QUICK NEWS, June 20: WIND COSTS LOW & GOING LOWER; CONSUMERS NEED TO BE SMARTER ABOUT SMART GRID; SUNSHOT BY FEDS TO DROP SOLAR COSTS

WIND COSTS LOW & GOING LOWER National labs: Wind energy costs at or heading to all-time lows

Kerry Bleskan, June 8, 2012 (SNL)

“Most studies predict the cost of wind energy will continue to fall through at least 2030…[according to The Past and Future Cost of Wind Energy by] a collaboration among workers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, with assistance from European researchers. The crux of the report is that while future trends, drivers and constraints are difficult to predict, the cost of wind-generated electricity will probably continue to decrease in the coming decades.

“Onshore wind's levelized cost of energy, or LCOE, fell by a factor of more than three between 1980 and 2000…[and then] driven by rising commodity and raw materials prices, increased labor costs, improved manufacturer profitability, and turbine upscaling…[rose] in spite of continued performance improvements…”

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“That upward trend appears to have been reversed by improved performance and the return of low turbine prices, the team said…LCOE is at an all-time low in certain wind classes, the researchers said, notably in areas with low- or medium-speed winds…[They have fallen] an estimated 8% between 2007 and 2010…

“…[I]nto the future, the LCOE of wind energy is expected to continue to fall, at least on a global basis and within fixed wind resource classes…[though how much] is highly uncertain…[ranging] between zero and 40% by 2030. When researchers removed the most extreme estimates on both sides, the range of estimates became a 20% to 30% reduction by 2030, with the more dramatic reductions happening in the earlier years. Among the factors that could lower LCOE in coming years are efficiencies in manufacturing, taller towers, larger rotors, advanced drivetrains, better resource assessments and improved operations and maintenance practices…”

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CONSUMERS NEED TO BE SMARTER ABOUT SMART GRID Food For Thought About Consumers And The Smart Grid

18 June 2012 (Renew Grid)

“Although many consumers are not aware of smart grid technology, they do embrace it once they receive more information about it, according to [2012 State of the Consumer Report] from the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC)… People who had heard the term associated the smart grid with the development of new technologies to improve reliability, efficiency, billing accuracy and energy management.

“Interestingly, no one brought up concerns about privacy, health issues or higher bills. Most respondents said that they would like to see their own electric utilities take a leadership role in implementing smart grid/meter improvements…[With] additional background, participants generally described their overall feelings toward the new technologies as favorable or very favorable…”

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“Key positive perceptions varied from person to person and segment to segment, and included improved reliability and outage response, environmental benefits, accuracy of billing, and opportunities for customers to save money by using information for energy management and/or participating in dynamic pricing programs, according to the survey.

“Willingness to pay for smart grid benefits varied, but consumers believe the most attractive smart grid benefits are improved reliability and restoration, increased access to renewable energy, availability of better usage information and new pricing options, and reduced greenhouse-gas emissions…”

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SUNSHOT BY FEDS TO DROP SOLAR COSTS DOE Offering Prize Money To The Most Affordable Rooftop Solar Arrays

Jessica Lillian, 14 June 2012 (Solar Industry)

“With PV module prices plunging, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled new strategies for tackling a more stubborn piece of the solar cost equation: the expenses associated with permitting, financing and installing systems…In addition to providing nearly $8 million in new funding to nine U.S. start-ups focusing on cost reduction, the DOE is also launching the ‘America's Most Affordable Rooftop Solar’ competition…[all aimed at making] solar energy cost-competitive with conventional energy by 2020.

“…[Grants:] Clean Energy Experts LLC - $495,040…Clean Power Finance - $500,000 (first award)…Clean Power Finance - $1 million (second award)…concept3D Inc. - $1,275,791…Distributed Energy Research & Solutions Inc. - $500,000…Genability - $500,000…Simply Civic LLC - $499,510…Solar Mosaic Berkeley - $2 million…Tigo Energy Inc. - $500,000…Urban Glue - $402,050…”

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“Previous SunShot Incubator recipients have attracted follow-on investment at a ratio of $30 in private investment for every $1 of government funding, the DOE notes in the funding announcement…

“R&D will continue to be technology-agnostic…despite the belief among some in the industry that the U.S. may ultimately be globally competitive in manufacturing only thin-film PV products and not crystalline cells and modules.”

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