Advanced Energy Perspectives

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends shaping advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world, drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2016 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research.

High penetration of renewables in markets such as Hawaii, California, Denmark, Germany, and China is one aspect of the ongoing changes in the electricity system that points toward rising opportunity for energy storage at the residential, commercial, and utility levels. Solar and wind, in particular, as rapidly scaling forms of variable generation, could benefit from storing excess electricity generation – whether on the grid or in the home – until it is needed. At the same time, energy storage is emerging as an alternative to traditional sources of ancillary services, for voltage regulation and other grid supports. Ultimately, large-scale storage could replace peaking power plants that are needed to run only a few hours a year to meet peak demand, while also being used to provide other valuable grid services year-round.

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends shaping advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world, drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2016 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research.

In a breakthrough year for the U.S. Solar PV industry, nearly 1 MW – enough to power more than 160 homes – was installed almost every hour in 2015. The cumulative solar PV installed capacity in the United States has now surpassed 27 GW. Revenue generated from installations of solar PV – across residential, commercial, industrial markets, and large utility power plants – reached an estimated $22.6 billion in 2015, a 21% increase over 2014, and growth of 174% since 2011. Plus, the industry got an extension of the federal investment tax credit, with a gradual phase-down, through 2023.

Biogas for commercial use is a product of anaerobic digestion, a method in which microorganisms break down organic matter in an oxygen-starved environment, and one of the oldest processing technologies. It is captured in modern land fills (land fill gas, or “LFG”) and biodigesters, which treat a range of organic waste streams. While biogas is a combination of gases and other volatile impurities, its main component (50% to 70%) is methane (CH4), the same as natural gas. As such, biogas can be combusted to produce electricity and heat. It can also be upgraded to pure biomethane or renewable natural gas (RNG) through the process of removing the impurities and other gases, making it suitable for transport by pipeline or compressed to fuel CNG vehicles.