Solar Tribune approached EESI to ask us what the most important and critical policy planks for the Green New Deal– or any other comprehensive climate change and clean energy legislative package– would be. Here is our response to that prompt:

Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency is a central tool for decarbonizing the economy and the cheapest, fastest, and simplest way to address our energy and environmental goals. When something is energy efficient– whether it is a light bulb or a building– it is able to perform the same function with less energy. For example, a light-emitting diode (LED) light bulb requires less energy (fewer watts) than an incandescent light bulb to produce the same amount of light.

Increases in energy efficiency can significantly reduce the amount of energy necessary for transportation and to heat and cool homes and commercial buildings. This decrease in demand makes it easier to meet energy needs with renewable energy sources. Energy efficiency has significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the power sector and has the potential to transform other sectors as well, including buildings, manufacturing, and transportation.

The building sector alone represents a huge opportunity for energy savings. Residential and commercial buildings account for about 40 percent of U.S. energy consumption, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, and currently 75 percent of this energy is from fossil fuel sources. Proven strategies, materials, and technologies are available to significantly improve building energy efficiency, which in turn reduces operational costs, makes housing more affordable, reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and creates jobs.

Photo Source: Wikimedia

Programs such as the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), a funding opportunity through the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Rural Utility Service, provides zero-interest loans for rural electric co-ops and other rural utilities. Utilities can re-loan the funds to members to upgrade their homes and businesses with energy efficiency and renewable energy. Initially authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill (and reauthorized in 2018 through 2022), RESP leverages USDA funds through a credit subsidy, which must be appropriated by Congress annually. Eligible RESP measures include: on- and off-grid renewable energy systems, energy efficiency retrofits, permanently-installed battery storage devices, electric vehicle charging stations, and replacement of inefficient manufactured homes. This program is particularly critical for low-income households, who spend a higher than average proportion of their income on utility bills. Appropriating additional funds to these programs would provide broader access for energy efficiency and clean energy projects across the country. EESI’s recent briefing on RESP and rural electric cooperatives provides more information about this program.

The urgent need for new and modernized infrastructure, including energy and water systems, public buildings, and transportation projects that receive federal funding, is an opportunity to ensure sustainability and climate resilience from the beginning. Each stage in the process– from planning and siting, to design, materials selection, construction, and operation– is an opportunity to maximize energy efficiency. Efficiency as well as low-carbon fuels may also reduce the long-term burden on infrastructure utility expenses. Indeed, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has included a Climate Title in its new transportation bill for the first time.

Renewable Energy Parity: To transition the United States to renewable energy, wind and solar will need to be complemented by geothermal energy, hydropower, and biomass energy. This can be incentivized by modifying the current tax credit structure that currently favors solar (Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC)) and wind power (Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit). Despite unequal access to tax incentives, geothermal, hydropower, and biomass are valuable energy sources because they provide baseload power and are located in geographically diverse areas, allowing a greater number of communities to take advantage of their natural assets. Ensuring tax parity for these energy sources would increase private investment to develop and deploy these technologies, providing more renewable options to meet the country’s overall energy demand. Fossil fuel subsidies should also be eliminated to make renewable energy technologies more competitive and the remove perverse incentives.

The EPA has untapped avenues to support the development of commercial biogas through the Renewable Fuels Standard. Biogas technology converts organic wastes (i.e., agricultural residues, manure, food wastes, and sewage) into energy through a process of anaerobic digestion. According to the American Biogas Council, there are currently about 2,200 operational biogas systems in the United States, with a potential for more than 14,000.

Photo Source: Pixabay

There is also significant potential to develop offshore wind energy, which is abundant and provides a higher capacity factor than terrestrial wind. However, additional policies are necessary to support growth in this industry. In particular, more work is necessary to build transmission from the turbines to end users.

When crafting policy on energy efficiency and renewable energy parity, equity, inclusion, and stakeholder centered processes should be paramount in keeping with the promises of the Green New Deal.

The post Top Priority Policy Planks for a Green New Deal appeared first on Solar Tribune.

It’s a tough decision, so we talked with our team’s solar installation experts to help make sense of the issue. From a cost standpoint, solar industry veteran Rich Dana believes there is no better time than now to go solar.

“There are several factors that will be coming into play in the next few years that may make now the best time to invest in solar” says Rich. Most notably, “Chinese solar manufacturers have flooded the US market with cheap solar panels over the last few years.”

From a technology standpoint, there are some interesting advancements on the horizon, including Tesla’s solar roof and GAF’s roof integrated DecoTech system. Both are sleek products that increase your home’s curb appeal.

At the end of the day, it comes down to what you value most. If you want to prioritize saving money, go solar now. If you want the latest technology, wait until that old roof needs to be replaced.

If you’re thinking about going solar, we suggest these resources to help you along the way:
Company comparison (California): customer satisfaction and cost data
Guide to choosing the right company
Tool for requesting competing quotes

The post When is the right time to go solar? appeared first on Solar Tribune.

“Shopping around for the best deal on solar is important, but takes a lot of work. Our tool helps people compare solar deals instantly” says SolarIQ co-founder Dexter Kim.

SolarIQ is a free web-based tool. It can be found at http://solariq.io

Based on your monthly electric bill and zip code, SolarIQ calculates how much you should be paying for your solar installation.

Not comparing deals can be a costly mistake. Homeowners can overpay for solar by thousands of dollars if they don’t compare offers from multiple installation companies, according to Dexter.

The tool is powered by the largest collection of solar sales data. SolarIQ combines data from government and private sector sources. By aggregating sales data for initiatives such as the OpenPV project and the California Solar Initiative, SolarIQ can provide users with more accurate results.

Use SolarIQ to see how much you should pay.

Although SolarIQ’s tool can give you a reliable estimate, each house’s unique characteristics can influence the actual price.

Disclaimer: Solar Tribune’s founder is affiliated with SolarIQ.

The post New Tool Saves You Thousands on Solar Installation appeared first on Solar Tribune.

Photo Credit: Earth4Energy

The arrangement calls on Sungevity to use their marketing and solar design platforms to serve utility customers, and the services will be promoted in a co-branded way.

The partnership follows investments made in April by E.ON in Sungevity. The investments enabled Sungevity to combine that capitalization money with other investors such as GE Venture to expand their holdings in Zonline, a Dutch solar company, and enabled them to obtain complete ownership. The resulting organization will be known as Sungevity Netherlands.

The Netherlands solar market has now reached grid parity with more traditional power sources. This parity has been achieved gradually over several decades in which retail electricity rates have steadily risen while solar costs have fallen. “Obviously, the lines have to cross,” said Sungevity CEO Andrew Birch. According to Birch, there are at least eight other European markets where solar parity has also been achieved.

Analysts credit the success of solar power in the Netherlands to the fact that the European energy market is further evolved in utilizing solar power than countries such as the United States. Sungevity is currently negotiating with U.S. utilities to establish partnerships, however the demand for solar power in the U.S. is not as great as in Europe at present.

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The new duties add more than eighteen to thirty-five percent plus to these solar imports. The newly assessed duties will of course raise the prices of imports manufactured by Trina Solar Inc., Jinko Solar Holding Co., Ltd., and Yingli Green Energy. The shares of these companies immediately traded down on the announcement by an average five plus percent. Solar World Industries America, a U.S. subsidiary of German-headquartered Solar World, petitioned for the closure of a loophole that helps Chinese solar businesses to duck import duties. The U.S. Department of Justice first evaluated the issues in 2012.

Ingot Manufacturing Facilities at Trina Solar. Photo Credit: Trina Solar

U.S. solar companies’ shares also traded higher on the news. First Solar, in partnership with conglomerate General Electric, and Sun Power, partnering with Google, are already strong performers in the stock market. Solar installations in the United States were almost USD 14 billion in 2013, but about half of solar products installed were actually made in China. Rooftop solar is an extraordinary example of China’s dominance in the sector, controlling about seventy percent of the equipment installed.

The response to the Department of Commerce’s decision was negatively received by China’s government. In what was viewed as a retaliatory gesture, China’s imposed anti-subsidies of U.S.-imports of about fifty-three to fifty-seven percent on polysilicon. Regardless of the new U.S. duties, solar equipment and manufactured products are still controlled by Chinese businesses. And since China holds almost ten percent of outstanding U.S. national debt, it’s clear that the country has bargaining power with the United States.

The post New Tax on Solar Imports into the U.S. appeared first on Solar Tribune.

With a historic 105-0 vote on Wednesday, May 21, South Carolina’s House of Representatives approved of advancing solar technologies and making other crucial energy usage changes to help end residential and commercial reliance on fossil fuel electric power generation.

Critics of solar technology advancements have gone to great lengths in the past to block such bills in the U.S. “Palmetto State,” including the state’s many utility companies. Since 2013, state legislators have had to make numerous changes to their original recommendations to craft a compromise bill that would receive unanimous approval.

Although the bill won’t completely stop fossil fuel usage by the state’s residents and power companies, it’s still considered a successful, much needed first step in a region known for majority support of traditional approaches to power generation.

According to “The State” newspaper, the blocks to this legislation were finally overcome because of the increasing general advance of solar programs around the country and a desire by power companies to recoup related costs.

If passed into the law by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, at least 2 percent of the average peak demand for power over five years must become solar generated by 2021. The bill also approves of third-party rooftop solar power leasing and raises the cap on the amount of nonresidential solar energy usage up to 1 megawatt.

The bill is expected to go through final House and Senate approvals later today.

The post A Historic 105-0 Vote for Solar in South Carolina appeared first on Solar Tribune.

China Sunergy is affiliated with the China Electrical Equipment Group, or CEEG. It supplies cells to many leading European solar module makers and provides material to aircraft and other manufacturers.

The company recently opened a facility in Turkey to serve Middle East markets and customers in Europe. However, the stock that’s listed as CSUN continues to drop due to investor wariness about production claims and future growth.

Company officials managed to keep afloat by convincing Chinese banks and creditors to work with them to restructure company debt. Despite problems with prospective performance along with current output, the company also appears to have successfully lined up additional credit from U.S. sources. Company leaders also believe they will raise additional funding in Turkey.

China Sunergy earned more than $30 million in the first quarter of 2014, compared to $54 million in first quarter, 2013. Facing financial challenges, company leaders have cut bak on expenses and refocused strategy towards high value markets like France and Japan.

Worldwide, Chinese solar energy companies face challenges from increased regulation. China’s sometimes stormy relationships with immediate neighbors, including sparring with Japan and Vietnam over energy-rich islands in the China Sea has slowed some company growth.

The post China Sunergy facing challenges appeared first on Solar Tribune.

Just like most large purchases, it’s important to shop around in order to get the best deal.

Record these key stats when receiving a quote:

AC Watts: When you get a quote, it should clearly state the maximum generating capacity of the system in AC watts. Some contractors may provide you with DC watts, so make sure they convert it to AC for you.

Incentives included: Verify that the price you were given includes all the costs of getting your PV system up and running. Make sure it includes sales tax, permitting, connection to the grid, and hardware.

Also ask whether the price includes rebates and incentives. If so, make sure the contractor specifies the rebates and incentives factored into the price.

Calculate price per watt:

Divide the quoted price by the system’s expected output. This metric, cost per installed watt, can be used to compare quotes from different contractors. All things equal, select the contractor with the lowest cost per installed watt.

Secure the best financing

Buying

Solar companies will help provide you with financing options. A home mortgage loan is a great way to finance solar and will allow you to secure the best possible terms on your loan.

Record the interest rate on your loan offer. Be sure to note whether the rate is variable or fixed. All things equal, select a loan with a fixed interest rate.

Leasing & PPAs

Instead of purchasing a system, some homeowners rent their roof space to a company using a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Under this agreement, the homeowner agrees to purchases the energy produced by the system at a discounted rate.

To get the best electricity prices under a PPA, it’s important to compare multiple companies.  All things equal, select the company that offers the lowest electricity prices. 

Select the right contractor

When talking with solar installation companies, take note of some key details:

System warranties

Be sure the installer states both the parts and installation warranties. One warranty is from the parts manufacturer, the second warranty is offered by the installer.

Down payment

Another important consideration is how much of a deposit you’re required to pay. Industry standard is around 10%.

Contractor experience

Read online reviews and ask questions:

• How many years of experience does your company have installing PV systems?
• How many systems do you install a month in my area?
• Are your certified by the Solar Energy Industries Association?
• Do you have a solar contractor specialty license, issued by a local jurisdiction?

Comparing quotes

Compare at least three contractors to ensure you’re getting the best deal. To get a reliable benchmark quote, we encourage you to compare personalized estimates from trusted local installers near you.

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The post 3 Ways to Save Thousands on Home Solar Panels appeared first on Solar Tribune.

Why are solar panels so expensive?

How efficient are solar panels?

How long do solar panels last?

How long until solar panels pay for themselves?

Should I try and build my own solar panels?

The post Frequently Asked Home Solar Questions appeared first on Solar Tribune.

A solar farm is a collection of solar arrays on unimproved land for the purpose of generating power from the sun’s energy.

Large commercial photovoltaic solar farms typically use hundreds or thousands of PV panels covered to convert the sun’s rays into electricity.

Different Types of Solar Farms

Solar thermal power plant in Seville, Spain. Photo credit: abengoabioenergy.com

Both photovoltaic solar panels and solar thermal energy arrays can be used in solar farms.

A photovoltaic solar panel farm uses solar panels that convert sunlight directly into electricity.

A solar thermal energy farm uses parabolic troughs that collect, reflect, and concentrate the sun’s energy to warm a heat transfer fluid. This transfer fluid is pumped into a thermal engine that converts the heat into electricity.

How a Solar Farm Works

Using vacant land, often what might be considered farmland, and a mass of solar panels, a solar farm converts solar energy into electric power. The generated power is funneled back into the electric grid. The local electricity company pays the owner for the generated power.

The basic principles are identical to that of a solar panel operation installed on a homeowner’s roof, just on a larger scale. A solar farm takes advantage of a large tract of land to generate and sell electricity to the local utility at a profit.

How Much Energy Can a Solar Farm Produce?

Currently, the largest solar panel farm in the world is Huanghe Hydropower Golmud Solar Park, located in China. The solar farm produces roughly 200 MW per day.

There is currently a 550 MW solar farm (The Desert Sunlight Project) under construction in Riverside County, California.

The largest solar thermal energy farm in the world is creatively called the Solar Energy Generating System, located in the Mojave Desert in California. The farm generates a daily capacity of 354 MW.

Sunlight in the areas represented by black disks could produce enough energy to power the world. Credit: ez2c.de

Solar Farms: Pros and Cons

What are the advantages of a solar farm?

Solar panels are typically mounted on rotating towers that can maneuver the tilt and angle of each panel, following the arc of the sun to generate the optimal amount of power. So in contrast to residential solar panel systems, a solar farm can better situate panels to make the most of the available solar radiation.

Further, while a residential solar panel system is limited by roof space, architectural constraints, and the problem of aesthetics, vast expanses of unimproved land can be utilized as solar farms, where only start up and operational costs govern the scale of the operation.

Solar farms are able to utilize open flat land, where potential shading is not an issue. Having panels concentrated in one location also makes maintenance and repairs much easier and more economical than going rooftop to rooftop.

Are there any disadvantages of a solar farm?

It is hard to say much negative about a solar farm. Producing economical, efficient, renewable energy and helping to reduce a region’s carbon footprint are clearly very positive attributes.

It could be argued that using large swaths of land for a singular purpose may be problematic from a development standpoint.

But it’s generally agreed that the pros of solar farms far outweigh any perceived cons.

The post Solar Farms appeared first on Solar Tribune.

There are three primary types of solar panels, which vary in terms of space needed and cost. Some solar panel types have a higher return electricity rate – the amount of sunlight that is converted to electricity – whereas others are less expensive but require more roof space.

Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Panels

Also known as single-crystal silicon solar panels, monocrystalline panels are the most expensive but most efficient solar panel. Monocrystalline solar cells are rounded and cut from one crystal of silicone, creating panels that are uniform in color (usually dark blue or black).

• lasts 25+ years
• return electricity rate of 15-17%
• best option for limited roof space

Learn more about monocrystalline solar cells.

Polycrystalline Silicon Solar Panels

Also known as multi-crystal silicon solar panels, polycrystalline panels are made by fusing cells from multiple silicon crystals and then pouring the hot silicon into a mold. The square solar cells take up less space than the rounded single-crystal cells on the panel itself, but they are less efficient than the monocrystalline panels.

• lasts 25+ years
• return electricity rate of 12-14%
• less expensive than monocrystalline

Learn more about polycrystalline solar cells.

Thin Film Solar

Thin film solar is cheaper than solar cells because they are made by coating a piece of glass or steel with a thin layer of amorphous (non-crystalline) silicon, cadmium telluride, copper indium, or diselenide . But since thin film solar is less efficient, more are needed to produce the same amount of electricity as a crystalline panel.

• return electricity rate of 9-13%
• panels are lighter, more flexible and versatile but less durable
• requires more surface area than crystalline panels

Learn more about thin film solar panels.

The post Which Solar Panels are Best for My Home? appeared first on Solar Tribune.

As the largest photovoltaic solar array in Southern Michigan, the project will lead to savings of $15,000 per year for the first two decades.

“This array will significantly decrease energy consumption by combining solar power with ongoing efficiency tactics such as lighting and equipment upgrades and automating equipment shut-down,” said Bob Ferguson, vice president of GM Public Policy. “Making sustainable choices is good for both the environment and our bottom line.”

Currently, 1.4% of GM’s energy consumption is from renewable sources. The solar array, a partnership between the motoring giant and DTE Energy, will generate enough electricity to charge 150 of the electric cars produced there every day for a year.

The solar energy firm has invested $3 million in the array at Hamtramck as part of its SolarCurrents program.

Trevor Lauer of DTE Energy hopes the installation will promote others in Michigan to follow GM’s lead. “Our SolarCurrents program was designed to increase the demand for renewable technologies in Michigan,” he says “and it is our hope that installations like this one do exactly that.”

The array will be built on a six-acre plot on the south side of the plant, allowing for maximum solar output. The project is predicted to be completed by the end of the summer.

Source: forbes.com

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Free Solar Energy Photos

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