QUICK NEWS, April 7:NEW ENERGY + STORAGE = MORE GRID FREE; LA DWP DRAGS ITS FEET ON SOLAR; BLDG EE OPS BIZ WILL DOUBLE TO $6.6BIL

NEW ENERGY + STORAGE = MORE GRID FREE Report: The way we power our homes may be on the verge of a major change

Chris Mooney, April 7, 2015 (Washington Post)

“…The way we get power is ‘at a metaphorical fork in the road’ [according to the Rocky Mountain Institute’s The Economics of Load Defection because of] the growing feasibility of home electricity systems combining solar panels with batteries for storage of energy…Customers will choose these options, the study finds, because they’ll save money on their bills. And once they can not only generate their own power from the sun, but can also store it until they need it (including overnight, when there’s no sun shining), the old model of buying all your power from a single utility company could be strongly challenged…[P]eople will not be abandoning the grid en masse. But [within the next 10-15 years], more and more of the electrons that they use to power their homes and lives could. While most people will stay connected so that they’ll always have backup power, they’ll increasingly generate and store more and more of their own, and potentially sell it back to the grid (a key reason to remain connected)…” click here for more

click to enlarge

Tweet

LA DWP DRAGS ITS FEET ON SOLAR Limited staffing for DWP’s rooftop solar energy plan causes delays, new study says

City News Service, March 27, 2015 (LA Daily News)

“The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s rooftop solar energy [feed-in-tariff] program has suffered delays, with only a small fraction of the projects generating energy since it began in 2012…[The program] allows property owners to install solar panels on their buildings and sell the energy back to the utility…But despite having already authorized 150 megawatts of solar projects, just 6.5 megawatts are currently being generated, according to the [UCLA/USC study] commissioned by the Los Angeles Business Council Institute…Another 8.2 megawatts are under contract and awaiting construction, and 56 megawatts are in the works…[T]he programs were delayed by limited staffing, with the number of the equivalent of three full-time workers in the program in 2013, even though there was originally a budget for 30…[R]esearchers recommended increasing staffing and processing applications for the program based on how ready the projects are, rather than on when they are submitted…” click here for more

click to enlarge

Tweet

BLDG EE OPS BIZ WILL DOUBLE TO $6.6BIL Building Optimization and Commissioning Services; Initial Commissioning, Retrocommissioning, and Monitoring-Based Commissioning Services: Global Market Analysis and Forecasts

1Q 2015 (Navigant Research)

“As energy efficiency continues to become the highest priority in construction and building operations, more complex equipment and solutions are emerging that promise reduced energy consumption, reduced waste, and better operation…[but only] if these solutions operate properly. The complicated construction process of buildings as well as their maintenance and operations can lead actual performance to drift away from the intended design…Building optimization and commissioning services are a tool to ensure operational and energy efficiency…[R]ecent policies and regulations requiring commissioning of new construction and existing buildings has further reinforced…growth. In turn, the savings building owners have achieved through the commissioning process has further driven demand for such services. According to Navigant Research, global revenue for building commissioning services is expected to grow from $2.7 billion in 2014 to $6.6 billion in 2024…” click here for more

click to enlarge

Tweet