The Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC) has released a concept paper that considers states’ ability to expand options for distributed generation (DG) technologies. Due to the rapidly growing appetite for solar and other forms of renewable and alternative energy in the U.S., developers, utilities and policymakers are seeking new approaches that could appropriately value the locational benefits of DG. The 1978 federal Public Utilities Policy Regulatory Act (PURPA) may provide a solution that supports greater DG development close to load, where DG value is highest.
IREC’s paper, Unlocking DG Value: A PURPA-based approach to promoting DG growth, explores benefits that can be quantified and incorporated into the development of PURPA-based avoided cost rates. It also describes several recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decisions that have provided the needed justification to value the benefits of DG facilities and it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach.
Review the full concept paper on IREC’s website.
Solar 3.0, an initiative led by SolarTech and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative, is embarking on a 40-city workshop tour designed to help solar photovoltaic (PV) power installers and integrators reduce solar soft costs. The tour provides utilities, solar equipment manufacturers, distributors, and financiers a unique opportunity to cost-effectively reach as many as 1,200 active solar professionals in…
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Solar 3.0, an initiative led by SolarTech and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative, is embarking on a 40-city workshop tour designed to help solar photovoltaic (PV) power installers and integrators reduce solar soft costs. The “How to Cut Through Red Tape and Grow Your Solar PV Business” workshop will be offered in…
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Vote Solar released a “halftime update report” in May. The report reviews progress made on the solar front in the first half of 2013 and notes initiatives the organization continues to support into the latter half of the year. Highlights include successes in financing, net metering and rate design, and wholesale distributed generation. The report…
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The small town of Sebastopol, Calif., located in west Sonoma County, has become the second city in the Golden State to require solar systems on all newly built homes, commercial buildings, and major residential remodels. The town joins the larger city of Lancaster, Calif. in Los Angeles County in enacting this building ordinance. Under Sebastopol’s…
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A study commissioned by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and authored by Tom Beach of Crossborder Energy finds that distributed solar generation and net energy metering will provide Arizona Public Service’s (APS) utility customers with $34 million in annual benefits. The study uses APS data, including the utility’s 2012 Integrated Resource Plan, to examine costs incurred and…
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The first of two 500-kilowatt community solar gardens planned in Breckenridge, Colo., received final approval from the town Planning Commission. The approval represents the final step in planning and opens the door for construction of the garden on the town-owned Stilson property. Solar gardens is a shared renewable energy program through which solar power can…
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The May 2013 issue of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s (IREC’s) newsletter is now available online. Features stories in the May edition include: Note from the Editor - Interconnection: A Foundational Policy for Solar Market Expansion Maine seeking comments on interconnection Massachusetts reaches a solar milestone, but is looking to reconcile net metering and interconnection conflicts Delaware…
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Vote Solar will host an upcoming webinar to highlight the organization’s new Project: Permit tool. Project: Permit – Cutting Red Tape for Solar Energy: Wednesday, June 5 at 10 AM PT Register here. Recordings from Vote Solar’s previous webinars on topics including Property-Assessed Clean Energy Financing, solar soft costs, storage and smart grid, and net metering are available on the…
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The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) will host a webinar on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, at 2:00 pm EST to discuss U.S. solar market and installation trends. Content for the event is drawn from IREC’s annual solar market report, U.S. Solar Market and Installation Trends. The 2013 report, which will be released in late June, compiles…
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