This is a repost from one of our sister publications, Windermere Sun, below:
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On Monday, September 20, 2021, the share of renewable energy (solar, wind, and hydro) on Australia’s main electricity grid shot above 60% (at 60.1%) for the first time at 12:10 pm, exactly one day and 15 minutes after its previous peak and record of 59.8% on Sunday, September 19, 2021, according to Dylan McConnell of the Climate Energy College in Melbourne, Australia, using data from OpenNEM. This new peak highlights the increased pace of transition into the clean or renewable energy and the shrinking output of coal as more solar and wind are rolled out across Australia. According to another data watcher, Geoff Eldridge from NEWLog, Sunday, September 19, 2021, did not just break the record for the share of renewable energy, but also the record for instantaneous wind and solar at 57%. The Australian Energy Market Operator also noticed: NSW record maximum rooftop solar PV (2,694.4 MW) and corresponding lowest minimums for network demand (4,867.4 MW) and Operation Demand (5,065.0 MW) and tweeted on Friday, September 24, 2021, “Spring is the season for records to bloom! Forecast mild temperatures and sunny weather in NSW and QLD on Sunday may see rooftop solar drive down energy demand from the grid to a new record low!” With such occurrence, NSW, the Australian state grid with the highest dependency on coal generation, would find it easier to align with the state government’s push to replace the aging coal fleet of more than 10GW with wind, solar, and storage under its renewable infrastructure plan. According to Eldridge of NEMLog, coal output on the main grid was at a record minimum of 9,161.6 MW at noon on Sunday, September 19, 2021 (or, at leas the lowest since Nov. 1, 2020), and was down 153.57 MW on the previous minimum on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021. It was also a record low share of coal generation (38.97%) on the main grid and for combined coal and gas (40.05%). The share of solar and wind could have been significantly higher were it not for the level of curtailment, either economic (switching off to avoid negative prices) or network (being forced to switch off due to grid issues or capacity constraints). On Sunday, September 19, 2021, the level of curtailment was more than 3.5 GW when that short-lived record was set. As the rollout of solar, wind, and storage (both battery and pumped hydro) continues to enter the grid, more records will change. AEMO forecasts that the rooftop solar, alone, will be able to reach 100% of demand in the state of South Australia some time this Spring (of Australia), around October, a FIRST for any gigawatt scale grid in the world! AEMO is also predicting that rooftop solar could meet up to 75% of demand on the entire main grid within next five years and is preparing the national grid to accommodate times of up to 100% solar and wind by 2025. ABC News: South Australia’s renewable energy boom has achieved a global milestone, in the video published on Oct. 25, 2020, “ABC News: South Australia runs purely on solar power in world first“, below:
Australia is preparing to build the world’s most powerful solar power plant. Engineers and builders will have to solve complex problems to cover an area equal to 17 thousand football fields that accommodate photovoltaic panels with a total capacity of 10 Gigawatts. The second challenge will be to transfer this energy to Singapore, the main consumer of electricity. There is also talk of exporting energy to Indonesia and various parts of Asia. But how exactly will the power plant be able to power a country more than three thousand kilometers away? In the video published on Sep. 21, 2021, “How Australia’s Most Powerful $16 Billion Solar Power plant Will Power Singapore“, below:
To begin with, it is worth understanding why energy problems have arisen in one of the most developed countries in the world. Australia faces regular power outages, and, unfortunately, South Australia suffers the most. There may be a lot of reasons: for instance, in September 2016, due to a storm, almost the entire state was left without electricity. One reason for the outages is that there are not enough storage facilities on the territory to supply more electricity during peak loads. The local authorities could not ensure the commensurate development of their own energy or storage capacities capable of providing electricity supplies during calm or cloudy weather. And it is quite difficult to restore the network because of the climatic conditions and long distances – Australia is not a tiny country. At the same time, electricity prices in the country are considered one of the highest in the world, in the video published on Jan. 13, 2021, “HOW ELON MUSK MANAGED TO SOLVE THE ENERGY CRISIS IN AUSTRALIA“, below:
In the video published on Oct. 29, 2017, “Elon Musk gets emotional over Australia’s energy emergency (Part Two) | 60 Minutes Australia“, below:
Australian Renewable Energy Agency CEO Darren Miller told Sky News Australia has made “incredible progress” in the transition to renewable energy sources, in the video published on May 18, 2021, “Australia making ‘incredible progress’ in the transition to renewable energy”, below:
Internationally recognized leader on global climate change, Christiana Figueres tells Liz Hayes we have just three years to get our renewable energy house in order, in the video published on Oct. 31, 2017, “Australians have just three years to get our renewable energy house in order | 60 Minutes Australia“, below:
Below, is a re-post from our sister publication, Windermere Sun:
There is a climate crisis unfolding (attribution: 350.org, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
Global Climate Movement (attribution: 350.org, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
Thousands of Rallies in Cities & Communities Around the World (attribution: 350.org, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
September 8, 2018 (attribution: 350.org, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
No New Fossil Fuels Anywhere (attribution: 350.org, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
A just and fair way to transition to 100% renewable energy (attribution: 350.org, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
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Just received a message about an event when/where thousands of rallies that will take place on September 8, 2018, worldwide, to demand our local leaders to commit to building a fossil free world that puts people and justice before profits. This is the message they are trying to convey, in italics, below:
No more stalling, no more delays: it’s time for a fast and fair transition to 100% renewable energy for all.
Real climate leadership rises from below. It means power in the hands of people not corporations. It means economic opportunity for workers and justice and dignity for frontline communities that are the hardest hit by the impacts of the fossil fuel industry and a warming world.
This September, cities, states, businesses and civil society from around the world are gathering in California for the Global Climate Action Summit.
The Summit has invited every mayor, governor, and local leader in the world to make a bold climate commitment to help the world reach the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
We know what those commitments need to achieve: a fast, fair and just transition to 100% renewable energy and an immediate end to new fossil fuel projects.
Plan or join an event in your community. If your elected officials commit, your rally can be a celebration. If they fail to act, it’s a chance to hold them accountable.
We are at a crossroads. By acting together, we can end the era of fossil fuels and save the climate we all depend on.
Here, in Florida, there are already multiple locations near Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, and Miami, ready to join Rise for Climate, Jobs, & Justice. Keep checking for there will be more locations as we progress toward 9/8/2018. So far, these are the locations in Florida, listed below:
Rise Up Orlando: Saturday, September 8, 2018, 11:00 am., Lake Eola Park, 512 E. Washington St., Orlando, FL 32801
She Moves Me, Saturday, September 8, 2018, 9:00 am., Fort Mellon Park, 600 East First Street, Sanford, FL 32771
Rise Up Ringing-People’s March/Rally/Meditation for Climate, Jobs and Justice, Saturday, September 8, 2018, 10:00 am., Williams Park, 350 2nd Ave. N, St. Petersberg, FL 33701
Indoor Block Party-Town hall, Saturday, September 8, 2018, 2:00 pm., St. Paul Lutheran Church, 5103 N. Central Ave., Tampa, FL 33603
SWFL People’s Climate March 2018, Saturday, September 8, 2018, 2:00 pm., Centennial Park, 2000 W. First St., Fort Myers, FL 33901, 33908
Miami Rising for Climate, Jobs & Justice, Saturday, September 8, 2018, 2:00 pm., Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33132
Explanations of FAQ regarding this event/day, taken from riseforclimate.org/#map, in italics, below:
What’s happening on September 8?
People on every continent will come together to Rise for Climate Action.
On 8 September we will rise together in our neighbourhoods to take action, telling the story of the communities we want, and showing governments how to follow our lead. We’ll connect all our local efforts globally to help make an unstoppable wave of people’s climate leadership – from our town halls, to our schools, and places of worship.
Why are people mobilizing on September 8?
We are at a tipping point. 2020 is a threshold for meeting global targets to tackle the climate crisis. We are fast running out of time to act, but meaningful action from national governments has been slow at best.
With climate impacts escalating — we don’t have the luxury to wait to see what bureaucratic negotiations have to offer. We need our local leaders to step up and do everything they can right now to stop the fossil fuel industry and build 100% renewable energy for all.
We believe that the Global Climate Action Summit, being held in California on 12-14 September 2018 presents a unique opportunity to pressure local governments and institutions to raise their ambition and do more for climate action. Every city and local leader has been invited to make a commitment around the summit.
We think this is an opportunity to set a new bar for climate leadership, drive ambition and close the gap between what justice and science clearly tells us – and the achingly slow action by our national governments.
Our actions won’t stop with this mobilization, we will keep the pressure on our local, state and national leaders to turn words into deeds for a fossil free world.
Every local leader has the power, and a moral obligation to do everything they can to stop the fossil fuel industry and build 100% renewable energy for all.
What are we asking for?
The bar for real climate leadership is simple: public, actionable commitments to a fast and fair transition to a fossil free world, powered by 100% renewable energy for all.
We can’t keep powering our lives with dirty fuels from the last century. It’s time to repower our communities with clean, renewable energy from the sun, earth, wind and water.
We need every local government and institution to commit to building 100% renewable energy and stopping new dirty energy projects in their community. Anything less than that is out of line with what science and justice demand.
What is the Global Climate Action Summit?
The Global Climate Action Summit is a gathering of mayors & local governments, business and civil society in San Francisco on 12-14 September 2018. Its stated goal is to showcase climate action taking place around the world, and inspire deeper commitments from each other and from national governments. It will be the largest gathering of its kind to take place, and we believe it’s an opportunity to pressure local leaders to step up and do much more to stop the fossil fuel industry and build 100% renewable energy for all.
But this summit needs to be about more than just words. We need communities, cities, regions, governments, businesses, institutions, and places of worship, to significantly increase their ambitions — and go beyond the Paris agreement, to close the gap left by slow national action. But time is running out, the time for false solutions is over: we need a global, just transition away from fossil fuels and towards 100% renewable energy for all.
Who is organizing Rise For Climate Action?
Rise for Climate Action is a global movement organized by hundreds of local leaders and dozens of partners. It’s coordinated by a global steering group in conjunction with our global and national partners. You can see the full list of groups involved here.
Every individual action is different, but most are organized by local groups who are leading the way for climate action in their communities. You can host an action in your community by registering it on the map above.
If your organization would like to support Rise For Climate Action, contact the steering group here.
How can my organization support this mobilization? There are many ways your organization can support Rise For Climate Action. You could hold an action and register it on the map, help promote the day of action or join as a partner. If you have any questions, get in touch with us here.
What about climate justice?
Climate change is both a result of, and a cause of injustice. We simply cannot solve the climate crisis without building a new economy that is fair, equal and works for all of us.
The weight of the climate crisis falls on those who have the least to do with perpetuating it, including indigenous communities, frontline communities in vulnerable countries, low income communities of color, and poor communities who are bearing the brunt of fossil fuel extraction, overburdened with unsafe and unfair levels of exposure to pollution, and are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
A fast and fair transition away from fossil fuels to a renewable energy economy must protect the most vulnerable communities, including where that shift immediately impacts people and their city or state. Workers must be truly heard by companies and governments – working together to develop employment plans that include training, support and, if appropriate, re-skilling of workers. The shift away from fossil fuels is urgent and it must happen without harming some of the most vulnerable people.
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Solar panels atop a house in Riverside, CA (photo attribution: Jim Sun, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
Community Solar Garden or Solar Farm of Clean Energy Collective at Cowdery Meadow Community Solar Gardens (attribution: Susan Sun Nunamaker, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
Visitors at a Westmill Solar Cooperative Open Day at Westmill Solar Park (attribution: MrRenewables, Westmill Solar Cooperative, Ben Cavanna, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
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Today, California has become the first U.S. state to require solar panels on nearly all new homes and low-rise apartment buildings, starting in 2020. The California Energy Commission voted 5 to 0 to approve the new building standard/requirement that residential buildings up to three stories, including single-family homes and condos, be built with solar panels installations starting in 2020. About 117,000 new single-family homes and 48,000 multi-family units will be built in 2020. The commission endorsed this requirement after building representatives, utilities, and solar manufacturers and advocates voiced their support. It still needs the final approval from California’s Building Standards Commission (which usually adopts the energy panels’s recommendations when updating the state’s building codes). This is California’s latest step to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The technical director for the California Building Industry AssociationRobert Raymer called it a “quantum leap.”This requirement would only be applied to newly constructed homes, although many homeowners are choosing to install rooftop solar panels with help from various rebate programs. The California Energy Commission estimated that adding solar panels would boost construction costs by $9,500 for a single-family home but save homeowners about $19,000 in energy cost and other expenses over 30 year period. The price of solar has dropped dramatically in recent years, therefore, it is a no-brainer that it is cost effective for all homeowners to install solar. The amount of solar power required by the new standards is minimal and not enough to meet all the energy needs of most homes, therefore, most homes would still have to draw some of their power use from the power grid.
The regulations exempts solar panels installations when it is not cost-effective or feasible (such as for homes shrouded in shade). Community solar generation would be an option for such circumstances.
According to SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association), California is already the nation’s leader in solar installation, with more than 5 million homes in the state using solar power. California has set the goal of all residential buildings being “zero net energy”, meaning producing as much energy as they consume. California has positioned itself as the leader for clean energy in USA, pushing more electric vehicles on the roads and lower emissions from homes and commercial buildings.
California Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister said, “This is a step, a very important step, in a long trajectory that we have been planning for and telling the world….This is not a radical departure. It’s a step in the right direction to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and improve our air, which for many, many decades California has been doing better and better each time.”
Perhaps it is high time for rest of the 49 states to also follow the California lead, for it is both economical and environmentally friendly for homeowners to install solar.
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Below, is a recent post from our sister publication, Windermere Sun, below:
Solar Panels (attribution: Carl Attard, presented at WindermereSun.com)
Solar panel arrays (presented at WindermereSun.com)
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On this first day of the year, I’d like to remind you all that almost half of Puerto Rico’s 3.8 million Americans are still without power more than 100 days after Hurricane Maria hit the island, presenting the largest blackout in U.S. history. But with its bountiful sunlight and vulnerability to hurricanes and high energy cost, energy industry leaders now believe that solar energy, along with battery storage providing backup when the sun isn’t shining, would be the solution to such a huge blackout.
Lewis Milford, president of the nonprofit Clean Energy Group and a senior fellow at the Brooking Institute said, “Federal and local officials, along with others, are beginning to see a different way to rebuild the grid that doesn’t rely exclusively on the old way of just having more central plant power lines and hoping for the best. For the first time there seems to be a serious look at some alternatives that include distributed solar and storage applications that can ride out and provide power during outages and storms.”
It was timely that I received a phone call last night from our solar friend Joy Hughes, the founder of the Solar Gardens Institute. Joy Hughes went to Puerto Rico to bring two emergency solar power kits to remote communities affected by Hurricane Maria, in partnership with Clean Energy Relief, Inc. Solar kits would provide refrigeration, water purification, device charging, and WiFi to affected communities during the holiday season. These solar kits would also power internet-connected classrooms to train community organizers, solar gardeners, to create a renewable, resilient energy future owned by the people. Solar Garden is like a community garden where subscribers would own a patch of solar panels in a shared solar array in subscribers’ community. The energy produced from these solar panels would be credited to subscribers’ or shareholders’ electric bill as if the panels were on their own roof. By subscribing to a solar garden, subscriber would save money and the environment. The Solar Gardener Training is a one-semester course that trains local leaders in solar gardens policy, project development, and community organizing.
Puerto Rico passed a solar gardens law , SB1666 to become Act 133-2016 in 2016. The law eases interconnection procedures for renewable energy projects up to 5 Megawatts and encourages community solar and microgrids. The bill’s statement of motives references the Commonwealth’s 50% reliance on oil for electricity generation, high electricity prices (around 20¢ / kWh), and vulnerability to oil price shocks. But the hurricanes struck before this law could be implemented. The Puerto Rico Energy Commission is currently developing program rules. Joy Hughes contributed community solar best practices to this development and recently attended the Puerto Rico Power Resiliency Workshop at the Department of Energy in Washington, DC with representatives from the government, industry, and nonprofit sectors to identify ideas to bring about the resilient transformation of Puerto Rico’s energy infrastructure.
Joy Hughes is asking for your help so she may continue her effort in assisting with the development of community solar gardens in Puerto Rico. There are many ways for you to help:
If you know of any one in Puerto Rico who is in need of assistance with solar loans, be sure to let him/her know about our Sunisthefuture Team at Kiva that intends to spread sunshine throughout our planet earth. Any one who wants to participate as a lender or promoter for Sunisthefuture Team at Kiva may join. A borrower would have to go through Kiva’s field partners first. Procedure for Kiva may be obtained by checking out Sunisthefuture Team at Kiva.
During this New Year, let’s help our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico by spreading the Sunshine!
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Elon Musk for having donated the solar panels for Puerto Ricans’ Children’s Hospital with solar power, reported below:
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Below, is a re-post from one of our sister publications, Windermere Sun.
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National Weather Service map with the new purple color to delineate high rainfall levels (presented at WindermereSun.com)
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With water and massive damage of Hurricane Harvey continue to rise, and the death toll from the storm reaching 30, the National Weather Service (NWS) had to add a new color purple to indicate the unprecedented rainfall level that has occurred during the Storm/Hurricane Harvey since its landfall at Rockport, TX, on last Friday. NWS added two purple shades to its map because the old scale topped out at more than 15 inches while the new limit tops at 30 inches. Even though this is the most powerful storm that has hit Texas in more than 50 years and the worst flooding disaster in U.S. history, many experts and meteorologists believe that climate change will continue to fuel massive storms like Hurricane Harvey in the future. As Houston is experiencing its third 500-year flood in 3 years and 25 separate 500-year floods have occurred across the USA since 2010, it is conceivable that this will be our new normal.
Below, you will find an interview by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now and discussion with David Helvarg, Executive Director of Blue Frontier, an ocean conservation organization, on the subject of how climate change is fueling massive storms such as Hurricane Harvey.
David Helvarg comments that these flood zones will become more water logged as the sea level rises at Texas and Louisiana coast, South Florida, etc. The prediction is such that there may be about 3-6 feet or more of sea level rise in the coming decades, with the continuing global warming. The two 10,000 year rain events in two years is becoming the new normal. Despite the Trump administration’s denial of climate change, there are many measures that individual states and cities may take in helping to slow down the climate change: installing more renewables such as solar and wind, transitioning into electric vehicles, reducing food waste and increasing local food productions, recycling, reusing, reducing, etc.
There had been more than 1,200 people who died amid flooding in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India. This year’s monsoon season has brought torrential downpours that have submerged wide swaths of South Asia, destroying tens of thousands of homes, schools, and hospitals and affecting up to 40 million people. Aid organizations are warning that this is one of the worst regional humanitarian crises in years, with millions of people facing severe food shortages and disease caused by polluted flood water. Flood victims in southern Nepal say they have lost everything. Below, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now speaks with Asad Rehman, Executive Director of “War on Want“. Director Rehman has worked on climate change issues for over a decade.
To see what actions Central Floridians in Orlando (esp. Mayor Dyer and his team) have been pursuing in their effort to slow down the climate change, please view our previous post on Florida Climate Summit at Orlando in August, 2017. Perhaps you can also initiate and/or encourage people in your communities to transition into renewables such as solar and wind, electric vehicles, recycle, reuse, reduce food waste and increase local food productions. Our home planet Earth is in need of our help. We need to slow down the climate change in order to prevent millions of people on earth becoming homeless.
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
More about the community at www.WindermereSun.com
This is a repost from one of our sister publications, Windermere Sun.
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Daniel Kammen, Distinguished Professor of Energy of UC Berkeley and former Science Envoy of U.S. State Department (presented at WindermereSun.com)
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UC Berkeley Distinguished Professor of Energy Daniel Kammen resigns from his post as Science Envoy of the U.S. States Department, citing that he believed it to be President Trump’s failure to denounce white supremacists and neo-nazis and for U.S. to depart from Paris Climate Accord. His letter of resignation spelled out “impeach” by the first letter of each paragraph.
Professor Kammen feels Secretary Tillerson needs to speak truth to power and not cave in to climate denial environment. He further comments that it is utmost important for U.S. to remain competitive economically and politically on world stage by addressing climate change, carbon tax, and renewable energy with distributed stand point.
Below is a repost from our sister publication, Windermere Sun.
Artist rendering of Panda Solar Power Plant at Datong, China (credit: China Merchants New Energy/Panda Green Energy, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
Panda Solar Power Plant at Datong, China (credit: China Merchants New Energy/Panda Green Energy, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
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As China continues to grow and develop, energy and pollution are important incentives for China to steer toward the renewables at a lightening pace. As solar generation becomes cost-competitive with electricity from fossil fuels, China rolls out the world’s biggest investment in clean energy.
One of the energy firms in China, Panda Green Energy Group Limited (formerly known as the “United Photovoltaics Group Limited”), has come up with an aesthetically pleasing way to promote the development of solar energy by arranging solar panels at a solar farm to resemble the image of China’s national treasure, the panda. Panda Green Energy’s panda solar power plant in a city of Datong in northern Chinese province Shanxi, with capacity of 100 MW once fully connected (some estimated that in 25 years, it would have generated 3.2 billion KWh, reduced 2.74 million tons of carbon emissions or 1.06 million tons of coal throughout China). The solar panda was constructed in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in tackling the problem of need for renewable energy in China. In June of 2017, Panda Green Energy Group Limited announced that its first panda shaped solar power plant (of 50 MW covering 248 acres, with the black part composed of the more efficient monocrystalline silicone and the grey and white part being the thin film solar cells) was officially connected to the grid in Datong, Shanxi.
This panda solar park is set to become a national monument and home to an education center aiming to teach young people from all over China about the importance of renewable energy and sustainable living. According to Reuters, Panda Green Energy is planning on launching more panda-shaped power plants (some estimate about 100 panda-shaped solar power plants), both inside and outside of China.
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Lake Butler Chain (photo by Susan Sun Nunamaker, presented at: WindermereSun.com))
Below, is a re-post from a sister publication, Windermere Sun:
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With the Florida Sun, low cost of solar and improved battery technology, even without pro-solar policies such as renewable portfolio standard or power purchase agreements, Florida currently ranks 12th for cumulative solar capacity installed and is expected to continue to advance its position in light of the dramatic drop in cost of solar and improved battery technology.
Below are data gathered from FLSEIA (Florida Solar Energy Industries Association), on Florida Solar Industry:
Solar Installed: 725.1 MW (404.7 MW in 2016)
State Homes Powered by Solar: 79,000
Percentage of State’s Electricity From Solar: 0.31% (that % keeps increasing)
Solar Jobs and Ranking: 8,260 (5th in 2016)
Solar Companies in State: 492 companies total; 69 manufacturers, 261 installers/developers, 153 others
Total Solar Investment in State: $1,459.85 million ($523.64 million in 2016)
Price Declines: 64% over the last 5 years
Growth Projections and Ranking: 2,559 MW over next 5 years
Florida Annual Solar Installations between 2010-2017 (with forecast into 2021) (credit: FLSEIA)
Some Notable Solar Installations in Florida, below:
Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center: It is the solar parabolic-trough component of an integrated solar combined cycle 1150 MW plant, in western Martin County, Florida, just north of Indiantown, built by Florida Power & Light Company in 2010, with enough electricity to power 8,216 homes.
Several large retailers in Florida have gone solar: 6th Street, Ace Hardware, Bronson and AMJ, Inc., General Growth Properties had installed one of the largest solar installations with 1 MW of solar capacity at their Altamonte Springs location.
TIA Solar in Tampa also installed 1 MW of solar capacity in 2016, among the largest solar installations in Florida, with capacity to power more than 175 homes.
Florida State Solar Policy Resources, below:
Florida Public Service Commission-(FPSC) regulates investor-owned electric, natural gas, water, and wastewater utilities. In the telecommunications industry, the FPSC facilitates competitive markets, has authority over intercarrier disputes, and oversees pay telephones, the federal Lifeline Assistance Program and Telecommunications Relay Service. The Florida Public Service Commission consists of five members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Commissioners serve four-year terms. One commissioner is a designated Chairman, elected by the Commission for a two-year term.The commissioners are Chairman Julie I. Brown, Ronald A. Brisé, Art Graham, Jimmy Patronis, and Donald Polmann. In essence, FPSC learn about the governing body that regulates electricity rates and services of Florida Public Utilities.
Florida State Legislature-It is the two houses that act as the state legislatureof theU.S. state of Florida. TheFlorida Constitution states that “The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida,” composed of a Senate and House of Representatives. The legislature is seated at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee. Both chambers have been under Republican control since 1996. The Legislature is composed of 160 state legislators (120 in the House and 40 in the Senate). Members are term-limited to eight consecutive years; however, there is no limit on the total number of terms (after sitting out two years, a member may run again). The state legislature meets beginning in March for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days. Special sessions are called as needed. In essence, FSL track pending legislation affecting solar energy, locate and contact individual legislators, and stay up to date on current legislative issues in Florida.
Florida Energy System Consortium-The Florida Energy Systems Consortium (FESC) was created by the Florida State government to promote collaboration among the energy experts at its 12 supported universities to share energy-related expertise. The consortium assists the state in the development and implementation of an environmentally compatible, sustainable, and efficient energy strategic plan. The Consortium was charged to ‘perform research and development on innovative energy systems that lead to alternative energy strategies, improved energy efficiencies, and expanded economic development for the state‘. The legislature appropriated funding for research at five of the universities as well as support for education, outreach, and technology commercialization. The Consortium reports to and provides guidance on an as needed basis to the Florida Legislature, Executive Office of the Governor, and the Florida’s Office of Energy housed in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. In essence, it assists the state in development and implementation of an environmentally compatible, sustainable, and efficient energy strategic plan.
DSIRE Incentives Database Florida-It is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility,and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. DSIRE was established in 1995 and funded by the US Department of Energy and is an ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. It is essentially a public clearninghouse for specific solar energy incentives in Florida and across the United States.
EnergySage Solar Data Explorer-Florida-It reviews the costs and benefits of installing solar panels in Florida, based on real price data from solar quotes.
More posts on solar topics will be coming in our future posts at Windermere Sun.
Photographed, gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
More about the community at www.WindermereSun.com
This is a repost from our sister publication, Windermere Sun, below:
wind surfing (photo by Olga Shevchenko, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
sunset sun rays (photo by Susan Sun Nunamaker, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
wind turbine (photo by Paul Davison, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
solar panels reflecting the sky (photo by: Debbie Mous, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
wind farm (photo by Drew Broadley, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
solar energy (photo by: Alla Leitus, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
Oh my God dis is my favourite 🙂 (photo by kenchu, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
Solar Panels on Space Vehicle (photo by: SpaceX, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
wind energy (photo by Arno Nym, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
solar panels (photo by Rainer Berg, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
windmill (photo by Christophe Grasseau, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
skyscraper solar stone (photo by: Valerij Zhugan, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
windmill (photo by Dora Mitsonia, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
solar (photo by frederico pinto, presented at: WindermereSun.com)
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monthly net electricity generation from selected fuels (Jan.-March, 2017, credit: U.S. EIA), presented at: WindermereSun.com
monthly net electricity generation from selected fuels, in % (Jan.-March, 2017, credit: U.S. EIA) presented at: WindermereSun.com
In March of 2017, according to a new U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report, ten percent of all of the electricity generated in United States came from wind and solar power. This milestone demonstrates that renewable energy are becoming significant source of electricity in U.S. and no longer need to be classified as “alternative” energy. Texas is the biggest wind power producer while California is the largest solar producer in USA.
Below, in italics, is taken from EIA report on June 14, 2017)
For the first time, monthly electricity generation from wind and solar (including utility-scale plants and small-scale systems) exceeded 10% of total electricity generation in the United States, based on March data in EIA’s Electric Power Monthly. Electricity generation from both of these energy sources has grown with increases in wind and solar generating capacity. On an annual basis, wind and solar made up 7% of total U.S. electric generation in 2016.
Electricity generation from wind and solar follows seasonal patterns that reflect the seasonal availability of wind and sunshine. Within the United States, wind patterns vary based on geography. For example, wind-powered generating units in Texas, Oklahoma, and nearby states often have their highest output in spring months, while wind-powered generators in California are more likely to have their highest output in summer months.
Monthly solar output is highest in the summer months, regardless of location, because of the greater number of daylight hours. About half of all utility-scale solar power plants in the United States use some form of sun-tracking technology to improve their seasonal output.
Based on seasonal patterns in recent years, electricity generation from wind and solar will probably exceed 10% of total U.S. generation again in April 2017, then fall to less than 10% in the summer months. Since 2014, when EIA first began estimating monthly, state-level electricity generation from small-scale solar photovoltaic systems, combined wind and solar generation has reached its highest level in either the spring or fall. Because these seasons are times of generally low electricity demand, combined wind and solar generation also reached its highest share of the U.S. total during these times of year.
Based on annual data for 2016, Texas accounted for the largest total amount of wind and solar electricity generation. Nearly all of this generation was from wind, as Texasgenerates more wind energy than any other state. As a share of the state’s total electricity generation, wind and solar output was highest in Iowa, where wind and solar made up 37% of electricity generation in 2016. In addition to Iowa, wind and solar provided at least 20% of 2016 electricity generation in six other states.
In almost all states, wind makes up a larger share of the state’s total electricity generation than solar. Among the top dozen states, only California and Arizona had more solar generation than wind in 2016. Three states in the top 12—Iowa, Kansas, and North Dakota—had no generation from utility-scale solar plants in 2016 and relatively little output from small-scale solar photovoltaic systems.
EIA analyst Owen Comstock said state renewable goals are one of the biggest reasons how wind and solar are able to reach this milestone. Most states require a certain portion of their electricity to be generated from renweables. States such as California is currently setting its goal to obtain 50% of its electricity from renewables by 2030, and lawmakers in CA are debating about the possibility of expanding that to 100% by 2045.
For those of us in Florida, even without with any government incentive or mandate, due to the dramatic dropping of cost in solar and wind, as long as we pay attention and take actions, we will be on our way to hit the 100% renewables goal before 2045. Based on SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association), Floridians have installed 725.1 MW solar by 2016 (404.7 MW was installed in 2016). More will be provided in the next post.
Photographed, gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
More about the community at www.WindermereSun.com
“Pittsburgh, Not Paris” Rally has caused much controversy in Pittsburgh.
Mayor Bill Peduto of Pittsburgh has issued an executive order in response to Trump’s Paris Climate Decision (withdrawing United States from the Paris Climate Agreement), pledging Pittsburgh (one of the 82 mayors and 10 governors across U.S.A.) would continue to follow the guidelines of the Paris Climate Agreement (aka Paris Accord).
Peduto Executive Order (2030 Objectives)
100% Renewable Electricity (City operations)
Zero Waste (Citywide)
Reduce Energy Consumption 50% (Citywide)
Reduce Transportation Emissions 50% (Citywide)
Pittsburgh has set an example as the model city that, it is possible, from innovation and change through sustainability, to bring back the economy.
