Monthly Archives: May 2016

The recent changes in Nevada’s net metering policy have led to many heated debates and protests across the state. Now — following the class-action lawsuit filed against NV Energy — the battle is once again headed to the courts. The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) has filed a lawsuit against the Nevada state Public Utilities Commission (PUC), seeking to overturn the new decisions. Nevada’s Net Metering Policy In late December 2015, the PUC unanimously approved several revisions to the state’s net metering regulations. The monthly fixed charge for solar customers was set to increase from $12.75 to $38.51. The increase was to take effect over four years, but the Nevada commission voted in February to extend the timeline to 12...

Although you may not hear solar power mentioned as often as immigration, gun control and the federal debt, alternative energy issues have sparked a great deal of debate among the 2016 presidential candidates. In fact, political scholars believe that solar power may exert quite an effect on the upcoming election cycle. In March, The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) commissioned a national public opinion research firm to conduct a poll among independent voters in the swing states. You may be surprised by what they discovered. Swing State Independent Voters Favor Solar Energy TASC polled independent voters in 11 swing states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. Those polled were overwhelmingly in favor...

How much energy could rooftop solar systems generate, if one were installed on every suitable building in the United States? A new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a division of the U.S. Department of Energy, aims to answer this question. Researchers used detailed light detection and ranging (LiDAR) along with data analysis and simulation tools to estimate the potential of rooftop photovoltaic power in 128 cities across the country. Their results — and what they could mean for the future of photovoltaic power — were quite impressive. Results of NREL Rooftop Solar Potential Study Back in 2008, when the NREL did its last analysis, researchers estimated that the capacity of rooftop solar across the country was 664...

Photovoltaic energy is far from new. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, people have been using the sun’s power for thousands of years. Technology has certainly improved from these early years, but photovoltaic solar power really hasn’t been a competitive energy source — until now. Energy experts believe that solar power has finally grown sufficiently to become a viable challenge to conventional energy sources like coal, natural gas and electricity. These same experts assure us that PV energy is absolutely the power of the future. Growth in Solar Energy The photovoltaic industry has experienced an incredible surge of growth over the last few years. The latest US Solar Market Insight report from the Solar Energy Industries Association...

If you have considered a solar energy system for your home or business, you’ve probably looked into photovoltaic pricing as well. Energy experts recommend requesting estimates from at least a few installers. Before you speak to any solar contractors, however, it can be helpful to understand some basic facts about how photovoltaic systems are priced. You will undoubtedly hear installers refer to the PPW, or price per watt, of photovoltaic systems. Here’s what you need to know. What Does the Solar Energy System PPW Include? The PPW for a solar energy system is typically based on the total cost. In other words, it should be a full package deal. Calculating the PPW in this manner is the standard for the...

In most states, net metering policies allow businesses with solar energy systems to feed their excess electricity back to the utility grid. But these policies are not well-suited for many larger electric customers. To rectify this problem, several states have now adopted a modification to their current aggregation policies. Here’s how it works. What Is Aggregated Net Metering? Basic net metering policies require a photovoltaic array to be attached to the building or electric meter where the business wants to offset energy use costs. Also, each building or property area must be serviced by its own, separate solar array. This means that businesses with numerous buildings or service areas must install multiple photovoltaic systems if they want to offset electricity...

Photovoltaic energy modules have been steadily dropping in price for several years. To make sure that hardware quality doesn’t slip along with the cost of solar energy components, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has finalized a new international standard for solar panel manufacturing. This standard marks the culmination of five years of research and work by the NREL, in collaboration with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International PV Quality Assurance Task Force (PVQAT). Consequently, photovoltaic manufacturers will soon be required to comply with the new regulations. The Purpose of NREL Photovoltaic Standard In preparing the new international photovoltaic energy standards, the NREL researched 50,000 photovoltaic systems, looking for quality issues. They found that...

If you plan to operate your home off-grid, then solar backup power will be necessary to ensure you have electricity whenever you need it. As government entities and disaster preparedness experts well know, many factors threaten the U.S. power grid’s stability. And if the network (or even part of it) does go down, federal safety regulations require that grid-tied photovoltaic systems must be shut down too. With the right off-grid solar backup system in place, however, you’ll never have to worry. How — and Why — an Off-Grid Solar Power System Works Whenever the municipal power system goes down (for any reason), a specific federal safety standard (UL-1741) requires that all grid-tied solar system inverters go dark as well. In...

If you’ve considered a rooftop solar panel system installation, you may know that not all rooftops are created equally. Some roofs have space or issues, for example, while others may get too much shade. So, is your roof well-suited for a photovoltaic array, or will you need to consider a ground-mounted system? Mapdwell, a new tool developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), aims to help you answer that question. Can Rooftop Solar Work at Your Address? You could analyze solar data and engage in a complicated cost-benefit analysis to find out whether a rooftop or a ground-mounted solar system makes better economic sense for you. But if you’re like many homeowners, you’re not exactly eager to perform these...