The California Solar Initiative requires that solar systems that receive an incentive be sized to meet on-site load.

However, what if you install a solar system, then your kids go off to college?

Suddenly, without the hairdryers, radios, and extra (more…)

For decades California has lead the US solar industry, and is home to half of the installed photovoltaic solar capacity for the whole country.  While California is known for its abundant sunshine, its affinity for solar power and its large solar market are based on far more than this.  One of the biggest reasons why California (more…)

Inspired by the signing of SB 1, former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Million Solar Roofs initiative, the state of California managed to add a whopping 3,000 megawatts of solar energy to rooftops since 2006.

It was good news. In fact, it was too good, because now the state is declaring a moratorium on rebates for non-residential (more…)

A couple of initiatives related to public transport involving solar power and hydrogen fuel bring alternative energy to commuters in two different cities.

Solar Bus Shelter
The City of Corona in California has installed solar bus shelters connected to the grid, writes Energy Boom. They feature (more…)

In a move that combines California environmentalism with aid to communities in need, the state has taken $3.2 billion from the California Solar Initiative (CSI) to fund solar panels on low-income housing.

Through a program called MASH, for Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing, the city of San Diego aims to make solar (more…)

It seems that the most important meetings at SunPower all take place in the Tiffany & Co. conference room. In fact, all the other conference rooms are named after significant SunPower installations—Nellis (14.2 MW), Bavaria One (10 MW), Moscone (675 kW), and Olivenza (18 MW).

Perhaps the high-quality, luxury jeweler, (more…)

The California Solar Initiative (CSI) is now in its fourth year and is nearly half way through the 1,750 Megawatt goal. Earlier this month, the CSI released the 2009 Impact Evaluation Report, which provides a program update and analysis. According to the report, from 2007 to 2009, the cost of residential solar power systems have declined 5% annually. In the same period, rebates paid under the (more…)

One significant trend in the electric utility market that is beginning to gather momentum is residential energy storage (RES). Like many renewable initiatives, California is the trailblazing state for RES. In 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law the so-called California Solar Initiative. The plan calls for a million solar roofs which will add 3 gigawatts of clean (more…)