QUICK NEWS, March 4: U.S. WIND GETS ITS MOJO BACK; SOLAR ON EVERY NEW HOME IS COMING; A PARTNER FOR NEW ENERGY

U.S. WIND GETS ITS MOJO BACK Extended U.S. Tax Credit Blows Fresh Air Into Wind Projects

Housley Carr, February 27, 2013 (Engineering News-Record)

“Wind-farm construction in the U.S. nearly ground to a halt after ending in a frenzy late last year. But the pace of turbine installation is set to pick up substantially later this year, largely thanks to the recently enacted extension of the federal production tax credit, say utility and wind-sector experts…

“The tax-credit extension approved by Congress and signed by President Obama in January as part of the "fiscal cliff" compromise provides a $22/MWH tax credit for the first 10 years of a wind farm's operation. For the first time, the latest extension applies to all projects under construction by Dec. 31, 2013, even if they are not completed until next year. Under the previous tax credit, a wind farm had to be completed and operational by the end of 2012 to qualify.”

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“Several utilities already are moving to take advantage of the lower wind-power prices the tax-credit extension provides…Last year, with lower wind-turbine prices and strong competition among developers, wind-power prices offered by developers in regions with the best wind resources, such as the Great Plains, were often below $40/MWH; without the tax-credit, most offers likely would have been above $60/MWH—a big difference to utilities already concerned about the generally higher cost of renewable energy…

“A spokeswoman for Duke Energy Renewables, which built 800 MW of new wind capacity in 2012, says the tax-credit extension ‘removed uncertainty; and enabled utilities to plan RFPs and long-term power purchase deals. [Washington energy lobbyist Frank Maisano] predicts a stronger rebound in wind-farm construction in the Great Plains and Midwest, with fewer regulatory hurdles and less opposition from environmental groups.”

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SOLAR ON EVERY NEW HOME IS COMING California City Wants to Require Solar on Every New Home; A Republican mayor campaigns for a historic requirement for solar on new homes.

Herman K. Trabish, March 1, 2013 (Greentech Media)

“Rex Parris, the mayor of Lancaster, California, wants every new home in his city to host solar. And starting next January, that could be a reality…[As] homebuilder KB Home celebrated its 1,000th new home with solar panels from SunPower…Mayor Parris announced his city will institute a first-of-its-kind requirement that solar be installed on every new single-family home built in Lancaster after January 1, 2014.

“The new law will be written into Lancaster’s “Residential Zones Update” on residential solar. Along with a range of green building provisions, it specifies that new single family homes meet minimum solar system requirements…Residential homes on lots from 7,000 square feet must have a solar system of 1.0 kilowatt to 1.5 kilowatts. Rural residential homes of up to 100,000 square feet must have a system of at least 1.5 kilowatts.”

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“The standards spell out simple, common-sense rules for both roof-mounted and ground-mounted systems…A builder’s model home must show the kind of solar system the builder will offer…Builders of subdivisions will be able to aggregate the houses’ requirements…[E]ach phase [of a project] must meet the requirement…Multi-family developments can meet the requirement with a rooftop system or a system on a support or shade structure…[and] builders may choose to meet…[the] requirement off-site by providing evidence of purchasing solar energy credits…

“Mayor Parris, who frequently promises to make Lancaster “the solar energy capital of the world,” expressed confidence that he has the City Council votes for approval, despite resistance from the building industry…Even with resistance from some members of the building community, the market is shifting…One of every five built in California this year will be solar powered…Mayor Parris, a Republican, noted that…[when you show Republicans] a solution, they will take it…”

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A PARTNER FOR NEW ENERGY Diesel Generator Sets; Distributed Reciprocating Engines for Portable, Standby, Prime, Continuous, and Cogeneration Applications

1Q 2013 (Pike Research/Navigant)

“Diesel-fueled generator sets (gensets) are distributed power generation units that use reciprocating internal combustion engines to produce useable energy from gaseous fuels. Distributed generation has the advantage of going online more quickly than traditional large centralized power stations, reducing demand pressure on the electrical grid and reducing inefficiencies that are common in centralized power generation, transmission, and distribution…

“As a source of emergency standby, prime, or continuous power, diesel-fueled gensets are poised for continued growth in most regions and power classes but face increasing competition from natural gas and dual-fuel configurations.”

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“The number of specialized segments within the genset market spanning power classes, applications, and end-use customers offers a rich ecosystem of opportunities for market participants…

“As a whole, the market has experienced steady growth, but a boom in unconventional gas resources and tightening regulations targeting stationary generator emissions point to a turning point in the industry. Pike Research forecasts that diesel genset installations will reach 82 GW per year by 2018, representing $198 billion in cumulative revenue between 2013 and 2018…”

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