WHERE THE SUN IS

Multiple Choice Quiz: There are more solar panels installed in: (a) Arizona (b) Nevada (c) Ohio (d) New Jersey (e) New Mexico.

The answer? This first: The solar energy industry to date is successful not where the insolation (solar radiation over a specific surface area) is the greatest but where the federal, state and local subsidies are the strongest.

California is widely heralded in the solar energy industry for having excellent state and local incentive programs, forceful political leadership favoring solar installations and, of course, the sun. It leads the nation in solar energy development.

Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico all have lots of sun but only recently have those states' political leaders stepped up and begun passing strong incentives programs.

Despite having less than inspiring sunshine, Ohio’s University of Toledo spawned one of the most important advanced solar materials businesses in the world. But until this year Ohio had few incentives and little leadership and it is far down the list of photovoltaic (PV) installations.

Yes, that’s right, hazy, crazy, chilly New Jersey is second only to California for solar panel installations in the U.S. Why? Forward thinking state and local legislators and utilities.

Solar energy-to-electricity is still a set of immature technologies and is not yet cost competitive with traditional sources of power generation. It requires federal, state and local subsidies. Here’s the news flash: So do all the other major sources of U.S. energy production (including oil and gas, coal, nuclear energy and wind energy).

Last question: Which of those subsidized energies would you rather see your tax dollars invested in for the building of the 21st century U.S. energy infrastructure? (Hint: This is also a multiple-choice question. If you don't know the answer, you aren't reading NewEnergyNews regularly.)

Stephen Smith, executive director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy: "Solar is the one technology that is decreasing in price, increasing in opportunity and it can be the key part of the solution if we make the right investments today…"

Most students of the industry expect solar energy technology to achieve cost parity with other electricity-generating sources by around 2015.

Lyle Rawlings, President, Advanced Solar Products: "For us in the solar industry, the holy grail is the point at which the cost of solar power is about equal to the cost of fossil fuel…"

A recent Clean Tech report suggested solar energy could be generating 10% of U.S. electricity by 2025. (See SOLAR CAN BE 10% OF U.S. ELOECTRICITY BY 2025

A recent Department of Energy study found wind energy could produce 20% of U.S. electricity by 2030. (See WIND: YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHIN' YET!

That’s a third of U.S. electricity that will be coming from New Energy within a quarter century DESPITE the current U.S. leadership’s adamant refusal to sufficiently incentivize its development. Think what those industries will do under a supportive political administration.

What's better, great sun or great leadership instituting great policies? (click to enlarge)

Here Comes The Sun (Power); Proponents Of Solar Power Say The Technology is Getting Cheaper, May One Day Compete With Fossil Fuels
Tony Guida, July 5, 2008 (CBS News)

WHO
The solar energy industry; Stephen Smith, executive director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy; Lyle Rawlings, President, Advanced Solar Products

WHAT
The long term potential for growth in the solar energy industry is better than almost any other form of energy.

click to enlarge

WHEN
Rawlings’ Advanced Solar Products was established in 1999.

WHERE
Rawlings’ Advanced Solar Products is based in Hopewell, New Jersey, where Rawlings is called the “g-dfather of solar energy.”

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WHY
- GE Energy estimates its solar energy division will be worth $1 billion in 3 years.
- JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, 2 banks who have been smart enough to avoid the worst effects of the current credit crunch so far, are investing in solar power plants.
- Google is also investing heavily in solar power plants behind its “RE < coal” program designed to fund the advancement of New Energy (renewable energy, RE) until the electricity it produces costs less (“<”) than coal.

QUOTES
- Stephen Smith, executive director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy: "Every single day when the Sun comes up we are bathed with enough energy in one day to supply all the power we need for five years across the globe…"
- Lyle Rawlings, President, Advanced Solar Products: "Solar power is more expensive than fossil fuel power so our business actually depends on government subsidies…"