Author

Jake Richardson

has been writing about solar energy for years on sites like CleanTechnica, Care2, and Planetsave. He enjoys the outdoors and is passionate about protecting life on this planet. You can connect with Jake on Google Plus.

PV Solar Projects

EnSync Energy Sells CAL FIRE Solar PPA Project In California To Standard Solar

by Jake Richardson August 20, 2018

written by Jake Richardson

EnSync Energy recently announced the sale of a project under a 20-year power purchase agreement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to Standard Solar, a company which specializes in the development and financing of solar power systems. Under the agreement, EnSync Energy is constructing a 600-kilowatt solar installation at the CAL FIRE training facility in Ione, California.

Scott Wiater, president and CEO of Standard Solar, answered some questions for Solar Love.

1. How did the arrangement with CAL FIRE come about?

Standard Solar works with an extensive network of developers and installers throughout the entire country. The Cal Fire project was brought to us from one of our channel partners.

2. When will the solar power system be completed and become operational?

The system is expected to be fully constructed and operational by the end of the year.

3. How do you help finance solar power projects?

Standard Solar is able to support with financing in a wide variety of ways depending on the stage of the solar project development. For example, on early stage project developments, we can work with partners to craft the ideal financing proposal for the host-customer and fund every step of the way through to construction and operation. We also come across late-stage projects that are fully contracted with host-customers and in many cases under construction. In these situations, Standard Solar can provide financing to acquire the solar project facility and serve as the long-term owner/operator of the system. Because Standard Solar is utilizing in-house funds, it provides us the flexibility to focus on providing value throughout the full range of the solar project development cycle.

4. Are you working on other solar power development projects in CA?

Yes, given that California continues to be the leading solar market in the US, our focus on increasing our operational footprint in the California market remains a top company priority. We have more than 100 MWs of projects under evaluation, in active development, or under construction in the California market.

5. What is the company roadmap for the next 3–5 years?

Our goal over the next 3-5 years will be continuing to identify and execute on renewable projects that will allow our parent company to diversify their generating asset mix that deliver a healthy return on investment. We have dedicated capital resources that exceed $600 million which can be increased should the demand for financing exceed this amount.

6. Why is providing a range of financing for solar power projects important, and is it even more so right now due to the economic and policy conditions?

Solar projects are a lot like fingerprints — each one is unique. To be a strong player in the solar industry, you have to be able to reach your clients where they are, whether that’s through a loan, a lease, a power-purchase agreement (PPA) or some other creative financing deal. Being a one-size-fits-all financing institution isn’t going to lead to success. And with today’s tumultuous economic and policy conditions, flexibility is paramount if you want to make sure you get projects done and get them done in ways that are financially advantageous to everyone involved.

7. What are some other new projects you are working on right now you are excited about?

Right now, we are most excited about our expansion into new states and emerging markets (we are now contracted, constructing, or operational in over a dozen states). Our competitive financing coupled with our channel partnership approach allows us to remove regional market barriers and widen our pool of renewable asset opportunities.

Image Credit: energy.utah.gov

August 20, 2018 0 comment

Solar $Solar Projects

Invenergy Signs PPA With Georgia Power For 160 MWac Solar Project

by Jake Richardson May 14, 2018

written by Jake Richardson

Invenergy has signed a power purchase agreement with Georgia Power for electricity generated by the 160 MWac Camilla Solar project which is currently being developed. The project is scheduled to begin operation at the end of 2019, and it will be one of the largest solar power plants in Georgia. (The location is Mitchell County.) Through the PPA, Georgia Power will buy electricity from the solar plant until 2050.

“Invenergy is pleased to work with Georgia Power to help them deliver clean, reliable solar energy to their customers. As North America’s largest privately-held renewable power provider, Invenergy is proud to help leading utilities like Georgia Power take advantage of the economic value, energy diversity and sustainability benefits that solar energy provides,” explained Invenergy EVP and Chief Commercial Officer Jim Shield.

Donya Mansoubi, the spokesperson for Invenergy, answered some questions for Cleantechnica.

1. The project will generate more than $12 million in local economic development in its first 10 years of operation through tax payments, lease payments to participating landowners, and wages and benefits for employees. Do you have a breakdown for these lease payments? Are they going to landowners? If so, how many, and about how much will they receive?

The payments are a combination of the tax payments to Mitchell County, lease payments to landowners, and wages to the employees at the facility.

2. Will the 400 or so construction workers be locally sourced?

Invenergy contracts out the construction. Our contractors typically source as much local labor for the projects as they can find.

3. How many employees will remain after the construction is completed, and what will these jobs be?

3-4 operational jobs are likely to be sourced locally.

4. Why was Mitchell County chosen as the site?

The County established clear rules and regulations regarding the permitting and taxation of solar development, creating a stable environment for development. Additionally, the area has both transmission lines running through it along with some of the best solar resource in the state of Georgia.

5. When completed will it be the largest PV solar power plant in Georgia?

It will be the second largest in the state.

6. Are you looking at other similar solar projects to construct in this state?

We are looking to continue investing in solar development across Georgia and the southeast more broadly.

That solar power is growing in Georgia is excellent news; the state has abundant sunshine to convert to electricity.

Image Credit: Invenergy

May 14, 2018 0 comment

Energy Storage PV Rooftop Solar Solar Projects

Solar-Powered Electric Bike Station For New Jersey Park

by Jake Richardson November 27, 2016

written by Jake Richardson

A containerized PV solar system with energy storage in the form of lithium-ion batteries has been be installed at Liberty State Park in New Jersey. The Eco Power station concept was unveiled in 2015, and a press release said the PV solar system capacity is 5 kilowatts. They system includes backup electricity generating capacity from a hydrogen fuel cell which can provide power for 8 hours or more. The entire system consumes no energy from the grid.

A smart-energy-management system is included in the container system, which is made by Taiwan-based Skynergy. Recycled tires and computer parts were used for the floor tiles and luminaries. The containerized solution is appropriate for usage where there is no grid-connected electricity, like for emergency situations or disaster relief. It can also be used for residential, retail, or recreational purposes.

A bicycle rental and tour company called Bike And Roll operates the 40 by 8 foot shipping container Eco Power electric bike station. The company offers tours in various locations in New York City and in other parts of the country, like San Francisco. The Liberty State Park site is well situated for views of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and the Hudson River.

Considering the very large number of tourists who visit, having a solar electric bike station there just might prove educational too. One source says the 1,212 acre park receives about 4 million guests per year. Even if a tiny fraction of them visit the EcoPower station, surely some will be interested and learn a thing or two about clean energy.

On July 12th, a ceremony was held to officially hand over the EcoPower station. The participants included the Green Trade Project Office; the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in New York; Bike And Roll; Taiwanese manufacturers; and the project partners UL and Asolar.

The Taiwan Green Trade Project Office was established in 2011 to promote Taiwan’s green products and services, and is within the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Images via Green Trade Project Office

November 27, 2016 0 comment

Investment Market Research PV Rooftop Solar Solar $Solar Projects Solar Research

Solar Sector Corporate Funding Was $1.7 Billion In Q2 2016 (Report)

by Jake Richardson September 10, 2016

written by Jake Richardson

A new solar power fact sheet and report were recently published by the Mercom Capital Group, a cleantech communications and research firm. Some of the key findings showed decreases in solar power funding, but there were some good signs too.

Total corporate funding decreased to $1.7 billion for the second quarter, compared to the figure for the previous quarter, which was $2.8 billion.

Global solar venture capital funding declined to $174 million compared with the figure from the previous quarter, which was $406 million.

Announced debt financing was $1.3 billion in the second quarter, but it was $2.3 billion in the previous one, and $3.4 billion for the same quarter last year.

For residential and commercial solar funds, there were $1.36 billion in the second quarter versus $1 billion for the previous one. Leaders in this area were SolarCity, Mosaic, and Sunnova Energy.

For the second quarter, there were 38 large-scale solar project acquisitions worth $1.9 billion. The value of the same kind was $1.2 billion for the previous quarter.

The top venture capital funded companies for the second quarter were:

Silicon Ranch — $100 million
Tigo Energy — $20 million
1366 Technologies — $15 million
Sol Voltaics — $12.5 million

September 10, 2016 0 comment

Going Solar Market Research PV Rooftop Solar Solar $Solar PV Manufacturing Solar Research

Top 10 Solar Panel Installers

by Jake Richardson May 18, 2016

written by Jake Richardson

These top 10 lists are a little peculiar sometimes because one might conclude that they are objective. However, while they can appear to be that way, they are usually more subjective, based in assessments conducted by particular websites or publications. Depending on which criteria are used, their results might not be what you need or want. So, in order to determine which solar installer might work for you, it could be helpful to compare lists of top solar panel installers.

solarpanels2 To that end, let’s look at a list (from GTM Research) which placed SolarCity, Vivint Solar, Sungevity, Sunrun, and Verengo Solar in the top five. According to this source, they made the top five because they installed the largest percentages of rooftop solar power systems — half or more of all solar panels in the US for the year 2014.

SolarCity had 34% of installations, Vivint Solar had 13%, Sungevity with 3%, Sunrun with 2%, and Verengo Solar with the same as Sunrun.

A 2015 list showed a similar split but some notable changes:

SolarCity 34.1%
Vivint Solar 11.6%
Sunrun 2.6%
NRG Home Solar 2%
Sungevity 1.9%

However, SolarCity has a leasing- and PPA-focused model. With leases and (power purchase agreements) PPAs, SolarCity owns the solar power systems, and the homeowners get some portion of the electricity. If you want to own our home solar power system, they also can make arrangements for that, but it is a small part of the company’s business and apparently not the most attractive option for home solar loans. Also, SolarCity’s prices are reportedly much higher than the competition’s.

Vivint Solar has a similar service, but they just offer PPAs where they own the home solar power system, and the homeowner agrees to pay for electricity generated by it and a certain rate for a specified period of time.

The reason that SolarCity and Vivint have installed so many more solar panels is that their services typically have low or no upfront costs. This kind of service is much cheaper initially compared with the cost of installing a home solar power system that a homeowner will own and maintain. It is only reasonable that cost-constrained homeowners who are trying solar power for the first time might want to choose a system that is very low or no upfront cost, rather than paying over $10,000 or more for their own home solar system, or applying for a loan for one.

So, yes, SolarCity and Vivint are top installers of solar panels, but they own those systems once they have been installed. The technology is the same, but the relationship with the homeowner is different. Also, if you own your own home solar power system, you have control over it and you actually could make money in the long-term. So, the fact that SolarCity and Vivint have installed far more solar panels than their competitors might make them see far and away the best, but one of the reasons they are so far ahead is the greater affordability of leasing or PPAs—not necessarily because they are superior installers or offer a much better product. Their installations and products may (or may not) be very good, but that’s not really the point.

SolarCity and Vivint Solar have also seemingly had more effective marketing and financing arrangements.

The installers lower on the list may offer the same quality of installation and products, but they may have been less popular because they don’t offering leasing or PPA. Alternatively, they may be focused on smaller markets.

This consideration is something to keep in mind when researching solar power options for you home. In other words, popularity may sway some people’s decision-making in a direction that isn’t beneficial.

Leasing might appeal to many, but when you lease, you typically don’t own the system, and you generally give away some of the potential financial benefit. If you are energy-conscious and own your system you might generate more electricity than you consume, which you could sell back to the utility, if net metering is available where you live. Also, if you own your own home solar system, you will probably be eligible to receive some incentives, so the net price of that system will be reduced for you.

Of course, it matters very much that you understand the difference between owning your own home solar power system, leasing, and signing a power purchase agreement.

Solar Power World’s Top 10

Solar Power World published its own top 10 residential solar contractors (installers) list and includes some that GTM research did not. Check out the top 10:

1. SolarCity
2. Vivint Solar
3. Sunnova
4. RGS Energy (Real Goods Solar)
5. Solar Universe
6. Bland Solar & Air
7. Amergy Solar
8. Smart Energy Solar
9. KDH Solar
10. Direct Solar Energy

1. SolarCity is located in San Mateo, California, and has about 10,000 employees. It installs solar power systems, but the homeowners often don’t own them — they lease them (or buy the electricity from them) from SolarCity, presumably for a lower price than they’d buy electricity from the grid. It makes sense that SolarCity is a leader, because its customers have very little in upfront costs and the company had a lot of financial support to grow quickly and establish strong relationships with bankers & financiers. This company is well known for its association with Elon Musk, chairman of the company and cousin to founders & CEO + CTO Lyndon Rive & Peter Rive. SolarCity operates in: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Washington DC.

2. Vivint Solar is located in Lehi, Utah, and it has a similar kind of service provided by SolarCity, except that it typically uses power purchase agreements (which SolarCity sometimes uses) instead of leasing. Also, it goes door to door to get customers, and its larger parent company sells various other home products, like alarm systems. Vivint has about 3,200 employees and has installed 228 MW of solar panels. Vivint Solar currently operates in: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington DC.

3. Sunnova is located in Houston, TX. This company offers the ability for a homeowner to own his or her own system, sign a power purchase agreement, or get a solar lease. Sunnova operates in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.

4. RGS Energy (Real Solar Goods) is located in Louisville, Colorado. It offers solar leases, service agreements, and home solar systems for purchase. It operates in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

5. Solar Universe is located in Livermore, California. It offers $0-down solar financing when installing home solar systems, or fully prepaid solar contracts. It operates in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico.

6. Bland Solar & Air is based in Bakersfield, California. It installs solar power systems, but has expertise with air conditioning as well. It recommends using the nonprofit Educational Employees Credit Union for financing (getting a loan) if one isn’t able to or doesn’t want to self-finance the project. “Educational Employees Credit Union offers a number of Energy Efficiency Loan choices, including a $0 down payment option,” the company writes.

7. Amergy Energy is a New Jersey–based company. It installs, finances, and leases solar power systems for homes, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. It operates in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.

8. Smart Energy Solar is located in Corona, California. It has installed thousands of solar systems, including solar PV, solar hot water heaters, and solar pool heating.

9. KDH Solar is located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It installs both residential and commercial systems.

10. Direct Energy Solar is located in Annapolis, Junction. It is focused on residential solar power systems.

Another consideration when choosing a solar power installer is what role they play in your community. Some consumers like to support local businesses and others don’t care. Some also like to support local people they know or their family or friends have some connection with, because the business transaction is more personal in nature. Others don’t care about the personal side, and only want affordability and quality service.

Yet another point to reflect on is whether or not a top 10 list means much to you, because it might hit some of the generic points, but ultimately your decision is your own, and you need to have some sense that it is the right decision, not merely the result of having found some information. If your local solar panel installer is not on any top 10 lists, they may still be very effective and you would determine that by researching them carefully. You can see from the GTM Research ranking above that about 50% of the solar power installed on rooftops is installed by a company with less than 2% market share.

We encourage people to get as many solar quotes as possible (they’re always free): from Cost of Solar, Pick My Solar, EnergySage, Google’s Project Sunroof, and anyone else you can find.

Also, some people don’t even choose a solar panel installer, because they have a DIY mentality and they install their own solar panel systems. These people are currently in the minority, but that may change over time if installing systems becomes easy enough.

We are still in the infancy of solar power in the US, with just over 1% of our total electricity generated by it. Things will change as it grows, including the “technical” knowledge of everyday people.

Image Credit: AleSpa (CC BY-SA 3.0 license)

May 18, 2016 0 comment

Going Solar Market Research PV Rooftop Solar Solar $Solar Modules Solar PV Manufacturing Solar Research

Top 10 Solar Power Companies, & Top 5, & Top 10 Again

by Jake Richardson May 18, 2016

written by Jake Richardson

When you ask who the top solar power companies are, you will probably want to distinguish between residential installers and solar panel manufacturers. Solar power generally is thought of as home solar power, though utilities and businesses also are investing in it. This article looks at the top residential solar contractors / residential solar installers as well as the top American solar panel manufacturers.

According to Solar Power World Online, the top solar residential contractors are:

1. SolarCity
2. Vivint Solar
3. Sunnova
4. RGS Energy (Real Goods Solar)
5. Solar Universe
6. Bland Solar & Air
7. Amergy Solar
8. Smart Energy Solar
9. KDH Solar
10. Direct Solar Energy

However, this doesn’t really cover the full story. GTM Research’s US residential installer leaderboard for the end of 2015 was as follows for the top 5:

SolarCity 34.1%
Vivint Solar 11.6%
Sunrun 2.6%
NRG Home Solar 2%
Sungevity 1.9%

Clearly, the two rankings look at different matters and come to different results. Anyhow, diving into the companies in the GTM Research ranking, here’s a bit more info from Solar Love:

3. Sunrun was one of the first companies to offer solar leasing, but it also offers systems via loans and cash purchases now. It is based in California, but is now working in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.

4. NRG Home Solar is a subsidiary of energy giant NRG. Like the companies above, its main pitch is $0-down solar leasing. It doesn’t yet seem to offer solar loans like the other companies above. In a market that is shifting back toward straight purchases and loans, it seems NRG Home Solar will have to broaden its offering in order to remain competitive for long. NRG Home Solar operates in: California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Texas.

5. Sungevity, based in Oakland, California, also has a long history in solar leasing, but it offers solar power installations via solar loans and cash purchases as well. Sungevity CEO Andrew Birch has said the company was agnostic regarding financing, agreed the shift is going back toward system purchases, and is typically keen to highlight Sungevity’s competitive advantages from its iQuote system, which provides a solar power quote using satellite technology quickly and remotely, and “also provides customers with dedicated project managers so that they don’t have to go through any automated customer support or deal with different people (who need to be caught up on their project) every time they call or email.” Sungevity operates in: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington DC.

Regarding the remaining companies from the Solar Power World Online ranking, here’s a little more info:

8. Smart Energy Solar is located in Corona, California. It has installed thousands of solar systems, including solar PV, solar hot water heaters, and solar pool heating.

9. KDH Solar is located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It installs both residential and commercial systems.

10. Direct Energy Solar is located in Annapolis, Junction. It is focused on residential solar power systems.

Solar panel installers typically don’t make their own solar panels, they install panels made by manufacturers. SolarCity is going to be making its own solar panels and installing whole systems, so it is the exception.

Is there any advantage to a solar panel installer making its own technology? It might be that there could be better communication about the solar panels with the installers, if it comes from within the same company. It also might be easier to get defective panels replaced if there is better communication, rather than one company trying to communicate with another. Additionally, vertical integration like this could bring down costs. The downside would be if these in-house solar panels ended up being more expensive and the company was tied to using them.

Also, if the installer makes solar panels in the same country, communication may be enhanced because there is no cross-culture or cross-language issues. However, because of globalization, international business is common now, so cross-cultural situations might not be an issue.

Another consideration is that some consumers like to support companies based in their own countries. In this case, an American home or business owner who wants to invest in solar power might consider working with a company like SolarCity, or try to locate solar panels made in America by a company like SunPower.

Obviously, solar panels need to be manufactured before they can be installed, and fortunately, a number of American companies make them.

Top American Solar Panel Manufacturers

1. First Solar has its headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, and has solar panel manufacturing sites in the US, Germany, and Malaysia.

2. SunPower has its headquarters in San Jose, California, and manufactures panels in the US and the Philippines.

3. SolarWorld has its US headquarters near Portland (it is originally a German company) and most of its manufacturing is done in Germany.

4. SolarCity is based in San Mateo, California, and it is working to build a very large solar panel manufacturing site in New York state.

5. Suniva has its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and manufacturing sites in Michigan and Georgia. It was founded in 2007.

While it is important to know the names of these companies, their locations, and what they provide, there is something of equal importance that doesn’t get talked about enough, or at all. These solar power companies are accomplishing something important for the country—they are helping the United States very gradually shift away from fossil fuel use to clean, renewable energy.

There are a raft of benefits linked with solar power: it’s better for climate change, reduces harmful air pollution, and is better for the national economy because it reduces reliance on imported fossil fuels. Eventually, all coal mining and burning might also be eliminated, and coal mining clearly is very unhealthy for mine workers. Sometimes it is fatal. Making and installing solar panels is relatively safe, so it is better for American workers.

Solar power creates a lot of jobs, and more solar jobs are expected to be added in the US in 2016 than oil-related jobs.

The solar power trend is taking off and it is has never been more affordable. Though, many of us may not be aware of how much solar power prices have fallen. American solar power companies have accomplished a lot so far, and yet they are poised to do much more. At the same time, they seem to have been given almost no credit for their achievements. Currently, the US gets less than 2% of its electricity from solar power, but that figure is set to increase as solar companies continue to install more and more of it. Also, the costs are dropping, so solar power is becoming more accessible all the time. Additionally, the costs will most likely continue to decrease and demand will likely grow. So, solar power is going to be a bigger part of the American energy future.

Image Credit: CHAK 001, (Creative Commons BY 3.0)

May 18, 2016 0 comment

PV Rooftop Solar Solar $Solar Incentives

The Cost Of Solar Power In Hawaii

by Jake Richardson May 18, 2016

written by Jake Richardson

Sunlight, as we all know very well, is completely free, so it doesn’t make much sense for a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean to continue importing expensive oil when there is ample, free sunlight.

hawaiisolar “With fantastic solar insolation and high electricity prices due to a dependence on imported energy, Hawaii is an ideal solar market,” writes the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Fantastic solar insolation means Hawaii has a lot sunlight available for solar power. One thing that has held the state back in terms of developing more solar power has been issues with connection to the grid, because the utilities have been slow to respond to how much interest there has been in solar power from local residents who have been installing their own home solar power systems.

Hawaii’s legislature has already set a big goal when it comes to clean, renewable energy: 100% by 2045. So, the state’s utilities now must get onboard with all forms of clean energy, including solar power.

Solar Incentives in Hawaii

The state provides tax credits for solar (and wind) power systems: “The Hawaii Energy Tax Credits allow individuals or corporations to claim an income tax credit of 20% of the cost of equipment and installation of a wind system and 35% of the cost of equipment and installation of a solar thermal or photovoltaic (PV) system. A new provision was added to the tax credits in June 2009 allowing the tax credit to be refundable under certain conditions. For solar energy systems, a taxpayer can reduce the eligible credit amount by 30%. If this reduced amount exceeds the amount of income taxes to be paid by the taxpayer, the excess credit will be refunded to the taxpayer.”

The feed-in tariff rate is $0.218/kWh, which means this is what someone who has a PV solar power system makes when she or he generates electricity and it flows to the utility. In other words, having a feed-in tariff, allows a solar power system owner to provide clean electricity to a utility so the owner can make some money. These rates may differ on Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island.

There is also a property tax incentive: “In September 2009, the Honolulu City Council unanimously passed Bill 58 to create a real property tax exemption for alternative energy improvements in Honolulu. This bill became effective October 1, 2009. The alternative energy property installed on a building, property, or land is exempt from property taxes for 25 years. For the purposes of this property tax exemption, alternative energy sources include solar, wind, hydro power, tidal, wave, solid waste and increased efficiency in fossil-fuel burning facilities.”

Federal Solar Incentives

Through 2019, there is a 30% federal tax credit for residential properties and commercial properties. That drops to 26% in 2020 and 22% in 2021.

For businesses, there may also be an incentive for corporate depreciation and there are a couple of other incentives:

the Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC-1603)
and the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit (PTC)

May 18, 2016 1 comment

Energy Storage PV Rooftop Solar

5–15 kW Solar Power + 17 kWh Energy Storage Product Launched

by Jake Richardson April 27, 2016

written by Jake Richardson

Concept by US has launched a complete solar power and energy storage solution that provides 17.28 kWh of energy storage along with a solar power system of 5, 10, or 15 kW. The product is called the Powerstation 247 and Concept by US says it is UL certified. The system uses hybrid inverters, a charge controller, solar MPP-trackers, wiring terminals and disconnect switches. It also can function off or on-grid. The battery system is lithium-iron and 96 V.

powerstation

The plug-and-play system has been designed for the US market, and is for both residences and small businesses. Excess electricity is fed back to the grid if the system is grid-connected. At night or during power outages, the system automatically switches to the battery.

The storage capacity of 17.28 kWh is much larger than the Tesla Powerwall, and may be something of a reassurance to prospective customers who want to have more electricity at the ready for consumption.

So far, it does not appear that pricing information has been released.

powerstation2

If the typical home solar power system is 5 kW, it seems like a smart decision to make 10 and 15 kW systems available for people who have larger structures, or who don’t want to carefully manage their electricity consumption.

Combining the various components into one package is a smart thing to do from the standpoint of convenience, which is something consumers often want. Rather than researching how disparate devices can or can’t work together and their individual prices, finding one whole system will likely prove comforting, if not exciting to some people. Many people will probably be interested in hearing more about this solar and energy storage solution.

Concept by US was founded by Mr. Uwe Corbach in 2012. The company mailing addresses are:

PO BOX 1357
Marco Island, FL 34146

Research and Development Laboratory
1371 SW 8th Street Unit 8B
Pompano Beach, FL 33069

Image Credit: Concept by US

April 27, 2016 1 comment

Investment Solar $

Solar Farm Will Make Money For Local Community

by Jake Richardson April 27, 2016

written by Jake Richardson

A community solar power farm has been installed by Anesco at Oxcroft on behalf of Chesterfield Community Energy. Profits made by selling the electricity will be deposited in a community fund to support local residents. The solar farm is expected to generate about 4,000 MW of electricity annually. Additionally, it is anticipated that it will produce electricity for about 40 years, and each year £15,000 could be generated for the local community fund or local charities.

Chestefield

The Freedom Community Project is one of the organizations that will receive some of the funds. It supports people in North East Derbyshire who are struggling financially, including those with debt. Support for issues related to alcohol dependency, employment, personal abuse, and others are covered by the work as well. The annual contribution to the charity will be £1,500 for the full life of the solar facility so the total will be £60,000.

A 1000 kW/1200 kWh Energy Storage System (ESS) will also be installed to capture excess electricity to use at night or other times when needed.

“It’s also rewarding to know that the site, which was formerly used for coal stocking, is now in the business of green energy, helping to drive down carbon emissions and create a better future for everyone. To date in schemes up and down the country, Anesco has helped to take over 275,000 people out of fuel poverty. The renewable technologies it has deployed are now generating over 500MW of power,” said Delvin Lane, a commercial director at Anesco.

The site is situated on 11.6 hectares of land that includes a former coal stocking area. UK residents can buy solar bonds to support the project and earn 5% interest per year, paid every 6 months.

Another benefit has been predicted: an 1800-ton reduction in annual carbon emissions for the region due to the fact that this solar plant produces none.

Image Credit: Jon Bennett, Creative Commons license 2.0

April 27, 2016 0 comment

Community Solar Energy Storage Microgrids PV Rooftop Solar

Brooklyn’s Microgrid For Selling & Buying Electricity

by Jake Richardson March 16, 2016

written by Jake Richardson

A ‘microgrid’ platform has been opened in Brooklyn to allow consumers to buy and sell electricity directly to each other in a secure peer-to-peer network. It was created by Transactive Grid (TAG) to allow the production and consumption of electricity to be in the hands of consumers. Of course, this means when operating within the microgrid system they will be not be entirely based on electricity from utilities.

brooklyn

Ethereum blockchain technology is the basis for the Brooklyn energy network, which monitors electricity outputs from solar and wind power. It also does the same for electricity from batteries – which could mean products like the Tesla Powerwall, or other new energy storage products.

The first network will be launched on President Street in Brooklyn, which runs into Prospect Park and then through Crown Heights on the other side. The Brooklyn Transactive grid is a joint venture between LO3 Energy and ConsenSys.

“This really is an exciting development in the way consumers can interact with energy, and we hope it will lead to a cleaner, greener society,” said Co-founder of TAG, Lawrence Orsini. This new technology is an important opportunity for consumers to participate in a new electricity marketplace, rather than having to rely exclusively on large or huge utilities, and pay their rates.

There are already homes in Brooklyn with their own solar power systems generating electricity, which can be consumed by the homeowners. If there is excess electricity, it can be input to the this microgrid, where other homeowners can buy it.

The ability to sell excess electricity directly to other consumers is important, because typically it has been sold back to utilities at rates that have not been determined by consumers. In other words, the net-metering rates are determined by bureaucracies which usually have connections to government agencies or departments and utilities.

Some utilities have been resistant to homeowners getting their own solar or wind power and battery systems, because they want to control electricity and the money associated with it.

We might think of solar or wind power as something that is better for the environment, but it can also be better for people because clean energy doesn’t produce the harmful air pollution that fossil fuels do.

The use of a microgrid platform in a neighborhood is fascinating – they have been used effectively on islands as well.

Image Credit: wikipedia user GK tramrunner, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

March 16, 2016 0 comment

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