Spencer's Comments

Marvin and Ryle, your comments seem to imply that an "ACPV" module of the future will contain no microinverter. I am not a PV industry insider or expert, but it seems to me that this is just splitting hairs, since a PV module is inherently a DC device that requires an inverter to supply AC power. So, a "true" ACPV module will, I presume, be one which can most completely hide the embedded microinverter from wiring access or visibility to the user?

My earlier comment (first one in this thread) was meant to recognize this miniaturization trend as the key factor in architectural adaptation leading to cost reduction, simplicity of design, and increased ease of installation. So, it looks like the degree to which the PV industry succeeds in approaching an ACPV "ideal module" will be all about these goals.

And it is not all rosy. Marvin and Ryle do make some excellent points regarding tradeoffs concerning AC vs. DC wiring, etc. Back in February, responding to Miles Russell's article on the rise of ACPV, Marvin stated it this way:

"You gain by removing the DC side wiring but no one addresses the problems in AC combining, particularly in light of the NEC requirements that end up making any AC combining panels double oversize with the resulting increase in cost.

Yes the AC side will be lower voltage but lower voltage will result in an increase in current as the systems scale. This increase in current will result in having to use larger conductors and equipment. This is not a problem on smaller systems but will be on larger systems."

Well said, and these will be essential development challenges for which engineers and system designers will find solutions. These problems, too, will pass.

Micro-inverters have already become part of the design and delivered systems from several key suppliers, with a primary emphasis on smaller plug & play homeowner PV systems(as noted in the article). One example is www.greenraysolar.com .

Cost reduction, increased performance & efficiency, miniaturization of components, and simplification of procurement, setup and installation are all extremely important to drive adoption of distributed electricity generation. And, as noted in comments by "theBike", such improvements will make "alternative energy" a more economically feasible choice for adopters and policymakers in our government.

Naysayers beware. When the architecture of a system is changed by an innovative component, whole industries can change. We were witness to a very similar phase in data network devices in 1994 when ALANTEC Corporation engineered the first "switching hub" in which each port in the hub was its own full wire-speed collision domain. "Huh?", you say? Well, before that, whole departments would share a single networking collision domain at 10Mbps, and a single-path router link would move data packets between them. The data packet traffic and throughput performance could get very ugly. ALANTEC changed he whole market, making "collapsed backbone switches" the norm in the industry. And now, the little "wireless router" in your home has a very similar architecture but delivers up to 1Gbps to each cabled desktop! The cost in 1994 was about $25,000 per 10Mbps port with 6 cable ports. Today, your home wireless router has 4 or 5 cable ports running at least 100Mbps each, for about $50 all told. Call it $10 per port. Sorry for the long-winded comparison, but it illustrates how a new architecture may become the absolute norm once it is adopted throughout an industry that desperately needs its costs slashed and performance increased.

Solutions to world energy and climate change must be comprehensive and consider all ideas. But two further elements affect success: Cost and Distribution.

The cost of solutions is the driver of change. Even within the span of a few years, one can see that rising monetary, ecological and social costs within the oil economy have spurred changes in the automobile industry. Think of this as the "canary in the coal mine". The primary driver of growth in RE will always be its cost compared to the status quo. It rises as oil costs rise.

Distribution of electrical energy is the "big rock" in the way of progress. Until the Energy Web begins to really take shape (see Wired 9.07 July 2001 - http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.07/juice.html), even perfect PV installations will not be able to effectively contribute to world energy needs.

RE business development - and global ecological and economic health - hinges on RE's success in addressing Cost and Distribution.

Clarification: When I said "The primary driver of growth in RE will always be its cost compared to the status quo. It rises as oil costs rise." - I meant that when RE costs are favorable, benchmarked against existing solutions, then RE solutions will come to market naturally. Capitalism is the economic ecosystem within which we operate. Back in the 60's we hated this fact, but it is inescapable that minimally, fair trade is the basis for human exchange.

Don't forget there are other sources of bio oil besides soybeans. How about hemp oil? Anyone who has studied economic botany knows what a huge travesty our government's policy on hemp eradication really is. This extremely fast-growing industrial plant has hundreds of legitimate uses apart from its cousin's recreational smoking purposes. Oil and fiber from the plant had planned uses in early automotive production, until 1937. Hey, we can dream of reversing this idiocy, can't we?

Biodiesel production should also be engineered, both socially and chemically, to utilize pre-existing inputs such as used fats and oils from restaurants. Agribusiness-only inputs to production are heavily weighted toward high-fertilizer production crops. Cost and policy analysis of such projects should emphasize balancing all variables in the renewable equation.

This approval has been a long time coming, and of course it remains to be seen if all other hurdles to Cape Wind's plan will be overcome. As a Cape Cod summer resident and catboat sailor, I am not thrilled by the prospect of the horizon being interrupted by such a project. However, it is time for New England to set the pace for offshore energy use that gets beyond petroleum and natural gas industry pumping platforms that are already offshore in the Gulf and which affected the U.S. economy so severely. Wind energy's time has come. No more whining, let's do it!

Looks like this is my new yogurt brand. Way to go!

The residents and mariners along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico have long since been putting up with the inconvenience of hundreds of oil and gas pumping stations and platforms. And Hurricane Katrina demonstrated to the entire U.S. what can happen when such facilities are compromised by severe conditions. Product cannot be moved to market or even secured without spillage and coastal damage. I believe the Northeast - largely "blue-states" - can and should demonstrate that alternative energy production equates to smart energy policy. Even wealthy Long Island landowners should see the long-term benefit for the nation - and therefore, for themselves.

I find it almost amusing - if it weren't tragic - that the union workers' leaders are just now trying to pig-pile on the solar industry, looking for the dollars to be gained. Where were they when the industry needed boosting? I am heartened, though, by Mike Bullock's attitude - wanting to use IBEW knowledge to help 'save the planet'. How about a compromise here? Plenty of work for back-end tie-ins, interconnects, and advanced inverter configurations is available and does require licensed electricians. And, they could inspect the mechanical installations for the projects, using professional and manufacturer guidelines. This could work for all involved.

I do think it is encouraging that after 30 years of waiting for the alternatives market to "take off", at least now the feds are not required for certain projects to be feasible. On the other hand, this project would be better if it converted used oil and grease products to distill biodiesel fuel which could be utilized directly by the many diesel trucks, cars, and boats that operate in the state of NY and surrounding areas.

It is encouraging that such projects are proceeding in spite of backward federal energy policies that seek to maximize short-term profits gained from the long-term downward slide along the right side of the petroleum supply reserves curve. Please vote on energy issues during all upcoming elections.