North Carolina is ranked just 20th among states in terms of power produced by solar stations, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, despite recent installations and a long running push towards sources of renewable energy.
Topping the list is California, with an output capacity of 1,419.23 megawatts. The state outstrips its closest competitor, New Jersey, by more than 1,232 MW of output capacity.
North Carolina has a capacity of just 5.47 MW of electricity produced from photovoltaic arrays around the state. However, unlike the state’s reputation, the City of Raleigh is continually working on new ways to implement forms of renewable energy.
Raleigh’s latest array was switched on Dec. 22, 2011 at the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant, and is said to be the largest utility-scale solar power project located on local government property, according to NxGen Power, the owner and operator of the new facility.
According to Chris Cowperthwaite of Southern Energy Management, the 1.3 MW facility is expected to generate approximately 1.7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
The solar derived energy is expected to reduce 1,300 tons of carbon dioxide emissions yearly, the equivalent emissions of burning 1,400 gallons of gasoline.
The new solar farm was the product of a coordinated effort by NxGen Power, Southern Energy Management, Progress Energy and the City of Raleigh.
However, Raleigh’s new 10-acre solar array is by no means the largest in the state. North Carolina’s largest solar farm covers 200 acres of Davidson County farmland, and is comprised of 63,000 photovoltaic solar panels. The 17.2 MW array began operations late in 2010.
SunEdison, a global provider of solar-energy resources, installed and manages the facility and sells 100 percent of the electricity produced to Duke Energy.
N.C. State has been a leader in the research and development of new solar technology. Professors, researchers, and students are working on various projects and have made innovations in solar technologies.
In 2011, NCSU researchers developed a new dye for solar cells that is more efficient at absorbing light energy than any other dye on the market. A research team lead by Ahmed El-Shafei, assistant professor of the textile engineering and chemical science department developed the dye dubbed NCSU-10. The dye can absorbs 14 percent more light than the leading dye commercially available, according to the lab’s trials.
In 2010, Invista Professor Orlin Velev and a team of researchers developed a soft water-gel based device that absorbs light energy to produce electricity, much like a leaf. The flexible device more closely mimics the way plants derive energy from light. While still relatively inefficient, research continues on the technology.
Although the report on North Carolina’s rank may reflect a state that is behind in renewable initiatives, experts at the University are hopeful that progress is being made. This progress is continuing not just through innovation, but education.
The N.C. Solar Center was founded in 1988 and acts as a liaison between researchers, government agencies and the general public. It reports to the public the results of the University’s research, and provides training workshops for professionals and people interested in installing solar technology in their homes.
Despite the impact of the recession, jobs in renewable energy are growing, with a rate of 18 percent in the past year, according to state records. At that rate, North Carolina may be catching up in the ranks.
