The world’s transmission lines are believed to have dropped approximately 1.4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity last year. That’s around 1.2 trillion metric tons of CO2 dumped into the atmosphere. Though it is unlikely these loses can be eliminated in the near future, there are ways to reduce them.
Losses of 5-7% or so are the norm today in the United States, BC and Ontario.
By Roy L Hales
Yolo is the only grid positive county government in the United States. They do not have an electric bill. Pacific Gas and Electric will have to pay Yolo around $500,000 a year for the surplus electricity it feeds the grid! Now Terry Vernon, deputy director of Yolo County General Services, wants to improve on that. He would like to add another renewable energy project that would boost the county’s revenues by another $5 million a year.
I have finally seen proof that wind energy works – and of course it would be in Denmark!
Continue reading Wind energy works in DenmarkSolarCity spokesperson Will Craven said that about 500 of their California customers have agreed to install batteries for power storage, but the state’s three biggest utilities have only connected 12 since 2011. He decided to go to the press after Southern California Edison (SCE) said they were going to charge $2,900 to install a meter, whereas SolarCity has found that an adequate meter can be purchased for between $75-150. The situation has greatly improved since Craven was interviewed by Bloomberg and PV Tech.
Continue reading California’s Solar storage scandalThere are currently approximately 400,000 homes in the US with rooftop solar arrays and by 2024 solar panels may be more common than satellite dishes. In their white paper, “The Importance of Reliable Solar Mounting Systems,” Barry Cinnamon, Liz Oh, and a consortium of experts in the solar industry provide a manual on how to avoid problems like roof leaks, loose panels, and defective wiring.
Continue reading Reliable Solar Mounting Systems
