Hurricane Florence was a Category 4 at its peak, at 130 miles per hour (or 210 kilometers per hour) wind two days before making its landfall on September 14, 2018. That was so close to the threshold (140-160 miles per hour) of the design of new solar farms. About a third of the 3,000 megawatts of solar capacity connected to Duke Energy Corp’s system went down initially, according to utility spokesman Randy Wheeless. As of this week, about nine projects in North Carolina remained offline. Four of these were due to damage to Duke Energy facilities and five were due to damage to the project themselves. Wheeless said facilities that suffered the most tended to be five megawatt projects connected to Due’s distribution system.
Duke had been trying to get developers to move toward larger solar projects to connect largely to its transmission system, the high-voltage wires that link Duke plants to the distribution system that delivered power to homes and businesses. With hundreds of solar projects connected to Duke’s grid in North Carolina, the number of damaged projects remained small. Senior vice president at Strata Solar, Brian O’Hara, said that the Chapel-Hill based solar developer with more than 140 projects in the state saw damage at only two facilities. O’Hara said, “Duke has done a commendable job responding quickly and getting our facilities back online shortly after we notified them that they were inspected and ready to reconnect….our teams have coordinated closely with Duke’s recovery team, and it has been professional, responsive and pretty seamless.” The chief operating officer for Durham-based Ecoplexus Inc., John Morrison, said his company also saw very little damage, with only two of the 16 sites operating in North Carolina suffering some broken modules, amounting to less than 0.34% of the the developer’s modules, “not enough to even exceed the insurance deductible.” Spokesman for the California-based Cypress Creek Renewables, Jeff McKay, also reporting no notable damage in its solar fleet. As for Duke itself, its only project that suffered damage was the 60-megawatt Monroe Solar project in Union County, with few panels being damaged by wind. Duke’s Fayetteville, Warswa and Camp Lejeuene solar projects were all undamaged and returned to service as soon as grid operations allowed. Most outages during and after the worst of the hurricane Florence were due to problems with Duke’s grid rather than problems at the projects themselves.
To see what solar had done for North Carolina, check out these videos below:
Video “The birth of a solar farm in Halifax, NC” below:
Video “What’s the future for solar energy in NC” below:
Video “Study shows North Carolina as number 2 for solar electric capacity installed through 2017“: below:
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
More about the community at www.WindermereSun.com
Sunshine of Hawaii (credit: sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker)
(Please click on red links & note magenta)
I’ve received a call from some one in Hawaii today, mentioning the likelihood/resistance of NextEra-Hawaiian Electric merger . It’s been months since I last read up on Hawaiian Electric Co., a quick research made me realize that even though both Hawaii and Nevada are going through growing pains, showing similar signs and symptoms, but their pains actually have very different root causes. In Nevada, the Nevada PUC (Public Utilities Commission) is reacting to the solar growth by implementing policy to stifle the distributed solar rooftops, without considering Value of Solar (the most fair way for consumers and power generators alike) or potential long term consequences for NV Energy. But in Hawaii, the Hawaii PUC (Public Utilities Commission) actually has established reforms through a collaborative process that will support further sustainable growth in the market for rooftop solar systems and other distributed energy resources (“DER”) desired by Hawaii’s residents and businesses.
View from a Hawaiian island, Kauai (credit: sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker)
For better understanding of Hawaii PUC’s Reform Energy Programs issued on Oct. 12, 2015 , please click HERE. This order will promote rapid adoption of the next generation of solar PV and other distributed energy technologies, encourage more competitive pricing of DER systems, lower overall energy supply costs for all customers, and help to manage each island grid’s scarce capacity. The Commission views distributed energy resources (including rooftop solar PV) as an important contributor to meeting the state’s 100% renewable energy goal, complemented by the recently enacted community-based renewable legislation and larger utility-scale projects (source: from http://www.puc.hawaii.gov).
One important element needs to be understood and appreciated by all is the fact that as more and more people install solar, in any form, the value of solar will be lowered. Since Hawaii does want to have a fair system that would be inclusive as well as ensuring all customers to benefit from continued growth in distributed solar energy, the rate needs to be re-evaluated periodically to reflect the actual Value of Solar (fair way of valuing solar for all) that changes with time. As more solar installations are in place, the NEM (Net Energy Metering) is no longer as feasible because it will not be valuing solar fairly for all. If there should be any displeasure resulting from the fact that NEM is on its way out when the possibility of NextEra-Hawaiian Electric merger is being discussed, that is purely Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc or post hoc fallacy: a simple example of this phenomenon–> the rooster crows immediately before sunrise;therefore the rooster causes the sun to rise. It is not surprising that the Hawaii PUC has proposed caps on the NEM program, for NEM is on its way out simply because it has already served its useful purpose and now requires some enhancement in order to be fair for all. If Hawaii PUC does not place caps on NEM, then Hawaiian residents who install solar may fall into the trap similar to Nevada residents who install solar, ending up with a monthly fixed surcharge.
What is brilliant and insightful about Hawaii PUC is the fact that this Commission has not only placed caps on NEM, but also offered three new options for customers who wish to invest in rooftop solar and other distributed energy resources (DER), in italics (Source: http://puc.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/DER-Phase-1-DO-Summary.pdf) :
“Self-Supply” systems: for customers that primarily intend to consume all of the energy produced by their solar system onsite at their home or business, and do not need to export excess energy to the grid. These systems will typically be designed to use energy management and energy storage systems to balance onsite generation with demand. With these advanced features, self-supply systems have reduced technical impact on the grid and will receive expedited interconnection review. At this time, there is no cap on the number of Self-Supply systems that may be installed.
“Grid-Supply” systems: this will allow customers to export excess energy to the grid as needed, and customers will receive energy credits on their monthly bills, similar to the NEM program. The Grid-Supply option does reduce the credit rate for energy exported to the grid for participating customers, and as a result, it will reduce the overall cost of each island’s renewable energy portfolio, which benefits all customers (including those who do not have the ability to install DER). The lower credit rate for energy exported to the grid reflects the Commission’s commitment to achieve an affordable, cost-effective energy supply for all customers. There is a cap on the total capacity of Grid-Supply systems to ensure each island grid can accommodate GridSupply systems, complemented by community-based renewable projects, and lowercost utility-scale projects.
“Time-of-Use” tariffs: – The Commission has also directed the HECO Companies to develop a new, expanded time-of-use tariff that allows customers to save money by shifting energy demand to the middle of the day to take advantage of lower-cost solar energy. Initially, this tariff will be available for any residential customers that opt-in to the program. By sending the right price signals to customers, customers can increase energy demand during times of high solar supply and alleviate some of the grid constraints to further renewable integration. This new tariff will also spur investment into new “smart home” and “smart business” technologies that can help customers take advantage of this program.
*The time-of-use tariff of Hawaii is similar to the Value of Solar that’s been discussed in various discussions with Karl Rabago, below:
Karl Rabago’s comments about NEM and Value of Solar Tariff/Time of Use Tariff, below:
I’d like to share with you an interview at InterSolar North America 2014, in Moscone Center of San Francisco, CA on July 9, 2014. The future of the multi-billion dollar solar industry depends much on the progress in combining PV with energy storage. In this post, Sun Is The Future will present to you Ideal Power’s AWARD winning 30KW Hybrid PV Storage Converter (which is becoming the de facto industry standard to enable PV+storage integration). Ideal Power received its award on June 4th during a ceremony at InterSolar Europe in Munich, Germany, the world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry. Ideal Power’s technology stood out due to its ability to combine PV and battery systems with an efficiency level of up to 97%. It also provides modular flexibility for different applications, particularly in off-grid systems. Due to the dramatic improvement in size, weight, cost, and efficiency over conventional converters, the Hybrid Converter integrates multiple power sources (i.e. PV+storage+grid) to lower the cost of delivering grid resiliency during blackouts such as Superstorm Sandy. I can’t wait to get my hands on the 3-port Hybrid Inverter/Converter (125 lbs) that will enable us to be better prepared for future natural disasters without the dependence on the grid. Currently the 2-port converter system (100 lbs) is used for demand reduction in grid-tied system (currently used in Walgreen of Southern CA) whereas the 3-port converter will be in one box and creates its own microgrid during power outage.
Below, is an interview with John Merritt, Director of Applications Engineering, of Ideal Power, at InterSolar North America 2014:
Ideal Power’s hybrid converter is the first 3-port product to leverage the Company’s Power Packet Switching Architecture™ (PPSA), which allows it to combine PV inverter capabilities on one DC port, bi-directional battery converter capabilities on the second DC port, and provide an AC port supporting both grid-tied and off-grid applications. It can accomplish these functions with only a modest increase in product size and weight over its established 2-port battery converter and PV inverter products and with no loss of system efficiency. Conventional technology solutions to hybrid power conversion systems combining PV and storage require multiple power conversion steps, thereby reducing efficiency, and multiple power converter units, increasing size, weight and cost. (Ideal Power press release)
About Ideal Power Inc. Ideal Power Inc. (NASDAQ: IPWR) has developed a novel, patented power conversion technology called Power Packet Switching Architecture™ (PPSA). PPSA improves the size, cost, efficiency, flexibility and reliability of electronic power converters. PPSA can scale across several large and growing markets, including commercial Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), electrified vehicle charging, and solar photovoltaic generation. Ideal Power utilizes a capital-efficient business model to commercialize our technology through the use of contract manufacturing, product licensing, and market distribution channels. Ideal Power has won multiple grants including one from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) to commercialize bi-directional power switches, which are expected to improve power density by thirty percent and reduce efficiency losses by fifty percent. For more information, visit www.IdealPower.com.
Ideal Power Wins Electrical Energy Storage Award for Product Innovation in Integrating Solar and Storage
In a recent report on Solar City teaming up with Tesla, Solar City will use Tesla’s batteries for energy storage. This fast-growing solar installer, Solar City, has found a solution to energy storage issue while reducing energy cost and demand cost. Called DemandLogic, it could allow businesses to use stored electricity in times of peak demand, reducing their usage at peak periods and the associated fees (called the demand charges). Below you will find a video of Solar City’s Lyndon Rive, discussing the transformative impact of Solar CIty:
Energy charges have risen rapidly (Source: EIA)-DemandLogic reduces your demand charges from day one. And because demand charges tend to rise, your savings increase over time (Source: http://www.solarcity.com/commercial/demandlogic/)
Lyndon Rive (cousin of Elon Musk, chairman of Solar City), Solar City’s chief executive, said that the systems would provide backup power and a working solar array during blackouts. Mr. Rive also added that he does not see the systems as a step toward independence from the grid, although storage is very important in maintaining grid stability as more customers continue to adopt solar.
Based on a $1.8 million grant in 2010 from the California Public Utilities Commission to study the possibilities of storing electricity from rooftop solar arrays in batteries, the product was developed. The company has also signed up approximately 300 of its residential customers for a pilot program using battery packs from Tesla (where Elon Musk, cousin of Lyndon Rive, is the chief executive of Tesla and chairman of the Solar City, as indicated in our post/video of Dec. 11, 2013). The company will offer its storage systems in parts of California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
“It’s not a no-brainer-you still have to have the right combinations of rates and demand charges and the cost of the equipment.But if the systems are able to take advantage of a 30% federal tax credit, the economics would have broader appeal.” according to a senior research analyst at Navigant Research.
The new customers at Solar City systems signing 10-year service agreements are eligible for the credit. The Solar City systems are made to store about a third of the energy the solar array can produce. Mr. Rive guarantees that there would be reductions of demand charge, at about 20%. Part of the appeal is that the system allows businesses to continue operating at full capacity, rather than reducing power usage, as in traditional demand response program.
Sun Will Overtake Everything ( Generous Florida Sunshine, credit: sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker)
Chairman of the FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission), Jon Wellinghoff, is quite aware of the rapidly changing energy landscape. During a sideline conversation at the National Clean Energy Summit last week in Las Vegas, Jon Wellinghoff commented, “Solar is growing so fast it is going to overtake everything….if a single drop of water on the pitcher’s mound at Dodger Stadium is doubled every minute, a person chained to the highest seat would be in danger of drowning in an hour.” That’s what is happening in solar. It could double every two years. This phenomenon is also recently concluded by MJ Shiao of GTM (GreenTechMedia) Research. In the graph below, this phenomenon of doubling in the next 2 1/2 years, the U.S. will double its entire cumulative capacity of distributed solar–repeating in the span of a few short years what it took four decades to deploy…description of the behavior of an exponential curve:
Cumulative U.S. DG PV Installations at Year End, 2000-2015 (Chart: GTM Research/SEIA U.S. Solar Market Insight)
Wellinghoff continues, “…geothermal, wind, and other resources will supplement solar. But at its present growth rate, solar will overtake wind in about ten years. It is going to be the dominant player. Every body’s roof is out there.” And other resources have not seen declining prices like solar has. He added, “Solar PV is $0.70 or $0.80 per watt to manufacture. Residential rooftop is $4 to $5 per watt. But they are going to drive that down to $2 and then to $1 per watt.” Wellinghoff also mentions that advanced storage technology also promises lower costs in the future. He said, “Once it is more cost-effective to build solar with storage than to build a combustion turbine or wind for power at night, that is ‘game over’. At that point, it will be all about consumer-driven markets.”
Wellinghoff emphasized, “Even though the FERC oversees wholesale markets, utilities, and other jurisdictional entities at the wholesale level, the consumers needs to be our major concern….if FERC does not ensure the grid is ready to integrate the growing marketplace demand for distributed solar and other distributed resources, we are going to have problems with grid reliability and overall grid costs.” Transmission infrastructure will be able to keep up with solar growth. The big changes will be at the distributed level where FERC has less influence, he explained. But the commission has been examining the costs and benefits of distributed generation (DG) in wholesale markets. “Rate structures need to be formulated in ways that fully recognize the costs and benefits of distributed resources. In many utility retail rates, a disproportionate amount of the fixed costs are recovered through a variable rate. That is problematic, when a lot of people go to distributed generation….the net metering controversy can only be solved by fully allocated, fully analyzed cost and benefit study of distributed resources….distributed solar can be captured and realized by the distribution utility that is not currently being paid to PV system owners because they have not been analyzed, quantified, and monetized.”
Below, a video of The Hill’s ‘Energy Efficiency, Reliability, and the Smart Grid’ Briefing, with Jon Wellinghoff:
Wellinghoff noted, The Crossborder Energy study in California concluded the benefits of DG are near retail rates, “If utilities say that study is wrong, let’s get their studies and the studies from the solar side, and let’s have a hearing, let’s have a full discovery, and let’s have a full litigated process. That’s what regulatory commissions at the federal and state levels are for, to put all that data on the table and see what the accurate answers are.”
Wellinghoff explained that FERC isn’t involved in that process because it is a retail rate issue. “But DG and distributed solar can be wholesale grid resources if a wholesale grid operator can access those resources and have some control over them. What FERC has to do is ensure these distributed systems get recognized and compensated and integrated into the wholesale grid.”
Introduction of more competition is definitely the goal Mr. Wellinghoff has in mind, “I would do a full analysis of anything not now competitive, like the distributed system, and then try to ensure I could recover costs in a way that adequately reflected all costs and benefits for all users….the sales of retail energy, capacity, and ancillary services should all be competitive and coupled with the wholesale grid….Consumers should have access to and be able to respond to five-minute wholesale prices. They should have the opportunity–not the requirement, but the opportunity –to respond to those prices and modify their loads and usage to lower their energy costs. The result would be an optimized use of the grid.”
To learn more about Jon Wellinghoff, please feel free to refer to links below:
I want to clarify: FERC is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. Former FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff submitted his resignation letter to President Barack Obama in May of 2013. A former Nevada utility regulator, Wellinghoff served as chairman of the energy panel since 2009 and has been a commission member since 2006. Senate Energy Committee Chairman Ron Wyden of Oregon says that Wellinghoff launched important investigations to protect consumers from manipulation of energy markets and pushed to increase renewable energy supplies.
Thank you, Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, for your clarity and effort! It is truly appreciated by us consumers and earthling.
~have a bright and sunny day~
gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your comments will be welcomed below or via sunisthefuture@gmail.com (please note if you do not want your email to be shared)
Below, you will find the recent press release from SEIA (in italics):
Sun Shines Through (photographed by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker)
America’s Solar Industry Looks to Play Key Role in Grid Modernization
Washington, D.C. – Reacting to a new report issued today by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the White House Council of Economic Advisors, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) says its members are well-positioned to assist efforts to modernize the U.S. electric grid and to make it more resilient in the future when pounded by severe weather.
SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch released the following statement after the report’s release:
“Ten years after the largest blackout in U.S. history, which blanketed eight states in the Northeast in the summer of 2003 and left 50 million Americans in the dark, solar is more important than ever to our nation’s energy security and grid reliability. We look forward to working with the White House, DOE and Congress to leverage ways that solar can add to the grid’s resiliency and overall long-term effectiveness.
“As more and more nuclear and coal plants are mothballed, America’s solar energy industry is doing its part to make up for some of that lost generating capacity. Today, more than 30 utility-scale, clean energy solar projects are under construction, putting thousands of electricians, steelworkers and laborers to work and helping to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. These facilities, along with rooftop solar on homes, businesses and schools, will generate electricity for generations to come. In fact, by the end of next year, distributed generation from residences alone is expected to top 3,000 megawatts (MW) for the first time ever.
“All totaled, there is now more than 8,500 MW of cumulative solar electric capacity installed in the U.S. – enough to power more than 1.3 million American homes. What’s more, in the first quarter of 2013, more than 48 percent all new electricity added to the grid was solar. In addition, innovative solar heating and cooling systems are offering American consumers cost-efficient, effective options for meeting their energy needs.
“Today, solar employs nearly 120,000 Americans at more than 5,600 companies, most of which are small businesses spread across the United States, making solar one of the fastest growing industries in America. Part of this amazing growth is attributed to the fact that the cost of a solar system has dropped by nearly 40 percent over the past two years, making solar more affordable than ever.
“Simply put, solar is critically important to our nation’s energy security and national security – and we’re doing our part to fight climate change, too. By anyone’s standards, that’s a win-win for America.”
###
About SEIA: Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA® is building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org.
~have a bright and sunny day~
gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your comments will be welcomed below or via sunisthefuture@gmail.com (please note if you do not want your email to be shared)
Since our Aug. 1, 2013 post, there’s been quite a few people asking questions about some basic mechanics in how Community Solar Garden works. I’d like to direct you to the page on Start A Community Solar Garden/Farm under the Information section at www.sunisthefuture.net. I would also like to share another video clip that will help with this explanation, below.
Our research and interviews suggest that CEC (Clean Energy Collective)‘s community solar model leverages economies of scale, along with fully maintained array for maximum power production, to deliver very low price for renewable energy. This would allow consumers/purchasers to bypass the research, construction, maintenance, and ongoing repair of building a costly system of their own. It would also allow renters and owners of poorly sighted properties for solar to participate.
This is why community solar (gardens/farms) is important in spreading the solar energy use (Sources: NREL, DOE, IREC, HUD)
Furthermore, as long as they stay within the region serviced by the same utility company, there is the flexibility of having their bill credits move with them. If purchasers need to move out of the region, they may sell their panels any time.
I found that CEC also had been partnering with SunFarm to establish Vermont’s first community-owned solar garden at Putney, VT, the Putney Community Solar Array (or SunFarm Community Solar), a 147 kW & 588-panel photovoltaic system servicing Green Mountain Power (GMP) utility customers. Solar panel owners in the Putney Community Solar Array will receive all available rebates and tax incentives, as if the system were located on their roof, and will be credited for the power their panels produced on their monthly GMP electric bills. Each panel in the Putney Community Solar Array costs $813 and is expected to pay for itself in about 10-12 years; but owners of the panels will be able to continue receiving power from these solar panels for as long as 50 years or more. To date, over half of the array have been reserved and each of the panel owners will see a power credit on their utility bill as soon as the array goes online this month (August of 2013).
More information on the Putney Community Solar Array: www.VTSolarGardens.com , email: info@VTSolarGardens.com, or (802) 536-4471.
The future looks bright for solar energy as more and more of these community solar gardens will be springing up throughout our planet earth. What are you/we waiting for? Let’s start planting our community solar gardens!
~have a bright and sunny day~
gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
any of your comments and suggestions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Glorious! I got this few days ago….for the first time ever, solar accounted for 100% of all new utility electricity capacity added to the grid in the USA in the month of March, 2013.
It’s A Glorious Day/Month For Sunshine!
This milestone was revealed by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s March Energy Infrastructure Update, which focuses exclusively on larger facilities and does not include energy generated by net-metered installations. At the bottom of page 3 of 5 of this report, one finds that 44 MW of PV capacity was installed during March, 2013, following the startup of seven new projects located in California, Nevada, New Jersey, Hawaii, Arizona, and North Carolina. The report also indicates that solar had a strong presence in the first quarter of this year with 537 MW of PV added to the grid in the US during the three-month period.
“This speaks to the extraordinary strides we have made in the past several years to bring down costs and ramp up deployment,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association). “Since 2008, the amount of solar powering U.S. homes, businesses and military bases has grown by more than 600 percent—from 1,100 megawatts to more than 7,700 megawatts today. As FERC’s report suggests, and many analysts predict, solar will grow to be our nation’s largest new source of energy over the next four years.”
FERC’s report supports other findings which show solar power to be one of the fastest growing energy sources in the U.S., powering homes, businesses and utility grids across the nation. The Solar Market Insight annual edition shows the U.S. installed 3,313 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) in 2012, a record for the industry.
Some of this growth is attributed to the fact that the cost of a solar system has dropped by nearly 40 percent over the past two years, making solar more affordable than ever for utilities and consumers.
“In 2012, the U.S. brought more new solar capacity online than in the three prior years combined,” Resch added. “These new numbers from FERC support our forecast that solar will continue a pattern of growth in 2013, adding 5.2 GW of solar electric capacity. This sustained growth is enabling the solar industry to create thousands of good jobs and to provide clean, affordable energy for more families, businesses, utilities, and the military than ever before.”
Today, America’s solar industry employs 119,000 workers throughout the country. That’s a 13.2 percent growth over 2011’s jobs numbers, making solar one of the fastest-growing job sectors in the nation.
Below is a recording of the panel of discussion that took place on September 11, 2012, Tuesday, 2:30-4:00P.M. During Solar Power International (SPI)2012, moderated by Bill Gallagher (President of Solar-Fit), Speakers: Patrick Sheehan (Director of Office of Energy), Joseph Pietrzak (Senior Program Manager of Progress Energy of Florida), and Bruce Kershner (Executive Director of FlaSEIA).
Recent history of solar policy in Florida was presented/discussed. Its effect on the local solar industry and what is needed to create a strong solar industry in the state are analyzed. All speakers are very well organized and succinct in their presentations. It is clear that incentive policy is critical in determining the future direction (Success or Failure) of our state’s (or any other state’s) energy/solar industry. From these presentations, we can see the need for a more clear state energy incentive policy (with less regional variations and better defined goal). The effective Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) (http://sunisthefuture.net/?m=20120417) had been a policy responsible for much of the job creations and economic prosperity in Germany, Gainesville, FL. FIT had been asked by many Florida residents in the past. It’s an incentive policy that had been overwhelmingly received by many countries on planet earth. It is important that all parties involved will try to work cooperatively, for the cost of solar is low enough and will continue to drop. There are also many other modern technologies and R & D for alternative energy that are in the process of development. Mutual cooperation is needed for long term successful survival of all parties, small individuals as well as large utility companies. Because it is at a point in human history that in the near future, individuals may have the option of going off the grid completely. We are living in a time of global economy and we are not living on an isolated island. If utility companies are truly concerned about their long term viability, they should think of implementing incentives that would keep their customers connected to the grid, working cooperatively toward a solution that will be mutually beneficial for every one involved. I have long enjoyed the stability of using my utility company and would like to see it on the path being viable for the long haul. FIT may be implemented in such a way that both the utility company and individuals may benefit from participation. I believe CA is trying some such measures. Utility company in Hawaii is also thinking about the future success/viability of their organization, implementing FIT very effectively and cautiously. I would also like to remind you of another post on September 16, 2012 at http://sunisthefuture.net , recalling lessons from other industries: music industry with mp3 and Kodak with digital photography. In both cases, one can see that resistance was futile and delayed acceptance by the status quo would either lead to dramatic lowered revenue or death of the industry. Don’t forget this type of cooperation is also a way to demonstrate our sense of responsibility for future generations on this planet, for implementation of effective Feed-In-Tariff would lead to massive solar installations, job creations, local economic prosperity, while insuring cleaner and safer environment for our future generations. Our world is changing and our paradigm has shifted such that we all need to learn to play cooperative games in order to survive in this global economy. Successfully played, it will be a very prosperous, clean, and a war-free future for all of us.
~have a bright and sunny day~
written & posted by sunisthefutrue-Susan Sun Nunamaker, sunisthefuture@gmail.com
