pvMB 2/28/19: Iowa considers “sun tax”, Tesla Powerwall installations begin in Vermont

Good morning and welcome to the pv magazine USA morning brief. Today we also bring you Kansas’ solar advocates pushing back against discriminatory fees, NREL getting testing uncertainty down to 1.1%, a new CMO at JinkoSolar, and more…

February 28, 2019 Christian Roselund

Tesla

Iowa House committee considers “solar tax” – A bill to impose a $300 per year fee on customers who generate their own power using solar will go before the Commerce Committee of the Iowa House. Unsurprisingly this bill is backed by the state’s utilities, who clearly have not read the wealth of documentation which shows that rooftop solar is a net benefit to most ratepayers – particularly under the paltry penetration levels in the state. Source: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier

Utility-backed Tesla Powerwall installations begin in Vermont – The state’s largest solar installer, SunCommon, has begun installing Tesla Powerwall battery systems in the homes of customers served by utility Green Mountain Power, under a program initiated by the utility. For those wondering, that’s how you really act like a 21st century utility. Source: Vermont Digger

NREL claims lowest uncertainty of any module test lab – The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) has a lot to brag about, and this week added to that with the announcement that it has reduced uncertainty in its module testing to 1.1%, which it says is the lowest among any lab. “Manufacturers need some kind of yardstick at the end of their production line because they’re cranking out thousands of modules a day,” – Dean Levi, manager of the Cell and Module Performance group in the National Center for Photovoltaics at NREL. Source: NREL

Frustrated Kansas solar customers look to reverse KCC ruling – The Kansas Corporation Commission is taking heat from solar customers in the state who are fed up of the commission’s granting of a fee imposed on distributed energy customers, requested by utilities. The fee, which has added up to $100 to some customers’ energy bills has been described as “discriminatory.” Senate bill 124 would reverse this decision and is gaining traction. Source: McPherson Sentinel

Jinko appoints a new Chief Marketing Manager – Jinko has announced that Mr. Gener Miao, the Company’s current Vice President for Global Sales and Marketing, has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer. Source: JinkoSolar

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