Solar Power and the California Electricity Shortage

1
Solar Power and theCalifornia Electricity
Shortage

• Paul Butterfoss
• Alan Hoskinson
• Evan Pickett

2
Background Information

• Electricity shortage in California
• High demand
• Insufficient production
• Flawed deregulation scheme

• Worldwide implications
• Electricity shortage affects U.S. Economy
• OPEC plans to cut oil production
• Rising cost of natural gas

3
Introduction

• Energy Production Comparison
• Coal and Natural Gas plants
• Solar Power
• Criteria for comparison
• Low cost per kilowatt-hour
• Meet consumer demand
• Ease of implementation
• Minimal environmental impact
• Low projected long-term costs

4
The Cost of Electricity

• Electricity costs in California have jumped by
  over 1300 in the last 2 years
• Building a new power plant in California is
  costly and takes about 7 years
• Fossil fuel costs are expected to increase

5
Fossil Fuel Plants Pollute

• Power plants produce 23 million tons of CO2
  annually
• California has strict emission standards
• Yearly pollution allowances prevent plants from
  meeting demand

6
Demand Exceeds Supply

• Use of air conditioners causes peak demand in the
  summertime
• California must purchase 11,000 Megawatts
  annually from bordering states in order to meet
  demand
• Rolling blackouts must often be implemented on
  the hottest days

7
Why Solar Cells?

• Solar cells function most effectively in sunny
  climates
• California receives the most sunlight in the
  summer, coinciding with peak electricity demand
• Electricity generated by solar cells can be fed
  directly into the power grid

8
Cost of Solar Electricity

• While solar electricity is still relatively
  expensive, with the rising costs in California it
  is now economically competitive
• Solar cells have long life-spans and are
  virtually maintenance-free
• Prices are expected to decrease significantly as
  manufacturing techniques improve

9
Environmental Impact

• Solar cells are one of the most environmentally
  safe ways of generating electricity
• Installing a 1 kW photovoltaic system reduces CO2
  by over 2600 lbs annually
• Solar cell manufacturing creates a relatively
  small amount of waste

10
Conclusions

• Solar cells would ease demands on the California
  power grid
• Solar power cannot be used for 100 of
  electricity generation
• Installed photovoltaic cells lower usage of grid
  electricity immediately