Mridul Chadha of Cleantechnica reports that 38% Of Spain’s July Electricity Demand Was Met By Wind and Solar Power. Low carbon electrical sources supplied 55% of Spains electricity consumption. in the last month. 30% of total electricity was generated by wind. Nuclear accounted or 18% of production.Solar account for 4%.
Do we have any readers other than myself who are old enough to remember the condescending and even mean discussion of long ago where the nuclear advocates will sneer at solar and wind, saying they could now become a major player?
Is it wrong that I smile every time I read a report like this where solar or wind produce substantially more electricity for a country than nuclear power?
July’s share of wind and solar power technologies was significantly higher than their respective share in power generated during the first six months of the year. Between January and July 2014, the share of wind energy was about 22% while that of solar PV was 3.3%.
The wind energy sector has been consistently increasing its share in Spain power generation sector. In 2013 wind energy had the highest share among all technologies in the country’s generation mix. Wind energy projects supplied 21.1% of all electricity consumed in Spain, followed by nuclear power projects which had a share of 21%. During January, February, March and November, wind energy had the highest share in the generation mix.
Renewable energy technologies – wind, solar PV, and solar thermal – represented 49% of the total power generation capacity added in 2013. Generation from coal, natural gas-based power plants, as well as nuclear power generation fell in 2013. Portugal also reported that 70% of the electricity consumed in 2013 was generated by renewable energy sources.
We shouldn't be surprised to learn that "greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector in the Spanish peninsula fell 23.1% to 61.4 million tonnes of CO2."
Time Magazine asks Could This Be Solar Energy’s Big Moment?
Solar power has been on an upswing in the U.S., with usage now standing at six times’ its 2010 rate and the cost of solar installations since 2010 down 60 %. Analysts predict a 29% rise in solar installations in the U.S. by the end of 2014 alone.
This could be solar power’s moment. What’s uncertain is how much of that market growth the U.S. will be able to capitalize on. Currently, almost half of the world’s solar panel production takes place in China, while the U.S. only counts for only 5%.
Isn't great to have one topic area we can always turn to and find good news and encouraging reports after a summer of brutal articles raising painful questions about our human capacity to live in peace with one another?
In this report wind energy is the hero and we do not need to be weather people to know which way these winds are blowing.