California's three large IOUs collectively served 12.7% of their 2007 retail electricity sales with renewable power. – Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) % – Southern California Edison (SCE) % – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) - 5.2% IOU is an Investor owned Utility Co. (not a city or county or company owned by the public) The California Legislature has set a target of using 20% renewable energy by 2010

2 California’s RPS is the most Aggressive in the Country Source: Black and Veatch

Geothermal % Wind % Biomass % Small Hydro % Biogas % Solar % Renewable Energy Sources used in California in 2007

Geothermal Using the earth’s heat energy to produce electricity. Using the earth’s heat energy to produce electricity. California’s Geyser facility is the largest geothermal electricity producer in the world California’s Geyser facility is the largest geothermal electricity producer in the world Need to locate a “hot spot” Need to locate a “hot spot” 50X fewer emissions that fossil fuel powered plants. 50X fewer emissions that fossil fuel powered plants. Geothermal accounts for Geothermal accounts for 2,800 MW of capacity in the United States Geysers plant Near Sonoma 850 megawatts capacity

Generation costs of renewable technologies

Solar Energy – Using sun’s radiation to heat water and air. Most readily available source of energy Most readily available source of energy Use sun’s radiation to heat a fluid. Use sun’s radiation to heat a fluid.

Using sunlight to create electricity using photovoltaics (PV): Sunlight hits a sandwich of doped silicon. Electrons are knocked out of their orbits. Sunlight hits a sandwich of doped silicon. Electrons are knocked out of their orbits. The electron flow provides the current of electricity. The electron flow provides the current of electricity. PV was developed In the 1950’s for Powering Satellites.

Just at the junction the electrons and holes mix, creating a an electric field (voltage) separating the two sides. This voltage allows electrons to flow up but not down. The solar cell is acting like a diode; current flows in one direction only.

A – glass coating B – contact grid C – Antireflective coating D – N-type Si E – P-type Si

PV System with Batteries It is for the safety of line- workers that PV system inverters are engineered to shut down when they do not receive input of matching voltage from the grid. This system can be taken off the grid.

Where can PV be installed? On any portable device On a rooftop On a car On the ground In space Cal State LA Solar Eagle Vehicle

Net Metering Offers electric energy savings to individuals Everyone can generate their own electric power Distributed generation of power Helps meet electricity demands during peak times Reduces demands on transmission lines

California Public Utility Commission Self-Generation Incentive Program Customers who install small solar, wind, biogas, and fuel cell generation facilities (1 MW or less) to serve all or a portion of onsite electricity needs are eligible for the state's net metering program. The customer receives a financial credit for power generated by their onsite system and fed back to the utility. The credit is used to offset the customer's electricity bill. The utility does not pay for power above the amount of electricity the customer consumes from the utility.

Self Generated Power in CA – Thermal cogeneration systems (fuel cells, engines, and turbines) provided over 80 percent of the electricity. – PV projects supplied the next largest amount (17 percent).