California gets first transmission-connected solar farm
"California gets first transmission-connected solar farm"
Share:
The variable nature of wind and solar resources has always been one of the knocks on renewable energy, under the theory that integrating unpredictable resources will make it impossible to manage the electric grid. However, recent research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory indicates that the electric grid is capable of accommodating much larger amounts of renewable energy than we currently use.
A new California solar project proves variable resource integration can happen in the real world, not just in computer simulations. CAP’s Richard Caperton has the story.
The CalRENEW-1 project, built by Meridian Energy near Mendota, California, is the first solar farm in California to be connected to the transmission grid. Prior to this 5 MW project, every solar project in the state had been connected to distribution lines, no matter how big the project.
Arguably the biggest hurdle to getting connected to the transmission grid is receiving approval from the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which manages California’s transmission grid. According to Climatewire (subscription required):
“Meridian had to meet stringent requirements set by the grid operator and by Pacific Gas & Electric, the Northern California utility that is buying the plant’s output. It had to upgrade its transformer to handle 10 percent above its maximum planned output and install phone lines throughout, which took eight months alone, according to Jake Rudisill, a consultant on the project.”
Spending eight months installing phone lines for a project is hardly practical and can’t be the standard for these projects in the future. Speaking at the dedication, California PUC Commissioner John Bohn reminded everyone just how difficult it is for renewable projects to deal with bureaucratic structures that only work well for fossil fuel projects. In language more colorful than one would usually expect from a regulator, he said, “”It demonstrates enormous persistence on the part of the developer. Sometimes getting anything done in California is a huge pain in the panties.”
Indeed, NREL’s analysis indicates that the biggest barriers to renewable integration aren’t technical, but regulatory. For instance, most wholesale power providers have to submit their generation plans to transmission system operators on an hourly basis. But, renewable resources are difficult to predict sixty minutes into the future. One solution would be to schedule power on a shorter time frame, such as fifteen minutes.
While CalRENEW-1 is a giant step forward, this doesn’t mean that every solar project should be connected to transmission lines. This project only had to build about 300 feet of new line to connect to existing transmission, so the additional infrastructure costs were much less than other projects. And, there are significant benefits to having smaller solar developments tied directly to distribution lines, since this helps utilities manage their system. This project does, however, open the way forward for much larger, utility-scale developments, which will be absolutely necessary to California meeting its 33% RPS goal.
Guest blogger Richard Caperton is a member of the Center for American Progress Energy Opportunity Team.
FRONT
“But, renewable resources are difficult to predict sixty minutes into the future. One solution would be to schedule power on a shorter time frame, such as fifteen minutes.”
I think it is worth to point out here, how the EU/Africa is approaching the energy demand and availability.
This image shows the desertec approach
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DESERTEC-Map_large.jpg
Interconnected energy grid – a first step towards an EU energy community
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/051-75598-158-06-24-909-20100607STO75585-2010-07-06-2010/default_en.htm
This from the Missoulan (pointed out to me first by the Sightline Daily from the Sightline Institute) shows how scheduling power sales on a shorter interval is working for renewables (wind) now:
http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_8bbb3cc6-6b91-11df-859b-001cc4c002e0.html
Dang! That’s Missoulian, with two “i”s.
The journey of a thousand miles …
It is very nice and helpful information, success for you.
If you are mind, please give me a comment or advice on my blog,an English language blog about on california gets first transmission connected solar farm. A billion thanks for you.
“Indeed, NREL’s analysis indicates that the biggest barriers to renewable integration aren’t technical, but regulatory. For instance, most wholesale power providers have to submit their generation plans to transmission system operators on an hourly basis. But, renewable resources are difficult to predict sixty minutes into the future.”
Inability to deliver predictable power sounds like a technical problem to me. Why doesn’t the plant include the fast-reacting gas turbine needed to make its power reliable? Or a contract with such a plant elsewhere?
Please someone explain why phone lines are needed.
FYI, an interesting page showing CA’s power demand and supply through each day:
http://www.caiso.com/outlook/SystemStatus.html
This page has been helpful to me in an unexpected way: it’s given me a good, “bigger picture” perspective on how significant a given announced power project is. That is, from this page I know that California’s peak demand is usually around 30GW (at least currently; I haven’t been watching it all year), and the overnight “baseload” demand is around 20-25 GW. So if a read about a 500MW solar project, I have a better feel for how significant that is than the usual “it powers 250,000 homes” statement gives me.
The page also has a nice tracker of renewables production through the day, which also helps me get a feel for how the different types can work together.
Please someone explain why phone lines are needed
My guess … and it is only a guess … is that ‘phone lines’ are ‘telecommunication lines’ and are tied into centralized computerized monitoring and maintenance of ‘the grid.’
9. Ron — curious… Mendota surely already had some kind of high speed data line. If not, it’s 30 miles to Fresno/Clovis… eight months? Maybe the transformer upgrade is what took 8 months, not the phone/data line install.
Doug Meserve:
“… California’s peak demand is usually around 30GW (at least currently; I haven’t been watching it all year) …”
The winter peak demand is about 30 GW, in the evening; the summer peak on hot weekdays is about 40 GW, in the late afternoon.
“The page also has a nice tracker of renewables production through the day, which also helps me get a feel for how the different types can work together.”
Where?
To see total wind generation in the Northwest for the last 7 days,
http://www.transmission.bpa.gov/Business/Operations/Wind/baltwg.aspx