How solar panels are making waves

How solar panels are making waves

Ultimately, integrating DSTATCOMs would mean a smarter grid, reducing headaches for electrical utilities and increasing the integration of renewable energies, Prof Ghosh says. Credit: David TREBOSC

If you think of electrical current flowing like water from the grid to your home, you can start to imagine the waves your rooftop solar panels create when they try feeding current in the opposite direction.

Now multiply that by 180,000, the number of West Australian homes operating rooftop solar panels, and it's clear our power grid has never been more complicated.

And with complication, comes expense.

Current policy sees ordinary homes hooked up to just one of three electrical phases supplied by the grid, which is perfectly sufficient for powering the average home.

Problems arise, however, when supply from rooftop solar panels exceeds demand, reversing the flow of power in that single phase for that single house, while the power in the other phases are still flowing downstream.

An expensive way past the problem is to connect every home to all three phases, according to Curtin University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Arindam Ghosh.

Since the peaks and troughs of each cycling phase are slightly offset, supplying three phases smooths the current into a more regular supply, he says.

As well as being expensive this solution would be wasteful as it would mean supplying extra wires to customers who don't really require them.

Fix-all for power woes

A more economical solution, Prof Ghosh says, is to use Distribution Static Compensators (DSTATCOMs).

"They're a device that can shape your power supply, a power-quality enhancement device," Prof Ghosh says.

DSTATCOMs could be a fix-all for regulating the quality of Perth's power supply: the devices balance supplied current between all three phases, reducing surges, boosting sags, and ironing out instability and flicker.

"They can also act as energy storage," Prof Ghosh says.

"They can store excess energy in batteries, you could then use this energy to shave off the evening peak energy use."

DSTATCOMs work by taking the single-phase reverse-flowing current your solar panels feed into the grid, then rapidly redirecting that current into whichever of the three phases need it most, balancing supply according to demand.

Prof Ghosh and his team have been developing efficient ways to connect and control DSTATCOMs so the devices will work with existing power transformers.

"Eventually we'll see large uptake of solar, but right now higher penetration will be difficult unless we see policy change," he says.

Ultimately, integrating DSTATCOMs would mean a smarter grid, reducing headaches for electrical utilities and increasing the integration of renewable energies, Prof Ghosh says.

 Explore further: Adding renewable energy to power grid requires flexibility

More information: Farhad Shahnia et al. Circulating the reverse flowing surplus power generated by single-phase DERs among the three phases of the distribution lines, International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.ijepes.2015.09.021

This article first appeared on ScienceNetwork Western Australia a science news website based at Scitech.

The one thing that could make or break solar energy

The one thing that could make or break solar energy

REUTERS/Carlos BarriaA worker inspects solar panels.

One of the more important and misunderstood parts of the solar industry is the impact policy has on making solar energy viable in the electric grid. Without policies like net metering -- which allow solar customers to send extra electricity back to the grid during the day and only pay for net usage each month -- companies like SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY) and Sunrun(NASDAQ: RUN) wouldn't exist. Policies like feed-in tariffs and renewable requirements that promote large solar energy projects in California, Japan, and Germany have also created demand for projects from SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR) and First Solar, which has allowed them to grow.

I'm not talking about subsidies, like the US' Business Energy Investment Tax Credit, but rather ways the solar industry gets access to the grid, particularly for very small projects. 

But as the solar industry grows to become a larger piece of the electric industry, it puts a strain on utilities that aren't used to customers creating their own energy and have to deal with the supply and demand changes solar energy brings. As a result, many utilities and governments are either fighting solar or changing the policies that have caused its growth in the first place. Here are some important trends to watch and who might be affected.

Solar policy wins As utilities have tried to fight solar, there have been some important wins for the industry. These are often seen as signs of a positive policy environment, at least in the U.S.

A Wisconsin state court recently overturned regulator-approved charges for solar customers in WE Energies' territory. Charges based on the size of a solar system were overturned because the utility couldn't prove that residential solar really cost it money, especially with extremely low market penetration in Wisconsin. 

In August, after NV Energy said it had hit the solar cap for net energy metering, the Nevada Public Utilities Commission decided that it would allow the policy to be expanded to new customers until the end of 2015 when a new policy could be decided on. 

Arizona's utility proposals to increase grid access charges for solar customers from $0.70/kW to $3/kW was withdrawn after a public outcry against the fight on solar.

In nearly every case where solar energy has been challenged the solar industry has won, either on the regulator level or in court against utilities. But that doesn't mean policy will always be favorable for the solar industry, and changes are definitely coming. 

REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier

Clouds are forming for solar In Hawaii, regulators recently released solar tariff plans that include a self-supply and a grid-supply option. Self-supply will be great for energy storage assisting self consumption, but it eliminates the ability to feed solar energy to the grid. The grid-supply option reduces what solar customers are paid from the net energy rate to the wholesale energy rate, or from about $0.30 per kWh to about $0.15 per kWh. That's a big reduction in the value solar provides to homeowners. In both cases, it will be less profitable to install solar in Hawaii than it was previously.

California is also discussing what's known as net energy metering 2.0, which will change how much homeowners are compensated for solar energy. This could include lower tariff rates, fixed charges, and other fees that make solar less economical. Initial proposals were submitted earlier this year, and a plan is due later this year.

What's clear is that where solar energy has the highest penetration -- and therefore the biggest markets for solar companies like SolarCity, Sunrun, and SunPower -- there are going to be changes that will make solar less attractive to customers in the near future. That's the bad news.

The light at the end of the tunnel What's good for the solar industry is that any changes to net metering will likely be good for energy storage and a broader range of energy services. SolarCity and SunPower are investing heavily in these new broader offerings, which will be able to take advantage of changing rates or the need for self consumption. If done right, that could be an advantage for both going forward.

Sunrun, on the other hand, will need to adapt its business model to keep up in a new energy world.

Policy is important for the solar investor, and while it may not be something you pay attention to every day it's worth understanding what the trends are. For now, the solar industry is in business as usual, fighting off challenges from utilities across the country and winning. But as the industry grows there is a need for reform in energy rates and utilities, and regulators are learning how best to make solar work for homeowners and the grid. That can be an advantage for a solar company or a threat. So it's important to understand how the stocks you own will be affected positively or negatively by the changes we can see coming a mile away.

Read the original article on The Motley Fool. Copyright 2015. Follow The Motley Fool on Twitter.

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Our Solar Bonanza!

Our Solar Bonanza!

We’ve had solar power energizing our house in Sag Harbor on Long Island in New York for six years now—and it’s a bonanza!

Once the photovoltaic panels are up on your roof, nothing more needs to be done. They harvest electricity from the sun even on cloudy days. Never in the half-dozen years have the 38 panels on our roof needed any care. And frequently, looking at the Long Island Power Authority meter attached to the house, I see the numbers going backwards—we’re producing electricity for LIPA for which LIPA reimburses us.

Then there are the two thermal solar panels heating up water and sending it—very well-heated—into the house. The other day, it was 64-degrees outside but the thermometer on the hot water tank in the basement showed water from the thermal panels coming down at 130-degrees. Amazing! And these panels are also care-free.

Meanwhile, the price of solar panels have plummeted since the panels were installed at our house—and efficiencies have gone up, Dean Hapshe of Harvest Power was saying the other day on a visit to check our installation.

Mr. Hapshe of Patchogue, New York is a master teacher of solar installers on Long Island. He entered the solar energy field in 1980 and with his decades of experience has served as an instructor of others in the industry.

When he and his crew put our system in, the cost of the photovoltaic panels, which produce 7,500 watts—an average-size system—was $6 a watt. “Now it’s down to $3.65,” Mr. Hapshe was saying. The efficiency rate has risen to 21%—getting close to the 25% efficiency of solar panels on space systems such as satellites and the International Space Station. That means more electricity is generated for every ray of sunlight.

The thing about solar power is that the sun sends no bills.

And that has been vexing for electric utilities around the nation.

Indeed, the motto of Harvest Power, which is based in Bay Shore, New York is: “Let The Sun Pay Your Electric Bill.”

“Utilities wage campaign against rooftop solar,” was the headline of an article in March in The Washington Post. The story, by Joby Warrick, a Pulitzer Prize-winner who often writes on energy issues, begins: “Three years ago, the nation’s top utility executives gathered at a Colorado resort to hear warnings about a grave new threat to operators of America’s electric grid: not superstorms or cyberattacks, but rooftop solar panels.”

“If demand for residential solar continued to rise, traditional utilities could soon face serious problems from ‘declining retail sales’ and a ‘loss of customers’ to ‘potential obsolescence,’ according to a presentation prepared for the group. “’Industry must prepare an action plan to address the challenges,’ it said. “The warning, delivered to a private meeting of the utility industry’s main trade association, became a call to arms for electricity providers in nearly every corner of the nation.” The article continued, “Three years later, the industry and its fossil-fuel supporters are waging a determined campaign to stop a home-solar insurgency…”

The New York Times, in an editorial last year titled, “The Koch Attack on Solar Energy,” noted how “the Koch brothers and their conservative allies in state government have found a new tax they can support. Naturally it’s a tax on something the country needs: solar energy panels.”

The Times told of how the Koch brothers, their Koch Industries based on oil refining, “have been spending heavily to fight incentives for renewable energy, which have been adopted by most states. They particularly dislike state laws that allow homeowners with solar panel to sell power they don’t need back to electric utilities.”

On Long Island, support for solar power by LIPA—created with a mission to advance the development of solar and other forms of renewable energy on the island—has gone down and down. The once hefty rebate LIPA provided for solar installations has now descended to a paltry 20 cents a watt.New York State, however, still provides up to $5,000 in support for an installation, and the federal government offers a tax credit of 30% of the cost of a solar system. But this program needs to be extended at the end of next year.

The capacity and economics of renewable energy are simply wonderful. The New York Times recently ran a front-page story headlined: “In Texas. Night Winds Blow in Free Electricity.” It told of how in Texas “wind farms are generating so much electricity” that it is now being “given away.”

There are those who seek to profit from expensive electricity generated by oil, gas, coal and nuclear power—and they would try to suppress the renewable energy revolution now underway. They must be stopped, and the windfall of safe, green, inexpensive electricity be allowed to flow.

Can I Start A Solar Power Business with $300

Can I Start A Solar Power Business with $300

The answer is YES

You can easily become an affiliate to sell solar power systems across the United States and Canada ( In June 2016) For the amount of $300.

Here is what you get

• You get a full training and get certified in order to learn about the do's and don't of the specific business.
• You get a back office to keep track of your sales.
• You get to build a team which you can benefit from and share techniques to grow even faster.
• You get an operator from Solarcity to handle everything from the very beginning.  All you have to do is bring them potential customers.

You can start your own website to advertise independently and then bring them to your back office.  The advantage of that is that the sales can be done from anywhere.  That is my approach since I am in Canada.  Solarcity is coming here this summer.

What is more than just a business is that it's very rewarding in other ways than money.  Aside from the different levels and prize that you can win within the business, you get the satisfaction of changing the world and making it better.  One home owner at a time.

Why should we join this business?

My first reason apart from changing the environment would be that the trend is just taking off and the projected number for such an on line business are outstanding.

The projection numbers are 8 trillion dollars from now until 2020.  I can tell you that no other program will make you that kind of money.  You can sell advertising software or e-books, crocodile boots or cell phones and never come close to that.  Because it's a product that is needed and very much wanted.

How much does it pay?

We get $250 dollars per installation sold.  There is obviously no limits on how many solar power systems can be sold.  I was talking about prizes earlier, That comes into effect if you have a team under you.  I can't put a number on how much you could make because I am not you or the people you will work with.

Is it hard to sell?

Not at all.  1 out of 5 customers will say yes.  The reason being that there is no money out of pocket to get the system.  If your electric bill from the utility is $200 a month, you would pay around $170 for your own power on a lease.  So you end up saving every month from the very first month. Control your own power and sometimes, even get credited by the utility company for power returning in the grid.  After the lease is over, you own everything.

Why Solarcity and not my neighbor's?

Solarcity is a monitored system.  They have the best reputation in the United States.  You can go directly to them but what I am offering you is better.  To build a team is where the money is.  You help each other and you will benefit greatly.  Solarcity was created by Elon Musk.  Mr. Tesla car himself.  Space X his also his as well as co-founder of Paypal back in the day.  A determined man.  Modern Iron Man as they call him.  He just came out with the most efficient solar cell on the market as well as the powerwall which is a battery bank, mounted on the wall, allowing you to be totally off the grid in power outages.  

I could go on and on about the advantages.  There are many.

So if you need more information you can contact me here.

We can also talk on Facebook where I often can be found.

Follow me on my blog here and check out information regarding solar.  It's the way to go.  Be part of those who will benefit from the trend.

California Solar Power

' California Solar Power  How To Get A Free Quote On  A Solar Power System  For My Home Or Business? Solarcity will lead you into  all your inquiry My name is Pierre Godin and I am a representative of Solar Power Installation.  I will help you get all the information you need to get a  solar power system implemented quickly.  The system can be bought out but I am offering you to get it financed.  Solarcity offers a chance to get your own power with no money down.  You end up paying less the very first month that you have a  solar power system on your home or business. You have an average credit?  You pay more than $80 a month in electricity to the big energy company? You have a sunny south roof? Those are the main criteria to qualify.  Why SolarCity? We're America's  #1 full-service solar energy provider. We've created clean, more affordable energy solutions for Fortune 500 companies, cities and schools throughout the U.S. See how we can help your organization.  Solarcity will take care of everything. from designing your soalr panel system on the roof to monitor in case of problems. The average home needs a 10 KW system which would be very expensive to have to pay for at once. This is a no brainer. It's like someone giving you money every month for going with a solar power installation. And you have control of your power. Take advantage of this short time promotion and be a fighter for the environment. Not by signing petitions or holding up a sign. It never got us anywhere. Lead by example.                       Experience We currently install 1 in every 3 residential solar power systems in the U.S., but we also think big. We've helped businesses, governments, schools and other agencies install large scale commercial solar power systems to help them meet their sustainability and financial goals. Our clients include eBay, Walmart, the City of Sacramento, Los Angeles Unified School District, Boulder Valley School District and more.                        High quality Our emphasis on quality goes beyond solar panels and software. We've hired the brightest talent in the solar industry. Our team includes numerous NABCEP-certified supervisors overseeing your projects. That's the highest accreditation in the solar industry. It a perfect match for our "A" rating from the Better Business Bureau. Latest solar technology We evaluate and select only best-in-class technology for your solar energy project based on performance, quality and cost effectiveness. Once your system is up and running, our proprietary monitoring system tracks both your energy production and usage to give you a more complete picture of your energy needs and costs. Zep Solar commercial solutions One of the secrets to our success is our proprietary solar panel mounting technology. Zep solutions substantially reduce the cost and complexity of designing, shipping, warehousing and installing PV systems. Solar financing advantage Switch to solar with no upfront capital costs and start saving on electricity as soon as you turn on the power. Our Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is just one of the flexible financing and purchase options we offer. Direct financing, instead of financing through a third party, means that you'll have a single point of contact for all of your solar financing needs. Competitive price We've installed thousands of solar power projects across the country. Each one has helped us fine-tune our project management system and drive down costs. Operating on this scale lets us build strong relationships with our suppliers who give us volume discounts that we pass along to our customers. Environmental stewardship We're on a mission to drive down the cost of clean solar energy. We've received many environmental leadership awards from the Aspen Institute and Acterra for our efforts. We were also recognized as the a Green Power Supplier of the year by the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2010. Join us. Take control of your energy cost while helping to build a cleaner future. Full solar energy service We’re your all-in-one solar energy provider. Our in-house team will take care of every part of your project including financing, custom engineering, solar panel installation and ongoing system monitoring. You’ll also get a dedicated SolarCity Sales Manager who will keep you up-to-date on your project status and answer any questions you may have.

Can one person in seven billion make a difference?

Can one person in seven billion make a difference?

You

 Despite the madness over government reports and international conferences, climate change is a problem of personal consumption. Swiss scientists say humanity could limit the effects if each person used just 2,000 watts of power a year. The average American consumes 12,000. A Bangladeshi uses 300. The challenge is conscientious reduction in the West, writes Naomi Klein in This Changes Everything. Lifestyle choices, such as travelling less plus better regulation and technologies will help the numbers drop.

Tiny House Footprint

Since 1973 the average U.S. home has ballooned by 60 percent to 2,657 square feet. A warmer world may favor a reverse trend. Jay Shafer (at left in photo), the California pioneer of living in tiny houses, built a lifestyle in 96 square feet (layout provided)—and helped others build pint-size homes. Developers in New York City and San Francisco have created the urban equivalent: micro-apartments

. Article source:  National Geographic

The Energy Cartels still win!

The Energy Cartels still win! 

Yes it is true. As it is them who will sell you the Solar Panels, and it is them that will buy the extra power you produce BACK from you CHEAPER than they sell it for.

Who is set up to sell Hydrogen? HHO? Shell Oil! That's who. They might not even lose, with 100% employment. Not in the short term anyway. Probably not in their Generations. Yet they will NOT move, until you force your Governments to do it. Your Governments MUST force caps, and they MUST force taxation on Fossil Fuels, and they MUST invest in Alternative Energy. They MUST lead the way. As the Energy Cartels know it is the best way to go, but they are being controlled by the Stockholders who demand high returns. If they fail to do that, they will be fired. They MUST be forced by Government, and YOU have to force your Government to do it.

Yes! 100% Employment is possible for the Entire World, adopting my "Free Energy" Solar/Wind/Geothermal and Hydrogen Storage. HHO for your vehicles. When I came to this North America, I did so, because I saw that North America would be the Voice of the World. The Beacon of the Future. I wanted to show what my technology could do, FIRST in North America, and then the entire World would adopt it.

Well, today the "tide has turned". It is the WORLD that is leaving North America in the dust.

According to UNEP's 9th "Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2015", prepared by the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance and Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Bloomberg New Energy Finance — the past year brought a rebound of green energy investments worldwide with a surge of a solid 17% to $270 Billion. Brushing aside the challenge of sharply lower crude oil prices this sudden increase reveresed the investment dip of the past two years and was mainly driven by investments in solar and wind energy.

1. Denmark sets world record for wind

Denmark set a new world record for wind production in 2014, getting 39.1 percent of its overall electricity from the clean energy source.

The latest figures put the country well on track to meet its 2020 goal of getting 50 percent of its power from renewables.

Denmark has long been a pioneer in wind power, having installed its first turbines in the mid-1970s, and has even more ambitious aims in sight, including a 100 percent renewable country by 2050.

Last year, onshore wind was also declared the cheapest form of energy in the country.

2. UK wind power smashes annual records

In the UK, wind power also smashed records in 2014, as generation rose 15 percent from 24.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) hours to 28.1 TWh.

That’s more than any other year, and the country now generates enough wind energy to supply the needs of more than 6.7 million UK households.

A combination of grid-connected wind farms and standalone turbines produced 9.3 percent of the UK’s electricity demand in 2014, up from 7.8 percent in 2013 and the latest data follows a string of wind power records announced in the second half of last year.

3. Renewables provide biggest contribution to Germany’s electricity

Renewable energy was the biggest contributor to Germany’s electricity supply in 2014, with nearly 26 percent of the country’s power generation coming from clean sources.

That’s according to Berlin-based think-tank Agora Energiewende.

Electricity output from renewables has grown eightfold in Germany since 1990, and the latest data further highlights the dramatic shift towards clean energy taking place in Europe’s largest economy.

4. Scotland sees “massive year” for renewables

With another record month experienced in December, 2014 was a “massive year” for renewables in Scotland.

Last month, wind turbines alone provided around 1,279 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity to the national gird, enough to supply the electrical needs of 164 percent of Scottish households, or 3.96 million homes.

The latest figures further highlight the record year seen for renewables in Scotland, with wind turbines providing an average 746, 510 MWh each month—enough to supply 98 percent of Scottish households electricity needs.

Over six months of the year, wind generated enough power to supply more than 100 percent of Scottish households, while in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness there was enough sunshine to provide 100 percent or more of the electricity needs for an average home in June and July.

With figures like these it is no wonder new research out this week said the country’s power grid could be 100 percent renewable by 2030.

5. Ireland hits new record for wind energy

Windy conditions in Ireland meant the country saw not one but two wind energy records set already this year.

According to figures record by EirGrid on Wednesday (Jan. 7), wind energy had created 1,942 MW of energy, enough to power more than 1.26 million homes.

And while we are still only a week into 2015, this announcement marked the second time this year the country has seen this record broken. On the Jan. 1, wind energy output was at a previous high of 1,872 MW.

Facing Methane just Spewing out of the Arctic, because of all the CO2 we have pumped into the Atmosphere since we began using Fossil Fuels (against my advice) on a Grand Scale, humanity might quickly cease to exist. Unless you heed my call this time, and listen to an Old Man from more than a Century Ago.

If you want to control your own energy, contact me here

Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/teslarelease/