| Bright Ideas |
| Features | |
| Written by Matt Bolch | |
 We get the scoop from solar equipment manufacturers and utilities as they ponder next-generation systems. Like the choices at your favorite breakfast restaurant, energy executives across the country are facing decisions when it comes to the type of solar power that best fits their generation portfolio, their needs, and the dictates of local, regional, and/or statewide mandates on renewable energy sources. In the US, concentrating solar power (CSP) right now outpaces photovoltaic (PV) in producing energy at the utility level, with 419 MW of CSP installed mainly in the Mojave Desert and Nevada versus just 17 MW of utility grade PV, according to research by Frost & Sullivan. “The PV market is growing fast, but in terms of applicability at the utility level, PV represents just 5% of total output among utilities,” said Georgina Benedetti, industry analyst in the energy and power systems division of Frost & Sullivan, Mountain View, Calif. However, 58% of the total estimated PV output of 342 MW in the US is derived from non-residential sources. Benedetti noted that factors affecting the viability of solar at the utility level include the role of various rule-making bodies, the cost of technology, and the availability of incentives and subsidies to make solar more affordable. CSP generally takes longer to build but features higher generating capacities than PV. “At the utility level, wind will lead non-hydro renewables because it’s less expensive than PV,” Benedetti said. “But solar still will have a role, especially in areas with higher solar radiation.” The cost of PV generation has increased in the past couple of years due to higher demand for silicon, but an increase in manufacturing capacity will bring prices back down later this year or next year, Benedetti predicted. Searching for predictability Progressive utilities such as Xcel Energy continue to bring renewable sources of energy online. Minneapolis-based Xcel operates in eight Western and Midwestern states and is the nation’s number one producer of wind power and number four solar producer. The company is actively seeking to add solar generation capacity in New Mexico and Colorado in response to mandates, said Kent Scholl, senior resource planning analyst for Xcel. In Colorado, the company is looking at a 200 MW solar/thermal facility that will not directly produce electricity (as PV does) but will store heat in another medium to produce electricity in a predictable manner. “When you look at generation from a PV facility, the production is extremely volatile,” Scholl said. “We have an 8 MW PV SunEdison generator on the grid, and although there are no operational concerns, we see a loss of production in the 60% to 70% range in that facility in a matter of seconds after clouds pass.” That volatility will prohibit the use of large-scale PV projects for energy production until the intermediacy issues are resolved, Scholl said. “Xcel has a well-founded commitment to solar, and we’re very encouraged to see cost reductions coming down the line with PV energy,” Scholl said. “New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado have good resources for solar; the situation is a bit more challenging in the Midwest. However, we’re still looking.” Procurement philosophy The global solar industry is adding nearly 20 GW of PV power each year, said Julie Blunden, vice president of public policy and corporate communications for SunPower Corp. in San Jose, Calif. In the past 18 months, SunPower has added 3 GW of distributed power in Spain and built the largest photovoltaic plant in the nation, a 25 MW facility in DeSoto County, Fla., owned by Florida Power & Light parent FPL Group. But that soon will be eclipsed by a 210 MW central station facility in San Luis Obispo County for Pacific Gas and Electric. SunPower Tracker solar tracking systems will be used at both sites, increasing energy capture by up to 30% over fixed systems while reducing land-use requirements. The cost of the tracker technology has decreased by half in the past 18 months, making the solution more affordable, Blunden said. “Long cycle times and big chunks of power have been the business model for utilities for decades,” Blunden said. “Now, utilities need to have more of a procurement philosophy to think about how to get solar into their portfolios quickly.” Blunden said solar is less expensive than wind in large-scale applications, and build times are less. And because PV is scalable, it can be used to infill the grid. Although the US lags Europe in the adoption of utility-scale solar power, utilities are realizing the opportunity. Blunden notes that three California utilities have put out proposals for a combined 7 GW of central station PV plants. As the desire for solar heats up, the push is on to create more efficient, cheaper alternatives to traditional solar configurations. Skyline Solar, based in Mountain View, Calif., manufactures high-gain solar arrays that incorporate silicon cells, durable reflector materials, and single-axis tracking into a complete, easy-to-deploy system that uses less silicon than comparable systems. The company’s first installation was a 27 KW plant build in partnership with the Santa Clara Transportation Authority in San Jose, but Tim Keating, vice president of marketing for Skyline Solar, said the modular system can be scaled up quickly. Skyline replaces most of the silicon found in traditional PV systems with highly reflective sheets of metal on the top of its reflective rack, shifting the balance of materials from expensive silicon to commodity metal. And since the modular units are pre-assembled and pre-engineered, construction can take months, not years. Although the company was only founded in 2007, a high-volume version of the product will begin shipping late this year. “The Skyline system has a high level of mechanical engineering and a high level of PV solar engineering,” said Keating. “We’re already talking to utility companies about taking the next step.” Matt Bolch, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , is a freelance writer based in Atlanta. |
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