The Energy Show

Natural Gas Our Most Popular Fuel by Barry Cinnamon 366248

National Climate Assessment by Barry Cinnamon 366248

solar, energy, the energy show, battery backup, battery storage, commercial battery storage

Inovateus Solar with T. J. Kanczuzewski by Barry Cinnamon 366248

Copyright 2017 - The Energy Show, Barry Cinnamon President Donald Trump is on a roll when it comes to Executive Orders and new regulations that apply to energy and the environment. Unfortunately, almost all these Executive Orders and regulation changes are bad for the environment, and will likely result in more expensive and less reliable energy. We looked back over the last ten months and tallied up just seven of Trump's energy actions that are terrible for the environment and are not helping to shape US energy policy in a positive way: Killing the Clean Power Plan Changing utility pricing policies to favor coal and nuclear fuels Providing huge loan guarantees to nuclear power plants Relaxing vehicle mileage standards Opening up more federal lands to fossil fuels Approved the Dakota Access and Keystone pipelines Exiting the Paris Climate Agreement When we look at the sources of greenhouse gas in the U.S., 29% comes from generating electricity -- mostly from coal plants. The second biggest source of emissions (27%) is from transportation -- mostly gas and diesel. The third largest source is industrial (21%). Only 12% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the residential and commercial sector -- mostly heating and air conditioning. Lastly, agriculture produces 9% of GHG emissions. Clearly, a clean energy policy that focuses on reducing greenhouse gases from the largest offender (electrical generation) is the best policy for our environment. Taking a step back -- while being President is not an easy job – it is clear that President Trump has a penchant for blowing things up. So far he’s decimated clean air regulations at the EPA, instructed the Interior Department to accelerate drilling and mining on public lands, changed rules at the Department of Energy to prop up the struggling coal and nuclear power companies. These actions in aggregate are appalling – and he’s not even a year into his first term. Fossil fuel companies are the clear beneficiaries – at the expense of the growing clean energy economy, as well as everyone who breathes. Former Governor Schwarzenegger explains these problems succinctly in this video. For more about this deteriorating situation -- and some positive suggestions -- please Listen Up to this week's Energy Show on Renewable Energy World.

Home Backup Power Primer by Barry Cinnamon 366248

DOE Grid Reliability Study by Barry Cinnamon 366248

Solar Tariffs Increasing Solar Panel Prices October 9, 2017Barry CinnamonEnergy Politics The solar industry is likely headed into a recession. Solar tariffs that will double the price of panels are almost inevitable — and President Trump is going to make the final tariff decision. The President’s positioning on this issue does not bode well for the solar industry: he is on record for supporting US manufacturing, he has called for tariffs on Chinese manufactured products, he is a supporter of the fossil fuel industry, and he has been dismissive of solar and wind power. As a result, it is very likely that the White House will implement solar tariffs with no regard for the harm these higher prices will cause to the rest of the solar industry. Solar panel supplies have already diminished as installers have positioned to purchase inventory before the solar tariffs go in place. This increased demand has already pushed panel prices up significantly. With these uncertain trade implications for overseas panel manufacturers, shipments of solar panels to the US have ground to a virtual halt. We are not likely to see new volume shipments commence (at post-tariff prices) until sometime in the first quarter of 2018. Historically, tariffs on overseas products have rarely restored the vitality of domestic manufacturing. Rather than taking a protectionist stance on trade, the US would benefit by implementing incentives to make manufacturing in the US more attractive — in essence, investing in a robust US solar manufacturing industry. For more insights into the likely impact of these solar tariffs, please Listen Up to this week’s Energy Show.

Solar Incentives - Don't Miss the 2017 Solar Tax Credit by Barry Cinnamon 366248

Review of StorEdge battery backup system from SolarEdge

Over the past few months we’ve experienced a solar eclipse, several devastating hurricanes, another under-construction nuclear plant shutdown, and a backwards-looking Department of Energy Grid Reliability study. The performance of our electric grid during the eclipse demonstrates how well a flexible, well-managed grid can handle predictable events. These severe weather events show how vulnerable our electric grid really is, how dependent we as a society have become on electric power, and how valuable some form of backup power is for homeowners. The nuclear plant shutdown clearly shows that nuclear power cannot compete against cheap natural gas. Weaving these circumstances together, one could come to the conclusion that the electric grid of the future should be more modular (distributed); could effectively rely on a combination of wind and solar and storage; and could take advantage of smaller, high efficiency gas turbines for peak afternoon power demands and night-time power. Not only would this grid of the future be cleaner and cheaper, but it would also be more resilient to local weather and human-caused disruptions. Solar contractors and homeowners are not at 30,000 feet debating fundamental energy policy and grid strategy developments. Instead, they are on the ground in need of inexpensive electricity and backup power when the grid fails. If you are interested in practical solutions to these problems (sorry, I have no way of rationalizing the DOE’s Grid Reliability Study), Listen Up to this week’s Energy Show on Renewable Energy World.

Here’s a solar industry secret: all solar panels generate the same amount of electricity on a per watt basis. In other words, twenty 300 watt panels will generate exactly the same amount of electricity as twenty-five 240 watt panels. Indeed, there are objective differences in panel cost, efficiency, aesthetics and ease of installation — and now with the upcoming tariff, even availability. But differences such as brand, assembly quality, country of origin and projected degradation rates are much more subjective since they are based on manufacturer’s claims and not based on objective third party studies. Solar panels pretty much all look the same, use the same basic construction techniques, have similar warranties, and are built with the same type of solar cells. I used to consider company size as a good indication of quality and industry staying power. But I was wrong. I looked at ten years of data, and none of the top ten solar manufacturers from 2001 are still in business in the U.S. today. 51 of the top ten companies from 2001 to 2010 went bankrupt, sold out, or were no longer in business in 2010. Country of origin is no indication of quality. And bizarrely, I have seen an inverse relationship between the claimed length of product warranties and the actual durability of equipment in the field. In other words, companies that claimed to have the longest or best warranties were often the first ones to disappear. I expect similar patterns over the next 10 years. So how does a consumer decide which solar panels are best? Find a solar contractor who has been in business for a long time and trust their advice. These experienced contractors have seen equipment suppliers come and go. They select panels, inverters and mounting systems that are reliable from companies they trust. They strive to keep future maintenance work to an absolute minimum, and train their employees not to cut corners. For more practical tips about selecting solar equipment for your roof, Listen Up to the Energy Show.

Large companies are predominant in most industries. But when it comes to rooftop solar installations, small is beautiful. Although there have been several large national-scale solar installers, in the aggregate the smaller, local companies dominate. As with most other construction businesses, local companies generally understand their local markets better and have lower overhead -- enabling them to provide better customer service at lower prices. On this week’s Energy Show we have the pleasure of speaking with Vince Battaglia, the CEO of Renova Solar. Renova started as Vince’s MBA thesis; eleven years later Renova is now the leading solar installation company in the Coachella Valley. Like many other local solar installation companies, Renova has expanded its residential solar installation business to include commercial installations, system maintenance and battery storage. Granted, the Palm Desert area is blessed by an abundance of sunlight and high electric rates – a combination that is perfect for a thriving solar business. But dealing with the ups and downs of the Solar Coaster is challenging. For more about the challenges inherent in building a profitable local solar business, Listen Up to this week’s Energy Show on Renewable Energy World.

Millions of Americans were using cereal boxes, telescopes, and flimsy plastic solar viewing glasses to witness the Solar Eclipse on August 21. But for workers in the solar industry — as well as homeowners and businesses who are considering rooftop solar – an eclipse of the solar industry itself looms on the horizon. The International Trade Commission (ITC) will be deciding in September whether or not to place tariffs on imported solar panels. Since virtually all solar panels are imported, the tariffs they are considering will effectively double the price of standard solar panels. In advance of these proposed tariffs, almost all available inventory of solar panels is being purchased by large installers. As we learned in economics 101, when demand goes up and supply is constrained, prices increase. Indeed, prices for popular rooftop solar panels have already increased by 20%. The tariff issue being considered by the ITC is complicated. On the one hand we want to build a robust U.S. solar panel manufacturing industry – which employed about 2,000 people at the end of 2016. On the other hand we want to continue the strong job growth in the entire solar industry – which employed 260,000 people at the end of 2016. Since the vast majority of U.S. solar workers are focused on installations, increasing the price of imported solar panels is likely to cause overall solar employment to decline for the first time ever. A decision to implement tariffs or other penalties on imported solar panels is likely to be made by President Trump towards the end of the year. It is my hope that his decision carefully considers ways to continue growth in the solar industry, while at the same time developing a long-term plan to improve U.S. manufacturing. For more about the upcoming ITC case and its implications on the solar customers and the industry as a whole, Listen up to the Energy Show on Renewable Energy World.

With much higher volume manufacturing, prices for solar panels have come down tremendously over the past 20 years — from about $1,000 each to less than $200. But solar panels are still very time consuming to install on a roof in a way that will last 25+ years without leaks. The majority of this rooftop work is on the flashings, roof hooks, and special roof mount components. A few companies specialize in manufacturing solar roof mounts. As a solar contractor I like to try out new products in an effort to reduce my installation costs while still maintaining high quality installations. One of the leading roof mount companies is SolarRoofHook, with offices in Livermore, California and Rock Hill, South Carolina. My guest on this week’s show is Rick Gentry, Executive Vice President at SolarRoofHook. Over the years Rick has been instrumental in developing new roof attachment products that are both reliable and easier to install. Please join me on this week’s Energy Show on Renewable Energy World as Rick explains the ways these roof mounts prevent leaks through the roof, the corrosion-proof fasteners that are used, and key considerations that homeowners and contractors should keep in mind when selecting roof attachment products.