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.
Duke Study: Solar Helping to Drive North Carolina Economy
A new report from Duke University, The Solar Economy: Widespread Benefits for North Carolina, found that public policies such as North Carolina’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and Investment Tax Credit have made North Carolina first in the south and fourth in the nation for installed solar investment, creating jobs and boosting the economy across the state.
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.
New Jobs Report Shows Value of Solar Energy to U.S. Economy
WASHINGTON, DC - Growing at an annual rate of more than 20 percent – far outpacing the growth of the overall U.S. economy, a new report released today shows that the U.S. solar industry added more than 31,000 jobs in 2014, bringing total employment in the sector to 173,807 workers. The results were released by The Solar Foundation (TSF), a widely-respected, non-profit organization.
Environmental and Economic Benefits of Building Solar in California
In this report, the authors examine California's leadership in US expansion of renewable energy electricity generation by discussing first the boom in utility-scale solar farms in California and the subsequent employment effects of having built 4,250 MW of utility-scale solar powered electricity generating facilities in California over the last five years.
Nevada Continues Strong Solar Investment
With the addition of another major solar power plant supplying clean, renewable energy to America’s sunniest state, Nevada was second in the nation in added solar capacity during Q3, according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) most recent U.S. Solar Market Insight® quarterly report. The Copper Mountain 3 project added 171.4 megawatts (MW) to Nevada’s solar portfolio.
Utah’s Solar Industry Beginning to Take Hold
A new growth industry is emerging in Utah, where residential solar installations in Q3 alone were equal to the amount installed in all last year. In addition, added solar capacity in Q3 was more than six times the capacity installed over Q3 2013, according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) most recent U.S. Solar Market Insight® quarterly report.
U.S. Solar Installations Soar In Q3; Total Capacity Hits 17.5 GW
This post also appeared on Renewable Energy World. Click here to viewAny way you look at it, the sun continues to shine brightly on America’s solar energy industry.
Lighting the Way: The Top Ten States that Helped Drive America's Solar Energy Boom in 2013
This 51-page report from Environment Illinois and the Frontier Group examines solar deployment at the state level and finds that strong solar policies have driven deployment growth in the top solar states. The report highlights the ability of other states to follow these successes by implementing similar policies.