Shining Rewards: The Value of Rooftop Solar Power for Consumers and Society
Solar energy is on the rise in the United States. At the end of the first quarter of 2015, more than 21,300 megawatts of cumulative solar electric capacity had been installed around the country, enough to power more than 4.3 million homes. The rapid growth of solar energy in the United States is the result of forward-looking policies that are helping the nation reduce its contribution to global warming and expand its use of local renewable energy sources.
Shared Solar: Current Landscape, Market Potential, and the Impact of Federal Securities Regulation
Analysis from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) finds that by making shared solar programs available to households and businesses that currently cannot host on-site photovoltaic (PV) systems shared solar could represent 32 to 49 percent of the distributed photovoltaic market in 2020.
New Report Shows Growth of Clean Solar Energy Benefitting Environment
In celebration of today’s 45th annual Earth Day, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) plans to mark the historic occasion every 2.5 minutes of every hour of the day, as a new solar installation is completed in America. What’s more, new figures from the U.S. Solar Market Insight 2014 Year in Review show a record amount of new, clean solar energy coming online over the next 20 months, greatly benefitting the environment.
Bridging the Clean Energy Divide: Affordable Clean Energy Solutions for Today and Tomorrow
In their new report, the National Resources Defense Council delves into the impacts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed Clean Power Plan on more vulnerable communities. The NRDC examines the affordable solutions available that can provide the health and efficiency benefits to all Americans - including low- and fixed-income Americans.
SEIA Praises White House Plan to Fight Climate Change
WASHINGTON, DC - Vowing to do its part, the U.S. solar energy industry is “uniquely positioned” to help America meet its goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Today, the White House unveiled a blueprint for reducing greenhouse gases in the U.S. by up to 28 percent by 2025, with SEIA pledging its support to help meet those goals.
Shining Cities: Harnessing the Benefits of Solar Energy in America
By the end of 2014, the United States had 20,500 megawatts (MW) of cumulative solar electric capacity, enough to power four million average U.S. homes. This success is the outcome of federal, state and local programs that are working in concert to make solar power accessible to more Americans.
Trends for North American clean energy RFPs in 2014
This list includes important trends regarding North America's clean energy RFPs in 2014.
Efficient Use of Land to Meet Sustainable Energy Needs
Solar energy within the built environment may be an overlooked opportunity for meeting sustainable energy needs in places with land and environmental constraints.
The Solar Economy: Widespread Benefits for North Carolina
North Carolina is the South’s leader, and fourth among U.S. states, in using solar power to diversify its portfolio of electric power generation fuels. Three policy issues affect the future of North Carolina’s continued development of large-scale solar, which can be viewed in the attached document.
The Effect of State Policy Suites on the Development of Solar Markets
Analysts at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have used statistical analyses and detailed case studies to better understand why solar market policies in certain states are more successful. Their findings indicate that while no standard formula for solar implementation exists, a combination of foundational policies and localized strategies can increase solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in any state.