Sean Ong

Beginning Windows Mixed Reality Programming, 2nd edition clearly explains all the nuances of mixed reality software development. You will learn how to create 3D objects and holograms, interact with holograms using voice commands and hand gestures, use spatial mapping and 3D spatial sound, build with toolkits such as Microsoft's Mixed Reality Toolkit and Unity’s AR Foundation and XR Platform, create intuitive user interfaces, and make truly awe-inspiring mixed reality experiences. This newly… Show more

Beginning Windows Mixed Reality Programming, 2nd edition clearly explains all the nuances of mixed reality software development. You will learn how to create 3D objects and holograms, interact with holograms using voice commands and hand gestures, use spatial mapping and 3D spatial sound, build with toolkits such as Microsoft's Mixed Reality Toolkit and Unity’s AR Foundation and XR Platform, create intuitive user interfaces, and make truly awe-inspiring mixed reality experiences. This newly revised edition also includes updated content for HoloLens 2 development, including tutorials for new interactions such as hand tracking and eye tracking. Show less

"Beginning Windows Mixed Reality Programming" clearly explains all the nuances of mixed reality software development. You'll learn how to create 3D objects and holograms, interact with holograms using voice commands and hand gestures, use spatial mapping and 3D spatial sound, build with Microsoft's Mixed Reality Toolkit, create intuitive user interfaces, and make truly awe-inspiring mixed reality experiences. Start building the holographic future today!

What You Will Learn:
*Prototype… Show more

"Beginning Windows Mixed Reality Programming" clearly explains all the nuances of mixed reality software development. You'll learn how to create 3D objects and holograms, interact with holograms using voice commands and hand gestures, use spatial mapping and 3D spatial sound, build with Microsoft's Mixed Reality Toolkit, create intuitive user interfaces, and make truly awe-inspiring mixed reality experiences. Start building the holographic future today!

What You Will Learn:
*Prototype ideas quickly
* Get started with Unity, the preferred tool for animating 3D objects.
* Explore where to find 3D models for your project, or make your own!
* Use spatial sound, voice commands, and gestures
* Build with the Mixed Reality Toolkit to make apps the easy way
* Publish to the Windows Store and make money from your app

Who This Book Is For:
Programmers with little or no graphics or mixed reality experience Show less

With the application of new storage capacity technologies, advances in the capabilities of energy networks promise to deliver not only efficiency and productivity gains but also business opportunities for remote areas in emerging countries. New technologies, including those in the fields of batteries and off-grid solutions, can potentially change the way electricity is delivered to rural and remote households, and can also supply businesses and infrastructure with energy. Communication and… Show more

With the application of new storage capacity technologies, advances in the capabilities of energy networks promise to deliver not only efficiency and productivity gains but also business opportunities for remote areas in emerging countries. New technologies, including those in the fields of batteries and off-grid solutions, can potentially change the way electricity is delivered to rural and remote households, and can also supply businesses and infrastructure with energy. Communication and service delivery options can be boosted with access to information technology infrastructure. Such access is required to bridge the “digital divide” and realize the potential of digital services in
low-income countries or frontier markets. Show less

With the recent unprecedented growth in customer-sited solar photovoltaics (PV), forecasters expect
increased challenges for electric utilities — including grid constraints and reduced revenues. To mitigate these issues, regulated utilities are considering a wide range of strategies, such as rate restructuring, changes in net metering, and “value of solar” rates. One strategy that has been the subject of considerable debate is regulated utility-owned customer-sited solar (RUCS). EMI… Show more

With the recent unprecedented growth in customer-sited solar photovoltaics (PV), forecasters expect
increased challenges for electric utilities — including grid constraints and reduced revenues. To mitigate these issues, regulated utilities are considering a wide range of strategies, such as rate restructuring, changes in net metering, and “value of solar” rates. One strategy that has been the subject of considerable debate is regulated utility-owned customer-sited solar (RUCS). EMI Consulting conducted an extensive review of available literature and held discussions with key stakeholders to assess industry perspectives and explore current trends in RUCS. This fact sheet summarizing our key findings and provides a brief overview of the utility-owned solar landscape. Show less

Industrial continuous improvement programs are quickly gaining popularity as deeper
energy savings become more challenging to find. Continuous improvement programs identify
energy saving opportunities and achieve energy savings by helping industrial facilities
implement energy management techniques. As these programs continue to expand, it is crucial
for energy efficiency program implementers to understand the key factors that contribute toward
program successes. This paper… Show more

Industrial continuous improvement programs are quickly gaining popularity as deeper
energy savings become more challenging to find. Continuous improvement programs identify
energy saving opportunities and achieve energy savings by helping industrial facilities
implement energy management techniques. As these programs continue to expand, it is crucial
for energy efficiency program implementers to understand the key factors that contribute toward
program successes. This paper presents results from the 2014 evaluation of Consumers Energy’s
Industrial Continuous Improvement Pilot (ICIP,) identifying best practices and key factors that
contribute toward program successes and challenges. The ICIP program is designed to help
industrial facilities integrate Energy Management Systems (EnMS) into continuous improvement
processes to help reduce energy consumption, emissions, and operational costs. Key findings
from the paper include data on motivation for participation in the ICIP program, factors that
contribute toward participant satisfaction, best practices in performing energy audits and gap
analyses, a discussion of measurement and verification (M&V) methods, direct and indirect
energy savings impacts, and a discussion of program successes and opportunities. Findings
discussed in this paper will aid any program in raising participation levels, identifying savings
potential, and ultimately help to achieve deeper energy savings in the industrial sector Show less

The overall objective of this study is to assess the technical performance, economic performance,
as well as the barriers to market acceptance of several emerging solar heating and cooling
technologies. The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) seeks to understand the state of these technologies. EMI Consulting reviewed and compared various solar heating and cooling technologies in order to assess the technical performance, economic performance, as well as the barriers to market… Show more

The overall objective of this study is to assess the technical performance, economic performance,
as well as the barriers to market acceptance of several emerging solar heating and cooling
technologies. The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) seeks to understand the state of these technologies. EMI Consulting reviewed and compared various solar heating and cooling technologies in order to assess the technical performance, economic performance, as well as the barriers to market acceptance. The team assessed five technologies:
1. Transpired solar collectors
2. Glazed solar thermal air-heating
3. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in conjunction with air conditioners and heat pumps (Direct
and grid-tied)
4. Solar PV systems in conjunction with domestic hot water heat pumps
5. Hybrid solar thermal and solar electric technologies Show less

To determine the in-use energy consumption of an HPWH in different regions, annual simulations of 50 and 80 gallon HPWHs as well as a standard electric resistance water heater installed in conditioned and unconditioned spaces were performed for more than 900 locations across the U.S. The simulations included a benchmark home to account for interactions between the space conditioning equipment and the HPWH and a realistic hot water draw profile that varied between 45 and 60 gallons per day with… Show more

To determine the in-use energy consumption of an HPWH in different regions, annual simulations of 50 and 80 gallon HPWHs as well as a standard electric resistance water heater installed in conditioned and unconditioned spaces were performed for more than 900 locations across the U.S. The simulations included a benchmark home to account for interactions between the space conditioning equipment and the HPWH and a realistic hot water draw profile that varied between 45 and 60 gallons per day with local mains water temperature. Results showed that the HPWH will always save some
source energy compared to a standard electric water heater, although savings vary widely with location. In addition to source energy savings, the breakeven cost (the net installed cost an HPWH would have to have to be a cost neutral replacement for a standard water heater) was also
examined. The highest breakeven costs were seen in cases with high energy savings, such as the Southeast, or high energy rates, such as New England and California. Although the breakeven cost is higher for the 80 gallon HPWH than for the 50 gallon HPWH, the 80 gallon unit’s higher net installed costs makes it likely that the 50 gallon HPWH will be more cost effective.
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Navigant was retained by PG&E to develop a model that illustrates customer economics and the potential impact of different net energy metering (NEM) grandfathering options by market segment and system vintage in California. This report was made public as part of PG&E's comments to the public utilities commission of California. This report presents the results of the analysis for both host-owned and third-party (TPO) systems for the Residential and Commercial/Industrial (taxable) market sectors.… Show more

Navigant was retained by PG&E to develop a model that illustrates customer economics and the potential impact of different net energy metering (NEM) grandfathering options by market segment and system vintage in California. This report was made public as part of PG&E's comments to the public utilities commission of California. This report presents the results of the analysis for both host-owned and third-party (TPO) systems for the Residential and Commercial/Industrial (taxable) market sectors. This project is largely driven by the need to analyze potential grandfathering arrangements for existing NEM customers as required by California Assembly Bill (AB) 327.2

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A number of methods have been developed using remote sensing data to estimate rooftop area suitable for the installation of photovoltaics (PV) at various geospatial resolutions. This report reviews the literature and patents on methods for estimating rooftop-area appropriate for PV, including constant-value methods, manual selection methods, and GIS-based methods. This report also presents NREL’s proposed method for estimating suitable rooftop area for PV using Light Detection and Ranging… Show more

A number of methods have been developed using remote sensing data to estimate rooftop area suitable for the installation of photovoltaics (PV) at various geospatial resolutions. This report reviews the literature and patents on methods for estimating rooftop-area appropriate for PV, including constant-value methods, manual selection methods, and GIS-based methods. This report also presents NREL’s proposed method for estimating suitable rooftop area for PV using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data in conjunction with a GIS model to predict areas with appropriate slope, orientation, and sunlight. NREL’s method is validated against solar installation data from New Jersey, Colorado, and California to compare modeled results to actual on-the-ground measurements. Show less

Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) have recently reemerged in the U.S. residential water heating market and have the potential to provide homeowners with significant energy savings. However, there are questions as to the actual performance and energy savings potential of these units, in particular in regards to the heat pump's performance in unconditioned space and the impact of the heat pump on space heating and cooling loads when it is located in conditioned space. To help answer these… Show more

Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) have recently reemerged in the U.S. residential water heating market and have the potential to provide homeowners with significant energy savings. However, there are questions as to the actual performance and energy savings potential of these units, in particular in regards to the heat pump's performance in unconditioned space and the impact of the heat pump on space heating and cooling loads when it is located in conditioned space. To help answer these questions, simulations were performed of a HPWH in both conditioned and unconditioned space at over 900 locations across the continental United States and Hawaii. Simulations included a Building America benchmark home so that any interaction between the HPWH and the home's HVAC equipment could be captured. Comparisons were performed to typical gas and electric water heaters to determine the energy savings potential and cost effectiveness of a HPWH relative to these technologies. HPWHs were found to have a significant source energy savings potential when replacing typical electric water heaters, but only saved source energy relative to gas water heater in the most favorable installation locations in the southern US. When replacing an electric water heater, the HPWH is likely to break even in California, the southern US, and parts of the northeast in most situations. However, the HPWH will only break even when replacing a gas water heater in a few southern states. Show less

This report provides data and analysis of the land use associated with U.S. utility-scale ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) facilities. We present total and direct land-use results for various solar technologies and system configurations, on both a capacity and an electricity-generation basis. As of the third quarter of 2012, the solar projects we analyze represent 72% of installed and under-construction utility-scale PV and CSP capacity in the United States.

The photovoltaic (PV) breakeven price is the PV system price at which the cost of PV-generated electricity equals the cost of electricity purchased from the grid. This point is also called 'grid parity' and can be expressed as dollars per watt ($/W) of installed PV system capacity. Achieving the PV breakeven price depends on many factors, including the solar resource, local electricity prices, customer load profile, PV incentives, and financing. In the United States, where these factors vary… Show more

The photovoltaic (PV) breakeven price is the PV system price at which the cost of PV-generated electricity equals the cost of electricity purchased from the grid. This point is also called 'grid parity' and can be expressed as dollars per watt ($/W) of installed PV system capacity. Achieving the PV breakeven price depends on many factors, including the solar resource, local electricity prices, customer load profile, PV incentives, and financing. In the United States, where these factors vary substantially across regions, breakeven prices vary substantially across regions as well. In this study, we estimate current and future breakeven prices for PV systems installed on supermarkets in the United States. We also evaluate key drivers of current and future commercial PV breakeven prices by region. The results suggest that breakeven prices for PV systems installed on supermarkets vary significantly across the United States. Non-technical factors -- including electricity rates, rate structures, incentives, and the availability of system financing -- drive break-even prices more than technical factors like solar resource or system orientation. In 2020 (where we assume higher electricity prices and lower PV incentives), under base-case assumptions, we estimate that about 17% of supermarkets will be in utility territories where breakeven conditions exist at a PV system price of $3/W; this increases to 79% at $1.25/W (the DOE SunShot Initiative's commercial PV price target for 2020). These percentages increase to 26% and 91%, respectively, when rate structures favorable to PV are used. Show less

Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) have recently reemerged in the U.S. residential water heating market and have the potential to provide homeowners with significant energy savings over traditional electric resistance water heaters. HPWHs typically have a rated efficiency at least twice as high as electric resistance water heaters. However, there are questions as to the actual performance and energy savings potential of these units, in particular in regards to the heat pump’s performance in… Show more

Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) have recently reemerged in the U.S. residential water heating market and have the potential to provide homeowners with significant energy savings over traditional electric resistance water heaters. HPWHs typically have a rated efficiency at least twice as high as electric resistance water heaters. However, there are questions as to the actual performance and energy savings potential of these units, in particular in regards to the heat pump’s performance in unconditioned space and the impact of the heat pump on space heating and cooling loads. To help answer these questions, simulations were performed of a HPWH in both conditioned and unconditioned space at over 900 locations across the United States. Simulations included a benchmark residential home and included several combinations of space heating and cooling equipment so that the impact of the heat pump on the whole home’s annual energy consumption could be quantified. Show less

To identify the impacts of regional electricity prices and building type on the economics of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, 207 rate structures across 77 locations and 16 commercial building types were evaluated. Results for expected solar value are reported for each location and building type. Aggregated results are also reported, showing general trends across various impact categories.

This report provides data and analysis of the land use associated with utility-scale wind, photovoltaic (PV), concentrating solar power (CSP), and geothermal projects. The analysts evaluated 458 existing or proposed projects, representing (as of 2012 third quarter) 51% of installed wind capacity, 80% of PV and CSP capacity, and all known geothermal power plants in the United States. The report identifies two major land use classes: 1) direct area (land permanently or temporarily disturbed due… Show more

This report provides data and analysis of the land use associated with utility-scale wind, photovoltaic (PV), concentrating solar power (CSP), and geothermal projects. The analysts evaluated 458 existing or proposed projects, representing (as of 2012 third quarter) 51% of installed wind capacity, 80% of PV and CSP capacity, and all known geothermal power plants in the United States. The report identifies two major land use classes: 1) direct area (land permanently or temporarily disturbed due to physical infrastructure development), and 2) total area (land associated with the complete project that is owned or leased). Data are derived from project applications, environmental impact statements, satellite imagery, and other sources. Analysis attempts to identify relationships between land use, project technology, and plant configuration. The report also evaluates projects with higher-than-expected land use and investigates land required for environmental set-aside. Show less

This report presents results from the first U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored, bottom-up data-collection and analysis of non-hardware balance-of-system costs--often referred to as 'business process' or 'soft' costs--for residential and commercial photovoltaic (PV) systems.

In this report, we analyze PV break-even costs for U.S. residential customers. We evaluate some key drivers of grid parity both regionally and over time. We also examine the impact of moving from flat to time-of-use (TOU) rates, and we evaluate individual components of the break-even cost, including effect of rate structure and various incentives. Finally, we examine how PV markets might evolve on a regional basis considering the sensitivity of the break-even cost to four major drivers:… Show more

In this report, we analyze PV break-even costs for U.S. residential customers. We evaluate some key drivers of grid parity both regionally and over time. We also examine the impact of moving from flat to time-of-use (TOU) rates, and we evaluate individual components of the break-even cost, including effect of rate structure and various incentives. Finally, we examine how PV markets might evolve on a regional basis considering the sensitivity of the break-even cost to four major drivers: technical performance, financing parameters, electricity prices and rates, and policies. We find that electricity price rather than technical parameters are in general the key drivers of the break-even cost of PV. Additionally, this analysis provides insight about the potential viability of PV markets. Show less

Implications of future energy choices in the energy-water-land nexus. Presented at the World Renewable Energy Forum. May 14th, 2012. WREF Forum: Energy-Water Nexus: An International Perspective

Author/Presenter: Robin L. Newmark
Contributors: Jordan Macknick, Garvin Heath, Sean Ong, Paul Denholm, Robert Margolis, Billy Roberts

NREL/PR-6A20-54951

When modeling solar energy technologies and other distributed energy systems, using high-quality expansive electricity rates is essential. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a utility rate platform for entering, storing, updating, and accessing a large collection of utility rates from around the United States. This utility rate platform lives on the Open Energy Information (OpenEI) website, OpenEI.org, allowing the data to be programmatically accessed from a web browser… Show more

When modeling solar energy technologies and other distributed energy systems, using high-quality expansive electricity rates is essential. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a utility rate platform for entering, storing, updating, and accessing a large collection of utility rates from around the United States. This utility rate platform lives on the Open Energy Information (OpenEI) website, OpenEI.org, allowing the data to be programmatically accessed from a web browser, using an application programming interface (API). The semantic-based utility rate platform currently has record of 1,885 utility rates and covers over 85% of the electricity consumption in the United States. Show less

A variety of electrical energy storage technologies have been proposed to help integrate variable and uncertain renewable energy resources such as solar PV and wind. An emerging electricity storage technology is cold storage for space cooling. Since peak electricity demand in most of the United States is driven by air conditioning, cold storage provides an opportunity to store low value renewable generation occurring during off-peak periods. This includes some unusable mid-day solar generation… Show more

A variety of electrical energy storage technologies have been proposed to help integrate variable and uncertain renewable energy resources such as solar PV and wind. An emerging electricity storage technology is cold storage for space cooling. Since peak electricity demand in most of the United States is driven by air conditioning, cold storage provides an opportunity to store low value renewable generation occurring during off-peak periods. This includes some unusable mid-day solar generation that can occur at high penetration. Advantages of cold storage include potentially low cost relative to several other storage technologies, as well as very high effective round trip efficiency. A significant disadvantage is that cold storage is tied to a single application (space conditioning) which limits its flexibility. This paper explores the temporal characteristics of space cooling demand and the benefits of cold storage to reduce renewable energy curtailment in the southwestern United States. Show less

This paper describes a simple method to estimate hourly cooling demand from historical utility load data. It compares total hourly demand to demand on cool days and compares these estimates of total cooling demand to previous regional and national estimates. Load profiles generated from this method may be used to estimate the potential for aggregated demand response or load shifting via cold storage.

This paper presents results from the first U.S. based data collection effort to quantify non-hardware, business process costs for PV systems at the residential and commercial scales, using a bottom-up approach. Annual expenditure and labor hour productivity data are analyzed to benchmark business process costs in the specific areas of: (1) customer acquisition; (2) permitting, inspection, and interconnection; (3) labor costs of third party financing; and (4) installation labor. Annual cost and… Show more

This paper presents results from the first U.S. based data collection effort to quantify non-hardware, business process costs for PV systems at the residential and commercial scales, using a bottom-up approach. Annual expenditure and labor hour productivity data are analyzed to benchmark business process costs in the specific areas of: (1) customer acquisition; (2) permitting, inspection, and interconnection; (3) labor costs of third party financing; and (4) installation labor. Annual cost and labor hour data were collected from 87 installers. After eliminating outliers, the survey sample consists of 75 installers, representing approximately 13% and 4% of 2010 added PV installations at the residential and commercial scales, respectively. Results indicate that business process costs benchmarked in this analysis (including assumed permitting fees) total $1.52/W for residential systems (ranging from $0.66/W to $1.66/W between the 20th and 80th percentiles). For commercial systems, the survey results suggest business process costs of $0.99/W for systems <250kW (ranging from $0.51/W to $1.45/W between the 20th and 80th percentiles), and $0.25/W for systems >250kW (ranging from $0.17/W to $0.78/W between the 20th and 80th percentiles). We conclude that business process costs present significant opportunities for efficiency gains and cost reductions. Show less

The SunShot Vision Study provides an in-depth assessment of the potential for solar technologies to meet a significant share of electricity demand in the United States during the next several decades. The DOE study explores a future in which the cost of solar technologies decreases by about 75% between 2010 and 2020 in line with the SunShot Initiative's cost targets. With a focus on photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP), the SunShot Vision Study examines the potential pathways,… Show more

The SunShot Vision Study provides an in-depth assessment of the potential for solar technologies to meet a significant share of electricity demand in the United States during the next several decades. The DOE study explores a future in which the cost of solar technologies decreases by about 75% between 2010 and 2020 in line with the SunShot Initiative's cost targets. With a focus on photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP), the SunShot Vision Study examines the potential pathways, barriers, and implications of achieving the SunShot Initiative price reduction targets and resulting market penetration levels. Show less

In recent years, Michigan has seen an increase in grid-connected photovoltaics (PV), with
1.9 MW installed in 2010, bringing the total grid-connected PV capacity to 2.6 MW (Sherwood
2011). As solar technologies become more prominent in Michigan’s electric generation portfolio,
it is increasingly important to understand the value it provides to the state’s electric utilities and
citizens. This study estimates the value of PV generation in Michigan by comparing hourly… Show more

In recent years, Michigan has seen an increase in grid-connected photovoltaics (PV), with
1.9 MW installed in 2010, bringing the total grid-connected PV capacity to 2.6 MW (Sherwood
2011). As solar technologies become more prominent in Michigan’s electric generation portfolio,
it is increasingly important to understand the value it provides to the state’s electric utilities and
citizens. This study estimates the value of PV generation in Michigan by comparing hourly solar
generation with hourly electricity prices from specific years. This study also considers other
value components that have been quantified in previous PV valuation studies and uses these to
estimate similar value components for PV installed in Michigan. Show less

This report focuses on solar market trends through December 31, 2010; it provides an overview of the U.S. solar electricity market, including photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies, identifies successes and trends within the market from both global and U.S. perspectives, and offers a general overview of the state of the solar energy market.

For more than 30 years, there have been strong efforts to accelerate the deployment of solar-electric systems by developing photovoltaic (PV) products that are fully integrated with building materials. This report examines the status of building-integrated PV (BIPV), with a focus on the cost drivers of residential rooftop systems, and explores key opportunities and challenges in the marketplace.

This paper examines the regional, technical, and economic performance of residential rooftop solar water heating (SWH) technology in the U.S. It focuses on the application of SWH to consumers in the U.S. currently using electricity for water heating, which currently uses over 120 billion kWh per year. The variation in electrical energy savings due to water heating use, inlet water temperature and solar resource is estimated and applied to determine the regional “break-even” cost of SWH where… Show more

This paper examines the regional, technical, and economic performance of residential rooftop solar water heating (SWH) technology in the U.S. It focuses on the application of SWH to consumers in the U.S. currently using electricity for water heating, which currently uses over 120 billion kWh per year. The variation in electrical energy savings due to water heating use, inlet water temperature and solar resource is estimated and applied to determine the regional “break-even” cost of SWH where the life-cycle cost of SWH is equal the life-cycle energy savings. For a typical residential consumer, a SWH system will reduce water heating energy demand by 50–85%, or a savings of 1600–2600 kWh per year. For the largest 1000 electric utilities serving residential customers in the United States as of 2008, this corresponds to an annual electric bill savings range of about $100 to over $300, reflecting the large range in residential electricity prices. This range in electricity prices, along with a variety of incentives programs corresponds to a break-even cost of SWH in the United States varying by more than a factor of five (from less than $2250/system to over $10,000/system excluding Hawaii and Alaska), despite a much smaller variation in the amount of energy saved by the systems (a factor of approximately one and a half). We also consider the relationships between collector area and technical performance, SWH price and solar fraction (percent of daily energy requirements supplied by the SWH system) and examine the key drivers behind break-even costs. Show less

Schools in California often have a choice between multiple electricity rate options. For schools with photovoltaic (PV) installations, choosing the right rate is essential to maximize the value of PV generation. The rate option that minimizes a school?s electricity expenses often does not remain the most economical choice after the school installs a PV system. The complex interaction between PV generation, building load, and rate structure makes determining the best rate a challenging task… Show more

Schools in California often have a choice between multiple electricity rate options. For schools with photovoltaic (PV) installations, choosing the right rate is essential to maximize the value of PV generation. The rate option that minimizes a school?s electricity expenses often does not remain the most economical choice after the school installs a PV system. The complex interaction between PV generation, building load, and rate structure makes determining the best rate a challenging task. This report evaluates 22 rate structures across three of California?s largest electric utilities--Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E)--in order to identify common rate structure attributes that are favorable to PV installations. Show less

This paper examines the break-even cost for residential rooftop solar water heating (SWH) technology, defined as the point where the cost of the energy saved with a SWH system equals the cost of a conventional heating fuel purchased from the grid (either electricity or natural gas). We examine the break-even cost for the largest 1,000 electric and natural gas utilities serving residential customers in the United States as of 2008. Currently, the break-even cost of SWH in the United States… Show more

This paper examines the break-even cost for residential rooftop solar water heating (SWH) technology, defined as the point where the cost of the energy saved with a SWH system equals the cost of a conventional heating fuel purchased from the grid (either electricity or natural gas). We examine the break-even cost for the largest 1,000 electric and natural gas utilities serving residential customers in the United States as of 2008. Currently, the break-even cost of SWH in the United States varies by more than a factor of five for both electricity and natural gas, despite a much smaller variation in the amount of energy saved by the systems (a factor of approximately one and a half). The break-even price for natural gas is lower than that for electricity due to a lower fuel cost. We also consider the relationship between SWH price and solar fraction and examine the key drivers behind break-even costs. Overall, the key drivers of the break-even cost of SWH are a combination of fuel price, local incentives, and technical factors including the solar resource location, system size, and hot water draw. Show less

This analysis uses simulated building data, simulated solar photovoltaic (PV) data, and actual electric utility tariff data from 25 cities to understand better the impacts of different commercial rate structures on the value of solar PV systems. By analyzing and comparing 55 unique rate structures across the United States, this study seeks to identify the rate components that have the greatest effect on the value of PV systems. Understanding the beneficial components of utility tariffs can both… Show more

This analysis uses simulated building data, simulated solar photovoltaic (PV) data, and actual electric utility tariff data from 25 cities to understand better the impacts of different commercial rate structures on the value of solar PV systems. By analyzing and comparing 55 unique rate structures across the United States, this study seeks to identify the rate components that have the greatest effect on the value of PV systems. Understanding the beneficial components of utility tariffs can both assist decision makers in choosing appropriate rate structures and influence the development of rates that favor the deployment of PV systems. Results from this analysis show that a PV system's value decreases with increasing demand charges. Findings also indicate that time-of-use rate structures with peaks coincident with PV production and wide ranges between on- and off-peak prices most benefit the types of buildings and PV systems simulated. By analyzing a broad set of rate structures from across the United States, this analysis provides an insight into the range of impacts that current U.S. rate structures have on PV systems. Show less

This report focuses on solar market trends through December 31, 2008; it provides an overview of the U.S. solar electricity market, including photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies, identifies successes and trends within the market from both global and U.S. perspectives, and offers a general overview of the state of the solar energy market.

Grid parity--or break-even cost--for photovoltaic (PV) technology is defined as the point where the cost of PV-generated electricity equals the cost of electricity purchased from the grid. Break-even cost is expressed in $/W of an installed system. Achieving break-even cost is a function of many variables. Consequently, break-even costs vary by location and time for a country, such as the United States, with a diverse set of resources, electricity prices, and other variables. In this report, we… Show more

Grid parity--or break-even cost--for photovoltaic (PV) technology is defined as the point where the cost of PV-generated electricity equals the cost of electricity purchased from the grid. Break-even cost is expressed in $/W of an installed system. Achieving break-even cost is a function of many variables. Consequently, break-even costs vary by location and time for a country, such as the United States, with a diverse set of resources, electricity prices, and other variables. In this report, we analyze PV break-even costs for U.S. residential customers. We evaluate some key drivers of grid parity both regionally and over time. We also examine the impact of moving from flat to time-of-use (TOU) rates, and we evaluate individual components of the break-even cost, including effect of rate structure and various incentives. Finally, we examine how PV markets might evolve on a regional basis considering the sensitivity of the break-even cost to four major drivers: technical performance, financing parameters, electricity prices and rates, and policies. We find that local incentives rather than ?technical? parameters are in general the key drivers of the break-even cost of PV. Additionally, this analysis provides insight about the potential viability of PV markets. Show less

This report provides data and analysis of the land use associated with modern, large wind power plants (defined as greater than 20 megawatts (MW) and constructed after 2000). The analysis discusses standard land-use metrics as established in the life-cycle assessment literature, and then discusses their applicability to wind power plants. The report identifies two major 'classes' of wind plant land use: 1) direct impact (i.e., disturbed land due to physical infrastructure development), and 2)… Show more

This report provides data and analysis of the land use associated with modern, large wind power plants (defined as greater than 20 megawatts (MW) and constructed after 2000). The analysis discusses standard land-use metrics as established in the life-cycle assessment literature, and then discusses their applicability to wind power plants. The report identifies two major 'classes' of wind plant land use: 1) direct impact (i.e., disturbed land due to physical infrastructure development), and 2) total area (i.e., land associated with the complete wind plant project). The analysis also provides data for each of these classes, derived from project applications, environmental impact statements, and other sources. It attempts to identify relationships among land use, wind plant configuration, and geography. The analysts evaluated 172 existing or proposed projects, which represents more than 26 GW of capacity. In addition to providing land-use data and summary statistics, they identify several limitations to the existing wind project area data sets, and suggest additional analysis that could aid in evaluating actual land use and impacts associated with deployment of wind energy. Show less

Analysts have found increasing evidence that rate structure has impacts on the economics of solar systems. This paper uses 2007 15-minute interval photovoltaic (PV) system and load data from two San Diego City water treatment facilities to illustrate impacts of different rate designs. The comparison is based on rates available in San Diego at the time of data collection and include proportionately small to large demand charges (relative to volumetric consumption), and varying on- and off- peak… Show more

Analysts have found increasing evidence that rate structure has impacts on the economics of solar systems. This paper uses 2007 15-minute interval photovoltaic (PV) system and load data from two San Diego City water treatment facilities to illustrate impacts of different rate designs. The comparison is based on rates available in San Diego at the time of data collection and include proportionately small to large demand charges (relative to volumetric consumption), and varying on- and off- peak times. Findings are twofold for these large commercial systems: 1) transferring costs into demand charges does not result in savings and 2) changes in peak times do not result in a major cost difference during the course of a year. While lessons learned and discussion on rate components are based on the findings, the applicability is limited to buildings with similar systems, environments, rate options, and loads. Show less