U.S. accelerates solar integration into smart grid

The United States has increased its investment in solar energy. In early September, news from the U.S. Department of Energy said that in order to promote the cost competitiveness of solar energy technology to catch up with the traditional energy sector, the U.S. Department of Energy added additional technology investment to solar energy companies and research institutes. It is reported that the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it expects to invest 8.5 million U.S. dollars in four units. According to commentators, this move is intended to accelerate the integration of the U.S. solar grid and improve the reliability of the U.S. national grid.

The US Department of Energy recently announced that the Sandia National Laboratories, a division of the Department of Energy, will invest $8.5 million in four R&D projects that will enter the third phase of the "Solar Power Grid Integration Program." According to sources, it is expected that the total investment for the entire project will exceed 20 million U.S. dollars.

The old grid has always been one of the major challenges faced by the U.S. power grid. As the Obama administration has increased its investment in the energy sector, how solar energy is efficiently integrated into the U.S. grid has become one of the hot topics in the US energy sector.

In addition to the U.S. Department of Energy’s emphasis on solar energy R&D and utilization, some research institutes are also working on solar energy research. According to the latest research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the United States, “It is feasible to transfer a considerable amount of wind energy and solar energy to the existing power grid. If you make some smart changes, huge profits are just around the corner.”

Driven by expected economic benefits, the United States has increased the integration of solar power grids by promoting various aspects such as promoting solar roof projects and increasing research capabilities in solar energy.

Enlightenment from Solar Roof Project

The energy policy that the Obama administration is committed to has led to investment in the energy sector. Solar energy in particular has received special attention. Due to the availability and stability of solar energy and the consideration of environmental protection, it is superior to other renewable energy sources. Therefore, the domestic attention to solar energy is increasing.

US Senator Bernie Sanders proposed the "Solar Roof Project" earlier this year. In his bill, he proposed to build 10 million rooftop solar systems and 200,000 solar hot water heating systems in the United States in the next decade.

The bill proposed by Bernie is not a simple one. His proposal involves new business opportunities in the US energy sector. This is a huge market.

Not long ago, the United States Senate Energy Committee voted to pass Bernie's bill, which the industry called "10 million solar roof plans." Although Bernie's "Solar Roof Project" has not yet finally become a shape, from his plan, it is not difficult to peep into the potential solar energy business opportunities in the United States.

According to the United States, according to the US Solar Energy Industry Association's Ron Reisch, the size of the US solar energy market ranked fourth in the world last year (the first three are Germany, Spain and Japan respectively), but it is expected to double this year and become the world’s largest two.

In the Bernie’s version of the bill, it is mentioned that if the US’s 10 million solar roof plan is successfully passed, it is expected that from 2012, US$250 million will be invested in the plan. He said that from 2013 to 2021, an annual investment of 500 million U.S. dollars will be used for solar roof projects.

A series of investments has clearly revealed a message. This is the largest U.S.-wide measure with the highest amount of subsidies. U.S. industry insiders wrote that if this bill is eventually passed in both the House and the Senate, this will be the biggest opportunity for the photovoltaic industry. The photovoltaic market will grow into a geometric model, and the United States will become the most important solar energy market in the world.

Before the United States has implemented a series of measures to protect the development of the domestic photovoltaic industry, such as investment tax relief program, guarantees.

The reason why Bernie's proposal can get the attention of the U.S. energy field is not only because of the unprecedented high amount of subsidies involved in this proposal, but also because of Bernie's status in the Senate. It is reported that Bernie has occupied a unique position in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Energy Natural Resources Committee. He has always advocated reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He is one of the first members to propose bills to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Bernie said: "Each year will invest 200-300 million U.S. dollars for 10 years. Through 10 years of construction, we will use solar energy to generate 30,000 megawatts of electricity. This is equivalent to the current generation of 30 power plants."

Bernie's point of view is that solar power plants have better returns than nuclear power plants, whether they are costs or the ultimate benefits. Therefore, the government should give subsidies at the key stage of solar energy development.

But according to relevant procedures, Bernie's "Solar Roof Project" still has a long way to go. Industry insider Vick said in an interview with the China Business Daily: “Although Bernie’s proposal has been passed by the US Senate Energy Committee, his proposal will also face a long-term sawing situation. Through the Energy Commission, Bernie’s proposal will Enter the US Senate to discuss and accept the approval of the House of Representatives. When the version of the Senate and the House of Representatives is agreed, the two houses vote and pass. Finally, the relevant companies can receive government subsidies."

Vic said: "This is a very complicated process and needs a long discussion."

Although Bernie's proposal still requires long-term adoption of the program, the solar energy industry has accelerated development due to the encouragement of this proposal. Because the production costs and benefits of solar energy are tempting.

It is reported that the cost of power generation at this stage is between 1.5 yuan per kilowatt-hour and 2 yuan per kilowatt-hour, which is still 5 to 10 times higher than the industry average price of thermal power generation at 0.3 yuan per kilowatt-hour.

It is estimated that the cost of photovoltaic power generation can be reduced to less than 1 yuan per kilowatt-hour after one or two years, while traditional coal-fired power is subject to the rising trend of electricity prices due to factors such as resources and environment. Therefore, photovoltaic power generation is based on the renewable nature of its energy. Environmental protection plus the cost reduction caused by technological development will inevitably occupy a large proportion of the future power generation structure.

Once this huge investment bill of the United States is passed in the National Assembly, it will provide a demonstration effect for governments in various countries to support the photovoltaic industry. At the same time, the government's subsidies to the solar energy industry will also have tremendous impact and incentives on the market. Accelerate technology research and development and competition in the solar energy industry in various countries.

US Promotes Solar Energy Integration into Smart Grid

The key to the attention of Bernie’s proposal lies in the rising demand for solar energy in the US market.

According to the data, the demand for solar energy in the United States increased by 36% last year, and the demand for solar energy is increasing every year. The market's demand for traditional energy is not as good as that of solar energy. Demand for oil energy only increased by 2% last year.

It is reported that by 2014, the solar industry's annual global revenue is expected to reach 100 billion US dollars. This prospect is very broad.

Solar energy currently only meets 0.1% of global demand. Charlie Gan, president of the world’s largest manufacturer of solar energy production equipment and using solar energy, predicts that by 2020, global production capacity will be able to meet 10% of the demand, that is, to reach about 800 billion watts. According to the International Energy Agency, solar power can meet 25% of global electricity demand by 2050.

Based on the needs of the market, the U.S. government has accelerated the development of solar energy and has focused its efforts on integrating it into the "smart grid."

Recently, the US Department of Energy announced its subsidies for the solar industry. According to industry insiders, the U.S. government promotes solar energy to join the smart grid as soon as possible.

Fred Krupp, an American energy scholar, believes that smart grids can make use of renewable energy accounts for 30% or more of global energy demand. They can adjust demand and current at any time to maintain system stability, even if wind power and solar energy change. Smart grids will use the full potential of energy efficiency, which can reach 50% of the total greenhouse gas emissions needed to stabilize the world's climate.

He believes that by 2015, one-third of households in the United States will have "smart meters." If the "Solar Roof Project" is implemented throughout the United States, it can save electricity and at the peak period, the electricity generated by the solar energy on the roof can be sold to the grid through the grid.

It is based on such considerations. How solar energy better integrates into the smart grid has become a topic of concern in the United States.

According to news obtained from the U.S. Department of Energy, the four units that received the Ministry of Energy's subsidy were mainly scientific research. It is reported that they were the Central Florida University's Florida Solar Center (subsidized with 660,329 U.S. dollars), solar energy and smart grid solutions provider Petra Solar South (subsidized with 27,297,12 U.S. dollars), and power module manufacturer Princeton Power (subsidized by 2,729,897 U.S. dollars). And PV Powered Inc., a manufacturer of PV Inverters for the power grid (a subsidy of US$2,408,276).

The Ministry of Energy pointed out that the above plans are related to the next-generation controllers and advanced communication technologies, allowing the solar power system to communicate with the power grid.

It is understood that the Central Florida University's Florida Solar Center will develop a large inverter system that can be shared by multiple residential or commercial solar systems. Petra Solar South will develop low-cost, easily installed module inverters.

Princeton Power will use this grant to complete a 100-kilowatt inverter that can respond to changes in demand. PV Powered will develop next-generation controllers and high-level communication technologies to enable the solar system to communicate with the grid.

It is not difficult to see that the U.S. Department of Energy has invested heavily in investing in the integration of solar energy into the smart grid.

The reporter observed the integration of renewable energy into smart grids. "A large number of renewable energy sources are integrated into the grid and do not require substantial reserve capacity." The latest research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows.

One view is that although the renewable energy generation capacity can meet the needs of human consumption, the cost of expensive infrastructure construction limits the use of renewable energy.

The latest research results from the American Renewable Energy Laboratory refute this view. Dr. Debra Lu, the leader of the research project, pointed out: "Our research shows that if we can make some key changes to the standard operating procedures (energy grid), a large amount of wind energy and solar energy can be integrated into the transmission grid instead of Need a lot of back-up production capacity."

According to investigations and studies, in return, the replacement of coal-fired electricity with renewable energy can reduce the operating cost by 40% annually, and will save a total of $20 billion in energy annually.

This study provides a strong foundation for the further integration of renewable energy into the United States' "smart grid."

Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, welcomed the study. She said: "This research is a further proof of what we have been saying. Obtaining 20% ​​or more of U.S. electricity from wind power is a matter of our economic, environmental, and energy needs. Desirable goal."

Nowadays, with all kinds of technical difficulties, the problem of renewed energy integration into the smart grid is still to be solved.

Some analysts pointed out: “The only question now is whether Congress and the government will take action to formulate policies, especially powerful renewable electricity standards, and sound transmission laws to ensure that we can achieve this goal.”