New Bill Could Help Georgia Grow as a Solar Market

      Local Public Service Commissioner Lauren "Bubba" McDonald, Jr., had noted that "Georgia is the third best state for solar energy in the United States but ranks 35th in actual solar installations, even the cost of panels have decreased 33%." In fact, the state has the same solar potential as central Africa or India, with most areas of the state generating between 4.92 and 5.21 kilowatt hours per square meter per day.
      With all this to be considered, Georgia represents an unmarked opportunity to grow. Therefore, it's no surprise that Georgia Solar Utilities company is backing the "Rural Georgia Economic Recovery and Solar Resource Act of 2013." This bill is enabled to create a unique financing model for solar energy, wherein third parties (like Georgia Solar Utilities) can submit proposals to the Public Service Commission for financing and aggregating solar energy.
      Some of the details enlisted in the bill have the capacity to help Georgia grow in terms of the solar market. The statute clears roadblocks like interconnection and grid access for generating assets and this entire program is on an opt-in basis. Competitive bidding on construction and installation will be creating market incentives to help lower the soft costs of solar panel installations. Since photovoltaic and solar farms are covered under the statute, neighborhood homes in Atlanta could have solar power on their roofs while unused fields in the country can yield 30-megawatt solar farms. If the sun decides to shine in either place, ratepayers in both areas reap the benefits as well as this geographical distribution also brings about less variability.
     "The world has changed for the economics of solar in Georgia, but we're stuck with 40-year-old laws that block us from taking advantage of it," said Robert Green, CEO of Georgia Solar Utilities. "So we're offering a conservative, no-brainer proposition: let a private company bear all the downside risk for investing in solar with no upward pressure on utility rates, and let ratepayers reap the upside of future cost savings as solar prices fall."

Columbus, GA solar installers

Uruguay Plans Cheap Solar Energy!

       The South American nation, Uruguay, is offering contracts to buy power equivalent to 200 megawatts of solar farms at the world's cheapest rates. Ramon Mendez, a director of energy at the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, has remarked that President Jose Mujica is planning to sign a decree that will require Uruguay's national power utility to purchase electricity from projects at a set rate of $90 a megawatt hour. The nation plans to produce some of the world's cheapest energy, referring mostly to solar and wind energy projects.
         China is offering Uruguay $160 a megawatt hour while Germany offers $154.33 a megawatt hour. Four months after the decree is passed, developers have the opportunity of proposing offers at a first-come first-serve basis. Mendez recalls that three companies have already proclaimed in selling at the price of $90 a megawatt hour. However, if the offers fail, they will plan to wait another couple of years until the equipment prices drop and they will try again.
        The decree that is to be issued also calls for a bid of developing a 1-megawatt and a 5-megawatt plant. Both these projects are to provide the national power utility power for 25 years at a price. Though this decree is currently in circulation, 80% of the nation's electricity is derived from hydroelectric power plants, costing on average $80 a megawatt hour. In a 2011 auction, Uruguay was offered a contract of  power at $63 a megawatt hour from wind developers. This nation has many projects in development to sustain their population as a low-cost nation.

Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee has Solar Installations!

      The Knoxville Zoological Gardens, located in Tennessee, has been the first zoo to receive solar installations, which 196 solar panels have been placed across the roof of the Stokely African Elephant Preserve Habitat. This installation has been ordered by Knoxville-based energy contractor ARiES Energy (Alternative Renewable Innovative Economic Solutions for Energy). Specifically, this installation has been made due to a partnership the nonprofit zoo has with Wampler's Farm Sausage and Family Brands International, which they are financing $170,000-$180,000 to construct the solar panels.  In return of this construction, the zoo leased the roof of the barn at its African elephant natural habitat from the Lenoir City-based Wampler's Company. Not only that but they are also supposed to sell Wampler's and Family Brands products such as its barbecues, bacon, and hot dogs at their concession stands.
       The solar installation, alone, could produce 55,595 kilowatt hours of power a year, which actually saves the zoo $825,000 of utilities on water, sewer and gas charges, etc. It also helps the zoo by reducing its carbon footprint, providing environment conservation, and it puts the Knoxville Zoo in a leadership position over other zoos in Tennessee for its green solar installation.

This is Knoxville Zoological Gardens before the solar panels installation

This is Knoxville Zoological Gardens, in progress of the solar panels installation, still to be completed