Florida keeps solar momentum moving forward
Two initiatives concerning co-ops and PACE will expand solar’s reach in the Sunshine State.
Iowa not heaven for solar net metering
Under a new rule proposed by Interstate Power and Light and accepted by the Iowa Utilities Board, the amount of energy eligible for net metering will be capped at a percentage of the customer’s previous-year’s energy use.
NRG to lay off more residential solar employees
The company will retain its presence in C&I and utility-scale solar, but is further moving its residential activities to origination and sales for other companies.
SunPower reports heavy losses in Q4 results
The company took a big hit from restructuring charges, as its latest quarter of dismal financials.
The U.S. solar market nearly doubled in 2016 to 14.6 GW
The latest figures from GTM Research and SEIA show that for the first time, solar was the largest source of new generation by capacity.
El Paso Electric’s 2017 rate case asks to discriminate against solar customers
The case includes a request to create a special rate class for solar distributed-generation customers, including a new demand charge, to “establish a fair rate structure that reflects the cost to serve each customer class.”
Citizen power: Arne Jungjohann talks Energy Democracy
Interview: In December Energy Democracy, a book telling the story of Germany’s Energiewende from the perspective of citizen ownership of renewable energy, hit the shelves. The book is the latest collaboration of Political Scientist Arne Jungjohann and renewable energy writer Craig Morris, currently a senior fellow at the IASS in Potsdam, who worked together on the German Energy Transition website (energytransition.de). pv magazine caught up with Jungjohann to talk about the book, and why citizen involvement in energy is important.
Solar job growth supports development, manufacturing
The Solar Foundation’s 2016 National Solar Jobs Census shows that project development was the fastest growing job function last year at over 53 percent, while manufacturing jobs were up a robust 25 percent plus. Overall employment in the industry rose by over 24 percent to over 260,000 jobs. More than one out of every 50 new jobs created in the U.S. during 2016 was created by the solar industry.
Massachusetts to extend SREC 2 until new program
The state has unveiled the latest version of its next solar incentive program, and will extend eligibility for larger projects under the SREC 2 program until the new program starts.
Flex survives a $500 million loss in business after SunEdison flamed out
Through no fault of its own, the energy-storage manufacturer revealed on its most recent earnings call that the continuing SunEdison fiasco cost it $500 million in revenue in 2016 – but it lived to tell the tale.
