Solar trends hold strong at Intersolar 2013

Solar trends hold strong at Intersolar 2013

Those of us from Clean Power Research who attended this year’s Intersolar North America in San Francisco were pleasantly surprised to find a robust show. Although Intersolar is always well planned and executed, drawing the best companies from all over the world, many...
Choice, control and lessons from our auto industry friends

Choice, control and lessons from our auto industry friends

For software guys like us, 7:15 AM is a bit early for a presentation and test drive, but we couldn’t resist the chance to check out some of Ford’s latest electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) advances last week at their Power of Choice event...
CAISO addresses changing grid infrastructure

CAISO addresses changing grid infrastructure

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 is responsible for...
Electric vehicles + solar: an idea whose time has come

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 an...
Tilt vs. flat-mount PV: does it really matter?

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’ map depicts how tilting solar...
Get smart about FiTs: get SmartFiT

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 has the...