New Bloomberg New Energy Finance Report Forecasts Strong, Steady Solar Growth -- with the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) Extended
A new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) predicts substantially more solar generating capacity will get built in the United States, and a major industry downturn will be avoided, if the federal solar investment tax credit (ITC) is extended at its current level.
New Report: America’s Solar Energy Margin Surging
Solar energy is on the upsurge, representing 40 percent of all new electric generating capacity brought on-line in the first half of 2015, according to a new report today from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
Installing 1,393 MW of PV in Q2 2015, U.S. Solar Market Surpasses 20 GW
Continuing on its record-breaking trajectory, the United States solar industry surpassed 20 gigawatts (GW) of total operational solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity during the second quarter of this year. According to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) Q2 2015 U.S. Solar Market Insight Report, the U.S. installed 1,393 megawatts[i] of PV last quarter, showcasing both annual and quarterly growth.
Solar Market Insight Report 2015 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 9, 2015.
Renewable Electricity Use by the U.S. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Industry
From the Executive Summary:
Tracking the Sun VIII
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) released Tracking the Sun VIII, the Department of Energy’s report on the price of grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems. Data points were collected from 400,000 individual PV systems or 81% of all U.S. PV capacity installed through 2014. Key findings include:
Net Metering and Market Feedback Loops: Exploring the Impact of Retail Rate Design on Distributed PV Deployment
The advent of net metering has spurred growth in the PV market by allowing PV users to sell excess electricity back to the grid at retail price. This study examines two feedback loops caused by net metering. A positive feedback loop is created due to increased DG solar leading to under-recovery of fixed costs by the utility and thus higher retail electricity prices. A negative feedback loop is made because increased PV deployment leads to a shift in the timing of peak pricing to where solar is less cost efficient, raising solar user’s bills.
The Impact of Solar Powered Oil Production on California's Economy
This ICF International report provides an economic analysis of Innovative Crude Production Methods under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has proposed to re-adopt the LCFS, reaffirming its original target of a 10 percent reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels used in California by 2020 and subsequent years.
BNEF: New Energy Outlook 2015
The New Energy Outlook (NEO) is Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s annual long-term global forecast for the future of energy. Focused on the electricity system, NEO combines the expertise of over 65 in-house country and technology-level specialists in 11 countries to provide a unique assessment of how the market will evolve.
Extensive Solar Cost-Benefit Studies Now Highlighted on SEIA Website
As a way to quickly access extensive research on the value of solar and renewable energy – from economic and environmental benefits to both consumers and businesses, to grid efficiencies and savings – the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has created a new resources page on its website.