Germany sets new solar power record, institute says

Other than the first and second world wars, the Germans are pretty well known for the good ideas and long-range planning.  If they're developing solar power at a pace unmatched by other nations, there's a good reason for it.  And that reason is likely their acknowledgment that renewable energy is key to economic success and national security for the future.  Dependence on fossil fuels is what leads the U.S. into wars and bad alliances.  If we had invested in solar, wind, and hydro the trillion or so dollars that we spent on the Iraq war, we would lead the world in renewable energy production today.

From Reuters:


German solar power plants produced a world record 22 gigawatts of electricity per hour - equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity - through the midday hours on Friday and Saturday, the head of a renewable energy think tank said.
The German government decided to abandon nuclear power after the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year, closing eight plants immediately and shutting down the remaining nine by 2022.
They will be replaced by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and bio-mass.
Norbert Allnoch, director of the Institute of the Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) in Muenster, said the 22 gigawatts of solar power per hour fed into the national grid on Saturday met nearly 50 percent of the nation's midday electricity needs.
"Never before anywhere has a country produced as much photovoltaic electricity," Allnoch told Reuters. "Germany came close to the 20 gigawatt (GW) mark a few times in recent weeks. But this was the first time we made it over."
The record-breaking amount of solar power shows one of the world's leading industrial nations was able to meet a third of its electricity needs on a work day, Friday, and nearly half on Saturday when factories and offices were closed.
Government-mandated support for renewables has helped Germany became a world leader in renewable energy and the country gets about 20 percent of its overall annual electricity from those sources.
Germany has nearly as much installed solar power generation capacity as the rest of the world combined and gets about four percent of its overall annual electricity needs from the sun alone. It aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.
SUNSHINE
Some critics say renewable energy is not reliable enough nor is there enough capacity to power major industrial nations. But Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany is eager to demonstrate that is indeed possible.
The jump above the 20 GW level was due to increased capacity this year and bright sunshine nationwide.
The 22 GW per hour figure is up from about 14 GW per hour a year ago. Germany added 7.5 GW of installed power generation capacity in 2012 and 1.8 GW more in the first quarter for a total of 26 GW capacity.
"This shows Germany is capable of meeting a large share of its electricity needs with solar power," Allnoch said. "It also shows Germany can do with fewer coal-burning power plants, gas-burning plants and nuclear plants."
Allnoch said the data is based on information from the European Energy Exchange (EEX), a bourse based in Leipzig.
The incentives through the state-mandated "feed-in-tariff" (FIT) are not without controversy, however. The FIT is the lifeblood for the industry until photovoltaic prices fall further to levels similar for conventional power production.
Utilities and consumer groups have complained the FIT for solar power adds about 2 cents per kilowatt/hour on top of electricity prices in Germany that are already among the highest in the world with consumers paying about 23 cents per kw/h.
German consumers pay about 4 billion euros ($5 billion) per year on top of their electricity bills for solar power, according to a 2012 report by the Environment Ministry.
Critics also complain growing levels of solar power make the national grid more less stable due to fluctuations in output.
Merkel's centre-right government has tried to accelerate cuts in the FIT, which has fallen by between 15 and 30 percent per year, to nearly 40 percent this year to levels below 20 cents per kw/h. But the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, has blocked it.

Solar panels now a plug-in appliance

I remember reading (and maybe posting to this blog) about solar panels that consumers could buy and plug in.  I think they were in development at the time.  Well now they've come to market.  For those who are intimidated by the idea of expensive installations, or maybe want to tip-toe into photovoltaic (PV) for the home, this is a huge leap.  It won't be long before homeowners can go to their nearest hardware store or home-improvement store, pick up a solar kit, and be generating their own solar power by dinner time. 

Such a product could be a "gateway" for homeowners.  Once they see how easy it is and what the payback is, they might invest in a larger solar array installed on their roof or in their backyard. 

From Cnet:

It's a green-energy geek's dream do-it-yourself project: attach a few solar panels to your deck and watch your electric bills go down. Now one company is selling such a product.
SpinRay Energy has developed a system that lets consumers install up to five solar panels on their decks and plug them into an outdoor power outlet. People can install one panel at a time, and get up to 1,000 watts of power with five installed.
The main electrical components of the system have the UL safety certification, including the solar panel and the microinverter, which converts direct current from the panels to household alternating current. If there is a loss of grid power, the panels will stop delivering current because it could be a danger to line workers, according to the company.
SpinRay Energy is selling the DIY kit through a few retailers, including Amazon. There are just a few reviews, but people who installed the panels say they work as advertised. The deck kit, sold for $1,099.95 on Amazon, comes with brackets that attach to a deck or for setting up panels in a yard. The panels should qualify users for a 30 percent federal tax credit for renewable energy.
The idea of making a solar panel "appliance" that a person could install without an electrician has been pursued for years. But there is reason for caution, say solar industry professionals.
A representative from the renewable energy retail company AltE Store voiced some concerns when I described the product, starting with safety and UL certification. When I said the product has UL certification, he noted that many solar companies have come and gone, so he questioned the warranty.
He added that professional installers not only ensure safety but also help consumers pick good locations for solar panels.
The president of SpinRay Energy, Arthur Chew, said he has had five panels installed on his deck for months without incident. He brought building inspectors to look at the installation, but since it is a plug-in device, it's considered an appliance and doesn't need special permits.
As for skepticism from solar industry pros, he noted the panels use relatively new technology in the microinverter and people in the industry may be opposed to DIY solar because it cuts professionals, such as installers and electricians, out of the picture.
"Our plug-and-play systems are not a replacement for a rooftop solar system. They should be considered a stepping stone for those interested in being green and to learn the benefits of solar," Chew told me. He noted the warranties for the panel and microinverter, which are made by other companies, are in line with the sort of warranties offered by other commercial companies.