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FP&L

Future FPL Manatee Solar Energy Center, FPL’s Solar Photovoltaic (PV)

by Cynthia February 28, 2016

written by Cynthia

Originally published on CleanTechnica.

Last fall, SolarLove.org noted a bump in solar growth in Manatee County, Florida, with Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) revealing 3 of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects were in development. Last week, FPL enjoyed the groundbreaking ceremony for the solar power plants. The most immediate to go online will be the FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center and the FPL Citrus Solar Energy Center, with clean energy hitting our grid by the end of 2016. The FPL Manatee Solar Energy Center is the third power plant in this trio, and it is actually where the groundbreaking took place.

Together, these solar power plants result in a tripling of FPL’s solar PV power capacity.

As solar news goes, this is good. Still, the question: can the state do better? The previous SolarLove article noted, “Of course, it would also be nice if Florida supported rooftop solar. However, as you probably know, the state has been very unsupportive of rooftop solar, not providing incentives for homeowners like other states provide, and not even allowing for third-party solar ownership and sales (i.e., not allowing companies like SolarCity, Sunrun, Vivint Solar, and Sungevity to come in and offer solar leases and PPAs).”

Florida isn’t close to being a leader in total installed solar power capacity, and the story is even worse if you look at solar power per capita or per TWh of electricity generation. This is despite the fact that its nickname is The Sunshine State.

FPL’s argument is simple “Large-scale solar is by far the most economical way to advance solar energy for the benefit of all of our customers.”

The FPL newsroom reminds us, though, that Florida was a leader of sorts for a bit: “Six years ago, not far from here, FPL commissioned what was then the largest photovoltaic solar power plant ever built in the United States with 90,000 solar panels,” said Eric Silagy, FPL president and CEO. “Fast-forward to 2016, and we’re extending our leadership role in the renewable energy space by installing 1 million new solar panels.”

A nice plus is that 250 people (during the construction phase of the 3 new solar energy “centers”) will find work. As employees will come from the local communities, more locals will find financial improvement.

Continuing, FPL writes:

The FPL Manatee Solar Energy Center will consist of more than 338,000 solar panels over 762 acres – enough to cover 577 football fields. The other two solar plants are:

FPL Citrus Solar Energy Center, which is being built on 841 acres in DeSoto County, Fla., near the site of FPL’s first large-scale solar power plant
FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center, now under construction on 440 acres in Charlotte County, Fla., as part of the new Babcock Ranch sustainable community
When completed, each of the three new solar plants will have 74.5 megawatts of solar capacity.
These plants, along with several community-based, small-scale solar arrays and commercial-scale solar research installations that FPL is building, will combine for a total of more than 225 megawatts of new solar capacity by the end of this year. (current totals approximately 110 megawatts)

The environmentalist community in Florida is quite pleased with the progress. “This is a big step forward for our state and for the future of renewable energy in Florida,” said Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon Florida. “FPL’s three solar plants help reduce the use of fossil fuels, prevent the emission of thousands of tons of carbon each year, and save millions of gallons of water.”

Check out this interesting graphic below, which was generated by typing in my zip code here to pull up a chart of Florida’s energy sources. Florida needs a lot more black and aqua on the graph. As one can see below, The Sunshine State is lagging behind the rest of the nation on renewables.

If you are in Florida — make sure you signed the grassroots push for a Florida constitutional amendment to grow solar power further.

Potential Changes From Utilities In Net Metering Will Adversely Impact Rooftop Solar

by Glenn Meyers October 29, 2015

written by Glenn Meyers

When it comes to net metering dollars and cents for utilities, the utility bill face-off between rooftop solar champions and utilities continues to evolve.

With net metering wins being achieved in states like Colorado and Nevada, owners of rooftop solar systems may not be as fortunate in states like Florida, where the development of large-scale solar projects are being planned by investor-owned utilities Florida Power and Light (FPL) .

As one solar owner has put it:

“But the war on solar is now public, CEO of FPL is now out with a tour on the supposed “cost-shift” caused by solar on homes. Instead the solar plants, he says, should be large-scale (but only owned by the investor owned utilities). This will not play out well but we shall see.”

FPL CEO Eric Silagy has said that large-scale utility solar projects are more efficient than rooftop solar projects because each home requires a custom build and setup. In addition to this, FPL is required to buy all unused solar power at a retail price, which he argues is three times the cost of what it takes to produce power at FPL plants.

FPL is presently working on three projects that will each use about 1 million solar panels, Silagy has said. If this sounds like the proverbial case of Goliath versus David, the analogy is probably fitting.

But utilities seeking to expand clean renewable electricity in their portfolio believe they need to make business sense of how they utilize solar assets.

The Goliath likeness has reared its head on the Pacific coast, as well. California regulators have found themselves addressing new net metering policies under a plan referred to as Net Energy Metering 2.0. These potential changes could spell huge pitfalls for the development of rooftop solar, writes The Motley Fool:

“As part of the discussion, the state’s three biggest utilities, Southern California Edison (SCE), Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), and San Diego Gas & Electric, are proposing changes to net metering that could stop the residential solar industry in its tracks.”

Add a number of large solar companies — like Solar City — to this list of net metering champions and we have the makings of an enduring face-off.

Image: Rooftop solar panels via Shutterstock

October 29, 2015 0 comment

PV Solar Projects

3 FPL Solar Projects Advancing

by James Ayre September 30, 2015

written by James Ayre

The largest utility company in the Sunshine State, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), has revealed that 3 of the solar photovoltaic (PV) projects that the company is currently having developed in the state are on track to be completed in 2016. Once completed, these 3 projects will effectively triple the firm’s current solar energy capacity.

It should also be noted that these projects will reportedly not increase customer costs to any degree.

Pamela Rauch, FPL’s vice president of development and external affairs, recently stated: “FPL has been working to advance solar affordably in Florida for more than a decade. Large-scale solar is by far the most economical way to advance solar energy for the benefit of all of our customers.”

The 3 solar PV facilities in question are the: the FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center in Charlotte County; the FPL Citrus Solar Energy Center in DeSoto County; and the FPL Manatee Solar Energy Center in Manatee County. Each of these facilities is expected to posses a nameplate electricity generation capacity of about 74 megawatts (MW)

Design and construction on the projects is being handled by the company Black & Veatch. Ground-breaking on the projects is expected to take place before the end of 2015.

A recent press release provides more:

The FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center will be developed on land donated by the Babcock Ranch development — helping to keep development costs low in the process. County tax incentives and a portion of franchise fees committed by the Babcock Ranch Independent Special District will also lower the cost of the project.

The FPL Citrus Solar Energy Center will be developed on 340 hectares of land that is located near the 25 MW FPL DeSoto Solar Energy Center, which was opened in October 2009. Meanwhile, the FPL Manatee Solar Energy Center will be constructed on a 308-hectare site that FPL owns near its natural gas-powered Manatee Power Plant.

Considering that this is Florida we’re talking about here — the “Sunshine State” — hopefully such developments become more common in the coming years.

Of course, it would also be nice if Florida supported rooftop solar. However, as you probably know, the state has been very unsupportive of rooftop solar, not providing incentives for homeowners like other states provide, and not even allowing for third-party solar ownership and sales (i.e., not allowing companies like SolarCity, Sunrun, Vivint Solar, and Sungevity to come in and offer solar leases and PPAs). But FPL’s perspective is clear: “Large-scale solar is by far the most economical way to advance solar energy for the benefit of all of our customers.” For FPL? Definitely.

Florida Power & Light Teaming With FIU To Create Solar Energy Facility

Solar Power Could Have A Sunny Future In Florida

Florida Officially Denies Climate Change, But Could Get More Solar

Could Third-Party Ownership of Solar Be Taking Root In The Southeast

September 30, 2015 0 comment

Consumer Electronics Going Solar

220 MW Of New Solar Power For Florida

by Jake Richardson January 29, 2015

written by Jake Richardson

If you have been following solar power in America, this is a huge story. Historically, the state of Florida has been something of a solar power laggard, even though it receives a great deal of sunshine that could be used many days of every year to generate clean electricity.

Politics has been the main barrier. It certainly isn’t a lack of rooftop space or money. Generally, Florida has been a Republican stronghold and the Republican party has been more supportive of fossil fuels. Think Ronald Reagan having solar panels removed from the White House roof not too long after Jimmy Carter had them installed.

Another conservative state recently expanded its solar power investment greatly. Like Florida, Georgia was behind in the development of solar power capacity, but it took a huge leap forward.

Similarly, Florida Power & Light just announced plants to add at least 220 MW of new solar power capacity. The plan is to build three new solar power plants by the end of 2016. Some fossil-fuel plants currently in operation will be retired.

“As the economics of solar power improve in the years ahead, we believe we will be able to harness more and more sunshine cost-effectively, alongside essential, high-efficiency, clean natural gas generation and zero-emissions nuclear power, to continue powering our customers and the state’s growing economy with affordable clean energy,” explained Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL.

Solar power costs have dropped dramatically in the last several years. The economics have never been more favorable. It is very likely to be true that they will continue to improve for all of us as we go forward, because solar panels are gradually becoming more powerful.

FPL serves about 4.7 million customers in Florida, so it has considerable influence.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Florida has about 229 MW of solar power. The planned FPL solar plants will nearly double this amount. Aside from these details, what may be the most exciting aspect of this situation is that Florida might be finally opening up to its true solar power potential, which is one of the best of the American states.

Image Credit: mwanner, Wiki Commons

January 29, 2015 3 comments