Good news or bad? Solar surpasses wind in California
Smart Grid News|Barbara Vergetis Lundin|April 29, 2016
Public records from CAISO (California Independent System Operator) indicate that over the past five years, grid-connected, utility-scale solar generation in California increased 15-fold -- from a total of 1,000 GWh in 2011 to 15,592 GWh in 2015, composing 6.7 percent of the system total and surpassing wind for the first time, which made up 5.3 percent of the system total.
Public records from CAISO (California Independent System Operator) indicate that over the past five years, grid-connected, utility-scale solar generation in California increased 15-fold -- from a total of 1,000 GWh in 2011 to 15,592 GWh in 2015, composing 6.7 percent of the system total and surpassing wind for the first time, which made up 5.3 percent of the system total.
In 2015, energy from grid-connected, utility-scale solar plants surpassed wind for the first time in California, according to analysis from environmental and industrial measurement company Vaisala.
While this is an exciting milestone for the solar industry, the rise of solar also brings with it a demand for better forecasting information to cope with the challenges that the increase in variable generation poses to the regional energy system.
California has been a national leader in renewables since first establishing its Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in 2002, and, with a 50 percent RPS mandate recently signed into law, it is likely to maintain its position for years to come, Vaisala says; the state is still one of the largest U.S. …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]In 2015, energy from grid-connected, utility-scale solar plants surpassed wind for the first time in California, according to analysis from environmental and industrial measurement company Vaisala.
While this is an exciting milestone for the solar industry, the rise of solar also brings with it a demand for better forecasting information to cope with the challenges that the increase in variable generation poses to the regional energy system.
California has been a national leader in renewables since first establishing its Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in 2002, and, with a 50 percent RPS mandate recently signed into law, it is likely to maintain its position for years to come, Vaisala says; the state is still one of the largest U.S. wind markets in terms of capacity, but the exponential growth of large-scale solar in recent years has considerably altered the structure of the regional energy market.
Public records from CAISO (California Independent System Operator) indicate that over the past five years, grid-connected, utility-scale solar generation in California increased 15-fold -- from a total of 1,000 GWh in 2011 to 15,592 GWh in 2015, composing 6.7 percent of the system total and surpassing wind for the first time, which made up 5.3 percent of the system total.
High solar market penetration benefits the state with lower carbon emissions and lower electricity prices, given that there is no associated fuel cost. However, as solar capacity has grown, so too has the effect of its variability on the market. As supply rises and falls, system volatility increases, influencing prices. In order to minimize price while maximizing clean energy generation, it is essential that the market is able to anticipate these supply swings and respond accordingly.
"California's continued commitment to renewable energy is very encouraging and creates a great deal of opportunity for the industry," said Pascal Storck, global manager of Energy Services at Vaisala. "But, as we've seen in many markets around the world, rapid capacity growth also inevitably places strain on regional systems."
For more:
- see this fact sheet