The first solar paneled probe to be launched into outer space was from Cape Kennedy, Florida during the "Space Race" of the 1960s.
Many of those old, reliable PV solar-powered satellites are still up there sending back (decidedly low-tech) information, as compared to the satellite technology of today.
Q: What does this have to do with the U.S. military now installing PV solar panels at exponential rates on it's bases you ask?
A: Price.
As production of land-based solar panels have ramped up -- prices have dropped dramatically. In fact, solar module prices have dropped so fast, several large solar manufacturers have gone bankrupt -- unable to stay with the market. Lower priced (PV solar-specific) materials, manufacturing costs, and technology have all conspired to force a huge price drop.
The U.S. military, suddenly faced with a shrinking budget and the need to lower costs over the long term, turned to an old, reliable partner -- solar power. In October 2010, the U.S. Navy set a goal to produce 50 per cent of its onshore energy needs from renewables by 2020.
The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) complex in San Diego, California, has just completed installation of 1.3 megawatts of solar panels, at the Navy's headquarters for high-tech military command, communications and surveillance.
SPAWAR now has the U.S. Navy's largest contiguous rooftop solar array with 5,376 high-performance SolarWorld photo-voltaic solar panels providing electricity for the site and is part of a military-wide effort to conserve energy, lower costs and reduce reliance on imported fuels. Any surplus electricity generated on-site, is sold to the San Diego grid.
For another example, U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake (NAWS China Lake), California, is installing a photo-voltaic solar power plant financed through a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) between SunPower and the U.S Navy.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Navy has no upfront costs. The plant is expected to produce 13.78 megawatts of power for the California electrical grid and cover 30 per cent of NAWS China Lake's energy needs.
With zero capital investment and giving up only otherwise unusable land, the Navy will reduce costs by saving an estimated $13 million (over the next 20 years) on their NAWS China Lake electricity bill by paying a discounted rate for electricity.
President Obama in his State of the Union address on January 24, 2012 said;
"...the Department of Defense, working with us, the world's largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history -- with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year."
The U.S. Air Force is getting into the photo-voltaic solar power business too -- making the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Top 25 list of Green Power Partners on Jan. 31, 2012 for being one of the leading buyer's of green power in America.
At it's Colorado Springs Air Force Academy, a six megawatt PV solar power plant is operating with additions to generation capacity already underway.
Beginning in 1999, the U.S. military has installed solar power systems at many bases, including Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, Pearl Harbor, Fort Dix, Coronado Island, and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado -- among others.
The vast United States military often sets tone and precedent for the rest of the country. This is certainly becoming the case with solar energy. Cities and utility companies have taken careful note of the PPA model used by the Navy and the Air Force in their dealings with utility companies.
Boulder City, Nevada, has negotiated an outstanding PPA agreement to lease 8000 acres of City land for solar power plant use -- which, when completed, will produce 1400 megawatts of electricity.
Boulder City's financial picture hasn't been all that good. It's 2011 municipal budget was roughly $25 million and it is $96.2 million in debt. However, an additional 12 million per year for the leased land (a total of $480 million dollars over the term of the contract) will allow it to thrive and pay off it's debt.
Two solar companies have paid in advance -- a total of $8.5 million dollars -- as a non-refundable down payment towards the leased lands project. A third company involved in a solar leasing opportunity presented a non-refundable cheque for $500,000 to the City so it could upgrade services.
The U.S. military, led by the Navy and the Air Force have developed an exciting and fully-transferable PV solar model -- one that might have the sun working for us in ways we never before imagined.
Who would've thought that the sun would help pay our bills, pay off City debt, and provide discounted electricity to leaseholders or landowners?
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the state of California is going from 524 megawatts of public utility installed solar (as of January 2012) to 18,231 megawatts of public utility installed solar power within five years.This number does not include any solar power installations under one megawatt -- nor does it include military or other government solar.
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Manish Bapna: 2012: A Breakthrough for Renewable Energy?
"The [U.S.] Department of Defense (DoD) could generate 7000 megawatts (MW) of solar energy -- equivalent to the output of seven nuclear power plants -- on four military bases located in the California desert, according to a study released today [Jan 13, 2012] by DoD’s Office of Installations and Environment.
The year-long study, conducted by the consultancy ICF International, looked at seven military bases in California and two in Nevada.
The Department of Defense is seeking to develop solar, wind, geothermal and other distributed energy sources on its bases both to reduce their $4 billion-a-year energy bill and to make them less dependent on the commercial electricity grid.
Finally, the study finds that private developers can tap the solar potential on these installations with no capital investment requirement from DoD, and that the development could yield the federal government up to $100 million a year in revenue or other benefits such as discounted power.
A copy of the study can be found at:
http://www.serdp-estcp.org/News-and-Events/News-Announcements/Program-News/DoD-study-finds-7-000-megawatts-of-solar-energy-potential-on-DoD-installations-in-Mojave-Desert .
excerpt:
“The Solar Foundation’s jobs census released just today shows that we employ more than 100,000 Americans. And no industry in the country is growing faster than solar.”
The U.S. solar industry includes over 5,000 companies (mostly small businesses).
Solar PV installations have grown 69% over the last year (40 times faster than the U.S. economy as a whole).
The solar industry is creating jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the U.S. economy.
The U.S. solar energy industry is a net exporter, by $2 billion (and is even a net exporter to China).
The U.S. solar industry is creating jobs in every state and is the fastest growing industry in the country.
“The utility-scale solar market grew by 171 percent in the last year and we expect nearly 800 megawatts of utility solar to come online this year.
And for those of you who think utility-scale solar is only for the Southwest, you’ll be surprised to know that the second largest state for utility solar in the second quarter was the second smallest state in the country – Delaware.”
http://cleantechnica.com/2011/10/20/texas-solar-energy-hitting-state-in-1-month-all-energy-texas-oil-gas-industry-has-ever-produced/
Much more information is available if you click on the link.
Cheers! JBS
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), solar power installations increased 67% in the 4th quarter of 2011.
http://cleantechnica.com/2012/02/16/u-s-solar-energy-projects-rose-67-in-4th-quarter/
The U.S. Army has just signed an agreement with ACCONIA power to install 1000 megawatts of solar power in the Mojave Desert!
The Army is leasing some unused desert land to a utility company for mixed-use PV solar and CSP solar installations - making the Army the landlord and the recipient of free electricity on it's 4000 square mile base, home to 23,000 permanent residents - plus an additional 5000 recruits per month pass through that training base.
The portion used by the base is less than 50 megawatts, leaving the rest for export to Nevada and California.
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091015006020&newsLang=en
future for every Canadian to have solar power.
It seems to be the healthiest of all power.
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"Thanks to support from the Defense Department and the U.S. Department of Energy, solar energy is achieving cost milestones that were unthinkable just a short time ago: a 75% price drop over the last three years. But there is a lot of competition in this market, fueled by major government support in places such as Europe and China. With Europe’s consistent pro-solar policies – long-term above-market payments for solar energy – as well as force-fed Chinese procurement – some U.S. manufacturing firms have been driven out of the business. Solyndra is one, and there are others that have followed.
Yet all this worldwide attention has been good for the broader industry, a point that many people don’t seem to grasp. In fact, growing numbers of experts now predict solar cells and thin films will ultimately become the cheapest way to generate power since they are so versatile."
http://cleantechnica.com/solar-power/
The 'carbon footprint' of solar in Canada is about that of natural gas electricity and about 20 TIMES the carbon footprint of nuclear power. So its not even 'clean'.
Solar has its uses, but anywhere in Canada it should not be connected to the grid. (also in the US).
Why would I say 'Big Oil'? Because these large energy companies are not dumb - they see the huge, government guaranteed ROI and are jumping in fast.
Thanks for your comments. I found a couple of links that you might like.
The first is about the two new nuclear plants planned for Georgia which have just received their federal loan guarantees of $8.33 billion dollars.
"In the wake of the Japanese nuclear disaster which created worldwide unrest and called into question the safety of nuclear power, Obama proposed a 2012 budget which included $36 billion in loan guarantee authority to help deploy a new generation of American nuclear reactors and $11.6 billion for the Department's National Nuclear Security Administration. In fact, the Vogtle project will be using an $8.33 billion DOE loan guarantee. Government-backed energy projects have come under fire over the past six months after three renewable energy companies went bankrupt with DOE loan support or grants behind them.
The loan guarantee for the Voglte project is 12 times the size of the largest loan guarantee of the now three failed [solar] companies."
http://www.energyboom.com/finance/new-nuclear-era-nrc-gives-southern-company-green-light-build-two-reactors-georgia
The second speaks to "China's worsening air pollution, after decades of unbridled economic growth, cost the country $112 billion in 2005 in lost economic productivity, a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has found."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/16/us-china-pollution-costs-idUSTRE81F09M20120216
Cheers! JBS
Sure solar sounds good, but it does not work on the grid in Canada. You can't use dream power to run a country.
Yes, it's a special Power Purchase Agreement - something which may turn out to be quite common over the next few years.
No evacuated cities, no dead or slowly dying people - just boring old solar panels sitting in the desert reliably producing power for decades. It's boring power!
Lots to like about that!
So, if the price problem with solar is completely resolved, my question is: What will you have against solar then?