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OurGreenCommunity.org
SMUD is underwriting OurGreenCommunity.org, a web site developed to help improve the quality of life by providing a place for area residents, groups and businesses to share ideas about reducing the impact of carbon emissions from all sources.
Visit and join in the conversation, at OurGreenCommunity.org
Renewable Generation R & D
ReGen Program: a joint effort of SMUD and the CEC
SMUD and the California Energy Commission are working together on research, development and demonstration projects for renewable power generation under the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program.
The ReGen R&D Program consists of a number of projects, most of which are developing new technologies that use the sun, wind and biomass to generate electricity. Each project is helping to:
- Reduce California’s dependency on non-renewable energy sources.
- Develop technologies and products that will create broad new renewable energy sources for California and the West.
- Develop resources that will allow SMUD and other electric utilities to increase their use of renewable generation.
- Provide technologies to help SMUD reduce its peak demand for electricity.
- Make Sacramento a center for the development, testing and implementation of new renewable generating technologies.
The projects
The projects are divided into four categories: photovoltaics, wind, biomass and concentrating solar. Products being developed in the ReGen Program are already entering the marketplace. By the end of the third year of the program, a number of new technologies will be in use in programs in California and elsewhere and product introductions are likely to continue after 2005.
Some of the new products developed in the ReGen Program will help SMUD reduce the installed cost of photovoltaic installations in its service area by 50% by end of 2006. For example, several new types of building-integrated photovoltaic roofing systems are being developed. These systems will play a key role in making zero energy homes a reality.
Photovoltaic
- Markets and technologies
- Utility system capabilityf and customer demand value
- Performance indexing
- Assessment of worst-case weather conditions
- Laminate and batten roofing
- Mounting approaches for new construction
- Mainstreaming for residential roofs
- Flat-roof mounting approaches
- Optimization of residential systems
- Remote dispatch and irrigation
- Using evaporative cooling
- Non-vacuum thin-film CIGS modules
- Maximum power point tracker and operational dispatch
- Hybrid lighting system