Georgia’s solar vitality future brightens with advances in solar battery know-how – Savannah Morning Information
Adam Van Brimmer
| Savannah Morning News
ATHENS — Storage battery advances, not just additional collection panels, will fuel Georgia’s solar power future, a panel of experts told members of the Georgia General Assembly on Tuesday.
A pair of Georgia Public Service (PSC) members along with Georgia Power’s Wilson Mallard, the utility’s director of renewable development, updated lawmakers on the state’s growth in solar power generation during the Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators, a pre-legislative primer held at Athens’ The Classic Center.
The panelist highlighted Georgia’s rapid ascension as a solar power-generating state over the last decade. Solar was “virtually nonexistent” as an energy source in Georgia in 2012, Georgia Power’s Mallard said, with sun power coming only from panels installed on residential and commercial business rooftops. In 2020, solar is on pace to contribute 2,600 megawatts to the state’s energy grid.
Meanwhile, costs have fallen by half over the last eight years.
“We waited until the time was right, for a time when solar could make an impact for our customers,” Georgia Power’s Mallard said.
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Many additional solar installations are planned for locations across Georgia, and Georgia Power expects to double the current wattage over the next five years.
However, the real “game changer” will be in storage battery development, which can capture and store solar-generated electricity and distribute it at night or on cloudy days, the panelists agreed.
“That’s going to be the future,” said the PSC’s Jason Shaw.
High-capacity battery technology has advanced rapidly in recent years as transportation industry pioneers, most notably those in the auto industry, have embraced electric power. Utilities have followed suit, recognizing the potential batteries offer in terms of solving one of the great challenges of electricity: storage on a large scale.
The efficiency and costs of high-capacity batteries are dropping rapidly, with the trajectory mirroring that of solar panels over the last decade. Georgia Power’s Mallard said. Improvements are being made both in technology and in manufacturing processes.
“It’s on the doorstep and will play a bigger role going forward,” said Mallard, who noted Georgia Power is currently piloting an energy storage program.
Even with all the potential benefits of battery storage, regulators are cautioning Georgia Power to proceed slowly.
“We are just putting our toe in the water on this; We don’t want to be the tip of the spear,” PSC member Tim Echols said. “We don’t want ratepayers stuck with something we thought had a10-year life and it ends up being 18 months. It’s coming and we will go all in. We’re just not there yet.”
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Other solar-related considerations panelists shared with lawmakers Tuesday involved collection panels. China remains the leader in manufacturing, although more of the panels are being made in the United States. Georgia is home to the nation’s largest solar panel plant. A South Korean panel maker opened the factory in 2019.
The PSC’s Echols voiced concerns about disposal of solar panels that have reached the end of their use, which is 25 years on average. Echols was an early adopter of solar, installing rooftop panels on his home near Athens, and worries that the state and the nation are unprepared to deal with disposal.
“How do we keep them out of the landfill? There are some toxic elements in there, and there’s potentially a lot of them,” said Echols, who noted a solar panel decommissioning report is being prepared for the Georgia House Rural Development Council.