Solar power in Nevada

Nellis Solar Power Plant

Solar power in Nevada has been growing, due to a Renewable Portfolio Standard which requires 20% renewable energy by 2015, and 5% from solar power.[1] Nevada, at the end of 2007, became home to then-largest photovoltaic power plant in the world, the 14.2 megawatt (peak) Nellis Solar Power Plant, which, by selling the renewable energy credits (RECs), was able to provide Nellis Air Force Base with electricity for only 2.2 cents/kWh, compared to the 9 cents they are paying Nevada Power.[2] Since then many larger solar power stations have been built in Nevada, with more proposed.

Nevada has vast deserts, and is capable of providing a great amount of solar power. The Nellis power plant only occupies 140 acres (57 ha) of land.

Solar Power Plants

Notable solar power plants in Nevada include the Nellis and Nellis II photovoltaic solar power plants at Nellis Air Force Base; the 64 MW, 400 acre concentrating solar thermal power plant Nevada Solar One, which began operation in 2007; and the proposed 100 MW Playa Solar 2 project. The 100 MW Playa Solar 2 project is a photovoltaic power station proposed by First Solar with a 20-year power purchase agreement with NV Energy for $0.0378 per kilowatt-hour. This is lower than the lowest price available in the previous year of $0.046[3] (from the 100 MW Boulder Solar plant).

See the list of power stations in Nevada, which includes solar power plants in Nevada, as well as generation facilities based on other sources.

Prominent Nevada-based solar installation companies include Summerlin Energy, Bombard Renewable Energy, and Hamilton Solar.[4]

Nevada had 129 MW in private installations of rooftop solar in 2015.[5] Net energy metering and lawmaking is controversial in Nevada.[6][7][8][9]

Statistics

Nevada Grid-Connected PV Capacity (MW)[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]
Year Capacity Installed % Change
2007 18.8 15.9 548%
2008 34.2 14.9 82%
2009 36.4 2.5 6%
2010 104.7 68.3 188%
2011 124.1 19.4 19%
2012 349.7 225.6 182%
2013 424.0 74.3 21%
2014 823 399 94%
2015 1,240 417 51%

Nevada solar electric generation:[18][19][20][21]

Year Generation
(GWh)		 Generation
(% of NV total)		 Generation
(% of US Solar)
2010 217 0.6% 17.9%
2011 290 0.9% 16%
2012 473 1.3% 10.9%
2013 749 2.1% 8.2%
2014 1,028 2.8% 5.6%
2015 1,695 4.3% 6.4%
2015 Monthly Profile of Solar Energy for NV[22]
NV Solar Profile 2014[23]

Beginning with the 2014 data year, Energy Information Administration will estimate distributed solar photovoltaic generation and distributed solar photovoltaic capacity.[24]These non-utility scale estimates project that, in 2014 Nevada, generated[25] a further 86 GWh and in 2015 an additional 160 GWh of solar electricity from such distributed PV systems.

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Solar power in Nevada.
  1. ↑ Energy Portfolio Standard
  2. ↑ Solar panels at Nellis could be win-win
  3. ↑ Forbes (July 13, 2015). "First Solar Signs PPA With A Record Low Rates".
  4. ↑ Solar Power World
  5. ↑ 2016 State of the Interconnection page 15. WECC, 2016. Archive
  6. ↑ Roerink, Kyle. "NV Energy Rooftop Solar Cap Will Be Hit Saturday". The Las Vegas Sun.
  7. ↑ Whaley, Sean. "SolarCity Stopping Nevada Sales Installation After PUC Ruling". The Las Vegas Review Journal.
  8. ↑ Buhayar, Noah (January 28, 2016). "Who owns the sun?". Bloomberg Businessweek.
  9. ↑ "Nevada Supreme Court Blocks Rooftop Solar Referendum". Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  10. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (July 2014). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2013" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2014-07-17.
  11. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (July 2013). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
  12. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (August 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2011" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  13. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (June 2011). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2011-06-29.
  14. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (July 2010). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2009" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  15. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (July 2009). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
  16. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (August 2008). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2007" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2010-07-24.
  17. ↑ Nevada Solar
  18. ↑ "Electric Power Monthly with Data for December 2011" (PDF). U.S. Energy Information Administration. February 2012. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
  19. ↑ "Electric Power Monthly with Data for December 2013" (PDF). U.S. Energy Information Administration. February 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
  20. ↑ "Electric Power Monthly with Data for December 2014" (PDF). U.S. Energy Information Administration. February 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
  21. ↑ "Electric Power Monthly" retrieved 2016-3-10
  22. ↑ "Electric Power Monthly" retrieved 2016-3-10
  23. ↑ "Electric Power Monthly 3/15" retrieved 2015-5-30
  24. ↑ “Electric Power Annual” retrieved 2016 3 12
  25. ↑ “Electric Power Monthly” retrieved 2016 3 12
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