Gray skies over Californian solar
There may be a global solar boom but a drastic revision of California’s net metering program has ruptured the industry overnight and is affecting everyone from installers to financiers to makers of power electronics, as Tristan Rayner reports.
California has become rooftop solar and batteries NEM-esis
The transition to California’s new net metering, ‘NEM 3.0,’ regime was justified, in part, as a way to support residential energy storage installations but the state policy has pushed rooftop solar off a cliff.
Policy recommendations to support U.S. rooftop solar installation
Rooftop solar has the technical potential to serve 45% of electricity demand, based on 2022 demand levels, said a report from Environment America. As of that year, it served about 1.5% of electricity consumed.
Solar now accounts for over 50% of new electricity capacity added to the U.S. grid
Looking back at the first full year since passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. Solar Market Insight, Year-in-Review 2023 shows that the legislation has skyrocketed the industry and will have a lasting economic impact in terms of energy, jobs and investment opportunity.
Massachusetts expands solar net metering, bucking a national trend
Massachusetts expanded access to net metering, showing a commitment to distributed energy. The Department of Public Utilities expects to save ratepayers $10 million with the regulatory change.
U.S. residential solar prices drop, strong interest in storage
The 18th edition of the EnergySage Marketplace Report finds the residential solar segment in the U.S. is rocked by persistent inflation, the California NEM 3.0 and rising loan fees. Yet prices have fallen and consumer interest in storage is strong.
Sunrise brief: California bill to reevaluate rooftop solar net metering
Also on the rise: 26% of battery storage systems have fire detection and suppression issues. Solar glass manufacturing comes to Georgia. And more.
California introduces bill to reevaluate rooftop solar net metering
Assemblymember Laura Friedman introduced a bill that would require the California Public Utilities Commission to consider the costs and benefits of rooftop solar and its non-energy benefits when designing net metering rates.
Enphase Q4 revenues drop 35% in U.S. and 70% in Europe
Reduced demand and reduced shipments due to high unsold inventory at distributors cratered the company’s revenues in its Q4 2023 report.
California unlikely to reach clean energy targets without rooftop solar
The state’s rooftop solar industry is rapidly shedding jobs and losing companies to bankruptcy due to adversarial policy changes. The California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA) offered some near-term policy changes to slow the bleeding and to address the cause of this crisis.
