Solar News Archive Texas 2018

 

First PACE financed solar system approved for Bastrop county

Bastrop County recorded a “first” in December as Texas Property Assessed Clean Energy (TX-PACE) financing for the Elgin General Store solar system was secured. The $120,000 PV system will generate over 94,000 kWh of electricity annually and demonstrates the value PACE provides for rural communities and small businesses.

CPS allocates $15M for solar rebates in San Antonio with $14M for residential starting at $2,500 per project

Beginning in December, CPS Energy will modify its solar rebate program to a flat rate for residential installations with a $500 bonus for locally sourced modules and a 25 percent penalty for using a non-local installation company, reported pv magazine. After the first $9 million is spent, the second $5 million is reduced to $1,500 per project. The program previously offered a per watt rebate.

New Braunfels Utilities contracts 100 MWac from the 255 MW Long Draw Solar facility at a record low price below 2.5¢/kWh

As per this December pv magazine report, the 100 MW 15-year solar PPA leveraged the buying power of five participating municipal utilities that reviewed a diverse mix of proposals from 37 companies. NBU says that with this record low solar purchase, 40% of their electricity will come from renewables: wind, hydro, landfill gases, and of course solar power.

CoServ Electric purchases an additional 26.5 MW of power from the 100-MW Lapetus solar project built by Austin-based developer 7X

CoServe, based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said it will buy an additional 26.5 MW of power from a facility to be built in west Texas that will deliver power under a more flexible and shorter-term contract than a typical PPA, reports Platts in December. A unique contract provision is that 7X will remove intermittent variability associated with solar generation from the facility by delivering fixed hourly blocks of energy.

Report says Texas wind and solar reduced wholesale power prices by $5.7 billion and stabilized prices

This November pv magazine article notes how wind and solar are bringing down wholesale power prices and making them more stable. The fundamental magic of this, as detailed in The Economic Value of Renewable Energy to Texas, is the phenomenon of zero marginal cost which will increasingly drive more expensive and uncompetitive conventional power plants off the grid in wholesale power markets.

Georgetown, TX wins $1 million Bloomberg grant to install distributed solar+storage

A plan to lease rooftop space on homes and businesses for solar panels has earned the city of Georgetown $1 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies as part of the U.S. Mayors Challenge according to this October article. While Georgetown is the first and largest city in Texas to secure 100 percent of its purchased power from renewables, there are concerns related to transporting that energy over long distances. City officials say installing distributed solar+storage will bolster cost efficiency and reliability of the city’s renewable energy sources.

Austin approves another 144 MW solar project located close to home near Pflugerville

The Austin City Council greenlighted another major solar deal in October under a 15-year power purchase agreement at a cost below peak market prices, according to Solar Industry magazine. The large utility-scale project is located near Austin, thereby avoiding congestion issues or loss of power in transmission. When the project is completed in 2020, Austin will have nearly 940 MW of utility-scale solar under contract and will generate more than 52% of all energy demand from renewable energy sources.

Five Texas municipal utilities announce plans to partner to develop 500 MW of solar farms

New Braunfels Utilities (NBU), Bryan Texas Utilities, Denton Municipal Electric, Garland Power and Light, and the Kerrville Public Utility Board have teamed up to create the purchasing power necessary to fund their commitment to renewable generation. With the exception of Denton Municipal Electric, this is their first entry into large scale solar, according to this September pv magazine report.

ERCOT’s project pipeline has ballooned to almost 80 GW of potential capacity with 86 percent comprised of wind and solar with zero coal

The most recent Generator Interconnection Status Report (GIR) from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) shows future generation assets dominated by wind and solar. Of 80 GW of projects at various levels of approval, 38 GW are wind power, 30 GW are solar, 12 GW are gas, with zero coal. Although some of these projects may never be built, this August pv magazine article indicates how rapidly the Texas power grid is going green.

In light of recent ERCOT midday electricity demand records, does the Texas grid beg for more solar power?

Along with peak midday demand records in July comes peak midday prices, with wholesale electricity hitting the maximum legal price of $9.00/kWh! This pv magazine article suggests the Texas marketplace is prepping for this new normal with large-scale solar+storage.

Largest Texas solar plant at 315 MW approved for start of construction and in-service date of 3rd quarter 2019

If our readers ever tire of reading Texas solar superlatives, we will stop reporting them. Until then, Canada’s Innergex announced the July acquisition of the currently largest Texas solar facility, reports pv magazine. The Phoebe project is located in Winkler County and will use First Solar’s Series 6 thin-film modules, which do not incur import duties. Executive Director’s note: 7X Energy, an Austin based utility scale solar developer, was the original developer of the Phoebe project, later partnering with Longroad Energy prior to the recent sale.

Texas will soon see its largest battery coupled with its largest solar plant

Texas is finally getting some Texas-sized energy storage – and it is being added to Texas’ largest solar power plant. This June pv magazine article reveals that Vistra Energy plans to add a 10 MW / 42 MWh lithium-ion battery adjacent to the 180 MW-AC Upton County Solar 2 power plant. The record-setting solar facility went into operation on June 4 and the storage is scheduled to come online in Q4 2018.

Denton, TX approves 100 MW solar power contract in move towards 100% renewables by their ambitious 2020 timeline

The city’s Public Utilities Board voted unanimously to approve a 15-year contract with NextEra for the output of the 100 MW Bluebell 2 solar plant to be built northwest of San Angelo. This May pv magazine article says the project will be completed by November and that power purchase agreement (PPA) costs are in line or below average wholesale electricity rates.

Community solar farm and batteries test power of Austin’s electric grid

One of the remarkable things about the La Loma community solar farm is where it’s located. Just a short drive east of Austin’s downtown, it’s the type of place you’d expect to see new homes going up. Instead, these 16 acres hold enough panels to power 440 households and is part of a unique experiment that could help utilities store more electricity in the future, according to this April Austin Monitor article.

Dallas solar capacity rises from 12 to 16.4 megawatts in 2017 amidst challenges posed by the competitive energy market

Solar capacity within Dallas city limits grew by more than a third in 2017, according to this April Dallas Morning News article. Yet, differences in electricity markets have created a solar split in Texas, with large cities like Dallas and Houston trailing smaller towns like Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio in local solar adoption.

Houston grows rooftop solar 19 percent in 2017, but still lags San Antonio and Austin

Houston rooftop solar rose to 9.5 megawatts of solar power, up 19 percent from 8 megawatts in 2016, ranking 34th according to the April Environment America survey. The Houston Chronicle says solar has advanced slowly in the city because Texas does not offer incentives to residents and businesses installing panels. The state, however, is seeing rapid growth in large, utility scale solar power. ERCOT expects solar capacity to reach about 2,000 megawatts by the end of 2018.

San Antonio moves up to 6th in the country for installed solar capacity within city limits

An analysis by Environment America shows San Antonio moved up two spots to rank number six in solar capacity within the city limits, trailing only Los Angeles, San Diego, Honolulu, Phoenix, and San Jose. Designated a “Solar Star” city, this April Rivard Report article shows San Antonio installed 44 megawatts of solar capacity in 2017 and is the only Texas city to rank in the Top 10. Austin trails San Antonio in 17th place, the only other Texas city in the Top 20.

Solar and smart homes converge in Texas

Texas has made remarkable strides in recent months as a national leader in both solar energy adoption and smart home creation. This March Texas Tribune article highlights how these technologies complement each other and promise Texas homeowners added energy efficiency and new benefits in comfort, convenience, affordability and reliability.

ERCOT expects Texas solar capacity to nearly double in 2018

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas expects total solar power capacity to reach about 2,000 megawatts by the end of 2018, up from 1,100 megawatts last year and just 15 megawatts in 2010. Rapid solar growth could further upset the state’s power mix and add to the downward pressures on prices that have buffeted merchant power companies, according to this March Houston Chronicle report.

ERCOT predicts 387 MW of new solar will help Texas meet a 2.7% increase in peak electricity demand in the summer of 2018

Hotter summers, more air conditioning, and economic growth will result in record peak electricity demand this summer, pv magazine reports in this March article. Fortunately, a boom in large solar projects in west and north Texas is adding capacity at a rapid pace. ERCOT expects utility-scale solar will be the largest source of new generation by summer to help keep the AC running.

How a stack of Texas distributed energy resources can solve the duck curve and curtailment challenges—without using natural gas

‘Demand flexibility’ is Rocky Mountain Institute’s term for the capability of water heaters, air conditioners, plug-in electric vehicles, and other loads to provide a massive set of benefits to the grid — if they’re smart enough to handle it. This February Greentech Media article reports Texas could avoid $1.5 billion per year in annualized generator, transmission, and distribution capital costs, along with $400 million in avoided fuel costs.

Talent base provides lift to Houston’s renewable energy sector

Houston, home to some of the largest oil and gas companies in the world, is finally finding a niche in attracting renewable energy companies. Overshadowed by the city’s fossil-fuel heritage, it has become home to wind project developers, renewable energy transmission companies and residential solar firms that together employ thousands according to this February Houston Chronicle report. The city’s deep talent pools are skilled at putting together large energy projects and managing electricity supplies on the grid.

How the new tariff will affect San Antonio’s solar

Solar energy is still a great investment in San Antonio despite the recently imposed tariffs by the Trump administration, according to a February analysis by the Rivard Report. CPS Energy also announced plans to ask its board of trustees for an additional $15 million for its solar rebate program and released a Request for Proposals for the next phase of the successful 2015 Roofless Community Solar program.

Mission Solar to open a new module manufacturing facility in San Antonio that will double capacity

A February report from pv magazine indicates that Mission Solar Energy will double its manufacturing capacity to 400 MW per year by opening a new facility in San Antonio. The article states that the company will soon be one of the largest module makers in the United States, another indication that the new solar tariff may boost U.S. manufacturing.

The 182-megawatt Midway facility, the largest solar plant in Texas, breaks ground in Pecos county

A subsidiary of Hanwa Q Cells, the Korean solar manufacturer, broke ground in January on Texas’ largest solar plant consisting of 685,000 tariff-free modules, pv magazine reports. Austin Energy will purchase the power over a 25-year contract period. The Midway facility will boost the Austin utility-scale solar plant fleet to over 600 MW when completed later this year.

San Antonio’s Mission Solar Energy is boosting module production in wake of tariff decision

Mission Solar Energy announced in January that it will hire 50 new employees to fulfill product demands this year, according to Renewables Now. The announcement came the same day President Trump approved recommendations to impose tariffs on imported solar cells and modules, exempting 2.5 gigawatts of imported solar cells.

 

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