Solar Is a Booming Business, but It’s Still Not Generating Much of Our Power

[OKIsItJustMe]

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601053/solar-is-a-booming-business-but-its-still-not-generating-much-of-our-power/#/set/id/601115/

[font face=Serif][font size=5]Solar Is a Booming Business, but It’s Still Not Generating Much of Our Power[/font]

[font size=4]Solar capacity is on the rise, but it still accounts for only about 1 percent of the world’s electricity.[/font]

by Mike Orcutt March 23, 2016

[font size=3]The solar industry is growing fast. Led by China, the United States, and Japan, the world will install nearly 65 gigawatts of new solar generating capacity this year—up from 54 gigawatts in 2015 and four times the amount installed in 2010.

Solar now represents somewhere between 3 and 4 percent of the world’s total generating capacity. But capacity, which is the maximum amount of electricity that a power plant can supply and varies according to the amount of sunlight available, is a lot different from the amount of electricity a plant actually generates. In 2014, only about 0.8 percent of the world’s electricity came from the sun. Last year, solar power may have finally covered more than 1 percent of global energy demand.



In 2014, 19 countries, most in Europe, produced at least 1 percent of their electricity using photovoltaic panels. Germany gets more than 7 percent of its electricity from solar. Japan gets 2.5 percent from solar. Meanwhile, China and the U.S.—the two biggest builders of solar capacity in 2016—have yet to officially cross the 1 percent line.[/font][/font]

[NickB79]

1. We aren't taking old fossil fuel plants out of the mix nearly fast enough

The coal and gas-fired plants built over the past 20-50 years, that are still expected to keep chugging away for another 20-50 years, are overwhelming the gains made from renewables.

In an ideal world, we'd put a moratorium on new generating capacity until fossil fuels were below 80% of the mix, to force the closure of old fossil fuel plants.

[Baobab]

2. What do you think of US winning the recent case against India for local sourcing?

Today, a WTO dispute panel ruled in favor of an Obama Administration challenge to India’s solar program—a program that bears a strong resemblance to solar programs in many U.S. states.

India’s solar initiative, known as the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), is designed to boost the nation’s renewable energy use and create local, green jobs. India’s program requires the purchase of domestically manufactured solar cells and modules in order for companies to receive a variety of government benefits, including favorable rates for electricity purchases. The U.S. Trade Representative charged that India’s “local content requirements” violate WTO national treatment obligations (which require foreign firms to be treated the same as domestic firms). The WTO agreed.

In responding to the WTO ruling, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman issued a warning to other governments attempting to support local, green businesses: “This is an important outcome, not just as it applies to this case, but for the message it sends to other countries considering discriminatory `localization’ policies.”

Prior to the global climate talks in Paris, India (the world’s third largest carbon polluter) announced a major effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Expanding the nation’s solar capacity was a key part of that effort. India can choose to appeal the WTO ruling, negotiate with the U.S. to reform the program or face trade sanctions from the U.S. The decision creates enormous pressure on India to change the law. A recent WTO ruling against the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling requirement for beef, for example, led to Congress overturning the law before the actual levels of sanctions were even determined.

This is not the first time the WTO has ruled against renewable energy programs designed to create local, green jobs. Yesterday’s dispute ruling cited a 2013 WTO ruling in favor of an EU and Japanese government challenge to Ontario, Canada’s “feed-in tariff” renewable energy incentive program. That ruling determined that the Ontario program’s local content requirements for solar panels and other renewable sources favored domestic over foreign companies.

Today’s WTO solar dispute ruling also revealed the potential vulnerability of U.S. state solar programs. In India’s defense of its solar program, the country pointed out (subscription required) that several U.S. state programs are also structured to create green jobs and spur renewable energy by providing a variety of benefits for solar manufacturing and sourcing within each state. For example, Minnesota’s Solar Rewards Program enables residential and commercial customers to access a solar rebate program to install photovoltaic (PV) systems, but the PV module must be manufactured in Minnesota. Delaware provides solar renewable energy credits if 50 percent of the cost of energy equipment is manufactured in Delaware. Massachusetts has a rebate program requiring PVs to be manufactured in Massachusetts or have a “significant” presence in the state. Connecticut has incentive programs for the use of major system components manufactured or assembled in the state. According to the Sierra Club, nearly half of U.S. states have similar programs to promote renewable energy.

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. It’s a complicated issue

My priority is for us to eliminate greenhouse emissions. One way to help is to increase the use of solar power. Presumably, if India’s program did not insist on using panels made in India, then, they would buy cheaper panels, and for the same amount of money put more panels in place.

On the other hand, to put panels in place requires manufacturing them, which we need to do on a global scale. So, India should be producing them, along with China and the US and…

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35668342

[font face=Serif][font size=5]Is the US undermining India's solar power programme?[/font]

Justin Rowlatt
South Asia correspondent

27 February 2016 | India

[font size=4]Whatever happened to all the talk of international co-operation to tackle climate change that we heard during the climate conference in Paris just a few months ago?[/font]

[font size=3]That is what many environmentalists are asking after the United States delivered a damaging blow to India's ambitious solar power programme this week.

…

"The ink is barely dry on the UN Paris Climate Agreement, but clearly trade still trumps real action on climate change," Sam Cossar-Gilbert of Friends of the Earth International said in a statement.

But is the decision really as damaging as many commentators seem to think?

…[/font][/font]

[Baobab]

4. Its also about installing them, So now if we can come in with the winning lowest bid, US workers

can install solar panels in India and vice versa.

That kind of thing is expected to ramp up a great deal in the coming years.