The proposed framework sets a minimum state regulatory standard to ensure customers can quickly obtain smart meter data in convenient, user-friendly formats -- either directly from the electric meter itself or through the Internet or mobile applications. As customers allow third parties access to energy data, the framework will enable new business models for home automation and other energy-management services. Combined with smart thermostats and other smart appliances, the data can help target and refine energy efficiency and demand response programs, which reward customers for using less energy during peak times.

The framework deems the customer the principal owner of their retail electric consumption data, and the utility a guardian of the data. It further states that customers should have access to their retail electric consumption data in intervals that are as short intervals -- real-time when accessed directly from the smart meter or within an hour through the Internet.

The Illinois Commerce Commission will review the filing, but it is yet to be seen if approval will come in time for the state's electric utilities to incorporate the framework into their smart grid deployment plans when they go through their annual review in April 2015.

For more:
- read the framework

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By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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5. Adams County, CO first county in nation to invest in community solar garden

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) initiative may have discovered a system which recycles materials from old car batteries and turns it into long-lasting solar panels that provide emissions-free power.

Researchers based the system on a recent development in solar cells that uses a technology called perovskite, which, in less than two years, has progressed from initial experiments to the point where its efficiency is nearly competitive with that of other types of solar cells. Photovoltaic cells based on the compound have already achieved power-conversion efficiency of more than 19 percent -- close to that of many commercial silicon-based solar cells.

The production of perovskite solar cells is a fairly simple process, having the advantage of being low-temperature with less steps, compared to conventional solar cells and making it easier to get to large-scale deployment on the cheap.

One reason for using the lead in old car batteries is that battery technology is undergoing rapid change, with more efficient types, such as lithium-ion batteries, taking over the market.

"Once the battery technology evolves, over 200 million lead-acid batteries will potentially be retired in the United States, and that could cause a lot of environmental issues," said Angela M. Belcher, W.M. Keck professor of energy at MIT.

Perovskite technology has been negatively identified for its use of lead, whose production from raw ores can produce toxic residues, but by using recycled lead from old car batteries, the manufacturing process can be used to divert toxic material from landfills and reuse it in photovoltaic panels.

Currently, 90 percent of the lead recovered from the recycling of old batteries is used to produce new batteries, according to Belcher. But over time, the market for new lead-acid batteries is likely to decline, potentially leaving a large stockpile of lead with no obvious application.

Belcher believes that the recycled perovskite solar cells will be embraced by other photovoltaics researchers, who can now fine-tune the technology for maximum efficiency.

For more:
- see this article

Read more about: Solar power
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By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

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