Nr507 energy exam 1

Feed-in tariff system

-buy all, sell all. Credit you at a rate for what you produce and charge you at a rate for what you consume-two meters

Net Metering and Feed In Tariffs

1 for 1 credit on bill: if everyone has solar and zeroes out their costs and then no one pays for the grid-cost will be inflated on other people who don't have the solar credit at the retail rate.Credit at some discount to retail rate. -buy all, sell all. Credit you at a rate for what you produce and charge you at a rate for what you consume-two meters

Understand the role of BOEM

BOEM manages the responsible development of America's offshore energy and mineral resources. The bureau promotes energy independence, environmental protection and economic development through responsible, science-based management of energy and mineral resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

· How and why do prices change during peak times on the grid?

Demand. Last price of the day then becomes the market price

Who regulates the wholesale market - who sets the retail rates?

FERC and the ISOs, if a state has them. Other regions still have monopoly systems.

What is the Regulatory Compact?

FERC grants utilities a protected monopoly for sale and distribution of electricity to customers in a defined territory. In return the utility commits to meet full demand at a calculated price to cover operating costs and get a reasonable return on investment in capital.

How did FERC change the game?

FERC opened up the market and mandated that power companies run power out to everyone regardless of the cost to get there (FERC 888 open access transmission). It oversees all federal power markets and transmissions. FERC delegates the authority of RTO and ISO, what to do and they do it. They stand in place of FERC

How does Solar PV / DG lower the overall cost of energy for all rate-payers on the grid?

For solar panel owners, it lowers monthly electric bills, increases home value, and provides energy independence. jobs are created. net metering.

generation impacts

Harmful emissions, harmful byproducts like coal ash.

Understand what impacts the capacity factors for some generating sources.

How much the generating technology runs. Nuclear runs almost all the time so it has a capacity factor of ~90%. Peaking gas could be near 1-2% if it rarely runs. Solar is around 15% average because the sun doesnt shine all the time

Why are some sources of energy in an RPS not "true" renewables?

Methane, bio fuel because timber has to be cut down

Why we tended toward monopolies?

Monopolies made managing everything easy because one entity managed everything.

Know generally the capacities of most power generation technologies and sources

Nameplate generation capacity - Determined by the manufacturer of the generator Net summer generation capacity - Determined by performance tests during peak demand between June 1 - September 30 Net winter generation capacity - Determined by performance tests during peak demand between December 1 - February 28.

generation

No regulation. The grid operators want people/companies to invest in creating more generation as it makes their job easier.

What did FERC do to allow competition in monopoly transmission components? Why did FERC need to do this?

Opened the lines, passed the cost on to customers

Know how peak demand differs from overall demand and the different sector-based demands (R-C-I)

Peak demand on an electrical grid is simply the highest electrical power demand that has occurred over a specified time period. residential comercial industrial

Coal / oil drawing

Steam turbine. Coal is burned, water becomes steam and spins a turbine generator. Oil is burned to heat water into steam, and this is used to spin a turbine generator.

· Understand why these policies are so controversial and complex. net metering

cost will be inflated on other people who don't have the solar

Would you support a federal RPS? Why or why not?

yes, its a good way to enforce renewable energy

complete a simple formula showing the annual output for a generation source given with the capacity, capacity factor.

(Capacity)x(Capacity Factor)x(8760)=annual output.

How does NH site large scale wind farms - what process and what issues are considered.

- 1. Aesthesis - 2. Historic sites - 3. Air and water quality - 4. The natural environment - 5. Public health and safety

Remember the basic process for Antrim to get approval and how it proposed mitigation for its impacts

- First project was rejected in 2012 o 10 turbines along ridges in western nh - Revised application was submitted and different from the faculty that the SEC viewed in 2012 - Sound levels will be lower than the turbines of acciona - Flicker effect will be diminished - Reduced ground clearing and gradient - Will not touch on Willard pond watershed - Visual impact is reduced

Understand how turbines work - how they are sited and what concerns about siting are addressed in the process.

- Rotor - Gear box transmission - Generator - Nacelle - Tower - Blades

how many states have RPS programs.

29

Know the roles of the ISO - Independent System Operator

3 Purposes 1) Insure reliability 2) Manage markets 3) Long term planning

Understand what the "duck curve" is and how it happens

A graph of the demand curve with the difference between peak demand and renewable energy production. The solar power does not power things during the residential peak since that is evening.

MW vs MWh

A megawatt is a unit of electric capacity. A megawatt hour is the amount of electricity generated by a 1 mw generating for an hour.

PV and the PV Model

A photovoltaic (PV) system is composed of one or more solar panels combined with an inverter and other electrical and mechanical hardware that use energy from the Sun to generate electricity. PV systems can vary greatly in size from small rooftop or portable systems to massive utility-scale generation plants

who was the "champion" of AC

AC: Nicola Tesla + Westinghouse

What is an alternative compliance payment? What do these represent in terms of power production?

Alternative Compliance Paymenta mechanism through a payment, states usually take the money to reinvest to support more renewables

· What is "buy all - sell all"?

An arrangement in which a second electric meter is added to track your solar generation. 100% of the energy produced by your array is sold to the utility via that meter (at a lower wholesale rate), and you continue to buy 100% of your home energy use from the utility via your existing meter.

Independent power producer (competitive generator).

An independent power producer (IPP) or non-utility generator (NUG) is an entity that is not a public utility but owns facilities to generate electric power for sale to utilities and end users.

Why do the prices for RECs change over time?

Because it is a competitive market commodity that changes when the RPS requirement changes. As the requirement goes up - demand for RECs goes up and so does the price. REC prices vary from state to state and depend on a variety of factors, including where you purchase your RECs.

Understand the importance of Cape Wind and Block Island.

Block Island Wind Farm is the first commercial offshore wind farm in the United States

Capacity and Capacity Factors

Capacity factor is the ratio between what a generation unit is capable of generating at maximum output versus the unit's actual generation output over a period of time. ... Remember, wind is highly variable, so the capacity factor of a wind farm is significantly less than its nameplate capacity.

Know how CHP functions and why it is considered a "class" in the NH RPS (as well as several other state RPS).

Combined Heat and Power (CHP), a clean energy technology, is an efficient method of providing electric power and useful thermal energy (heating or cooling) using a single fuel source CHP provides environmental and energy benefits due to this higher efficiency and the coincident elimination of transmission losses in delivering electricity from the power plant to the user.

In the early stages why did AC win out in the current wars

DC couldn't be transmitted long distances whereas AC could

who was the "champion" of DC

DC: Thomas Edison (JP Morgan + Vanderbilt)

What was the early use of electricity that enhanced economic development?

Electricity could be used for manufacturing, lighting inside, and many other processes that used machinery. This made everything go faster since it was getting automated.

Know the basic change in our sources of power in the ISO-NE over time

If the demand exceeds the expected amounts, they have to use Peaker Plants, which are expensive to run.

· What is the difference between state regulatory roles and the federal and ISO role in the grid and with utilities?

In New England, the state regulates the utilities in terms of permits, price, and distribution. ISO plans locations, markets, etc Wholesale is regulated by the ISO.

Why is NG different than coal, nukes and other traditional thermal sources How does this difference affect its use on the grid

It is cleaner than coal and can be used for any Res, Comm, or Industrial level.

disposal impacts

Landfill production, coal ash

Know the difference between load (energy over time) and demand (instantaneous measurement).

Load is the measurement of electricity used over a period of time.Demand is how much energy is needed at the peak.Both of these need to be able to be met to avoid brownouts.

Know the US status in terms of offshore wind development compared to other countries.

Most offshore wind capacity is in Europe, where there are 3,072 grid-connected offshore wind turbines at 82 farms spanning 11 countries, for a total of 10,393.6 MW of wind energy capacity as of June 30, 2015. China, the leader in offshore wind in Asia, has 718.9 MW of installed capacity; Japan, 52 MW; and South Korea, 5 MW as of October 2015. In comparison, the United States is just beginning to invest in offshore wind energy, and is rapidly approaching the operational launch of its first commercial offshore wind farm.

extraction impacts

Mountaintop removal, habitat destruction, fracking earthquakes, oil spills

Natural Gas Turbine Combined Cycle drawing

Natural gas is burned and water becomes steam, spinning the first turbine generator. Heat that is typically lost is recaptured and this creates more steam that spins a second generator.

Natural Gas Turbine drawing

Natural gas is burned in a boiler to create steam and spin a turbine generator.

· Understand how net metering originated.

Net metering originated in the United States, where small wind turbines and solar panels were connected to the electrical grid, and consumers wanted to be able to use the electricity generated at a different time or date from when it was generated.

Why is it important to re-evaluate an RPS after a period of years?

New Technologies

Understand the basic path for our energy system

Our nation's electricity grid consists of four major components: Individual generators, Transmission lines, Distribution, Consumer use or "load".

solar

Photons collide with silicone, this creates a positive and negative charge creating electricity

How does PV and DG relate?

Power systems can address the challenges associated with integrating distributed solar PV into the grid through a variety of actions. The following suggested actions may help enable the scaling up of distributed generation.

what is the difference between AC and DC

Pulses of electricity (AC) vs constant stream (DC)

What is a REC?

Renewable Energy Certificate; Attribute that states that a renewable energy source has generated 1 MWh of electricity and it has been fed back into the grid

What was the impact of the energy crisis on our grid and approach to utilities and regulation?

Rise in inflation and interest rates. Led to FERC 888 and smaller generation allowed to use transmission lines, instead of large vertically integrated monopolies doing all 3, G, T, D.

Load-Serving Entity (LSE)

Secures energy and transmission service (and related Interconnected Operations Services) to serve the electrical demand and energy requirements of its end-use customers. Must deliver energy to customers.

How in most cases is energy produced?

Something spinning a turbine connected to a generator creating electricity

CSP: heliostats, CSP: parabolic trough, PV, Solar Thermal

Sun heats water/oil in a tower in which mirrors are pointed at it, heating it. This heat can also be stored in molten salt in the ground to be used a lower points during the day.

Understand the basics of how CSP can be "stored" for use at night.

Sun heats water/oil in a tower in which mirrors are pointed at it, heating it. This heat can also be stored in molten salt in the ground to be used a lower points during the day.

nuclear energy drawing

Takes weeks to turn on and off, usually used to meet base load. Fission creates heat and steam then goes through a turbine generator.

What is the role of the inverter.

The basic function of an inverter is to convert the direct current (DC) power that solar panels create to alternating current (AC) power that is usable in homes and businesses or fed directly into the grid in front-of-the-meter projects (utility-scale solar arrays).

Cost of service rates.

The cost of G, T, D all lumped into one by the energy provider and billed to the custome

What is the duck curve and what is it telling us?

The duck curve is a graph of power production over the course of a day that shows the timing imbalance between peak demand and renewable energy production.

Describe the basic components of all solar energy systems

The four major components of a solar energy system are the panels, inverter(s), racking and solar battery storage unit(s) (if desired). Solar panels are the most visible element of your system, which is why you're likely the most familiar with it.

What is the ISO-NE kitty curve and what is it telling us?

The peaks are when solar arrays aren't generating power and the dip is when the solar arrays are...so the energy demand for the grid decreases in the middle of the day. Hence the kitty curve. Same idea as the duck curve out of CA, just for NE.

how are rates are set and who oversees this process.

The rates are determined through a regulatory process that is overseen by a Public Service Commission. In addition, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) oversees the wholesale electricity market along with the interstate transmission of electricity.

What is the role of the wholesale market for power?

The wholesale market for power allows trading between generators, retailers, and other intermediaries for short term and future delivery periods.

What is different about solar PV than other forms?

There are no moving parts. The energy is created by the photons hitting the cell.

Why is solar PV so different than others

There are no moving parts. The energy is created by the photons hitting the cell.

why is the level of demand is an important part of infrastructure development

There are some days where the base load will not meet demand. Think of a really hot day in the summer that nobody works on (memorial day). This means there needs to be the potential to generate extra power, like with peaking plants.

Know the potential for offshore wind generally and some reasons why offshore wind is considered a solution for the US.

There is incredible potential for offshore wind development in the United States - the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has estimated the United States has over 4,000 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind potential, enough to power the country four times over.

What are some concerns about monopolies?

They could price gouge people, not innovate or provide better infrastructure.

Competition was initiated at what grid component?

Transmission

geothermal energy

Using a steam cycle, heat is taken from the ground and used to spin a turbine generator

Vertically integrated utility

Utility that owns all levels of the supply chain.

wind

Wind turns a turbine: producing electricity

Why is PV so scalable and unique?

You can have a solar power plant on the back of your phone - or on your house - or spread out over a hundred acres - all work fine and cost-effectively. No one has a coal power plant on their phone. No other power source is as flexible as PV. Dr. M

Renewable Portfolio Standards

a government mandate that a certain percentage of energy use come from renewable energy resources States have their own because the fed cannot agree on one. It is the regulation of energy so a state will use more renewables

Resiliency and Security impacts

attacks on nuclear power plants, ability to adapt to changing conditions

Hydro.

captures the force of moving water that is in our oceans and rivers. Spins a hydraulic turbine

concentrated solar

curved mirrors are used to concentrate energy onto a pipe which carries a liquid. The liquid is heated to generate steam which is used to create electricity

Know the three major components of the grid and their relation to billing/investment and regulation (know which is "deregulated" and why)

electricity generation, transmission and distribution These components are: (1) a fixed, monthly connection charge; (2) a supply charge; (3) a delivery charge; and (4) miscellaneous taxes and fees.

describe how the expansion of the electric grid replaced other old technologies and how these changes resulted in such advances in our economic activity

energy systems were small and localized. As the electricity system grew, the advantages of AC allowed utility companies to build grids over larger areas, creating economies of scale. To stabilize the business environment, the utilities sought a "regulatory compact" granting them monopoly status from state governments, and placing limits on how rates would be set for customers.

What are "classes" under and RPS?

generation types- Solar- Wind- Water- Wood *- Biofuels

Know how "renewable" sources generate electricity and how and why they are variable:

hydro- turbine wind- turbine solar- pv cells geothermal-turbine

kW vs kWh

kW stands for kilowatt. A kilowatt is simply 1,000 watts, which is a measure of power. ... A kilowatt hour (kWh) is a measure of energy. So a 1,000 watt drill needs 1,000 watts (1 kW) of power to make it work, and uses 1 kWh of energy in an hour.

Transmission

mandated open access regulated by FERC or ITO or ISO Owners of grid Have to grant open access to other generators of electricity under FERC: broke the monopoly

What does an RPS require utilities to do?

market-based policy for increasing the amount of renewable energy in the overall electric resource portfolio-targets: %s that we want types of energy to achieve-dictate types of energy that utilities have, classes of generation-classes of generation, targets for class, alternative compliance-successful b/c another type of open market-continual innovation w/in renewable energy space bc of increasing targets-ensures intended development goals will be achieved-minimal role for gov't

compare capacity factors for some power plants in general

nuclear- 93.5 natural gas -56.8 coal- 47.5 hydropower- 39.1 wind- 34.8 solar- 24.5

Offshore wind

o Able to install turbine quickly o Able to install pre-commissioned components o Working year round even in high down time period o Designed for specific purpose

· What options do utilities have to meet the compliance obligations under an RPS?

production, RECs, alternative compliance payment

Distribution

regulated at the state level, monopoly.

Know the relationship between energy resources and the following: o Resource potential. o Technical potential. o Economic potential. o Market potential.

resource- total sunlight tech- how much sun we can actually use economic- how cost efficient is it market- realistic opportunity

Know how to recognize and draw a typical demand curve for a day

upside down u, ramp up peak, deacrease

Why have there been only state RPS's adopted

very dependent on the needs and context of each state for feasibility, market based

Understand how the model shows the return on investment.

your solar power system is a financial product - one that is capable of generating annual returns ranging anywhere from 10 percent to more than 30 percent. ... You can calculate your annual returns by dividing the financial benefits you receive each year by your initial investment in your solar power system