NEWS
In Wyoming, Sheep May Safely Graze Under Solar Panels in One of the State’s First “Agrivoltaic” Projects
By Jake Bolster
Converse County is one of the most welcoming areas in Wyoming when it comes to clean energy. For roughly every 20 residents, there is one wind turbine, the highest ratio in the state. At a recent County Commissioners meeting, it took another step in diversifying its energy infrastructure, signaling its intent to issue its first solar farm permit to BrightNight.
The global energy company has proposed to build more than 1 million solar panels, a battery storage facility and a few miles of above-ground transmission lines on a 4,738 acres of private land run by the Tillard ranching family near Glenrock. The Dutchman Project, as it is called, is notable neither for its generation nor its storage capacity but for the creatures moseying beneath its panels. (Continued)
As seen on Inside Climate News on February 17, 2024
Converse County is one of the most welcoming areas in Wyoming when it comes to clean energy. For roughly every 20 residents, there is one wind turbine, the highest ratio in the state. At a recent County Commissioners meeting, it took another step in diversifying its energy infrastructure, signaling its intent to issue its first solar farm permit to BrightNight.
The global energy company has proposed to build more than 1 million solar panels, a battery storage facility and a few miles of above-ground transmission lines on a 4,738 acres of private land run by the Tillard ranching family near Glenrock. The Dutchman Project, as it is called, is notable neither for its generation nor its storage capacity but for the creatures moseying beneath its panels.
The base of each sun-tracking panel will be several feet off the ground, allowing enough room for the Tillard’s sheep to continue grazing. In a state whose ranching industry predates its inclusion in the union, pairing solar generation with livestock grazing or other agricultural practices, a technique called “agrivoltaics,” could forge an unlikely alliance between two industries—one ancient; the other, high tech— that typically compete for resources.
At the conclusion of their February 6 hearing regarding the Dutchman project, Converse County Commissioners directed the county attorney to draft an order of approval, indicating they would likely grant the project its permit later this month.
“BrightNight is proud to reach today’s permitting milestone. Our project is ideally-sited to deliver valuable capacity to a growing region preparing for significant generation retirements,” said Maribeth Sawchuk, the company’s vice president of communications, in a statement to Inside Climate News. The company is focused on “ utility-scale renewable power solutions while also raising the industry standard for community engagement and support.”
The Tillard family could not be reached for comment.
Jim Willox, chairman of the board of Converse County Commissioners and one of the people responsible for reviewing BrightNight’s permit application, remembered being excited to see the company proposing to use an agrivoltaic approach to building solar.
“I think the solar industry has learned that they don’t have to be just bare ground underneath,” he said. “I find that very exciting and a continuation of Wyoming’s view on multiple use.”
Willox has been a Converse County Commissioner for the last 18 years, during which he’s witnessed the rise, fall and rise again of fossil fuels in the county. When he first started his job, coal production was a huge economic asset to the county. Now, “it’s zero,” he said.
While fossil fuels still play an important role in the county’s economy, and Converse County still takes an “all of these above” approach to energy development, “we also really believe renewables are part of the energy portfolio for the country and generally are welcoming to them,” Willox said.
Economically, Willox viewed the solar farm as a good source of tax revenue for the county. “You’ll have sales tax that will be collected during construction, then there will be a property tax value increase,” money from BrightNight that can be used for schools, hospitals and other public resources in the county, he said.
Still, renewables—much like oil, gas and coal—are not without “some challenges and some concerns,” Willox said.
A few partnerships between farmers and scientists have shown that some crops react poorly to living under the penumbra of a solar farm. Shade from the panels can sometimes trap too much water near the plants, and the presence of large photovoltaics can make it difficult for farmers to conduct their harvest.
At the public briefing held in Douglas, Wyoming, on Tuesday, county residents gathered in a courthouse basement to hear presentations from BrightNight executives regarding the Dutchman solar farm’s permit application. Afterwards, some county residents voiced concerns regarding the solar farm’s access to transmission lines, its impact on prairie dog migration patterns and the effects of radiation on residents.
BrightNight must wait for its county and state permits before determining its grid access, said Jess Melin, BrightNight’s executive vice president of development. As with other nearby energy projects going through the permitting and contracting phases, Melin said once BrightNight has “a permit and a power contract, that’s the point when they say ‘OK, let’s actually sit down at the table and negotiate queue position,’” for delivering energy to the grid.
Brandon Pollpeter, BrightNight’s director of development, called prairie dog migration a “difficult thing to manage,” and said the company would coordinate with the Wyoming Game and Fish department to consider best practices for responding to the rodents. He added that any high-voltage equipment, which produces a small amount of electromagnetic waves, has been sited far from the community, and would not be a factor to county residents.
“This county is very knowledgeable on energy and energy generation,” said Pollpeter. “We’ve gotten some outstanding feedback.” Pollpeter added that BrightNight increased the project setback and moved its construction entrance in response to local concerns.
There is evidence that agrivoltaic solar farms are just as effective grazing areas as traditional open pastures, and that combining grazing with solar generation increases land productivity by offering crops respite from the sun in hot, arid environments.
In the spring of 2019 and 2020, Chad Higgins and a team of other researchers from Oregon State University tracked sheep grazing at an agrivoltaic solar farm in Oregon, measuring the animals’ growth, grazing habits and water consumption. They split two groups of sheep on the same land; one that grazed near the solar panels, and another browsing on open pastures. What they found led them to conclude that agrivoltaic solar farms can be an ideal setup for sheep ranchers.
“In the early spring grazing time, which is when the most intense grazing is and the most growth is, we could put more sheep on the agrivoltaic array than on the open pasture, and the sheep grew at the same rates,” said Higgins, an associate professor in Oregon State University’s department of biological and ecological engineering. “There was overall more production in that intense grazing period because of the solar panels.”
The reason why has to do with shade. “You can reduce heat stress to plants by watering them more or shading them some,” Higgins said. “If you shade them some—which is what you’re going to do, for example, in a Wyoming project that’s on non-irrigated lands—you’re going to reduce some of that heat stress on those plants. Those plants tend to grow a little more, and as they grow a little more, the sheep take advantage of them.”
The study found that, while the sheep grazing near the solar panels experienced a 38 percent drop in the quantity of grazable vegetation, that was offset by an increase in the available plants’ quality, as measured by the nutritional makeup of the vegetation’s tissue. Despite having access to less vegetation, the sheep grazing near solar panels “were gaining weight at their maximum rate,” and reached similar peak weights to sheep on the open field, Higgins said. “We actually had to fence the sheep in the open field to keep them in the open field, because, given the choice, they all preferred to be in the solar.”
Agrivoltaic solar farms, while suitable for sheep, are more difficult to tailor to cattle, Wyoming’s most common livestock. The state is home to 1.2 million cattle, which are burlier and heavier than sheep. Cows “just beat up equipment by rubbing up against it,” Pollpeter said. The solar industry “is taking a tough look to try and see how that starts to make sense. But, at least in my personal opinion, we’re not quite there yet.”
Among Wyoming’s sheep ranchers, there may be a budding interest in agrivoltaics. “If there are opportunities to make the two work together that provide sheep producers expanded revenue and better financial stability, that’s the type of thing we look for,” said Jim Magagna, a longtime sheep rancher and executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, the state’s most powerful livestock advocacy organization.
Given the variation in soil, grazing plants, sunlight, moisture and terrain across Wyoming, Magagna stopped short of endorsing agrivoltaics as the de facto approach to solar farms moving forward. “I think it needs to be a carefully considered decision by the landowner,” he said.
Magagna wouldn’t rule out the possibility of an agrivoltaic solar farm cropping up on public land in the future, a process that would involve years of planning and environmental assessments by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as well as stakeholder input. But given the fact that a majority of public lands in Wyoming are grazed by cattle, “I think the opportunity to do that on public land on a very significant scale would not be there today,” he said.
In January, the BLM released an environmental impact statement regarding utility-scale solar farms in 11 Western states, including Wyoming, as it considers whether or not to amend its approach to solar farms in the region. The agency acknowledged agrivolatics as an “emerging [photovoltaic] system” that could gain commercial traction in the future.
Converse County Commissioners expect to finalize their support for the Dutchman project permit during a February 20th vote. The company still needs to secure a permit from the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, whose Industrial Siting Council is already considering the company’s application. Should the state issue it a permit, BrightNight expects to break ground on the Dutchman solar farm as early as March of next year.
Arizona company plans $344 million Georgia factory to make recycled glass for solar panels
By Associated Press
CEDARTOWN, Ga. (AP) — An Arizona company that recycles solar panels announced Thursday that it would build a $344 million factory in northwest Georgia, for the first time expanding to making new glass for panels.
Arizona-based Solarcycle said it would hire more than 600 workers in Cedartown, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, for a factory opening in 2026.
The company was founded in 2022 and opened its first recycling facility in Odessa, Texas. Earlier this month, the company opened a headquarters, research lab and second recycling facility in Mesa, Arizona, hiring more than 100 people. (Continued)
As seen on KTAR News on February 16, 2024
CEDARTOWN, Ga. (AP) — An Arizona company that recycles solar panels announced Thursday that it would build a $344 million factory in northwest Georgia, for the first time expanding to making new glass for panels.
Arizona-based Solarcycle said it would hire more than 600 workers in Cedartown, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, for a factory opening in 2026.
The company was founded in 2022 and opened its first recycling facility in Odessa, Texas. Earlier this month, the company opened a headquarters, research lab and second recycling facility in Mesa, Arizona, hiring more than 100 people.
Solarcycle says its automated recycling process can extract materials worth 95% of a solar panel’s value, including silver, silicon, copper and aluminum. Solarcycle said would be able to recycle 1 million solar panels in Cedartown. Then it plans to make enough glass to make solar panels that could produce 5 gigawatts a year of electricity, using a combination of recycled glass and raw material. Solarcycle said it would sell the glass to companies that make solar panels in the United States.
Last week, South Korean-owned Qcells, which makes solar panels in nearby Dalton, said it had contracted with Solarcycle to recycle decommissioned Qcells panels in the United States. Solarcycle said it has similar contracts with more than 40 other solar energy companies.
The company chose Cedartown to be close to domestic solar panel makers, spokesperson Brooke Havlik said, saying the location offers rail and shipping infrastructure and workers.
Solarcycle has raised tens of millions of dollars from private investors for expansion, and Havlik said the Cedartown factory would largely be funded through private investment.
The company has also received $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund research and development, and Havlik said the companies that buy Solarcycle’s glass are expanding, “largely driven by incentives and tailwinds” created by Biden administration actions.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock credited President Joe Biden’s clean energy and healthcare law, the Inflation Reduction Act, with spurring Solarcycle’s investment, saying Georgians continue “to reap its benefits.”
Gov. Brian Kemp, though, has argued that Georgia’s business environment deserves credit for attacting companies like Solarcycle and Qcells. Georgia Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said the company approached state economic recruiters at a trade show.
“Solarcycle provides a critical piece to the integrated solar supply chain we are building in Georgia,” Wilson said in a statement.
Solarcycle didn’t say how much workers will make, only describing pay and benefits as “competitive.”
The company could qualify for $9 million in state income tax credits, at $3,000 per job over five years, as long as workers make at least $31,300 a year. The company will also receive property tax breaks from Cedartown and Polk County, said Chris Thomas, the president and CEO of the Development Authority of Polk County, but he did not provide an estimate. Solarcycle said Georgia will also pay to train workers.
FAQs Solar Health & Safety
By Americans for Energy Independence
Are solar panels safe? Solar panels are safe. They are built using strong sealants and thick sheets of glass, making it highly unlikely to cause harm to people or animals.
What makes solar panels safe after installation? Solar panels remain safe for the entire time that they are operational. There are two safety precautions taken by solar installers: grounding and rapid shutdown. (Continued)
As seen on American For Energy Independence
Are solar panels safe?
Solar panels are safe. They are built using strong sealants and thick sheets of glass, making it highly unlikely to cause harm to people or animals.
What makes solar panels safe after installation?
Solar panels remain safe for the entire time that they are operational. There are two safety precautions taken by solar installers: grounding and rapid shutdown.
- Grounding solar panels is similar to other electrical systems, such as the outlets in homes. By burying a copper rod and wiring into the ground, stray electrical currents will be directed away, ensuring that solar panel systems are safe in case of a lightning surge or short circuit.
- Rapid shutdown allows first responders to quickly de-energize solar panels in case of damages from external sources (e.g., storms or fires).
Do solar panels leak PFA toxins into soil and groundwater?
No. There is no presence or leaching of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) in solar panels. PFAS are not used in the manufacturing of solar panels.
Can solar panels be recycled?
Yes, solar panels are highly recyclable. Many components of solar panels - such as glass, aluminum, copper, and electronics – can all be recycled or repurposed.
New Report Finds the World Shift to Clean Energy is "Unstoppable"
By Margherita Cole
From solar panels to electric cars, clean energy has become a bigger part of our lives in recent years. A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that it will only develop a stronger foothold in the decades to come, with more solar panels, electric cars, and renewable energy by 2030.
IEA analyzed the current policies, and adds that there will likely be two-thirds more clean energy 10 years from now with a decreased dependence on fossil fuels. “The transition to clean energy is happening worldwide and it’s unstoppable. It’s not a question of ‘if,’ it’s just a matter of ‘how soon’—and the sooner the better for all of us,” says IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. (Continued)
As seen on My Modern Met on October 26, 2023
From solar panels to electric cars, clean energy has become a bigger part of our lives in recent years. A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that it will only develop a stronger foothold in the decades to come, with more solar panels, electric cars, and renewable energy by 2030.
IEA analyzed the current policies, and adds that there will likely be two-thirds more clean energy 10 years from now with a decreased dependence on fossil fuels. “The transition to clean energy is happening worldwide and it’s unstoppable. It’s not a question of ‘if,’ it’s just a matter of ‘how soon’—and the sooner the better for all of us,” says IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “Governments, companies, and investors need to get behind clean energy transitions rather than hindering them. There are immense benefits on offer, including new industrial opportunities and jobs, greater energy security, cleaner air, universal energy access and a safer climate for everyone. Taking into account the ongoing strains and volatility in traditional energy markets today, claims that oil and gas represent safe or secure choices for the world’s energy and climate future look weaker than ever.”
Although this is welcome news for many, the IEA stresses that more improvement will need to be made for the 200 countries in the Paris Agreement to meet the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius (34.7 degrees Fahrenheit). In fact, governments will have to triple renewable capacity, slash methane emissions from fossil fuel operations by 75%, and triple clean energy in developing economies. “Every country needs to find its own pathway, but international cooperation is crucial for accelerating clean energy transitions,” Dr. Birol asserts. “In particular, the speed at which emissions decline will hinge in large part on our ability to finance sustainable solutions to meet rising energy demand from the world’s fast growing economies. This all points to the vital importance of redoubling collaboration and cooperation, not retreating from them.”
While the demand for fossil fuels is still currently strong, the IEA finds that it is slowly changing with the rise of solar panels, electric vehicles, and renewable energy. This report comes out ahead of the United Nations climate summit in Dubai this December, where leaders will discuss phasing out fossil fuels, among other issues.
How the power grid survived a hot, hot summer
By Jason Plautz
The power system has held up so far in record-breaking temperatures despite predictions that extreme heat could cause a crash. Here’s why.
The overseers of the U.S. power supply entered the summer worried about the health of the electric grid, warning that extreme heat could trigger mass blackouts.
Instead, the grid survived mostly intact through two of the warmest months ever recorded. (Continued)
As seen on Politico on September 2, 2023
The power system has held up so far in record-breaking temperatures despite predictions that extreme heat could cause a crash. Here’s why.
The overseers of the U.S. power supply entered the summer worried about the health of the electric grid, warning that extreme heat could trigger mass blackouts.
Instead, the grid survived mostly intact through two of the warmest months ever recorded.
The grid’s surprising stability has no simple explanation — and it offers no guarantees that the utilities will always be able to keep the lights on and air conditioners humming as the climate continues to warm.
New wind turbines, solar panels and batteries played a major role in propping up the grid on the hottest days, but natural gas and coal plants remained a bedrock. Grid operators and utilities say they’re better prepared than in past years for extreme weather. And a dash of luck played a role, suggesting that the responses to future hot summers may not necessarily be so successful.
“We’re seeing the grid operating at the outer limits of its capability,” said Mark Olson, manager of reliability assessments at the North American Electric Reliability Corp., a national grid watchdog.
This summer, he said, represented “uncharted territory” for the grid.
The calendar still has several weeks of summer left, and signs of strain have emerged — including in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, where more than 120,000 customers remained without power Friday after this week’s strike by Hurricane Idalia. That’s down from 500,000 customers at the storm’s peak.
The hurricane aside, parts of the Midwest and Southeast sweltered under a heat dome as August closed. The grid operator covering Texas asked residents to conserve electricity on six out of the last seven days of August, while the operator covering parts of 15 central states also signaled tight conditions. On Aug. 24, the organization overseeing electricity transmission in much of the Midwest announced an emergency requiring more generators to step in to meet demand, but stopped short of rolling blackouts.
With hotter summers predicted for the future, additional complications could further burden the electricity supply, such as climate conditions that hinder wind and solar output and spiking power demand from increased use of electric vehicles and electric appliances.
Here are four questions answered about the U.S. grid’s performance this summer:
Did green power save the day?
Not unilaterally, but it has played a major role.
At the beginning of August, the U.S. had about 237,000 megawatts of utility-scale solar, wind and battery storage online, up 12 percent from the same time last year, according to the American Clean Power Association. Of that, 10,000 megawatts were added in the first half of 2023. At the end of 2022, the entire U.S. grid had more than 1.1 million megawatts of capacity.
With that kind of volume, it’s not surprising that renewable energy is playing a bigger role than ever in keeping the lights on. But supporters say it’s also how green power sources are performing that matters.
“It’s become increasingly clear that renewables, along with enabling technologies like energy storage, are providing a more resilient source of power through the increasingly frequent weather extremes that we see with the changing climate,” said Gregory Wetstone, CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy, a nonprofit representing the renewable energy sector.
Take Texas, which now hosts the most low-carbon energy capacity in the country. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages 90 percent of the state’s power load, said before the summer that the grid could plunge into chaos at peak demand if it saw outages totaling 11,000 megawatts from coal, gas and nuclear plants.
The state skirted that line with outages between 8,000 and 10,000 megawatts earlier this summer, then crossed it with more than 11,000 megawatts of outages this week. Demand has been even higher than forecast, with at least 10 days of record peaks. But wind and solar by and large held firm, on some days accounting for as much as a third of the grid’s needs.
One megawatt can power about 200 homes during periods of peak demand in ERCOT’s territory.
Crucially, wind and solar in Texas — and elsewhere — are working in tandem, said John Hensley, vice president of research and analytics for the American Clean Power Association, which represents renewable energy companies. Solar has been charging under the hot sun, and wind has stepped up in the evening hours when the sun has gone down and demand is still high. A surge of battery storage has also helped dispatch clean-generated power later into the evening.
According to Grid Status, a website that tracks power grids, all the country’s power grids have set solar generation records this summer. One week in late August, as a regional grid operator called the Southwest Power Pool set all-time maximum load records on three consecutive days amid a heat wave, renewables were contributing between 10 and 20 percent of generation at peak times, largely from wind.
Several grid operators — including those in California and another in the Central U.S. — also set records this spring for the percentage of renewables serving electricity load.
Hensley said renewables’ big role this summer should help address the “skepticism and concern” that more wind and solar means sacrificing reliability.
“We’re proving that narrative wrong,” said Hensley.
How much of this was luck?
It’s difficult to say, although grid operators benefited from seasonal conditions that they may not be able to count on in the future.
For example, a relatively temperate spring meant grid operators and asset owners could do routine maintenance on power plants and transmission infrastructure before demand peaked in the hot months. A wet winter meant ample hydropower production in the Northwest and Southwest, allowing California to be confident about adequate power supplies this summer.
The wind has also been especially strong in parts of the country, which is not always guaranteed during a heat wave and could become less likely as the Earth warms.
Some studies have shown that climate change could cause more times when the wind doesn’t blow. Other research has said climate change could bring more extreme gusts that could damage turbines, transmission lines and power poles.
Julie Lundquist, a professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said in an email that “no clear consensus” exists about what will happen to wind resources under climate change. However, she added, that doesn’t mean wind will simply lose its value.
“My personal perspective is that wind energy technology will be changing and evolving, so even if winds slow down slightly, the technology will improve so that we will still be able to rely on wind as part of our energy portfolio,” Lundquist said in an email.
To that end, NERC’s Olson said that grid operators who can be nimble in planning and technology upgrades will be better prepared to take advantage of the breaks that emerge. The summer, he said, was a reminder that “you make your own luck and reap the benefits.”
Clean energy groups say the need to adapt should come with new investments to support the grid. More energy storage can help avert dips in renewable production. Investments in transmission can help regions share resources, making individual parts of the country less dependent on weather without relying on fossil fuel plants.
“It’s hard to argue that at this point we need a 21st century grid to be able to withstand the reality of 21st century weather,” said Wetstone.
What about fossil fuels?
It’s not unusual for gas and coal plants running at full throttle in extreme heat to break down, and some buckled as expected as the heat dragged on this summer. But fossil fuels still accounted for a large share of the country’s power.
According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, natural gas remained the top source of power generation across the country and accounted for a larger share of electricity than last summer. Research from data firm Refinitiv found that gas’ share of power from January through mid-August was 42.4 percent, compared with 38.9 percent in the same period of 2022.
Coal and nuclear were the two next most productive sources, although they swapped positions at times.
That means fossil fuels have shown their worth in balancing wind and solar at times when breezes don’t blow and the sun is not shining, said Scott Aaronson, vice president of security and preparedness for the Edison Electric Institute, which represents utilities.
“It sounds like a talking point when someone says ‘all of the above,’ but we genuinely benefit from an ‘all of the above’ strategy,” Aaronson said. “Each resource has its benefits and drawbacks … but taken holistically, they make for a much more resilient grid.”
As the grid transitions, some experts and power providers have said it’s important to keep quick-start fossil fuel power plants online to ensure reliability.
A June report from NERC warned that the grid can’t manage accelerated retirements of coal and gas plants at the same time, because wind and solar may not hold up in extreme weather.
The Texas Oil and Gas Association has pushed back on the notion that renewables were saving that state. In an August release, Dean Foreman, the group’s chief economist, wrote that the gas sector’s performance underscores why it “remains the backbone of the ERCOT power grid and is indispensable in powering modern life.”
What else can be done to prevent blackouts?
As 2023 smashes heat records, utilities say they’re planning for more summers like this one.
Rather than a day or two when customers crank their air conditioning and push the grid to its limits, operators are planning for those conditions for long stretches. They are leaning more on tools such as demand response programs, which encourage customers to turn down their power use during peak times.
For example, Arizona Public Service Co., the state’s largest utility, broke its demand record seven times during a period this summer when temperatures exceeded 110 degrees, said Justin Joiner, the utility’s vice president of resource management.
“What we’re seeing now is a trend, not an anomaly,” Joiner said. With that in mind, the utility is preparing for higher peak loads and finding ways to get extra power in case of outages or unexpected spikes in demand. That includes ramping up battery storage as well as demand response.
Some grids are also looking to virtual power plants, which allow customers to pool their small home batteries and electric vehicles to supply electricity to the grid.
A May report from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory said that with climate change accelerating, “historical averages may no longer be sufficient for resource planning” and recommended that utilities consider “multiple scenarios … including those outside traditional history-based scenario analysis” to craft plans.
Operators may also need to think independently, since state-spanning heat waves can reduce the ability to import energy that has traditionally offered help.
With climate change expected to make heat waves more common, longer and more intense, grid operators will have to continue planning for more summers that look like this, said Michael Craig, an assistant professor in energy systems at the University of Michigan who studies the impact of climate change on energy systems.
“All these grid operators are making huge changes around decarbonization. Now climate change layers more complexity on top of it,” Craig said. “For example, you have to think about how to stress test systems not just for the peak temperatures we’ve seen historically, but what we could see in the next five or 10 years.”
Nearly 80 major clean energy factories announced in year since Biden’s IRA passed: ‘It seems like every week there’s a new factory facility somewhere’
By Isabella O'malley, Michael Phillis and The Associated Press
On a recent day under the July sun, three men heaved solar panels onto the roof of a roomy, two-story house near the banks of the Kentucky River, a few miles upstream from the state capitol where lawmakers have promoted coal for more than a century.
The U.S. climate law that passed one year ago offers a 30% discount off this installation via a tax credit, and that’s helping push clean energy even into places where coal still provides cheap electricity. For Heather Baggett’s family in Frankfort, it was a good deal. (Continued)
As seen on Fortune Magazine on July 24, 2023
On a recent day under the July sun, three men heaved solar panels onto the roof of a roomy, two-story house near the banks of the Kentucky River, a few miles upstream from the state capitol where lawmakers have promoted coal for more than a century.
The U.S. climate law that passed one year ago offers a 30% discount off this installation via a tax credit, and that’s helping push clean energy even into places where coal still provides cheap electricity. For Heather Baggett’s family in Frankfort, it was a good deal.
“For us, it’s not politically motivated,” said Baggett. “It really came down to financially, it made sense.”
On August 16, after the hottest June ever recorded and a scorching July, America’s long-sought response to climate change, the Inflation Reduction Act, turns one year old. In less than a year it has prompted investment in a massive buildout of battery and EV manufacturing across the states. Nearly 80 major clean energy manufacturing facilities have been announced, an investment equal to the previous seven years combined, according to the American Clean Power Association.
“It seems like every week there’s a new factory facility somewhere” being announced, said Jesse Jenkins, a professor at Princeton and leader of the REPEAT Project which has been deeply involved in analysis of the law.
“We’ve been talking about bringing manufacturing jobs back to America for my entire life. We’re finally doing it, right? That’s pretty exciting,” he said.
The IRA is America’s most significant response to climate change, after decades of lobbying by oil, gas and coal interests stalled action, while carbon emissions climbed, creating a hotter, more dangerous world. It is designed to spur clean energy buildout on a scale that will bend the arc of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. It also aims to build domestic supply chains to reverse China’s and other nations’ early domination of this vital sector.
One target of the law is cleaner transportation, the largest source of climate pollution for the U.S. Siemens, one of the biggest tech companies in the world, produces charging stations for EVs. Executives say this alignment of U.S. policy on climate is driving higher demand for batteries.
“When the federal government makes an investment, we get to the tipping point faster,” said Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens USA, adding that the company has invested $260 million in battery or battery storage projects in recent years.
The law also encourages more of the type of batteries that feed electricity to the grid when the wind is slack, or at night when the sun isn’t hitting solar panels. It could put the storage business on the same upward trajectory that solar blazed a decade ago, said Michael McGowan, head of North American infrastructure private markets for Mercer Alternatives, a consulting firm.
Derrick Flakoll, North America policy associate at Bloomberg NEF, pointed out that sales at the largest manufacturer of solar panels in the U.S., First Solar, skyrocketed after the law passed, creating a big backlog of orders.
“This is years and years of manufacturing capacity that is already booked out because people are bullish about the U.S.-produced solar market,” he said.
The IRA is also helping technologies that are expensive, but promising for near-term decarbonization.
Jason Mortimer is senior vice president of global sales at EH2, which makes large, low-cost electrolyzers — machines that split hydrogen from water. Hydrogen as clean energy is still in its infancy. “The IRA accelerates the implementation of hydrogen at scale by about four to five years,” making the U.S. competitive with Europe, he said.
But these changes, significant as they are, may just be the beginning, experts say.
“I think we’re about to see a quite a flood of investment in wind and solar-related manufacturing in the U.S.,” Jenkins said, adding that 2026 to 2028 is when the country will see the law’s full impact.
Other countries, some of them ahead of the U.S. in addressing climate change, have enacted their own further efforts to speed the changeover to clean energy. Canada has announced a matching policy and Europe has its own measures to attract manufacturing, similar to the IRA.
“European and Japanese automakers are trying to think about how to change supply chains in order to try and compete,” said Neil Mehrotra, assistant vice president and policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and contributor to a report about the U.S. law published by the Brookings Institution.
The Congressional Budget Office initially estimated the IRA’s tax credits would cost about $270 billion over a decade, but Brookings says businesses might take advantage of the credits far more aggressively and the federal government could pay out three or four times more.
The law is supposed to reduce the emissions of the U.S. — the country most responsible for greenhouse gases historically — by as much as 41% by 2030, according to a new analysis by Princeton researchers. That’s not enough to hit U.S. goals, but is a significant improvement.
But those crucial greenhouse gas cuts are partially at risk if the U.S. electric grid cannot grow enough to connect new wind and solar farms and handle new demands, like mass vehicle charging.
Despite the new investment in red states, not everyone likes it. Republicans recently proposed repealing major elements of the law. And Frankfort resident Jessie Decker, whose neighbor has solar panels, said he wouldn’t consider them, and doesn’t think the federal government should be “wasting money” on dubious climate programs.
Nor does the law mean climate-warming oil and gas are going away.
“Frankly, we are going to be using fossil fuels for many decades to come,” said Fred Eames, a regulatory attorney with the law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth.
Up on Baggett’s roof, Nicholas Hartnett, owner of Pure Power Solar, is pleased that business is up and homeowners are opening up to solar once they see how they can financially benefit.
“You have the environmental side, which handles the left, and then you have the option to use your own tax money that the government would have otherwise taken, which gets the right checked off,” he said.
Did you know these surprising solar panel facts?
By Bonface Landi
Solar panels are by far the best applicable technology for converting solar energy to usable electricity today. With the sun available to us around the year, it is only reasonable to consider taping its energy for domestic use. Even so, the currently available photovoltaic solar cell technology is still not as efficient as desired. The cells used in most solar panels have an efficiency of about 15% to 20%. This means that only about 20% of the sun rays that reach the panel are converted to electricity.
While solar panels are still quite inefficient, they are the most affordable source of renewable energy. Further, they can be installed on a small scale, something that cannot be said about wind, geothermal or other renewable energy options. With this perspective in mind, individuals, governments and policymakers continue to push for the use of solar panels to achieve the net-zero target. (Continued)
As seen on InHabitat on July 24, 2023
Solar panels are by far the best applicable technology for converting solar energy to usable electricity today. With the sun available to us around the year, it is only reasonable to consider taping its energy for domestic use. Even so, the currently available photovoltaic solar cell technology is still not as efficient as desired. The cells used in most solar panels have an efficiency of about 15% to 20%. This means that only about 20% of the sun rays that reach the panel are converted to electricity.
While solar panels are still quite inefficient, they are the most affordable source of renewable energy. Further, they can be installed on a small scale, something that cannot be said about wind, geothermal or other renewable energy options. With this perspective in mind, individuals, governments and policymakers continue to push for the use of solar panels to achieve the net-zero target.
There are many interesting facts about solar panels and solar energy at large that most people do not know. According to Eco Watch, solar power holds the largest potential of all renewable energy technologies. Consequently, it must be accorded a multi-sectoral approach to bring this potential to life. Individual electricity consumers have a role to play in the journey of adopting solar energy. If you are interested in learning more about solar panels, here are nine interesting facts you should know.
Fact #1 The earth receives a continuous supply of 173,000 terawatts of solar
Even on a cloudy day, the Earth still receives an enormous amount of solar energy. Given that the sun is centrally positioned with respect to the Earth, it never stops shining. At every given point in time, the sun is releasing 173,000 terawatts of energy to the Earth. In just one hour, the energy supplied by the sun could cover the energy needs of the entire world for a year.
With this factor in view, companies are coming up with technologies for capturing solar energy for efficient home cooking. For as long as the sun shines, solar energy technologies will continue to evolve.
Fact #2 Solar panels technology is almost 150 years old
Solar panels are just starting to take root in most regions. You might be fooled to think that solar panel technology is new. On the contrary, solar panels have been around since 1883. In fact, the first photovoltaic (PV) effect was demonstrated as early as 1839 by French scientist Edmond Becquerel.
Although scientists started working on solar technology much earlier, it was until 1883 that the first solar cell was created by French scientist Charles Fritts. In 1884, the scientist installed the first solar panel on a roof in New York. In 1922, Albert Einstein was recognized with the Nobel Prize for his work on the photovoltaic effect, which revolutionized solar panel technology. However, the development of solar panels has taken a slow pace. For a long time, the world preferred fossil fuels and hydroelectric power. It was until 1954 that the first practical solar cell was developed by Bell Laboratories.
Even with the development of workable solar cells, the world has still been slow to adopt solar technology.
Fact #3 Solar panels have more uses other than just lighting
We mostly know solar panels for their ability to convert sunlight into electricity for lighting. This line of thought has made it quite difficult for most people to use solar panels. It is often thought that the electricity supplied by solar panels is not sufficient to run other domestic purposes.
Contrary to this belief, solar panels have diverse uses. They can be used to heat water for domestic use and even charge electric cars. Ideally, solar panels can perform all functions your grid connection does. However, the functions performed by a solar panel will depend on the size of your panels and location.
Fact #4 Solar panels are now a popular home improvement
Solar panels are now considered one of the most popular home improvements. A Pew Research Center survey shows that up to 39% of U.S. homeowners are considering installing solar. In the previous year, up to 8% of homeowners had installed solar panels. Interestingly, even those under the age of 30 hold a similar perspective. This is an indication that both the young and the old value solar panel installation as part of their property development.
Fact #5 You do not need planning permission to install solar panels in most regions
Due to the need to speed up solar uptake, most jurisdictions allow the installation of solar panels without the need for planning permission. However, this is only applicable to small-scale installations such as domestic roof solar. If you intend to install a commercial-scale solar system you must undergo approvals.
In most cities across the U.S., installing solar panels is not considered a new construction but rather a home remodeling project. For most such projects, you may not need planning permission.
With that in mind, some solar installation projects may need permission. For instance, if you are developing a new house with a solar panel roof, you must get a planning permit. In the U.K., solar panels are listed under Permitted Developments. In other words, you can install solar panels in the U.K. without obtaining planning permission in most localities. Even so, it is necessary to confirm with your local authorities before embarking on a solar remodeling project.
Fact #6 The solar panel industry has created millions of jobs
According to the United Nations, the renewable energy sector created over 700,000 new jobs globally in the year 2022 only. These figures are a complete contrast to what those who oppose of renewable energy tend to portray. One of the reasons why technologies such as solar panels have waited so long to be adopted is the myth that renewable energy causes the loss of jobs.
The U.K. expects to create up to 60, 000 new jobs by 2035 in the solar energy sector alone. This goes to show that solar panels do not only reduce carbon emissions but also create employment.
Fact #7 Global solar panel costs continue to drop
As the world rushes to adopt clean energy, there have been efforts to lower the cost of renewables. One area that has benefited is the solar panels sector. There are several factors that have resulted in these price drops. According to an IRENA report, solar panels have dropped in price by up to 82% in the past decade due to advanced production technology, incentives and funding from financial institutions.
Although solar panels have already experienced a significant price drop, they may still see further drops. Many institutions and governments are now funding studies that are revealing alternatives to traditional solar cells. With new and cheaper solar cell technologies coming up, it is only a matter of time before solar becomes even more efficient and cheaper.
Fact #8 Installing a solar boosts your home value
Solar panels are not only popular due to the energy they provide but also for the value they add to a home. Most people who install solar panels also think about the value it adds to their homes. A recent study by RICS on properties in the U.K. found that homes with solar panels attracted up to a 2% increase in value. The same study also found that it takes approximately 10 years to repay your solar system. Considering that most people stay in their homes for more than 10 years installing solar offers financial benefits as well. Homeowners who do not resell their homes within a decade can enjoy more than 10 years of electricity free of bills.
Fact #9 Solar panel recycling is possible
Solar panels are considered one of the best clean energy sources except for the fact that they are not fully recyclable. Most panels end up in landfills once they come to the end of their lifespan. More perturbing is the fact that they contain some toxic substances such as lead and cadmium that can harm the environment. However, solar panels are predominantly made up of silicon, which can be recycled. New findings now show that solar panel recycling is possible if necessary steps are taken.