Page 201 - Solar Power in Building Design The Engineer's Complete Design Resource

SOLAR POWER FACTS 171

The savings shown in the table are based on utility costs of $0.10/kWh. Savings
could be significantly higher in areas such as southern California where electric
energy tariffs are higher.

Web-Based Display Monitoring System

A special monitoring system developed by Nextek provides remote data acquisition
and monitoring from a distant location over the Web. The data monitored and
displayed include solar power generated, power used, and weather meteorological
parameters. To access data from a remote location the client is provided with a special
security password that allows the system performance parameters to be monitored
from any location. In addition, the supervisory system also identifies anomalies in the
system such as burned-out lamps and malfunctioning sensors.

Solar Power Facts

■ Recent analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy showed that by the year 2025
half of new U.S. electricity generation could come from the sun.
■ Based on current U.S. Department of Energy analysis, current known worldwide
crude oil reserves at the present rate of consumption will last about 50 years.
■ In the United States, 89 percent of the energy budget is based on fossil fuels.
■ In 2000, the United States generated only 4 gigawatts (1 GW is 1000 MW) of solar
power. By the year 2030, it is estimated to be 200 GW.
■ A typical nuclear power plant generates about 1 GW of electric power, which is equal
to 5 GW of solar power (daily power generation is limited to an average of 5 to 6 h/day).
■ Global sales of solar power systems have been growing at a rate of 35 percent in
the past few years.
■ It is projected that by the year 2020, the United States will be producing about
7.2 GW of solar power.
■ The shipment of U.S. solar power systems has fallen by 10 percent annually but has
increased by 45 percent throughout Europe.
■ The annual sale growth of PV systems globally has been 35 percent.
■ The present cost of solar power modules on the average is $4.00/W. By 2030 it
should be about $0.50/W.
■ World production of solar power is 1 GW/year.
■ Germany has a $0.75/W grid feed incentive, which will be valid for the next
20 years. The incentive is to be decreased by 5 percent per year.
■ In the past few years, Germany has installed 130 MW of solar power per year.
■ Japan has a 50 percent subsidy for solar power installations of 3- to 4-kW systems
and has about 800 MW of grid-connected solar power systems. Solar power in
Japan has been in effect since 1994.