Solar thermal policy and technologiesSeminar at UCCS Sacramento

Roland WinstonUC Merced

Solar Energy Applications 2

How good is the good news?

The Earth receives1,370 Watts per square meter

(R/r)2

The sun produces60,000,000 Watts per square meter

Solar Flux

Solar Energy Applications 3

Area of Earth’s cross-section = R2 . π

Area of Earth’s surface = 4.R2 .π

Calculating solar irradiance…

Absorption factorin Earth’s atmosphere = ½

1,370 [W/m2] * (½) *R2 . π

4.R2 .π* 24 hours = 4 kWh/m2

Solar Energy Applications 4

Very Good: 4 kWh/m2 of sunlight hitting the earth !!!

Illustration by Yui Yano (8th grade student, California)

Solar Energy Applications 5

What is a kilowatt hour (kWh)?

The average Californian consumes:

6 kWh of electricity per day(or 1-2 square meters)

33 kWh of total energy per day(or 8-9 square meters)

And that’s without any concentration!!!

Solar Energy Applications 6

Normal solar irradiance across the US

Solar Energy Applications 7

An area of 600 square miles (20 miles by 30 miles) in southern California could provide all the electricity needs for the state….

….if, we can capture it efficiently!

California’s Solar Resource

Bad News Aliso Canyon Gas Leak

• Uncontrolled leak between October 23, 2015 and February 11, 2016

• Due to damage to the storage well casing breach at 500 feet deep

• Wellhead in Aliso Canyon was 61 years old and he was not "shock[ed] that it failed“

Remarkable Parallels to the BP Gulf Oil Spill• Released 94,000 metric tons of methane, with

carbon footprint "larger than the Deepwater Horizon leak in the Gulf of Mexico"

Solar thermal supplies more energy than PV worldwide

IEA SHC report 2016

Opportunity in California• Large incentives due to the aging natural gas

infrastructures.

Thermal imaging of Aliso Canyon Leakage

California solar thermal rebatesAdministrator Customer Class Current

StepIncentive Rate

PG&E

Single Family Residential 1 $29.85 per ThermMultifamily Residential or Commercial 1 $20.19 per ThermCommercial Pools 1 $5.00 per ThermSingle Family Residential - Low Income 1 $36.90 per ThermMultifamily Residential - Low Income 1 $24.89 per Therm

CSE

Single Family Residential 1 $29.85 per ThermMultifamily Residential or Commercial 1 $20.19 per ThermCommercial Pools 2 $5.00 per ThermSingle Family Residential - Low Income 1 $36.90 per ThermMultifamily Residential - Low Income 1 $24.89 per Therm

SoCalGas

Single Family Residential 1 SCG $70.00 per ThermMultifamily Residential or Commercial 1 SCG $25.00 per ThermCommercial Pools 2 $5.00 per ThermSingle Family Residential - Low Income 1 $36.90 per Therm

Multifamily Residential - Low Income 1 $24.89 per Therm

Installed system cost(CSI data)

SoCalGas rebate (1 year system payback)

Typical rebate (3-4 year system payback)

What can UC solar do

• Test facility• Convenient for industry(streamline the process)• More user friendly.

• Testing standard• Education and development of the testing standard• Education of future solar engineers across 10 campuses

• New type of solar collectors• Easy to install(self install)• Anti stagnation• Long system life

Collector prototyping and testing at UC Merced

US installation in Florida (Driving an engine)

Installation at Mongolia

Masdar in Dubai

Sugar refinery in Dubai

Commercial testing