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CRISIL also said the 25 per cent safeguard duty imposed by the government on imports of solar modules from China and Malaysia would jack up capital costs for developers by 15-20 per cent
New Delhi: India is likely to set up additional solar power generation capacity in a range between 56,000 Megawatt (Mw) and 58,000 Mw over the next four years through 2023 as compared to 20,000 Mw solar capacity addition in the past four years since 2014, ratings agency CRISIL said in a report today.
“This will be driven by capacities allocated or tendered under the National Solar Mission, state solar policies, other schemes driven by Solar Energy Corporation of India (ISTS, wind-solar hybrid etc) and PSUs,” the CRISIL report stated. It added that while 7,000-8,000 Mw of capacity addition is expected under solar rooftop over the same period, the pace of growth for the sector is likely to fall behind over overall target.
CRISIL also said the 25 per cent safeguard duty imposed by the government on imports of solar modules from China and Malaysia would jack up capital costs for developers by 15-20 per cent, which would have a 30-40 paise per unit impact on bid tariffs so as to maintain the same rates of return.
Following a petition filed by Indian Solar Manufacturers’ Association (ISMA) in December 2017, seeking imposition of safeguard duty, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies had recommended a 70 per cent safeguard duty in January 2018. It reviewed the recommendation and on 16 July imposed 25 per cent duty for the first year followed by 20 per cent duty for the first half of the next year and 15 per cent for the second half.
The finance ministry approved the proposal on 31 July. However, the Odisha High Court has temporarily stayed its imposition until further notice or its decision. The finance ministry earlier this week said in a circular safeguard duty will not be insisted upon on import of solar cells for the “time being” in deference to the interim directions issued by the Odisha High Court.
CRISIL said it expects some delay in project implementation on account of the duty as the ‘change in law’ clause is expected to be sought for around 12,000 Mw of under-construction projects.
“Logically, domestic module manufacturers would become the main suppliers to solar developers in India. However, their supply capacities are far short of the annual demand of the sector. Hence, we expect a rise in capital costs over the near-term due to the duty. Additionally, in light of falling module prices, the impact of the duty remains to be seen,” the report stated.
The agency highlighted grid infrastructure, funds availability and counterparty behaviour as other risks for solar capacity addition.
Source: energy.economictimes.indiatimes
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Below is an excerpt from Rice undergraduate student Joanna Slusarewicz’s winning essay for the 2018 Greene Prize for Environmental Writing.
Endowed by the family of alumnus David Greene (’93), the Greene Prize was established in 1998 to encourage the creation, dissemination, and recognition of original environmental writing by students at Rice. In 2016, the competition was expanded to include Rice graduate students for the first time, with the aim of offering prizes at both the undergraduate and graduate level to reward excellence in environmental writing. All Greene Prize submissions this year were nominated by Rice faculty who taught courses with substantial environmental content. Nominations included outstanding coursework, creative writing, thesis projects, research reports and writing oriented toward a public audience.
Assessing Solar and Wind Complementarity in Texas
By Joanna H. Slusarewicza and Daniel S. Cohan
Abstract: As wind and solar power installations proliferate, power grids will face new challenges in ensuring consistent coverage from variable renewable resources. One option to reduce variability is to integrate the output from wind and solar facilities with dissimilar temporal profiles of output. This study measured the complementarity of wind and solar resources sited in various regions of Texas. This study modeled solar and wind power output using the System Advisory Model with solar data from the National Solar Radiation Database and wind data from the Wind Integration National Dataset Toolkit. Half-hourly power production was assessed based on resource location, plant size, hourly load, inter-annual variability, and solar array design for all sites. We found that solar and wind resources exhibit complementary peaks in production on an annual and daily level, and that West and South Texas wind resources also exhibit complementarity. Pairings of West Texas wind with solar power or South Texas wind sites yield the highest firm capacity. Solar farms are better suited for providing power during summertime hours of peak demand, whereas wind farms are better for winter. Taken together, our results suggest that Texas renewable power production can be made more reliable by combining resources of different types and locations.
Introduction: Wind and solar power now provide the least-cost options for electricity generation in windy and sunny regions of the United States, even before accounting for subsidies and environmental impacts (Lazard, 2017). Wind and solar also yield substantial benefits for climate, air quality, and health when replacing fossil fuels (Jacobson, 2008). However, the ability of wind and solar power to displace fossil fuels is limited by their variable nature. Aggregating multiple intermittent generators whose output differs temporally can reduce the uncertainty and variability of their output (Hart et al., 2012). Reduced intermittency can be achieved by aggregating multiple wind farms (Kahn, 1979) or by combining the output of wind and solar farms (Zhou et al., 2010).
In 2017, wind provided 17{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} of power generation on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid, which covers most of Texas, while solar provided just 1{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} (ERCOT, 2017). Many analysts expect both of these sources could provide an increasing share of electricity as their costs have fallen (Lazard, 2017) and as aging coal-fired power plants close. In 2018 alone, four coal plants are closing in ERCOT. ERCOT provides a distinct testbed for analysis because it is relatively isolated from the interconnected power grids that supply electricity to most of North America.
The rapid evolution of generating resources in ERCOT raises the question of the extent to which variable output from solar and wind can replace the retiring coal. Since solar and wind power production vary with the weather, other sources or storage are needed to ensure power demand is fulfilled continuously.
One way to reduce the need for costly storage and for polluting fossil generation is to deploy wind and solar capacity in a way that minimizes the times when their power is unavailable. Previous studies have shown that in many areas solar and wind resources demonstrate anticorrelated peaks and valleys in intensity throughout the day (Monforti et al., 2014). Alongside this natural resource complementarity at a given location, an important component of wind/solar complementarity depends on diversifying the locations of these resources (Prasad et al., 2015; Yi et al., 2013; Shaner et al., 2018). In addition, spreading out wind farms in certain region results in an increase in the reliability of both and solar alone (LBNL, 2009) and wind alone (Katzenstein et al., 2010). In particular, wind production in northwest Texas has been shown to increase as the area of distribution increases (Katzenstein et al., 2010).
Taking advantage of complementarily of wind and solar resources as well as the natural complementarity of systems with large spread can lead to a greater ability to meet consumer demand. Including both wind and solar in ERCOT’s energy portfolio evens out production and reduces the number or hours where either resource cannot produce (Prasad et al., 2015). In addition, increasing the area over which wind and solar plants are located means that production times are less correlated, enhancing the performance of forecasts (Hart, 2011) that are crucial to power pricing and dispatch.
This study aims to identify locations and configurations of wind and solar facilities in ERCOT that would optimize the magnitude and complementarity of their power production. To do so, we analyze temporal patterns and variability in expected power production from potential wind and solar farms in Texas, using metrics developed in past studies for other regions together with metrics specifically targeted to ERCOT.
…
Conclusions: WT wind produced the most total power annually, followed by ST wind production and then solar. Over the year, solar production is complementary with both WT and ST wind. WT wind paired with solar provided the highest levels of firm capacity at a 87.5{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} threshold. Accordingly, combining solar resources with WT wind might increase reliable power production on an annual basis. On a daily basis, however, WT wind and ST wind and solar all have different peak production times with ST wind peaking in the later afternoon, when demand for power is highest. This suggests that combining solar with ST wind might increase reliable power production over the course of a summer day during hours of high demand.
Directly comparing the sites’ hourly production with times of greatest demand throughout the year yielded further insights. Solar production was the highest during summer hours when load on the ERCOT grid was highest, and WT and ST wind productions were the highest during winter peak hours. WT wind showed greater production during both the summer and winter peak hours than the ERCOT estimate, suggesting ERCOT’s approach is conservative in this case. Our results also suggest a need for ERCOT to re-evaluate its estimates of ST wind availability during seasonal peak hours. We estimate that these coastal sites provide more output during winter peak load than summer, contrary to ERCOT’s assumptions in its resource assessments.
Comparisons of different solar configurations show that, though a west-facing fixed-tilt system yields less than half the output of a dual-axis tracking system, it can produce almost as much power during the peak load hours for summer. This suggests that a relatively low-cost system could play a valuable role in meeting summer peak demand.
Areas for further investigation include expanding the scope of measurements from seven sample sites to locations throughout the state in order to pinpoint specific locations that maximize complementarity (thus reliability) and best meet demand over the course of each day. Further research could also explore alternatives to the ERCOT resource adequacy factors that might more fully characterize the reliable production potential of Texas renewables. These results might suggest ways to organize future renewables projects to maximize reliability with minimal investment in expensive storage technologies. Such analyses will become increasingly important as the mix of Texas variable renewable electricity supply shifts from predominately West Texas wind to include more solar power and a broader mix of wind locations.
References
Archer, C. L., & Jacobson, M. Z. (2007). Supplying Baseload Power and Reducing Transmission Requirements by Interconnecting Wind Farms. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 46, 1701–1717., doi:10.1175/2007jamc1538.1.
Bolinger, M., Seel, J., & LaCommare, K. (2017). Utility-Scale Solar 2016: An Empirical Analysis of Project Cost, Performance, and Pricing Trends in the United States. Electricity Markets & Policy Group, LBNL-2001055.
Draxl, C., Clifton, A., Hodge, B., & McCaa, J. (2015). The Wind Integration National Dataset (WIND) Toolkit. Applied Energy, 151, 355-366.
ERCOT (2017). Inside the Promise. 2016 State of the Market Report, Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Austin, http://www.ercot.com/content/wcm/lists/114739/ERCOT_Quick_Facts_10917.pdf
ERCOT (2018). Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy for the ERCOT Region [Microsoft Excel spreadsheet]. Summer 2018 Preliminary Seasonal Assessment, Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Retrieved from: http://www.ercot.com/gridinfo/resource
ERCOT (2017). Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy for the ERCOT Region [Microsoft Excel spreadsheet]. Winter 2017-18 Final Seasonal Assessment, Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Retrieved from: http://www.ercot.com/gridinfo/resource
Hart, E. K., Stoutenburg E. D., & Jacobson M. Z. (2012). The Potential of Intermittent Renewables to Meet Electric Power Demand: Current Methods and Emerging Analytical Techniques. Proceedings of the IEEE, 100, 322–334., doi:10.1109/jproc.2011.2144951.
Jacobson, M.Z. (2008). Review of solutions to global warming, air pollution, and energy security. Energy & Environmental Science, 2, 148-173, doi: 10.1039/b809990c.
Kahn, E. (1979). The reliability of distributed wind generators. Electric Power Systems Research, 2(1), 1-14.
Katzenstein, W., Fertig E., & Apt, J. (2010). The Variability of Interconnected Wind Plants. Energy Policy, 38, 4400–4410., doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2010.03.069.
Lazard (2017). Levelized Cost of Energy 2017. Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis, www.lazard.com/perspective/levelized-cost-of-energy-2017/.
Xiao, L., Wang, H., Dai, S., & Qi, Z. (2013). Analysis on the Hourly Spatiotemporal Complementarities between China’s Solar and Wind Energy Resources Spreading in a Wide Area. Science China Technological Sciences, 56, 683–692., doi:10.1007/s11431-012-5105-1.
Mills, A., Ahlstrom, M., Brower, M., Ellis, A., George, R., Hoff, T., Kroposki, B., Lenox, C., Miller, N., Stein, J., & Wan, Y. (2009). Understanding Variability and Uncertainty of Photovoltaics for Integration with the Electric Power System. The Electricity Journal, doi:LBNL-2855E.
Monfortia, F., Hulda, T., Bódisa, K., Vitalic, L., D’Isidoroc, M., & Lacal-Arántegui, R. (2014). Assessing Complementarity of Wind and Solar Resources for Energy Production in Italy. A Monte Carlo Approach. Renewable Energy, 63, 576–586., doi:10.1016/j.renene.2013.10.028.
Prasad, A. A., Taylor, R. A., Kay, M. (2007). Assessment of Solar and Wind Resource Synergy in Australia. Applied Energy, 190, 354–367., doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.12.135.
Sengupta, M., Weekley, A., Habte, A., Lopez, A., Molling, C., & Heidinger, A. (2015). Validation of the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) (2005‒2012): Preprint. National Renewable Energy Lab, 6, NREL/CP-5D00-64981.
Shaner, M. R., Davis, S. J., Lewis, N. S., & Caldeira. K. (2018). Geophysical Constraints on the Reliability of Solar and Wind Power in the United States. Energy & Environmental Science, doi:10.1039/c7ee03029k.
Zhou, W., Lou, C., Li, Z., Lu, L., and Yang, H. (2010). Current status of research on optimum sizing of stand-alone hybrid solar–wind power generation systems. Applied Energy, 87, 380-389.
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Project Timeline: 2014 – 2015
Project Highlights:
- 20kW, 64 panel system
- 24,000 kilowatts of power produced annually
- Offsets 33,000+ vehicles miles driven or 33,000+ lbs of burned coal
Project Description and Approach:
In 2015, the Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee, Strata Solar, and SMA America partnered to install a bank of solar panels on the roof of the Union. This successful project was the result of a long history at Carolina of students successfully campaigning to make the University more sustainable.
The 20kW, 64 panel system produces 24,000 kilowatts of power annually, enough to offset more than 33,000 miles driven by vehicles or 33,000-plus pounds of burned coal.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the solar panels, Winston Crisp, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs said, “There is no feeling better in higher education, than to see students who are creative and innovative and they figure out on their own how to make something happen and then see it come to reality.”
The solar panels are only visible from the top floors of Davis Library, so it would be easy for students to walk past them every day without noticing this state-of-the-art renewable energy source on their campus. A smart TV in the Union interacts with the panels and reports energy generation and emissions reductions in real-time.
Read more:
http://respc.web.unc.edu/projects-2/solar-panel-system-on-the-student-union/
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Every business that wants to be eco-friendly has to find ways to maximize the energy efficiency of its lights.
Lighting is a major expense for almost every industry and for both small and large businesses alike, so finding a way to save energy here and rely on renewable energy sources as much as possible goes a long way.
But how do you “go green” with your lighting without changing the color of the bulb? Is it really practical? Can businesses accomplish greener lighting as readily as homeowners?
We believe that with today’s technology, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” Business lights really can be made environmentally friendly. Here are 5 ways it can be done:
1. Use solar “smart” lights.
Installing solar powered lights with automatic dawn to dusk operation, motion sensor outdoor lights, and solar street lights that run themselves and need very little maintenance, are all ways to get the most out of solar power.
Of course, installing solar panels to help power all of your lights and using an electric provider that uses a relatively large share of solar sourced energy makes all of your lights “solar” to a degree. But installing a few strategic lights that are 100{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} solar powered and not dependent on the grid is a smart move.
2. Use LED or CFL bulbs.
The day of incandescent is over. LED bulbs often use 90{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} less energy than incandescents and are no less bright. They last for 100,000 hours. They light up fast, as fast as the brake lights on your car (for they are, after all, LEDs).
CFL (compact fluorescent lights) are generally a little cheaper than LEDs, and they offer a greater variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. They don’t cost much more, in fact, than incandescent bulbs, and yet, they use only 25{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} as much energy for the same effect, while lasting for 10,000 hours. Also, since CFLs don’t get as hot, they are safer as well.
3. Choose/position fixtures wisely.
Find lamps and fixtures made of recycled materials whenever possible. And don’t hesitate to pick up fixtures from reused or repurposed materials either – these are often some of the most interesting as well as eco-friendly light fixtures!
And be sure to use only as many fixtures in a room as needed, but to strategically position them for maximum lighting from minimum light bulbs.
4. Let the sun shine in!
Take advantage of daylight in the workplace. It’s good for employee health and morale besides being Earth friendly and saving you on your company energy bill.
Employees should open up blinds in their offices during the day and have their desks positioned near a source of sunshine. And consider putting in skylights, large windows, and mirrors that will reflect the sunlight all around the room, if you don’t already have them.
5. Manage lights properly.
Even the best lighting system won’t save you money or save the environment if it’s mismanaged.
The simple habit of turning off the lights when you leave a room works wonders on your power bill! For incandescent lights, employees should flip the switch even if exiting the room for mere seconds; for CFLs, if they leave for three minutes or more; and for LEDs, if they plant to be gone at least 15 minutes.
Following these 5 simple steps is a huge beginning to upgrading your business’ green lighting score and lowering its corporate carbon footprint.
Systematically replacing all inefficient or environmentally unfriendly components of your lighting system will require some time, thought, and money, but it pays off in the end in cost savings, enhanced corporate image, and that good feeling you’ll have inside for doing all you can to conserve energy.
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The former Reserve Mining started dumping 67,000 tons of taconite waste and used oil into Lake Superior in 1956, a year after Grant Merritt graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth.
It took 20 years before Reserve was forced to shift to on-land disposal by a federal judge in the face of evidence of environmental and health threats and growing pressure from Minnesota, Wisconsin and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Merritt, a commercial lawyer from Duluth, was a key Minnesota protagonist against the waste practices of Reserve during his 1971-75 tour as the first boss of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. And he’s a key player in Minnesota’s modern-day environmental movement that has evolved, as once-dirty utilities now herald low-carbon, wind and solar energy and conservation, and the public increasingly accepts or champions a cleaner economy.
“I get accused of shutting down plants and that I was anti-mining,” said Merritt, who also represented the trucking industry in private practice. “I’m not. Some environmentalists are. But I’ve enjoyed the chance to be a factor [in a cleaner environment and economy].”
Merritt, 84, who still does some environmental work, has written a candid, pointed book about his work and the often tumultuous, barbed and politically contentious environmental flaps in which he was involved — particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, the turning point for a cleaner Minnesota.
“Iron and Water; My Life Protecting Minnesota’s Environment,” published by University of Minnesota Press, is a good read. Particularly for those of us who can remember the first Earth Day in 1970; New York’s Love Canal; chemically choked rivers that caught fire; and people sickened by leaching toxins that bubbled up from buried solvents or out of unfiltered smokestacks.
To be sure, we’re still dealing with pollution. However, we’ve learned that it’s imperative to integrate sound environmental practices with industrial development to avoid horrendous pollution and cleanup tabs.
And we’re growing the economy using energy more efficiently and tapping cleaner sources.
Merritt, ironically, was the grandson of one of the first iron miners in Minnesota. And Merritt displays his populist streak in detailing through historical records how his family effectively was forced off the Range by titanic industrialist John D. Rockefeller in the 1890s.
First as a lawyer for Lake Superior guardians and then as the first leader of the MPCA, Merritt spearheaded the campaign against the Superior-dumping Reserve, a subsidiary of a profitable industrial giant that had pioneered processing low-grade taconite ore to make steel.
The despoliation of Lake Superior, not really considered in the 1950s, was seen as a grave danger by the 1970s.
“I was driven to set the record straight on my family and the Iron Range and provide the inside story on Reserve Mining,” Merritt said last week.
That big section of the book is full of tales of political shifting and intrigue, hanky-panky between Reserve’s lawyers, local elected officials and more, in the face of mounting scientific evidence that Reserve’s dumping was threatening the lake.
Merritt, a Democrat, has praise for William Ruckelshaus, a Republican and the first head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He resisted political pressure and joined with Great Lakes states that sued to pressure Reserve into dryland disposal of the wastes.
The other big battle, among many over the years, was trying to replace hundreds of rat-infested, polluting, open-burn dumps, with sanitary landfills that had enough of a clay liner to prevent leaching. It’s still an issue.
As a private lawyer in 1987, Merritt was retained by a homeowner group in Eden Prairie to fight the former Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) plan to expand the Eden Prairie landfill. It had been dogged by toxic fires, chemical clouds and methane explosions, which BFI had sought to cover up. BFI offered cash settlements to the city and some owners, in an increasingly residential area, as part an expansion plan in the late 1980s.
That plan was rejected by 1990. And Browning-Ferris went to work on a plan to remediate the big pollution problems and close the dump.
The polluting of beautiful lands near the Minnesota River also inspired Hennepin County officials to accelerate proper disposal or recycling of hazardous wastes and building Hennepin County’s garbage-to-energy incinerator. It was controversial, but it decreased the need for more landfills.
Hennepin County says it burns about a third of the 1 million-plus tons of garbage generated by residents and businesses annually. More than 40 percent of such waste is now reused, recycled or composted through private and public efforts.
Neal St. Anthony has been a Star Tribune columnist-reporter since 1984; nstanthony@startribune.com.
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KUWAIT CITY, Aug 18: Oil Minister and Minister of Electricity and Water Bakheet Al- Rasheedi was recently quoted as saying the oil sector will produce 1,500 megawatts of solar cells before the end of this year, reports Al-Anba daily.
In a press statement Al-Rasheedi said the Ministry of Electricity and Water is keen to achieve this goal. He pointed out the ministry has formed a committee under his chairmanship comprising members from several government agencies including the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), the Kuwait University, the oil sector and others to ensure the target is achieved on schedule.
Al-Rasheedi added the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) has implemented this vital project in the Shaqaya area. The project has been launched with 10 megawatt wind power and 10 megawatt of solar energy. The third project will be operated by the end of this year. Al-Rasheedi went on to say the committee has addressed all government agencies to include all renewable energy sources in its future construction projects using solar power as much as possible of the total electricity required for the project.
Meanwhile, the dead fish phenomenon has ‘resurfaced’. Dead fish was seen washed ashore on the East Doha coast, but the reason this time is believed to be different, reports Al-Rai daily.
In recent years, the dead fish surfaced due to several reasons including severe heat or water pollution or even because of the increase in the proportion of organic substances that affect the rate of oxygen in water, but this time around the reason is termed ‘deliberate act’. An official source at the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) confirmed the Authority had spotted hundreds of fishes on the shore of East Doha next to the chalets, which turned out later that some young men who are fishing illegally in cooperation with a group of expatriate fishermen throw dead or undesirable fish on the beach, a behavior which prompted a citizen to take pictures and show the same as ‘dead fish’.
The source pointed out that the PAAAFR in cooperation with the Coast Guard and the Ministry of Interior will seek permission from the Public Prosecution to raid the suspicious chalets and arrest the violators for contaminating the environment and look for illegal fishermen who dump the waste on the beach. The Authority also called on the owners of the chalets to pay attention to the the actions of those who hire their chalets to avoid legal accountability. On the other hand, an official source at the Environment Public Authority said it is not the dead fish phenomenon that has come to haunt the consumers.
However, results are awaited from samples of dead fish taken by the concerned authorities, which are expected to clear the water in two days time. At the same time sources said the conclusions arrived at by the PAAAFR must be taken into consideration. The sources pointed out PAAAFR is responsible for monitoring the sea and beaches of Kuwait and keep a tab on the activity of fishing trawlers, including over fishing and punish those who are found guilty and those who contaminate the beach. The EPA had called on the Ministry of Finance several times to issue citations against the chalet owners who do not abide by the terms of the contracts concluded with state property department but exploit them for other purposes. “The fishermen cannot dump undesirable dead fish on the beach simply because fishing is forbidden in this area”, said the head of the Kuwait Fishermen’s Union, Zaher Al-Souyan. Head of the Kuwaiti diving team, Walid Al-Fadhel attributed the dead fish to the high temperature, malpractices and dumping waste into the sea.
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Solar panels on the roof of the Malone Belton Abel architects building. (Photo by Pat Blair)
Jeanne Hackman says conversion to solar power has probably cut her MDU bill in half, every month.
The Hackman home on Wild Rose Lane was one of six area homes and businesses featured in a self-guided tour Saturday. All shared one feature on common: They were powered by the sun.
Jeanne and her husband, Hollis, had 16 solar panels installed on their roof about a year ago, and report that the system has functioned flawlessly.
Among the businesses on the tour was Malone Belton Abel Architects. Owner Tim Belton said the building, which was constructed in 1979, was designed to accommodate solar panels.
According to a brochure prepared for the tour, the architectural firm started generating electricity in March of this year and has already noticed a considerable energy savings.
Also on the tour were the Downtown Sheridan Association building, which started adding solar panels in 2009 and now has 10 panels on the south side of the roof, and the Powder River Basin Resource Council offices, which added the first solar panels in 1999.
The tour included the home of Bernie Barlow, which has a 14-panel grid-tied system installed this year, and the home of Val and Jerry Burgess, who built a two-story greenhouse in 1981 that produces passive heat for their home. The Burgesses a few months ago installed 22 solar panels on their garage roof.
View more photos below.
Tim Belton calls up information on the solar panels on his computer. (Photo by Pat Blair)
Jeanne Hackman checks the solar panel controls at her home. (Photo by Pat Blair)
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Arizona has blistering heat throughout the year. Take a look at the most extreme facts about Phoenix heat and how to deal with the hot temperatures.
Noah Lau, The Republic | azcentral.com
Opinion: Extreme heat brings trouble with ozone and air quality. Here’s what we’re doing (and still need to do) to make Maricopa County more sustainable.
Maricopa County is growing exponentially. How can we ensure this growth is sustainable?
People have come here for years to escape miserable winters, stifling humidity or skies that never seem to let the sunshine through. The phrase “Valley of the Sun” is a badge of honor, albeit less so during the excessive summer heat.
Maricopa County has always been hot, but it’s getting hotter. Every year, we seem to set new temperature records. In 2017, at least 155 people died from heat-related causes. With extreme heat comes more trouble with ozone and air quality.
County government can be part of the solution, in both practical ways and in terms of leadership.
How government is conserving energy
Maricopa County’s physical footprint grew more than 5 percent from fiscal 2011 to fiscal 2017, but in that time, the county’s annual energy use (electricity and natural gas) decreased by nearly 10 percent.
We’ve done it by:
- Putting solar thermal systems in our jails and solar panels on top of other county buildings.
- Automating energy controls so that we’re using electricity more efficiently.
- Working with our partners, NRG, to expand the chilled water loop under the streets of downtown Phoenix, cooling buildings in the city’s core for less money than we’d spend if we tried to do it ourselves.
- “Harvesting” daylight in our newer buildings so that we lean on the sun more and artificial lighting less. Overhead lights dim or switch off automatically when there is enough natural light in a room.
How we’re helping you conserve, too
Long-term trends show a 3.1 percent decrease in ozone air pollution in Maricopa County over the past 20 years, and our Air Quality Department has played an important role.
Outreach efforts such as the “Commit to One Day” summer ozone campaign encourage residents to make small changes to improve quality of life for everyone.
To that end, the county — in partnership with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality — created the Mow Down Pollution Program.
The goal is to reduce air pollution from gasoline-powered lawn mowers. People who recycle their gas-powered mower can get a $150 voucher toward the purchase of a new electric- or battery-powered lawn mower.
This lawn mower replacement program launched June 4 and is available to all Maricopa County residents. In less than two months, more than 1,000 people have submitted applications and more than 600 gasoline-powered mowers have been recycled.
If we can meet our goal of recycling 2,500 gasoline-powered lawn mowers, we can reduce 21 tons of air pollution.
We’re extending the conversation
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Pollution is a on-going problem in our world today. Take a look at ozone gas and the effects it can have around you.
Noah Lau, The Republic | azcentral.com
One of my priorities as chairman of the Board of Supervisors is to emphasize the county’s ability to lead on issues that are bigger than any single government, organization or field of discipline.
That’s why the board recently asked Arizona State University President Michael Crow to help us ensure a future with cleaner air, fewer heat-related illnesses and deaths, and greater investment in energy innovation.
While there is no formal agreement between Maricopa County and ASU, talking is the first step. There is no magic bullet, but possible approaches include expanding and integrating agriculture into more neighborhoods, and designing buildings to lessen nighttime heat and smart clothing that adapts to the changing heat index.
Everyone – including public, private and non-profit group leaders – must step up to share our vision of a sustainable and world-class community.
Past generations have looked after us, starting with the Hohokam whose canals gave us accessible water and farmable land. Now it’s our turn.
Steve Chucri represents District 2 and is chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Reach him at chucris@mail.maricopa.gov. Twitter: @Steve_Chucri.
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By Anca Gagiuc on Aug 18, 2018 in Technology
In early May, California became the first state to require that all new homes have solar power, single-family and multifamily properties alike. The rule is part of the state’s commitment to cut greenhouse gases. It will go into effect in the following two years.
Under the new law, developers must either make individual homes available with solar panels or build a shared solar-power system serving a group of homes. The rooftop panels can either be owned or made available for lease on a monthly basis. But are they covered by some insurance policy? 
Insuring the Vision
Here’s what the folks at the Insurance Information Institute have put together:
Most solar panels are considered a permanent attachment (like a deck) and thus are protected by a homeowner’s policy. However, check with your insurance company to know for sure. Another thing to consider is the coverage amount—your insurance policy’s coverage limit is the maximum amount that will be paid toward covering a loss. Ensure you have the adequate coverage limit, because despite the significant contraction in the cost of solar panels, it’s still not negligible.
Your premiums will suffer. Some carriers allow solar energy systems owners to purchase an optional endorsement just for the panels. Others include the coverage in the dwelling coverage (coverage A) if the panels are on the roof of the home or under coverage B if the panels are on the ground or on the roof of a detached structure.
Leasing the solar panels can make a big difference in your policy: if you install a system with a lease or power purchase agreement (PPA), you are not the owner of the system. In this case, the company with whom you have the agreement owns the panels and is responsible for their maintenance. You won’t have to worry about your home insurance covering solar panels.
New Challenges for Fire Departments
There are some other risks associated with solar panels of which you should be aware. If a home catches fire, solar panels are a real challenge for firefighters. The photovoltaic arrays have an increased risk of electrocutions, slips and falls.
“As solar-power systems continue to proliferate, the likelihood of firefighters encountering them at a structural fire will similarly increase,” is stated in a study by the Fore Protection Research Foundation in 2013. “There isn’t really a place to send first responders for hands-on practice with any emergency that has to do with solar panels,” added assistant fire chief David Klee.
As a result, fire departments are implementing new programs to learn how to handle solar panels.
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