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Monday, Jul 29, 2013

Rocky Mountain Institute Examines Distributed Solar PV Cost/Benefit Studies

In its review of 15 distributed solar PV benefit and cost studies, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) finds significant variability in estimated distributed PV values, owing to differences in methodology, local context, and input assumptions.  RMI highlights areas in which consensus and standardization could be established to allow for better comparison between studies.

Thursday, Jul 11, 2013

California Solar Initiative 2013 Annual Program Assessment

In July 2013, the CPUC issued its annual report on the progress of the California Solar Initiative, showing that the program has installed 66 percent of its total goal, with another 19 percent reserved in pending projects. This equals an estimated 1,629 megawatts (MW) of installed solar capacity at 167,878 customer sites in the investor-owned utility territories through the end of the first quarter of 2013, enough to power approximately 150,000 homes and avoid building three power plants.

Monday, Apr 15, 2013

Favorable Permitting Practices Can Reduce PV Costs 4%-12%

A recent Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report finds that streamlined city permitting practices can reduce the cost of installed PV systems by $0.27-$0.77 per watt, relative to cities with less favorable permitting standards. Development times can be shorted by an average of 24 days, under favorable permitting standards.

Monday, Apr 08, 2013

40% of U.S. Supermarkets at Grid-Parity for Installed PV

A recent NREL report finds that in 2011, 17% of U.S supermarkets were in utility territories where PV could be installed at or below the cost of traditional generation.  In 2012, they estimate that this percentage increased to 40%.  The report is NREL’s first step in examining PV grid-parity at all big-box retailers.

Monday, Mar 25, 2013

2013 Policy Priorities- Federal & State

In 2013, the Solar Energy Industries Association is working at the federal and state levels to expand markets, remove market barriers, and increase available financing for solar projects.

Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013

Impacts of Regional Electricity Prices and Building Type on the Economics of Commercial Photovoltaic Systems

Business owners often have a choice between multiple electricity rate options. For businesses with photovoltaic (PV) installations, choosing the right rate is essential to maximize the value of PV generation. The complex interaction between PV generation, building load, and rate structure makes determining the best rate a challenging task. We evaluated 207 rate structures across 77 locations and 16 commercial building types and identified the impacts of regional electricity prices and building type on the economics of solar PV systems.

Tuesday, Jan 29, 2013

Maximizing the Value of Photovoltaic Installations on Schools in California: Choosing the Best Electricity Rates

Schools in California often have a choice between multiple electricity rate options. For schools with photovoltaic (PV) installations, choosing the right rate is essential to maximize the value of PV generation. The rate option that minimizes a school’s electricity expenses often does not remain the most economical choice after the school installs a PV system. The complex interaction between PV generation, building load, and rate structure makes determining the best rate a challenging task.

Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013

Evaluating the Benefits and Costs of Net Energy Metering in California

This paper explores recent claims by California’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs) that the state’s net energy metering (NEM) policy causes substantial cost shifts between energy customers with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and other non-solar customers, particularly in the residential market. We conclude that the utilities’ concerns with the impacts of NEM on nonparticipating ratepayers are unfounded.

Friday, Sep 07, 2012

Solar Means Business: Top Commercial Solar Customers in the U.S.

Solar energy is being deployed on a massive scale by the most iconic brands and best-managed companies in the U.S. in order to help lower operating costs and increase profits. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar) have unveiled a report naming the companies using solar on their facilities in the U.S., ranked by cumulative solar energy capacity.

Thursday, Jul 05, 2012

2012 California Solar Initiative Annual Program Assessment

On July 2, 2012, the Calfornia Public Utilities Commission issued its 2012 California Solar Initiative Annual Program Assessment to the Legislature, showing that in 2011 California reached a major milestone by becoming the first state in the nation to install more than 1 gigawatt (1,000 megawatts) of customer-generated solar energy; a record 311 megawatts (MW) were installed in the investor-owned utility territories in 2011 alone.

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