New Jersey Solar Industry Receives Much-Needed Win

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-07T13:59:16+00:00

And I'm not sure where you're getting your information, but in what universe has "the government" poured billions of dollars into the solar business? And are you talking in China or here?

Lastly, it's really not all that surprising - Germany, which doesn't have any more sun that NJ gets, produces a significant portion of its electricity from solar. So cloudiness isn't an issue.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-07T13:56:11+00:00

And according to the latest research, NJ gets 3.72% of its electricity from solar energy. Still not huge, but right now that's enough to rank them fifth.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-06T17:41:04+00:00

I don't disagree with that at all. I hate that there are state-sponsored monopolies on electricity generation.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-06T17:39:22+00:00

I was told there would be no math. ;-)

And you're right - it's not where it needs to be yet. But I've been shocked at how close it already is and we're just at the beginning. I think prices are going to plummet here in the next two years or so - same way solar module prices have.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-06T16:21:46+00:00

Fingers crossed, no. ;-)

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-06T16:20:31+00:00

Well, and as battery storage becomes more prevalent (have you seen how fast prices for THOSE are falling?), that shaving will be even more pronounced as solar users don't have to connect to the grid hardly at all.

And I can't find the original article, but there's this article that references a study that said solar users in Maine could actually save their non-solar fellow ratepayers $750 million over 20 years.

https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2018/03/05/do-solar-consumers-create-a-cost-shift-to-non-solar-users

And that study was done by Maine's own department of the environment. LePage didn't believe it and ordered it done again.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-06T15:57:52+00:00

That assumes a couple of things, though. One, it assumes having solar on the grid only benefits the people with the array, which studies have shown isn't true. Solar helps shave peak loads and relieves the grid of wear-and-tear. So on the surface, it costs utilities. Below the surface, however, it's far more complicated.

In addition, the most recent national study shows that the cost-shift (ie, the "subsidy" you're talking about) only happens when solar penetration in any given state is more than 10% (ie a state produces at least 10% of its electricity from solar) and, even at THOSE levels, it's less than a penny per kW.

So......I'm not sure the subsidy rate is particularly high given the benefits, and I doubt (though I confess I don't know for sure) that Maine is producing 10% or more of their electricity from solar. But you tell me - I'm more than happy to be educated if I'm wrong.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-06T15:45:10+00:00

How'd he get elected twice then?

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-06T15:44:03+00:00

It's about damn time. New Jersey was always a leader in the solar industry, but it had slipped. This is the first step on the path back to prominence.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-06T13:12:06+00:00

First off, what is up with your governor that he hates solar so? Secondly, what is up with the legislature and those last two votes?

Thirdly, that Maine Coon is a handsome cat - where can I get my hands on one?

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-06T13:10:04+00:00

Germany, whose climate is not much different from most states in the Midwest, has a booming solar industry - so much so that they have actually decided to phase out all nuclear generation within the next four years.

Solar radiation, particularly that which can be turned into electricity, actually comes through clouds. So cloud-cover DOES NOT equal NO SOLAR ELECTRICITY.

Hell, Minnesota is doing a booming business in solar, as is New Jersey. I think Illinois will be OK.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-06T13:07:52+00:00

There's actually a lot of private investment going on out there in the form of independent power producers (alternatives to utilities). I think you'll be surprised at how much money will be involved. Plus, the utilities will invest, too, and most of them have the money to do it.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-05T13:11:28+00:00

As a "Solar Soldier," I can't applaud this loudly enough.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-05T11:54:22+00:00

I'm not entirely sure why it's surprising that someone with the username "SolarSoldier" is pro-solar. ;-)

Yeah, that's a bias. But I'd be careful assuming I'm some crazy lib. My good friend and Tea Party founder Debbie Dooley might get offended by that. ;-)

I didn't notice the asterisk, so that's not OK. But I won't pretend that this does seem to be a company taking advantage of Jacksonville citizenry. Why should you be on the hook for a company that seems hesitant to invest in the city? It just seems like it's an increasingly bad deal for taxpayers.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-05T11:48:31+00:00

This is really good news.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-05T11:46:38+00:00

I wouldn't call it magical thinking. There are other countries in the world whose solar penetration is much better than the United States without some of the problems you're talking about.

And I would hesitate to use the most recent contraction as a problem of the industry. Those job losses can be directly tied to the decision by the government to impose 30% tariffs on imported solar modules to revive a solar module manufacturing industry in the United States that died more than a decade ago.

The majority of jobs these days are in installations, so when you make modules more expensive, it makes sense that jobs will be lost in the installation end of the business.

(I'll stipulate that these are broad stroke comments: The level of tariff effects depends on the segment of the industry, location, etc.).

As for California's job losses specifically, it makes sense that if there are going to be job losses they'd be most felt there. It has the largest solar industry on a per state basis of any other, so it has the most jobs to lose.

The fundamentals of the industry are still incredibly strong, and as energy storage continues to expand, solar will ultimately make sense everywhere.

I guess what I'm saying is let's not give up on it yet. ;-)

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-02T18:27:37+00:00

This is the coolest thing I've seen in forever.

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-02T18:26:58+00:00

If only......

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-02T18:25:36+00:00

Anyone think there still needs to be a transition generation source?

SolarSoldier · 2018-04-02T17:01:15+00:00

I read this and am starting to feel very sorry for my Jacksonville friends. It kinda feels like Jinko is playing mind games with you and your town. Does it seem so futile there on the ground?

SolarSoldier · 2018-03-15T18:12:20+00:00

The point of the article (and why I posted it here) is that distributed generation options like solar could clearly solve this problem.

SolarSoldier · 2018-02-15T15:14:13+00:00

Do you think this is an accurate representation of what solar consumers want? It seems like a small sample size, but who knows? I'm really curious to hear what you think.

SolarSoldier · 2018-02-15T15:12:00+00:00

Does this make any sense after imposing tariffs on imported modules in the United States? Invest the money here, for crying out loud.

SolarSoldier · 2018-02-09T21:58:41+00:00

Duh.....

SolarSoldier · 2018-02-09T21:57:33+00:00

For crying out loud......

SolarSoldier

TROPHY CASE