“There is a general consensus that we've got an energy problem coming in Washington State,” Cascadia Renewables co-founder and managing partner Markus Virta said as he started the third session at the 2024 Solar Washington Summit in October. 

We are in an incredibly fortunate position in Washington, Markus opined, in that the Columbia River has been a large “battery” system. “The dams provide an incredible source of resilience to this region and outside of this region. But it is terrifying that they're forecasting 44% less snowpack in 2040. What that means is that later into the winter, instead of snow, we're getting rain that is destabilizing hillsides, putting our transmission equipment at risk. Ultimately, it means less generation in late summer from our dams.”

This month, the Urban Infrastructure Lab at the University of Washington published an “Economic Impact Analysis of Community Solar Programs for the State of Washington”. The study looks at third-party-owned community solar, i.e.,mostly corporate-owned community solar installations where a third party owns the project (neither the utility nor the customer) and the public is given the ability to subscribe to the solar energy service of the third party through their utility bill. Corporate-owned community solar facilities are often arranged through the lease of land, but rooftop array development is also a possibility. Thus, according to the study, solar growth increases the opportunity for payments from corporate developers and owners of the arrays to landowners of rural, commercial, and industrial property.

One of our most engaging panels at the 2024 Solar Summit in early October was about energy equity and energy justice.  Solar Washington board member Charlee Thomson, who works for the Northwest Energy Coalition, organized and moderated the panel.  “These two topics, equity and justice, are integral to the clean energy transition and the advancement of solar energy. While we are reaching beyond the typical scope of what folks generally think of as solar energy, we wanted to put solar in the broader context of the clean energy transition.” The panelists, Environmental Justice Council Climate Justice Advisor Jonathan Chen, Spark Northwest Policy Manager John Seng and Climate Solutions Consultant Ali Lee, provided insights for the audience.

“The decarbonization picture is that electricity is more efficient than fossil fuels in many applications, vehicles or cars, as well as heating systems,” Solar Washington board member Charlee Thompson said as she kicked off the panel on “Decarbonization and Electrification” at the 2024 Solar Summit on October 4, 2024. “The electrification piece of the overall decarbonization strategy becomes really, really important.”

Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI) Research Analyst Ruby Moore-Bloom, McKinstry senior consultant Scott Foreman-Murray and Rewiring America volunteer Wendy Ferry provided insights on how to make electrification happen and how to achieve Washington’s decarbonization goals.

The solar industry is beginning to experience whiplash due to a recent flurry of regulatory changes, according to the law firm Sheppard Mullin, rendering solar tariffs among the most intricate in the history of U.S. imports. Homeowners are wondering about the extent of the tariffs' cost impact. Surprisingly, the cost may be minimal.

Solar Washington Board Member Richard Hartung, along with several Solar Washington members, attended the first-ever Bloomberg Green Festival, held in Seattle in early July, and reports for the Solar Washingtonian on this incredible opportunity for hundreds of people interested in solving the climate crisis to hear from a multitude of insightful speakers.

The vast majority of speakers and participants had similar mindsets and models about the need for action, so participants at the event were able to learn from their insights on how to build effective approaches and solutions for resolving climate change from that focused perspective.

While the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on solar draws far less notice that what it does for tech or banking, it turns out that AI can provide massive benefits for everything from solar energy system design and maintenance to system optimization and the entire electricity grid.

Designing the Solar System

Once business or residential customers decide to install solar energy, AI can help with designing the right system. AI can tailor the design of solar systems based on the customer’s priorities, such as maximum net metering income or lowest cost installation.

AI could help to design the solar system and analyze the property, CNET noted, as well as to optimize a home battery and even predict maintenance costs after the panels are installed. AI promises to make solar installations faster and potentially cheaper while also improving the performance of a home energy system over time.

AI algorithms can be used to optimize the positioning of solar panels and reduce shading, according to Omdena, which improves solar energy production. AI algorithms can also analyze very localized weather patterns and solar radiation levels to predict future solar energy production, which improves planning.

The quest for sustainable green energy and the changes in energy costs have led us to the doorstep of localized solar energy storage - a solution that promises a future powered by clean, renewable energy right at your location. As we delve into the intricacies of the technologies behind this, we uncover the challenges and opportunities it presents, particularly in the context of expected Net Energy Metering (NEM) changes in Washington State.

The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at the Columbia Law School provides the legal profession and the public with up-to-date resources on key topics in climate law and regulation. It works closely with the scientists at Columbia University’s Climate School and with a wide range of governmental, non-governmental and academic organizations. Recognizing that broad public support exists for climate policies, but that “misinformation and coordinated disinformation” can undermine support for renewable energy projects, a team led by Matthew Eisenson at the Sabin Center for Climate Change reviewed a series of false solar power claims in its document, “Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles,” published in April 2024. Among other claims, the report identifies and examines 14 of the most pervasive misconceptions about solar energy.

Starting with last month's post on electrical panels, Solar Washington is exploring how improvements to and within the residential building envelope can elevate living standards and contribute to meeting climate goals.  Here, we consider the general concept of home electrification.

Solar power provides a clean alternative to fossil fuels and its scalability allows for a wide range of applications, from small residential setups to large-scale solar farms.  Solar energy plays a pivotal role in the global efforts towards electrification and decarbonization, acting as a cornerstone in the transition to a clean energy future.  As more and more homeowners in Washington are switching to solar panels, it's important to reconsider how we use electricity in our home and look for opportunities to scale down or eliminate fossil fuel-based energy consumption.

Electrification benefits both individuals and the environment by promoting cleaner energy, improving overall well-being, and reducing emissions. According to EnergySage, a net-zero economy in 2050 calls for 300 million personal electric vehicles on the road, up from about 2 million in 2021, and 120 million residences with air source heat pumps, or a jump to 80% of housing stock from approximately 10% in 2021.