By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent
By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent
Illinois has been in the news a lot over the past year, touting its solar revolution as started by the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016. Heck, even SolarWakeup got in on the act, holding one of its prized SolarWakeup Live! events there to celebrate. And while much of the hype has been anticipatory, there are real successes going on, too. And one such success is that 19 Walmart and Sam's Clubs stores will be adding solar to their rooftops by the end of 2019. For those of you who don't know, both Walmart and Sam's Club are owned by the Walton family out of Bentonville, Arkansas, so it makes sense the two companies are linked when it comes to solar development. It should be noted that Walmart has been one of the most solar-friendly big box stores in the country, regularly trading places with Target as the business with the most installed solar capacity in the Solar Energy Industries Association's annual Solar Means Business report, which ranks businesses in order of installed solar capacity for the year.[wds id="3"]
In case you weren't clear on the connection between Walmart's decision and the new law, the Belleville News-Democrat has the scoop:
The move was prompted by the state’s new Adjustable Block Program, which provides incentives for commercial and residential rooftop solar projects, as well as community solar farms.A spokesperson from Walmart told the paper the other reason for making the move to solar: The corporation can actually beat its current electricity costs under the new agreement. Between saving money on electricity, freeing themselves from the monopoly utility and the new Illinois law, putting the solar arrays on the 19 stores was an absolute no-brainer. Well, and it can't hurt that such an installation could help them get back to the top of the SEIA list of top solar businesses in the country. We know that's their real motivation. (We may be projecting there, but it could be a consideration, couldn't it?) More: Walmart to install solar panels on 19 of its stores in Illinois, including Belleville
The Energy Show: By Barry Cinnamon
The Energy Show: By Barry Cinnamon
People complain about their high electric bill almost as often as they complain about the price of gas. And for two good reasons. First, utilities consistently raise their electric rates — not only for inflation, but also to increase their profits. So even if you don’t change your habits, your electric bills will generally keep increasing (like my waistline). Depending on where you live, these rate increases can average 3% -7% per year. The second reason is that we are using more and more electricity. Our 21st century lifestyle is much more energy intensive: we have more appliances, electric vehicles, electronic toys and cellphones, use heat pumps for space conditioning and hot water, and rely on more air conditioning as the climate gets hotter. The average electricity consumption in single family homes in the US is 900 kwh per month. Although the average electricity cost around the country is 13.5 cents per kwh, there is a tremendous cost variation depending on location, climate, and cost of living. For example, in Hawaii, the average electricity cost is 33 cents per kwh. The official data for California indicates that the average cost of electricity is 20 cents per kwh. I question these averages because when I look at PG&E’s current electric rate, the baseline rate tier is 20 cents per kwh. Tier 2 electric rates (up to 400% of baseline electricity or about 400 kwh) is 27 cents a kwh. Tier 3 electric rates, defined as “super users” are 40 cents per kwh. If you require a lot of air conditioning, have a swimming pool, a bunch of networking and home entertainment equipment, or an electric vehicle, congratulations: you are likely a “super user.” Once you are in the super user tier — over about 1300 kwh per month — you are paying 40 cents for every kwh you use. Obviously, if your home has a sunny exposure, solar makes great sense. But many people do not have that option. So what can you do? The first step is to find out what is causing those high electric bills. Buy or borrow a gadget called a “Kill A Watt Meter” and do some electricity sleuthing around your home. Some of the electricity hogs that I’ve found over the years include a defective AC compressor motor, keeping the temperature too cool in the summer and too hot in the winter (the fan motor in your furnace uses a lot of electricity), pool pumps running more than required, old refrigerators, vampire energy loads, and an abundance of electronic gadgets (including lighting, security, music and networking systems). For more about the clever and insidious ways that our electricity providers separate us from our hard-earned dollars, tune in to this week’s Energy Show.Opinion
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News
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7 Renew Economy:
AEMO says new wind, solar and batteries will mitigate summer blackout risks
Opinions:
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Yann
By Tony Clifford, CDO of Standard Solar
By Tony Clifford, CDO of Standard Solar
We often talk about how popular solar is, and poll after poll after poll continues to prove it. Polls consistently show overwhelming popular support for solar, and it’s not even close. The latest survey, a messaging poll by Global Strategy Group on behalf of the Solar Energy Industries Association, adds more fuel to the fire. It turns out that no matter what side of the political divide you are on, you support solar—as long as you are educated about the benefits and strengths of it as an electricity source. For example, the survey shows that 78% of people polled believe in net metering, the compensation system that pays solar consumers for the excess electricity they produce and export to the grid for the use of everyone else. Dig a little deeper, and you discover the number jumps to 84% among people who fully understand what net metering is and how the specifics of the policy affect them.[wds id="3"]
Here’s another finding: 76% of Americans believe their utility should get more of their electricity generation from solar power. With a little education on the benefits of solar to the overall grid that number jumps more than 10% to 87%. What’s most amazing about this is that it doesn’t take much education to make this happen.
I’m often asked about how we should be handling our outreach as an industry. Sometimes, I get frustrated because it feels like we talk to each other a lot about how great solar is without getting the news out into the general public. Now I realize, with a little effort, we can move great mountains in support of the solar industry.
Of course, the survey wasn’t just about discovering that an educated public is a pro-solar public. It was also designed to figure out what message most resonated with the American people. This, too, had an extraordinarily clear answer.
The message testing clearly shows that people are most persuaded by jobs, low-cost and clean air messaging, and that having access to solar was something they felt strongly about. Support for solar was particularly strong with younger voters, men, Hispanics and opinion leaders.
So what makes the new messaging survey so exciting is that it proves that with just a little effort—think of it as lobbying our friends and neighbors—we can genuinely affect attitudes about solar energy and pressure those power-industry actors who haven’t yet gotten on board with the Solar Revolution.
But like the fight for the investment tax credit and the tariff fight, this isn’t something one company or even a group of companies can do on their own. It will require a concerted effort from the entire industry to speak to anyone within earshot and explain to them why solar is right for them. Talk to them about the jobs. Talk about the clean air. Talk about giving everyone the right to access solar for their electricity needs.
We can do this, but it’s going to take everyone doing their part. SEIA has done the work and research necessary to show us how to do it. Now it’s up to us to make it a reality.