In a recent interview with Fierce Energy, President and CEO of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), Steve Berberich, spoke about where CAISO is headed in 2013. As one of the largest electric grid operators in the United States, CAISO … Continued
residential solar
CAISO addresses changing grid infrastructure
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
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
Top 2013 trends part 2: the NEM debate
Last week we identified the first of three big trends for the solar industry in 2013: soft cost reduction. This week, we look at the next big trend: a re-evaluation of net energy metering (NEM). While discussions about NEM aren’t … Continued
Top trends to watch in 2013: solar soft cost reduction
Over the next few weeks, we’ll share our views of the top three trends to watch for in the U.S. solar market (focusing on the PV market; apologies to the solar thermal folks reading). This week, we look at the … Continued
Valuing solar: a matter of perspective
2012 has seen a backlash against distributed generation net metering, particularly solar distributed generation. Most utilities in most states currently have some form of net metering, which is a simple mechanism for assigning a value to distributed generation that … Continued
Solar by the numbers: valuing solar in the U.S.
As the U.S. gets ready to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, why not celebrate the most abundant energy source on this planet: the sun. After nearly 15 years serving the solar industry, we thought we’d share some of our unique … Continued