BEST UTILITIES FOR SUN

Utilities Are Influencing Solar Markets In New Ways

18 April 2012 (Renew Grid)

"Solar power s the fastest-growing electricity source for utilities…In 2011, utilities interconnected over 62,500 photovoltaic (PV) systems…SEPA's fifth annual Top 10 Utility Solar Rankings analyzes the amount of new solar power interconnected by U.S. electric utilities in 2011. It covers more than 240 of the most solar-active utilities, representing more than 99% of the U.S. solar electric power marketplace.

"Thirteen utilities interconnected more than 1,000 PV systems, and 22 utilities interconnected more than 500 systems. This annual volume of smaller, distributed solar interconnections is unlike anything the utility industry has previously managed, and conservative forecasts indicate that this number will grow to more than 150,000 interconnections in 2015, according to SEPA."

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"However, the magnitude of these numbers poses strategic questions related to how utilities will physically process this volume of interconnection requests, how the distribution grid will accommodate this high-penetration growth, and how the utility and solar industries will resolve the economic implications of reduced sales of electricity.

"The nation's most solar-active utilities integrated almost 1.5 GW of new solar - equivalent to six natural-gas power plants - breaking the 1 GW threshold for the first time…[and] 15 utilities reported integrating more than 20 MW each, and eight reported integrating more than 50 MW each. While residential homes accounted for more than 89% of the installations, commercial rooftop installations accounted for more than 53% of the capacity…These 2011 numbers represent a 38% growth in the number of installations and a 120% growth in the capacity installed over 2010. SEPA expects continued growth this year, driven by sustained price decreases and a build-out of large solar power plant contracts…"