The Energy Show

Cold Fusion - Dec 2014 by Barry Cinnamon

Taking Advantage Of Low Gas Prices - Jan 2015 by Barry Cinnamon

Solar panels keep getting more efficient. That's a great thing. But they can't communicate, can't adjust to environmental circumstances, and don't have automatic shutdown capabilities. Fortunately -- and with apologies to the Farrelly brothers (who seem to have similar limitations) -- solar panels aren't getting any dumber. Many of the newest solar panels are equipped with optimizers, either built into the junction box or attached as a separate component to the back of the panel. Microinverters (which convert the DC output of a panel to AC) provide the same basic benefits at similar costs; however, unlike microinverters, optimizers operate on the DC side of the system and are always connected to a central or string inverter.

These optimizers, or power electronics as their also called, provide three basic functions. First, they optimize the output of each panel by adjusting the current and voltage generated by each panel. If there is a weak panel operating at a low current, the optimizer on that panel can lower the voltage across that panel (thereby increasing the current) and prevent that panel from affecting the current of the other panels in the string. Second, optimizers have communications capabilities so that the installer or system owner can see the performance of each individual panel. And third, some new optimizers provide code-required automatic DC shutdown capabilities to prevent arcing and fires.

As with many new solar technologies with high initial costs and unproven benefits, optimizers got a relatively slow start. But as production volumes increased, prices came down and operating capabilities were improved, more and more installers began to use them for both residential and commercial projects. Perhaps the biggest breakthrough came as panel manufacturers began to integrate optimizers into the junction boxes - this step significantly reduced both parts costs and installer labor.

My guest on this week's Energy Show on Renewable Energy World is Zvi Alon, Chairman and CEO of Tigo Energy, based in Los Gatos, California. Tigo is one of the pioneers in the optimizer business, and is getting a lot of traction in the marketplace as more panel and inverter manufacturers build Tigo technology into their products. So listen up to this week's show as we explore the costs and benefits of this latest generation of solar panel optimizers.

Ahhh. The Holy Grail of Customer Acquisition. Maybe it's low price ... great company reputation ... special technology ... brand name products ... ubiquitous marketing? I've tried all of them and they all work, to a degree. But these tactics are not cheap, consistent or scalable.

There is an answer, one that is pretty much right in front of our eyes. Research into this topic is described in the following paper: “Spatial Patterns of Solar Photovoltaic System Adoption: The Influence of Neighbors and the Built Environment.” This research was spearheaded by Dr. Kenneth Gillingham, a professor of economics at Yale University. Dr. Gillingham is not an ivory tower solar newbie. He's been doing research in the solar industry for over a dozen years going back to his days at Stanford. Interestingly, one of his projects was crunching the numbers in an enormous spreadsheet that led to the economic justification for the California Solar Initiative.

Ken's research confirms that if your neighbor has rooftop solar, there is a much greater chance that you will have solar (or want to get solar). Rooftop systems tend to cluster in a neighborhood, regardless if these neighborhoods are wealthy or liberal. It's almost as if solar is contagious! Please join me on this week's Energy Show on Renewable Energy world as Ken explains the way in people are influenced to go solar, which is termed the Diffusion Effect. So listen up to this week's show for some practical tips on finding new customers and reducing your customer acquisition costs.

Hurricanes. Blizzards. Earthquakes. Tornadoes. They've all clobbered populated areas over the last few years, resulting in extended power outages, fuel shortages and even lack of potable water. But people live comfortably in completely off-grid locations, generating their own electricity, using sustainable sources for heat, and even recycling their water.

These off-grid systems are gradually creeping into mainstream America. Generators are sold in some supermarkets, wood stoves are becoming popular heating options, people are learning how to recover and re-use grey water, and battery backup solar power systems are being rejuvenated by inexpensive batteries coupled with steadily increasing utility power rates. Inevitably, prices for these technologies will become more and more affordable -- just as electricity, gas and water become more expensive.

Our special guest for this week's show is Tod DuBois, CEO of Sangha Energy. Tod's company specializes in off-grid living systems, including battery-backup solar power, generators, and grey water recovery systems. Tune in to this week's Energy Show as Tod and Barry talk about your options for sustainable electricity, heat and water - even in your suburban jungle.

Utility scale solar has historically been the biggest market for solar power in the U.S. Currently, most of the largest plants are located in the southwest U.S. states where there is plenty of sunny, relatively unused land. The largest of these projects are slightly over 500 megawatts using in the neighborhood of 2 million solar panels. Thats a lot of solar panels -- but also a lot of solar panel racking.

On any large ground mounted project, most of the on-site labor relates to installing the solar panel racking (by comparison, installing the panels on the racks and wiring them together goes relatively quickly). As the solar industry strives to reduce costs, less expensive and easier to install racking becomes critical to the financial benefits of a project. The traditional galvanized pipe in concrete pier mounting structures have become a thing of the past.

One such innovation comes from Solar FlexRack. In 2009 they designed a ground mount racking system that ships compactly, then expands on-site like an accordion. The result is a drastic reduction in the amount of field labor required to bolt the racking components together. Steve Daniel, EVP of Sales and Marketing at Solar FlexRack is our guest this week on the Energy Show on Renewable Energy World. Please join me as Steve discusses the benefits of easy to install ground mount racking, and talks about the value-added services that are necessary to provide turnkey solutions to utility scale customers.

We're in the middle of winter. But pretty soon the rain will stop, the snow will melt, the home and garden shows will gear up and solar customers will start to plan their investments for the year. At the same time, solar companies of all sizes will remind their customers that the tax credits are going away and they better "buy now" to lock in pricing at these low rates.

OK, one can pretty much take these predictions to the bank. But what will happen in the solar industry in 2015? What kind of mergers and acquisitions activities will we see? How will the "long tail" of small installers fare against the big national installers? Will we get an extension of the ITC, or will a Republican-dominated Congress try to sideline renewables and keep drilling? Will the residential solar leasing curve flatten in favor of loans and cash purchases? What impact will tariffs have on the prices of modules. Will BOS costs continue to fall? Who will win the Super Bowl?

I don't know. But I can guess. I've peered through my cracked crystal ball and ten predictions have come into focus (all except the Super Bowl winner). So listen up to this week's Energy Show on Renewable Energy World for my perspective on the solar industry's prospects for 2015.

In our opening Energy Show we discuss frequently asked questions about residential solar.