Renewable Energy, especially Solar PV

A comprehensive study into the potential for compressed air energy storage in the Pacific Northwest has identified two locations in Washington state that could store enough wind energy to power about 85,000 homes each month.

Via Sepp Hasslberger

Solar investors in the US and further afield would really love to get their hands on Mexico's solar market: great resource on cheap desert land located squarely in the southern sun-belt. Some experts estimate that it would only take PV panels spread over just 25km2 of land in Chihuahua or the Sonoran desert to supply Mexico’s electricity demand.

 

National legislation to reduce carbon emissions 30% by 2020 and constrained natural gas supplies are pushing companies to renewable choices like never before. There is only one utility company to deal with, the state-owned Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE).

 

And its nearest neighbour is a guzzler of imported electricity and already linked through the Western Electricity Coordinating Council.

 

Electricity trade between the United States and Mexico started in 1905, when privately owned utilities located in remote towns on both sides of the border helped "balance" electricity demand with a couple of low voltage lines, according to the US Energy Information Agency.

 

Since 2006, Mexico has been a very small net exporter of electricity to the US. But electricity imports will likely boom after the Department of Energy granted a permit to a subsidiary of Sempra International for a 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line that will carry electricity from a Mexican wind farm to the California market.

 

Meanwhile, Baja California is the location for Latin America's largest solar installation to date, a 30MW project to be completed by the end of this year.

When US president Barack Obama met Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto earlier this month, renewable energy was firmly on the agenda (along with gun control, economic cooperation and illegal drugs).

 

Unlike the US, however, Mexico even has an energy policy. The freshly minted National Energy Strategy 2013-2027 agreed only in April estimates that 6GW of solar energy could be developed by 2020.

 

Via Alejandro Pinero

Residents of Medford and Chelmsford are among the latest communities that the state has picked to take part in a program that offers lower electrical rates to homeowners and businesses that that put install rooftop solar panels on their roofs.

Via ecoInsight

Whatever oil and gas true believers want to think, the world is doing this solar power thing.

The first manned aircraft that can fly day and night powered only by solar energy set a new distance record Thursday when it landed after the second l...

Leading International Solar PV Integrator Expands North American Market Footprint.

 

Springfield, N.J. Leveraging its market leading international experience, Gehrlicher Solar announced the company’s expansion into Mexico.

 

Based in Mexico City, the company will work closely with local developers, commercial customers, government agencies and the local utility, the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (Federal Electricity Commission) to engineer, procure and construct high performance PV systems specifically for the Mexican market. In addition, Gehrlicher Solar Mexico has the ability to work and assist its developer partners to reduce upfront investment, mitigate risk and shorten project timelines.

 

“After a rapid and successful entry into the US marketplace in the last two years, we are confident our high performance and low cost EPC business model will add significant value to our business partners in the Mexican market. We look forward to supporting Mexico’s solar energy program via our heritage and international experience.” said Stefan Parhofer, Chief Executive Officer for Gehrlicher Solar America Corp.

 

Supporting the launch into the Mexico market, Gehrlicher Solar America Corp. will participate as a silver sponsor in Mexico’s leading renewable energy event, the 2nd Mexican International Renewable Energy Congress (MIREC) to be held on May 29th at the Camino Real Polanco Hotel in Mexico City.

Jesse Jones, Gehrlicher Vice-president of Finance and Development, will speak during conference on “Maximizing Mexican Potential: Lessons from Emerging Markets” on the subject of how to make the most of the Mexican solar energy potential and contribute to reach Mexico’s renewable generation target of 20% by 2016 and 35% by 2035.

Via Alejandro Pinero

General Assembly Overrides Quinn's Veto of "Smartgrid" Legislation http://t.co/d2OsYwhQbi