Solar Power Generation
Solar Energy is the fastest growing and most affordable source of new electricity in the Americas and overseas.
Why Texzon Utilities for Solar Power Generation?
Solar Energy is the fastest growing and most affordable source of new electricity in America and overseas. As the cost of solar energy systems dropped significantly, more businesses, industry, and municipalities have taken advantage of clean energy.
Photovoltaic (PV) solar energy systems are expected to operate for at least 20 - 30 years. How well a system performs during its lifespan directly affects project cash flows, which largely determine the value of those systems. It also affects operation and planning activities for the electric grid.
There are many different applications that provide Texzon the ability to model the operation of PV systems before they are constructed, which helps to reduce financial and reliability risks. These models use meteorological inputs and a mathematical representation of the system to calculate the energy and rate plan that will be generated over any time interval of interest—from minutes to decades.
Texzon Utilities in accordance with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office developed three resources to help our clients navigate changes to the federal solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which was expanded in 2022 through the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). These resources—for businesses, manufacturers and municipalities—provide thorough overviews of the ITC, Production Tax Credit (PTC), MACRS Depreciation and Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit (MPTC). They demystify the tax code with intuitive explanations and examples, answer frequently asked questions, and explain the process of claiming valued tax credits.
How Does Solar Work?
The amount of sunlight that strikes the earth's surface in an hour and a half is enough to handle the entire world's energy consumption for a full year. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either through photovoltaic (PV) panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation. This energy can be used to generate electricity or be stored in batteries or thermal storage.
Here you can find resources and information on the basics of solar radiation, photovoltaic and concentrating solar-thermal power technologies, electrical grid systems integration, and the non-hardware aspects (soft costs) of solar energy. You can also learn more about how to go solar and the solar energy industry. In addition, you can dive deeper into solar energy and learn more about how Texzon Utilities is driving implementation in these areas.
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Solar Energy 101​
Solar radiation is light – also known as electromagnetic radiation – that is emitted by the sun. While every location on Earth receives some sunlight over a year, the amount of solar radiation that reaches any one spot on the Earth’s surface varies. Solar technologies capture this radiation and turn it into useful forms of energy.
Photovoltaics Basics
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There are two main types of solar energy technologies—photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP). You're likely most familiar with PV, which is utilized in solar panels. When the sun shines onto a solar panel, energy from the sunlight is absorbed by the PV cells in the panel. This energy creates electrical charges that move in response to an internal electrical field in the cell, causing electricity to flow.​
Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power Basics
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Concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers that collect solar energy and convert it to heat, which can then be used to produce electricity or stored for later use. It is used primarily in very large power plants.
Why Virtual Power Plants?
Peak electricity demand is expected to increase for the first time in a decade. At the same time, old coal and gas power plants are retiring. By 2030, the United States will need to add enough new resources to serve approximately 200 GW of peak demand. In the past, grid operators have served rising demand by increasing centralized supply resources, but this will be challenging if transmission interconnections continue to experience multi-year wait times. VPPs present a more efficient alternative to manage this rising demand while making electricity cleaner and more affordable for Americans.
VPPs are aggregations of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as rooftop solar with behind-the-meter batteries, electric vehicles (EVs) and chargers, electric water heaters, smart buildings and their controls, and flexible commercial and industrial loads that can balance electricity demand and supply and provide utility-scale and utility-grade grid services like a traditional power plant. VPPs enroll DER owners—including residential, commercial, and industrial electricity consumers—in a variety of participation models that offer rewards for contributing to efficient grid operations.
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Traditional Power Plant vs. Virtual Power Plant
As energy markets change, so do our power plants. And while traditional power plants have reigned supreme, this isn’t the case anymore. The energy transition is increasing the share of renewable generation in the traditional energy market. Renewables are set to account for 95% of the increase in global power capacity by 2026. To handle this, our energy systems are having to evolve.
Traditional Power Plants
In the past, traditional power plants involved burning fossil fuels in order to produce power and maintain a balanced grid. Energy generation occurs in one fixed location. When energy demand increases, more fossil fuels are burnt. Typically, these power plants operate at 80% capacity, with 20% in reserve to accommodate fluctuations in energy demand.​
Virtual Power Plants (VPP)
VPP can achieve the same outputs and meet energy demand. However, they are doing it through a decentralized format. Rather than having one single place of operation, VPPs draw their energy from multiple locations in order to maintain grid stability. By aggregating multiple energy sources, a VPP can deliver the same service as traditional power plants, trade on the same energy markets, and also allow greater integration of sustainable energy sources. Rather than working at only 80% capacity, VPPs can tap into these energy sources when energy demand spikes.
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Solar Power Capabilities
TEXZON UTILITIES provides the following services to support your PV solar energy implementation:
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Study of current power expenditures and rate plans
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Conceptual design, viability, and feasibility studies
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PV solar array and layout design
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Energy production and total installed (turnkey) cost estimate
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ROI, IRR and cashflow – payback schedule
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BESS (battery energy storage system) design and integration
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Electrical and mechanical engineering
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Electrical load analysis
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PPA (power purchase agreements) & VPA (virtual power agreements)
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Utility interface and interconnection
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Structural engineering
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Environmental and regulatory permitting and applications support
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Software: Helioscope, Energy Toolbase, CAD, delos, etc.
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Technical field services and project management
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Independent engineering reviews & inspections
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Civil engineering and environmental impact analysis / design
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In-House grant writing, defining federal and state incentives, etc.
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Financial products, project capital, and funding incentives
LINKS
How Does Solar Work? | Department of Energy
Federal Solar Tax Credits for Businesses | Department of Energy
Solar Integration: Distributed Energy Resources and Microgrids | Department of Energy
Solar Integration: Inverters and Grid Services Basics | Department of Energy
VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS PROJECTS | Department of Energy
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency® - DSIRE (dsireusa.org)
