Shakespeare Springs Sustained Solar Development Project(Part 3)

Shakespeare Springs is a fairy tale--it is a mid-size city on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The City is powered by two coal fired power plants and two modern hydro-generating stations. Here is a plan for it future power needs.

Part 1 http://sundogpt.blogspot.com/2009/07/shakespeare-springs-sustained-solar.html

Part 2 http://sundogpt.blogspot.com/2009/08/shakespeare-springs-sustained-solar.html

Four dominant factors that will have the most effect on solar development:

State and federal tax support will make the purchase of these systems affordable for all of our citizen/owners. By assisting the customer/owner in obtaining tax incentives, financing and installing UIA PV systems Shakespeare Springs Utilities would have access to the generation from these systems. A 2.5 kW machine will generate 13-kW a day with the home using less than 10-kw a day.

Pollution Credits or Green Certificates for utilities with sustained solar development project. For every 10 kW of PV-generated electricity, (104 lbs. of NOX), (121 lbs., of SO2) and (24,830 lbs. of CO2) are avoided. This mitigated pollution could become pollution credits that will offset the pollution from our older plants, delaying and preventing the need for mandated systems, scrubbers and other unproven and expensive clean coal technologies. (DOE http.//www.eren.doe.gov/pv/)

Net Metering is a broadly interpreted 1978 federal Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) rule, which requires utilities to pay small electric producers for power they put on the grid. The interpretation comes in what is paid back to the small generators--wholesale or retail. Utilities can spur development of PV with net metering that is fair to the consumer or hinder growth with arbitrary net metering and by requiring exorbitant tie-in fees and insurance.

Renewable Portfolios Standards Bipartisan legislation was introduced in the legislature to increase the state’s generation of renewable energy by 1,800 megawatts by 2020. The bill has bipartisan support, including both the leadership of the majority and minority parties in the State House.


A 1972 National Science Foundation and NASA report, ”Solar Energy as a National Energy Resource,” says, “there is no technological barrier to solar photovoltaic becoming a major supplier on our national electrical grid.” Therefore it only takes the economic will to develop Shakespeare Springs’ solar resources. The NSF/NASA report also states that solar electricity will start building a market share by 1990 and by 2010 will hold 10% of the U.S. generating capacity.

If Shakespeare Springs were to embark on a project of Sustained Solar Development it would not be going into uncharted waters. PV systems have been proven on every continent and in every climate. A 78 kW photovoltaic array is powering up the International Space Station.

The world’s largest Distributed Solar Grid is in Sacramento, California. Sacramento Municipal Utilities District’s PV Pioneers Program is the best example of UIA PV Sustained Solar Development. The District’s solar program started in 1992 has put up 1,000 rooftop solar systems and has just met its 10 MW goal. A program similar to the District’s PV Pioneers can be developed for the needs of our citizens’ Rocky Mountain West lifestyle.

The proof that Shakespeare Springs should develop its solar resources is best demonstrated by looking at these sustained solar development strategies, goals and objectives.

Strategy A: Add sustainable value for our citizen-owners
A UIA PV solar grid is by its very nature a sustainable value. PV electric generation is built on sturdy equipment with few moving parts. Once built and online a PV systems requires little maintenance or operating cost. Low O&M creates a generating system that holds its value. A PV system purchased for $29,499 this year will have cost the owner, after 20 years of service, $13,401 in O&M. It will be valued at $26,539 and will have prevented 54 tons of pollution from entering the environment. In contrast, a $29,499 SUV will be worth $550 after 20 years and will have cost its owner $101,500 and put 250 tons of pollution into the air. (Smithson, Home Power #90, 2002)

Strategy B: Build and strengthen customer relationship
I can see no better way to build and strengthen our customer relationship than with residential and business UIA PV systems as part of Shakespeare Springs Utilities diversified energy grid. UIA PV users will not be customers, but partners of Shakespeare Springs Utilities. UIA PV systems on residential and commercial buildings will make our customers part of our generating system. These homes and businesses will be power plants. Teamwork between PV customer/owners and Shakespeare Springs Utilities will build and strengthen our customer relationship.

Strategy C: Contribute to community goals.
Sustained Solar Development will benefit our community. As homes and businesses begin to become part of the solar grid, solar neighborhoods will grow and these neighborhoods will evolve into a solar city. This will build a stronger city. A spirit of adventure will energize Shakespeare Springs as we pioneer new energy technologies.

Employment will increase as PV manufacturers open up new PV production facilities in Shakespeare Springs. The manufacturing of silicon PV cells is so similar to computer chip manufacturing that the two can be called sister technologies. PV manufacturers will locate here and the balance-of-system manufacturers will follow. They will know that they have a market in Shakespeare Springs with our sustained solar development project and they will know that Shakespeare Springs has the employee base that knows its way around silicon and has the technical skills needed to develop this energy source.

Environmental stewardship and solar development achieve a perfect balance because the technology works so well with nature. There is no energy source that is safer or cleaner than UIA PV.
Shakespeare Springs has solar resources that can be developed into a new Solar Grid that will help Shakespeare Springs Utilities meet its goals and objectives. Utility Interactive Photovoltaic Electric Generation can add value to Shakespeare Springs Utilities with a safe, clean and economical electrical power.

Research shows that above proposal is possible and that a Shakespeare Springs Solar Grid can be developed. The benefits to our community are great. It can show how a project like this will benefit Shakespeare Springs and its citizens and our customer/owners.