QUICK NEWS, March 6: WSJ GETS RENEWABLES WRONG; EUROPE DROVE SOLAR IN 2012; PUBLIC TURNS TO NEW LIGHTBULBS

WSJ GETS RENEWABLES WRONG Fact check: WSJ goes astray on California's integration of wind

Michael Goggin, 2013 February 28 (Into the Wind/AWEA)

“…[A] Wall Street Journal piece by Rebecca Smith] on the growth of renewable energy in California and the effect on its electric utility system…makes several incorrect and unsupported assertions…Fact #1: It is unlikely that the state will experience a shortage of flexible power by 2017…Fact #2: Nuclear and fossil fuel power plants can go offline much more rapidly than renewable energy…which is a far greater challenge for grid operators and a far greater cost for the power system.

“…Fact #3: Integrating renewable energy will not negatively affect reliability in California…[T]o reach 33% renewable energy, the California grid operator will use slightly more of the flexible reserves that it has always used to accommodate fluctuations in electricity demand as well as sudden failures at large fossil and nuclear power plants…”

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“…Fact #4: Renewable energy output does not change significantly on a second-to-second time-frame, while the output of nuclear and fossil plants does…Dozens of wind integration studies, including many conducted in California, have confirmed that adding wind and solar to the grid only results in modest increases in total system variability...[A]n average household’s monthly electric bill of $100, the increase in reserve costs in the renewables case would work out to an increase of around 3-4 cents!

“…[California] is already implementing a number of market reforms to make its system work more efficiently and better accommodate large amounts of renewable energy. They are also implementing faster transmission scheduling to allow more efficient movement of power within California and between California and its neighbors…[M[]aking their market mechanisms work faster and more efficiently…Wind and solar energy have no fuel costs, and adding them to the grid displaces the most expensive power plant that is currently operating. Adding renewable energy to the power system drives down the energy costs, yielding consumers’ significant net savings…”

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EUROPE DROVE SOLAR IN 2012 PV in Europe represented 16.5GW of global 29GW demand in 2012

Tim Murphy, 1 March 2013 (PV Tech)

“For 2012, Europe retained its dominant position in global PV demand reaching 16.5GW, according to [Solarbuzz]…Strong demand from Europe was due primarily to premium incentives that remained in place during 2012, along with lower installed system prices (ISPs)…

“It was also a year in which European incentives declined in value, as administrators closely followed the downward trajectory in PV system prices…During 2013, the European market will continue to transition away from a premium-incentives PV environment towards PV electricity being driven on the grounds of competitive cost. During this transition period, major European markets will see declining PV demand…”

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“…[T]his transition phase will not be completed during 2013 in major European markets. Premium incentives will continue to decline (or disappear) in 2013, but additional retroactive impositions are expected (for example, in Greece)…In fact, various retroactive impositions on PV operators have emerged in Europe during 2012 and earlier…[I]n Spain, PV operators are realising 35% less revenues (compared to 2008 administrative ‘guarantees’)…

“While distributed PV electricity generation can make a compelling economic case in Europe, relative to higher retail electricity rates, emerging grid-access barriers will constrain growth. Utility companies will continue to provide barriers to PV, and are likely to undertake more lobbying related to grid-access fee schemes and smart-meter implementation.”

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PUBLIC TURNS TO NEW LIGHTBULBS Nearly 30 Percent of US Homes Have Ditched Incandescent Light Bulbs; A new survey shows that Americans are changing their lighting habits. But awareness of new technologies is still mixed.

Katherine Tweed, March 1, 2013 (Greentech Media)

“…[A] new survey from Sylvania… shows that 29 percent of U.S. households are free of incandescent bulbs…[though] are unaware of the phase-out of energy inefficient light bulbs, even as concerns about energy efficiency increase…

“…The four most important considerations are: the amount of time the bulb will last; the bulb's brightness; the amount of energy the bulb uses; and the cost. Although people say they are more concerned about energy use than cost, less than half of the respondents say they care if there is an Energy Star label on the product they select.”

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“…[A]wareness of light-emitting diode (LED) options dropped in 2012, from 80 percent to 69 percent. At the same time, the number of homes with LED bulbs rose from 20 percent in 2008 to 35 percent in 2012…Sylvania says it is 95 percent confident about the figure showing that 29 percent of households go without incandescent bulbs.

“In coming years, as the incandescent goes extinct, LEDs will gain traction as they commandeer real estate on store shelves. Ikea announced last year it will phase out all non-LED lighting by 2016, and stores like Wal-Mart are increasing their LED offerings. More offerings on the shelves, coupled with falling prices and increased utility rebates, will mean that for the average consumer, LEDs will be a viable option…”

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