September 2017

While driving, I listen to NPR more than I’d like to admit. Don’t get me wrong: I still blast some metal every once in a while to maintain my waning sense of youth, but some good old-fashioned radio journalism stimulates the brain and keeps me informed. Imagine my surprise, though, when I heard an NPR [...]

Last month, hundreds of solar workers descended upon Washington, D.C., for a hearing at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) as a show of force against Suniva and SolarWorld’s Section 201 petition. Since the petition was submitted in April, we at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) have heard nearly universal opposition from solar companies [...]

In 2010, solar power was less than 0.1% of the U.S. electricity mix, and the nation was witness to a number of European countries heavily investing in solar. The U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative was launched that same year with the objective of making the cost of solar electricity competitive with other generation sources [...]

Right now, the commercial solar segment is one of the hottest in the solar industry. Maybe it’s all the press suggesting it is finally taking off after spending years in solar purgatory. But the influx of new companies into the space has also created a gap between experts and amateurs – and in this space, [...]

The sirens are cut as the truck rolls up to an involved structure fire. If you’re a firefighter first on the scene, you don’t have time to pause before you put everything you know into action. Once it’s established the house is empty, you advance toward the billowing smoke. Then the entire squad stops dead [...]

As the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry in the U.S. continues to evolve, there are a growing number of local companies that install residential PV systems and a number of emerging online platforms that make it easier for customers to obtain installation quotes. However, in 2015, 10% of the highest-volume installers – in terms of number [...]

The New York Times got it wrong.   In a recent story about how Green Mountain Power (GMP) is rolling out solar-plus-storage systems in Vermont, the paper suggested the effort is noteworthy because it lets customers power their homes “entirely disconnected from the grid.” Which is true, kind of. The 5 kW Tesla Powerwall units [...]

In the last decade, clean energy in the U.S. has grown by leaps and bounds. Technologies that were once novelties – solar panels, wind turbines, LED light bulbs and electric cars – have become everyday parts of America’s energy landscape. According to a new report by Environment America Research and Policy Center, the U.S. generates [...]

For the second consecutive time, Maine state lawmakers narrowly failed to override the governor’s veto of compromise legislation meant to help boost rooftop solar. The first time was back in April 2016, when Gov. Paul LePage, R-Maine, vetoed a popular bill to replace Maine’s solar net energy metering (NEM) policy with a novel market-based program. [...]

The Home Depot has announced the addition of solar installations at 50 stores across the U.S. as it continues to expand its alternative energy portfolio. The home improvement specialty retailer says the roll-out will total approximately 22 MW and essentially make mini solar farms out of the selected stores’ unused rooftops. The solar installations are [...]