Solar power in Kansas

Solar car developed by Kansas State University

Solar power in Kansas has been growing in recent years due to new technological improvements and a variety of regulatory actions and financial incentives.[1]

It is estimated that 41.7% of electricity in Kansas could be provided by 12,500 MW of rooftop solar panels.[2]

In 2015, IKEA installed the largest solar array in the state, 730 kW on the roof of its store in Merriam.[3] In 2011, Kansas's largest solar array, 118 kW, was the rooftop installation at Peeper Ranch in Lenexa. Its output is available online.[4]

Net metering

Solar panel activation during a Kansas Army National Guard assignment

The state's net metering program allows residential installations of up to 25 kW and 200 kW non-residential on-site electrical generation to roll over any excess generation to the next month, but any excess at the end of the year is lost. Participation is limited to 1% of utility's previous year peak demand.[5] Many of the states have net metering policies that are inadequate for 100% renewable energy. Kansas was given a C for net metering and an F for interconnection policies.[6]

Statistics

Source: NREL[7]
Grid-connected PV capacity (MWp)[8][9][10][11][12][13]
Year Capacity Change % Change
2010 0.1 0.1 >100%
2011 0.2 0.1 100%
2012 0.5 0.3 150%
2013 1.1 0.6 120%
2014 2.3 1.2 109%
2015 4.7 2.4 104%
2016 5.9 1.2 26%
2017 14.9 9 153%
2018 21.9 7 47%
2019 46.7 24.8 113%
2020 81.9 35.2 75%
2021 99.1 17.2 21%
2022 115 15.9 16%
Utility-scale solar generation in Kansas (GWh)[14]
Year Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2017 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0
2018 7 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
2019 10 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 0 0
2020 56 0 0 0 7 8 8 8 7 6 5 4 3
2021 62 3 3 4 6 6 8 8 7 6 4 4 3
2022 67 3 5 5 5 6 8 9 8 7 6 3 3

See also

References

  1. ^ Prospects for solar power never brighter
  2. ^ Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Technical Potential in the United States
  3. ^ IKEA’s new Kansas store has state’s largest solar rooftop array, Solar Power World, Kelly Pickerel, May 5, 2015
  4. ^ Peeper Ranch Plant Profile
  5. ^ "Kansas - Net Metering". Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  6. ^ Freeing the Grid
  7. ^ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  8. ^ Sherwood, Larry (August 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2011" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  9. ^ Sherwood, Larry (June 2011). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 20. Retrieved 2011-06-29.
  10. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2009). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-11-23. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
  11. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
  12. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2014). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2013" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2014-09-26.
  13. ^ Kansas Solar
  14. ^ "Electricity Data Browser". U.S. Department of Energy. March 28, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2021.