Solar power in Alabama explained

Solar power in Alabama on rooftops could theoretically provide 29.8% of all electricity used in Alabama, with 20,400 MW of solar panels potentially installed on rooftops.[1]

Alabama was ranked 50th among US states for solar power in 2020, and 35th in Q1 of 2021, with .027% of the state's power generated by solar.[2]

Net metering

Offering net metering is required by federal law, but Alabama is one of only four states to not have adopted a statewide policy on net metering, which means it needs to be negotiated with the utility.[3] IREC best practices, based on experience, recommends no limits to net metering, individual or aggregate, and perpetual roll over of kWh credits.[4]

Alabama Power has installed four types of solar panels in Birmingham that can be monitored on the Internet.[5] The company will pay up to 4.81¢/kWh during the summer and 3.93¢/kWh in the winter for excess generation from up to 100 kW systems.[6] Peak power rates are weekdays, 1 to 7 pm in summer and 5 to 9 am in winter.[7] Customers choosing the Time Advantage Energy rate pay 7¢/kWh during winter peak periods and 25¢/kWh during summer peak periods. Off peak is charged 5¢/kWh. Using time advantage requires a time of use meter, and the base charge is increased by $10.50 each month.[8]

Solar power projects

In 2010, one of Alabama's largest solar arrays was the 25 kW system installed at the Coastal Response Center, in Coden, Alabama.[9] [10] A $250,000 economic stimulus grant was used to install 156 solar panels on Anniston's Museum of Natural History, which was completed on August 24, 2011.[11] The output of this 25.2 kW system can also be monitored online.[12]

River Bend Solar, completed in 2016, contributes 75 MW capacity to the TVA power grid, and reduces carbon emissions by 100,000 tons annually.[13]

LaFayette Solar Farm in LaFayette, completed in 2019, supplies 79.2 MW to Walmart.[14] [15] [16]

In 2021, Covington Electric Cooperative, which is constructing a 100 kW solar array, is the only rural electric cooperative in Alabama with a community solar program.[17]

Solar panel manufacturing

In 2019, LG Electronics opened a solar panel manufacturing plant in Huntsville.[18] [19]

Statistics

ImageSize = width:420 height:240PlotArea = width:350 height:150 left:40 bottom:40AlignBars = late

DateFormat = x.yPeriod = from:0 till:6TimeAxis = orientation:verticalScaleMajor = unit:month increment:1 start:0

TextData = pos:(15,220) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:hrs pos:(205,25) textcolor:black fontsize:S text:Month pos:(90,230) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:Birmingham Sun Hours/day (Avg = 5.00 hrs/day)

Colors = id:yellow value:yellow

PlotData= width:20 textcolor:black bar:Jan color:yellow from:0 till:3.82 text:3.82 shift:(-10,50) bar:Feb color:yellow from:0 till:4.27 text:4.27 shift:(-10,60) bar:Mar color:yellow from:0 till:5.41 text:5.41 shift:(-10,70) bar:Apr color:yellow from:0 till:5.77 text:5.77 shift:(-10,75) bar:May color:yellow from:0 till:5.57 text:5.57 shift:(-10,75) bar:Jun color:yellow from:0 till:5.65 text:5.65 shift:(-10,75) bar:Jul color:yellow from:0 till:5.51 text:5.51 shift:(-10,75) bar:Aug color:yellow from:0 till:5.66 text:5.66 shift:(-10,75) bar:Sep color:yellow from:0 till:5.46 text:5.46 shift:(-10,75) bar:Oct color:yellow from:0 till:5.17 text:5.17 shift:(-10,70) bar:Nov color:yellow from:0 till:4.18 text:4.18 shift:(-10,55) bar:Dec color:yellow from:0 till:3.51 text:3.51 shift:(-10,50)

Source: NREL[20]

Grid-connected PV capacity (MWp)[21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27]
YearCapacityInstalled% Change
2009 0.2 0.1 100%
2010 0.4 0.2 100%
2011 0.5 0.1 20%
2012 1.1 0.6 120%
2013 1.9 0.8 73%
2014 1.9 0 0%
2015 2 0.1 5%
2016 105 103 5,150%
2017 215 110 105%
2018 263 48 22%
2019 283 20 7.6%
2020 283.1 0.1 0.03%
2021 577.9 294.8 %
2022 578 0.1 %
Utility-scale solar generation in Alabama (GWh)[28]
YearTotalJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2016 41 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 13 7
2017 179 7 8 13 16 19 20 19 18 17 16 10 16
2018 357 20 17 32 37 39 40 39 37 33 30 17 16
2019 38619 18 34 40 46 41 43 39 40 25 24 17
2020 37118 21 26 40 44 41 41 38 30 28 23 21
2021 27619 20 32 44 46 38 39 38

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy16osti/65586.pdf Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Technical Potential in the United States
  2. Web site: Alabama Solar. 2021-08-29. Solar Energy Industries Association. en.
  3. http://www.newenergychoices.org/uploads/FreeingTheGrid2011.pdf Freeing the grid
  4. http://irecusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ASES-2009-Paper-0131-net-metering-and-IC-best-practices-1.pdf Net Metering and Interconnection Procedures Incorporating Best Practices
  5. http://www.buildingdashboard.com/clients/alabamapower/ Solar demonstration
  6. http://www.alabamapower.com/pricing/pdf/PAE.pdf Purchase of Alternate Energy
  7. http://www.alabamapower.com/pricing/time-advantage-faq.asp Time Advantage Rates FAQs
  8. http://www.alabamapower.com/pricing/time-advantage-rate.asp Time Advantage Rate
  9. http://www.bridgethegulfproject.org/node/201 Community center now home to one of Alabama’s largest solar power systems
  10. http://www.sunnyportal.com/Templates/PublicPageOverview.aspx?plant=4ec2c8a8-da16-4ae7-9126-5d9e607d4df1&splang=en-US Realtime output
  11. http://www.solarenergy.net/News/2171002-alabama-focus-on-solar-energy.aspx Alabama Focus on Solar Energy
  12. http://www.sunnyportal.com/Templates/PublicPageOverview.aspx?page=ea993c52-e7da-401e-bd30-bf88da12cb16&plant=169c61d3-8a8b-4524-af5f-835c3708980f&splang=en-US Anniston Museum Energy and Power
  13. Web site: Hanley. Steve. 2017-03-19. The Largest Solar Farm In Alabama Is Now Online. 2021-08-29. CleanTechnica. en-US.
  14. Web site: 2021. AL Solar. 2021-08-29. Swinerton Renewable Energy.
  15. Web site: Pillon. Dennis. 2018-03-16. Alabama's largest solar farm unveiled to public. 2021-08-29. al.com. en.
  16. Web site: Staff Reports. 2017-12-22. Swinerton Solar Energy completion of the LaFayette Solar Farm. 2021-08-29. Valley Times-News.
  17. Web site: Bruggers. James. 2021-08-25. Rural Electric Co-ops in Alabama Remain Way Behind the Solar Curve. 2021-08-29. Inside Climate News. en-US.
  18. Web site: Outsourcing? Not LG – Our Solar Panels are Made by Us. 2021-08-29. LG USA. en.
  19. Web site: 2018-06-27. Huntsville's Future Brightens with LG's New Solar Panel Plant. 2021-08-29. City of Huntsville. en-US.
  20. Web site: PV Watts. NREL. 12 June 2012.
  21. Web site: U.S. Solar Market Trends 2011. Sherwood, Larry. Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). August 2012. 2012-08-16. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120906231846/http://www.irecusa.org/wp-content/uploads/IRECSolarMarketTrends-2012-web.pdf. 2012-09-06.
  22. Web site: U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010 . Sherwood . Larry . Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) . June 2011 . 20 . 2011-06-29.
  23. Web site: U.S. Solar Market Trends 2009 . Sherwood . Larry . Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) . July 2010 . 23 . 2010-07-28 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100925184512/http://irecusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IREC-Solar-Market-Trends-Report-2010_7-27-10_web1.pdf . 2010-09-25 .
  24. Web site: U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008 . Sherwood . Larry . Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) . July 2009 . 16 . 2010-07-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091123030109/http://www.irecusa.org/fileadmin/user_upload/NationalOutreachDocs/SolarTrendsReports/IREC_Solar_Market_Trends_Report_2008.pdf . 2009-11-23 .
  25. Web site: U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012 . Sherwood . Larry . Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) . July 2012 . 16 . 2013-10-11.
  26. Web site: U.S. Solar Market Trends 2013. Sherwood, Larry. Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). July 2014. 2014-09-26.
  27. https://www.seia.org/state-solar-policy/alabama-solar Alabama Solar
  28. Web site: Electricity Data Browser. U.S. Department of Energy. March 28, 2018. October 11, 2021.

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