A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.
After the sun sets on Kaua‘i, Hawaii, next year, photovoltaic generated electricity will be available on demand, according to the island’s electric utility, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative. KIUC just signed a 20-year deal with SolarWorld for a 17-megawatt photovolatic array that will be coupled to a 52-megawatt-hour battery that will feed 13 megawatts of firm power to the grid. That solves the problem of matching solar generation to loads that peak after dark.
According to greentechmedia, KIUC will pay 14.5 cents per kilowatt hour, a bargain in Hawaii, which has the nation’s most expensive electricity. In the Flathead, the true cost per kilowatt hour for residential customers can exceed ten cents. Battery backed solar probably is not economical on a utility scale in the Flathead yet, but if the KIUC project succeeds, the day when it could succeed here may be closer than we now think.