North America

Also in the brief: Verizon is back at the bottom of Green America’s Clean Energy Wireless Scorecard, Solar United Neighbors and Vote Solar have submitted over 20,000 public comments against NERA, an early coal plant retirement and more.

Solar assets are underperforming far more frequently than official energy estimates would suggest, according to the industry experts who contributed to KwH Analytics’ 2020 solar risk assessment report.

Can programs like EnergyHub and National Grid’s battery-powered DR turn utilities into residential solar fans?

Bill Gates and Breakthrough Energy see enhanced transmission as facilitating electrification and grid reliability. Increasing transmission development at the “seams” between regions could save consumers more than $47 billion and return more than $2.50 on every dollar invested.

PetersenDean came to solar from the roofing world and has long been a top-ten U.S. solar installer with a multi-state regional practice.

Solar hosting capacity maps, now required in seven states, show where solar can be added on a distribution circuit without incurring any grid expense—but only if those maps are accurate. California’s experience, says a policy paper, shows that best practice guidelines for validating maps are needed to aid state regulators.

Also in the brief: Community solar for Covid recovery, flaring wasted $750 million of natural gas, and coal’s descent.

It’s during the interconnection review and approval processes that most developers run into the NEM integrity issue with California’s big utilities.

The Solar Energy Industries Association makes the case for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to dismiss the petition, solely on legal grounds. A filing by Solar United Neighbors, Vote Solar and other groups makes a legal case and also rebuts the petition’s claims about net metering.

Letter demands that net metering remain in state jurisdiction to ensure clean, resilient energy future.