Solar power installation techniques – don’t do this! (w/pictures)
Solar installation inspection results of 100 sites in Rhode Island found 50% of large-scale projects had issues, while 83% of small projects had them – with 30% and 26% of those systems having “critical” issues, respectively.
Residential solar is getting cheaper – except for third-party
EnergySage has found that the average price for PV systems quoted through its site has fallen under $3 per watt, echoing findings by Lawrence Berkeley National Labs. However, prices are increasing for the big third-party solar companies.
Electrification is an all-around winner
In this op-ed for pv magazine, John Sarter of Clean Coalition argues for a move from gas to electric services in residential buildings not only as a means to reduce emissions, but also to build resilience.
California’s new, $100 million, low-income solar program
DAC-SASH has been approved, and now GRID Alternatives will have $120 million to work with over the next decade to bring solar power and job training to disadvantaged communities across the state.
The solar wave rises
Wood Mackenzie and SEIA report that a record 37.9 GWdc of utility-scale solar was under contract at the end of Q2 – the largest volume ever recorded – with 8.7 GWdc of that under construction. However, installation levels were down slightly year-over-year.
Louisiana guts net metering
Regulators in Louisiana have replaced net metering with compensation at avoided cost for all power exported to the grid on an instantaneous basis, effective January 1, 2020. As a result of this, the state’s small solar industry is expected to lose jobs.
Louisiana regulators will vote on whether or not to kill net metering
On Wednesday regulators will vote on a proposal to replace retail-rate net metering with a two-channel billing system based on avoided cost, which could wipe out the state’s solar market.
Louisiana regulators could give the green light to utilities to milk customers with solar
The state’s Public Service Commission is preparing to vote on a proposal to gut net metering for distributed solar, based on a highly questionable study by the oil and gas industry’s pet consultant.
Recognizing and combating power quality issues in solar power systems
Solar energy can greatly reduce energy bills, can be used for a wide variety of applications and costs very little to maintain. However, even though it is considered an excellent source of renewable energy, it is not immune to its own unique problems and challenges.
Residential solar plus storage is taking over Hawaii’s grid
Sunrun’s solar+storage Brightbox systems – 1,000 of them totalling 4.3 MW of capacity – are included in a contract for grid services submitted to Hawaii regulators.
