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Study: Solar Power Could Provide 10% of U.S. Electricity by 2025
Solar energy currently provides less than 0.1% of the electricity generated in the United States, but a new report finds that solar power's contribution could grow to 10% of the nation's power needs by 2025. The report, prepared by research and publishing firm Clean Edge and the nonprofit Co-op America, projects nearly 2% of the nation's electricity coming from concentrating solar power systems, while solar photovoltaic systems will provide more than 8% of the nation's electricity. Those figures correlate to nearly 50,000 megawatts of solar photovoltaic systems and more than 6,600 megawatts of concentrating solar power.
As noted in the report, solar power has been expanding rapidly in the past 8 years, growing at an average pace of 40% per year. The cost per kilowatt-hour of solar photovoltaic systems also has been dropping, while electricity generated from fossil fuels is becoming more expensive. As a result, the report projects that solar power will reach cost parity with conventional power sources in many U.S. markets by 2015. But to reach the 10% goal, solar photovoltaic companies also will need to streamline installations and make solar power a "plug-and-play" technology, that is, it must be simple and straightforward to buy the components of the system, connect them together, and connect the system to the power grid.
The report also places some of the responsibility with electric utilities, which will need to take advantage of the benefits of solar power, incorporate it into future "smart grid" technologies, and create new business models for building solar power capacity. The report also calls for establishing long-term extensions of today's investment and production tax credits, creating open standards for connecting solar power systems to the grid, and giving utilities the ability to include solar power in their rate base. See the Clean Edge press release (http://www.cleanedge.com/about/press.php#061708) and the full report (http://www.solarcatalyst.com/utilitysolarstudy.pdf).
California Launches Statewide Green Buildings Database
The California Department of General Services (DGS) recently announced that it has developed what it calls the nation's first statewide online database of "green" buildings, using free, readily available online mapping technology.
According to DGS, commercial buildings currently use over 30 percent of the state's electricity and account for a large percentage of greenhouse gas emissions, raw materials use, and waste. The online map enables the public to view the large portfolio of state facilities that achieve the energy and environmental goals of the governor's green building executive order (S-20-04).
Issued in December 2004, the green building order requires all new state construction projects to be built to the US Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) "silver" standards. In addition, the state's largest existing buildings (larger than 50,000 sq. ft.) are pursuing LEED certification for energy- and resource-efficient operations and maintenance practices.
The green building order also calls for state agencies to reduce energy purchases from the grid in state-owned buildings 20 percent by 2015, and encourages cities, counties, and schools to do the same.
To access the database see http://www.greenbuildings.dgs.ca.gov/.
NAE Identifies Engineering Messages That Resonate
Encouraging young people to make a difference in the world through an engineering career is more likely to attract them than emphasizing the challenge of math and science skills, says a new report from the National Academy of Engineering that identifies messages for improving public understanding of engineering. The report, Changing the Conversation: Messages for Improving Public Understanding of Engineering, recommends that the engineering community begin using tested messages in a coordinated communications strategy.
The four messages that tested best are:
• Engineers make a world of difference.
• Engineers are creative problem-solvers.
• Engineers help shape the future.
• Engineering is essential to our health, happiness, and safety.
Each year, the engineering community spends hundreds of millions of dollars to increase public understanding of engineering. However, most of these outreach efforts are AD HOC, local in scope, poorly coordinated, and not evaluated for effectiveness. The NAE project represents the first-ever effort to use market research techniques to improve the public image of the engineering profession.
The report presents and discusses findings from qualitative and quantitative research, including an online survey of 3,600 people. In addition to testing the appeal, believability, and relevance of a handful of different messages, the project also collected data on a set of taglines, or slogans. Because African Americans and Hispanics are underrepresented in engineering schools and careers, the survey included large numbers of both groups.
While less than 15 percent of adults or teens described engineers using the common stereotypes, such as "boring" or "nerdy," the research showed that many students do not enjoy math and science enough to become engineers.
For more information on the report see http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12187.
DOE to Guarantee $10 Billion in Loans for Efficiency, Renewables
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is offering $10 billion in loan guarantees for projects involving energy efficiency, renewable energy, and advanced transmission and distribution. The agency is seeking projects relating to biomass, geothermal, solar, and wind energy, as well as projects involving hydropower, alternative fuel vehicles, and energy efficiency. In addition to general energy efficiency projects, the solicitation specifically requests projects relating to energy efficient building technologies and efficient electricity transmission, distribution, and storage. DOE intends to issue loan guarantees for stand-alone projects, as well as projects relating to manufacturing technologies and the large-scale integration of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy storage technologies into the electrical grid.
DOE's Loan Guarantee Program was established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and is intended only for projects that avoid, reduce, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions and employ "new or significantly improved technologies as compared to commercial technologies in service in the United States." A technology is considered to be commercialized if it has been installed in three or more commercial projects in the United States and has been in service for at least 5 years. The solicitation includes an illustrative list of technologies, but does not restrict applications to technologies on that list. The guarantees can be issued for loans of up to 80% of a project's total cost. Applications are due on December 31. See the DOE press release (http://www.energy.gov/news/6377.htm), the Loan Guarantee Program Web site (http://www.lgprogram.energy.gov/index.html), and the full solicitation (http://www.lgprogram.energy.gov/EERenewableSolicitation.pdf).
Florida Energy Bill to Boost Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Florida Governor Charlie Crist approved a wide-ranging energy bill that intends to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy within the state while cutting the state's emissions of greenhouse gases. House Bill 7135 requires the Florida Public Service Commission to establish a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) that will specify a minimum percentage of retail electricity sales that must be supplied by renewable energy, but the bill does not set the minimum standard or a timeline. Instead, the bill requires the commission to prepare a draft rule by February 2009 and present it to the legislature for approval. The bill also requires the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to create a cap-and-trade regulatory program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from major emitters. Again, the bill sets no specific limits and requires any program to be ratified by the legislature. The RPS and greenhouse gas program will presumably follow the targets included in executive orders issued by Governor Crist last year.
To coordinate's the state's efforts on energy and climate change, the bill establishes the Florida Energy and Climate Commission. The bill requires the Florida Public Service Commission to set goals for the use of customer-located renewable energy systems and to help meet those goals, it requires each public utility to develop a standardized interconnection agreement and net metering program for such systems by the beginning of next year. It also requires the same of municipal and rural electric utilities by July 1, 2009. For customers with anaerobic digesters, the bill requires utilities to offer net metering for multiple electric meters. The bill also authorizes the commission to allow utilities to earn greater profits for saving energy. In addition, the bill expands the state's Innovation Incentive Program to include renewable energy projects, creates a new grant program to help local governments achieve green standards, and expands the state's Renewable Energy Technology Grants Program to include energy efficiency technologies for vehicles and commercial buildings.
Regarding buildings, the bill requires the Florida Building Commission to prepare a 2010 edition of the Florida Energy Efficiency Code for Building Construction that increases the energy performance of new buildings by at least 20% relative to the 2007 Florida Building Code, increasing to a 50% performance improvement by the 2019 edition. The bill also requires new buildings constructed and financed by the state to be designed and built to meet nationally recognized green building standards, and it requires the same standards for all buildings used by the state's counties, cities, school districts, water management districts, state universities, community colleges, and state courts. The same standards apply to renovations of existing state buildings. The bill also requires state agencies to lease Energy Star-rated buildings and to employ energy saving performance contracts to upgrade existing facilities. It also encourages state agencies to buy climate-friendly products and to use "green" hotels and conference facilities. See a staff analysis of the bill (http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/2008/House/bills/analysis/pdf/h7135.ENRC.pdf) or go directly to the full 237-page text (http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/2008/House/bills/billtext/pdf/h713503er.pdf).
Grant Program to Support Code Compliance Passes Committee
In a significant step toward creating a grant program dedicated to local building and fire code compliance‚ the House Financial Services Committee‚ on June 24‚ passed HR 4461—the Community Building Code Administration Grant (CBCAG) Act—out of Committee. The Committee’s bill approves funding for $100 million for the five-year period starting October 1‚ 2008. In presenting the bill to the Committee‚ Rep. Dennis Moore of Kansas reported that studies have shown a 4-to-1 payback to the nation from federal programs that support state and local programs in disaster preparedness. Rep. Moore emphasized that the grant program provides resources to bolster local capabilities‚ but will not infringe upon state and local authority to enact and administer building and fire codes. The bill now goes to the House Rules Committee where it will be considered for scheduling for floor action by the leadership of the House.
