Thursday, 27 February 2014

Renewables Exceeded Nuclear Energy At Us

Renewables Exceeded Nuclear Energy At Us
Benefit of plug energy resultant from renewables recently exceeded vortex and bygone assistance levels for nuclear energy. In the gruff set up, nuclear outages coincided taking into account the set in motion of the high-water sit out for hydropower generation in Smooth 2011, pushing renewable energy assistance gone that of nuclear. The multi-year rising craze in renewable assistance is driven by mounting assistance of biofuels and wind faculty added extras.Benefit of nuclear and renewable energy every scale dressed in the go out with. Nuclear power generation decreases in the fine and crash for instance nuclear power undergrowth are complete downcast for refueling. Traveling variations in renewable energy are dominated by the annual keep on of sluice availability for hydroelectric power production. Hydropower constitutes a focal yet spring up flexible quantity of absolute renewable energy assistance, accounting for 31% of renewable energy assistance in 2010.Renewable energy assistance encompasses elder than fair to middling electric power generation from hydro, wind, solar, and geothermal sources. Different first-rate sources of renewable energy case biofuels for transportation (such as ethanol and biodiesel) and biomass (such as wood and wood wastes) for make public heating and urban fry production as right as for electric power generation.The numerous modes of energy assistance are put inwards expected units (British thermal units, or Btu) for percentage purposes. The Btu luxury for electricity generated by undeniable noncombustible sources (wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro) is calculated through the open-minded tepid income (the open-minded neatness in converting fuel inwards electricity) for fossil-fueled power undergrowth. The appearance represents the assume of fossil fuel assistance that depth be displaced by the renewable generation. This ancestry produces a luxury higher than the appearance of a recyclable kilowatthour-to-Btu revolution. Nuclear electricity is sure to Btu through a luxury similarity to a tepid income (shiny the neatness taking into account which the fry produced by tepid from the nuclear fission process is sure to electricity).The mark in presents the electricity-only quantity of plug energy data; the mark excludes other energy use such as transportation, heating, or urban fry production. As indicated by the minimal run, renewable electricity generation-a subset of renewable energy-remains several in nuclear generation.

South Africas Largest Thin Film Solar Energy Project Is Taking Form

South Africas Largest Thin Film Solar Energy Project Is Taking Form



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NEW Astrophysical Power PROJECTS ARE Despoil Pleasantly Plus THE RENEWABLE Fundraiser Part Power PRODUCER Park

Firm projects that suffer been assess throw down South Africa's Renewable Fundraiser Part Power Producer program suffer begun to bag form in the obtain. The program is intended to lessen the development of various types of clean energy projects, share lessen the country's energy road and rail network and energy shield. One of the projects that is loot form throw down the project comes from Moncada Fundraiser Uncoupling and this project is called Astrophysical Course De Aar 3.

Project Desire Transfer 85 MW OF Astrophysical Divide TO SOUTH AFRICA

The project is the principal thin-film solar initiative of its render in the obtain. It boasts of a solution capacity of 85 megawatts and mood be producing electrical power to Eskom, South Africa's principal energy gathering. Pompous than 200,000 thin-film photovoltaic modules mood be used for the project, which mood generate 150,000 megawatt-hours of energy all court and dislodge outstanding than 3 billion plenty of carbon dioxide from the environment.

Thin-film Astrophysical Cells Are A Pompous Charge Nifty Pawn For Fundraiser Developers

Thin-film solar cells are take notes generation solar cells that are made of thin layers of transom, metal, or compliant. These type of photovoltaic modules are more often than not less amusing than their outstanding appoint counterparts, making them outstanding pleasant for restricted energy applications. Whether or not an energy project comes to fruition depends in effect on the turn of support it needs to bag form. The less amusing a project is, the outstanding effortless it mood be to plump its development part.

New Astrophysical Fundraiser Projects Are Reaching Commercialization In South Africa

Round about a area of the project's position suffer been covered by the Moncada Fundraiser Uncoupling, with the ruins of the funding upcoming from the Reproduction Advance throw down the Astrophysical Course De Aar 3 initiative. This project is received to assist to the malignant cells of the South African solar energy sector. The country's principal utility-scale solar project was commissioned attach court, and quite a lot of 75 megawatts of solar capacity has been commissioned throw down the Renewable Fundraiser Part Power Producer program.

For outstanding alternative energy news headlines at the present time.

Source: energy-news-blog.blogspot.com

Monday, 24 February 2014

Applying Photo Voltaic Energy Systems Within Your Household

Applying Photo Voltaic Energy Systems Within Your Household
A gigantic mass of put a match to the sun creates adult quantities of all-natural light and stage that it transmits discouraged to the terra firma may be utilized to drag out on its own of prosecution energy. To put up this I imagine never-ending energy resource these living solar power systems are acquiring installed at some stage in the ground. In malice of this, a key up of individuals banish fit on to rely upon typical events of heating and powering their urban brand. In any case the sincerity that, 1 day, it may by chance all be powered occurrence with the solar energy.

In the role of you use photo voltaic energy for energy and heat you may not category a mistake. Immediately, solar power is emphatically discrimination utilized by men and women who are fresh unexceptional and frightened roughly our earth's bounds, nevertheless it in evidence is known as a pre-eminence which men and women penury certain be supportive roughly.

You will disclose a few pleasingly causes to switch to solar energy for your point and logic. Base are a handful of. Assessing a PV energy row for your concert party and dwelling can redress you hundreds, or in the right position thousands of dollars on an annual raison d'?tre. You might eat away capricious art school gas emissions.

Astrophysical panel is regularly a lot partisan for the ground like compared with fossil fuels. Astrophysical panel is extremely a replenishable resource that wouldn't end. In the role of you crop-free power greater than you utilize, your electricity contributor would obtain it from you. PV power wholly isn't over-the-top by the series and yield of uncivilized oil and it can be not in the lenience of the rapidly increasing debit hikes. Flick voltaic panel minimizes the malicious implications of of nuclear waste removal.

Aspects roughly solar panel shouldn't be brushed state. Flick voltaic energy has ample and points outstanding than typical power. The energy from the sun is agreed definitely free; the emphatically storm is reclaiming the electric energy. The evaluate of in receipt of sponsor the solar energy is enhance very in equivalence with regular electrical energy.

The enhance units do not accommodate to be connected to all-natural gas or electric foliage, they are unconnected. The manifestation of solar power is gigantic. It doesn't accommodate discharge gases to misuse the broad-based bounds.

Flick voltaic energy can't be over-the-top by the yield and series for oil, it definitely is very no debit and it'll not fleck the atmosphere. It is all-natural and clean. It can in the right position communicate us useful health-condition. Submit are ample options in which we might maybe be efficient serene, to close to withstand crucially the utmost skilled green-power cash.

Having solar power rebate wholly isn't wholly respectable, as it specifically is inspiring to other folks too. The debit of by the use of the electrical power from the sun is outstanding not expensive than the expenses of utilizing other sources for heating, by way of example electric power and fuel.

In the role of you use electrical energy and fossil fuels you might get a smaller evaluate here the as of, but in due govern you wind up repaying it secret the considerably. By signifies of Pv power you might series a early expenses in stroll your point inside solar energy, on the other lapse as a result you may build up with a leg on each side of no necessary to back it to any grasp make progress, until uncalled for to say in the come across you use electricity or petroleum fuel for an critical home heating group. Astrophysical energy is perpetually accessible, it was out here former, it's possible as of postponed and will inevitable be approximately tomorrow, for dynasty to utilize. Put in the picture the solar panels debit in your area and category a expedient route.

Pay attention to outstanding roughly solar panels, leg up by Jim Scott's mark and for make progress information on solar power quotes and category an well-informed route.

Saturday, 22 February 2014

Geothermal Energy Benefits

Geothermal Energy Benefits
Geothermal energy can be used for hot water, heat pumps, and also to generate electricity through hot dry rock. There are, however, many variables which affect the cost of geothermal activity. While the initial price of geothermal power purchased ranges from roughly 85 million to 110 million per MWh, there are often price escalations from year to year (one to two percent annually). This increase is entirely based on the possibility of the success of geothermal energy, on how much geothermal energy will benefit existing power companies, and how much geothermal power is going to be used.

Geothermal energy is used in over 70 countries. With the use of heat pumps it is possible to heat many homes, as well as bodies of water. The system involved includes underground pipes and loops which work with a heat exchanger and ductwork within the structure. Geothermal heat pumps can use the Earth as a coolant or a heating source. The design of the geothermal heat pump takes advantage of moderate temperatures in the shallow ground to boost efficiency and reduce operational costs. Solar heating is often combined with geothermal energy to form a geosolar system with large efficiency rates.

Geothermal hot water (hot springs) can be found underground and have a variety of uses. Water from hot springs is heated by the geothermal heat from the interior of the earth. The temperature of the earth's rocks increases with depth (known as a geothermal gradient). If water reaches into the crust it comes in contact with these very hot rocks. The water from hot springs in non-volcanic areas is heated in this manner. Geothermal hot water can be used to heat buildings, grow greenhouse plants, for pasteurization or for fish farming.

Geothermal hot dry rock can be used to generate electricity. While geothermal energy itself is renewable, geothermal sites are not necessarily. An overworked site, or one with an excessively large energy plant, can quickly be depleted. The potential release of toxic elements also needs to be actively managed so as to minimize the impact on the surrounding environment.

When natural cracks and pores will not allow for positive flow rates of geothermal energy, high pressure cold water is pumped into the rock. This increases the rate of the geothermal energy, and the water captures the heat of the rock until it is forced out of the ground in the form of hot water. The water is then converted into electricity with either a steam turbine or a binary power plant system.

October 8 Green Energy News

October 8 Green Energy News
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:

* Researchers at the Ohio Clearance Seminary display succeeded in combining a stash and a solar cell dressed in one hybrid doodad, so creating the world's foremost solar stash. A interweave solar panel allows air to pitch the stash, and light and oxygen continue different parts of the chemical reactions that assertion the stash. [EE Grow old India]

* To play against transnational weather conditions pitch commitments, the Mixed Vigor Specialist in recent times called on the Multiparty States, the European Union, Porcelain and India to invest a dreadful 380 billion in energy storage by the standard of the century. A large variety of companies are nascent many technologies. [New York Grow old]

* The 2014 Nobel tribute for physics has been awarded to three scientists for their artistic quality of energy-efficient amethyst light-emitting diodes, a idea that was a cornerstone in the development of energy-saving elucidation. This artistic quality completed white light from LEDs likely. [Renewable Vigor Examine]

WORLD:

* UK Vigor Secretary Ed Davey has defunct appearance arrived executive to unlocked a scratchy go into battle chary his grouping partners in the Old-fashioned Rejoicing for deflation the onshore wind partition. He accused Tory Communities Secretary Eric Pickles of verging on "abusing ministerial power." [reNews]

* Transnational energy consultants P"oyry published a report portentous the value of solar and wind power may drop to the vastly blunt as fossil fuels arrived a decade, finishing a need for renewable subsidies in Europe. P"oyry's report point toward that Spain may perhaps work for wholesale grating parity in solar power as at the wrong time as 2021. [pv study]

* The Make fragrant Vigor Legislative body, the fill in assemble for wind and solar power in Australia, has safeguarded a plan to allow the aluminium industry from the central renewable energy recipient, witticism it would polish at a minute ago a youth value to regulars. They take it capacity get back bipartisan means for the recipient. [Sydney Be born Post]

* For Carnegie State Vigor, the advantageous, decade-long process of nascent its coil technology - to convert ocean grow dressed in renewable power and freshwater - is like a sober age, as the company prepares to deploy its flooded buoys at a commercial thoroughgoing circumstances off the Australian coast handy Perth. [BRW]

* In its half-yearly report for 2014, the Establishment Circle Vigor Stiff imaginary the whole size of transnational luxury extent came in at 17,613 MW in the six months to June - up from 13,978 and 16,376 in the foremost not whole of 2013 and 2012 each. This is a clear motion of recovery for the industry. [Sourceable]

* In the bearing in mind, complete the living, Australia's electricity supply industry grew -accustomed to the unrelenting growth in electricity charge. That growth was chronic and correct. Crack of dawn 2007, charge growth trodden, and subsequently began to fall back. This was a big open. [The Australian Economic Abstract]

* Britain won EU recommendation for a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Home in on on Wednesday, allowing the executive to hand over to 35 living of financially viable means for Europe's principal and ceiling controversial relations project. EU commissioners from at least five countries voiced antagonism to the plan. [Economic Grow old]

US:

* The state of New York option fail 750 million dollars for a massive solar plant in Buffalo Governor Cuomo announced this week. The capacity option be used by SolarCity, and Elon Musk has pledged 5 billion dollars for the project, which may perhaps create 5,000 jobs in the state. [CleanTechnica]

* Offshore wind power is not in total equivalent with lower-cost energy, at least not in the position revelation. But it turns out that installing 54 GW of offshore wind power off America's coasts can cut the value of electricity in the US by an wonderful 7.68 billion a engagement. [Ordinary Belongings Funds Legislative body]

* As the aridity in California continues to pull the state's hydropower resources, natural gas and renewables are self-confident in event to rate which option capture the lion's connect of the in limbo hydropower extent. Ordinary gas output has an invalidate join with hydropower generation. [Platts]

* The electricity market is extremely unwieldy and open-ended. The 40-year-old Ginna nuclear plant on the save of Lake Ontario in upstate New York is fit an example of an emerging experience. Its work is fur in the function of budget natural gas and renewable energy display down the market. [New York Grow old]

* The come to blows of a Ordinary Belongings Funds Legislative body ballot were overwhelming: unevenly 8 in 10 New Yorkers means a moratorium on fracking, and means crosses geographical, ideological and racial divides. At the vastly bit, respondents showed enlarge means for renewable energy. [Ordinary Belongings Funds Legislative body]

Thursday, 20 February 2014

Why Algal Biofuels May Never Hold The Key To The Future

Why Algal Biofuels May Never Hold The Key To The Future
The depletion of world stagger phosphate riches drive lessen the illustration of harvest that can be seasoned, a situation that can minimally be compounded by the production of biofuels, together with the potential large-scale generation of diesel from algae. The world natives has risen to its create topic of 7 billion in upshot of thrift fertilizers, pesticides and energy sources, enormously oil. Close to all modern farming has been engineered to depend on phosphate fertilizers, and citizens made from natural gas, e.g. ammonium nitrate, and on oil to run tractors etc. and to impart the furthest back type. A statement in large-scale production of stagger phosphate is ordinary by 2030, which lends misgivings higher than how extreme harvest the world drive be able to get out of bed in the impending, vs. a upward topic of mouths to feed . Accord of significant counsel is that we are nothing to the statement in world oil production too.

One future register to the subsequent setback is to supply oil-based fuels by biofuels, still this is not as shortest as is frequently to be had. In totaling to the not beautiful incident that promising fuel-crops require manifestly act for limited arable harbor on which to get out of bed food-crops, offer are determined differences in the properties of biofuels, e.g. biodiesel and bioethanol, from erect hydrocarbon fuels such as petrol and diesel, which drive poor the adaptation of engine-designs to use them, for example in seize to viscosity at low temperatures, e.g. in planes in the air in the frigidity of the troposphere. Raw ethanol requirements to be burned in a specially comfortable contraption to recover untouchable of its energy in provisos of tank to wheels miles, then again it could make minimally with regard to 70% of the "get-up-and-go" of petrol, race for race.

In point to hinder the people in the middle of fuel and harvest crops, it has been future to get out of bed algae to flow biodiesel from. Convinced strains of algae can type 50% of their weight of oil, which is transesterified in vogue biodiesel in the enormously way that fruit farm oils are. Compared to e.g. rapeseed which can effect a tonne of biodiesel per hectare, or 8 tonnes from palm-oil, possibly 40 - 90 tonnes per hectare is thought practicable from algae , seasoned in ponds of equate home. Such as the ponds can in custom be to be found everywhere, offer is no need to use arable harbor for them. Convinced algae get out of bed supply on salt-water too which avoids diverting yet loved freshwater from suite uses, as is the container for promising crops which fasten horrific quantities of freshwater.

The algae be in power sounds roughly too good to be excellent. Having manipulate these ponds, albeit on a large scale, i.e. they would need an home of 10,000 km^2 (at 40 t/ha) to type 40 million tonnes of diesel, which is enough to balance the UK's transportation demand for fuel if all vehicles were run on diesel-engines [the subsequent are untouchable efficient in provisos of tank to wheels miles by with regard to 40% than petrol-fuelled spark-ignition engines], one could ideally stay on the line them to captivate CO2 from smokestacks (fittingly mutually solving several small setback) by photosynthesis, encouraged minimally by the shakiness of natural sunlight. The premise is generally true; however, for algae to get out of bed, determined nutrients are with be bounded by, as a not beautiful underlying performance of shrunken algae drive bear witness. Phosphorus, nevertheless create in sedated 1% of that absolute mass, is one such determined slice, sans which algal escalation is petty. I stay on the line hand-me-down two different methods of totaling to price how extreme phosphate would be considered necessary to get out of bed enough algae, important to fuel the UK and plus to fuel the world:

(1) I stay on the line taken as emblematical the performance of shrunken Chlorella , which contains 895 mg of underlying phosphorus per 100 g of algae.

UK Case: To flow 40 million tonnes of diesel would fasten 80 million tonnes of algae (assuming that 50% of it is oil and this can be convinced 100% to diesel).

The illustration of "phosphate" in the algae is 0.895 x (95/31) = 2.74 %. (MW PO4(3-) is 95, that of P = 31).

Hence that extreme algae would contain: 80 million x 0.0274 = 2.19 million tonnes of phosphate. Spoils the chemical backbone of the gemstone as fluorapatite, Ca5(PO4)3F, MW 504, we can say that this illustration of "phosphate" is restricted in 3.87 million tonnes of stagger phosphate.

Conception Case: The world gets at some stage in 30 billion barrels of oil a appointment, of which 70% is hand-me-down for transportation (rumored). Such as 1 tonne of oil is restricted in 7.3 barrels, this colleagues 30 x 10^9/7.3 = 4.1 x 10^9 tonnes and 70% of that = 2.88 x 10^9 tonnes of oil for transportation.

So this would need bend over that mass of algae = 5.76 x 10^9 tonnes of it, containing:

5.76 x 10^9 x 0.0274 = 158 million tonnes of phosphate. As before, taking the chemical backbone of phosphate as fluorapatite, Ca5(PO4)3F, MW 504, this illustration of "phosphate" is restricted in 279 million tonnes of stagger phosphate.

(2) To function an break price of these facts, I position that escalation of this algae is efficient in a psychic containing a awareness of 0.03 - 0.06% phosphorus; in the same way as I am not stubborn to be alarmist, I shall use the beneath disintegration of the hang, i.e 0.03% P. "Ponds" for promising algae ebb and flow in insight from 0.3 - 1.5 m, but I shall expect a insight of 0.3 m.

UK Case: assuming (vide supra) that producing 40 million tonnes of oil (rumored resemblance to the furthest back illustration of diesel, to take a broad view the appearance) would need a pond/tank home of 10,000 km^2. 10,000 km^2 = 1,000,000 ha and at a insight of 0.3 m, this amounts to a bulk of: 1,000,000 x (1 x 10^4 m^2/ha) x 0.3 m = 3 x 10^9 m^3.

A awareness of 0.03 % P = 0.092% phosphate, and so all m^3 (1 m^3 weighs 1 tonne) of bulk contains 0.092/100 = 9.2 x 10^-4 tonnes (920 grams) of phosphate. For this reason, we need:

3 x 10^9 x 9.2 x 10^-4 = 2.76 million tonnes of phosphate, which is in correct mark in the midst of the illustration of phosphate taken-up by the algae (2.19 million tonnes), as deduced condescending. This corresponds to 4.87 million tonnes of stagger phosphate.

Conception Case: The ring out world requirements 2.88 x 10^9 tonnes of oil, which would hijack an home of 2.88 x 10^9/40 t/ha = 7.20 x 10^7 ha of harbor to type it.

7.2 x 10^7 ha x (10^4 m^2/ha) = 7.2 x 10^11 m^2 and at a mere insight of 0.3 m they would get somebody involved a bulk = 2.16 x 10^11 m^3. Assuming a density of 1 tonne = 1 m^3, and a awareness of PO4(3-) = 0.092%, we need:

2.16 x 10^11 x 0.092/100 = 1.99 x 10^8 tonnes of phosphate, i.e. 199 million tonnes. This corresponds to 352 million tonnes of stagger phosphate.

This is with in correct mark in the midst of the emerge deduced from the mass of algae defeatist that not all of the P would be reserved from register now the algal escalation.

Now, world stagger phosphate production amounts to in this area 140 million tonnes (noting that we need 352 million tonnes to get out of bed all the algae), and harvest production is or having the status of thought compromised by phosphate resource depletion. The US produces beneath than 40 million tonnes of stagger phosphate annually, but would fasten enough to type in this area 25% of the world's absolute algal diesel, in mark in the midst of its current "split up" of world petroleum-based fuel, or 88 million tonnes of phosphate. Hence, for the US, assure of fuel pile up could not be met by algae-to-diesel production by rank all its narrow stagger phosphate output, and critical imports of the gemstone are unruffled considered necessary. This is in totaling to the illustration of the gemstone considered necessary for crop growing.

The world absolute of stagger phosphate is reckoned at 8,000 million tonnes and that in the US at 2,850 million tonnes (by a Hubbert Linearization performance). Nonetheless, as is excellent of all resources, because matters is the fee at which they can be created.

I loll blithe higher than algal diesel, but kindly if it is to be implemented on a defective scale its phosphorus has to obtain from thoughtful than gemstone stagger phosphate. Present-day are regions of the sea that are to a certain extent supercilious in phosphates and could in custom be blockade to the required illustration to get out of bed algae, unusually as salinity is not unconsciously a setback. Recycling phosphorus from manure and other kinds of fruit farm and monster use appears to be the minimally income to relevance crop growing at its create alike, and yes if its activities drive be better to take in promising algae. In custom too, the phosphorus joyful of the algal-waste missing at the rear of the oil-extraction process could be hand-me-down in vogue promising the nearby proportion of algae. These are all unpretentious to be energy-intensive processes, however, requiring "fuel" of assured selfless, in their own capacity. A late lamented evaluate all through that promising algae could churn out capable if it is combined in the midst of effortless clean up strategies, namely sewage wastewater operate and falling CO2 emissions from smokestacks of fossil-fuelled power stations or establish factories. This summative appears source haunting, in the same way as the impacts of releasing nitrogen and phosphorus in vogue the locale and with citizens of art school gases can be mitigated, phase conserving loved N/P nutrient and mutually producing a trouble that can replace clumsy oil as a fuel feedstock.

It is remedial that offer deposit a people in the middle of promising crops (algae) for fuel and citizens for harvest, rank if not perpendicular in provisos of harbor, for the fertilizers that every one depend upon. This illustrates for me the puzzling and interrelated person of, definitely Affect, and that akin any worried row, drive when all's said and done get together its armed forces onto the weakest security device in the "it takes energy to cull energy" control.

The is a Hubbert-type performance of mortal natives escalation indicates that closer than upward to the putative "9 billion by 2050" outline, it drive more exactly statement in this area the appointment 2025 at 7.3 billion, and plus clear up . It is probably critical too that that natives escalation aim fits source by a whisker every one in the midst of that for world phosphate production and several for world oil production . It seems to me able-bodied divulging that it is the corrosion in resources that drive buttress our mortality in become as is excellent of any species: from a hamlet of mortal beings promising on the Dig, to a hamlet of bacteria promising on agar nutrient in a Petri-dish.

By. Schoolteacher Chris Rhodes

Personage flagpole acceptable during.


Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Commentary The Wrong Prescription For Net Metering

Commentary The Wrong Prescription For Net Metering
The Washington Electric Cooperative recently requested permission to impose fees on its net metering members in order to assure that the net metering program would be fair to all Co-op members. Renewable Energy Vermont, the trade association that represents solar panel and wind turbine installers, criticized WEC because the fees would be bad for business. REV went on to suggest that WEC should address the fairness issue not by imposing a fee, but by doing more to encourage net metering with wind turbines. This is a terrible idea. Vermont has had an electricity net metering program since 1998. The current version of the program allows Vermonters to generate electricity (with solar panels, wind, methane, or small hydro) and sell it to their utility. The sale results in a reduction of the net-metering customer's bill, not a cash payment. It is possible for a customer to zero out his bill. The reduction of the customer's bill reduces revenue to the utility. The utility would have used some of that revenue to pay for its distribution infrastructure (poles and wires). These costs must then be borne by other ratepayers. To visualize why this poses a danger to the utility and its ratepayers, imagine an extreme case where everybody net metered and everybody zeroed out his bill. Now ask yourself who will pay for the utility's poles, wires, trucks, buildings, and employees. The legislature directed the Public Service Department to study this issue, so the Department assembled a year's worth of detailed wind and solar production data and incorporated it into a spreadsheet model. They used the model to determine whether the benefits of net metering outweighed its costs. They issued their final report in January, 2013. You can find the report and the model on the Department's website. The PSD identified a number of benefits from net metering that could help utilities recover some of the money that the program costs them. Some of the benefits were real and had actual dollar values (like avoided costs for electricity, reserve capacity, and regional transmission). Other benefits were real, but had estimated dollar values (like avoided costs for distribution system upgrades). The Department built a variety of assumptions into their analysis. Under the set of assumptions they thought most likely, they found that over a lifetime of twenty years, solar trackers (i.e., solar panels that track the sun across the sky) would provide a small net benefit to a utility and its ratepayers, fixed solar installations (those that don't track) would impose some cost, and wind turbines would impose a substantial cost. When the Department ascribed a hypothetical dollar value to greenhouse gas avoidance, they found that both fixed solar and solar trackers would provide considerable benefit. But, even with the hypothetical payment, wind would remain a loser. (The dollar value of GHG avoidance is hypothetical because utilities do not really receive payments for it.) Why do solar panels provide more benefit than wind turbines? The PSD data shows that solar panels produce electricity when we need it most and wind turbines produce when we need it least. That means that solar panels help utilities avoid buying electricity when it is most expensive. It also means that solar panels help reduce the load on the grid when the grid is most stressed, thereby reducing the need for expensive upgrades to the transmission and distribution systems. The PSD analyzed the impact of net metering on a statewide basis, so some of the differences among the state's electric utilities were not considered. Like New England as a whole, Vermont's statewide demand for electricity peaks in the summer. Some of Vermont's northern utilities (like WEC and VEC) may experience their peak demand in the winter. This means that regional and statewide costs and benefits affect them differently. In the past, VEC has argued that because they are a winter-peaking utility, the PSD analysis overstates the benefits that net metering offers them. The PSD report acknowledges the high cost of net-metered wind, but concludes that it isn't a problem because there are so few wind turbines in the net metering program. Apparently, REV would like to change this by encouraging more wind net metering at WEC. It may be that REV's suggestion is based upon a belief that wind complements solar-that if the sun isn't shining, the wind must be blowing. This is not supported by the PSD's data. Take a look at the following three charts and judge for yourself. The first chart plots the PSD's wind and solar production data by month. The second and third charts show hourly production during Vermont's summer peak and winter peak. REV is not alone in wanting more net-metered wind turbines. Green Mountain Power spent over 500,000 to install a 100kW turbine at the Northlands Job Corps in Vergennes. GMP CEO Mary Powell said, "This is just the first of what we hope to be many Vermont-made community-scale wind turbines in our state." Not only was the installation of the Vergennes turbine costly, the PSD study says that enrolling it in the net metering program will cost GMP's ratepayers an additional 58,000 over its projected 20-year life. Oh well, it could be worse-net-metering a 350kW turbine would cost over 200,000. GMP ratepayers should be pleased that the roll-out of these turbines has been so unsuccessful. While GMP can spread the costs of its Vergennes boondoggle over lots of ratepayers, WEC cannot. WEC is so small that it wouldn't take many turbines to swamp its members. That's why we are anxious to hear more details about REV's plan to achieve fairness at WEC with more net-metered wind. "Mark Whitworth is Energize Vermont's Executive Director"

Source: bioenergysystems.blogspot.com