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Wind and Solar Cross 10% U.S. Generation Share as Prices for Solar Keep Falling

June 19, 2017

Marking a significant milestone, power generation from the combined utility-scale and small-scale wind and solar installations in the U.S. surpassed 10% of the nation’s total power generation in March, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The news comes on the heels of an announcement last week by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) that installed system prices for solar systems have fallen across all market segments. Also for the first time, fixed-tilt utility-scale systems dipped under the $ 1/W barrier, SEIA said.

Breaking the Barrier—on a Gigawatt-Watt Level

The EIA said on June 14 that generation from wind and solar has grown steadily since 2007. On an annual basis, wind and solar generation made up 7% of total U.S. power generation in 2016.

The EIA noted that wind and solar follow seasonal patterns. Wind patterns vary based on geography. Wind generators in Texas and Oklahoma, for example, have their highest output in spring, while California generators see a boost in output in the summer.…

“Fitness for Purpose” Obligations for the Offshore Wind Sector

February 1, 2017

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The United States has just joined the offshore wind community with the commissioning of the Block Island Wind Farm in Rhode Island. As this community continues to grow, any decision of a common law court that provides guidance on the interpretation of contractual terms, or of the application of established common law to this new and fast-growing industry, is welcome. A recent decision by the UK’s Technology and Construction Court (TCC) contains important guidance on “fitness for purpose” obligations in a supplier contract and how these obligations apply to an offshore wind project.

Fluor entered into a contract with Greater Gabbard Offshore Winds Ltd. (GGOWL) to supply the foundations and infrastructure necessary to support 140 wind turbines for the Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm in the North Sea, some 26 kilometers off the coast of Suffolk, England. To ensure the quality of the welds in these massive structures, the contract required that nondestructive testing (NDT) be carried out on the foundation monopiles, which were in turn supplied by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co.…

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Finalizes Rule on Wind Turbine Eagle Deaths

December 14, 2016

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on December 14 finalized the latest version of its rule governing permitted levels of eagle deaths at wind turbine farms.

The rule, first issued in 2009, governs the FWS’s administration of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which makes it a criminal offense to kill or injure a bald or golden eagle. However, the law allows for certain “incidental take”—unintentional deaths due to otherwise lawful activities—leaving it to the FWS to decide what activities qualify and how they are to be monitored.

Contentious Issue

The deaths of eagles and other birds at wind turbine farms has become a highly charged issue in recent years, one that cuts across many of the usual political battle lines. Some environmental and wildlife groups have lobbied for stricter controls while others have argued the impact of replacing fossil fuels with wind represents a net gain for bird populations. Many of the companies that own and operate wind farms in the U.S.…

Natural Gas and Wind Are Cheapest Sources of Power in Majority of U.S.

December 12, 2016

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In a finding that is likely to boost controversy over the future of U.S. energy policy, a comprehensive study of the full levelized cost of energy (LCOE) from various sources of electricity conducted by the University of Texas (UT) at Austin’s Energy Institute found that wind turbines and natural gas combined cycle power plants (CCPPs) provide the least expensive options for new generation across a large majority of U.S. counties.

The study, “New U.S. Power Costs: By County, with Environmental Externalities,” is part of an ongoing initiative at UT that attempts to take a “holistic approach” to calculating both direct and indirect costs of generating electricity.

The Institute has placed the results online in the form of an interactive tool that allows comparison of the LCOE for various options and adjustment of fuel costs. (The tool also makes some assumptions about the suitability of certain generation in various locations; for example, there are areas that would be unsuitable for fossil plants for environmental reasons.)…

Largest Wind Turbine Contest Gets Another Entrant

July 9, 2016

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Siemens on July 5 entered the competition for the largest wind turbine in the world with an upgrade of its SWT-7.0-154 model. The new SWT-8.0-154 turbine boosts power output over the earlier model through upgraded magnet technology. Other components remain largely the same over the earlier model and the smaller SWT-6.0-154 turbine, Siemens said.

The firm thus joins two others offering 8-MW wind turbines: MHI Vestas and Gamesa and Areva’s joint venture Adwen. Deciding which model is “largest” depends on how one defines the term, though. All are rated at 8 MW, but the MHI Vestas V164 has a larger rotor diameter at 164 meters (m) than the 154-m Siemens model.

Adwen’s AD-180 has the largest rotor diameter—at 180 m—of any commercially available design, but none have yet been constructed. Adwen and Danish firm LM Windpower completed the first AD-180 blade in June, each of which is just over 88 m long (Figure 1). The blades will be used for the AD-180 prototype planned to be built at a site in Germany later this year.…

DOE Ditches Two Major Offshore Wind Demonstration Projects

June 1, 2016

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The Department of Energy (DOE) has pulled back funding for two proposed offshore wind demonstration projects spearheaded separately by Dominion Virginia Power and Principle Power, bolstering its support instead for projects it says demonstrate more progress or potential.

The funding decision stems from the agency’s 2012 selection of seven offshore demonstration projects, whic…
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