Comments on: US Installes 33 MW Of New Solar Power Capacity In April

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:46:00 +0000

The EIA is picking up end-user installed solar to some extent. Those numbers are now included in national installed solar data.

They have to get the data sort of back-handed by using displaced generation (I think that’s what it’s called) data from utility companies. It’s likely not as accurate as one would like, but a reasonable approximation.

—

“Don’t you ever get tired of the “solar peaks just a few hours a day” argument?”

The fossil fuel industry is fighting a rear guard action as they retreat toward their inevitable defeat. The best weapons they have are a handful of worn-out and largely meaningless talking points.

Some of their BS….
“Renewables are not dependable”
“Wind and solar are not dense energy sources”

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:39:00 +0000

I agree. We need to compare electricity sources based on output, not nameplate capacity.

For the first 11 months of 2012 (I need to update my data) solar provided 0.11% of US total electricity.

Predictions are that solar should hit 1% by the end of 2015. With the very large price decreases I suspect we might even do better than that.

By: agelbert

agelbert — Wed, 29 May 2013 16:57:00 +0000

I disagree there. It is actually much more because indivual households installing PV and other renewable energy systems aren’t on the radar screen mostly. The demand destruction in utility electricity sales is the tell tale. THIS news from the US Government about oil imports is part of an overall trend NOT completely covered in the stats:
In 2012, the Energy Information Administration projected that oil imports were on pace to drop by 50% — to 1987 levels — within two years.

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-much-does-the-us-spend-on-oil-imports.htm
Don’t you ever get tired of the “solar peaks just a few hours a day” argument? You know, there are these neat things call batteries and water tanks that have this weid and strange ability to store energy!
Fossil fuels are on the way out. There is no way that trend will be stopped, period. You can get with the program or watch your fossil fuel stocks tank along with disappearing dividends. Your choice.

By: Ross

Ross — Wed, 29 May 2013 14:57:00 +0000

The GW figures for dirty fossil fuels are name plate values too.

Thanks to the merit order effect as soon as the nice clean renewable wind or solar is available it displaces the dirty global warming causing fossil fuels.

By: mikgigs

mikgigs — Wed, 29 May 2013 14:11:00 +0000

It is very misleading for solar energy to say that 5.14 GW is 0.44 % of total capacity… Infact, it is much much much less, since solar power peaks just for few hours per day, but not every day. On the other hand, coal plants are working intermittently – producing much more power. So, in my opinion this should be adapted for more clear understanding. Like, produced energy in GWh per year compared to other energy sources.

By: James Wimberley

James Wimberley — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:16:00 +0000

As the context shows, these data are only for utility solar plants, and exclude smaller distributed installations, which aren't notified through the same channels. Get it right!