Solar Electricity Coming to Buildings in Your Town

Transcription

1 Solar Electricity Coming to Buildings in Your Town Gordon Howell, P.Eng. Edmonton Phone: Northern Energy Solutions Conference Whitehorse 2010 February 16 Northern Energy Solutions Conference

2 Firstly I want to acknowledge that we meet on the traditional lands of the Ta an Kwachan and the Kwanlin Dun peoples and that I respect their spiritual relationship with their country. As per the introductory comments in every speech of Hon. Mike Rann, Premier of South Australia Northern Energy Solutions Conference 2

3 Intro: Me I am a professional engineer (electrical) We are solar electric system project developers We design, supply and commission solar electric systems We participate in provincial, national and international standards development committees We have no vested interests in any one solar technology My interest is that you choose wisely with your eyes wide open based on the facts and whether it is right for you or not. my house 20 m kw 1995, Edmonton 100% Northern solar electricity Energy Solutions Conference 3

4 Intro: Presentation How does solar electricity work? Where is it practical? What are the economics really? Can you sell electricity to the grid? How does solar electricity reduce energy costs and our environmental footprint? How do solar electricity and electrical energy efficiency work towards energy self-sufficiency? 3.3 kw solar PV system Vuntut National Park Information and Operations Centre Old Crow Connected to Yukon Electrical I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; Northern Energy Solutions Conference but I do believe in a fate that falls on men unless they act. +G.K. Chesterson 4

5 Solar Energy where can it be used Okotoks swimming pool solar heating Photo Credit: Gordon Howell Anything that needs electricity Anything that needs heat Space heating Photo Credit: SPS Energy Cochrane High School solar electricity Water heating for domestic water, pools Industrial and commercial process heating Cooking Best Western Hotel Kelowna Anything that needs illumination in the daytime Photo Credit: Gordon Howell Photo Credit: Swiss Solar Tech Red Deer's net zero Northern electricity Energy home Solutions Conference 5

6 Context: Energy Efficiency vs. Adding Energy Solar electricity option: (cost is 29 /kwh to 80 /kwh) Does NOT reduce your electricity consumption! Instead it substitutes your electricity source from Diesel over to the sun Energy efficiency option: (cost is 1 /kwh to 8 /kwh) This is the cheapest, most important and shortest payback option but it is emotionally boring Solar electricity has much higher costs and longer paybacks than energy efficiency It is exciting and something you can brag about to your friends Efficiency can save 75 percent of our electricity at a Amory Lovins, 2006 Northern Energy Solutions Conference lower cost than making it at existing power plants. Rocky Mountain Institute 6

7 Context: Benefits of Solar Electricity Proven technology thousands of systems across Canada Can provide energy security and independence Inflation-proof Non-volatile energy no need to worry about corporate games Political-proof doesn t matter what games they play No noise No emissions can be zero footprint Low or zero maintenance and operating costs Nature does provide us with a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites. William Northern Energy Solutions Conference Ruckelshaus 7

8 Context: Challenges with Solar Electricity Purchase costs are high, though typically falling by 10% to 15% per year Not a lot of broad-based experience in Canada Supply and installation chain is growing in its experience and depth Much training needed for design professionals, financiers, and installers Has to compete with highly subsidized Diesel- and hydro-(?) electricity fossil fuel industries know how to lobby the government to obtain favourable policies and many types of incentives Previously, little interest by governments in developing policies and programmes that facilitate it Ontario, Saskatchewan and Medicine Hat now have incentive programmes for solar (Nova Scotia is coming) Canada and Alberta instead have incentive programmes for coal, oil, gas, tar sands and nuclear (do these energy sources need heavy subsidies in order to remain viable in the face of clean energy sources?) Money talks, and until it starts telling the truth about the consequences Northern Energy of fossil fuels, Solutions Conference 8 we're kidding ourselves that we can make any significant headway against climate change.

9 Other Countries 1,000,000 new systems being installed on houses around the world each year Growing by 45% per year for the last 15 years Very high solar-electric feed-in tariffs in Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Ontario, South Australia ++ Huge plans to develop the industrial manufacturing capacity of solar electricity in many countries In pushing other species to extinction, Northern Energy Solutions Prof. Paul Conference Ehrlich humanity is busy sawing off the limb on which it is perched. Stanford University 9

10 Next: Solar Systems and Components Until there is awareness there will be no consensus to change. Martin Luther King Jr. Northern Energy Solutions Conference America 10

11 Solar Electricity used everywhere! 1. Off-grid stand-alone Photo Credit: Ralph Cartar From calculators and watches to large generating stations. 2. Hybrid: off-grid + genset or wind 3. Grid-connected Northern Energy Solutions Conference 11

12 Solar heating and solar electricity are NOT the same Solar heating A dark surface sitting in the sunshine Water or air runs past the solar heated surface carrying heat to the building. Solar electricity A semiconductor device like a computer chip Photons bump electrons out of an atom. Wires carry the electrons away. Northern Energy Solutions Conference 12

13 Solar PV Electricity The technology is called "photovoltaics" photovoltaics", but we only call it "PV". Solar PV Cell Solar PV Module PV can generate any amount of electricity. Large PV systems = more PV modules. Solar PV Array 5,000 modules 1000 kw 170,000 modules (200 W ea.) 34,000 kw PV array 30,000 modules, 6000 kw Northern Energy Solutions Conference 13

14 Solar Electricity major components Solar PV module to generate DC electricity Solar inverter to convert to AC electricity Solar battery to store DC electricity maybe Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. Northern Energy Solutions Conference Muhammad Ali 14

15 120 kw, Berlin 2.9 kw, Alberta Legislature 85 kw, Germany Placed on Roof-Tops 1300 kw, Netherlands Northern Energy Solutions Conference 15

16 30 kw, Netherlands Integrated into Glazing for Natural Lighting 45 kw (340 m²), Netherlands. Saint-Gobain Glass Northern Solar. Energy Solutions Conference 16

17 UofC Child Development Centre Photo Credit: Conergy Inc Photo Credit: Anton Driesse Queens University, Kingston Integrated into Shading Structures Railway station Canopy, Switzerland. EPEL-LESO 15 kw sunshades, America. Kawneer Company Inc. Northern Energy Solutions Conference 17

18 Modules Integrated into Roofing Materials With concrete roof tiles With metal roofs As shingles With slate tiles Northern Energy Solutions Conference 18

19 Buildings are becoming Solar-Electric Plants! Aachen, Germany 1000 kw, Munich 8 kw, Red Deer Northern Energy Solutions Conference kw, Germany

20 Neighbourhoods are becoming Solar-Electric Plants! 1000 kw community PV project on 500 houses in the Netherlands California Japan Northern Energy Solutions Conference 20

21 Cities are becoming Solar-Electric Plants Ota City, Japan 2200 kw, 500 homes Northern Energy Solutions Conference 21

22 Solar Myth: Solar needs to be perfectly orientated in order to work at all! precise optimum tilt and orientation to collect maximum solar energy wide range of angles to orient and tilt solar equipment and still not be too far off maximum All electrons are Some electrons are black, Your choice Northern Energy Solutions Conference not created equally. some are green. but everyone's consequences. 22

23 Optimum Annual Tilt Angle Horizontal Whitehorse Vertical % of energy from optimum annual tilt angle 0% -5% -10% -15% -20% -25% sun-hours/day = kwh/m2/day Snow cover? Reflection from snow fields? The maximum annual solar energy production occurs at around a 48 tilt. If your goal is to maximise this, your tilt angle can be from 15 to 80 and still be within 10% of the maximum. Northern Energy Solutions Conference 23

24 Questions??? Next: How does it work? Making the simple complicated is commonplace. Northern Energy Solutions Charles Conference Mingus Making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. 24

25 Grid-dependent System 4 major components: PV array DC disconnect Solar inverter AC disconnect Solar PV 1 array No energy storage Most common grid-connected configuration 500 in Canada??? 4 in the Yukon? million around the world? 2 Northern Energy Solutions Conference 25

26 Electric Wires Company s electrical distribution grid Import meter Export meter kwh kwh 1 2 Solar electric array DC How can you generate solar electricity into your house and also back into the grid? AC All electrical circuits in a house or building Inverter Sells to the grid when there is a site surplus. Buys from the grid when there is a site shortage. Solar energy is the ultimate in wireless nuclear fusion Northern Energy Solutions Conference where the fusion generator is very safely stored 150,000,000 km away! 26

27 Wire Service Provider's electricity distribution lines Import meter Export meter kwh kwh PV Array DC Inverter What happens during a power outage? The inverter senses that there is a power outage and turns itself off. 4 AC When power returns it turns itself on automatically. All electrical circuits in a house or building People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it Northern Energy Solutions Conference George Bernard Shaw 27

28 Questions??? Next: Connecting to the grid Making the simple complicated is commonplace. Northern Energy Solutions Charles Conference Mingus Making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. 28

29 Connecting to the Grid Two items to be considered 1. Safety Provided by equipment certified to connect to the grid Acceptance by electric wires company (Yukon Electrical) 2. Payment for electricity exported to the grid What type of metering is used none, net metering, net billing Provided by government policy and implemented by the Yukon Utilities Board It is DIFFICULT to get a man to understand something Upton Northern Energy Solutions Conference when his SALARY depends on his NOT UNDERSTANDING IT. Sinclair 29

30 Energy Retailer & Electric Wires Company Electricity paid in full /kwh 1 kwh 1 kwh 1 kwh Import 1 2 kwh Export How does "net metering" work? ("net metering" means "running your meter backward") - as solar power system owners see it Exported electricity is carried to neighbour without extra carriage fees, and displaces the electricity that would have been otherwise provided by the Energy Retailer. Electrical energy credit ~10.62 /kwh Ordinary kwh meter (goes both ways) PV system owner runs the meter backwards, sending the previously imported electricity back for full credit. In effect, the PV system owner stores the Energy Retailer's electricity but without charging any storage fee. 3 4 kwh Electricity distribution lines Neighbour pays the ER and the EWC full fees for the electricity and its delivery. Ordinary kwh meter Neighbour PV system owner 1 kwh supplied, 1 kwh paid for Northern Energy Solutions Conference 30

31 Energy Retailer, Electric Wires Company 1 kwh 1 kwh 1 kwh Electricity paid in full /kwh Import 1 2 kwh Electricity is delivered to your neighbours by your Electric Wires Company for their normal delivery fee. Export How does net billing work? Electrical energy credit ~10.62 /kwh 3 Electricity paid in full /kwh 4 kwh Electricity distribution wires Energy Retailer sells your energy to your neighbour for full retail price. Ordinary kwh meter Bidirectional kwh meter PV system owner Net billing allows exported electricity to be valued at any price, such as: - a discounted wholesale price, - a price equal to the import price, or - a premium feed-in (green) price. 1 kwh supplied, 1 kwh paid for Neighbour Northern Energy Solutions Conference 31

32 Questions? Next: Solar system performance and savings Every great movement must experience three stages: ridicule, discussion, adoption. John Stuart Mill Northern Energy Solutions Conference 32

33 Reducing your electricity bills with solar PV Purchased Electricity Conventional Electricity the most expensive way Where is it? 100% 75% 50% #1 #2 #2 Inexpensive, reliable energy efficiency Add expensive solar electricity 25% 0% Renewable Conventional Efficient Efficient & Energy Renewable Net zero electricity building I am what I am not because of what I should be or have to be Northern Energy Solutions Conference but because what I am made to be. 33

34 Reducing your electricity bills with solar PV Purchased Electricity Conventional Electricity the least expensive way 100% 75% #1 #2 #3 Inexpensive energy efficiency (but energy efficiency is emotionally boring) 50% 25% 0% Conventional Efficient Efficient & Renewable More expensive solar electricity Net zero electricity building We have greatness within us -- innovative, giving, determined. Northern Energy Solutions Conference It is time for the best in us to come out. 34

35 Reducing your electricity bills with solar PV Purchased Electricity Conventional Electricity the most exciting way 100% 75% #1 #2 #3 More Solar electricity expensive yeah, but really exciting 50% 25% 0% Conventional Renewable Efficient Efficient & Energy Renewable Energy efficiency: most important, least expensive Net zero electricity building Energy efficiency is today s biggest global economic challenge. Northern Energy Solutions Conference Office of Energy Efficiency, Natural Resources Canada 35

36 Riverdale NetZero Energy House, Edmonton 15% electricity and heating energy savings from solar PV 20% heating energy savings from active solar thermal 74% total energy savings from energy efficiency and passive solar heating energy efficiency makes net zero energy possible Northern Energy Solutions Conference 36

37 $2560 } Utility connection fees $560 /year $2000 Conventional construction Total Riverdale Energy Bill Energy efficiency, internal gains, heat recovery, passive solar heating (using 2007 energy prices, the numbers will change a bit as we learn more about the house and its costs and performance) 52% $1200 Active solar heating $660 67% $850 $640 Solar PV Supplementary heating: 94% natural gas natural gas electricity $170 -$ 40 Capital costs: $18k $37k $54k Northern Energy Solutions Conference 37

38 PV Economics Whitehorse At $8/W, a 6 kw system installed cost = $48,000 Will generate $590 per year of electricity in Whitehorse at 10 /kwh Simple payback = 82 years Return on purchase = 1.2% But this ignores Costs of financing and maintenance and depreciation Increases in grid-electricity prices Benefits to the environment, infrastructure and society Competing against subsidised electricity prices and infrastructure Price of solar electricity = 25.5 /kwh (incl. financing & maintenance) Grid parity never reached In many ways our future is passing us by, Gary Lamphier Northern Energy Solutions Conference and our energy riches may one day look like fool's gold. Edmonton Journal 38

39 PV Economics Old Crow At $10.80/W, a 6 kw system installed cost = $65,000 Will generate $3000 per year of electricity in Old Crow at 59 /kwh Simple payback = 21 years Return on purchase = 4.7% But this ignores Costs of financing and maintenance and depreciation Increases in grid-electricity prices Benefits to the environment, infrastructure and society Competing against subsidised electricity prices and infrastructure Price of solar electricity = 36 /kwh Solar PV is cheaper than grid electricity in 2010 In many ways our future is passing us by, Gary Lamphier Northern Energy Solutions Conference and our energy riches may one day look like fool's gold. Edmonton Journal 39

40 Declining PV Prices, Increasing Grid Prices 85 /kwh (solar PV, using 5% bank money) Solar PV Price unsubsidized no environmental side-effects 25 /kwh 10 /kwh (2009 grid price in Edmonton) (PV using your own money) Grid parity: Utility Solar Assessment Study Grid Parity 2014 Grid-Electricity Price highly subsidized fossil fuel electricity does not pay for the damage it causes to the environment and health care Northern Energy Solutions Conference 40

41 Bundling Energy Efficiency with Solar Electricity Example of what can be done Capital Cost Payback Annual Savings Energy efficiency $100,000 8 years $12,500 Solar PV $48, years $585 in Whitehorse Energy efficiency $148, years $12,985 + solar PV combined Northern Energy Solutions Conference 41

42 Opportunities Lie Ahead How do we prepare for the future increasing prices of grid electricity falling prices of solar electricity increased pressure to reduce our environmental footprint Lots of work to be done in order to achieve our goals With energy efficiency With solar energy Northern Energy Solutions Conference 42

43 we hold the future in our hands Download this presentation and others from /presentations We welcome any feedback, questions, suggestions, comments and challenges to anything we present. Photo credits: Gordon Howell and several others Gordon Howell, P.Eng. Howell-Mayhew Engineering Edmonton Phone: Northern Energy Solutions Conference

44 Northern Energy Solutions Conference 44 Socialism collapsed because it did not allow the market to tell the economic truth. Øystein Dahle Capitalism may collapse because it does not allow the market to tell the ecological truth. Exxon Norway

45 Background: Energy vs. Power Power [kw] Average power used throughout the day, represents the same amount of energy as brown lines. Height of brown bars = hourly electrical power consumption [kw] Area of brown bars = total energy = 18 kwh/day = 6600 kwh/year Area of green rectangle = 18 kwh/day = 6600 kwh/year Average power = 0.75 kw Avg Energy = Power x Time kj kwh = kj/s kw x hs Time of Day [hour] Distance = Speed x Time Northern Energy km = Solutions km/h x Conference h 45

46 Optimum Winter Tilt Angle Horizontal Whitehorse Vertical % of energy from optimum winter tilt angle 0% -10% -20% -30% -40% -50% -60% -70% -80% sun-hours/day 0.5 The maximum winter solar energy production occurs at 75 to 90 tilt. If your goal is to optimise this, your tilt angle can be from 52 to 90 and still be within 10% of the maximum. Northern Energy Solutions Conference 46

47 Optimum Winter Orientation Angle Whitehorse % of energy from optimum winter orientation angle 0% -5% -10% -15% -20% -25% -30% -35% Sun-hours/day 1.67 SW SSW South SSE SE If the goal is to optimise the wintertime solar energy production, you can orient the roof or wall 28 either side of south and still be within 10% of the maximum, which is at due south. Northern Energy Solutions Conference 47

48 Background: Energy vs. Power You need to be aware of the difference between energy and power. Analogy Energy the ability to do work It is measured in joules (J) kilowatt-hours (kwh) (thousand x watts x hours) Like distance measured in km Power is not electricity is the flow of energy It is measured in J per second = watts (W) Like speed measured in km/h Northern Energy Solutions Conference 48

49 Background: Energy vs. Power Electric companies need to design and build their electricity generating, transmitting and delivery systems to generate and deliver this much electrical power (plus a safety margin) 3.0 Area of brown bars = total energy = 18 kwh/day = 6600 kwh/year Power [kw] Avg Time of Day [hour] Northern Energy Solutions Conference 49

50 Background: Energy vs. Power Electric companies need to design and build their electricity generating, transmitting and delivery systems to generate and deliver this much electrical power (plus a safety margin) 3.0 Area of brown bars = total energy = 18 kwh/day = 6600 kwh/year Power [kw] BUT they only get paid for delivering this much electrical energy Avg Time of Day [hour] Northern Energy Solutions Conference 50

51 Power vs Energy kwh = energy Like distance in km kj per second = kw = power = rate at which energy is used Like speed in km/h Demand is measured in kw You buy energy, not power Northern Energy Solutions Conference 51

52 Background: Energy vs. Power Electric companies need to design and build their electricity generating, transmitting and delivery systems to generate and deliver this much electrical power 3.0 Area of brown bars = total energy = 18 kwh/day = 6600 kwh/year Power [kw] BUT they only get paid for delivering this much electrical energy Avg Northern Energy Solutions Conference 52 Time of Day [hour]

53 Energy Retailer & Electric Wires Company 1 kwh 1 kwh Electricity paid in full 1 Import 2 kwh PV system owner runs the meter backwards, reversing the full charges for the same amount of previously imported electricity. Export How does net metering work? The Electric Wires Company "stores" in its wires the PV electricity produced in the daytime. Ordinary kwh meter (goes both ways) - how the Energy Retailer sees it kwh Electricity distribution lines The Electric Wires Company "re-delivers" the exported electricity back to the PV system owner at night, offsetting the amount exported in the daytime. PV system owner 1 kwh supplied, 1 kwh paid for Northern Energy Solutions Conference 53