In today's world, Solar power in Vermont is a topic of great relevance and interest to a wide audience. Whether due to its impact on society, its influence on popular culture or its importance in the professional field, Solar power in Vermont has become a point of convergence for different perspectives and discussions. In this article, we will delve into the exciting world of Solar power in Vermont, exploring its multiple facets, analyzing its relevance in different contexts and offering a panoramic view that allows the reader to understand the importance and scope of this topic. Through detailed and rigorous analysis, we will unravel the complexities of Solar power in Vermont and offer new perspectives to enrich the debate around this fascinating topic.
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Solar power in Vermont provides almost 11% of the state's in-state electricity production as of 2018. A 2009 study indicated that distributed solar on rooftops can provide 18% of all electricity used in Vermont. A 2012 estimate suggests that a typical 5 kW system costing $25,000 before credits and utility savings will pay for itself in 10 years, and generate a profit of $34,956 over the rest of its 25-year life.
Net metering is available for up to at least 500 kW generation, but is capped at 15% of utilities peak demand. Excess generation is rolled over each month but is lost once each year. Group net metering is also allowed. Vermont is given an A for net metering and a C for interconnection. A feed-in tariff was created in 2009, but is limited to 50 MW and is fully subscribed. The cap increases by 5 to 10 MW/year starting in 2013 until it reaches 127.5 MW in 2022. It is available for solar, wind, methane, and biomass. Seven solar projects are receiving payments, of $0.30/kWh, for 25 years.
In 2012, Vermont had five solar arrays of at least 1 MW, the 2.2 MW SunGen Sharon 1 in Sharon. the 2.1 MW concentrating photovoltaics array installed in July 2011 in South Burlington, the 1.5 MW photovoltaic array also in South Burlington installed in October 2011, the 1 MW photovoltaic array in Ferrisburgh, and the 2 MW Williamstown Solar Project.
As of 2019, Green Mountain Power (GMP) has further constructed several solar arrays as large as 5 MW. In 2015, the 20 MW Coolidge solar farm near Ludlow was opposed by GMP, which claimed that there was no need for such utility-scale solar in the state. The farm was completed by NextEra Energy at the end of 2018.
Using data available from the U.S. Energy Information Agency's Electric Power Annual 2017 and "Electric Power Monthly Data Browser", the following table summarizes Vermonts’s solar energy posture.
Year | Facilities | Summer capacity (MW) | Electric energy (GWh or M kWh) | Capacity factor | Yearly growth of generating capacity | Yearly growth of produced energy | % of VT renewable electric energy | % of VT generated electric energy | % of U.S. Solar electric energy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 34 | 98.7 | 143 | 0.165 | 33% | 44.4% | 6.09% | 6.07% | 0.27% |
2017 | 31 | 74.2 | 99 | 0.152 | 13% | 67.8% | 4.64% | 4.62% | 0.19% |
2016 | 65.7 | 59 | 0.103 | 118% | 23% | 3.10% | 3.08% | 0.16% | |
2015 | 32.4 | 48 | 0.169 | 7% | 100% | 2.4% | 2.42% | 0.19% | |
2014 | 30.2 | 24 | .091 | 41% | 2.10% | 0.34% | 0.13% |
Capacity factor for each year was computed from the end-of-year summer capacity. 2017 data is from Electric Power Monthly and is subject to change.
A small-scale 15KW installation at a homestead in middle Vermont generated 19,480 kWh of electrical energy at a Capacity Factor of 0.15. The homestead was sending energy to the utility when it was produced and taking energy from the utility when needed. Overall, the homestead consumed 80% of its generation and sold the remaining 20% to the utility. The generation profile is shown in the chart.
Beginning with the 2014 data year, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has estimated the distributed solar-photovoltaic generation and distributed solar-photovoltaic capacity. These non-utility-scale appraisals evaluate that Vermont generated the following amounts of additional solar energy:
Year | Summer capacity (MW) | Electric energy (GWh or M kWh) |
---|---|---|
2018 | 102.3 | 130 |
2017 | 90.3 | 111 |
2016 | 59.8 | 76 |
2015 | 49.9 | 48 |
2014 | 27.9 | 33 |