The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) Utility Solar Conference (USC) was held last month in Portland, Ore. This was convenient for our Kirkland, Wash., software team, so we sent four people down to join Tom Hoff from our Napa, Calif., … Continued
Clean Power Research
USC 2013 insights: illuminating key utility solar issues
See for yourself: 2012 was a good year for solar
Not only was 2012 a record-shattering year for PV system growth in the U.S., it was also a good year for solar power production. Compare our monthly average maps for 2011 and 2012 to see that many locations in the … Continued
SEPA member discount expanded to include a suite of utility solutions
For the past year, we’ve been pleased to work with the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) to offer members a discount for PowerClerk®, our flagship incentive program optimization product. This year, Clean Power Research is excited to announce that we’re … Continued
Electric vehicles + solar: an idea whose time has come
You’ve likely heard about the partnerships springing up between electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and solar (PV) system providers. Most recently, Honda and SolarCity announced a plan that allows Honda customers to install solar with a low upfront cost and see … Continued
Tilt vs. flat-mount PV: does it really matter?
Have you ever wondered if PV system orientation really makes that much difference to the amount of power produced by a PV system? As the map below illustrates, the answer is typically yes, but to varying degrees. This ‘Energy Gains’ … Continued
Get smart about FiTs: get SmartFiT
As effective as FiT programs have been in promoting solar in countries such as Germany and Spain, they have sometimes become victims of their own success, leading to boom/bust cycles and political targeting. The SmartFiT is an alternative solution that … Continued
PV Power Maps: visualizing monthly production
For more than a year, we’ve been supplying Solar Today Magazine with monthly ‘PV Power Maps’ for its regular column. Not only are these maps gorgeous to look at thanks to beautiful rendering from GeoModel Solar , but they provide very interesting … Continued
Top 2013 trends part 3: utility and ISO integration of high penetration PV
Over the past few weeks, we’ve plotted out emerging solar industry trends for the upcoming year, including solar soft cost reductions, and a re-examination of net metering. These first two topics are primarily about the financials of PV: reducing system … Continued
Solar incentives start strong in 2013
Ringing in a new year generally means a busy time for our PowerClerk® Incentives customers, as it often coincides with the opening of new incentive funding. 2013 has been no exception. In January, Imperial Irrigation District (IID) in California, and Rocky … Continued
Department of Energy’s aggressive fight against solar soft costs
Clean Power Research recently attended a U.S. Department of Energy workshop focused on solar soft cost reduction. We came away impressed by the DOE SunShot team’s clear focus on the right problem. While the cost of modules was once the … Continued