Renewable Energy for Sustainable Agriculture (RESA) Renewable Energy Options for Farms and Value-Added Food Producers
Renewable Energy for Sustainable Agriculture (RESA)
Renewable Energy Options for
Farms and Value-Added Food Producers
MREA Overview • 22 years
• Demonstration, Education, Training
• Energy Fair (June 15-17)
• RESA Networking on June 17
• Grow Solar Wisconsin
• Solar Powering Your Community (Oct 10)
• Midwest Solar Training Network
• Site Assessment Certificate
• Solar Thermal Conference (Dec 6-7)
• Offices in Custer and Milwaukee Source: www.midwestrenew.org, www.midwestsolartraining.org
Primer Courses
• Trends in the RE Marketplace
• Renewable Energy Incentives
• Steps to Managing a Successful RE Project
• Electrical Load Analysis
• Renewable Energy Options for Farms and Value-Added Food Producers
Introductory Courses
• Basic Photovoltaics
• Residential PV Site Assessor
• Solar Domestic Hot Water
• Residential Solar Water Site Assessor
• Farm Micro-Power
• Intro to Wind
Advanced Courses
• PV System Design
• PV for Electric Vehicles
• Whole Farm Renewable Energy Design
• Water Pumping with Solar and Wind
• Solar Dehydration
• Solar Aquaponic Systems
• Small Scale Biodigesters
• Solar Process Heating
• Solar Thermal Conceptual Design
• Homebrew Wind
• Electric Tractor Conversion
Why Target Sustainable Ag?
• Large segments already support renewables
• High energy needs and costs (propane, fuel oil)
• Access to additional incentives (REAP, VAPG, Loan)
• Access to renewable resources
• Defined support networks
• Inclined to system design, operation, and maintenance
• Founding and flagship audience
RESA Partners
• Cooperative Development Services
• Environmental Law and Policy Center
• Growing Power
• Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
• Organic Valley
• Michael Fields Institute
• Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)
• Wisconsin Farmer’s Union
RESA Opportunities
• Education opportunities
• Case studies
• Model installations
• Technical network
• Technical training
• Instructor development
• Partnership network
• Scholarship pool
Solar for Humanity installation with Andy DeRocher of Full Spectrum Solar
US Dept. of Energy SunShot Initiative
Source: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/sunshot/
Old Model: Centralized Distribution
“If Thomas Edison came back today, he would completely understand our entire grid”
Source: Bill Zarakas, The Brattle Group
Rejected Electrical Generation = 68%
Sources: https://flowcharts.llnl.gov/
Distributed Energy = Distributed Benefit
Distributed Energy
Financial Beneficiaries
• Home/business owners
• Local property tax supported entities
• Local lenders
• Local businesses
• Local manufacturers
• Conservation agencies
Centralized Energy
Financial Beneficiaries
•Utility investors
•Energy dependent industries
•Global financiers
•Out of state manufacturers
•Energy distributors
•“Health” industry
PV Price Trends by Size
Sources: Barbose, G. et al. 2010. Tracking the Sun III: The Installed Cost of Photovoltaics in the US from 1998-
2009. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
2010-2011 PV Price Trends by Quarter
Sources: Solar Energy Industries Association. 2012. US Solar Market Insight.
Renewable Energy Projected Prices
Sources: NREL Energy Analysis Office (www.nrel.gov/analysis/docs/cost_curves_2002.ppt) 1These graphs are reflections of historical cost trends NOT precise annual historical data.
Updated: October 2002
Levelized cents/kWh in constant $20001
Wind
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
PV
CO
E c
en
ts/k
Wh
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
40
30
20
10
0
100
80
60
40
20
0
Biomass Geothermal Solar thermal
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
CO
E c
en
ts/k
Wh
10
8
6
4
2
0
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
15
12
9
6
3
0
Price Variation by Size (PV)
Sources: Barbose, G. et al. 2010. Tracking the Sun III: The Installed Cost of Photovoltaics in the US from 1998-
2009. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
Agricultural Applications
•Hot water
• Space heating
• Season extension in greenhouses
•Make-up air heating
• Pool heating (e.g., aquaculture)
• Process heating
•Dehumidification
•Crop and wood drying
• Food dehydration
Direct/Open Loop The domestic hot water is
heated in the collector
Passive
No pumps
Indirect/Closed Loop
• A solar fluid is heated in the collector
and a heat exchanger is used to transfer
the solar heat to the DHW
Active
• Involves pumps
Solar Water System Categories
Florida Solar Energy Center Manual http://www2.fsec.ucf.edu/en/industry/resources/solar_thermal/manual/documents/Section_2_SolarWaterHeating.pdf
System Types
Open loop systems have limited use in northern climates,
including:
• Integrated Collector Storage (ICS)
• Flooded systems
• Recirculation systems
• Draindown ystems
Active, closed loop systems have proven most appropriate for
northern climates, including:
• Pressurized glycol systems
• Drainback systems
System Design Considerations
Freeze Protection
• Northern climates have extended periods of freezing
weather
• Almost all climates in the US freeze periodically or
occassionally
• Systems either uses a solar fluid that will not freeze or
make sure that water is not exposed to freezing
conditions
Scaling
• Hard water can cause reductions in system efficiency
and can lead to failure
PV Module Types
Source: Talbot-Heindl, Chris. “Types of Modules.” Midwest Renewable Energy Association.
System Types Utility Interactive System
• AKA: Utility Intertied without Batteries
• Simplest System
Bimodal System
• AKA: Utility Intertied with Batteries
• Power all the time
PV Direct System
• Power only when needed
Stand-Alone System
• You are your own utility
PV Direct System – Ag Applications
• Greenhouse Fans
• Dehydrators
• Livestock tanks
• Water pumping
Utility Interactive System
Source: Talbot-Heindl, Chris. “Utility Interactive System.” Midwest Renewable Energy Association.
Daily Variations
Hourly Wind Speed. 2000. Online image. ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/klemen/42_and_84_foot_comparisons. Mar 13 2010.
The Wind Resource
Energy Efficiency
Cost-Effectiveness of Efficiency
(1) 25 Watt PV Panel
(1) 25 Watt CFL
(100 W Equivalent)
Incentives and Net Cost
Local Net Metering
• Billing arrangement with the electric utility
• Credits electricity generated by a customer as an offset to energy used
• Net = what remains after deductions of energy outflows
• System owner receives retail credit
• Crediting arrangements vary by state and utility
Incentives and Net Cost
Feed-in Tariffs
• Tariffs or rates designed to accelerate renewable resource development
• Provide payment guarantee to producer through long-term power purchase agreement (PPA)
• Set payment based on actual cost of generation plus reasonable return
• Guarantee access to the electric grid
Incentives and Net Cost
Utility financial models
• Programs can include cash back rewards, grants, low-interest loans
• Examples:
• WE Energies Renewable Energy Program
• Interstate Power and Light Efficiency First Cash Back Reward Program
Incentives and Net Cost
Tax Policies
• Tax credits
• Treasury grants
• Depreciation
• Property tax exemptions
• Renewable resource credits
• Rebates
• Tax deductions
• Transfer credits
• Sales tax exemptions
Utility Rates
Three types of utility rates:
• Customer charge
• Energy charge
• Demand charge
Designed to allow the utility to recover its fixed and variable costs.
Varies by group of customers (residential, business, etc.)
Some voluntary rate structures (time-of-use or time-of-day, on-peak or off-peak hours)
Financial Benefits and Financing Three basic methods for modeling cost
• Payback
• Cost of energy comparison (cash flow)
• Return on investment
• Comparing discounted costs
Cost Modeling Tools
• Solar Photovoltaic Financial Dashboard
• www.ncsc.ncsu.edu/include_upload/calculators/solarpv.html
• Renewable Energy Economic & Financial Calculators
• www.ncsc.ncsu.edu/calculators.php
• OnGrid Solar Financial Analysis Tool
• www.ongrid.net/index.php?page=tool_about
Discussion
Jenny Heinzen
Small Wind Training Coordinator
Midwest Renewable Energy Association
715-592-6595, [email protected]