It seems fitting that I’m writing this column as we near the end of the dog days of summer. For many of us across the country, it’s been blistering hot. High temperatures and dew points have raised the heat index to levels that most of you detest. But this is my favorite time of the year. I love the heat! The hot sun shining down on me brightens my soul.
It also seems fitting that we chose this time of year to take a closer look at what’s happening in the solar photovoltaic (PV) market. Like me, solar panels love sunshine. And much like the record-high temperatures you’re battling right now, solar PV deployments are blazing their own path to record-breaking growth levels. According to research conducted by the Solar Energy Industry Association and GTM Research, more solar PV capacity was added in the first quarter of this year than coal, gas, and nuclear power combined. In fact, it was also the 10th consecutive quarter where more than 1GW of capacity was installed in the United States. Growth projections for the next two to three years are also white hot.
So we asked our award-winning freelance writer Tom Zind to check in with some electrical contractors doing PV systems work and get their view on the future opportunities in this market segment. You can read his story, “Chasing the Rising Sun,” starting on page 18. I don’t want to steal his thunder here, but you might be surprised to hear what some electrical contractors working in a few hotbed areas of PV growth have to say about this business opportunity.
Related
As is always the case when rapid technology advancements combine with favorable market conditions, codes and standards-making entities scramble to try and develop rules and regulations for all to follow. The National Electrical Code (NEC) is no exception. The NEC’s Code-Making Panels have been working hard to try and stay one step ahead of this rapid growth curve.
As was the case in the 2014 NEC revision cycle, massive changes have been adopted in Art. 690 of the 2017 Edition of the Code. For example, the entire Article was reduced by about 3,000 words. This was due in part to the removal of DC loads, stand-alone systems (AC), large-scale PV systems, and battery-storage systems requirements from this Article. Other key changes centered around the topics of rapid shutdown, PV system disconnects, and the new definition of a “functional grounded system.”
Large-Scale PV Electric Supply Station requirements are now covered in a new Art. 691. These systems have a generating capacity of no less than 5,000kW and are not under exclusive utility control. Facilities covered by this Article are operated for the sole purpose of providing electric supply to a system operated by a regulated utility.
Although I don’t have the space to continue this discussion in greater detail here, rest assured we’ll keep you well-informed on the changes in the 2017 edition of the NEC. We’ll do so through future articles in the magazine and at our 2017 National Electrical Code Changes conferences scheduled to be held in St. Louis, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Boston. I hope to see you at one of these four special events.
