When you hear "solar energy" you probably think of photovoltaic (PV) panels. While there are many large-scale PV panel installations, those who think on a really big scale are doing solar very differently.
From National Geographic:
The Ivanpah Valley of the Mojave Desert in California is home to
spiky yucca trees, long-nosed leopard lizards, loggerhead shrikes, and a
rare species of tortoise—and soon, the largest solar thermal energy
plant in the world.
More than six years in the making, the Ivanpah plant is now slated to begin generating power before summer's end. It was designed by BrightSource Energy
to use more than 170,000 mirrors to focus sunlight onto boilers
positioned atop three towers, which reach nearly 500 feet (150 meters)
into the dry desert air. The reflected sunlight heats water in the
boilers to make steam, which turns turbines to generate
electricity—enough to power more than 140,000 homes. (See related quiz, "What You Don't Know About Solar Power.")
Scaling Up Solar
At 377 megawatts (MW), Ivanpah's capacity is more than double that of
the Andusol, Solnava, or Extresol power stations in southern Spain,
which previously were the largest in the world (150 MW each). (See
related: "Pictures: Spanish Solar Energy.")
The 1980s-era SEGS, or Solar Energy Generating System, also in the
Mojave, about 100 miles southwest of Ivanpah, has a 354-MW capacity, but
it is a collection of nine plants.
Viewed from above, the mirrors seem to angle their faces like
enormous silvery blooms craning to the sun. At ground level, the
facility stands on a 3,500-acre swath of federal land inhabited by the threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Once
found across deserts of the American West, the species now inhabits
parts of California, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. But its numbers have
dwindled: Scientists estimate some populations have declined by as much as 90 percent.
Although initial surveys indicated fewer than 20 desert tortoises occupied the Ivanpah project area, more than 150 individuals
ended up being found. Biologists working for BrightSource cleared the
area, carefully moving tortoises to "nursery pens" adjacent to the site
before releasing them to nearby habitat.
These slow-moving desert reptiles are able to survive a year or more
without water and live for as long as 80 years, burrowing underground to
keep cool and feasting on wildflowers in the spring. Yet they have
proven vulnerable to encroaching human development. "Here's an animal
that's been around 200 million years that may be disappearing," said Ed
LaRue, a biologist with the Desert Tortoise Council,
a nonprofit dedicated to conservation of the desert tortoise in the
Southwestern United States and Mexico. "Solar, especially at the level
that it's being proposed in the Mojave Desert, is a new threat."
BrightSource and its partners, NRG and Google, received a $1.6 billion federal loan guarantee
in April 2011 in support of the project. And it may be only the first
of many such developments on public lands in the Golden State. Although
several large-scale solar projects in California have sputtered
(including two from BrightSource) and technical challenges are considerable, the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced
a move in early July to prioritize more than 300,000 acres of public
lands in six Western states for use by utility-scale solar plants, with
nearly half of that acreage in California. (See related: "Desert Storm: Battle Brews Over Obama Renewable Energy Plan.")
Acting on the heels of President Obama's recent call for federal
approval of 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy projects on public
lands by 2020, the BLM prohibited mining claims on the 300,000 acres for
the next 20 years. (See related story: "Obama Pledges U.S. Action on Climate Change, With or Without Congress.")
Some environmentalists have raised concerns about how fragile desert
ecosystems will be altered in the renewable energy drive, but developers
and advocates of large-scale clean power say the ultimate goal is to
reduce dependence on fossil fuel that is far more harmful to both land
and atmosphere. (See related story: "Monterey Shale Shakes Up California's Energy Future.")
"We're combining innovative technology with traditional power-block
technology to produce carbon-free, reliable renewable power," said
Joseph Desmond, senior vice president of marketing for BrightSource. (A power-block facility
includes a steam heat exchanger, steam-turbine generator, and the
electrical equipment in a substation.) "When you're talking about fossil
fuels, you have to factor in the land used for exploration, extraction,
processing, and then transportation," he said. "People sometimes forget
this is actually a very efficient utilization of a sustainable energy
resource." (See related pictures: "Oil Potential and Animal Habitat in the Monterey Shale.")
Ivanpah's developers also addressed concerns about the typically high consumption by solar thermal plants
by deploying an air-cooling system that they say reduces water use 90
percent compared to conventional technology. (See related story: "Water Demand for Energy to Double by 2035.")
First of Many?
BrightSource's desert plant is one of the largest projects in
California's ambitious push for renewable energy. (See related story: "California Tackles Climate Change, But Will Others Follow?")
The state aims to generate 33 percent of its electricity from renewable
sources like wind, solar, and geothermal by 2020. Two other solar
projects designed for the Ivanpah Valley are now working their way
through the approval process: The proposed Stateline and Silver State South
projects, both from the company First Solar, would generate 300
megawatts and 350 megawatts, respectively. Further north, a solar farm
proposed for construction across 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares) of the
Panoche Valley, would generate nearly 400 megawatts—if it can survive
legal challenges from environmental groups and clear other hurdles, like
signing on a utility to buy the electricity and obtaining federal
permits.
"There's a trade-off," said Larry LaPre, a biologist with BLM. "If
there were no push toward renewable energy, animals like the desert
tortoise and plants like the Joshua tree could be impacted quite a bit
[by climate change]." Indeed, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) cites
global climate change and drought as "potentially important long-term
considerations" for the desert tortoise's recovery. (See related story: "IEA Outlook: Time Running Out on Climate Change.")
Rising temperatures and reduced rainfall expected to result from
climate change could ravage the species' food supply. At the same time,
FWS recognizes that it has not evaluated the potential long-term effects
of big renewable energy projects that fragment or isolate desert
tortoise conservation areas, possibly "cutting off gene flow between these areas."
And so in the Mojave, the question that divides
renewable energy supporters and wildlife advocates is this: Is it a
good trade? "There's so much land out here where the biological
resources have been compromised," such as old agricultural land and
areas on the urban fringe, said LaRue. "I think it would be a great
resource if it was just put in the right place."
How Twelve States Are Succeeding In Solar Energy Installation
Encouraging constructive behavior through tax breaks and other temporary subsidies is a great way for government to jump start the migration to renewable energy. Some states "get" it, many have yet to realize the benefit.
From Think Progress:
A dozen states are leading the way on solar energy policy — what can the other 38 learn from them to reap the benefits?
Solar power in America is growing quickly, generating nearly half of all new electric generating capacity in the beginning of 2013. The technological efficiency is improving by the day. It has also gotten cheaper, with the price dropping 27 percent last year. Aside from the clean, low-carbon energy it provides — mainly during peak demand hours — 119,000 people currently work in the solar energy industry.
So what is the secret?
Environment America released a report today highlighting the twelve states that have found a successful policy approach to solar power which has enabled them to have installed 85 percent of the nation’s solar electricity capacity. The group, which Environment America termed the “Dazzling Dozen,” is comprised of: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Vermont. They have the highest per capita solar electricity capacity in U.S. Having lots of sun is not enough — they have pursued good policy to ensure they have a thriving solar industry. Here are a few of the policies that any state can adopt that could supercharge the solar industries of even small Northeastern states:
Another benefit that states discover as they install more solar is that it requires fewer transmission lines, and more of the power that gets generated can actually be used because 5-7 percent of power wasted as it travels over lines. Solar energy is also produced at the right time: when demand spikes.
Three states sit at the top of the rankings:
Arizona
Arizona’s early requirement that utilities had to receive a certain portion of their electricity from solar energy has made it the national leader in solar energy per capita — 167 megawatts per Arizonan. Total up the state’s utility-scale solar and you get 633 megawatts, with 495 on the way. Altogether
California
California leads the nation in total installed solar capacity by far, with 2,901 megawatts across the state through the end of 2012.
New Jersey
The report highlights New Jersey as a particularly clear example of how strong solar polices can manifest a great deal of solar power production in less than ten years. In 2004, the state faced increasing energy prices and wanted to generate more power from low-carbon sources. So it instituted an RES with a solar carve out of 2.1 percent by 2021, and took other steps to make solar energy affordable and easy for New Jersey residents. The effort has been so successful that the state now has more per capita solar energy than all but three other states (including California and New Mexico). Since 2012, New Jersey has installed 971 megawatts of solar power. Even Governor Chris Christie signed legislation to increase the solar carve-out to 4.1 percent by 2028.
The report also highlights the state of Minnesota, which this year set targets for solar power production, strengthened the state’s net-metering cap, and set a predictable rate for customers who install solar on their properties. The Texas cities of Austin and San Antonio, as well as Gainesville, Florida have made recent strides in solar, though it remains to be seen if they will power the rest of their states into the rankings.
All this said, solar has a long way to go — despite its fast growth, it still provides only a small percentage of renewable energy production, let alone total energy production. The potential is there. Rooftop solar systems, nationwide, could generate at least 20 percent of current U.S. electricity generation. The U.S. will need to have several dozen “Dazzling Dozens” to meet the potential 20 percent, but the policy pathway is ready and waiting.
From Think Progress:
A dozen states are leading the way on solar energy policy — what can the other 38 learn from them to reap the benefits?
Solar power in America is growing quickly, generating nearly half of all new electric generating capacity in the beginning of 2013. The technological efficiency is improving by the day. It has also gotten cheaper, with the price dropping 27 percent last year. Aside from the clean, low-carbon energy it provides — mainly during peak demand hours — 119,000 people currently work in the solar energy industry.
So what is the secret?
Environment America released a report today highlighting the twelve states that have found a successful policy approach to solar power which has enabled them to have installed 85 percent of the nation’s solar electricity capacity. The group, which Environment America termed the “Dazzling Dozen,” is comprised of: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Vermont. They have the highest per capita solar electricity capacity in U.S. Having lots of sun is not enough — they have pursued good policy to ensure they have a thriving solar industry. Here are a few of the policies that any state can adopt that could supercharge the solar industries of even small Northeastern states:
- Clean Energy Standards: Eleven out of the dozen have renewable electricity standards (RESs), while nine have solar carve-outs that ensure that a set percentage of the state’s electricity portfolio comes from solar energy. These policies help create markets for solar energy by ensuring a minimum amount of a utility’s energy portfolio comes from solar.
- Net metering: All but one state among this group have strong net metering policies that help prepare burgeoning solar markets. The report notes that in providing full market value for the electricity that solar homes generate, “Net metering ensures that consumers receive reliable and fair compensation for the excess electricity they provide to the grid.”
- Interconnection: Ten of the twelve states ensure that the process for linking up a home’s solar installation is quick and easy. Interconnection policies clarify the process by which utilities have to link up new solar installations to the grid. States and local governments can also create laws that protect the rights of homeowners to install solar panels on their own property.
- Creative financing options: Most states that do well in per capita solar installations use different methods of making solar affordable for more of their residents. Solar leases and third-party power purchasing agreements essentially allow a company or utility to pay to install the panels, while the consumer either benefits from low-price solar, or slowly pays off the lease payments over time. This allows the property owner to not have to worry about paperwork or maintenance, and economies of scale make this an attractive option to many. Property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing mirrors this no-hassle approach, but allows the consumer to slowly pay back the cost of the installation on their property tax bills.
Another benefit that states discover as they install more solar is that it requires fewer transmission lines, and more of the power that gets generated can actually be used because 5-7 percent of power wasted as it travels over lines. Solar energy is also produced at the right time: when demand spikes.
Three states sit at the top of the rankings:Arizona
Arizona’s early requirement that utilities had to receive a certain portion of their electricity from solar energy has made it the national leader in solar energy per capita — 167 megawatts per Arizonan. Total up the state’s utility-scale solar and you get 633 megawatts, with 495 on the way. Altogether
California
California leads the nation in total installed solar capacity by far, with 2,901 megawatts across the state through the end of 2012.
New Jersey
The report highlights New Jersey as a particularly clear example of how strong solar polices can manifest a great deal of solar power production in less than ten years. In 2004, the state faced increasing energy prices and wanted to generate more power from low-carbon sources. So it instituted an RES with a solar carve out of 2.1 percent by 2021, and took other steps to make solar energy affordable and easy for New Jersey residents. The effort has been so successful that the state now has more per capita solar energy than all but three other states (including California and New Mexico). Since 2012, New Jersey has installed 971 megawatts of solar power. Even Governor Chris Christie signed legislation to increase the solar carve-out to 4.1 percent by 2028.
The report also highlights the state of Minnesota, which this year set targets for solar power production, strengthened the state’s net-metering cap, and set a predictable rate for customers who install solar on their properties. The Texas cities of Austin and San Antonio, as well as Gainesville, Florida have made recent strides in solar, though it remains to be seen if they will power the rest of their states into the rankings.
All this said, solar has a long way to go — despite its fast growth, it still provides only a small percentage of renewable energy production, let alone total energy production. The potential is there. Rooftop solar systems, nationwide, could generate at least 20 percent of current U.S. electricity generation. The U.S. will need to have several dozen “Dazzling Dozens” to meet the potential 20 percent, but the policy pathway is ready and waiting.
Solar-Skinned Buildings Save Many Ways
By using integrated solar when building, one doesn't need both conventional windows and solar panels -- they can use windows that generate solar power. Other exterior surfaces, like roofs, can also have integrated solar. With increased economies of scale from increased demand, prices for these materials will be only slightly more than conventional materials, and much less than it would cost to add photovoltaic (PV) panels after construction. It also eliminates the appearance of the external panels, something many people find objectionable.
From Bloomberg:
From stadiums in Brazil to a bank headquarters in Britain, architects led by Norman Foster are integrating solar cells into the skin of buildings, helping the market for the technology triple within two years.
Sun-powered systems will top the stadia hosting 2014 FIFA World Cup football in Brazil. In Manchester, northern England, the Co-operative Group Ltd. office has cells from Solar Century Holdings Ltd. clad into its vertical surfaces.
The projects mark an effort
by designers to adopt building-integrated photovoltaics, or BIPV, where
the power-generating features are planned from the start instead of
tacked on as an afterthought. Foster and his customers are seeking to
produce eye-catching works while meeting a European Union directive that
new buildings should produce next to zero emissions after 2020.
“Building integrated solar in office buildings and factories which generate energy consistently during daylight hours, whilst not requiring additional expensive land space or unsightly installations, is seen as the most obvious energy solution,” said Gavin Rezos, principal of Viaticus Capital Ltd., an Australian corporate advisory company that’s one of the private equity funds putting money into the technology.
The technology provides a respite for solar manufacturers, opening the way for them to charge a premium for products. Traditional solar panel prices have fallen 90 percent since 2008 due to oversupply, cutting margins and pushing more than 30 companies including Q-Cells SE and a unit of Suntech Power Holdings Co. into bankruptcy.
The industry is already well established in the U.S., where Dow Chemical Co. (DOW), the country’s largest chemical maker by sales, is selling in more than a dozen states solar shingles that look like regular roofing material.
BASF SE (BAS) also is developing products for the market. The Santa Clara football stadium near San Francisco will have three solar-array covered bridges, with a solar canopy built over a roof terrace, generating their own power.
Solar technology has been installed onto the roof of the Pituacu Stadium in Brazil, as well as its locker room and parking canopies, as the nation prepares for the World Cup.
Viaticus has invested in Dyesol Ltd. (DYE), which makes dyes that mimic how plant leaves turn sunlight into energy. The dyes increase the efficiency of solar cells and provide a product that’s “highly desirable for all buildings, both new and refurbished,” said Rezos.
Dyesol is working with Tata Steel Ltd. (TATA) on ways of incorporating its technology into steel roofing products for industrial warehouses, said Richard Caldwell, its executive chairman. Pilkington Group Ltd., a glass maker, plans to integrate the technology into windows forming the sides of buildings, he said.
Incorporating solar into building products does come with its challenges. Foster + Partners, the architectural firm led by Norman Foster that refurbished the Hearst Tower in New York and designed a London skyscraper known as the Gherkin, said it’s important to consider that the structures are accessible for cleaning and maintenance. The company is designing a new office for Bloomberg LP in London and has filed plans with city authorities detailing PV installations blended into the roof.
“While the individual cells are discreet and easy to integrate, they require cabling and additional elements that need to be carefully incorporated,” said David Nelson, head of design at Foster + Partners.
Integrated solar products are still at least 10 percent more expensive than traditional solar photovoltaic panels, said Alan South, chief innovation officer at Solar Century.
“At the moment, it’s much cheaper to install a conventional module unless your roof is an unusual shape -- and expensive solar installed on unsuitable roofs is a decorative design feature, not an energy solution,” said Jenny Chase, solar analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Still, generating electricity where it’s used becomes more attractive as the price of energy from large, central fossil-fuel power stations increases. The cost of solar energy is declining as centrally produced power rises, said Accenture’s Russell. That will weigh on utilities.
“Next-generation solar technologies could have a potentially devastating impact on the utility industry’s revenues,” said Russell. “This will force utilities to spread costs across fewer customers, driving up energy prices, and making distributed generation even more attractive.”
From Bloomberg:
From stadiums in Brazil to a bank headquarters in Britain, architects led by Norman Foster are integrating solar cells into the skin of buildings, helping the market for the technology triple within two years.
Sun-powered systems will top the stadia hosting 2014 FIFA World Cup football in Brazil. In Manchester, northern England, the Co-operative Group Ltd. office has cells from Solar Century Holdings Ltd. clad into its vertical surfaces.
The projects mark an effort by
designers to adopt building- integrated photovoltaics, or BIPV, where
the power-generating features are planned from the start instead of
tacked on as an afterthought. Photographer: Harold Cunningham/Getty
Images
Solarcentury Holdings Ltd. clad
the vertical surfaces of the Co-operative Group Ltd.’s building in
Manchester. Source: solarcentury.com via Bloomberg
The market for solar laid onto
buildings and into building materials is expected to grow to $7.5
billion by 2015 from about $2.1 billion, according to Accenture, citing
research from NanoMarkets. Source: solarcentury.com via Bloomberg
“Building integrated solar in office buildings and factories which generate energy consistently during daylight hours, whilst not requiring additional expensive land space or unsightly installations, is seen as the most obvious energy solution,” said Gavin Rezos, principal of Viaticus Capital Ltd., an Australian corporate advisory company that’s one of the private equity funds putting money into the technology.
Growing Market
The market for solar laid onto buildings and into building materials is expected to grow to $7.5 billion by 2015 from about $2.1 billion, according to Accenture Plc, citing research from NanoMarkets. Sales of solar glass are expected to reach as much as $4.2 billion by 2015, with walls integrating solar cells at $830 million. About $1.5 billion is expected to be generated from solar tiles and shingles.The technology provides a respite for solar manufacturers, opening the way for them to charge a premium for products. Traditional solar panel prices have fallen 90 percent since 2008 due to oversupply, cutting margins and pushing more than 30 companies including Q-Cells SE and a unit of Suntech Power Holdings Co. into bankruptcy.
The industry is already well established in the U.S., where Dow Chemical Co. (DOW), the country’s largest chemical maker by sales, is selling in more than a dozen states solar shingles that look like regular roofing material.
BASF SE (BAS) also is developing products for the market. The Santa Clara football stadium near San Francisco will have three solar-array covered bridges, with a solar canopy built over a roof terrace, generating their own power.
‘Tipping Point’
“We’re approaching a tipping point and at some point in the future building integrated solar would be a must-have in the design of any new and significant building,” said Mike Russell, managing director of Accenture’s utilities group in London.Solar technology has been installed onto the roof of the Pituacu Stadium in Brazil, as well as its locker room and parking canopies, as the nation prepares for the World Cup.
Viaticus has invested in Dyesol Ltd. (DYE), which makes dyes that mimic how plant leaves turn sunlight into energy. The dyes increase the efficiency of solar cells and provide a product that’s “highly desirable for all buildings, both new and refurbished,” said Rezos.
Dyesol is working with Tata Steel Ltd. (TATA) on ways of incorporating its technology into steel roofing products for industrial warehouses, said Richard Caldwell, its executive chairman. Pilkington Group Ltd., a glass maker, plans to integrate the technology into windows forming the sides of buildings, he said.
Private Equity
VantagePoint of San Bruno, California, and Scottish Equity Partners are backing the efforts of Solar Century Holdings Ltd. in the U.K. to blend solar-generating technology into roof tiles and slates that can be used on homes, offices and architectural buildings. It clad the vertical surfaces of the Co-operative Group’s building in Manchester.Incorporating solar into building products does come with its challenges. Foster + Partners, the architectural firm led by Norman Foster that refurbished the Hearst Tower in New York and designed a London skyscraper known as the Gherkin, said it’s important to consider that the structures are accessible for cleaning and maintenance. The company is designing a new office for Bloomberg LP in London and has filed plans with city authorities detailing PV installations blended into the roof.
Masdar Building
In Abu Dhabi, Foster spread 3,156 solar panels across the top of the Masdar Institute building, providing shade for an interior colonnade for the energy research organization.“While the individual cells are discreet and easy to integrate, they require cabling and additional elements that need to be carefully incorporated,” said David Nelson, head of design at Foster + Partners.
Integrated solar products are still at least 10 percent more expensive than traditional solar photovoltaic panels, said Alan South, chief innovation officer at Solar Century.
“At the moment, it’s much cheaper to install a conventional module unless your roof is an unusual shape -- and expensive solar installed on unsuitable roofs is a decorative design feature, not an energy solution,” said Jenny Chase, solar analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Still, generating electricity where it’s used becomes more attractive as the price of energy from large, central fossil-fuel power stations increases. The cost of solar energy is declining as centrally produced power rises, said Accenture’s Russell. That will weigh on utilities.
“Next-generation solar technologies could have a potentially devastating impact on the utility industry’s revenues,” said Russell. “This will force utilities to spread costs across fewer customers, driving up energy prices, and making distributed generation even more attractive.”
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