DOE invests $13 million to drive U.S. solar power manufacturing

The Department of Energy announced more than $13 million for five projects to strengthen domestic solar power manufacturing and speed commercialization of efficient, affordable photovoltaic and concentrating solar power technologies. As part of the DOE's SunShot Initiative, these awards will help lower the cost of solar electricity, support a growing U.S. solar energy workforce and increase U.S. competitiveness in the global clean energy market. According to a new U.S. solar industry report, the U.S. solar market continues to grow — reaching record-breaking levels. In Q3 2013, the U.S. installed 930 MW of photovoltaic, up 20 percent over Q2 2013 and representing the second largest quarter in solar installations in U.S. history. Cumulatively, solar capacity has already surpassed 10 GW and by the end of the year more than 400,000 solar power projects will be operating across the country. Matched by over $14 million in private cost share, the DOE's investment will help five companies in California, Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Oregon develop cost-effective manufacturing processes for photovoltaic and concentrating solar power technologies. For example, Colorado-based Abengoa Solar will develop new methods to produce concentrating solar power trough systems, helping to lower overall production costs and support easy and quick on-site assembly. PPG Industries, headquartered in Pennsylvania, will lead a project to cut solar module manufacturing costs in half, while Georgia-based Suniva will develop a low-cost highly efficient silicon photovoltaic cell.

Xcel receives approval to increase wind, solar capacity in Colorado

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission has approved Xcel Energy’s request to increase the amount of wind and solar power on its system in Colorado by 620 MW, according to a report from the Denver Business Journal. The increase will boost Xcel’s renewable energy capacity in the state by 25 percent. According to the report, 450 MW of the new capacity will come from wind power projects and 170 MW will come from utility-scale solar projects. The new power supplies will meet the power demand for Xcel’s customers in the state through at least 2018, the company stated. Xcel currently has 2,427 MW of renewable energy in its portfolio, with 250 MW coming from solar power and 2,177 coming from wind power projects, according to the Business Journal.

Signatures Delivered to Xcel Energy in Denver

DENVER - A petition bearing 27,000 signatures asks Xcel Energy to withdraw a recent proposal about solar energy. It was delivered with a protest outside Xcel's headquarters in Denver on Wednesday. In their 2014 Renewable Energy Standard Compliance Plan, Xcel writes that they want to open a dialog about changes to the incentives offered in the on-site solar program. They specifically want to discuss "the equity of that incentive." "Customers deserve credit for all of the solar that's produced on their rooftops and that shouldn't be undermined by Xcel's proposal and it shouldn't be undervalued by Xcel," said Meghan Nutting, Director of Policy and Electricity Markets for SolarCity. But Xcel says the goal is to provide better service. "The folks that have solar on their homes are not going to see any change in incentives they receive," said Xcel spokeswoman Ethnie Treick. "It's merely starting a conversation, making sure it's fair for all of our customers." One of the changes proposed by Xcel for 2014 is to include the cost of new installations in the Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment but credit an equal amount to the Electric Commodity Adjustment. The utility wrote they are hopeful the change will inform debate about the "appropriate level of incentives going forward." For customers who install their solar systems after the start of 2014, Xcel also proposes a surcharge to the Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment. They called it a "fair share surcharge." The utility's RES Plan specifically states, "We do not propose any changes for customers who have currently installed on-site [photo voltaic] systems." In another immediate repercussion of the RES, Xcel is hanging its future plans for distributed generation on the decision about the "transparency" proposal. If the plan is refused, Xcel tells the Public Utilities Commission it will plan to cut the growth of distributed solar generation through two programs by nearly 70 percent. With 237,800 renewable energy credits annually, Xcel's proposal shows it will already be compliant with its distributed generation requirements for 2014. The proposal is currently in the hands of the Public Utilities Commission.

New Poll People of Colorado Oppose Xcel Energy Proposed Changes to Net-Metering

According to a new poll, Colorado residents support solar net metering, a standard policy in dozens of states across the country, but one that has been a bone of contention with Xcel Energy, the state’s largest power provider. Net metering is the process in which homeowners and businesses with solar panel systems are credited with the retail rate of electricity for any excess power they send back to the grid. In other words, it’s basically the same as if they had cut their electricity use by that amount. The bipartisan research team of Public Opinion Strategies and Keating Research recently completed the survey of 400 voters throughout Colorado regarding their perceptions of a proposed change to net metering for rooftop solar systems. The survey finds strong and widespread support for the practice of net metering, and a rejection of the changes proposed by Xcel Energy. Opposition to the proposal is broad based and widespread, but is particularly strong among Xcel’s own customers. Specifically, the survey found nearly four in five Colorado voters (78 percent) support the practice of net metering. Survey respondents received a brief, neutral explanation of net metering in order to ensure all respondents had the same level of information on the topic. Only 11 percent of the state’s electorate indicate opposition to the policy, with a mere 5 percent strongly opposed, and another one in ten (11 percent) unsure of their views on this policy. Support for net metering is just as strong among Xcel Energy customers (79 percent support). In fact, support exceeds 70 percent in every region of the state and exceeds 60 percent with every single key sub group of voters that were examined. Conversely, voters expressed adamant opposition to Xcel Energy’s proposal to change net metering and reduce the credit it provides to rooftop solar energy producers. For its part, Xcel Energy defends it proposal to reduce solar subsidies. The problem, said David Eves, chief executive officer of the utility’s Colorado subsidiary, is that the benefits of rooftop solar do not cover the program’s costs. “This is not about putting the brakes on solar,” Eves said. “It’s about having an honest discussion about costs and benefits.” If changes aren’t made, however, Xcel said it wants to cut back its Solar Reward program to 6 megawatts of new solar arrays from a planned 36 megawatts.

Solar Energy Battle in Colorado

How much for a ray of sunshine? In Colorado it's becoming a hotly contested question. Almost 30,000 Coloradans signed a petition that was delivered to Xcel Energy executives asking the company to withdraw its proposal to reduce the current credit rate for solar power generated by homeowners' rooftop systems from 10.5 cents per kilowatt hour to 4.6 cents per kilowatt hour. Back in July, Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy -- the leading power provider in Colorado -- proposed a plan to roll back the state's net metering program and reduce its "Solar Reward" rebate levels to less than a penny per kilowatt hour -- or in the words of the Vote Solar Initiative (which is against the proposal), "make solar a bad deal for customers in its service territory." Net metering is used as an incentive to sell solar power, paying homeowners full retail credit on their energy bills for the excess power their solar installations send to the grid. According to Xcel, the current rate includes a "hidden subsidy" that its other customers without solar panels are having to pay for their neighbors' rooftop systems, The Denver Business Journal reported. "Coloradans are not going to let Xcel get away with a dramatic rollback of the state’s most important solar policy. If approved, Xcel would be able to drastically cut the credit solar customers receive for electricity they put on the grid," said Annie Lappe, solar policy director at The Vote Solar Initiative, in a statement. "This proposal is anti-progress, anti-consumer, and simply unfair. Colorado’s solar customers deserve full credit for the valuable power they produce, which is building a safer, cleaner, more resilient grid for all of us." According to a poll released by Public Opinion Strategies and Keating Research last week, 78 percent of Coloradans support solar net metering and 80 percent oppose Xcel’s proposal to change the policy. The U.S. Solar Market Insight for the 3rd Quarter of 2013 even ranked Colorado 7th in the country for solar capacity with enough energy to power over 56,000 homes. “Monopoly utilities across the country, like Xcel, continue to fail repeatedly in their attempts to stop solar competition.” said Bryan Miller, TASC President and VP of Public Policy for Sunrun, in a statement. “In every net metering battle, from Idaho, to Louisiana, to California, to Arizona, states have preserved net metering. The verdict of 2013 is that net metering is here to stay.”

STAND UP FOR SOLAR RIGHTS!

Rally in Denver! Rooftop solar is helping Colorado build a cleaner, safer and lower cost energy supply. It's great news for Coloradans, but now Xcel Energy is asking to change the rules to penalize Coloradans who go solar. Learn more about the utility's anti-solar, anti-consumer plan here. Help us send a clear message that Xcel needs to withdraw its unfair proposal TODAY and keep solar shining in Colorado! Join us at noon on Wed, Dec 11 as we deliver our solar petition to Xcel. We'll have solar-powered coffee, hot chocolate and plenty of good company to keep us warm! Time: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM MST Host: Vote Solar, The Alliance for Solar Choice, COSEIA, Environment Colorado, Sierra Club, and others Location: Skyline Park (Denver, CO) 1732 Arapahoe Street Denver, CO 80265

Denver Rally 12/11/13 to Support Solar in Colorado

Rooftop solar is helping Colorado build a cleaner, safer and more resilient energy supply. But now Xcel wants to change the rules on Coloradans who go solar by drastically cutting the credit these customers would receive for electricity they put onto the grid. If the utility is successful, they could destroy the economics of going solar in our state. This proposal from Xcel is a thinly-veiled attempt to protect profits and stand in the way of energy innovation and customer choice. On Wednesday, December 11, we’re going to send a clear message to Xcel executives that Coloradans support fair credit for solar power. Will you join me? Here are the details: What: Stand Up for Rooftop Solar Event and Petition Delivery When: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM MST Where: Skyline Park (Denver, CO) 1732 Arapahoe Street Denver, CO 80265 12:30: Move to Xcel's Headquarters 1800 Larimer St Denver, CO 80265 Why: Xcel wants to change the rules on its customers who invest in rooftop solar, which helps Colorado build a cleaner, safer and more resilient energy supply. The utility has proposed drastic cuts to the credits it provides for the excess clean energy solar customers deliver to the grid, and that Xcel then sells to their neighbors. If Xcel is successful with this proposal, new solar customers could see bill-saving credits cut in half. More than 20,000 Coloradans have already voiced their opposition to Xcel Energy’s anti-solar plan. At noon on December 11, we will gather in downtown Denver to deliver our petitions in person to Xcel.

Poll: Xcel Energy’s anti-solar proposal is a nonstarter for Coloradans

Poll: Xcel Energy’s anti-solar proposal is a nonstarter for Coloradans A new poll released today shows that an overwhelming majority (78%) of Coloradans support the state’s existing net metering program, an important rooftop solar policy that’s being targeted by the state’s major utility, Xcel Energy. The poll also found that a whopping 4 in 5 of Xcel’s own customers oppose the utility’s proposal to weaken net metering, a view that remains strong among solar and non-solar customers alike. Net metering makes sure that homes, schools and businesses receive full retail credit for the excess energy they deliver to the grid for the utility to sell to their neighbors. This policy is helping Colorado harness its plentiful sunshine to build a cleaner, safer and more resilient energy supply. And as today’s poll results show, Coloradans clearly feel strongly that they want more solar power – and fair, full credit for it. So why is Xcel Energy working against its own customers to penalize investment in homegrown solar energy? Xcel wants to change the rules on Coloradans who have gone solar by drastically cutting the credit these customers receive for electricity they put onto the grid. If the utility is successful, solar customers could see their bill-saving net metering credit cut in half. On Wednesday, December 11, we’re going to send a clear message to Xcel executives that Coloradans support fair credit for solar power. If you live in Colorado, here are two ways you can help: Sign our petition: More than 20,000 Coloradans have already voiced their opposition to Xcel Energy’s anti-solar plan. ADD YOUR SIGNATURE HERE! http://action.votesolar.org/page/s/XcelPetition Show up in person: At noon on December 11, we will gather in downtown Denver to deliver our petitions in person to Xcel. We’ll have solar-powered coffee, hot chocolate, and plenty of good company to keep warm. RSVP TODAY! http://action.votesolar.org/page/event/detail/event/rtl Xcel’s is the latest in a series of attacks on net metering from utilities that are trying to protect their old way of doing business by preventing continued solar adoption among their customers. Within the last year, these traditional energy interests have tried and failed to roll back net metering in states that run the gamut from California and Arizona to Idaho and Louisiana. In all cases, the utilities’ anti-solar proposals were met with strong opposition from a public that increasingly wants to generate its own power from the sun. Let’s do it again! Help us spread the word that Xcel needs to withdraw its anti-solar proposal and keep Colorado solar shining today.

Competitive Solar And Natural Gas To Advance Hand-In-Hand

Unsubsidized utility-scale solar electricity will become cost-competitive with gas by 2025, according to a new report from Lux Research. Moreover, the analysis firm says, increased gas penetration actually benefits solar by enabling hybrid gas/solar technologies that can accelerate adoption and increase intermittent renewable penetration without expensive infrastructure improvements. The U.S. Department of Energy says between 11-21 GW of concentrating solar power can be integrated with existing fossil power plants in the U.S. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) from unsubsidized utility-scale solar closes the gap with combined cycle gas turbines to within $0.02/kWh worldwide in 2025, a Lux analysis of 10 global regions found. Solar’s competitiveness is led by a 39% fall in utility-scale system costs by 2030 and accompanied by barriers to shale gas production - anti-fracking policies in Europe and high capital costs in South America. "On the macroeconomic level, a 'golden age of gas' can be a bridge to a renewable future as gas will replace coal until solar becomes cost-competitive without subsidies," says Ed Cahill, a research associate at Lux and lead author of the report. "On the microeconomic level, solar integrated with natural gas can lower costs and provide stable output." Lux Research analysts created a bottom-up system cost model and analyzed LCOE to evaluate solar, gas and hybrid technologies' competitiveness under different gas price scenarios across 10 regions around the world through 2030. Solar can be competitive with natural gas as early as 2020 if gas prices are between $4.90/MMBtu and $9.30/MMBtu, depending on the solar resource, Lux says. In the report's scenario of gas prices above $7.60/MMBtu, solar will be broadly competitive by 2025 in all 10 regions. Lux expects solar power prices to fall to $1.20/W by 2030. According to the report, utility-scale thin film leads the pack with installed system prices that fall from $1.96/W in 2013 to $1.20/W in 2030, primarily due to increasing module efficiencies. Nevertheless, the transition from a subsidized solar sector to an unsubsidized one will be turbulent. The report says turmoil is imminent because standalone solar will not yet be competitive when subsidies start expiring in top solar markets of China, the U.S. and Japan. Companies will need to diversify geographically and transition to areas with fewer gas resources - or develop hybrid systems that take advantage of low gas prices, Lux says.

Energy stream: Colorado Mesa, GJ firm link solar, natural gas

Energy stream: Colorado Mesa, GJ firm link solar, natural gas There’s no shortage of sun and natural gas in western Colorado, making it a prime location to learn how to marry the two energy sources. Colorado Mesa University and Atlasta Solar Center, 111 S. Seventh St., teamed up to do exactly that, joining together a solar energy system with a 14 kilowatt-hour generator that runs on natural gas. CMU’s Unconventional Energy Center and Atlasta each chipped in $6,900 for the needed equipment and Jose Morales, a CMU mechanical-engineering technology student, helped build the system that ultimately will provide heat, electricity and light. Eventually, said Lou Villaire, one of three co-owners of Atlasta, “We want to see it get to the point that we use the utility as a backup” instead of as a prime energy source. The proposal by Atlasta, a 35-year-old Grand Junction company, fit the mission of the university’s Unconventional Energy Center, which provides funding for workforce development and research, said Derek Wagner, vice president for intergovernmental and community affairs for CMU. For Morales, a 2009 Grand Junction High School graduate, the venture provided real-world experience that he said he hoped to use after graduation. His interest in alternative energy was kindled in his youth, visiting his grandparents in Mexico. “I was interested to see if there were other ways to provide energy,” Morales said. The next step in the project is to create seamless switching from natural gas to solar to the grid, as conditions warrant, including the current price of each source. On Tuesday, Morales manually pulled down the switch taking the building’s interior systems from solar to natural gas. His next job is to set up the system so all those decisions are automated, one he hopes to complete during his final semester at CMU, Morales said.

Business coalition gets behind solar campaign

A coalition of more than 280 businesses and others, along with more than 11,000 people, called on Gov. John Hickenlooper and other state leaders to help reach a goal of installing 3 gigawatts of solar energy statewide. The Denver conservation group Environment Colorado said this week that support for the initiative included businesses in Fort Collins, such as Odell Brewing Co. and Equinox Brewing Co. Inc. The coalition includes farmers, ranchers, government officials and environmental organizations. The Colorado solar industry announced the goal, known as a Million Solar Roofs, earlier this year, but this week's announcement indicated broad support for the campaign. A similar campaign is under way in California. Three gigawatts of solar, which the solar industry aims to install by 2030, would multiply the state's solar capacity by 10. The goal would raise solar's contribution to 10 percent of the state's energy generation. The goal includes everything from rooftop arrays to solar farms. Solar thermal systems are also included in the campaign. Policies such as net-metering, where people who invest in solar panels receive credit from utilities for excess electricity they supply to the grid, can help reach the goal, Environment Colorado said.