Early 2016 has seen some setbacks for the residential and utility-scale solar power industry. New regulations in Nevada have made installing solar financially unattractive for homeowners and The Clean Power Plan has been temporarily halted. It’s easy to see how news stories like these can cast doubts in the minds of those who read them. […]
The President Requests Increase For Clean Energy R&D Funding
As a part of his 2017 budget proposal, the President is asking for an increase in funding for clean energy research and development (R&D). This proposal represents the United State’s part of an agreement that was reached at the recent Conference of The Parties in Paris. The U.S. and 19 other countries have pledged to […]
New York City To Get Five Times More Solar
New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio, has proposed a plan to increase the amount of solar power on city buildings to five times what is currently installed. De Blasio recently reconfirmed his support for renewables – “New York City is a global leader in taking on climate change. We have no choice but to […]
The Real Cost Of A No Cost Solar Power System
Unsuspecting homeowners are still falling victim to “no cost solar power system” and “free solar panels” sales pitches. Like the old adage states – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Local news companies are in on it too, accepting ad revenue from solar companies and turning their solar services into […]
Solar Justice Upheld In California
Solar is big in California. It represents approximately half of the nation’s total solar energy industry. Which is why a recent decision to protect fair net metering rules in California was an important win for homeowners in the state. The California Public Utilities Commission voted 3-2 in favor of a fair net metering policy for […]
Energy Storage Will Replace Net Metering
Anyone familiar with residential solar power understands how important net metering is. Net metering is the policy that allows for solar customers to be compensated for the excess electricity that their systems generate during peak daytime hours. This allows homeowners to get the full value of their solar panel systems. Unfortunately, some utilities are starting […]
The Clean Power Plan Likely To Proceed
The Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan just won an important federal appeals court decision. Recent petitions to block the plan from major utilities have been rejected. Court proceedings are not over with, but this decision bodes well for clean power. The Clean Power Plan is the primary piece of legislation for the President’s climate change […]
Energy Department Invests 18 Million In Solar Storage
The future reliability of solar energy just got another boost from the U.S. Energy Department. A total of $18 million has been pledged to help develop solar energy storage technologies for residential, commercial, and institutional use. Reliability is the key word here because of solar’s inherently intermittent nature. Accessing solar power after sunset is the […]
LG Solar Sets Goal To Triple Panel Production By 2020
A leading manufacturer of solar panels, South Korea’s LG Solar has recently announced plans to triple their current manufacturing capabilities by the year 2020. A $435 million investment will take the company from their current production level of approximately 1 gigawatt per year to 3 gigawatts by 2020. Six more production lines will be installed […]
Solar Jobs Surpass Oil Jobs
The solar industry has just hit a significant milestone. There are now more people employed in solar than the oil and gas industries. By the end of 2015, there were more than 209,000 people in the solar industry compared to 185,000 working in oil and gas related jobs. This news, courtesy of The Solar Foundation […]