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Solar power in the United States

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US annual average solar energy received by a latitude tilt photovoltaic cell (modeled).

Solar power in the United States is the largest available energy source for the United States, although it currently accounts for less than 0.1% of electricity generation. Renewable resources (solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, and waste) currently provide nearly 12 percent of the Nation's electricity supply[1].

Grow

A new report finds that solar power's contribution could grow to 10% of the nation's power needs by 2025. The report, prepared by research and publishing firm Clean Edge and the nonprofit Co-op America, projects nearly 2% of the nation's electricity coming from concentrating solar power systems, while solar photovoltaic systems will provide more than 8% of the nation's electricity. Those figures correlate to nearly 50,000 megawatts of solar photovoltaic systems and more than 6,600 megawatts of concentrating solar power.

As noted in the report, solar power has been expanding rapidly in the past 8 years, growing at an average pace of 40% per year. The cost per kilowatt-hour of solar photovoltaic systems has also been dropping, while electricity generated from fossil fuels is becoming more expensive. As a result, the report projects that solar power will reach cost parity with conventional power sources in many U.S. markets by 2015. But to reach the 10% goal, solar photovoltaic companies will also need to streamline installations and make solar power a "plug-and-play" technology, that is, it must be simple and straightforward to buy the components of the system, connect them together, and connect the system to the power grid.

The report also places some of the responsibility with electric utilities, which will need to take advantage of the benefits of solar power, incorporate it into future "smart grid" technologies, and create new business models for building solar power capacity. The report also calls for establishing long-term extensions of today's investment and production tax credits, creating open standards for connecting solar power systems to the grid, and giving utilities the ability to include solar power in their rate base.

Solar thermal power plants

The largest solar power plant in the world is the 354 MW SEGS thermal power plant, in California.[2]

Each of California's electric utilities are required to provide 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2017. Sterling Energy Systems is building a 4,500 acre sun farm to supply 500 MW by 2012. Output will go to Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric.[3] Annual output is expected to be 1,047 GWh.[4] California electricity consumption was 272,464 GWh in 2005.[5] The federal Bureau of Land Management has received right-of-way requests for the development of approximately 34 large solar thermal power plants on 300,000 acres in California totaling approximately 24,000 megawatts. Projects under development include Ivanpah Solar, a 400 MW solar tower, the Carrizo Solar Farm, a 177 MW compact linear fresnel reflector, the Beacon Solar Energy Project, a 250 MW solar trough, and Harper Lake Solar, a 250 MW solar trough.[6]

Solar photovoltaic power plants in the U.S.

Nellis Solar Power Plant

The Nellis Solar Power Plant was completed in December, 2007. It is the largest solar photovoltaic system built in North America and is located at Nellis Air Force Base in Clark County, Nevada. It includes approximately 70,000 solar panels and the peak power generation capacity of the plant will is approximately 15 megawatts.[7][8]

Photovoltaic (PV) power plants
Name Location DC Peak
Power (MW)		 Description GW·h/year Notes
KCRD Solar Farm[9] California 80 Scheduled to be completed in 2012 Proposed[10][11]
Kohl's[12] California 25 Installed on 63 of the 80 stores 35 Under construction
Nellis Solar Power Plant Nevada 18 70,000 solar panels 25
Alamosa photovoltaic power plant[13] Colorado 8.22 17
CalRENEW-1[14] California 5 Cleantech America n.a. Proposed
Springerville Generating Station[15] Arizona 4.59 34,980 BP solar modules 7.8
Rancho Seco[15] California 3.9 n.a. n.a.
Prescott Airport Solar Power Plant[15] Arizona 3.5 n.a. 4.9
Destiny USA[16] New York 3.2 n.a. 3.7 Proposed
LVVWD Distributed Solar Array[17] Nevada 3.1 Located at the Luce Reservoir, Fort Apache Reservoir, Ronzone Reservoir, Spring Mountain-Durango Reservoir and Grand Canyon Reservoir One of the largest public agency facilities.
Falls Township[18] Pennsylvania 3 Proposed
Fort Carson[15] Colorado 2 n.a. 3.2
Google[19] California 1.6 9212 Sharp ND-208-U1 modules 3.2
HP[20] California 1 SunPower Proposed
Beverly High School[21] Massachusetts 0.1 Solar Power Corporation single crystal modules 0.09

Distributed solar power

Main article: Building-integrated photovoltaic
Photovoltaic solar panels on a house roof.

In recent years thousands and soon millions of homes, as well as many schools and businesses will include photovoltaic solar panels on their roof. Most of these are grid connected and use net metering laws to allow use of electricity in the evening that was generated during the daytime. New Jersey lead the nation with the least restrictive net metering law,[22] while California leads in total number of homes which have solar panels installed. Many were installed because of the million solar roof initiative.[23] California decided that it was not moving forward fast enough on photovoltaic generation and has enacted a Feed-in Tariff.[24][25] Washington state has a feed-in tariff of 15 ₡/kWh which increases to 54 ₡/kWh if components are manufactured in the state.[26] Hawaii and Michigan are also considering feed in tariffs. A comparison of the 38 states plus Washington D.C. which have net metering gives 5 an A and 5 an F.[27]

Many of the homes, schools and businesses which have installed solar panels can be monitored online on the internet.[28]

Another proposal for distributed generation is to cover the nations parking lots with solar car parks.

Incentives

States and local

The San Francisco´s Board of Supervisors passed solar incentives of up to $6,000 for homeowners and up to $10,000 for businesses.[29] Applications for the program began on July 1, 2008.[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ Renewable Resources in the U.S. Electricity Supply
  2. ^ SEGS III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII & IX
  3. ^ Sun Rises on Solar
  4. ^ Press Release
  5. ^ California Electricity Consumption by County in 2005
  6. ^ Large Solar Energy Projects
  7. ^ Largest U.S. Solar Photovoltaic System Begins Construction at Nellis Air Force Base
  8. ^ Nellis activates Nations largest PV Array
  9. ^ KCRD Solar Farm
  10. ^ "Californians plan solar mega-farm". Upstream Online. 2007-07-06. Retrieved 2007-07-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Cleantech America Plans 80 MW Solar PV Farm for California Renewable Energy Access, 10 July 2007.
  12. ^ Kohl's Activates Largest Rooftop Solar Rollout in U.S. History
  13. ^ 8.22-Megawatt Photovoltaic Solar Plant
  14. ^ Mendota to Host 5 Megawatt Photovoltaic System
  15. ^ a b c d World's largest photovoltaic systems
  16. ^ Destiny USA Plans 3.2 Megawatt Solar Project
  17. ^ "Solar Projects". Las Vegas Valley Water District. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  18. ^ Going solar in a big way in Bucks
  19. ^ Solar Panel Project
  20. ^ SunPower Partners With HP to Boost Energy Conservation Efforts
  21. ^ A 100 Kilowatt Photovoltaic Array Still Producing After Twenty Years
  22. ^ Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency
  23. ^ Million Solar Roofs Initiative
  24. ^ Are Feed-in Tariffs a Possibility in California?
  25. ^ California Approves Feed-In Tariffs, Rewards Energy Efficiency
  26. ^ Washington State Passes Progressive Renewable Energy Legislation
  27. ^ Report: States Falling Short on Interconnection and Net Metering
  28. ^ Live monitoring
  29. ^ San Francisco Offers Solar Subsidies
  30. ^ Final changes and logistics of the SF Solar Incentive Program Explained
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