Both Buncombe County and the City of Asheville have decided that government operations will run entirely on renewable energy by the end of this year. A 2019 report prepared by The Cadmus Group, a Massachusetts-based consulting firm, laid out numerous ways for the two local governments to meet these goals.
Perhaps in keeping with West North Carolina’s wily ethos, the first strategy Cadmus listed for both governments was a do-it-yourself approach: Install, own, and operate renewable energy projects. Asheville and Buncombe leaders have installed solar panels on everything from downtown fire stations and bus depots to libraries and a county training facility.
Since then, local and global officials have consistently affirmed the importance of solar energy and other renewable sources as a means of replacing fossil fuels and combating climate change. Asheville passed a climate emergency resolution in 2020; In 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the current and projected effects of global warming “must deal the death knell to coal and fossil fuels before they destroy our planet.”
With the long summer days feeding the highest hours of sunshine to the solar panels to provide electricity, Xpress wanted to review the city and county. How much renewable energy are local governments generating – and how much more will they need to meet their policy goals?
Sunshine request
Asheville and Buncombe provided production figures for all state solar plants from June 6 through July 6, covering the two weeks on either side of the summer solstice on June 21. This may interest you : New analysis of 2D perovskites could shape the future of solar cells and LEDs. This one-month period represents the maximum solar energy theoretically available to the modules, excluding interference from weather conditions.
For Asheville’s five solar arrays, that number was approximately 29.84 megawatt hours. The most productive set of panels was at the Asheville Rides Transit Station, which produced 8.84 MWh, about 30% of the city’s total energy. (For comparison, the average North Carolina household consumed about 1.04 MWh per month in 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.)
Buncombe County’s total production from its own five solar plants during the same period was approximately 25.04 MWh. The Leicester Library facility led the field with 5.35 MWh of energy generated, about 21% of the county’s total.
In demand
Due to the way Duke Energy bills local governments, Xpress was not able to directly compare solar production to total energy consumption for the same June 6-July 6 period. This may interest you : How solar energy can be stored ?. However, Asheville and Buncombe were able to provide rough figures for past summers that were used to estimate government-wide monthly electricity consumption.
At all Asheville government buildings, the monthly summer electricity consumption in 2021 was about 746.6 MWh. For Buncombe County, the average June electricity use in 2020 and 2021 was 1,150 MWh.
So how much does the local government’s production offset its demand during the peak solar energy season? Based on these averages, Asheville covers about 4% of its electricity use from solar, while Buncombe covers about 2.2%. The remainder of the electricity comes from Duke Energy’s grid; As of 2021, about 2% of Duke’s production came from renewable sources like hydroelectric power and solar power.
On target?
The Cadmus report did not suggest that local governments should source all of their energy consumption from on-site solar power alone. However, it suggested that Asheville and Buncombe County could meet about 20% of their renewable energy needs through “viable and prioritized” or “planned” local actions — significantly more than the current state of affairs.
When asked about the city’s progress toward that goal, Bridget Herring, director of sustainability, struck an upbeat tone. “I am proud of the steps that the city council and the organization have taken so far,” she said. “While we know from the Moving to 100% report that there is not enough roof space or city ownership to meet the goal of 100% on-site renewable energy, I believe the city continues to pursue viable on-site renewable energy projects should because it maximizes public benefits through both the local environmental impact and the economic impact of reduced operating costs.”
Jeremiah LeRoy, Buncombe County’s sustainability officer, was similarly optimistic. “I am very pleased with the tremendous progress the county has made toward its 2030 goal. With the significant commitments made by our Board of Commissioners on clean energy projects, we are more than 40% closer to meeting our 2030 target, with many more opportunities to further improve on that path.”
What can black represent?
Black is a popular retail color. In color psychology, the color meaning of black is a symbol of mystery, power, elegance, and sophistication. In contrast, color meaning can also evoke emotions like sadness and anger. Many fashion retailers have used black in their logos.
What emotion does black represent? Black feels sophisticated, classic and serious. Black stands for power, luxury and elegance, but it can also mean professionalism, neutrality and simplicity. It is bold, powerful, and often used to conjure mysteries. In certain contexts and cultures, the color black can also refer to sorrow or sadness.
What does black usually represent?
Black represents evil, darkness, night and despair. It is the color used to convey certainty and authority and when used in contrast to white it is a symbol of the eternal struggle between day and night, good and evil and right and wrong.
What does black represent sad?
Black is the characteristic color of sadness. In western cultures, this is one of the sad colors associated with grief, which is why people wear black to funerals and in mourning.
What is the deeper meaning of black?
As the color of mysticism, black conjures up elegance, sophistication and sexual prowess. It is associated with strength, authority and power. Black brings an air of authority and intelligence to those who wear it. It symbolizes prestige, formality and importance.
What does black mean in personality?
Black can mean so many different things: boldness, uniqueness, mystery, intrigue and power. But it can also mean unhappiness, darkness, sadness, pain or sorrow. Black is associated with death and sorrow, but can also be associated with strength, luxury, and intensity. Personality Traits of Black: Bold.
Which country uses the most solar energy 2022?
Solar power capacity by country
- China (175,018)
- United States (62,200)
- Japan (55,500)
- Germany (45,930)
- India (26,869)
- Italy (20,120)
- United Kingdom (13,108)
- Australia (11,300)
Which country will be the largest producer of solar energy in 2021? China is a leader in the solar industry. China added 48.2 gigawatts (GW) in 2020, bringing its total installed capacity to 253.4 GW. It now dominates 35% of the world market. The country’s annual PV installations grew 60% year-on-year in 2020, accounting for more than a third of annual global deployment.
What is the cheapest source of electricity?
The report follows the conclusion of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its World Energy Outlook 2020 that solar power is the cheapest electricity in history today. The technology is cheaper than coal and gas in most major countries, the outlook says.
What is the most expensive power source? Natural gas, coal, nuclear and hydro remain the cheapest, while solar power in its various forms is by far the most expensive. Combined cycle natural gas (CCGT), coal, nuclear, large and small hydro, geothermal, landfill gas and onshore wind all have costs under $100 per kWh.
Which is the cheapest renewable energy source?
Hydropower is currently the cheapest renewable energy source, costing an average of $0.05 per kilowatt hour.
What is the cheapest form of energy to produce?
When it comes to energy costs for new power plants, onshore wind and solar are now the cheapest sources – they cost less than gas, geothermal, coal or nuclear. Solar energy in particular has become cheaper at a rapid pace.
What type of electricity is the cheapest?
The world’s best solar power plants are now offering the “cheapest” electricity in history, with the technology being cheaper than coal and gas in most major countries. This emerges from the World Energy Outlook 2020 of the International Energy Agency.
Is coal the cheapest source of electricity?
Of all the fossil fuel sources, coal is the cheapest in terms of energy content and is a major contributor to electricity costs in the United States. However, burning coal in power plants is a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and its use has other impacts as well.
What does res mean in law?
Res is Latin for “thing” or “matter”. In common law it can refer to an object, interest or status as opposed to a person. See for example res ipsa loquitur, res judicata or res jurisdiction.
What does res gestae mean in law? RES GESTAE REFERS TO THOSE ACTIONS AND STATEMENTS THAT ARE SUCH AN INTIMATE PART OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEEDING THAT THEIR EXISTENCE MUST BE KNOWN TO THE COURT.
Whats does res mean?
Definition of res (Entry 1 of 2) : a specific thing : matter – used especially in legal terms. res.
What RES represents?
Red has a number of symbolic meanings in many different cultures, including life, health, strength, war, courage, anger, love and religious fervor. The common denominator is that all of this requires passion.
Is Res short for resolution?
Short form of resolution (of a computer screen).
Is Res a real word?
noun, plural res. The main thing is right. an object or thing; Matter.
What is RES short for?
| acronym | definition |
|---|---|
| RES | resolution |
| RES | residence |
| RES | resource (filename extension) |
| RES | Restoration |
Is Res a word?
Yes, res is a valid Scrabble word.
Is Res short for resolution?
Short form of resolution (of a computer screen).
What is RES in property?
Res is the Latin term for “thing”. This includes furniture, real estate and real estate. It can also be the subject of a trust; body. For example, the stock certificate is the assets of the trust. Legal proceedings can be instituted against an asset, which may be an object, item or status.
What is status Res mean?
The res. The status() function sets the HTTP status for the response. It’s a chainable alias of Node’s response.
What does res mean in real estate?
RES means real estate seller. RES is an acronym for Real Estate Salesperson.
What does res mean in legal terms?
Res is Latin for “thing” or “matter”. In common law it can refer to an object, interest or status as opposed to a person. See for example res ipsa loquitur, res judicata or res jurisdiction. [Last updated December 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team]