Solar power in Alaska explained

Solar power in Alaska has been primarily used in remote locations,[1] such as the Nenana Teen Center[2] near Fairbanks, where long summer days provide most of the electricity generated.[3] [4] In 2015, Alaska ranked 45th in installed solar among U.S. states.[5] Rooftop solar panels could provide 23% of all electricity used in Alaska.[6] Net metering is available for PV systems up to 25 kW but is limited to 1.5% of average demand.[7] IREC best practices, based on experience, recommends no limits to net metering, individual or aggregate, and perpetual roll over of kWh credits.[8]

In 2011, Alaska's largest solar array was the 17.28 kW array installed on a building in Anchorage.[9] [10] A 12 kW solar array installed in Lime Village in July 2001 helped reduce electricity costs.[11] [12]

Annual insolation and thus power production per capacity installed in Alaska is similar to central Europe, where Germany became a leader in worldwide solar power use in the years around 2010.

The Houston Solar Farm in Matanuska-Susitna Borough is the state's largest solar facility, at 8.5 MW, built in 2023.[13] [14] The project is designed with steeply angled and elevated bifacial panels and wide spacing between rows to accommodate snow removal and shade reduction. The project will be used for agrivoltaics research.[15]

The Puppy Dog Lake Project in Nikiski, on the Kenai Peninsula, is planned to be 30 MW.[16]

Statistics

ImageSize = width:420 height:240PlotArea = width:350 height:150 left:40 bottom:40AlignBars = late

DateFormat = x.yPeriod = from:0 till:5TimeAxis = orientation:verticalScaleMajor = unit:month increment:1 start:0

TextData = pos:(15,220) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:hrs pos:(205,25) textcolor:black fontsize:S text:Month pos:(90,230) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:Anchorage Sun Hours/day (Avg = 3.02 hrs/day)

Colors = id:yellow value:yellow

PlotData= width:20 textcolor:black bar:Jan color:yellow from:0 till:0.83 text:0.83 shift:(-10,20) bar:Feb color:yellow from:0 till:2.16 text:2.16 shift:(-10,40) bar:Mar color:yellow from:0 till:3.77 text:3.77 shift:(-10,65) bar:Apr color:yellow from:0 till:4.35 text:4.35 shift:(-10,75) bar:May color:yellow from:0 till:4.88 text:4.88 shift:(-10,80) bar:Jun color:yellow from:0 till:4.74 text:4.74 shift:(-10,80) bar:Jul color:yellow from:0 till:4.50 text:4.50 shift:(-10,75) bar:Aug color:yellow from:0 till:3.77 text:3.77 shift:(-10,65) bar:Sep color:yellow from:0 till:3.28 text:3.28 shift:(-10,55) bar:Oct color:yellow from:0 till:1.88 text:1.88 shift:(-10,35) bar:Nov color:yellow from:0 till:1.39 text:1.39 shift:(-10,30) bar:Dec color:yellow from:0 till:0.61 text:0.61 shift:(-10,15)

Source: NREL[17]

Grid-Connected PV Capacity (MWp)[18] [19] [20] [21] [22]
YearCapacityChange% Change
2010 <0.1
2011 <0.1
2012 <0.1
2013 0.2 0.2 >100%
2014 0.39 0.21 20%
2015 0.72 0.33 85%
2016 0.95 0.23 32%
2017 1.75 0.8 84%
2018 2.78 1.23 70%
2019 7.78 5 180%
2020 12.1 4.32 56%
2021 15.4 3.3 27%
2022 18 2.6 %

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.groundtruthtrekking.org/Issues/Renewable-Energy-in-Alaska.html Renewable Energy in Alaska
  2. https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public/systems/BTcD7969 Nenana Teen Center
  3. http://www.ktva.com/news/local/Do-Solar-Panels-Work-in-Alaska-115326449.html Do Solar Panels Work in Alaska?
  4. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2001/10/tiny-alaskan-village-may-set-solar-pace-for-remote-areas-5575 Tiny Alaskan Village May Set Solar Pace for Remote Areas
  5. http://www.seia.org/state-solar-policy/alaska-solar Alaska
  6. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/report-argues-for-a-de-centralized-system-of-renewable-power-generation/ Report Argues for a Decentralized System of Renewable Power Generation
  7. http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=AK03R&re=1&ee=0 Alaska - Net Metering
  8. http://irecusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ASES-2009-Paper-0131-net-metering-and-IC-best-practices-1.pdf Net Metering and Interconnection Procedures Incorporating Best Practices
  9. http://www.ktva.com/news/local/Solar-Panels-Light-Up-Downtown-Building-122996343.html Solar Panels Light Up Downtown Building
  10. https://www.sunnyportal.com/Templates/PublicPageOverview.aspx?plant=e89960d9-e25e-4cd0-90a0-8698de3e286b Anchorage Solar Building
  11. http://www.stateenergyreport.com/2010/08/03/solar-in-alaska/ View from the Field – Solar in Alaska
  12. http://www.alaskajournal.com/Alaska-Journal-of-Commerce/September-2001/Hybrid-generator-cuts-Lime-Village-energy-costs/ Hybrid generator cuts Lime Village energy costs
  13. Web site: Houston Solar Farm CleanCapital Project Gallery . 2024-10-09 . CleanCapital . en-US.
  14. Web site: Fanelli . Michael . 2023-08-31 . Mat-Su Borough welcomes Alaska’s biggest solar farm . 2024-10-09 . Alaska Public Media . en-US.
  15. Web site: Harrison . Derek . 2024-10-08 . Alaska Utilities Turn to Renewables as Costs Escalate for Fossil Fuel Electricity Generation . 2024-10-09 . Inside Climate News . en-US.
  16. Web site: Diep . Jamie . 2024-08-21 . Homer utility board approves buying energy from what will be Alaska’s largest solar farm . 2024-10-09 . KTOO . en-US.
  17. Web site: PV Watts. NREL. 9 June 2012.
  18. Web site: U.S. Solar Market Trends 2011. Sherwood, Larry. Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). August 2012. 2012-08-16. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120906231846/http://www.irecusa.org/wp-content/uploads/IRECSolarMarketTrends-2012-web.pdf. 2012-09-06.
  19. Web site: U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010. Sherwood, Larry. Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). June 2011. 2011-06-29.
  20. Web site: U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008 . PDF . Sherwood . Larry . Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) . July 2009 . 16 . 2010-07-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091123030109/http://www.irecusa.org/fileadmin/user_upload/NationalOutreachDocs/SolarTrendsReports/IREC_Solar_Market_Trends_Report_2008.pdf . 2009-11-23 .
  21. Web site: U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012 . PDF . Sherwood . Larry . Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) . July 2012 . 16 . 2013-10-11.
  22. https://www.seia.org/state-solar-policy/alaska-solar Alaska Solar

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Solar power in Alaska".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.