National Leaders Predict Continued Growth For Solar
When it comes to meeting the United States’ future carbon reduction goals, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Ernest Moniz says solar energy is “critical” to these plans.Secretary Moniz offered that acknowledgment as part of his keynote address this week in Las Vegas at Solar Power International (SPI), the largest solar trade show in America, co-sponsored by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
DOE Secretary, Senate Majority Leader Tout Solar's Benefits
LAS VEGAS, NV – Calling solar "critical to the United States" when it comes to meeting its future carbon reduction goals, Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz today delivered the keynote address at Solar Power International (SPI), the largest solar trade show in America, co-sponsored by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). "Cost reduction, as we have seen dramatically in solar energy, is very much a part of shaping our clean energy future," Moniz said. "We've seen costs of modules decline by nearly 80 percent.
Rethinking Standby & Fixed Cost Charges: Regulatory and Rate Design Pathways to Deeper Solar PV Cost Reductions
Utilities have taken on the practice of applying standby and fixed cost charges specific to solar PV for customers choosing to go solar as a means to recover costs resulting from net energy metering (NEM). These charges are not the most efficient or best means for utilities to recover costs and this report finds that an integrated approach that includes the items below will allow for both effective utility cost recovery and minimal impact on the U.S. PV market.
How Much Do Local Regulations Matter? Exploring the Impact of Permitting and Local Regulatory Processes on PV Prices in the United States
While PV modules and other hardware costs have dropped significantly over recent years, non-hardware soft costs have also fallen, but not nearly as sharply. This research report, authored by experts from Yale University, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin and the US Department of Energy, focuses on the impacts of city-level permitting and other regulatory processes on residential PV prices in the US. Key Findings:
Tracking the Sun VII
Lawrence Berkley National Lab's "Tracking the Sun" is an annual report that tracks and analyzes installed prices of solar PV. The report analyzes more than 300,000 individual residential, commercial and utility scale PV systems in 33 states. Key findings include:
Lazard's Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis - v.8.0
Lazard's Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis has been published since 2008. With their latest edition, Lazard shows that Wind and Solar PV continue to become cost-competitive.
Green Multifamily and Single Family Homes: Growth in a Recovering Market
Smart Market Report - Green Multifamily and Single Family Homes.pdfMcGraw Hill Construction builds on their previous study with this new report which finds that green building is taking an ever increasing share of construction within the new construction of single and multi-family homes as well as remodeling projects. Here are some key takeaways:
Solar Market Insight Report 2014 Q2
U.S. Solar Market Insight™ is a collaboration between the Solar Energy Industries Association® (SEIA®) and GTM Research that brings high-quality, solar-specific analysis and forecasts to industry professionals in the form of quarterly and annual reports. Released September 4, 2014.
Strategies for Mitigating the Reduction in Economic Value of Variable Generation with Increasing Penetration Levels
Looking at 4 variable generation technologies (wind, single-axis tracking PV, CSP with no storage, & CSP with thermal energy storage), the authors look at the benefits of mitigation measures. In particular, the authors are looking at specific mitigation measures to first find those measures that provide an increase to the value of variable generation technologies and then seeks to determine whether such mitigation measures are themselves economically attractive. Some of the conclusions the authors come to:
Comparing Photovoltaic (PV) Costs and Deployment Drivers in the Japanese and U.S. Residential and Commercial Markets
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory releases their new report "Comparing Photovoltaic (PV) Costs and Deployment Drivers in the Japanese and U.S. Residential and Commercial Markets". Key findings from the report found that system prices as well as soft costs were cheaper in Japan. In particular, customer acquisition and system design were both found to be significantly lower in Japan than the US.