Integrating IG solutions with large volumes of DG will result in a far more efficient and reliable electrical system. Local energy production will mitigate the impact of any single power station or transmission line failure. Intelligent grid solutions — such as demand response, advanced inverters, and energy storage — will significantly increase grid reliability by enabling local balancing of supply and demand for energy.

Ultimately, the combination of DG+IG will allow for the creation of micro-grids that can function as standalone energy “islands” to provide continuous power for essential services during widespread grid failures. This will enhance grid resilience and fortify energy security, significantly benefitting local communities. Therefore, utilities that curtail their dependence on fossil fuels and embrace DG+IG solutions will be well staged for the future.

http://cleantechnica.com/2011/08/01/solar-lights-made-of-plastic-bottles-water/

http://cleantechnica.com/2011/09/17/solar-bottle-bulb-part-ii/

My ‘master plan’ for my household is exactly the opposite: ditch the pipe and keep the wire. The wire brings me clean electricity from wind or hydro or solar or biomass. The pipe just sends my money to Putin.

Solar Bottle “Light”

Great FREE Solar Bottle light for the Third World and beyond!

http://wimp.com/lightenup/

What is holding America Back?

http://www.grist.org/solar-power/2011-08-08-clever-accounting-lets-utilities-cash-in-when-you-go-solar

The Utilities want to maximize the profits for the shareholders and so they donate to Candidates to get them to support traditional Energy Production, which does not include anything but a token amount of Solar… We are being “forced” to accept their Energy “mix”, instead of using our own and being fairly paid for the Energy we produce and push INTO the grid!!

When The Energy Utilities pay each of us for the energy we put into the grid, at the same rate that the Utility charges for that same energy someone else uses at that exact time, then you will see Solar being installed Nation wide!

Because Solar is generated during the daytime, it is the most valuable since the Utilities charge the most for daytime usage (where they have SMART metering)! Everyone pays an additional amount to support the infrastructure (The Grid) so that when the Energy Utilities begin to pay the same as what they charge (no pun intended), then it will make adding Solar panels a no brainer, since the payback period will be much shorter. Another benefit for all of us is that during a power outage, all the small solar panel producers can he

The Future of Nuclear and fossil fuels: Only for Back-up for renewables

http://wp.me/p26pKF-2Ff

snip

The two largest electricity utilities in Germany – E.ON and RWE – have declared they will build no more fossil fuel generation plants because they are not needed, challenging a widespread belief that the phasing out of nuclear in Europe’s most industrialized economy will require more coal-fired generation to be built.

Both E.ON and RWE say the rapid expansion of renewable energy, particularly solar but also wind, would make up for the loss of capacity from nuclear. “We won’t be building any more gas and coal power generation plants in western Europe, because the market does not need them,” a spokesman for E.ON told reporters at a briefing at the group’s headquarters on Friday. RWE made a similar statement a week earlier. A third major operator, Vattenfall, agreed that the market in Western Europe is oversupplied but said some limited capacity may be needed in the southern part of Germany.

Solar is likely to be installed in very large amounts on end-users roofs because it competes with the retail price of electricity while other generation competes against existing wholesale prices. Also, with end-user solar there are no real estate costs, none of the monitoring/security costs that a utility company installation will incur.

Our utility systems are going to have to adjust to this reality. Pure and simple.

The majority of people are not likely to install solar. Think of all the people who rent, who move frequently, those who simply can’t get their “stuff” together.

If the people who do install solar install enough to generate their 24/365 needs it will take only one out of five (rough number) to fill the sunny hour grid with solar-produced electricity.

The utility companies are going to broker those extra solar kW hours. They’re going to store some (although wind is likely to remain cheaper). And they’re going to fill the grid with non-solar electricity during the non-sunny times.

This is going to really mess with their financial models. They will fight to make the transition at the lowest possible cost to them.

The utility companies that own things like coal and nuclear plants are likely to be facing some losses on those investments.

I don’t view the utility companies as “the enemy”. They’re businesses and overall have done a good job of keeping the lights on and keeping the cost of electricity reasonable.

We’re going to have to give them some time and room to adjust.

They can stop billing only after consumption and introduce fixed fees and consumption packages.

Of course that alone will not save them in the long run but it can hurt solar badly if regulators put up with that (which they may if their campaign financing miraculously improve).

In the best case what the gas boys are saying is that you could cast off the electric line and be dependent on their gas lines. In my book the natural gas companies are in the “power” business.

Only half of all houses have access to gas. Going to run gas to the rest?

How long will that gas last? At 2010 burn rates the US probably has no more than a 20 year supply. As we crank up the use rate we lower the years to empty.

Where does wind (our cheapest carbon free energy source) fit it? Going to toss away the connection to wind and hook up to gas? Going to pay the cost of installing a gas generator of some sort, and watch as wind gets cheaper and gas more expensive?

Does this get complicated? Perhaps. How does the “home-grid” itself know to shut off and avoid appliance damage because the power is not enough to support all of the drawing appliances? Can it be done gracefully? But we must work this out. We must build an open, standardized intergrid. And I’m glad a large company with interest in these problems is working on them.