California could get 74% of power from rooftop solar

[Plazma Inferno!]

Rooftop solar panels could meet three-quarters of California's electricity needs and about 40 percent of the country's electricity needs, according to a new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Researchers at the federally funded lab, which is based in Colorado, had estimated in 2008 that rooftop solar could generate 800 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, supplying about 21 percent of the country's current electricity demand. Now they've upped their estimate to 39 percent, in an analysis sure to be embraced by clean-energy advocates who see solar power as critical to fighting climate change.
The research lab was particularly bullish on California, which has a lot of sunlight, many large buildings and low per-person energy use. Researchers estimated that California could generate 74 percent of its electricity from rooftop solar — far more than any other state. The next-highest percentages came from the six states of New England, which get relatively little sunlight but don't use much energy to begin with. Unsurprisingly, large, sunny states such as California, Texas and Florida have the greatest overall generation potential.

http://www.desertsun.com/story/tech...ia-could-get-74-power-rooftop-solar/82360288/

 

[billvon]

Rooftop solar panels could meet three-quarters of California's electricity needs and about 40 percent of the country's electricity needs, according to a new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Practically speaking it could meet about 25% of CA's energy needs and about 10% of the rest of the country. The technology to store that power (for night) does not yet exist.

 

[Plazma Inferno!]

Californians Just Saved $192 Million Thanks to Efficiency and Rooftop Solar

In late March, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) approved its 2015-2016 Transmission Plan, which calls for canceling 13 transmission projects planned in Pacific Gas & Electric territory. The low-voltage transmission projects were deemed no longer necessary in light of materially lower load forecast levels since the projects were approved several years ago.
The result is $192 million in transmission cost savings for PG&E customers. The canceled projects include line improvements, transformer replacements and bus upgrades.

http://www.greentechmedia.com/artic...illion-Thanks-to-Efficiency-and-Rooftop-Solar

 

[ajanta]

The technology to store that power (for night) does not yet exist.

Once I thought about something that if we have a power(electric) transmission line all over the world then every country could transmit their renewable energy(from solar power/geothermal/windmills/ tidal energy) to the transmission line and could use this energy . I mean, 24 hours every country could use this energy. Because often we have to store this energy in batteries to use at night. So energy lose is important during the charging and discharging moments of those batteries and the cost of making and to recycle batteries every year and have a risk of chemical pollution. But I don't know well about the power transmission lose(of transmission line) compared to batteries.

Some times it seems nothing but a bad idea and if it is possible then political problem is important.

 

[billvon]

Once I thought about something that if we have a power(electric) transmission line all over the world then every country could transmit their renewable energy(from solar power/geothermal/windmills/ tidal energy) to the transmission line and could use this energy .

We can't do that all over the world yet but even a HVDC transmission system from New York to Los Angeles would be a big help. During New York's biggest power draw in the summer (about 7pm) then California would be still generating a lot of solar power, and that would help level out the load.

 

[iceaura]

We can't do that all over the world yet but even a HVDC transmission system from New York to Los Angeles would be a big help

Route it through high desert Arizona or New Mexico, and look around. Big thermal systems offer automatic short term (48 hour or so) storage for load leveling, if local water/weight pumping or thermal phase conversion or the like is beyond the engineering capabilities of the civilization that built the Hoover Dam.