There's a quiet revolution in power generation in the USA.

Solar panels on roof & over parking lot Downingtown, PA

There's a quiet revolution in power generation in the U.S.  Solar power is growing, creating new small businesses and thousands of power generation sites at an exponential rate. 

The primary drag on solar power is getting connected to the technologically ancient, Machiavellian maze we call our power grid. 

While the world's eyes were tuned to the various Republican created disasters a new rule was created that will make the power grid connections go faster and better. 

FERC Hands Down Key Decision; SolarGrowth Explodes in October

“Even though they were overshadowed by the Senate’s historic decision to eliminate the use of the filibuster when it comes to most Presidential nominees — the so-called “nuclear option” — there were some major developments this week at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that are critically important to solar and renewable energy.

First, FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, who proclaimed earlier this year that, “solar is growing so fast it is going to overtake everything,” announced that he’s officially leaving his position at the end of the week.  Chairman Wellinghoff has been a true champion to solar, and we wish him well in all of his new endeavors.

But before leaving, Wellinghoff presided over one last Commission meeting on Thursday as a new rule was approved by FERC that will expedite and reduce the cost of solar project interconnections, while maintaining the reliability and safety of the electric grid.”

MORE AT:

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2013/11/important-week-for-americas-solar-energy-industry?cmpid=SolarNL-Tuesday-November26-2013

Coatesville Solar and Large scale solar in the North East

The planned Coatesville Solar Initiative in Caln Township is a 7.2 Megawatt solar farm.

A much larger 32 Megawatt solar farm is in service in the North East. The Long Island Power Authority, BP and Brookhaven National Laboratory project in Upton, NY is functioning well in an environmentally sensitive watershed. The Long Island site is important not only for its size. It is on Brookhaven National Laboratory land. Brookhaven has a testing facility to test new solar technology at the solar farm site.

"LIPA, BP Solar and Brookhaven National Lab Flip the Switch at the Long Island Solar Farm 

Largest solar project in New York State seen as key to Long Island’s energy, economic, and environmental future

Solar farm will produce enough energy to power up to 4,500 Long Island homes avoiding the use of fossil fuels

(Upton, NY) - Officials from the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), BP Solar International, Inc. (BP Solar), Brookhaven National Laboratory and a host of government officials and environmental leaders today celebrated the completion and commissioning of the Long Island Solar Farm (LISF) Project. Owned by BP Solar and Met Life, the LISF installation is part of the largest solar energy project in the state of New York, the largest photovoltaic array in the eastern U.S., and among the largest in the nation constructed on federal property. The 32-megawatt (MW) LISF, which is made up of 164,312 solar panels hosted at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, also boasts the smallest footprint for a solar array of its output, further solidifying Long Island as a national leader in clean, renewable energy."

Readers Choose the Long Island Solar Farm as Excellence in Renewable Energy Winner | Renewable Energy Video

February 16, 2012  

"Representatives from the Long Island Solar Farm discuss the unique solar project, a 32-MW solar farm in New York, which was the recipience of the Readers' Choice Award in the 2012 Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards.

"The Northeast, with its less favorable climate and harder-to-come-by open space, isn’t known for its large-scale potential. Even in a place like New Jersey — the second biggest solar market in the country — installations are mostly limited to residential and commercial rooftops.

So it can be seen as a bit of a surprise when one of the year’s largest solar developments pops up in a place like Long Island. Located on federal land at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, the largest solar project in the northeast overcame several siting challenges because of its proximity to World War II artifacts, environmentally sensitive habitat, radiological contamination and the presence of the endangered tiger salamander.

The 32-MW project will sell all of its power to the Long Island Power Authority under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

In addition to the power produced, the Long Island Solar Farm helped establish the Northeast Solar Energy Research Center and Lab where researchers will use the project to examine solar integration into the grid. Officials hope research and development done onsite will help further drive down the cost of solar and will drive up the implementation of the technology in the northeast where cloud shadow, snowfall and overall climate provide challenges far different than the concerns found in the southwest."

FROM:

Excellence in Renewable Energy AwardsWinners: Project of the Year and Readers' Choice

By Renewable Energy World Network Editors 
February 17, 2012  

The future of green building

"Buildings Consume More Energy Than Any Other Sector

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the Building Sector consumes nearly half (48.7%) of all energy produced in the United States. [1] Seventy-six percent (75.7%) of all the electricity produced in the U.S. is used just to operate buildings. Globally, these percentages are even greater.

Buildings are the Largest Contributor to Climate Change

With so much attention given to transportation emissions, many people are surprised to learn this fact. In truth, the Building Sector was responsible for nearly half (46.7%) of U.S. CO2 emissions in 2009. By comparison, transportation accounted for 33.4% of CO2 emissions and industry just 19.9%.
The Health of the Economy is Tied to the Building Sector

The nation’s economy hinges on a healthy Building Sector. The building sector touches nearly every industry (from steel, insulation, and caulking to mechanical and electrical equipment, glass, wood, metals, tile, fabrics and paint) across all sectors of the U.S. economy (from architecture, planning, design, engineering, banking, and development to manufacturing, construction, wholesale, retail, and distribution).

Today, the Building Sector is in crisis. Foreclosures continue to rise and housing starts plummet. As of June 2010, over two million construction workers have lost their jobs. In the commercial real estate market, we have only just begun to feel the effects of the $1.4 trillion commercial real estate meltdown underway."

Go to:
ARCHITECTURE 2030

Our military will transform the USA from fossil fuel to renewable energy & Caln Township’s planned solar array.

I don’t know if KEARES Electrical Contracting, INC developers of the planned solar array in Caln that will power the Veteran’s hospital planned it that way or if it is a sort of serendipity but a mostly solar powered military hospital (Coatesville VA Medical Center) is a perfect fit for our new military.

Some people are already aware that the satellite driven communications like streaming video and GPS mapping that are now a part of everyday life were developed more than a decade ago by our Department of Defense. Several everyday ceramic materials and computer systems were developed by NASA. Before that the internet was developed, again by the Department of Defense, as an assured communication system in the event of a nuclear war. New technologies that grew into “can’t live without” products and enormously profitable industries grew out of our military’s and NASA’s technological need.

Right now our military is poised to make a permanent and wide ranging transformation from fossil fuel dependence to renewable energy. Our entire society, our industries, our corporations and infrastructure will follow in their footsteps.

The US Marine Corps has transformed its forward operating bases from fossil fuel dependent to renewable on site energy generating systems. Our US Navy is planning a “Great Green Fleet”.

“The energy risks and challenges facing DoD are evident in its energy profile.  It is the single largest consumer of energy in the United States and one of the largest institutional energy users in the world, having consumed 819 trillion BTUs of energy in 2010. Oil products accounted for 80 percent of DoD’s final energy consumption. In 2009, DoD used more than 375,000 barrels of oil per day, more than all but 35 countries. 

Another 11 percent of DoD’s energy is delivered in the form of electricity. DoD’s oil and electricity use are reflected in the department’s emerging organizational structure for advancing energy innovation.   Fuel is primarily used for operational energy requirements and is in the purview of the newly created position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs, currently held by Sharon Burke.  Operational energy has been referenced by DoD as the “energy required for training, moving, and sustaining military forces and weapons platforms for military operations.” The energy risks and challenges facing DoD are evident in its energy profile.  It is the single largest consumer of energy in the United States and one of the largest institutional energy users in the world, having consumed 819 trillion BTUs of energy in 2010. Oil products accounted for 80 percent of DoD’s final energy consumption. In 2009, DoD used more than 375,000 barrels of oil per day, more than all but 35 countries. 

Electricity is primarily needed to fulfill the energy requirements of fixed installations and bases.  Installation energy management is overseen at DoD by the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Installations and Environment, Dorothy Robyn.”

FROM:

A tremendous wide open market for solar & wind power

BUSINESS & ECONOMICS
August 19, 2011
Solar Entrepreneurs’ New Sales Pitch
Having seen well-intentioned but unsuccessful attempts to bring alternative energy to the developing world, several NGO founders suggest a more collaborative approach.
By Esha Chhabra

Solar Sister eradicates energy poverty by empowering women with economic opportunity. We combine the breakthrough potential of solar technology with a deliberately woman-centered direct sales network to bring light, hope and opportunity to even the most remote communities in rural Africa.
mobile phones are the great leapfrog story of the past decade distributed solar is next.

simpanetworks radical affordability

From USA Today:

For the environmentally conscious who think driving an electric car isn't doing enough, there'll be a chance to go solar at the same time.

Ford is announcing that it is teaming with an established solar provider, SunPower, to sell a solar energy system through Ford dealers in conjunction with the Focus electric sedan that goes on sale later this year.

MORE AT:

Ford Focus Electric to come with home solar option

Nissian Leaf will provide emergency power for homes

Nissan unveils system to provide household electricity from all-electric LEAF

By Darren Quick

19:41 August 2, 2011

Nissan has unveiled a new power supply system that allows electricity stored in the lithium-ion batteries of the all-electric Nissan LEAF to be supplied to a house. With the LEAF's batteries able to store up to 24 kWh of electricity, Nissan says the system could supply the average Japanese household with electricity for about two days. This would be enough to provide a stable electricity supply in the event of power outages or to allow consumers to store cheaper off-peak power for use in high demand periods.