Solar for Affordable Housing in CA is Good – More is Better

Thursday, April 18th, 2013

With spring in full swing, things are looking mighty sunny in Sacramento! California lawmakers are considering a number of solar-friendly policies this year — first out of the gate is AB 217, a bill that will help more low-income Californians go solar. We’re working with our friends at Grid Alternatives to support the bill – we hope you will too! (more…)

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Louisiana on the Brink of Dismantling Net Metering

Tuesday, April 16th, 2013

Louisiana’s Public Service Commission (PSC) will vote this Wednesday, April 17th on whether to preserve or dismantle net metering in the state. The vote will answer the central question in the net metering docket (LPSC Docket number: R-31417) – how valuable is the solar energy produced from net-metered solar systems? (more…)

NV Energy’s NVision Proposal: Too Good to Be True?

Saturday, April 13th, 2013

NV Energy unveiled its new NVision Plan last week, a policy initiative that proposes shutting down coal plants and investing in new renewable energy and natural gas generation. On the surface, that sounds great – shuttering coal plants, reducing carbon emissions, increasing investment in renewable energy and creating jobs. All good things, right? (more…)

Thin-Film Solar Breaks Efficiency Record

Friday, April 12th, 2013

When I got started in this subject a few years ago, the efficiency of thin film solar (i.e., the percentage of sun’s radiant power that is converted into electricity) was measured in single digits. Here, we just achieved 16.1%, a huge increase from the former record holder at 14.7%. (more…)

Artificial Leaf’s Self Healing Properties Makes it Practical for Use in Remote Regions

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

The so-called “artificial leaf,” a solar cell being developed by MIT and Harvard scientists to produce low-cost electricity, is now capable of “self healing” the damage that occurs during energy production, clearing a hurdle to deploying the device in the developing world, scientists say. (more…)

Transforming NY’s Solar Market With a One-Two Punch

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

Just a week after Governor Cuomo announced the first round of awards under the NY-Sun Competitive PV program, the Governor is back at it announcing that $13.5 million will be made available to help reduce the overall cost of installing solar, specifically non-module costs. The combination of these announcements represents a one-two punch for (more…)

U.S. Company Shelves Solar Thermal Plant as Utility Cancels Contract

Friday, April 5th, 2013

U.S.-based BrightSource Energy has shelved its second major solar thermal project this year as the company and Pacific Gas and Electric terminated the utility’s contract to buy power generated by the plant in south-central California.

In an email, a BrightSource spokesman said the $2.9 (more…)

Germany’s Generous PV Subsidies Have Had Serious Implications: What Can We Learn?

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

Frequent commenter Cameron Atwood sent me this article describing Germany’s generous subsidies for solar PV and asked me to react to it.

Yes, the German program was overzealous; no one (no one I’ve come across, at least) disputes that. The program’s meteoric rise and fall over the past few (more…)

Orlando Shared Solar Program Sells Out in 6 Days

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

Do customers still want solar even if they can’t put it on their own house? From Orlando, the answer is a resounding Yes! Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), the municipally owned utility serving one of Florida’s largest cities, launched its Community Solar Program in March. Within six days, all 400kW were fully subscribed, and OUC had received another 300kW+ (more…)

No Utility Incentives? No Problem: How To Get Returns From Your PV System

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

In some areas, the best incentive for investing in a residential solar power system may come from the local utility. On top of federal tax credits, improved resale value, and various state incentives, some consumers can benefit with additional credit from the local utility when they are able to sell back power they generate with a PV solar energy system. This arrangement not (more…)

 
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