Dispelling the Myths of Solar Electricity: Energy Payback

3/26/2010 2:20:41 PM

By Dan Chiras

Tags: Dan Chiras, PV systems, solar energy

  

You may have heard it said that it takes more energy to make a PV system than you get out of it over its lifetime. Fortunately, that's not even close to being accurate.

While it takes energy to make solar cells, modules and the rest of the components of a PV system, the energy payback is actually amazingly short — only 1 to 2 years. Research conducted by CrystalClear, a private company, has shown that it takes two years for a PV system with monocrystalline solar cells to make as much energy as was required to manufacture the entire PV system. Researchers also calculated the energy payback for polycrystalline cells and polycrystalline solar cells manufactured by the ribbon technique. The calculations estimated that it took 1.7 years for a polycrystalline system to reach this point and 1.5 years for modules made from ribbon polycrystalline PVs. A previous study showed that thin film modules, which require even less energy to produce, achieved energy payback in one year.

These studies were performed for sunlight conditions similar to those found in southern Europe with an average insolation of 4.7 peak sun-hours. For those who live in sunnier climates, the energy payback will be even quicker. For those who live in less sunny regions, the payback would be slower.

As it turns out, most of the energy required to make a PV system is used to produce modules — about 93 percent of the entire energy budget is devoted to making modules. As just noted, the most energy-intensive modules are those made from monocrystalline solar cells. Polycrystalline cell modules require 15 percent less energy to manufacture than monocrystalline modules. Ribbon cell module production is even more efficient. It requires 25 percent less energy than monocrystalline and about 12 percent less than polycrystalline to make a ribbon cell module. Thin film uses even less energy, about 50 percent.

"Given that a PV system will continue to produce electricity for 30 years or more, a PV system's lifetime production will far exceed the energy it took to produce it," writes Justine Sanchez in her 2008 article in Home Power entitled "PV Energy Payback."

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Above: The energy a PV system will produce during its lifetime far exceeds the amount of energy it takes to produce the PV system. Photo by Dan Chiras.

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The Smart Grid by Bryan Welch

The Smart Grid

6/8/2010 5:43:31 AM

By Bryan Welch 

Tags: smart grid, smart meter, smart metering, net metering, alternative energy

Our current power grids are dumb.
They are great examples of 20^th-century technology, but they are going to get much better.

We have the technology, today, to make our power grid more sustainable, cleaner, more robust and more reliable just by replacing old-fashioned metering with "smart-metering"[1] and agreeing to pay enterprising power consumers for generating some of their own electricity.
Today, almost all our electricity is distributed from power plants through the "power grid" to users. The electricity only flows one way. The utility generates the power. The power flows through wires to homes and businesses. The homes and businesses use the power. The utility measures how much power is used, and charges the customer.

The new, smarter grid, allows every power customer to become a power generator as well as a power consumer. The consumer and the utility are "interconnected." "Smart meters" measure the power flowing both directions and compensates the customers for their contribution to the power supply.
Where "net metering" is available, utilities measure the customer's "net" usage. If you can generate some of your own electricity – with photovoltaics, wind or any other generator – the utility buys it from you and sells it to other customers nearby. When we distribute electricity across long distances, some of the power is lost in the process. About 6 percent of the power generated in the United States is lost to transmission inefficiencies.[2] If we empower individuals to produce their own power – and pay them for it – the electricity is distributed more efficiently because it doesn't have to travel as far.
The utility customer gets compensated for the power, the utility gets a new, inexpensive power source and the grid becomes more reliable and efficient.
Our old-fashioned grid is unnecessarily vulnerable to weather and incompetence. When things go wrong, homes and businesses can go without power for days or weeks. On a hot afternoon in August, 2003, a technician in Ohio forgot to re-start a computer program after a routine procedure, then maintenance problems shut down a nearby power plant and some power lines sagged into trees in Walton Hills and Parma, Ohio. Within hours, 55 million people in the U.S. and Canada were without power.[3] Every year hundreds of thousands of North Americans experience temporary power outages due to weather. Scientists in 2005 estimated that power outages cost the United States about $80 billion a year, on average.[4]

The principal method for preventing outages is to produce surplus electricity so that peak demand doesn't stress the system. That's costly, both for the utility and for the environment, unless that electricity is being generated by millions of individuals and businesses using clean, renewable energy sources. The utility can acquire that power at an attractive price, and it doesn't have to plow billions of dollars into new generation facilities.

Net metering and smart meters are spreading. Most of the United States have laws that authorize net metering and part of the grid was open to net metering in at least 35 states at the time of this writing[5]. Unfortunately, implementation of net metering and smart meters has been relatively slow. Consumer demand may accelerate the process in the near future, and consumers will probably drive new pricing negotiations with the utilities, as well.

Imagine a power grid that includes millions of individual generators – photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, big coal plants, natural gas co-generators, etc. – interconnected with smart meters, paying on a "net-metered" basis and supporting each other.  In mid-summer, when North American demand for electricity peaks, the photovoltaics are also generating more electricity. When overgrown trees interrupt the power supply from a coal plant in Ohio, a wind farm in Pennsylvania takes up some of the slack.

Photovoltaics and wind energy were pioneered by independent spirits who wanted to live "off the grid." The most negative aspect of an off-the-grid system is the necessity of storing electricity in batteries – an expensive, toxic and inefficient technology. Interconnection with the smart grid allows individuals and businesses to benefit from generating their own power without the necessity of storing it in batteries.

And our supply of electricity – whether or not we generate it ourselves – becomes more reliable and secure as the big industrial generators are supplemented by thousands – or millions – of small independent producers.
Unfortunately, so far utilities have hampered efforts to implement net metering on a large scale. Most of the United States limit the amount of power an independent generator can sell to the grid, even where net metering is available. In most places, consumers are pushing their utilities and governments to liberate the utility grid, so it can get smarter.

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[1] Declan Butler. Energy efficiency: Super savers: Meters to manage the future. NATURE: International Weekly Journal of Science. February 8, 2007. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v445/n7128/full/445586a.html. Sourced March 31, 2010.

[2] U.S. Energy Information Administration Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels. State Electricity Profiles 2008. March 2010. U.S. Department of Energy, Washington DC 20585. DOE/EIA-0348(01)/2.

[3] U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force. Final Report on the August 14^, 2003 Blackout in the United States and Canada: Causes and Recommendations. Chapter 5. April 5, 2004.

[4] Allan Chen. Berkeley Lab Study Estimates $80 Billion Annual Cost of Power Interruptions. Research News/Berkeley Lab. Feb. 2, 2005. http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/EETD-power-interruptions.html. Sourced March 31, 2010.

[5] U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. The Green Power Network: Green Power Markets; Net Metering Policies. http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/markets/netmetering.shtml. Sourced April 1, 2010.

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Easy Access Basement Post Collection

Basement Blog Post Collection Photos, Ideas, Products, Suggestions, Wet Basements, Mold, Green, Eco Friendly, Insulation, Stairways, Finishes, Slate, Tile, Carpet, Accessible, Access Points, more Click Here to email Scotty for a Free Estimate / Price Quote for your Basement Remodel Green Basement Ideas and Products Jul 20, 2010 Jul 20, 2010 So, why are you finishing your basement anyway? If you want to have more living space or update your home with a customized room, or maybe you've heard that you can upgrade your basement with new and/or green products that you will save ... Wet Basement Suggestions Jul 19, 2010 Jul 19, 2010 Think about who will sleep in the basement and the amenities they'll need to help you determine the best dimensions. To comfortably fit a double bed, you'll need a room with a minimum of 125 square feet. If twin beds will serve your . ... http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com/ Scotts Contracting St Louis Renewable Energy Jun 22, 2010 Jun 22, 2010 Green Builder Handy Man Construction Service-Saint Louis M0 We Promote- Green Products and Green Building Services -Design Sales Installation Construction- Part 2-Whether you're finishing a basement or remodeling one- be ... Jun 22, 2010 Jun 22, 2010 Basement Bathroom Ideas Part 2 Tuck in a Tiny Powder... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] Whether you're finishing a basement or remodeling one- be sure to ... Jun 22, 2010 Jun 22, 2010 Basement Bathroom Ideas Part 1 of 2 ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] Basement Stairway Ideas Part 2 Jun 22, 2010 Jun 22, 2010 Create Understair Display Space Turn the space under the stairs into a display cabinet for collections. Wire the cabinet for lighting so you can... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, ... Definitive Guide to Cash for Caulkers Jul 21, 2010 Jul 21, 2010 Replacing and sealing ducts can also be a DIY project, especially when ducts can be easily accessed in an attic or basement. Leaks should be sealed with mastic sealant or metal tape (not duct tape), then insulated to reduce heat loss ... Energy Star Home Improvement Tips Nov 11, 2009 Nov 11, 2009 EPA estimates that homeowners can typically save up to 20% of heating and cooling costs (or up to 10% of total energy costs) by air sealing their homes and adding insulation in attics, floors over crawl spaces, and accessible basement ... 10 Great 'Green' Home Improvements May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010 To address this headache, consumers can use duct sealant to repair leaks in exposed ducts, like those in an attic or basement. Kuperszmid Lehrman recommends that homeowners have their ducts insulated as well. ... People are Starting to Fix-Up Their Homes May 05, 2010 May 05, 2010 Last summer's severe thunderstorms, which flooded their finished basement and required repairs, spurred them to get started. Ms. Kumaki says they are planning to spend in the low $30000s to update the upstairs bathroom, ... Retrofit reduces energy use by 60 percent Apr 30, 2010 Apr 30, 2010 They also sprayed Icynene open-cell foam in the attic roof and in the basement rim joists and ceiling. Finally, the team installed a heat recovery ventilator and an on-demand water heater. Cheimets says the upgrade have made a big ... http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com/ HVAC Best Fit- Renewable Energy Blog Page Reopened Feb 07, 2010 Feb 07, 2010 But that coil is massive and won't fit in my basement because of the low ceiling." To choose the best solution for the customer, make sure that the HVAC contractor reviews existing conditions, including the orientation of the house, ... Click Here to email Scotty for a Free Estimate / Price Quote for your Basement Remodel

 

Renewable Energy JOB NEWS-1,000 Jobs Charlotte, NC

Siemens' Charlotte, N.C., Plant Expansion To Create 1,000 Jobs.

WASHINGTON, PRNewswire-USNewswire [WorldofRenewables.com]

Siemens Energy, Inc. has won a gas and steam turbine-generator sale to the Republic of Korea for a plant expansion, backed by a $134.2 million long-term loan guarantee from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). The sale will open opportunities for follow-on business for Siemens and other U.S. companies in South Korea's power sector, while keeping American workers on the job in Charlotte, N.C. and other U.S. cities.

"Siemens was able to compete for and win this order due to its top-quality equipment and technology, and Ex-Im Bank's competitive financing," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. "We look forward to new opportunities to finance U.S. exports to Korea's power sector. This is an ideal example of how Ex-Im Bank can further President Obama's National Exports Initiative (NEI) aimed at doubling U.S. exports in five years. Companies like Siemens that continue to build a strong manufacturing presence in the U.S. will be key in helping strengthen American competitiveness and exports."

In line with its ongoing U.S. investment efforts, Siemens recently announced that it will build a new 60-Hz gas turbine production plant at its existing facility in Charlotte, N.C. As part of its expanded U.S. presence, Siemens will create a global production hub for manufacturing, servicing and other support functions related to the supply of its gas and steam power turbines and electricity generators to 60-Hz markets around the world.

"The investment in our Charlotte manufacturing operation creates more than 1,000 jobs, increases our business with local diverse, smaller suppliers, and significantly expands our export capabilities," said Randy Zwirn, CEO of Siemens Energy, Inc. "Our focus is on expanding our investment in the U.S., not only to better serve our largest market, but also to create a center of excellence and an export platform for other 60-Hz energy markets such as Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and South Korea."

Some of the smaller sub-suppliers that benefited from the export sale include Dome Chartering & Trading Corp., Annapolis, Md., and Gulf Logistics & Projects, Houston, Texas, both providers of transportation services.

Siemens provided four gas turbines, four generators and two steam turbine generators and related equipment and services to POSCO Power Co. Ltd. in Seoul to build and operate two new combined cycle facilities at its expanding Incheon Plant. Incheon's current four facilities have a total capacity of 1,800 megawatts to provide power to the Seoul area. The new Siemens natural gas-fired and steam turbines will generate an additional 1,252 megawatts of power at the plant. POSCO plans to expand its generating capacity to 4,800 megawatts by 2015.

The Private Export Funding Corporation (PEFCO) will provide a 12-year Ex-Im Bank-guaranteed loan to the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF) in Seoul, which will on-lend the funds to POSCO. POSCO is the largest independent power producer in South Korea. Siemens also has entered into a long-term service contract for the new Incheon facilities with a 24-year term.

Ex-Im Bank, an independent, self-sustaining federal-government agency, exists to fill gaps in export financing, strengthen U.S. export competitiveness, and create and maintain U.S. jobs. The Bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms, including working capital guarantees to help small and medium-sized U.S. businesses, export-credit insurance to protect against nonpayment by foreign buyers, and loan guarantees and direct loans to assist foreign buyers of U.S. goods and services.

In fiscal 2009, overall Ex-Im Bank financing totaled $21 billion. Ex-Im Bank authorized $554.7 million for U.S. exports to Korea during that period. In the first nine months of fiscal 2010 (through June 2010), Ex-Im Bank authorized $17.4 billion in loans, guarantees and insurance - more than total authorizations for all of fiscal 2009. For more information, see Ex-Im Bank's Web site at www.exim.gov.

Source: Export-Import Bank of the United States

CONTACT: Marianna Ohe of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, +1-202-565-3200

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Renewable Energy Facts

By sampurl

Published: 06/10/2009

Renewable Energy will soon become second nature

Below are some Renewable Energy facts that you might find interesting. We would also like to hear from you if you have additional facts that we have not included. You can submit your entires at the foot of this email. In the meantime, here are the facts you were looking for..
 SOLAR

1. If it could be properly harnessed, enough sunlight falls on the earth in just one hour to meet world energy demands for a whole year
2. Ever the innovator, Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Physics 1921 for his ground-breaking experiments with solar power and photovoltaics
3. A world record was set in 1990 when a solar-powered aircraft flew across the USA in 21 stages, using no fuel at all
4. About half of worldwide production of solar panels is consumed by Japan. Their purpose is mostly for grid connected residential applications
5. The sun is 109 times bigger than the Earth. The sun's radius being 696,000km and the Earth's radius 6, 376km
6. The sun's average surface temperature is 5700 C. The Earth's average temperature is 20 C. And we are worrying about global warming of some 3C!
7. Solar radiation of about 19% is absorbed by the atmosphere, and clouds reflect a further 35% of the total solar energy. Therefore solar energy received a sea level is much less. Its peak power is generally accepted to be 1,020 W/m²
8. Solar cells have about a 15% efficiency rate in converting that energy. Therefore solar panels deliver only 19 to 56 W/m² or 0.45-1.35 kWh/m²/day of that average power. But that does not make solar energy inefficient!
9. The average solar energy falling on Australia is equivalent to about 15.000 (fifteen thousand!) times the nation's present total energy use. At 15% conversion rate that is still more than 2000 times the present need, providing we could capture it all
10. Africa's Sahara desert, assuming 15% efficient solar cells, could generate more than 450 tarawatt (TW) per year. Current annual global energy consumption, including fossil and renewable sources is about 13 TW
11. It only takes 1% of the earth's deserts solar energy to provide more electricity than is currently produced by fossil fuels

 

WIND

1. The largest wind turbine in the world, located in Hawaii, stands 20 storeys tall and has blades the length of a football pitch
2. One wind turbine can produce enough electricity to power up to 300 homes
3. An average wind speed of just 14mph is needed to convert wind energy into electricity; that shouldn't be too hard to come by most countries!
4. There is evidence that wind energy was used to propel boats along the Nile as early as 5000BC
5. The earliest known windmills were in Persia (Iran) and looked like large paddle wheels
6. In 200BC people in China and the Middle East used windmills to pump water and grind grain
7. The UK is the windiest country in Europe, so much so that they could power the whole country several times over using wind energy
8. Wind is the fastest growing energy source worldwide
9. Below 8-10 mph wind speed, wind turbines do not generate power and have to cut out for safety reasons above 56 mph
10. In 2007 it was estimated that only 1 - 2% of the worlds energy supply comes from a renewable wind energy source
11. In recent years wind energy has provided for over 20% of the power consumption of Denmark, providing energy for a large number of homes and businesses throughout the country each year.
12. As of 2005, wind energy has successfully provided for roughly 1% of the world's energy needs, with the United States being the third largest wind energy producing country in the world and Germany holding steady as the leader in renewable energy sources.
13. Experts estimate that in the United States alone if the 10 windiest states were to fully utilize their available wind sources the energy produced could offset the entire coal-based power production facilities currently being used and replace them entirely.
14. If properly developed, wind power could successfully reduce carbon emissions in the US by at least one third every year and help realize a global carbon dioxide reduction of 4% yearly.
15. When power provides excellent supplement all income as well, as a landowner with a single utility-scale turbine installed on their property could realize financial gains above at least $2000 a year.
16. Developing and maintaining a wind turbine power generator is also an excellent source for jobs and has helped provide income for thousands of families in rural areas that may not necessarily be available otherwise.
17. A basic wind energy generator can be developed at home with basic materials that may be available at your house for a relatively cheap price, allowing for affordable energy production with significantly little cost – something that may not be available in other forms of energy production.
18. It is estimated that if offshore energy farms were to be developed to feed power directly back into local power grids then the entire energy needs of countries such as the United States could easily be covered as offshore wind energy generators can produce energy at roughly 7 times the efficiency of their onshore variants. 
19. In order to replace all energy consumption needs of the world with wind power production approximately 13% of all land will need to be developed for wind energy purposes, assuming the placement of six large wind power generators per square kilometer in any given area 80 meters above sea level in order to maximize wind energy potential. This can of course be lowered if we were to rely upon offshore wind energy production facilities as well as onshore ones. 
20. As further developments in wind energy production continue to drive down the costs necessary to establish wind energy producers and other developments come about, such as the implementation of vertical axis wind turbines over the traditional horizontal axis wind turbines, wind power is becoming increasingly common even in cities where generators can be found on the tops of some skyscrapers and high-rises residential buildings alike.

 




















WATER

1. Water as a renewable energy power source has been grinding grain for over 2000 years.
2. Water is the most commonly used renewable energy resource, providing enough power to meet the needs of 28.3 million people

 









GEOTHERMAL

1. In the Philippines, geothermal power provides 18% of their energy thanks to the presence of volcanoes.
2. The geothermal energy from the core of the Earth is closer to the surface in some areas than in others. Where hot underground steam or water can be tapped and brought to the surface it can be used to generate electricity
3. Those clever old Romans not only gave us the modern drainage system and many of our roads, they were also among the first to use geothermal energy to heat houses

  Oregon: A guide to geothermal energy developmentThe Geo-Political Perspective.: An article from: APS Review Oil Market TrendsWashington: a guide to geothermal energy development







BIOENERGY

1. 125 years ago biomass was providing up to 90% of our energy needs through the use of wood
2. Liquid biofuels account for around 2% of road transport fuels worldwide but growth rates and future potential are significant
3. Woody biomass includes forest products and short rotation coppice (such as willow which are quick to grow and therefore easy to sustain)
4. Non-woody biomass includes animal waste, industrial and biodegradable municipal products from food processing and high energy crops such as rape, sugar cane and Maize
5. 40,000 head of cattle can produce enough manure feedstock to generate 5 MW of electricity through biogas.
6. Ethanol has a higher octane rating than normal gasoline.
7. Biodiesel can be made with waste oil from restaurant deep fryers.
8. The main byproduct of biodiesel is glycerine which has over 1,500 applications including food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
9. Ethanol has been used as a motor fuel in North America since the early 1900s. Ethanol gas blends were used in several states during the Second World War.

Horizon Fuel Cell Bio-Energy Kit; Fuel cell technology; Hydrogen or methanol as fuelEnergy, Bio Fuels and Development: Comparing Brazil and the United States (Routledge Studies in Development Economics)

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