Dog Blog

Posts Tagged ‘renewable energy’

Defining Today’s Utility-Grade Solar

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

There is a lot of discussion in the industry today about whether or not utilities are doing enough to implement solar. Today, solar energy currently only accounts for less than one percent of all energy worldwide (as SolarBuzz notes per DOE numbers), which suggests that many utilities are not taking solar seriously. So what is standing in the way of the industry rolling out truly utility-grade solar?

To begin, it’s important to define what is meant by the term “utility-grade solar”. Utility-grade solar refers to a more holistic, all encompassing approach to solar that can scale to serve a multitude of markets including residential, commercial, education, healthcare, etc. Yes, many utilities are already involved in solar today - but not to the degree that they could be. Many have offerings that are only offered to a specific segment of the market, but do not have the capacity (today, at least) to expand those offerings.

Recently the Solar Energy Power Association (SEPA) issued their 2008 “Top Ten Utility Solar Rankings” report, which reports that utilities’ use of solar doubled in 2008. SolarBuzz confirms this, stating that worldwide solar installations increased to 5,948 MW in 2008, up from 2,826 MW in 2007. So, it is clear that the utilities have a deep, vested interest in solar and are making an effort to deploy the systems that will help them to scale their offerings to serve all markets.

While the utilities’ increased interest in solar is encouraging, there is a shift that still needs to take place to move from mere utilization of solar as part of the overall power portfolio mix, to truly achieving utility-grade solar offerings. Because the total output of a single solar or wind plant is usually far less than that of a traditional energy plant, many more renewable plants are required to produce a similar amount of electricity. As a result, managing solar electric power production requires a new operational paradigm.

At Fat Spaniel, we refer to this new operational paradigm as the implementation of Energy Intelligence systems. Energy Intelligence systems are industrial-grade offerings that give utility companies a fast, easy start-up with a comprehensive set of applications that includes:

Real-time plant management
Advanced analytics for optimizing performance
Features for supporting mobile personnel
A suite of revenue-generating services including agency reporting, renewable energy certificate (REC) registration, and environmental reporting

These Energy Intelligence systems provide power plant monitoring via integration with a large number and a wide variety of components for data collection, inverter monitoring, power metering, communications networking and environmental assessment. Robust solutions are also available for wired- and wireless communications, IT component failure detection, and end-to-end security.

We are firm believers that the utilities industry is making great steps in their increasing deployment of solar systems. The implementation of these Energy Intelligence systems provide the important next step to transition the utilities to offering full, complete utility-grade solar to all markets.

Write back to us at “dogblog at fatspaniel dot com” to share your views.

Tags: renewable energy, SEPA, utility-grade solar
Posted in Fat Spaniel Blog | No Comments »

Thin-Film Solar: A Primer and a Case Study

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Especially in this economic landscape, thin-film solar has become all the rage. Industry figures indicate that the annual growth rate worldwide was 60% from 2002-2007 and that is expected to grow as the production costs of thin-film solar continues to drop. Forbes recently mentioned thin-film solar as one of the “Five Technologies Set to Change the Decade”.The reasons are simple – thin-film solar brings the promise of combining the following benefits:

Lower Cost – Thin-film solar technologies reduce the amount of light absorbing material required in creating a solar cell. This can lead to reduced processing costs from that of bulk materials (in the case of silicon thin film)
Flexible and Light Weight – As opposed to bulk silicon wafers (used “traditional” solar panels), thin-film solar is considerably lighter and highly flexible, making deployment much easier.
Greater Efficiency – Early thin-film solar technologies tended to be less efficient at converting light to energy (an average 7% to 10%). However, many of the newer, multi-layer thin films now achieve efficiencies greater than those of bulk silicon wafers.

Thin-film solar technologies are only about five years old at this point, and as such, the economies of scale for the technology are still improving. In fact, efficiency gains and new production technologies are expected to reduce thin-film solar manufacturing costs to less than $1/Wp within the next year. As such, here at Fat Spaniel we continue to see more and more interest in thin-film solar technologies, and we continue to provide the monitoring and intelligence for these new systems as well.

Case Study

In fact, just last week one of our customers – Conergy – announced a large thin-film solar deployment in California’s San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID). The system is believed to be the world’s first single-axis solar tracking system featuring thin-film photovoltaic cells. The 419-kilowatt system went live in late March, and is the second phase of a 1.6 MW solar energy solution that will save the irrigation district nearly $400,000 a year in utility costs, allow it to reap millions of dollars in state cash incentives and stabilize customer costs in the midst of a state-wide water crisis.

Here’s what SSJID’s General Manager, Jeff Shields, had to say about the deployment:

“The application of thin-film on a solar tracking system as a way to optimize energy output in perennially-dusty or overcast areas is generating a great deal of excitement not only among those in areas with conditions similar to the Central Valley, but among economic policymakers and environmental stewards in Washington, D.C. We’re eager to continue our work with Conergy to bring this solution — and the important data it’s generating in our cost-benefit analysis — to light.”

According to Conergy’s Western U.S. Project Director David Vincent, market-tested First Solar thin-film modules were selected for the Phase 2 tracking solution because they perform at a lower cost-per-watt than traditional crystalline.

“Thin-film is a much more cost-effective way to generate power — and it can outperform monocrystalline in areas prone to hazy, overcast conditions — or in industries that generate dust or high degrees of air particulates,” said Vincent. “Early indications show the output per DC kW of First Solar thin-film is about 10% higher than that of crystalline,” he added.

To help SSJID monitor system output, Conergy is using our energy monitoring and intelligence solutions to monitor and manage the system. This allows Battles and the SSJID team to log onto the Web and gauge system performance from their business offices – nearly 22 miles west of the actual solar arrays. A bonus is that through the Fat Spaniel Web site, they’re also able to compare the 1 MW, Phase 1 SSJID tracking system with several other systems, among them a 1 MW fixed-axis roof-mount system on a fruit-packing house in nearby Hanford, California — a system that Conergy also installed.

We are very excited by the continued advances in thin-film solar technology, and think that the dropping production prices, ease of deployment and the increasing efficiencies will continue to drive this industry forward.

Write back to us at “dogblog at fatspaniel dot com” to share your views.

Tags: energy intelligence, renewable energy, San Joaquin Irrigation District, solar energy, solar monitoring, solar technology, thin film
Posted in Fat Spaniel Blog | No Comments »

Earth Day 2009: Measure Your Energy, Save the World

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Sure, at first glance this may appear to be yet another obligatory “Earth Day” post from a green tech company - but we urge you to read on. Rather than pontificate on the meaning of Earth Day, we thought we’d explore an interesting topic that’s being discussed more and more recently - the question of “How can you manage what you can’t measure?” as it pertains to energy conservation.

Happy Earth Day from the Fat Spaniel Technologies Team

Measure Your Energy, Save the World

Discussing the benefits of measuring one’s energy utilization is an important topic to discuss on any day of the year, but given the goals laid out by www.earthday.net, we find it to be particularly relevant to pick up this dialog today. These goals are:

A carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end our common dependency on fossil fuels, including coal.
An individual’s commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption.
Creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of quality green jobs and transforms the global education system into a green one.

Let’s take a look at each one of these individually.

A carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end our common dependency on fossil fuels

This is, of course, an extremely important and noble goal - but how will we get there? There are a myriad of different green technologies and renewable energy systems that have proven incredibly effective and efficient, so the answer to “how” we get there is as varied as the technologies and approaches applied. Perhaps a better question is “How will we know if we’re making progress, and what’s working?” That is where energy measurement comes in.

With all the renewable energy systems and technologies in use today, what we truly need are open energy measurement standards that are capable of orchestrating all of these technologies at once - creating truly integrated renewable energy systems. Only then can we determine the effectiveness of these systems, and see which components are performing well and which one’s aren’t. As we do so, we can tune these components and the entire systems to perform optimally - meaning most efficiently and most profitably.

An individual’s commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption

Again, empowering an individual’s commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption is a great goal indeed. But what the heck does it mean? There are thousands of tools, resources and technologies to help an individual conserve and reduce consumption. From energy efficient light bulbs to ENERGY STAR rated appliances - there are tons of ways to conserve energy. And then there are residential renewable energy systems that not only conserve energy, but create energy that can be exported to the grid. But again, how do you truly know how much energy you are conserving or generating? How do you know what’s working?

Whether you have chosen a solar roof or other renewable energy system for environmental or financial reasons, you will want to know how well the system is working, and how much energy it is producing. Energy intelligence solutions will quantify the energy and display the environmental benefits with accurate, real-time data. This enables you to keep tabs on your system’s performance anytime, anywhere, live on the Web. Clear and dynamic graphics show how much potential pollution you are preventing by generating energy with your system. This enables you to maximize your savings by scheduling your heaviest use of electricity when energy is cheapest, while exporting energy to the grid during peak demand times.

Creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of quality green jobs and transforms the global education system into a green one

This is a big one. Given the boom in demand for renewable energy systems and the enormous support from governments around the world given in the form of tax credits and government funding, the renewable energy industry is now not only expected to produce energy, but also to become one of the largest producers of jobs!

We’ve said before that we have complete confidence in this industry to create jobs - but there’s a flip side that needs to be considered. When an industry has the lofty goals of energy creation AND job creation pinned to it’s back - and has a large amount of government support and money behind it - you better believe there is going to be a great deal of accountability required. You’ve heard us say that it’s not enough just to be “green” anymore, and that’s the truth. Today, the renewable energy industry needs to prove that it is living up to its promises in order to justify the ongoing support. Energy intelligence plays a key role in achieving this as well. If the industry standardizes on open energy systems that can collect, measure and track the performance of all renewable energy systems, then we will be able to provide clear data on how well the industry is achieving it’s energy creation goals. If we continue to prove our industry’s ability to meet the energy creation goals, then we will justify the continued government support (globally) - which in turn aids the profitability needed to continually create more jobs.

Earth Day All Year Long

As everyone involved in Earth Day will tell you, the goal is not to celebrate and protect the Earth on just this one day. Instead, the goal is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to protect the limited resources we have, and to efficiently create new resources. The same can be said for the goal of energy intelligence. Instead of merely being aware of our environmental impact on just this one day, energy intelligence technologies help enable us to stay consistently and continuously in touch with our energy usage and energy creation. As a result, we are all enabled to reproduce not only the spirit - but also the net effect - of Earth Day all year long.

Tags: Earth Day, renewable energy
Posted in Fat Spaniel Blog | No Comments »

The Role of Energy Monitoring in Securing Grant Funding

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

In our last post on the various resources available for pursuing energy grants, it’s clear that the stimulus package has put federal grant programs in the spotlight as a critical resource for rebuilding our economy due to the sheer amount being invested by our government. This increased visibility for federal grant programs has two very important side effects:

It increases the amount of scrutiny the various grant application processes receive, to ensure that these government funds are being given to the most deserving candidates, and
It increases the demand for accountability measures to be put in place to ensure that the projects that receive federal funding perform as intended and are held fiscally accountable

This means that, not only will there be more scrutiny in the grant selection process, but there will be more scrutiny after the fact to ensure that the money is being utilized properly. Prior to awarding grants, government agencies will have more extensive internal control systems and performance measures to facilitate grant management. Agencies will then have more in-depth processes for managing performance once grants are awarded, and the ability to assess grant results and use those results when awarding future grants.

So what does this mean for those applying for energy grants in particular?

I would argue that these new policies and requirements will make energy monitoring and management solution a must-have in order to secure funding for energy project.

With the amount of money involved in the stimulus package, it is only appropriate that we place a great deal of importance on the accountability aspect of these grants. As part of the application process, applicants will be required to show that the project(s) they are proposing will operate as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible, while producing the maximum results. But how can you hold anyone accountable for a project if you have no way to monitor, measure and manage the project’s performance?

That is precisely where open energy monitoring and management solutions like Fat Spaniel come in. Our solutions provide the visibility needed to have complete, actionable insight into an entire energy system - providing the key accountability data that government agencies will need to see in order to fund projects. Granted, I’m not claiming that energy monitoring solutions are some magic bullet that will guarantee funding for your projects. But as we often say - in this economic climate, it is no longer enough just to be green. You must show that your renewable energy systems can strike a balance between eco responsibility and fiscal responsibility.

Write back to us at dogblog at fatspaniel dot com if you would like to discuss how Fat Spaniel can help provide the visibility and accountability you need to ensure the most cost-effective and efficient energy systems possible.

Tom Tansy

Tags: energy grants, monitoring, renewable energy, stimulus plan
Posted in Fat Spaniel Blog | No Comments »

Critical Monitoring and Reporting Services for Renewable Energy Systems