Solar panels

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.[2][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

Source: NREL[20]
Grid-connected PV capacity (MWp)[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]
Year Capacity Installed  % Change
20090.20.1100%
20100.40.2100%
20110.50.120%
20121.10.6120%
20131.90.873%
20141.900%
201520.15%
20161051035,150%
2017215110105%
20182634822%
2019283207.6%
2020283.10.10.03%
2021577.9294.8 %
20225780.1 %
Utility-scale solar generation in Alabama (GWh)[28]
Year Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
20164100000000011137
20171797813161920191817161016
2018357201732373940393733301716
2019386191834404641433940252417
2020371182126404441413830282321
20212761920324446383938

See also

References

  1. ↑ Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Technical Potential in the United States
  2. 1 2 "Alabama Solar". Solar Energy Industries Association. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  3. ↑ Freeing the grid
  4. ↑ Net Metering and Interconnection Procedures Incorporating Best Practices
  5. ↑ Solar demonstration Archived 2012-06-18 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Purchase of Alternate Energy
  7. ↑ Time Advantage Rates FAQs
  8. ↑ Time Advantage Rate
  9. ↑ Community center now home to one of Alabama’s largest solar power systems
  10. ↑ Realtime output
  11. ↑ Alabama Focus on Solar Energy
  12. ↑ Anniston Museum Energy and Power
  13. ↑ Hanley, Steve (2017-03-19). "The Largest Solar Farm In Alabama Is Now Online". CleanTechnica. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  14. ↑ "AL Solar". Swinerton Renewable Energy. 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  15. ↑ Pillon, Dennis (2018-03-16). "Alabama's largest solar farm unveiled to public". al.com. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  16. ↑ Staff Reports (2017-12-22). "Swinerton Solar Energy completion of the LaFayette Solar Farm". Valley Times-News. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  17. ↑ Bruggers, James (2021-08-25). "Rural Electric Co-ops in Alabama Remain Way Behind the Solar Curve". Inside Climate News. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  18. ↑ "Outsourcing? Not LG – Our Solar Panels are Made by Us". LG USA. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  19. ↑ "Huntsville's Future Brightens with LG's New Solar Panel Plant". City of Huntsville. 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  20. ↑ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  21. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (August 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2011" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  22. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (June 2011). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 20. Retrieved 2011-06-29.
  23. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (July 2010). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2009" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-25. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  24. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (July 2009). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-11-23. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
  25. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (July 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
  26. ↑ Sherwood, Larry (July 2014). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2013" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2014-09-26.
  27. ↑ Alabama Solar
  28. ↑ "Electricity Data Browser". U.S. Department of Energy. March 28, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
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