Michigan’s solar industry awaits order in Consumers Energy’s rate case
After Consumers Energy raised its net metering cap as a bargaining chip, some advocates see a Value of Solar study as a way to ensure that the rates that have allowed the state’s small-scale solar market to flourish remain in place.
Illinois regulators restore retail-rate net metering
The Illinois Commerce Commission says no to Ameren’s claim it had reached a 5% cap for retail-rate net metering in its service territory, siding with advocates who figured the real percentage was around 1.4%,
Morning Brief: Joe Biden weighs the 25% China import tariff, plus the chart of the day
Also in the brief: Loanpal closes largest residential solar securitization to date, and a model for solar-plus-storage assets.
Morning Brief: Solar roadway in Georgia, Oakland bans natural gas in new buildings, DC gets solar to the people
Also in the brief: Ohio bill would ban new large solar and wind projects for up to three years
The roadmap to the lowest cost grid is paved with distributed solar and storage
We wanted to know what the grid would look like, and cost, if we stopped ignoring the benefits of DERs and optimized the integration of these resources through a better modeling process. We found that when you use better planning models and scale both local solar and storage, as well as utility-scale solar and wind, you maximize cost savings and unlock the path to the lowest cost grid.
Solar panel recycling in the US — a looming issue that could harm industry growth and reputation
The solar industry cannot claim to be a clean energy source if it leaves a trail of hazardous waste.
Morning Brief: High-voltage power lines are ugly, and the US needs more
Also in the brief: Ohio bill would ban new large solar and wind projects for up to three years
Senate confirms Clements and Christie to FERC, lengthy list of issues awaits new Commission
For the first time in nearly two years, FERC is at full strength, with the confirmations of Mark Christie and Allison Clements bringing the agency to a full five members. With Neil Chatterjee leaving in June, the agency is set to have a Democratic majority in the near future.
First Solar CEO: Ohio must join the fight to save America’s solar industry
Also in the morning brief: America’s largest solar project coming to Northeast Texas… and C2 Energy Capital has purchased California’s largest floating solar project from Ciel & Terre
New process to recover PET and EVA from recycled solar panels
Researchers in China are proposing a new technique to recover polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) in solar panels at the end of their lifecycle. The two materials represent around 15% of the total material in a wasted solar cell, with a share of 10% for EVA and 5% for PET, respectively.
