California’s CSI program was designed to use gradually declining incentives to nurture an industry that would eventually be able to allow an energy user to generate their own electricity via solar more cheaply than buying from the grid. That point — known as grid-parity — is the point where rooftop solar can sustain itself without additional incentives. That’s (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…)

FERC may have recently put the kibosh on states implementing European-style Feed-in Tariffs, but that doesn’t mean the U.S. is left high and dry without ways to drive wholesale solar markets. We’re seeing daily action from utility PV programs that play by FERC’s rules.

Just today, Southern California Edison announced 60 MW worth of contracts under (more…)