Originally published on Cost of Solar. A couple weeks ago, I wrote about a strong push from Colorado residents, businesses, and organizations to get 3,000 megawatts (MW) of solar on one million rooftops by 2030. Despite this, Colorado utility Xcel Energy is pushing to roll back policies that support the … [continued]
Community solar is helping to make clean energy an option for everyone and not just the select few. These include condominium owners, apartment dwellers, and those living where the sun’s availability is more limited. Colorado is on the leading edge of community solar initiatives, and another new project is helping to … [continued]
Toshiba intends to utilize a new business model in Germany under which it will install and operate self-consumption solar power systems for residents of apartment buildings. It intends to sell the power to the residents of these buildings at a lower price than utility companies do. The system will consist … [continued]
SolarWorld has joined 4 other companies in Solar Forward, which is a crowdfunding program that finances solar projects via tax-free donations in Portland, United States. The other 4 companies are the Portland Development Commission, Portfolio 21 Investments, Umpqua Bank, and Wells Fargo. Donations of this type are sustainable in more … [continued]
Solar power is cheaper than fossil fuels all across the developing world. But there are still significant barriers to the development of solar power in those markets. Of course, high upfront costs are not an option for many people in the developing world, and there’s also a common assumption that … [continued]
Originally published on Cost of Solar. A passionate coalition of over 11,000 citizens and 280 businesses are pushing hard for their state, Colorado, to become a true rooftop solar power leader. They are pushing for 1 million solar rooftops, or 3,000 megawatts of solar power capacity, in the state by … [continued]
Originally published on Cost of Solar. Environmentally beneficial action is cool. Social service is cool. Environmentally beneficial action + social service? Hot! Apparently, Motech Americas, Habitat for Humanity, and Sungevity know that. Motech Americas recently donated solar panels for a family with two disabled young sons so that they could significantly reduce their … [continued]
One of the ways that an industry matures is by standardizing all sorts of processes, including financial processes, making proliferation of the industry’s offerings easier. Solar is still a young industry, but it is growing very fast, and solutions such as standardization of common processes is helping it along. As … [continued]
The accelerated phase-out of nuclear power following the nuclear disaster in Japan has put German energy policy on the map for many people. Since then, the word “Energiewende” has even become a new loanword in the English language. Despite the increase in international attention, many reports about the Energiewende miss … [continued]
After the state’s solar energy law passed in 2013, Minnesota’s largest electric utility, Xcel Energy, was required to create a program to support the development of community solar energy. Since 3 in 4 people can’t have solar on their own rooftop (because they rent, or have a nice shade tree), … [continued]
