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Of the remaining renewables, biomass had the largest share about 3 quadrillion Btu’s of energy consumed in 1996. Wood dominated this source, which also includes alcohol fuels and waste energy. Production at the Geysers field reversed a ten year decline so geothermal energy was up 9 percent over 1995 levels. Although still small sources, both solar and wind energy experienced modest growth.
Renewable energy consumed to generate electricity in 1996 increased more than 10 percent. Hydro- and nonhydro-generated electricity increased by similar amounts. Renewable electric generating capacity in 1996 was essentially unchanged from 1995 levels, at about 94,000 megawatts.
| Table H1. U.S. Renewable
Energy Consumption by Source, 1992-1996 (Quadrillion Btu) |
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| Conventional Hydroelectric Powera | 2.852 | 3.138 | 2.958 | R3.471 | 3.911 |
| Geothermal Energy | 0.367 | 0.381 | 0.381 | 0.325 | 0.354 |
| Biomassb | 2.788 | 2.784 | R2.838 | R2.946 | 3.017 |
| Solar Energyc | 0.068 | R0.071 | R0.072 | 0.073 | 0.075 |
| Wind Energy | 0.030 | 0.031 | 0.036 | 0.033 | 0.036 |
| Total Renewable Energyd | 6.106 | R6.404 | R6.285 | R6.847 | 7.393 |
| aHydroelectricity
generated by pumped storage is not included in renewable energy. bIncludes wood, wood waste, peat, wood sludge, municipal solid waste, agricultural waste, straw, tires, landfill gases, fish oils, and/or other waste. cIncludes solar thermal and photovoltaic. dIncludes photovoltaic electricity; therefore, totals do not match those in Table 1.3 of the Annual Energy Review 1996. R = Revised data. Notes: See Appendix B, “Renewable Data Limitations,” for a detailed explanation. Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding. Sources: 1992-1996: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Annual Energy Review 1996, DOE/EIA-0384(96) (Washington, DC, July 1997), Table 1.3. 1996 Renewable Energy: Consumption values based on the sum of electricity consumption from EIA, Electric Power Monthly March 1997, DOE/EIA-0226(97/03) (Washington, DC, March 1997), and non-electricity consumption based on analysis by the Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels. |
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Solar thermal collectors provide nearly all the solar energy in the United States. Although the number of manufacturers declined from 36 to 28, production of collector panels was stable at around 7.6 million square feet in 1996 compared to 1995. Most of the manufacturers who left the business had other product lines besides solar collector panels.
Nearly 90 percent of shipments were low-temperature collectors for heating swimming pools, mainly in the residential sector. California was the biggest shipper, while Florida was the most popular destination. Total value of shipments rose to nearly $30 million, reflecting a steady volume of business and an 18-percent increase in prices.
In contrast, the photovoltaics industry supplied a very small, but rapidly growing, portion of solar energy. In 1996, the United States shipped 35 peak megawatts of solar photovoltaic modules and cells. This is more than double the 16 peak megawatts shipped in 1992. Most of the shipments (about 22 peak megawatts in 1996) were exported. Germany alone took 8 peak megawatts in 1996, while Japan imported nearly 3 megawatts. The remainder went to continents around the world. For any number of developing countries, solar photovoltaic technology is an appealing source of electricity where grid electricity is not available.
The total value of solar photovoltaic shipments was up to $131 million in 1996 or about 11 percent, even though module prices were down. The average price of crystalline-silicon modules was down 10 percent to $3.95 per peak kilowatt. The number of companies was up 1 to 25 in 1996.
Renewable Energy Annual
1997, Volume I
October 1997
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