Big increase for US solar in 2016: Report

[Pitt Gorilla]

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/12/big-i...-2016_report_1

The U.S.'s solar power capacity continues to grow after more than two gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations took place during the second quarter of 2016, according to a report released on Monday.

The latest U.S. Solar Market Insight Report from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) stated that the installations represented a 43 per cent increase compared to the second quarter of 2015.

"We're seeing the beginning of an unprecedented wave of growth that will occur throughout the remainder of 2016, specifically within the utility PV segment," Cory Honeyman, associate director of U.S. solar research at GTM Research, said in a news release.

Solar is becoming an increasingly important part of the world's renewable energy mix. In 2014 the International Energy Agency stated that the sun could be the planet's biggest source of electricity by 2050.

"With more than 10 gigawatts of utility PV currently under construction, the second half of this year and the first half of 2017 are on track to continue breaking records for solar capacity additions," Honeyman added.

The report found that utility scale installations represented 53 percent of all installed PV in the first half of 2016, with an extra 7.8 GW set to come online in 2016.

"Solar works in all 50 states and this report proves that what many would consider non-traditional markets are now firmly a part of the clean energy movement," Tom Kimbis, SEIA's interim president, said.

"While it took us 40 years to hit 1 million U.S. solar installations, we're expected to hit 2 million within the next two years," Kimbis added. "That record-breaking growth is made possible by solar's cost-competitiveness and the vast benefits it provides consumers, our nation's economy and environment."

[Mr. Laz]

Good to hear it's progressing.

Still far,far behind of what is should be.

Hope see solar in the sun states, wind in the windy states etc,etc.

Renewable needs to be the majority not the rarity, especially when it comes to cars.

Cars on 100% renewable would neuter the middle east.

[TigeRRUppeRRcut]

This country needs nuclear energy..

[scho63]

There has been a push by companies that the government was helping to help finance adding solar to peoples homes in unique financing deals.

Solar City, Vivant Solar and Xoom Solar are have pushed creative leasing and power purchase arrangements that have made their own financial standing a little shaky.

Going to be interesting to see if the subsidies are going to be renewed.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by scho63

There has been a push by companies that the government was helping to help finance adding solar to peoples homes in unique financing deals.

Solar City, Vivant Solar and Xoom Solar are have pushed creative leasing and power purchase arrangements that have made their own financial standing a little shaky.

Going to be interesting to see if the subsidies are going to be renewed.

Depends on who gets elected POTUS and what happens in congress.

[Nickhead]

i love stories like this:

https://www.fastcoexist.com/3059918/...ople-to-use-it

On Sunday, May 8, sun and wind energy was so bountiful in Germany, that the utility had to pay people to use it all up. Due to weather conditions that day, the combined spike caused renewable to make up 87% of the country’s total energy consumption, if only briefly.

"This day shows again that a system with large amounts of renewable energy works fine." Christoph Podewils of the think tank Agora Energiewende told Quartz.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by scho63

There has been a push by companies that the government was helping to help finance adding solar to peoples homes in unique financing deals.

Solar City, Vivant Solar and Xoom Solar are have pushed creative leasing and power purchase arrangements that have made their own financial standing a little shaky.

Going to be interesting to see if the subsidies are going to be renewed.

Solar City was purchased by Tesla.

As I've detailed in past threads, Solar City could only save me $300 per year, so I passed.

The Tesla battery seems to be the way to go.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by underEJ

Ha! Probably a good choice. Industry standard for human skull durability is well under baseball size.

You've got that right even for a hard head like myself.

[Lonewolf Ed]

Originally Posted by Nickhead

i love stories like this:

https://www.fastcoexist.com/3059918/...ople-to-use-it

Check out Denmark for more stories you will love! They have been selling excess electricity from wind generators to Germany, Sweden, and Norway. It's very exciting to see the progress, and I have firsthand knowledge of some of the advances since my cousin over in Denmark is the CEO of a very successful energy company, EnergiDanmark.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

I know a couple of guys making well north of 200k a year selling solar. Maybe it's time to switch gears and start selling solar.

[sd4chiefs]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I know a couple of guys making well north of 200k a year selling solar. Maybe it's time to switch gears and start selling solar.

http://www.seia.org/state-solar-policy/california

There are currently more than 2,754 solar companies in California, employing 75,598.

[lewdog]

We run 80% solar at my house with two AC units and a pool. Saves me over $500 a year in electric bills, which includes factoring in our lease. Plus were are locked in with this rate while the electric companies continue to jack up their prices. So we will save more each year in the long run.

Once we get a new pool pump and more efficient AC units, we will likely be near 100%.

WINNING.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Tesla is making a "Gigafactory" outside of Reno. Most people may have heard about this and how it relates to their vehicle line, but they are also making a battery for homes. It's thought that the home battery will be around $3,000 for consumers, and will finally make sense financially.

I'm sure there are many of you out there that know more about this stuff than me, but apparently the Tesla home battery will enable you to store the surplus solar energy to use at other times.

For people out in some rural area not connected to the grid, this could make sense. For somebody connected to the grid with solar, I'm not sure the cost of the battery versus the amount of storage is going to make financial sense.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

Still far,far behind of what is should be.

Hope see solar in the sun states, wind in the windy states etc.

Renewables would really be helped by having more long distance, high voltage lines. Instead of trying to store excess wind that is generated in the Kansas wind corridor, it should be shipped east. However, eastern utilities have lobbied against new lines (they don't want the competition) and it is always a hard fight to overcome NIMBYism with power lines.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

I know a couple of guys making well north of 200k a year selling solar. Maybe it's time to switch gears and start selling solar.

Yeah no doubt.

[Hydrae]

Originally Posted by scho63

There has been a push by companies that the government was helping to help finance adding solar to peoples homes in unique financing deals.

Solar City, Vivant Solar and Xoom Solar are have pushed creative leasing and power purchase arrangements that have made their own financial standing a little shaky.

Going to be interesting to see if the subsidies are going to be renewed.

You want to accelerate the improvements of solar? Pass a law that says that any new big box store must have that flat roof covered in panels and be (as close as possible right now) self-sufficient. This would create a large market which would add more money into the industry and help push innovation. This would not be a noticeable cost to customers but should help to push overall costs of panels down just due to the increased volume.