QUICK NEWS, June 18: SOLAR’S SURGE; NEW ENERGY UP 300% OVER THE DECADE; A SMART GRID STORAGE TEST

SOLAR’S SURGE Good Solar News: US Solar Continues to Surge in 2012; The bad news is that domestic manufacturing woes continue.

Eric Wesoff, June 12, 2012 (Greentech Media)

“The U.S. had a blistering amount of solar installations in the first quarter of 2012 with an impressive 506 megawatts -- a record for typically slow first quaters and second only to the 780 megawatts installed in the previous quarter…according to the [U.S. Solar Market Insight: 1st Quarter 2012 report] from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research…

“…[T]he U.S. is still a solar growth market led by strength in the commercial sector in Q1…Utility-scale will continue to drive U.S. solar growth, and 2012 has the makings of yet another banner year with an increased forecast for 2012 of 3.2 gigawatts. The U.S. market grew 109 percent from 2010 to 2011 and will grow another 75 percent from 2011 to 2012…”

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“…The cumulative total of solar photovoltaics across America is 4,427 megawatts…Adding CSP to that figure brings the total to 4,943 megawatts…A total of 1.1 gigawatts (AC) of CSP are now under construction…Blended module prices for Q1 2012 were down to $0.94 per watt, a staggering 47 percent lower than Q1 2011 levels of $1.78 per watt…

“…New Jersey edged out California in Q1 for the lead in solar installations with 174 megawatts…[T]hings look a bit murkier for [2013]…An expired 1603 tax grant, impacts of an import tariff on solar cells imported from China, and a ‘trough’ in California and New Jersey loom large…”

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NEW ENERGY UP 300% OVER THE DECADE U.S. Renewable Energy Production Increased By 300% Over Last Decade

15 June 2012 (North American Windpower)

“U.S. production of renewable energy has increased by more than 300% in the past decade, but the nation still lags far behind Europe and Indonesia and is only slightly ahead of Mexico in the percentage of electricity it gets from renewable sources, according to a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

“European countries, led by Germany, get more of their electricity from wind, solar, geothermal and other renewable energy sources than any other region in the world, NRDC's global renewable energy scorecard [Delivering On Renewable Energy Around The World: How Do Key Countries Stack Up?] shows.”

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“The U.S. got about 2.7% of its electricity from renewables in 2011, making it No. 7 among G-20 member countries. Moreover, some smaller, non-G-20 countries - such as Spain, New Zealand and Iceland - get more than 15% of their energy from renewable sources.

“Favorable governmental policies and strong private-sector investments have helped to increase the availability of renewable energy in the U.S. and elsewhere…”

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A SMART GRID STORAGE TEST Smart Grid Storage Project Launches In Pennsylvania

15 June 2012 (Renew Grid)

“East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc. and its subsidiary Ecoult have…[launched a] U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) smart grid storage demonstration project… powered by East Penn's Deka UltraBattery technology [that provides] 3 MW of continuous frequency-regulation services to PJM Interconnection. The new system will also be used for peak demand management services by the local utility, Met-Ed.

“The Deka UltraBattery uses lead-acid technology that operates in continuous partial state of charge use. It enables an optimal balance of an energy-storing lead-acid battery with the quick charge acceptance, power discharge and longevity of a capacitor…”

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“The PJM demonstration project has been implemented in both a building and a containerized format to demonstrate the modularity and mobility of the storage solutions…It connects to the grid from inside the East Penn Manufacturing site in Lyon Station, Pa.

“Ecoult engineered and implemented the energy-storage system, and developed the platform for the UltraBattery energy resource that controls both the batteries and the power conversion system. The DOE supported the project with $2.2 million of funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009…”

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